I’m Reincarnated In Otome Game?

Randy and Elizabeth, having gained the power of Production Magic—better known as Crafting—were eagerly experimenting with it, testing its effects on various materials. For now, their ability was limited to refining raw resources, but according to Eleonora, Crafting would eventually allow them to create various items as their rank advanced.

Among the two, Elizabeth was especially enamored with this newfound power.

Like a child given a new toy, she spent her days refining different materials and meticulously recording the results in her notebook. Eleonora mentioned that Elizabeth's Production Magic would soon evolve, enabling her to synthesize items—a prospect that excited her even further.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing. The pair's zealous exploitation of their abilities—hunting magical beasts, refining their remains into materials, and selling them off to merchants—eventually led to an inevitable problem.

"This is as much as we can handle, I'm afraid," one merchant admitted apologetically.

"Ah, I figured this might happen," Randy replied with a sigh.

They had overwhelmed the merchants' capacity, ending up with a mountain of unsold inventory.

Faced with a stockpile of materials in the warehouse, Randy turned to Elizabeth with a wry smile.

"The demand for these materials isn't particularly high, is it?"

"If only we could open trade routes overseas, it might be a different story," Elizabeth mused.

Her expression momentarily darkened, hinting at her thoughts.

(Ah, right. Her family specializes in maritime trade.)

Even Randy knew of the Blauvelt family, renowned for their vast port in the kingdom's southwest. As a powerful noble house, they had built an immense fortune through trade with distant continents and even operated their own merchant guild.

Clearly, Elizabeth was reminiscing about her family. Randy hesitated before speaking.

"Do you think the dwarves would be interested in buying these materials?"

Though his question might have sounded teasing, it was actually an attempt to acknowledge her idea. Avoiding the topic entirely felt too much like walking on eggshells.

Elizabeth was briefly startled by the question but quickly smiled softly.

"Yes, I believe the dwarves from the distant continent would find these durable materials quite appealing."

"Overseas trade, huh… There's a run-down fishing village near the river at the edge of my territory. If we're looking for a starting point, it'd have to be there."

The village in question was where Randy's mother, Grace, and his younger siblings had recently returned for a visit. Though nominally a fishing village, most of its residents now worked elsewhere, leaving the area practically abandoned. Transforming it into a port seemed unrealistic

"For now, let's focus on advancing to item synthesis. Once we can turn these materials into items, new opportunities will open up," Randy suggested, signaling the end of the discussion as he reached for the door.

Then, as if struck by a thought, he turned back to Elizabeth.

"Lady Elizabeth… do you…"

…worry about your family?

The words almost slipped out, but Randy swallowed them. Asking her such a question now wouldn't help either of them. He wasn't sure how deeply her family had been involved in her exile or how they might feel about her now.

Instead, he said something else.

"Lady Elizabeth, to do your best is admirable, but don't overdo it."

"I understand," Elizabeth replied gracefully, offering a polite bow as Randy left her office.

"Young master Randy's keen eyes is truly impressive," a voice commented as Randy exited the room.

Startled, Randy turned to see Keith, who had appeared out of nowhere with his usual sly smile.

"Don't sneak up on me like that," Randy muttered, scratching his head in embarrassment.

Not that there was much to boast about. If he had accomplished anything, it was moving that heavy stone coffin and sharing his status window with Elizabeth.

"Flattery won't get you anything, you know?" Randy sighed.

"I assure you, I speak sincerely," Keith replied with a bow.

"Well then, since you're here, does that mean…?"

Keith shook his head.

"No progress, I'm afraid."

"Stubborn, huh?" Randy frowned.

"It seems the maids have grown quite close, but on this one topic, she refuses to budge," Keith admitted, his tone carrying a hint of admiration for the unwavering loyalty on display.

"Alright. I'll ask her myself. Where is Rita now?"

"I'll take you to her."

Keith led Randy through the mansion to the courtyard, where he found Rita chatting cheerfully with other maids while doing laundry.

(Looks like she's gotten along well enough. That's a relief.)

 Noticing Randy's small sigh of relief, one of the maids looked up as though she'd realized something.

"Huh? Young Master, what brings you here?"

Her voice drew the attention of all the other maids, who quickly stood and turned to face Randy. 

As they prepared to bow, Randy hastily stopped them. He already felt guilty for intruding into their workspace, and stopping them from their duties would only make it worse.

"Sorry to interrupt, but may I borrow Rita for a moment?"

"I don't see why not," one of the maids responded, her tone curious.

"To discuss her working conditions," Randy said vaguely, dodging the real reason, while gesturing for Rita to follow. 

Though she had been happily chatting moments ago, Rita now looked puzzled as she stepped away from the laundry area. 

Feeling somewhat apologetic, Randy reassured her, "This won't take long," and guided her to the edge of the courtyard.

"Young Master, is there something you need from me?"

"Do you have to call me that too?" Randy groaned, rubbing his temples. 

However, there was no time to dwell on titles. He took a deep breath to refocus, then looked directly at her.

"I need to contact the marquis' household."

At those words, Rita's shoulders flinched visibly.

Anxiety.

Panic.

Doubt.

Fear.

Amid those emotions flickering in her eyes, Randy caught a glimpse of something else—hope.

"You told me Lady Elizabeth was abandoned by the world. That's not the truth, is it?"

Rita's gaze darted away as she stammered, "I-I'm not sure what you mean."

"She's the type who would think it's fine to sacrifice herself if it spares her family from trouble, isn't she?"

Randy's accurate remark made Rita widen her eyes in shock.

(So I was right.)

Though he felt a small sense of relief, Randy wasn't speaking blindly. 

He had already seen the evidence in her status window: "Daughter of the Marquis." If Elizabeth truly had been disowned, it should have said "former daughter." 

The absence of that prefix confirmed that her exile was not her family's decision. Coupled with her personality, Randy had little trouble connecting the dots.

Even Keith and his father, Alan, had reached the same conclusion.

"What do you plan to do by contacting the marquis' house?" Rita asked nervously. 

"Lady Elizabeth has nothing to do with them anymore," she added, as if trying to protect her mistress.

Seeing her loyalty, Randy couldn't help but smile.

"Relax. I'm not planning anything shady. I just want to gauge their response."

"Gauge their response…?"

Randy explained his plan. It had been over a week since Elizabeth's exile, and rumors of her death were spreading in the kingdom. 

These whispers had even reached the duchy. 

However, the rumors were just that—unconfirmed. The kingdom, having exiled her without proper procedures, couldn't officially confirm her death without risking scrutiny.

Randy intended to send word to the marquis' house, claiming to have found an item that might belong to Elizabeth. 

Their reaction would reveal how they truly felt about her.

"If they say they don't want it, I won't tell them she's alive. But if they do care and want the item, I can at least let them know she's safe."

"They'll definitely want it," Rita said with conviction.

"You sound confident."

Randy raised an eyebrow at her unwavering tone.

"The marquis cares deeply for Lady Elizabeth. He even managed to arrange for me to serve her, despite her rejecting all other forms of support during her exile," Rita explained.

Her story shed light on Elizabeth's situation. Despite her insistence on cutting ties to avoid burdening her family, the marquis had secretly negotiated with the royal family to assign Rita to her service.

"They love each other, even if they're apart," Rita said.

"And that's why she chose exile alone, to avoid causing trouble for her family," Randy concluded.

Rita nodded solemnly.

"Keith, what do you think?" Randy asked, glancing at the silent man beside him.

"I believe she can be trusted," Keith replied, stroking his beard. He added that Rita had no reason to lie about something that could harm Elizabeth.

"Agreed."

Satisfied, Randy turned to Rita. "Then the best course is to inform the marquis that she's alive."

"But Lady Elizabeth wouldn't want that…" Rita said hesitantly.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure this doesn't hurt her. She's too important to us," Randy said firmly.

"Do you think that the Marquis, who loves his daughter so much, would stay silent after her being pointlessly murdered?"

Randy's earnest gaze finally made Rita nod in agreement. With Rita's cooperation secured, there was only one thing left to do.

"Keith, send a message to Father—"

"I already have it prepared."

As Keith spoke, he pulled a sealed letter from his coat and handed it over. Randy revealed a surprised expression, realizing his father and the butler had already anticipated his move.

"I've been watching over you for seventeen years, young master," Keith said with a satisfied smile.

Randy's face twitched slightly, but he returned the smile.

"Then it's settled. I'll leave contacting Father to you."

"Understood," Keith replied with a respectful bow.

At that moment, Rita raised her voice hesitantly.

"Um, I was told to give this to you once the young lady reaches a safe place."

Rita produced a magical tool shaped like a bird.

It was a Mailbird, a magical communication device used in this world. However, its cost made it unattainable for ordinary citizens.

"The recipient is already written, right?" Randy asked.

"Yes, it's addressed to the Marquis Blauvelt" Rita confirmed with a nod as she handed over the Mailbird.

"Please, take care of the young lady," she said, bowing deeply.

Randy accepted the Mailbird and raised a hand. "Leave it to me."

As Randy walked away, Rita bowed once more to his retreating figure.

Carrying Rita's hopes on his shoulders, Randy's steps grew quicker without him noticing. By the time he reached his room, he was nearly running.

He opened the window and placed the letter from Keith onto the Mailbird's back. The letter emitted a soft glow before vanishing, and the Mailbird shimmered as it took flight.

Randy stood at the window for a while, watching the glowing path of the Mailbird as it soared into the blue sky.