Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 164: Arc 4, Act I, - 9: Bittersweet

"You did all that bullshit, so you could show me this?" Jotou cocked a brow with a smirk.

"Hey, best view in the city. Don’t you like an artistic view?" Daiyu leaned her elbows onto the banister as she looked down upon the city.

Jotou’s smile broadened as she took another glimpse, "It’s beautiful. I haven’t really drawn or painted in a while... I’ve been worked up over everything else going on.

Speaking of which," Jotou peered back to Daiyu, who pursed her lips knowing what was to come. "Enough changing the subject," Jotou shifted her blonde strands behind her ears.

Daiyu sighed; hearing Jotou’s voice go calm was at least putting her at ease. The chimes dangled and shrubbery rustled to the slow wind. "I miss home... I could have mostly anything I want here...

Except home. This is all, amazing, but I’m the last person that should be a princess. And even so, I don’t get everything and I need to walk on eggshells to do anything.

I miss just, swinging a racket and a ball at a wall. I miss not having to have my outfit picked out by dozens of maids every week. I mean, I hated my parents as much as you hate yours.

And now, I kinda wanna see them again... even after all the pressure they put me through... Hmph," Daiyu stifled a laugh, "I didn’t exactly have a million friends either Jotou.

I had you four and the rest, well, maybe we could’ve been friends, but now they’re nothing more than acquaintances. I, found you after so long...

After coming to the conclusion that you were dead and that I died too. I had come to terms with it and distracted myself well enough...

Then seeing you, made me remember everything I miss again. We’ve known each other for so long... and I just never prepared for a future, where we parted ways.

I tried to," Daiyu took a breath, shaking her head slowly, "to avoid most things today. Today was supposed to be a happy day, seeing you again and I, didn’t wanna spend it wallowing.

I tried to skip past your story. I didn’t want you to relive the moments of you coming here and risk getting you sad; so I tried to change the subject after it too. You’re way too clever for any of that though," Daiyu rolled her eyes.

Now that the two were alone, Daiyu showed her sorrowed face more, her eyes nearly tearing up as she spoke. Jotou listened in silence, the same expression gradually spreading across the blonde’s face.

Jotou leaned against the handrail, laying her chest and elbows to rest upon it as she glanced at the city again; the breeze unfurled and dishevelled her hair, slapping it across her eyes and nose.

"Tch," Jotou shook her head and took off her hair tie, letting her blonde hair loose entirely... Her heartbeat calmed as the cold wind hummed against her ears.

Her hair flowing behind her, arms folded atop a handrail—her eyes slanted down, remembering where she had this sensation before.

Instead of the sea, now there was a city before her. Under the starlight, she stood on a balcony instead of sitting on a rooftop.

"It’s better that you let those things come and go instead of forcing the moment. You can’t control every little detail and emotions are just gonna pile up if you don’t let them out.

Besides, you can’t enjoy and miss the good things without the bad; otherwise they lose meaning. Hm... I guess that’s why they made the word bittersweet. The bitterness makes it all the more sweeter.

Yeah, this is all bittersweet. It’s not our world... and we don’t have our faces. But we’re still here aren’t we? And we’ll always be us," the blonde turned, her hair wisping in the air.

Jotou’s eyes widened a little, but relaxed with a bittersweet smirk, "Now that’s a sight."

Daiyu had a pouted smile with tears running down her cheeks. Having listening to Jotou, she snapped out of it to remove the tears as quickly as possible. "Bitch," Daiyu muttered with a grin.

"Takes one to know one."

"Always have to be a smart-ass," Daiyu once again leaned upon the railing.

"So, what was that dinner about?" Jotou queried.

"It was with the Council of Cravolta. I have to attend those dinners every week on Wednesdays. It’s nothing crazy, just a bunch of people I need to be careful around. Feyan normally can advise me what to say.

They like to goad and prod at me to slip up sometimes. Today would’ve been perfect since Feyan wasn’t there, but lucky for me, they didn’t," Daiyu sighed in relief.

"That council lives here too?"

"Some of them, not all. And not all of them have to attend, but since it’s my palace; host has to be there," she rolled her eyes. "Ministers and stuff. A lot of noble houses too who fund a bunch of things."

"Sounds like you’re really in the know there," Jotou grinned.

"Ugh," Daiyu stuck her tongue out and Jotou responded in kind. "That’s why I have Feyan. All this legal garbage goes right over my head.

Basically, each of them controls some land, region, state and whatnot. Some of them control the ministers within each region within the state.

Some of them control the military stuff, exports and imports, tourism, welfare, arts and culture, mines, agriculture, you get the idea.

I can have input and force a decision for them, but they’re pretty much the ones who’re responsible for it all. Even then, I can only force so far cause if over half of the council goes against me, I get overruled.

I haven’t done that, yet... but I’m not really in any position to poke the bears."

"It’d be fun to piss them off though," Jotou pondered aloud. "You’re the princess, what’re they gonna do? I get that they control everything, but surely opposing the monarch wouldn’t be in their best interests."

Daiyu scoffed, "I’d like to think that, but no, the council’s watching my every step. Pretty much waiting for me to fuck up. Since I’m technically not like, the ’actual’ princess, there’s a lot of things they have to consider.

It’s part of the reason why I haven’t been crowned as queen for three plus months even though I’m twenty-one. It’s all a weird like, legal situation.

A lot of them still don’t even consider me the princess and that she’s dead; which isn’t wrong... And before I can do anything, I need to learn to act properly and make the right decisions without upsetting them.

I had to get so many approvals and coordinate so many things just for my first public appearance so that I could meet you today.

And as I said before, the council doesn’t really care about the public finding out that the previous princess is ’dead’. Feyan says it’d probably work in their favour of invalidating me as the Princess of Cravolta. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Apparently there’re groups in the city who’ve gotten leaked information too; and they’re not too happy about me," she rasped at the end.

"Well," Jotou tilted her head, "The questions are, why haven’t you stepped down? And is this something you want to do? Playing princess and all."

"It’s not about whether I want to or not; I have to. With no other heir, I’m their last choice. Otherwise, no more monarchy in Cravolta which is like, a MASSIVE deal apparently.

Either that or they get some other asshole up on the throne, who knows? But if they don’t see me fit, they might just do something about it and get rid of me.

And who’s to say that’s not literally ’getting rid of me’. So there’s that danger if I do step down. I’m forced into this position... but I have the power to change so many things Jotou.

Even though I have to deal with this whole war thing going on, I kinda..." Daiyu paused to turn to Jotou, "Still, ’want’ to do this... and I want to do it my own way.

I know it sounds, sorta dumb. I was supposed to be playing tennis for the rest of my life after college pretty much. I know I’m the last person who should be princess.

But think of all the things I could do Jotou..." Daiyu gazed upon the city below—millions of citizens living out their lives. "I know what I can do with this power; I know what to do.

I can help so many people and not just the millions in the city. The entirety of Cravolta... How many people get a chance like this? And how many people can I trust to give a power like this to?

I can stop the corruption in the system; I’m at the literal top. I can fix homelessness, hunger, give rights to people," Daiyu’s pupils dilated, every possibility floating within the irises of her eyes she could maybe grasp.

"I could either play tennis in our world and get some fans. Maybe become some sort of legend and make a political statement? HUGE maybe.

Or be the princess of Cravolta in this world. One that can build a bright future for it. If I can make this world better; shouldn’t I at least try?"

Jotou gazed to Daiyu watching the city lights, twinkling like little stars. The blonde smiled, giggling. Daiyu turned with an eye half-closed.

"I think you’d be the perfect princess for Cravolta."