-1-
Domo domo~
Iʼm Haruhisa Takumi, and I followed the trend of being reincarnated as an otome game capture target after getting hit by truck-kun~ Well, enough of this character. I have a problem. A big problem.

“Onii-sama, didnʼt I tell you that you shouldʼve acted a little meaner to the servants?”

My little sister yelled at me. I was sitting in seiza.
I was reincarnated as the older brother of the villainess, but I was also a capture target. But the original character is an asshole. So is my sister.

Of course, I want to fix everything, to keep us from going down the bad ending.

I say reincarnated, but itʼs really like I awoke one day, or rather five seconds ago, to this scene. From my previous life, I know all the events that happen here. But will I be able to change them? Actually, never mind that, I need to fix my sisterʼs behavior first. No wait, I need to fix MY behavior first. Of course, itʼs probably too suspicious if I change immediately. Or rather, should I change suddenly? Say I had a “revelation” or something?

If I remember, the world in this game is fairly religious, so saying I had a “revelation” might also cause some problems politics-wise.

Right, right, setting. Iʼm the prince of the country. Simple as that. So if the prince of the country was to suddenly go religious, it could disrupt the power balance of the nobility and the church...

Oh well!

I would normally not talk here and take the scolding, but this is a matter of life and death.

Literally. If I donʼt change now, then...

[Oi. Let me take control.]

I heard a voice in my head. This way of speaking, could it be?

[Yeah, itʼs me, Edward. You took over my mind, you bastard.]

Edward is the name of the prince, or rather the person I am right now. So why am I hearing his voice?

[You took over my mind. Or rather, we share a mind now. I saw your memories. Itʼs not like I wanted to be this way, you know? My sister just likes this type of personality better.]

Right, in the original work, Edward was a huge siscon.

Wait, does that mean that you actually donʼt want to be an asshole?!

[Oi. Donʼt phrase it like that. But yes. My personality is like this now, but I donʼt mind being nice here and there. Anyway, if this is about saving my sister, then let me take control.]

Ah, yes, yes. Iʼll let Mr. Siscon take control for now, then.

[Oi!]

I leave my consciousness to go to the “background” and let Edwardʼs mind take over. This leaves me with some more time to think, at least.

Even though my consciousness, letʼs call it “Share” for now, isnʼt in control, I can still see and feel what Edward is feeling. But Iʼm not in control of my own actions. It seems like both Shares have to agree for the other to take over. Edwardʼs Share takes over and starts talking.

“Look, maybe itʼs not me who needs to be meaner, but you who needs to be nicer?”

Wait, youʼre a siscon, right? Why are you scolding your sister so hard? Or rather, why are you listening to me when you should clearly be on your sisterʼs side?

[Shut up for a second. Itʼs taking all my willpower not to cry here.]

Were you always this fragile in the game?! The little-sister-obsessed, tsundere prince captured the hearts of many girls playing the game, sure, but to me it just creeped me out. Why would you even be obsessed with that piece of trash of a sister?

[If you werenʼt a part of me, I would have executed you by now.]

Oh yeah? Try me. Actually, now isnʼt the time for that!

[For my sisterʼs sake, I would do anything, even become a demon. And because youʼre me, I know youʼre not lying. Itʼs just-]

Just what?

[I canʼt do this!]

Michelle, my- no, our? Our little sister was crying. Of course the siscon wouldn't be able to move. He caused it.

No choice. Let me take over. I felt my Share rushing to the front of my mind, like I suddenly took the steering wheel. This is convenient.

“Onii-sama, why? I thought you were on my side?”

“Well, Michelle, you know that a princess should behave better to their servants, right? Do you want to be known as the evil queen in the future?”

[Oi, donʼt torment her like that!]

Itʼs not like I have a choice here! From what it seems like, Michelle is a bit of a brocon at this moment in time, and so nowʼs the best time to try and change her! And plus, no matter her actions, sheʼs a princess! She has to be ready to lead people!

It really pains me to put the piece of shit villainess in her rightful place, it really does. I donʼt have a grudge against her or anything. My motives are pure.

Really.

[Thatʼs enough, let me take over!]

No, not yet. Hang in there a moment.

I need to land the finishing blow.

“If you keep being mean, onii-sama might hate you~”

Michelle burst out crying and ran from the room. Ah, that felt good.
My motives were pure. I swear.

-2-
For now, I left Edwardʼs Share in charge. Iʼm going to see if we can make a personality that lets us both be in charge at the same time, or at least have the bodyʼs actions be a compromise of what we want. That way we donʼt have to worry about switching all the time.

“Young Master, how was it?”

Stella, our personal maid, was waiting by the door. Sheʼs the usual high-spec servant. Always there when you need her, and always ready to help when you need it. Sheʼs like a ninja. Or so Edwardʼs memories say.

Because we share a mind, we also share memories. So Edward knows what I know about the game, and I know what Edward knows about this world. Heʼs actually taking it pretty well considering my memories prove that heʼs just a fictional character.

So far, it seems like there arenʼt any discrepancies between the original work and Edwardʼs childhood. Weʼre fourteen right now, our sister is ten. The bad ending happens when sheʼs fourteen, so we have four years to prepare, best case. Of course, when changing the future, things tend to go terribly wrong, so of course I donʼt know if we will actually have four years to act.

“Stella, didnʼt I say not to talk to me?”

You canʼt just do that! Weʼre trying to change our behavior here!

[Calm yourself. I have a plan.]

If you say so, then I leave it to you!

“Yes, Young Master, you did indeed. I sincerely apologize for my rude behavior. As punishment, you may do anything you would like to me...”

“I take that order back. Talk freely with me from now on. ...Or rather, as you would treat a friend, I guess. Itʼs not really that I appreciate what you do or anything, you get me!”

Itʼs here! Edwardʼs tsundere act! No matter how many times I see it, it still grosses me out! Male tsunderes are overrated!

Also, was Stella always that sort of character?

[She acts nice and capable, but sheʼs actually a sadist. Be careful of her. Donʼt show affection to her, or she might go crazy.]

Uh... You just showed affection to her... No, donʼt retort, donʼt retort.

…We have a bigger problem right now.

Edward, HER EYES ARE HEARTS!

[Oh shi-]

“Young Master! I always knew you would come around to me!”

For the one time since we agreed to avoid the bad ending, our thoughts were in sync. We need to run. With both of us controlling the body at once, we escaped from a grim fate.

——

We hid behind a corner. We somehow managed to lose Stella.

[Are we safe?]

I wouldnʼt know. I think we ran at a superhuman speed, though, so no matter how superhuman that maid is, she couldnʼt-

“Did you think you could run, Young Master?”

With round, dead eyes, the maid in question hung down from the ceiling, head-first.

We screamed. Since our thoughts were in sync, the body cooperated with both of us, and screamed as well.

Edward... has a pretty high-pitched scream.

-3-

And so our daily routine continued. We argued with each other inside our head, took control from the other when we needed to, ran from Stella, and taught common sense and kindness to Michelle.

Itʼs been a year. We still havenʼt figured out a way to create a “compromise Share”, but we have been able to work out who takes control.
Edwardʼs Share is in control normally. Interacting with his servants, working and learning, doing princely duties, is all him. My Share typically takes control when Edward canʼt do something, like scolding Michelle or dealing with Stella. Then, at night, we talk and review the events that have happened, and guess what is to come.

[So... tomorrow is that first... “Event”, was it?]

Yeah. Tomorrow is the first major event that happens in the original work. Since we havenʼt made it derail too much so far, Iʼd say this is still on track. And itʼs made to be a disaster for us, in multiple ways.

In the original work, Michelle is set to be engaged to the heir of a neighboring kingdom. This heir is also a capture target, but weʼll get to that later.

Due to her snobbishness, Michelle isnʼt very welcomed by the fiancee and his family, and so tensions are high. Thatʼs how it was in the normal setting, anyway. And that all started from the first impression our family made on theirs.

In other words, this event. It seems like Michelle does indeed fall in love with the foreign prince, but that isnʼt reciprocated, because sheʼs such a piece of shit. But things might be different now. Me and Edward have been drilling manners and kindness into her for the past year, so hopefully thereʼll be an improvement from the game.

...Wait. Isnʼt my knowledge of the future pretty useless once the heroine starts having choices?

[Letʼs worry about that stuff later. First comes this “event”.]

Right, right. Letʼs get through this first, and see what route the heroine decides to take.
...Wait, do I even know the heroine in this world?
I canʼt just have Stella spy on her, can I?

“You called, Young Master?”

“AAH-”

Edward and I screamed in unison. Stella appeared right in front of us. Itʼs kinda like she can read minds, it throws me off.

“But I can read the Young Masterʼs mind?”

Eh?

[Right, I didnʼt tell you, did I? In order for maids to serve effectively, theyʼre mainly demi-humans with clairvoyance-type abilities. Seeing the future to an extent, reading minds, maids are able to do at least one of these types of things.]

Maids are scary. Also, wouldnʼt that mean she knows about my existence?

-Wait, if she had this scary ability, tell me that sooner!

[I thought it would be amusi- wasnʼt necessary, so I didnʼt tell you.]

You totally said it would be amusing, didnʼt you?!

“I agree with the Young Master. It definitely was amusing, listening to your arguments.”

Stella, donʼt side with him please! This guy needs to learn that there are no secrets when we share a body!

...Retort aside, Stella knows about my existence, right? Then why hasnʼt she said anything? When talking to her, I also donʼt have to take control of the body, do I?

“No, I can hear your thoughts just fine. I have been carefully observing you over the past year, to

determine who you are, and what your objectives are. From what I could tell, you donʼt mean any harm, and are a welcome source of change for the Young Master. There is one thing I am curious about, however...”

Hm? Whatʼs that?

“Why would someone from another world, who hates Michelle-sama, want to help her?”

Ah, never thought about that one before.

[You havenʼt?! So all this time, youʼve just been rolling along with everything?]

I guess. In the first place, I guess itʼs because Michelle reminds me of my little sister from back in my world. Though my little sister is 100% less annoying, shitty, and overbearing. Even so, sheʼs still family, somewhat.

Not to mention that if Michelle went down the bad ending, Edwardʼs Share wouldnʼt stop bothering me. That I wanted to avoid at all cost.

“Just canʼt be honest, can you, Takumi-sama?”

Donʼt lump me together with the gross tsundere prince! And also, I donʼt remember telling you my name! But you probably already knew it because you have practically cheat-level skills! Ah, this pisses me off!

Iʼm glad, at least, that Stella can differentiate between Edwardʼs Share and my Share. But we need to get back to the topic at hand.

[Right. Stella, could you try and find this “heroine”, and monitor her actions? It doesnʼt have to be all the time, just periodically. As long as we have a grasp of what “route” this girl is taking, we should be able to get a better guess of the future.]

“Yes, I will do that. Fufu.”

She laughed. Both Edward and I were put off by that a bit.

[What is it?]

“No, I was just thinking that the Young Master really has changed since Takumi-sama came.”

[...no comment.]

Stop with that tsundere act! I want to puke!

While the three of us wasted away the time like this, the time of judgement had come.

-4-

It was somehow decided that my Share would be in charge for the party tonight. I wonʼt say Iʼm not nervous at all, but considering how prickly Edward can be, Iʼm not very surprised that I was put in charge for first impressions.

[I feel like I heard something really bad right there.]

Itʼs just your imagination.

That being said, while I was watching VERY closely at Edwardʼs etiquette classes, I still am nervous about how to act. I wasnʼt thinking of funny things to distract Edward. Not at all.

[So that WAS you!]

Ignoring the idiot who isnʼt in control, I take a look at myself in the mirror. Edward is, as usual for an otome target, very handsome. Shiny silver hair with sharp, distinguished eyes. Itʼs just a shame his personality sucked until recently. He couldʼve had quite a following.

[Youʼre thinking something rude again, arenʼt you?]

Not at all.

Stella did say that our eyes changed depending on who has control. When Edwardʼs Share has control, our features become more regal and composed, to the point of seeming angry, while when my Share is in control, our features seem more kind and gentle, but more determined somehow.

At least, thatʼs what Stella said.

Well, no point in thinking about it now, huh?
Just need to get through this party.

Spoiler alert: We didnʼt get through this party.

———

We walked out of the dressing room, and Michelle was waiting for us. She runs up to us with her eyes glittering in excitement.

“Onii-sama, that outfit looks very good on you!”

“Why thank you, Michelle-chan is cute today too.”

I reply, and Michelle goes beet red for some reason. Is she not feeling well? I put my forehead to hers to check her temperature.

“Is everything alright? Youʼre not forcing yourself for this event, are you?”

“Awa- awawawa-“

Michelle just stands there like her brain has melted. I guess it really is too much for her after all.

Iʼm about to call for Stella to take her back when:

“Young Master, I do believe that Michelle-sama is fine. She is just nervous about her first social event.”

Stella answers my question. Thank you, Stella!
You really are a super maid! If I had my own body, maybe I wouldʼve tried to capture you! No, I definitely would have!

To that, Stella also goes red, for some reason. Edward was also silent.
Whatʼs wrong, Edward? Itʼs not like you to not talk.

[I was just thinking about how dangerous airheads can be.]

What does he mean by that?

“This kind and caring onii-sama is great too...”

I feel like I heard this as I prepared to go into the ballroom. Whatever, my mind is on other things.

-5-

The three of us walking into the grand ballroom. It was huge. Needlessly huge. But we are nobility, so I guess that canʼt be helped.

What I see first is a scene of organized chaos. People are chatting, drinking, flirting, flirting, flirting... Damn riajuu, just explode for all I care.

[What the hell does that mean?]

Ah, sorry, Iʼm getting sidetracked.

There were the usual formalities. Dukes and duchesses, viscounts, all the lower powers come to greet us out of respect.

But of course, thatʼs not the point here. Weʼre here to-

[Beat up the stupid prince who wants to take our sister away from us, right?]

Right, to beat up that snotty piece of- Wait, no! Also, since when was Michelle “our” sister?! I thought she was just yours?!

[Well, you want to protect her too, so it canʼt be helped. Iʼm still #1 in her heart though, remember that.]

Not like I wanted to remember anything you say anyway. In any case, weʼre here to check out whether or not the engagement will go well, and if not, then do anything in our power to get things to resolve peacefully.

Thereʼs a tap on my shoulder. Stella whispers into my ear.
“Takumi-sama, if you would look to your left, I believe there is something that requires your attention.”

What the hell is it now?! I look to my left and see the foreign prince trying to kabedon the daughter of one of this kingdomʼs viscountcies. Right. I forgot. This capture target is a piece of shit too.

Hans Goldenstein. Age 13, two years between Edward and Michelle. While heʼs not too bad of a guy compared to Edward, heʼs popular and it lets him go to his head. Before the heroine sets him straight, he was known to be a womanizer who would flirt with any maiden who even passed him.

This guy is Michelleʼs future fiancé. And he is currently kabedon-ing a pretty girl, probably my age. Two years older than him, at least.

“Umm, Hans-sama, I do believe that I must be going soon-“

The disgusting prince leans in a little closer to her.

“Really? You do know who I am, right? Do you really think your family would be okay, knowing you opposed the advances of a neighboring kingdomʼs prince?”

[Takumi.]

I know. I think weʼre both united on this one.

In a sense, I think Stella is to blame for causing this night to go terribly.

-6-

I grab the disgusting princeʼs hand, and force it off the wall. I also almost put his face in an iron claw, but Edward somehow stops me from doing so.

[I know how you feel, but we canʼt have too many bad things happen here. For Michelleʼs sake.]

Yes, yes, I get it, you siscon. For now, Iʼm between the two, acting as a barrier between the two involved parties.

“You- Do you not know who I am?! I am Hans-“

“Hans Goldenstein, right? Well, who you are doesnʼt matter, though.”

“Wha-”

“Not to mention throwing around your power as a threat, you also believe that your power as a prince carries over into another kingdom. You are a disgrace to all royalty, and all who aspire to become one.”

I let Edward take over for this part. His sharp tongue is better than mine at hurling insults, and I mean that as a compliment.

When I first appeared in Edwardʼs mind, we made a few compromises. While a Share can forcefully take control of the body through sheer willpower, itʼs much easier if both sides agree to the switch. Also, switching might mess up our goals at the time. So, unless thereʼs an emergency, no switching unless both Shares agree to it.

The other rule was that we wouldnʼt throw around our power. In order to change the bad ending, we needed Edward not to be a complete ass. And so we made that rule. We would treat servants nicely, and act as equals to all when possible.

I had thought that rule would be a problem for the stubborn Edward, but when he started doing it, he said that “this is actually really nice”, and never stopped being kind. Maybe he isnʼt such a piece of shit after all.

[Oi.]

A-anyway. We need to tell this guy off. But then Hans dropped the bomb.

“Even so, I will be engaged to the princess of this country. That makes me more powerful than you, correct?”

[…Takumi, I know we agreed to not throw around our power, but I reaaaaally want to.]

I know. I do too. Bear with this pig for now.

I see Stella trying to restrain her laughter in the corner of my vision.
Lady, this is all your fault!
I love you, but this is still your fault!

Michelle then steps into the chaos.
And bomb #2 is dropped by the very sister we have sworn to protect.

“Even if you would try to, I refuse! I have dedicated my heart to onii-sama!”

Oi, Edward, you did something, didnʼt you! You useless siscon pervert pig idiot!

[Even if all of those are true, I didnʼt do anything. Wait, I only agree with the siscon part! I might be a little useless too, but everything else I object to!]

That isnʼt the problem here! The event derailed into our little sister confessing she has a thing for her older brother in public in front of her future fiancé!

[Whatʼs wrong with that? Iʼm fine with that. In fact, I may just confess my overflowing love for Miche-]

Everything is wrong, you idiot! And Iʼm taking control before you go all “dere” and make things worse!

“If I may be so bold, in the past of this historyʼs kingdom, the royalty did marry for love... Between brother and sister would not be too out of the ordinary considering that trend.”

Aaaaand bomb #3 was dropped by Stella, who was bowing magnificently! I still love you Stella, but I will have to punish you later. Iʼm ready to go all sadist on you, get ready for it.

I swear I could see heart-shaped pupils in Stellaʼs eyes before they went back to normal.

...Will this royal family really be alright, I wonder?
Also, how much power does Stella have, for her to interrupt a prince and princess and have no consequences? Iʼll ask that while punishing her later.

The ballroom fell deathly silent. Then Father, the king, cleared his throat.

“Well, as long as the love is mutual, I see no problems with it.”

The ballroom resounded in cheers of everyone surrounding us.
Wait, I see a very big problem though?!

-7-

Someone please deal with this stupid THING I have sharing a body with me.

[Eheheheh. Michelle loves me...]

See? Useless. Perverted. Siscon. Idiot.

There are a few problems with our current situation. Besides the obvious, thereʼs also the question of, “which Edward did Michelle fall in love with?”

Until we can figure out if itʼs my personality or the real Edwardʼs, we might not be able to make any peaceful progress inside of this cramped mind.

If at all possible, I hope that itʼs the original Edward she fell in love with. Iʼm fine with just having Stella. If I get my own body, that is.
If Michelle fell in love with me, then gods know how Edwardʼs Share would treat me from now on...
I shudder just thinking about it.

————

Stellaʼs punishment was not being able to hear me for three days. Or rather, I just kept silent for three days.

It seemed more like a punishment for me, though. I had to really try hard not to retort to the gleeful Edward, you know?
I figured that if Stella really found my Share so interesting, then a suitable punishment would be to not have her hear it for a week. Itʼs like cutting off anime from an otaku for a week. By the third day she was prostrating herself on the floor.

“I am so sorry, Takumi-sama. I will never speak out of line again.”

Well, never speaking out of line would be kind of boring. I was thinking more like, “donʼt make more trouble for us”.

“But, the Young Master never seemed to hate it?”

...Donʼt make more trouble for me.

“Aah, but I had an idea on how to give Takumi-sama a body... I suppose itʼs too troublesome...?”

I prostrated in my mind. Iʼm sorry. Stella, youʼre the best, if I get my own body I am for sure marrying you. Please tell me how.

————

And so, the first chapter of the story of the prince of an otome game with a reincarnated person sharing his body ends. Thereʼs still a lot more things to come for the unfortunate duo, but that might be a story for another time...