Why My hair is Blonde
Chapter 2
'Why ? My hair being blonde is a mystery.'
After being born and gaining awareness, I heard unfamiliar words from my wet nurse.
"Since you have the blood of the Kekkain Dukedom family, you know."
Why does the aristocratic system still exist in modern Japan!? No, even before that, the Kekkain family!? I feel a strong sense of familiarity with the name, but why!?
Amidst my incoherent babbling, there was no time to question why I, who was supposed to be dead, am alive or why I became a toddler.
But there was something urgent that needed confirmation.
"Unya?"
"Yes, yes, there, there."
My wet nurse cradled me tenderly, swaying gently in her arms. Alas! I can't enjoy that in this moment.
"E-ain nya?"
"Yes, yes, nya~~~ nya~~~"
It's not getting through! Again!
"E-ka-in-ru nya?"
"Oh my! Lady Runa, that's absolutely right. Your name resonates as Lady Kekkain Runa."
"Una~~~~!!!"
"Yes, Runa, it is indeed Runa!"
The villainess "Kekkain Runa" from that otome game. On September 15, at the age of 18, she met condemnation from the game's protagonist and charming male characters, leading to the destruction of the villainess.
Ruin...bearing the identical name as the fateful antagonist of destiny... it's foreboding, too ominous.
From that moment, my life revolved around confirming whether I had been reborn in the game, becoming the doomed villainess Kekkain Runa, to fulfill some kind of destiny.
[1] The promised Destruction
I don't understand this, can't confirm it. At least, it's impossible until I find out whether I can resist fate, so it's on hold.
[2] Whether I became "Kekkain Runa" ?
Confirming this took considerable time. Validating my identity involved the straightforward verification of my name and the status as the daughter of a duke. However, lingering doubt remained due to the chance of a coincidental shared name.
Delving deeper, I had to recollect the names of the immediate relatives , conducting a thorough cross-check for each one. The outcome revealed that, at the very least, the names of Runa's relatives align, leaving me with no option but to acknowledge the connection.
[3] Whether I was really reborn into the "Game World" ?
This received relatively quick negative response. Setting aside elements exclusive to the main character, like the favoritism signal and the choice window during initial encounters, one can discern the distinction simply by observing the scenery. The world I perceive is significantly distinct from a game; the sky is not a flat, monotonous blend of blue, white, and black lines. Instead, it boasts shades, shadows, and intricate details, undergoing constant, overwhelming changes with remarkable realism.
The trees in the garden exhibits an equally lifelike quality, imparting a sense of refinement.
People's responses are diverse, not uniform, with countless patterns, unlike a game. Unless it's some cyber world simulating another world within a complete reproduction of the world itself... which is unlikely.
[T/N- means some very developed like 2.0 (Earth is 0.78 or something can't remember well) Civilization made a new civilization]
So, is it a parallel world? A world close to but slightly different from the one game I know?
If that's the case, I should investigate how much this world differs from the miserable world where I was born, where I died, and based on that, figure out what I should do.
Even if it's not a game, but more like another world, if I'm stuck in a situation resembling the crazy events of the game and sharing the fate of the villainess Kekkain Runa, then it's basically game over for me. No choice but to grind and try my best to survive.
At the age of two or three, I pretended to be able to read and looked at an encyclopedia in the study.
The history written there was clearly different from the history I knew.
"Oh, it says 'surrender' for the Pacific War. What happened, with the Normandy failure and Germany fighting to the end...?"
Ignoring the finer details, the post-war history of Japan in this world is subtly different from the actual history, but generally follows the same direction.
During the Cold War, it aligned itself with the West, deploying troops to the Manchurian War (likely the precursor to the Korean War) and the Vietnam War. The nation played a pivotal role in the Gulf War.
However, it appears inevitable that the Allies intervened following the surrender. The existence of the Self-Defense Forces adds another layer of complexity, with intriguing elements such as the transformation of aristocratic houses into the House of Peers. Subsequent reforms have led to the dominance of the House of Representatives and the election-based selection of its members.
Perhaps, game designers attempted to address the notion of the villainess title within the game. The challenges faced by these designers are unmistakably evident.
Another formidable challenge for the game developers revolve around the Zaibatsu, or financial conglomerates. Following the Pacific War, Japan underwent a transformation of its zaibatsu into corporate groups through the dissolution of these conglomerates.
However, with the unconditional surrender not materializing, certain zaibatsu managed to persist. The downside, however, manifested itself starkly during the collapse of the economic bubble, with smaller zaibatsu succumbing after absorption by their larger counterparts.
The Teia Group, representing the family of Teia Eiichi, the designated capture target in the game, underwent substantial expansion through the absorption of these modest zaibatsu entities during the Zaibatsu reorganization. This strategic maneuver elevated the Teia Group to a position of prominence, solidifying its standing as one of Japan's leading zaibatsu..
I was surprised they didn't collapse, but recalling the game's friendship chart, it seems that the family of the politician Izumikawa Yujiro, which held a key position in the Ministry of Finance and later became the Vice Minister of Finance, played a role behind their survival. This strategy involves navigating survival by avoiding easy suppression, coupled with subsequent national relief during the reorganization.
It appears their aim is to achieve growth through the strategic merger and acquisition of banks, evident from their substantial holdings in the banking sector. Well that's off topic ಠ_ʖಠ .
My family, the Kekkain House, initially descended from nobility, transitioned to court nobility following the subjugation of the family head. The family itself faced its demise during the war, and my grandfather, Hikomasu Kekkain, assumed the role of an adopted son.
Despite the elegant name he was born as the illegitimate child of a certain family, , he entered the Ministry of Home Affairs, worked in the police, and became the police chief of the Special Higher Police, and became involved in the political turmoil of wartime Japan.
Upon the consequential assassination of the prime minister, a pivotal incident of its era with an inconclusive investigation into the perpetrator, he shouldered accountability for the unresolved affair and withdrew from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Subsequently, almost akin to a tacit acknowledgment, he was bestowed with the title of the Kekkain family, ascending to the esteemed rank of Duke.
This somewhat unorthodox noble had many enemies, but during his time as a police official, he held the weaknesses of his political rivals, laying the foundation for our family's prosperity.
Having intact production facilities after the defeat and continuously selling military supplies during the Manchurian War, Chinese Civil War, and Vietnam War, our country recovered, as well as the the Kekkain family benefited.
At the core of our family's contemporary business ventures stands Kekkain Pharmaceuticals, a thriving entity that has amassed wealth by supplying pharmaceuticals for the overseas missions of the Self-Defense Forces.
In this process, subsidiaries like Kekkain Chemical Industries, Kekkain Chemical Industries, Kekkain Shipping, Kekkain Trading, Kekkain Warehouse, Kekkain Maritime Insurance, Far East Bank, Far East Life, Far East Hotel, and Far East Land Development flourished as a mid-sized zaibatsu collectively, flourishing during the economic bubble and later grappling with the complexities of its aftermath
The engagement between Eiichi Teia and me, a key storyline moment, was essentially about safeguarding the future of the Keika zaibatsu.
Grandfather amassed his fortune through his involvement in the pharmaceutical industry during the war... Ah...
Discovering the contrasting facets of Japan in my role as a preschool age child...mmh~~...
Let's just pretend I didn't come across that.
It's too early in life to know so much.
I close the encyclopedia and exit the study.Playing with my blonde hair reflected in the hallway mirror, I hadn't initially thought 'She' was Japanese; fair skin complemented by blonde hair, it seems they put considerable effort into her appearance. The dedicated work of the game designers becomes evident.
It appears that my grandfather, despite his influence and financial prowess, was also inclined towards romantic entanglements, engaging in affairs with various women.
A notable figure among them was a lady, whose lineage traced back to an exiled Russian aristocrat.
So, my father was born into this situation, initially unrecognized as a legitimate child and kept in a near-isolation state.
He was approached by a set of individuals with enticing business opportunities, affiliated with the Far East Group,emanating from the Far East Group, primarily constituted by exiled Russians.
Without alerting my grandfather, a strategic move unfolded as they leveraged the Kekkain name and assets. My father's marriage to the Far East Group's daughter portrayed a sophisticated calculation, apparently spearheading an autonomous expansion of the family business.
However, when it became clear that the Far East Group was connected to an Eastern spy organization, established for Western technology espionage, the situation had escalated to a point where no one benefited.
Shortly after giving birth to me, my Russian mother passed away. My father, shielded by the privileges of aristocracy, managed to evade investigation, taking refuge in the unresolved nature of the case. However, he mysteriously succumbed to suicide later on. Consequently, I remain bereft of the chance to know the faces of my parents.
My grandfather, who could have resolved this situation with his influence, had already passed away, and the Eastern side had lost its country altogether.
With the intent of discreetly rectifying this scandal, the Keikain Zaibatsu orchestrated the absorption of the Far East Group as a nuanced national policy. Unfortunately, this move coincided with the collapse of the economic bubble.
Then the Kekkain Group, burdened with unfavorable debt, potentially underwent integration into the Teia Group.
Right now, I find myself without any allies. In reality, I live with my nannies in a mansion separate from my main Kekkain Mansion. It's a situation filled with distortion and sluggishness. From the Teia Group's contemporary viewpoint, there seems to be no rationale to engage with me.
Could it be that the cancellation of the engagement was planned from the beginning?
In my possession is a beauty so strikingly fair that one might mistake my complexion for that of a white person, complemented by beautiful blonde locks. A fragment of knowledge from my past life lingers in my awareness.
Ah...This captivating allure serves as the toll for the meticulously arranged dissolution of the engagement.
________________________________________________________
[Nobility]
The so-called aristocrats.When you research it, the messy relationships between military aristocrats, including daimyo, and court nobles become apparent.
[Pacific War "Surrender."]
In reality, it was an "unconditional surrender."
[Bank of Japan Special Lending]
The Bank of Japan's last resort.
This saved Yamaichi Securities, and the fact that it couldn't be used is why Yamaichi Securities collapsed.
[Special Higher Police]
A notorious symbol of terror in the police force.
Especially notorious for fighting to the death against communists.
[Kekkain Pharmaceuticals]
Inspired by the movie version of "Inugamike no Ichizoku".
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