Afterword

Thank you so very much for picking up “The Ostracized Saintess Becomes the Tutor of the Duke’s Little Sister in Her Second Chance at Life ~You Hated Me, Didn’t You? Why Are You So Affectionate This Time?~”.

Nice to meet you. I’m the author, Aoi Kazuki.

I began serializing this work on “Shousetsuka ni Narou” in March of Reiwa 6 (2024). Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would reach your hands in published form in just about ten months. And for good reason—this story started with a title cobbled together from my favorite words, a whimsical beginning if ever there was one.

Yet, upon releasing the novel, I was incredibly fortunate to have it read by many kind readers. Initially planning to wrap it up at a certain point, I got carried away, extending the tale on a whim. Before I knew it, it had ballooned past 100,000 characters.

This impromptu extension, born of spontaneity, also garnered a wonderful readership. That led to an offer for publication, and I’m overjoyed to deliver this expanded “book” version—far larger than the serial—to even more people.

However, turning a story into a single volume revealed the immense effort involving many hands. I’d love to go back and tell my serializing self, “Big-kid social studies field trips await!”—and add, “Ernesta’s world is surprisingly vast, so brace yourself,” and “Revising will be tough…”

Now, to close, I’d like to express my gratitude to those who supported me.

To Hako-sama, who transformed my rough sketches and character descriptions into stunning character designs and beautiful illustrations.

To Y-sensei, who lent me a machine when my laptop failed mid-writing. To R-sama, who drew illustrations and character art, and offered advice during the “Shousetsuka ni Narou” serialization. To A-sama, who sent passionate feedback. To S, my long-time creative partner.

To my family, who calmed and watched over me as I wailed “I can’t do this!” daily.

To my editor and the TO Books team, who patiently listened to the world of Ernesta and her companions, offering valuable insights.

And to all of you who’ve picked up this book.

Thanks to everyone, I’ve reached this day. Truly, thank you.

I look forward to meeting you again in the future.