《The Fake Saint of a Reverse Harem Game》 Chapter 0 EPISODE 0 PROLOGUE I like a man with a big chest. The first thing that caught my eyes was a solid chest. Looking down, several pairs of abs lay bare and so perfect that one could only think it was a masterpiece sculpture. Not only were the muscles flexible, but the pearl-colored skin that shone subtly in the dark seemed so soft as if water droplets would roll down easily over it. ¡®Oh, this will be the death of me.¡¯ I rubbed my sleepy eyes and forced myself up at the sight of the desirable body with thick and well-knit muscles in front of me. The man, who noticed I was already awake, tossed and turned as he raised his upper body. ¡°¡­¡­!@##%.¡± Still groggy, the man¡¯s words just bounced back and forth in incomprehensible mumbles in my head. I stared at the man¡¯s face, half covered by the shadows, and slowly blinked. ¡®But who is this man with the perfectly delectable body?¡¯ I pondered for a moment and groaned softly, unable to think straight. ¡®All of the target characters in this game are in good shape, but his especially better-looking shoulder line¡­¡¯ ¡°Curtis?¡± I mumbled. The man nodded his head quietly, confirming I was correct with my guess. In my drowsiness I thought he had been undressed, but he was actually neatly dressed with his shirt buttoned up to his neck. ¡°Is it your hobby to invite people to sleep?¡± I giggled at his question. ¡°What you said makes me feel like I¡¯m looking at the old Curtis.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like the beginning of an attack.¡± His icy expression reminded me of how he was at the beginning of the game. Curtis didn¡¯t seem to understand me and frowned slightly. I just shrugged my shoulders and didn¡¯t answer his questions. ¡®Well, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d understand that he was a target character in the game.¡¯ Moreover, I already targeted Curtis and watched the ending. I mean, I don¡¯t have to try so hard and build his likability anymore. ¡°It¡¯s alright, come closer.¡± I waved my hand and called Curtis who was standing at the edge of the bed. Didn¡¯t he hear me correctly? As he leaned forward to come closer to me, I grabbed his cravat and his eyes widened instantly. ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I pulled the startled Curtis down to bed, and gave him kisses light as a feather all over. ¡°I¡¯m just enjoying the pleasure that I deserve,¡± I answered. The epilogue after the attack was a chapter that all players who liked Curtis as the main target character played enthusiastically. Just like the rest, I liked the epilogue with Curtis the most. If you marry him, you could like the life of a Grand Duchess. ¡°You, of course, enjoy it.¡± My hair stood on end at his cold voice, but I smiled bashfully thinking that the system bugged Curtis¡¯ words. ¡°Pretending not to know,¡± I giggled, ¡°Are you ashamed?¡± Neat and cleanly cut black hair short enough to reveal the ears was always my taste. I stroked his hair, which smoothly scattered in my hands, and kissed his sharp nose. ¡°You¡¯ve finally gone crazy.¡± He pushed me away with a sarcastic laugh. ¡°Curtis, would you get scolded for doing that?¡± I could reset him with a bug report. I winked at the smooth face of artificial intelligence that evolved only for me to play. ¡°Did you have too much to drink?¡± His face was painted with bewilderment by my repeated attempts to kiss him on the lips. ¡°I haven¡¯t have a drop nor a sip at all,¡± I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. He scoffed and then said, ¡°Well, come to think of it, you¡¯ve always been selfish¡­ Always. As if the comfort of others mean nothing but a handful of ashes.¡± ¡®What is he saying? I am certainly going to report this as a bug.¡¯ I merely let Curtis¡¯ words slip out of my ear, muttering softly, and wrapped my arms around his neck. ¡°Hug me. I¡¯m cold.¡± The eyes of the man who resembled blue winter skies rather than the cold blue seas quickly darkened and turned lifeless. ¡°¡­I¡¯d rather call someone. Anyone you want.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s not the game I want to play.¡± While playing this game, I realized I had different tastes. I¡¯m really not into ¡®threesome¡¯ right now. ¡°I like Curtis alone.¡± My firm words distorted his face. ¡°If you frown like that, you only make me want to do it more.¡± I loved it when the stoic Curtis¡¯ doll-like face was stained with lust. Curtis clicked his tongue and then said, ¡°Crazy woman.¡± My body, which already knew how well he and I fit together, was already heating up from the brief touch. The solid chest muscles that I could feel under the shirt of a well-groomed man, who even in his pajamas twitched and tensed up with my touch. ¡°So cute.¡± I was sympathetic ¨C I always was before I attacked ¨C but lust teased the na?ve Curtis and I bit his earlobe softly. ¡®Curtis¡¯ points of attack were his ears.¡¯ The more likeability accumulated, the more excited he became. But the ears were an important point of attack that was pretty useful in the early stages. ¡°Yes.¡± I slowly caressed his ears, feeling Curtis hold back his groans as if he¡¯d been stabbed in the back. His body fell over me, trembling as I poked his ear with the tip of my tongue. I prodded him with my knee, not missing the gap with which he collapsed. ¡°Can you really stand it like that?¡± His face looked so swollen that with a little more stimulation he could even climax on his own. ¡®Of course, because of his personality, I should never stop until he hugs me.¡¯ Curtis¡¯ veins were popping at the back of his hand. It seemed like he has reached his limit with my persuasive attacks to stimulate him playfully. ¡°I have no idea what you are thinking¡­¡± His ragged breathing seeped out through his teeth one after the other. I pat his flushed cheeks lovingly, and he gingerly kissed the tips of my fingers. ¡°If this dirty act is some kind of duty, I have no right to refuse. At least until today.¡± I nodded briefly to his slowly weakening voice. If sex with a player who has earned the love of a target character through many efforts is not an obligation of a target character in a reverse harem game, then what is? I closed my eyes halfway, enjoying Curtis, who pressed his lips together as he made up his mind and hesitatingly took off my clothes. I got goosebumps at the sensation that his rough hands unique to someone who handled swords gave to my sensitive skin. His long fingers glowed white in the moonlight. *SQUEAK* Soon, Curtis left his weapons on the floor and lifted me to the center of the bed. He couldn¡¯t even look at me, and I laughed out loud at him looking down at the floor instead. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do next.¡± I shrugged at the familiar words that I heard before. ¡®Even though he is a virgin character, is this the kind of situation to say such things?¡¯ ¡°Just follow your instincts, Curtis,¡± I told him. ¡°¡­you seem very used to this kind of situations.¡± A corner of my mouth rose as I watched Curtis fidgeting in front of me naked. ¡°What is there to be not familiar with?¡± I played this game yesterday and had sex with him. ¡°You can touch where you want to touch and kiss where you want to kiss,¡± I explained, ¡°I think I said that before.¡± ¡°You must¡¯ve done it with another man. You are that kind of woman after all.¡± His mocking tone didn¡¯t blend well with his blunt but friendly Curtis. ¡®The bug seems a little serious, but it also makes him look a lot sexier.¡¯ I glared at him, who was again showing signs of errors in his system. Curtis approached me and grabbed my breasts which were cold from being exposed to open air for so long. ¡°Messy, selfish, and you¡¯re the only one to know. That¡¯s the kind of woman you are.¡± My brows scrunched at Curtis¡¯ tone, which seemed to be accusing me of something. ¡°If I touch you like this, it would only be funny.¡± ¡°What are you talking about ¨C ah!¡± Before I could finish talking, Curtis lifted his grip on my breast and rubbed his fingers hard on my nipples. ¡°Whenever you touch me¡­ I-¡± Curtis, who swallowed the last word he was to speak, grit his teeth and continued, ¡°Yes, you must be familiar with a man¡¯s touch.¡± He was a trained knight and I couldn¡¯t even grasp half of his arm with my two hands, let alone one. I grabbed his forearm, ignoring his words as his voice somehow lowered, and he stiffened. ¡°If it¡¯s hard to begin right away, why don¡¯t you give me a hug first?¡± I suggested, ¡°I¡¯m really cold.¡± The playtime seemed to have taken too long, and now my body was chilly. ¡®I¡¯m going to do it once, and then log out,¡¯ I thought to myself. The reverse harem game I was recently playing was a virtual reality game that raised the limits of communication for vivid play. I used to get sick when I played for too long. ¡°I¡¯m really cold.¡± Noticing that I wasn¡¯t in such a good condition, Curtis pressed his arm against the bedframe as if to get up from bed. ¡°I¡¯ll call someone.¡± I buried my face on Curtis¡¯ firm shoulders and held with a sigh, ¡°No, Curtis can warm me up. You can do it.¡± As I hugged him, my soft chest pressed against his body and I could feel his shaft swell harder near my thighs. ¡®No, is he getting bigger than before?¡¯ I clicked my tongue inconspicuously and wrapped my slender legs around his waist like a lithe leopard. As soon as I guided his hard tip already covered with precum over my quim which was glisteningly wet as well, he grabbed my cheek with a loud groan. ¡°How do you feel every time I touch you?¡± Excited? Butterflies in his stomach? Recalling the words that he tried to swallow before, I asked him out of curiosity. Before answering me, he growled and grabbed my face too forcefully I thought he¡¯d crush my skull to pieces. ¡°I feel terrible,¡± he said with a grimace, ¡°Every time you touch me, my whole body just seems to rot.¡± Contrary to my expectations, the words that returned revealed hatred. ¡°¡­what?¡± My eyes blinked slowly as I was stunned by Curtis¡¯ expression. He reached for his penis with one hand, and then shoved it inside me without warning. Damn, that thing was extremely long and hard I think it went through my stomach! ¡°Hngh!!!¡± I didn¡¯t receive caresses, but maybe because I¡¯m not pretty enough, my body immediately accepted him as if it was waiting for so long. I began to tremble with great excitement. ¡°But tonight will be the last time I¡¯ll listen to your ridiculous requests,¡± he murmured, ¡°so I¡¯ll do my best.¡± The moment I closed my eyes to take in the crushing wave of pleasure that was to come, a strange sense of clarity came over me. ¡®Wait, something is weird,¡¯ I thought. ¡°Curtis, what do you mean? This can¡¯t be the last night.¡± ¡°Tomorrow, I will be appointed as a special knight for a saint from another world.¡± I frowned at him as I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying. ¡®The saint is me, right?¡¯ A saint that came from another world. That was the role given to all players that played the game. ¡°So, I am no longer somebody you can wield as you please, Edith Abina.¡± I instantly raised from bed and kicked Curtis at the name he called me by. Edith? What does he mean by that? That wasn¡¯t the name of the player, it was the name of the game¡¯s villainess. Chapter 1.1 If you asked me how I remembered Edith Abina¡¯s name, who was simply a supporting character, my answer would come naturally. The reason I knew her name, even though she wasn¡¯t even a playable character, was simple. ¡°¡­I¡¯ve killed her countless times when I played.¡± Waking up before Curtis, I heaved a sigh, and stood up in front of a full-body mirror lying alone in the corner of the bed. Then, an innocent beauty with fine silver hair that glowed subtly as if containing the moonlight in her crowns, frowned back at me. ¡®I¡¯m sure she was put in a guillotine at the end.¡¯ Edith Abina was the villain who had to die to see the ending no matter what the player chose. Even in bad endings where you often die. It was just a game character, but the experience of becoming the woman I¡¯ve killed a dozen times ¨C or had died because of me ¨C was unpleasant. ¡°You¡¯re so pretty.¡± I saw Edith Abina¡¯s face quite a lot during the time I played. And as it was a game that put a lot of effort in their graphics, the characters were extremely beautiful. One could say that Edith¡¯s beauty could cause the destruction of one or two countries. Her long, wavy hair that touched to her waist were thin and airy, giving the impression of tiny wisps of clouds in the skies. Her small and charming long nose made her eyes look sharp. I stared at Edith¡¯s unforgettably beautiful face, and raised my hands to comb through my hair. ¡°It¡¯s a mystery¡­¡± I mumbled. Edith¡¯s hair was so soft that they didn¡¯t even get tangled as my fingers ran through them. ¡®How did I wake up as a villain with such a pretty face?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t recall activating Edith as the main character to play. No, I didn¡¯t even know that she was an option for a playable character in the first place. ¡°¡­maybe it¡¯s just a simple bug,¡± I told myself. Then, as soon as I log out, I should file a complaint with the production company. I leaned to the side as I pressed my throbbing temple from playing the game for too long. ¡®I¡¯d rather participate in an event prepared by the production company for old users.¡¯ was frequently held for players as the production company also put a lot of effort on it. Scenes of Life was the best-selling game series among the virtual reality-based simulation games developed by UNITA, the No. 1 game developer in the industry. For a vivid experience, players used a device that directly stimulated the brain. ¡®But that was to play the main character, not the villain!¡¯ Unlike games where you selected and played one of several characters, such as Sword Master or Wizard, there was only one main character on the saintess¡¯s arc. In the first place, since it was a female-oriented reverse harem game, there weren¡¯t many female characters in the title. ¡®Well, if I don¡¯t like the way things are going, whether it¡¯s a bug or an event, I could just log out anyway.¡¯ Excited at the thought that I might be able to get rare items hidden by the production company, I started looking around. ¡®Yesterday, Curtis mentioned he¡¯d be knighted for the main character, right?¡¯ Then today was very close to the beginning of the game. Having roughly grasped the situation ¨C I thought I had ¨C I hurried over toward Curtis, who was lying quietly like a man in a coffin. ¡°Curtis.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Curtis, why are you pretending to be asleep?¡± I knew Curtis as a morning person, so he couldn¡¯t be asleep. He slowly opened his eyes, frowning, as if annoyed by me whispering in his ear. ¡°What else do you want in the morning?¡± The room felt so cold that it made my spine tingle, but I smiled nevertheless, without feeling discouraged. At the beginning of the attack, that is, when the game progress was still small, he always showed a cold demeanor. I was used to this level of cold treatment. ¡®I¡¯m not the main character too,¡¯ I thought, ¡®As Edith, I think him being colder is about right.¡¯ After logging out, Curtis would return as the Grand Duke who would eventually kill me if I called in a save file. Rather, his sharp expression like a cat reminded me of the nostalgic beginning, which wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°Why do you wake up a sleeping person and smile like crazy?¡± ¡°How can I not smile when you are so handsome like this?¡± He rose up with a stiff face and answered me with a shudder, ¡°Edith Abina.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you looking at my body right now?¡± I nodded my head and closed my eyes in satisfaction after looking at his body, which was like a sculpture straight out of the museum. Even under the moonlight last night, and the faint sunlight permeating through the curtains right now. ¡®He really has a great figure.¡¯ Chapter 1.2 ¡°¡­you embarrass me to the end,¡± Curtis commented with a click of his tongue. He bent down and picked up his clothes that were scattered randomly on the floor. ¡°Ugh!¡± I got startled by his behavior and grabbed his arm as I asked, ¡°Why? Are you sick?¡± Curtis seemed uncomfortable with me clinging on to him, but he didn¡¯t push me away. Perhaps because I ¨C Edith ¨C felt different to him from the usual. ¡°Are you going to get dressed already? No!¡± I shook my head and glared at him as I snatched his shirt away, ¡°We only had one round yesterday because I was so embarrassed!¡± Who knew when I would be able to play Edith¡¯s character again and do it with Curtis? I still have no idea if it¡¯s a bug or an event, but it was clear that it was a once in a blue moon opportunity. Curtis was my favorite character who gave me an unforgettable night in the midst of confusion, and I clung to his forearm. His face twisted with confusion, ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it three more times today!¡± His forehead crinkled with the three fingers I raised. ¡°Then, twice?¡± I tried to negotiate. His pale face that looked down at me folding my finger, slowly painted with various emotions. I folded a second finger with regret, his expression growing sourer by the second. ¡°Fine, just one more time then!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give way,¡± I continued with a frown on my face as if I was being too generous, ¡°If you do it now, you can lose energy, so it¡¯s fine if you eat breakfast before coming back.¡± I¡¯ve seen it a lot. Originally, Curtis was one of the main characters which lasted the longest in those scenes. ¡°Are you really crazy, Edith? It¡¯s disgusting.¡± However, despite my tearful bargaining, Curtis only stared at me with disbelief and then rose coldly from his seat. ¡°Oh, my pants!¡± ¡°Why are these your pants, huh?¡± Curtis easily snatched his pants away from my clutch and roughly swept up my bangs as he said, ¡°Young Lady Abina.¡± Seemingly bothered by my constant glances, he pulled up the blanket and covered my face and then released a heavy sigh. ¡°I was not aware of the young lady¡¯s obsession with me. You were the one that bound me with the solemn oath between a lady and her knight.¡± I regained my composure, but I swallowed my own saliva with his cold voice. ¡®I like the cold Curtis, too.¡¯ As expected, Curtis was the worst when he pushed people away like that. I rolled my eyes under the blanket and recalled the relationship between ¡®Edith Abina¡¯ and ¡®Curtis Caballero¡¯, which was briefly mentioned at the beginning of the game. ¡®Edith, who had a huge crush on Curtis since they were children, caught his weakness and forced him to swear an oath as her knight.¡¯ Regardless if Curtis liked Edith or not, the knight¡¯s responsibility in this world was to protect the Lady. The funny thing was that the knight¡¯s duties didn¡¯t end with simply protecting his lady¡¯s safety. In this world, the knight had to take full responsibility for the comfort of her body and mind over his own. He comforted me when I¡¯m down, played with me when I¡¯m bored, and when I¡¯m dissatisfied¡­ So, until the protagonist appeared and saved Curtis from Edith¡¯s clutch, he was no different from a toy for her. Edith¡¯s obsession with attempting suicide to monopolize Curtis¡¯ sympathy made him a virgin up to the age where he should¡¯ve been old enough to be married. ¡°But even the young lady¡¯s mind turned really strange, you¡¯re no longer within my control.¡± Critical words fell over me as I wriggled under the blanket. His voice alone was strong enough to convey that he was tired of Edith and didn¡¯t want to see her again. ¡°As I said, today I am going to be a knight for the saintess who will come from another world.¡± A saintess who will save him from his weakness that Edith manipulated for the longest time. With the main character¡¯s appearance, Curtis will be extremely relieved now that he could escape Edith¡¯s grasp. ¡°Ooh, ooh, ooh~!¡± ¡®But the saintess should¡¯ve been me!¡¯ I played this game 10 times. So, I saved Curtis 10 times too. ¡®Oh, never mind. It¡¯s about seven times.¡¯ I left Curtis to suffer in Edith¡¯s hand three times to see the bad ending. As I drew my proud shoulders in embarrassment, I shook my heat to get out of the blanket. ¡®Still! I saw the ending of the Grand Duchess recently, so it hasn¡¯t been long since we got married!¡¯ However, my argument couldn¡¯t reach him as it was blocked by the finest duvet filled with fluffy feathers. THUD! Only after Curtis already left the room that I managed to escape, burning the fighting spirit as I accidentally threw myself to the floor. ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m so annoyed that I can¡¯t do this!¡± I should just log out and play as the main character. I¡¯ve seen Curtis¡¯ arc several times so it already became too tiresome and boring. Without much interest in Edith Abina, I called out the system window without hesitation. ¡°Logout.¡± BEEP! An error occurred. Can¡¯t process the command. ¡°Huh? I want to log out.¡± BEEP! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. Chapter 2.1 ¡°What? What the heck is wrong?¡± I pressed the logout button until my view of the system window turned translucent, but I still couldn¡¯t get out of the game in the end. I pressed the logout button until the view was full of translucent system windows, but I couldn¡¯t get out of the game in the end. An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. BEEP! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. BEEP! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. BEEEEP! Was it just my imagination that the system¡¯s notification sound is particularly sharp today? ¡°Just let me go back to reality.¡± I will sue the company until it goes bankrupt! Even though I was determined, I couldn¡¯t help but feel my heart go cold. Danger is approaching. Avoid it. When approaching the ¡®Room of Punishment¡¯, Edith Abina¡¯s sanity is damaged. My eyes squinted at the word ¡®sanity¡¯ in bright red font. ¡®What happens when your mental strength is damaged?¡¯ Chapter 3.1 When a warning message appeared, a help option was available to check the details of the warning. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult to see what would happen when Edith Abina¡¯s sanity weakened, but the problem was that the Marquis of Abina still held my hair. ¡°Well, now you¡¯re quiet. Yes, a girl like you who knows nothing should be punished,¡± he said with a contented smile, thinking I was scared with the way I rolled my eyes trying to get away. ¡°In the meantime,¡± he continued, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t prepare myself in case you became the Grand Duchess.¡± The way he looked at me, pulling at my hair, was so dirty that I immediately felt sick. ¡°Get your hands off me.¡± ¡°I told you to figure out what was going to happen,¡± the Marquis grumbled, ¡°Who are you to demand me to let go-¡± ¡°I have an appointment with the Grand Duke in a little while, so I have to go out.¡± Of course, that was obviously a lie. But when I checked the Marquis¡¯ face, his eyes had widened with embarrassment, and his mouth opened brazenly. ¡°I can¡¯t meet him with my hair messed up like this.¡± The Marquis slowly loosened his grip then. Even as he lowered his arm, a shiver ran up and down my spine as his touch passed by my back. ¡®My sanity was slowly damaged even before I entered the punishment room.¡¯ ¡°Fine, if you have an appointment with the Grand Duke, I can¡¯t take you to the Punishment Room.¡± I nodded in a hurry as I glared at the Marquis who licked his lips in disappointment. ¡°If you¡¯ve said everything, then I¡¯ll be on my way. I need to prepare too.¡± As I turned around to quickly leave, the Marquis grabbed me by the shoulder and said, ¡°Return immediately to the office when you are done meeting with the Grand Duke. By midnight, you will no longer be the Grand Duke¡¯s Lady or the Marquis¡¯ daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to watch you fall into being nothing but a lowly illegitimate daughter. Don¡¯t you ever think of running away,¡± he warned, ¡°You will be watched.¡± Cold sweat dropped down my back as I thought to myself, ¡®I¡¯m gonna have to log out by the end of the day somehow.¡¯ Avoiding the Marquis¡¯ glare, I left his office without speaking a word. BANG! I worried that he would chase me while I left the hallway in a rush, but the Marquis didn¡¯t even yell at me, perhaps thinking that I had enough time. ¡°Crazy guy.¡± No matter how much Edith Abina wasn¡¯t his own blood, I couldn¡¯t believe that he¡¯d look at a young woman as young as his daughter with lewd eyes. ¡®What the hell is the punishment room like anyway?¡¯ I wondered. As far as I could remember, there were no target characters who enjoyed SM play in . If it¡¯s the player¡¯s taste, it can be forced, but it was basically a fairly healthy game directed primarily at women. ¡®It¡¯s a game that was developed with the goal of experiencing the job of a saint.¡¯ Even if I die in such a game, I refuse to play with my stepfather, even a human made up of thick sausages. I swept down the goosebumps from my arm and then opened the warning window I had folded earlier. When approaching the ¡®Room of Punishment¡¯, Edith Abina¡¯s sanity is damaged. When I pressed the red-underlined ¡®Mental Power of Edith Abina¡¯, I heard a ringing sound and an explanatory text flashed in front of me. Edith Abina¡¯s Mental Power: the ability to keep Edith Abina sane. When it reaches zero, her sanity breaks down. Edith Abina¡¯s Spirit: A gateway between Reality and the Extreme Working World. Passage of Two Worlds: Closes when Edith abina¡¯s Sanity reaches zero. ¡°Huh?¡± I scratched my head, ¡°What passage?¡± Having played the game over 10 times, I frowned at the explanation that was given. Besides, the Extreme Working World, the name of this game was definitely a simple name of ¡®Experience! Scenes of Life¡¯¡­ ¡®Anyway, Edith Abina¡¯s sanity must be preserved at all costs.¡¯ Before I could find a way to escape, I began to rush in fear that the Marquis might realize my lie. * * * ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry?¡± Someone appeared and stopped me from rushing back into my room and prevented me from trying to log out again. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ It was a character I didn¡¯t know. I looked up at the young woman who was laughing as if something good was going on. ¡®Let¡¯s pretend that we know each other first.¡¯ Since she spoke informally, it¡¯s natural that I should reply informally, too. ¡°To my room.¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s short.¡± Her thick and wavy hair swayed as she tilted her head from side to side. A woman about an inch taller than Edith Abina came up to me and flicked my forehead with the tip of her finger. ¡°Do you still think you¡¯re my older sister?¡± ¡®Oh, this must be Edith¡¯s half-sister, Lirina?¡¯ I frowned as I recalled the set-up of the game which I had read thoroughly. Lirina was a supporting character that didn¡¯t even have an illustration, so I had no knowledge of what she looked like. Chapter 3.2 ¡°Lirina?¡± She raised her chin as she snorted at my answer. ¡°You should call me Lady Lirina from now on. You¡¯ll no longer be the lady of this house, nor will you be regarded as family to the Marquis.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± I agreed with her, ¡°Now get out of my way, lady.¡± Noticing that she didn¡¯t move an inch after I asked politely, I repeated again and said, ¡°Can you get out of the way?¡± However, Lirina pushed me by the shoulder forcefully, as if she didn¡¯t even acknowledge my polite tone. ¡°Are you kidding me? Are you being sarcastic with me now?!¡± ¡®No, I¡¯m not really sarcastic.¡¯ Edith Abina was the bloodline of the late Marquis¡¯ wife. She was now forced to take on her mother¡¯s surname, as the Marquis was determined to expel her from the family. ¡®Then am I being demoted to being a commoner? No, her name was Marquess, so she must have been a noble as well.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offended you.¡± ¡°Sorry? Then at least get down on your knees and apologize!¡± I shrugged my shoulders at Lirina¡¯s glare and angry voice. ¡®Well, this is just a game anyway. Let¡¯s just do as she says.¡¯ To me, a faster logout was ten times more important than Edith Abina¡¯s pride. This was a moment where I had no choice but to bend my knees. TING! A familiar warning window blocked my view along with a warning sound that seemed like a ball bouncing. ¡®Kneeling¡¯ is an act outside the scope of the character of ¡®Edith Avbina¡¯. The choice system is enforced by the character collapse penalty. ¡®You¡¯re forced to choose?¡¯ My eyes widened with what I read from the warning window. is a game where experience is the main content. It guaranteed a high degree of freedom, so even though it was a romance simulation game, there was an option to eliminate choices. I could only grumble silently, ¡®I turned it off a long time ago because it was cumbersome to select one.¡¯ It was a function I¡¯ve never used once. Several options fell over my confused head. A. ¡°How dare you bring me down on my knees?¡± Kill Lirina. B. ¡°How dare you stare at me?¡± Beat Lirina to the brink of death. C. ¡°How dare you talk down to me?¡± Slap Lirina¡¯s cheek. D. Stare coldly at Lirina without saying a word. I couldn¡¯t help but swallow my own saliva at the extreme options. ¡®How did she usually act that these are the only options I can choose from?¡¯ At least D seemed to be the best choice. It¡¯s not good to mess with Lirina right now. As soon as I chose an option, I could immediately feel my facial muscles move automatically. Lirina, who was in high spirits, flinched and stepped back as she saw Edith Abina¡¯s expression. ¡°What, what, what are you looking at?¡± she stuttered. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why, why, why?! Are you going to hit me again?! Do you think father won¡¯t do anything this time too?!¡± Judging by her words, Edith seemed to have beat Lirina in the past. I walked past Lirina, who was curling like a cornered mouse, and entered my bedroom. After kicking out the maid who stood with a duster in hand, I took a deep breath and called out the status window once again. RING! I pressed it countless times like in the morning, but it didn¡¯t even pause, let alone log out. ¡®If I can¡¯t log out, I¡¯ll try to force it to shut down.¡¯ ¡°Damn this game. I should at least get to sue the real production company! I can¡¯t do this.¡± Nervously sweeping up my messy hair, I started looking around for a tool to force stop the game. ¡®Rope¡­ there¡¯s none. There¡¯s no knife either. There¡¯s nothing here.¡¯ As it was a virtual reality game that could strain the body, the game automatically terminated if the player lost consciousness or acted excessively in the game. Unable to find anything, I released a heavy sigh and eventually approached the window. ¡°It¡¯s just a game, but this is still a very scary option¡­¡± In fact, a forced shutdown was a method I had never tried before, even when I encountered lags or bugs. ¡®How is this different from a suicide attempt?¡¯ Edith¡¯s bedroom was located quite high since she was on the top floor of a four-story mansion. I swallowed my saliva as I peered below at the seemingly distant garden. I chickened out and tried to find another way, but when the Marquis¡¯ words rang in my head, I felt a tingling sensation like gross bugs crawling all around my body. ¡®Anyway, the moment I take my foot off the window, the game would end to protect me. I don¡¯t have to be scared¡­¡¯ I tried to convince myself. Sitting by the window, I took a deep breath and leaned forward. ¡°¡­Edith?¡± At that moment, I turned my head to the sound of someone calling my name, and Curtis caught my attention. ¡°Edith Abina!¡± Despite his concerned voice, I didn¡¯t hold on to the window and slowly pushed myself out. ¡®I¡¯ll log in as the main character and come back, Curtis,¡¯ I thought silently. My light dress fluttered between my legs. It wasn¡¯t such a bad feeling with my thin body floating in the air. ¡®¡­but why am I still falling?¡¯ I expected the game to end instantly the moment I flung myself out the window. CRAAAACK! Even before it registered in my head that I wasn¡¯t logged out as I assumed, the muddy sound of my whole body breaking into pieces clearly rang in my ears. Chapter 4.1 For a moment I curled up in surprise at the feeling of floating in the air. This is a situation that damages the mind of the ¡®Player¡¯. You will be automatically logged out. I smirked at the system message that filled my view. ¡®Yes! As expected, my prediction was correct.¡¯ In the end, as long as it was a game, it had to force shutdown when a situation that could cause real damage to the player would occur. I gently closed my eyes as I waited for the logout ¨C I was too scared to even look down. Suddenly, I heard a familiar and annoying electronic sound and frowned. TING! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. ¡°Huh¡­? Isn¡¯t this the sound when there¡¯s an error?¡± TING! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. TING! An error occurred. Unable to perform logout. An error occurred. Unable to perform logouttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. I held my breath at the letters that filled my screen. It made unpleasant noises as if the keyboard had been pressed incorrectly. Does this mean that you can¡¯t log out even when the character you were playing dies and the mind would be strained? Even if it was an error, it was too fatal! And if there was ever a precedent for such an error, UNITA, a giant production company, would surely collapse. It was only a moment of leisure to be dazed and stunned at the same time. ¡®Is this what it feels like to be crushed?¡¯ It was a terrible sensation that I never wanted to feel again. When I finally hit the ground, the crushing sensation spread throughout my body. My face collapsed and my brain was crushed. Thick and sticky blood covered all of my vision. It was a mess, but even before I could register the pain, a message fell with an ear-splitting ring. An error occurred. Logout failed. The game will restart. ¡®It¡¯s already unfair to feel such pain in death, but there was even a penalty?!¡¯ Without the opportunity to appeal for the injustice my world began to spin around. * * * In a sense of haziness whether it was a dream or reality, I witnessed the death of Edith Abina numerous times. She, along with the appearance of the players who took her death lightly. Edith was beaten to death by the Marquis in the Punishment Room, or was pushed down a cliff by Lirina, but usually she died in the hands of the player. I found the death I gave to Edith as a player in fleeting deaths. ¡°Hmm? I have to kill Edith Abina 10 days prior to the end of Curtis¡¯ confinement?¡± On the gray screen, I shrugged my shoulders and clicked my mouse without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯ll suggest going on a boat trip together and then push her over.¡± I was bored as I already saw seven happy endings, and I wanted to target Curtis¡¯ imprisonment endings. Pretending to be her friend, I followed the ¡®Friend of Edith¡¯ route, which was a condition to see Curtis¡¯ imprisonment ending. I didn¡¯t even blink as I pushed her back without much guilt. Edith, a wicked woman but was especially na?ve, drowned in the dark waters with no one to help her. Edith¡¯s miserable face, unable to cry properly in shock of a friend¡¯s betrayal, shook beneath the water¡¯s surface. ¡®¡­so I became Edith? Is this karma biting me back?¡¯ I punched in the empty space in frustration. ¡°But Edith Abina was a game character! You guys were the ones that came up with a route that needed her to be killed to see the other endings!¡± It doesn¡¯t make sense to lock up a person in a game as punishment when she didn¡¯t actually commit murder in reality. If so, more than half of the people in Korea had to be trapped in SimCity. ¡°We are making a route. What you are saying is embarrassing. Our game is famous for ensuring a high degree of freedom.¡± I jerked at the smooth voice that resounded in my head, and hurriedly turned around. In a white space that could make you crazy, a lone colorful man approached me with a kind and businesslike smile on his face. But somehow, it still felt distant. ¡°¡­Helper?¡± The handsome man with long hair tied to one side was an NPC that existed to help new players. ¡°Yes, Player. I¡¯m a helper who exists only for you.¡± The man, looking quite similar to the game illustration, was charming with a well-dressed tailcoat and monocle that matched his whole aesthetic design. ¡®Naturally, he is handsome because he¡¯s an NPC for a women-oriented game. UNITA really paid attention to details.¡¯ Perhaps that was the reason why I admired him for being as handsome as the target characters, but I couldn¡¯t understand why my fists were balled up and shaking when I saw his smiling face. ¡°You¡¯re a helper?¡± my voice raised with desperation, grabbing his stiffly ironed shirt. ¡°Then get me out of this game right now!¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Player, this is . You are not trapped in the game,¡± the helper said with a sweet but sharp voice, as he calmly pushed my hand away. ¡°This is the world of Edith Abina, who perfected artificial intelligence by repeating numerous deaths.¡± Edith Abina¡¯s world? As UNITA was also a leading company for AI development, games produced by them were often AI-based. ¡®So, is this a game where Edith Abina is the main character?¡¯ It could simply be an error in the unpublished game beta test. Come to think of it, I think I saw an announcement that UNITA¡¯s new game based on would be released soon. The helper noticed my puzzled face and smiled as he opened his mouth and said, ¡°Before the player reaches the goal she has set, Even I, the helper of , can¡¯t get out of here.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that? If I don¡¯t hurry back, I could die!¡± Humans were said to survive without water for three days to a week, but I probably wouldn¡¯t last long because I was weak and didn¡¯t exercise regularly. ¡°Then you¡¯d better hurry up and play,¡± the helper continued despite hearing the agitation in my voice. ¡°The ratio of time between the world where your body exists and this world isn¡¯t much different from the existing game. If you spend about a year here, you will surely die.¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t log out for that long, the production company will notice the error-¡± The helper shook his head and said, ¡°As I said, this world belongs to Edith Abina. Player, . You are already logged out of the .¡± ¡°¡­what?!¡± Helper grinned, casually trampling on my last bits of hope. ¡°Of course, before that, if someone visits your house maybe you¡¯d have a chance to escape.¡± I¡¯m going to die. I was convinced by the helper¡¯s words. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d die at this rate. I¡¯m a reclusive loner with no family to contact, so I don¡¯t think anyone would come by my house. ¡°What is Edith Abina¡¯s goal?¡± When I asked in a rush, the helper stroked his monocle and grinned as he said, ¡°Are you ready to play games now?¡± ¡°Do I have any other choice?¡± I snapped. The helper ignored my sarcastic reply and then cut the air with his left arm. ¡°Then let¡¯s start the game.¡± ~ Extreme Work in the Romance World: Saint Edition ~ ¡®Extreme work?¡¯ I frowned at the red-font letters in front of me. The name of the game was Extreme Work. I felt a strange feeling come up from the red title. For some reason, I glared at the nasty system message, but the helper¡¯s gentle voice said, ¡°Player, you always had other options.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that you didn¡¯t pay attention.¡± I turned around at the sound of his scattering words, but the helper was already gone. Chapter 4.2 I lost consciousness with a sharp sound that seemed to signal the start of the game. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I slowly regained my senses and soon realized that the ringing in my ears were the sound of someone crying. His sweet and childlike innocence made me feel like it was a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Curtis.¡± Curtis¡­ When I realized who the voice referred to, I immediately understood the situation. At the same time, a ray of light leaked through my barely opened eyes. ¡®I feel like my entire body is broken.¡¯ Contrary to my original plan to force a logout by jumping out the window, Edith Abina¡¯s body seemed to have fully taken the impact of the fall. She wasn¡¯t badly hurt from the fall, but she became terribly sick. ¡®I hope I won¡¯t be disabled after this.¡¯ The game just began and I didn¡¯t want to play with a crippled body. As I barely craned my neck and rolled my eyes, I saw a man and woman struggling with the bed I lay on. ¡°There are people who love Curtis that much, but I can¡¯t make you a knight.¡± ¡°Edith Abina isn¡¯t in love with me, Jian.¡± ¡°Even so, if I make you a knight, she could try and commit suicide again. I¡¯m sorry, Curtis.¡± As expected, the woman who apologized to Curtis and cried as if she was truly sorry was Jian, the main character of the story. ¡®It¡¯s a whole new experience to see it from Edith Abina¡¯s POV.¡¯ With neat black hair slightly touching her shoulders, and skin as lively and contrary to Edith¡¯s paleness, she was a beauty worthy of being the protagonist of a romance simulation game. Unlike Edith Abina or the other target characters, she was a character that the game users directly possessed, so there was a sense that she had been nerfed so as not to cause great discomfort. ¡®Seeing that Jian was pushing Curtis away; it must be about the third day of play.¡¯ Curtis was a character with high morals and valued his principles. In order to grow on him, it was important to pretend to be good from the very beginning. The woman hanging around the bedside with a sad face was persuading him with a docile face that fit Curtis¡¯ taste. ¡°Of course, I want Curtis as my knight,¡± Jian continued, ¡°But I can¡¯t sacrifice other people¡¯s happiness for mine¡­¡± ¡°If you believe that, then I¡¯ll respect it.¡± ¡°Thank you, Curtis,¡± she sighed, ¡°I¡¯ll try to persuade Lady Edith Abina, so please give me a little more time.¡± Jian¡¯s way of persuading Curtis was angelic. My brows scrunched as I listened to Jian¡¯s lines that were recited according to a choice of suggested lines. ¡®So, is she a game user like me?¡¯ The helper mentioned that the game I was trapped in was . it was called rather than . ¡®Looking at the lines I remember, there must¡¯ve been an error to the beta test game.¡¯ The new game being beta-tested was , so there was a high chance that the two games used the same map. ¡®Due to an error, the two games happened to overlap by chance, and and I accidentally crossed to another game.¡¯ If so, like me, there was a high possibility that Jian in front of me was a user playing the game in real life. ¡®If you¡¯re a real user, I¡¯ll have to somehow tell you about my situation and ask for help.¡¯ YES NO As if it read my mind, the quest that popped out randomly was to find out the identity of the main character, Jian. I frowned at the penalty item, which was in bold and underlined. ¡®The helper¡¯s favorability would decline. Then that meant that I could also build a good impression with the helper.¡¯ In , the helper was a hidden target character, which could only be targeted after completing special conditions. ¡®The condition was to follow the route of world destruction¡­¡¯ In the game, it was hard to tell that the helper was a potential target from the beginning. Anyway, I knew I had to accept. I really wanted the Extreme Work guidebook. Chapter 5 ¡® the field guidebook was a book that detailed descriptions of characters and lots of tips on how to win them over. It would be extremely handy if Extreme Work had a guidebook.¡¯ It was an item that was necessary for me who didn¡¯t have a clue about this new game. Accepting the quest with a small nod, I pretended to have just come to my senses. ¡°Hmmm¡­ Ugh!¡± Pretending not to have heard their conversation, I tried to stretch my arms but it only throbbed madly. ¡°Young Lady, you are finally awake.¡± Jian carefully supported me as I couldn¡¯t overcome the pain and fell forward. She smiled and greeted me with a smile as my eyes widened at the slowly disappearing pain from where she touched me. ¡°Hello, Young Lady. My name is Jian. I¡¯m the newly appointed saint from the Great Temple,¡± she began, ¡°The Young Lady¡¯s condition was critical, so they had me put in charge since I am closest to you.¡± I stared at her shyly as she explained, then opened my mouth with a fumble. ¡°Um¡­ ugh-!¡± Whatever Edith Abina¡¯s relationship was with the protagonist, Jian, she was the one who saved me from falling to my death. My mouth was trying to thank her, but closed as if stuck. A. ¡°I was going to die for someone! Disgusting woman.¡± Slap Jian in the face. B. ¡°When did I ask you to save me?! Don¡¯t pretend to be nice, it¡¯s bad luck.¡± Spit in Jian¡¯s face. C. ¡°Give me Curtis!¡± Grab Jian by the hair. D. ¡°¡­¡± Stare coldly at Jian and slap the back of her hand. You¡¯re killing me, Edith. I chose the option which was easiest from the wonderful choices ¨C it was also a good one for Curtis. SLAP! ¡°Ah!¡± With a stunned face, Jian stroked the back of her hand from the painful slap I gave her. ¡°Edith, you are being rude even to the person who helped you.¡± ¡®Damnit! I have to find a way to get rid of the restrictions somehow, but I can¡¯t.¡¯ Edith Abina¡¯s options were extremely limited to villains that it was impossible to play properly, let alone target Curtis, who liked nice and gentle women. ¡°Curtis, please don¡¯t say it like that to the Young Lady,¡± Jian said, ¡°I guess she was uncomfortable because I pretended to be friendly with you.¡± Curtis rushed at me, but Jian blocked him, who was serious about my actions. It was obvious that her favorability with him was increasing by the way she talked. ¡°Saint, are you not protecting yourself in this situation?¡± Curtis asked. I didn¡¯t even scratch Jian¡¯s face with my nails, but his reaction was a bit too much that it shocked me. However, he was a target character who had no choice but to love the protagonist, so there was absolutely nothing he could do. ¡®Anyway, what kind of game is this? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a simple romance simulation game, given that I was given the quest to find out Jian¡¯s identity.¡¯ Looking alternately at the two of them, who obviously wanted to flirt openly in front of me, I shrugged and called Curtis¡¯ status window. If Curtis appeared as a target character, at least can see it as a game similar to . Curtis¡¯ status window in front of me was as simple as it was at the start of the game. I looked at it slowly, but there was no heart mark indicating favorability. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem to be a game that had him as a target. ¡®Targeting him with Edith Abina¡¯s character would be impossible.¡¯ As soon as I tried to close the status window, a crunching sound and a new icon appeared in the part where Curtis was supposed to have a favorable impression. ¡®What is this?¡¯ I frowned at the pepper-shaped mark instead of the familiar heart, and a small letter shimmered under the mark as if it wanted to reveal its identity. ¡®What the hell¡­?¡¯ Erection was a term I never encountered in the game before. By analogy with the shape of the mark and words, it seemed to mean a degree of horniness of Curtis, the target character, but it was a figure I had never seen in simple romance simulation games. ¡®But why¡­ is it all blank?¡¯ What was more shocking than the unfamiliar word was that a white mark which indicated his erection had somehow filled in half. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 6.1 ¡®What? Why is that filled?¡¯ I wondered. Of course, one of the ten penis symbols, which was only filled in half, was strange in itself. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me this is because Jian is in the room¡­?¡¯ Just being in the same space was enough to excite him. Even though he was a target character, I admit his energy was amazing. ¡°Since I confirmed you¡¯re already awake, I will leave now.¡± As Curtis glanced at my shocked face, he opened his mouth with a pretty face that suited his frighteningly cold expression and quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s my last duty to see you come to your senses, Edith Abina.¡± His voice dripped with a harsh chill colder than frozen glass. I nodded hurriedly for fear that I would get another set of strange options if I tried to answer him with words. * * * ¡°Curtis, are you alright?¡± Curtis, who had his head down, lifted his gaze as he felt a subtle warmth from the gentle voice that called out to him. ¡°You don¡¯t look so happy.¡± Jian¡¯s face was painted with concern as she examined Curtis¡¯ complexion. He nodded slowly at the sight of her willingly putting others comfort before hers, even though she herself suddenly fell from another world. ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he assured her. ¡°I¡¯m glad. May God bless you, Curtis,¡± Jian said with a light smile. She was so saintly that one would¡¯ve believed her for someone who stayed in the temple her whole life, rather than coming from another world. A person who took responsibility for the mission that was handed to them and did her best. Jian, the saint who fell into their world, was close to Curtis¡¯ dream girl. Her round eyes, a cute but not too tall nose, as well as delicate features, were also Curtis¡¯ taste. ¡®Okay. After all, this feeling is surely just my imagination,¡¯ he told himself. Curtis shook his head lightly and followed Jian, who went ahead to take a walk in the garden. However, a lingering afterimage remained in his mind like a white stain. It was Edith¡¯s face, begging him to hug her as she said she was cold. * * * ¡°Oh, miss, what¡¯s wrong with you since last week?!¡± ¡°Are you asking because you don¡¯t know? I hate the way you do it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll clean much harder! If you continue with this, we will be in much trouble!¡± ¡°Cry more then. Ugly people like you have a crying face worth seeing.¡± ¡°Huuu, Young Lady!¡± Eventually, the maid burst into tears. I wiped the dusty window, turning a blind eye at the embarrassed maids. Then the message I saw yesterday came back to mind. ¡°Wiping the window instead of the maid¡± is an act outside Edith Abina¡¯s range of character behavior. The character begins to collapse. Character Collapse Rate: 37% Edith Abina¡¯s character was already collapsing as a penalty from committing suicide. ¡®If I do something that doesn¡¯t suit Edith Abina¡¯s character, the rate will accelerate.¡¯ I wiped harder at the window, glaring at the character¡¯s collapse rate flashing in white letters. When it involved important characters, actions were limited to options, but dealing with extras such as servants, only dialogue options appeared but my actions weren¡¯t limited. It was something that I barely realized from day 1 of play. To find out who Jian was, the first step was to destroy Edith Abina¡¯s character. ¡®I may be able to ask Jian¡¯s help and find out who she was at the same time.¡¯ In a way, it was only natural that the character¡¯s collapse was a sub-quest. Even with penalties eliminating the forced options, if my actions were only limited to the character of Edith Abina, I wouldn¡¯t be able to find out who Jian really was, let alone ask the help of the real user playing her character. ¡®Edith Abina¡¯s action restrictions must go away first.¡¯ I began doing chores that Edith Abina would¡¯ve never done and listened to the confused maid¡¯s wails. The problem was that unlike a relatively free body, my mouth was restricted by the system. I couldn¡¯t talk freely with the extras now, so every time the maid talked to me, options kept popping up. A. ¡°How dare argue with what I do! You will need to be punished.¡± B. ¡°You made my hands dirty. Tell me your family name and I¡¯ll dig up your dead father¡¯s grave, and then feed him to the beasts.¡± C. ¡°What about your grandfather?¡± D. ¡°Your ancestor, blah blah.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 6.2 Was there not a single option that Edith Abina would say something nice? When I chose the first option, her teary eyes opened and widened with surprise. ¡°Oh? How are you going to punish me?¡± It was such a cruel choice to punish, but it was a question that came up, so I just kept my mouth shut and continued to clean. ¡°Could it be you are punishing us by doing our job?¡± I bit my lip to keep my silence. The maid stared blankly at me and squeezed the mop she held. ¡°It¡¯s weird¡­¡± she murmured, ¡°Are you sure you are trying to punish me?¡± She then grabbed my hand, which had swollen from the continuous wiping. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are doing my work to bully me like you said. I haven¡¯t served that long here unlike Dorothy, but I think I might like this.¡± The maid¡¯s name is Cecia. Unlike the other maids, she was someone that was hired right before Edith Abina started acting ¡®strangely¡¯. ¡°You have a personality that is easily misunderstood,¡± she continued, ¡°It would be easier to live your life if you fixed it sooner.¡± It was said that she worked as a mercenary before coming to the Marquis¡¯ mansion, but she seemed different from any normal maid. ¡°Cecia, how dare you say such a tactless thing to a Lady?!¡± Dorothy, who was mortified by Cecia making fun of Edith by asking her to fix her personality, stopped crying and stepped forward. ¡°My Lady, Cecia made a mistake because she is new. If you want to, please punish me instead.¡± ¡®No, I don¡¯t really want to.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to punish the maids one by one for making a mistake. Moreover, based from Dorothy¡¯s red face, I was sure that she was actually reluctant when she said I should punish her instead. However, regardless of what I felt, the options were already created in response to her words. ¡®If I keep silent and ignore the options, I might get penalized¡­¡¯ A. ¡°You and that maid, I¡¯ll punish you both.¡± Cut off Cecia and Dorothy¡¯s hands and feet. B. ¡°No, you¡¯re loyal, so I¡¯ll punish that maid only.¡± Kill Cecia. C. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll punish you alone then.¡± Kill Dorothy. D. ¡°Who are you to dictate what I do?¡± Slap Dorothy¡¯s cheek. Cut off hands and feet or execution¡­ I barely moved at the bleak options. ¡®Yeah, a slap to the cheek would be best.¡¯ When I chose the last option, my body moved on its own, and my hand whizzed through the air. ¡°Who are you to dictate what I do?¡± SLAP! In the end, I slapped Dorothy in the face. ¡°Oh, lady¡­¡± Dorothy slumped to the floor, caressing her swollen cheek and began to shed tears again. ¡°I was worried that the maids didn¡¯t give a damn these days and had no energy, but the taste of your hand is still the same. It¡¯s very fiery!¡± I took a step back, bewildered with how happy she looked after I slapped her. ¡°Dorothy is also very happy to serve Lady Edith!¡± Could it be that the crazy maid was devoted to her equally crazy owner? I shook my head as I tried to erase the existence of a club that I didn¡¯t want to enter at all. After a week¡¯s worth of hard work, the percentage still wasn¡¯t enough. The time I could spend in the game wasn¡¯t infinite, so my anxiety rose up to my throat. ¡®Helping the maids with chores, volunteering, donating, or cleaning didn¡¯t increase the collapse rate anymore.¡¯ Even if it didn¡¯t suit Edith Abina, the character¡¯s collapse rate didn¡¯t increase if the actions were repeated to a certain extent. ¡®What else didn¡¯t suit Edith Abina¡­?¡¯ As I contemplated with my hands wrapped around my head, someone suddenly knocked on my study door. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 7.1 ¡°¡­¡± The voice that followed belonged to Curtis. However, as I had been obsessed with thinking of a way to increase Edith¡¯s collapse rate, I didn¡¯t hear him calling out to me. ¡°Edith Abina!¡± I suddenly came to my senses as the door opened and Curtis called me again. ¡°What the hell were you doing in your room?¡± He seemed to be suspicious of me these days, who was being well-behaved. I sighed a little surprised with him looking at me with his sharp eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± Thanks to the hard work of raising the collapse rate, I could hold conversations that didn¡¯t have to do with the game progress at my will. ¡°What brought you here to see me?¡± I said with a frown, as I couldn¡¯t wait to send Curtis out and think privately. ¡°¡­It looks like you¡¯re bothered by my presence,¡± he noted. I didn¡¯t answer Curtis¡¯ comment. Taking my silence as a yes, he sneered and continued. ¡°Okay. I didn¡¯t know how your obsession disappeared, but it¡¯s a pleasure for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do anything as crazy as trying to kill yourself anymore, saying that you can¡¯t live the life other than being the Grand Duke¡¯s Lady of Caballero.¡± He spoke with a voice that seethed resentment for tying myself to the marquis while creating a commotion with my suicide attempt. Unlike his cold-hearted expression, Curtis was the kind of person that felt responsible for Edith¡¯s actions, so it was understandable. ¡°I didn¡¯t jump out of the window because of Curtis,¡± I spoke calmly to ease his guilt, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die because of you.¡± ¡°Then why did you suddenly want to die? It was just before I was ordained as the saint¡¯ knight.¡± ¡®To log out.¡¯ I only murmured the truth inside my head, but as I stayed silent, options related to Curtis¡¯ question blocked my view. I waved my hand in the air as the options were full of hanging lines such as ¡°Are you worried about me now?¡± and ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, then don¡¯t be Jian¡¯s knight!¡± Whether he became Jian¡¯s knight or not, I didn¡¯t care as long as I could get out of the game. ¡°This is the first time you ignored me¡­¡± Curtis¡¯ expression, staring at me when I chose silence instead, was strangely distorted. His face, pale as a northerner¡¯s, turned paler as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. He was stunningly handsome even with his stunned face, but my eyes shined at the more eye-catching writing in my view. The collapse rate increased? It also went up as much as 3%. It wasn¡¯t an illusion as it obviously changed. The collapse rate barely raised by sweeping and wiping the castle all day was 3%, but it went up 3% after only a few conversations! I walked out of my seat to make sure the reason was really because of Curtis. Edith wouldn¡¯t have left if he wanted to talk to her. When I act differently, the number changes automatically. Perhaps because Curtis was the main character, and Edith¡¯s behavior related to him seemed too unusual, the collapse rate increased more. ¡®An interaction that would never happen with Edith and Curtis together¡­¡¯ ¡°Jian, where is the saint?¡± ¡°If you are looking for the saint, she is taking a walk in the garden, Young Lady.¡± After asking one of the servants and finding where Jian was, I hurried to immediately put to action what came into my mind. * * * ¡°Saint, so you are here!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jian raised her head to my voice and smiled lightly. ¡°Young Lady Ebina,¡± she greeted me, ¡°The Marquis¡¯ garden is nice because the sun is warm.¡± She was sitting on a bench in the middle of a hydrangea garden, looking much like the game¡¯s heroine. ¡°Can I sit down?¡± I said as I sat next to her without waiting for her answer, nodding at her gentle greeting, ¡°I have something to say to the Saint about His Highness Caballero.¡± Jian replied without much surprise, despite the unusual politeness of Edith, ¡°His Highness Caballero, do you mean Curtis?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She slowly opened her mouth after tapping at her scarlet lips for a while as if she was troubled by my positive attitude. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, don¡¯t do that, Young Lady.¡± Jian stroked the back of my hand as if concerned about my health when instilled her holy power into me, who had already recovered quite some time already. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 7.2 Ji-an, who stroked the back of her hand saying she was worried about my health, inspires me who has already recovered. ¡°After I recover my holy power that I used up treating the Young Lady, I will immediately leave. I would never get in the way between the Young Lady and the Grand Duke.¡± I stared blankly at her face and pursed my lips. ¡®Why is she infusing me with her holy powers when she used all of them up treating me before?¡¯ I wondered for a moment, but that didn¡¯t matter now. I grabbed Jian¡¯s hand and brought out the words I prepared. ¡°Make Curtis Caballero your knight.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°I congratulate the Saint and Curtis on your future¡­ ugh!¡± The moment I grabbed the embarrassed Jian and tried to give them my blessing¡­ FIZZLE! FIZZLE! My fingertips trembled as I felt sparks exploding inside my body and my blood turned cold. ¡°Young Lady! Are you alright?¡± I nodded weakly at Jian, embracing my trembling body by myself. ¡°Blessing¡­ ugh, do, I¡¯ll give it to you¡­¡± My heart felt cold as if I had uttered something I shouldn¡¯t have. I thought it would have a great effect on the collapse rate, but I couldn¡¯t check the system window because someone suddenly came up. ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± Liring appeared with her red hair fluttering, a hateful frown painted on her pretty face. ¡°Saint, don¡¯t believe a word that comes from this woman¡¯s mouth. She is like a snake from the temple.¡± ¡°Young Lady Lirina, you shouldn¡¯t say such things. Moreover, Young Lady Edith and Lirina are sisters.¡± ¡°Did this woman say I am her sister?¡± Keeping Jian and me apart, Lirina¡¯s nose flared and spoke ferociously, ¡°How dare you, an illegitimate child, dare to pretend to be the Marquis¡¯ daughter?¡± I could see exactly where Lirina¡¯s hand was headed as it rose horribly. I didn¡¯t avoid the hand that approached me. Even when my whole body shook, I pulled up the courage to stay still and not avoid it. SLAP! Lirina¡¯s hand connected to my face. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Finally, her breaths were sharp, and Lirina alternately looked at her hand and me with an embarrassed face. ¡°What, what? Why are you getting yourself hit?¡± My hot cheeks hurt and felt very dirty. But instead of glaring at her, I bit my lips and lowered my head. ¡®Let¡¯s just finish the sub-quest in this queue.¡¯ Whether it was Jian or Lirina, Edith Abina was involved, so if I didn¡¯t act like her, the collapse rate would definitely be affected. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± I could vividly feel Lirina¡¯s response as she probably wondered what I ate wrong. I bent down as I took a peek at her wide-open eyes that were about to pop out of their sockets. ¡°Forgive me, Lirina, for acting as if I am still the Young Lady of the Marquis family.¡± ¡°Have you gone crazy?¡± ¡°No, I am not the Marquis¡¯ daughter or anything,¡± I replied. ¡°Did you hit your head when you fell? Look at me!¡± Lirina shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t believe the words I said. She came close and grabbed my chin, and I had no choice but to raise my head and make eye contact. ¡°Crazy¡­ what¡¯s wrong with your eyes? This is madness!¡± It seemed that my desire to finish the sub-quest reflected in my eyes. I lowered my gaze in a hurry in case she noticed my real intentions. ¡°Madness, utter madness¡­ you are truly sorry?¡± Lirina, who was looking at me as she curled her fingers, pushed me back roughly. ¡°This is suspicious. You think I¡¯d get along with you just because you had a change of heart?¡± ¡°How could I ask that of you? I have never been a real sister to you.¡± Lirina¡¯s expression softened for a while as my words seemingly began to affect her. Shrugging her shoulders, she got up from her seat, supporting Jian, who was weakened after giving me her powers. ¡°Well, I am glad you realized who you are now. If you weren¡¯t Lord Caballero¡¯s lady, such a vulgar illegitimate child would¡¯ve been kicked out of the family the soonest!¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s true,¡± I nodded calmly at Lirina¡¯s criticism. Suddenly, Jian¡¯s shocked voice pierced her ears. ¡°Young Lady¡­! Blood!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your mouth is bleeding!¡± PATTER At Jian¡¯s cry, I wiped the fishy metallic tasting blood that poured from my mouth. Character collapse rate has exceeded 90%. Character collapse penalty will cause short paralysis and coughing of blood. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 8.1 Believe it or not, there was a time of tranquility for Edith Abina and Curtis Caballero. Around the time she was innocent to what an illegitimate child was to an aristocratic family, Edith first encountered Curtis Caballero at the patronage of the marquis. ¡°Good morning, Young Lady Abina.¡± And she fell in love ¨C if I dare to call the feeling of tearing out her young heart instantly and dying it pitch black as love. ¡°Oh, hello.¡± Curtis, who was only a year or two older than Edith, smiled as if the girl that was hesitant in front of a strange boy was cute. Edith was as mesmerized with his pretty smile and dimples as the first time she saw jewelry. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Curtis watched Edith, who came to her senses belatedly, lift the hem of her dress as how she learned from her etiquette teacher, rather kindly. Edith with her twisted pigtails being surrounded by the scent of flowers, seemed quite lovely to the boy. She was quite the contrast to his only brother, Theodore, who was immature and smelled badly. So, although they didn¡¯t feel the same way, they built a small friendship for quite a long time. They had all the time to get close due to the fact that Grand Duke Caballero and the Marquis Abina formed a business alliance around that time and met frequently. Curtis and Edith were friends even at the time Edith Abina¡¯s biological mother was found to be having an affair. Then her biological mother died as she was unable to overcome the plague. Edith¡¯s position within their family was compromised, but Curtis and Edith were still friends. ¡°I¡¯m a half aristocrat. My father might kick me out.¡± Curtis calmly consoled Edith as he wiped her tears away, ¡°How could the Marquis throw you away?¡± He was a conservative and responsible boy who valued parental duties. Even if they weren¡¯t directly related, it was believed that the Marquis should fulfill his responsibilities as Edith¡¯s stepfather. ¡°Curtis, you don¡¯t know the extent of what adults can do.¡± Soon, Curtis welcomed someone in his family that wasn¡¯t of blood. The bereaved Grand Duke Caballero took in a new Grand Duchess. Young and beautiful, the Grand Duchess didn¡¯t pay much attention to her husband, who was 20 years older than her. Instead, she pulled the Grand Duke¡¯s son into her bedroom as a toy. ¡°What is all this? Did you get hurt?¡± Edith couldn¡¯t bear to ignore the scratches on Curtis¡¯ body. To a dear friend who was enraged, Curtis, who was young and na?ve, confessed to a brutal night that he couldn¡¯t dare to even tell his father. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. I can¡¯t let Theodore go through this.¡± The wicked Grand Duchess seemed to have threatened him. Edith held Curtis¡¯ secret, which was a major flaw to the Grand Duchess. ¡°¡­then be my knight.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Serve as my knight. If you¡¯re a knight with a lady, the Grand Duchess won¡¯t be able to touch you as carelessly.¡± * * * ¡®Wow, I feel sorry for you.¡¯ Falling down as I vomited blood, I dreamed of Edith the whole time I passed out. It was a fragmented memory, as if the film was torn in places, but the memory alone could tell how terrible Edith had been to Curtis. ¡®It¡¯s like getting betrayed right away by a trusted friend whom you shared your weakness with, right? I understand why he hates Edith so much.¡¯ With his stepmother¡¯s bullying and Edith¡¯s betrayal, Curtis suffered from severe depression and had a hatred for people. His mental illness was the fault of the Grand Duke as he was the head of the family who ruled a vast territory. Curtis complied with Edith¡¯s unreasonable demands in order to protect the honor and fulfill his responsibilities as the Grand Duke of Caballero. And then, the main character would appear and he¡¯d be cured of his ¡®illness¡¯. Of course, as Curtis was the main target character, I had a rough idea of his situation. However, I have never looked at this closely before. His past was just a piece of a bigger piece of information needed to attack. ¡®This game, ¡®Experience!¡¯. It¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s not a love simulation game like ¡®Scenes of Life: The Saint Edition¡¯.¡¯ I didn¡¯t even want to think of dating Curtis knowing of his relationship with Edith because I felt sorry. I sighed, completely forgetting about the erection marks I saw the other day. ¡°Are you awake already?¡± Jian felt my presence awaken, and then approached the bedside lightly. ¡°Your stamina is very low, Young Lady.¡± After examining my complexion, she held my hand without saying a word and began to pour her holy powers. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay!¡± Although Jian was a special saint who came from another world, holy power in this world was a finite energy. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 8.2 ¡®Why waste it on me when her holy power hasn¡¯t even replenished yet in the first place?¡¯ Jian, who poured in me a very subtle amount of holy power, had already begun to sweat from her forehead as expected. ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself, saint.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine, Young Lady.¡± Despite my words, Jian simply smiled sweetly and held my hand again. As soon as she tried to give me a boost, the door opened with a click. ¡°Saint¡­¡± Curtis seemed to have seen Jian heal me through the open door¡¯s gap. He stared at me with a frown on his face, slightly leaning on to a glare even. ¡°Edith, would you stop asking for the saint to heal you only when you see her fainting?¡± ¡°What?¡± I didn¡¯t ask for anything. I even told her not to just now. ¡®Why is she keeping her mouth shut?¡¯ I wanted Jian to explain for me because I knew Curtis wouldn¡¯t believe me if I tried to explain, but she only shut her mouth with a troubled face. She seemed to have no intention of clearing Curtis¡¯ misunderstanding. ¡°Lord Curtis, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°At this rate, the saint will collapse. Please go back and rest,¡± he said, and then turned towards me to add, ¡°I have something to say to the Young Lady Abina.¡± ¡°I-I understand.¡± Flinching at Curtis¡¯ firm words, Jian stood up from her seat and stumbled greatly. ¡°¡­are you okay?¡± ¡°I guess healing her just now was a little too much.¡± She rested her forehead in Curtis¡¯ arms as if she felt dizzy from exhaustion. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m not blaming the Young Lady at all,¡± she suddenly added, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Young Lady.¡± I looked at Jian¡¯s round forehead against Curtis¡¯ chest, and nodded. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s understand. She¡¯s playing.¡¯ Still, going through the experience of having the main character pretending to be nice gave me goosebumps. ¡®No wonder she treated me even when I refused her.¡¯ Apparently, she wanted to separate Curtis and Edith even more. The more her body gets damaged by healing me, the more Curtis would think of Edith as a spiteful villainess. As expected, Curtis glared at me the entire way out as he supported the stumbling Jian. He was staring so hard that I thought he¡¯d never come back, but soon I heard his neat footsteps and the door opened again. ¡°Edith.¡± Edith¡¯s bedroom, as any room that belonged to an aristocratic family, was as spacious as a living room. Curtis entered as he called her name, crossed the middle of the room, and then sat by the window. ¡°I will no longer play the wicked games you orchestrate with your own hands.¡± Curtis, who stood tall at a distance, opened his mouth coldly. ¡°I am temporarily appointed as a knight to the saint today. You are no longer the Lady of Caballero.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah¡­¡± Someone collapsed as she vomited blood, and in the meantime, he was quickly knighted to another woman. I thought it was a bit petty, but I had nothing to say because I just peeked into his and Edith¡¯s past. ¡®Yeah, Curtis can definitely do that to Edith.¡¯ As she was no longer the Lady of Caballero, Edith would soon be kicked out of the mansion and would turn into a bum. Wouldn¡¯t that be Curtis¡¯ fault? ¡°You¡¯re quiet. Are you plotting something?¡± ¡°There is no such thing, Curtis,¡± I replied as I shrugged my shoulders and stared back at him. Curtis was suspicious of me but his frown still looked handsome. Even if I wanted to feel resentful, I couldn¡¯t feel that way because he¡¯s too handsome for my taste. ¡®Besides, the image I saw in my dream keeps coming to mind.¡¯ Little Curtis was taken and beaten by his stepmother every single night. When I thought of the whip marks that filled his little body, I felt a pain in my chest as if being scratched by an awl. ¡°Yes.¡± Character collapse rate has exceeded 95%. Character collapse penalty will result in coughing of blood. Was it because she was really sick, and not because she recalled the past? With the warning that the character¡¯s collapse was near, my eyesight blurred. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Dark red blood splattered on the pristine blanket. ¡°Edith!¡± Surprised, I raised my hand to stop him from approaching me. ¡°It¡¯s fine, just stay there. You don¡¯t like being close to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, really. Just stay there.¡± Curtis, who suffered from depression and had an aversion to humans, actually hated being in the same space with anyone. If it was with Edith, he hated it all the more. ¡°Curtis, congratulations on becoming Jian¡¯s knight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Seriously, I¡¯m sorry for all this time.¡± I apologized to him instead of Edith, and thanks to that, the character collapse rating soared high and even exceeded the 100% gauge. BEEP~ If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 9.1 CRASH!!! With the sound of the status window breaking, I felt that the intangible matter that was restricting my whole body finally disappeared. I¡¯m free! ¡®Is this how an escaped prisoner feels?¡¯ Although my mouth was dripping with blood, I opened my arms at the smell of freedom for the very first time after more than two weeks. ¡°Edith.¡± Curtis, who thought I was going to fall down again, was looking down at me with a strange face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I must¡¯ve looked insane.¡± I walked past Curtis, barely able to raise my staggering body. ¡°I have some urgent business to attend to, so I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± ¡°Edith!¡± I hurried out of the room, Curtis¡¯ call falling on deaf ears. * * * ¡°Hey, please call 119.¡± After asking the maid where Jian was, I found her room and opened the door without knocking. ¡°119. Please call me 136-18 Oogu-dong, Ilsan-dong, Goyang-si.¡± ¡°What?¡± I hurriedly opened my mouth as I turned to Jian¡¯s bewildered face. ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯m stuck in the game.¡± ¡°¡­what are you talking about, Young Lady?¡± Jian only tilted her head with a puzzled face, even though what I said was pretty easy for any player to understand. ¡°How does the Young Lady know of 119? Oh! Do you also call 119 for emergencies in this world?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! I¡¯m a game player like you!¡± ¡°What do you mean, Young Lady? I don¡¯t know how to play games because I¡¯m not good at it.¡± My jaw dropped when Jian answered with a slow blink of her docile eyes. Since Jian wasn¡¯t a game player, then who was controlling Jian, the main character? UNITA, which received investment from its parent company, invested a huge amount of capital and ambitiously prepared series with each NPC in the game given artificial intelligence. NPCs respond naturally to the player¡¯s behavior to some extent. ¡®But since the main character is directly controlled by the player, she can¡¯t be made with artificial intelligence!¡¯ ¡°¡­I could really die. It¡¯s been over a week since I got stuck in the game.¡± In the end, Jian only tilted her head despite my desperate pleas and my teary eyes. ¡°Young Lady, I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. I heard you collapsed again. Are you still dizzy?¡± I grabbed her shoulders, raising my head at the sound of her gentle voice. ¡°School!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Which high school did you go to?¡± Jian was the main character, she must be¡­ ¡°Uh, Uni High School. By the way, do high schools in this world exist too?¡± I slumped in my seat as I heard her answer. Uni High School¡­ All characters of series were all Uni High School graduates. Uni High School was a fictional school created by UNITA production. ¡®But I¡¯ve never heard of UNITA producing Kim Jian¡¯s character with artificial intelligence.¡¯ No matter how rich UNITA was, it took a huge amount of money to develop artificial intelligence. ¡®I made a lot of comments with that, and if the main character was included with artificial intelligence, it would have certainly been promoted.¡¯ Goosebumps made me shiver and I had to wrap my hands around the back of my neck. ¡®Is this not a game world?¡¯ The deadline for the first quest is approaching. Did you find out the identity of Jian? YES NO As if reading my mind at the right time, a system window popped over Jian¡¯s flustered face. ¡®Yeah, there¡¯s nothing more I could lose here anyway.¡¯ Nodding my head as I swallowed a wad of saliva, I entered [Kim Jian] in the input window that hovered in the air. You have entered the identity, ¡®Jian¡¯, ¡®Kim Jian¡¯. You have entered the correct answer. Congratulations on completing the quest. The whole room turned black with a ringing sound that indicated the correct answer. In the pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen, the sound of clicking heels echoed. ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve finally completed the first quest. I was beginning to worry a little about the delay, but I¡¯m glad.¡± The languid voice belonged to Helper. I found him looking around as he fiddled with his well-polished monocle. ¡°This world is !¡± I screamed in frustration, ¡°You said that the time flow in reality is different!¡± When I saw his cheeky face ¨C which I once had admired before for being a handsome one ¨C my anger skyrocketed. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 9.2 ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Then it has to be a game world! Boo, I heard you say it was called ¡®Extreme Job¡¯ or whatever!¡± Even as I screamed, Helper didn¡¯t lose his composure and merely shrugged his shoulders. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you that this world is a game produced by UNITA.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you that this world is a game world produced by UNITA.¡± Nonsense! I covered my cheeks in despair at his words. I assumed something went wrong with the AI and that I was stuck in an unreleased game UNITA created. If this wasn¡¯t a virtual reality game, then where do I exist now? ¡°Player, the game is right. But Extreme Job is a game created by Edith Abina. She was a villainess that lived a hard life, but she also wanted to be a saint like Jian. ¡°Then, there¡¯s no way back to reality?¡± ¡°No,¡± he shook his head with a soft smile, ¡°As I said before, all you have to do is achieve the goal Edith Abina set.¡± ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± My voice rose, frowning at Helper¡¯s nonchalant voice. ¡°What did you do in ?¡±¡± ¡°I flirted with the male leads.¡± Helper frowned at my immediate reply as if it was frivolous. ¡°No¡­ you made love.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, you could say that¡¯s how it went.¡± ¡°Edith Abina¡¯s AI in created this world out of envy. So this time around, all you have to do is achieve Edith Abina¡¯s true love.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand right away what Helper was saying and my mouth opened with a stutter, ¡°Did Edith Abina ever have a true love?¡± She was a villainess. The evil woman in a game centered around women had a lover? ¡°Yes, UNITA didn¡¯t announce it, but she had one.¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know because it wasn¡¯t announced.¡± I gritted my teeth, barely able to hold back the desire to rip off the stiff Helper¡¯s neat tailcoat and feed it to him. ¡°Then how can I achieve that true love for her? You have to tell me who the other person is.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you collect the ending by doing *BEEP* with the target characters of Extreme Job? If that person is her true love, then Player will be able to return to reality safely.¡± My brows created a tight bridge in the middle as I heard Helper¡¯s words that seemed to imply there were target characters in this game. ¡°There is no such thing as a target character in this game!¡± ¡°But you saw the likability mark, right?¡± He shrugged his shoulders, perhaps confused by my outburst, and raised the erection mark in the air. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s not a likeability mark!¡± In a world full of men who only get erections without love, how can that erection mark be considered a favorability mark? ¡°To add, there is no character who likes me among the target characters. Curtis is the type of guy who washes his hands just by touching my fingertips.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How can you have sex with a guy like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you, Player.¡± I smiled sourly at Helper¡¯s reply and waved him down, as he was slowly rising in the air. ¡°Hey, come down here for a second.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come down. I want to see you face up close.¡± ¡°No. I only came to congratulate you on your first quest, you won¡¯t be seeing me for a while,¡± he answered coyly. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you something important,¡± he quickly added as he clapped his hands slightly. He was already a distance away from me. ¡°Do you remember that the name of this game was ?¡± Yeah, come to think of it, the name of the game was . I nodded my head at his words. ¡°Oh, I do remember.¡± I was worried about the term ¡®Extreme¡¯ the most. ¡°This is actually¡­¡± Helper trailed off, ¡°It¡¯s a job experience game but at the same time a dating simulation game.¡± ¡°Why do you put job experience on dating games?¡± ¡°The production company is Korean. Edith is also a Korean artificial intelligence.¡± I flipped my finger at the smiling helper, ¡°Hey, come down when you say nice things.¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 10.1 Originally, being a saint was an extreme job. The word ¡®saint¡¯ itself was extreme. In reality, to be called a saint, you had to save a country from war or become pregnant without a man. ¡°Your extreme job is to be a ¡®saint¡¯. So, you have to do your best to fulfill those responsibilities,¡± Helper said as he casually ignored me calling him down, and then added calmly, ¡°You¡¯ll know what to do when you get back.¡± ¡°But in , Kim Jian is the saint, right? How am I supposed to become a saint if she¡¯s already there?¡± As I asked back, Helper, who had been quite shameless from the beginning, became shy. ¡°Yes. Apparently, it¡¯s a world built from , so there are parts that conflicted with each other. In that game, Edith Abina was nothing but a fake saint.¡± Obviously, there was a chapter in the original game story in which Edith was so jealous of Jian and extorted her holy powers to become a fake saint. I shook my head as I dug up whatever I could remember further. ¡°I don¡¯t have to fulfill that responsibility, right? Or do I have to in order to go back home?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not it. If you find Edith¡¯s true love, then you can get out of here.¡± I narrowed my eyes at Helper¡¯s words, which seemingly had something held back. ¡°If I know better, there is a catch to that, but what?¡± Helper was silent for a few moments, but then replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t work, you¡¯ll die before you reach your goal.¡± My eyes almost fell out of their sockets at his dwindling voice. ¡°Huh?! What did you just say?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know everything once you play again. Then, I bid you goodbye.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs, infuriated by Helper¡¯s attitude. But I had no choice but to get out of the darkness. * * * Reputation +10. Bloody stares received by Edith around the Marquis¡¯ mansion are reduced. ¡®First Quest: Jian¡¯s Identity¡¯ reward item has arrived. YES NO Of course, yes. I immediately pressed ¡®Accept¡¯ at the notification that announced I got a reward. ¡®No, so Edith had always been looked down upon every time she walked?¡¯ She was the Young Lady of the Marquess family, but no matter how ugly her personality was, I felt like the treatment she had was a bit excessive. My heart broke at the plight of Edith that I would have to endure in the future, but I rushed to pull out the special item random box and guide book that appeared in front of me. ~Extreme Job Guidebook~ By: Cutie Helper Everything you want to know about the world of Extreme Job. I put down the item in the random box and held up the guide book, opening the cover decorated with confusing handwriting. ~I can¡¯t do this, but I¡¯ll just tell you what I roughly know. I gnashed my teeth as I felt like getting punched a thousand times from the cover and the sentence that followed it. ¡®Helper, that bastard¡­ Someday, I will definitely end this.¡¯ I lamented the past when I thought that all that mattered was a handsome face. Didn¡¯t a good face always come with a good personality? It was very casual, but I was able to figure out the game roughly after reading the guidebook which contained a lot of information I previously didn¡¯t know. First of all, there were a total of five characters to target just like the original game. Grand Duke of the North Curtis Caballero, Crown Prince Adrian von Bernhard, Duke of the South Val¨¦rez Toledo, Lucas the Slave, and Lord of the Towers Clive Norton. And to escape this game, I had to find Edith Abina¡¯s true love among them. ¡®For now, it won¡¯t be Curtis Caballero.¡¯ I scribbled the name of the target character in my notebook, and the first thing I did was draw a red line over Curtis¡¯ name. Curtis and Edith had a toxic relationship, and they already had sex. In the game, there was a route that allowed Curtis and Edith to continue towards the bad ending, but not in . ¡®If Curtis was her true love, Edith¡¯s artificial intelligence wouldn¡¯t have been so stressed.¡¯ Anyway, I was grateful that at least the prospects were one man down. I sighed in relief at the thought of not having to clear Curtis, who was the most difficult, and then encircled the name of the easiest man among the remaining candidates. Val¨¦rez Toledo. ¡®You¡¯re my first prey, you bastard.¡¯ * * * If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 10.2 The item that I received as an award for the first quest was information on the , that showed the ideal type of the male lead characters. ¡®Thank God,¡¯ I thought to myself, ¡®I don¡¯t have an inkling of an idea on Val¨¦rez¡¯s ideal type.¡¯ In the game, my favorite was Curtis and only played him, so I hadn¡¯t seen the endings with the other male lead characters. In particular, Val¨¦rez Toledo wasn¡¯t my taste at all, and have never even looked at the possibility of targeting him before. ¡®Such a nice little southern duke, isn¡¯t he just a jerk?¡¯ Val¨¦rez Toledo¡­ The man¡¯s name rolled smoothly in one¡¯s mouth and was a handsome tanned man. However, being the Duke of Toledo, who ruled over fertile lands in the south, he was a character who lived in pleasure that he was always seen in the entertainment district. So-called slut. That was why the nickname given by players was slut man. ¡°Girl, no, tell me the ideal type of Val¨¦rez Toledo.¡± When I pressed down on the item and placed my order, white letters formed a sentence in the system window that popped out. Val¨¦rez Toleda¡¯s ideal type is , , and . ¡®What the hell?¡¯ Of course, I had nothing to say since I myself like big-chested men, but I was still speechless by Val¨¦rez¡¯s ideal type. Fortunately, Edith Abina boasted a very well-toned figure, befitting the title of a villainess. I was a bit unsure regarding the ¡®gravity defying hips¡¯, but compared to her slender body, Edith¡¯s breasts were large, and her waist was so thin she¡¯d probably crumble if she was squeezed too tight. ¡®As expected, she is pretty.¡¯ No, Edith Abina was a beauty to behold. Her eyes were a little fierce, but the corners were subtly dreamy, and the rest of her features filled her small face like a delicate work of art. ¡®Nice, I don¡¯t even have to prepare that much.¡¯ Standing in front of the mirror, I carefully examined Edith in her pajamas. I nodded to myself and called out the maids. ¡°Dorothy, Cecia! Bring me some outdoor clothes!¡± After all, Val¨¦rez was a man who would die for beauty and be fair to women. Therefore, a beauty like Edith would take over him without much effort. After changing with the help of the maids, I confidently set out to find his favorite entertainment district. * * * It wasn¡¯t hard to find Val¨¦rez Toledo. He was an overly conspicuous man. Red House, the largest gambling hall in the imperial capital, boasted a very colorful interior that matched its reputation. But Val¨¦rez¡¯s appearance was never overwhelmed by its splendor. Unable to put my eyes elsewhere, I opened my mouth to find the most brilliant man in the area. ¡°Is this seat empty?¡± The man who leaned loosely on the back of the sofa slowly raise his head as he heard my voice. Following the man¡¯s movement, the light from the gambling hall¡¯s chandelier danced on his radiant red-blonde hair. ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? I am sitting here,¡± he replied. Val¨¦rez¡¯s brown cheeks were flushed, as if he had too much to drink. The redness was noticeable still, despite the darkness of his skin. ¡®How much did he drink to be like this?¡¯ I glanced at the glass of champagne in his hand and smiled. ¡°Then can I sit on the sofa with you? My legs hurt.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like you are tired, but fine.¡± Val¨¦rez had a sour attitude today, contrary to his reputation of being ¡®friendly to any woman¡¯, but he didn¡¯t refuse me. As soon as I took the seat next to him, I began to speak, glancing at him pressing his temples with his long fingers as if he was tired. ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re in a bad mood.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, I was a little chilly.¡± Rubbing his soft-looking curls, he gave me a refreshing smile and looked at my complexion. ¡°It¡¯s because today is a bit sad for me,¡± he explained, ¡°Pardon me if I offended you in any way.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about me. I was just worried.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a sweet girl. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Edith.¡± The moment I said Edith¡¯s name, his green eyes, which reminded me of southern spring, instantly froze. I silently swallowed a gulp at his glare. ¡°Edith¡­¡± he said as if astounded, ¡°Edith Abina?¡± If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 11.1 ¡®Why did he react like that?¡¯ Could it be that Edith also had a bad relationship with Val¨¦rez just as she had with Curtis? ¡°Are you talking about Edith of the Marquis of Abina?¡± I shook my head at Val¨¦rez¡¯s question. ¡°No,¡± I denied, ¡°I¡¯m nothing but a commoner, so I don¡¯t have a surname.¡± Only then did Val¨¦rez¡¯s expression lighten up. I exhaled the breath I withheld at the sight of his face, which looked friendly like a sunny greenery. ¡®I became careless because he looked nice, but he really scared me with his straight face.¡¯ I thought it¡¯d be less scary if Curtis had glared at me with his cold eyes. The moment Val¨¦rez looked at me with his expressionless face, my spine went cold. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized, ¡°You just had the same name as the woman I hate. It¡¯s not a common name.¡± He believed the lie I told, being a commoner, and put a glass of champagne in my hand. He waved to a man and said, ¡°Bring me a bottle of Brignac. I have offended this lady.¡± Brignac was a very expensive type of champagne. It was so expensive I wouldn¡¯t even dare to look at it in reality, so it must be worth quite a bit in this world. ¡°Brignac? There¡¯s only one bottle left in the house, but another customer has already reserved it¡­¡± the man said. ¡°So what?¡± Val¨¦rez searched his arms, then took out a pocket full of gold coins and threw it on the table. Chess pieces fell rolling on the floor with the gold coins. ¡°If you don¡¯t have it, scour the entire imperial capital, or steal that bastard¡¯s drink and bring it right away.¡± Contrary to his smiling face, the way he spoke to the manager was quite fierce. The manager, realizing that Val¨¦rez was in a bad mood, bent in a hurry. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Only after the manager moved away did Val¨¦rez look back at me, putting his arm on the back of the sofa. I felt my eyes gravitate towards him as he stretched out his arms and legs coolly, but somehow, I couldn¡¯t enjoy his beauty comfortably. ¡°So, what¡¯s your business?¡± he asked with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t talk to me when I drink alone with no purpose in mind. It¡¯s an unwritten rule of Red House not to touch me at times like this.¡± I didn¡¯t know that. If I had known, I never would have talked to him. I tried to hide my trembling fingers with the tip of my sleeve, blaming myself for rushing into him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I really didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± Val¨¦rez nodded as if he was listening to my apology. The manager arrived with the bottle of champagne, and he grabbed it in one hand. Then, he brought the bottle towards his mouth and opened it with his teeth. PONG! Soon, a fragrant liquid soaked his body. ¡®No! That¡¯s such an expensive liquor that a single drop already costs a few silver coins¡­ Is he crazy?¡¯ I wasn¡¯t particularly a huge drinker, but I still knew the value of the champagne he just wasted, and I could only sit agape with pity. The thin champagne-soaked shirt clung to Val¨¦rez¡¯s firm chest, creating such a great scene, but it was still a waste. ¡°My mood was already dull, but I didn¡¯t want to blame the lady,¡± he said, ¡°Still, I¡¯ll listen to the lady¡¯s business and decide afterwards whether to let you go or not.¡± After the unexpected shower, Val¨¦rez poured the rest of his drink into a glass and held it out to me, bubbles rising as he pushed it in front of me. ¡°Oh, well¡­ Can I have a drink first and answer?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± With his permission, I poured the champagne down my throat. I couldn¡¯t savor it because I was in a hurry, but it left an unusual scent sticking at the tip of my tongue. Perhaps that was because it was a luxurious liquor. ¡®Wow, it¡¯s quite good. It would taste great with frozen green grapes.¡¯ ¡°Oh, my¡­¡± I drank to relieve my tensions, and Val¨¦rez laughed at me, stomping his feet as if amazed at my reaction to drinking the delicious Brignac. ¡°Is it good?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very delicious.¡± ¡°Drink more. If you finish, I¡¯ll buy you another bottle.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s probably no more available in the house either,¡± I declined as politely as I could, ¡°Anyway, you did ask me why I spoke to you, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Val¨¦rez nodded slightly to my question. After gathering my hands as if to pray, I exhaled a sigh and answered him calmly, ¡°The young lord¡¯s face is my type.¡± ¡°What?¡± He turned his head toward me as if embarrassed. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t understand. I emphasized one more time. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 11.2 ¡°You¡¯re so handsome.¡± I gathered my arms forward as if praying, and pressed both sides of my breasts tightly to emphasize my cleavage. Dorothy and Cecia had done their best to enhance them, but they were still quite large without enhancements. ¡®Val¨¦rez loves glamor, so he won¡¯t reject me.¡¯ ¡°I want to be fiercely entangled with you.¡± His mouth twisted upward at my words of resolution. ¡°Huh¡­ how do you propose we do that?¡± ¡°What are you asking? Sitting together like this, arms and legs like this, right?¡± I answered his questions as if I had waited for him to ask, and leaned on his sides. Thanks to this, my torso and his face came quite close, and he smiled incredulously. ¡°Do you want to sleep with me?¡± ¡°As expected, the young lord can read a woman¡¯s mind perfectly,¡± I nodded my head at Val¨¦rez¡¯s question. ¡°You are such a crazy girl.¡± ¡°What? No. I¡¯m just a person with a good eye for beauty.¡± Contrary to what I expected, however, Val¨¦rez didn¡¯t seem much interested in my glamorous breasts. Fearing that he¡¯d reject me with his unperturbed eyes, I tightened my arms. ¡®No, I have to attack!¡¯ Helper definitely told me that I had to ¡®beep¡¯ with the target characters. I didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant, but I was certain that one of it was sex. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t do things like clinging on to the young lord just because we¡¯d sleep for a night.¡± Val¨¦rez preferred casual encounters. He was originally a bad boy character who met Jian and had a change of heart. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be with me when I wake in the morning,¡± I continued, ¡°I like sleeping alone.¡± Val¨¦rez pressed his temple with his fingertips as if he was in trouble with my haste words to seduce him somehow. ¡°Have you not heard of the rumor about me, lady?¡± ¡°Huh? What rumor?¡± Unlike Curtis, whose knuckles popped out, Val¨¦rez¡¯s fingers were thin and elongated like candles¡­ To be honest, I¡¯d like to suck them at this point. I swallowed my saliva as I imagined Val¨¦rez¡¯s fingers in my mouth, but he only sighed and got up. ¡°No, yes. I guess you haven¡¯t heard of it then.¡± ¡°Where are you going?!¡± I rushed to follow and hug him, lest he¡¯d leave me behind. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Surprised by my sudden attack, Val¨¦rez flicked my forehead playfully. ¡°The lady seems to be fearless because she¡¯s a well-grown girl, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be a bad idea to scold her once.¡± The man¡¯s cold breath fell on my drunken forehead. It was different from what I envisioned, but it wasn¡¯t bad. ¡®Yes, hurry up and scold me.¡¯ I walked out of the house silently in Val¨¦rez¡¯s arms and a bottle of champagne. * * * Val¨¦rez walked fast with his long legs. Soon after arriving at a hotel nearby, he put me down after coming up to the top suite without passing through the lobby. ¡°Shall I get you a drink first?¡± He looked around for a glass, throwing off his shirt as if his arms were numb. At his words, I quickly put down the Brignac I was holding. ¡°Oh, I brought it since it was almost left behind.¡± ¡°¡­yes, it¡¯s also good to be frugal.¡± He praised my actions with a look that wasn¡¯t good at all, and then poured the champagne into a transparent glass. ¡°Brignac is very expensive. It¡¯d be such a waste to leave it behind,¡± I added another excuse in embarrassment. ¡°You must like expensive alcohol,¡± he said as he laughed at my hesitant explanation, ¡°Do you want to order more?¡± ¡°Oh, can I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I knew it didn¡¯t look like it, but I welcomed the man¡¯s question with open arms. Thanks to the game¡¯s system, the taste of alcohol was particularly similar to reality. So, expensive alcohol here would taste as delicious as the real thing. ¡®No, it might even taste better than real alcohol.¡¯ At the Marquis¡¯ residence, I couldn¡¯t eat and drink as I pleased. Unknowingly, my eyes lit up as I flipped through the room service pamphlet that Val¨¦rez brought me. ¡°Can I order anything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Naturally, the rich were the best. Fertile Southern Confucius was the best. I pointed to the liquor that was top one, deceived by Val¨¦rez¡¯s encouraging answer. ¡°Oh, no, just this?¡± Val¨¦rez¡¯s face seemed dark for some reason as I checked the liquor menu, so I lowered my finger and he shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°I can drink something expensive. I¡¯d still be fine even if I have it solo.¡± ¡°You drink well. I don¡¯t even need to check your drinking habits then.¡± He was so talkative, to be honest. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Val¨¦rez, as if relieved by my boastful words, ordered me a drink which he¡¯d soon regret. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible. Chapter 12.1 ¡°spread your legs, lady.¡± his characteristic languid voice came out through thick lips. usually, even women who were pretentious would readily respond to his demands first when he looked at them. ¡°i told you to open it¡±. ¡°i don¡¯t want to.¡± val¨¦rez was very embarrassed by the situation in front of him. ¡°hurry up and relax.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to!¡± it was quite funny to keep asking for the woman to spread her legs, and her refusal to die as she closed her cherry-red lips was amazing. ¡°i¡¯m going crazy.¡± val¨¦rez, who had his hand over the woman¡¯s shoulder, eventually rose with a deep sigh. when he showed signs of giving up, the woman resumed her paused action. little by little¡­ gulp the woman sucked on the straw from the bottle she held tightly with her slender thighs. val¨¦rez brushed his hand over his hair, annoyed by the woman¡¯s behavior of drinking a bottle of liquor that was almost the size of her body. ¡°lady, you will die.¡± gulp ¡°if you drink it all, the possibility of you dying would be imminent.¡± the woman ignored his warning completely, pulled out the straw, and soon held the bottle in her mouth. pouring he laughed and eventually decided that he had to intervene. ¡°my lady, i am a bad guy, but i don¡¯t have the hobby of letting young women die.¡± val¨¦rez approached the woman carefully, and quickly snatched the bottle from her hand. the woman put a lot of strength to stop him, but it was all futile. ¡°oh? no!¡± the embarrassed woman screamed like a banshee. unbothered, val¨¦rez threw the bottle out of the window, which had already become half lighter than before. crash! the sound of breaking glass rang loudly as the dense trees that casted shadows on the windows shook. ¡°oh, such a pity¡­¡± the woman whined. she had run to the window like a beast that nearly missed its prey. she felt sorry for the alcohol that disappeared and had crashed to the ground. ¡°what a waste, my drink¡­ it¡¯s too bad¡­¡± apparently, she was the kind of person that didn¡¯t leave a drinking party without emptying bottles of alcohol. mcxran 1948, an expensive drink that was said to cost a studio room if sold. when it disappeared from her eyesight, the woman became like a cotton-washed raccoon and wiped away her tears. ¡®thank you for ordering it, but i didn¡¯t even taste it properly¡­!¡¯ but it was all in her head that she wasn¡¯t able to taste it. val¨¦rez put his wrist over his throbbing temple at the woman in front of him whose breath reeked of alcohol. ¡°lady, you said you don¡¯t have any drinking vices.¡± ¡°i don¡¯t have¡­¡± he could only laugh in vain at the woman¡¯s brazen reply. ¡°you obviously have one,¡± he chuckled, ¡°and it¡¯s also very dirty.¡± ¡°i-i am dirty?¡± tears formed in the woman¡¯s eyes who completely misunderstood val¨¦rez¡¯s words. they were combined with tears of regret over the lost alcohol, and they soon flowed down her rosy cheeks. ¡°no, i¡¯m not saying you¡¯re dirty.¡± val¨¦rez was quite taken aback. whether he chewed his tongue in embarrassment or not, the woman plopped down and started to weep terribly. ¡°huuu¡­! how can you say that i am such a dirty person? huu¡­¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not saying you¡¯re dirty, lady,¡± he tried to explain in his attempt to appease her, ¡°what i meant was your drinking habits. they are dirty!¡± but no matter how much val¨¦rez tried, the woman burst out and kept on crying nonstop. he wiped the crying woman¡¯s back which was soaked wet with her sweat. ¡°hugkh! lady, stop it, huh?¡± ¡°huu! huuu!¡± ¡°oh, i¡¯m going crazy.¡± don¡¯t get me wrong. val¨¦rez toledo, a man who dominated the dark streets of the imperial capital, wasn¡¯t a man who was easily embarrassed. ¡°huuuu¡­!¡± it was just that the woman was quite the nut job. ¡°she won¡¯t stop, damn it!¡± val¨¦rez tried to block his ears from hearing the woman¡¯s crying, and his eyes shook fiercely as he grabbed her chin in desperation. a small face came to him with just a little force. ¡°eeep!¡± the woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the close distance of their faces. inside the dark-lit house, her dark purple eyes looked like they were red. just like a rabbit. ¡°my lady, you are not dirty.¡± he comforted the woman in a slightly relaxing voice, feeling as if he wasn¡¯t dealing with a person, but that of a tiny animal. Chapter 12.2 ¡°it was just a slip of the tongue.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right!¡± she exclaimed indignantly, ¡°i washed up in the morning!¡± the woman felt like she was falsely accused by val¨¦rez¡¯s words. she straightened her shoulders confidently, and then tilted her head as if she suddenly lost confidence. ¡°no, did i wash up?¡± sniff the woman stuck in her nose under her arm and sniffed. soon, she took off her clothes and threw them off without thinking, and the blue dress that complimented her silver hair fell to the floor. ¡°oh, it must have smelled like alcohol because it got on my clothes,¡± she murmured with a smile, and then looked back at val¨¦rez, holding her palm-sized slip in her hand. ¡°you won¡¯t smell it anymore.¡± he didn¡¯t respond to her seemingly cheerful words. val¨¦rez was taken aback by her suddenly taking off her clothes in front of him, and honestly, his tongue was tied. ¡°it¡¯s pretty¡­¡± he finally said. the body that shone subtly in the bright moonlight was much more beautiful than he anticipated. her breasts, which he initially thought were pushed by her clothes, were full even with her thin slip. and her waist under the transparent cloth was thin as if he could wrap it with just one arm. ¡°i need to gain some weight.¡± val¨¦rez, who murmured lightly, approached the woman. her eyes widened at him, and she took a step back in surprise. nevertheless, val¨¦rez didn¡¯t stop walking toward her, and soon she was trapped by the wall behind her. ¡°are you really a commoner, lady?¡± the woman claimed to be a commoner but boasted white skin that he believed she was actually an aristocrat. no, among the most noble ones too. val¨¦rez, who briefly looked at her soft skin which seemingly looked smooth to the touch, tilted his head. ¡°yes.¡± he didn¡¯t even bother to doubt her words. she had beautiful hands without a single callus, a soft body that didn¡¯t seem to know any physical labor, and were indications of being high class. but these days, more and more commoners have accumulated wealth¡­ ¡®well, she¡¯s like a daughter of someone big to say the least,¡¯ val¨¦rez thought. the woman¡¯s actions were far too simple to be attributed to an imperial aristocrat who risked her life to be modest. to the extent that if she was indeed an aristocrat, she might even try to hang herself, saying that her tutor or chaperone was disgraceful. ¡°you said your name was edith.¡± edith nodded at val¨¦rez¡¯s words. she seemed a bit sober now. peering into her violet eyes, he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°where do you live?¡± ¡°¡­why are you curious about that?¡± unlike when she gave him her name, she frowned and looked up at him as if she was wary. ¡°huh? no, i¡¯m just curious,¡± val¨¦rez added a lame excuse, confused by edith¡¯s sudden sharpness. ¡°i think i might have seen you before.¡± val¨¦rez wanted to bite his tongue, realizing that his excuse was quite cheap. however, edith didn¡¯t seem to notice and merely shrugged her shoulders. ¡°it¡¯s a relationship for a night anyway,¡± she said nonchalantly, ¡°i won¡¯t be curious about the young lord either, so please don¡¯t ask.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you curious about me, my lady?¡± val¨¦rez scratched his chin with a slight disappointment. whether he was upset or not, the woman who had been acting selfishly for a while now shook her head coldly. ¡°i¡¯m not curious at all.¡± ¡°you don¡¯t want to know who i am?¡± there was no way that she didn¡¯t know who he was, but he on the other hand had only seen the woman¡¯s face today. val¨¦rez stared at her, who wasn¡¯t even interested in his background as someone who controlled the underworld, and touched her lips. ¡°then you don¡¯t have any questions about me?¡± he asked in earnest curiosity. ¡°there¡¯s one.¡± the woman, who answered val¨¦rez¡¯s question immediately, poked her fingertip under him without any warning. ¡°here.¡± his penis, which he didn¡¯t know when, why, or how, had already hardened. edith¡¯s gaze began to make him feel heated up, and he opened his mouth with a groan. ¡°i don¡¯t know whether to call this reckless or perverted,¡± she commented. ¡°think whatever you want.¡± grabbing val¨¦rez¡¯s hand that was on her lips, she took her back off the wall and clung to him. she lowered her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck. the white moonlight pooled above her thick eyelashes and she spoke. ¡°can i kiss you?¡± unfortunately for val¨¦rez and his reputation, it was a question that he had never heard from any woman before. he swallowed a wad of saliva, feeling his mouth run dry. Chapter 13.1 ¡°what?¡± ¡°can i kiss you?¡± ¡°uh, uh¡­¡± i shrugged at val¨¦rez¡¯s uncharacteristically shy manner. i didn¡¯t know why he blushed when he was kissed, but it didn¡¯t matter because his incompetence was kind of cute too. i raised my heels to give him a deep kiss, but his lips only twitched and seldomly moved his tongue. ¡®what¡¯s wrong? it¡¯s like he¡¯s never kissed before.¡¯ however, even without any techniques, the texture of his lips themselves were incredibly soft, and the size of the hard object poking below his stomach was unusual, so i was full of heat. beyond clothes, i could feel his bottom getting bigger and bigger. the outline of a naked man made my mouth water. it wasn¡¯t even inside me yet, but i could feel my legs losing strength, so i pushed my thighs harder on him. i lowered one hand and i slowly rubbed his manhood. perhaps i had been too bold, and his body trembled as it touched mine. ¡°yes.¡± i didn¡¯t stop caressing val¨¦rez even as i sensed his awkwardness. his chin lifted at my touch, which was getting a bit faster little by little. his adam¡¯s apple trembled greatly. ¡®wow¡­¡¯ the line from his jaw to the collarbone was so sexy that i couldn¡¯t help but admire it. even though slut boy was definitely an unpopular keyword, i could see why he was loved by players. chu instinctively kissing along his jawline, i soon lightly sucked val¨¦rez¡¯s stiff lower lip. ¡°!¡± his eyes, wandering aimlessly without knowing where to look, turned to my face. the moment our eyes met; his pupils dilated as if in surprise. he seemed like a grown lion a while ago, but i could only laugh inwardly because he seemed to have become a small prey at the moment. ¡°why are you laughing, lady?¡± ¡°because your expression is cute.¡± his face hardened as if he didn¡¯t like my answer. ¡°¡­that¡¯s enough. i think i¡¯ve the lady enough.¡± i frowned at val¨¦rez¡¯s words. i can¡¯t believe he was already scolding me enough. who was scolding who? ¡°what?¡± ¡°get out of the way.¡± his manhood swelled like it was about to burst, but val¨¦rez pushed me away. his voice was suppressed, as if he was keeping something. ¡°why?¡± he glanced at my puzzled face, turning away as if he was trying to get away from me. ¡°don¡¯t you want to sleep with me?¡± he brought me to the hotel suite where he was staying. he can¡¯t force a person who didn¡¯t want to do it, but it was a shame. ¡°you don¡¯t have to stay with me until the morning. also, i would never ask for the young lord¡¯s name.¡± i thought that pretending not to want to know him was the best approach to seduce val¨¦rez. he was hiding the fact that he belonged to a duke¡¯s family for some reason, and he was infuriated by people that asked his identity. ¡®it¡¯s a contradiction that we had to find out who he was in order to clear him in the game¡­¡¯ that was one of the reasons i didn¡¯t target him when i was playing the original game. it was so cumbersome to find out who he was in person. according to the guidebook, val¨¦rez would soon succeed as the duke of toledo in the second half of the game. within the low streets of the imperial capital, he was known as ¡®ares¡¯. no one knew where ares came from, who ruled the shadow of the empire, and the women who clung to him were always curious about his real identity. ¡°i know. you already said you weren¡¯t curious about who i was,¡± he said with a shrug at my light persuasion, and then turned around. scanning my body wearing a thin slip up and down, the corners of his lips rose. ¡°so.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°so, i don¡¯t like it. i don¡¯t like women who aren¡¯t interested in me.¡± i read the guidebook, so i already knew who he was, it¡¯s not that i¡¯m not interested! ¡°and don¡¯t meet with a guy who won¡¯t even stay with you until the morning, young lady.¡± ¡°wait a minute!¡± even if i stomped my feet, saying i¡¯m fully interested, val¨¦rez left the room without a moment to hesitate. * * * why is he being hard to get? ¡®i thought he¡¯d be an easy character to attack without much effort¡­!¡¯ i returned to the marquis¡¯ residence, banging on a pillow full of goose feathers and pouting in defeat. Chapter 13.2 if i knew this would happen, i should¡¯ve read the guidebook a little harder. i resented the past when i skipped the chapters involving the other characters to win curtis, who was no longer even useful at the moment. ¡®no, it¡¯s not my fault. who would even think ahead and know i¡¯d get stuck in this mess of a game anyway?¡¯ i hugged to comfort myself, and then got up from my seat. i pulled the rope by the bed to make things tidy in the morning, but no one came. ¡°dorothy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°cecia?¡± opening the bedroom door, i looked around the empty hallway to find dorothy and cecia, who particularly liked me among the maids that served me. the hallway covered with purple wallpaper that symbolized the marquis abina was so quiet. ¡°¡­is anybody there?¡± feeling terrified for a moment, i ran down the hallway in my pajamas. fortunately, as i got down one floor, i saw a maid cleaning the window with a rag. ¡°hey, didn¡¯t you see dorothy or cecia?¡± ¡°i haven¡¯t seen them.¡± i blinked hard at the chubby maid¡¯s answer. ¡°then can you prepare some water for me to wash my face?¡± the unfamiliar maid stared at me sharply and asked back, ¡°why me?¡± it seemed like she didn¡¯t want to work since she wasn¡¯t my own maid. ¡°oh, i¡¯ll wash myself then¡­¡± in reality, i used to wash my back all alone anyway. would it be that difficult to wash my face alone in the morning? ¡°come to think of it, it¡¯s almost time for lady lirina to get up,¡± the maid said. she stared at me, her fingers clenched, and then threw the rag she used for cleaning at my face. plop! the rag slapped on my cheek and i blinked slowly as i looked at it falling to the floor. huh? what just happened? ¡°now, clean the windows.¡± as if my surprised face was funny, the maid pushed my forehead with the tip of her finger as she held back a smile. ¡°don¡¯t be stupid,¡± the maid added, ¡°i need to get lady lirina¡¯s wash water. or would you like to go?¡± i didn¡¯t understand the maid¡¯s words and tilted my head. ¡°why should i bring lirina¡¯s wash water? that¡¯s a maid¡¯s job.¡± ¡°madam, you¡¯re working as a maid at the marquis starting today.¡± my eyes almost fell out of their sockets at the maid¡¯s startling words. what kind of bullshit was that? edith abina was the eldest daughter of marquess abina, and was obviously a noble lady¡­ ¡°the marquis gathered all the servants and announced that either you start working as a maid or leave the mansion immediately.¡± ¡®ah, did she mean to say that if edith ceases to be the lady of caballero, she would be kicked out of the marquis mansion?¡¯ i sighed, recalling the potato-like face of the marquis, who looked nothing like edith. no matter how little blood they shared, there was a time when he raised her as his own child, which made it even more despicable. besides, it was true that she was the child of the dead marquis¡¯ wife, so she wasn¡¯t a complete stranger. ¡°did he? i didn¡¯t hear the details from the marquis.¡± ¡°yes,¡± the maid puffed her chest indignantly, ¡°so you can start cleaning the window now or pack up and get out. i don¡¯t want to be scolded by the marquis like dorothy or cecia if i took care of you for no reason.¡± my brows scrunched at the maid¡¯s words. no wonder i couldn¡¯t find cecia and dorothy, so something must have happened because of me. ¡°dorothy and cecia, where are they?¡± ¡°thanks to the lady, they now work at the laundromat for a week. the marquis told me not to use warm water, so i¡¯m having a hard time.¡± i stared at the maid¡¯s face and slowly opened my mouth, ¡°well, i see. are you close to them?¡± ¡°no. i¡¯m lady lirina¡¯s maid, so why would i be close to the girls who were your exclusive maids?¡± at the maid¡¯s reply, i pondered over whether edith had ever had a fight with this maid. ¡®i can¡¯t recall anything. there¡¯s certainly no memory left in edith¡¯s body.¡¯ ¡°i don¡¯t remember you, have i ever scolded you before?¡± still, when i asked to check, the maid hesitated to answer my question. ¡°not really, but you disrespected the real noble lady, lady lirina. that is why i hate you.¡± ¡°oh, i see. i didn¡¯t bother you.¡± i smiled at the maid¡¯s honest answer, and it relieved my guilt quite a bit. ¡°even so, you act so carelessly like this.¡± ¡°kyaa! let go of me!¡± i grabbed the maid¡¯s hair with my free hand and rammed her into the glass window. Chapter 14.1 bang bang ¡°kyaaak! kyaaagh!¡± i slammed the head of the struggling maid into the window a couple more times, and then let her go and shook off my relieved hands and spoke with a kind voice. ¡°hey.¡± at my call, the little screaming maid looked up at me, holding her forehead. ¡°let¡¯s say you and i are doing the same job now. do you have to throw a rag at a person¡¯s face like that?¡± she couldn¡¯t answer my question easily. i picked up the rag that rolled on the floor and walked out. * * * ¡°what are you doing here?¡± the butler of the marquis had stopped me from visiting the marquis¡¯ office. after glancing at the man who neatly arranged his grayish hair, i opened my mouth and answered, ¡°to see my father.¡± ¡°¡­father?¡± surprised that i called the marquis my father, the butler¡¯s face turned bitter. i nodded my head to confirm. ¡°why? could it be that the family register has already been dug?¡± ¡°no, it¡¯s not,¡± he shook his head, ¡°i¡¯ll tell the marquis that you are asking to see him.¡± the butler bowed to me and disappeared into the room. i leaned against the window of the hallway, rolling my eyes as i waited for him quietly. i don¡¯t know how they record family relationships in this world, but i could guess that the marquis couldn¡¯t throw me away. otherwise, why would he bother to make me his maid? ¡°please come in.¡± soon, the huge oak door opened again. i followed the butler as he guided me inside, and i stepped into the marquis office. ¡°what are you doing to me?¡± i stared at the greasy marquis¡¯ face as he scratched his cheek. ¡°well¡­¡± ¡®i came to understand the situation, but what should i do with this?¡¯ unlike when i thought that being edith abina was temporary, i needed to save myself now for real. because edith abina no longer had a shield in curtis caballero. an illegitimate child without a reliable backer could be blown away at the beck and call of a powerful man like the marquis. ¡°now that you¡¯ve come to realize your place, you must¡¯ve thought of begging me.¡± the marquis, who came to me thinking i was troubled, let out a hot breath and laughed. ¡°yeah, you can now get down on your knees and beg. if that¡¯s what you want.¡± no, i have to do something¡­ i was too stunned by the marquis¡¯ demands, but i was prepared to kneel. it was my creed to kneel when a powerful man asked me to. there was nothing left to look back to if i disobeyed. ¡°i might feel sorry and make you my personal assistant, not as a marquis¡¯ maid.¡± i quickly stopped myself on my way down. at first glance, it sounded like he was doing me a favor, but i thought the maid¡¯s position would be much better than being his personal assistant. at that moment, a familiar notification ping hit my ears. great intuition! the system is impressed by the player¡¯s keen senses. a new quest will be created as a reward. ring ring i clicked on the new message that appeared on the status window. would you like to check the quest? yes no judging from the nuance, i guess it was a quest in my favor. i chose ¡®yes¡¯ without hesitation, and a message that was much longer than the quests i received before occupied my entire view. you are no longer the lady of grand duke caballero, and you have no place to go. carve out your new path! a. personal assistant to marquis abina. b. lirina abina¡¯s exclusive maid. c. beggar d. saint (this is a locked choice) i briefly looked at the non-clickable option and smiled as i recalled the message from the system that said it was impressed. ¡®he gave me this quest because he was touched?¡¯ the system had a great talent for making people feel better like helper. ¡®the beggar¡­¡¯ i hated being cold and hungry. as i had no choice, i decided to choose the second option to be lirina¡¯s exclusive maid. i didn¡¯t know what would happen to me if i took the personal assistant choice to the perverted marquis. you, who have no stomach, chose the humiliating path of becoming a full-time maid to your half-sister. Chapter 14.2 occupation: handmaid level: 1 ¡ù job-related rewards increase your stamina by 10. ¡ù a route related to curtis caballero is involved. ¡®there¡¯s a curtis route?¡¯ as soon as i read the system¡¯s message, the door slammed open and lirina came in. ¡°hey! i heard you hit my maid!¡± lirina¡¯s nose flared in anger as she stormed into the room. she grabbed me by the collar without even greeting the marquis, her father. ¡°i can¡¯t even look at her face because it was so bruised! you take care of me instead!¡± i didn¡¯t fight lirina and followed her gasping. * * * lirina, who had screamed and dragged me to her room, couldn¡¯t make me do anything difficult. she didn¡¯t seem to know what labor was the hardest because she herself had never worked. she took me around her drawing room and study, and nagged me to move the furniture and clean the dust, but the room was already so clean that there was nothing else i could do. ¡°wipe that doll with special care. it¡¯s very important to me.¡± ¡°yes.¡± eventually, when i returned to lirina¡¯s bedroom, i was tasked with cleaning the dirty decorations with a duster. ¡°there¡¯s some dust left here,¡± lirina frowned as she scrutinized the doll¡¯s bottom. ¡°oh, sorry.¡± i immediately apologized and gently wiped the ceramic doll she had placed on the desk with a dry towel. ¡°¡­hey.¡± ¡°what?¡± i looked up in surprise at her call. from the moment i followed her, i obeyed lirina¡¯s orders without going against her, but somehow, she still looked offended. i don¡¯t know why. did i talk halfheartedly to her? ¡°why¡­? yo.¡± even though there wasn¡¯t much difference in our age gap, i didn¡¯t think i could speak formally to her. i thought i should follow the rules of the social status system. i added ¡®yo¡¯ as if it sounded timid. ¡°don¡¯t you get upset at following my orders?¡± but lirina seemingly didn¡¯t notice that i was speaking informally to her. i merely shrugged in reply. ¡°well. you know best that my situation has changed.¡± additionally, if you look at edith abina¡¯s memories, there were many instances that she harassed lirina as a child. it wasn¡¯t even my fault, but i felt like i had to pay her back to some extent. ¡°why? do you feel guilty? you don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°shut up. don¡¯t pretend to be my sister!¡± lirina¡¯s heart seemed weak, so she raised her voice with a straight face. ¡°yes. sorry.¡± at my easy apology, lirina couldn¡¯t help but laugh incredulously. ¡°hey, did you really eat something wrong? do people change like this overnight?¡± ¡°circumstances make people change.¡± ¡°i guess you should have opened up and showed your head to the saint and not your body. i think you¡¯ve gone crazy.¡± i saw lirina click her tongue and her eyes widened after i replied, ¡°you were the one who asked for my medical treatment.¡± no wonder jian, who wasn¡¯t even in the marquis¡¯ residence at the time, appeared and healed my body. at first, i thought it was curtis, but considering his attitude towards jian, i didn¡¯t think he was the one who did it. ¡°thank you.¡± lirina rolled her eyes as if my humble apology embarrassed her and screamed, ¡°shut up!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°why aren¡¯t you saying anything? it¡¯s embarrassing!¡± ¡°you told me to shut up.¡± lirina¡¯s face slowly hardened again, maybe because she didn¡¯t like my answer. i politely put my hands together to appease her mood. ¡°anyway, i will work for you from now on, so please take good care of me.¡± ¡°if you don¡¯t work, i¡¯ll cut you.¡± i was wondering why the sound didn¡¯t come out. i searched the inside pocket of my dress as if i had been waiting for lirina¡¯s words and took out a document. ¡°oh, then can you sign here first?¡± lirina¡¯s forehead wrinkled at the paper that fluttered in front of her eyes. according to the character¡¯s description, edith abina¡¯s half-sister, lirina, was a simple-minded and playful person. ¡°paperwork makes my head hurt! take it away!¡± it meant that she didn¡¯t like reading. ¡°but it¡¯s a labor contract, so i need to sign as my employer.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°a labor contract,¡± i repeated, ¡°if i¡¯m officially employed, of course i need a contract.¡± as if she needed an explanation, i looked at lirina¡¯s surprised eyes, and i attached four points. ¡°i don¡¯t know anything else, but i always give overtime pay.¡± Chapter 15.1 i got a job as a maid at the marquis¡¯ residence and worked hard. it wasn¡¯t particularly tough though. being lirina¡¯s exclusive maid wasn¡¯t very difficult and the pay was good too. ¡®twice the normal hourly wage! is it because the marquis abina is a high-ranking aristocratic family?¡¯ as expected, it would be right to say that if you want to be a slave, you should be a slave for a rich family. i felt that i got a job at a large company that i had never even stepped on in my life, i dusted the floor while i walked to the halls. ¡®i need to save up some money and go see slut, no, val¨¦rez.¡¯ as it turned out, the cost of going back and forth to the imperial capital wasn¡¯t cheap. when i was an aristocratic lady, i just had to take the family¡¯s carriage and coachman, but now i had to pay and borrow money to do that. ¡°what the hell are you doing here?¡± i had been sweeping the dust on the railing of the mansion¡¯s exterior into a dustpan when i heard the voice come from behind me. i turned around, and the light that reflected from the silver duster obscured my view, but i could tell who it was. ¡°curtis?¡± instead of answering, he only glared at me. i slowly descended from the ladder at his fierce gaze. ¡°akh!¡± unfortunately, i sprained my leg on my way down. it was a small ladder that i used to reach the railing that was higher than my head, so i didn¡¯t get seriously hurt. still, my head hurts thinking that if i go out with my sprained ankle, it would interfere with my work. ¡°you¡¯re doing all sorts of things.¡± the ground quickly disappeared from my view. curtis effortlessly caught me as i stumbled, and then let me down carefully. ¡°thank you.¡± i bowed to curtis as i tried to calm my racing heart at the same time. dressed in his usual knight uniform, his epaulettes were dazzling. no, to be honest, curtis¡¯ beauty was more dazzling. curtis was a man who looked great in a uniform. ¡°wearing maid clothes that don¡¯t suit you. are you playing around?¡± it¡¯d be nice if he had said it in a prettier way. again, with bitterness, i retorted to the sarcastic curtis, ¡°this is work, and not play.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i got a job at the marquis¡¯ residence.¡± ¡°edith, you¡­?¡± it seemed like curtis didn¡¯t believe me at all. why was he surprised? it was a game world where nobles had to survive through labor when their money ran out, so it shouldn¡¯t be surprising that edith, an aristocrat, got a job. ¡°¡­wasn¡¯t the marquis¡¯ late wife your mother? she must have left behind a lot of money,¡± he said. my lips moved slowly as he replied, ¡°the marquis said edi-, no, i used it all up with too much extravagance. i heard i even have debt.¡± damn edith. still, edith¡¯s mother must¡¯ve left behind a fortune. but what the hell did she buy that she ended up squandering all of her fortune? ¡®well, the game itself is called ,¡¯ i told myself, ¡®what else did i expect?¡¯ he who doesn¡¯t work, doesn¡¯t get to eat. edith abina, the creator of this game, was an artificial intelligence that was an aristocrat only by face. ¡°maybe that was why she was so obsessed with the status of being caballero¡¯s lady¡­¡± i heard curtis mutter softly. i didn¡¯t really intend to stop him, no matter what he misunderstood. ¡®i can¡¯t waste my time with a man who¡¯s not edith¡¯s true love.¡¯ he was definitely my favorite character, but curtis was useless to me now. ¡°can you move a bit? i still have to continue cleaning the railing,¡± i asked him nicely, considering he was still my favorite character. ¡°i can wipe it from the side, but you don¡¯t want to get dirty.¡± curtis hated to be touched and humans, especially edith abina, so it would be hard to talk with him now. he stared at me, his face still stiff despite me being considerate, and then folded his arms. ¡°you didn¡¯t even ask me why i visited.¡± i answered his comment naturally, ¡°isn¡¯t it because you are not my knight officially? i signed the papers this morning.¡± as soon as he was appointed as jian¡¯s knight, grand duke caballero sent a document that needed edith to acknowledge that he was no longer her knight. ¡°i even made sure that the servant carried it well,¡± i continued, ¡°was there a problem with the documents?¡± as i asked with round eyes of concern, curtis paused for a moment and then pursed his lips. it was a look of pity, and for some reason, i wanted to touch his smooth red lips. Chapter 15.2 ¡°¡­ are you mad at me?¡± ¡°what?¡± i stopped the duster that i was swiping and turned around at curtis¡¯ absurd words. ¡°i¡¯m not angry. why would i be?¡± i replied. ¡°because you¡¯ve fallen into this situation.¡± i was taken aback a little by what he said. i knew he had morals and felt responsible with everything he did, but i didn¡¯t expect him to be at this level. ¡°why is my situation because of you? it¡¯s simply because i wasted my fortune even as i was an illegitimate child.¡± wasn¡¯t it edith who kept curtis to herself and used to threaten him with his weakness in the first place? and yet he seemed to feel a bit guilty towards me. ¡°but-¡± i cut him off and opened my mouth. ¡°i don¡¯t have much to complain about my current situation. anyway, i¡¯m a little busy, so please just leave. if i finish cleaning the railings today, lirina will give me additional allowance.¡± i quickly moved the duster, avoiding curtis at the same time who didn¡¯t budge. i¡¯ve been working diligently since the morning, and except for one or two railings, all of them were already sparkling clean. i wiped my hands on my dusty apron instead of the railing. ¡°why aren¡¯t you going? do you want me to guide you out?¡± still, curtis would¡¯ve been familiar with the marquis¡¯ mansion as he came in and out of it as edith abina¡¯s knight for years. still, curtis didn¡¯t move at my words. ¡°¡­is the money that urgent?¡± he slowly said as he stared at me with a confused look. ¡°i asked if you¡¯re in urgent need of money.¡± ¡°well, if it¡¯s urgent, it¡¯s urgent.¡± in the first place, i was given about a year. nearly a month has passed, so i only have more than 300 days to go. ¡®i might need to plan how to catch val¨¦rez, adrian, lucas, and clive in that time frame.¡¯ of course, there could be a chance that out of pure luck, the first person i attack would be edith¡¯s true love. however, a person always had to prepare for the worst. ¡°if it¡¯s about money, i can give it to you. it¡¯s my responsibility you became like this.¡± my eyes narrowed at curtis¡¯ words. like this? he was a man with great talent for speaking sarcastically in such a respectful tone. ¡°¡­but your pride will never accept it.¡± curtis sighed and stepped back as he read my stiff expression. ¡°i¡¯m sorry to even suggest such a thing.¡± with my two fingers, i barely grabbed the edge of curtis¡¯ uniform. ¡°no, i¡¯d be really grateful!¡± why would i refuse when he was willing to give it to me? curtis stopped walking away and looked down at my overcoat. ¡°you¡¯re going to take it?¡± ¡°yes. how can i refuse such a wonderful offer from you.¡± i put my hands together and held them out open to him, whose eyes widened with embarrassment. ¡°money.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°give it to me.¡± before i even noticed, i had looked like a beggar, but i didn¡¯t care. the only sane option i could make back then was either to be a beggar or a maid, but i have nothing to be embarrassed about now. ¡°what on earth could make you display such an attitude just for money?¡± ¡°i have some business going to the red house. it¡¯s on the outskirts of the imperial capital, and i need the extra money to hire a carriage and a coachman.¡± ¡°red house? isn¡¯t that a gambling house?¡± i shook my head in a hurry in case he misunderstood me. ¡°it¡¯s not always a gambling place. they sell alcohol, and there¡¯s many games to play. it¡¯s healthier than i initially thought¡­¡± ¡°what business do you have in a place like that?¡± ¡°i have a man to meet.¡± curtis¡¯ face, as if taken by storm, turned icy with my answer. ¡°you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± i blinked as i watched him regain his original stone-cold expression. ¡®huh? did i say something wrong?¡¯ ¡°i was foolish for even mistaking it for a moment,¡± he murmured quietly in a voice that felt angrier than it initially was, and then pulled his coat from where i had held it. ¡°what?¡± i looked at curtis¡¯ wide back as he walked away from me before i could even try to stop him. ¡°wow,¡± i huffed as i put my hands to my waist in dissatisfaction, ¡°you said you¡¯d give it to me, but you didn¡¯t.¡± ring ring the system has sent me a new notification. it was a message related to curtis. Chapter 16.1 you can enter the curtis caballero ¨C heartless woman + regretful man route. do you want to proceed? yes no regretful man? this was the first time that i saw that keyword even after targeting curtis 10 times. curtis¡¯ original keywords were grand duke of the north, friendship man, and knight man. he may be blunt with his words, but he was always considerate of the main character and took care of his actions. ¡®besides, what would curtis even regret about edith?¡¯ could it be that he felt deeply guilty for causing an aristocratic lady to fall as a maid? i shrugged as i looked at the floating message in front of me. ¡®let¡¯s not proceed. he¡¯s not edith¡¯s true love anyway, so what¡¯s the point in wasting my time with him?¡¯ when entering the route, a route entry success reward was generated. ¡®reward for successful entry?¡¯ my eyes were particularly drawn in by the word ¡®reward¡¯ as if it glistened in gold. when a game had rewards, it made me want to play it for no reason at all. ¡®anyway, due to the nature of the reverse harem game, it¡¯s not like you have to attack the route unconditionally just to enter. should i just try it?¡¯ after thinking about it a while, i nodded my head. the reward i received from the last quest wasn¡¯t very useful ¨C val¨¦rez didn¡¯t fall for my big boobs ¨C and i didn¡¯t have time to spend on curtis. ¡°i don¡¯t want to do it.¡± when i made up my mind and chose no, the system beeped and sent a new message. you weren¡¯t even interested in curtis¡¯ route! it¡¯s the perfect look. since you got the answer right, you¡¯ll enter the curtis caballero ¨C heartless woman + regretful man route! ¡°what?¡± what is with this crazy system? it randomly threw away rewards that i didn¡¯t ask for with a bang, saying that i made the right decision. small holy power pouch description: it can contain holy power gathered through the male leads. if you fill it up, you can be recognized as a saint. it was amazing that i could carry around holy power, but the explanation was strange in a sense that holy power was collected through the male leads. poker face mask description: when equipped, a nonchalant expression is maintained in any situation. a useful item to target the regretful male lead, curtis caballero. ¡ùcaution¡ù if you injure yourself in front of curtis while wearing the mask, the route of confinement may be opened. confinement¡­ i should never use this mask then. determined, i picked up an ordinary looking pouch and mask. ¡°hey, when did i say i wanted to enter the route?¡± i glared as i ground my teeth at the status window that indicated i have entered the route. a slightly blurred system message came. route entry reward ¨C charm, stamina, and elegance increase by 20. i felt like something was somehow trying to comfort me. it¡¯s quite ridiculous that the system was looking at me, and i smiled in vain, but another message generated as if it knew i wasn¡¯t appeased yet. route entry reward ¨C curtis¡¯ erection level is increased by 1 pepper. ¡°no, i don¡¯t need that!¡± he had refused me with a straight face, but his erection level, once raised, didn¡¯t go down. * * * perhaps because of her reputation as a reward for entering curtis¡¯ route, edith¡¯s life as a maid had become much easier day by day. ¡®why do people seem to treat me better now than when i was a young lady?¡¯ i bowed my head to the kitchen lady who was piling soft bread in front of me, saying that at my age i should be eating heartily. ¡°thank you.¡± the lady put a bowl of soup in front of me as if the bread wasn¡¯t enough, and clicked her tongue. ¡°if it¡¯s not enough, i¡¯ll give you more. hey, look at those skinny arms. so, what are you going to do? i¡¯m worried.¡± ¡°boy,¡± another kitchen lady refuted her words, ¡°it¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how miss edith does her job so well.¡± the lady with curly hair, martha, slapped my back and smiled a toothy grin. ¡°the lady is a very talented woman, talented! you don¡¯t know how fast her hands are. didn¡¯t you say you cleaned the mansion¡¯s railings all by yourself yesterday?¡± the corners of my mouth lifted awkwardly at martha¡¯s compliment. the reason why my hands were particularly faster than the others was because my stamina increased due to the reward after entering curtis¡¯ route. Chapter 16.2 having three times as much stamina as i needed for maid level 1, i was able to do a lot of things more efficiently and quickly reached maid level 10. ¡®every time i leveled up, my reputation got better, and my job as a maid turned out pretty good.¡¯ i¡¯d have to get a job as a saint as soon as possible if i wanted to get helper¡¯s advice, but i¡¯ve already gotten used to sweeping and wiping the mansion with an ostrich feather duster. ¡°well, these days the maid¡¯s faces seem to be glowing because the lady made things easier.¡± upon hearing another praise from martha, the other kitchen lady shrugged her shoulders and served a large portion of custard pudding. dessert was rarely served on the table of servants, so it was obviously a special treat for me. ¡°now! this is because i¡¯m grateful. you always like sweets.¡± ¡°no,¡± i shook my head as i munched through the pudding, ¡°please call me next time if you need me. wow, it¡¯s really good.¡± i spread a generous amount of butter on the freshly made fluffy bread and took a bite. as it literally melted in my mouth, i raised my thumb to the lady and smiled as if to compliment her. ¡°i totally misunderstood lady edith. she is such a nice and humble person.¡± she seemed to have been very moved when i took over for her after something happened to her sick son and she had to go down to her village in a rush. ¡°i know. you¡¯re always helping out someone in need.¡± i did it for extra pay, but i didn¡¯t correct martha¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°where does the lady help out? lady edith is really good at her job.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. just stepping out to help others¡­¡± at the kitchen lady¡¯s words, martha¡¯s expression rapidly darkened. i could easily guess that jian¡¯s name would come out of her mouth right after. ¡°like the saint who does the same thing.¡± as i expected, martha began to take a swipe at jian. almost all of the servants were cursing her these days, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise. ¡°ugh. she came into the kitchen earlier and made a fuss to help. she used soap on the potatoes i had peeled and washed, so i had to throw them all away.¡± ¡°oh my god! you tried to wash carrots like that yesterday, right? but did you?¡± ¡°she thought only carrots shouldn¡¯t be washed with soap.¡± i scratched my cheeks awkwardly at the swings of conversation that followed. it was an action i chose one day. ¡®i was trying to raise curtis¡¯ likeability¡­¡¯ curtis liked women that were slightly clumsy and idiotic. i don¡¯t know if washing vegetables in soapy water was really stupid or not. ¡®but the jian of this game isn¡¯t even a player, so why is she doing that?¡¯ my head tilted to the side at the sudden question i thought of, but jian opened the door to the kitchen and entered. ¡°hello. is there anything i can do to help you?¡± people were busy avoiding eye contact despite jian greeting with a bright smile on her face. even martha, with her sweet personality, averted her eyes. jian then approached me with an awkward expression. ¡°hello, young lady,¡± she greeted me. ¡°hello, but you don¡¯t have to call me young lady anymore,¡± i replied as nicely as i could. ¡°how can young lady edith not be called such when she is marquis abina¡¯s daughter? i don¡¯t want to be rude.¡± it was a thoughtless word that made the servants who called me by my name friendly these days rude. but i didn¡¯t have the energy to correct her, so i nodded to her and her shining eyes, ¡°sure, then.¡± ¡°thank you for understanding how i feel, young lady. in return, i¡¯d like to help the young lady with her work today, would it be okay?¡± ¡°ah¡­¡± jian smiled at me beautifully as i hesitated to answer. ¡°you don¡¯t need to worry. it¡¯s because i feel so sorry to be just a guest.¡± ¡°but not helping is helping¡­¡± as if she didn¡¯t hear me mumbling, jian shrugged her shoulders and reached out to the custard pudding in front of me. ¡°let me clean this up first! i think you¡¯ve eaten it all!¡± taking my plate without confirming if i had finished already, she tossed the custard pudding into the recycling bin. ¡®is she picking a fight with me?¡¯ otherwise, it was clear that jian must really be an idiot. as soon as curtis¡¯ taste in women became very questionable, the restaurant door opened again. Chapter 17.1 ¡®he¡¯s not a gentleman either.¡¯ the restaurant, which the marquis used, was connected to the dining room. the stained glass that decorated the upper wall brought life and beauty to the place. the sunlight pouring through the red glass scattered over curtis¡¯ neatly trimmed black hair like a beautiful painting. he found me and jian, and then walked toward us. ¡°jian.¡± seeing that he looked at jian first and not me made me sick. i frowned at the strange sensation. why did my heart ache? was it because he was my favorite character? curtis caballero ¨C heartless woman + regretful man route in progress. i sighed at the message that popped in front of me. oh, i guess it¡¯s because i was taking this route. ¡®that¡¯s right, a nonchalant woman must have a bit of a sad side¡­¡¯ however, i wanted to be indifferent, so i picked a sugary brioche bread in front of me, even as jian burst into laughter as she and curtis talked in front of me. yum¡­ it¡¯s quite chewy. curtis, who noticed i was there as well, glanced at me as i drank the milk that martha poured for me. jian smiled broadly and clasped his hands. ¡°lord curtis! i decided to help young lady edith today!¡± ¡°jian, no, the saint?¡± curtis seemingly called jian¡¯s name comfortably when they were alone, but he was quite careful of what he said in front of other people, perhaps conscious of the servants. however, rumors already spread that he already was in a special relationship with the saint that descended from another world. ¡®maybe that¡¯s why the servants are nicer to me,¡¯ i thought. in this mansion, edith was a poor girl who was suddenly abandoned by everyone. both to her family and curtis, who used to be her knight. ¡°yes,¡± jian chirped, ¡°these kinds of chores must be too much for a beautifully grown young lady.¡± she looked back at me with moist eyes as if she really felt sorry for my situation. ¡®no, i think you¡¯ve grown a hundred times more beautiful than me,¡¯ i thought sarcastically at the back of my mind, trying my best to hold a poker-face. i had no talent in housekeeping, but i¡¯d never throw away a dessert that others were still eating in the trash. i merely focused on swallowing the bread, even though i knew jian had looked my way and was trying to make eye contact. ¡°so why did you come forward to do something that doesn¡¯t suit you?¡± curtis clicked his tongue. at the same time, a status window flashed above his head. curtis caballero ¨C heartless woman + regretful man related quests will occur. build the karma of curtis, the man of regret! curtis¡¯ karma has always been with you. explore edith and curtis¡¯ past and earn the karma that has built up. reward for success: 50 holy power, 30 charm, and the title of maiden. penalty if failed: regretful man route closed and death would you like to accept the quest? yes no ¡®it rewards me 50 holy power?¡¯ the small pouch i received as a reward for entering the route had a holy power limit of 50. if i filled it, i could change jobs as a saint, as long as i completed the karma quest, and i no longer had to work as a maid. ¡®i¡¯m already used to mopping, but i think something bad would happen if i don¡¯t change to the saint¡¯s job.¡¯ i didn¡¯t really want the charm or maiden title, but it was good that i could fill the pouch with holy power in one shot. ¡®all right, let¡¯s do this.¡¯ i tried to nod my head without much thought, but i somehow read a letter written like a bean on the penalty for failure. ¡®¡­death?¡¯ if you¡¯re not a scammer, why the hell would you write such an important detail with small letters that were barely visible? ¡®let¡¯s not do this. why should i die if i fail¡­?¡¯ if you refuse to accept, the quest will automatically fail. as if it read my mind, a new message popped up. the corners of my mouth lifted in a sardonic grin, determined to beat helper and the system to dust one day. Chapter 17.2 when i was forced to accept the quest, a small bar flashed above curtis¡¯ head. a third of the white-filled bar seemed to signify his karma. ¡®still, it has already filled up a little.¡¯ well, it could be his karma after he backed out on his offer to give money to edith ¨C me ¨C who was a maid. ¡®look into the past, i guess it wants me to find out what happened between curtis and edith before, right?¡¯ i thought to myself. quickly taking a grasp on the quest, i went on a tour of the mansion, passing jian and curtis, who were talking about each other with affection about trivial things. * * * as i thought, the tracks of curtis¡¯ karma were hidden all over the mansion. unlike his brief past that was revealed in , edith and curtis seemed to have a slightly more complex history. ¡°what do you mean that the marquis doesn¡¯t treat you like lirina?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°i¡¯m sure you must be mistaken. the parent¡¯s duty is naturally to treat their children fairly.¡± the boy, curtis, frowned as if edith was just plainly making a ruckus out of it. ¡°i think my father hates me.¡± ¡°¡­i don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°as soon as lirina was born, he excluded me from succession education.¡± ¡°edith, didn¡¯t you hate studying in the first place? perhaps that¡¯s why.¡± edith pursed her lips as curtis¡¯ words. in fact, she never hated studying. it was just that the marquis¡¯ succession education was too harsh. ¡°you always worry about trivial things and get stressed out. it¡¯s better if you fix that mindset.¡± the scene of young edith and curtis¡¯ conversation played slowly like a black-and-white movie. when the light green box at the corner of edith¡¯s bedroom closed, the video of edith and curtis repeating the same line disappeared. little curtis refused to believe that an adult could deliberately bully a child. he closed his eyes to the pain of edith, his friend. perhaps this was just a small karma, since curtis¡¯ bar was only slightly filled. ¡®let¡¯s aim to fill more than half of it within the day,¡¯ i told myself. i can¡¯t die just because i failed the quest. having taken a day off from work, i began to walk around the mansion and collected curtis¡¯ karma boxes. ring curtis caballero¡¯s karma is filled by 5. ring ring curtis caballero¡¯s karma is filled by 15. ¡®oh, this is going up a lot.¡¯ in less than half a day, curtis¡¯ karma filled up to 60%. in fact, curtis¡¯ karma was also edith¡¯s karma. he wasn¡¯t entirely the only person to blame. as i embraced a huge karma box that closed with a click, i pressed my throbbing chest. perhaps because i took over edith¡¯s body, even if i didn¡¯t go through it personally, it felt a little too much to face her difficult past. ¡®curtis, you bastard. no matter how nice the marquis was, i¡¯ll take edith¡¯s word for it.¡¯ unlike his late wife, the marquis was a man who enjoyed his fair share of entertainment and had a fairly solid external image. since curtis was young, marquis abina had frequent interaction with the grand duchess. a knight like curtis¡¯ father, he played a very gentlemanly role. ¡®he helped curtis when he was abused by his step-mother, the grand duchess¡­¡¯ but he was abusing edith, his stepdaughter, at the same time. i frowned as i recalled marquis abina¡¯s abominable face. when she was young, the marquis obviously showed he favored lirina, but from the time edith approached adulthood, the harassment began to turn sexual. edith was protected as curtis¡¯ lady, so there was no evidence of a full-fledged molestation, but he must have been waiting for an opportunity. however, curtis didn¡¯t believe edith¡¯s claim. he simply thought she was lying so that he wouldn¡¯t leave her. because by then, curtis¡¯ distrust of humans and edith, who was obsessed with him, was already reaching its peak. until one day¡­ ¡°did you sell theodore to the battlefield instead of me?¡± curtis¡¯ younger brother was dragged to the battlefield and unfortunately died. it was only during his brother¡¯s funeral that curtis found out edith had urged theodore to join and fight in the war. Chapter 18.1 theodore was a good kid. he wasn¡¯t as good as curtis, who was dubbed as a genius in everything, but he liked swords and had a crush on edith that he¡¯d even blush just by greeting her. unlike his older brother, who glowed like a well-polished piece of marble even in his puberty, theodore wore his bangs down as if he was ashamed of the pimples on his round forehead. edith probably cared for him in her own way. ¡®so that¡¯s why i¡¯m feeling like this right now.¡¯ while i watched theodore¡¯s funeral video, i turned to the sound of people coming from behind. ¡°what the hell are you up to?¡± it was none other than curtis who approached me with a glare. he glanced at the box in my arms, then swept his hair with a sigh. ¡°i heard you were getting close to the saint,¡± he started, ¡°don¡¯t approach her for nothing.¡± i¡¯m close to jian? this was the first time i¡¯ve ever heard of it. there wasn¡¯t any benefit from being close to her, and i didn¡¯t want to even if there were. few people like edith even if they weren¡¯t artificial intelligence, liked someone who couldn¡¯t work. however, before i could even deny it, curtis¡¯ mouth twisted as his eyes saw something in my possession. ¡°¡­a portrait of theodore.¡± the lid of the box wasn¡¯t entirely closed, so he must¡¯ve seen the contents. i hid in my arms the portrait of the innocent boy who looked nothing like curtis. ¡°why do you have a portrait of that child?¡± curtis¡¯ suspicious attitude offended me. ¡°i knew theodore, so it wouldn¡¯t be strange to keep one.¡± the corners of curtis¡¯ mouth rose sharply at my excuse. a wide smile spread across his face, but it was one that felt colder than the early morning air. ¡°who do you think killed the child?¡± as i stared at curtis, who clearly resented me, he added without averting his gaze, ¡°are you trying to make the saint look like theodore?¡± the human wall that stared back at me was freezing cold. i moved my lips as i stared at his eyes, which were more like a frozen lake than the blue skies. ¡°what does that mean?¡± ¡°i¡¯m asking if you intend to cut an innocent person and use them as you¡¯d please as you drive them to death.¡± did edith really kill theodore? it was something that i couldn¡¯t judge based only on videos of the past. i couldn¡¯t answer curtis¡¯ accusations as he treated me as a villain, and i only opened my mouth. the system might have noticed my difficulties, and decided to present me with several options. a. ¡°you still think theodore died because of me.¡± (tears) b. ¡°yes, i intend to.¡± (stare at curtis with ferocious eye) c. ¡°can you give me the money you said you¡¯d give me last time?¡± (politely ask) d. ¡°why do you ask?¡± (reply calmly) i wanted to ask for money, but i didn¡¯t think curtis would even give me in this situation. i chose the answer that was more like a nonchalant woman. ¡°why do you ask?¡± i sighed, carefully pulling theodore¡¯s portrait out of his hand, ¡°you won¡¯t believe me no matter what i say anyway.¡± he didn¡¯t dispute my words, and i walked away after confirming that his karma filled a little more. * * * val¨¦rez toledo. one of the five target characters in . according to the guidebook, the target character of was the same as the previous. the second son of duke toledo, who ruled the fertile land of the south, and also the boss of the underworld. his nickname was ares the slut. ¡®i thought it would be easiest to target him because of his nickname, but should i aim at someone else first?¡¯ i wondered. i rolled my eyes as the thought of lucas, a slave character who seemed like the next easiest target to be edith¡¯s true love after val¨¦rez, came to mind. ¡®but lucas needs a lot of money for me to find his character, regardless of the attack¡­¡¯ it was possible to rent a carriage to red house with my salary now, but it was impossible to buy slaves through illegal routes. ¡®do i really have to buy lucas like the main character did because he is a slave?¡¯ an employee of red house clicked his tongue at me as i pondered unethical ways to sneak into the black market and steal lucas. Chapter 18.2 ¡°how did this innocent girl somehow fall in love with our ares?¡± edith looked like a typical aristocratic lady, so although she boasted delicate and elegant features, she didn¡¯t look as docile as jian. ¡®of course, i don¡¯t think she¡¯s innocent.¡¯ however, in the eyes of the red house employees, edith seemed like an immature young lady who didn¡¯t know much about the world. ¡°my lady, it seems that you only considered his appearance¡­ our boss has a much dirtier personality than how he seems to be.¡± in terms of filthy, edith might have been the filthiest. i smiled and waved my hand at the employee¡¯s words. ¡°no way¡­ it couldn¡¯t be.¡± ¡°well, do you know how many people our boss took by the neck yesterday?¡± the staff put on a stern face as if to scare me away. nevertheless, when i didn¡¯t budge, he let out a sigh and handed me a sweet cocktail. ¡°anyway, the boss has a long way to work, so drink and wait.¡± oh! it¡¯s alcohol! i¡¯m not much of a huge drinker ¨C i¡¯m really just normal ¨C but i enjoy drinking to some extent, and i picked up the pretty cocktail from the employee. the mysterious vermillion-tinged cocktail was as beautiful as the sunset contained in a glass. by the time i hummed and brought the glass to my lips since it was my favorite cocktail, i heard someone say, ¡°this lady from early evening¡­¡± the glass quickly moved away from me. ¡°lord ares, you are fairly early today, aren¡¯t you?¡± he brushed his hair and put the cocktail back on the bar. ¡°lady, are you an alcoholic?¡± ares said with a sigh. he pushed out the glass with a snap, and i shook my head sharply at the look he gave me, which seemed like he was pitying me. ¡°no, i¡¯m not¡±. ¡°but why are you drinking every single time you come?¡± i was taken aback with ares criticizing me. ¡°no¡­ this is a gambling house and a bar,¡± i simply replied. the red house that he ran was occupied by chess tables, various game tables, and rooms except for the large lounge bar at the very center. ¡°i have no money to gamble, so i don¡¯t have a choice but to drink instead.¡± how else was i going to spend this long night here? ¡°if you have no business to do, then don¡¯t come.¡± my lips pouted at ares¡¯ sour reply. ¡°then if i do that, i can¡¯t meet ares.¡± ¡°why do you want to meet me so badly?¡± ¡°i told you. your face is my type.¡± ares could only shut his mouth like a clam at my blunt remark. it wasn¡¯t obvious because of his tanned skin, but ares scratched his cheeks and belatedly said, ¡°my apologies, but the lady isn¡¯t my cup of tea,¡± he said. ¡°you¡¯re lying.¡± i played the woman who was so in love with ares¡­ he shrugged his shoulders, and i glanced at his erection status. there wasn¡¯t any progress, but ares was already three peppers. it was ahead of curtis, who i interacted with from the beginning of the game. ¡®i guess he does have a preference for my face and features.¡¯ unlike jian, who had a slim and slender body, edith boasted the perfect body of a villainess inside-out. in a way, edith had more advantages in attacking ares, who liked glamor in the early stages. ¡°my lady, it¡¯s great that you are confident, but it¡¯s not attractive to cling to a man who doesn¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°when did i ever cling to you? i was only sitting quietly at the bar and looked at your face.¡± i felt a little upset and furrowed my brows. since he was so handsome, the time i spent looking around wasn¡¯t boring. thinking that we already had a lot of encounters, i thought there should¡¯ve been a quest to enter his route, but the system was so quiet and his nervousness rose. ¡°still, having guests who don¡¯t gamble come every day and drink only alcohol is damaging to our house.¡± ¡°oh, no. quite the contrary boss,¡± the employee defended me as he wiped glasses, ¡°thanks to the lady, the number of male customers has recently increased.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. there are even customers who come to see the lady.¡± ares stared fiercely at the employee and ground his teeth, and the employees who were whispering among themselves instantly shut up. ¡°my lady, it seems like you¡¯ve heard of the rumor that i hang out with any girl and that i¡¯m easy.¡± i couldn¡¯t deny ares¡¯ words as he immediately opened his mouth with a sigh. but it wasn¡¯t too far from the truth. ¡®but he is called ares the slut, after all.¡¯ as if he had read my thoughts, ares frowned and said, ¡°no matter how much of a slut i am, i really don¡¯t sleep with any woman.¡± Chapter 19.1 ¡°was i just any woman?¡± my shoulders slumped as i felt sorry with ares¡¯ determined rejection. ¡°you took me all the way to the hotel and saw everything that i took off.¡± at the time, i had been so drunk that my memory was a bit hazy, but i was sure i had been in the hotel room wearing only a slip. as soon as i pointed it out, ares¡¯ face slowly began to turn from sour into embarrassment. ¡°you said you liked me then, but now you¡¯re throwing me away because you¡¯ve lost interest?¡± the silent employees who were silently wiping glass, pretending not to listen in on our conversation, one by one opened their mouths in disbelief at what they heard. ¡°wow, our boss is dog trash¡­¡± ¡°didn¡¯t he say he usually meets girls who are similar to him? that girl looks innocent just by looking at her.¡± ¡°i mean, there¡¯s no covering it anymore. as expected, he¡¯s our boss, the king of garbage.¡± whispers and low hushed conversations were made back and forth. whether the reputation of red house was terrible or great, the employees didn¡¯t stop whispering despite ares¡¯ stiff expression. ¡®why is he staring at me when it¡¯s his people who are cursing him?¡¯ when i pointed at his frustrated lips, ares wiped his dry face with one hand, and then pulled me by the arm. ¡°come with me for a second,¡± he said as he was dragging me out. ¡°i¡¯m a guest. i paid the entrance fee and came in.¡± seemingly, he was trying to kick me out, so i waved my ticket at his face in a hurry. but then he just picked me up as if he didn¡¯t want to bother explaining. ¡°oh my god!¡± i grabbed his shirt as he easily lifted me as if i was as light as a ragdoll, and i could hear the enthusiastic cheering of the bar staff behind us. ¡°oh, my lady! the boss must have finally gone over!¡± ¡°way to go, miss!¡± ares gnashed his teeth, and i could tell from the veins that was about to pop from his neck that the dismissal of those employees was imminent. * * * ares put me down at a staff space which was connected to the second floor of the house. among them, the polished marble floor looked luxurious as if it were a place that you could only go in and out once. how much was all this? the golden eagle sculpture decorating the wall was distracting me. i rolled my eyes at the thought that i could buy lucas if i could sell something like this, but ares, who stood crookedly with one leg, spoke to me and got my attention. ¡°my lady, what is your real goal?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°why do you keep on following me? do you need money?¡± i frowned at ares¡¯ question. ¡®no, do i really look like a beggar?¡¯ why do people keep asking if i need money? of course, i needed money, but i wanted something else from him. ¡°my goal is to sleep with ares,¡± i answered him frankly. i believed i didn¡¯t have to hide my intentions from him from now on. ¡°sleep with me¡­¡± he repeated like a parrot, a stiff expression on his face. ¡°oh, not just sleeping. sex-¡± i was about to add a line just in case he misunderstood but ares cut me off with a straight face. ¡°okay, okay, shut up.¡± whoa. ares let out a deep sigh and leaned against the wall as he searched his pockets. i thought he¡¯d get a cigarette or something, but what he took out was a lollipop instead. ¡®was he quitting smoking? or could it be that it¡¯s a candy with narcotics?¡¯ ¡°my lady.¡± ¡°yes.¡± i didn¡¯t ask regarding ares¡¯ candy and simply nodded. ¡°i know you have a crush on me. but i don¡¯t want you¡­ i can¡¯t do that with you.¡± i tilted my head to the side as flat-out rejected me again. ¡°why?¡± i couldn¡¯t comprehend his rejection. i didn¡¯t know if ares had already met jian and had been attacked, but i think they haven¡¯t met yet. looking at the likability status window and the way he treated me, i didn¡¯t think he had any feelings for me at all. ¡®no, what the hell is wrong with him? it¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t like me, and he surely hasn¡¯t dedicated his virginity to jian at all.¡¯ if he¡¯d been a normal man, not ares, he¡¯d have understood differently¡­ Chapter 19.2 in the end, i kept repeating my doubts that i had denied. ¡°lord ares, are you a virgin?¡± i cautiously asked. ares nodded slowly. without realizing it, my jaw dropped to the ground in surprise. ¡°why do you look so incredulous?¡± ares approached me with a handsome frown as if offended by my reaction, and put his candy inside my gaping mouth. ¡°this is offensive. what do you think i am?¡± what did he mean? i thought of him as a handsome slut. ¡°no, because lord ares¡¯ rumors¡­¡± i grabbed his hand, his face distorted with my stammering explanation. ¡°why?¡± well, if i were to guess, there was no particular reason. originally, the male lead in a romance drama should have one female lead only, and he had to put the keyword ¡°excellent man¡± without ever holding a woman¡¯s hand. but wasn¡¯t this world a reverse harem game, not a novel? ¡°do i need to have a reason to keep my chastity?¡± he answered with a sullen face as he glanced at me. i made excuses while sucking on the candy that he passed to me. ¡°it¡¯s not like that, but i just wonder if there was any special reason to it.¡± ¡°there¡¯s none. i just don¡¯t want to have sex easily with just about anyone who¡¯s not going to be my wife.¡± that¡¯s a very sound reason to me. ¡°aha¡­ yes, i see.¡± exhausted, i stared at ares¡¯ red-blond hair, which was slicked back with gel. if he was going to be a virgin, why does he go around like a jerk? he was even wearing a shirt that was open. even from front to back, he looked like a complete slut in every way. so, why did the players call him ares the slut? could it be just that his mouth was a slut? ¡®well, they must¡¯ve liked him because of his unexpected charm.¡¯ i shook my head as i recalled the fact that ares was a character targeted by many players too. ¡®i thought he was a slut, but it turns out i don¡¯t hate it if he is a virgin.¡¯ ¡°what do you think, young lady?¡± ares grabbed my shoulder, probably embarrassed when i was silent for a long time as i was thinking in contradiction with myself. i held his arm politely and my eyes lit up. ¡°then, do you have someone you¡¯d like to be your wife?¡± of course not. jian was still in the early part of the game, and val¨¦rez was a character that would have appeared in the middle part. still, i checked just in case, but ares only scratched his left cheek that had a small scar. ¡°no, there¡¯s no one like that.¡± ¡°that¡¯s great!¡± i said cheerily at his answer, waving his arm which i had previously grabbed. ¡°what¡¯s great?¡± ¡°i will run for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°please consider me as a candidate to be your wife. then it¡¯ll work.¡± pick me, pick me. ares was quiet for a long time as if he was thinking about my determined proposition. ¡°yes? please.¡± ¡°you are really hopeless, young lady.¡± ares stepped back, glancing at my desperate hands that were gathered together as if praying. ¡°i¡¯m only asking just in case, young lady, are you sick?¡± i ignored his cautious question and followed him, who had retreated from me. ¡°i¡¯m asking just in case.¡± ¡°huh?¡± ¡°so, was it your first kiss?¡± ares¡¯ mouth shut. i looked up at this silent man and covered my mouth. ¡°wow.¡± it was amazing. i can¡¯t believe i sympathize with that beauty and personality. ¡°why are you so surprised?¡± he asked. by the way one of his eyebrows raised, he was obviously offended again by my sincere exclamation. ¡°why? wasn¡¯t it the first for the lady?¡± ¡°no, of course it¡¯s my first time.¡± fearing to offend him yet again, i blatantly lied to his face. well, it was the first time in edith¡¯s body, so technically i wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°¡­well, is that so?¡± ¡°yes. you¡¯re my first kiss.¡± ¡°i see.¡± ares blushed without even a thought of doubt about my answer. i watched him scratch the back of his neck and had to hold myself from laughing out loud. this man was so na?ve¡­ i wonder if it was okay for the underworld boss to be like this, but wasn¡¯t it a good fit for me? ¡®it¡¯d be easier to attack if he¡¯s innocent.¡¯ i rubbed my hands excitedly with how red ares¡¯ cheeks were in front of me. cuckoo cuckoo while i made a plan to conquer the virgin with the experience points of the reverse harem game, a system window flashed over ares. val¨¦rez toledo ¨C you can enter the trick girl + innocent man route. do you want to proceed? yes no of course, i had to take this. Chapter 20.1 i accepted the route without even taking a moment to hesitate. val¨¦rez toledo ¨C you have now entered the trick girl + innocent man route. ¡ùcaution¡ù simultaneous route progression may create conflict between characters, so please be careful when playing. the precaution bothered me a bit, but i had no choice. if i attacked each person one by one, how long would it take for me to return to reality? val¨¦rez toledo ¨C a quest related to trick girl + innocent man route occurs. have a successful first date with val¨¦rez toledo. reward for success: 50 holy power, 20 charm, ring of the previous duchess of toledo penalty for failure: val¨¦rez¡¯ likeability decreased by 2, charm decreased by 10 i stared at the shiny list of rewards. ¡®the ring of the former duchess of toledo¡­?¡¯ if it was a ring inherited from generations of hostesses of a noble family, wasn¡¯t it a ring given to the daughter-in-law when their children get married? ¡®is he preparing for an immediate marriage as soon as the first date is done?¡¯ i glanced at ares. ¡°lord ares, what are you doing this weekend?¡± ¡°on the weekend?¡± he blinked slowly at my question, unable to grasp what i meant. although his eyes looked quite dirty, his dumbfounded face like a cow was quite cute. ¡°i work. there¡¯s no weekdays and weekends in the entertainment industry.¡± ares was a fairly honest entertainment worker. i hesitated to open my mouth, thinking of red house which ran every day without holidays. ¡°if you¡¯re not busy, would you like to go out with me?¡± ¡°¡­a date?¡± surprised by my question, his brows formed a taut bridge in between. i took a step closer to his confused face. ¡°just a healthy date. we don¡¯t need to sleep together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°really,¡± i added, ¡°i swear to god.¡± despite my oath, ares didn¡¯t withdraw his suspicious look. i had no choice but to take out my secret weapon after holding his hands together, my eyes shining brightly. ¡°really, you can trust me just once. promise.¡± ares looked down at the pinky finger i pushed in front of him, and eventually raised his beautiful hand. i snatched his finger instantly and grinned. ¡°see you on the weekend then!¡± waving at ares cheerfully, i turned my back to leave red house. he seemed to have watched me for a while as i walked away, but then he suddenly grabbed my arm. ¡°wait a minute. ¡°what?¡± i turned to look down at his hand stuck to my wrist. his long fingers, which were a bit different from curtis¡¯ knightly hands, gently tapped the back of my hand. ¡°i¡¯ll take you home,¡± he said, ¡°it¡¯s already late.¡± i was admiring his feet and i could only raise my head at his sudden offer. ¡°oh, really?¡± i clapped my hands in excitement, but then bit my tongue at ares¡¯ question that followed. ¡°yes, where do you live?¡± ¡®shit, i did lie to ares.¡¯ for some reason, ares hated the mere mention of the marquis of abina. he seemed to hate edith abina very much, considering his reaction the first time we met. ¡®edith was originally a villainess, so it would be natural that the target characters hated her one way or another¡­¡¯ she had a very hard life to live anyway. her stepfather was a pervert, and her step sister hated edith, her mother was dead, and curtis, a childhood friend, doesn¡¯t want to touch even the tips of her fingers. ¡®i need to find out why val¨¦rez hates the marquis of abina.¡¯ the guidebook given from the beginning as a reward was empty because it was still the first part, so i should probably get a middle part guidebook and see more detailed information now. deciding firmly, i tried to stop val¨¦rez from following me. ¡°well, i¡¯ll be fine. someone is supposed to pick me up today.¡± ¡°are you? who?¡± ares¡¯ eyes narrowed at my obvious lie. ¡°a brother i know.¡± ¡°my lady, there must be a lot of men.¡± i shrugged casually, avoiding his eyes as i countered, ¡°he¡¯s just a brother i know.¡± ¡°really? okay then.¡± i had wondered what to do to get to know him, but ares didn¡¯t show much jealousy as it was in the early stages of conquering him. i left the house wiping my sweaty forehead. ¡°phew, that was a relief.¡± * * * Chapter 20.2 ares, who sent edith downstairs without a word, burst open his aide¡¯s office, which had been in the room next to his. ¡°hey, are you busy?¡± his aide, mallorca, who was busy finishing the work that was handed over to him as ares played around with edith, answered as he ran up the stairs, panting. ¡°yes, boss. i¡¯m really busy today. there are so many customers. boss, you¡¯ll be rich.¡± ares looked at mallorca¡¯s sweaty face and shook his head. he pointed his finger at edith as she went out the red house gate. ¡°yes. if you¡¯re free, go see the lady out there.¡± ¡°what? i¡¯m busy,¡± mallorca frowned at ares pretending not to notice the dark circles that went down to his chin. ¡°besides, that¡¯s the person the boss is seeing these days, right? i think you can see her off in person.¡± ¡°what? i couldn¡¯t hear you because i thought you wanted to follow me.¡± ¡°¡­no, no. i¡¯ll be back.¡± it seemed like something, but mallorca had no choice but to take his coat out and look at the direction edith headed to. what can he do? if his superior instructed him to, he had to do it. ¡°yes. when you see her off, watch out for what kind of person will come to pick her up.¡± ¡°do i just have to look at it?¡± ares¡¯ eyes squinted at mallorca¡¯s na?ve question. his basic impression was that he was a handsome man, so whenever he smiled like that, he looked warm as the autumn sun. ¡°oh, well. that won¡¯t happen, but if you¡¯re more handsome than me.¡± like this. ¡°you know, right?¡± ares¡¯ blade lightly traced mallorca¡¯s neck. the aide rushed out toward edith, a terrifying feeling overwhelming him with the threat his head would be cut off. ¡°my lady!¡± * * * i liked playing with val¨¦rez. after the sweet night with him ¨C no, actually it wasn¡¯t that sweet nor was it even just the two of us ¨C was over, and the morning came. i had to pick up the dry dish towel and duster again. i was in a bad mood since i didn¡¯t get much sleep last night. in addition, curtis came in the morning, his words made my resentment soar and tears flowed down. ¡®what? don¡¯t make the saint work recklessly?¡¯ she just said that she was going to help me! she wasn¡¯t even helping at all. in fact, she was a hindrance, and it was doubling my work. for some reason, curtis completely misunderstood and thought i was handing over my work to jian. perhaps maybe because he was prejudiced too. ¡°i thought you already abandoned your obsession with me, but it seems not at all.¡± ¡°if you hate me and make the saint do chores, stop.¡± ¡°you¡¯ll only get ugly, edith.¡± ¡®do you think people are ugly? this asshole¡­¡¯ i snorted, recalling curtis¡¯ smooth face. i wanted to clear his karma quest as soon as possible and obtain holy power. if i leave the marquis¡¯ residence, i¡¯d be less likely to run into curtis. ¡°ha, my shoulder hurts.¡± i had been visiting the red house for several consecutive days and stayed up all night and didn¡¯t get enough rest. even though i have accumulated quite a bit of stamina, it was still difficult to dust off the dust today. ¡®i¡¯ll just have to hurry and get this done already.¡¯ i quickly moved my hands, looking around the largest study in the mansion that collected the most dust. ¡°ah! cough, cough!¡± it seemed that i was in too much of a hurry. i swung the duster in the wrong direction and the dust got all over me. ¡°oh, it looks like the work is quite difficult.¡± a dark shadow fell over my head as i sat on the floor and coughed. ¡°yes, just be my personal assistant.¡± i was having a terrible day today. the owner of the shadow was marquis abina. ¡°hello, marquis.¡± i closed my eyes at his unsightly belly, which showed no sign of slimming even when the chef had definitely planned a balanced diet. ¡®let¡¯s not see bad things. my eyesight worsens at this rate.¡¯ i felt like my eyeballs were rotting because i only saw beautiful men like curtis or val¨¦rez. my immunity to ugly was gone. ¡°how was the work as a maid, edith?¡± ¡°it¡¯s hard. it¡¯s my first time using my body like this.¡± i answered the marquis frankly. i thought that if i lied and said i wasn¡¯t having a hard time for no reason, he¡¯d make me suffer by giving more work to do. ¡°then i¡¯ll take pity and give you one more chance to choose,¡± he said. ¡°my apologies, but i don¡¯t have enough learning to be of assistance to the marquis,¡± i rejected instantly. the marquis clicked his tongue at my polite refusal, ¡°i¡¯m not trying to entrust you with that job.¡± he bent down, lifted my chin with his thick and gross fingers, and then added, ¡°come be my mistress, edith.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± what did he mean? was he struck by lightning or something? Chapter 21.1 how could he dare to say such a dirty word? unless his brain was toasted with electricity. no matter how much edith wasn¡¯t the marquis¡¯ daughter, she was a member of the abina family, who was registered to the family records. ¡°i looked it up, and such cases aren¡¯t that uncommon at all.¡± when the marquis¡¯ hot breath touched my face, my blood went cold but instantly boiled at his suggestion. i felt as if my ears were melting, so i pushed his hand away from my chin and wrapped both my hands at the side of my head. ¡°what the hell are you talking about?¡± i shot back at the marquis. he was trying so hard to find reason with his babbling. the marquis stammering mouth opened, showing a bit of embarrassment at my cold tone. ¡°if you take your daughter as your wife¡­ a few generations ago it spread among aristocrats like a trend-¡± ¡°have you gone crazy?¡± i wasn¡¯t even treated as the marquis¡¯ daughter. i was an illegitimate child whose mother married him and had another man. the marquis glanced at my shocked face, and added belatedly, ¡°a mistress, uh, maybe not necessarily a wife.¡± didn¡¯t he know what a mistress meant? the more he talked the more he was burying himself alive. ¡°in the past, there were many cases of bringing and sponsoring women the age of their children¡­¡± lunatic. it was clear that his head was filled with melted sundaes instead of a brain. the marquis¡¯ excuse amazed me, but the situation prevented me from laughing. instead, a stony smile spread across my face. ¡°marquis, you must have been in delirium.¡± ¡°you¡¯ve been talking a lot since then. didn¡¯t i know you weren¡¯t mine from the moment you were born?¡± guessing from the marquis¡¯ tone, it seemed like he already made a similar offer to edith before. she probably turned him down too. i frowned as i stared at the marquis¡¯ ugly face, which didn¡¯t look human to me anymore. ¡°so what?¡± ¡°so, there¡¯s nothing wrong between you and me except a matter of useless formality or social views.¡± angered at the marquis¡¯ ridiculous claim, my voice raised as i said, ¡°you don¡¯t think there is a problem? then think of the marquis¡¯ age! even if i am not related to you by blood, how can i be your mistress?!¡± ¡°oh, i¡¯m still in full swing!¡± is this old coot for real? i was so disgusted that i didn¡¯t even want to talk to him and stepped back with the duster in my hand. ¡°where are you going when you¡¯re still talking with me?¡± he stepped forward and grabbed for my hand as if trying to catch me from taking a step back. i sighed and whipped the duster at his hand in disgust. ¡°dirty! get away from here!¡± screaming! the marquis didn¡¯t let go of my wrist, even though his hands must¡¯ve been flaming hot from being hit by a maid with a considerable level of stamina. ¡°huh, i cut you some slack because you were cute, but you must¡¯ve forgotten your place again. you need to go to the punishment room.¡± ¡°let go! let me go, you crazy bastard!¡± ¡°seeing you rebel so vehemently after a long time, i guess it¡¯s time to write ¡®it¡¯.¡± what¡¯s ¡®it¡¯? my toes trembled with fear. instinctive fear took over, but what felt more desperate was the rejection left in edith¡¯s body. the room of punishment approaches. edith abina¡¯s sanity is shaken. edith abina¡¯s body is stained with fear. the player¡¯s sanity is also affected. abnormal status: hyperventilation, stiffness no, no, no, no! i squeezed out the last of my strength and pushed the marquis as hard as i could, but it wasn¡¯t enough to completely beat him, who seemed to have become three times bigger than me. edith abina¡¯s mental strength has temporarily collapsed. you cannot move your body due to abnormal conditions. my body completely froze as the system window dyed my eyes white. i could barely breathe out of my mouth which i couldn¡¯t close. ¡°it¡¯s been a while since you were in the punishment room, yes.¡± it was at that moment when his yellow teeth and gross smile showed as he dragged me heading somewhere while i struggled. ¡°marquis.¡± the door to the study, which had been tightly closed, opened suddenly. the marquis let go of me just in time, and i sprawled on the floor as i gasped for air. ¡°¡­edith?¡± curtis, looking alternately at the marquis and me, frowned at what looked like a bad scenario. his feet were crossed in the hallway, as if he didn¡¯t dare to enter the room without the marquis¡¯ permission. ¡°oh, you¡¯re here.¡± the marquis smacked his lips briefly as if he¡¯d made a mistake with curtis¡¯ appearance. his usual relaxed expression returned, and he shrugged his shoulders as if dismissing my situation. Chapter 21.2 ¡°come to think of it, the business with the grand duke is almost at the end. now it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t come to the marquis¡¯ residence very often.¡± curtis opened his mouth, staring coolly at the marquis, who was obviously changing the subject of the conversation slickly. ¡°what are you doing?¡± curtis questioned him firmly but not impolitely. come to think of it, curtis was a grand duke, but he had always been polite to the marquis. the marquis was his father¡¯s age and may have influenced him when he was young, but the reason that the marquis was his benefactor must be greater. ¡°marquis.¡± at his urging, the marquis groaned in annoyance and pointed at me with one hand, ¡°why do you keep asking me so shyly? i was admonishing my disobedient daughter!¡± ¡°you were scolding edith?¡± ¡°yes! if you have eyes, you can probably see what this looks like!¡± the marquis shamelessly spat lies and started to play the ¡®troubled father with a disobedient daughter¡¯ persona. ¡°i know this child¡¯s temperament well. i won¡¯t wait to have it fixed when it¡¯s too late.¡± curtis calmly listened to the marquis¡¯ lie, and then frowned and curiously asked, ¡°but i heard that edith was thrown out of the family.¡± ¡°it was an attempt to kill her temper, but why would i abandon this child that was raised as my daughter?¡± the marquis slickly moved his shoulders up and down and even hugged me as i sat on the floor. ¡°you know how much i care for edith.¡± i wanted to escape from the marquis¡¯ disgusting arms, but he put me on stage at his own will and wouldn¡¯t give me a chance to go down. ¡°how many times have i asked you to make this child your lady? if i hadn¡¯t considered her as my daughter, i¡¯d leave lirina to you and not her.¡± he continued to speak as he covered my mouth tightly so i couldn¡¯t speak and prevented me from being seen on the other side, probably afraid that i might ask curtis for help. ¡°sir curtis, don¡¯t you know that i¡¯m a person who deeply cares for my family? so much so that even you who was abused by your mother, who didn¡¯t know the meaning of family, came forward to me for help.¡± curtis didn¡¯t say a word at all. it seemed like he had completely fallen for the marquis¡¯ lying tongue. please. please don¡¯t believe him. i desperately prayed that curtis would notice the current situation, even when i knew there was no hope. ¡°just get out,¡± the marquis said, ¡°no matter how special abina and caballero are to each other, don¡¯t worry about other people¡¯s family affairs. nothing good will be heard of it.¡± he warned curtis as the sound of the door closing again followed. i was appalled by what i heard, the last of my hopes shattered. ¡°cheeky fellow. i was a close friend of his father, and he acted so arrogant that he inherited the grand duke¡¯s position?¡± he snorted at curtis and then approached me as i was still unable to move. ¡°you¡¯ve finally become silent. fortunately, i don¡¯t even have to use it.¡± i didn¡¯t know what he was referring to, but the marquis¡¯ words made me want to jump out the window at that instant. not because i wanted to log out, but because i really want to die. ¡°come on, let¡¯s go.¡± the moment the marquis¡¯ thick fingers were about to reach me¡­ ¡°i know it¡¯s rude¡­¡± the tightly closed door creaked open again. ¡°edith has an urgent business to attend to. it¡¯s about the ¡®lady of caballero¡¯.¡± curtis, who didn¡¯t even look at me who was still on the floor, slowly moved his lips. ¡°may i borrow her for a moment?¡± ¡°¡­well, fine. it can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s that urgent. i will go out.¡± the marquis inevitably nodded and stepped out. as soon as he approached the door, he looked back, gave me a warning glare, silently telling me not to speak a word and left the study. after confirming the marquis was gone, curtis approached me and asked, ¡°what was the marquis trying to do to you?¡± he tried to get me up from the dusty floor. ¡°for now, get up.¡± only then did my stiff body loosen, and i roughly shook curtis. if i were the original me, i would¡¯ve jumped off the messy floor with his help, but now i was reluctant to even contact him. this was edith¡¯s reaction. ¡°edith.¡± i was so upset and resentful by his voice calling me. curtis, who was looking down at me trembling badly, opened his mouth with a sigh and said, ¡°what the hell¡­¡± Chapter 22.1 ¡°what was the marquis trying to do to you?¡± ¡°¡­now.¡± my voice sank heavily. i barely managed to lift my stiff body and glared at curtis. ¡°why do you ask me that now?¡± it was what edith wanted to say for a long time. i smiled and let it out my mouth. ¡°you¡¯ve never been curious.¡± he never trusted me or asked what was bothering me. edith wanted to burst into tears in anger, but her pride refused to show emotions. ¡°is the marquis bothering you?¡± curtis opened his mouth hesitantly, looking down at my face thinking i was about to cry. ¡°why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡®edith did, you son of a bitch.¡¯ i laughed in vain at his reproachful tone. no, i tried to smile, but a dry smile spread across my lips. ¡°if that is the case, i can take you to caballero.¡± ¡°you can take me to ¡®maybe¡¯,¡± i shot him sharply, shaking him off as he tried to help me. ¡°ha! that¡¯s a great favor, your highness.¡± the grand duke was just as much of a cushion of thorns to edith as the marquis. in a world where she was a villainess, she wasn¡¯t welcomed anywhere. i began to understand why she slowly turned mad, and why she¡¯d tried to get out of her own world. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but i don¡¯t need it.¡± curtis¡¯ arm, which was in the air at my firm refusal, trembled. i looked at him with unbothered eyes and moved slowly. ¡°at the very least i don¡¯t want your help.¡± barely recovering from my abnormal condition, i passed curtis and left the study. ring! a message popped out that his karma was almost full, but i didn¡¯t even want to check. * * * i came out to the gardens to avoid people¡¯s eyes and sat down in front of the fountain letting out a long and exhausted sigh. ¡®¡­what do i do now?¡¯ i yelled loudly at curtis, but i didn¡¯t even have the courage to return to the mansion. if the marquis caught me again, there won¡¯t be anything left of edith¡¯s mental strength. ¡®i don¡¯t think i can stay in the marquis¡¯ mansion in this situation.¡¯ my current employer was lirina, but even if i tried to hide under her skirt, in the end marquis abina was the owner of the mansion. lirina would have no choice but to have me surrendered if the marquis asked her to. ¡°i don¡¯t want to live this sad life anymore.¡± why are all fathers like this? i felt sorry for edith to the point i was suffocated with pity. edith¡¯s father ¨C i didn¡¯t even want to call him his father ¨C he wasn¡¯t even much of a marquis in any way. but when i think of my biological father, who might as well be trash, my teeth gnashed. ¡°hello, my lady.¡± a long shadow fell over me and hit the well-polished marble fountain. despite the familiar voice, i was still caught by surprise. ¡°¡­ares?¡± he wasn¡¯t someone you¡¯d meet in this place. val¨¦rez¡¯s appearance was in the duchy of toledo in the south, the entertainment district of the imperial capital, and the plaza. ¡°you are here.¡± he smiled as if he couldn¡¯t believe he was looking at me. my usually warm face looked a little cold, so he put his hands over my cheeks. ¡°my lady, are you from the marquis of abina?¡± val¨¦rez hated the marquis of abina. i was edith abina, the eldest daughter of the marquis of abina, whom he professed his hatred for. ¡°you didn¡¯t tell me where you lived, so you tricked me after all.¡± somehow, that fact felt very sad. i finally burst into tears in front of ares who criticized me. ¡°¡­why are you crying all of a sudden?¡± he strode forward and knelt in front of me. ¡°my lady, why are you crying?¡± i couldn¡¯t answer his question easily and just held my breath. his handsome face was all a blur as my eyes were full of tears. ¡°do you think i wouldn¡¯t argue with you if you cry like that?¡± ¡°huuu!¡± ¡°¡­no, i¡¯m sorry. i won¡¯t argue. please don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°i-i, huu, ukkk, here, ukkk, live, buy, huuu¡­!¡± embarrassed, val¨¦rez tried to apologize several times to appease me, but my tears flooded and never stopped. ¡°i want to live, i want to, huuu, i want to live, i want to¡­!¡± i wasn¡¯t living here because i wanted to! i didn¡¯t want to live under the same roof with a dirty stepfather and a step sister who grumbled whenever she saw me. Chapter 22.2 after becoming a maid, jian came whenever she had the time just to trouble me, and curtis was also unlucky. ¡°huuuu¡­¡± i¡¯m so sad! i¡¯m so sad that i don¡¯t want to live anymore! whether it was in a novel or a game, people lived well as a noble lady! why do i have to be abandoned in this shitty game and work as a maid?! ¡°huuuu¡­¡± val¨¦rez, who was watching me as i cried and hit the ground, hugged me awkwardly. ¡°my lady, i know that you¡¯re not living here because you want to.¡± i couldn¡¯t see his expression at all, but i could tell from his trembling voice that he too was restless. ¡°i¡¯m sorry to have questioned you so much when your job as a maid must be really hard, huh?¡± he took out his handkerchief, pressed it to my wet eyes and continued to talk to me. ¡°stop crying. please.¡± ¡°huu!¡± ¡°you¡¯ll get dehydrated at this rate, my lady.¡± i wanted to stop crying at that instant, but i couldn¡¯t because i was trapped in the game and haven¡¯t cried even once. ¡°it¡¯s driving me crazy. stop! stop!¡± ¡°¡­¡± val¨¦rez, who was patting me on the back as i suffocated and coughed from crying too much, sighed and chewed his lips. ¡°good girl. now let¡¯s get out of here.¡± my eyes widened at his words as he hugged me. ¡°i kind of have a situation with the marquis. if he finds out i¡¯m here, it could start a war.¡± ¡°what? war?¡± if it was a war between the marquis and the duke, it was like a civil war. i found myself stammering at val¨¦rez¡¯s unpleasant words. ¡°well, why did you come all the way here then?¡± i asked. ¡°try guessing,¡± he said as he tapped my red nose with his finger and smiled mischievously, ¡°i¡¯m here to see you.¡± i pouted my lips at his refreshing smile. ¡®lier. he said earlier he came to confirm my identity and asked why i lied¡­¡¯ why was he so good at flirting when he was a virgin and an innocent man? his smile shook women¡¯s hearts, befitting his nickname. * * * val¨¦rez didn¡¯t take me to the red house. although it was located downtown of the imperial capital, we arrived at a huge mansion and he pushed me to a corner after pushing the front doors open. ¡°hey, where are we?¡± my eyes almost popped out of their socket to a place i had never seen in a game before. ¡°my house,¡± he answered briefly and looked at me from head to toe. ¡°let¡¯s wash up and change our clothes first.¡± ¡®is it very dirty?¡¯ well, after being bathed with all the dust in the study, i even sat down in the garden and cried¡­ my apron, which was covered in dust, grass, and tear stains, was gray as if it was never white in the beginning. ¡°bring me some clothes for this lady to change into. it¡¯s all dusty,¡± he said as he beckoned a passing staff, and then added sarcastically, ¡°anyway, that pig-like marquis is really something to his employees.¡± ¡°all people from the marquis abina¡¯s family are like that,¡± the staff answered sourly. it was the same face that i had seen from red house, and noticing that i was staring at him, he turned and bowed to me politely. ¡°hello, miss. you can call me mallorca.¡± ¡°oh, hello.¡± ¡°yes, please follow me this way.¡± i followed the man who introduced himself as mallorca up the huge spiral staircase in the middle of the entrance. ¡®it¡¯s an incredibly huge mansion considering its downtown of the imperial capital.¡¯ i didn¡¯t know much about the alfrenheim empire, the game¡¯s background, but it was common sense that this mansion was quite unusual as the houses in the imperial capital had higher housing prices. ¡®it looks even more expensive compared to marquis abina¡¯s mansion in the capital.¡¯ the size was also humongous, but the level of delicacy of the golden lions decorating each floor of the stairs was surprising. the lion¡¯s teeth, with its mouth wide open, shone with various jewels. ¡®¡­can¡¯t i just take one off?¡¯ then it would be possible to end my life as a maid. as i thought of touching the lion¡¯s jewel teeth, mallorca smiled and pointed to the door on the left side of the stairs. ¡°you can enter the room marked as the toilet. someone inside will help you change.¡± carefully opening the door with mallorca¡¯s guidance, my jaws dropped to the ground as i completely forgot about my situation. ¡°wow¡­¡± Chapter 23.1 what mallorca introduced as the toilet room was more extravagant than most celebrity waiting rooms in television dramas. a mirror studded with crystal balls emitting soft lights occupied the whole side of the wall, and on the other side, jaw-dropping dresses were tightly packed. ¡°hello, young lady. my name is janine.¡± a woman standing upright next to the sofa at the center bowed to me. she smiled gently as if she thought i was cute as i looked around the room with my mouth on the floor. ¡°you can choose the dress you want.¡± following janine¡¯s guidance, i stood in front of the dress selection and tilted my head. i wanted to change into something comfortable, but something pretty in ares¡¯ eyes would be great too. ¡®what did he prefer again?¡¯ all i could remember was that he liked hips that defied gravity, which i didn¡¯t have. ¡®anyway, he likes glamor, i should wear clothes that reveal my cleavage as much as possible.¡¯ with that in mind, i approached the selection of colorful clothes and picked up the dress that looked the sexiest. ¡°i¡¯ll wear this.¡± ¡°¡­oh, do you like that dress?¡± janine hesitated and tapped her lips as if wondering about my choice. i looked again at the dress in my hand and then on her troubled face. ¡®is it too expensive?¡¯ i wondered. it looked quite expensive after observing it at a closer distance. the light blue fabric was small, but it looked like expensive velvet, and the embroidery on the lace decorating the top of the off-shoulder had diamonds about half the size of a baby¡¯s nail. ¡®this must cost an outrageous amount. jewels hanging from one¡¯s clothes¡­¡¯ with that much money, i could buy a slave target character right away. i rolled my eyes, thinking if i could just crumple it well, the size of this dress might as well fit in my pocket. ¡°is it a dress that i shouldn¡¯t wear?¡± i asked. ¡°no, nothing like that,¡± janine shook her head, ¡°but it might be uncomfortable since it¡¯s our house dive stage outfit.¡± i nodded at janine¡¯s explanation, the dress still in my arms. ¡°i¡¯m fine with this.¡± it was important to be expensive, so that it was important that it was expensive. so that it can be worn and splashed in case of emergency. ¡°i¡¯m glad you found a dress you like, my lady. then i will show you to the bathroom.¡± janine smiled softly and took the dress in my hand, adding quickly that she¡¯d prepare it right away. oh, my diamond dress! i bit my lips, feeling a bit disappointed that my emergency fund ¨C that i just decided ¨C was going away. the bathroom connected to the toilet was as large as the bathroom that the marquis used. they were quite similar in size, but the splendor here was more dazzling. ¡®it would be a secret that val¨¦rez is ¡®ares¡¯ of the underworld, so everything here would probably be private property¡­¡¯ the amount of money he earned as ares was considerable. ¡®wouldn¡¯t there be a quest to extort money with the trick girl route?¡¯ i rubbed my hands like a villainess, thinking of val¨¦rez, the virgin and innocent man with a lot of money. cuckoo cuckoo ¡°shall i call a maid to help the lady take a bath?¡± janine asked. ¡°oh, no! it¡¯s alright.¡± i was a maid, so why call another one? even when i played the role of a lady in the marquis¡¯ residence, i was embarrassed to show my naked body, so i never asked for help from anyone. at my firm refusal, janine turned to the bathtub, saying she¡¯d only prepare the water, and after a while, i was able to soak myself in warm water. it felt like my whole body was melting in goodness for the first time in a long while. ¡°oh, that¡¯s nice.¡± the light purplish water, probably filled with expensive perfumes, was vibrant with the scent of citrus mixed with lavender and lemon. ¡°i¡¯m sleepy now that i am relaxed¡­¡± i reached the end of the huge bathtub that looked like four people could fit in with my soles, and then rolled up a soft towel like a pillow as i laid down my head on it. it wasn¡¯t after i fell asleep that janine noticed i took too long and rescued me from melting with finely chopped herb leaves. * * * the maids of val¨¦rez private mansion were sharper and faster than the maids of the marquis. ¡®and i think they talk a little more.¡¯ perhaps it was because they wanted to protect the dignity of the high-ranking aristocratic family, so the employees working in the marquis¡¯ mansion tried to have a decent attitude. ¡°oh! oh!¡± ¡°oh my! oh my!¡± after dressing up with the help of the maids, i reached out my hand hesitantly at them as they suddenly fell to the ground. Chapter 23.2 ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡± the maid covered her face with her arms at my embarrassed question, and then raised her voice. ¡°my lady! a girl i don¡¯t know the name of!¡± no, i already introduced myself earlier. my eyes widened as i looked down at the maid, who had forgotten my name or was she singing? ¡°ok, do you speak?¡± ¡°you¡¯re so beautiful that i think i¡¯d go blind!¡± i stopped approaching the maid at her silly comments. then another maid who was on the floor got up and shook her shoulder. ¡°no! you can¡¯t go blind! then you can¡¯t appreciate this lady¡¯s insane beauty anymore!¡± ¡°ugh. that¡¯s right¡­ i will endure with will¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± i couldn¡¯t say a word in this crazy conversation. edith was a beautiful villainess in a reverse harem game, but now that i had her face, i couldn¡¯t sympathize with her. the maids put me in front of the mirror as their lips trembled. one brought a silver hair ornament ¨C which looked like a hairpin ¨C to my curled hair and a big smile spread across her face. ¡°my lady¡¯s face is so pure that i thought the sexy dress might not suit her, but why? it looks so good on you!¡± ¡°thank you.¡± after hearing my thanks, the maid began to tremble. ¡°hmm¡­ why did i think that you wouldn¡¯t look good in it? i want to slap my foolish face. hey, slap me on the cheek.¡± i turned around, stunned as i saw the other maid really raise her hand as if to hit her. ¡°no, please don¡¯t do that.¡± no matter how beautiful edith was, i still thought their reactions were too much. but when i looked at myself in the mirror, i could somehow understand them a little. the light blue mini dress, which went well with edith¡¯s rich silver hair, looked surprisingly good on her ¨C on me. although she was thin, edith wasn¡¯t short of stature, so her long arms and legs were refreshing to look at. ¡°it¡¯s such a shame to show you to the boss. i want to appreciate your beauty alone.¡± ¡°what?¡± i frowned at what the maid said. what did i just hear? i thought i heard something wrong, and i looked back at the maid, but then i heard someone knocking on the toilet room door. knock knock ¡°my lady, it¡¯s me.¡± val¨¦rez previously said he had something to attend to and went to do his business for a while. ¡°have you changed your clothes?¡± ¡°yes,¡± i replied with a short nod and turned to the maid, who blinked her eyes as if she didn¡¯t want to open the door, ¡°you may come in.¡± click the handle with a golden lion engraved on it turned, and ares trudged into the room. ¡°what¡¯s taking so long? you¡¯re here for a while now.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i fell asleep while taking a bath.¡± i rose from my seat, smiling face to face at ares who was grumbling. ¡°¡­¡± then val¨¦rez, who was slowly walking towards the center of the toilet room, suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°lord ares?¡± i approached him, who wasn¡¯t moving as if he was a plastered statue, and frowned at his curious eyes. ¡®why did he stop coming?¡¯ ¡°are you alright?¡± ares¡¯ jaw twitched as i came close to ask. only then did i realize that he wasn¡¯t breathing and my eyes widened with concern. ¡°why aren¡¯t you breathing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°hmm. am i that pretty?¡± ¡°what?¡± the maids¡¯ reaction was weird but ok, and yet ares¡¯ was a little unexpected. he lived every day looking at women dressed up in fancy clothes after all. ¡®this dress belonged to the house diva, too.¡¯ no matter how much edith¡¯s appearance was to his liking, i had no idea he¡¯d react like this. when i first met him, he didn¡¯t seem like he was the least bit interested in how i dressed up. ¡°do i look good in this dress?¡± i asked him as i smiled brightly at the frozen val¨¦rez, spinning in place in the thin dress just like a fairy¡¯s dress fluttering in the air. ¡°¡­you look cold. but if the lady likes it, then¡­¡± val¨¦rez, who turned his gaze to my question, refused to admit i looked pretty, but i could see that he was steadily falling in love with me. val¨¦rez toledo¡¯s likeability increases. +0.5 pepper. val¨¦rez toledo¡¯s likeability increases. +1 pepper. and that was because his erection, no, his likability continued to rise steadily. ¡®it¡¯s kind of cute to see him like this.¡¯ i opened my mouth as i bent down to peer into val¨¦rez¡¯s face, which i couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with. ¡°shall we wear this on our date, too?¡± ¡°are you crazy?¡± he screamed. i merely shrugged and glanced at him and his red earlobes, ¡°what? why?¡± ¡°my lady, you¡¯ll freeze to death.¡± surely the dress i was wearing now used a little less fabric than the style of the average young aristocrat. but even so, freeze to death? ¡°¡­it¡¯s summer now,¡± i commented. right now, even ares was wearing an open shirt too. Chapter 24.1 you¡¯ve been fired for running away without permission from your job at ! ¡ùcaution ¡ù former employer ¡®lirina abina¡¯ is looking for you because you left your place of employment without permission. pioneer your new path! <2> a. guest of ¡®val¨¦rez toledo¡¯ b. ¡®lirina abina¡¯s fugitive maid (a hunter may follow you) c. beggar d. saint (this is a locked choice) as soon as i woke up after a good sleep in the room ares gave me, a system window flashed in front of me. i laughed at the new job quest. ¡®why does it keep on giving me a career option of being a ¡®beggar¡¯?¡¯ i was offended because it seemed like the system really wanted me to become a beggar. ¡®i can¡¯t be chased by a hunter¡­¡¯ i thought. i chose the best option, the val¨¦rez guest. you still have no guts, and chose the shameless path. occupation: guest level: 1 ¡ù job-related rewards increase food intake by 10. ¡®yes! finally, i¡¯m free from being a maid¡­!¡¯ although it was an ambiguous status as a guest of the mansion owner, not a vip, but it was better than a maid anyway. i checked that the door was closed well and danced the samba in excitement. duty of guest ~ those who don¡¯t work, don¡¯t eat! ~ following the diligent k-people, you can¡¯t just think of playing and eating as a guest. take care of the chores in the val¨¦rez mansion. chores 0/100 reward: 20 fame, 20 stamina, 30 charm i, who was excitedly playing with my hands and feet, sighed at the sight of the window system. ¡®oh, it¡¯s trying to get me to work without missing a moment¡­¡¯ i knew very well that the production company was korean. no, i mean stop! i was momentarily stunned and burst into tears, but when i looked closely, the reward was actually pretty good. ¡®all i have to do is work, but it¡¯s not too bad if my fame, stamina, and charm go up this much.¡¯ there was no penalty for failure too, and i accepted the sub-quest and left the room stretching. ¡°oh, you are up already. do you want me to get you some water for washing?¡± ¡°ah, it¡¯s all right.¡± how do you receive water for washing your face as a guest? i actually wanted to accept her offer, but i didn¡¯t know what penalty the system might force me to be modest. i answered that i¡¯d wash my face on my own, and then i grabbed the maid as she was about to walk away. ¡°hey, is there anything i can do to help?¡± ¡°is there anything you can do to help?¡± at my question, the maid¡¯s face blurred with an embarrassing glow. i knew very well what her expression meant. i always had that face when jian offered to help me. ¡°i think you misunderstand, but i am not a lady from a noble family, but was originally a maid.¡± in fact, it was true that i was a noble lady, but the maid¡¯s eyes widened when i said something that was only half the truth. ¡°oh, really?¡± ¡°yes,¡± i replied with a smile, ¡°i owe this mansion for a while due to some unfortunate circumstances, but i¡¯m so sorry to be only eating, so please leave me with a few chores.¡± in other words, i had to do chores to complete the quest. i gathered my hands and looked at her eagerly, the maid shuddered! and then she punched her hand into her palm. ¡°oh! then can i ask you to do the laundry? today is the day that the house takes care of the laundry.¡± ¡°sure! i¡¯m very good at laundry!¡± i am edith. she was a former young lady, and a maid level of 15 ¨C up until recently. ¡°that¡¯s great! then i¡¯ll show you the laundry.¡± ¡°yes!¡± i followed the maid with confidence, rolling up my sleeves and exposing my boney forearms. * * * ¡®hmm. as expected, maybe labor is right for me.¡¯ i hate to admit it, but doing simple labor cleared up my complicated thoughts and put my mind at ease. i think now i understand why exercise addicts run to the gym whenever they have a hard time. ¡®it seems like the mind doesn¡¯t remember it¡¯s tired when the body is tired.¡¯ slap slap entering a tub-sized laundry bin, i stepped on the laundry one foot at a time. it didn¡¯t feel bad that the white soap bubble was escaping between my bare toes. watching the dark stain disappear little by little. Chapter 24.2 ¡®i wish edith¡¯s past would disappear like this.¡¯ her past, which didn¡¯t have much importance in the game. why was the setting that wasn¡¯t necessary be so cruel? i also felt bitter when i recalled that i had killed her for no particular reason, cruelly too. ¡®eh, let¡¯s just keep doing the laundry¡­¡¯ since the morning i had washed hundreds of tablecloths, beddings, and towels that had been used in the house. about 80% of the bars have already been filled since then. this quest was exceptionally easy. the moment i lifted the hem of my shirt to wipe the sweat from my forehead, a figure popped out of nowhere and interfered. ¡°my lady, do you happen to be an exhibitionist?¡± ¡°what?¡± i frowned at val¨¦rez¡¯s floating question. who¡¯s calling me an exhibitionist? he himself was more revealing as it was. even now, he was wearing an orange shirt without a button on it. of course, i didn¡¯t have any complaints because i could see his abs that came out well. ¡°if not, why do you keep taking off your clothes in front of other people like that?¡± ¡°¡­when did i?¡± i could only laugh in astonishment at val¨¦rez¡¯s words. there were no other people in the laundry room. i used to be alone before he came in. ¡°even now. if you sweat, you can use a handkerchief.¡± even if i said otherwise, val¨¦rez couldn¡¯t take his eyes off my exposed flat belly after i lifted my top. ¡°why are you picking up your clothes like that?¡± i held the hem of my shirt without thinking until then, and i was a bit embarrassed by his gaze and immediately corrected my posture. ¡°i didn¡¯t know lord ares was here.¡± he came close to the laundry bin, not even listening to my belated excuse. the strong midsummer sun beat down on his red-blonde hair. when seeing a handsome man with tanned skin in hot weather might make you feel numb, val¨¦rez¡¯s features were so fresh i didn¡¯t even feel that way. ¡°why are you doing the laundry here? who told you to work?¡± distracted from val¨¦rez¡¯s brilliant beauty, i answered slowly, blinking my eyes, ¡°no. i¡¯m just bored playing around.¡± ¡°you can get some rest. your job at the marquis must have been quite hard.¡± i giggled at the sensitive concern that i felt from his words. i knew it was because he knew i was simply a maid of the marquis, but it was comforting nonetheless. ¡°why are you laughing like that?¡± val¨¦rez suddenly raised his eyebrows as if he couldn¡¯t understand my reaction. i answered after staring at him for a while. ¡°i like it.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°lord ares.¡± he was fiddling with the washtub for no reason, but as soon as i said it, val¨¦rez¡¯s earlobes burned red. ¡°¡­lady, i¡¯m really leaving.¡± with his head down, he muttered belatedly in a tight voice after a long silence, ¡°why is this just going out?¡± ¡°then what if someone like me stings your nose?¡± i didn¡¯t understand his question at all. what was wrong with a guy like him? he was handsome, rich, and was even sweet. although he had a bad job and looked like a bully, he was a man who was a virgin and innocent. ¡°it¡¯s totally fine.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°nose, thread me. you can do both sides.¡± val¨¦rez pushed me with one arm, flaring his nostrils as his face came up to me. ¡°you are a helpless lady. you don¡¯t know how scary this world is.¡± i tried to ignore that hint of trouble in his voice, and i ran towards his outstretched arm. ¡°if you want, you can do the earholes ¨C akh!¡± then i stepped on the wrong floor and fell backwards. ¡°uh!¡± val¨¦rez hurried into the laundry bin to catch me as i fell. as soon as i closed my eyes tightly, feeling my body tilting, solid arms wrapped around me. splash! the size itself didn¡¯t matter because the laundry bin was wide enough for two people. the problem was that i, who had closed my eyes stupidly, stumbled and fell backwards while i held on to him. no, the fall wasn¡¯t really a big deal. i could wash my clothes and body. the real problem was¡­ ¡°oh my god! i¡¯m sorry!¡± the part of val¨¦rez¡¯s body, which was where my knees accidentally hit, was private. ¡°lord ares?¡± the part was too hard like a rock to the point i even thought it was his thigh for a moment. Chapter 25.1 val¨¦rez was completely flustered and didn¡¯t respond to me. ¡°¡­¡± he just kept looking at me, his body stiff. from my head covered in foam, to the wet shirt that clung on my skin, to the inner thighs exposed under my rolled-up skirt. thoroughly, and very slowly. if one could eat human flesh with just the eyes, it would probably take this kind of glow. his eyes, which were warm as if clutching the autumn sun, were dark and shiny like heated stones. green eyes that glowed a little darker under the shadow of a giant tree. a certain desire nestled within it so black and hot that one can¡¯t dare to look into it. i was out of breath. even though he was definitely an easy opponent, i felt like he was a forest beast. i swallowed a big lump in my throat, as he looked especially big today. at the same time, his throat was throbbing. ¡°¡­lord ares?¡± the atmosphere seemed like val¨¦rez was about to gobble me up in one bit was quickly disrupted. ¡°oh, sorry.¡± at my call, ares withdrew, removing his hands on both sides of me. no, i didn¡¯t mean for him to get out of the way! i bit my lip at his gentle personality, who withdrew meekly even when he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of me even now. ¡®can¡¯t he act just like his nickname for once?¡¯ do something! if he was a slut, he should act like a slut. i hoped right now that val¨¦rez would hold me in his arms and take me to the secluded woods connected to the laundry. however, it was impossible to expect it from his current attitude, a man described as a virgin and was na?ve. ¡®what should i do?¡¯ ¡­i must devise a strategy. if i rushed in now for no reason, this timid and herbivorous virgin might be shocked and run away. ¡®the quicker you are, the sooner you¡¯ll return! the quicker, the sooner you¡¯ll go home!¡¯ ah! but i don¡¯t want to go back¡­! it can¡¯t be helped. i closed my eyes tightly as i endured the sensation below, which heated my whole body as if i was going to spill liquid at any moment. ¡°forgive me,¡± i apologized, ¡°i stumbled and fell all over the place.¡± with both hands on the floor, i spoke as if i didn¡¯t notice him turn hard. ¡°are you hurt?¡± ¡°no.¡± val¨¦rez nodded slightly at my response, and pressed my cheek with his fingertips. ¡°be careful from now on, miss. if i didn¡¯t catch you, you¡¯d really get hurt.¡± the way he looked comfortable, he seemed to have regained his composure. i can¡¯t believe i was greeting a wise man after my body heated up like this. it¡¯s shameful. unknowingly, i rolled my eyes at him. ¡°then i¡¯ll get going.¡± val¨¦rez retreated with a slightly awkward atmosphere. i grabbed him by the hem of his pants as he tried to get out of the laundry bin. ¡°already?¡± ¡°yes. i have a lot of work to do today. i just came to make sure you were well adapted to the mansion.¡± val¨¦rez, carefully removing my fingers from grabbing his pants, smiled as if in trouble. i had no choice bit to let him go because i just couldn¡¯t intervene if he was busy. ¡°yes, take care now. ah!¡± immediately, i acted like a swallow with an injured leg. i grunted, clutching my ankle tightly so he¡¯d notice. ¡°my lady, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°i must have sprained my ankle.¡± shocked by my bluff, he returned and stepped into the laundry bin once again. squeak, sizzle how hot his body was that even the muddy sound of him stepping on wet laundry sounded odd. ¡°it wasn¡¯t that big of a fall.¡± ¡°i have weak bones.¡± quickly making an excuse as he doubted my injury, val¨¦rez opened his mouth like a sigh. ¡°eat well, i mean.¡± he looked at me sitting in the bin and brushed his hair. i looked up at him and held his hand gently. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but can i ask you to help me to the entrance of the mansion?¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°yes.¡± at my request, val¨¦rez¡¯s face darkened instantly. i could only hide a smile as i noticed that he was troubled and having cold sweat. the clothes i wore instead of maid clothes and dresses were white shirts that servants liked to wear. the thin summer fabric of the shirt was soaking wet and clung to my body as if i wasn¡¯t wearing a top at all. ¡°oh, but if you¡¯re busy, tell someone else-¡± i stared at val¨¦rez, who didn¡¯t respond to my question. ¡°oh, mr. mallorca is passing by!¡± ¡°no! are you crazy?¡± mallorca¡¯s shadow wasn¡¯t even in sight. val¨¦rez must be more sensitive than i am, and his face twisted without noticing that i lied. Chapter 25.2 ¡°what? why?¡± ¡°ha. i¡¯d rather just take you there.¡± val¨¦rez let out a deep sigh and lifted me up as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. he carried me out of the laundry bin, and then looked back at me with his arms pressed against my body. ¡°what¡¯s the point, i¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°you have to give me your arm to support me, right?¡± he didn¡¯t seem to understand for a second. val¨¦rez, who froze like a wooden doll at my words, then put out his arm with a lukewarm attitude. ¡°thank you.¡± i grabbed his arm and pulled it between my breasts. his already firm forearm flexed as if it would burst his shirt at that short touch. press it. press it down. recalling the fact that he loved glamor, i tightened my grip around his forearms so that he could feel my chest fully. i did it to seduce him, but my breathing began to run out instead. his arms, exposed under short sleeves, looked smooth as if they had melted molasses. my areolas rubbed between wet cloth and his thick forearms, that i couldn¡¯t grasp even with both hands. my mouth went dry at the thrill of my nipples stiffening. soon, val¨¦rez stopped walking and looked back at me. ¡°¡­my lady.¡± oops. did i get caught? i was going to secretly work on it because i thought he¡¯d feel repulsed if i seduced him too openly. i watched his expressing, rolling my eyes as i thought my trick had failed. ¡°why? why?¡± ¡°just get on my back.¡± fortunately, val¨¦rez didn¡¯t seem to have noticed my ulterior motive. carefully removing my arm from him, he turned around and showed me his back. ¡°oh, it¡¯s fine if i just continue walking with you.¡± ¡°no. please get up. i¡¯d rather carry you on my back.¡± val¨¦rez¡¯s voice was half a whisper. i stared at his begging back and opened my mouth. ¡°because i¡¯m wet.¡± at my words, val¨¦rez¡¯s back stiffened. ¡°¡­what?¡± i closed my eyes halfway as his head spun like a creaking wooden doll. ¡°what did you just say?¡± he seemed to think that he misheard what i said. ¡°i said i was wet.¡± ¡°¡­uh. that. that.¡± val¨¦rez stuttered with his words like a broken phonograph, unable to deny or confirm what i said. did i tease him too much? seeing him stutter so much, i hurriedly said, ¡°your back will get wet from my drenched clothes, will that be okay with you?¡± ¡°ah. that, yes. wet with water¡­ it¡¯s damp¡­¡± he¡¯d probably cry if i teased him a little more. i shrugged my shoulders at val¨¦rez¡¯s red face, which looked like it could burst into tears at any given moment. ¡°if you don¡¯t mind, i¡¯ll get on your back.¡± ¡°yes, yes.¡± at my words, his head turned forward. i jumped on his back and hugged him with all my might. ¡®fool,¡¯ i thought to myself, ¡®i¡¯m sure this would feel much better than supporting me walking.¡¯ as i warned him, the water dripping from my wet shirt flowed down val¨¦rez¡¯s back. pretending to be worried about his clothes, i fumbled around his hard chest. his buttonless shirt was wide open, so i could reach and touch his smooth bare chest without much effort. his chest, covered with well-knit muscles like a sculpture, trembled. his areolas, exposed to the air and as stiff as my nipples, rubbed against my forearm. when i touched him pretending not to know, val¨¦rez let out a soft moan. ¡°lord ares is going to get all wet, too. what should i do?¡± i made a wailing sound and moved my bottom where val¨¦rez¡¯s hand touched. then, as he was heading back to the mansion, he stopped. ¡°¡­really, i¡¯m going batshit crazy.¡± ¡®no, don¡¯t turn around holding it in, just get a move on!¡¯ i gathered all my patience and blew a fain sight into val¨¦rez¡¯s ears. he was clearly holding back his lust for me. ¡°lord ares?¡± his shoulders flinched at my sweet voice. aaah! he let out a long sigh with his eyes closed as if he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. he started muttering in such a small voice that i couldn¡¯t hear. ¡°¡­with the east sea.¡± wondering what he was saying, i poked my head forward to listen closely. his eyelashes, long and delicate enough to collect sunlight, were fluttering. ¡°mount baekdu¡­¡± dry and worn out? i was amazed when the familiar lyrics came out of val¨¦rez¡¯s mouth. how did he know the korean national anthem? there¡¯s no limit to this game being korean after all. ¡°hoo, there we go. let¡¯s go now.¡± val¨¦rez, a virgin man of will, had to regain his composure again. a man who wasn¡¯t worthy of his nickname, started to move. ¡°lord ares, wait a minute.¡± unable to give up this opportunity, i opened my mouth and disturbed him as he tried to concentrate only on the thought of supporting me. ¡°can you hold my butt a little tighter?¡± ¡°¡­why?¡± ¡°i¡¯m afraid i might fall off because you¡¯re holding it too roughly.¡± that wasn¡¯t really the case, but it was just a little scary. val¨¦rez was holding me so gently, almost straddling me, that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he missed me at any moment. ¡°all right.¡± ¡°closer!¡± val¨¦rez bit his teeth and tightened his grip at my request. ¡°like this?¡± i groaned satisfactorily at val¨¦rez clenching his hands on me. ¡°huh.¡± i wish i could just lay down like a dog and fuck him right here. even though his hands were far from touching it, i started to get wet to the point where it was slippery underneath. ¡°¡­my lady, are you kidding me right now?¡± Chapter 26.1 ¡®innocent man¡¯ val¨¦rez toledo began to doubt the intentions of ¡®trick girl¡¯ edith abina. he shows strong resistance to sex without love. innocent man + trick girl route increases its chances of failing. did i move too hastily? i licked my lips at the glaring warning message. no matter how innocent he was, val¨¦rez was an adult male. eventually, after realizing my intentions, he nervously turned his head. ¡°are you doing this on purpose?¡± his low-pitched voice, which was soft like cake, deepened as his doubts rose. i tilted my head innocently as if i knew nothing. ¡°yes? what?¡± ¡°what was that noise?¡± ¡°ah, i must have groaned in pain without realizing it. it¡¯s hard for me to hang on like this for too long.¡± i groaned again ¨C differently this time ¨C to clear ares¡¯ misunderstanding. ¡°¡­haa.¡± ares, who was deceived again by my excuse, started to move again as his neck blushed in embarrassment. ¡°have you ever worked out before?¡± val¨¦rez came from the toledo family in the south that was famous for producing as many knights as the caballero in the north. naturally, he would¡¯ve picked up a sword before. however, i went on pretending i knew nothing of his origins. ¡°because your shoulders are really tight.¡± unlike before, i pat val¨¦rez on the shoulder with a lighter and much fresher touch, to which he replied awkwardly. ¡°no, i didn¡¯t do anything in particular.¡± his voice sounded more relaxed than before. i moved my hand without hesitation, judging that he had withdrawn his suspicions of me. ¡°then how can your body be so hard? your shoulders are stiff, and your back as well.¡± there, too. huh? let¡¯s see if i can rub it¡­ val¨¦rez was troubled by me as i pretended to have no clue as my upper body slid down, but he couldn¡¯t stop me in the end. he could only clear his throat a little when we approached the front door of the mansion. ¡°my lady, if you touch a person anywhere like that¡­ people will misunderstand,¡± he admonished, ¡°the lady doesn¡¯t mean anything, though.¡± ¡°oh, i¡¯m sorry if you were offended,¡± i immediately apologized and raised my hands in the air. ¡°no, it¡¯s not like that¨C¡± it wasn¡¯t me that cut off val¨¦rez, who was trying to carefully add an explanation in response to my apology. ¡°edith.¡± the sound of that voice gave me goosebumps just by listening to it. it was clear and as cold as the winter sky. the voice was certainly curtis. * * * curtis caballero never expected edith abina to be faithful. to be honest, he didn¡¯t even look. curtis judged that he and edith didn¡¯t have that kind of relationship. the duty of a knight was to protect and support the lady. the lady¡¯s duty was to respect the knight who protected her. that was all they owe each other. although it was a distorted relationship in which only one side was responsible for everything on the other side, the long tradition wasn¡¯t always reasonable. curtis caballero was a conservative man, so he lived without much antagonism to the obligations that were given to him. born as the eldest son of the grand duke family, he was raised as an heir. he owed the marquis of abina, so he had to repay him. he¡¯ll live as edith abina¡¯s knight having made a promise, and had to give in to all her unreasonable demands. and finally, curtis was legally released from one of the most demanding obligations in his life. ¡®¡­but why?¡¯ curtis looked down at his empty palm, which held nothing, and rolled his fist. he held it so hard that his nails dug into his skin and drew blood. but he didn¡¯t dare to be aware of it. all his attention was on the woman smiling brightly in front of him. why was she laughing like that? curtis couldn¡¯t understand edith. he had stood by her side for more than a decade, but he¡¯d never seen her wear that expression before. not even once. he couldn¡¯t say that he accepted all her demands with pleasure, but there was a strange man facing her, a smile on his face as he looked at her without any cost. he didn¡¯t even know her value. ¡®should i just kill him?¡¯ curtis was a man who always carried a sword to suit his character, befitting more of the title ¡°sir¡± than ¡°his highness¡±. his throat was dry with an uncharacteristic rage boiling inside him. he fiddled with the scabbard of his sword on his left side. but he didn¡¯t know who he really wanted to kill. Chapter 26.2 did he want to twist edith¡¯s thin neck, smiling with a face he¡¯d never seen before? or did he want to mercilessly stab the stomach of the man who touched her clothes without a clue? calm down, curtis caballero. instead of taking out his blue blade, curtis slowly brushed the corner of his mouth without a smile. when his clumsy anger subsided, cold emotions filled in. it was a sense of betrayal toward edith. how dare she laugh in front of another man? if she was lonely, he¡¯d come to her bed for three days and nights. if she was bored, he would follow her even though he just returned from the battlefield, smelling of blood that wouldn¡¯t go away, and attended social parties with her. nevertheless, edith blamed curtis for all the misfortunes that happened to her. from little things like gnashing her nails to being left out of the post of her successor. he did his best to satisfy his lady, edith, but edith was a woman who was never satisfied. she would do anything to keep curtis by her side, to get an extra grain of his attention. curtis had to deal with the resentment of a woman and her parents whose fingers were cut off just because she spoke with him. he had to endure edith, who¡¯d cut her wrists just to dance with him. the boy curtis caballero grew slowly, and the human curtis caballero slowly died. edith couldn¡¯t let go of curtis like a toy until the moment his nerves eventually dried up and crumbled like autumn leaves. edith also became crazier day by day because curtis was becoming more and more indifferent. when she eventually began to abuse him in the same way as the grand duchess did, all the affection that remained was lost. it was the moment when the friendship between the boy curtis caballero and the girl edith abina ended. so, curtis may have been angry, but he wasn¡¯t surprised that edith abina lured his younger brother to fight. for him, edith abina was already someone who could do such a thing. but now, he was amazed at her smile. there were also many surprises that he felt like a shameless idiot. curtis¡¯ foolishness was funny and unfamiliar, but he couldn¡¯t calm his racing mind. edith¡¯s smile caught him off-guard that his fingertips trembled at the great sense of betrayal. it was a sensation he couldn¡¯t deny. ¡°edith.¡± as he tried to suppress his emotions and called her name, her eyes widened like big crystal balls as she looked back at him. ¡°his highness the grand duke?¡± edith no longer called him curtis. she bowed her head politely, as if dealing with a noble person she didn¡¯t care about. ¡°hello¡­ but what brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­his highness, the grand duke?¡± before curtis could answer edith¡¯s question, the man she stood behind from as if he was protecting her looked at him with raised eyebrows. ¡°the grand duke of caballero?¡± the man was very tall for a knight and looked slender at eye level with curtis, but he wasn¡¯t a man who had never held a sword. it was an eye that only those who have experienced battle acquire. it was the aura of a blood-soaked killer. ¡°¡­if you understand that i am the grand duke of caballero, you should probably bow your head.¡± he¡¯d never pressed anyone with his status before, but curtis wasn¡¯t impressed with the man¡¯s attitude as he held his head high toward him. ¡°oh, i¡¯m sorry. i haven¡¯t learned anything.¡± only then did the man bow down at his shallow words. even in the face of the title of ¡°grand duke¡±, the momentum wasn¡¯t pressed at all. wouldn¡¯t it be an attitude that can¡¯t be seen unless you spent your whole life as a noble person yourself? ¡°well, your highness¡­ what brings you here?¡± edith, who looked nervous, pursed her lips. curtis replied, glancing at her red and thick lips like cherries, despite the hardships of the past. ¡°to take you to the palace of the grand duke.¡± ¡°what?¡± edith¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at curtis¡¯ reply. ¡°oh, that wouldn¡¯t work out.¡± but this time, the answer didn¡¯t come out of edith¡¯s mouth. Chapter 27.1 ¡°i have a prior appointment with the lady.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t ask you.¡± ¡°oh, was there a law that prohibited someone from answering a nobleman instead?¡± curtis¡¯ sharp eyebrows shot higher and higher at val¨¦rez¡¯s sarcastic tone. i pursed my dry lips in fear that his raised eyebrows would escape from his forehead. ¡°lord ares! i, the grand duke and i will go have a little chat alone.¡± ¡°no.¡± at my words, val¨¦rez¡¯s eyebrows soared to the sky as high as curtis¡¯. i glanced at their handsome eyebrows that formed rugged mountain ranges, and broke into a cold sweat. ¡®what the hell is wrong with them?¡¯ ¡°it¡¯ll take just a moment.¡± ¡°my lady.¡± ares immediately softened his expression at my troubled face and grabbed my cheek. i pat the back of his hand briefly to reassure him. ¡°i¡¯m really fine. the grand duke is someone i knew at the marquis¡¯ residence.¡± ¡°yes, i see.¡± val¨¦rez stepped back as if helpless. glancing at his dead back, i dragged curtis, who was standing with a sullen face, across the courtyard of the mansion. ¡°how did you know i was here?!¡± ¡°i had someone look for you.¡± yeah, he was a nobleman after all. i could only laugh at his obvious answer. ¡°why?¡± ¡°didn¡¯t i say it earlier? i will take you to the grand duke¡¯s palace.¡± ¡°what do you mean by that? you just come out of nowhere to drag me back there?¡± curtis opened his mouth with a slightly embarrassed look, as if he expected me to naturally follow him to the grand palace. ¡°the marquis of abina has been looking for you since you disappeared. wouldn¡¯t it be difficult if you were caught?¡± even though i didn¡¯t choose to be lirina¡¯s missing maid, the marquis seemed to be chasing after me. i frowned as i recalled the face of that fat pig potato-like marquis. of course, it would be troublesome if i got caught, but it was ridiculous of a choice to go to the grand palace now. there wouldn¡¯t be a target character except for curtis who was useless. ¡°even if i get caught, i can take care of myself. it¡¯s none of your business, your highness.¡± curtis shut his mouth at my firm refusal. i was amazed that his face showed a hurt expression as his lips quivered. ¡°that¡¯s it, okay? now go back.¡± ¡°but the saint is worried about you, too.¡± ¡°jian?¡± ¡°yes. if you don¡¯t want to go to the grand palace, you can go to the temple instead. she will protect you with her status as a saint.¡± i narrowed my brows furiously at the card that curtis took out to persuade me. just hearing jain¡¯s name made my head throb with pain. ¡°¡­your highness, you didn¡¯t tell jian that i was here, either,¡± i dreadfully asked, ¡°did you?¡± my lips moved hesitantly at the eerie feeling of the moment. ¡®please, curtis. i knew you were clueless from the time i started to play, but this time please!¡¯ ¡°don¡¯t worry,¡± he said and i breathed a sigh of relief. it was great that jian didn¡¯t know¡­ ¡°she promised not to tell a soul.¡± you crazy bastard! infuriated with what curtis added, i tore my hair off and screamed at the top of my lungs. ¡°why are you revealing other people¡¯s locations so recklessly?! it¡¯s an invasion of privacy!¡± ¡°i spoke only to the saint because i was afraid that you¡¯d be in danger. the saint promised secrecy.¡± no matter how much she promised, that idiot saint that had udon noodles in her head instead of brains, couldn¡¯t have understood curtis¡¯ words right away. ¡°argh! that¡¯s enough, go back now! i won¡¯t go to the grand palace!¡± i yelled with a fierce cry and turned my back at curtis. as soon as i stepped into the front door of the mansion, a chilling sensation and a system window announced a new message had arrived. you have cleared the quest. i cleared the quest? i didn¡¯t know what quest i¡¯ve cleared, but my spine tingled with chills. the system showed me a series of messages that arrived as i wiped off my cold sweat. build the karma of curtis, the man of regret! (success) curtis¡¯ karma: 100/100 congratulations. you¡¯ve accumulated all of curtis¡¯ karma. reward: 50 holy power, 30 charm, and the title maiden. Chapter 27.2 ¡®oh, no¡­!¡¯ i screamed silently at the messages the system window showed. did he accumulate karma on his own? why?! what the hell did this bastard do to himself?! i hurriedly turned to the front door with a bad premonition. all of a sudden¡­ as soon as i opened the door in a hurry, i saw val¨¦rez standing at an angle on the central staircase. ¡°lord ares!¡± he looked a bit worn down, but his face was the same as usual as i called him. ¡°yes, my lady, did you finish talking to the grand duke?¡± i tried to disregard my heart that¡¯s pounding loudly at ares¡¯ warm voice. fortunately, jian didn¡¯t seem to have done anything yet. ¡®yes, no matter who jian was, she can¡¯t harm me that quickly.¡¯ ¡°yes! we finished already,¡± i nodded vigorously as i approached valais. he grinned as if i was cut and patted my hair affectionately. ¡°did you have any trouble?¡± ¡°no.¡± ¡°that¡¯s a relief.¡± my fingers itched to trace val¨¦rez¡¯s sweet smile. tomorrow was the weekend of our promised date, but i was already excited and in a hurry. ¡°well, we were supposed to go on a date tomorrow. could it be possible now-¡± ¡°oh, sorry.¡± he opened his mouth with an embarrassed smile after cutting me off uncharacteristically. ¡°dating the lady has become a bit difficult.¡± ¡°what? why?¡± val¨¦rez stared into my eyes which were wide open with concern, and replied, ¡°i have a new business venture that needs more attention to learn, so credit is very important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°edith abina.¡± ¡°ah, lord ares¡­¡± ¡°the ankle injury seems to have healed in an instant.¡± only then did i realize that i had stopped pretending to be injured. i closed my eyes tightly and as if by cue¡­ quest failed. fuck. damn it, damn it, damn it! i cursed nonstop at the new message in the system window. if i had been alone and val¨¦rez wasn¡¯t in front of me, i would¡¯ve thrown my fist in the air. ¡®kim jian, you damn girl!¡¯ she¡¯s not even a player that was trying to attack val¨¦rez and she still managed to interrupt me! i immediately looked around wanting to grab jian¡¯s brown hair, but only val¨¦rez¡¯s strangely stiff face came into sight. ¡°liar.¡± a new notification occupied the system window as val¨¦rez muttered softly. have a successful first date with val¨¦rez toledo. (fail) val¨¦rez toledo has refused to go out with you. valais toledo hates liars. penalty: val¨¦rez¡¯s likeability drops by 2, attractiveness drops by 10 without even properly checking the penalty for failure, i grabbed for val¨¦rez as he was trying to distance himself from me. ¡°ah, lord ares! wait, wait!¡± turning around, he smacked my hands hard enough it cracked in the air. ¡°the marquis¡¯ young lady wouldn¡¯t be courteous with me. speak comfortably.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i didn¡¯t mean to deceive you from the beginning,¡± i blurted with haste, his face blank. ¡°no! i was actually trying to deceive you from the beginning, but¡­¡± ¡°but?¡± ¡°but i didn¡¯t mean anything bad to ares!¡± ¡°you didn¡¯t?¡± damn it, there was! i wanted to bring the virgin man into bed. it was even okay if we did it on the grass and not a bed. ¡°i-i did, but¡­¡± ares¡¯ smooth mouth drew a line at my unconfident stammers. briefly sneering, he tilted his head with one hand firmly in his pocket. ¡°my lady, am i funny?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°was it fun playing with me?¡± ¡°¡­it¡¯s not funny. i never thought it was funny.¡± there was something that i did think was a little ¨C no ¨C was very funny, but i decided to lie this time. ¡°no, how funny it must have been for me to say i was a moron for liking the lady.¡± but val¨¦rez didn¡¯t believe me. he just continued with his rigid face. ¡°my life must¡¯ve been entertaining for the lady because she grew up beautifully. were you bored that your life was too easy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°so, let¡¯s say that the young lady was a maid, damn it, put on an apron and set it up. the noble marquis¡¯ daughter did everything she could to flirt with someone like me.¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°but i told you. i don¡¯t sleep with anyone, even if i am called a slut.¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry i deceived you. i¡¯m so sorry for hurting you. i mean¡­¡± i didn¡¯t even dare to look at him and looked at the floor as he wheezed in anger. ¡°i mean¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that. i was really wrong.¡± i think he was hurt worse than i thought. i felt like he was about to cry soon. i¡¯ve never really wanted val¨¦rez to talk to me like this. Chapter 28.1 val¨¦rez didn¡¯t burst into tears as i had worried. it was just a deep, deep sigh. it wasn¡¯t that he was lamenting, but he really didn¡¯t seem to be breathing properly. as if barely resting, heavy breaths escaped his mouth while one of his hands wrapped around his face. ¡°¡­i didn¡¯t do it out of boredom. really.¡± in front of him, i was restless and fiddled with my fingers. a low breath falls on top of my head, which i couldn¡¯t even lift to look up to him. ¡°get out of here.¡± i couldn¡¯t refuse val¨¦rez¡¯s request. staring at me as he shook his head lightly, he added, ¡°i don¡¯t want to see your face anymore, so i don¡¯t want you to come to the house either.¡± ¡°yes. i won¡¯t. i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± val¨¦rez turned his back without hearing my replies. i had no choice but to stare at his back, which moved away faster than his usual pace. * * * kim jian. ¡®you damn motherfucker, if i get caught, i¡¯ll blame you for everything.¡¯ leaving the garden of val¨¦rez mansion, i looked around for the carriage of the grand duke of caballero, trying to catch my breath. i didn¡¯t think kim jian would¡¯ve come to val¨¦rez alone, and she must¡¯ve followed curtis. she would¡¯ve rented a carriage. found it! i turned my head to the point where i heard a whacking sound among the rows of carriages. there, i found the carriage bearing the mark of the grand duke of caballero. ¡°hey!¡± when the door opened wide, jian, who was lying lazily against the window as if waiting for someone, got up in surprise. ¡°e-edith?!¡± her lips twitched as she saw me. i jumped up the steps and climbed into the carriage, thinking i could snag something inside. ¡°did jian let val ¨C no ¨C ares know that i am from the marquis of abina?¡± ¡°what? who is ares?¡± jian seemed to be surprised by my sharp eyes. she tilted her head as if she didn¡¯t know who ares was. ¡°i don¡¯t know anyone like that, young lady.¡± ¡°green eyes and red blonde hair! a handsome man with tanned skin and a slender body!¡± ¡°ah, did you mean the man who looks shady? i heard that the lady was indebted to him.¡± jian nodded her head and smiled at my explanation as if she only recalled him then. ¡°yes, i told him about the young lady¡¯s status. i was afraid he¡¯d do something terrible to the beautifully grown young lady.¡± i frowned at jian¡¯s explanation. kim jian didn¡¯t know who ares was? ¡°you were worried, so you revealed my identity so recklessly?¡± ¡°yes,¡± she confirmed with confidence, ¡°i thought it should at least scare him. the clothes he¡¯s wearing, what he¡¯s doing¡­ i¡¯m not in a situation to get involved, but i want to look out for you too.¡± only then did i shut my mouth with a strange sense of foreshadowing that i have heard jian¡¯s lines somewhere. what she was reciting now was a line from the val¨¦rez route. the route through which the female protagonist, who completely misunderstood val¨¦rez as a bad person, hit an iron wall and clung to her in a fit of refusal. i¡¯ve never targeted val¨¦rez before, but i often looked at other players¡¯ screenshots and stories on the play board. ¡®but how can kim jian, who doesn¡¯t even have someone controlling her, say this alone?¡¯ my mouth hung agape, staring at jian¡¯s meek face, which seemed to have no intention of harming me. ¡°you did it for me, but now i have lost a place to stay thanks to jian.¡± jian bit on her lips as she suggested, ¡°then go to the temple with me, young lady.¡± i frowned at the thought of the ¡®saint¡¯ job that was also in my previous options. i just completed the karma quest and had filled my bag with holy power. i could head straight to the great hall instead. however, it was quite weird to follow jian like this. i scratched the seat with the tip of my fingernail, having a hunch that there was something else she hadn¡¯t told me. ¡°what will happen if i go to the temple together with you?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°how will i be treated?¡± jian bit her lips again with a face of great embarrassment. did she think i wouldn¡¯t ask? that¡¯s right. i laughed at the thought that she had something to hide from me. ¡°did you really intend to use me as your maid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 28.2 ¡°you said you were worried about me, and freely disclosed my identity and status, but all you wanted for me was to become the saint¡¯s maid.¡± i brushed my bangs out of my face with one hand, glaring at jian who couldn¡¯t deny what i said. ¡®yes, there was an episode like this when i was a player.¡¯ pressing edith under the name of a ¡®saint¡¯ was one of several ways to target curtis. a saint who took her to god but was instead used as a servant for the rest of her life. ¡®wow. if i followed her blindly, i would¡¯ve gotten stuck in the temple.¡¯ as the temple was the player¡¯s house, there were no target characters there. i clenched my fists in rage at jian¡¯s trickery. whack! ¡°oh my!¡± instead of slapping the main character on the cheek like what villainesses usually do, i punched her on the nose instead. red blood dripped from her small nose, which got hit by my sturdy fist from being trained as a maid. ¡°hey, what the hell is this¡­!¡± whack! whack! i swung my fist again at jian who was taken by surprise and couldn¡¯t even think of fighting back. until the heroine¡¯s pretty face swelled up and she rolled to the floor like a piece of kernel, stopping didn¡¯t slip my mind even when my arm felt sore. clatter then the carriage door opened at the right time. the main character was in crisis, and of course the knight should appear. i turned around without even being surprised. ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡± i looked down casually at curtis, whose eyes were about to pop with shock, and shook my blood-stained fist in the air. ¡°edith, i¡¯m asking what¡¯s happening between you and the saint now.¡± he pointed to jian, who was leaning on the seat with her eyes closed. had she fainted or merely pretended to? i glanced at jian and then turned back to curtis as i asked. ¡°don¡¯t you have eyes?¡± what am i doing? i gave it to her. i had no regrets about hitting anyone. jian deserved to be beaten because of what she did. ¡°¡­edith, you are so!¡± i turned toward the carriage door where curtis stood, a frown of disgust on his face. ¡°why did you unleash your pettiness on the saint?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°that¡¯s enough. i don¡¯t even have to ask. the saint is my lady-¡± i shoved curtis¡¯ shoulder as he rambled useless words, ¡°get out of the way.¡± one of his eyebrows lifted as i stepped out of the carriage. i opened my mouth again, not even the least frightened by his cold eyes. ¡°shut up. if you don¡¯t want to be beaten, too.¡± of course, i wouldn¡¯t be able to knock curtis down, who was the grand duke of the north and was a tall man. but curtis would never hit edith no matter what i did. because he was that kind of man. ¡®it¡¯s annoying.¡¯ as soon as i got out of the carriage, i recalled val¨¦rez¡¯s eyes full of hurt, which made my heart ache. i felt like a cat was scratching my heart. ¡°where are you going?¡± curtis grabbed my wrist as i tried to walk away. i glared fiercely at him as he followed me and left the fallen saint without care. ¡°don¡¯t touch me carelessly.¡± his eyes widened and thought about it, before finally letting me go with a bit of hesitation. ¡°you have nowhere else to go.¡± i gritted my teeth, staring helplessly at his hands raised in the air. ¡°what the hell does it matter to you now? why on earth?!¡± i don¡¯t know why he was going to this trouble. curtis always turned a blind eye when edith needed his help. it¡¯s funny that he¡¯s trying to hold me back in a belated sense of guilt. ¡°who was the one who destroyed the places i could¡¯ve stayed?¡± edith was vicious to curtis, but he was cruel as well to her. ¡°the irresponsible man who took away the grand duke¡¯s lady qualifications and had me kicked out of the marquis¡¯ residence.¡± curtis pursed his lips as if he was about to make an excuse. but before he could say a word, i went on first and added. ¡°a damned human being who recklessly revealed my identity and got me kicked out of ares¡¯ mansion.¡± his cold blue eyes sank. ¡°it¡¯s all you, curtis.¡± Chapter 29.1 ¡°did you miss edith abina?¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°i told you to get rid of her back when she was still at the marquis¡¯ residence!¡± jian bit her lips as she recalled the eyes that glared at her fiercely. ¡°anyway, we must stop edith abina from becoming a saint. okay?! otherwise, you¡­¡± when she remembered her last warning, a cold sweat formed around her forehead. curtis, who carefully examined jian, heaved a sigh as if he was worried. ¡°are you all right, saint?¡± ¡°oh, yes.¡± jian had pretended to faint until edith left the carriage. she looked outside the carriage shaking, and then opened her mouth. ¡°where did young lady edith go? did she tell you her destination?¡± ¡°no, she didn¡¯t say anything.¡± curtis frowned as if he was uncomfortable with edith¡¯s name coming out of jian¡¯s mouth. ¡°¡­i don¡¯t think she wants me to be involved with her anymore, saint.¡± ¡°what?¡± jian asked, astonished, ¡°what do you mean? that¡¯s impossible. edith adores curtis.¡± ¡°no, she doesn¡¯t. that was edith from the past who was obsessed with me.¡± annoyed with curtis¡¯ attitude, jian clenched her fists. perhaps thinking that she was concerned about edith¡¯s safety, curtis continued with a smile. ¡°so don¡¯t worry about it anymore, saint. edith doesn¡¯t want the saint to care about her.¡± ¡°but isn¡¯t curtis even worried about her?¡± ¡°ever since childhood, she had been a smart and resourceful person. i think she¡¯d do well on her own.¡± in response to curtis¡¯ answer, jian pushed her fingernails into the palm of her hands that was hidden under her dress. * * * curtis caballero¡¯s likeability increases. +5 maybe it was because of the route i was forced to take, and all i did after meeting curtis was get angry at him and push him away, but his likability began to rise. ¡®i thought he¡¯d cut me off because i hit jian for no reason at all, but that¡¯s unexpected.¡¯ i shrugged at the likability that increased as i moved further away from the carriage. the system window, which was announcing his rise in likeability, flashed and showed a new message. curtis caballero¡¯s likeability increases. +3 the detailed likeability index was displayed by satisfying the basic likeability. curtis caballero (52/100) ¡®it¡¯s already 52% full?¡¯ my eyes almost jumped out of their sockets in amazement, but soon i nervously swept up my bands. what was the point of raising curtis¡¯ likeability? i was definitely able to spend the night with him as soon as i possessed edith¡¯s body, but i was still stuck in the game. therefore, curtis caballero wasn¡¯t edith abina¡¯s true love, but was rather a disturbing figure up until now. i glared at curtis¡¯ white erection ¨C likeability ¨C bar and frowned. ¡®i¡¯ll just have to check the items. didn¡¯t the system say i could change into a saint¡¯s job if i filled the bag?¡¯ do you want to check your belongings? yes no accept. the system window read my mind and erased messages related to curtis. it then showed me my item window. extreme job guidebook lirina abina¡¯s chocolate. ¡®oh, there¡¯s chocolate!¡¯ while i cleaned up lirina¡¯s room, i seemed to have put it in my pocket and forgot about it. having been hungry, i hurriedly took the chocolate and scrolled down. 50 holy power sacred pouch (0/50) an empty pouch and holy power were in sight side by side. it seemed like the new job quest didn¡¯t appear because the pouch wasn¡¯t filled. after munching the chocolate, i filled the empty pouch with holy power that i received as an award with the karma quest. you¡¯ve filled the pouch. now you can change jobs to ¡®saint¡¯. yes, it may be more advantageous for a saint to seduce val¨¦rez than her previous job. i tried to control the bitterness in my mouth as i recalled val¨¦rez, which i thought was almost over. just then, the job quest then glittered on the system window. Chapter 29.2 you were kicked out of your workplace ¡®ares¡¯ mansion¡¯. ¡ùcaution ¡ù former employer ¡®lirina abina¡¯ is still looking for you due to your unauthorized departure. ¡ùcaution ¡ù ex-employer val¨¦rez toledo is angry at you for lying about your identity. pioneer your new path!3 a. lirina abina¡¯s fugitive maid (hunter may chase after you) b. beggar c. saint (this is a locked selection) lirina was still looking for me? i swept down my forearms and frowned at the last choice. ¡®huh? why is the saint job a locked choice?! i already filled the pouch!¡¯ the job ¡®saint¡¯ can only be activated at the temple. ¡®¡­fuck, really?¡¯ fuck this system. i sighed despondently at the system message. now the only option left for me was to be a beggar. lady to maid to guest, and now to a beggar. rather than raising my status, i was slowly on the path of complete decline. with no pride left, you chose the shameful path of ¡®former young lady, current beggar¡¯. job: beggar level: 1 ¡ù reputation decreases by 10 as job-related penalty. ¡®it made me sad that my job was a beggar, but there¡¯s even a penalty¡­¡¯ i rubbed the tip of my red nose at my dropping reputation. it¡¯s so sad to be a beggar that i could only cry. swallowing tears, i moved to my new workplace, ¡®the back alley of alms¡¯. * * * the back alleys of the downtown area where the red house was located were crowded with a lot of beggars. it was literally a den of swarms flocked by foreigners, children, and the elderly. ¡°sir, just a penny would suffice!¡± ¡°my sick, ailing mother is starving!¡± ¡°lady, sweet lady! please have pity on me, a former aristocrat!¡± the line being that he was originally an aristocrat seemed useful. i should use it later. i looked around the alley, listening to begging lines as diverse as the types of beggars. ¡®oh, there¡¯s an empty spot there.¡¯ i ran over quickly to an empty spot at the entrance of the alley. i spread my apron on the ground, then decorated the cloth with wildflowers i picked up along the way. ¡°hey! who are you?¡± i clapped my hands to open business, having completed my own stand, but a child suddenly approached me from another corner with a frown. ¡°who are you? why are you here?¡± ¡°¡­huh? why?¡± i replied with apprehension at the child¡¯s sharp eyes, ¡°can¡¯t i stay here?¡± could it be that i didn¡¯t fit because i looked too cute? ¡°of course! this is my area!¡± ¡°do, do you have certain sections here for beggars?¡± the child snorted at my question and pointed to another alley with his foot. ¡°yes! this is the children¡¯s area. the adults are over there!¡± i checked the alley the child pointed at and furrowed my brows. ¡®oh, it looks like an alley that not many people pass by¡­¡¯ anyway, it was kind of weird to take the child¡¯s spot. i took my apron with me, and the child looked at me from head to toe and opened his mean mouth again. ¡°hey, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re more suited to the red-light district?¡± based on his physique, the child must be around ten years old. i tilted my head wondering about what i just heard. ¡°huh? the red-light district?¡± ¡°yeah. looking at your face, don¡¯t you think you¡¯d be popular with men?¡± ¡°that¡¯s nothing a child should be saying!¡± i was shocked at the child¡¯s brazen words and smacked his head. the boy glared at me and raised his voice. ¡°i was only trying to help you, damn it, why are you hitting me?! you evil hag!¡± the angry child stepped on all of my business items ¨C the wildflowers ¨C which deemed them unfit for sale. but i couldn¡¯t stop him because i was distracted by something else. you are close to ¡®adrian lionel von bernhard¡¯. if you find him within the time limit, the probability of a secret route occurring increases. if it was adrian, he was the crown prince which was a target character. ¡®why is such a man in the back alley?¡¯ Chapter 30.1 do you want to check the quest? yes no i nodded quickly as soon as the system window flashed. for some reason, adrian bernhard is roaming the back alleys. find him in a dangerous situation before the royal family does. reward for success: ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ secret route opens, charm 30, morality 30, ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ likeability 20 penalty for failure: ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ secret route closes, morality -50 ¡®what kind of quest is it that if you fail, your morality would decrease this much?¡¯ -50? edith abina wasn¡¯t a character with high morals in the first place, but a decline that ate up all the basic morality in her seemed too much. ¡®but i don¡¯t have to worry about her morality, do i?¡¯ i don¡¯t know about , but in , you didn¡¯t have to pay attention to the moral index unless you wanted a specific ending. if it falls below a certain level, it was impossible to get curtis, who valued morality, but i wasn¡¯t trying to target curtis right now. on the other hand, the reward was good compared to the penalty, so i accepted the quest without thinking much. then, an arrow the size of my face appeared from thin air to point where adrian bernhard was. ¡°old lady, are you crazy?¡± as i turned around the arrow, the child who was glaring at me began to murmur. ¡°today doesn¡¯t look quite good. i met a crazy old lady¡­¡± hearing his disgruntled murmur with one ear, i began to follow the arrows that seemed to be leading somewhere. the arrows grew bigger or smaller as i turned and walked. ¡®the arrows grow bigger when i get closer to adrian!¡¯ as i hit my palm with my fist, the child walked away as if concluding that i was indeed crazy. i didn¡¯t pay attention and followed the arrow instead. there was definitely a quest like this in . ¡®at that time, it was a quest to find hidden items, and not a target character.¡¯ i followed the arrow to a dark alley facing the red-light district, deeper and more secluded than the back alley of alms. my body shivered as i entered the entrance, signaling that there was danger all over. ¡°i don¡¯t think i should go carelessly¡­¡± but adrian was in this alley. ¡®i can¡¯t help it. let¡¯s just take a weapon then.¡¯ swallowing dry saliva, i entered the alley holding in my left hand a paper knife i used when i was still a maid. as i passed by several buildings without seeing red glass windows in front, i heard the sound of someone being beaten from the back of the building where the fishy smell was coming from. puck, puck! ¡°i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°you moron! i told you to treat him properly because he¡¯s an important guest!¡± puck, puck! ¡°well, i was wrong, i¡¯m sorry, i¡¯m sorry!¡± it wasn¡¯t two people fighting, but a violent one-sided beating of a guy. entering the alley as i followed the arrow by taking a few steps, i could see a figure lying flat on his stomach near the dirty sewer, and another man sighing heavily with a bottle of liquor in his hand. ¡°fuck! i bought you after seeing your face, but you can¡¯t even stand properly in front of customers, damn it!¡± the shaggy-bearded man roughly kicked the figure on the ground in the stomach, and struck him down on the head with the bottle in his hand. clink! the sharp rupture of the bottle made me grimace. a puddle of red blood spread near the head of the man who could only groan in pain. ¡®i¡¯m going to die like that.¡¯ even if the fallen man wasn¡¯t adrian, it was a sight that couldn¡¯t be overlooked. ¡°i bought this at an expensive price, but he¡¯s a completely defective guy! the bastard who sold slaves went underwater, and now i¡¯m the only one suffering!¡± the man muttered as he smoothed his pants. ¡°dude, this guy is properly drilled, right? that way, i can sell it to customers who have different tastes.¡± i stepped forward, frightened by the sound of a man who looked like a slave trader loosening his belt. oh, no! i had to protect adrian ¨C or whoever it was knocked out on the ground. Chapter 30.2 ¡°wait!¡± the slave trader who noticed me as i jumped out frowned grimly. ¡°what are you, damn it?¡± he wasn¡¯t very tall, but the man was twice as big as i was, and in his hand, he had a fearsome leather whip. i was a little frightened, but i raised my chin high, trying not to make it obvious. ¡°does this store even speak ill of its customers?¡± ¡°¡­customer?¡± the man narrowed his brows as if he doubted my words. ¡°yes.¡± i stepped forward indignantly at his question. ¡®let¡¯s not be discouraged. if i lose poise, i¡¯d be dead.¡¯ it was fortunate that i was able to cover my shabby outfit with a black robe. that way i could play an aristocrat who didn¡¯t want to be caught in a place such as this. ¡°wait, you¡¯re an aristocrat, right?¡± i was conscious of my identity and raked through the memory of edith abina. edith used to raise her chin a little and put emphasis to her voice with her eyes lowered halfway when she dealt with her subordinates. ¡°you¡¯ve got a very short cheeky tongue,¡± i opened my mouth, raising an eyebrow as edith would, ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­i¡¯m sorry. my name is marcus.¡± the man flinched and bowed his head as if my stare had worked. with his head still lowered, he glanced at my silver hair sticking out of the robe. in this world, pure silver or blonde hair was easier to distinguish from ordinary people as it usually only appeared with aristocrats. ¡°we didn¡¯t recognize you because you rarely visit us through the back door.¡± ¡°i got lost because it was my first visit to this store.¡± ¡°then i¡¯ll lead you inside.¡± i turned around, pretending to follow the man who introduced himself as marcus. ¡°what¡¯s with that kid?¡± the man, who was pointed at with an arrow that had grown as big as a person, was still lying on the ground moaning. ¡°that¡¯s the new store slave.¡± ¡°really? i like him, i¡¯ll choose that kid.¡± the slave trader shrugged as he glanced at the man who i believed to be adrian. ¡°but you won¡¯t be satisfied because he¡¯s bad at his job.¡± ¡°is that true?¡± ¡°yes. i can¡¯t stand him no matter what i do. he doesn¡¯t even take drugs.¡± i shook my head at the man¡¯s explanation. ¡°i don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°what?¡± the slave trader frowned as if he didn¡¯t understand what i said. i opened my mouth slowly, facing him who seemed to doubt me. ¡°i don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°oh, alright, suit yourself.¡± the man nodded as if he immediately understood the situation. ¡°okay, then i¡¯ll prepare it and send it to your room.¡± the place where the slave trader took me was a hallway that felt quite antique. the red velvet space was marked by tapestries and crystal chandeliers hanging everywhere. it¡¯s almost as if imitating an aristocratic mansion. ¡°you can wait here for a moment.¡± as he led me through a long corridor into the corner room, the slave trader took a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and handed it over to me. ¡°ah, customer. in our store, payment is made in advance.¡± the whiskey that he put down without identifying my identity as the customer was cheap. it was so cheap that even val¨¦rez wouldn¡¯t even look at it. ¡®i guess it¡¯s not a secret store that only deals with high-ranking aristocrats.¡¯ that¡¯s right, it explained why people treated as commodities were beaten like animals. i frowned as i remembered adrian, who was beaten up to the point he was wheezing. ¡°how much is this wine?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a hundred reso.¡± ¡°i¡¯ll give you a thousand resos. so, clean up the cheap alcohol i won¡¯t drink even if you give it for free.¡± i raised my chin, holding out the man¡¯s whiskey back toward him. ¡°my head hurts just by smelling it. at least bring me a brignac.¡± the man¡¯s expression became strange when i spoke of the wine val¨¦rez enjoyed drinking. i lowered my eyes at the thought he had caught me with my bluff. ¡°do you want me to move your room?¡± the man who was looking at me carefully opened his mouth. i snorted and nodded. ¡°well, now it works. i don¡¯t like this stuffy space.¡± ¡°we just remodeled a special room with a terrace. i¡¯ll show you there.¡± as i climbed up following the man¡¯s guidance, i glanced at the corner of my system window. [balance: 5 reso (5,000 won)] Chapter 31.1 entering the vip room with only 5,000 won, the man politely greeted me and walked away, then soon brought in adrian. ¡°since this is a valuable customer, you will serve her properly, okay?¡± frightened by the man¡¯s threat, adrian started crawling toward me with a shiver. i sighed at the sight of the crown prince crawling on all floors like an animal. you have cleared the quest. as soon as the man crawled up, without even confirming with my own eyes if it was truly adrian, the notification flashed that the quest was cleared. find ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ (success) congratulations! you found ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯. enter the secret route sunlight girl + ptsd boy. compensation: charm +30, morality +30, ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ likeability +20 i skimmed through the system window and looked back at adrian. he couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with me and was still lying flat on the ground, shaking like a tree in the wind. ¡°sorry, i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°what are you sorry about?¡± ¡°everything, everything, everything, everything, i¡¯m sorry.¡± adrian was apologizing non stop after he hit his head on my knee. pure tears trickled down from his jewel-like red eyes. ¡°do you happen to know your name?¡± ¡°this, name, no, no. i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± he was even sorry he didn¡¯t know his name. i didn¡¯t know what to do with adrian, who cried for me not to hit him. i let out a long sigh ¨C at a glance, i knew his condition wasn¡¯t normal. ¡®i think he was either drugged or hypnotized.¡¯ adrian didn¡¯t seem to have any awareness that he was the crown prince of a country. no, i even doubt he knew he was human. how did he end up like this? i don¡¯t think this kind of episode happened in . i¡¯ve never targeted adrian before, but i¡¯ve run into him several times when i played. in 10 plays, there wasn¡¯t a single game that adrian wasn¡¯t the crown prince. as far as i can remember, he was always a little arrogant and full of confidence, typical for royalty. ¡®his hair color is different now too.¡¯ perhaps the man who sold adrian to the red-light district dyed his hair, veiling his brilliant blonde hair to a faded gray color. perhaps it was to conceal his true identity. he wasn¡¯t even recognizable from his original appearance due to his shaggy hair that covered his face. ¡®he was famous for being the most handsome character among the male leads, but now i feel bad for him.¡¯ whether he was originally a crown prince or what, it was painful to see a person lose their wits and beg to that extent. watching adrian shivering made my heart ache. adrian von bernhard ¨C a quest related to the trainer + big dog route occurs. in the meantime, a notification appeared that a new quest had occurred. please resolve the insinuation of ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯. reward for success: morality 10, ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ likeability 30, crown prince¡¯s token penalty for failure: death of ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯. do you want to accept the quest? yes no ¡®d-d-death?!¡¯ i shuddered at the quest¡¯s description. if i refused the quest, it would automatically be a failure¡­ but death? aside from not being able to confirm if adrian was edith abina¡¯s true love, was it okay for this target character to die? ¡®anyway, i have no choice but to accept this quest.¡¯ when i nodded lightly, a bar similar to curtis¡¯ karma was formed above adrian¡¯s small head. ¡®how the hell do i break the insinuation?¡¯ should i remind him that he was actually a crown prince? i looked down at adrian, who glanced at me as he clung to the ground. ¡°excuse me¡­¡± before i could call out adrian, he jumped from below and approached me. ¡°wow¡­¡± shaking his frizzy hair in the air like an animal because of the cheap dye, he raised his arms as soon as his butt touched the sofa. ¡°oh, my.¡± then, was he actually touching my breasts?! i shoved him away in shock, but his arms were stronger than i thought because they looked so thin. Chapter 31.2 ¡°stop! stop!¡± ¡°wow, haha, this is the best¡­¡± the slave trader didn¡¯t seem to have thought that he bought a defective item. adrian, having lost his original faculties, mumbled incomprehensible words with his eyes unfocused as he squeezed my chest painfully. ¡°it hurts!¡± i cried at the unexpected pain. ¡°hey, you punk! the customer doesn¡¯t like it! what are you doing?¡± the slave trader who returned with the brignac terrified adrian and separated from me. fuck! the man kicked adrian and he was pushed with a thump to the wall. he looked back at me, rubbing his palms courteously. ¡°oh, i¡¯m so sorry about this! as i said before, he¡¯s not good at his job at all.¡± the slave trader opened his mouth, then glanced at adrian with an uneasy look. he must fear that i might complain. ¡°you must¡¯ve been very flustered, right? i¡¯ll quickly get back to you with a better man.¡± adrian, who was beaten again moments ago, was coughing blood on the floor. the tips of his fingers, which fell on the floor like broken branches, trembled. it was a hard sight to watch. i couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut, so i licked my lips and approached the slave trader. ¡°how much is that child?¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i want to buy it, so tell me the price.¡± perhaps because he didn¡¯t expect it, the man¡¯s jaw dropped with a bewildered face. ¡°that guy? as you can see, he¡¯s not functioning right in his own job¡­¡± but then the slave trader changed his attitude in an instant, flicking his tongue like a tentacle. ¡°oh, but this one¡¯s appearance is amazing. he is quite popular if you only focus on his face.¡± i frowned at the man¡¯s quick change in demeanor. ¡°how much will you sell it for? just answer that.¡± ¡°store slaves are not for sale.¡± i laughed in amazement at his words. lies. the man must be desperate to sell adrian. ¡°really? then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°but!¡± he suddenly said as he reached out to me in urgency as i stepped back, ¡°this is not the case! i will give it to you at a special price.¡± the slave trader laughed a little and then added, ¡°give me 10,000 resos.¡± ten thousand¡­ it was money that i didn¡¯t have as a beggar. but i confidently rummaged through my pockets, pretending to have money in the first place, then took out a checkbook. ¡°i don¡¯t have cash, so i¡¯ll write you a check. bring me a pen.¡± the slave trader scratched his chin as if he was embarrassed by my request. ¡°i¡¯m sorry, but we only accept cash.¡± ¡°i didn¡¯t bring that much today.¡± ¡°then i¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t buy this guy today.¡± i raised my chin indignantly, showing that i was offended by the man¡¯s firm words. ¡°it¡¯s a chance to create debt for the marquis of abina, but you¡¯re really stupid.¡± ¡°ah, the marquis of abina?¡± ¡°yes. marquis abina.¡± when i said abina¡¯s name, the man¡¯s eyes widened. the marquis of abina was one of only three marquises in the empire. moreover, although his recent series of business failures have reduced his popularity, the family was famous for its wealth. ¡°haven¡¯t you heard that marquis abina¡¯s daughter had silver hair that seemed to have been woven by grinding the moon, and the self-confidence that smelled like the scent of violets?¡± it was a very brazen remark, but it wasn¡¯t a lie. i whipped off the hood that i was wearing to prove my words. i wondered if edith abina¡¯s beauty was astonishing, but the man facing me lowered his head as if surprised. ¡°being lowly, i dare not recognize the young lady of abina! i apologize!¡± he politely bowed his head in a completely different manner from when i encountered him in the alley. i looked down the top of the man¡¯s head, and opened my arrogant mouth again. ¡°are you still not going to accept the check?¡± ¡°if you are indeed the young lady abina, you may only fill out a form.¡± ¡°all right. i¡¯ll take this kid right now, so get ready.¡± i nodded at the man who rubbed his hands like a fly. ¡°you can fill out the form for me, lirina abina.¡± Chapter 32.1 ¡°take this with you.¡± ¡°¡­what is this?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a magical tool that binds slaves. use it when he doesn¡¯t listen or when you¡¯re bored.¡± the rod that the slave trader handed over had a simple design without any decorations, but a dark red stone was embedded in the top. it didn¡¯t look expensive, presumably from its turbid light, but it seemed to be a magic stone linked to the jewel in the choker adrian was wearing around his neck. ¡°if you wave it like this-¡± the slave trader slammed the rod from top to bottom while pressing down on the jewel, saying that he¡¯d personally demonstrate to me. ¡°ugh!¡± as if affected by the magic tool, adrian wrapped his hand around the black choke and began wriggling in pain. ¡°ugh! ugh!¡± embarrassed at adrian¡¯s pain, who couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, i hurriedly stretched out my arms. ¡°okay! i know how to use it, so give me that!¡± i took the magic tool from the slave trader with a fierce glare. ¡°yes. be careful with it.¡± the man sold his useless slave at a high price and disappeared into the store, humming happily. ¡®¡­what now?¡¯ sitting in the dark back alley where i found adrian earlier, i sighed, glancing at him who was fluttering like a fish out of water. it was good to leave the store after signing the papers by proudly selling lirina¡¯s name, but i had no place to take adrian. ¡®i can¡¯t beg with the crown prince, my situation would only become more difficult.¡¯ kring kring i wiped my embarrassed face with one hand, but before i knew it, adrian crawled toward me like a dog. ¡°why¡­?¡± he began to bang his head on my leg, making a constant groan. ¡°hey, do you want me to touch you?¡± his behavior was no different than that of a dog. i carefully raised my hand and stroked adrian¡¯s head. the frizzy gray hair scattered helplessly in my hands, and adrian closed his eyes as if satisfied with my touch. swoop, swoop. as i brushed his untidy hair, the crown prince moved his forehead along my palm. ¡®homeless people sometimes bring dogs with them¡­¡¯ however, i can¡¯t treat his highness like a real puppy because he behaved like one. i had no choice but to revise today¡¯s schedule. ¡®i was going to just sleep with a newspaper on the floor tonight, but it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡¯ as a former young lady and a current beggar, i could be homeless, but having the crown prince sleep on the street was a bit of a stretch. * * * ¡°stay here for a moment.¡± i found a pawnshop near the entertainment district and tied the string connected to adrian¡¯s choker in front of a streetlight at the store front. whine¡­ when i turned to enter the store, i could hear adrian whining as he looked at my back moving away. ¡°why are you crying?¡± i went back to adrian, whose thick tears were falling to the floor. ¡°urr¡­ throw away, urr¡­ throw away.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not throwing you away. just leaving you alone for a moment.¡± i stroked adrian¡¯s hair as he looked afraid to be left alone in the streets, and searched my pockets. ¡°eat this,¡± i said as i handed him my chocolate, ¡°i¡¯ll be right back.¡± he tilted his head at the chocolate. oh, but you can¡¯t give chocolates to dogs. my brows furrowed as i pulled my hands away for a moment. wait, he¡¯s not a real dog! ¡°it¡¯s chocolate. now, ah!¡± ¡°oh.¡± i popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth, which opened up as he mimicked me. as the sweetness burst into his mouth, his anxious face became a little relieved. ¡°good boy. wait a minute here, okay?¡± i gave adrian the rest of the chocolate and rushed into the store. ¡°i¡¯d like to pawn some things to you.¡± ¡°yes. what is it?¡± i rummaged through my item pocket and then pulled out a flashy dress. ¡°this dress. there are a lot of jewels on it, so how much can i get?¡± it was the emergency fund dress that i stole from ares¡¯ mansion. the clerk¡¯s eyes almost fell out of its sockets as he checked the diamonds hanging from the sleeve and shoulders of the dress. ¡°the frills are also a high-end lace, and this gem is also a high-end diamond. i can give you a thousand resos for a dress like this.¡± at the clerk¡¯s offer, i raised my chin arrogantly just as when i dealt with the slave trader earlier. maybe because i¡¯ve tried it before, acting as an aristocratic lady didn¡¯t feel that difficult anymore. Chapter 32.2 ¡°a thousand resos? your eyes must be on the soles of your feet!¡± ¡°what¡­?¡± when i turned sharply to walk out, the clerk ran out of his stand and rushed with a stupid face. ¡°customer! where are you going?¡± ¡°i can¡¯t leave my dress in a place where its value isn¡¯t appreciated. i¡¯ll go to another store.¡± ¡°no, please! i¡¯ll give you two thousand resos!¡± i turned around, slowly lowering my hand that had been stretched to open the door at the clerk¡¯s urgent new offer. ¡°two thousand five hundred.¡± ¡°if we offer that high, there will be nothing left for us.¡± ¡°two thousand eight hundred.¡± at my firm words, the clerk jumped and asked, ¡°what? why is the price going up?¡± i slowly parted my lips, staring at him with a frown at his nonsense. ¡°now three thousand. that is the price of wasting my time.¡± ¡°oh, i see! ¡°three thousand, three thousand, please wait a moment!¡± even the frills were delicate and the fabric made of silver itself made the dress unique, so it seemed expensive. the clerk quickly disappeared into a room, afraid that i might change my mind. ¡®shouldn¡¯t i have priced it higher?¡¯ i wondered, seemingly regretting settling for three thousand. i sat on the stool and tapped the stand with my fingers. adrian¡¯s insinuation, by the way, was somehow a joke. i was so immersed in my thoughts that i didn¡¯t even notice someone entered the store. ¡°are you selling this dress?¡± i raised my head in surprise at the familiar voice coming from behind. ¡°still thrifty, my lady.¡± the man who laughed behind me as if amazed was val¨¦rez. he was smiling, but i could only bite my lips at his ice cold eyes. ¡°oh, it¡¯s not like that.¡± in other words, he saw me trying to bring his stuff out and sell it. i had nothing to say, so i just shut my lips tight. ares heaved a long sigh, swept my head up and looked at me. ¡°it¡¯s all right. you can sell it. you don¡¯t even want to have it from a bad guy like me.¡± i rolled my fingers into a fist at val¨¦rez¡¯s thorny words. how could i explain this? my body trembled with anxiety. it would be right to apologize and return the dress to him, but i really needed the money from the pawnshop now. i didn¡¯t know when the slave trader who knew me as ¡®lirina¡¯ would come and find me, and i had to hide from marquis abina¡¯s eyes. ¡®i really need that money to survive right now!¡¯ ¡°i didn¡¯t mean to sell it because i didn¡¯t want it. i¡¯m sorry.¡± val¨¦rez slowly opened his mouth, lowering his head like a bamboo spear over the top of my head. ¡°it¡¯s true that i gave it to you to wear, so sell it.¡± i was relieved by val¨¦rez¡¯s permission. however, his sharp words stung like a blade against my ears. ¡°i don¡¯t even want to take back the clothes you wore because they¡¯re dirty.¡± it¡¯s dirty¡­ he put a lot of emphasis on that last word. don¡¯t get hurt. i can¡¯t afford to even get hurt by what he said out of anger. ¡°¡­i see. thank you.¡± i didn¡¯t disagree with val¨¦rez¡¯s words, and he frowned thinking whether he liked my answer or not. ¡°oh, boss! what brings you here?¡± the returning clerk pretended to know val¨¦rez. ¡°because i saw a face i knew just passing by,¡± val¨¦rez continued as he pointed at the clear shop¡¯s window with his chin. ¡°this dress, give her a good price. this is our house diva outfit.¡± at his request, the clerk nodded and gave me the money bag he brought from inside. ¡°yes, boss! actually, this lady is really good at bargaining. we¡¯ve paid her the right price.¡± ¡°yes.¡± ares briefly shook his head at the clerk¡¯s words and then turned around. he murmured a little with his back toward me, somehow looking a little forlorn. ¡°well, i¡¯m in a hurry, so i¡¯m leaving it here for now. it¡¯s not for sale.¡± it was a ridiculous excuse to say that the daughter of marquis abina was in a hurry. from ares¡¯ point of view, it sounded like an unpleasant lie. ¡°i¡¯m in a real hurry. if it weren¡¯t for that, i would never leave the dress in a place like this.¡± but i meant it. ¡°because it¡¯s from lord ares.¡± did he hear me or not? val¨¦rez left the pawnshop without an answer. ¡®val¨¦rez toledo¡¯ likeability is decreasing. -3 i shut my eyes tightly at the system message that spread in pure white. Chapter 33.1 the air that touched val¨¦rez forearm, which revealed that summer was coming to an end, was as cold as his likeability. when i returned to adrian with the money bag that the clerk gave me, i finally heaved a long sigh that i couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°haa¡­¡± ¡°.¡± ¡°haaa¡­¡± ¡°!¡± adrian noticed that my expression wasn¡¯t good, and he groaned and slammed his head at the palm of my hand. aware of adrian¡¯s condition at that sound, i untied his leash from the street lamp. ¡°shall we go?¡± he didn¡¯t seem to understand me, and only blinked his big eyes. although the hair dye covered the prince¡¯s brilliant blonde hair, it was the same that nothing could hide his shining red eyes. ¡°shall we go home?¡± his head slowly nodded at my repeated words. of course, we didn¡¯t have house to go home to, but i moved on with him, hiding the frivolous situation i am in from him. the long dusk comforted my drooping back. * * * food, clothing, and shelter were basic human needs. among them, i had to solve the ¡®shelter¡¯ first. neither adrian nor i were naked, and we still had chocolate, so what we needed for now was a roof over our heads. ¡®as real estate would say, it¡¯s old, but it¡¯s not bad.¡¯ the house that i obtained for a thousand from the three thousand resos earned from pawning the dress was a small house located at the outskirts of the imperial capital. ¡°hey.¡± i stared blankly at adrian, who jumped over the creaky white fence and began digging with his hands then opened his mouth. ¡°excuse me¡­ hey?¡± only then did he notice that i was calling him, so he looked up at me. i pursed my lips at the thought that i couldn¡¯t keep on calling him, ¡®hey¡¯. ¡°since you say you don¡¯t remember your name, i¡¯ll just name you myself. okay?¡± adrian neither approved or disapproved. i decided by myself that his original name, adrian, should be shortened to rian. ¡°rian, this is our home for the time being.¡± the two-story house for a family of four was far smaller than marquis abina¡¯s residence or where adrian used to live. if socks were thrown into a hotel room, the marquis abina was the hotel room, and this house was the sock. is the imperial palace about the size of a hallway that contains all the hotel rooms? there was that much of a difference. ¡®of course, it¡¯s much bigger than the studio i originally lived in¡­¡¯ i could get along in this space without a problem, but adrian might be different. still, i wanted him to feel a little less stuffy about the situation, so i chose an old house with a yard, and not a new place with the same price but a little narrower. ¡®it wasn¡¯t a bad price if it was a thousand resos to rent a month.¡¯ i wasn¡¯t an expert on the monetary value of this world very well, but a bottle of medicine that i liked to buy in cost a thousand resos, so i think the house i bought was good enough for its price. ¡°rest for a while. i¡¯ll get you some medicine.¡± leaving adrian, i quickly looked into the living room and picked up my robe again. ¡°!¡± then adrian, who had been sniffing under the kitchen shelf, ran to me in fright. the leash that hung from his choker dragged on the dusty floor. ¡°huuu¡­¡± adrian clung on to my leg in front of the door and cried. tears soon formed in his big, round eyes, and they fell down and wet the top of my feet. ¡°why are you crying?¡± i felt like a terrible person who left a puppy at home and went out alone. if a dog like this was at home, he¡¯d end up getting his throat hoarse from all the crying. i sat down, pressing one side of my throbbing chest. ¡°i¡¯ll be right back. you kept your promise at the pawnshop earlier.¡± ¡°huuu!¡± as if telling me not to lie, adrian¡¯s whining grew louder. then, he pushed me out of the door and started banging his head on the floor. thud! ¡°okay, wrong.¡± thud! thud! ¡°wrong, wrong¡­ throw away, throw away, don¡¯t.¡± adrian¡¯s forehead immediately started to bleed as he hit hard. startled, i ran to him and pressed my palm on his forehead where the blood was flowing. ¡°stop! stop!¡± Chapter 33.2 ¡°punishment, punishment, accept, accept.¡± ¡°no! i won¡¯t go out! please stop!¡± this will cost us more medicine, you bastard! i could only groan in frustration. i was going to buy some medicine because of the various wounds around his body that looked pretty serious, but i can¡¯t believe they were self-inflicted. i felt like i could hear the terrible sound of a hole in my money bag. ¡®it can¡¯t be helped. i brought emergency medicine from the marquis, so i guess it will be enough.¡¯ adrian began to tremble as i raised my voice. i hugged his shaking back, and opened my mouth with a sigh. ¡°there is no reason for me to punish rian. so don¡¯t do this.¡± i didn¡¯t want to hurt the crown prince and lose my neck later. ¡°bee, you don¡¯t want to?¡± rian¡¯s eyes turned to large balls at my words. i burst out laughing because the eyes looked like puppy eyes. cute. ¡°yes, i don¡¯t.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°what do you mean why?¡± i continued, wiping rian¡¯s face wet with tears with the back of my hand. ¡°you¡¯re so nice, why should punish you?¡± ¡°good, good, rian.¡± ¡°yes. rian is nice. why would i punish a good person?¡± adrian was originally an arrogant prince character if i remember correctly. but adrian in front of me now looked like a fragile sheep. i walked into the bathroom with rian, who was bobbing his head up and down. ¡°wash up and come out. i¡¯ll apply some medicine.¡± ¡°wash, wash.¡± rian, who managed to understand the word ¡®wash¡¯, held on to his tattered top. as he threw off his shirt that looked like a rag, his blotchy body came into view. ¡®what the fuck, those bastards!¡¯ how could they hit a person to this extent? my teeth gnashed as i tried to control my anger. i don¡¯t know when he lost his memories as a crown prince and was brought to slavery, but the scars on his body were dense and told of the mistreatment that he endured. i scoured everywhere from scarred cuts to bloodless wounds, and furrowed my brows. ¡®who did this? and why? who the hell would do this to the one and only imperial crown prince?¡¯ the background of the imperial family¡¯s circumstances was never properly explained, so even i, who cleared the game several times, had no clue. ¡°hwaa, are you angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°hwaa, are you angry? this?¡± rian fell to his knees in response to my expression, which had turned rigid. he crawled up to me on all fours like an animal again. ¡°me, sorry. sin, sin, sorry.¡± ¡°i¡¯m not mad at rian.¡± i felt like crying a little, so i stroked his head, which kissed the top of my foot. ¡°so, you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°wash up. come on, wash up.¡± adrian moved his body to rush and carry through the tasks he was given. it was good that he folded the shirt he¡¯d taken off, but he grabbed me as i was about to leave the bathroom and hugged me. ¡°¡­rian?¡± for a moment, i was startled by adrian¡¯s strength as he lifted me up with his skinny arms. i raised my arm in surprise at his behavior of sitting me at the edge of the bathtub and trying to undress me. ¡°what are you doing?¡± ¡°wash, wash, master.¡± ¡°no, i¡¯m not telling you to wash me, i¡¯m telling you to wash rian.¡± ¡°wash, master. wash it. it¡¯s dirty.¡± more¡­ dirty. rian¡¯s murmur made me speechless. ¡°do i smell?¡± come to think of it, i didn¡¯t wash properly after i was kicked out of val¨¦rez¡¯s mansion. rian unbuttoned my dress, frowning whether i was shocked or not. tok¡­ tok¡­ the sound of metal buttons slipping through the cloth rings echoed through the cramped bathroom. i swallowed my saliva with the strange atmosphere around us. ¡®wait. can we check if adrian is edith abina¡¯s true love or not before the insinuation is lifted?¡¯ adrian skillfully untied my clothes before i had the time to do it myself. returning from folding my clothes, he reached for my slip. as the soft feeling of silk brushing against my skin disappeared, only bareness was left exposed to the air. on my swollen breasts, there remained adrian¡¯s handprints from when he held them earlier. ¡°rian? rian?¡± he lifted me up again, who became his master in an instant. heck. his large hand that contrasted his small fine face, grabbed my butt. Chapter 34.1 adrian sat between my knees and bowed his head. the sudden pleasure made the back of my head stand upright. the sound of sucking the soft clitoris echoed strangely in my ears. slurp¡­ slurp¡­ ¡°now, wait. wow!¡± fearing that i would slip, my fingers gripped the edge of the bathtub tighter. adrian held my waist firmly with one hand as if it was okay to relax. although skinny, his strong arms supported my body with surprising stability. he kissed my knee as soft and light as a bird¡¯s feather, then he opened my thighs again and sucked me. scattered petal-like patterns stained my white skin. ¡®what the hell is this?! what the hell did they teach him?¡¯ shaking, i checked that rian¡¯s front was bulging as he sat between my separated knees. ¡®didn¡¯t they say he was useless?¡¯ it was strange that the slave trader scolded adrian for not being able to do his job properly. and besides, rather than being unable to control himself, it was likely too much. i expected erectile dysfunction from what the slave trader said, but i¡¯m not exaggerating as it seemed to be thicker than my forearm that i could only bite the inside of my cheek. ¡®it¡¯s crazy. i don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to fit no matter how hard i try.¡¯ or wouldn¡¯t it? since curtis¡¯ size wasn¡¯t normal too and we already had sex, adrian¡¯s might be possible. adrian raised his head sharply as i rolled my eyes comparing their sizes. ¡°good.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°my smell. good.¡± what is he saying? however, adrian, who had no shame or anything, blushed. a delicate face that subtly stood out between being a man and a boy. his plump, scarlet lips, which were slightly parted, were shiny with the juices of my arousal and his saliva. ¡®is it okay?¡¯ i felt guilty for a moment. what am i doing with a man that was not in his right mind? it just didn¡¯t seem right. ¡°rian, wait a minute.¡± i pushed rian aside and pulled my legs together. ¡°this wasn¡¯t what i meant when i said to wash up. let¡¯s just really clean ourselves, meticulously,¡± i explained. he tilted his head, and then turned around. he grabbed my leg as i reached out to turn on the water. ¡°wash up.¡± rian, who opened my legs again, grabbed my thighs so that i wouldn¡¯t move, and stared at my vagina. ¡°wash. i will.¡± my stomach turned into a knot at his shy gaze. emotional. my aroused quim spilled slippery liquid. rian didn¡¯t know how to take his eyes off my wet pussy. ¡°pretty.¡± slowly. his delicate eyelashes, filled with tears, seemed to be moving, revealing a soft lump of flesh between his lips. his soft, damp, warm tongue licked my pubic hair. as if searching for something, his tongue pressed up and down and moved greatly from one place to another. ¡°¡­whoa!¡± adrian found my sensitive part, and sucked on it slightly. i shivered all over, gasping and holding on to the tap. my whole body felt weak as if i would slip into the tub at any moment, but adrian¡¯s arm was enough to support me. ¡°huh, uh, ah¡­!¡± my hand reached out unknowingly to stroke adrian¡¯s hair before i could even think about it. holding on to his messy hair, i soon let go of it. even the sensation was so good that it took my breath away. adrian, with his face between my legs, grabbed my butt with the hand that wasn¡¯t supporting me. it was a rough touch like when he grabbed my breast earlier, but now even the pain felt pleasurable. a tingling sensation jolted from beneath me that i jolted in shock. oh, i don¡¯t know anymore. in the end, i sat close to adrian with my legs on his skinny shoulders. every time he licked my vagina, the tickling feeling spread all over my body. it¡¯s painful. good. no, was it? ¡°aah!¡± as the fickle sensation spread throughout my body, my vision turned blurry as i tilted my head back to the fullest. from the corner of my eyes full of tears, i caught sight of a familiar system window notification. if you have sex with ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ in this state, the ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ route would be destroyed. do you want to proceed? yes no ¡°crazy¡­¡± i murmured a curse with utmost sincerity more than ever. startled by what i said, adrian looked up and asked, ¡°hwaa, are you angry?¡± i swept my bangs with one hand and looked down at his face which was a messy mixture of liquids. ¡°no, i¡¯m not angry.¡± at least not at you. Chapter 34.2 i shook my head, staring at the fucking system window. if adrian¡¯s route was destroyed, the penalty would be his death, and there¡¯s no way i¡¯d choose that. ¡°rian, come and wash up with me.¡± with a regretful sigh, i refused to have sex with adrian, and twisted the tap. shhhhh¡­ the stream of water pouring into the bathtub heated up. ¡°all you have to do is wash up. you don¡¯t have to do this to me.¡± at last, adrian nodded his head carefully and settled down in the bathtub. i somehow washed his skinny body, which seemed to have calmed down. ¡®fuck it, i¡¯m getting hornier at this rate¡­¡¯ once i¡¯d escape the game, i¡¯d make sure to leave a single star or half a review. i ground my teeth and continued to wash adrian and myself. * * * ¡°well, i¡¯ll apply some medicine, so stay calm.¡± having adrian toweled and dried after washing thoroughly, i put my index finger on his forehead as he sat on the floor with a large towel around him. ¡°sigh. don¡¯t move.¡± when i sternly warned him from trying to leave, he pouted his lips and scratched the floor with his fingernails. ¡°huu¡­¡± i smiled at adrian¡¯s whining, the sound like a deflating balloon. do people like this? ¡°i know it hurts, but please be patient. otherwise it won¡¯t heal properly.¡± i glanced at adrian¡¯s tearful face and began to apply a lot of ointment to his back. my heart ached from just looking at it. ¡°phew. this wound will scar.¡± i breathed a sad sigh at the huge wound which didn¡¯t scab yet. even i wouldn¡¯t be able to resist scratching that. ¡°you were born beautiful. your mother must be very upset if she ever saw this.¡± fortunately, his face was untouched as i guess they feared his value would fall. however, the empress must be very upset that the noble body of the crown prince was this hurt and damaged. ¡®come to think of it, was there an empress in this empire?¡¯ ¡°mother? mother? master?¡± rian tilted his head at my words and pointed at me with her fingertips. i frowned with a straight face at his gesture. ¡°oh, no. not me. i¡¯m not rian¡¯s mother. never,¡± i shook my head firmly. to think rian and i did that in the bathroom earlier and he¡¯d mistake me for his mother¡­ rian thought i rejected him, and discouraged, he got down and hit his head again on the floor. ¡°huuu¡­ huuuu¡­¡± i stared blankly at the floor puddled with his tears and cleared my throat. ¡°i have to say, since i¡¯m practically in limbo, i might say i¡¯m the master of the limbo.¡± adrian smiled broadly when he raised his head at my little murmur. i glanced at him smiling and scratching his cheek. he was really cute. so, so cute. ¡®adrian von bernhard¡¯ is freed from the abnormal condition ¡®pain¡¯. his wounds slowly begin to heal. ¡­ 10% of adrian von bernhard¡¯s insinuation is canceled. i was relieved to see adrian¡¯s bar slowly filled up. i was concerned if his insinuations weren¡¯t lifted, but fortunately i was proven wrong. according to the quest description, it seemed that if i fed adrian well and let him rest well, the insinuation would be resolved. ¡®the question is, how do you send him off without being attached¡­?¡¯ even now, the thought of sending him to the palace still hurts my heart, but it was a real problem to get attached. adrian, who would become the arrogant crown prince again once this quest was done, would never stay with me and become my pet. ¡°rian, shall we eat now?¡± after washing and treating his wounds, it was time to eat and go to bed later. ¡®we ate all the chocolate earlier¡­ oh, there must be potatoes from when i worked as a maid.¡¯ the pockets of possession provided by the system weren¡¯t infinite, but it felt like doraemon¡¯s pocket without physical restrictions. i recalled putting in potatoes that i had gathered for the maid quest, so i was able to find ingredients and have a simply rough meal. as soon as i entered the kitchen with adrian, a knock rang from the front door. knock knock ¡®who is it? did he come to the wrong house?¡¯ i¡¯ve just moved in, so i¡¯m pretty sure i wasn¡¯t expecting any guests. i tried to calm down my startled heart, but the trembling of my fingers didn¡¯t settle down as easily. ¡®if i don¡¯t open it, it¡¯ll go.¡¯ i listened far away from the door, but then i heard a familiar lively voice call out. ¡°young lady! young lady abina!¡± knock knock knock knock knock ¡°it¡¯s jian! please open the door!¡± Chapter 35.1 click click click! when no answer came from inside, jian began to turn the door handle. i looked at the rattling door and trembled. ¡®isn¡¯t that door going to break because it¡¯s old?¡¯ what should i do if she opens it? should i just kick her and run away? as i contemplated on my choices, jian opened her mouth again. ¡°young lady edith abina! young lady¡­!¡± bang bang! i was taken aback by her knocking on the door and crying my name out loud. what is she trying to do? i had no choice but to open the door and stuck out my head without fully unlocking the lock. i didn¡¯t even want to let others know i was here, knowing i used lirina¡¯s name to buy adrian. ¡°what are you doing here, saintess?¡± ¡°young lady! i¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe!¡± jian smiled broadly after checking my bitter face. she opened her mouth, pushing her gentle face close through the cracks of the door. ¡°can you open the door for me?¡± why is she so obsessed with the door? i shook my head firmly as i looked at her face blocked and pressed by the door a bit grotesquely. ¡°i don¡¯t want to. if you have anything to say, say it outside the door.¡± ¡°first of all, i-i want to apologize to the young lady. no matter how worried i was, i was wrong to let the man know who young lady was. i¡¯m sorry.¡± i don¡¯t know if her intention can be called a mistake, but i listened to her words with one ear and let them spill out the other. ¡°yes, i will accept your apology. now go back.¡± nodding roughly, i pushed the door close, but jian put her hand in between the gaps and cried out, ¡°now, wait a minute!¡± ¡°take your hand out, or you¡¯ll get hurt,¡± i said indifferently, losing no strength in pushing on the door. ¡°don¡¯t you want to expose the marquis?!¡± as if it didn¡¯t hurt, jian continued as she blocked the closing door with her long spider-like arms. ¡°i know what he did to you! i¡¯ll help edith accuse him before the temple!¡± i frowned at jian¡¯s hasty words. ¡°how does jian know that the marquis tried to do something terrible to me?¡± ¡°err, curtis told me.¡± she¡¯s flying around and light-mouthed. i smiled as i recalled curtis¡¯ heartless face. ¡°i¡¯ll take care of the marquis myself. saint, i don¡¯t need your help, so please leave me alone.¡± jian chewed her lips nervously at my mocking words. ¡°i can¡¯t leave edith alone,¡± she murmured. ¡°why?¡± ¡°because i¡¯m a saint. it¡¯s my duty to help people in need.¡± stunned, i shrugged my shoulders at jian¡¯s excuse. ¡°there are a lot of people who are struggling, straight that way and turn left. they are all over the place. help them instead.¡± i gave jian the location of the street beggars, but instead of leaving for the more needy, she clung more tightly to the door. ¡°no, i really want to help the young lady. i am responsible for you being in this situation.¡± ¡°i mean, damn it,¡± i said as my eyes turned cold toward jian, who was like a leech, ¡°i said i don¡¯t need your help.¡± bang! when i pushed the door so hard it made a noise, jian shook her arm, but she didn¡¯t fall from the door. ¡°get out of here. why are you so dumb?¡± i told her. ¡°hey, young lady¡­ ugh, how could you say such a harsh word?¡± i glared my eyes at the tearful jian, and replied, ¡°do you want to get hit again? do you want me to rip your mouth so you won¡¯t make a fuss the next time?¡± i really meant it. i wanted to grab that pretty face and rip her apart. i¡¯m having a hard time because of her. why is she disturbing me in the first place?! i knew edith was obsessed with curtis, but there was no reason for jian to disturb me now. at least if it was the game story i knew. ¡°huuu¡­ but this time, young lady is really in danger! please believe me!¡± jian, who began to cry, trembled and started pleading. it was repulsive. ¡°i saw the marquis abina running wild, saying that young lady made debt to the marquis.¡± i trembled at jian¡¯s words. ¡°¡­where?¡± ¡°right around here. i was looking for the young lady.¡± the marquis of abina is approaching. Chapter 35.2 the marquis of abina is approaching. if you¡¯re caught by the marquis abina, edith abina¡¯s sanity will collapse. unfortunately, what jian said was true. jian¡¯s eyes twinkled as if she noticed that i believed her words. ¡°i can stop the marquis from looking for the young lady.¡± i pursed my lips at the darkness that settled in jian¡¯s gentle eyes that shone through the cracks in the door. ¡°do you want to be captured and dragged into the room of punishment by the marquis?¡± jian opened her mouth even before i could ask how she knew about the ¡®room of punishment¡¯. ¡°i have warping ability,¡± she quickly added, ¡°i can move the young lady somewhere the marquis can¡¯t find.¡± marquis of abina is approaching. marquis of abina is approaching. the marquis of abina is very close. marquis abina is getting close and edith abina¡¯s sanity begins to collapse. status abnormality: shortness of breath ¡°oh, my!¡± instinctively aware of the danger, edith¡¯s body began to tremble. i glanced at the distorted window and opened the door. tap tap! quickly locking the door, i glared at jian who was lying on the floor, and spoke with twisted lips, ¡°ha, conditions, ha haaa¡­¡± adrian clung to me, seeing i was having a hard time breathing. to reassure him, i stroked his shaggy hair and continued speaking. ¡°there are conditions.¡± ¡°what conditions?¡± ¡°i don¡¯t want to be warped with jian to the great temple.¡± for some reason, jian tried to take me to the great temple and make me her maid. when i pointed out that part, she gently touched the drooping corners of her eyes and nodded. ¡°i won¡¯t bring you to the great temple. i swear in the name of god.¡± my eyes narrowed when the words, ¡®i swear¡¯ came out of her mouth. jian was a saint, and in this world, the oath made by a saint in the name of god had special restrictions. in , the game would reset if the saint didn¡¯t keep her oath to god¡¯s name. in other words, she was going to die. ¡°¡­all right. then move me to a place where the marquis can¡¯t find me.¡± i stared at jian, who looked as if she was willing to die to gain my faith, and nodded. smiling and saying she was happy to help me, jian glanced at adrian, who was stuck to my legs like a giant cicada. ¡°who is that?¡± i was worried that she¡¯d recognize adrian, the crown prince, but she fortunately didn¡¯t seem to know anything. ¡°i¡¯ve just¡­¡± i couldn¡¯t answer her question as easily and licked my lips. how should i introduce him? pupp? slave? crown prince? ¡°oh, i see. it¡¯s popular in the imperial capital these days. i don¡¯t agree, but i¡¯ll understand in particular this time.¡± jian glanced at my troubled face and adrian, and she shrugged her shoulders. ¡°then should i move this person with you?¡± ¡°yes, please.¡± at my words, jian slowly approached adrian. it was at that moment as she started to chant her spell when¡­ ¡°argh!¡± adrian but jian¡¯s arm. no, biting didn¡¯t even cover the real description of what he did. blood had literally splashed in front of my eyes. ¡°jian, jian!¡± i was embarrassed by the blood everywhere and ran to jian. she sat on the floor holding her bleeding forearm, then looked back at me with tearful eyes. ¡°what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°i¡¯m sorry. he must¡¯ve been frightened by your sudden approach.¡± ¡°you¡¯re not a beast. how can you bite a person like that?¡± i held adrian in my arms as he gritted his teeth at jian¡¯s sharp cry. ¡°grrrrr¡­¡± jian, slightly surprised by the brutal sound coming from his mouth, rolled her fist. ¡°just this once, i¡¯ll forgive you for the young lady,¡± she said, trying to be brave. you¡¯re lying. you¡¯re scared. i nodded half-heartedly in sympathy with jian. then, as soon as she tried to appease the surprised adrian, someone started banging on the door, the clatter of armor audible. ¡°edith abina! edith abina are you here?¡± the marquis¡¯ knights have found me. ¡°hurry up and warp me.¡± it was a pity i couldn¡¯t make a nest when i just spent a thousand resos in this house, but i had no choice but to hurry jian, hugging adrian tightly. ¡°hurry up!¡± the forceful knocks of the knights on the doors began to crack it. looking back at jian urgently with a white face, she finished her chant and put her hand on her head after finishing. ¡°warp!¡± jump! the door opened. ¡°edith¡­¡± i stuck my tongue out, facing the face of the piggy marquis through the door. Chapter 36.1 i knew this would happen. getting out from the dizzying warp, i frowned at the fine sand caught in my palm. as expected, kim jian wouldn¡¯t warp me to the right place. ¡®where the hell am i¡­?¡¯ we were at a place i had never seen while playing the game. an exotic scent that i¡¯ve never smelled before stung my nose. abandoned on the sandy beach where my feet sunk, i looked around hoping that it wasn¡¯t a deserted island. ¡®foreign country?¡¯ i wondered, ¡®it doesn¡¯t look like the original setting of the alfrenheim empire.¡¯ the alfrenheim empire, where the grand duke of the north existed, was a country nestled inland where even going southernmost, you wouldn¡¯t even feel the scorching heat. glancing at the scorching sun, i tapped adrian on the back as he felt weak and puked from being in the warp. ¡°oooh! woof! woof!¡± sunlight scattered on his blonde hair, which has been slightly washed off the dye after taking a bath. i scratched my cheek looking at the sand as white as his brilliant hair. ¡®why did jian send me to this place?¡¯ what was jian¡¯s plan? i was so distracted earlier that i didn¡¯t even realize. it was suspicious that jian knew how to use warp magic. she was a saint, not a wizard. ¡®there was no warp in the skills of a saint i knew.¡¯ in the first place, the main character of the game never had a job other than being a saint. jian¡¯s setting is ¡®the saint from another world¡¯. if i had to recall a job close to a wizard, it was a black wizard that i saw while taking the hidden route to see the curtis mary bad ending. ¡®but edith was the black wizard who appeared at that time, not the main character, jian.¡¯ ¡°hiiing. hiiing.¡± ¡°are you feeling better now?¡±¡± he emptied his stomach and approached me. wrapping my arms around adrian¡¯s shoulder, i rubbed his head with my palms anxiously. ¡°is it because i am nervous? why are you shaking so much¡­?¡± his body slowly calmed down after shaking a bit because of my patting. i continued, tucking his fluffy hair behind his ears. ¡°don¡¯t worry too much. i will definitely protect rian.¡± because you are my target character¡­ adrian was still a crown prince, so he would¡¯ve known how to return to the imperial family once he resolved his insinuations. and even if he doesn¡¯t know how to go back, he can call someone. if so, wouldn¡¯t they leave me, who was no different from my benefactor, in this remote foreign land? ¡°don¡¯t you worry. i will protect rian no matter what,¡± i repeated. adrian¡¯s red eyes showed trust as he accepted my black heart. i was a bit embarrassed as i laughed awkwardly at his twinkling eyes. adrian von bernhard calms down. 10% of adrian von bernhard¡¯s insinuation is lifted. remaining insinuation: 67% the system window indicated that adrian¡¯s insinuations were being lifted. ¡®oh, has it worked out a lot since then?¡¯ it¡¯s just been a day since i brought him, so it was a remarkable achievement. ¡°phew. i¡¯m proud of you.¡± i was proud of adrian, who solved his allusions all by himself without me doing anything special, so i tapped his cheek and kissed him. then the disappeared system window flashed again. adrian von bernhard calms down. 2% of adrian bernhard¡¯s insinuation is lifted. remaining insinuation: 65% ¡®huh? why do the insinuations go down when i kiss him?¡¯ i wondered. surprised, i kissed him again, blinking my eyes confused if maybe the system window just had an error. adrian von bernhard calms down. 3% of adrian von bernhard¡¯s insinuation is lifted. remaining implication: 62% i couldn¡¯t believe a kiss on the cheek was enough. i don¡¯t know why his mind calmed down because i kissed him, but it was good for me. i was so excited that i grabbed adrian¡¯s face and kissed him like a bird preening its feathers. squeeze. squeeze. adrian von bernhard calms down. 8% of adrian von bernhard¡¯s insinuation is lifted. remaining insinuation: 54% the suggestion gauge, which had been going down, stopped moving at some point. ¡®well, i don¡¯t think it¡¯s going down any further from here.¡¯ i licked my lips with regret, and just in case, grabbed the back of adrian¡¯s head and bit his thick lips. Chapter 36.2 he opened his mouth instantly, my tongue clashing with his teeth. it was at that moment that a languid sigh leaked out. ¡°don¡¯t do this on the street and get a room! ugh!¡± the voice of the stunned middle-aged woman hit the back of my head. adrian and i were doing nonsense in the middle of the street, so i bowed by head. ¡°oh, sorry.¡± ¡°i¡¯m glad you know you¡¯re sorry.¡± i was delighted that the woman understood my words. i don¡¯t know where we were, but fortunately we seemed to be able to communicate. ¡°by the way, is there an inn near here?¡± i had to find a place to sleep first. at my shameless question, the woman laughed out loud in amazement. ¡°are you really going to get a room? herrr!¡± shrugging her reliable-looking shoulders, she pointed her chin to the alley connected to the white sand beach. ¡°then you may follow me. i happen to run an inn.¡± i followed the rough-spoken woman who was kind in her own way. she introduced herself as the innkeeper who served the most delicious food in the capital of this kingdom. she was quite talkative. thanks to this, i learned a lot of information during the five-minute walk toward the inn. the place where we fell was the shamua kingdom, which bordered the alfrenheim empire, where various races lived. and unlike the empire, slavery was prevalent here. the innkeeper proudly explained that unlike imperial men that didn¡¯t legalize slaves, at least here they were. then, she pointed to a solid-looking log building. ¡°now, that is my inn.¡± the owner, who entered the building first after sweeping through a crowd, handed a key to me. ¡°the lady¡¯s room is room 301. i especially chose a room with a very strong bed.¡± i broke a sweat as the innkeeper alternately looked at me and then at adrian, smiling insidiously. ¡°oh, thank you.¡± ¡°do you have money?¡± ¡°do you take reso?¡± ¡°sure. give me a hundred reso.¡± ¡®ha, money like my blood¡­¡¯ after putting money into the innkeeper¡¯s hand as big as a pot¡¯s lid, adrian and i went up the stairs. ¡°hiiing¡­ hiiing¡­¡± as he entered the room and whined, it was apparent that adrian was afraid of unfamiliar places. i stroked his shaggy head and kissed his forehead, which was deemed to be useless as it didn¡¯t lower the gauge of his insinuation. ¡°don¡¯t be anxious. i¡¯ll make sure to take you home.¡± adrian calmed down, probably understanding my words. i looked into his clear eyes and murmured softly. ¡°i want to go home, too.¡± it was very tiring to live my ¡®remaining¡¯ days like this. i patted his cheek as he tilted his head and the corners of my mouth lifted. ¡°i wish rian was a man who could take me home.¡± drowsiness poured in as i began to relax. i was so sleepy that i didn¡¯t even see a new system window displaying a new message. adrian von bernhard calms down. adrian bernhard¡¯s insinuation goes down to less than 50%. adrian bernhardt has time to get away from the full insinuation. remaining insinuation: 48% * * * adrian brushed his frizzy hair and looked down at the woman who slept soundly on his lap. silver hair more dazzling than the moonlight ran down her slender back. her small, stout nose pressed against his hardened penis. edith was in a deep sleep, unaware of the world, even as adrian¡¯s manhood became hard enough to press against her nose. he moved his hand slowly after enjoying edith¡¯s warm breath on his erect penis. it was much heavier than what edith had witnessed earlier, bouncing up and down with increasingly grinding noises. his genitals with dark red veins began to get wet with slippery liquid that poured out from the tip of its head. adrian poked edith¡¯s sleeping cheek with the head of his penis, wet enough to shine. he wanted to open her small mouth and throw it in, but he couldn¡¯t wake her up from her sleep just to satisfy his desire. he was well-mannered as the heir of the imperial family. watching edith¡¯s face half buried under the blanket with his eyes down, adrian soon reached his climax. ¡°ugh!¡± through thick lips, a restrained groan leaked out as if trying to cut it off. adrian looked at edith in a hurry to see if she would wake up. ¡°hmmm¡­¡± however, edith was still fast asleep. he raised one corner of his mouth as he stared at her calm face. it was the kind of smile that edith hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°¡­i want to go home.¡± he didn¡¯t know if he was the man edith said would take her home. but¡­ ¡°i should take you to my house.¡± he laughed, whispering in a sweet voice so small that he would not wake edith from her slumber. Chapter 37.1 it was noon when the sun was already up in the middle of the sky when i woke up from my sleep. the warm sun, which made me feel drowsy looking at the distant blue sky without a single cloud, was shining. the scenery over the brown window was like a picture frame at first glance, so beautiful that i wondered if it¡¯s a dream for a moment. ¡°hey, it tickles¡­¡± i rubbed my drowsy eyes and raised my head, turning to the ticklish sensation i felt near the soles of my feet. peck. pop. someone was sucking my toes as if they were candy. my shoulders trembled with the sensation of a soft tongue sucking up my small toes. ¡°huh.¡± soon, the hand that gripped my ankle slipped down my knee. ¡°rian?¡± at the sound of his name being called, he smiled, squinting his eyes, pouring kisses from the top of my feet to my calves, knees, and thighs. it was a very dangerous face to see the moment i woke up in the morning, i struggled to calm my racing heart as i lifted my upper body. ¡°you woke up early.¡± at my words, rian pointed his chin to the window where the sun was shining bright. yeah, i woke up late¡­ the lazy master had nothing to say. after staring at my closed mouth, he calmly reached for my top and looked at my eyes. ¡°morning, morning.¡± ¡°yes. it¡¯s morning.¡± i stretched out my arms thinking that rian was about to hug me, and stroked his blonde hair. ¡°breakfast, meal.¡± my eyes widened at his muttered words. i just woke up and didn¡¯t feel hungry, but rian seemed to be. ¡°are you hungry?¡± ¡°yes¡­¡± adrian nodded his head up and down to my question. i smiled at his obedient, puppy-like appearance. ¡°then let¡¯s go eat. i¡¯ll just wash my face and come out.¡± the moment i turned around to take adrian down to the inn¡¯s restaurant, he held me gently and pressed my upper body with one arm. adrian quickly rolled up my nightgown with one hand. he buried his face between my chest while i struggled with my view covered with a white cloth. ¡°oh¡­!¡± adrian¡¯s moist lips sucked my nipple. the tip of his tongue tickled the surrounding area with a strange sound. adrian, who bit my erect nipple without pain, gently brushed my side with his other hand and grabbed my butt. startled by his actions, i grabbed his shoulders. ¡°rian, rian!¡± ¡°eating, buying, breakfast.¡± ¡®hey! why am i your morning¡­!¡¯ i struggled and swept the nightgown that covered my eyes, but before i knew it, he¡¯d climbed up on me and settled down. he gripped my butt tight so that my skinny but well-toned thighs couldn¡¯t escape him. adrian rubbed my chest with both hands. my white breasts reddened as he rubbed and pinched my nipples he lightly held between his fingers. his eyes widened, wondering how my delicate skin turned red as soon as he touched it. ¡°hehe.¡± water welled in my eyes as i looked at rian. his fingers, which were massaging my breasts, went down on my flat belly. i twisted my body, pressing the back of my hand on my heated cheek. adrian slipped his fingers through my underwear and began to stimulate my vagina. his long fingers slowly rubbed my entrance. the touch of his finger was rough and fine, which excited me more. my vagina, which had already been damp from the time he caressed my breasts, was now completely wet. crack. crack. as soon as adrian¡¯s fingers moved like they were digging into it¡­ if you continue with your relationship with adrian bernhard in this suggestive state, the ¡®adrian bernhard¡¯ router will be destroyed. do you want to proceed? yes no ¡°now, now, wait!¡± i hastily pushed adrian away from the system window that shone in front of me. he looked at me with a groan, his eyes sparkling as if i was a delicious dessert in front of him. ¡®could it be that doing it with your hands is considered as sex?¡¯ i don¡¯t think so. they specified oral sex, but there was no mention of hand sex. if you continue with your relationship with adrian bernhard in this suggestive state, the ¡®adrian bernhard¡¯ router will be destroyed. do you want to proceed? ¡ùcaution ¡ù if the player feels orgasm, it applies regardless of the method. yes no Chapter 37.2 the nasty system window flashed again as if it answered my question. i had no choice but to distance myself from adrian by moving my hips and covering myself with the white sheet. ¡°rian, i think we should skip breakfast today.¡± adrian, who may not have understood what i said, but noticed that i was blocking his advances, fell down in despair. ¡°i¡¯m sorry.¡± i felt so sad that i could die, but¡­ it was really, really unfortunate! it couldn¡¯t be helped. it was a matter of my escape and adrian¡¯s life. i got out of bed with my mottled body wrapped in a blanket. * * * i had a rough breakfast and lunch at the inn. we went to the local market to look around, but were forced to give it up soon after. ¡°no! no!¡± people were staring at us as i raised my voice holding on to adrian¡¯s choker. ¡°you must have no experience handling slaves,¡± a merchant grunted, then gave advice to me, who was breaking sweat holding rian, ¡°give him medicine in that case, miss.¡± ¡°shut up.¡± i glared fiercely at him. if i knew this would happen, i should¡¯ve put on his leash. it was so hard to control him because he¡¯d run away in an instant if i didn¡¯t hold him back. ¡°hiiing¡­ hiiiing¡­¡± i raised my eyebrows to adrian¡¯s whine of mutiny. ¡°rian, you can¡¯t! stay still!¡± today ¨C even though it¡¯s just a few days that he¡¯s been with me ¨C his behavior was strange. even when i said no, rian was restless and kept on trying to run to the street lined with street vendors. ¡®is it because i didn¡¯t let him do it earlier? is he frustrated?¡¯ he didn¡¯t give up until the end, and i sighed at rian, who was staring at the stalls of street vendors. ¡°then you can only look at that stall. got it?¡± at my words, adrian nodded with a huff. i smiled, wiping his docile eyes with my fingertips. ¡®is it because he¡¯s a prince? he¡¯s crazy about jewelry.¡¯ all the stalls he¡¯d been whining about to rush in from earlier were stalls that sold accessories. adrian skimmed through a neatly organized stall, from exotic necklaces rarely seen in the empire, to hairpins commonly seen on the street. then, he looked back at me with shining eyes. ¡®phew. yeah, maybe i can buy him one if he really likes it.¡¯ there wasn¡¯t enough money to spare, so i might have to work part-time to afford whatever he¡¯d pick. already softened by adrian¡¯s innocent eyes, i brushed his soft hair and said, ¡°if you want something, choose one.¡± at my words, adrian carefully reached out and picked an item. it wasn¡¯t fancy, but it was a necklace that boasted a particularly delicate figure among cheap ornaments. a thin chain made of silver gleamed in the sunlight. i glanced at the necklace adrian chose and spoke to the merchant on the other side of the stall, ¡°how much is this?¡± then a sweet-looking man smiled and said, ¡°when you ask about the price, please say a pretty greeting!¡± ¡®oh, was i too rude?¡¯ i awkwardly scratched the back of my neck at his request and replied, ¡°sorry. hello. how much is this necklace?¡± the merchant¡¯s eyes sharpened as he looked down at me. he opened his mouth, frowning as the smile faded from his face, ¡°pretty greetings, miss.¡± ¡®what¡¯s a pretty greeting?¡¯ for a moment, i wanted to leave the stall, but adrian¡¯s eyes looking at the necklace in his hand were so bright that i could only repeat my greeting. ¡°hello?¡± he didn¡¯t seem to like my greeting with a lot of hearts, but the merchant shrugged as if it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°whoa. yes, well. what do you need, miss?¡± ¡°how much is this necklace?¡± ¡°for price inquiries, please whisper.¡± i laughed at the man¡¯s request. this wasn¡¯t some kind of secret shop. when i turned my head and looked at the stall, i saw a street merchant sign. ~ personal shop (private) ~ ¡®so, it was indeed a secret store¡­¡¯ if so, his request wasn¡¯t unreasonable. i leaned forward, speaking in a hushed voice. ¡°¡­this necklace, how much is it?¡± ¡°it¡¯s a hundred reso, miss!¡± ¡°a hundred reso?¡± it was quite expensive for a street item. the man quickly added with a frown as he whispered. ¡°due to the nature of the store, exchange and refund are difficult.¡± Chapter 38.1 i tilted my head to the merchant, holding the necklace in my hand as adrian stared at me. ¡°why don¡¯t you give me a discount? it looks like an industrial product, but it¡¯s too expensive.¡± ¡°what do you mean industrial goods, miss?!¡± when i tried to bargain for the price a bit, the man waved his hand in disgust. ¡°hey, i took it myself from the mine!¡± ¡°are you saying you¡¯ve been mining minerals?¡± ¡°sure! the mine was speechless to see how i could find such a rare thing.¡± the merchant reached out his hand as he tried to retrieve the necklace from me. ¡°just give it back. if you think that it¡¯s not worth the amount i price, then it¡¯s your loss, really.¡± ¡®fuck, what kind of mine doesn¡¯t speak up? there¡¯s no way¡­¡¯ the merchant¡¯s narrative was questionable. ¡°rian, do you really want this necklace?¡± when i looked back at rian and asked, he grunted and made a tearful face. ¡°hiiing, hiiing.¡± the merchant glanced at adrian who was nodding loudly, and then smiled with satisfaction. ¡°the slave clearly has a good eye. this necklace is a real thing. do you feel magical energy?¡± i waved my hand and nodded toward him. ¡°whoa. alright. that¡¯s explained, just give me the necklace, please.¡± ¡°yes. i received a hundred reso. take care then!¡± the merchant received the money i handed and quickly wrapped the necklace and handed it over, worried that i might change my mind, and then closed the store immediately. watching the stall being swept away in front of me, i held out the necklace wrapped with a rustling craft paper and handed it to adrian. ¡°well, here you are.¡± he crouched down on the floor and tilted his head as he looked at the necklace. i clicked my tongue because i was a bit annoyed that he seemingly didn¡¯t like something again. ¡°why? do you want it on your neck?¡± adrian had a thin neck for a man, so the necklace would suit him, but he¡¯s wearing a choker that looked better than the necklace. a silver bell that hung from the black leather choker made a clear sound whenever he shook his head. ¡®i don¡¯t think it¡¯d be visible with the choker on him.¡¯ but if he wanted me to do it, then i had to. i stroked the back of adrian¡¯s neck and hung the necklace on him. ¡°hiiing!¡± then adrian, slipping out of my arms, took out the necklace from his neck and handed it back to me. ¡°huh? why are you giving it back?¡± ¡°eddie, edith.¡± i was a bit moved that he recalled my name. my eyes widened as i looked down at my soft, white palms, but he hesitantly stood up and wrapped his arm around my neck. ¡°edith, the necklace.¡± before i knew it, i looked up, clasping the necklace that hung around my neck. the silver chain wrapped around the neck wasn¡¯t bad. ¡°do you want me to have it?¡± it was touching that he remembered my name, but even the gift¡­ i was so proud of him that i pouted with tears in my eyes. ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have said it from the beginning.¡± was this how it felt to have your child receive his first paycheck and buy you underwear? a part of my heart tightened. envisioning him wearing a tie to work, and bringing home a snack to eat with his owner. ¡°i thought rian wanted this. i misunderstood.¡± hearing me say it, adrian¡¯s eyes curled with a pretty smile on his face. rubbing my fingers on his white cheek, which hadn¡¯t even burned despite the scorching sun. ¡®i bought it with my own money, but why am i so touched?¡± it seemed to be because of the way he looked at me. ¡°thank you, rian.¡± i hugged rian, who seemed to be feeling better, and then touched my skirt. ¡°we¡¯ll be hungry soon, so let¡¯s go buy something to eat.¡± however, as soon as i said that, i couldn¡¯t feel my money bag that was on my skirt belt. stuttering and rummaging under my skirt like a pervert in the middle of the road, i turned white and looked back at rian. ¡°where¡¯s my money bag?!¡± as soon as i screamed in surprise, the sound of someone rushing away from the alley echoed. ¡°pickpocket! pickpocket!¡± i freaked out and chased after the person who was getting farther and farther away from us. as if he noticed my urgency, adrian ran towards the shadow, going on all fours. Chapter 38.2 ¡°oh, my!¡± eventually, i sat down as i lost stamina, and adrian stopped chasing the pickpocket and looked back at me. i pointed back at the man who was running away quickly with a frown on my face. ¡°rian! don¡¯t mind me and follow him! you have to catch it!¡± ¡°grrrrrrrrrr¡­¡± adrian growled, as if understanding my order, and then chased after the man again. * * * gasping for breath, it was a dead end where i found adrian. ¡°fuck, let go of me! you son of a bitch!¡± fortunately, adrian seemed to have caught a pickpocket. i clapped my hands when i found rian biting the man¡¯s back. ¡®there you go! good job! my baby!¡¯ adrian, who turned his face and saw my happy reaction, grabbed the man¡¯s collar and began to shake him. ¡°turn, turn, turn!¡± perhaps straining from adrian¡¯s hold, the man raised his voice sharply and searched his pocket, ¡°i¡¯ll give it back! so let me go!¡± i picked up the money bag that the man had dropped and raised my thumb to rian. ¡°great job, rian!¡± adrian threw the man away and ran toward me with a big goofy smile. i opened my arms wide as if ready to receive a hug. he jumped into my arms and i stroked his head enthusiastically. ¡°so pretty. where did such a pretty rian come from?¡± i¡¯m sure he¡¯s from the royal family. i raised my head, muttering to myself the question even when i knew the answer. the pickpocket, who was tearing at the collar that rian caught, looked back at me. ¡°are you the owner of this bastard?¡± the man had his face completely covered with a long piece of cloth from the tip of his nose. the bright yellow eyes that met mine were sharp as if they belonged to an animal with long pupils. ¡°are you the bastard who stole my money bag?¡± i responded, unafraid of the pickpocket¡¯s threat. the man was a little taller than adrian, but he was similarly slender. at least adrian, who would¡¯ve been thoroughly trained as a crown prince, was unlikely to lose. ¡®we¡¯ll just fight when it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡¯ considering the time adrian bit jian, it was a good plan. ¡°hey, bastard? you talk a lot even when we just met.¡± he was the one who said adrian was a bastard when he first saw him. i narrowed my eyes at the pickpocket¡¯s fierce glare. he grabbed his neck and shook his head, and then approached me in a hurry. ¡°grrrrrrrrr¡­¡± adrian growled furiously as if wary of the approaching pickpocket. ¡°that slave caught me and broke my arm. how are you going to take responsibility?¡± the pickpocket asked with a raised brow, an arm¡¯s distance away from me. ¡°thanks to you, i¡¯m out of business today, so how are you going to take responsibility?¡± ¡®what is this man shamelessly saying after stealing someone else¡¯s money?¡¯ ¡°err, you look fine. what are you talking about?¡± i stammered as i stared at his bright yellow eyes. ¡°it hurts and i can¡¯t even move it. what, are you okay?¡± the man laughed loudly and raised his fluttering arm as if amazed by what i said. ¡°did something the size of a chestnut got stuck to the soles of your feet up to your eyes? can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡®wow, look at this thief!¡¯ my eyes almost popped out of their sockets in amazement at his manner. ¡°hey. get lost before i call the police! what do you mean you broke your arm? you were pickpocketing and we just happened to catch you on the act!¡± ¡°police?¡± the man¡¯s long eyebrows rose crookedly at my words. ¡°there are no police in shamua. this is a place where noblemen come out and commit crimes.¡± the man murmured softly as he bowed his head. his features were covered with his hood, but my face was clearly visible. ¡°hey, you¡¯re not from here, are you?¡± he observed my face curiously as if watching a stranger and then clicked his tongue. ¡°i thought you were royalty because you carried a slave all day, but somehow your pocket was light.¡± the man¡¯s eyes were filled with joy as if he had found his prey. i had an ominous feeling with creased eyes. ¡°it¡¯s illegal for foreigners to carry slaves, what should i do?¡± ¡°what?¡± the man, who was smiling as he looked at me and adrian back and forth, shrugged his shoulders. ¡°should i report it and get a reward?¡± ¡°i heard there¡¯s no police here!¡± ¡°true, there are no police in this city, but it¡¯s teeming with slave traders. a slave of a foreigner is like a slave without an owner.¡± the man¡¯s eyes glistened as if he was going to sell adrian to another place at any moment. ¡°now, wait a minute! wait!¡± i gasped, catching up to the man who turned his back on me. Chapter 39.1 fortunately, the man didn¡¯t go far. i didn¡¯t know if i should be relieved though. ¡°i finally got you, you rat.¡± a strange man snatched the back of the pickpocket out of the alley, and not me or adrian. the short, but rather bulky man, was accompanied by rugged men on both sides. with one glance, the men who wore light armor held the pickpocket¡¯s arms. ¡°i¡¯ll cut off all your limbs so that you can no longer run away!¡± he yelled as he kicked the pickpocket¡¯s stomach. ¡°¡­fuck.¡± the man looked back at me as he murmured a small swear word. ¡°what, my lady?¡± i was frightened by the man¡¯s force and merely shrugged my shoulders. ¡°what? oh¡­ well, that¡¯s.¡± adrian pushed me behind him and growled at the man. the man quickly bowed his head as if he¡¯d mistaken me for a slave-carrying aristocrat. ¡°he was a noble. do you have any business with him?¡± i glanced at the pickpocket, whose glare was fierce at him, even when his body was half folded after the kick to his stomach. what if he¡¯d announce that i was a foreigner and adrian was an illegal slave? my heart skipped a beat. ¡°¡­¡± however, the pickpocket merely glared at the hulking man who stood in front of me and adrian, and didn¡¯t speak a word about our identity. ¡°do you have any business with him?¡± the man asked again. ¡°¡­oh, no.¡± when his question was answered, he waved his hand as if annoyed, and said, ¡°then go away!¡± ¡°yes.¡± i got out of the alley at the man¡¯s words. * * * ¡®ahh, that was very embarrassing.¡¯ when i returned to the inn with adrian, i immediately sat down near the oven. ¡°ha. i might just have the most terrible dream today, really.¡± i don¡¯t know if i could fall asleep in this mood. the innkeeper, who approached me with a deep sigh, asked with wide eyes. ¡°lady, what¡¯s wrong with your expression?¡± i answered, sipping the beer she brought me, ¡°i saw a young man being dragged by a piggy old man earlier.¡± sensing the situation at my brief explanation, she shrugged her shoulders, and put down the peanuts i had ordered for a snack. ¡°hmm? were his eyes yellow?¡± ¡°oh, yes.¡± ¡°then it¡¯s tan. people from the tan tribe are difficult to tame, so many run away.¡± i tilted my head at the innkeeper¡¯s words, unsure of what i heard. ¡°tan?¡± ¡°yes, tan. you don¡¯t know?¡± i shook my head at her quizzical face. ¡°oh, no? of course you know, don¡¯t you?¡± adrian could be taken away if she found out i was a foreigner. i hurriedly pressed the system window to check for help. tan: as one of the beast people, they are characterized when they reveal their ears and tails only on a full moon. i opened my mouth to the innkeeper, glancing at the translucent system window. ¡°the tan people are those whose ears and tails show only on a full moon. it was originally a clan that lived in the harnen mountains above the shamua kingdom.¡± ¡°huh¡­ many people don¡¯t know, but you are quite knowledgeable. lady, you must be very interested in slaves.¡± in an instant, i was treated like a perverted aristocratic lady who was crazy about slaves, but i couldn¡¯t make an excuse and just nodded. the innkeeper shrugged her shoulders and continued. ¡°anyway, as you know, the tan people are hard to deal with because they live freely. the king of tartan sold his entire clan as slaves to the kingdom; he managed to escape.¡± a king of one country sold his people into slavery to another country? it was a fact that i didn¡¯t know even after playing ten times. i squinted my eyes at the dire situation of the tan people pouring out of the innkeeper¡¯s mouth. ¡°even a person i know is having a hard time because a tan slave ran away. he bought it at a high price, but it turned out to be a waste.¡± i hesitated to speak up, clenching my mouth and holding back my tongue at the innkeeper¡¯s words. ¡°what about the slave who was caught running away?¡± ¡°they are usually killed in a gruesome manner. a way to set an example to the other slaves.¡± she returned to her place after answering nonchalantly, an attitude as if to say the issue had nothing to do with her. i heaved a long sigh, stroking rian, who was crouched next to me, and picked up peanuts and started eating them. Chapter 39.2 ¡°what to do¡­?¡± at that moment, i could see that rian¡¯s insinuation gauge was nearly done. ¡®if rian comes back to his senses, he might be able to save the slaves¡­¡¯ since he was the crown prince of the empire, wouldn¡¯t there be a way to do something even if they were slaves from another country? i shuddered as a bad feeling crept inside me, i thought of looking at it first, so i took rian and got up from my seat. slaves were widespread throughout this kingdom, so even if i decided to help, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to search for him. ¡®it¡¯s his bad luck if i can¡¯t find him.¡¯ then, i can sleep without feeling guilty. when i left the inn with a conscience as tiny as a pea, my face immediately distorted. ¡°wow¡­¡± i gushed in disbelief. i found it right away. * * * the slave shop where the pickpocket slave was caught was in front of the inn i was staying. puck! puck! puck! the pickpocket was being beaten harshly at the entrance of the huge slave shop, which was more than a row bigger than the other stores. perhaps the slave trader¡¯s intention was to scare the other slaves, and he even held a club with jagged screws. ¡°are you still not talking?!¡± puck! puck! puck! blood splattered everywhere when the club hit the back of a sprawled pickpocket on the floor. i was speechless at the sight of no one stopping the slave trader turning the streets red. ¡°where did the other slaves go?!¡± the slave trader seemed to be questioning about the other slaves who fled with the pickpocket, but his expression was bad. his face and mood were steadily deteriorating. ¡°damn it. i¡¯d rather sell this bastard and buy another slave.¡± the slave trader held the head of the pickpocket, who endured all the beating without a single groan. blood trickled down as he was swung up. he was wearing a hood like before, but i could tell without even looking at his face. ¡°your physical strength is amazing, so if you catch another obedient slave, i¡¯ll let you go.¡± caught by the slave trader¡¯s words, the pickpocket¡¯s eyes glowed coldly. sigh¡­ i hid adrian behind me, startled by his bright yellow eyes. ¡®rian, rian is in danger!¡¯ ¡°what the heck, you punk! what are you looking at!¡± but just like before, he only talked to me and adrian, and he never opened his mouth at the slave trader¡¯s continued threats. ¡°what brings you here, miss?¡± a clerk jumped out of the shop and asked me in a friendly tone, as if he thought i was just too embarrassed and couldn¡¯t step into the shop. ¡°we have a wide range of slaves in our shop. would you like to come in and take a look?¡± i stammered, trying not to frown at the word ¡®slave¡¯, which didn¡¯t blend well with his polite way of speaking. ¡°ah, may i know the price?¡± ¡°oh, here¡¯s the pricelist.¡± the clerk smiled at my words, handing me a pricelist that was on the side. unlike at the imperial capital, the pricelist of the shop was neatly organized by age, race, physique, and period, as a kingdom where slavery was prevalent. as i was tongue-tied with the array of choices like a wine list, i pointed my finger at the one-week pass. ¡®even if i use all the money i have, i can only borrow it for a week.¡¯ what if adrian¡¯s insinuation wasn¡¯t lifted in time? anxiety overcame me, but i opened my mouth, shutting my eyes tightly at the sound of the slave trader beating the pickpocket again like a dog. ¡°i¡¯ll borrow it for a week.¡± ¡°yes, sir! follow me. i¡¯ll show you the goods.¡± ¡°no. i want to borrow that slave.¡± i shook my head at the clerk¡¯s words and pointed to the ragged pickpocket. ¡°that child must be very difficult to deal with. there¡¯s a high probability of escaping.¡± ¡°nevertheless, i¡¯ll borrow it as a slave.¡± ¡°then the responsibility for the loss is all yours. would that be okay?¡± i hurriedly nodded at the clerk¡¯s doubtful expression. ¡°yes, it¡¯s all right.¡± the pickpocket was knocked unconscious by the slave trader¡¯s beating. adrian and i walked out of the slave shop carrying him, who was completely worn out and not in the best conditions. ring! at that moment, the system displayed a message with a familiar notification sound. Chapter 40.1 target character ¡®lucas¡¯ is close by. if found within the time limit, the probability of undisclosed routes occurring increases. my eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the same message i saw when i picked up adrian. target character ¡®lucas¡¯ is currently roaming the shamua kingdom for some reason. find him before he heads for the temple. reward for success: ¡®lucas¡¯ likability +20, charm +20, stamina +20, ¡®lucas¡¯ undisclosed route penalty for failure: ¡®lucas¡¯ undisclosed route closes ¡®lucas is definitely a sex slave at the temple¡­¡¯ why is the notification saying that he was in a foreign land when he should appear in the second half of the game as a slave who would serve jian, the saint? i nodded without much consideration, recalling lucas¡¯ illustration boasting sharp eyes and pointed ears that matched. ¡®anyway, there¡¯s no penalty, so of course i should accept it.¡¯ if the undisclosed route would close, that didn¡¯t mean that there were no other ways to target him. unfortunately, unlike adrian, no arrow mark was created to follow. ¡®let¡¯s go back to the inn and think about the quest first.¡¯ * * * ¡°hiiiing, hiiiing!¡± it was best to bring the fainted man back to the inn, but adrian stared at him, whining as if he didn¡¯t like the slave at all. ¡°hiiiing!¡± i shrugged at adrian¡¯s whining, which was a mix of strange complaints unlike the usual. ¡°it must be uncomfortable because we are crowded in the room, but it can¡¯t be helped. he is hurt.¡± ¡°out there, out there.¡± as if to contest my words, after crying briefly, adrian dragged the man to the window. i sprang to my feet as rian clenched the man¡¯s neck and looked like he was about to throw the man out the window. ¡°no way!¡± ¡°outside!¡± adrian¡¯s stubbornness forced me to wave the rod that the slave trader gave me in front of him. ¡°rian, put him down. how could you think of throwing an injured person out the window?¡± ¡°it¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay!¡± rian screamed as if contesting what i said. ¡°no, it¡¯s not alright.¡± ¡°i, a man, die.¡± ¡°that¡¯s right. he¡¯ll die if you throw him.¡± rian nodded vigorously up and down. ¡°die, it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± despite his resolute nodding, i quickly snatched the man away from him. ¡°hiiing¡­¡± rian let out a somber whine like a puppy whose toy was taken away, but no matter how much he begged, i couldn¡¯t let him do what he wanted. depressed by my stiff expression, adrian sat on the bedside with a thump. after glancing at him, i began to apply medicine to the man¡¯s wound. ¡®there is no sound place, there is no sound place¡­¡¯ the condition of his body warranted many sighs. the man wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt like a slave. it was nice to see that he had a slender body made up of small muscles, but they were covered in bruises. his condition was way worse compared to when i picked up adrian, so i naturally frowned. ¡®is his face okay?¡¯ it was the moment when i pulled off the hood covering his face that he woke up. his bright yellow eyes glared at me, and he grabbed my hand. ¡°¡­what?¡± his face was so bloody that i even wondered if it was the same pickpocket from before. ¡°why are you here?¡± i pursed my lips, a bit overwhelmed by the man¡¯s menacing eyes. ¡°you, my master?¡± even though it¡¯s a temporary master for a week. ¡°master?¡± ¡°yes.¡± the man stared at me, and then laughed sharply at my answer. his eyes were clearly smiling, but a cold sound pierced me, like a knife blade touching my skin. ¡°¡­you, you bought me?¡± ¡®how dare you?¡¯ i shook my head at the man¡¯s barely audible words. a slave who¡¯s staring at his master like this? i hate it. ¡°no. i borrowed you,¡± i answered a little too harshly. ¡°you don¡¯t say thank you.¡± even magpies pay off their debts. i glared at the ungrateful pickpocket. ¡°thank you for what? for borrowing me?¡± ¡°i should have just let you die.¡± the man burst into a nervous laugh at my bad words. ¡°ha. how could he kill me? he knows how expensive i am.¡± he seemingly rather wanted to die. i felt sorry for some reason, so when i shut my mouth, he put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°grrrrr¡­.¡± rian growled at the sight, but the man ignored him easily. ¡°you asked to borrow me. have you fallen for me?¡± i slowly opened my mouth to the man¡¯s sharp voice, ¡°¡­you didn¡¯t rat us out.¡± the man¡¯s yellow eyes darkened with my answer. i continued calmly, looking at his wide-eyed expression as if surprised. ¡°it bothered me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°and you have misunderstood, rian is not my slave.¡± Chapter 40.2 i heard a violent groan from adrian¡¯s side. ¡°hiiing, hiiiiing!¡± the man frowned, pointing at rian, who nodded eagerly. ¡°it¡¯s that bastard, right?¡± ¡°he is not a slave. i¡¯ll find him his home soon and quickly send him back.¡± rian made a more intense whine at my denial. i laughed because he seemed to misunderstand what i said. ¡°rian, why are you crying?¡± ¡°drop it, throw it away, throw it away.¡± rian, who approached me quickly, slammed his head on my lap. i firmly opened my mouth, making eye contact with him, who was about to shed tears. ¡°don¡¯t throw it away. it¡¯s going home, don¡¯t throw it away.¡± i glanced at his insinuation gauge floating above adrian¡¯s head. it was almost completely gone. ¡®now that there is only 13% left, it will be solved within a week.¡¯ then i, too, would buy that slave. adrian, in my experience, wasn¡¯t as ungrateful unlike that arrogant slave. ¡°excuse me.¡± rather than repaying the favor, he wouldn¡¯t be as lucky if he hadn¡¯t taken my money bag. ¡°why?¡± ¡°what¡¯s your name?¡± a man who was walking around the inn room with his hand in one pocket looked back at me. ¡°there¡¯s no name for a slave.¡± ¡°then what should i call you?¡± ¡°just call me whatever you want. or call me slave.¡± i nodded nervously at the man¡¯s sour reply. ¡°yes, then¡­ mr. slave? mr. slave, is it?¡± when i called the man who looked like he was going to spend a week on food, he answered, tightening the knot on the hood that covered his face. ¡°why do you call me, master?¡± master. it was quite an awkward name for me, who had no taste in that. ¡°hmm. anyway, i borrowed you for a week for a huge amount of money¡­¡± the man¡¯s head tilted when i coughed in embarrassment. ¡°but¡­¡± ¡°then you have to pay for your meal.¡± i borrowed him for a week, so i should use him to complete quests. i decided to use him as a worker to find lucas. ¡°i knew it. you are indeed in love with me.¡± what a misunderstanding it must have been for him to see me blush at the awkward relationship we now have as a slave and master. he approached me and raised my chin with his fingertip. ¡°take it off.¡± ¡°what?¡± did this man just arrogantly order me? smiling and stroking my embarrassed face, he opened his mouth again, ¡°do you want me to take it off?¡± the man reached out and tore my collar before i could even answer. with the sound of buttons being ripped off, a hot breath touched my exposed collarbone in an instant. ¡°i am very surprised that you asked me to pay for my meal.¡± the tongue, which was exposed below through the rolled-up hood, was red like a human. i stared blankly at the man leaving a dark kiss mark on my collarbone. ¡®this is¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡¯ ¡°grrrrrrrrr¡­¡± i was embarrassed, but i didn¡¯t hate it, and i blinked slowly as i looked down at the long eyelashes of the man. but then i heard adrian growling behind me. ¡®ah! rian was watching.¡¯ only then did i realize adrian¡¯s existence and i pushed the man off of me. ¡°what? why?¡± he raised his eyebrows irritably. ¡°you, you, and i¡­ that wasn¡¯t what i meant.¡± actually, i wanted to continue a bit, but adrian, the target character, was watching from behind! i need to get a hold of myself! the man¡¯s forehead wrinkled with my words and said, ¡°you said you¡¯d make me work. then what do you want me to do?¡± i strode to the sofa table to escape his fierce gaze. ¡°come and write this down.¡± i¡¯m looking for someone. name: lucas appearance: silver hair, purple eyes, very handsome i¡¯m looking for it desperately. if you saw the above person, please inform the inn. ¡ù there is a reward of course, i didn¡¯t write down how much the reward was. recalling the few resos left in my pocket, i presented the handmade leaflet to the man. ¡°are you looking for a bastard who left? the master has a lot to raise,¡± he muttered as he scanned the leaflet. i quickly raised my eyebrows, saying, ¡°what are you talking about? it¡¯s obviously a person.¡± the man pointed to a portrait i drew recalling lucas¡¯ illustration, and clicked his tongue as if amazed. ¡°¡­i have no idea? is this a person?¡± ¡°shut up! just copy and draw.¡± the man sat down and began copying the leaflets. swipe. i soon opened my eyes to a wide pile of leaflets piled up beside the table. ¡°your hands are fast¡± ¡°i am a slave. if i¡¯m not fast enough, i go back.¡± ¡°then go out and put it on.¡± the man¡¯s yellow eyes narrow at my order. ¡°¡­only me, alone?¡± ¡°yes.¡± ¡°what if i run away?¡± his invisible mouth covered by the hood seemed to be smiling somehow. Chapter 41.1 ¡°i have a location tracker.¡± without magic tools to prevent slaves from fleeing, one wouldn¡¯t think of going to such a rental business. ¡°so, you better not think about running away.¡± the man¡¯s narrow pupils flashed like an animal to my words. ¡°master,¡± he murmured briefly, ¡°though i am a slave, i am free to think.¡± with that said, he left the room carrying a bunch of leaflets. i scratched the back of my head as i stared at his skinny back. of course, i meant to release him. however, it was difficult if he ran away before adrian was dispelled from his intimation. ¡®don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to run away even with a location tracker?¡¯ he didn¡¯t know that i plan to release him. oops! i got up in a hurry and followed him. fortunately, he just roughly put on the leaflets and showed no signs of running away. he patted the paper to the wall as fast as he could, the same way he did when he copied the leaflets. ¡®i told him to stick it evenly! that punk!¡¯ he was gasping for air, but he quickly put the last piece of paper on the wall and turned around. ¡®is he already done?¡¯ i didn¡¯t want to give the impression that i suspected him, so i ran back to the room panting. as he arrived, the man said, ¡°i¡¯ve put everything on the wall of this nearby store, master. evenly as you have instructed.¡± my expression was calm, but deep down i was thinking, ¡®don¡¯t lie, you punk. i¡¯ve seen you stick it in clumps.¡¯ i could only shake my head at the man¡¯s blatant lie. ¡°well done,¡± i said, answering briefly as i released a breath i was holding back. he had walked so fast that i ran like a dog so i could get back first, and even sweat formed on my forehead. ¡°master, why are you breathing like that?¡± seeing the man¡¯s eyes frowning as if watching a pervert, i replied, ¡°oh, i worked out a little in the room, so i¡¯m quite hot.¡± i didn¡¯t know which part of my answer he didn¡¯t like, but the man frowned and grabbed my shoulder forcefully. ¡°¡­you said you wouldn¡¯t do it with a slave.¡± ¡°what?¡± my eyes widened at his words. seeing that his gaze was directed at rian, who was fast asleep in bed and looked odd with his top off, i quickly shook my head. ¡°what are you thinking? and rian is not my slave!¡± i exclaimed. he¡¯d been treating people like perverts. still, despite my explanation, his sharp eyes didn¡¯t show signs of calming. ¡°then i am.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°i¡¯m a slave, so you won¡¯t do it because i am dirty.¡± my forehead wrinkled at his twisted voice. i couldn¡¯t see him because of his hood, but his mouth must have twisted too. ¡°when did i say you¡¯re dirty?¡± he was washed well and didn¡¯t look dirty. i leaned my face and sniffed his neck. ¡°i washed you as soon as we got here, so i can¡¯t even smell anything now,¡± i quickly added. ¡°i¡¯m not saying that¨C¡± ¡°do you want to mess around with me?¡± i asked. of course, i was not a fool. i understand him right. his eyes widened as i cut off his irritating remarks. ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°i only do it with the other person¡¯s consent.¡± it wasn¡¯t bad to see his yellow eyes turn to worry, so i laughed sarcastically. ¡°so, tell me if, do you want to do it?¡± the man clicked his tongue as if he was amazed by my laughter. i just hit the spot. i shrugged my shoulders without pointing out what he¡¯d try to imply to call me. ¡°ah, of course, in the absence of rian.¡± still, he was the crown prince, and i couldn¡¯t let him watch a one-night stand so carelessly. i don¡¯t even think it was right to let any other guy stick to me, considering his growling earlier. ¡°you.¡± the man, who was looking down at my smiling face, smiled back with a sigh. ¡°you are a master who doesn¡¯t beat around the bush.¡± ¡°okay. if you want to play with your master, then tell me.¡± ¡°then let¡¯s do it now.¡± even when i was teasing him, i couldn¡¯t help but get embarrassed by his low-pitched words. ¡°what?¡± ¡°saying that makes me want to fuck you right now.¡± ¡°uh¡­ what?¡± ¡°i want to fuck you.¡± at first, i thought he was joking. his eyes were folded and was clearly mocking me. however, sweeping his hair roughly down to the back of his neck, i noticed the front of his pants was bulged as he approached me. i stammered back as the sight of it sticking out as if it was about to jump out of his pants. but the man didn¡¯t let go of me, stretched out his arm and pulled me closed as he locked me in his strong embrace. Chapter 41.2 thud! his arm was full of minor scars, but nonetheless it was covered with well-knit muscles, and it felt like he was locking me in between firm walls of muscles. confused, i looked up at his face and our noses were almost touching. although he covered more than half of his face with a hood, he was still a handsome man, i thought. unlike adrian¡¯s, who grew up finely, the sharpness of his raw eyes was evident. ¡®there¡¯s a rather big scar on the bridge of his nose¡­¡¯ with valearis, it was his left cheek. with this man, it was barely visible above the hood, on the bridge of his nose. it matched his sharp eyes, but it must¡¯ve hurt quite a lot when it happened. ¡°why are you looking at me like that? don¡¯t look.¡± he covered my eyes with one hand as if ashamed of my gaze as i looked up at him. ¡°no? if you don¡¯t like it, stop.¡± ¡°master,¡± he belatedly added, as if remembering that i was his temporary owner. ¡°it¡¯s not that i don¡¯t like it¡­¡± i shook my hand at his words. i didn¡¯t mean to resist a handsome and well-built man rushing at me. he wasn¡¯t even a target character, so there was no rule that i had to build a good relationship before having sex with him. ¡°you don¡¯t like it? then what?¡± i lowered my eyes at the man¡¯s sharp gaze and chinned toward rian, who was fast asleep. ¡°i won¡¯t allow it in rian¡¯s sight.¡± the room i rented was larger than a regular studio apartment, but it was still a single room with no walls to divide it. when rian tossed an turned in bed, the man flinched and let out a terrifying sound. ¡°he¡¯s not watching right now.¡± ¡°what?¡± ¡°he¡¯s sleeping now.¡± he picked me up and walked to the sofa near the bed, thinking that i agreed because i turned speechless. putting my upper body on the back of the velvet-covered sofa, he admired briefly. ¡°your butt is pretty.¡± before i could stop him, her rolled my skirt up to mu waist and continued to mutter. ¡°it looks like it wants me to lick it.¡± i wriggled my bare body in front of the man. when i forced myself to get away, he slapped my butt and knocked me back. ¡°stay still.¡± the slippery tip was poking me in the buttocks. the backrest was quite high, so my legs flew up in the air. he pushed his face between my thighs as i struggled, losing my footing. ¡°it smells lewd.¡± ¡°hey, don¡¯t smell it!¡± ¡°why? i like it.¡± he smirked at my astonished cry and raised himself, clutching my butt with both hands. he gripped my waist with one hand and supported my struggling upper body from behind. his fingers, which slowly rose upward, pinched my areola. my pink nipples rose stiffly at the lustful touch. having played with my breast to some extent, he turned me over on the sofa and rubbed his penis between my legs. the slippery tip tried to poke inside, but moved away. ¡°huh¡­¡± it didn¡¯t even enter yet, but it felt so good that my toes tingled. was it the expectation that came from the size that was pressingly firmly between my thighs? as i moved with my hips twitching, he reached down and lifted my stomach, stroking it slowly. the fingers that descended on my flat belly, touched my opening as if searching. ¡°hold it in. it¡¯s not even wet, but it doesn¡¯t smell bad.¡± ¡®hey. how can i not get wet there?¡¯ i had a momentary doubt, but i lost all reason as he slowly rubbed his already wet penis. ¡°ah!¡± the head poked between my butt, and his fingers relentlessly caressed my clitoris. stars kept popping out of my eyes. it even seemed as if i was hallucinating the flower patterns on the sofa flying. ¡°ha¡­ ha¡­¡± when i rubbed my breasts against the back of the sofa, he held back his groan and grabbed my waist. ¡°it you make a sound like that, it will happen.¡± ¡°what, huh, are you going to¡­?¡± ¡°bad taste. cry some more.¡± the man seemed to like my reaction. his hand, which grabbed me by the hair, was firm. ¡°do you want me to fuck you like this, master?¡± he ran his fingers through my hair and rubbed his smooth genitals between my open ass. ¡°i think it¡¯s already pretty blushed here.¡± ¡®then just shut up and put it in, you punk.¡¯ impatient, i shook off the man¡¯s hand and glared at him fiercely, but he only smirked as if i was being cute. ¡°are you going to do something about it? speak for yourself,¡± he said in a slow command while holding my hair. as a slave, he seemingly was more accustomed to giving orders than being obedient. ¡°fuck me.¡± my voice sounded hoarse with excitement. i murmured softly with my tense neck, and he patted my head affectionately. ¡°you listen well. good.¡± it was the moment he was trying to reward me. ¡°hiiiing¡­¡± rian, who was sleeping as if dead, turned over as if he was about to wake up. ¡°hiiing, hiiiiing.¡± oops. startled, i pushed the man away and hurriedly grabbed my skirt. as i pushed him back too hard, he glared at rian furiously and mumbled. ¡°fuck that bastard really¡­¡± he was ready to tear rian to pieces with his eyes. Chapter 42.1 ¡°he¡¯s doing it on purpose.¡± ¡°that¡¯s impossible,¡± i countered, and then approached rian, ¡°are you sick?¡± rian was really sweating and screaming in pain. ¡°rian, are you okay?¡± rian moaned as if he couldn¡¯t hear my voice, and rubbed his head against my palm. ¡°hiiing, hiiiing¡­¡± ¡°i don¡¯t think you have a fever.¡± ¡®is it the side effect of his insinuation?¡¯ scared, i wiped his pale forehead with my fingertips. the man grunted, complaining that rian was faking a disease, but his eyes widened when i shut him up. ¡°is there a general store nearby?¡±¡± ¡°there must be. why?¡± he raised his head as he was squeezing a wet towel with a sour face. i shook my head, distracted by his long fingers which were dripping with water. ¡°get me some medicine. like headache pills or fever reducer.¡± ¡°that bastard¡¯s faking it.¡± ¡°don¡¯t call him that.¡± he was the crown prince. what punishment was he going to get once rian¡¯s insinuations were lifted? it was a warning completely for him, but the man didn¡¯t seem to like that i told him off. he snorted, and then wandered out of the room. ¡°i hope you¡¯re not sick¡­¡± i mumbled as i took care of rian. what if the imperial family tried to kill me instead of rewarding me for not properly taking care of the crown prince? adrian showed stable breathing only after i poured medicine the man bought into his mouth. while sweeping his pretty head, i fell asleep. * * * sharma was a country whose moon was brighter than alfrenheim, the empire that adrian would rule someday. the moon was bright, the sun hot, and it was an unpleasant country for him, who liked to draw blackout curtains even in the middle of the day. except for this woman in front of him. there wasn¡¯t a single corner that he really liked. ¡°huh¡­¡± because the curtains weren¡¯t opened, the pouring moonlight shone clearly on edith¡¯s white body. her skin reflected as if it was just thin layers of pale white sheets. just like a vision that would disappear if he touched it. so, he didn¡¯t even dare to touch her. adrian breathed a short nervous sigh and then lifted edith¡¯s two-piece pajamas. her skin, which looked like poured milk, was stained. touching the red spots with his fingertips, he carefully kissed the traces left on edith¡¯s body as if removing poison. she twisted, perhaps tickled by him, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes in her deep sleep. ¡°haha, yes¡­¡± edith moaned faintly as to what she was dreaming about. ¡®don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re dreaming of that vulgar guy?!¡¯ adrian thought. adrian burst into tears and nipped at her flat stomach. his hand, which climbed down her thin waist that could be held in one hand, finally grasped edith¡¯s skirt. slowly, he took it off, and an underwear thinner than bed linen was revealed. adrian pushed his fingertips through a slightly wet gap. her upper body bounced even though he touched it just enough not to wake her up. her white breasts with pink nipples like cake toppings shook stiffly. adrian let out a long sigh at the sight of it. his penis, which had been stiff since earlier, was about to burst. he heaved a low sigh, slowly licking under her slender thighs. he wanted to put his in between her right away. whether edith woke up or not. it wouldn¡¯t be bad to watch her peaceful face, which had fallen asleep, become a mess with tears. adrian, who fell for his impulse, was about to pull down his pants. ¡°what a complete pervert.¡± the bloody slave, who he thought had left, came back and sat by the window. ¡°what are you doing holding onto a sleeping girl?¡± the man glared at adrian with his head up and scoffed. his bright yellow eyes were illuminated by the moonlight shone brightly. ¡°¡­weren¡¯t you running away?¡± faced with the man¡¯s coldness, adrian raised his chin without hesitation. around his slim neck was a choker made of black leather. on the other hand, the man¡¯s neck was empty. ¡°i don¡¯t think it¡¯s anyone¡¯s business after running away from their owner.¡± edith rented the man for a week. but the man threw off his leash in less than three days of the week. adrian was very pleased with that fact. he could¡¯ve lived as edith¡¯s dog forever, but there should only be one. Chapter 42.2 the man grinned as he rolled his eyes at adrian who glared and growled at him. soon after, he came down from the window and approached adrian and edith, shaking his hands. ¡°master, you are a bit clumsy. how can i even leave you?¡± the man, carefully put on edith¡¯s bed linen and pushed adrian out of bed with his eyes shining fiercely. ¡°if i don¡¯t keep an eye on you, you might get bitten by this dog that the innocent master raised.¡± ¡°go on your way. i said it was none of your business,¡± adrian growled at him. ¡°what can i do?¡± the man grinned at adrian¡¯s low warning. ¡°i¡¯ve made up my mind, you bastard.¡± * * * ¡®what¡¯s wrong with them?¡¯ i stretched lightly, waking up from a very satisfying dream last night, and found adrian and slave man glaring at each other as if they were about to tear at each other¡¯s throat. ¡°did you two fight?¡± the man, who was munching on bread, hit the table with a bang at my stupid question. ¡°master, do you even fight animals?¡± i jumped at his outburst and asked, ¡°or not, why are you angry? you surprised me!¡± was it because of last night? did he think i couldn¡¯t take him because he was dirty? as i grumbled quietly, he turned his head and murmured. ¡°¡­i¡¯m not angry. i¡¯m sorry if you¡¯re surprised.¡± my eyes burst open in shock at his attitude, which seemed a bit softer than yesterday. as soon as i opened my mouth to talk more with him, i heard a whimper next to me. ¡°rian, are you feeling better?¡± adrian gave me a gentle look as he looked back at me. ¡°good, good.¡± thinking he was cute, i stroked his blonde hair as he burrowed into my arms. ¡°that¡¯s a relief. today, rian has to hand out flyers too.¡± there¡¯s not much time left to return the man. ¡®we need to get rid of adrian¡¯s insinuation, and find lucas as well.¡¯ i checked the insinuation gauge that floated above adrian¡¯s head. [ insinuation rate ¨C 6% ] before i knew it, the insinuation rate that has almost been resolved shone golden. it was going smoothly, so now the main problem was finding lucas. there were no location arrows the same when i found adrian, but where and how we¡¯d find someone from just his face and name in the vast kingdom of sharma wasn¡¯t easy. lucas related quest message has arrived. do you want to check? yes no as if reading my mind, i nodded as i stared at the system window that floated with the message. finding lucas you can check the distance to lucas once a day. currently, lucas is within a 1-kilometer radius. ¡®1km? it¡¯s really not that much!¡¯ after checking the system window, i immediately jumped out of my seat and ran outside the inn without washing my face. ¡®a kilometer from the inn would be that building¡­¡¯ i looked around with my eyes wide open, but i didn¡¯t see a single strand of silver hair that wouldn¡¯t be common here. ¡°excuse me, have you seen someone with a silver hair around here?¡± i asked passerby hanging around the inn and pushed lucas¡¯ flyer to his face. ¡°he looks like this.¡± he looked at the flyer and then at me alternately, and then spoke leisurely, ¡°i¡¯m not entirely sure if its him, but i¡¯ve seen a silver hair around here.¡± ¡°where? where did you see him?!¡± ¡°you¡¯re right in front of me.¡± the passerby smiled at my excited words and stroked the side of my head. ¡°silver girl, are you free today?¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°why don¡¯t you go on a date with me if you¡¯re free? i know a famous restaurant around here-¡± ¡°did this punk ate something wrong?¡± it wasn¡¯t my voice that cut off the passerby¡¯s words. with the whistling of the wind, the dirty passerby in front of me instantly moved away. ¡°master, put on your clothes.¡± as if confused with his words, i asked, ¡°what?¡± ¡°get dressed. no matter how hot it is, what you¡¯re wearing right now is a little too much ¨C or should a say a little too less.¡± only then did i realize that i was wandering around the alley in my pajamas. ¡°oh, i¡¯m sorry¡­. i was in a hurry.¡± i hurriedly put on the gown he handed to me, and he tilted his head as he stared at me sharply. ¡°are you that desperate?¡± ¡°uh, well¡­ that¡¯s¡­ i¡¯m quite desperate.¡± usually, undisclosed routes have a shorter target time compared to open routes. it was quite important for me, who had to find edith¡¯s true love as soon as possible. ¡°he looks like a runaway lover.¡± the man muttered softly and crumpled the leaflet he took from me. ¡°lucas!¡± at that moment, someone called out the name of the person i was desperately looking for. Chapter 43.1 ¡®lucas?¡¯ i turned my head in surprise, but what caught my eye wasn¡¯t the target character ¡®lucas¡¯. ¡°lucas, you lazy slave, what are you doing moving so slowly!¡± a fat merchant shouted at a man who fell on the floor while carrying something similar to a rice bag. thump! thump! when he struck down the whip he held in his hand, red blood seeped from the back of the man who was shaking on the floor. ¡°move now! we must deliver all the goods by noon!¡± at the words of the merchant wearing a gold necklace around his thick neck, the man got up with the bag that looked bigger and heavier than him. his shaking skinny legs were as thin as branches in the middle of winter. ¡°his name is lucas¡­¡± i murmured quietly. when i lowered my eyes at the hard-to-see sight, the man standing next to me shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth. ¡°all the names of the tan male slaves are lucas. it means hunter in shamua words.¡± ¡°what? was it something like that?¡± i was appalled by his explanation. although it wasn¡¯t explained in detail in the game, the tan people were beast people, and ¡®lucas¡¯ had pointed ears, so he must¡¯ve been from a beast tribe. ¡®then it wasn¡¯t his real name, but a title for a slave?¡¯ ¡°yes. that¡¯s why i don¡¯t understand why the master is so desperate to find someone with that name.¡± i sighed as i looked up at the man who nodded his head. if i don¡¯t even know his real name, finding lucas was literally trying to find a needle in a sand desert. it was a moment when i was trying to understand my mixed feelings at the thought i should just give up and wait for another quest. there was a loud sound of something falling over, and as i turned my head, i saw the merchant kicking the slave violently. ¡°you stupid lazy punk! die! die!¡± he was whipping the fallen slave like he was really intent on killing him. surprised, i turn toward them, and the man reached out his long arm to block my way. ¡°where are you going?¡± i stomped my foot at the man¡¯s sour voice. ¡°let me go. i have to go and stop it.¡± ¡°why?¡± why? i laughed out loud at his words. ¡°what are you going to do if you die like that?¡± he asked. ¡°if you die, you die, what can you do?¡± the man shrugged his shoulders and pointed at the fallen slave, ¡°that tan seems to be a private slave, so only that fat merchant will lose.¡± i opened my eyes with tears at his words as if the slave¡¯s life belonged to the merchant. ¡°you are a slave too, aren¡¯t you angry as well?¡± the smile left his eyes at my words. i wiggled my fingers, avoiding his eyes, which turned cold in an instant. ¡°i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°it¡¯s my fault for saying something strange.¡± he was in the same position as a slave who was beaten to death by a merchant, so even if he was angry, he couldn¡¯t do anything. i felt restless and bit my lips at the expressionless man¡¯s face. it was a mistake. i didn¡¯t know his pain, and i haven¡¯t experienced such shame. ¡°i went overboard. i¡¯m sorry if i offended you,¡± i said. ¡°apologizing to a slave. what an eccentric master.¡± i shut my eyes tightly at the man¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°it¡¯s hard to believe on your part, but i don¡¯t consider you as my slave. rian isn¡¯t really my slave either,¡± i tried to explain, looking up at the man with my chin raised high. ¡°even if the return period is almost over, i don¡¯t plan on giving you back to the store. that¡¯s why i brought you here.¡± ¡°are you saying you¡¯re going to buy me? do you have any money?¡± he asked. he already knew how much i had with me in the first place and laughed in disbelief. having hit the nail on the head, i clasped my mouth in embarrassment. ¡°well, that¡¯s not the case, but¡­ but i¡¯ll set you free somehow.¡± even as he heard me, it didn¡¯t matter. the man¡¯s eyes narrowed at my boast and i bowed my head to avoid his sharp eyes. ¡°how can i believe that?¡± ¡°you don¡¯t have to believe now. you can just watch.¡± the man smirked and i think he still didn¡¯t believe me. ¡°you really hit hard, master.¡± still, when i suddenly thought i wanted to see that smile with my own eyes, he walked past me. ¡°argh! what are you?¡± he grabbed the merchant¡¯s thick arm as he beat the slave to death and broke it with one hand. along with the sound of cracking bones, the sound of a pig¡¯s scream resonated at the alley¡¯s entrance. Chapter 43.2 ¡°stop if you don¡¯t want to get stabbed by a tan slave while you sleep well at night.¡± the man clasped the shrieking merchant¡¯s shoulder and slammed him on the wall. ¡°what! who¡¯s the owner of this slave?¡± he demanded. perhaps because of the man¡¯s ferocious spirit, or because of the merchant¡¯s behavior of torturing slaves so early in the morning, people couldn¡¯t easily intervene. ¡°you won¡¯t see it coming, you know. tan¡¯s grudge runs deep.¡± the man overpowered the merchant in an instant and tapped his bald head. the merchant, struggling to get out of his grip, started screaming. ¡°what are you doing? catch him, guards! guards!¡± but no one came forward to help. as the kingdom didn¡¯t have any security forces, it seemed to be a trend to protect one¡¯s own life on your own. of course, at times it would get too bloody for anyone to see. ¡°soldier! call soldiers! i¡¯ll give a reward for bringing them in¡­!¡± in the end, passers-by turned away and left the alley only after the merchant offered money. however, when the slow-moving merchant soldiers finally arrived at the alley, the man and i, as well as the fallen slave had already disappeared. * * * ¡°gu¡­ gu¡­ thank you¡­! thank you so much!¡± the slave man, who had his head stuck to the ground, showed tears of gratitude as he thanked us. i scratched the back of my head because i was embarrassed as i didn¡¯t really do anything for him. ¡°what? i didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°didn¡¯t you use your combat slave to save me? i will never forget this grace!¡± i blinked slowly at his words. it turned out that shamua had a strange system called ¡®slave taking¡¯. ¡®slave taking¡¯ was a system in which a person who won a one-on-one duel could take a slave from the losing party. the type of weapon used in such duels weren¡¯t restricted, as it is, it was possible to use combat slaves instead. the aristocratic society of slaves was so small that it seemed not to be a prevalent system since there were many things to consider, but anyway, thanks to that, i was able to safely and legally save a man¡¯s life. ¡°well, would you really not mind releasing me? you don¡¯t want to get paid?¡± thinking he¡¯d have to serve me instead of the merchant, he stammered and touched his neck in disbelief when i released his leash. ¡°yes. as you can see, i have a lot of people with me,¡± i said. two was already too many. i didn¡¯t have the money to feed another. ¡°oh, you already have great slaves,¡± he nodded as he saw adrian and the nameless slave. ¡°my name is luke. if you happen to visit the eastern coastal village, alancas, please come visit me.¡± the man who introduced himself as luke searched his pocket and even took out his business card. i checked his card, whose edges were all worn out and my eyes widened with shock. ¡°you have a name?¡± ¡°yes. i wasn¡¯t originally a slave¡­ i was in such a position because i couldn¡¯t pay back the debt that accumulated due to my business failure.¡± luke explained his situation briefly, then bowed politely as he got up. then, he bowed to the slave standing behind me. ¡°thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°i think i¡¯ve done enough for my master.¡± luke smiled kindly and offered something to him, even though he had a demeaning attitude. ¡°still, i¡¯d like to thank you for saving my life.¡± ¡°a slave who knows manners¡­¡± he said with hanging words, ¡°then a master who feels sorry for slavery, too. i see a lot of strange things these days.¡± ¡°there are days like this in life, right?¡± he frowned at luke¡¯s words, but didn¡¯t reject what he gave. originally, slaves couldn¡¯t own anything, so i had to take that item but also didn¡¯t want to touch what he got from luke in return. i guess that was the cause of the trouble. ¡°¡­hmmm.¡± waking up from a sound sleep the next day, i found a cold sofa as if no one had slept on it the night before and scratched my cheek. luke¡¯s face smiling sadly came to mind. to hit a person in the back so casually, i wondered if he became a slave not because his business failed, but because of fraud. i didn¡¯t know that what luke gave to the nameless slave was a tool that destroyed the location tracker. today was the day to return him¡­ the man i should be returning has run away. bang! bang! bang! ¡°hey, lady! are you in there?!¡± bang! bang! bang! the harsh knocking of the slave trader who came to visit me hit the back of my ear. Chapter 44.1 i quickly got out of bed and rubbed my sleepy eyes. i couldn¡¯t help myself but kiss adrian because he was so cute in the midst of it, and pushed him into the closet. ¡°rian, hide here for a moment.¡± the small closet attached to the inn room was too cramped for him. despite being thin, he was actually of basic size. i put my index finger on my lips as i looked at rian who was groaning due to discomfort as his body bumped here and there inside the closet. ¡°shh¡­ be a good boy, okay?¡± ¡°hiiing¡­¡± adrian noticed i was trying to appease him and answered faintly. his insinuation rate was now around 3%. ¡®it should be resolved by the end of the day¡­¡¯ glancing at the insinuation gauge, i stroked adrian¡¯s head and firmly said, ¡°you must never come out of here until i tell you to come out.¡± ¡°closet, inside?¡± ¡°yes. don¡¯t come out no matter what you hear outside. got it?¡± adrian, who understood me, nodded his head. i locked the bar tightly and then kicked at the door. the slave trader approached. ¡°what are you doing?¡± when i asked with only my face exposed, the slave trader smiled as he stroked his dark beard. ¡°oh, there you are. i thought you ran away again.¡± ¡°i just woke up, why would i be running away?¡± i frowned at him. it wasn¡¯t me who ran away, it was that slave¡­ i glanced at the window where the man must¡¯ve got out of and glanced back at the slave trader. ¡°i asked you what you¡¯re doing so early in the morning,¡± i repeated. ¡°today is the agreed return day of the slave you borrowed. i came to take him back myself.¡± ¡°oh, you¡¯re so impatient. you¡¯ll soon lose all your hair.¡± i looked down at my nails, pretending to be relaxed. he raised his crooked eyebrows as he noticed me looking at my bare nails as if they were decorated with nail art. ¡°uh-huh, lady. where¡¯s my slave?¡± ¡°come again in the afternoon. i just sent him on an errand.¡± the corners of the man¡¯s mouth raised as i flicked my fingers. for a moment, the sun shining from the window reflected on his golden teeth, and it was dizzyingly bright. ¡°why are you doing this like an amateur? shouldn¡¯t you respect the return time?¡± thud the slave trader, who ripped open the locked door, entered my room. ¡°oh, why are you coming in?!¡± despite my protest, he glanced around the empty room and scratched his bearded chin and bent down. ¡°did the guy you sent on an errand steal my location tracker?¡± in his hand, he held an iron anklet that the slave had left behind. * * * an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. the slave trader dragged me to the store and threw me down, saying that i will replace the slave i lost. ¡°arkh!¡± how dare he grab the player¡¯s hair and throw it away like that?! curse the system, you bastards! i wanted to shout out loud, but the damn system was silent even in my time of crisis. ¡°get out of my way, i¡¯ll have to educate the new slave today!¡± the slave trader who dragged me through startled employees to the basement, cornered me and pushed me to the wall. ¡°you are a very funny bitch. do you dare to free my slave knowing that his life is a waste?¡± i didn¡¯t really release him. i was only thinking of freeing him, but he ran away without a word. i gritted my teeth as i recalled the man whose face was half covered. ¡®bad guy, if he was going to run away, he should¡¯ve said something!¡¯ tears trickled at the feeling of betrayal. ¡°how dare you touch our brother and think you¡¯d still be safe?¡± the person holding my chin firmly against the wall wasn¡¯t the slave trader that dragged me there. my eyes narrowed at the familiar face. ¡°¡­who?¡± ¡°did you beat me like a dog in the middle of the street and think you¡¯d be safe?¡± slap! having been slapped suddenly, i looked back at the man holding onto my tingling cheek. the pig-like guy who made eye contact with me huffed and i noted the gold necklace on his neck. ¡°brother! it¡¯s her! i remember her hair color was unique, and she had me beat up!¡± at his words, the slave trader rolled his sleeves. ¡°how dare you beat my brother with my own slave?¡± he yelled. i looked at him and the fat man alternately and clapped my hands at his words. now i see that the owner of the slave shop had the same gold necklace worn. ¡®oh, was the slave trader this fat guy¡¯s brother?¡¯ no wonder their faces looked alike. i thought they only looked similar since they did the same thing as a business. Chapter 44.2 ¡°i won¡¯t be able to touch your face because i have to sell you as a slave instead, but i¡¯ll feel better if i cut off one of your limbs.¡± the older pig, who wanted to avenge his younger brother, grabbed my hair and tore them off. ¡°if you do well, i¡¯ll get paid more than that slave.¡± he grinned disgustingly, his blue eyes shining wickedly. ¡°shall we check if there¡¯s a place where this asshole can be sold?¡± his gruesome smile sent a chill down the back of my neck. i held my breath so as not to show that i was frightened, and then i bent back his wrists that were holding my head. ¡°oh, my! you crazy bitch!¡± i kicked the slave trader¡¯s groin as hard as i could and didn¡¯t hold back. with a gagging sound, he collapsed in front of me. ¡°it¡¯s not time to return him yet. don¡¯t touch me,¡± i hissed at him as he was about to jump at me. ¡°you said you sent that slave on an errand.¡± as if not taking my words seriously, the fallen slave trader snorted and raised his head. ¡°are you saying that the slave you sent on an errand took off the tracker and left?¡± ¡°no matter what, if the return date is today, i just have to return it by midnight, right?¡± the slave trader recoiled from the pain in his groin as he saw the look in my sharp eyes. ¡°well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°brother, why do you keep going back?¡± ¡°sh-shut up, you punk! alright. i¡¯ll wait until midnight tonight.¡± he glared at me, licking his lips. ¡°if you don¡¯t return him by midnight, you¡¯ll have to be prepared.¡± * * * that¡¯s it. my body bent automatically at the sound of the clock¡¯s hand echoing in the basement, as quiet as a dead mouse. the basement, which seemed to be a space where slaves were temporarily locked up, smelled damp and fishy with a lot of moss. ¡®there¡¯s only an hour left.¡¯ checking the time, i chewed my lips nervously. i didn¡¯t bargain for time because i thought the runaway slave would return by midnight, that there¡¯d even be a slim chance he¡¯d come back. the one i believed was adrian. adrian¡¯s insinuation rate dropped to 3% in the morning. however, based on the speed at which it has fallen so far, it should¡¯ve been lifted earlier. ¡®but why isn¡¯t he looking for me yet?¡¯ as soon as the insinuation was lifted, adrian could immediately call the crown prince¡¯s escort from anywhere. it wouldn¡¯t matter much whether it was an empire or a kingdom. the game setting was like that. ¡®could it be that it hasn¡¯t fallen yet?¡¯ since he was locked and left alone in a closet, adrian¡¯s insinuation in an uneasy situation may have slowed down. if not¡­ a sudden thought made me feel like bursting into tears, so i buried my face between my knees. ¡®i guess he left me alone.¡¯ if my calculations were correct, his insinuation should¡¯ve been lifted by the afternoon, and it was possible adrian left me in this kingdom and went back by himself. i took care of him for a few days, but that was adrian, not the crown prince adrian. ¡®no, let¡¯s not think negatively. my adorable puppy, i¡¯m sure he¡¯s not such an ungrateful child.¡¯ i raised my head, catching up on thoughts that just kept spiraling in the wrong direction. at that moment, i could hear someone stepping into the basement floor, where puddles of water were here and there. ¡°rian, rian?¡± i got up from my seat with joy and soon realized there was no choice but despair. ¡°rian? is that your lover¡¯s name?¡± it wasn¡¯t rian who smiled and approached the bars. i glared furiously at the grinning slave trader with a pig¡¯s throat. ¡°it¡¯s not midnight yet.¡± ¡°oh, it¡¯s a pity. i¡¯m here to wait with you in case you¡¯re bored.¡± if i died of boredom, then so be it, but i didn¡¯t want to be with a pig-like slave trader. however, regardless of what i wanted, the man squeezed into the narrow basement and suddenly wrapped his hands around my waist. ¡°what, what?! don¡¯t touch me!¡± i struggled, pushing him away as he groped me with toad-like fingers. however, unlike before, he smiled and began to openly rub my chest. ¡°oh, you have more chest than it looks. silver hair usually is a premium, but it can be sold at a very high price,¡± he greedily thought out loud. ¡°go away, you pervert!¡± i yelled at the top of my lungs. ¡°what do you mean? if you want to sell this pretty body intact, wouldn¡¯t it be better to listen to me?¡± the grinning slave trader grabbed me by the back of my neck and pushed me to lie on the floor. his grip on my hair felt five times stronger than before. ¡°you are quite strong despite being thin, so i gave you a bit of medicine.¡± it was a moment when i really wanted to go home. i opened my mouth to scream. ¡°ahhh!¡± Chapter 45.1 ¡°i have the plague!¡± my urgent cry made the slave trader hesitate. i couldn¡¯t miss the moment when he flustered, and i opened my eyes fiercely. ¡°so, if you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better take your hands off of me.¡± ¡°well, what is the plague?! do you think i don¡¯t know why you¡¯re trying to scare me?¡± the slave trader snorted and shook my hair, but i noticed that his voice shook slightly. ¡°mallor. haven¡¯t you heard of it?¡± , which i¡¯m now stuck in, was a different game from that i played before, but it still shared the same worldview. ¡°it¡¯s a disease that causes rashes all over the body and causes hives to spread to the brain and die. there is no cure, and there¡¯s no other choice but to soothe it, so the imperialists call the disease mallor.¡± recalling the episode where i was loved by the people who had been cured of the contagious disease with the power of a saint, i scared the slave trader by mentioning specific symptoms. ¡°a big plague?¡± surprised with what i said, the slave trader trembled and his face twisted. his grip on my hair eventually loosened. ¡°lies. you think i¡¯ve never heard of mallor? i know it¡¯s a disease where the brain melts in a hideous way due to high fever!¡± he hesitated and took a step back, frowning as he insisted that he knew of the disease. ¡°you don¡¯t have any rash, let alone blisters, right?¡± i loosened the corset that fastened my dress as the slave trader¡¯s gaze scrutinized through my fine skin. ¡°it¡¯s the incubation period. there are no blisters, but the spots are already there,¡± i lied. the slave trader¡¯s pupils shook violently when i showed him my purple stained sides and stomach because he¡¯d caressed me everywhere. ¡°if you keep touching it, you¡¯ll get infected, but if you want to shorten your life, then be my guest.¡± if the light in the basement had been any brighter, one would¡¯ve noticed that the mottled marks were not traces of the disease. fortunately, the only light source now was a lamp brought by the slave trader. ¡°i don¡¯t think that will do! you¡¯re going to have to hide that spot. if you don¡¯t, i won¡¯t get a high selling price, and you¡¯ll have to pay the difference,¡± he stammered back, frowning grimly. ¡°anyway, the promised midnight has passed. i¡¯ll sell you as soon as it¡¯s light, so you just know.¡± * * * i was about to fall asleep after kicking out the slave trader and staring at the ventilation hole which was the size of my palm. ¡°it¡¯s about time the medicine kicks in, but it¡¯s weird.¡± at the strange voice coming from the entrance, i overcame my drowsiness and got up from my seat. ¡°who is it?¡± ¡°oh, you must have been surprised. it¡¯s me. i gave you water earlier.¡± the man who approached me while spinning a bundle of keys was a store employee who handed me a water bottle before the slave trader came in. ¡°well¡­ don¡¯t you feel a bit strange or something?¡± when my forehead wrinkled at the employee¡¯s question, he grinned and put his arm through the bars and gently stroked my shoulder. ¡°is your body hot or itchy?¡± he asked. ¡°did you put something in the water?¡± ¡°yes. have you never heard of not drinking anything given by strangers?¡± of course, i did. but i just pretended to drink it. i fiercely shook off his hand that was thin but had a similar impression to his employer. ¡°you didn¡¯t hear that i had an infectious disease, did you?¡± ¡°oh! of course, i heard,¡± he answered. he laughed and opened the door of the cell where i was trapped, despite the words i said. squeak. squeak. the iron door opened with a creepy sound. ¡°still, i don¡¯t think it would be that bad to die after trying it with a woman like you at least once.¡± the man slowly approached me, who was already as close to the wall, with a hazy face as if he¡¯d taken drugs. ¡°how come you look like this? i¡¯d believe we¡¯d caught the fairy of the silver mountains!¡± as soon as the employee¡¯s long tongue touched my trembling cheek¡­ kwachak! with a dull sound of crushing bones, the person¡¯s figure clinging to me disappeared in an instant. soon, red blood stained my vision. ¡°hello, master.¡± a man standing with a corpse torn apart greeted me. i recognized his eyes bent like a crescent moon at once. the runaway slave is back. Chapter 45.2 ¡°what? how could you¡­¡± the man threw the body suddenly and approached me who was shocked. he cleaned up my clothes which were messed up by the employee, and then brushed my tangled hair with his hands. ¡°hey, when and how did you get in here?¡± ¡°i came in when the master screamed and kicked the pig out. it¡¯s a bit difficult to tell you how.¡± my mouth hung open as i asked, ¡°why?¡± ¡°why? i¡¯m here to save my master,¡± he replied. still covering his face halfway with a hood, he laughed with a whimpering sound. the man picked up the bundle of keys that the employee missed and continued to embrace me, whose legs had become weak. ¡°i am no prince, but i¡¯m a beast who returns the favor.¡± ¡°aren¡¯t you even worried about the plague?¡± i joked. i frowned at the man¡¯s behavior as he held me casually. if he had heard the conversation i had with the slave trader, he wouldn¡¯t have acted this way. ¡°oh, the disease that the master was explaining while she trembled?¡± the man shrugged and threw the keys down the stairs leading to the basement. flick, a black hand popped out of nowhere and soon disappeared with the key as if it was a crab hiding in the dark. ¡°if i get caught, i¡¯ll die with you.¡± crushing the iron bars with his bare hands, he laughed, inhaling the cool morning air that permeated through the cracks. his confidence left me speechless. when i left the basement quietly in the man¡¯s arms, the fishy smell of blood stung my nose. noticing my reaction, the man covered my face with an embarrassed cough and quickly left the store. ¡°uh, where are you going?¡± i asked. ¡°the slave trader that the master kicked in the crotch is a big guy named pak, and has the largest guild in the shamua kingdom. if you want to live, you have to leave the kingdom as soon as possible.¡± i opened my mouth in response to the man¡¯s explanation. i was always in favor of leaving the kingdom, but i left something behind. rian! ¡°i have to go back to the inn.¡± ¡°why?¡± ¡°rian, i¡¯ve hidden rian in the closet.¡± there was a possibility that the insinuation was released and he¡¯d escaped, but if it had not been done, rian could have quietly stayed in the closet as i told him. ¡°hurry up. he wouldn¡¯t have eaten anything today,¡± i insisted. my heart was in a hurry when i remembered him, who was trapped in a closet all day long, starving. the man looked down at my nervous face and laughed coldly. ¡°well, then¡­¡± i looked at the man whose expression was barely visible, seemingly showing a little displeasure. ¡°did the master eat anything?¡± ¡°no. i was stuck in the basement, but i didn¡¯t eat anything.¡± earlier, the staff brought me water and a loaf of bread, but it looked suspicious, so i took a small bite and didn¡¯t eat everything. it turned out to be a good decision. ¡°and that¡¯s how you worry about him? a child who is twice as big as his master.¡± my eyebrows furrowed at the man¡¯s words. ¡°are rian and i the same?¡± ¡°different. very much.¡± the man seemed to understand my anger, but didn¡¯t seem to like turning the direction toward the inn. still, at my stubbornness, he put my arms around his neck. ¡°hold on. i¡¯m running out of time, so i¡¯ll speed up.¡± as soon as i clasped his neck, he flew and stepped on the roof of another house. then, wasn¡¯t he stepping on the wall next door to him with another leap? ¡®what is this? isn¡¯t this just flying around?¡¯ i don¡¯t know if i could just call it jumping. the man was now leaping over two roofs with just one step. like a superhero movie i once saw, the scenery below under the dark sky changed quickly. ¡°kyaaaa! kyaaaagh!¡± i tightened my clasp around his neck because i was afraid that if i loosened even a bit, i might fall down. ¡°i won¡¯t miss it, master. slave ears are about to tear, so could you shut up?¡± the slave cheekily raised one eyebrow at me, telling me to shut up. ¡°i¡¯m sorry¡­¡± i blushed with embarrassment and closed my mouth. in an instant, the man arrived at the inn and looked down at me and tilted his head in wonder. ¡°¡­master, why is your body so hot?¡± i closed my eyes tightly at his question. it was originally a good low tone, but it sounded strange because it wasn¡¯t attractive to me now. the sensation that had been tickling me since earlier came creeping up the back of my neck. that water. i just took a sip and spat it out after holding it in my mouth for a very short time! Chapter 46.1 tan was a black leopard beastman. unlike the inferior werewolves who were influenced by the moon¡¯s movement, they rule the night like kings and have total control. ¡®it¡¯s a bit of a problem, though¡­¡¯ even the free and elegant tan who lived alone used to lose control like a beast at night when the old moon rose. the man glanced at the moon that cast a hazy shadow. the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves resounded softly. it was a late summer night in shamua. the air, hotter and damper than the empire, touched his cheek. under the night sky, edith twisted my slender body, breathing out hotter than the midsummer sun. ¡°huh, yes¡­¡± the man knew very well what kind of aphrodisiac she¡¯d taken and what he had to do to relieve the pain. he damn knew all too well what it was. it happened to be the last day. if they do it today¡­ ¡°shit.¡± he scratched the back of his head as he suddenly turned to glance at edith¡¯s red face. ¡°¡­can¡¯t you stand it, master?¡± edith was crawling on the floor with tearful eyes as if she couldn¡¯t hear the man. unable to overcome the heat, she grabbed her clothes and tore them apart. a woman who couldn¡¯t hide her brilliant beauty even in the dark suddenly appeared under the pale moonlight. ¡°i¡¯m going crazy.¡± the man lamented. it was as if his prey had thrown off the wrapping paper for him to run and eat immediately. ¡°just a little, i¡¯ll let you go a little bit,¡± he muttered with a sigh. edith fell on the bare floor and lay down. lying on a piece of cloth, she clung to him with tears dripping. ¡°i, i¡­it¡¯s so painful.¡± the man licked edith¡¯s tears. the corners of her reddened eyes trembled as she exhaled a faint moan. ¡°you¡¯re cute even when you cry.¡± her crying face wasn¡¯t bad, although he had no taste in bullying women. the man raised the corners of his mouth playfully, and with his fingertips, twisted her nipples that had already stood upright. ¡°ha!¡± soon, a moan that sounded like a cry broke out. the man bit into a handful of her creamy white breasts. edith threw her head back and trembled as he persistently touched her soft nippled with his tongue. he was so greedy that he wanted to swallow it all in one bite. even if he was her slave, he thought it would be okay this time to subordinate her. the man slowly licked edith¡¯s beautiful body, oblivious to the fact that his hood had fallen to the floor. a sweet and lascivious scent pierced the tip of his nose. he wanted to enjoy this time a little more. ¡°huh. it¡¯s more, it¡¯s more painful¡­!¡± however, edith hit the floor with her hand as if she didn¡¯t need an affectionate caress. she pushed the man on top of her and spread her legs wide. between her slender thighs, liquid of love trickled down, glistening white in the moonlight. ¡°¡­now what?¡± the man who was about to protest was soon forced to shut up when he was suddenly pushed. edith was suddenly rubbing her red and hot clitoris with her own hands. her slender fingers spread through her entrance, and soon dug inside. ¡°why don¡¯t you just kill me, master?¡± seeing this made him think it would be easier for edith to get infected with the plague and die than to endure her own desires. ¡°fuck this, really¡­¡± he said as he held his breath. clenching his teeth in the boiling heat, the man rolled his fists. the protruding joints made a scratching sound and bled. ¡°master, you¡¯re in big trouble. you know that?¡± whatever the man said, edith¡¯s fingers continued to dig in without looking at him. with the sound of liquid, her wet inner lining clung to her fingers and slipped away. at first glance, he seemed to see pinkish flesh inside. ¡°ahhhhhh¡­!¡± edith let out a moan of anguish. the man closed his eyes tightly with a burning thirst. as if poking inside her wasn¡¯t enough, edith started rubbing her breasts with her other hand. her chest, which she couldn¡¯t grab with her small hand, circled up and down. the nipples sticking out between her fingers shook as she pressed them. Chapter 46.2 ¡°¡­not enough.¡± edith, even after inserting all three of her fingers, looked up and cried at the man. ¡°too, too thin.¡± ¡°i¡¯m going crazy, really.¡± the man felt like crying too, and settled down between edith¡¯s legs as he bit his lip at her crying her fingers were too thin. holding her round ass, he lifted her up and poked her thin mucous membranes with the tip of his tongue. ¡°ah!¡± this time his fingers, which were much thicker than edith¡¯s, quickly dug into her. as the hard joint scratched her inner wall, she turned her head in agony and shook her toes. ¡°hnghhhhhh¡­!¡± ¡°are you happy that i¡¯m poking you, master?¡± edith¡¯s mouth, satisfied with his thick fingers, burst into a scream. ¡°ah¡­!¡± ¡°i ask you if you like it,¡± he repeated. ¡°ugh, yes¡­ it¡¯s so good¡­¡± the man clenched his teeth at the answer she gave without paying attention. if he had sex with her today, tan will imprint. contrary to the characteristics of the freedom seeking race, tan could only imprint one person in his lifetime. ¡°then shall i continue?¡± the man sat edith on his belly as she sobbed slowly licked his fingers that were covered in her vaginal fluid. edith, obsessed with the bizarre display, couldn¡¯t take her eyes off his fingers and opened her mouth stupidly. ¡°just give me orders, master.¡± the man put his thumb into edith¡¯s open mouth and smiled beautifully. ¡°i¡¯m really your slave now.¡± * * * ¡°do you want me to do it?¡± i didn¡¯t know what spirit possessed me to nod at the man¡¯s words. my brain seemed to be burning with dreary pleasure. the reason, which couldn¡¯t be settled at all, melted in the hot air. ¡°do it¡­¡± the man¡¯s lips rose sharply at my answer that barely came out in a hoarse voice. i thought he¡¯d be handsome, but when he threw off his hood, he turned out to be eye-rolling handsome. why did he look like this when he wasn¡¯t even a target character? why? how come i was losing my mind thinking about eating him? ¡°what can i do for you? give me the right orders.¡± the cheeky slave commanded arrogantly. i moved my lips obediently at his command. ¡°sex. sex, please¡­¡± i didn¡¯t know why but i was embarrassed for a reason and wiggled my fingers, but the man hugged me as if he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. his angry manhood bumped under a slippery, wet blanket. the upright genital rubbed violently against the vaginal opening. ¡°it was my master¡¯s order.¡± the man pressed my vagina with his genitals and murmured softly. his languid pupils stood sharper than usual. ¡°so, you shouldn¡¯t regret it or anything.¡± what regret? i was curious for a moment, but i didn¡¯t even think to ask. there was neither the presence of mind nor time for that. his manhood, who came in without warning, hit deep from the bottom to the top. ¡°haaaaaaaaa!!!¡± it felt like my body was pierced through. i shook my chin and put my hands on the man¡¯s shoulder. maybe i was sobbing unconsciously, so he wiped my tear-soaked cheeks with one hand. ¡°it may hurt a little, master.¡± i thought it wouldn¡¯t hurt with his friendly warning and immediately opened my eyes. his penis that filled me inside, which i thought couldn¡¯t fill more than this, swelled. ¡°ah¡­!¡± i shook my head because i was under the illusion that i could see a shape form through my flat belly. but my view right now was distorted, so that must be just what it looked like. the man gently patted my back, perhaps feeling i was embarrassed. ¡°are you okay? no one¡¯s going to die.¡± probably. i opened my eyes at the lack of confidence. what was he talking about? who¡¯s going to die? and why? ¡°i¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°huh¡­?¡± having swallowed my question, he licked his upper lip with his hot tongue. a big hand ran down my spine, grabbing my buttocks below. i felt like i was slightly lifted with one hand, and then he slammed me back on top of him. ¡°oh my god!¡± instantly, stars flew in front of my eyes. my body trembled with the dreary pleasure running to the tip of my toes. only then did i realize that he hadn¡¯t really moved. ¡°huh¡­¡± holding my round chest in one hand, he burst out a faint exclamation. his hot yellow eyes were distorted painfully as if he was holding back something. ¡°why are you so pretty¡­ i¡¯m a little worried about this.¡± i opened my mouth when i got curious about the reason for his sigh. what worries? when asked carefully, he answered with a sigh. ¡°i¡¯m afraid my master will die.¡± as if following the man¡¯s words, his penis swelled inside me again. Chapter 47.1 ¡®are you crazy?¡¯ was he going to make my body explode? before i could even ask, he buried his face in the back of my neck. he, whose tooth mark was on my neck, roughly lifted my butt. ¡°ah¡­!¡± my vision blurred and my eyes turned red. if it was this size from the beginning, i knew it wouldn¡¯t have gone in. there¡¯s no way. ¡°crazy, ugh!¡± deeply. even with my startled screams, his thick and hard penis penetrated inside me without hesitation. the soft inner walls followed as if sticking to his genitals and were pushed in. pain and pleasure rattled through my head. the man kept moving his waist, not even caring about me crying. ¡°oh, my!¡± i uttered a moan mixed with tears at the penis that hit me deep. the man chewed his lips as if he was going crazy when he clenched his weapon with small convulsions. he bit so hard that his thin lips were covered in blood. ¡°haaa¡­¡± his manhood moved greatly as i groaned at the stimulus. his eyes facing me looked calm, but i could feel the burning heat. the bright yellow pupils, heated like iron, scanned every corner of my body as if he was going to eat me. ¡°master, master.¡± he called me kindly. my eyelids trembled with the sound of his voice. ¡°where did such a pretty thing fall from?¡± the man muttered a little and raised his waist again, contrary to the kind hand that stroked her head. then, from the bottom to top, he started banging like hitting a nail. my body was shaken by the long and rough penis. the man¡¯s eyes were fixed on my bobbing chest. i gasped at the sensation that spread from my lower belly to my entire body. it seemed to penetrate the entire body, and not just the stomach. ¡°hhhh¡­ ah!¡± i was out of breath and soon my vision turned dark. only the hard and heavy penis filled me inside, and the rough hands rubbing my chest were clear. ¡°yawning!¡± it was a crazy climax. i closed my eyes as if fainting. * * * ¡®crazy person¡­¡¯ that crazy slave! that was an attempted murder! after finally regaining consciousness, i stared at the man smiling in front of me and raised his eyebrow. no, i was going to get up. ¡°argh!¡± i don¡¯t have any strength left in my body. my back felt like it was about to break and my bottom felt sore like it would fall off. ¡°don¡¯t overdo it, just lie down.¡± the man who laid me down on his lap gently stroked my head. the sense of my hair slipping through elongated fingers wasn¡¯t bad, so i was a little relieved. ¡®no, i can¡¯t forgive you so easily.¡¯ i stared at the handsome man and shook my head. his previous act was tantamount to attempted murder. i could¡¯ve literally died. i groped my flat stomach and narrowed my eyes. ¡®where didn¡¯t it explode?¡¯ ¡°oh, there was a hole in it, so i sewed it.¡± ¡°what?!¡± the man¡¯s words were crazy. as expected, i thought everything would be greatly damaged by its crazy size. i frantically fiddled around to fund any ruptured organ. a bad boy. if a man had a broken organ, he¡¯d have to be taken to a doctor. does it make sense that he sewed it up?! ¡°¡­the clothes. clothes.¡± the man smiled and opened his mouth as if my behavior was shocking. ¡°the thread of the master¡¯s clothes broke, so i sewed it.¡± only then did i see the dress that the man was holding out to me. ¡°oh, thank you.¡± the man looked down at me as i packed my clothes. ¡°that¡¯s too much. how careful i was yesterday.¡± ¡°careful, what kind of care?¡± i glared at his words. i fainted in the middle, but even when i lost consciousness, riding a roller coaster would¡¯ve been less intense than him. ¡°¡­did it hurt a lot?¡± i thought he¡¯d raise a brow at my insult, but the man dropped his shoulders as if he was sullen. ¡°i¡¯m sorry. i put up with it in my own way, but i can¡¯t control it at that time.¡± embarrassed by his modest apology, i bit my lip. ¡®what¡¯s wrong with him? did i eat something wrong?¡¯