《Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre》 Prologue Before me stood a tiny boy, young and small, with fluffy hair. His cheeks are rosy and flushed, like the cheeks of a young boy from a wealthy family, and his blue eyes glisten like scales upon a lake. Indeed, he is very lovely as he is, but when he grows up, he will be the most handsome man on the continent. It¡¯s not just his looks that are unusual. This child can be anything. Whatever he really wants to be. Because he¡¯s the king of the world. ¡°Ah, ah, good morning, Belinda.¡± Even though he¡¯s nervous and sticks his neck out like a meerkat, Leo was adorable today. I smiled as innocently as I could at Leo, who would be even cuter tomorrow than he was today. ¡äYeah, my Leo must have had a good night¡¯s sleep.¡ä I wanted to reply with that ¡­¡­. ¡°Hmph, judging from your drowsy face, it seems you slept very well last night.¡± My mouth spat out the sarcastic words on its own accord. The child¡¯s face turned sullen, like a puppy with drooping ears. The sight of it made my blood run cold, but I steeled myself and gestured to the door. Leo fidgeted with his hands clasped in front of him, watching me with wide eyes, before he stumbled out of the room. Thud. It wasn¡¯t until the door was closed and I was alone that my aristocratically stiff back slumped. I nibbled at the tip of the fan, but finally gave in to my frustration and plunged into bed, kicking at the air. Damn Belinda! ¡°I like him, so why won¡¯t you let me tell him I like him!¡± As I screamed, the system window flashed in my vision. [Synchronisation in progress]. It has been a month since I entered the game. And yet, today, I still found myself verbally abusing the protagonist. This meant that at this rate, my death ending would be nailed down and the game would change genres from a game about healing to a game about killing. CH 1 Belinda Blanche was the worst of the worst, making a name for herself in the social circles of the Kingdom of Genos every year with her ferocity and viciousness. To make matters worse, she was the scion of the Blanche family, which owned the continent¡¯s best casino, and her evil deeds were probably heavier than gold. But when people actually met Belinda, they often commented on her appearance rather than her viciousness. ¡°To give the best beauty in the kingdom to such a fierce wretch. The first and last mistake the gods have ever made.¡± Coveted red hair and bright eyes like amethyst. Neither the harshness of her features nor the dryness of her expression could blemish her beauty. And yet, who would dare to imagine. That Belinda Blanche, with her gold, her power, and her mesmerizing looks, was merely an extra. She¡¯s the only evil character in a healing game that doesn¡¯t contain a single villain, and she¡¯s a character that dies in a variety of ways to bring the players their cider. (T/n: a soda drink such as Sprite in Korea. When you drink cider you feel great and happy) ¡äHmm, now that I think about it, the most recent updated ending had me being sacrificed to something. ¡ä I tore at my hair, as I realized that I had just been in a car crash and was now the most evil woman in the game. The game I was possessing, is a parenting simulation game where you raise a young protagonist, and the story itself is very simple. One day, Ophelia, a fallen noblewoman exiled from the Empire to the Kingdom of Genos, has a strange dream. ¡°Ophelia, I will entrust you with a child born under the Star of Heroes. Please raise it well.¡± And that day, she rescues an orphan boy who is being abused by a certain marquise¡¯s daughter. That child is the protagonist, the child born under the star of the hero spoken of in the dream. Becoming Ophelia and raising the protagonist the way you want is the beauty of . On the other hand, Belinda appeared as the above mentioned ¡äyoung lady of the marquise who abused the protagonist¡ä, who repeatedly met a death ending for the crime of tormenting the protagonist viciously. ¡äBut just because I¡¯m Belinda doesn¡¯t mean I have to die. ¡ä Because it¡¯s Belinda¡¯s ending, not mine, that gets her a death sentence for tormenting the protagonist. In the game¡¯s story, Belinda meets the protagonist as her personal servant. Luckily, I hadn¡¯t met the protagonist yet, and instead of abusing this child, I wanted him to grow up. If I gave him a lot of attention and sent him to Ophelia as in , the protagonist would be happy and I would also be happy because there would be no reason for me to die, making for a nice, closed happy ending. Moreover, the Blanche family is the richest aristocratic family in the novel! I can¡¯t believe I get to spend all that money and still take care of an adorable little boy. ¡äWhat, is this Heaven?¡ä Dreaming of a happy future, I made eye contact with myself in the mirror to familiarize myself with Belinda¡¯s face. I felt a dull ache in my scalp and rolled my eyes to look at the maid standing beside me. She clutched a few of my plucked hairs in her trembling hands and spoke like a prisoner about to be executed. ¡°Forgive me, please forgive me¡­¡­ Lady Belinda.¡± It seemed that while brushing my hair for the morning routine, she had accidentally pulled out a few strands. Oh, come on. People can make mistakes. Excited at the thought of meeting my heroine, I gave her a quick smile through the mirror to let her know I was okay. ¡°Lord, I have committed a mortal sin!¡± Thud. The maid fell to the floor and begged for forgiveness. In her desperation, she didn¡¯t even seem to notice her forehead hit the floor. I had expected it, but Belinda¡¯s usual temper was clearly not normal. ¡äI need to get my reputation up a bit before the main event. ¡ä All right, put on your best smile. I put my hand gently on the maid¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Come on, look up. Are you bleeding? Let me see.¡± I tried to be polite. If only my jaw hadn¡¯t stiffened and a blush-pink, translucent window hadn¡¯t popped up. (!Warning!) Detected dialogue out of character. The ¡°Belinda Translator¡± will be activated. ¡­¡­ A system window? And a Belinda translator? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that in a game. I scratched my head. ¡°Lift your head so I can see if your forehead is bloody enough. Let¡¯s see.¡± My gaze collided with the maid¡¯s as she raised her head. It wasn¡¯t until I saw the look of fear on her face that I realized. I realized it was me, the one who had just spoken in that elegant voice. ¡äWait. I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡­.¡ä Bang! Bang! Bang! The eerie sound cut off my words. Without warning, the maid slammed her forehead on the marble floor. Her forehead, which was only slightly swollen, was now covered in blood. Even as blood trickled down her forehead, the maid looked up at me and smiled desperately. ¡°This, is this enough to please the lady?¡± I don¡¯t remember in what state of mind I sent the maid away. Ring. I barely regained my composure when I heard the familiar tinkle of a bell in my ear. It was the sound of Hirome¡¯s quest notification that I had grown tired of hearing in my previous life. The quest window popped up in front of me. [Quest] Where am I? Who am I? If you¡¯re panicking at the sudden possession, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m here to make sure no one sees through your identity. Complete the synchronization to become a more perfect Belinda. *Sync progress: (0/100) *Reward upon completion: ¡®Belinda Translator¡¯ disabled, fragment of Belinda¡¯s memory (0/4) I stared blankly at the screen in front of me, blinking and reading it over and over again. A cold sweat trickled down the nape of my neck. An ominous hypothesis flashed through my mind. Someone tell me it¡¯s not what I think it is, please. I flung open the door in desperation. The young maid, who happened to be walking in front of my room on her little feet, froze in her tracks. I cleared my throat and asked her in the nicest possible tone. ¡äExcuse me, if you¡¯re not busy, could you come over here for a minute? ¡ä ¡°You, come here.¡± Again. The way I spoke was different from what I thought! The maid trembled as she stood before me. ¡°Yes, yes, Mi-mi-mi, Miss Belinda. You called for me?¡± I felt bad that she was so flustered, but I couldn¡¯t help it. I spoke up to confirm my hypothesis. ¡äYou don¡¯t look well, I think you should rest for the day. ¡ä ¡°Get the hell out of my presence, you squeamish, sullen creature.¡± ¡°Heuk. Yes, yes. I apologize for showing my sullen face!¡± With that, the maid disappeared into the shadows, turning her back on me. I slipped back into the room and leaned my back against the door. Ha, a Belinda translator. ¡°You¡¯ve got some naming sense.¡± Literally, my every word was being translated into Belinda¡¯s tone of voice. It seemed that the only way to get this Hell¡¯s Mouth back to normal was to complete the quest and disable the Belinda Translator. Just in case there¡¯s a problem¡­. ¡± So how do I increase the synchronization?¡± The system window had no answer. CH 2 * * * Belinda is the kingdom¡¯s most famous spoilt brat and socialite. A celebrity like that is always good fodder for the press. Thanks to her, it doesn¡¯t take much more than a quick glance at a third-rate gossip magazine to find out the details of what she did on any given day of the month. She loves to be extravagant, and her specialty is attending parties, drinking heavily, and causing a ruckus. She¡¯s a natural-born aristocrat who doesn¡¯t treat commoners as people, and she has a wonderfully flawed personality. The fact that she was able to spread her arms proudly like this was all thanks to the Marquis¡¯ love for her. The Marquis¡¯s affection was so great that he favored his niece, Belinda, over his own son. Yes, a niece. The Marquis, it turns out, was Belinda¡¯s uncle, who had adopted her as a child after her parents died in a carriage accident and raised her as his own daughter. ¡®So Belinda lost her family at a young age, just like me.¡¯ It was the only thing in common between Belinda and me, two unlikely people, two sides of the same coin. Unlike her, I didn¡¯t get along too well with my aunt¡¯s family who took me in. As Belinda, I tried to imagine how I would treat my uncle and what he would be like. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± The three maids glued to me politely stepped aside and bowed. My gaze went straight to the mirror opposite. ¡®Wow, this is what I¡¯m going to look like from now on.¡¯ In the mirror was a reflection of such beauty that it could literally dazzle a blind man. I thought she was already beautiful in her natural state, like a diamond, but with the right make-up, she sparkled like a handful of sunlight on a gemstone, creating an ecstatic light reflection. I forgot the gravity of the situation and was momentarily overwhelmed by how elegantly I looked in my simple, gloomy black dress. I felt like a villain, but if I was going to be possessing someone, I might as well be beautiful. ¡®But still, this isn¡¯t it.¡¯ She¡¯s fierce enough to intimidate her opponents, but dressed in a black dress, she exudes an aura of a leopard on the hunt. I was about to have dinner with Belinda¡¯s family. I wanted to make the best possible impression on them. ¡°Get me another dress. It should be as bright as possible.¡± As I spoke, the young maids stiffened and looked at each other. What¡¯s wrong with them? ¡®Belinda¡¯s taste will never be for dreary dresses like this.¡¯ At my nervous glance, the maids scrambled to their feet. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll have it ready in a moment.¡± Despite their nervous reactions, the new red velvet dress suited me very well. I know my uncle cares for Belinda, but I still don¡¯t know her place in this house. That¡¯s why this dinner was so important. I need to get a feel for the house and find out more about Belinda¡¯s family connections. ¡°Family.¡± I rolled the awkward word around in my mouth and stood up. Even though evil words smelted in hell come out whenever I open my mouth, my social life has been a mess for several years. There are ways to win someone¡¯s favor without saying a word. I left the room armed with a beaming smile that took full advantage of Belinda¡¯s good looks. * * * As I walked down the quiet corridor, I had a very familiar feeling. ¡®It¡¯s the same atmosphere as when I was at my aunt¡¯s.¡¯ The employees in the corridor clamped their mouths shut and lowered their heads as soon as they spotted me. Initially, I assumed they were scared of me, but soon realized they were being disrespectful. This was blatant disrespect. Soon I was led by a servant into the dining hall. There was a huge chandelier that I had only seen in medieval films, a long banqueting table, and a gentle-looking man. A very good-looking man, with red hair darker than Belinda¡¯s. Intuitively, I recognized that he was Sybel Blanche, the son of her uncle and Belinda¡¯s brother. I hid my nervousness and sat down in the chair the servant had pulled out for me. A younger sister who tarnishes the family¡¯s name. My uncle blatantly favors me and doesn¡¯t even discipline me. ¡®He probably doesn¡¯t have good feelings for me.¡¯ My mouth was dry from the tension. Finally, Sybel¡¯s jet-black eyes turned to me. ¡°Your clothes¡­¡­.¡± Clothes? Clothes that could be tripped over? The wrong color? Or too extravagant? ¡°It suits you very, very well, Belle.¡± My eyes widened at the unexpected title. ¡®Did you just call me Belle?¡¯ It¡¯s one thing to call me by a nickname, another to compliment my outfit. Maybe the relationship isn¡¯t as bad as I thought? Although Belinda¡¯s personality was said to be a bad one, it seemed unlikely that she would lash out at her brother, who seemed so close to her. I smiled reassuringly and opened my mouth. ¡°You little rascal. When did I give you permission to call me by my first name?¡± ¡®¡­¡­?¡¯ What the hell, Belinda, she doesn¡¯t even know how to say thank you? But I appeared to be the only one baffled by this context-free outburst. Neither Sybel, who¡¯d just been lambasted by me, nor the employees lined up on the other side of the room looked the least bit surprised. A similar situation ensued. Sybel didn¡¯t give up and started talking to me, and I tried my best to answer as best I could, with a glimmer of hope that the translator had only gone awry for a moment. But no matter what I said, my words through the Belinda translator were overly simple and clear. ¡°Shut up, Sybel.¡± Later, when I sighed, ¡°shut up¡± came out, so I just stuffed food into my mouth without saying a word. Belinda seemed to hate this gentle but somewhat clueless man almost to a fault. ¡®Argh, Marquis. Come quickly and do something about this atmosphere.¡¯ With a mouthful of steak in my mouth, I gazed wistfully at the empty seat at the head of the table. Just then, a topic that could not be ignored came to Sybel¡¯s lips. ¡°By the way, I hear you left your dedicated maid in a bloody mess this morning.¡± ¡°Cough.¡± I swallowed the piece of meat that threatened to catch in my throat with water. Making a maid covered in blood is a frightening sound for anyone to hear. With a stern expression on his face, Sybel continued as if admonishing. ¡°I know you have bad manners, but you grabbed the maid by the hair and knocked her to the floor. You¡¯ve gone too far.¡± ¡­¡­ Huh? Who did what? ¡°Your dedicated maid quit her job after that, and I haven¡¯t found a suitable replacement yet. There is an orphan who was brought here to alleviate the poor¡­¡­¡± ¡°Who says I smashed that maid¡¯s head on the floor?¡± There was a huge difference between the maid who misunderstood my words and voluntarily hit her forehead, and I beating her to a pulp. I hastily opened my mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, the maid misunderstood my words¡­¡­.¡± Squeak. My excuse was drowned out by the sound of Sybel pulling his chair back. ¡°Belle, my sister. What are you so upset about?¡± He was walking towards me in a black suit, and strangely, the hair on my arms and legs stood on end, giving me goosebumps. ¡®What?¡¯ It felt more like an emotion of Belinda¡¯s rather than mine. I tightened my grip on the knife, feeling strangely uncomfortable. ¡°I gladly laughed off your attitude of not even wearing mourning clothes today.¡± Stepping closer, Sybel leaned over the table and grabbed my knife-holding wrist. ¡°Belle, it¡¯s only been a day since our father¡¯s funeral. What more can I do for you?¡± Just now¡­¡­ whose funeral? Sybel bent his upper body toward me, who was stiff at the shocking news. I was the only one who could see his face because he had turned his back to the employees. With a wicked grin on his face, he whispered sweetly. In a voice so low that only I could hear it. ¡°It¡¯s too petty to give up like this because your father died, Belinda. You have to be a little more aggressive.¡± Chills. For a moment, I felt disgust and fear, like a bug crawling over my skin. I shook off Sybell¡¯s hand and rose from my seat. Thud. Thud. As I stood up so that the chair tipped backwards, my wine glass was overturned and the knife in my hand tumbled on the floor. ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Ma-master!¡± ¡°Come on, hurry up and stop the bleeding!¡± The employees watching from behind screamed. In their eyes, it appeared that I had attacked Sybel with the knife. I tried to explain that it was a misunderstanding, but Sybel groaned as he clutched his left wrist. As if he¡¯d been cut by the knife I¡¯d swung. It was such a masterful performance that for a moment even I wondered if it was blood, not wine, that had soaked his shirt sleeve. ¡°Master, show me the wound. I can apply a pressure tourniquet¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, the wound isn¡¯t deep, it was just an accident. Besides that, Belle¡¯s meal isn¡¯t finished yet, so please stay where you are. I¡¯d like to be alone for a while, so please don¡¯t let anyone into my office for a while.¡± ¡°Master¡­¡­.¡± Sybel, who had pretended to be concerned about me until the very end, smiled bitterly as he left the dining hall. ¡°She is completely insane, brandishing a knife at the Marquis.¡± ¡°How much the Marquis cared for the young lady, and look at that gorgeous dress, not to mention her attire.¡± ¡°Somehow, they said that the newcomer who became the lady¡¯s exclusive maid was nowhere to be seen. Something like that¡­¡­Not even pitiful.¡± I glanced over at the maids, who were murmuring off to one side. They looked horrified, clammed up like clams, and scurried out of the dining hall. I was left alone in the hall, and my lame excuses fell flat. ¡°No¡­¡­ I wasn¡¯t aware the Marquis had passed in the first place.¡± The back of my head tingled from the blow. The reason the maids dressed me in a black dress was because I was in mourning. And it was for the funeral of the Marquis, the only person who ever cared about me. On top of that, the family mate I thought I was getting along with is a psychopath who enjoys screwing me over. I also have an infernal banner hanging from my muzzle. To sum up this situation in a nutshell¡­¡­. ¡°I thought it was gold cutlery, but it was plated cutlery.¡± CH 3 The smile immediately vanished from Sybel¡¯s face as he turned his back on the dining room. His expressionless face was strikingly abnormal, almost giving the impression of something else entirely. ¡°Any news from the messenger?¡± Sybel asked the aide who had followed him like a shadow from behind. ¡°Nothing new as of yet, beyond a sighting of what appeared to be a notary in the north.¡± After the Marquis¡¯s sudden death, the eyes and ears of society were focused on the Marquis of Blanchet¡¯s will. It contained the name of an heir who would inherit everything belonging to the Blanchet family. However, contrary to popular expectation, the contents of the will were not made public after the Marquis¡¯ funeral. In fact, the wax seal was never even broken, let alone found. The notary with the Marquis¡¯s will had disappeared. The aide looked around for any listening ears, then lowered his voice even further. ¡°As you requested, we¡¯ve covered most of the upper echelons of the Blanchet family¡¯s holdings. Even if we can¡¯t find the will, they¡¯ll be happy to comply with your wishes.¡± The smile finally returned to Sybel¡¯s face. Yes, there is no need to worry. There was no one better suited to be the next in line, either in ability or in character. He had come a long way for this day. All this time, he had been bending over backwards, acting like a good brother, and pretending he had no ambition. That ended today. Sybel had been waiting for this day since the day of the ¡°accident¡±. The good-natured smile that now seemed to have become part of his flesh tugged at the corners of his mouth. ¡°When the dust settles, you should find her a good match. Though I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll like him, as she¡¯s a very demanding girl.¡± There was a hint of mockery in his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll find her a ¡°suitable husband.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll leave it to you, as always. Oh, my sister hates having children with a passion, so I¡¯d prefer her husband to be childless.¡± Even as he said this, there was not a hint of malice in Sybel¡¯s face. ¡°It would be a shame if any offspring tried to parasitize my family.¡± He still seemed to be nothing more than a poor brother who was willing to forgive his sister¡¯s wickedness at every turn. * * * ¡äNobody in this house is on Belinda¡¯s side.¡ä The evaluation of the situation ended with last night¡¯s dinner. Now it was doubtful that the dead uncle had really cared for Belinda. The story said that Sybel had always laughed off the damage caused by his wretched sister. However, he seemed to be very comfortable with ¡°provoking Belinda and making up misdeeds she hadn¡¯t committed¡±. I wonder how much of Belinda¡¯s misdeeds were true. Probably not all of them. It¡¯s true that she has a bad temper and a sense of entitlement that allows her to abuse the main character. I resignedly accepted my current situation. First things first. Most of Belinda¡¯s deaths were due to the ¡®supporting characters¡¯ that appeared in the game. Well, she was sometimes unfortunate enough to die in accidents. In any case, the supporting characters recognize the protagonist¡¯s talent and support him by helping the player, while also proving their love for the child by punishing Belinda for her abuse. In other words, if you¡¯re being mean to the protagonist because of the translator, you¡¯re going to have a much higher chance of being killed by the supporting characters. I still don¡¯t know the conditions that trigger the sync, and all I know is that the translator doesn¡¯t work if no one is listening. On top of that, I had a family member who was gnashing his teeth at me. ¡°Well, if cancer is the enemy, escape is the answer.¡± The jewelry I¡¯d found after ransacking Belinda¡¯s room all night clinked in my hand, cheering me on. Considering the cost of living in this game, it would be enough to support myself in a small town in the middle of nowhere. ¡äIf I had the funds, I could open a small caf¨¦ or something. ¡ä In my previous life, I didn¡¯t want to bother my aunt, so I ran away as soon as I graduated from high school and became independent. I wanted to live a normal life like everyone else, so I gritted my teeth, studied, and earned money like crazy, but when I came to my senses, I realized that I didn¡¯t have even a single hobby. was the only thing that brought me joy in that dreary life. But somehow, that hobby has become my full-time job, hence, I should find a new hobby and do whatever I like in this life. However, there was one major problem with this plan. ¡°I¡¯m already possessing someone, yet I can¡¯t even get a glimpse of the main character¡¯s face.¡± Would it be too stalkerish to pay a visit to the palace later and steal a glimpse of the main character¡¯s face, even from a distance? As I was pondering, I noticed a pair of footsteps on the other side of the door. The steps of an adult woman, followed closely by that of a young child, cautious as a frightened animal. I quickly swept my valuables into my dressing table drawer and the door burst open with a faint knock. I managed to avoid looking incredibly suspicious, but wasn¡¯t this a little lack of privacy? I didn¡¯t even say it was okay to come in. ¡°What?¡± My voice came out sharper than usual, perhaps reflecting my mood. Still, the maid who opened the door only announced the purpose of her visit with a machine-like expression. ¡°I have brought a child to attend to you from today.¡± With that, she thrust a wiry, skinny child forward. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± A hired hand to look after me, but a little kid? I scratched my head, and Sybel¡¯s words from yesterday¡¯s dinner flashed through my mind. ¡°There is an orphan who was brought in for the purpose of alleviating the poor¡­..¡± An orphan boy. Belinda¡¯s dedicated servant. ¡äNo way, the main character is coming in at this time? ¡ä Though the settings are pretty much the same. I couldn¡¯t really tell what the boy looked like because he was so much smaller than I expected, and his hair was shaggy like a puppy that hadn¡¯t been groomed in a long time. One look at that face and I¡¯d know. Oh, maybe! ¡äStatus window?¡ä ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡äWindow status! Mister Window!¡ä I tried to call up the status window in my heart, but nothing like a window that shows the main character¡¯s information like in the game came to mind. Neither could I blurt it out like a madman. As I pondered what to do, I casually lifted his chin with the tip of the fan I was holding in my hand. Gasp. The wild hair fell back, revealing the boy¡¯s white face. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Thud. My heart dropped to the floor. For a moment, a strange sensation filled my chest. Hair as black as a raven. Eyes as round and gentle as a puppy¡¯s. Blue eyes with warm colors like a spring sky with fluttering petals. Everything about his appearance was the same as the protagonist of . The only difference was that he was about five times cuter in real life than in the illustrations. I was truly in awe. My goodness, how could there be such an adorable creature? ¡äIt¡¯s like a baby animal.¡ä ¡°He looks like a wild beast.¡± Damn that translator, it caught me off guard. I looked away, pretending I hadn¡¯t said it. Then, the maid¡¯s blunt words put a stop to my agitation. ¡°If you need me in the future, you¡¯ll have to send this child to me.¡± I quickly shot the maid a pleading glance. ¡äI would like you to mediate between the two of us for me.¡ä Luckily, my glare worked, and the maid nodded nervously. And then. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to¡­¡­.¡± Bang. The sound of the maid slamming the door echoed through the room. What the hell. Is she running away now? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A heavy silence filled the room. I smiled as brightly as I could, hoping to somehow lighten the awkward mood. ¡äUmm, baby, how old are you this year?¡ä ¡°How old are you this year?¡± The child, who had been hanging his head nervously, straightened up and stiffened. ¡°Yes, yes! I¡¯m nine years old this year!¡± ¡äHow cute.¡ä The corner of my mouth twitched involuntarily. ¡°Hieuk.¡± He made a sound under his breath as if he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have. Is it possible¡­.. that I¡¯m actually scary? Belinda¡¯s eyes are fierce, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re enough to make someone gasp like that. I put my head down gloomily, pretending to drink tea. And then I saw it. My face reflected in the clear black tea. ¡äWhat the hell?¡ä It¡¯s a completely scheming villainous face! No way¡­.. Did my expression also fall within the range of synchronization? No wonder everyone flinches, and the maid runs away whenever I smile! I quickly unfolded my fan to cover my face, revealing only my eyes, and the protagonist¡¯s complexion relaxed. In any case, he said he¡¯s nine years old. That means we have about six months left before the beginning of the game. Early spring, half a year from now, when the main character will be ten years old. He will meet Ophelia, an exiled woman coming to live in the kingdom. My last doubt has melted away, knowing that the main character is actually real. The only thing left to wonder about is the ending this child will receive eight years later. has dozens of different endings depending on how you complete the scenarios and quests, with new endings being updated every month. I played it again and again, conquering each ending in turn. Except for one, the true ending. In fact, , despite its name, had a reputation for not being able to see the true ending, the hero ending. ¡®Personally, I preferred the ending where he becomes the youngest Royal Knight Commander.¡ä Or the one where he ends up as the heir to the High Priest, and that white robe looks really good on him. As I contemplated the distant future, an eerie question popped into my head. ¡äWhat if I run away from home now, what happens to the main character?¡ä Not only would my protagonist¡¯s immediate situation in the mansion be ambiguous, but it would probably affect the events of his meeting with Ophelia. Rescuing the protagonist from Belinda will lead to a meeting between Ophelia and the protagonist. What the¡­¡­. Does this mean that my running away is destroying the original? As I was wracking my brain, a small voice broke through my thoughts. ¡°I, I¡­¡­.¡± I glanced down to see him staring up at me with his fists clenched like he¡¯d made up his mind about something. ¡°Well, whatever you ask me to do, I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I can clean, I know how to scrub the crevices of hardwood floors, I know how to make furniture sparkle and shine, and, and, and¡­¡­.¡± The child¡¯s voice grew hoarse as he rattled off a long list of cleaning tricks, eager to sell himself. ¡°I¡¯ll be a useful servant, so if you¡¯ll let me work here, I¡¯ll be able to help you¡­¡­.¡± He didn¡¯t finish his sentence, but the desperation in his voice was heartbreaking. In that moment, the mental scale tipped completely to one side. CH 4 ¡®Yeah, I think I lost.¡¯ I neatly scrapped my plan to run away. If I ran off to save myself, and the protagonist¡¯s future went wrong, I¡¯d probably regret today for the rest of my life. ¡®It¡¯s only six months.¡¯ I¡¯ll temporarily protect the protagonist for half a year, then hand him safely over to Ophelia and leave. Okay, so I guess I have a new plan ¨C now let¡¯s get back to my current priority. Let¡¯s see, sweet boy, what¡¯s your name? ¡°Name?¡± ¡°The name is, it¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± What is it? ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t have one yet.¡± What? Why doesn¡¯t he have a name? I was about to ask for clarification when I got a shocking answer. Ring. A bell chimed and a quest window popped up. Ah. Yes, I see. I remember when I started playing the game, I started by naming the main character. ¡®What do I do with this?¡¯ I¡¯m not Ophelia, so I¡¯m guessing I¡¯m being rewarded with ¡°temporary guardianship¡± status of some sort. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯m not going to be a permanent guardian, so I¡¯ll take whatever I can get, right? I muttered an acceptance with a spoonful of selflessness, and a cursor-like thing appeared above the kid¡¯s head and blinked, just like in the game. ¡®Do you mind if I name you?¡¯ ¡°I guess a dog needs a name.¡± ¡°Name¡­¡­?¡± I don¡¯t know what it was about my mean words that made him so happy, but his eyes sparkled like shooting stars on a deep blue lake. I didn¡¯t want to disappoint the child, but I didn¡¯t have to think long. I had a name I¡¯d been calling him for a very long time. I rolled the name slowly on my tongue, gauging his reaction. ¡°Your name is Ratchet from today.¡± (T/N: The Korean Romanization was Jwibamtol, and it means ¡®Rat chestnut.¡¯ We¡¯re doing our best to use a name that isn¡¯t so disruptive to the immersion of reading, and that keeps the dialogue faithful to the original intent of the ¡®Belinda Translator¡¯ insulting him.) His eyes widened at my words. ¡°My name is¡­¡­ Ratchet.¡± I grinned, covering my lower face with my fan. Yes, Rachet! How about that, don¡¯t you love it¡­¡­.? ¡®Wait. What?¡¯ Who the hell just told my Leo he¡¯s called Ratchet? Tap, tap, tap. Soon there was a typing sound and the name I¡¯d given him popped up above Leo¡¯s head. A fanfare followed, and then¡­¡­ Argh, look at this damned system! You¡¯re calling Leo ¡®Rat chestnut¡¯ when he¡¯s perfectly fine. What a joke! My boy¡¯s name is Leo! ¡®May you grow up to be as brave and healthy as a lion!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s a fitting name for you, because you¡¯re as dirty as a rat and as small as a chestnut.¡± Leo, who had been standing with a sullen face at my words, rubbed the corners of his eyes with his sleeve. ¡°Yes, um, yeah.¡± Ah, noooo. ¡®Leo!¡¯ ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡®Leoooooo!¡¯ ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes, I am Ratchet!¡± Hmph. Why the hell can¡¯t we just address him as Leo?! * * * ¡°Your task is to attend to Lady Belinda,¡± the maid said in a stern manner as she stood in front of the old oak door. ¡®What does ¡®attend¡¯ mean?¡¯ Leo didn¡¯t know what the word meant, but he wasn¡¯t in the right place to ask. And when he finally came face to face with the figure in the door¨C ¡°You look like an animal.¡± Leo hung his head, feeling like the lowest, most insignificant thing in the world. The gaze was cold. And the look on Belinda¡¯s face as she twisted the corners of her mouth at the sight of him¡­. He wanted to turn around and walk away, but Leo pinched his thigh and held on. ¡®I don¡¯t want to go back to the orphanage.¡¯ It was through his sheer desperation that Belinda finally gave him permission to work at the mansion. Leo steeled himself. No matter how hard it was, he would do it. ¡®What Belinda wants me to do is¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re wearing these firewood sticks as limbs. I don¡¯t like the way you look, so you need to fatten up. Chef!¡± ¡®Anything, My Lady.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t like cold beds. Ratchet, warm the bed with your body heat.¡± ¡°I will do that.¡± ¡°The desserts are terrible. Ratchet, eat all of this crap right now!¡± ¡®But what is this charred, blackened food?¡¯ Hesitantly, he took a bite of the mysterious food handed to him by Belinda and popped it into his mouth. The muscles in Leo¡¯s face, stiff with tension, relaxed. ¡®It looked like a lump of coal¡­¡­ and yet it was so incredibly sweet.¡¯ Back in the servants¡¯ quarters, Leo tapped his foot and pondered the sweetness of the fondant chocolate. Then he tilted his head, as if suddenly realizing something odd. Is this what it¡¯s supposed to be like? Leo thought back to what he had done today. A sweet nap in Belinda¡¯s bed, fluffy as a cloud, three meals to fill his belly. His hands, which hadn¡¯t seen a drop of water or scrubbing all day, trembled with the taste of the sugar from his dessert. ¡®And I have a name.¡¯ It was the first thing Leo, who had nothing, had ever owned, and it was completely his, something he didn¡¯t want anyone to take away from him. ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Ratchet!¡± Every time Belinda called his name, it was like someone tickled his heart with a feather. It made him so happy that he was on the verge of tears. ¡®Belinda is a little¡­¡­ umm, a little bit scary, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a bad person. She¡¯s letting me work in the mansion, and she¡¯s even given me a name.¡¯ Maybe this is where he can be the person he was meant to be. Leo rested his head on his pillow with uncontainable anticipation. *** ¡°Why are you so hard on the boy? He¡¯s just a child, unable to rebel against you.¡± The voice was razor sharp. The woman stared at her opponent, who held his sword to her throat. With her back to the moon, she couldn¡¯t see his face. Despite the fact that her life was at stake, she remained calm. ¡°If you ask me, why shouldn¡¯t I harass it?¡± With a defenseless tilt of her head, a few strands of blood-red hair were cut off by the blade. The man¡¯s hand on the sword twitched, but the woman was unperturbed. ¡°Just a poor orphan. He was once my servant, so if you ask me why I treat him with such disrespect¡­¡­.¡± For the first time, the woman¡¯s expressionless face flashed with disgust. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because I was born to be that way. I¡¯m a natural-born noble, and I¡¯m physiologically repulsed by lowly blood of unknown origin.¡± The woman looked up at him and smiled, as if seeking agreement from a friend. ¡°Your Highness can understand my feelings, can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­I do not understand you.¡± Finally, the man raised his sword high. The blade glowed eerily pale in the moonlight. ¡°I hope you will consider it my last mercy to let you go without pain.¡± That was it. The sound of a blade slicing through flesh. Then the sound of something heavy rolling across the floor, and the screen faded to black¡­¡­. ¡°Ugh!¡± I woke up from my nightmare, my whole body drenched in a cold sweat. I raised my hand to my neck and felt my head still attached. What a bullshit dream. This ending can be achieved when the protagonist participates in the annual swordsmanship tournament and performs well. The crown prince, who hides his identity, gets involved with the protagonist at the tournament and, recognizing the child¡¯s talent, becomes the protagonist¡¯s secret sponsor in order to make him the head of the royal knights. He goes to great lengths to support the child, and before you know it, he¡¯s decapitating Belinda. ¡®I didn¡¯t realize it when I was playing, but the game is just selling me out.¡¯ The crown prince of a country slits the throat of a noblewoman for the sake of a child he¡¯s predicted to become a knight? What the hell is that shit? I dragged my heavy body up and sat back against the head of the bed. I could barely lift a finger in the morning, and my head was so foggy I couldn¡¯t think straight. I can still see him. A hallucination of some wingless angel squatting at the window of ¡­..my room? ¡°Ratchet?¡± ¡°Good morning, Belinda.¡± No, dear, what the hell are you doing here so early in the morning? ¡®Wait. Is that a mop that Leo¡¯s holding in his hand?¡¯ As I stood there in a daze, unable to come to terms with the reality of the situation, Leo glanced at me and then spoke up. ¡°The garden is blooming so beautifully, and I thought if the window was dirty, Belinda wouldn¡¯t be able to see it well when she looks out¡­¡­.¡± I clamped my hands over my mouth and barely swallowed a scream. It wasn¡¯t a hallucination. The winged angel was real ¨C it was my Leo! CH 5 Energy surged through my limp body like a tidal wave. I wanted to hug Leo tightly and stroke his messy hair right now, but then I felt dizzy, held my forehead, and groaned. I¡¯ve turned into a twenty-year-old again, but with worse stamina. I waited for the flash of light to fade before I looked at Leo again¡­¡­. ¡®What¡¯s with the look on your face? ¡® Leo was shaking like a rabbit in the presence of a fierce beast. I then realized that my brow was furrowed. I¡¯m not angry, so there¡¯s no need to be scared¡­¡­. Now, if I hugged him, he¡¯d think I was trying to squeeze him until he explodes. Just as I was about to say thank you, at least verbally. A bang, a thud. The sound of something being cut and cracked made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Alarmed, I look to the source and see that it¡¯s a servant chopping firewood in the yard. ¡®Oh man, what did I imagine. I thought it was my own throat falling like in my dream.¡¯ I rubbed the back of my neck, which was covered in a cold sweat, and opened my mouth. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± But the words stuck in my throat, as if they¡¯d been clamped shut. ¡°Miss Belinda?¡± ¡­¡­What if I said the wrong thing and Leo got hurt. What if he thinks I¡¯m abusing him, and I get my throat slit like in Ending #1. I had to settle for timidly snatching the mop out of Leo¡¯s hand. I glanced at the still-unchanged synchronization display, lowered my eyes slightly, and opened my mouth. Mr. Translator, please do me justice. Please! ¡°Ratchet, you do nothing.¡± There, that was mild for Belinda! I thought it was ¡­¡­. I¡¯ll probably never forget it. The look of shock on Leo¡¯s face, like a child whose favorite candy had been taken away. ¡®Why on earth would you¡­¡­.¡¯ I looked down at my hand. Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t candy I took, it was a mop. Was there actually a setting where Leo was a cleaning fairy? I felt like I had misunderstood something, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything. I ended up turning around with only the mop in my hand. Even after that, Leo looked at me like he¡¯d been robbed of candy for the umpteenth time. ¡°Do you mind if I wipe the dust off the table?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go sit in the corner over there and not do anything stupid.¡± ¡°Then what am I supposed to do today¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing.¡± Why is he so depressed when he¡¯s supposed to be resting and not working? ¡¯Have I ever caught you fooling around?¡¯ As the days went by, Leo¡¯s face grew darker and darker, until he was desperate to avoid eye contact with me. On the fifth day of Leo¡¯s arrival. I came to a realization. ¡°He is scared of me.¡± That I was no different from Belinda, the bully who tormented the protagonist. Yeah, no wonder. I¡¯ve got a mean stare, I always say mean things when I open my mouth, and I gave Leo a name that means something he should rather not know. I¡¯ve given Leo more reasons to be afraid of me than he has to like me. I sat with my hands on my chin by the window and stared out gloomily. The backyard of the mansion. A small child with a rounded head was scurrying around like a squirrel collecting acorns, wedged between the maids. It¡¯s the liveliest Leo I¡¯ve seen in a long time, but my heart was heavy. ¡°If you¡¯ll¡­¡­ let me shake the duvet¡­¡­ ah, can¡ät I?¡± Leo sounded so eager that I couldn¡¯t say no to him. As soon as I nodded, Leo hugged the quilt, which was bigger than him, and trotted off like a puppy going for a long walk. ¡°This is not the picture I envisioned for my life with Leo.¡± The picture I had in mind was watching him nibble on a sweet treat or putting on a fashion show by dressing him up in a new outfit every day. I let out a deep sigh. ¡°Uh, uh!¡± Leo stood up on a chair to brush the duvet and tripped and fell off. I was so startled that I pressed my face to the window to check on him, my forehead and the tip of my nose crushed. Luckily, he was quickly brushing himself off, but I suspected he had fallen because his bangs were too long and obstructing his vision. ¡¯Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if I could tidy up his hair?¡¯ Yes, I know it¡¯s greedy of me. But this is a matter of Leo¡¯s safety. So, I¡¯m just going to tell him that I¡¯ll fix his hair when he gets back. I start running a simulation of how to say it so that Leo can hear me without misunderstanding. * * * ¡°What? What it means to assist someone?¡± Thoma¡¯s face paled as he repeated the question. He resented the little roommate who had suddenly appeared in his life. His voice was blunt as he replied. ¡°You do what you¡¯re told, and sometimes you defend your master. What¡¯s so hard about that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡­ Belinda only told me not to do anything.¡± Leo replied, visibly sulking. Leo¡¯s eyes widened when he heard that, because it sounded like she was telling him that he didn¡¯t need¡­¡­ to do anything. Thoma¡¯s eyes narrowed at Leo¡¯s words. He had a point about Belinda¡¯s sudden change in demeanor. Now that the Marquis is dead and there¡¯s no one to look out for her, she¡¯s probably keeping a low profile for the time being. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she¡¯s banished to the monastery as soon as the master decides to move on. ¡®This orphan is lucky to be a nobleman¡¯s personal servant at a time like this.¡¯ As an elder, he was often tasked with helping newcomers settle in, but he was actually a very narrow-minded man. ¡®In my old days, an apprentice servant had to sleep in the stables.¡¯ And now this orphaned subject, with nothing but luck to his name, dares to share a room with a senior member of the staff! What could be more unfair than that. For the sake of fairness, it seemed necessary to give the newcomer a taste of the bitterness of social life. Thoma¡¯s voice instantly became generous. ¡°Hmm, hmm. I see. Why doesn¡¯t she make you do anything, is that what¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± If this idiot was going to screw up and make a mistake, there was no way the ill-tempered woman was going to let him get away with it, was there? Thoma hid a mean smile and gave him a look of pity. ¡°My guess is, she doesn¡¯t give you any work because you¡¯re so useless.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­.¡± Leo¡¯s face darkened, and he didn¡¯t dare argue otherwise. ¡°Useless¡± was the word he¡¯d heard most often when he was in nursery school. Besides, Belinda would often watch him wordlessly with a cold stare. As if sizing him up. Thoma¡¯s calloused hand patted Leo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Tsk, tsk, I feel sorry for you, so let me give you a few words of advice. You do realize that I¡¯m saying all this to wish you well, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Firstly, you need to know what your master is like.¡± Leo¡¯s face grew pale as he listened to what Thoma told him about Belinda, a mixture of truth and exaggeration. * * * Listening to other people¡¯s gossip at night can create prejudice. Toma¡¯s stories about Belinda are so horrifying that Leo loses sleep every night and has nightmares. The child now feels nervous and shaky in the presence of Belinda and is constantly intimidated by her. No matter how he tried to behave and perform his duties as a servant, Belinda¡¯s frosty warnings always followed. ¡°Ratchet, I thought I told you not to do anything.¡± So, the mop was taken away, the broom was taken away, and finally the last cleaning tool, the duster, was taken away. There was no retreat now. Leo finally pleaded. ¡°If you¡¯ll¡­¡­ let me shake the duvet¡­¡­ ah, can¡ät I?¡± That¡¯s why Leo¡¯s feet were clicking rhythmically as he ran down the hall. He ran to the back of the mansion, clutching the quilt in his arms as if it were a treasure chest. ¡®Belinda has given me a job! I¡¯m a useful servant now!¡¯ All his worries seemed to melt away like snow. I had to beg for it, but if I can prove myself useful, perhaps she¡¯ll give me more work in the future? ¡®Today I¡¯m just going to unroll the quilt, but tomorrow I¡¯m going to wash the quilt!¡¯ I have to sweep, scrub, and clean the room. He wanted to be a good servant like Thoma as soon as possible. ¡®So, I must never, ever make a mistake.¡¯ Leo balled his fists and stood up from his chair to lay the quilt out in the sun. It was purely by accident that he looked up at the second floor of the mansion as he hung the duvet on the clothesline. ¡¯What is that?¡¯ A shadowy figure stood at the window of Belinda¡¯s room. The moment when he realized that she was staring at him. ¡°Ugh!¡± Leo was so startled that his legs gave way and he fell out of his chair. CH 6 ¡®Be-Belinda has been watching me.¡¯ Since when? Thoma¡¯s warning rang eerily in Leo¡¯s ear as he went pale. ¡°If she sees you, you¡¯ll be watched for the rest of the day, and if you make one mistake, that¡¯s it.¡± It was over, everything was over. Leo stumbled back to Belinda¡¯s room, clutching the messy quilt in his arms. ¡®Does this mean I¡¯m going back to the orphanage?¡¯ But when he went back there, he wouldn¡¯t even have a name to be called by. His steps grew heavier. He thought he¡¯d go somewhere new, and someone would need him, but he¡¯d ruined it. Leo buried his face in the quilt in his arms, swallowed his sobs, and knocked on Belinda¡¯s door. ¡°Miss Belinda?¡± He knocked again and again, but the room was silent. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Leo cautiously opened the door and stepped inside.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. The lightless room was bathed in red by the sunset streaming through the window. ¡°Miss Belinda, I¡¯ve brought your quilt.¡± Leo looked around cautiously and spotted Belinda asleep on the bed. Hesitantly, he approached the huge bed with a thieving step, and for a moment he was speechless. His master, he realized, was noble and beautiful beyond belief. It was then that he gazed at Belinda in a daze. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Richly shadowed lashes twitched slightly, revealing amethyst purple eyes.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Blink, blink. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Their eyes met.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°The servant that Miss Belinda flogged and kicked out eventually died, for daring to look a nobleman in the face, I believe?¡± ¡°So don¡¯t even think about making eye contact. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.If you make a mistake ¨C boom. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.You¡¯ll be decapitated.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°Hiccup.¡± A hiccup leaked out of Leo¡¯s mouth. He clamped his mouth shut and tried to hold it in, but his hands were shaking, and the hiccups wouldn¡¯t stop. Belinda pushed herself up to her feet and looked up at him. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Her gaze, fiercer than a northern wind, turned to Leo.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yep! Hiccup.¡± Belinda¡¯s expression grew fierce as she watched the child hiccup like a broken ragdoll. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.A creepy smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to cut your head off.¡± Poof. Leo¡¯s thinking stopped. Thoma¡¯s words echoed over Belinda¡¯s voice. ¡°Your head will be cut off.¡± ¡°Throat¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Cut off¡­¡­.¡± ¡°My, my, my, my, hic, hic, head?¡± Leo¡¯s complexion went from pale to blue. Belinda pointed to a chair with her perfectly manicured fingertips. ¡°Sit in that chair.¡± Leo staggered to the chair, unable to run away. ¡®Adults don¡¯t like crying children.¡¯ So, Leo pressed his lips together and clenched his fists to keep from crying, but it didn¡¯t work. His big, tearful eyes turned to Belinda in the reflection of the dressing table mirror. She was searching for something in the nightstand drawer. When she finally turned around, she held a pair of blue-bladed scissors in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll use these to cut off some of your hair.¡± The corners of her mouth twitched once more, sharpening into a demonic grin. And with an iron clang, the blades of the scissors engaged, making a murderous sound. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, Miss Belinda. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Huuhh¡­ again, I¡¯ll try again. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Please don¡¯t hate me, I beg you. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Don¡¯t treat me differently, please, hnngg¡­¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. Leo, who was so startled that even the hiccups had stopped, burst into tears. * * * A cool autumn breeze blew in through the open window. I hurriedly closed the window and pulled the duvet up to Leo¡¯s neck as he slept. My stomach burned as I watched Leo¡¯s feverish breathing. It was only this evening that Leo suddenly squirmed when I offered to trim his hair. ¡°Oh, I guess the recent change in environment has been stressing you out, and you haven¡¯t had much sleep either¡­¡­.¡± Wincing at my murderous expression, the doctor placed a few potions on the table, claiming they would help restore his strength, and scurried away. ¡°Status window.¡± As I muttered that, a faintly glowing status window appeared in the dark room without a single light. As a temporary guardian, there was very little information available to me compared to Ophelia, but it was enough to keep an eye on Leo¡¯s health. I stared at it, then buried my face in my hands. ¡®This is the worst. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice until he was in this state.¡¯read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. I felt like it was all my fault. No, it is my fault. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I must be the reason Leo is so stressed. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I should have been more careful with my behavior.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. I¡¯ll look for ways to improve my synchronization. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I¡¯ll find something else for Leo to do so he won¡¯t bump into me.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. I bit my lip and mulled over my regrets. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Leo, who couldn¡¯t come to his senses, whispered something. I hurriedly sat down with my knees on the floor and leaned over to him. ¡°Leo, are you awake?¡± After asking that, I touched my lips with a strange sense of disconnect. ¡®Didn¡¯t I have just said something sane?¡¯ I quickly checked my synchronization numbers, but they were still the same. ¡°Then why the hell¡­¡­.¡± The reason was quickly revealed. ¡°Ugh, mistake, please. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Master.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°¡­¡­Leo?¡± Leo wasn¡¯t awake, he was talking in his sleep. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Since he couldn¡¯t hear me, I was free to speak.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡®You might be surprised to see me, but even so¡­¡­.¡¯ I was about to reach out to wake Leo. The tiny words that escaped his parted lips echoed through the quiet room. ¡°¡­¡­Mom.¡± I jerked back to reality as if I¡¯d been hit with cold water. At that moment, I realized something so obvious that I had failed to notice. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The fact that Leo needs a family and a protector.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. Playing the game, Leo didn¡¯t need his mom. He already had Ophelia by his side when the game started. But right now, in front of me, Leo was just a nine-year-old kid with me as the only adult he could trust. ¡®Stupid. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.What was I thinking all this time?¡¯read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. I thought it was my job to stay by his side for half a year to make sure the main story didn¡¯t go wrong and then send him off to Ophelia. No, I was actually scared. I was afraid I¡¯d get tangled up and die just like in the game. Anger flared at my own complacency. I bit down hard on my lower lip and squeezed Leo¡¯s tiny hand. His hand was tiny and fragile, like a baby bird¡¯s heart, but at the same time it was so hot and rough that it made my throat close up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m such a bad grown-up.¡± Yes, this is no longer a game. The child in front of me now was not a potential hero, but just an ordinary nine-year-old who longed for his parents¡¯ arms. Just a normal kid, looking for his mom in his sleep. How could I not know how he felt? I, of all people. I clasped his hand in mine and whispered a prayer. ¡°No matter what happens, I will protect you.¡± Until you meet your real guardian, who will raise you well. I was convinced that was my role as Belinda¡¯s possessor. I wonder how much time has passed. The dim dawn light outside the window cast a faint glow on Leo¡¯s face, which was now more peaceful. Finding his sleeping face both endearing and disturbing, I kissed his rounded forehead and whispered. ¡°Sweet dreams, Leo.¡± Then I got up from my seat before he woke up. My body was heavy from lack of sleep, but my mind was clear. I stood in silence in front of him. When I thought about it, there was something strange. On the first day, Leo had been unfamiliar with the sudden change of scenery, but he hadn¡¯t been frightened enough to avoid my gaze. I¡¯d been careful with him, even if my language had been crude, and he¡¯d suddenly started to fear me without any trigger. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s someone who¡¯s been doing this to me.¡¯ Even if there wasn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t matter. I might as well take this opportunity to let the people at the manor know how much I care about Leo. It was the middle of the night, but I pulled ferociously at the string. I could faintly hear the distant, frantic ringing of a bell. A moment later, I heard someone walking down the corridor and stopping at the door. ¡°Hah.., ha, miss, what¡¯s the matter, Miss?!¡± Into a dark room without a single light. The maid, who had entered with a look of barely concealed irritation on her face, swallowed hard at the sight of me sitting in the unlit darkness. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°Get the butler.¡± ¡°Ha, but this is the time¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I.¡± Clack. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Clack. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Clack clack clack. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. The sound of my index fingernail tapping savagely on the armrest of the chair echoed creepily. ¡°Do I have to tell you the same thing twice?¡± The maid¡¯s face became contemplative. Perhaps my glare now was murderous enough to rival that of a salty Belinda. CH 7 ¡°Dad, that beggar is sleeping in my room!¡± The shouting brought the boy to his senses. ¡®What was I doing?¡¯ Dazed, he couldn¡¯t think straight. Soon, he heard thumping footsteps and a shout from the orphanage director. ¡°You, worthless child! I asked you to pay for your meals, and you¡¯re just hanging around?¡± Suddenly, the boy realized the situation he was in. He fell asleep while cleaning Heiron¡¯s room, the son of the orphanage director. ¡°Th-that was my mistake. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I¡¯m sorry, Director.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. Heiron¡¯s feather-filled duvet looked so cozy that he leaned his head against it and fell asleep. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t do your job properly, there will be no dinner tonight. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Go to the solitary room and reflect on what a lazy, selfish child you are until tomorrow morning!¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. No matter how much the boy begged for forgiveness, it was no use. The director shoved him into the cold attic. The boy went to a corner and curled up as best he could. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.He tried to think of happy, joyful memories to take his mind off the cold.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. However, the only thing that kept wandering in his head was the director¡¯s wife¡¯s affectionate voice that soothed the angry Heiron. ¡°Good boy. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Don¡¯t be angry, sweetheart.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. The voice pierced through his fevered mind like an ice pick. ¡®If I were Heiron, I¡¯d never be a bully.¡¯ ¡®If I had a mom, I¡¯d be the nicest kid in the world.¡¯ ¡®I would do everything I was told to do and be a good boy so I could help pay the bills.¡¯ Again, and again¡­¡­. As he thought about these ¡®what ifs¡¯, he ended up sobbing under his breath. The boy curled up into a ball and swallowed his sobs to endure the loneliness. His hands and feet grew cold and numb, but his body continued to heat up. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.He felt like a snowman abandoned in the summer sun.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. At this rate, it seemed that his whole body would melt, and in the end, he would disappear from the world forever, leaving behind only wet spots and tattered clothes. He wanted to scream for help, but his throat was swollen, and it was hard to breathe. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll die like this without ever seeing my mom¡¯s face.¡¯ In such fear, the boy barely whispered the words he had never let out of his mouth before. ¡°¡­¡­Mom.¡± ¡®I am here.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you just hold me just once before I melt away like a snowman?¡¯ ¡®If I was destined to disappear, I wanted to melt away in the arms of someone who loved me.¡¯ It was just then. Someone grabbed his limp hand and held it tightly. ¡®¡­¡­who?¡¯ A large, warm adult hand. He tried to open his eyes, but he didn¡¯t have the strength to move a single eyelid. ¡°No matter what¡­. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.happens¡­ ¡­ I will protect you.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. A voice whispering like a lullaby, so cozy it could bring tears to his eyes. It didn¡¯t melt the boy like snow but made him more and more solid. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.He couldn¡¯t understand what was being said, but it was reassuring to hear.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. Then something as soft as a petal touched his forehead and fell away. ¡°Sweet¡­¡­ dreams, Leo.¡± At that moment, the boy¡¯s eyes fluttered open. The dazzling morning sunlight spilled white onto the bed where he lay. He looked around quickly, but all he could see was an empty chair at his bedside. ¡°¡­¡­Dream?¡± But the warmth on his forehead was too vivid for a dream. The boy murmured, rubbing his feverish forehead. ¡°I wonder who Leo is.¡± It was a riddle he could not answer now. * * * The sun rose in the early hours of the morning. Thoma stretched out on his back for the first time in a long time. ¡°So, this is life.¡± He couldn¡¯t be happier that the pesky little boy was nowhere to be seen. Whether it was the nightly scares with the story of Belinda or the fact that his complexion was getting darker by the day, he hadn¡¯t returned to the quarters last night. ¡®He must have made a big mistake and got kicked out, right?¡¯ he thought gleefully. Giggling at the empty bed, Thoma suddenly felt a chill and rubbed the back of his neck. Was the window open? Why did it give him the creeps¡­¡­. ¡°Let¡¯s see, you look good. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.The way you¡¯re lying there with your legs stretched out.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°Ah, ah, ah, ah, lady?¡± For whatever reason, he could see Belinda standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. He stood up quickly, but it wasn¡¯t out of fear, it was out of politeness. A body that will take care of Sybel, who will become the head of the household. There was no reason to fear a noblewoman who had fallen from grace. ¡®I have to do that¡­¡¯ A strange chill ran down his spine. Belinda¡¯s gleaming eyes and the way one corner of her mouth twitched into a smile were breathtakingly terrifying. Again. Belinda took a step closer. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t like it when anyone messes with my stuff.¡± Thud. Belinda¡¯s clenched fist touched Thoma¡¯s forehead. That was all it took, and Toma¡¯s legs instantly gave out and he fell limply to the bed. ¡°But what happens when your muscles have rotted away and you¡¯re looking like a sprouted potato?¡± Thud. Belinda¡¯s high-heeled shoe aimed and slammed squarely into the space narrowly in front of Thoma¡¯s crotch. ¡°Hic!¡± By a hair¡¯s breadth, Thoma managed to preserve his dignity, but he was far from relieved. ¡°How dare you put your hands on what¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± Thoma choked out as Belinda¡¯s fan crushed his dry throat. He couldn¡¯t lift a finger to get rid of the fan, because the look in Belinda¡¯s eyes was like that of a madwoman. ¡°Take it away. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°That¡¯s weird. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.I thought you knew better than anyone what happens when you make eye contact with me.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. Puck. At Belinda¡¯s elegant sarcasm, Thoma fell flat on his face, oblivious to the crack in his knees. But there was no time to feel the pain. With a flick, the tip of Belinda¡¯s fan touched the nape of his neck. ¡°If this happens again, you know better than I do what will touch your neck instead of this fan.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to breathe, as if the thing against his throat really was already blade. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.It was too much to bear.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. And so it was that Thoma could not rise from his seat for a long time after Belinda had left. * * * ¡°Well, that feels good. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.You got caught by me. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.Very simple, boom!¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. How dare you bully my boy? Belinda came out of Thoma¡¯s quarters and wiped her hands with a refreshing face. The testimony of the servants, who had been assembled since dawn, had unraveled Thoma¡¯s behavior. As it turns out, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d thrown out a new servant for being too impudent. With a lighter expression on her face, Belinda was walking down the hallway spinning her fan. In the middle of the dark corridor, she stopped, as if she¡¯d spotted something. A low gasp escaped Belinda¡¯s lips as she stared blankly into space. ¡°Oh?¡± For the first time in the past week, the sync numbers had changed. *** As if the peace of the past week had been a lie, the Blanchette mansion was in an uproar this morning. ¡°The lazy bastards. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.How many times do I have to tell you to roll out the red carpet where I step!¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. ¡°Have the best patisserie in the kingdom bring me limited edition macarons of each type.¡± ¡°They¡¯re hard to get, you idiot. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.You could always beg in front of the shop.¡±read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. I, Belinda Blanchette, the culprit behind the noise in the mansion, held my head high as I made ridiculous demands and enforced my whims on my hired help. After ranting and raving for a while, I glanced at my sync stats. Thanks to all the misbehavior that I had gradually accumulated, my sync numbers were climbing. Two days ago, at dawn, I realized it only after I got rid of the bully who bullied Leo. The actual conditions for raising the synchronization level. Acting indifferent like Belinda? Naturally, I tried it on the first day of my possession. However, the synchronization level, which did not budge at that time, changed when I kicked Thoma¡¯s ass. I wondered what the difference was, and the answer was simple. It was that both the ¡°body¡± and the ¡°mind¡± acted like Belinda. read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there.To be the perfect Belinda, I had to become her mentally as well as physically.read only at salmonlatte . com. This annoying watermark is not there. It seems like I¡¯m gradually stepping on the accelerator toward the death ending, but what can I do? ¡°For the sake of my Leo, I¡¯ll play the part of the main villain.¡± Before escaping this place, at least let¡¯s say the main character¡¯s name for once properly! CH 8 A picturesque scene sponsored by the Blanche mansion, where fresh autumn flowers are in full bloom. A tea set that could only be described as perfect. Limited edition sweets from the kingdom¡¯s favorite patisserie and a lovely hammock suspended among the trees. The aroma of the black tea, made from the finest leaves, was so rich it was almost floral. All of this had been achieved an hour earlier when I¡¯d shouted for a seat in the garden because I wanted tea. I leaned back in the fluffy armchair and then stretched. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve always had a talent for being a bully.¡¯ This ease, this comfort, this luxury. It was so comfortable, I wondered if it would become a habit. I sipped my tea leisurely and flicked through the law books I¡¯d retrieved from my study. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Leo, who had been sleeping on the hammock like a curled-up puppy, suddenly jumped up with a startle. His freshly trimmed hair gave his exposed face a nice shine. He had slept so sweetly, his hair was sprawled out like a crow¡¯s nest, and he looked so cute. I placed a hand over my mouth, hiding the corners of my mouth that were starting to melt like butter. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t mean to sleep, but the hammock was so cozy¡­¡­.¡± Yeah, that was the plan. It had just been 30 minutes since Leo had been laid in the hammock as an excuse to check if the hammock was securely tied. ¡®You¡¯re up from a nap, so you probably are hungry.¡¯ I pointed across from me with a chin gesture. Leo hurriedly climbed out of the hammock and sat in the chair across from me. On his hands and knees. I wasn¡¯t about to scold him. ¡®It¡¯s okay, just sit like you want.¡¯ ¡°With a perfect specimen of good manners in front of you, you¡¯re going to sit there like that?¡± ¡°Li-Like that?¡± Leo adjusted to sit with his legs crossed like me, and lifted his chin high, as if looking up at the sky. He didn¡¯t look particularly comfortable, but it was better than before, so I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°Hmm, now you¡¯re worth watching.¡± Leo¡¯s face barely peeked up above the table, as he was shorter than his peers. I scooped up a generous portion of frozen lemon sorbet with a teaspoon. Leo didn¡¯t seem to notice what I was doing, as his eyes were skyward as he tried to mimic my chin. I smiled and brought the spoon close to Leo¡¯s mouth. ¡®Here, Leo, say ahh? Let¡¯s try it.¡¯ ¡°Open your mouth, Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Without realizing it, Leo¡¯s eyes squeezed shut and his mouth flew open. As if he were swallowing poison. I shoved the sorbet into his wide-open mouth. The reaction was immediate. Leo, who had been licking his lips with his eyes tightly shut, opened them and looked at me with wide eyes. In his excitement, his tiny lips, which were tightly closed, chirped like a baby bird. ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s cold ¨C No, that¡¯s really cold!¡± And then he stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as if he was trying to savor every last hint of the dessert he had tried. Oh, my heart! My heart aches from all of Leo¡¯s loveliness. I quickly scooped up another spoonful of sorbet and shoveled it into Leo¡¯s mouth while he was distracted by the sweet and sour taste. ¡°This is your prize for taking care of the hammock. Eat it all right here and now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Leo grabbed the spoon and moved his hand vigorously. He made a small noise occasionally at the sourness of the lemon and squinted one eye as if trying to hide it, but his spoon never stopped moving around ¨C like he liked it. It was a more enthusiastic response than the last fondant chocolate he had. ¡®He likes the lemon flavor¡­¡­ noted¡­¡­.¡¯ I watched in amusement, making a mental note of Leo¡¯s taste. After taking the last bite very, very carefully, Leo suddenly looked up at me with a determined expression. Though it didn¡¯t last long before he averted his gaze with a trembling shoulder. I waited silently for Leo to speak, and finally he did. ¡°Miss Belinda, thank you for these lemon-flavored snowflakes for the last time.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Huh? The last time? ¡°I¡¯ll get ready to leave later today.¡± Leaving, where? Why? At my fierce glare, Leo ducked his head and fidgeted with his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve made too many¡­.mistakes¡­¡­ while I¡¯ve been here, and I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to leave¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Mistakes?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t shake the blanket out properly, so I made a mess. I lazily stayed in bed for several days with the excuse that I was sick, and then again, I actually fell asleep in the hammock just before this. So, I¡­¡­.¡± Leo¡¯s voice began to shake as he confessed his faults. ¡°I didn¡¯t take care of Miss Belinda properly, and I¡¯m¡­¡­ a useless servant.¡± There was a familiar hint of resignation in those last words. I glared at Leo¡¯s round head as he bowed. Come to think of it, Leo had been looking for something to do since he arrived here. Every time I took Leo¡¯s job away, he was visibly down. I realized in hindsight why he had looked like that. ¡®You were trying to prove you deserved to be here.¡¯ Just like I did when I was at my aunt¡¯s house. At the time, I was desperate for a word of praise. I would do chores until my hands were tired and never received a thank you. Unconsciously, I reached for Leo¡¯s small, round head. Brush. It tickled to feel the thin strands of hair in my hand. ¡°¡­¡­Mi-Miss Belinda?¡± Leo¡¯s disheveled hair was a mess, his cheeks ripe red as apples. His eyes are shaking wildly, and seeing him clenching his fists in a tense state¡­ ¡®He¡¯s scared.¡¯ I swiftly slipped my hand under the table. I wanted to comfort him, to assure him that everything was alright, but I wouldn¡¯t force my affection on him if it made him feel afraid or uncomfortable. All I wanted for Leo was simple. I just wanted him to grow up healthy, not to get sick. But maybe that¡¯s the hardest thing for him to do when he feels like he has to prove every moment that he belongs here. After thinking for a while, I deliberately opened my mouth with a sullen expression. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re pathetic and little, like a rat-chestnut, you are pretty useless.¡± At my words, Leo¡¯s body shrank like a deflated balloon. Then I tapped the empty sorbet glass with my teaspoon, catching Leo¡¯s attention. ¡°So, for now, you¡¯re going to eat all the food the master gives you, and then you¡¯re going to grow up.¡± Leo blinked his wide eyes as if he didn¡¯t quite understand, then asked cautiously, ¡°Is that¡­¡­ what I¡¯m supposed to do? Eat a lot and grow big?¡± ¡°So that you can be a useful servant to me in the future. And when that time comes, I will keep you by my side for the rest of your life and treat you like a dog.¡± At that moment, Leo¡¯s smile, bright in the sun, cut off my words. It also cut off my heartbeat. His rosy cheeks were dimpled in a way that illustrations don¡¯t do justice. It reminded me of a literary expression about an angel cuddling an unusually adorable child and accidentally poking him in the cheek, leaving a dimple. Leo¡¯s smile, wearing the angel¡¯s dimple on both cheeks, was more lovely than any flower in this garden. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll do my best! I¡¯ll work hard, I¡¯ll eat well and grow up to be a useful rat-chestnut!¡± Unable to control my expression any longer, I hastily unfurled my fan to cover my face. Leo smiled at me. He keeps showing me such an adorable smile! Whoa, whoa. Don¡¯t let it get to you, heart. When I smile, Leo gets scared. I finally managed to compose myself and lowered my fan. ¡°Miss Belinda,¡± the maidservant called to me quietly. ¡°The master has been looking for you.¡± Her unannounced interruption at the best of times sent my expression straight to the depths of bitterness. There was no way Sybel would seek me out for anything good. I crossed my arms and arrogantly raised my head. ¡°What do you think I am, a dog that comes when he wants me to come and leave when he wants me to leave? If he¡¯s got something he needs to take care of, he can come to me.¡± I waved my hand, telling her not to disturb my time with Leo and to get lost. The maid didn¡¯t back down, though, and managed to get in one more word. ¡°They say the notary of the will has arrived at the mansion.¡± Despite my tough talk, I had no choice but to bitterly become a dog and obediently follow the maid. CH 9 The missing notary of the Blanche family. Even if you didn¡¯t look for him, if you kept quiet in any given room, you could hear the servants chattering about him from time to time. ¡®If the notary with the will is found, the title definitely belongs to the master.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know about that. You haven¡¯t been working here long enough to know that, but the fact is, as far as blood goes, Lady Belinda is¡­¡­.¡¯ ¡®Shhh! Are you trying to get yourself kicked out?¡¯ ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s Blanche, and even if it¡¯s not an heir, the inheritance won¡¯t be just a penny or two, right? I envy her.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t pay attention to her, let¡¯s clean up.¡¯ I¡¯m very interested in that inheritance. I immediately turned to the law books, only to have my hopes dashed. As far as I could tell, the kingdom¡¯s laws did not allow an unmarried woman to inherit more than a certain amount of property. But even if the wealthy die, the third generation lives well. I wondered if the amount of ¡®a little¡¯ in the eyes of a gold digger would be different from the amount of ¡®a little¡¯ in the eyes of a former salaryman like myself. With such expectations, I was heading to the drawing room. I looked out the window and saw carriages lined up in front of the mansion. Among them, the one that caught my attention was a carriage that was all black from the wheels to the frame, and even down to the horse. Or, more precisely, all black with the exception of the crest: a shield with white vines on it. ¡®Where have I seen that before?¡¯ ?Hirome? As someone who had been playing for a while, I prided myself on having a pretty good idea of the setting. If I can¡¯t remember this much, it¡¯s probably not important information. But just in case, I opened the door to the drawing room to refresh my memory. All the noise from beyond the door was cut off. A thousand eyes bored into me like arrows. ¡®There are so many people here to see a will being revealed.¡¯ I stood up straighter, pretending not to notice, and made my way to the back of the room, where there were fewer people. ¡°Belle, there you are. I haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡± If only there wasn¡¯t this hand reaching out to escort me. Immaculately dressed, Sybel looked sad and tired, like a child who had lost his father. ¡°I hear you¡¯re getting along with your new servant. I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡± Speaking for myself, I had to fight back the urge to clench my fists as soon as I saw the look on Sybel¡¯s face. It was this guy who brought Leo in as my servant. ¡®Perhaps he intends to use Leo to tarnish Belinda¡¯s reputation.¡¯ It was unlikely that the original Belinda would allow an uneducated boy to be her personal servant. In the game, she bullied the protagonist, which not only tarnished her reputation, but also made her look bad to his benefactors, the supporting characters. ¡®Even if we don¡¯t get along. You would use a defenseless little boy to mess with me?¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t look well ¨C are you unwell?¡± I slapped Sybel¡¯s outstretched hand away with all the strength I could muster. ¡°Ugh,¡± Sybel groaned, wrapping the back of his hand tightly but I wasn¡¯t fooled. Come on, who cares about a reputation. I¡¯ll take this opportunity to get my sync numbers up. Despite how much Belinda despised Sybel, she had a tendency to curse at him whenever she saw him. That attitude didn¡¯t help her in the long run. Sybel didn¡¯t seem to be affected much either. I wasn¡¯t going to let the translator get the best of me like last time. This time, I¡¯ll be the one using the translator. Aristocratic and elegant, like the real Belinda. Swoosh. Covering my lower lip with a softly unfurled handkerchief, I looked at Sybel with the utmost disdain. The maids talked about Sybel¡¯s bloodline and feared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to become the head of the household. The only weakness I knew of Sybel at the moment. I trusted the translator and put his weakness into words. ¡°You lowly mongrel, how dare you lay a hand on me. Do you intend to get your filthy blood on me?¡± Bing! In the hall, which had become so quiet that literally even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard, a cheerful bell that only I could hear resonated. At that moment, Sybel¡¯s face contorted, and for a moment, his mask was lifted, revealing a terrifying expression. I instinctively understood. I had touched a nerve. Also, the hidden circumstances of this bean flour family. ¡®This is what the employees were worried about, saying I could become the head of the household.¡¯ This lack of suitability. There must be something wrong with Sybel¡¯s or my uncle¡¯s blood. I savored the reddish-purple expression of Sybel as much as I could and gently waved the fan. The commotion was short-lived, and soon the atmosphere in the drawing room grew solemn, and a gaunt, elderly man entered. It seemed that he was the notary of the Blanche family for whom they had been searching. The notary immediately drew from his bosom a rolled-up, luxurious scroll. After swearing to tell only the truth, he finally opened the will. After reading a long preamble of legalese, he coughed a few times. ¡°¡­¡­Accordingly, it is a will that the title of Marquis of the Blanche family is handed over to Sybel Blanche.¡± He wiped his brow, as if finishing an arduous task. No one raised their voices, as they were seated, but a murmur of approval filled the parlor. Well, that¡¯s to be expected. ¡®Sybel is the Marquis¡¯s biological child.¡¯ I yawned deeply, not surprised. It was none of my business whether or not Sybel would become a household head, and the household heads of noble families with heavy duties and responsibilities were not my interest in the first place. The only thing that matters to me now is my share of the inheritance! The notary continued. ¡°To Belinda Blanche you bequeath the sum of 100,000 gold in cash and the eastern annex of the Blanche mansion.¡± I did a quick round of mental math. Let¡¯s see, if the game has the same price as the cost of living, then the average commoner¡¯s monthly living expenses are about 30 gold¡­¡­. My hands shook as I finished the math in my head. Immediately, I heard a sneer from behind me. ¡°Pfft. That¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°If they mean the east annex, surely they can¡¯t mean that hideous abandoned house, right?¡± ¡°A hundred thousand gold. If it lasts a year, she¡¯ll be lucky.¡± Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re underestimating me?! These are tremors of joy! ¡®An inheritance that allows me not to worry about money for the next 277 years.¡¯ Well, that¡¯s a lot of money, Marquis. May you rest in peace! ¡°In addition, three townhouses on Melvet Street in the northeast of the capital, part ownership of Saber Forest, a famous tourist destination in the eastern Marshan estate, and Solich Beach in the southern Gortan estate.¡± One hundred thousand gold is enough to live in comfort and abundance in the countryside. ¡°To the north, the ownership of the Herrington Mine in the Valuasten estate and all the contents of the personal safe belonging to the previous head of the family.¡± Uh, uh, wait a minute. Isn¡¯t this enough to buy a house? Yeah, a whopping 277 years¡¯ worth of inheritance, surely you can buy a house. Wow. I can just buy a house without even lifting a finger. A golden spoon! ¡°¡­¡­ The following assets are inherited as the dowry of Belinda Blanche.¡± The life of a millionaire. I can sell all of Belinda¡¯s jewelry for a fortune here¡­¡­. ¡®But what¡¯s up with the atmosphere in this room?¡¯ Suddenly, the room was frozen in silence. I, preoccupied with the 100,000 gold, learnt the meaning of the silence a little later than the others. * * * Bang. The door to the drawing room burst open as if it were going to break. Seeing her cheerful expression, the employees exchanged glances. ¡®What is that look?¡¯ ¡®Has she inherited the position of head of the household?¡¯ Their anxious ears picked up a noise in the drawing room. People were flocking to Sybel¡¯s side, congratulating him. For some reason, everyone seemed to be a little confused. Just then, Belinda¡¯s heels stopped in front of a servant. ¡°Hey, Potato sprout.¡± ¡°Huh, eh? Me, me?¡± The person named Thoma froze in place. ¡°Yes, you. Move all the furniture and luggage from my room to the biggest and best room in the annex, right now. If anything is broken or missing, I will deduct it from your salary, so you better value it more than your life.¡± At the mention of the annex, the faces of the servants changed strangely. They thought justice would finally be served and the nasty lady would be banished to the annex. But she didn¡¯t seem upset at all? It was complete nonsense. Swept up in the atmosphere around him, Thoma forgot his earlier fear and spoke curiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, but what happened to the title of the master? No, you¡¯re not the Marquis now are you? The will must have given the title to¡­¡­.¡± His voice trembled badly, but it was enough to stir Belinda. Thoma¡¯s words were cut short, however, by the light flapping of a fan. Waving it lazily, Belinda smiled as gracefully as a poisoned flower. ¡°Did I just tell you to start barking?¡± CH 10 ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Butler.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Hire men to take care of the annex from today, and make sure everything in it is of the finest quality.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡­.¡± She then walked slowly in front of the assembled servants and spoke in a very meaningful tone. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re going to have to keep in line. If you make an effort to support me, even old jewelry will be given to you.¡± Finally, Belinda stopped in front of Leo, who stood at the end of the queue. ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°You follow me. And you too.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes?¡± ¡°Get the carriage ready.¡± ¡°Uh, where shall I tell them to take you?¡± Belinda tapped her chin with the tip of her fan as if in thought for a moment, then replied with a wry smile. ¡°To the most bustling street.¡± It was a little later that the servants heard the details of the will. * * * According to the notary, the property bequeathed to me in the name of my dowry amounts to a quarter of the entire fortune of the House of Blanche. Moreover, the wise Marquis has added a very clever clause. Thanks to this, I was assured of my own safety. ¡®By the way, why didn¡¯t Belinda take advantage of this great opportunity?¡¯ Given her personality, I think she could have chosen someone that suits her taste right away and married him. I, too, seriously considered an unplanned marriage as soon as I heard the will. Perhaps if I had no memories of my previous life, I would have had no qualms about a loveless marriage. ¡®I should probably see a lawyer sooner rather than later.¡¯ But first. I breathed in lightly. I¡¯d always wanted to say this line. ¡°From here to here.¡± The tip of my fan pointed to the shelf¡¯s end on the left, then to the right with a snap. ¡°All of it.¡± If you¡¯re possessing someone who has no sense of money, shouldn¡¯t you have a taste for spending it too? Starting with the most famous patisserie in the capital, I began shopping in earnest. ¡°These are the new arrivals this quarter.¡± Shopping for Leo¡¯s clothes! The owner of Belinda¡¯s favorite clothing shop was also an expert at making children¡¯s clothes. I almost lost my mind as she pulled out one cute little outfit after another. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this, not even in a boutique! ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s put that on him, too. Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Leo dutifully changed into the clothes I handed him without speaking many words. Every time he peeked his head out from between the curtains and squirmed in embarrassment, I couldn¡¯t help but shout the same words. ¡°Add it.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s an outfit I made for you to wear to a simple party, featuring these eleven layers of ruffles.¡± Eleven layers of ruffles? I can¡¯t take this! (E/N: I don¡¯t think anyone should ever have to ¡®take¡¯ eleven layers of ruffles, tbh¡­) ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m done, by the way, Miss Belinda.¡± ¡°Okay. Add this one too.¡± Alas, I can feel my monetary senses becoming increasingly numb. The gold coins slipping out of my hand feel like virtual currency in a game, not real money. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Children¡¯s silk pajamas.¡± Sleep is the elixir, so they say. ¡°Add this one as well. Ratchet!¡± I did the math before we tried anything on, but that¡¯s okay. Anything looks good on Leo! ¡®Whoa, now that I¡¯ve satisfied my urge to shop, I¡¯ll stop buying.¡¯ Just as I was grinning from ear to ear with satisfaction, Leo peeked out from behind the curtain. ¡°I¡¯m done, Miss Belinda.¡± ¡°Pack that one too.¡± I should stop buying, but Leo¡¯s ability to pull off any outfit was beyond comprehension. ¡°This is the new kids¡¯ hunting outfit. It¡¯s a set of long leather boots and gloves.¡± The clerk¡¯s eyes lit up as if she thought she¡¯d caught a deal. Hmm, what a person. It was a hunting outfit, but it didn¡¯t look much different from the riding outfit I¡¯d bought earlier. ¡­¡­..Except for the leather boots and gloves, which came as a set. I can¡¯t resist a full set. ¡°Add it.¡± With a flick of my fan, I gave Leo the hunting outfit. ¡°Miss Be-Belinda. I, what did I do wrong?¡± My shopping addiction slammed on the brakes. Oh, I¡¯m in trouble. Apparently, Leo is starting to suspect that this shopping thing is some kind of bullying. * * * The next stop was the temple. ¡°Wow.¡± An exclamation burst from Leo¡¯s mouth as he followed closely behind me. I even let out an exclamation of my own. The magnificent architecture, with its pure white marble throughout, was majestic. Of course, the temple looked exactly like the illustrations in the game. Right down to the ¡®holy relics¡¯ at the entrance. In the plaza in front of the temple, there lay a pure white sword embedded in clear ice. Said to have been sealed in a coffin of eternal, unmeltable ice by the first king of the Kingdom of Genos, the sword was incredibly strong and incredibly powerful even after its 700 years of age. Tourists came and went, gripping the hilt and trying to draw it, but to no avail. The holy object is commonly known as the Blessed Light. It is an indispensable item for the protagonist of ?Hirome? to see the hero¡¯s ending. However, in order to draw the holy sword, there was a condition. I carefully placed my fingertips on the pure white hilt of the holy sword, which seemed to be covered with frost. With a soft chime, a quest window appeared above the holy sword. ¡®That¡¯s still an insane number.¡¯ In order to unseal the holy sword, the divine power comparable to that of a cardinal was required. In order to wield the holy sword, the physical strength comparable to that of a knight commander was required. In order to handle the latent power of the holy sword, magic equal to that of the owner of the Mage Tower was required. That¡¯s why you had to level up your protagonist¡¯s health, magic, and divine power to make him a hero. ¡®In the game you couldn¡¯t ever achieve that, even if you paid for it.¡¯ The best you could do was level up two abilities. And since magic and holy power are opposites, it took a lot of delicate control to make them work together. ¡®But this time, I can raise his stats before the story starts, and maybe even watch the hero¡¯s ending¡­¡­.¡¯ I shook my head at the sudden thought. We¡¯re breaking up in a few months anyway. No, I¡¯d rather¡­¡­. ¡°Miss Belinda?¡± Does Leo even want to be a hero? A thought that never crossed my mind when I was playing the game. The many endings I collected in ?Hirome?, some of which could be called bad endings. ¡®For example, the ending where he becomes the leader of the underworld.¡¯ Leo as the hero and Leo as the leader of the underworld. In the game, it was very clear which was the happy ending. But in hindsight, I think the real tragedy is that neither of them reflects Leo¡¯s wishes. If Leo is happy even if he becomes the leader of the Underworld, isn¡¯t that actually the true ending? Not the future I dream of for my protagonist, but the future Leo wants to be. ¡®Leo, what do you want to be when you grow up?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but ask Leo, who blinked as he looked up at me. * * * From Belinda¡¯s point of view, ?Hirome? is a survival game with a fairly evil level of difficulty. Luckily for me, I have 100,000 gold and a hefty wedding dowry, but¡­¡­. ¡®A bullet can go through a bag of money.¡¯ The supporters who take Belinda¡¯s life are all powerful people who have the power to make the birds that fly fall fast and hard. Considering how Belinda ended up in the original game, no matter how careful you are with your actions, you never know where or how you¡¯ll be stabbed in the back. If I wanted to avoid them, I¡¯d have to be given at least three extra lives to ensure my safety, just like in the game. ¡®Wait. Extra lives?¡¯ A thought flashed through my mind. ¡°Cash shop!¡± I wasn¡¯t disappointed by the system window that popped up in the end. Apparently, I needed to become an official guardian to gain access to the cash shop, where I could purchase in-game items. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t a way.¡¯ CH 11 Most of Leo¡¯s clothes, which I had collected through in-game purchases, had a subtitle that read ¡®Created by Madame Orlene¡¯. When playing the game, I thought it was just a setting and that there was no character named Madame Orlene. However, I found out that she really existed. And that she was an accomplished seamstress who only supplied clothing to the royal family. So, let¡¯s think about this for a moment. This world is both a game and a reality. In other words, the paid items purchased in the game exist somewhere in this world, and there must be someone who can create those paid items. The Elixir of Life. ¡®I don¡¯t know about anything else, but I have to get my hands on the Elixir of Life.¡¯ This is the highest-level healing potion that can make even dying people jump up and shout ¡°hurrah!¡± In ?Hirome? the protagonist comes back to life when they die, but some of their stat values decrease significantly. That¡¯s why users purchased the ¡®Elixir of Life¡¯ in advance, just in case. No matter how much you paid, you could only get five of them, and they came with a description that only the user could see. Right. In this world, the Elixir of Life was created by a mage named Vivian! And as luck would have it, I knew who she was and where to go to meet her. * * * ¡°Come on, get in the queue. There¡¯s plenty of food.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, priest.¡± A soup kitchen for the poor set up in a corner of the temple. I watched as the people stood in line, waiting eagerly for their turn. Although I knew that Vivian often visited the soup kitchen, I didn¡¯t know the exact time of her arrival, so I had to stay here near the temple, just in case. Luckily, I had given Leo a coin to attend the temple service, so I had some time to spare. The hours passed slowly. And the long line at the soup kitchen gradually dwindled. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not my lucky day.¡¯ I knew it wouldn¡¯t be so easy as to find her on the first day. Just as I was about to give up and leave, a caterpillar joined the queue. No, not a caterpillar. It was a person wearing a hood to cover her face and hair. ¡®That¡¯s her!¡¯ I instantly identified the caterpillar as Vivian. Without hesitation, I walked toward Vivian, but then I suddenly stopped. I had been living with Belinda for two weeks now, and I had picked up some of her speech patterns. ¡®I¡¯m pretty sure she would call her a worm.¡¯ As she was dressed like a caterpillar, I had to be careful with my words. ¡°Hey, you lowly insect.¡± Oops, did I sound too harsh? Vivian didn¡¯t even turn around. She wouldn¡¯t. ¡°Do magicians these days beg for food in temples, without any sense of pride?¡± ¡°Heuk!¡± Suddenly, Vivian gasped in surprise, and her breath caught in her throat. If she would have been a cat, every hair on her body would have stood on end. This caught the attention of the priest who was handing out the food. He watched her through narrowed eyes, and when it was Vivian¡¯s turn, instead of giving her bread and soup, he asked her a question. ¡°Excuse me, are you a wizard?¡± Mages and clerics have a very bad relationship. I think it¡¯s because their sources of power are completely opposites, but I don¡¯t know the details. Anyway, Vivian, who came to the enemy¡¯s house to get some food, bit her lip and didn¡¯t say anything. The priest eyed her suspiciously, then offered her a piece of bread. A benevolent smile spread across his face. ¡°God is merciful to all his creatures.¡± But as if to say, ¡®God is merciful, but I¡¯m not¡¯, the priest handed Vivian only the smallest, hardest piece of bread and turned away. Crunch. A crunching sound was heard from under Vivian¡¯s hood. With her head down, Vivian was tearing at the bread to eat. She was practically devouring it. The bread must have been really hard for her to be eating and making noises like that. I cleared my throat and spoke up. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been starving for a while. How about instead of praying to God for food, you ask me?¡± Even when Belinda was saying that she would buy her a meal, I said it in a relatively nice way. Vivian looked at me hesitantly and lowered her head. ¡°Oh, no, no. I can¡¯t accept such kindness from someone I just met.¡± She seemed so timid and fearful, barely looking at me and only shifting her eyes around. I was afraid that if I approached her too quickly, she might drop dead from a heart attack, so I recited the menu items as she nibbled on her bread. ¡°A crisp salad made with freshly picked vegetables.¡± Crunch, crunch. ¡°Tomato stew with lots of seafood.¡± Crunch, crunch, crunch. ¡°Hmmm. The finest quality beef steak?¡± Gulp. Her glasses, hidden under the shadow of her hood, seemed to glow for a moment. She wiped the thick lenses of her glasses with her sleeve, as if to clean her ears, then clasped her hands together reverently. ¡°Did you just say beef?¡± She looked like a grass-eating rabbit, but it turned out that Vivian was a huge carnivore. *** The sound of the sizzling steak whetted her appetite. It was a restaurant where the chef cooked the meat right in front of you, and Vivian¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t budge from the meat, as she must have been really hungry. I took advantage of her attention being completely focused on the meat and carefully observed her. She was petite with her hair tied in two braids. With her oversized glasses covering half her face, she looked like a timid, model high school girl who had never rebelled before. ¡®She¡¯s still so young.¡¯ The thought of her future that I knew lingered bitterly in my mouth. It was only today that I realized Vivian¡¯s hair was the deep green of a primeval forest and her eyes were the warm orange of a sunset. In ?Hirome?, she is presented in black and white, devoid of color. ?The Last Vestiges of the Unfortunate Genius Wizard.? That was the name of the quest that was related to Vivian. She appeared as a starving ghost in a corner of the temple and asked the player for one favor. The ink brush is the most fundamental tool used in drawing magic circles and creating magical items. Her last regret that kept her tied to the afterlife was so trivial. Since Vivian had already died in the opening of the game, there was no way to meet her again. So, this was the only chance. I could increase the number of my lives, and maybe even save Vivian. The beef was finally served on the table. The overwhelming presence of the meat, piled up layer by layer like pancakes, was the trademark of this restaurant. ¡®I wonder if I can eat all of this.¡¯ ¡­¡­ I thought, as Vivian began to inhale the chunks of meat. It was quite literal. As if most of her internal organs were converted into just being stomachs, Vivian devoured the meat as if drinking water. Leo, who was sitting next to me, was so surprised that he even stopped using his fork and stared at Vivian blankly. If we were in Korea, she could make a fortune by doing a Mukbang. (E/N: an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience.) I watched Vivian¡¯s eating show with a sense of regret, but when I noticed her guard had dropped like snow melting on two pieces of hot meat, I took the opportunity to speak. ¡°Hey, do you know anything about the Meteor Tower or the Twin Birds¡¯ Nest?¡± I was referring to the magic tools that were currently sold in high-end shopping districts. They were known as an invention of the mage Bruno, but in fact, both were Vivian¡¯s work. Bruno is now just a mere wizard belonging to the Gray Tower, but later he invents a potion that can heal any wound and earns him the honorary title of Creator of All Things. But who would ever have thought to question him? That the Elixir of Life which bestowed upon him the title of ¡°Creator of All Things,¡± was the last work of Vivian, his apprentice and the person sitting in front of me. If the item description hadn¡¯t said ¡°Vivian¡¯s masterpiece,¡± I wouldn¡¯t have known. ¡°Oh, no. I-I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Vivian said that, but her eyes quickly lost their light and turned into frozen fisheyes. It seemed like she had received brainwashing education instead of magic education from her master. CH 12 ¡®I know it¡¯s mean, but I can¡¯t help it.¡¯ I snatched the plate in front of her with the meat. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Aaah¡­¡­¡± The sighs came from two different places. When I looked to the side, Leo was staring at Vivian¡¯s meat that I had taken away with a pitying look on his face. At this rate, he was going to give Vivian his share of the food. I wondered if I was being too mean, but when I hesitated, my appetite was overcome, and Vivian spoke up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­¡­ I mean, it¡¯s, uhm¡­¡­ I made it, but it¡¯s as good as Master¡¯s¡­¡­ because I made it with the research tools he lent me.¡± ¡°If what you say is true, why don¡¯t you call up the chef who cooked this steak and tell him, the reason this steak is so good is not because you¡¯re a great cook, but because the herdsman raised a great cow.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Needless to say, Vivian was speechless. Where would she even come up with that kind of nonsense? When she noticed my sour expression, she began to stammer out an excuse. ¡°I need expensive research materials to make the tools, and I don¡¯t have¡­¡­ and since I¡¯m a commoner, I don¡¯t have anything¡­¡­.¡± ¡± And so.¡± ¡°So, I agreed to learn from Master¡­¡­ and give him the copyright and distribution rights to my invention in exchange for him providing me with my own research tools.¡± Copyright and distribution rights? I was hoping there was some kind of backstory, but this is just a way of saying that the master is a piece of shit! With a bang, I slammed the table and exclaimed. ¡°I offer you a scouting job. How much are you getting paid?¡± Vivian blurted out with an innocent look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m an apprentice, so I¡¯m not getting paid. I¡¯m only getting room and board, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What fucking bullshit is this? You¡¯re telling me that this guy doesn¡¯t even pay his apprentice, and then he¡¯s taking all the credit for everything? And then he lets his apprentice starve to death? ¡°Why would a mage who¡¯s supposed to get room and board eat at the temple?¡± ¡°We-well¡­¡­.. I¡¯m such a glutton¡­¡­.¡± My expression was so fierce that even Leo began to glance at me cautiously. But I was so pissed off that I couldn¡¯t control my expression. It was the moment when I took a deep breath to pour out all kinds of reasons for how unfairly she was being treated. ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to be able to invent like this. And thanks to my master, I can study alchemy without any limitations.¡± Unlike magic, which allows you to perform miracles using only your own magical power, alchemy is the art of creating magical tools using magic stones containing magical power. Both can only be learned by mages who are born with magic, but alchemy requires a more scientific approach. And the financial resources to break the precious stones. For a poor commoner like her to study alchemy, the support of a master was absolutely necessary. Vivian¡¯s orange eyes, which had been avoiding my gaze, met mine for the first time. I was speechless for a moment. I instinctively knew. No matter how sweet my offer, she wouldn¡¯t budge. Her eyes shone with a certain conviction. Even if you¡¯re starving, you consider yourself really lucky to be able to invent something like this. But knowing how she would end up, I couldn¡¯t let her go, not for her sake and not for mine. ¡®I didn¡¯t want to use this method.¡¯ In the end, I threw a cheap shot. Even if it was called a foul play, it was okay. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I won¡¯t stop you. But if you have time, come visit here.¡± I handed her a map that I had prepared just in case. ¡°And, if you want to change the owner of your leash, go find Belinda Blanche of the Blanche family.¡± Then I offered her the meat dish again. Of course, I didn¡¯t leave out the talent scouting part. ¡°I¡¯m kind to capable and obedient dogs, unlike your master.¡± Vivian, who had returned to her original timid and fearful self, still held onto her strong beliefs, as evident in her gaze, as she picked up the meat. However, I felt bitter in my heart. It won¡¯t be long before she comes to see me. * * * When I returned from my long outing, having enjoyed myself to the fullest, I had some unexpected news waiting for me. ¡°Miss Belinda, you have a visitor who is still waiting for you.¡± A visitor for Belinda? Belinda¡¯s personality was so bad that she didn¡¯t have any friends. I was thinking about Belinda¡¯s relationships when I opened the door to the drawing room, where my guest was waiting. ¡°Lady Belinda?¡± The low bass voice sent chills down my spine and made me want to rub my ears. No, it wasn¡¯t just because of the voice. The sunset-colored light deeply filled the drawing room. The towering figure of a man standing by the tall window caught my eye. Because of the backlight, his facial features were obscured in the dimness, but his shadow¡­ His shadow stretched out all the way to my feet, and two ominous horns protruded from it. The fact that I didn¡¯t scream was purely due to the synchronization. I stood still in the doorway, not daring to step inside, and asked through gritted teeth. W-who is this¡­¡­? ¡°Who are you?¡± The man took a step forward and stood under the chandelier. His imposing physique was enough to make one feel overwhelmed. The imposing appearance of a well-dressed knight without any gap. And even a black iron half mask with devil horns. I swallowed my dry saliva. It was only after I saw the mask that I figured it out. The man before me was a Knight of the North. ¡°Pardon the delay in introductions. I¡¯m Allen Penadel.¡± I caught a glimpse of the sigil embroidered on his cloak, draped at an angle over one shoulder. A white shield entwined with thorns. It took me a moment to realize which house the pattern belonged to. ¡°I come to you at the behest of His Excellency, the Grand Duke of Valuasten.¡± A guardian of the huge barrier that blocked the nest of demon beasts at the end of the northern continent. It was the crest of House Valuasten, known as the devil Grand Duke. * * * ?Hirome? Ending number 8. A knight of the blue flame who stops the red moon. This is the ending where you join the knights of the Grand Duke of Valuasten, who rule over the vast northern territories, and you can get there by focusing on Leo¡¯s stats in swordsmanship and martial arts and running through dungeons consistently. However, not much is known about the Grand Duke of Valuasten in-game, so all I know about him are the rumors that have spread through the kingdom. The leader of the northern knights is said to cut down demons with a single blow. The rumors of the Grand Duke who rules those harsh and barren lands are far from benign. It is said that he always wears a mask to hide his hideous appearance. His temper is said to be so cruel that one suspects poison runs in his veins, and four years ago he killed his parents, brother, and even his brother¡¯s wife with his own hands to usurp the title. And now I am sitting in front of the henchman of such a man. My hand trembled as I gripped the teacup, causing the contents to spill over. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s just a delusion in my head. Despite my state of mind, my gesture of tilting the teacup was graceful. ¡¯If only he would remove that terrifying mask.¡¯ I didn¡¯t dare ask, knowing that there was a strange rule that a northern knight must always wear a mask whenever he was out of the Grand Duchy. With a trembling voice, I managed to speak up. ¡°So. What brings an insignificant knight from a remote northern village all the way here?¡± Ah, Belinda. Please, tone it down. Fortunately, the knight, Sir Penadel, did not show any signs of displeasure. In fact, I had no idea how he felt because he was wearing a mask. That made it all the more frightening. ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt: my lord wishes to take ownership of the Herrington Mines. and would like to offer you a deal.¡± If it¡¯s the Herrington Mine¡­¡­. I¡¯ve heard of it. ¡®Ownership of the Herrington Mine¡¯ is on my dowry list, so that must mean he wants to buy it. ¡¯Word spreads fast.¡¯ Some people want to buy my dowry before I¡¯m even married. I leaned back in my chair and sipped my tea, eager to hear what they would offer. ¡°We propose, by mutual consent, that you remain married to His Excellency for a certain period of time and then divorce.¡± ¡­¡­ I spewed out a small amount of tea. CH 13 Did I hear something wrong? But there was no denying the identity of the dark blue envelope Sir Penadel had placed on the table. With trembling fingers, I broke the envelope¡¯s seal. Sure enough, it was a marriage proposal. But it looked a bit¡­¡­ like a blank contract. My face was expressionless thanks to the synchronization, but my mind was racing. If it was a marriage proposal, I could understand. Yeah, he¡¯d want my dowry. But a divorce? ¡°In a year¡¯s time, when the lady successfully inherits her dowry, you will transfer ownership of the Herrington Mine to Valuasten. That¡¯s all His Excellency wants, and he will ask for nothing else.¡± For a moment, an exclamation point floated above my busy head. The Grand Duke¡¯s offer hit the nail on the head. A bride¡¯s dowry is money I can¡¯t touch until I¡¯m married. Besides, the kingdom has a stupid law that says a bride¡¯s dowry is the joint property of the couple. The Grand Duke is saying he only wants the mine even though he has the opportunity to rip off half my dowry. Curiosity got the better of me and I peeked at the knight in front of me. I thought it would be a good idea to find out if the rumors about the Grand Duke were true. ¡°What kind of person is the Grand Duke?¡± The knight opened his mouth as if he had been waiting. ¡°His mind is sound.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°He¡¯s good at catching demons, values discipline, and does his job responsibly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t use such useless information. Tell me, how is he?¡± I coughed and tapped my cheek with the tip of my fan. I didn¡¯t want to blatantly ask if he was good looking. ¡°Is there anything else you¡¯d like to know?¡± No. Why is this guy so clueless? If he came here for matchmaking, he should explain the details clearly, such as his appearance and his income, in a capitalistic and straightforward manner. Despite his imposing first impression, the man is surprisingly sloppy. ¡°What does the Grand Duke look like?¡± ¡°His hair is black, his eyes are blue, and his nose and mouth are perfectly aligned.¡± Is this guy an AI? ¡°I mean, is your master handsome?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Is he¡­¡­ handsome?¡± A question? A question came up here? For the first time, Sir Penadel looked taken aback. I couldn¡¯t see his expression, but I was sure of it. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t ¡­¡­explain it, but I¡¯m sure your ladyship has heard the rumors. about his Excellency¡± Yes, of course I have. Is he going to tell me it¡¯s all a misunderstanding? Here, like a cliche, it¡¯s actually all nonsense, and the Grand Duke is an unparalleled beauty, and he¡¯s cold to others, but warm to his woman! ¡°They are all true.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll decline his Excellency¡äs proposal. And also, please never think of playing the matchmaker again, absolutely, under any circumstances.¡± I leapt to my feet. Though my deal with the Grand Duke had fallen through, I had an idea of how to secure my fortune. ¡¯I¡¯ll see if I can make a deal with some other noblemen to see how much I can keep for myself.¡¯ With that, I turned away from Sir Penadel. ¡°There is one last thing I need to ask you.¡± His voice sounded like it came straight from the ground. I spun around quickly, and the man¡¯s strong chest was right in front of me. I thought he was huge from a distance, but looking up at him from the ground, he wasn¡¯t just huge, he was overwhelming. Even through his clothes, I could see that his entire body was packed with well-defined, predator-like muscles. Before I could push him away in surprise, Sir Penadel¡¯s black-gloved hand gently grasped my chin and lifted my head. Inside the mask, the shaded eyes seemed to harbor some dark secret, like a fountain in a cave that no one knows about. In their dusky blue glow, I saw a certain ominousness that no human language could describe. ¡°Where did you get it, this necklace?¡± I realized that he was interested in the choker around my neck. And at the same time how I was partially leaning against him. I swung the fan with all my might, knocking Sir Penadel¡¯s hand away. He obediently took a few steps back. My heart pounded in my chest. For a moment, I thought he was going to shake me roughly for daring to refuse the Grand Duke¡¯s hand in marriage just because he was ugly. The way he looked down at me was chilling. ¡¯You are quite unpredictable.¡¯ I fiddled with the choker around my neck, keeping my guard up. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°¡­¡­The design fits my taste.¡± I quickly took another step away from Sir Penadel. The choker that hit Sir Penadel¡¯s taste was Belinda¡¯s daily accessory that I had been wearing since the first day I woke up in the bed on the first day of possessing Belinda. It wasn¡¯t fancy, but delicate lace and a bright ruby pendant were noticeable, making it obvious that it was for women¡­ Who knew that this was his taste. A lace choker on a man¡¯s thick neck¡­? You¡¯re not going to try to buy it from me, are you¡­¡­..? And so persistent! ¡°I refuse.¡± I headed for the door, hoping to flee before Sir Penadel could cling to me any longer. Behind me, Sir Penadel continued. ¡°I will be in the kingdom for some time, so if you change your mind about his Excellency¡¯s offer, please come and see me.¡± His low voice echoed through the closing door. ¡°Please take care of yourself.¡± Like his masked face, I couldn¡¯t tell if there was warning or concern in his voice. *** Until late at night, the lights in the Marquis of Blanche¡¯s office would not go out. Sybel pulled out the will he¡¯d been studying all day. ¡°The old man used his head quite well.¡± There was even a hint of admiration in his voice. The dowry was unexpected. This meant that Sybel would not be able to send his dear sister away to a monastery, nor would he be able to dispose of her before her marriage under the guise of an accident. ¡°My lord, I have the documents you requested.¡± An aide arrived in his office with a stack of papers. Only then did Sybel¡¯s gaze drift away from the will. ¡°Go ahead¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You are officially the ruler of House Blanche, as you wished¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, as I have desired for so long.¡± Sybel continued as he scribbled away at the letter. ¡°Except that the stupid wench, who has nothing but noble blood in her veins, stole the gold from my pocket.¡± His expression was so calm, but the aide recognized the anger in the words. Soon, Sybel, who had sealed the letter, shoved it into the aide¡¯s hand. A purple letter envelope sprinkled with pearl dust. It was addressed to the royal palace. ¡°Since the succession to the title has been confirmed, we should talk about business with the royal family in earnest. At this point, I have to ask if His Highness is interested in welfare work.¡± ¡°Welfare?¡± A nervous retort followed. He knew full well that neither Sybel nor the prince were interested in welfare. ¡°Yes, if there¡¯s a lot of money that¡¯s about to be returned to society, wouldn¡¯t His Royal Highness be interested?¡± The aide didn¡¯t bother to ask what was behind the words. He simply bowed briefly and hurried off to send the letter. As the aide retreated, Sybel¡¯s gaze fell on the portrait of the first Marquis on the wall. It was a gentle portrait, but Sybel thought it looked down on him disapprovingly. ¡°To hold on to her until the day you died. Was Belinda that important to you, Father?¡± He scoffed sarcastically. He looked up at the Marquis in the portrait and whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you have your way, father.¡± After all, you are already dead, a corpse in the ground. Chapter Four After a long time, I woke up feeling very refreshed. Of course, the news that a mover had injured his back while carrying my luggage the day before was enough to make me happy. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason for my good mood. ¡°This¡­¡­.¡± An old, quaint, two-story stone mansion towered in front of me. Although it had been carefully renovated in recent days, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the building itself was so old that it gave off an eerie vibe. Moreover, the trees in the garden surrounding the mansion were all dead, making the mansion¡¯s atmosphere even more gloomy. ¡°You mean this is the annex?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my shock at the appearance of the annex located quite far from the main building. The maid who had escorted me here took in my complexion and began to fidget. ¡°Yes, miss. With a little more maintenance, I¡¯m sure¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Open the door. I want to look inside.¡± The maid trembled as she opened the front door of the annex. Ah, tears blind my vision. This spacious mansion is my home! Despite its old exterior, the interior has been well maintained. The central hall was clean enough to be used immediately, and all of the furniture was in excellent condition. I imagined a small cabin-like structure when they said annex, but I never thought it would be this grand mansion. Thank you, my Marquis uncle! I brushed past the maid and started exploring every nook and cranny of the mansion. ¡°Kyah!¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± What was that heart-wrenchingly cute scream? I turned my head and looked down. Leo had followed me and was clinging to my leg like a koala. CH 14 ¡°Ratchet.¡± ¡°Eek! I-I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Leo quickly pulled away. Ah, I wish he would have stayed attached to me! With a regretful heart, I patted the hem of my dress where Leo had clung onto. I, that¡¯s, I mean, yea, this is¡­ ¡­ Everyone says it¡äs coming out¡­..¡± Out? ¡°What.¡± ¡°Uh, uh, uh, uh, ghosts.¡± Leo trembled like a vibrating phone as he spoke. It was really cute. I tried hard to keep the corners of my mouth down and nodded my head as if it didn¡¯t matter. So what? It¡¯s a world with magic, spirits, and curses, so it¡¯s not strange to have ghosts. Come to think of it, the servants have been talking about the annex. Was it because of the rumors of ghosts? ¡¯Even if it¡¯s a haunted house, it¡¯s still a house, right?¡¯ Besides, it¡¯s a huge and spacious house. With this much space, it¡¯s possible to share a few rooms with ghosts. I didn¡¯t hesitate to check out every nook and cranny. And when I opened the terrace window, the reason why this place was rumored to be a haunted house became clear. ¡¯I¡¯ve heard of the Han River view, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a tomb view.¡¯ There, clearly visible in the backyard, were the graves of Blanche¡¯s family tombs. I heard the story that Blanche also had a time when they were extremely poor. They were so poor that they sold all the land they owned, and as nobles, they didn¡¯t even have land to bury their family¡¯s graves, so they had to dig land in the backyard of their mansion. So, this place called the annex was actually Blanche¡¯s original mansion in the past. Then, during that time, a descendant was born with extraordinary business sense. They bought a mine and discovered a vein, and when they bought an old-fashioned beach, a nearby hot spring erupted, making it a famous tourist spot. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to claim that the current wealth was the result of that one ancestor¡¯s efforts. The descendants have been squandering the fortune, indulging in luxury. Anyway, after achieving such great wealth, they bought up the land around the house and built the current mansion, and naturally, this place became an annex and a tomb of their ancestors. I poke my head out the window to take a closer look at the grave site. Squeak. ¡°Kiiyah!¡± The wooden floor I stepped on creaked, and Leo let out another adorable squeal. This time, instead of clinging to me, he clutches the end of the fan in my hand¡­¡­ It felt like my heart was going to burst not because I was scared of ghosts, but because Leo was so adorable. Poor Leo seemed to be completely terrified that he was going to be alone with me in this annex from now on. I couldn¡¯t quite tell if he was scared of the ghosts or scared of being alone with me, but I wasn¡¯t going to let that stop me. ¡¯If I¡¯m going to take care of Leo without worrying about what people think, I¡¯m going to need the freedom of the annex rather than the main house.¡¯ So, I made up my mind and spent a very long time exploring every corner of the annex with Leo until he felt safe and secure. * * * Belinda pointed to the side room attached to her room and said, ¡°Ratchet, this is your cell from now on,¡± and laughed sinisterly. Leo swallowed nervously and opened the door in front of him with a tense expression. To Leo, a cell was a cold and lonely place where discarded things were collected. ¡­. or so he thought. But what he saw was completely different from what he expected. The room had warm-colored wallpaper and a carpet that felt soft under his feet. In the center of the room was a wide bed, and there were shiny children¡¯s furniture along the walls, and a mobile made of cut glass sparkled dazzlingly by the window. Leo¡¯s voice trembled as he spoke. ¡°This is a cell¡­?¡± This wasn¡¯t a cell¡­ ¡®This looks like what Heiron called ¡®my room¡¯.¡¯ Leo looked around the room as if he had sneaked into someone else¡¯s room. The first place his gaze fell was, of course, the bed. The goose down duvet smelled of sunshine. Not daring to climb onto the bed, he cautiously rubbed his cheek against it. ¡¯Hm. It¡¯s so soft.¡¯ Like a cat basking in the sun, Leo¡¯s expression quickly became blurry. He couldn¡¯t tell how long he rubbed his cheeks against it. Leo hesitated for a moment, then climbed onto the bed and stretched his body out. ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Leo¡¯s body relaxed as if he were lying on a cloud. Leo waved his arms for a moment before holding his breath. A certain impulse began to stir inside him. He glanced at his surroundings in vain. Roll, roll, roll. He rolled around on the bed like a puppy seeing snow for the first time. The bed was so wide that he rolled five times to the left and five times to the right without falling off. ¡°Whoa!¡± After rolling around until his face was red, Leo finally straightened out the crumpled duvet, lay down in the middle of the bed, ready to sleep. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to come. He waited, and waited, and waited until finally¡­¡­. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep¡­¡­.¡± He opened his eyes. High ceilings. Fluffy bedding. The soft glow of the crystal bedside lamp. It was a luxury he¡¯d never had before, and yet he couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡®It¡¯s too quiet.¡¯ At the orphanage, everyone used to sleep in the same room. It was so cramped that we couldn¡¯t move, but we could feel each other¡¯s body temperature. But now he was alone in this spacious room. ¡®All by myself¡­¡­.¡¯ Suddenly, he remembered the nights he spent in solitary confinement where he was surrounded by piles of discarded items. He would lie awake at night feeling as if he had become a useless object like them. In the end, Leo got out of bed and wandered around the room. He felt restless. Then, a dim light seeped through the slightly open door. Beyond the door was Belinda¡¯s room. But without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Leo¡¯s footsteps took him to the door, blinded by the light. Beyond the door, a tent-like structure with a thin cloth draped over two wooden chairs on one side of the room was visible, with light seeping through it. ¡¯Am I dreaming?¡¯ Upon closer inspection, the tent was nothing more than a thin cloth draped over two wooden chairs. Yet, it could not have looked cozier and nicer. Just then, a very elegant and delicate female shadow was seen in the secret tent, like a secret hideaway. ¡°¡­¡­Miss Belinda?¡± As Leo¡¯s voice echoed, a hand suddenly appeared from outside the tent. Tap. As if telling him to come in, the hand gestured with a flick of the index finger, and Leo, like a child in a fairytale who discovered a witch¡¯s gingerbread house in the forest, walked into the tent. It was cramped inside, and the floor was piled high with pillows, making it difficult to keep his balance. ¡°The master hasn¡¯t even gone to bed yet, so how dare the servant go to sleep first.¡± As always, Belinda¡¯s tone was chilly, and her gaze at Leo was cold. But for some reason, Leo wasn¡¯t afraid of her. ¡°This milk is hot enough to burn your tongue. Pour it into your mouth.¡± Perhaps it was because of the warm milk that Belinda handed him. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in dire poverty.¡± Maybe it was because of the blanket that was tightly wrapped over the thin pajamas. ¡°Ratchet, I will give you the chance to hear the elegant recitation of this body. Now, lie down flat like a servant and listen carefully.¡± Or maybe it was because of the unusually gentle voice of Belinda, who was reading a fairy tale book. Leo lay down on the pillow filled with feathers as Belinda instructed. At first, he was nervous and fidgeted with his fingers, not knowing what to do, but soon he became immersed in the story that Belinda was telling him and rested his body on the pillow. It was about a princess under a black magic spell that made her say everything in reverse. When she was hungry and asked for food, all the servants could hear was that she was full, and they should put the food away. ¡°The princess confessed her heart to the prince, but the words that came out of her mouth were hateful words, saying that she hated him the most in this world.¡± Belinda¡¯s voice was lullaby-like as she gently patted Leo¡¯s back. Before he knew it, he fell asleep while listening to the story of the princess in the fairy tale. He wondered why the prince didn¡¯t understand the princess¡¯s heart. Although she said with her mouth that she hated the prince the most in the world, she had personally embroidered a handkerchief as a gift for the prince, and even when he acted rudely, she never got angry. Yet the people in the castle did not understand the princess¡¯s heart and spoke ill of her behind her back. ¡¯It¡¯s like¡­¡­ Belinda¡¯s story.¡¯ In the main house, Toma and the other servants talked about how mean and cruel Belinda was. But the Belinda that Leo had witnessed was different from the stories of the others. ¡¯They don¡¯t know what the real Belinda is like.¡¯ Although her facial expression looked like she was thinking about how to torment him. The way she twisted her lips and smiled silently sometimes gave him shivers. ¡®But¡­¡­.¡¯ How gentle she was beneath her fierce words. The touch of her hand when she stroked his hair was warm. ¡®I¡¯m the only one who knows. So¡­¡­¡­¡¯ Leo¡¯s sleepy hands were clenched into fists as if he had decided to do something. CH 15 lurelia9-12 minutes 18.03.2023 *** It¡¯s common for everyone to have a night where they can¡¯t sleep. Last night, when I heard shuffling steps beyond the wall, I realized that it was one of those nights for Leo. I immediately took out a multi-tiered approach to put him to sleep. A three step bedtime routine that could never fail. The cozy atmosphere of a secret hideaway. A warm glass of milk. And a fairy tale to be read by his bedside. This would work, because it worked for me! On sleepless nights, I would crawl under my desk without my aunt¡¯s knowledge and read and reread fairy tale books until my eyes got tired and I fell asleep. ¡­..Now that I think about it, something seems a little different. ¡°Ahem, Ratchet?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Eh? He¡¯s so cheerful today. ¡°I have a job for you today. A very special task that only my humble servant can do.¡± Leo¡¯s face lit up like a firework exploding behind him. If he had a puppy tail, he would have wagged it vigorously. ¡°Yes! I can do it! I¡¯ll definitely do well!¡± Ugh¡­ I feel a little guilty because he¡¯s so excited. ¡°Here you go.¡± Avoiding Leo¡¯s twinkling eyes, I handed him a delicately shaped quill pen made from the feathers of a peacock. ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Leo held the pen carefully with both hands and tilted his head in confusion. He glanced over at me and clumsily held the pen in his hand, examining it. Then, the tip of the quill tickled his chin. ¡°Ah!¡± At that moment, Leo seemed to have an exclamation point floating above his head. Leo immediately grasped the pen tip and began to brush off the dust on the window frame¡­.. with the end of the pen. ¡°This is for dusting¡­!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Leo looked crestfallen. It seems like he had never held a pen before, let alone learned to write. ¡®We¡¯ve got a long way to go.¡¯ I laid a sheet of good quality paper on the desk and sat down in front of Leo. And in a sterner, more commanding tone than usual, I declared, ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to teach you how to write.¡± ¡°Teach¡­¡­me?¡± Leo blinked, as he held the quill upside down. As if he had no idea exactly what to do or how to do it. ¡°First of all, that¡¯s not how you hold a pen.¡± I took out a new pen and showed him a demonstration by writing on the paper. The Belinda translator also works with handwriting, but thankfully I was able to write meaningless words that had nothing to do with my emotions. Leo dipped his pen into the ink and began to copy what I had written on the paper. I swallowed my laughter secretly, finding it cute how he pouted his lips while concentrating. I wonder if he¡¯ll find out one day. That the first word he ever wrote was his name. It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s ever written anything. My Leo must be a genius. I smiled from ear to ear with satisfaction. Then Leo turned to look at me. I quickly turned my head away and forced the corners of my mouth down. Ugh, this is what happens when you let your guard down. ¡°From now on, you¡¯ll learn three words a day and take a test every week.¡± Gulp. I heard Leo swallow his dry saliva. Indeed, the word test seemed to have the power to make anyone instinctively tense up. ¡°If you don¡¯t pass the test¡­¡­¡± Suddenly, I felt a desire to tease Leo and said with a wicked smile. ¡°I¡¯ll hit your head like last time.¡± ¡°T-that incident was¡­!¡± Leo¡¯s face turned as red as a ripe tomato as he recalled the previous misunderstanding. * * * Life in the annex was comfortable. There were dispatched servants from the main building to clean and cook our meals, so it wasn¡¯t much different from living in the main building. However, our living space on the second floor, where Leo and I resided, was off-limits to the employees, so cleaning our room was our responsibility. Actually, I didn¡¯t want to ask Leo to do household chores. But I couldn¡¯t simply tell him not to do it either¡­ ¡®Cleaning reduces his stress level.¡¯ I sighed as I picked out a book for Leo¡¯s writing study in the library. Apparently, he was nervous about his first dictation test, so he wiped the window to calm himself down. He¡¯s probably blowing on it and wiping it clean. I muttered ¡°status window¡± to myself to check his stress levels and stats, and immediately a translucent window appeared in front of me. Your Intelligence and Divine Power have increased slightly from the last time I checked. Intelligence¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t expect much of an increase, considering the fact that I was only able to help him learn how to write. ¡®Divine Power hasn¡¯t increased much.¡¯ The day I faced the Holy Sword and thought about Leo¡¯s true ending. I realized later that I didn¡¯t ask Leo what he wanted to be when he grew up because I was afraid that he would be unable to answer, just like me when I was in elementary school. I knew how fleeting the dreams of a child without any adult support around them could be. Similarly, the protagonist¡¯s world before he meets Ophelia is very limited and the walls of his world are extremely high, so it would take a lot of courage for Leo to have a childlike dream. The only thing I can do for him, when all I have is money. ¡®Is to protect him from the irrationality of reality.¡¯ I don¡¯t want him to be held back by reasons like ¡°I can¡¯t afford to dream,¡± ¡°I need to grow up,¡± or ¡°the world is so vast¡±. So, I¡¯ll help Leo¡¯s world gradually expand by letting him experience everything. And later on, if Leo has a dream, I can help him with it¡­¡­. ¡®Let¡¯s make sure to get the three basic stats to 100 first.¡¯ Health, magic, and divine power. If you have those three stats at 100 at age 10, then you can start doing whatever you want. Therefore, I focused on improving divine power first, which can be easily increased in the early stages if you have money. Divine power can be increased through constant worship and donations, but the efficiency is not very good compared to the amount of money donated. Perhaps it was because the cardinal who was currently representing the shrine to King Xenos was a low-ranking person. ¡®Come to think of it, there was a parade when a new cardinal arrived at the beginning of the game.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t paid attention to the event because it didn¡¯t involve the protagonist, but now that I think about it, he¡¯s the guy who boosts the protagonist¡¯s divine power. ¡®Unfortunately, for now, we can only increase spirituality little by little.¡¯ Magic and divine power are opposing forces, so if one is even slightly higher, the other stat is reduced by that amount. For example, if you had 10 Divine Power and 8 Magic, the two forces would work against each other, and you would end up with only 2 Divine Power. Luckily, you don¡¯t need to balance magic and divine power right away, as you need an Awakening Event to unleash the divine power. Now I just need to find a teacher to teach him magic. ¡®Vivian is late.¡¯ I had planned to personally sponsor Vivian and entrust her with Leo¡¯s magical education. However, for some reason, her visit was delayed more than expected. ¡®Perhaps she hasn¡¯t gone to the place depicted on the map.¡¯ Sooner or later, I¡¯d have to find Vivian and visit the tower. I turned off the status window and carefully started to choose books that could be used as class materials. I flicked through books that seemed difficult and heavy with cloudy eyes. ?Powers That Shone in The History of The Kingdom? My gaze was immediately drawn to it. It was a book about the abilities of the kingdom¡¯s skilled individuals. In this world, there are occasionally individuals born with abilities called ¡®talents¡¯. Ophelia was also a talented individual born with the ¡®cultivator¡¯ talent. With this talent, whatever she cared for with affection would grow healthy and special, be it a plant or an animal. In other words, Ophelia was the perfect caretaker to raise a warrior. Curious, I took the book out and flicked through it, and a familiar image caught my eye. The crest of a crown tied with a purple ribbon. ¡®Where have I seen this before?¡¯ As I pondered, my vision drew me to the huge tapestry that adorned the walls of the study. I looked back and forth between the crest on the tapestry and the one in the book. ¡°This is the Blanche family crest.¡± My goodness, there was someone with a talent in the Blanche family too? I quickly skimmed through the contents. Lazy potato who loves to dive into other worlds through books ?(¥Ä) CH 16 lurelia9-12 minutes 18.03.2023 ¡°¡­¡­One who can manage all of that can rightly be called the talent of the throne.¡± Oh, I don¡¯t know what that means, but it sounds cool. To me, it¡¯s just like a pie in the sky. They say that talent is usually inherited through bloodline and manifests itself at a young age. If Belinda had that talent, everyone would have known about it a long time ago. I closed the book, picked out a few books to read to Leo, and left the library. The hallway was dim due to the heavy rain that had been falling since last night. I frowned at the silhouette of someone standing in the middle of the dark corridor. ¡®I told them not to come up to the second floor until I called for them.¡¯ At first, I thought it was a maid who had come to maintain the mansion. But then a flash of lightning struck outside the window, briefly illuminating the interior of the corridor. My body instinctively stiffened. That was enough for me to see who the other person was. Only one person could make Belinda¡¯s body tense up like this. ¡°Sybel¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Hello, Belle. How¡¯s the marriage business going?¡± A snake-like voice echoed in the darkness. Sybel¡¯s shadow stretched out towards my feet. I unconsciously scanned my surroundings. There were only the two of us in the hallway. The realization sent a strange chill down my spine. ¡°I heard that you received a lot of responses to the marriage proposal letters you sent.¡± I looked at the stack of letters in his hand and chewed my lip. A few days ago, after hearing about the dowry, I had asked only one question of the various families who had sent me marriage proposals. In the event of a divorce, how they intended to divide the property. The answer was now in Sybel¡¯s hands. It would be too optimistic to think that he hadn¡¯t checked the contents of the letters. And sure enough, Sybel openly revealed that he had torn open the letters that had come to me. ¡°Divorce. It was quite a clever move, Belle. But do you really think that¡¯s enough to keep you safe?¡± Safe? That was a strange word. Step by step, Sybel slowly approached me. I had nothing to fear, but I found myself taking a step back without realizing it. ¡®Why am I acting like this?¡¯ As soon as I realized that we were alone together, my hands trembled so much that it was pathetic. Be calm, Belinda. Don¡¯t get too worked up and handle this calmly. ¡°You¡¯re a bit thick on the trespasser theme. I never gave you permission to enter my manor,¡± I said coldly, hiding my trembling hands behind my back. Unperturbed by my words, Sybel said what he had to say. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been running around with a brat these days. Seems like you quite like the kid.¡± Watch your mouth before you blabber nonsense. Using Leo to get to me. ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about him. He¡¯s the one I handpicked and sent to you. I wonder if he may be confessing your deeds to me, like all your maids before him.¡± Boom. Thunder struck again, illuminating Sybel¡¯s face. I couldn¡¯t make out the deeply shaded expression on his face. But I immediately felt the urge to run away from him. But ironically, my legs froze, not allowing me to move. ¡°Even if that orphan brat truly remains loyal to you, what about the man you¡¯re going to marry?¡± Perhaps I had been mistaken about one thing. Maybe this trembling towards Sybel stemmed from something other than hatred. But now, being alone with him, I could be sure. ¡°If you die after inheriting everything, your property will all belong to your husband¡¯s family. So, can you really say that your husband is on your side, Belle? Maybe he¡­¡­.¡± This body was trembling not out of disgust or anger, but out of fear. ¡°He could instigate your death.¡± When there was only one step left between Sybel and me, his hand gripped my jaw like a hook. My throat felt like it was closing in on itself. Sybel¡¯s black pupils flickered with unmistakable contempt and vitality. Ah, that¡¯s right. This bastard. In an instant, my mind cleared like cold water had been poured over it, and I understood everything that had happened to Belinda. ¡°You have to learn to be suspicious of people. Are you stupid enough to still trust people after everything you¡¯ve been through?¡± The reason why Belinda had tormented Leo so much. The reason why, despite inheriting a considerable sum of money, she had not married in the game. ¡®She didn¡¯t trust anyone, no one.¡¯ She was so isolated that she couldn¡¯t choose who she would marry. The man before my eyes had made her that way. I clenched my sweating fist tightly. ¡®Belinda, I think I understand you now.¡¯ The harsh words she¡¯d shouted in paroxysms whenever she saw Sybel. They were nothing more than vanity to mask her fear. But these are Belinda¡¯s fears, not mine. ¡®So, leave it to me, Belle.¡¯ The thing Belinda couldn¡¯t do because of her fear. Without hesitation, I kicked Sybel in the shin with all my might. ¡°Ugh!¡± Then I swung my clasped hands in a series of combos, hitting him in the stomach. Once, twice, three times. Sybel had been hit on his temple by the corner of the book, and when he saw the blood, he lost his cool for a moment and grabbed my wrist roughly. ¡°Are you crazy, woman?!¡± Despite his stature, Belinda¡¯s body was so frail, I staggered and was pushed back against the wall. Thud. I hit the wall with my back and lost my way to escape. The shadow of his outstretched hand fell over me, but I looked up at him, unblinking. With a cold expression. Flash. Lightning struck again, illuminating the corridor, and he stopped dead in his tracks with his hand raised. Sybel probably noticed it too. He couldn¡¯t lay a finger on me. At least not while he was known to the world as ¡®the gentle brother¡¯. ¡°Indeed, you are good at grasping the subject, like a mongrel should be, ¡± I sneered and slapped his hand roughly. ¡°Listen well, you mongrel.¡± Then, I calmly explained to him as if I were dealing with a subordinate, wiping my chin and hands with a handkerchief where his hand had touched. ¡°I¡¯ll call a doctor right away. And I¡¯ll say that this wound was caused by my kind-hearted older brother, who couldn¡¯t even lift a finger against his little sister because of the dowry.¡± ¡°Do you think people will believe that?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t they? As soon as the will was revealed, I was sent to this miserable annex without any servants to keep me company.¡± Grind. Sybel¡¯s teeth grinding echoed harshly down the corridor. ¡°Oh, right. Wasn¡¯t that what I wanted? But will people really think that? That ¡®Belinda¡¯ went to the shabby annex of her own accord?¡± This happened because he tried to make up for his lack of lineage with his character. Who else can we blame but our own stupidity? Managing one¡¯s image is always the hardest thing. In my past life, there were even some celebrities who had fallen into ruin because their true character was revealed despite their meticulous management of their image. ¡°People will be ecstatic about rumors that the victim, whom they thought was kind, has turned into the perpetrator, rather than the obvious rumor that the scoundrel committed a heinous act. You¡¯ve been behaving well enough all this time, Sybel. If you come out of this situation, your reputation will be ruined.¡± I let my voice grow more forceful with each sentence, until I finally delivered the finishing blow. ¡°You haven¡¯t killed me yet,¡± I sneered at him, dropping the handkerchief at his feet. Good news floated in the form of frustration all over Sybel¡¯s face. Finally! I forgot the situation and rejoiced at the system window popping up, but only for a moment. A dull sound of something falling echoed in the hallway. My head quickly turned in the direction of the noise. It was Leo, who had dropped his book and picked it up hurriedly. ¡°Well, it¡¯s because¡­¡­ was getting late, so I went to¡­¡­.¡± Sybel¡¯s gaze landed on the terrified Leo, and before I could think, my body moved. I pushed Sybel aside, grabbed Leo¡¯s hand roughly, and hid him behind me. It was an irreparable mistake, I realized, when I saw the look on Sybel¡¯s face. ¡°I see you have something precious. Yes, people become stronger when they have something to protect. So, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer,¡± I commanded. I turned and walked away with Leo, unable to hide my dismay. Apparently, Belinda¡¯s situation was worse than I had thought. Lazy potato who loves to dive into other worlds through books ?(¥Ä) CH 17 *** ¡®Don¡¯t answer.¡¯ It was the coldest, most haunting voice he¡¯d ever heard from Belinda. Leo assumed she was very angry with him for speaking out. If he hadn¡¯t felt the tremor in her hand as she clutched his, he wouldn¡¯t have thought to look at her face. An expressionless face as cold as marble. Fierce eyes staring straight ahead. A cold, stark air that showed no sign of vulnerability. There was no sign of Belinda¡¯s anxiety or fear anywhere. Except for her hands, which trembled faintly. Suddenly, Leo realized he hadn¡¯t misheard. ¡®You haven¡¯t even killed me yet.¡¯ Belinda¡¯s voice was barely audible. Leo couldn¡¯t fathom the complexity of the situation, but he understood at least one thing. That Belinda was in some kind of danger. And it was probably¡­¡­. Leo glanced behind him, but Sybel was already gone. Suddenly, Toma¡¯s advice echoed in his head. ¡®Doing what you¡¯re told, and sometimes protecting your master, is what it means to be a servant.¡¯ Protecting your master. He felt like he had found his place here. ¡®I want to protect you, Belinda.¡¯ Leo¡¯s small hand tightened around Belinda¡¯s. *** It rained relentlessly all afternoon and didn¡¯t stop until the evening. Leo couldn¡¯t concentrate on his writing studies. And it was no wonder. Everyone would be nervous when a woman who had just beaten a man was sitting right in front of them, holding a test and saying, ¡°Let¡¯s start the exam.¡± Of course, my smart Leo received a perfect score of 10 out of 10 and got a sweet dessert as a reward. Anyway, Leo looked very uneasy, so I deposited some cleaning tools, his healing item, into the child¡¯s hands and left. My hands shook as I recalled what had happened in front of the library this morning. Wow, even thinking about it now, I felt a little nervous. For a moment, I didn¡¯t know if I was Belinda or Belinda was me. It¡¯s like I¡¯d found my calling in life. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m a video game villain.¡¯ I spoke, savoring my new realization. ¡°Quest window.¡± The word ¡®new¡¯ was glowing brightly. I double-checked to make sure there were no people around. This was the backyard of the annex, a graveyard that looked even more dreary in the rain. I had purposely come here to find a secluded spot, not knowing what to expect when I claimed the reward. I walked past the row of tombstones and stopped near one that looked like it hadn¡¯t been there long. ¡°A fragment of Belinda¡¯s memory.¡± The name alone gave me an idea of the reward. What I was more excited about was the special reward for obtaining the fragment. I whispered ¡®obtain¡¯ with a light heart. Immediately afterwards, my vision went black, as if someone had hit me on the nape of the neck. *** The rain that had been falling steadily since dawn didn¡¯t stop even in the afternoon. Young Belinda, dressed in a new dress, was avoiding the annoying adults and heading towards the annex. Then she discovered something. The back of a middle-aged man squatting in the corner of the garden without an umbrella. Although the sound was muffled by the sound of the rain, it seemed like he was sniffling. He looked so pitiful. Belinda approached him and asked, ¡°Mister, are you crying?¡± ¡°Eek!¡± The man fell on his buttock in surprise, soaking his clothes in mud. The man looked pensive, pointed at Belinda, and shouted, ¡°Gh-gh-gh!¡± ¡°There are no ghosts here. You all believe in things that even children don¡¯t believe in.¡± The words sobered him, and he stared at Belinda¡¯s face for a moment, then turned away and squatted on the ground again. Then he mumbled a lame excuse that even a child wouldn¡¯t believe. ¡°It¡¯s not, uh, tears¡­ it¡¯s rain.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take your word for it,¡± Belinda responded curtly and glanced at the wet back of the sobbing adult. Belinda knew who he was. The general manager of the Blanche family¡¯s biggest business, the casino. No one had said anything about the man¡¯s origins, but the clever Belinda had recognized it early on. That he was her father¡¯s half-brother. How could she not have known? He looked so much like her father and had all of the Blanche family traits. After standing around for a moment, Belinda tilted her umbrella towards her crouching uncle. Then she said something she would never have said under normal circumstances. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t cry.¡± The man looked back at Belinda, startled. His gaunt face stared at her for a very long time before he broke down and began to cry. ¡°Heuk, hic, brother. How could you leave this little one so soon¡­¡­.¡± This time, the rain did not muffle his sobs. She had never seen an adult crying so openly like this before. She was taken aback, and Belinda started to cry too. She was finally able to accept the reality. That her parents were really gone. They would never come back. This was not a nightmare but a harsh reality. ¡°Heuk, hic, hic. Mommy, hic, Daddy!¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± That day, they hugged each other and cried for a long time. After that day, Belinda didn¡¯t see her uncle for a while. Relatives, whom she had never seen before, forbade her uncle from even attending the funeral because he was an illegitimate child. Then they flocked to Belinda, who had become the only heir to the Blanche family, and whispered sweet words to explain how fit they were to be Belinda¡¯s guardian. ¡®Pfft, maggots. You think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re trying to crawl all over my family like mosquitoes?¡¯ Unperturbed by the various platitudes, Belinda calmly laid out the situation. ¡®I need someone who will be nothing but my guardian.¡¯ Someone sturdy, fearless, and compassionate. Someone weak enough not to steal her property and give it back to her. ¡®And someone who likes my parents and will be nice to me too¡­¡­.¡¯ As soon as she started to list her requirements, the right person came to mind. ¡®The only person who ever cried for my parents was my uncle.¡¯ And he did it secretly, by hiding in the grass. And so, Belinda chose her uncle. ¡°I want my uncle to be my guardian.¡± Looking at her uncle, who was so overwhelmed by the pressure that he felt like throwing up, and in fact ended up doing so, Belinda knew she had made the right choice, she was sure. As it turns out, Belinda was right. Or maybe she was wrong. It was a sunny summer day, the anniversary of her parents¡¯ deaths. Belinda turned to her uncle, who had taken time out of his busy schedule to have dinner with his niece. ¡°Uncle, I want you to be my legal father.¡± Clank. As he was cutting Belinda¡¯s steak into bite-sized pieces, her uncle lost his grip on the knife. ¡°Uh¡­¡­.¡± At a loss for words, but dutifully shoving the steak into Belinda¡¯s mouth, he broke out in a cold sweat and shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that carelessly.¡± He even glanced around, as if afraid someone might hear her. Fortunately, no one seemed to have heard anything. Breathing a sigh of relief, the uncle spoke soothingly to Belinda. ¡°Belle, I¡¯m happy enough with you calling me uncle¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No, I hate it, I hate it!¡± Suddenly, Belinda shouted in protest. Ordinarily, he would have given in to his young niece¡¯s foolishness. However, he couldn¡¯t take this request lightly. He quickly dismissed the servants, then shook his head with a stern expression. ¡°No. Belinda, this is not a simple matter. My becoming your legal father means that the succession of this family will change to¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Please, please, please, be my dad instead of my uncle!¡± Belinda started to throw a tantrum, flailing her arms and legs on the ground. It was a method she used as a last resort to get what she wanted when her parents were alive. ¡­¡­While her parents were always busy summoning the nanny to take care of her with a look of annoyance on their faces. But it seemed to work on her uncle. He stood by her side, unable to help himself. Belinda squirmed even more, until her arm slammed into the table leg. ¡°Belinda!¡± Her uncle spoke up for the first time. Belinda was too frightened to cry out. ¡°What if you¡¯ve hurt yourself? Let me see, you don¡¯t have any bruises, do you?¡± He helped her to her feet and sat her down, examining her arm carefully. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to do it like that, so next time, you should do it on the bed.¡± Her arm ached from the blow. Belinda bit down hard on her bottom lip, feeling like she might actually cry. ¡°I¡¯ll wait until you¡¯ve calmed down and feel like talking to me. But, Belinda, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do you this favor.¡± Her uncle¡¯s kind words hurt more than the blow to her arm. Belinda dropped her head and whimpered. ¡°¡­¡­Do you mean it?¡± ¡°What?¡± His young niece looked up quickly, her fierce eyes brimming with tears. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do this, why were you nice to me!¡± Why did you stay with me all night when I was sick? Why did you always try to have dinner with me? Why did you kiss me on the forehead every night to say goodnight? Why, why¡­¡­. ¡°Why did you make me so weak? I¨C I was fine on my own without you!¡± Belinda knew what it meant to become part of his family. Her uncle had a son, which meant her right of succession might be pushed back. But it didn¡¯t matter. If she could call him ¡°Dad¡± and be willingly accepted as a member of his family, she didn¡¯t care about her position as the heir. CH 18 lurelia10-12 minutes 18.03.2023 ¡°Belle.¡± ¡°Is it because I¡¯m a bad kid? But even if I¡¯m a¡­¡­ bad kid, I want to be my uncle¡¯s real daughter!¡± With that, Belinda ran to her room and sobbed for several minutes. It was ridiculous that he would act like he would do anything for her, and yet he wouldn¡¯t give her what she wanted most. ¡®He¡¯s a coward, and he¡¯s a liar.¡¯ As Belinda¡¯s sobs finally subsided, she heard her uncle¡¯s voice from the other side of the door. ¡°Belinda, did I ever tell you about my wife who died giving birth to our daughter?¡± Belinda didn¡¯t answer, but her uncle knew she was listening. ¡°I consider you not as a niece, but as the daughter I lost along with my wife. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± The uncle¡¯s words, uttered in a low voice, became the key that unlocked Belinda¡¯s tightly closed door. Click. The sound of the latch turning echoed, and Belinda, with swollen eyes, poked her head out. Her face was pale with tears, but her expression was stubborn. ¡°It¡¯s not good enough ¨C I need proof that I¡¯m my uncle¡¯s real daughter, so I can be at peace.¡± ¡°Belinda, this uncle is confident that he will be a good guardian for you, but a good father¡­ I may not be able to fulfill that role.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! I can¡¯t say I¡¯ll be a good daughter, either, so, Uncle¡­. Please?¡± The uncle said nothing but stared for a long time at his niece¡¯s small, delicate hand, which clutched desperately at his own. And then, after four seasons had passed, on the day of the ex-marquis¡¯s anniversary. The uncle placed the adoption papers into Belinda¡¯s hands and casually scratched his cheek. ¡°Thank you so much for becoming my daughter, Belle.¡± Instead of answering, Belinda hugged him tightly around the neck. Unlike the day of the funeral, he didn¡¯t smell like rain, but more like her beloved father. It was the second time she had a real family. The scene of Belinda¡¯s memory fragment slowly began to fade away. My vision darkened, and a ringing noise throbbed in my ears. The system window suddenly appeared on the screen. *** Belinda¡¯s childhood memories washed over me like a torrential downpour. The sudden influx of information momentarily made my legs wobble, but I managed to regain my balance. The tutorial reward sucked. I tightly clenched the glasses that had appeared out of nowhere. I wasn¡¯t the real Belinda, and yet her emotions felt poignant, as if they were my own. No, I was actually Belinda herself as I glimpsed into her childhood. Belinda¡¯s life, which had been unfamiliar to me, felt somewhat like a part of me, and my memories intertwined with hers. I untied the choker I was wearing and touched the ruby pendant. It looked like a simple piece of jewelry, but it was actually a locket, hollow inside. I twisted the pendant open and gazed at the portrait of the couple inside. Before, they were just strangers, but now I knew who they were. Belinda¡¯s real parents. I stared at them for a while, then closed the pendant and ran my fingertips over the engraved words on the back. [To my precious Belle] ¡°Uncle¡­¡­.¡± I mouthed the words without realizing it. I was standing in front of Belinda¡¯s uncle¡¯s grave. It was a strange feeling. I didn¡¯t even recognize his face before I acquired the fragment of memory, and now I felt a deep longing. ¡®Calm down. These are Belinda¡¯s feelings, not mine.¡¯ It was the moment I shook my head to push away Belinda¡¯s emotions. ¡°Miss Belinda?¡± I turned around instinctively at the cautious voice. Leo was standing there, looking helpless. He must have been scared to come to the cemetery, but it seems he ended up here while looking for me. ¡°Well, um¡­¡­¡± Leo hesitated, barely saying a word, and then turned and ran away without uttering a proper sentence. Am I really wearing such a terrifying expression? What kind of face am I making? Just when I was sulking and absentmindedly scribbling the ground with my shoe, it happened. ¡°Miss Belinda!¡± Leo quickly returned, panting heavily, and handed me a handkerchief. ¡°Use this to wipe your tears.¡± Huh? Tears? Out of curiosity, I lightly wiped my cheek, and to my surprise, there were indeed tears. I finally realized that I had been crying. I nonchalantly wiped away my tears with the handkerchief and blew my nose. Ugh, embarrassing. I felt frustrated because I couldn¡¯t explain that these tears weren¡¯t mine, but genuine tears from Belinda. ¡°Miss Belinda, are you okay?¡± Leo cautiously approached me and asked while examining my complexion. Is he worried because I cried? ¡®He¡¯s a good boy.¡¯ Due to the emotional drain from the quest reward, I felt exhausted. I gently stroked Leo¡¯s fluffy head. He froze instantly, so I quickly withdrew my hand. ¡°Ahem, ahem. I¡¯ll take care of this handkerchief,¡± I awkwardly coughed and then changed the subject. However, Leo fidgeted with his fingers and made an incomprehensible sound. ¡°Um, I borrowed that from a guest, so I should return it.¡± Guest? Suddenly, a guest? ¡°You don¡¯t have to return it.¡± The answer to my unspoken question came from not too far away. When I turned my head, I saw the figure of Penadel. How long had he been there? I quickly hid the handkerchief, which was soaked with my tears and snot, behind me. Ah, if I had known it was from you, I wouldn¡¯t have blown my nose. * * * Sir Penadel¡¯s purpose in visiting me again was simple. ¡°I came to inquire about the proposal again.¡± ¡°His Grace has informed me that if there are any conditions you wish to impose, they shall prevail.¡± Sir Penadel still wore his mask, so I couldn¡¯t read his expression. On the day of Sir Penadel¡¯s visit, I had investigated the Herrington Mine to determine the Grand Duke¡¯s intentions. The Herrington Mine was the only place on the continent where advanced magic stones were currently being generated. Magic stones were minerals imbued with magical power, serving as the energy source for magical devices, and therefore, they were extremely valuable. So, one might assume that the Herrington Mine¡¯s worth would be astronomically high. But you¡¯d be wrong. There was one pitfall. Somewhere within the intricately tangled mine, there was a gate that connected to the demon realm and other dimensions. The polluted magical power flowing in from that gate transformed the minerals in the mine into magic stones, but at the same time, it also transformed the creatures within the mine into grotesque and monstrous forms. In other words, to harvest the magic stones, one needed workers with strength strong enough to fend off demons, not ordinary miners. Herrington Mine was too dangerous to mine, too valuable to leave untouched, but the Blanches had a wise solution. They retained ownership of the mines but handed over the mining rights to the Baluasten family, known as demon hunters. The Baluastens were promised exclusive mining rights in exchange for a certain amount of spirit stones each year, and the Blanches would have exclusive access to higher-grade spirit stones. It was a mutually beneficial deal. There was no reason for the Grand Duke to suddenly desire ownership of the mine. ¡®This is fishy.¡¯ If Sir Penadel had come one day earlier, I would have simply dismissed him without even listening to his words. But now, it¡¯s a strangely opportune timing in many ways. ¡°He could instigate your death.¡± Since hearing those words from Sybel, one particular thing had been stuck in a corner of my mind like a stain. In the endings of the game involving Belinda, there were often cases where she met her end in accidents. Before, I had simply thought it was showing the endings of retribution, but now, I had a suspicion. Were all of those deaths really just ¡°accidents¡±? ¡®What if Sybel had a hand in it¡­¡­.?¡¯ Then a simple marriage would be no safe haven. Someone powerful enough to stand up to Sybel, a high-ranking noble who wouldn¡¯t be swayed by the wealth of the Blanche family, which could be considered the kingdom¡¯s money maker. Furthermore, if I could have a capable knight as my personal guard, who would protect me around the clock, it would be even better. ¡®¡­..There¡¯s no one else but Baluasten.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. But I couldn¡¯t simply trust the Grand Duke, notorious for allegedly killing his family, and I certainly couldn¡¯t entrust myself to him without any reservations. ¡®At the very least, we need to know if the Grand Duke is trustworthy.¡¯ ¡°If the Grand duke is so eager to satisfy me, I¡¯ll take a look at the contract.¡± I took out my glasses and pretended to examine the contract disguised as a marriage proposal from Sir Penadel. Lazy potato who loves to dive into other worlds through books ?(¥Ä) CH 19 The Lie-Detector Glasses were one of the four items included in the ¡°Good Child Creation Set¡± that was given as a basic item when playing as Ophelia. Whether it was about proper growth or whatever, it was an item that gave no consideration to the protagonist¡¯s human rights, so I had never used it while playing the game. But now I¡¯m using it through a possession. Not on Leo, but on someone else. I put on the glasses and looked at Sir Penadel. Then, a steady waveform graph appeared above Lord Penadel¡¯s head. It looked like the screen of an electrocardiogram machine in a hospital. I took a deep breath. From now on, I planned to ask Sir Penadel, who is the Grand Duke¡¯s subordinate, some very impolite questions. Even if Sir Penadel glares at me menacingly, I won¡¯t be intimidated. ¡°Why does the Grand Duke want ownership of the mine?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you.¡± ¡°Then I cannot accept the proposal either.¡± As firm as Sir Penadel was, I answered firmly as well. Sir Penadel, who had been silent for a moment, finally opened his mouth with an uneasy tone. ¡°His Grace wants¡­¡­ the mine to be sealed.¡± No. Why? I know mining involves a lot of risk, but this is a goose that lays golden eggs. I probably wouldn¡¯t have believed him if I didn¡¯t have my lie detector glasses on. However, the waveform graph hovering above Sir Penadel remained consistently steady. That meant he was telling the truth. Alright, next question. ¡°Does the Grand Duke kill people for money?¡± ¡°No, he does not.¡± Truth. ¡°Is the Grand Duke a lecherous man?¡± ¡°No, he is not.¡± That was also the truth. ¡°Is the Grand Duke someone who does not hesitate to cut the throat of those who defy him? Wait, think carefully before saying ¡®no.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡­.No, he is not.¡± Truth. At this point, I was getting a little suspicious. Of course, lie detectors aren¡¯t 100% reliable. A lie detector detects lies based on various physiological responses, such as heart rate, respiration, and eye movement, so it doesn¡¯t function properly on individuals who show no physical or emotional reactions when lying. ¡®Could Sir Penadel be such a person?¡¯ His responses were also mechanical. It was futile to have been tense, expecting him to grip and shake me, calling me rude. ¡°Did the Grand Duke of Baluasten really kill his own family and usurp the title?¡± I blurted out the rumor, rather bluntly. Even as I spoke, I knew I was going to get a parroted answer. But for the first time, Sir Penadel gave a different answer. ¡°Why do you ask such a thing?¡± This was it. Instinctively, I sensed that the fate of our contract depended on the answer to this question. ¡°Answer me.¡± For the first time, a human-like reaction emerged from the statue-like figure. His jaw tightened and his eyes, hidden deep within his mask, seemed to turn a dark color. ¡°¡­¡­It¡¯s true.¡± I stared at him wordlessly. More precisely, at the lie detection indicator hovering above him. The waveform of the graph, which had been consistently steady, was now wildly fluctuating. * * * Dim moonlight illuminated the darkened room. A man, casting a gigantic shadow of a demon, gazed down upon the splendid view of the royal capital. Finally, he removed the black half-mask that he had been wearing all day. Under the moonlight, what was revealed was a young man with a cold countenance, as if sculpted from everlasting snow. His eyes, which had been shaded and dark as the depths of the ocean behind the mask, were now as clear as the surface of the sea, shining pale in the light of the full moon. The man stood motionless, like a figure in a still-life painting, recalling something in his mind. ¡°Did the Grand Duke of Baluasten really kill his own family and usurp the title?¡± Suddenly, he caught sight of his reflection in the window. ¡°Ah.¡± He discovered his own irises, which had turned red as if a drop of blood had fallen on the white canvas of his eyes. With an emotionless sigh, the man wiped his face with a cloth. When he lowered his hand again, the reflection in the window was of a cold wall, transparent as a glacier but devoid of any emotion. Soon, the man¡¯s steps led him towards a splendid birdcage. As he lightly tapped the cage with his fingertips, the bird, which had been sitting with its head bowed as if asleep, suddenly lifted its head with a chirping sound. The bird, made of mechanical devices and feathers, blinked its eyelids a few times before opening its beak. -Your Grace! Why haven¡¯t you contacted me until now! I¡¯ve been so worried! The rough voice that came from the small bird was unbelievably loud and coarse. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m contacting you now,¡± the man replied as he tiredly flopped down on the sofa. -That¡¯s not what I meant¡­ Oh well, never mind. What can I say to Your Grace? Are you doing well? I climb the mountain of paperwork in the hellish office every day as Your Grace¡¯s substitute. Hahaha, thanks to that, I¡¯ve given up on my dream of being born as a high-ranking noble in my next life and having subordinates like Your Grace¡­ ¡°Penadel, you¡¯re being noisy.¡± Only then did the mechanical bird¡¯s beak shut tightly. After a brief silence, the mechanical bird opened its beak without being intimidated. -Just out of curiosity, you really aren¡¯t doing anything, right? Please think of it as being in exile for about a year and do nothing until mold grows on your body and mushrooms sprout. Do you understand? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± -Your Grace? Why aren¡¯t you answering? Your Grace? ¡°¡­¡­I got a job.¡± -Huh? ¡°I also got engaged.¡± -Huh? ¡°I have a new job, and I¡¯m getting married.¡± -That¡¯s a happy fresh start. So, who is it? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± A heavy silence followed. It was a while after the mechanical bird shut its beak before it opened its mouth again. -¡­¡­Eh? ¡°You heard the whole story.¡± -I forced you to take a leave of absence so you could have a break. Why did you find a new job there¡­ no, more importantly¡­ you¡¯re getting married? There was nothing to say to that, neither as Penadel, nor as Cedric, Lord of the Northern Territory who had hidden his identity and descended to the royal capital. Certainly it hadn¡¯t been this complicated until he was promised, at least verbally, the transfer of ownership of the Herrington Mine by Marquis Blanche. The Marquis, in his later years, was frail and could barely keep his eyes open, but he did not forget his promise to Cedric and prepared a contract to transfer the mine. But when Cedric arrived, he was greeted by a blank contract and a notary who informed him of the marquis¡¯s death. The Marquis had died before the contract could be stamped. The mine remained in the possession of the Blanche family, becoming frozen assets that no one could touch until Lady Blanche¡¯s marriage. To Cedric, who had to seal the mine as soon as possible to prevent ¡®it¡¯ from escaping the mine, it was an endless wait without any guarantees. In his desperate pursuit of gaining control over the mine as soon as possible, Cedric eventually came up with a solution. He combined the romance of a marriage proposal with the practicalities of divorce. The reason why he insisted on divorce as a condition was because he had no intention of fulfilling his obligations as a husband. Cedric had no intention of having an heir. Cedric summarized all of these circumstances in a few words to his subordinate, Penadel. ¡°That¡¯s how it turned out.¡± -¡­¡­Your Grace, I just had a very bad taste in my mouth. What¡¯s going on with you after all? I¡¯m coming to the royal capital at once! ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Find out about Belinda Blanche.¡± As he said that, Cedric recalled the woman with reddish hair so vividly that it hurt his eyes. In the Northern Territory, where everything was bleached to a pale color, it was rare to see such vivid hues. He had heard that she was a wicked woman who caused a commotion at Lord Blanche¡¯s funeral, insulting the deceased. But the Belinda he saw was so different from the woman rumored about. She wore a simple dress when they met, far from extravagance, and the second time they met, she was alone, as if deserted, in a dilapidated annex without a single servant. There, she mourned the death of her family all by herself. Rumors and reality can sometimes diverge, but this gap seemed too wide. It felt as if someone had intentionally spread false rumors. ¡®Besides, that necklace is¡­¡­.¡¯ As Cedric was deep in thought. -So that¡¯s who¡¯s going to be our mistress! Penadel¡¯s voice, sounding somewhat excited, interrupted him. -Your Grace, there was something I wanted to ask you. There was somehow a hint of tension in the words that followed. Cedric tilted his head, and plentiful enough that it was also as if Cedric could see them, Penadel began to pour out an endless stream of words CH 20 -Is it true that Lady Blanche possesses a stature exceeding 2 meters and a robust physique, capable of subduing enemies with a single hand while she drives them away with the glow from her eyes? ¡°¡­¡­.¡± -We once speculated among ourselves about Your Grace¡¯s ideal type. Since Your Grace judges people based on their ability to subdue enemies, we assumed that your betrothed should possess such physical qualities. ¡°I have heard your ideal type. If I meet such a young lady in the royal capital, I¡¯ll definitely consider pursuing an engagement for you.¡± -What? Wait a moment, Your Grace! That was just a joke¡­! As Cedric touched the cage again, the mechanical bird¡¯s eyes closed, and its head drooped. A woman who exceeds 2 meters and subdues enemies with a single hand? Cedric furrowed his brow. He pondered over Penadel¡¯s words for a moment, then blurted out. ¡°¡­.that might not be so bad.¡± At least he could rely on her on the battlefield. *** ¡°Not so bad.¡± I held the ink-dried proposal up to the sunlight with a smile. The betrothal between the Grand Duke¡¯s lineage, which traces its bloodline back to the brother of the founding king, and the royal family was no light matter. Due to the unbelievable complexity of the bureaucratic procedures involved with the royal family, it takes a generous six months to receive approval from the royal family. I decided to wait it out, staying in the capital as the Grand Duke¡¯s fianc¨¦e. It wasn¡¯t a bad deal, since I wasn¡¯t allowed to leave the capital until I had arranged for Leo to meet Ophelia. However, I added one condition to the marriage contract. Once I had safely inherited my dowry, I planned to emigrate to avoid involvement with any of my connections. A place where Belinda¡¯s notoriety doesn¡¯t reach. A place where I could escape Belinda¡¯s past and start a new life for myself. As I contemplated whether to explore a warm southern country, Penadel asked, ¡°When you say guarantee your survival, what exactly do you mean?¡± First and foremost, a 24-hour escort by my side during my time in the royal capital. Someone skilled in combat, resistant to Sybel¡¯s persuasion, and loyal enough to the Grand Duke that he would do his best to protect his master¡¯s betrothed. As I was summarizing the requirements for the escort, my gaze settled on Penadel, who was right in front of me. ¡®Here he is, the perfect escort.¡¯ As a Grand Duke¡¯s subordinate and a knight from the North, his status was like a guarantee. ¡°Sir, I heard you¡¯ll be in the royal capital for a while? A leave of absence?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You will be busy, then.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As per the terms of the contract, I entrust you with my escort during your stay in the capital.¡± He seemed to want to say something, but I quickly waved the contract as if using it as a hostage and flashed a wicked smile that even I found sinister. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in any other knight.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even met him.¡± ¡°You should consider that I haven¡¯t stamped my seal on the contract yet, Sir Penadel.¡± Sir Penadel immediately closed his mouth. It¡¯s unfortunate that Penadel, who came here to take a break, ended up with additional work. But that¡¯s how social life goes. I leisurely dipped the pen nib in ink, as if I were considering his unfortunate situation. ¡°It must be boring guarding me by my side all day. Oh, my personal servant happens to be quite feeble looking, like a lost lamb. How about teaching him some swordplay as a pastime?¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s sign the contract¡­¡± ¡°Do you refuse?¡± ¡°¡­¡­No.¡± I gladly signed my name to the marriage proposal. Thus, the naive knight from the North became my temporary escort and Leo¡¯s swordsmanship instructor, residing in the annex. Under the regulations of the North, Penadel always wore a mask even inside the mansion. His demonic mask was so intimidating that whenever I happened to encounter it during the dim evening, my heart would race. Fortunately, Leo obediently followed Penadel, calling him ¡°Sir Knight, Sir Knight,¡± without showing any signs of fear¡­ ¡®That does mean that I¡¯m scarier than that terrifying devil mask after all.¡¯ I sat on the outdoor couch I had brought for observing the lessons, frowning as I sipped my tea. Leo had been very enthusiastic about learning the sword, as any boy would be. It¡¯s possible that he has developed a dream of becoming a knight. If that¡¯s the case, what do I need to do to prepare Leo? ¡®First and foremost, obtaining a recommendation letter for admission to the Academy is the most important.¡¯ In the Academy where admission is possible from the age of ten, the former royal knight commander was staying as an instructor to nurture future successors. If recognized by him, regardless of social status, one could receive a recommendation to join any knight order. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t for nothing that he was praised as a genius swordsman. By learning from him, one could grasp the basics of swordsmanship in just a fortnight¡­ ¡®¡­¡­?¡¯ What just happened? I blinked my eyes in confusion and looked up at the status window that appeared before me. It has only been a week since Penadel started teaching Leo, but he has already acquired basic swordsmanship? I couldn¡¯t believe it, even when I saw it with my own eyes. What kind of a man is Lord Penadel to teach a swordsman a skill in just one week that would have normally taken someone much more than a week to master? It was just as I was becoming suspicious of the unexpected cheat-like skill and Penadel¡¯s true identity that my train of thought was interrupted. ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a visitor.¡± One of the main mansion¡¯s servants approached, bowing deeply. ¡°A visitor?¡± ¡°Yes. A wizard claiming to be from the Grey Tower, but¡­. looks like a beggar.¡± The Grey Tower? There was a fellow from there who might be looking for Belinda. The moment I thought that, the bright orange eyes full of passion flashed in my mind. ¡®It must be Vivian!¡¯ I glanced back at the servant, my eyes flashing. Upon seeing that, the servant flinched and bowed his head. ¡°I-I will chase them away immediately!¡± What is he saying? Why would he chase away my esteemed mage? ¡°Bring them to the annex immediately.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And prepare a grand feast ¨C No, a feast consisting only of meat.¡± We shall greet our precious wizard with a meat sacrament! * * * Cedric Baluasten was a man who seemed to personify reason and discipline. He rarely showed emotion, and no one had ever seen him lose his composure. However, his first disciple, who came about by chance, often caught him off guard in unexpected ways. For example¡­¡­. ¡°Your name is Ratchet¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the name Miss Belinda gave me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see.¡± When he proudly introduced his name, his cheeks blushed with excitement. ¡°Take a 10-minute break.¡± ¡°¡­..Yes.¡± When he was told to take a break, but looked disappointed, like a puppy denied a walk. ¡°How can I become as strong as you, Sir knight?¡± Or when, as now, the boy fearlessly approached him, looking directly into Cedric¡¯s eyes, and asking questions innocently. Cedric wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this enthusiastic pupil. It was rare for someone, especially a young child, to meet his gaze so directly. From a young age, hunting magical creatures served as both a means of survival and a reason for him to bear the scars on his body. However, it was the curse engraved in his soul that made others instinctively feel a deep fear in his presence. Moreover, he was currently wearing a mask. Yet Leo confidently met his gaze without any fear. Cedric, avoiding eye contact, wondered if this newborn-chick-like child was about to collapse under his gaze. With his limited social skills gathered deep in his soul, Cedric carefully responded. ¡°Focus on eating three balanced meals a day without being a picky eater. Also, ensure you get enough sleep every day and diligently engage in training. Eventually, you will become stronger.¡± ¡°Then, will I be able to become an excellent servant someday?¡± ¡°Yes, someday, an excellent knight¡­¡± Cedric paused in mid-sentence. He guessed that Belinda had asked him to teach her servant swordsmanship to support his aspiration of becoming a knight. But a servant? ¡°Do you ¡­..want to become a servant?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Once again, his apprentice had managed to catch him off guard without malice. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be a knight?¡± Cedric couldn¡¯t casually brush it off like usual, as he noticed a determination in Leo¡¯s eyes. Leo looked around unnecessarily to see if anyone was around, then leaned forward to share a secret. Cedric willingly bent over for the child. ¡°In truth, if I grow up quickly and become an excellent servant, I will be able to protect Miss Belinda.¡± Although he couldn¡¯t fully grasp the meaning of what the child meant by an excellent servant, one thing Cedric was certain of. This child would undoubtedly become strong. Not because he wanted to become a knight, but because he carried the heart of a knight. His first disciple was already an excellent knight CH 21 Quests involving Vivian occur a total of two times in Hirome. The first one is called ?The Last Vestiges of the Unfortunate Genius Wizard?. If you listen to Vivian¡¯s plea as a wandering ghost in front of the temple, you receive a map of a certain warehouse as a reward. And the second one is a linked quest that occurs when the condition of obtaining the map is fulfilled, called ?Cecil¡¯s Lullaby?. As I progressed through the quest, I finally found out. That it was not hunger that killed Vivian, but guilt. ¡°Your face looks so haggard that I want to put it in your coffin and nail it shut right now.¡± Although the Belinda translation of my concern about Vivian¡¯s bad complexion sounded quite drastic, this time I could agree with the translator¡¯s words. Vivian seemed completely different from how I remembered her. ¡®You went to the place I told you about.¡¯ The map I gave to Vivian was the location of the warehouse where the magic potion ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ was stored. It was the map of the very warehouse that could only be obtained as a reward after clearing the quest ?The Last Vestiges of the Unfortunate Genius Wizard?. Although I hadn¡¯t cleared the quest yet in this place, I have cleared it several times in the game, so I could draw the map even with my eyes closed. Thanks to the map I gave Vivian, she reached the truth earlier than in the original story. Vivian, with her head bowed and silent for a while, finally opened her mouth. ¡°How much¡­.do you know, Miss Belinda?¡± ¡°That ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ is your earliest work, that it¡¯s being exploited in a terrible way by an individual called your teacher, and that you haven¡¯t slept for days.¡± As I continued, Vivian¡¯s face grew dejected. ¡°You seem to know everything, Miss Belinda.¡± If Vivian were to know the future I know, she might faint on the spot. ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ was a magic medicine developed by Vivian for her grandmother who suffered from dementia. It was a magical potion that allowed the person who consumed it to dream of their happy past. However, Vivian, who just wanted to present a comfortable tranquility to her grandmother who was losing her memory, would not have dared to imagine it. How dangerous a honey-coloured potion that promised sweet dreams could be when mixed with powerful sleeping pills. Vivian¡¯s mentor, Bruno, began secretly selling the modified ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ in the slums. The residents of the slums, who had difficult lives, started taking ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ to escape reality and flee to the past in their dreams. Eventually, when they spent more time in dreams than in reality, they withered away, without realizing that they were addicted to ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯. By mid-game, ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ had become so widespread throughout the kingdom that when someone died of an overdose in the kingdom, it was said that Cecil had taken them. Quest ?Cecil¡¯s Lullaby?. It would later be a quest to deal with the worst of the magic potions that swept across the kingdom. ¡°Vivian, you can probably guess the reason why I revealed the truth to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°If you tell me you¡¯ll leave the Magic Tower and work for me, I¡¯ll give you what you want in return.¡± However, once again, she didn¡¯t readily accept my offer. ¡°Why¡­ are you showing me such kindness?¡± For the first time, a sense of wariness and suspicion appeared in her previously darkened eyes. That¡¯s how much her master¡¯s betrayal had left a deep wound in Vivian. Desperate for help, yet hesitant to take the hand that was extended to her. I felt a twinge of bitterness as I remembered the eyes I¡¯d seen before, eyes that shone with faith and conviction. ¡°Do you consider my proposal a favor?¡± I asked, pouring tea into the cups with a cool demeanor. Even as Vivian held the teacup in her hand, she couldn¡¯t utter a single word in response. ¡°The Blanche family would never casually place any teacup into the manor. How much do you think this teacup is worth?¡± Perplexed by the sudden change of topic, Vivian hesitated, holding the teacup in her trembling hands, examining it from every angle. ¡°It looks expensive¡­¡­.¡± Unable to come up with a definitive answer, I held up three fingers. ¡°3 gold?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°3¨C30 gold?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Still receiving no response, Vivian, with a mix of awe and hesitance, carefully placed the teacup back on the table, her hands trembling. ¡°Uh, uh, could it be 300?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Of course, I¡¯m lying. As an ordinary commoner, it was unlikely that I possessed an eye for luxury goods. Nevertheless, I spoke shamelessly, not even batting an eyelid. ¡°The people of the Blanchet family, who have built mountains of gold, are trained to recognize a pearl in the mud. Because of this, I am very discerning.¡± I tilted my teacup (estimated at 300 gold) in a graceful manner as I spoke. ¡°From what I can see, you¡¯re worth quite a bit.¡± Clink. The sound of the teacup hitting the saucer startled Vivian causing her shoulders to flinch. ¡°So, I¡¯m not doing you a favor, I¡¯m making an investment. It¡¯s my hobby to nurture things that haven¡¯t yet seen the light of day.¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯ve mistaken me. I don¡¯t have that much value¡­..¡± ¡°Are you implying that my judgment is wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that, but¡­ ¡­without my mentor¡­..¡± I sighed secretly as I watched her say that even in the midst of this, she felt she was nothing without her mentor. This was precisely why Bruno could take advantage of Vivian under his command. Her timid nature and low self-esteem. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess how Bruno had manipulated and exploited her with his words. Apparently, he had initially approached her for the ¡®Elixir of Life¡¯. ¡®I feel sorry for her, I wish she could let it go.¡¯ She needed to know how brilliant she was. I spoke in a lowered voice. ¡°Vivian, if you refuse my offer this time¡­¡­.¡± Under an atmosphere that seemed almost like a threat, Vivian swallowed a dry gulp. I continued nonchalantly, ¡°You¡¯ll keep living consumed with guilt, and one day you muster up the courage to ask your master to stop selling ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby,¡¯ but guess what? That worthless human won¡¯t give you a single penny and will cast you aside. Eventually, unable to fight off the cold and hunger, you¡¯ll die a miserable death in front of the temple. That¡¯s how I think you¡¯ll end up, what do you think?¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth hung open in shock. But this time, I wasn¡¯t lying or exaggerating. That was Vivian¡¯s ending in the ?Hirome? that I knew. ¡°I¡¯m not a very forgiving person, but I¡¯m giving you one more chance. Will you still refuse my offer?¡± Please, please don¡¯t refuse. I clasped my hands under the table as if praying. It may have sounded like a threat, but I didn¡¯t have ill intentions, you know? And finally. ¡°¡­¡­ please.¡± ¡°Your voice is quiet. Again.¡± ¡°If¨Cif you help me, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making the same mistake again. You¡¯re so foolish. Don¡¯t sell yourself short. Say it again.¡± Vivian paused for a moment in thought before speaking again. ¡°If you help me stop the distribution of ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby,¡¯¡¯ in return, I will create any magical item you desire, Lady Belinda.¡± The quest window appeared, and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Ding. I rang a bell made of glass, and the servants who had been waiting outside pulled in a trolley full of food. Hoping for my smile to be kind, I spoke to Vivian. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start by satisfying our hunger.¡± * * * Late afternoon. A picturesque scene unfolded as several carriages lined up and passed through the main gate of the Blanche mansion. The carriages varied in shape and color, but they all had logos of upscale clothiers affixed to them. The bewildered servants, taken aback by the unexpected visitors, trembled as they saw the carriages heading towards the annex. ¡°Goodness, how many of them are there?¡± ¡°Well, I guess so. It¡¯s been quiet for a while.¡± ¡°The young master, no, the head of the family, is busy preparing for the succession.¡± ¡°Lately, the chef¡¯s wrists have been strained from preparing three meat feasts a day for the young lady. Even between the four of us, we have no idea where all the food disappears to.¡± They clicked their tongues, thinking that the Blanche family wretch was back to her previous extravagance and vice. CH 22 ¡°Farhend Nuve. I am honoured to be here, Belinda.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. We¡¯re called Eshar.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always looked forward to meeting you. We¡¯re Renahl!¡± ¡°R-Rohaz here.¡± ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡­.¡± Among the people introducing their dress shops side by side, there was a strange tension flowing between them. Although they had gained some recognition in high society, they were operating dress shops that were not flourishing enough to handle commissions from the upper nobility. But this morning, like a bolt from the blue, a request came from the Blanche family, and not just anyone, but from Lady Belinda herself. Who is Belinda Blanche? She was a notorious troublemaker whose name appeared in the tabloid¡¯s day after day, and it was no exaggeration to say that whatever she wore became the fashion trend of high society. It was a golden opportunity. If they were able to catch her eye, it wouldn¡¯t be out of the question for them to be able to make the leap to being a high-level dressing room that only deals with high-ranking aristocrats. ¡®I even canceled the reservations I had and rushed here.¡¯ He was not alone in being summoned. As Belinda, elegantly leaning against the couch, listened to the lengthy introductions of the dress shop owners, she let out a yawn. Then, like a ruthless tyrant gazing down at gladiators in the colosseum, she declared cruelly, ¡°You all must make clothes for this poorly dressed magician.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± Vivian, who had been munching furiously on a piece of dried jerky for a snack, blinked. Ignoring her, Belinda continued speaking. ¡°I will reward the one who creates the most suitable clothes with a prize befitting my name. However, if you present me with clothes that do not meet my standards¡­..¡± She ended her words with a cruel smile on her lips. ¡°You will regret for the rest of your life that you were called here today.¡± The dress shop owners, facing nine competitors, felt a surge of competitiveness in their eyes. ¡°Magician!¡± ¡°Do you have any favorite colors?¡± ¡°What style do you prefer?¡± ¡°I think practicality is better than flashy dresses, right?¡± ¡°Magician, would you like to see fabric samples here?¡± ¡°W-w-w-w-w-why, why are you all doing this to me!¡± Belinda flipped nonchalantly through the catalog, seemingly unperturbed by Vivian¡¯s screams. ¡°Miss Be-Belinda, I don¡¯t need new clothes. This is too much, so get me out of this¡­¡­ ugh, waist, waist is too tight, ugh, ugh!¡± Seeing how miserable Vivian was, Belinda finally showed kindness and relieved her burden. ¡°How long do I have to put up with you walking around like a ragged beggar? Do something about your measurements and make it neat, not for your sake, but for mine.¡± After a while, a worn-out Vivian slumped into a comfortable chair, both physically and mentally exhausted. The seamstresses were busy adding various embellishments and sewing on the samples they had brought. Belinda, without taking her eyes off the catalog, as if what she was about to say was just a passing thought, asked Vivian, ¡°Vivian, I looked at the recipe you wrote down for lunch yesterday, but it doesn¡¯t seem particularly special.¡± ¡°The recipe I wrote down yesterday¡­ Oh, that one?¡± Vivian barely managed to raise her upper body and answer. ¡°If someone has a certain level of skill, they can easily make it since the manufacturing process isn¡¯t too complicated.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Belinda paused for a moment, lost in thought, then opened a locked drawer next to the couch with a key. She took out a paper from inside and stared at it for a while as if confirming something before shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how such a simple recipe can have an addictive effect. But more importantly, who is the ¡®Cecil¡¯ mentioned here?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Ah!¡± A cry erupted from one of the apprentice seamstresses who was sewing aggressively. A woman, who had her finger pricked by a needle, slowly raised her head and looked at Belinda. An androgynous face with an ambiguous gender. Short, neatly cut ash-colored hair revealing her ears. A tidy smile that seemed as if it was drawn on her face, but that was what made it so offensive. There was no reason to smile, and it wasn¡¯t a situation to smile in. Just as the woman¡¯s mouth was about to open. Thunk! A middle-aged woman, who appeared to be her superior, quickly pressed down on the back of the woman¡¯s head, forcing her to bow. ¡°I apologize. My daughter seems nervous in front of the lady. It¡¯s not like her to make such mistakes¡­¡± ¡°Mistake¡­¡­.¡± A strange smile appeared on the corner of Belinda¡¯s mouth. ¡°You¡¯re Marilyn from Bluebird Dress Shop, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°And this child?¡± ¡°She¡¯s Terry.¡± This time, Belinda¡¯s gaze turned to the dress that Terry had been working on. The workmanship was so good that there was not a stitch to be seen on the robe, which was lavishly made of green velvet. ¡°Impressive workmanship.¡± Inspecting the dress meticulously with the tip of her fan, Belinda made her verdict. ¡°I¡¯ll go with this dress. You can finish the rest of the work. Make sure you charge a sufficient fee.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± To the flustered Marilyn, Belinda continued her questioning. ¡°Do you also make men¡¯s clothing?¡± ¡°That was my husband¡¯s business, but he¡¯s not feeling well at the moment and is taking a break.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame, because I was looking forward to seeing the menswear, since your work was so good.¡± However, contrary to her words, her face didn¡¯t show much disappointment. Belinda returned to the couch and casually placed the recipe back into the drawer as if nothing had happened. She leisurely fanned herself. ¡°Vivian, we plan to dine out tonight, so prepare yourself.¡± ¡°Miss Belinda, I appreciate your intentions, but now is not the time¡­¡± ¡°Since we rarely have enjoyable moments, don¡¯t spoil my mood.¡± Vivian¡¯s mouth clamped shut, but she couldn¡¯t hide the anxiety and nervousness in her eyes. As if to soothe her, Belinda covered her mouth with her fan and whispered, ¡°Some things naturally resolve themselves when you sleep and wake up. So, take care of your body as I instruct you.¡± As she said this, Belinda¡¯s gaze remained fixed on Terry, whose head was still bowed and unmoving. * * * Late at night. An uninvited guest had slipped through the Blanche family¡¯s tight security and effortlessly slid into the mansion. Moving silently, like a shadow, the intruder showed no interest in Blanche¡¯s main building, where all kinds of treasures were piled. They simply trodded the familiar paths as if they were using a favorite walkway and made their way to the unusually deserted annex. Finally, as the intruder looked up at the elegant exterior of the annex, there was a flicker of life in their eyes. ¡°How dare you¡­¡­.¡± Ugh. With that sound, the intruder effortlessly climbed up the wall and crossed over to a second-floor room¡¯s window. All their movements were as natural as the flow of water, and they didn¡¯t make the slightest noise. In their impatience, they didn¡¯t even bother to look around the room before reaching for the nightstand drawer next to the couch. The lock was no problem for them. Click. With a thin wire, the intruder easily unlocked the drawer and grasped the paper inside. The intruder¡¯s expression narrowed as they tried to decipher the recipe written on the paper. It was difficult to understand due to the poor handwriting. They cautiously read the top line. ¡°Cecil¡¯s¡­¡­.¡± The intruder¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Did you come here for the recipe?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Startled by the sudden voice, their entire body tensed as if struck by lightning. Instinctively, they scanned for an escape route. In the blink of an eye, they assessed all possible escape routes and found the most efficient one. Just as they were about to leap, exerting force on their feet. ¡°Sir, remember not to kill them. And don¡¯t make any noise, because we don¡¯t want to wake Ratchet.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In the face of the enormous shadow of the looming demon, the intruder stumbled backwards. They already knew that an unknown knight from the northern region had been assigned as Belinda¡¯s escort. The strength of the northern knights had already gained a reputation throughout the continent, but they were still mere humans. The intruder mistakenly believed that evading and escaping rather than confronting them head-on would be sufficient. ¡®Wow, isn¡¯t this too much, from a human perspective?¡¯ No, even from an inhuman perspective, this wasn¡¯t it. ¡®Is that knight really the same species as me?¡¯ Cold sweat trickled down their back, overwhelmed by the feeling of facing the devil himself and the fear that accompanied it. If even the slightest movement was seen, it would mean certain death. Eventually, they quickly made a decision. ¡°Surrender! I surrender!¡± Declaring surrender meekly, they decided to save their life for now. Just then, the moon, previously hidden by clouds, revealed itself, illuminating the view inside the room. Belinda glanced at the familiar face under the bright moonlight and shrugged her shoulders. ¡°Your name was Terry, right? You didn¡¯t come here to bring the completed outfit, I assume.¡± Terry, with her hands raised, pursed her lips and replied, ¡°It¡¯s because our dressing room¡¯s dedication to service is unwavering. I wanted to show you the completed outfit right away, so I came running in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°Making excuses even when coming empty-handed.¡± Despite the blatant sarcasm, Terry remained unperturbed. The recipe was still in her grasp. If she could decipher the recipe for ¡°Cecil¡¯s Lullaby,¡± she could create an antidote in reverse. With that, she would undoubtedly be able to save that person. ¡®If I¡¯m willing to give up one arm, I can escape with the rest¡­¡­¡¯ Terry¡¯s eyes darkened in a moment of grim determination. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to check out the recipe?¡± Terry felt a strange unease at Belinda¡¯s gentle voice, questioning her smoothly. Without declining Belinda¡¯s offer, she slowly read the contents he held in his hand. And¡­ ¡°What the¡­¡­.¡± Belinda watched Terry¡¯s face contort into a grimace. Then, her voice reciting the final line of the recipe carried an air of superiority. ¡°¡¯It guarantees an addictive taste that can make two people die while eating. Keep it a secret.¡¯ Now Terry, I didn¡¯t know you liked lemon tart enough to steal the recipe.¡± ¡°Surely you mentioned ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯¡­¡± It suddenly dawned on Terry. ¡®It¡¯s amazing how such a simple recipe can have such an addictive effect¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®But more than that, who is this Cecil?¡¯ Belinda had never mentioned ¡®Cecil¡¯s Lullaby¡¯ in her own words. If one wasn¡¯t a resident of the slums, they wouldn¡¯t react to the ordinary name ¡°Cecil.¡± It was all a misunderstanding on Terry¡¯s part, judging hastily based on fragmented information. Belinda smiled cruelly, as if she were savoring the despair on Terry¡¯s face and whispered, ¡°You seemed quite anxious. Falling into such a sloppy trap, like a rat in the sewer.¡± But it was Cedric, not Terry, who reacted to the words. ¡°Rat?¡± His tone carried a strange nuance, as if he knew that the word ¡°rat¡± held a hidden secret. ¡°Ah, let me introduce you,¡± Belinda said languidly. ¡°This person here is Terry, an apprentice seamstress at the Bluebird Dressmaking Studio and a member of the information organization known as The Rats.¡± ¡°How did you know¡­¡­ she was a Rat?¡± Cedric asked. And Terry, who was about to lower her hands, raised them again to meet Cedric¡¯s gaze and nodded in agreement. So, to explain how this all came about¡­.