Chapter 11

In the end, I sent Eckles away without removing the choker, as he requested, before returning to my room. “Welcome back, Miss,” greeted the butler, who’d been waiting for me. “What is it this time?” I asked. I’d spoken with him right before going to meet Eckles, after all. “An urgent message for you has just arrived.” “An urgent message? What urgent message? I told you to reject any invitations,” I said, handing my umbrella and shawl to Emily and going to my desk. Perhaps because I’d won the title of queen during the hunt, invitations had been pouring in. The butler had suggested that I go to a couple of the parties hosted by some of the more prestigious households, but I refused and ordered that the letters be used as kindling. I had no time to waste on the likes of anyone like Gloria. “Well…,” the butler said, hesitating. “It is a letter from the Imperial Palace, so I couldn’t throw it away.” “The…palace?” I said, turning to him with a no-doubt indecipherable look on my face. He seemed troubled as he held an envelope out for me to take. It was expensive looking and decorated with a shining golden dragon. I felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. This damned mark, it has to be… “My goodness! Our lady performed so amazingly during the hunting tournament, the palace must have taken note,” Emily exclaimed, eyes sparkling, blissfully unaware. I sighed heavily. So here it is, then. I’d refused to leave the manor after making my escape from the palace, ignoring the waves of invitations flowing in. I’d been afraid that the crown prince might hear gossip about me if I was careless and wandered around outside. I hadn’t heard anything about his reaction, good or bad, and had been hoping the incident was safely behind me… “Haah… Give me that.” I took the letter from the butler. Using a paper knife, I slit it open and started reading the missive inside. To my dear Lady Penelope Eckhart, daughter of the duke— Or should it be “To my secret lover”? Let us skip the pleasantries. It appears I received a very abridged version of events from you when I woke. Quite the scene you caused in the courtroom, no? It’s placed me in a rather difficult position. I’m only just now getting around to writing to you because I’ve been so busy picking up after your mess. I reckon we’re due for another heart-to-heart soon. What do you say? Come to the palace as soon as possible. You’ll regret it if you don’t. - Callisto Regulus “Oh, dammit!” I crumpled the paper violently, in a repeat of the first time he’d sent me a letter. “Is it…from him again?” the butler asked worriedly, monitoring my reaction. I sighed. The question didn’t really need a verbal answer. The butler’s expression grew grave at my response. I covered my face with my hands glumly. According to my testimony, the crown prince and I had been lovers, and I’d recently rejected him. I had no idea how much of a fuss he was likely to make over this. Maybe I should have just said I’d called him into the forest so I could confess my feelings for him. But it was too late to regret anything I’d mentioned at the trial. Besides, things would have only gotten worse if I’d said that. I shuddered as what he might have said in that scenario came to mind—“So you’re still in love with me after all. Why play hard to get?” Whatever. I’ll just refuse to leave the manor. What’s he going to do about it? I began trying to devise a way I could avoid going to the palace. I wasn’t hurt anywhere, so I couldn’t pretend I had metal poisoning again. And it would be strange to claim I had suddenly contracted some severe disease… A decent excuse wasn’t coming to mind immediately, so I decided to ask the butler for help. “What should I say this time, Pennel? I need something that will take me out of commission for a long time.” “Hmm.” He had worked in the duke’s employ for many years, so he asked no questions and promptly began considering the problem. “How about we spread the word that you’ve had muscle pain throughout your body because of strenuous activity undertaken during the hunting tournament?” I found his solution extremely pleasant. “That will do nicely. Tell everyone I’m confined to my bed for the foreseeable future.” “Yes. I’ll go call the family physician, Miss.” “Good. Thank you for your aid.” With the butler’s assistance, I’d been able to cook up a suitable excuse. Good. Now all I have to do is remain in the manor and ride this out. I smiled to myself, satisfied. The butler hurried out of the room to carry out our plan. He would have to send a reply to the palace in my stead, with a doctor’s report attached detailing my condition. “Are you ill, Miss?” Emily asked, puzzled at the mention of the physician, just returning from putting my shawl away. I nodded without hesitation. “Yes. From now on, if anyone asks, my entire body is in pain.” Eckles’s clothes were finished a few days later. The garments took up enough space that they filled a large box, and I couldn’t carry it by myself. Left with no choice but to have the butler bring the gift to Eckles in front of the knights, I was about to instruct as such when Emily burst into the room. “M-Miss! Y-you need to come quickly!” “Emily, I’m in the middle of an important conversation with the butler. Can’t you see? This is really very rude—,” I began coldly. “W-we have an enormous problem, Miss!” Emily didn’t seem to even register my scolding, unlike how attuned she normally was to me. She shouted, “O-outside! The crown prince is outside!” “…What?” “The crown prince is at the door!” A fancy golden carriage decorated with an equally golden dragon emblem pulled up to the front doors of the manor. A man slowly descended from the carriage, his golden hair—the same color as the gold leaf covering the carriage—fluttering in the breeze. “How have you been, Duke Eckhart?” Callisto called out to the older man standing in the doorway. “You came out to greet me yourself ? I must say I’m flattered.” The duke looked utterly bewildered even as he greeted the crown prince. He’d rushed outside the moment he’d heard that a carriage from the Imperial Palace had just arrived. “…Your Highness. I wasn’t informed you would be coming. What brings you to our humble abode?” “You’ll be seeing a lot of me here going forward—must I really make a formal announcement every time? Come now.” The duke’s face fell. He was stumped by the crown prince’s words. “I don’t understand—” “I do hope our relationship will be a pleasant one, Duke. Or… should I call you Father-in-Law in private?” “I beg your pardon?” the duke said, his jaw dropping. The crown prince ignored him, instead glancing around as if in search of someone. “I don’t see my ex-lover, who saw fit to tell everyone of our previous mutual feelings, anywhere. Is she still getting dressed up to come see me?” He approached the entrance confidently. All the servants who had come outside, as well as the duke, reflexively made to clear the way for him. “Your Highness!” The duke came to his senses but a second later, snapping himself out of his etiquette-induced stupor. He hurried over to plant himself in the crown prince’s way, training his eyes on the other in a polite yet pointed stare. “P-please, this is not funny! And where do you think you’re going? Even if you are the crown prince, this is most improper—” “Now, now. We can have this conversation in the waiting room. Are you going to leave a guest to stand outside?” Callisto asked, all the while nudging the duke toward the door in a smooth attempt to slither his way inside. “What?! Who says you are a guest?” the duke protested, face going red. Since he couldn’t employ physical force against a prince, the most he could do was stand his ground against Callisto. “This is forced entry! I’ll have to inform the emperor if you continue to behave in this manner—” “Forced? You wound me. I didn’t peg you for the unreasonable type, Duke. We might become family soon enough.” “Your Highness!” the duke shrieked. There was nothing he could do to stop the crown prince, however. That lunatic! I furtively peeked down through a window that was ajar, shuddering in distaste. “Miss…,” the butler said, his voice dripping with pity. He hadn’t left after our conversation had been interrupted. After I’d instructed the butler to send back a reply saying that I was ill, nobody could have predicted that the madman would go so far as to come to the manor himself. Is this what you meant when you said I’d regret it if I didn’t come immediately? I balled my hands into fists, quivering from head to toe. I reluctantly called my maid. “Emily.” “Y-yes?” “Summon the others.” “I’m not sure what you mean,” Emily said, confused. I continued, through clenched teeth, “Make me look as sick as possible, like someone who’s about to fall over and die at any moment.” At least the makeup would be an accurate reflection of how I felt inside. “All done, Miss.” I quickly ushered the maids surrounding me aside. A pale face stared back at me in the mirror. “What do you think?” Emily asked. I scanned my reflection and—satisfied—replied, “I look like I might start vomiting blood at any moment.” “Y-you’re joking, right?” “It’s a compliment,” I assured. And it was true. There were many layers of makeup on my face, making me as pale as a ghost. It looked as if all the blood had drained from my face, even my lips completely colorless. They had done something to my eyes to add fake dark circles underneath them. Altogether, it painted a convincing picture of a very ill young lady. “I like it.” I was still grinning into the mirror when someone knocked on the door. “It’s Pennel, Miss.” I shot up from the stool and dashed to my bed, fearing that the crown prince had followed the butler all the way to my room in his impatience. I pulled the covers up to my neck and cleared my throat a few times. “Tell him…to come in…” I managed to pitch my voice in such a way that sounded convincingly sick. Soon, the door opened with a creak, and—thankfully—only the butler entered. I examined behind him carefully to make sure there was no one following, relaxing when I determined it was safe. “How did it go?” The butler gasped, pausing in his approach. He stared with an odd expression, replying, “You transformed so quickly, Miss.” “Do I look sick?” “Very, as if freshly risen from the grave.” Pleased with his response, I smirked, causing the butler to flinch. “In any case, how did it go? Has he left?” The powder caked onto my face was uncomfortable. I wanted to wash it off as soon as possible. The butler, however, gathered himself for a moment before saying cheerlessly, “Well…the duke has given the crown prince permission to come meet you.” “What?” I exclaimed, jaw hanging open. It took me a long moment to gather myself enough to reply. “But I…I can’t even get out of bed.” “Ahem, I informed him of that, but…His Highness insisted on visiting your sickbed and declared nothing would keep him away.” “Wh-what?” “His Grace, of course, said that he could not allow him to meet you in your room. After further negotiation, they agreed that you could meet for a short period of time in the gardens,” he continued. “I do have some good news, however. In consideration of your condition, the meeting will last no more than thirty minutes.” “That’s…the good news?” I asked, incredulous. I’d had total faith that the duke would protect me without my having to even get involved. But he’d betrayed me. “Ha-ha…” My laugh was hollow. Shiiit… There would be no avoiding the crown prince. I put a cardigan on over my white pajamas before leaving my room. Since I was already wearing all this makeup, I planned to make the crown prince feel as guilty as possible. That asshole. He heard I was sick and still came all the way here to make a fuss. Of course, I wasn’t certain he had any conscience to begin with. As soon as the back door opened, I slowed my pace to that of someone who looked like death warmed over and began shuffling unwillingly toward the back garden. Perhaps thanks to the rain that had been falling over the past few days, today in contrast the sky was clear, and the fall sunlight was warm and cheery. The manor’s garden was beautiful under the blue sky, and some of the tension in my body melted away. You know what? I don’t believe he’d come all the way here, to my own home, with the intention of killing me. He might have been unhinged, but surely even he wouldn’t go that far. Besides, I made sure I had a backup plan earlier. —“I’m asking you not to kill me, no matter what happens. If you want to reward me, this is my request.” —“Tsk. Fine.” Recalling the promise he’d made to me, I continued, my steps lighter. Where is he? I cast my eyes around as I walked, unable to spot him immediately. I eventually caught sight of the prince in the distance, his back turned to me. He stood in a sea of yellow flowers—which I didn’t know the name of—that came to about his waist before the forest that lay between the garden and the training field. The red-eyed man spun around, seeming to sense my approach even though I was still quite far away. “Oh, my past lover has finally decided to grace me with her presence.” His glorious golden hair hadn’t lost any of its luster even in broad daylight. However, I wasn’t concerned with the state of his hair at that moment. Is that…some kind of alarm? I stopped short when I noticed the blinking red light above his head. “You’re going to catch flies if you keep staring at me like that,” he said. “What? Don’t tell me you’re falling in love with me all over again after going through all the trouble of rejecting me?” My vacant gaze remained fixed above his head despite the shit he was talking. What in the world…? As his red eyes studied me, above him the affection indicator was blinking equally red, as if it was a warning. But I thought…things were getting better between us! After the events of the hunting tournament, I’d determined that I’d more or less reduced the risk of death at the crown prince’s hands to nothing. However, the ominous red flashing scared me. Does a deeper color indicate danger? What did the bloodred bar mean for Eckles, then? I was suddenly filled with anxiety. Unable to bring myself to approach him, I stood silently, leaving the crown prince to stare at me, puzzled. “…Are you truly unwell?” He closed the distance between us in a flash. Standing right in front of me now, he bent down to peer more closely at my face. “You’re as white as a sheet.” “Wh-what are you doing?” I asked, shocked into backing away a bit. Belatedly, I remembered I was wearing makeup that made me appear sick. Despite the quality of the maids’ work, a close inspection would reveal my duplicity. I hurried to flee a few more steps back, the crown prince watching with a tilt of his head. “Hmm… You actually do look pretty ill.” “I—I don’t just look ill. I am ill, Your Highness.” “And here I thought you were lying again so you wouldn’t have to meet with me.” I desperately tried to calm my pounding heart. He’d seen through my plot in an instant. I did my best to sound calm as I replied, “I would never dare lie to you about such a thing.” “Well, you didn’t recover from the metal poisoning for months. It should have only taken a few days if you’d taken medicine for it.” I was at a loss for words. Still, I managed to pull myself together and recover from my stunned silence, bowing to him in hopes of changing the subject. “Greetings, Second Sun of the Empire.” “Such a timely greeting,” the crown prince teased. I knew I’d left it a little late, leaving me mildly embarrassed. “…Ahem. What brings you all the way here?” “Ha! What brings me here, you ask?” His eyes suddenly shone fiercely. “Did you know that when the idlers and good-for-nothings of high society gather these days, they keep themselves busy by gossiping about us?” “…” “Our conversation during the hunting tournament’s Eve party and the utter nonsense you spouted during the trial have been exaggerated and twisted beyond all reason. To the point that people are now wondering which man you’re so head over heels for that you’d break up with the crown prince.” “What? But th-that’s…” “What’s more, they claim our ‘rendezvous’ in the forest happened because I chased after you, begging you to come back to me like some sick puppy. It’s ludicrous,” the crown prince said with a bark of disbelief. “Wh-what?” I stammered, gaping. It was true that I’d told a few white lies during the trial, but I hadn’t gone this far. Son of a… No wonder he’s so furious! I gritted my teeth angrily, wondering which idiot was going around spreading such ridiculous rumors. All of a sudden, a mocking voice replayed in my mind. —“Who knows? Maybe I can help with squashing those rumors.” Surely not… I shook my head, trying to dispel the sudden wave of anxiety washing over me. He might be stubborn and stupid, but surely Reynold wouldn’t go around saying such things in some misguided attempt to help me out. I was about to deny any involvement in the spread of the rumors, but Callisto continued first. “You became the most desirable woman in the empire overnight, someone even the crown prince is on his knees for. Tell me, how does that make you feel? Thanks to you, I’m practically a laughingstock.” He bared his tightly clenched teeth at me as he slowly approached, wearing a ghostly facsimile of a smile. The bright-red bar above his head was blinking ominously, and it was almost as if I could hear an imaginary siren ringing in my ears. I forgot I was meant to be pretending to be ill and backed away—wanting to maintain the distance between us—shouting urgently, “Th-that’s all nonsense, Your Highness! I never said anything like that! I swear!” “Well, I’m not so sure anymore. When I recall the words you said to me not all that long ago, the rumors don’t sound so unfounded.” “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about…” “You said you’d fallen out of love with me so you could move on to someone better, didn’t you?” “When did I say that?” He’s twisting my words—I need to put an end to this situation before it spirals any more out of control. “I have no intention of falling in love with anyone in the foreseeable future. No intention whatsoever!” “I should hope not,” he retorted. “I’ll be watching to see which fool in all the great empire of Eorka you would choose over me.” His red eyes glinted dangerously at me. Huh? Something doesn’t feel right. I paused, sensing that something strange was happening. I had a feeling the conversation had moved away from the original topic somehow. “But tell me,” he continued as I mulled over what he said. “Why do you keep flinching away from me like a scared dog?” The crown prince frowned and took a step closer. A dog? I shuddered indignantly at his choice of words and took another step back. I was a little frightened of him. His affection meter was hidden from me, and I had no way of knowing what might happen if I let him get close to me in his current agitated state. The back garden of the manor was well-kept, and there were no random rocks I might accidentally crack my head open on, but there was always a chance that things might still go wrong. I wanted to keep my distance to prevent any unforeseen tragedy that might befall me thanks to this stupid game. “Oh?” Finding it odd that I kept backing away, the crown prince narrowed his eyes at me. He took one huge stride forward, and I suddenly found that I’d run out of room to retreat, my back against the tree line, having reached the end of the garden. The red-eyed man looked odd standing in the middle of the garden—weirdly out of place among the fragile yellow flowers. Alarmed that he kept coming closer, I shouted, “Wh-why do you keep following me?” “Why are you moving away?” I knew it. He’d noticed I wanted to put distance between us and was keeping close on purpose. Persistent bastard. Swallowing the curse words I wanted to say, I mustered the most vulnerable expression I could. “I…I’m very ill, Your Highness.” “Who said otherwise?” “You haven’t…forgotten your promise, have you?” “What promise?” “The promise you made to me in your bedroom. Also, it’s an unwritten rule that you must never hurt the old or sickly, even during war.” He paused, visibly turning this over in his head for a moment, before laughing in disbelief. “Ha! You think I’m such a lunatic that I would have your head over a rumor?” When I remained silent, the crown prince’s expression became stiff. He suddenly raised his arms, revealing his waist. “I didn’t even bring my sword.” “Huh? Oh…” I was a little surprised. He never went anywhere without it, even bringing it to banquets, but today it seemed as if he’d really come without it. I stared at his bare waist and said timidly, “Just because you don’t have a sword doesn’t mean you’re not still dangerous…” “Unlike some people I know, I’m not so fickle as to change my mind in a matter of mere weeks.” I said nothing. “For crying out loud… I don’t know why I’m explaining myself to you.” Flabbergasted, he muttered to himself before asking, “So that’s why you requested such an odd reward? I knew I had reason to be suspicious.” I cleared my throat awkwardly. He’d seen right through me, killing any intention I’d had of reminding him that he had a history of lashing out violently. “What happened at the trial…was unfortunate, Your Highness.” Knowing I’d done wrong by him, I made my excuses. “I truly didn’t see any other way to stop Marquis Ellen and his lot from entrapping me.” “Unfortunate, you say? Ha! The report I received about the whole thing was so ridiculous I couldn’t even be mad.” “Sorry…,” I said quickly, hoping to head off his bad mood before irritation grew into anger. I could only imagine how absurd the situation must seem to him. He’d recovered from a near-death brush with poison, only to find himself publicly rejected by the same girl who had confessed to him all those months ago. Well, at least he didn’t bring his sword with him. That ought to be proof enough that I’m safe from sudden death at his hands. Staring wistfully at his ominous-looking affection bar, which had ceased in its blinking, I tried to see the bright side of things. “Why do you look so glum? You’re still acting as if I came all this way to kill an ailing lady,” he observed with a grin, perhaps misunderstanding my expression. You’re sure that’s not what this is? I gazed at him in wonder, and he glared at me in return. “I sent you a letter requesting to meet so I could tell you the results of the investigation. I also have something to give you.” “That was the reason you sent that threat—I mean…letter?” “Yes. Do you have something you want to say about my letter?” “N-no. Not at all,” I replied quickly. The crown prince removed something from his jacket. “Here. Take it.” I blinked down at the item he’d held out to me. It was a rolled-up scroll made of brown discolored paper and secured with a red ribbon. “What…is this?” “It’s the map of Valta you removed from the skeleton. That is to say, the magic scroll we used to get out of the cave.” “The magic scroll?” “The sorcerers in the palace were able to restore it further.” My eyes widened. Examining it more closely, I realized the parts of the map that had rotted away had somehow been replaced. I had no clue why he was offering it to me, though. “Why give this to me?” “You excavated it, so it belongs to you,” he said, as if it were obvious. “You seem interested in archeology. I instructed that you be sent some material regarding Valta, so you can look through those as well if you so choose.” He looked away awkwardly, avoiding my eyes. I was seized by an odd emotion. Callisto really hadn’t come to kill me. Instead, he’d even given me an unexpected gift. My heart pounded, and I stood silently for a moment, gazing down at the scroll he was still holding out. “What? You don’t want it?” he said finally, running out of patience and waving it about. Only then did I take it with some reluctance. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to have this? This is an important document, isn’t it?” “I had a copy made for my own reference, so no worries,” he responded, so easily that it really seemed as if he had every intention of gifting it to me. I finally relaxed at his reassurance. “But it seems as if you kept it a secret from the duke that you’ve been studying archeology. I truthfully confessed my intention to give you this artifact, but he refused to believe me,” the crown prince commented suddenly, as if it had just occurred to him. I didn’t know what to say. I wasn’t the real Penelope, but it didn’t matter, since the duke likely hadn’t ever taken any notice of his adopted daughter’s interests. “Thank you for the gift…Your Highness,” I said sincerely instead of answering his unspoken question. I carefully hugged the scroll to my chest. It was the best present I’d received since entering this world, and holding it brought a smile to my face. Callisto spoke again. “Hold off on thanking me.” “Huh?” “I have another gift.” Scrunching up his nose, he pulled something else from his jacket. “Here.” This time, it was a white envelope. “What is this?” “Just take it,” he chided me, shaking it. Thinking it was perhaps related to the skeleton we’d found, I took the envelope from him. “Sadly, I can’t offer you Marquis Ellen’s head on a silver platter just yet,” Callisto said, instead of explaining the second gift. “I don’t understand—” “The old devil got off scot-free.” “What?!” I exclaimed, much louder than I’d meant to. Marquis Ellen had obviously been the mastermind behind the assassination attempt. I did everything the stupid quest asked, so why…? “B-but why?” I asked, expression grave. “The marquis pinned the blame on Baron Tulitte, who remains quite out of his mind.” “Ah,” I acknowledged. It occurred to me that the [Token of the Assassins] I’d received as a quest reward hadn’t belonged to Marquis Ellen. “W-wait… Does that mean none of the charges are going to stick?” That’s not fair! That particular series of events had caused me endless trouble, so I struggled to accept that no one would be punished. My discontent must have shown on my face, since the crown prince continued in a consolatory tone, “Don’t be too disappointed.” Unable to believe what I’d just heard, I couldn’t stop my head from shooting up. Callisto wore a slightly awkward expression. “I made sure your revenge was carried out.” “…My revenge?” “That’s right. I beheaded the seven nobles who framed you for attempted murder myself.” He grinned, a chilling smile that showed all his teeth. I felt dizzy. There was something casually cruel about the way he conveyed this, as if he was proud of doing something so awful. On the other hand, the way he spoke of how things had unfolded without seeming all that ruffled about it… It’s almost as if he was expecting this. It was Callisto, not I, who should have been bitterly disappointed that Marquis Ellen had gotten away, but he seemed more worried that I might be upset. He quickly added, “House Kellen was found guilty of being complicit in the incident. They were stripped of their assets and titles and have now been sold into slavery. They avoided execution since there was no proof any of them had taken a direct part in the attack.” “House Kellen?!” Now, this was news I could appreciate. The crown prince regarded my sudden visible pleasure with some interest. He gestured at the envelope with a nod, finally explaining its contents. “Yes. The envelope you hold contains one of their forfeited assets.” “What?” “Do you remember why you were banned from participating in the hunting tournament last year? The so-called ‘crazy chimpanzee with a crossbow’ incident.” “Yes, how could I forget?” I said dryly. The pointed comment didn’t hurt, since I wasn’t the one responsible for the incident. Regardless, I didn’t enjoy the way he’d made sure to bring up the chimpanzee nickname. My displeasure faded as he continued, “Your father gave a diamond mine to Count Kellen in exchange for keeping you from being imprisoned.” “A…d-diamond mine?” My interest was piqued. I had been completely unaware of this particular detail. “You hold in your hands the deed to that very diamond mine,” the crown prince, upon seeing my astonishment, said with a self-satisfied nod. I slowly lowered my gaze to the paper still fisted in my hand, dazed. The white envelope I’d accepted without much thought suddenly felt very heavy. “I also reinvestigated that little incident while I was at it,” the crown prince said, his tone casual as if he were merely commenting on the weather. “…Reinvestigated?” “Yes. I was curious as to what could’ve caused you to lose all reason last year.” Though I hadn’t actually been responsible, I still felt a little laid bare by his heavy stare. “While I was interrogating House Kellen, I was also able to ask Countess Dorothea a few questions. With a bit of pressure, I had her spilling everything she knew.” “Countess…Dorothea?” “Yes. She accompanied Gloria Kellen and testified at the trial,” said the crown prince, nodding lazily. “Apparently, their circle would take turns hosting the tea party at every hunting tournament. Last year the hostess was the Kellen girl, and this year it was Dorothea.” This finally made clear why she’d suddenly invited me to the tea party, despite not being acquainted with me personally. The dim-witted woman apparently had a part in last year’s incident as well. “Why did you go crawling back to that tea party when you knew they were all friendly with each other?” he asked, puzzled. Crawling back? I did nothing of the sort, you jerk! And how could I have known, not being the real Penelope, that they were all in on it together? I felt a rush of indignation, but I stomped it down with some effort. It was a reasonable question from the crown prince’s point of view. “A year had passed since the last hunting tournament… I thought perhaps things might have changed,” I replied vaguely. Callisto stared at me with an expression of genuine surprise. “You’ve made a name for yourself as the most villainous of villains, and yet… You have an unexpectedly innocent side.” “I’m a pacifist. I don’t reach for my sword the moment someone angers me.” Unlike a certain someone. “No, you reach for your crossbow instead.” I clenched my jaw since I had nothing to say to that. Stupid Penelope! In truth, I only knew vague details of what had happened last year. Not that it was necessary to know much else. I could easily guess. Though, I was surprised to learn that the duke had come to an agreement with House Kellen that had ended in handing over the diamond mine. I didn’t really have any interest in discussing things Penelope had done before I’d arrived, forcing myself to deal with the aftermath of her actions. The crown prince, unaware of my feelings, however, continued to relay the details of the previous year’s event. “Gloria Kellen bribed two guards and had them wait in the vicinity of the tea party with the express purpose of getting you in trouble. Were you aware?” “B-bribed?” I said, eyes wide. The girl had paid the guards just to mess with Penelope? She went to pretty incredible lengths, I’ll give her that. I wondered why she hadn’t tried something similar this time around, but I felt as if I already knew the answer to that particular question—she likely hadn’t anticipated that I’d attend at all after what had happened last time. Since I was so obviously clueless, the crown prince continued relaying the story. “And then they served you that tea that was made from mosquitoes brewed in water and mocked you—saying it was the perfect drink for the likes of you.” “Mo—” Mosquitoes?! I only barely kept myself from screaming. Since he was now recounting Penelope’s experience, it would have been very odd if I acted as if I was hearing it for the first time. But seriously, bug tea?! That’s taking it too far! I realized that the same thing had happened to me this time. Countess Dorothea had given me a cup of stinky yellow tea. I’d put it down after only pretending to take a sip, and it was a good thing I had or they’d have gotten me again. Those beeyotches. I should have just shot all of them! I ground my teeth together, regretting that I hadn’t fired when I had the chance. The crown prince was describing events I could easily see the seventeen-year-old Penelope becoming infuriated by. “You had every right to be furious,” Callisto said, peering at me with some amusement, seemingly thinking along the same lines. “It must’ve been pretty incredible, though—you offered to shoot a mosquito or two into the Kellen girl’s open mouth right then and there, I heard. The rumors were right—you’re one of a kind, truly.” The crown prince clapped slowly, wearing an expression of wonder. I scowled. “You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?” “I would never. It’s a compliment. If you just endure things quietly, it’s only you who will suffer.” It didn’t feel as if he was paying me a compliment at all. Disturbingly, though, it felt as if we were on the same wavelength for a moment. “Did you not explain to the duke the details of what happened back then?” he asked abruptly. “What do you mean?” “You didn’t tell him about the mosquito tea,” he said. “If you had, the duke wouldn’t have given them a diamond mine. Since you weren’t the only one at fault, the matter might have been settled with a sapphire mine instead.” Callisto seemed to be asking a genuine question rather than mocking me, and I was at a loss. I had no idea why Penelope had acted the way she had, since the game hadn’t covered this whole mess. Did she really not tell the duke? Considering the outrageous dialogue choices provided in Hard Mode, however, I had a hard time picturing Penelope remaining silent. She would have raised hell, endlessly complaining about the women who’d dared to give her insect tea. I decided to believe that Penelope had gotten it in her head to behave like a “kind heroine” for once and said nothing. If she had told the duke and it hadn’t changed anything, that would be just too sad. “I…didn’t think he would believe me,” I said at last. Without realizing it, I found myself stroking one of my cheeks in an act of self-soothing. I noticed my own actions only when I caught sight of the crown prince’s unreadable gaze and lowered my hand, embarrassed. “There were many of them and only one of me. I was also famously not on my best behavior at that time,” I said with a shrug, trying to project nonchalance. I braced myself for Callisto to mock me mercilessly, the twisted smirk he was wearing only making it seem inevitable. “That makes sense, considering the kind of man your father is,” he said—to my great surprise, he wasn’t making fun of me. “He’s not too different from my own father.” Callisto laughed fiercely, though strangely his expression was strangely melancholy. I didn’t want to relive the uncomfortable sensation that was my heart pounding for no good reason, so I quickly changed the subject. “But…why are you giving this to me?” I said, lifting the white envelope slightly. “It belonged to my father.” “It’s mine to do with what I will, so I can give it to whomever I desire,” he replied sulkily. Meaning he had no intention of giving it to the duke. I hesitated, then held the document out for him to take back. “It’s too much for me to accept. I’ll just take the scroll, with many thanks.” I didn’t have it in me to snatch up the diamond mine as if it were my lucky break, since it was paid for with the shame, dishonor, and tears that Penelope of last year had suffered. I couldn’t accept it as if all of that meant nothing. Callisto raised one elegant eyebrow skeptically. “How out of character.” “Huh? I don’t understand—” “You said you liked luxurious things. With that mine in hand, you’ll have all the gems you could ever want,” the crown prince said with a scoff. I frowned at him in confusion before abruptly recalling our conversation in the cave. —“You have to appreciate a person who looks wealthy, you know.” —“I’ve always liked precious stones and the like. Gold, too, of course.” I cringed at the mortifying memory. “Stop talking all this nonsense about me killing you. Just take it and say thank you. Think of it as your reward for saving the crown prince’s life.” He swept closer, quickly snatching up my hand. <SYSTEM> Would you like to check the affection of [Callisto]? [2,000,000 Gold / 200 Reputation] The unexpected contact summoned the white notification window above his head. I stared absently at it, and he closed his hands over mine, tightening my hold on the envelope. “Take it and try putting a smile on that face, hmm? You look like you’ve just stepped in dog shit every time you see me.” “D-dog shit?” I cried, repulsed by his vulgar language. Though I hadn’t planned on it, I intended to take advantage of the situation by peeking at his affection while I had the chance. Suddenly, I heard a quiet rustling sound from nearby in the garden. I turned my head automatically toward the thick brush that came up against the path to the training field. I caught a glimpse of someone vanishing into the cover of the trees and instantly recognized the silhouette. “Eckles?” I muttered under my breath. Though the person had disappeared before I could get a good look, I was sure I’d seen a flash of his gray-brown hair. Why was Eckles here? He should have been in training at this hour. I tilted my head, wondering if I was mistaken. “One of the manor’s servants?” Callisto asked. “What? Oh…” Hearing his question, I came to my senses. Returning my attention to him, I saw that his red eyes were narrowed as he glared into the empty forest. “Seems so,” I answered quickly, making sure to sound as if I didn’t care. His gaze traveled back to my face. “By the way…,” he said, gripping my hands tightly with an odd expression. “I guess learning to act is a basic skill among the aristocracy these days?” “What? Learning to act?” Perplexed by the crown prince’s strange comment, it hit me all at once that he was still holding my hand. I was sure I’d kept plenty of distance between us, but somehow he was standing right next to me. Alarm bells began ringing in my mind. “I—I should get back inside. Thank you for your kind gifts, Your Highness.” I glanced at the red gauge over his head before attempting to make a hasty retreat again. However, the crown prince suddenly released his hold on my hands and instead cupped both of my cheeks between his palms. “Eek!” I cried, struggling to get away. “Wh-what are you doing…? Why are you touching me?” “Keep still for a second,” he ordered, bringing his face close to mine. His red eyes were mere centimeters from my own. My body tensed, going stiff as a board. As he came closer, a strange urge to close my eyes came over me. I was about to give in to it when his warm touch brushed against the corners of my eyes. “Take care of yourself,” Callisto murmured quietly, staring down at me intently. “If you get sick, me sacrificing myself to save you will have been in vain.” I felt the warmth of his thumbs as they gently brushed the skin of my cheeks as if wiping away nonexistent tears. I stopped breathing. My mind went completely blank. I couldn’t comprehend why he was acting this way out of nowhere. “You should head back in now.” After several strokes of my cheek, he finally let go of me with an arrogant toss of his head. It was only after I had turned away from him that I felt able to breathe again. My head was in complete shambles for the entire journey back to my room. Why the hell did he do that? He’d shocked me so badly, my heart rate still hadn’t settled down. In fact, I’d had to pause to take a deep, calming breath several times. My cheeks felt hot as if he were still caressing them. It was similar to how it might feel to press a hot-water bottle against my face during winter. Feeling out of sorts, I ran my fingers over the spots of warmth on my face as I made my way up the central staircase. I encountered a group of servants who had just finished their cleaning for the day, and they paused to greet me before suddenly freezing, seemingly in shock. All of them then recoiled with a gasp or a shriek and hurried away. Huh? I tilted my head to the side. The servants of the household often reacted negatively to my presence, so I decided not to think much of it. After making my way up the remaining stairs, I threw my door open and entered my bedroom. Emily, who had been making my bed, turned after hearing me come in. “Welcome back, Mi— Good gracious!” she exclaimed when she saw my face. I spun around, wondering if she’d seen a spider or something. “Wh-what? What’s the matter?” “P-please look in the mirror. Quickly!” Emily rushed over and began pushing me toward the bathroom. Bewildered, I went inside and encountered a zombie staring back at me from the mirror. “Whoa! What the hell?!” I screamed, thrusting my face closer to the mirror to get a better look. The fake dark circles under my eyes, which had been applied in such a way as to make me appear tired and ill, had smeared down my cheeks. In addition, the several layers of powder meant to make me look ashen had rubbed off in some places. It almost looked as if my skin were melting away, perfectly accompanied by the dark eyeliner running down my cheeks. What with the pale nightgown I was wearing to look the part of an ailing young woman, I really looked like a walking corpse. “When did this happen?” I wondered, appalled by my reflection. Then a flash of realization hit me. The crown prince had been swiping at the area under my eyes for seemingly no reason. —“I guess learning to act is a basic skill among the aristocracy these days?” Th-that bastard! It had been him. He’d realized I was wearing makeup and ruined it on purpose. Furious, I was ashamed of myself for letting him get under my skin, however briefly. “Callisto Regulus, you psycho!” Muffled, unintelligible screams could be heard from Penelope’s room for the rest of the afternoon. It took me a few days to remember one little detail that my overwhelming rage directed at the crown prince had pushed from my mind. “What? He hasn’t been attending training?” I said, staring blankly at the butler who’d come to me with news about Eckles so early in the morning. “No. The knight who shares a room with him says he hasn’t left his room for several days now.” “But…why?” “I’m not entirely sure, Miss,” he replied. It was probably asking too much to expect him to know, since he had probably only just been informed himself. “And…does my eldest brother know about this yet?” “No, he does not.” Since that had been what I was most worried about, I was relieved. It had been beyond generous of my brother to even allow Eckles to train with the Eckhart knights despite being a slave. If Derrick, the captain of the knights, learned that he had missed training without permission, there was a very good chance he would be kicked out of the manor entirely. But why would he do something like this? I couldn’t understand it. Until now, Eckles hadn’t missed a single session. I’d been so proud of his diligence and thankful he’d stayed out of trouble that I’d gifted him all those wooden swords, among other things. “Come to think of it, did you give Eckles the clothes?” I recalled that the winter clothes I’d ordered for Eckles had recently been finished. “Yes. As you requested, I gave them to him during a break in training, while the other knights were watching.” “Really? Well done.” “However…,” the butler continued, hesitating. “I was informed that he hasn’t even opened the chest yet.” “What?” I exclaimed, shocked. He hasn’t even bothered to look at the gifts I gave him? This was even more alarming than his missing training. What is going on here? At that moment, the memory I’d cast aside came suddenly to mind. During my meeting with the crown prince in the back garden several days ago, someone had scurried into the forest. Seems as though that was really Eckles. I scowled at the thought. “Pennel… You know where the quarters for the knights-in-training are, correct?” “Yes. They’re near the training field…” “Take me there,” I said, rising quickly to my feet. “I need to see Eckles right away.” The dormitory was situated in the forest near the training field. As I approached, I found that there was no one to be seen outside the building, probably because it was currently training time. “This way, Miss,” the butler said, guiding me toward the entrance. Inside, I was greeted by a clean, narrow corridor and a staircase. The building was quite nice, considering it had been assigned to the lowest-ranking knights-in-training. But perhaps I’d gotten too used to the palace and the luxurious manor after finding myself in this world, since the comparatively shabby building looked uncomfortable to me somehow. “What floor is his room on?” I asked. “The fourth.” The butler led me through the building. I’d followed him up several flights of stairs when I heard an unfamiliar voice. “Holy shit… These must have been so expensive.” Only one flight of stairs remained, but we paused upon hearing the crude language drifting down from above. “Damned slave has all the luck, huh?” “That crazy wench is head over heels in love with him, I hear. Last time she bought him all those crates full of weapons…” It seemed as if four or five knights-in-training had skipped training for the day and were sitting around chatting. It was obvious they were talking about Eckles and me. “Hey, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for him. I hear good-looking slaves have to serve their masters in bed. Think about how hard it must be for him to please that psycho every night.” The others burst into raucous laughter, unaware that the very person they were mocking could hear every word. I felt the butler’s eyes on me, his face deathly pale. I calmly moved past him and ascended the final few stairs. The four scumbags were standing in front of a door only a short distance from the stairs, crowded around a large chest and pawing through the thick fur clothes inside—my gifts for Eckles. “If you’re envious of him, perhaps start taking better care of your own appearances? By the look of you fools, I doubt you could please a woman even if you were paying for her,” I said coolly. Their laughter died instantly upon hearing my voice. “What the—?!” one of them gasped. Their eyes widened in horror when they saw me, amusement wiped clean from their faces. I found their reactions wearisome and boring. “Ah, but I suppose there’s not much to be done about the unfortunate faces you were born with.” I tilted my head slightly. “Why don’t I have something done about your predicament with magic? Just say the word. Nobody’s going to blame the mad dog for biting your hideous mugs.” “M-Miss…,” Pennel said from behind me. “You heard, right?” I said, giving the butler a nasty smile as he rushed up the stairs. “Memorize these morons’ faces and send them to my eldest brother. And be sure to tell him everything they said. Don’t omit a single word.” These are the consequences of your actions come knocking, Derrick. “…Yes, Miss.” The butler bowed deeply with a scowl. “B-butler, sir!” The knights’ mouths fell open as they watched the butler bow so low his nose almost met the floor. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they scrambled toward me. “Th-this is all just a misunderstanding! It’s not what it sounded like…” The corridor was suddenly full, the large men approaching me all at once. I’d been about to go directly to Eckles’s room but, finding my path blocked, scowled. Seeing my irritation, the butler hurried to stand in front of me, preventing them from getting near. “Don’t come any closer! Stand down! Have a care for our Lady Penelope’s safety.” “We were just talking about—” One of them tried to stutter an excuse. The butler only silently shook his head. They changed strategies, turning to me instead. “M-Miss! We’ll explain everything. All of it—” “Get lost.” I glared coldly at the man standing directly in my way, urging him silently to move. “You smell vile, and I don’t want to waste my breath on you.” “M-Miss…” “What? Would you prefer a public choking, like the last knight who insulted me?” In moments like this, Penelope really did seem like the most fearsome villain in the game—there was just something about her that intimidated people. The gigantic man flinched and backed away instantly upon seeing the cruel grin that accompanied my threat. The knights hesitated for a moment before moving aside one by one, peeling off to either side of the corridor since I was standing in the middle of the path. For a moment, I stared down at the chest of gifts that the knights-in-training had ruined, then nodded sharply at the butler, who hurried to knock at Eckles’s door. “Listen here, Eckles,” he said. “It’s me, the butler. I have something I wish to talk to you about. Would you please open the door?” The butler knocked several times but received no answer. He returned to my side with a troubled expression, having failed to coerce Eckles to come out. “I think he’s inside, but… Should I go get the key, Miss?” I considered this for a moment, then shook my head. Ugh. He can be quite difficult when he wants to be. If it had really been Eckles I’d seen in the back garden, it spelled trouble for me in more ways than one. I passed the butler and came to a stop in front of the door. I knocked softly. “It’s me, Eckles. Open the door please?” There was no response even though I was the one calling to him. After waiting for a long moment, I finally said, “I came because I was worried about you. Would you prefer it if I just left?” If there was no response, I intended to leave. Forcing the door open would only serve to make his affection drop. I waited for another long moment, then made to leave. At that precise moment, there was a quiet noise from beyond the thin, shabby door. Then I heard it slowly creak open. Pausing, I swiveled back around and noticed that the door was cracked open so minutely that only my hand would be able to pass inside. He seemed to have drawn the curtains closed, since the room was dark even though it was the middle of the day. I turned to the butler. “Take those idiots to my brother. Then you can go about your usual business.” “But, Miss, it’s not proper for you to be alone…,” the butler said, his face lined with worry. He was trying to say that he couldn’t leave the duke’s daughter alone in a building full of men, no matter how low their station was. “I won’t stay long. You don’t need to worry.” “In that case, I’ll return after I’m done and wait in front of the building.” “If it pleases you. Go on, then,” I said with a nod. The butler bowed and hurried down the stairs. Eckles disappeared farther into the room, and I reached out, slowly opening the door. It creaked as it swung open on rusty hinges. As I’d guessed, the curtains were closed, leaving the room dark. However, the old curtains were full of holes, allowing a small amount of light to trickle inside and making it possible for me to see my surroundings without too much trouble. I paused in the doorway, inspecting the room. There were two beds and a table between them, the only furnishings in the tiny chamber—making it easy for me to find my sulking love interest. “Eckles…,” I said in a low whisper, taking a step inside. The bed near the window was occupied by a mound under a blanket. I faltered, noticing the random flowers scattered around his bed, on the table, and on the floor. They were starting to wilt but had filled the room with a nice scent that was beginning to take on a musty quality. Avoiding the flowers, I sat on the edge of the bed carefully. Placing my hand gently on the human-shaped mound under the blanket, I said, “You won’t even show your mistress your face?” I grew more worried when he didn’t respond, and I shook him slightly. “Are you ill?” “…” “Eckles,” I called. He didn’t budge, refusing to remove the sheets he’d pulled tightly over his head. Don’t tell me he missed training because he’s sick and can’t speak. I rose to my feet as the idea occurred to me. “This won’t do. I’ll go call a physician. Give me just a moment—” I made to hurry from the room when I suddenly felt a weak tug at my skirt. I came to a stop. Turning, I found his arm sticking out from under the sheets and gripping the hem of my dress. “Don’t…go. Just stay with me, Mistress.” A strained-sounding voice came from under the blanket. This is the first time I’ve ever heard him sound so weak. I stared down at his hand bunching my skirt and returned to sit on the bed. Though I had no intention of leaving, he didn’t let go of the death grip he had on my dress. I reached out and placed my hand not on the sheets this time, but on the hand that had prevented me from leaving. I wanted to check if he was running a fever. <SYSTEM> Would you like to check the affection of [Eckles]? [8,000,000 Gold / 200 Reputation] The white text of the notification appeared as soon as my hand came in contact with his. I wanted to check his affection, but the sheets were hiding the gauge from sight. I decided to leave that for another time. He didn’t seem to have caught a cold, thankfully, since the warmth of his hand felt normal. “Why aren’t you attending training? I’m worried about you,” I said, speaking in a purposely tender tone. The male protagonist I’d placed all my hopes of escaping in was very upset. Thankfully, he answered immediately this time. It wasn’t the response I was hoping for, however. “You’re…really worried about me? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?” My eyes widened at the hard edge in his voice. I considered what to say for a moment, stroking the back of his hand gently. “…Would I have come all this way to visit you if I wasn’t worried?” “That day…,” he started. “You saw me, and yet you didn’t come to see me.” So it had been Eckles I’d seen through the trees. I scrambled to think of an excuse, still unsure what exactly had upset him. “Something came up, so I couldn’t visit right away. Were you…there to see me?” I asked, the reason why he was sulking clicking into place as I talked it through. He came to the mansion expecting to get some time with me and got upset when he found me with the crown prince instead. This was technically the world of a dating sim, after all, and my goal was to raise the affections of the people around me. Seeing as his affection had been 86 percent the last time I’d checked, it seemed Eckles had started to catch feelings. He likes me? I was surprised at this belated realization. I’d been so busy trying to raise his affection that I’d never stopped to consider what that meant to Eckles. Does the dark red signify that he has romantic feelings for me, then? I tilted my head, wondering what color Eckles’s affection bar was now. Realizing I’d paused too long, I quickly said, “If you came to see me, I should have put everything else to the side and went to you straightaway.” As intended, my words were delivered gently and with great affection. I had to make my love interest feel better. “I couldn’t keep the chest in my room. It was frustrating,” Eckles suddenly murmured. “Huh?” I said, confused. Then I understood what he meant. My gifts had been left outside in the corridor because they contained many bulky winter clothes, and the chest itself was very large. It wouldn’t fit inside this small room. “Mistress likes to see me happy when I receive gifts.” “…” “S-so I wanted to go and thank you…” Eckles’s words were muddled. He slowly removed the blanket from over his head, stuttering through his murmured confession. His pale, pretty face, reminiscent of a porcelain doll’s, was finally visible to me in the faint light seeping through the old curtains. As he spoke, he reached out to me with the hand he’d had hidden under the blanket. He was holding wilted flowers, their petals starting to turn brown. They’d been worked into something that resembled a small crown. “This…is all I have to offer to you in return.” “Ah…” I finally remembered why the flowers were familiar. They were the white wildflowers from the greenhouse where we’d met a few days ago when it had been drizzling outside. I looked up at Eckles’s face, which was now fully visible. My brain promptly ceased to function. I gaped, unable to believe what I was seeing. It wasn’t because Eckles had wanted to give me a wreath of wildflowers. “That man… Who was he? What did he give you that made you smile so brightly?” His eyes, the color of ash, were damp with tears. I’d never seen his gray-brown eyes churning with such intense emotion before. Glistening tears flowed down his cheeks, though Eckles’s face was as expressionless as ever. It was as though he was incapable of emoting, making it difficult to immediately notice that he was even crying. “Eckles…” Tears seemed so out of place on his doll-like face. I stared blankly at the strange sight but finally managed to find words with some difficulty. “Are you…crying?” I asked, my voice shaking slightly, betraying my disbelief. Eckles didn’t so much as breathe, just stared at me, tears steadily dripping down his face. The dark-red affection bar above his head, however, blinked precariously. My heart lurched in alarm, and I reacted immediately, bringing a hand to his cheek. “Don’t cry, Eckles. Why are you crying?” I tried to console him, talking to him as I would a child as I wiped away the tears streaming down his face. At the same time, I selected the [8,000,000 Gold] button in the notification window. Soon the words [Check Affection] next to the bar shifted to display a number. [Affection: 84%] Huh? I gasped at the sight of the white numbers. Wh-why? Why 84 percent? My thoughts were suddenly thrown into a confusing jumble. The last time I’d checked, when we were in the greenhouse, his score had been at 86 percent. I remembered it perfectly. But somehow, for the first time, Eckles’s affection had gone down. “Tell me…,” he said as I stared at him, pausing in my attempt to dry his face. “Who is he?” There was tightly repressed emotion in his voice that jerked me back to my senses. “He…is the crown prince,” I said, telling him the truth without even thinking about it. Eckles’s gaze wavered. “The crown prince?” “Yes.” His expression finally twisted into something strange, emotion surfacing where it hadn’t even when he was crying. I immediately understood why—the crown prince was responsible for the downfall of his home country. “He had something to give me, which was why he stopped by the manor. I was accepting his gift when you saw me.” “What did he give you?” Eckles asked quickly, barely letting me finish getting the words out of my mouth. “He gave me an ancient artifact that was being stored at the palace, as well as some documents about it,” I replied. I didn’t tell him about the diamond mine, since there was nothing to be gained from bringing it up. Still, further explanation was probably needed if he was going to accept what I was saying. “I was allowed to request something from him because I won the hunting tournament.” “But why did that man bring it to you himself, instead of sending an attendant?” Eckles didn’t seem willing to take me at my word, though. More importantly, even though he knew that Callisto was the crown prince, he continued to refer to him disrespectfully as “that man.” “Eckles,” I cried, dumbfounded. Anything further I had to say on the matter was stymied by the look that met me when I met his eyes. They were boring right into me, making me instinctively flinch. There was something creepy about the way he was staring at me without blinking. I contemplated for a moment what I should tell him, before hesitantly settling on “I was…ill.” I could think of no better excuse at that moment, and it seemed I had chosen correctly, because his reaction was exactly as I’d expected. Eckles’s eyes slowly went wide with shock. “You were ill?” “That’s why I couldn’t go to the palace myself. His Highness came to the manor since he had some business to take care of here anyway.” “…” “I didn’t want to tell you this, but that’s why I couldn’t come to see you right away.” His insistent questioning finally ceased. Eckles seemed to struggle to find words. His lips moved without sound as if he wasn’t sure what to say, before he finally said in a whisper, “Were you…very ill?” “I think I might have strained my body a little too much during the hunting tournament. I was out with a terrible cold. I couldn’t even get out of bed.” I had no idea how I was able to look him in the eye as I told these lies without even blinking. His hand jerked under mine. “Why…?” he said, more and more tears running down his face. “Why doesn’t my mistress ever…?” “…” “Why have you never once told me anything?” he finally asked. “Eckles, that’s because—” “You could have sent someone, the butler, anyone, to let me know.” Contrary to his impassive expression, his voice was thick with pain. I found I had nothing to say in response to this. He seemed to reach some kind of conclusion based on my silence, clenching his fist around the wilted wreath. “I—I guess that’s just how insignificant I am to you—” “Shh… Don’t jump to conclusions,” I said, trying to appease him. “How would it look if I showed up sick after I promised I would come back with first place and lots of nice gifts for you, hmm?” “…” “And don’t crush my gift.” I took my hand, damp with Eckles’s tears, and placed it over the hand fisted around the wreath. “You’ll ruin it.” “The flowers are already wilting, so it’s worthless now. Just throw it away—” “It’s my gift, so I’ll decide what to do with it,” I said, stopping Eckles from trying to hide the wreath behind his back. I pried his hand open. Though he could have easily pushed me away if he’d really wanted to, he just let go as though he had no other choice. Cute. I inwardly sighed in relief, sensing that his mood had improved somewhat. I finally succeeded in wrestling the white flowers from his hand, though half of them had been crushed thanks to how hard he’d been clutching them. If the stems had been slightly weaker, the wreath would have already crumbled apart by now. I clicked my tongue disapprovingly and cradled the fragile crown with care. Slowly lifting it to my head, ignoring how wilted and crushed the flowers were, I nestled it over my hair. “What do you think? Does it look good on me?” I said, smiling as brightly as I could. He’d seen me smiling when I took the scroll from Callisto, after all. Eckles only stared at me silently. “You don’t like it?” I asked, tilting my head. He shook his head slowly after a long pause. “I do… You’re…so beautiful, my mistress,” he murmured softly. His damp ash-colored eyes resembled roiling storm clouds for a moment. I wanted to confirm that I was reading the emotion in his gaze correctly but was distracted by the dark-red affection bar. He paid me a compliment, so it shouldn’t have gone down, surely. Thinking of the 2 percent drop, I made sure my gentle smile reached my eyes as I looked at him. “I’m happy to hear that. Thank you.” “…” “Did I say already that these are my favorite flowers?” I asked casually, pretending not to remember our conversation about it. Eckles shyly lowered his gaze, and though he didn’t reply, I could see that his cheeks had gone a light pink. My smile widened as I spoke. “Since you gave me a gift, I should return the favor. Do you need anything?” He would usually just shake his head in response to such a question, or cheekily enough, he would ask me to visit more often to try to bolster his fragile position among the knights. But today, he had a different response. “I…I want to be your one and only knight.” “What do you mean by that?” I asked, slowly looking him over. I’d failed to notice what he was wearing, so distracted was I by his tears. He’s wearing it all the time? Even when he’s sleeping? When I’d given him the ivory necklace, I hadn’t known that he would never take it off, even in his own room. I stared at the ornate necklace, which contrasted so strongly with his scruffy clothing, and finally settled on saying: “You’re already my knight. And you’re the only warrior I have.” “…” “If that wasn’t the case, why would I have brought you all my game from the tournament?” I purposely phrased what I was saying ambiguously, perhaps implying I was trying to court him, with a smile. He followed my gaze to where it was resting on the necklace, glancing down at it. “I don’t need gifts, Mistress. You don’t need to give me anything.” “What?” I exclaimed, taken aback. He had pressed his lips against the necklace when I’d first given it to him, and I’d gained a lot of affection points. His affection had always risen whenever I’d spoiled him with my riches with gifts. I also found it extremely satisfying. Naturally, I’d assumed that Eckles felt the same way. However, the way he was talking about it now made it seem as though I’d been forcing unwanted presents on him. “What is it that you do want, then?” I asked urgently, anxious. Had I missed something? “I…” He hesitated before finally looking me straight in the eye. “I want someone to teach me how to fight with the sword, Mistress.” “Someone…to teach you?” I repeated, blinking slowly. It wasn’t a request I’d been expecting. “But you said you had no need for a real sword.” When I’d learned that he was being bullied by the other knights, I’d bought him a bunch of wooden swords and training equipment so that the knights couldn’t look down on him. —“Mistress, this is already enough.” —“I don’t think I’d get to use a real sword.” —“A slave…cannot be made a true knight. So…the wooden swords are enough.” At that point in time, Eckles hadn’t seemed all that interested in learning how to fight with a sword. His only objective appeared to be surviving life at the manor. —“If you truly want to help, you should turn the other way. I’m doing just fine.” Despite this, I’d given him the ancient magic sword to win his favor, for my own safety more than anything. He’d appeared to have no particular loyalty or affection for me, which had made me nervous. His quiet voice pulled me from my thoughts. “I did feel that way, but I’ve changed my mind.” Eckles’s damp eyes met my own, his voice firm. “If things remain as they are, I will continue to fall behind in training, never mind being able to carry out my mistress’s command. I need someone to teach me.” My command? I was unsure for a moment what he meant but soon realized. “I’ll work hard until my sword can be helpful to you.” “Eckles, what I meant was—” “It doesn’t matter if I remain a slave,” he interrupted as I tried to make excuses, pleading now. “I just want to be able to use the sword you gave me. You’ll allow me that much…right?” he asked, his eyes shining oddly. The way he was looking at me made me uncomfortable. He’s changed. When did that happen? Eckles had always been expressionless and dry-eyed, but recently he’d begun showing flashes of emotion I couldn’t make sense of. What’s more, it came as a shock to me that he was making such a direct request, even though he’d shown no desire for anything before now. I scrambled to make sense of the situation. His affection, which had risen consistently from the start, had fallen for the first time. I had to abandon the idea that the heroine would come and take care of this problem for me. “Then you won’t miss any more training?” I asked, remembering why I’d come in the first place. I held out my pinkie. He looked at me with large, surprised eyes. “Promise me.” “…” “Promise you won’t miss any more training.” And promise me you’ll stay put until I’m able to make my escape. Eckles stared at the hand I was holding out to him. He wrapped his own pinkie around mine, muttering bashfully while staring at the floor, “I promise…” His palm was much bigger and his fingers much longer than mine. Feeling his warm hand envelop mine, I nodded gravely. “All right. If a teacher’s what you want, then a teacher is what you’ll get,” I declared, even though I wasn’t sure it was even possible. I wasn’t stupid enough to admit that the knights were beyond my influence to a love interest whose affection was dropping. <SYSTEM> You have paid [10,000,000 Gold] to view the affection of [Eckles]. (Remaining: 70,000,000 Gold) I gave him my brightest smile. “So no more tears, okay?” [Affection: 88%] Only 12 percent remaining. Whatever it is he wants, giving it to him is my only option. I was quietly walking out of the building, lost in thought, when someone called out to me as I passed through the entrance. “Miss.” “Ah, Pennel.” “Did your conversation go well?” “Yes…I suppose it did. What about the knights?” I asked, changing the subject. “I did as you instructed.” “Really? Well done.” I’d only done it to spite the knights-in-training—I didn’t actually expect much to come of it. Derrick hadn’t witnessed what had happened himself and wouldn’t take my word for it. And even if he did, all he’ll do is make them train a few extra hours or something. Casting the matter aside, I started making my way back to the manor, when the butler spoke again. “Actually…” “Hmm?” “The young lord said he would like to speak with you briefly regarding the events from earlier.” I certainly hadn’t been expecting that. “My brother said that?” I asked dubiously, thinking about the unexpected request. I hadn’t had time to organize my thoughts yet, but it was probably best to get meeting Derrick out of the way, while the incident was still fresh. I nodded to the butler. “Let’s go see him now.” The office Derrick used was located on the opposite side of the manor from the Duke’s, on the west side. I followed the butler, glancing around me. I had never been in this part of the manor before, and the surroundings were unfamiliar. The butler soon came to a stop in front of a large set of antique doors and knocked twice. “Young Lord. Lady Penelope is here to see you.” “Send her in.” The door creaked as the older man pushed it open. I entered, slightly nervous. I’d seen his office a few times in the game’s illustrations, but it felt very strange seeing it in person for the first time. The room was furnished with the bare minimum, restrained in design, reflecting the cold personality of its owner. I’d already finished inspecting the room by the time I came to an abrupt stop just inside the doorway. What in the world is that? The bright midday sun was pouring in through the large set of windows, and in front of them sat a beautifully crafted birdcage that seemed at odds with the office’s austere vibe. The cage housed the brightest bird I’d ever seen. It chirped loudly and fluttered its wings at me from its perch. At the same time, a few feathers fluttered to the floor. They were quite beautiful, like azaleas floating in the breeze. He’s raising a pet? It seemed as if he had an eye for beauty that was quite at odds with his terrible temper. I turned away from the dark-pink bird in the cage and noticed Derrick’s frigid blue gaze locked on me. The bird’s owner was sitting behind a desk piled high with documents, quietly watching me approach. That’s right—I don’t think I’ve seen him since we had lunch after the hunting tournament. His affection bar was still orange, but I didn’t really care. I paused a little away from the desk, and an icy silence fell over the room. However, since I was younger, I resisted the urge to defy him and bowed. “You wanted to see me?” He nodded. The way we spoke to one another was much too cold and impersonal to be a greeting between siblings. “Sit down for a moment. I still have work left to do. We can talk when I’m done,” Derrick said, indicating the coffee table behind me with his chin. The table was located in front of the large window, near where the cage was hung. I didn’t like that he was asking me to wait after calling me here in the first place, but I complied without comment. I wanted to take a closer look at the bird anyway. The bird chirped and cooed, flapping its wings again when it saw me approaching, warning me away. I didn’t go any closer, instead choosing to sit on the sofa in front of the cage and watch. The bird was unidentifiable to me and had a long, voluminous dark-pink tail that was shaped like that of a nine-tailed fox. Though it was a bird, it was strangely graceful. That wasn’t all that was strange about the animal, though—whenever it moved, its body seemed to glitter. Huh? Upon closer inspection, I noticed that its beak, claws, and even its eyes were peculiar, not just its feathers. They shone in a rainbow of colors, reflecting the sunlight like a diamond. Wow. That is so cool. By far its most magnificent feature was its pretty, gem-like eyes. I was staring, mesmerized, when an arm appeared in my field of vision, accompanied by the clink of china. “Would you like some tea?” A teacup was placed directly in front of me on the table. I jerked my head up and saw Derrick straighten and circle around the sofa to the opposite side of the table. “No,” I replied quickly, despite his courteous offer. I didn’t want to waste time having tea with him. Derrick, seated opposite me now, hesitated a moment hearing my firm refusal. He nodded nonchalantly and poured some tea into his own cup. The trickle of liquid was loud in the quiet room, steam wafting from the red tea. I wondered if he’d brewed it recently, or if he just always kept hot tea on hand. He placed the pot down and addressed me. “I heard you had another altercation with the knights.” “Yes,” I said, nodding. “I’m sure the butler informed you already, but I didn’t start anything. And I did nothing to retaliate, either.” I didn’t like that it sounded as if I was making excuses. In the past, however, I’d always found myself blamed for everything, so there was nothing to be done about it. It was important that I had the first word anyhow, if I wanted to accomplish my objective. I forced myself to continue speaking. “It also looked as if they were skipping training.” “…” “Since events might become distorted later, I’m letting you know ahead of time—” “That’s enough,” he said, suddenly raising his hand. “What punishment do you want?” “Punishment…?” “Yes,” Derrick said, nodding indifferently. “Not only were they absent from training without permission, but they also belittled you.” “…” “I’ll see to it that your demands are met in any way that’s within my power. So tell me what punishment I should give them.” I stared at him, surprised. Since when did you care about what I wanted? If I were the real Penelope, I might have thrown a fit right then and there, demanding, “Off with their heads!” But I had no intention of acting that way. There was no way of knowing how many times more we’d find ourselves in this exact situation. Besides, all I wanted to do was work all of this to my advantage. “What does my opinion matter? Just let it go.” “What?” “It was only words. No big deal. People don’t think too highly of me,” I commented offhandedly, shrugging. “…” Derrick’s expression hardened. After a moment’s heavy silence, he said gravely, “You must have heard that I had the last man who spoke ill of you, Mark, sent away.” “Yes. I heard,” I replied with an easy nod. Not wanting to sound as if I didn’t care, I added softly, “Doing so didn’t seem to have changed their attitudes, unfortunately. Of course, most of the blame lies with my previous poor behavior.” Derrick said nothing. It was almost as if his expressionless mask wavered for a moment, though that couldn’t possibly be the case. I ignored it, choosing to get to the point. “You don’t need to punish the knights. Instead, I have a favor to ask.” “What is it?” “Please assign Eckles a swordmaster.” “What?” Derrick frowned, clearly not expecting such a request. “A slave will never be a knight. Surely you know that.” “Perhaps he will never be an official knight, but he is supposed to protect me. I can’t have him lagging behind in his training.” “Ah yes, your personal guard.” He set his teacup down with a loud clink. “I’ve been wanting to speak to you about the way you treat that slave of yours.” “What did you wish to speak about?” “You’ve had your fun. It’s high time you pick a real knight and have him escort you.” “Excuse me?” “I selected a few skilled men from the First Division who would be well suited to the position.” I was shocked at the sudden change in topic. I asked for a tutor for Eckles, but he’s suddenly talking about assigning me a knight? Derrick continued assuredly, as though it had already been decided. “I’ll send you a list of their details through the butler. Look through them and pick whichever ones you like—” “Wait, wait one moment, Young Lord,” I said, interrupting. “What do you mean, ‘fun’? I already have a personal guard, and it’s Eckles.” My answer seemed to displease him. “The way I see it, you’ve rewarded him more than enough for his help during the festival.” “Rewarded him how?” “I stayed silent while you coddled him, and despite the fact that no slave deserves to receive such things, I allowed him all the gifts you gave him.” I stared and was at a loss for words. Somehow I was shocked that my desperate attempts to win Eckles’s heart just so I could survive had looked like I was just playing house in his eyes. Meaning that he’d never taken it seriously when I’d requested Eckles as my personal bodyguard. Derrick’s tone softened when he noticed the way my lips were pressed into a hard line. “I’m not saying I’m going to throw him out, but you should keep your distance from that slave from now on.” “…” “There have been malicious rumors going around among the knights about you and the slave. That’s why incidents similar to today’s continue to occur.” “No. What happened today was thanks to the poor treatment he receives from the other knights, Young Lord,” I said, rebutting his attempt to pass blame. He hesitated before glaring coldly. “Such treatment of a slave is inevitable, no matter the household.” “He may be a slave, but he’s just as much my personal guard.” “Penelope Eckhart,” Derrick said icily in response to my rapid-fire retorts. He meant it as a warning, but I just laughed sardonically. “How silly it must look that the young lady Eckhart’s guard doesn’t even have a tutor. No wonder the knights think so little of me.” “That’s why I’m offering you the chance to choose new ones.” “Your candidates, did they say they wished to serve as my knight? Or is this just another reminder of how little I matter in this household?” In other words, I was asking how little the people of the manor must think of me, that they dared question the relationship between me and my knight. And furthermore, how low I was in everyone’s regard that I should replace Eckles on account of their gossip. Derrick clenched his jaw, understanding what I was implying. “You…” His lips twitched several times, perhaps from anger or for some other, unknown reason. His voice was strained when he finally spoke. “It…isn’t like that, Penelope,” came his unexpected response. “I simply concluded, after the trial, that you needed more than one personal knight.” “…” “Marquis Ellen may try to target you going forward.” I nearly lost my temper at this but somehow managed to hold it together. He’d not only tried to make me out to be a “stupid, reckless girl” capable of shooting down nobles, but now he was suddenly claiming he wanted to protect me? If I were the real Penelope, I’d have died the moment I encountered those assassins. Penelope had only one personal knight and one maid. Given the circumstances, she’d have died many times over during the hunting tournament alone. “Then do as I’ve asked, please,” I said, suppressing the storm of emotions brewing in me. “I have no need for knights who will look down on me. If you’re so concerned about my safety, have Eckles learn the sword so he can fulfill his duties as my personal knight in more than just name. You can do that much for me, right?” Derrick didn’t refuse outright this time. My request was built upon the terrible way I’d been treated in the manor thus far, including today’s incident. The exacting Derrick had always written me off as a troublemaker, and though I’d made no trouble recently, he continued to treat me as such. I hadn’t demanded that he adjust the way he treated me, precisely so that I could leverage his attitude to get what I needed. It took Derrick several long moments of contemplation, but he finally sighed. “Fine…” I was instantly relieved. At the same time, I felt lousy as hell about the fact that I’d had to leverage the mistreatment I’d received at the hands of the servants. “But you need to know this… I can’t assign a knight to teach him as I would the others in training,” Derrick said, informing me of the issue with a displeased expression. “He may be a slave who belongs to our empire now, but he comes from an enemy nation that we defeated. It is against the law to teach an enemy how to fight.” “But then…” “If anyone were to report this to the Guard, we might even be accused of treason.” “Treason?” I asked, eyes wide in the face of the very real obstacle I’d never imagined I might face. How did they get around this in the game again? I thought, racking my brain. Though the game hadn’t gone into much detail, the duke had taken Eckles in and been responsible for him. So he regarded Eckles’s skills highly enough to warrant such a risk, then? The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth. If the duke had been the one to bring him to the manor, in accordance with the original storyline, perhaps Eckles would have had an easier time getting proper training with the sword. I didn’t regret saving him myself, though. I knew full well just how valuable being a ray of hope to someone is. “So I’ll have to find someone outside the household,” Derrick said, breaking my train of thought. “Be content with that for now.” “…Thank you, Young Lord,” I said, belatedly remembering I should thank him. I hadn’t known it would be so complicated, and I was surprised he was prepared to go that far. My temper simmered down a little, having accomplished what I’d set out to. I was even able to plaster an awkward smile on my face. Derrick seemed to flinch, blue eyes avoiding mine. An orange light flickered above his head. Huh? I stared absently at it, only to be distracted by a sound ringing through the air—that of a loud chirp. My gaze shot up, and I found the dark-pink bird flapping its wings in agitation at me once more. It tilted its head from side to side like an owl, and every time it did so, its jewellike eyes glittered brightly. “Why don’t you take a closer look?” “Excuse me?” I turned my puzzled eyes to Derrick. “It’s not scared of you. It’s probably just curious since your hair’s the same color as it.” “It…recognizes my hair color?” I asked in surprise. He nodded, and I turned back to the bird. It tweeted on and on, and perhaps it was because I now knew the bird wasn’t afraid of me, but it felt as if it was playfully calling for attention. The window the cage was hung in was directly in front of the sofa meant for guests. Since I was indeed curious about the bird, I took his suggestion and moved closer to the cage. The bird chirped and threw its head around wildly. It really did seem interested in my hair, which perfectly matched the color of its feathers. “The Principality of Yeta, I’m told, considers the plapopinu a messenger from the gods,” came Derrick’s quiet, dry voice from behind me. He had also risen from his seat and now came to stand beside me. “That’s what the bird is called, a plapopinu?” “Yes.” I felt a sense of déjà vu. I’d never seen any bird like it before, but the name was familiar to me. Where have I heard it before? I wondered. “It’s a national treasure in the Principality of Yeta, but the king gifted one as a special tribute to this year’s hunting tournament.” “Ah!” A memory came to mind at Derrick’s words. I recalled seeing something magenta lying limp among the game he’d caught at the tournament. Then this is… No wonder it had been worth so many points. I stole a sideways glance at him, wondering how he’d managed to catch something so rare. “The plapopinu is a hermaphrodite and lays only one egg in its entire lifetime.” Clearly noticing my interest, he began reciting facts about the bird. “Any unfertilized eggs that don’t hatch will instead harden, coming to resemble the bird’s eyes.” “Its…eyes?” I asked, turning to look at the bird. Its eyes were like jewels, reflecting light in every direction. They looked just like diamonds, adding to their mysterious and exotic quality. “Those eggs become a gem so rare that their value is incalculable.” “…” “You asked for a plapopinu diamond for your last birthday, remember?” The gem that Penelope wanted is actually this bird’s egg? I stared at the bird with wide eyes. It chirped and fluttered its wings again when our gazes met. “It hasn’t so much as made a peep before now. Based on all the noise it started making the moment it saw you, I guess it recognizes its master,” Derrick said. “Just take it to your room. It was meant for you in the first place.” I turned to him, trying to process what he was saying. He was looking at the cage, not at me, when he continued in a nonchalant tone, “This one hasn’t laid an egg yet, I’m told. It should lay one given time.” Which meant the bird might produce the “plapopinu diamond” that Penelope had wanted last year. I couldn’t understand his motivations. “But…why?” I asked before I could stop myself. “What?” “You always hated it when I asked for expensive gifts. I don’t understand why you keep giving me these things.” His blue gaze wavered for a brief instant—this time, I was certain I wasn’t seeing things. Is this his way of saying sorry for not believing me at the trial? If that was the case, it was far too shameless of him. He wants me to shut up and accept this gift, instead of apologizing to me? It wasn’t clear if he was aware of the unpleasant turn my thoughts had taken by the way he stood rooted stiffly in place. It took him a long time to finally reply. “That’s correct… I never liked it.” He relaxed, smiling in an almost self-deprecating way. “You’re always looking for a reason from me, when the truth is, I don’t know myself.” His response left me perplexed. I stared at him blankly, and he continued. “I simply came across the bird as I was walking and remembered that you wanted its gem. Since the bird is so rare, the only one of its kind at the hunt, I guess I didn’t want anybody else to catch it, either. Does that explanation satisfy you?” It did nothing of the sort. I was only left flabbergasted. Why were you suddenly reminded of what Penelope said last year? I wanted to pepper him with more questions but resisted the urge. It didn’t matter much in the end anyway. “I’m grateful you caught it for me, but I don’t want it,” I said calmly. His blue eyes betrayed his confusion. “But why?” “I don’t think I’m capable of taking care of it until it lays its egg.” I cautiously monitored his reaction. My heart was racing—I was sure he’d grow enraged like last time and demand I kill it or get rid of it myself. “I see…” Surprisingly, though, Derrick simply nodded and accepted my words. “In that case, I’ll continue taking care of it.” What has gotten into him? I stared at him with wide eyes, but it wasn’t long before I realized why he was being so gracious about it. We were talking about a bird that would inevitably lay an expensive egg. Of course he couldn’t kill it. “But you should come by from time to time and check in on it. It’s an intelligent bird, so it might miss you.” The bird chirped as if in agreement. “I will,” I agreed. I liked the pretty bird quite a lot. I didn’t bother to point out that I’d be sure to come only when he wasn’t around. An awkward silence settled over the room. I glanced at the bird, which chirped occasionally, as I waited for the right time to dismiss myself. “In a few years, when Father retires, I will be the duke,” Derrick said suddenly. “No matter how much I prepare, there are bound to be complications. Our political enemies will certainly take advantage of the situation and try to use it against House Eckhart.” The change in topic came from seemingly nowhere. Despite the odd look I was giving him, he continued. “As I’ve always done, I must prepare for every eventuality and maintain strict control. It is my duty to protect and care for House Eckhart. You, Penelope Eckhart, are a part of this house.” He suddenly locked eyes with me. Every word was delivered like the cold, levelheaded, arrogant noble he was. “Making a few concessions to end any attempts at ruining our reputation is a reasonable sacrifice to make, in my mind. I wasn’t trying to disgrace you.” I suddenly realized he was making excuses for the things he’d said to me the day before the trial. “I won’t say I was right, but even if I traveled back in time, I would still make the same choice,” he said. “It was the best and quickest way to eliminate the malicious accusations against you. Accusations that you had tried to harm the other nobles.” There was a glimmer of something like concern in his eyes that I couldn’t even begin to understand, but it was similar to the way he’d looked at me when I’d given my testimony alone during the trial. “But I’ll admit I was hasty,” he continued. “I’ll consult with you from now on before I act. It seems to me that you’re now capable of conducting yourself properly without unnecessary hysterics,” he concluded, essentially saying he would no longer treat me the same way since I had changed. I could understand logically where he was coming from. As stated, he’d soon be in charge of an enormous household, and sound decision-making would be constantly required of him—even if that meant dragging his adopted sister, who already possessed an awful reputation, through the mud. He didn’t offer even a token apology, but I knew that this was the closest he would ever give, since he’d been raised so strictly to be the perfect nobleman. That didn’t mean, however, that I felt any less bitter. You won’t act like that anymore? The hell you won’t. I laughed cynically. Those words meant nothing now—especially when the real Penelope, the one who acted with “hysterics,” was no longer here. “This doesn’t change anything between us.” I desperately wanted to tell him that I was having none of his shit, but I forced myself to choke the words back. Last I checked, his affection had been only 32 percent. “Penelope,” he began impatiently. “I will take responsibility for my actions. As I said—” I stopped him with a hand, taking a deep breath and smiling. “I told you—I won’t expect anything from you.” An odd change came over his expression, and the orange bar hovering over his black head of hair flickered. I couldn’t see his actual affection, so I had no way of knowing if this was a good sign or not. It made me nervous. “I need to get going. Thank you for capturing the bird for me.” I quickly turned away, convinced that his score was only likely to plummet if I stayed any longer. I was about to make my way out of the office when he said, “About the mine.” I froze in my tracks. “You should have the butler represent you in all affairs regarding it,” he said. I turned to look at him, an unidentifiable feeling washing over me. His face was still contorted in a frown as he offered me this advice. “If it becomes known that ownership has passed to a young lady, some may try to take advantage of or attempt to approach you. You’re free to employ the services of the family sorcerers if you wish.” Unable to speak, I was surprised that he already knew about the emerald mine. I wondered about his affection meter, still hidden from my view. A few days later, the butler came to me early in the morning with news regarding the mine. “As you instructed, I put the three of the highest-quality gemstones up for auction.” “And?” “All three times, the same merchant guild purchased the stone for ten times the final bid.” “What?” I said, thunderstruck. I’d invited several guilds to compete in order to decide which of them to distribute through, and this outcome negated those efforts. “Which guild?” “I looked into it, and it doesn’t seem that they usually deal in gems all that much…,” the butler said, brow furrowed in puzzlement. “Have you ever heard of the Guild of the White Rabbit?” “Wh-what?” My jaw dropped. That was Winter Verdandi’s guild. But why would he do this? I’d been looking forward to making a profit in the range of millions, but this was an unexpected turn of events. It wasn’t exactly how I’d expect a new episode in the game to start, and I wasn’t sure he simply wanted my gemstones that badly, either. If that were the case, why would he have pushed up the price by ten times the final bid so he could obtain all the gems himself ? My plan should have been unknown to him, so how would he have known that I was now the owner of the mine and thus behaved this way? The butler seemed to notice my concern. He asked cautiously, “You’ve heard of this guild, Miss?” “No. Of course not,” I rushed to say. “Should I attempt to contact them, then?” “For now, let’s put this matter on hold.” “On hold?” “Yes. I need time to think.” The butler seemed taken aback, but I needed to be careful about meeting any of the other male protagonists when my go-to was nearing 100 in affection. Besides, the butler was essentially my representative when it came to affairs regarding the mine. I couldn’t have him learning that I’d secretly sent Emily to find Winter. No! I shuddered at such a terrible notion and quickly wrapped up the conversation. “Is that all you have to report?” “Oh, and…,” the butler continued, apparently not finished yet. “Do you remember the four men we came across in the knights-in-training quarters not that long ago?” The butler seemed to be broaching the topic cautiously, perhaps wondering if he should be reminding me of the unpleasant memory. I replied simply, “Yes. What about it?” “They were all relieved of their positions two nights ago.” “Relieved?” It was unexpected news. I’d asked that they be left alone, but apparently, Derrick had kicked them out anyway. With a small smirk, I said, “Well, that’s good.” Though it was surprising that things had moved so quickly, it wasn’t all that unexpected if I thought about it. I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t been there to see the looks on their faces when they heard. “In addition, the young lord has brought charges against them for defaming a member of the nobility.” That was most unexpected. He pressed charges? An unidentifiable feeling washed over me. I’d been struggling to understand what Derrick was thinking from the moment he’d asked me to choose a punishment for the knights. “What happens if they are found guilty?” “They will be imprisoned.” “I-imprisoned?” I repeated. “Yes. That or they’ll be required to pay a large fine. But I doubt they can afford such a thing.” I found myself thinking that the punishment was too severe for a few slips of the tongue. I just as quickly dismissed the thought, however. Derrick had done this without consulting me about it, so I had no reason to feel bad. “Oh, and, Miss?” the butler continued in a whisper. “I found someone who can teach Eckles.” My mood immediately brightened. “Really? Who?” “Sir Spen, the former vice-captain of the Imperial knights. He retired from his post last year. He apparently disappeared after his retirement, and it turns out he’s been teaching children how to read and handle a sword in a commoner village located on the outskirts of the capital.” His description made me think this individual would be of great use to me. The butler reinforced this idea by adding, “There were rumors of his exceptional skill back when he was still actively serving as a knight.” I hesitated. I’d wanted to delay Eckles’s mastering the sword until after I escaped, if possible, since in Normal Mode he hid his skills and eventually betrayed Penelope. Well, I suppose things have changed enough that it won’t matter. I dismissed the foreboding feeling sitting heavily on my chest. Since I’d found a teacher for him, his affection wasn’t likely to drop all of a sudden. If anything, it should rise. Besides, even if he was a prodigy with the sword, he wouldn’t suddenly master it in less than a month. “I plan to take him to Sir Spen in a little while. I’ve arranged for a cart to be brought secretly to the back gate.” “In that case, call Eckles now. I’ll get ready and join you.” “You will?” the butler asked, surprised. “Yes. It’s his first day, so I should see him off,” I replied with a nod, smiling. There were only roughly three weeks left until the coming-of-age ceremony, which was when the real heroine would appear. I needed to do everything in my power to get out of this damned game and return to my world. When the butler left to fetch Eckles from his quarters, I washed my face and changed into a different outfit. I chose a thin dress made of red satin so dark in color it was almost black, remembering the way Eckles’s affection had risen when he’d seen me in my blood-red dress on the eve of the hunting tournament. “Good,” I said, smiling in satisfaction at my reflection. I left my room without further delay, heading toward the manor’s back entrance so I could more easily reach the rear gate. When I opened the door as quietly as I could, the back garden where I’d recently met the crown prince greeted me. The carefully maintained flowers swayed gently in the breeze. I intended to head straight for the gate, but something suddenly caught my attention. There was a scattering of green flowers I didn’t recognize growing on the side of the garden closest to me. I wandered over and plucked one of the biggest blooms. It may seem cliché, but the flowers were similar in color to my eyes. I found myself thinking I’d repay Eckles for the wilted flower crown he’d given me a few days ago and cradled the flower carefully in my hand, turning to continue to my original destination. When I arrived at the gate, Eckles and the butler were already waiting. I could see Eckles’s dark-red affection bar shining from a distance. Holding the flower behind my back so it was hidden from sight, I approached with soft steps. “Eckles.” “Mistress?” he said, his eyes round with surprise, resembling a puppy’s. “What are you doing here?” “I wanted to see you off. You must be nervous since today is your first day of training.” He lowered his gaze to the ground but didn’t actually look very nervous. I smiled at him anyway and said, “How are you feeling? It’s all coming together just how you wanted.” Eckles squinted at me, and as always, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking based on his expressionless face. His lips moved without making a sound, but then he finally softly admitted, “I’m glad.” “I’m happy to hear that,” I replied, satisfied with his response, before revealing the flower I’d been hiding behind me. “Here.” The enthusiasm with which I brandished it caused the light-green bloom to bop Eckles on the nose gently. I hadn’t done it on purpose, but the impact launched a sweet aroma into the air. His ash-colored eyes slowly grew wider. “This is…” “I picked it on the way here since it reminded me of you.” Slowly bringing the hand holding the flower close to his face, I combed his hair back with my ring and pinkie fingers, then softly tucked the flower behind his ear. I was worried he might swat my hand away, but he didn’t so much as twitch until I was done. The color didn’t suit his dry skin and tousled gray-brown hair, and I’d intended the gift half as a joke, only meant to help him relax if he was nervous. But now that it was resting near his temple, the flower was surprisingly fitting. I stared for a moment, then admitted honestly, “It looks very pretty on you.” It was just an honest observation, but Eckles’s eyes shimmered, and he dropped his head as if trying to hide it. I could still see that his ears had gone bright red. Good. That has to be a good sign. I hid a victorious smile as I glanced between the blinking affection bar and his head. “I put quite a bit of effort into finding you a teacher. So keep me in mind and work hard, all right?” I said, giving my head an arrogant toss. Eckles didn’t have to know that Derrick had been the one to arrange everything. “Understood?” “Yes…,” Eckles said obediently. He raised his head. “I’ll study diligently and become a knight you can be proud of.” An emotion I couldn’t identify was swimming in his gaze. I fell silent for a moment, unable to shake the idea that his ash-colored eyes were much darker in color than usual. “Miss? I think we must take our leave now,” the butler said, approaching. “Oh? Oh, yes… Of course. Go with Pennel, Eckles,” I said, waving and smiling awkwardly. Eckles continued to stare at me for a moment despite the butler’s reminder and then, finally, slowly turned away. The dark-red gauge moved with him. I stood and watched as they walked through the gate, only gathering my scattered thoughts after quite a long time had passed. By then, they’d already disappeared from sight. “Oh. His affection meter.” I realized I hadn’t checked it. For some odd reason, it felt as though a violent storm had just passed overhead. Back in my room, I sat at the desk and considered the news the butler had brought that morning. “Winter Verdandi…” Come to think of it, I haven’t met with him in quite some time. It’s probably a good idea to contact him every now and then. I was curious about what color his affection bar had assumed, and I needed to know if he’d met the heroine yet, since she was set to soon appear. My fingers tapped a steady rhythm on the desk as I muttered, “I suppose the contract would be as good of an excuse as any.” But I couldn’t meet with him regarding the emerald mine. I’d already established the butler as my representative for that, not to mention I didn’t want to reveal that I was the actual owner. Opening the bottom drawer of my desk, I retrieved an envelope from within. When I went to pull it out, though, I noticed something white sitting on top. “Huh?” I said to myself, eyes wide. It was the rabbit folded out of a handkerchief that Winter had made using his magic after the trial. Emily had given it to me after unpacking my things, and I’d forgotten about it after putting it in the drawer. I plucked the rabbit up carefully so that its shape wouldn’t be ruined. “I should return this, too, shouldn’t I?” Seeing the two items helped me make my mind up. I’ll have to meet Winter, and soon, at that. With that decided, I rose from my seat, my business at the desk concluded. I need to get some sleep. I woke early today thanks to Pennel’s visit, plus I’d wanted to see Eckles off. As I was about to drag myself to the bed, my shoulders drooping from fatigue, the window next to the bookcase suddenly flew open, and with it, a powerful gust of wind swept into the room. “What the hell?” Throwing my arms up, I waved them around in an attempt to keep my head shielded, unable to open my eyes. I ducked down, too caught in the fear and confusion of the moment to realize I had experienced something similar to this once before. Before long, the wind died down completely, and a gravelly male voice was projected through the room, accompanied by static. “Zzzt… The contract… Crackle… Please…” Blinking my eyes open, I tried to find the sound’s source, turning this way and that in a daze. “Wh-who’s there?!” My question was answered moments later, my eyes settling on who—or rather what—it was. “Crackle… The guild… Please… Zzzt… You must come to the guild…” There it was—the cloth rabbit, twitching its ears strangely as it spoke to me. To be continued in Volume 3…