Chapter 6

The next morning, Emily brought me breakfast, and I ate it at the table in front of my wide bedroom windows. “How do you like your meal, Miss?” Emily asked cautiously. The quality of the food had improved significantly, probably as a consequence of the previous day’s events. “I was told the head chef got up at dawn to make it himself.” “I take that to mean the chef has not been making my breakfast up until now.” “…” Emily took in a small breath and fell into a tense silence at my pointed observation. I continued, “I’m not saying you’re to blame. You can relax.” I put down my fork and looked at her. “I know how much you’ve done for me so far.” “M-Miss…” “And I take care of my people. I’ll reward you for all your hard work—don’t you worry.” Tears welled up in Emily’s eyes at my words. “I—I never hoped for any reward from—” “Hush. Don’t be modest. Let your actions do the talking.” After finishing my meal, I was consoling a sniffling Emily until we we interrupted by the butler’s arrival. “Miss, you called for me?” he asked, bowing politely in the doorway. I nodded easily. “Come in.” “If you’ll excuse me,” he said, tentatively entering the room and coming to a stop in front of me. “I enjoyed the attic and wanted to thank you.” “I am delighted to hear that.” The older man was obviously very nervous, so I smiled at him. He visibly brightened in response. “Did you have a nice time watching the fireworks? They started early this year, I noticed.” “Yes, sure…” I hadn’t really seen much of the fireworks, as I’d been busy fighting with Reynold, but I couldn’t tell the butler that, since he was eyeing me with such naked anticipation. “His Grace has instructed us to open the attic for you whenever you so wish.” “Really? That’s great news,” I said without any enthusiasm, since I doubted I’d ever go back up there. But the butler wasn’t done—he had more surprising news to deliver. “Young Master Derrick also instructed me to inform you that luncheon together can be arranged whenever you like—” “That won’t be necessary. I called for you because I have a question,” I interrupted hurriedly. That was also something that would never be happening again, not if I had any say in it. “What is it, Miss?” he asked, his gaze questioning. Something had been on my mind ever since my encounter with Reynold the previous day. “How is Eckles doing? I remember asking you to provide a room for him…” “Eckles… Do you mean that slave you purchased, Miss?” “‘That slave’?” I repeated, my expression going rigid at the butler’s natural use of the words. Coldly, I asked, “Have you been referring to him that way in front of other people?” “N-no, certainly not. I momentarily misspoke, Miss. My apologies,” the man scrambled to say at my icy tone. Knowing that he’d done his best to please me the day before, I decided to be generous and overlook his slip of the tongue. “Where is Eckles staying right now?” “He’s living in the barracks assigned to the knights-in-training, next to the training field.” “And who has been appointed as his teacher?” All knights-in-training who entered the Eckhart family’s service were assigned an instructor to serve under. Judging by what Reynold had said the day before, my guess was that he was Eckles’s. The butler’s response took me by surprise, however. “He cannot study under a teacher, Miss.” “What? Why?” “He…he is a slave, is he not?” the older man said hesitantly, no doubt recalling my earlier frigidness. “You were quite firm that you wanted him as your personal guard, and so the young lord did register him as an apprentice, but…” The butler was basically saying that anything more than that was too much to ask. Feeling drained, I slumped against the back of my chair. He was right. I’d only bought Eckles from the slave auction, not freed him from his status. “How can we grant him freedom?” The butler looked troubled. “A new rank can be purchased for the right price, or he could perform a heroic deed and receive recognition for it by way of status elevation. Neither of those methods would be easy, though.” “Why is that?” “He hails from a conquered enemy nation.” Troubled, I wondered how we could navigate the vast gap in social status between us. How did Eckles become an ordained knight in the game again? I thought, trying to remember. [Eckles, through intense training, reaches the level of swordmaster. However, his low status forces him to hide this and rise no further in the ranks than serving as the personal guard to the duke’s fake daughter. After the heroine appears, though, he grows to dislike Penelope, who relentlessly torments her. In the end, he thwarts the villain’s plans to kill the heroine and provides evidence of her crime, an achievement that elevates him out of slave status.] The highlight episode of the Eckles route was when he swore allegiance to the heroine in a secret ceremony, just the two of them, the heroine gifting him the “Sword of Ages.” [After killing the villain, he reveals he was actually a swordmaster, and with the full support of the duke, he is knighted by the emperor himself.] Contemplating Eckles’s road to success in Normal Mode, I suddenly frowned. When did he become a swordmaster, then? In the game, it had been the duke who’d brought him to the manor after seeing his talent with a sword at the slave auction. No matter how naturally talented Eckles was, he could not have become a master of his field without someone to teach him. That means the duke recognized his potential and made sure he was trained properly… A sickening realization washed over me, my jaw dropping in dismay. I screwed myself over. I’d brought him here to be my personal guard but had then ignored him without ever confirming that he had been assigned a teacher. Not only that, but it’s on my account that lunatic Reynold has been bullying him… “Oh, dammit,” I said, unable to hide my consternation. If I were in Eckles’s shoes, I’d have already imagined a dozen ways to kill the mistress who had bought and abandoned me to suffer. “M-Miss?” stammered the butler, eyeing me strangely since my face had no doubt drained of all color. “Pennel,” I said, fighting down my rising anxiety. “In your opinion, how has Eckles been doing lately?” “Pardon? In what regard?” “Generally speaking. Has he been training well? Adjusted to living with the other knights-in-training? Seemed angry or upset?” The butler thought for a moment. “He is the rather inexpressive sort, so I cannot speak on his feelings. But it seems to me that he is doing just fine.” “Really?” “If I were to guess, the manor is no doubt much more comfortable than the cages slaves are ordinarily kept in. I would imagine he is truly grateful to you.” I was visibly relieved to hear this. The old man finally had something to say that I was pleased to hear. I’d seen firsthand the way the slaves had been kept at the auction house, trapped behind bars like animals. Right. Surely the manor is preferable to his previous accomodations, I thought, nodding to myself. My happiness was short-lived, however. “But I have heard some complaints lodged by the other knights-in-training…” “What complaints?” “From what I was able to gather, they refused to share quarters with a slave, so there was friction when rooms were assigned.” “What?!” I very nearly shrieked. “Unfortunately, that’s unavoidable given his origins, Miss. The other apprentices were handpicked from vassal houses in service of the Eckhart family, after all,” he explained calmly. But his words went in one ear and right out the other. I stared into space, eyes unfocused. Shit. I’d been so busy with my own affairs lately that I’d had no clue Eckles was having such a hard time. At this rate, it would be a miracle if he didn’t kill me, never mind successfully unlocking his ending. “Prepare things for an outing right away,” I decisively commanded. “Pardon? What type of outing, Miss?” “I’m going shopping.” “Ah,” Pennel breathed, clearly confused by the sudden request. My tone must have sounded too grave for the situation. Still, he bowed and said “Understood” before leaving the room. One thing I liked about the old man was that he was quick to react, if nothing else. I hurriedly called for Emily so I could get ready to go out. “Yes, Miss?” “Please gather the other maids—I want my makeup done as nicely as possible.” “…Huh?” “Hurry.” “O-on it!” Emily was also clearly bewildered, but she hastily departed to fetch the maids most skilled in makeup. I couldn’t remain a negligent mistress. Left alone in my room, I glared into the distance with fiery determination, channeling my best stereotypical villain voice. “Today’s operation: Who Hurt My Baby is a go!” “You look so beautiful, Miss!” “Just like a goddess descended from heaven itself!” Having finished dolling me up, the maids were all aflutter. They might have hated Penelope, but they couldn’t hate her pretty face. And this time I’d let them go all out. Weary, I asked, “Are you done yet?” “No! We’re still working on your hair. Please stay seated just a little longer!” Emily gently pushed me back into place by the shoulders. It was a long time before I was finally able to escape their clutches. “What do you think, Miss?” The maids’ expressions were eager as they bustled me to stand in front of a tall mirror. I looked over their handiwork attentively. When asked if I had any requests for my little makeover, my response had been to make me as alluring as humanly possible. And the maids had certainly delivered. My makeup was done to look natural and light, and my hair was intricately braided in a half-up style. I was adorned with a ruby necklace and earrings that were the same dark pink as my hair. The white dress I wore was covered with golden embroidery, and I had to admit I looked as perfect as a doll. I let out a small laugh, embarrassed to catch myself thinking such things. Behind me, I heard the maids gasp. With a smile on my face, my normally cold, severe demeanor was nowhere to be seen, replaced by that of an enchanting lady. “I like it.” Those simple words caused the maids to all tear up simultaneously. I laughed quietly again, finding their reactions amusing. The maids began to fuss over me once more, but I dismissed them and turned to Emily. “Good work.” “Where are you going looking so beautiful, Miss?” asked Emily with a pout, perhaps hoping I would take her along. “The training field” was my upbeat response. Time to go cheer on my baby. The weather was clear outside, perfect for luring my all-in love interest out for an excursion. Once I arrived at the training field, I stood and watched from afar rather than approaching, gently fluttering the fan Emily had given me. House Eckhart—as one might expect from those referred to as the “blade of the empire”—regarded the knights’ training as sacred. They would not tolerate interruptions for just any trivial reason. I don’t want to have my head almost lopped off like last time, either. To my relief, I was correct to wait—training was in full swing. I hid among a nearby cluster of trees, peeking through the branches to spectate. Some of the knights were sparring in pairs, while others did laps dragging heavy metal balls behind them. There were also those who were attacking training dummies with wooden swords. I recalled that, usually, only the knights-in-training used wooden weapons. Focusing on that general area, I cast my eyes over the men, searching for Eckles. When I finally found him, my face immediately fell into a terrible scowl. Why is he training alone and off to the side? Poor thing looks like a complete outsider… Unlike his fellow knights-in-training who had formed a neat row, Eckles was standing a distance away all by himself. I’d been told that the others had rejected him, yes, but seeing it with my own eyes left a bitter taste in my mouth. As I watched him train, however, that feeling was soon beaten away by the loud cracks reverberating from Eckles’s sword. The fresh-faced apprentices practiced whacking the dummies and stabbing critical points. Unlike them, Eckles didn’t just stab and strike at his target—he was practically destroying it. Each stroke of his blade was audible as it sliced through the air. When he swung his wooden sword, the life-size dummy was cut down as easily as dry grass, hay erupting in all directions. He wasn’t just slicing at it with the blade, but attacking with his pure, brute strength—which the dummy simply wasn’t made to handle. Whoa. Is that what it takes to become a swordmaster? I wondered, though I didn’t know much about swordsmanship at all. Only moments later, I realized I was greatly mistaken to be so impressed. The hay had come clean off the wooden rod at the center of the dummy, and Eckles’s wooden sword made a loud cracking sound as it smacked against it. His sword promptly snapped in two, and Eckles stood stunned, staring at the now separate pieces of his weapon. “Hey!” someone shouted. “Dammit, how many swords do you think you can break? You planning on paying for these, you bastard?!” The man yelling rushed at Eckles and, without warning, kicked him in the stomach. Gah, what is that asshole doing?! That’s my lifeline he’s pummeling! I almost rushed out of hiding but caught myself at the last moment. It was probably better to observe a little longer and get a good sense of the situation, rather than reveal myself right away. Eckles didn’t hit the ground at the force of the kick, as was to be expected from someone cast as a main character. He simply stumbled a few steps back before righting himself. However, the man who’d attacked him only seemed more angered by this. “Get on the ground!” he shouted. “…I apologize. I’ll try to be more careful—” “You’ve already broken more swords than I can count. Do you know how bad it makes me look to tell the vice-captain we need to order more swords again? I’m sick of this. Get on your knees.” When Eckles didn’t respond, the man shouted again, “On your knees, you bastard!” “…I’m in the middle of training. I will accept my punishment after drills are finished,” Eckles said, bowing his head. From the looks of it, the man who was starting a fight with Eckles was the knight in charge of managing the training equipment. Eckles was not being unreasonable. It was commonplace for training equipment to break, which was why they were purchased inexpensively in large quantities. It was incredibly unfair to embarrass him over a cheap practice sword and threaten to punish him like this. At the same time, this treatment seemed like nothing new to Eckles, based on how he responded. Seeing his expressionless face, I realized I was in deep shit. “Well, well, look at you, acting all brave! You’re a damn slave. What do you need to train for? Get down right now!” “…” “Think you can get away with being cocky ’cause you got someone in your corner?” The man’s anger seemed to grow as Eckles made no move to obey. He stopped shoving at Eckles’s shoulder and moved on to prodding Eckles in the cheek. “You grabbed on to the wrong lifeline, poor sod. The rope you’re holding is already frayed, you understand? She can’t help you!” “…” “Once our Lady Ivonne returns, that fake will be out on the street. You think she’ll have a thought to spare for a slave? She can’t even keep her own head above water.” “Don’t insult my mistress.” Eckles, who’d been looking at the ground until now, lifted his gaze at the man’s sneered words. The knight laughed meanly. “Why not? There’s no danger in bad-mouthing a master who’s not here. Your little mistress dropped you off here and hasn’t been back since. What’s to stop me from talking a bit of shit?” “A knight should not insult a lady.” “Yeah, yeah. Touching words, slave. Now shut up and get down already.” “…” “Dammit, stubborn until the end, are you? Grab him, boys!” he shouted to the other knights who had gathered around. It seemed they were all of one mind and had been watching with amusement. They rushed at Eckles, who did not resist. He simply stared into the distance with dead eyes. I understood why Eckles was behaving this way. I told him it was his duty to make everyone at the duke’s manor accept him. He probably feared that if he fought back, news of him causing trouble might reach my ears, which then could lead me to send him back to the slave auction. Thud! The knights shoved Eckles to the ground, a few of them bringing out a straw mat from somewhere and throwing it over him. “Come on! Step on him! Kick—,” shouted the main instigator with glee, but I’d seen enough. Approaching him silently from behind, I slapped him in the back of the head with the only weapon available to me, my fan. “The hell…?! Which one of you assholes—?” “Hello there.” Although I had not raised my voice, it carried across the din of the training field. “Th-the daughter of the duke!” the man gasped, his nasty snickering cut short as his eyes bulged out of his head. The knights who’d been holding Eckles down froze in place at his stuttered exclamation. Only just now noticing me, some of them stared, slack-jawed. I surveyed the scene in front of me, dragging my gaze across the ridiculous-looking knights over to Eckles, whose face was shoved in the dirt. We locked eyes, and his own widened; he was obviously surprised to see me. [Affection: 27%] It was a relief to see his affection had risen. Apparently, I’d chosen the correct moment to appear. I slowly, deliberately, met the gaze of every knight present and adopted a nonchalant tone. “Having a little fun with my personal guard, are we? Would anyone care to explain?” No one volunteered, of course. The usually clamorous training field was awash with a deafening silence, and even those not involved in the confrontation had paused, staring in our direction. I pointed my fan at the man I’d smacked. “You. What is your name?” “M-me?” “Yes. What regiment are you under? The First Division?” I asked impatiently. “I-I’m Mark Alvert from the Second Platoon, Third Division.” I couldn’t hold back the scoff that escaped me. And here I was thinking he must be in the upper ranks, based on how harshly he was riding Eckles. In the capital, where there was no risk of war, the Third and Fourth Divisions were little more than security guards—meaning this man was a nobody. “Go on, then. Explain what’s happening here,” I demanded. “I b-beg your pardon?” “I’ve been watching, and it seems to me that you were the one who instigated things.” “I—I…,” he stammered, going white as a sheet hearing that I’d witnessed at least part of the confrontation. The confident man who’d been mocking me and throwing around the word fake was nowhere to be found. Seeing the knights frozen in dread, I realized everyone in the manor had likely heard about what had become of Mrs. Dona the day before. “Cat got your tongue? You’re not going to continue making me wait, are you?” “No-no! Th-that slave—er, I mean, Eckles…made trouble during training,” the man said, launching into an explanation at my prompting. “What sort of trouble?” “Well…he, uh, broke a practice sword… Not for the first time, at that. And those things aren’t cheap these days, you see…” “And?” “A-as his superior, I saw it fit to scold him, but the kid started mouthing off, so…” “Is that so?” I said demurely. “Y-yes!” He seemed hopeful that I believed his explanation, grinning and nodding rapidly. “But what if she’s here?” “…Come again?” “‘There’s no danger in bad-mouthing a master who’s not here.’ But what if she was?” His expression went blank. The corners of my lips curled upward in turn, a pleasant smile settling on my face. “I’d be well within my rights to have you killed on the spot for maligning nobility, don’t you think?” The hush that had fallen over the field turned frigid. “Uh…I…,” he stammered, his mouth wide open. “L-Lady Penelope,” intervened a different knight, stepping forward. He wasn’t as dirty as the others, making me think he had to be a rank or two above the rest. “P-please calm down. I’ll go get the captain, and we can discuss punishment—” “Eckles,” I called, ignoring the newcomer. Eckles was still sitting on the ground, gaze fixed on me. The look in his eyes flickered and changed at the sound of his name. I pointed my fan at the man who’d introduced himself as Mark. “Kill this bastard.” Eckles shot to his feet. “L-Lady Penelope!” Mark screamed in panic. When I gave him no answer, he turned to Eckles instead. “L-l-listen, Eckles!” He looked terrified as Eckles stalked toward him, silently pleading for help from his comrades with his eyes. The higher-ranked knight moved to help, this time with the loud vocal support of the other knights. “Eckles, stop! That’s an order!” “That’s right! I—I admit I took it too far. Let me apologize, and—” Mark wasn’t able to finish his sentence. Eckles’s hand darted out and seized a fistful of the knight’s hair as he tried to escape, yanking him back. He gurgled and tried to kick out, but Eckles already had his arm around Mark’s throat, locking him in a chokehold with unrelenting strength. Mark’s eyes seemed to pop out of his head as his air supply was slowly cut off. “Eckles! What are you doing? Stop it!” The other knights cried out, shocked, but Eckles did not react to any of their commands. None of the men seemed capable of physically intervening as Eckles slowly strangled their peer to death. Maybe they didn’t step in because I had personally given Eckles the kill order, or maybe it was because the slave they’d made fun of was suddenly radiating an aura of hostility they’d had no idea he was capable of. Mark gasped for air, his tongue lolling out, saliva dribbling down his chin. The spit dripped onto Eckles’s arm, but he gave no mercy. “L-Lady Penelope! Y-you can’t do this!” Realizing their companion was about to die, the knights fell to their knees at my feet. “Please forgive us. We were in the wrong. We will report everything that happened to the captain, excluding no detail, and all of us will accept whatever punishment is our due.” “…” “Please, murder is strictly forbidden among the Eckhart knights!” I put my finger in my ear and wiggled it around as if bored, staring into the distance. It was a trick I’d learned from Reynold only the day before. “L-Lady Penelope!” the knights begged as the whites of Mark’s eyes began to show. “Enough,” I said, raising my hand. Eckles, who had been intently focused on choking his fellow knight, immediately loosened his hold. Mark flopped to the ground, hacking and gasping for air. Wrapping both hands around his throat, he continued to cough and wheeze. I stared down at him apathetically, but internally I was actually slightly surprised. I didn’t expect Eckles to carry out my commands with so little hesitation. I thought he’d ignore me and really try to kill the man. I hadn’t actually intended to have this Mark guy killed, of course, so I’d been at the ready with the ruby ring that still sat on my left hand. By my logic, he wouldn’t resent me too badly for using the ring if I allowed him to choke his torturer a little first. However, Eckles had let go at a single word from me. That meant he held my orders at a higher priority than his own feelings. A fact that I found incredibly satisfying. “What was it you called me? A fake who can’t even keep her own head above water, who will be out on the street when the duke’s real daughter returns?” I looked around at the knights, all of them frozen in place. My words caused them to go even more tense. “Which do you think will happen first? My getting thrown out of the manor, or all of you being relieved of your posts? I wonder…” I said in a playful tone, flashing them a saccharine smile. That was when a system notification popped up. <SYSTEM> Your relationship with the manor inhabitants has deteriorated. Reputation has decreased -5 points. (TOTAL POINTS: 10) Sadly, my reputation had taken a hit. But the knights were not love interests I was trying to woo, so frankly, it was no skin off my nose. I turned to the person who did matter—the only male protagonist present. “Come here, Eckles.” He came straight to my side. “Let’s go.” With the hand that wasn’t holding my fan, I took his wrist and led him from the training field. [Affection: 32%] Though his face showed little emotion, his rising affection felt like the wagging of a puppy’s tail. As Eckles and I arrived at the main gate, Pennel was waiting to greet me with a carriage. “Miss, you look dazzling today.” “Are the preparations for our outing complete?” “Yes. We’ve prepared a carriage equipped with protection and tracking spells. And you already have someone to guard you…” The old butler glanced at Eckles, who stood behind me, and continued. “We’ve selected a sorcerer employed by the house to be your horseman. Should you find yourself in any danger, he will teleport you directly back to the manor.” As was the case with Winter, sorcerers did not often or easily reveal their identities, and thus hiring their services was very expensive. It was rare for even the Imperial family to call on a sorcerer to serve as a horseman. So this is what the duke’s house is capable of. I was pleased to be treated so well but acted unmoved. “Well done, Pennel.” “Ah, one more thing…” The older man retrieved something from his jacket and handed it to me. “His Grace says that since you haven’t gone out in a while, he wants you to enjoy yourself.” It was a blank check. I looked at it with surprise, not expecting the duke to still be so concerned with the events of the day before. He wouldn’t be so generous if he knew I just lit a powder keg over at the training field… I hesitated, unsure if I should accept. “Please take it, Miss,” the butler encouraged. “You haven’t even called any merchants to the manor lately.” “Well…all right.” I supposed there would be no harm in accepting a gift. Pushing aside my concerns, I took the check. “Tell my father I’m extremely grateful.” “Certainly.” I turned to the carriage. Eckles, who’d been waiting quietly, followed immediately. When I reached its open door, I paused and held my hand out to him. He stared at it silently, unmoving. Was Eckles reacting like this because I’d neglected him for too long after bringing him here? He clearly didn’t seem to think he needed to help, like a real guard would. “Silly. In situations like this, you should offer your hand to help the lady up,” I chided him, crinkling my nose playfully. There was the faint gleam of a strange emotion in his ash-colored eyes. “But…I’m a slave.” “No,” I corrected him immediately. “Right now, you’re my personal knight.” “…” “What do you think you should do, then?” I asked, wiggling my hand gently before him. It was the hand with the ruby ring. Eckles gave a faint smile, taking my hand and going down slowly on one knee. His manners were so perfect that even the butler seemed taken aback. He stared deeply into my eyes. “Please step on me, Mistress. I’ll help you up.” “Miss, shall we head to the dressmaker first?” asked the horseman once Eckles had joined me in the carriage. “No. Take us to the weapons dealer,” I said offhandedly, resting my chin on the windowsill. Before long, we were off. Since the carriage was enchanted, it drove almost as smoothly as a car. I was watching with interest as the scenery whizzed by when I heard Eckles speak softly from the opposite seat. “Why…” I turned and found that he was staring at me. His eyes were unreadable as he said again, “Why…didn’t you come to see me all this time?” It was an unexpected question. I studied his face, wondering if he resented me for letting the knights harass him as they’d done today, but I could glean nothing of what he was feeling. “Were you upset?” I asked him directly. I intended to just apologize if he said so, but his reply didn’t go in the direction I anticipated. “You promised.” “What do you mean?” “You said you would come to see me often as my reward for training hard.” Ah. I bit back a groan. I’d briefly forgotten the reason I’d avoided him. The frightful memory of that rainy day came rushing back to me all at once. “I waited for you every day,” Eckles murmured, almost in a whisper, unaware of what was going through my mind. Am I mistaken, or does his usual blank expression seem slightly despondent? I tapped my finger rhythmically on the windowsill, searching for an excuse. “You let me down,” I settled on saying. Seeing the confusion on his face, I clarified, “You lied to me, Eckles.” “What?” His eyes grew wide. He was so handsome that I’d say he was almost doll-like, if not for his constantly dead, emotionless expression. “You told me no one was harassing you, and yet the marks they left on your pretty face say otherwise.” I reached out and caressed his cheek. He immediately flinched and backed away. I laughed when I saw his gray eyes dart around—I’d obviously flustered him. “Back then…” “…” “There really wasn’t anyone harassing me back then,” Eckles insisted. Like hell there wasn’t, I thought. When he’d swung at me that day on the training field, he’d been aiming to deliver a killing blow. How could I believe him? Still, he’s turning out to be quite cheeky. “Either way, you didn’t inform me that anything like the events of today was happening, so that reward is null and void.” “But—” “Shh.” I interrupted. “I intend to give you a different reward, so no whining. Just be patient.” Eckles blushed lightly, perhaps embarrassed that I was scolding him. But then his affection rose once more. [Affection: 33%] It had increased by only 1 percent, so small I could have easily missed it. It took me by surprise. How old is Eckles again? He looked so young and innocent. I thought back to any details from the game that might have been relevant. Since I hadn’t memorized all the characters’ profiles, I couldn’t recall his exact age, but… The events of Normal Mode took place over a year, from the point of the heroine’s return to when each of the male protagonists’ endings occured. Immediately after the player unlocked his ending, Eckles had his coming-of-age ceremony during his route’s epilogue before marrying Ivonne. In the game, eighteen was the age of maturity. So… Eckles must be seventeen. In the real world, I was twenty years old, which meant I was technically seducing a boy much younger than I was. Why do I get the feeling I’m the one being seduced, though? The blush had faded from Eckles’s cheeks, but I was still examining his face closely when the carriage came to a stop. “Miss, we’ve arrived at the merchant district.” It was time to reward my cheeky slave. “Welcome! Welcome!” The owner of the weapon shop, who’d dashed out to greet us as soon as he saw the Eckhart insignia on the carriage, bowed as deeply as he could. “Is it true that this is where the best magical swords in the empire are sold?” I asked. “That’s right! We also sell all kinds of rare weapons. You name it, and we’re likely to have it.” “Eckles, let’s go,” I said, calling him over from where he was waiting silently next to the carriage, blinking. He hesitated to follow as if convinced he wasn’t allowed to go inside. “Hurry up,” I urged, and he came to stand behind me with no further ado. “Do you have any wooden swords enhanced with magic?” I decided to address the most pressing need first. The merchant looked puzzled by the request. “Wooden swords? We have some, but enchanted ones on the other hand…” “You don’t have any?” I asked, frowning. The butler had recommended this weapon shop because it was renowned, but apparently, I had wasted my time seeking them out. “I-if you so desire, they can be custom made!” The man rushed to reassure me, no doubt noticing my displeased expression. “It’s very rare that someone would go to such lengths for a mere practice sword. Most people only use real swords once they reach a certain skill level…” I cleared my throat awkwardly, embarrassed. I’d made it too obvious that I didn’t know the first thing about weapons. “We don’t have any enchanted wooden swords at the moment, but we do have weapons made from centuries-old trees that will never break,” he continued. “Let’s go inside, then,” I said. We entered a room filled with only practice swords. I tuned out the merchant’s constant chatter, instead looking around curiously. If I was honest, they all looked the same to me other than some minor differences in color. “Do any of them catch your eye?” I asked Eckles, leaving the choice to him. He shook his head, though. “I’m…not sure.” “You don’t like them?” “It’s not that… It’s just that they look no different from the ones we have at the training field. I can keep using those, Mistress.” “Impossible!” shouted the arms dealer urgently. “All the wooden swords we have are so sturdy, their durability is comparable to real swords! Made from the royal foxglove trees grown in the fairy forest, they are sharp enough to cut clean through hay—” No matter how good they were, it was of no use if the person they were meant to be a gift for didn’t feel strongly enough to choose any. “It can’t be helped, I guess,” I said with a sigh. The dealer—who’d been producing and waxing poetic about various wooden swords—paused, seeming to think I liked none of them. “M-may I suggest you peruse some of our real swords instead, then?” “What are you talking about?” “Pardon?” “I want everything from there to here,” I said, indicating the entire length of the room with my pointer finger. “Have all of them sent to Eckhart Manor.” We were already here, so I might as well buy the lot. It would be nice to have a stockpile of extras, just in case any of them broke. Next on my shopping list was training attire. Perhaps owing to his tall height and handsome face, Eckles looked exceedingly attractive in his new outfit. “Not bad,” I said with feigned nonchalance, circling him. The excited merchant simpered and flattered. “Of course! You won’t find anything better in the entirety of the capital!” “Do you like them?” I’d belatedly realized I hadn’t really asked Eckles for his opinion. He stared at me for a long moment, then questioned me with a voice devoid of emotion, “Do you like them, Mistress?” “Huh?” “Are they merely ‘not bad’ in your eyes?” I had a feeling he’d refuse the clothes if I told him that was the case. “I picked out things that were to my taste. Of course I like them. But I’m asking how you feel, Eckles.” I laughed softly and added, “It’s not as if I’ll be wearing them.” “If you like them, Mistress, then so do I.” “Really? In that case…,” I started, pleased by his cute response. I turned toward the merchant and said, “Then send all of these as well, three of each piece.” The arms dealer’s jaw dropped. “Y-yes! Of course! Right away.” “Now, then. Our final order of business. Shall we go and buy a real sword?” I asked, clapping my hands lightly before swiveling on my heel. The weapons dealer hurried after me. “Mistress, this is already enough,” Eckles said, quickly moving to stand in front of me. “Nonsense! A sword is a knight’s most important piece of equipment!” The dealer stole the words from my mouth, fired up with greed. Nodding, I turned back to Eckles. “You’ll need a sword. Does my buying you so much stuff make you uncomfortable?” “No, that’s not it…” He trailed off, which was odd in and of itself. Eckles usually didn’t hesitate to answer me. “I don’t think I’d get to use a real sword. I would hate for a gift from you to go to waste.” “What do you mean? You’ll use a real sword in sparring once your basic training is over, won’t you?” “That’s right! The good lady is absolutely correct,” the arms dealer piped in, nodding with too much enthusiasm. Eckles remained unmoved. He spoke as though stating an obvious truth. “A slave…cannot be made a true knight. So…the wooden practice swords are enough.” I was speechless for a moment. He had known it was impossible for him to become a proper knight—it was I alone who’d been laboring under the assumption it would happen one day. Come to think of it, Eckles was only knighted after Penelope’s death. I’d been so preoccupied with improving his situation that I hadn’t taken the time to closely analyze the events of the game. It might be essential that Eckles never becomes a real knight if I’m to survive. The arms dealer, seeing me so deep in thought, seemed to think I was reconsidering the purchase. “D-don’t be silly! You’ll need a real sword if you’re to guard your mistress.” “I need nothing more than my own body to protect her.” The man fell into a frightened silence. Eckles was right, and there was little I could say to the contrary. Considering his extraordinary abilities, he was practically a walking weapon. “Hmm… All right. If that’s how you feel,” I conceded, nodding. There was no use putting pressure on someone who’d already given up. “I want to look around a bit more, though. Can you wait outside for me?” Eckles spun around and left immediately. I clucked my tongue, watching him disappear without saying a single word to me. Who’s the master here, me or him? I’d noticed this about him before, that Eckles did not follow the rules of etiquette unless expressly told to do so. It was very disrespectful for someone who was supposed to be a slave. “Um…do you need anything else? Please name it, whatever it is, and I’ll aim to provide,” the arms dealer said, eyeing me cautiously. “I came all this way, so I might as well take a look at the magical swords.” “Certainly. Follow me, please!” The man’s expression brightened at my words. It was to be expected, as magical swords were the main items offered by this particular weapons dealer. The space allocated for their display was certainly much bigger and wider than the other rooms, and there was an astounding quantity of enchanted weapons. I looked them over slowly. There were a variety of different kinds, ranging from small daggers to great swords as tall as I. However, the decorations on the blades, sheathes, and handles were all too fancy and over-the-top. “They’re too flashy. Do you have anything more subtle?” “More subtle, you say…? Please give me one moment.” The merchant turned strangely serious as he searched through one of the display cases. “How about this?” he asked, returning with what looked to be a tiny dusty box of some kind—definitely too small to hold a sword. “What is it?” “It is an ancient sorcerer’s sword.” He produced a bundle of keys and stuck one of them in the lock. I’d felt slightly offended that he was presenting me with this musty old thing, but the mention of an “ancient sorcerer” piqued my curiosity. The arms dealer opened the lid, the rusty hinges creaking noisily. “What the…?” I muttered. There, inside the box, was a roughly finished metal necklace with a sword-shaped ornament the size of my index finger. “Is this some kind of joke?” I asked for a weapon, not an accessory. The tiny sword wasn’t adorned with even a single gem, either, making it ugly to boot. I scowled at the man. He recoiled and waved his hands urgently in denial. “N-no, not at all! I would never!” “What is it, then?” “If you hold it by the handle and imbue it with magic, the pendant will transform into a real sword!” He gripped the tiny sword between his index finger and thumb and held it out to me. It looked like a children’s toy, and I was having a hard time believing it could actually turn into a lethal weapon. I eyed him with deep suspicion. “That means people with no magic are unable to use it, doesn’t it?” “Any knight who has trained for long enough can harness at least a little magic. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to use magical swords…” I’d let my ignorance show again. Clearing my throat, I quickly changed the subject. “I’m…not certain if Eckles has any.” “Don’t you worry. I’ve been selling weapons in the capital for decades, and I can guarantee you, that slave—” He had begun suavely but faltered when he saw the glare I set on him. “Ahem, I mean, your guard exuded an incredibly powerful aura. In fact, I could count on one hand how few like him I’ve seen in all the thirty years I’ve operated my shop.” “Really?” “Of course!” I felt the sudden urge to brag that he’d be a swordmaster one day but held myself back. “This sword is very rare, and truthfully, I paid a hefty price to rescue it from the black market. And price aside, knights always prefer the flashier items…” The man sniffled, cradling the accessory as if it were his baby. “It hasn’t been enchanted with any additional magic, but its base material is the rarest of ores. I have no idea how anyone managed to get their hands on it, but the sword is made of steel mined by the long-extinct dwarves.” “Is that a good thing?” “There’s no longer any way to mine this type of steel, as it remains a secret the dwarves took to their graves.” Definitely a good thing, then. I nodded along quietly, not really following half of what he was saying. “In addition, any magic inside the blade becomes undetectable when it is shrunken down, making it impossible for anyone to sense its true form as a magical weapon. Comes in handy when you’re someplace where a such a thing is prohibited.” “Like the palace, for example?” The arms dealer nodded, looking around him furtively. He then whispered, “It’s perfect for assassinating someone.” He was exaggerating. Who would assassinate someone with a magical shape-changing sword, when they could use poison or a dagger? I didn’t bother pointing this out, though. I liked the sword quite a bit. A weapon others won’t be able to see, but that you can keep on your person at all times. I’d been thinking about getting him a small dagger, but perhaps this was better for Eckles. In his hands, anything was a weapon anyway, whether it was a magical sword or a child’s toy. “I’ll take it.” “You have my deepest gratitude! Thanks to you, my precious baby has finally found a suitable owner!” The man looked almost teary-eyed. “Would you like me to send this to the manor with the other items?” “No. I’ll take it with me.” A bit later, after I’d finished paying for the goods and was about to leave, something glimmering in the candlelight caught my eye. “What is this?” I asked about the object too fancy and elegant to look at home in a weapon shop. It was a tiny circular token filled with writing, glittering jewels embedded in the middle. I’d never seen anything like it. “Ah. That’s an amulet,” the arms dealer informed me. “An amulet?” “Yes. The hunting tournament is coming up, is it not? This type of thing is popular among the ladies these days. They buy it as a token for family members or lovers taking part in the hunt.” “Really? What does it do?” “The round disk is imbued with a spell, and the gems are also magic stones. The spell will activate automatically should its wearer be in any danger.” “What kind of spell?” “That depends on the amulet. Most are equipped with defensive spells, but some will teleport the wearer to a safe location.” “Well, that sounds convenient.” “Amulets generally have adhesive magic, so you can attach it anywhere you like on your body.” The dealer was attempting to reel me in, having immediately latched on to my interest. “Would you like a closer look?” I nodded. When I left the building a while later, it was with three fancy new amulets in hand, colored gold, silver, and bronze, in addition to the necklace meant for Eckles. “Did you have a good time, Miss?” the horseman asked, rushing to relieve me of my shopping bag, despite it technically being the reticent Eckles’s duty. The bag contained the amulets, while the gift for Eckles was hidden in my breast pocket. “Where to now?” “There’s a quiet lake to the west of here, isn’t there?” “Ah, that would be Lake Kalia. We’ll depart at once, then.” The carriage began to move silently. I’d planned to buy some new dresses and accessories, too, but I hadn’t been out in a while, and I was already tired. If it were up to me, I’d go back to the manor right away, but I had to give my knight his gift first. And if I’m going to give it to him, I should make a show of it. I wanted to clear up any misunderstandings and soothe any resentment that might have built up in him so far. “We’ve arrived, Miss.” The lake must have been close to the weapon shop, since before long the horseman was pulling us to a stop. I got down from the carriage with Eckles’s help. He then naturally fell a few paces behind, in line with his duty to protect me. “Walk together with me? It’s lonely walking alone, don’t you think?” I said, gracefully extending a hand. He hesitated, then softly grasped only the very tips of my fingers. I could barely feel his hand in mine. Tutting, I grabbed his hand tightly and felt him flinch. With a glance sideways, I caught him ducking his head. Unfortunately, his affection didn’t change. Holding hands, we walked silently along the well-worn path for some time, before finally arriving at an observation deck built above the lake. It was obviously a popular spot for couples, but perhaps because it was a weekday afternoon, there weren’t many people around. I rested both my arms on the railing and gazed out over the lake. A soft breeze carried the refreshing smell of the water to my nose. We stood there, but he neither admired the scenery nor attempted to make conversation with me. Okay, I’ll take matters into my own hands. “Do you feel a little better?” I asked gently. His ash-gray eyes, which had been staring into space, slid to my face. He looked puzzled. “You had a bad morning,” I reminded him. Eckles didn’t reply right away. I urged him to answer with a small noise of my throat, and he reluctantly spoke. “…It was nothing.” I knew I had erred in this whole situation, so I carefully approached my next question. “How often does something like that happen?” “Today was the first time.” “Eckles,” I said reproachfully, with a sigh. “Don’t think I’ll be fooled by such obvious lies. I told you, didn’t I, that you should make everyone at the manor accept you?” “…” “I’m not scolding you for not being able to do so right away. I just want to help, because this problem is something beyond your control.” “…” “Is it Reynold? Is he inciting the bullying?” Eckles was silent, an odd look on his face. I began to grow anxious. “Tell me how Reynold has been treating you. I can try to make things better.” “How?” Eckles said, tilting his head. “Wh…what?” “What power do you have within the knights’ order?” Words failed me. His question sounded like a dig, but his bright eyes betrayed nothing. “Nothing will change as long as I am a slave, Mistress. If you truly want to help, you should turn the other way. I’m doing just fine.” I was taken aback, but I wasn’t so dumb that I failed to understand what he was really saying. I’ll stay by your side, so let sleeping dogs lie. Don’t make any trouble that could get me thrown out. Perhaps he’d acclimatized to life at the manor faster than I’d thought. That meant he had to have figured out his mistress’s position within the household as well. [Affection: 33%] I glanced above his head. Only 33 percent. I’d barely managed to surpass the base affection awarded in Normal Mode. Even in the easier mode, Eckles had been a tough nut to crack. I’d been under the impression that it was because of his loyalty to Penelope, but now that I’d come to understand his personality a bit better, I realized that maybe this wasn’t the case. So from the very beginning, he was playing a calculated game of tug-of-war for his own survival? I had subconsciously let myself get excited after seeing his affection rise above 30 percent. To be honest, the events of the morning had filled me with hope—how blissfully unaware I was. The ending had seemed closer than ever before, and it was with great joy that I’d dragged Eckles to the weapons dealer. It felt silly looking back on it. “Yes… You’re right.” I should have known nothing was ever that easy. My voice sounded dispirited even to my own ears. “You must know now how people see me at the manor.” Why hadn’t it occurred to me, while I was busy placing all my bets on Eckles, that he might have been measuring my own strength as a lifeline? “I don’t have the power to elevate your status at the moment,” I continued. “And there’s no perfect solution to stop the harassment while you remain a slave.” As Eckles had said, there was little I could feasibly do. I could go to the duke and tell him that the knights’ order had a bullying problem, but it would ultimately be a fruitless endeavor. The duke isn’t the slightest bit happy that I bought a slave. There’s no way he’d concern himself with Eckles’s suffering… Thus, I gave up on trying to feed Eckles sugarcoated placations. “But I’m going to keep you with the other knights,” I said, putting on my usual arrogant tone. My face belied no emotion. “You need a place to grow and show your swordsmanship if you want the duke to pay attention to you, don’t you agree?” “…” “So even if you’re sad, push through. Endure whatever is thrown at you and hone your skills. I’ll drop by and mess with the knights every now and then like I did today.” I could grind the small fries into the ground, but I couldn’t do anything about Reynold, the instigator of all the bullying. I won’t pretend I’m capable of fixing the situation any longer. The fact of the matter was I too was struggling through life day by day, trying to stay afloat in this stormy sea of harassment and derision. “We’re leading pretty pathetic lives, you and I both.” I laughed hollowly, the sound lacking any real mirth. Why had I gone all-in on such a downtrodden character? Thinking back on it, it was because we were both trapped in grim circumstances. I’d also known from the beginning that it would be easier to ingratiate myself with someone who had little, as opposed to someone who wanted for nothing. For someone like me, battered by life’s hardships, handing Eckles a surprise gift with a lovely smile—as the heroine would have done—had never been a legitimate option. I realized that now. Relaxing the tight grip I had on the necklace, I held it out to him. “Here. Take this.” “This is…” “It may look like a toy, but it’s real. Just hold it by the handle and imbue it with your magic.” Eckles gazed at the necklace I was dangling in front of his face, perplexed. “Go on,” I encouraged, and he reluctantly took the tiny object between his fingers. Whoosh! With a great flash of light, Eckles was suddenly holding a longsword in his hand. “Ah!” His eyes were wide as he stared at the weapon that had appeared practically from nowhere. It was a simple sword with no unnecessary gems or decoration, but the way the light glinted off the blade was peculiar and hinted that it was no ordinary weapon. I threatened to get my money back tenfold if the arms dealer had scammed me, but it’s the real deal, huh? Eckles looked the part of the perfect male protagonist—dashingly handsome in his new clothes and standing there with an enormous steel sword in hand. Nobody would take him for a slave like this. I could see people glancing at him curiously as they passed by. “Why give me this?” Eckles asked, staring down at the sword clenched in his fist. His voice sounded oddly tight. Eyeing the imposing blade nonchalantly, I said, “A slave hailing from a conquered enemy nation wielding a magical sword would be inconceivable here in Eorka.” “…” “But if your resolve to serve me hasn’t faltered, then you will be the one and only knight I keep at my side.” Eckles appeared more stunned by this admission than he had been by the magically transforming sword. “So what will you do?” I hadn’t intended to deliver the present as if it were some thinly veiled threat. My plan had been to say something touching in the vein of Normal Mode’s heroine: “You’ll always be a knight to me, regardless of your station.” Ha! Any sentimentality I once had is cold and dead. I’d felt off-kilter ever since the conversation had drifted to bullying, and I ended up blinking tears from my eyes as I gave him an ultimatum. “Will you accept the sword I’m giving you, or will you remain a slave? Make your choice.” Eckles stared at me silently. I’d half given up on him already. If he didn’t accept the sword, I’d just gift it to the duke or Derrick. Without warning, Eckles raised the blade above his head, then brought the tip crashing down on the wood-paneled floor. Crack! It made a brittle crunching sound. “Wh-wh-what are you doing?” I stammered. He slowly went down on one knee. Snatching up one of my hands, he proceeded to grip it in his own. “I swear eternal obedience and loyalty to you as your one and only sword,” he murmured, lowering his head until his soft lips were pressed against the back of my hand. It was the very first time a love interest had touched me, but it felt neither remarkably hot nor cold; it simply left me feeling lukewarm. However, at that moment in time I didn’t have the presence of mind to notice as such, the words he’d spoken to the heroine ringing in my head. —“I swear eternal obedience and love to you as your one and only sword.” Had I somehow forced an oath from him too early? It wasn’t the same vow Eckles had made in Normal Mode. I felt a rush of anxiety at the realization. [Affection: 40%] But watching his affection soar quieted some of my fears. Things are just unfolding differently, I reassured myself as I looked down at Eckles, his lips still pressed in a gentle kiss against my hand. I could only see the crown of his neat gray-brown head. “…Don’t betray me, Eckles.” This was the first truly sincere thing I’d ever said to my all-in love interest. “Betrayal…” Betrayal means I’m destined to die. The items I’d purchased from the weapons dealer were delivered to the manor the following day. As the delivery men piled crate after crate at the front gates, the servants watched, completely appalled. “Miss Penelope! Wh-what is all this?” By the time the shocked butler stumbled into my room, I’d gotten out of bed and just finished washing my face. “What’s all what?” “I know you haven’t gone out for a while, but…” The butler trailed off, flabbergasted. “Why did you buy such a great number of weapons? Over sixty crates of wooden swords have been delivered.” “Well, we didn’t seem to have enough,” I said with a shrug, a pointed nod to the sour events of the morning before. The butler was silent for a moment. He looked at me as he would a silly child and sighed. “I think your concern for the knights is laudable, Miss. However, there is an expansive budget set aside for them already. That includes money for practice swords. We still have quite a few left, so you certainly did not need to purchase any more.” My concern…for the knights? I tilted my head, confused. The butler went on, sounding exasperated. “Miss, it has been so long since you went shopping. You should have bought gems for yourself, or perhaps some new dresses—” “There seems to have been a misunderstanding,” I said, correcting him with a frown. “The swords are not for the knights’ use.” “Excuse me? Then why…?” “They’re gifts for my personal guard.” The butler stammered, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Th-then everything out there is…” “Don’t tell me you didn’t hear what happened yesterday,” I said. The older man’s face, previously red with panic, became shrouded in a grim darkness. Why would I spend money on men who insulted me? I scoffed inwardly at his reaction. Wanting to make sure no one misconstrued my intentions, I stressed, “I bought equipment Eckles needs for training since it seemed there wasn’t enough to go around. Do we have a problem? Is there no storage space?” “O-of course there is no problem, Miss,” he said, shaking his head with gusto. It would be ridiculous to claim there was no space for the new items considering how large the estate was. I knew that the butler hadn’t been asking about storage, but I pretended to misunderstand on purpose. My true meaning lay in insinuation—a warning not to ask any more questions. “I am sure you had your reasons,” the butler said finally, slowly nodding. I’m surprised he didn’t have a few more words of protest. Though I’d reminded him of my position several times, he still seemed to regard Penelope as ignorant and unsophisticated. I was pleasantly surprised by how much his attitude had changed since apologizing to me only two days ago. “Don’t worry yourself with Eckles. I know you’re busy. I’ll take care of that.” “Then what would you like me to do, Miss?” “Just continue to keep an eye on him. And tell me if anything like yesterday’s incident happens again.” “Understood. I’ll have the items you bought placed in a storage room for your personal knight’s exclusive use,” he said politely. “Thank you,” I replied, then gave him a brief smile. My mood had greatly improved since it felt as though communication was going smoothly for the first time in forever. Soon after the butler left, Emily arrived with breakfast. “Miss! The things that were delivered this morning are for your guard, right?” She chattered excitedly as she set the table. “Gossip spreads quickly, I see.” “You should’ve taken me with you…,” Emily said, expression forlorn. A personal maid was an indispensable helper to the average young noble lady. Holding the trust of one’s master empowered the servants, so I understood why she might be upset. She was set on becoming my loyal right hand, after all. “Here,” I said, holding out to her the object I’d retrieved before her arrival. “Th-this is…” It was the copper amulet I’d bought at the weapons dealer. Emily hesitated, staring down at it with wide eyes. “Well? Aren’t you going to take it?” “What…is this, Miss?” “A gift for you,” I told her, grinning. “A…gift?” “It’s supposed to protect you from any hidden danger as long as you keep it somewhere on your person.” The magic imbued in the specific amulet I’d bought for Emily was too vague to be of much value, but such amulets were apparently often given as a token of favor. “I’ve got my fair share of enemies. Since you’re one of my people now, there’s no telling when something bad might happen. Make sure you wear it at all times, okay?” I’d felt sorry for taking my anger out on Emily ever since the other day. She’d also refused that one time I’d offered her expensive gems, so this functioned doubly as a test. If she refused this as well, I would suspect she might have an ulterior motive in wanting to serve me. “Miss…” Emily, however, was looking up at me with large, teary eyes. “I-I’ve never received a gift like this in all the time I’ve worked here.” “Yeah?” “It’s so beautiful. I’ll treasure it dearly!” Emily gushed. “Good.” “I’ll work even harder from now on! I really will!” she said, swearing her loyalty up and down, her face set in zealous determination. Seeing her expression, I couldn’t help thinking back to when I’d first come here. The memory of her stabbing me with a needle felt so far away now. Just then, a notification appeared. <SYSTEM> Your relationship with a manor inhabitant has improved. Reputation has increased +5 points. (TOTAL POINTS: 15) The white window informed me that the reputation points I’d lost the day previous had been recovered. “Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much!” As Emily bowed over and over, repeatedly thanking me, I considered a wish that had no doubt been made many times, by many people. I hope things stay like this. The butler, who’d already visited my room once that day, came again in the afternoon with a summons from the duke. “My father…?” “Yes, Miss.” I was momentarily overcome with anxiety. Not because I didn’t know why he was asking to see me, but because I’d made so much trouble recently that I wasn’t sure which grievance I needed to prepare myself to deal with. My fight with Reynold? Wreaking havoc at the training field? Or…buying a bunch of weapons for Eckles with the blank check? The second was the most likely candidate. I couldn’t imagine someone of Reynold’s age tattling to his father after a fight with his younger sister. And as for the check, he’d given it to me to use as I liked. Surely he wouldn’t care that much about what I’d spent it on. “He did not look to be in a bad mood,” the butler informed me quietly, no doubt reading my silence as concern. “Let’s go, then,” I said, his attempt to comfort me helping me to put aside my worries. “Father. You wanted to see me?” I greeted the duke upon entering his office. By now, I was only slightly nervous. The older man was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. Upon my arrival, he welcomed me easily. “Yes. Come sit,” he said, gesturing to the seat opposite him. One very noticeable change that had occurred after waking up in this world was that the duke no longer looked right through me. This meant my default reaction of falling on my knees and begging for forgiveness was outdated. I didn’t hesitate to go to the sofa and take a seat as the duke ground the cigar he’d been smoking into a nearby ashtray, putting it out. “Shall we have some tea?” “Yes, please.” The duke rang a bell, and it wasn’t long before a maid arrived with refreshments, including a pot of tea that emitted soft, lazy trails of steam. “That is all. You may leave now,” the duke said. The maid, who’d been poised to fill two teacups from the kettle, bowed politely and exited through the door. An awkward silence settled over the room once more. Come to think of it, this is my first time having tea with any of the characters. I’d always had a very clear objective when I’d visited this office previously: beg for forgiveness, save my neck, and beat a hasty retreat. But despite how desperate and scared I always was on the inside, nobody had ever really given me the time of day. Now that people were finally treating me as more of an equal, I felt a confusing mix of emotions—relieved, but bitter at the same time. As I mused on my sordid circumstances, the owner of the manor poured the tea. “Thank you…,” I mumbled but didn’t take the cup. The duke took a sip of the fragrant peppermint tea and savored the taste for a moment before speaking. “Penelope.” “Yes, Father?” “I hear there was an incident at the training field.” The mess with the knights was the reason he’d wanted to see me, as I’d expected. Should I be relieved that this isn’t about my fight with Reynold? “Yes…I had a bit of a confrontation with the knights. I’m sorry,” I said, nodding docilely as I asked for forgiveness, following the now long familiar pattern. The duke’s cup clinked loudly as he set it down, eyes glinting. “Explain to me what happened.” “It no doubt happened exactly as you heard,” I said, not wanting to waste my breath describing small details when they didn’t concern my survival. The duke’s eyebrows twitched, however, indicating he was displeased with my answer. “And what do you think I heard?” “That I showed up at the training field without warning and made Eckles choke out one of the knights,” I recited offhandedly. It was obvious to me that they would have left out any mention of their own misbehavior when describing what had happened to the duke. I mean, why wouldn’t they? I might have been adopted, but they wouldn’t dare confess to the duke that they’d been caught bad-mouthing me. “If you called me here to check if it’s true, I can confirm it is,” I said confidently, maintaining eye contact with the duke. “If you wish to confine me to my room for failing to behave in a manner befitting a dignified lady, I’ll accept that judgment. I’ll also abstain from attending the hunting tournament.” I didn’t admit to misconduct as I usually did, since I had no regrets for the way I’d acted and honestly didn’t believe I was in the wrong. Instead of apologizing, I was subtly making moves toward my future goal. I want to avoid going to the hunting tournament if at all possible. Having decided for certain to bet all my chips on Eckles, I would follow the example set by the heroine in Normal Mode and not attend the hunt. Instead, I’d focus entirely on grinding my knight’s affection. Thanks to the unpleasant circumstances of our family lunch, it hadn’t occurred to me when we’d first discussed it, but every self-respecting nobleman took part in the tournament. Which meant all my potential love interests would be there—with the exception of Eckles, who was denied entry on account of being a slave. No matter how careful I was, entering the forest for the hunt was akin to entering enemy territory. It’s the perfect episode setup for getting myself murdered, no one the wiser. Not to mention it was being held at the palace, so there was a good chance I’d end up running into the crown prince again. I’d sparked his curiosity enough to warrant a private invitation before. If I went, even just to spectate, and happened to catch his interest after I’d only barely managed to escape from him… Nooo! I shuddered internally. “That being said, I don’t think I actually did anything wrong, Father!” Silence swept through the office like an icy breeze. The duke’s voice was cold and low when he replied. “You nearly had a knight charged with protecting our house killed. And yet you say you did nothing wrong?” “That’s right,” I replied without hesitation. The duke exhaled. “All right. Why was it that you ordered your guard to attack him?” Why is he being so persistent today? The duke trusted the knights implicitly and held them in great esteem. Slighting a knight of Eckhart was akin to slighting the family itself. I was fully expecting to be punished given that I’d nearly had one of them strangled to death. I thought he’d be livid if I maintained that I was not at fault. Since I was counting on him putting me under house arrest, his reaction left me stumped, not happy. “But surely you find your knights’ account more trustworthy than mine?” “Penelope Eckhart,” the duke warned sharply. “I am asking you why you behaved in this manner as a member of House Eckhart. Consider your next words carefully.” “…” “You aren’t going to try to tell me that you had no special reason to visit the training field, are you? That you were simply bored? You’ve never bothered with setting foot there before.” I understood why the duke was so suspicious. After all, even a crazy villain like Penelope wouldn’t pick a fight at random with the knights while they were in the middle of training. “Furthermore, I was told that before you went out, you interrogated the butler regarding how your guard was being treated.” “W-well…” My head shot up in surprise. I almost asked how he knew, but I caught myself just in time. The butler had been the one I’d had that conversation with, so of course he’d sung like a canary to the duke. Ugh, that old bigmouth… So he was to blame for making this a bigger deal than it had to be. Seeing my hesitation, the duke struck. “Do you have anything you wish to tell me now?” “It’s all my fault, Father. I was just walking by the training field on a whim. I didn’t like the way they greeted me, and one thing led to another…” “The knights have already testified that the whole thing was related to your slave being disciplined.” “…” “If you refuse to tell me the truth, I’ll have that insolent, troublemaking slave demoted from apprentice knight and expelled from the estate!” The duke’s escalating anger depressed me. He clearly didn’t believe I’d visited the knights on an impulse and had somehow guessed that there was a deeper reason for my being there. “Tell me what happened that day in full detail, or I’ll hold your insubordinate slave responsible for the entire incident.” Since it had come to threatening Eckles, I had no choice but to confess. “I wanted to leave the estate, so…I went to the training field to collect my personal guard.” “…” “There was a knight—Mark, I believe his name was—who was punishing Eckles excessively for an absurd reason: because he broke his wooden sword.” I knew it sounded like a childish complaint. The duke seemed to agree, his face falling into a fierce scowl. Assuming that was all there was to it, he lectured me. “It is common for knights to be punished strictly by their superiors. It’s standard military discipline practice. Surely you’re old enough to know that by now.” “While doing so, the knight slandered me, Eckles’s mistress.” “Wh-what?” The duke froze, eyes wide, mouth open in an aborted attempt to continue scolding me. Of course the knights had left out the part that made them look bad when sharing their version of events. “My guard got angry on my behalf and argued back, so Mark rallied the others and tried to beat him.” “…” “And so I ordered Eckles to duel the man for sullying a lady’s honor.” I’d actually told Eckles to kill him, but that was semantics. I wasn’t stupid enough to admit such a thing in front of the duke. The older man was silent for a long moment, and I stared at my cup still sitting untouched on the table. The formerly steaming tea had quickly cooled. Neither I nor the duke moved to pour a fresh serving. I’m tired of this. The thought suddenly occurred to me as I threw a sidelong glance at where the duke sat rigidly. How many times would these interrogations repeat before I could finally escape this world? “The knight…,” said the duke after what felt like an eternity, his voice subdued. “The knights. What did they say about you?” “That I was a fake, and that I would be abandoned and driven out.” “…” “They told Eckles he should come to his senses and realize the master he clung to was a rapidly fraying rope.” I recited what they’d said without exaggeration. I didn’t feel the need to exact revenge on the knights for intentionally omitting their own wrongdoing—I just wanted the duke to stop paying close attention to my affairs. What I wasn’t expecting, however, was the way his face slowly contorted with emotion. “Why did you not come to me or Derrick right away?” he asked, breathing slowly as if trying to remain calm. The real Penelope would have run to the duke’s office screaming that the knights had snubbed her, starting the whole thing off on the wrong foot. I thought for a moment, then decided to go with the truth. “I figured he’d been punished, so there was no worth in doing so.” “No worth?!” hollered the duke. “How is there no worth in reporting a knight who had the gall to denigrate you?!” Unable to understand why he was suddenly so upset, I stared at him with wide eyes. “The knights are loyal to you and House Eckhart, not to me.” I thought that had been accepted as truth the moment I’d sought out my own guard. I did not expect any allegiance from men who refused to acknowledge me as the duke’s daughter. In fact, I felt this way about all the servants in the manor, not just the knights. Compared with starving because I literally couldn’t eat the food on my plate, the knights’ insults really meant nothing to me. Frankly, if Eckles hadn’t been involved, I wouldn’t have done anything at all. “Penelope, you…” The duke didn’t seem to see things my way. He stared at me with a look of profound frustration, as though he didn’t know where to begin. “The knights of this house… They are also your knights. And that will always be the case so long as you are an Eckhart.” “Eckles is enough for me.” “I’m not just talking about who guards you!” “Me neither. I’m talking about all of the knights, Father,” I said, not giving in. “As I’ve already said before, I have no desire to leave my safety in the hands of those who don’t care about protecting me.” Nothing had changed after that conversation, though, other than Eckles taking up lodgings in the apprentice knights’ dorms rather than the servants’ quarters. “Yesterday and on the first day of the festival as well, Eckles was the only one who protected me.” I wasn’t making any special effort to defend him—it was the truth. Men who couldn’t even pretend to stop their peers from throwing insults my way would never serve as my knights. They had no right. The duke sighed deeply, unable to find the words to change my mind when I appeared so resolute. Looking tired, he rubbed at his eyes and asked quietly, “So…yesterday’s events are what inspired you to purchase six hundred practice swords?” I bought six hundred? Since I obviously hadn’t counted them, I’d had no idea there were so many. Amused, I started to get why the butler had been so appalled that morning. If I was going to be scolded anyway, I decided I’d make the duke understand that I intended on keeping Eckles around for good. “I felt bad for him, so I bought him a magical sword, too.” “Penelope Eckhart. I didn’t give you that blank check so you could buy things for your—” “Please don’t be too mad, Father. You saaaid it was to cheer me up…didn’t you?” I asked coyly, cutting him off with a pout. Not wanting to listen to him nag anymore, I put on an affect so he would be weakened at the sight of his lovely, adorable daughter. I took a sip of my cold tea, my mouth dry from nerves. He won’t get upset because I interrupted him, will he? I’d never been good at the whole cutesy shtick. My original plan had been to offer him a gift and pout here and there if he got angry, but things had spiraled out of control. Why do I always find myself in this position? Swallowing down tears that suddenly threatened to surface, I kept a nervous eye on the older man from behind my cup. “Tsk… Why are you drinking lukewarm tea? You’ll catch a cold. Wait for some hot water to be brought.” Thankfully, the duke seemed more upset that I was drinking cooled tea than because I’d complained about his nagging. He summoned a maid and instructed her to heat the water in the kettle. I guess acting cute gets the job done, too, I thought, relieved. I was glad to have found a fallback strategy since just apologizing hadn’t worked out for me during my attic run-in with Reynold. I always referenced my experience playing the heroine in Normal Mode, but begging for forgiveness like a pushover was wearing on me. As the events of Hard Mode unfolded, the difficulty was slowly escalating. I have to switch up my plays depending on the situation to keep pace. As I contemplated this, the duke’s voice suddenly pulled me from my thoughts. “Penelope.” “Yes, Father?” “Not that you would, I’m certain, but…,” the duke said darkly. “A slave is out of the question.” “…I’m sorry?” “Even if he were to regain status, he is still from a fallen enemy nation.” “I—I don’t…,” I stammered, unsure of what he was trying to say. Whatever it was, the duke seemed extremely serious about the topic. “Don’t let his pretty face fool you. There’s no knowing what greedy plots hide behind it. I do not doubt that there are many men out there seeking to snare the Eckhart family’s only daughter—” “Father, Father!” I interrupted, embarrassed by the turn the conversation had taken. Wait a minute, does he think I want to keep Eckles as a lover? If so, he was hugely mistaken. This was the man who could kill me at any moment. Who cares about his pretty face?! I’m too busy having a heart attack every time I even think about his affection dropping! My flustered protests came out in a messy tumble of words. “I know I may not be as refined as other young ladies, but it’s not like I don’t have a brain.” “It was just a thought. He has that gentle, attractive sort of face, is all.” “This isn’t a romance novel, Father. Why would I want to become lovers with my guard? And besides all that, I’m not into younger men.” The love interests would all belong to the heroine in the end anyway. Regardless, I planned on completing the game before Eckles even came of age, and then I would get the hell out of here without a second look back. The duke cleared his throat with an embarrassed air, sensing my irritation. “All right, then. If you say so, I will take you at your word.” “Don’t worry, Father. That sort of thing can never and will never happen.” Useless emotions and hopeless expectations of others would only hinder my escape. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, I pushed on with the conversation. “If you’re that worried, I’ll keep to my room for a while and refle—” “That will be quite enough self-probation out of you. You’re to participate in the upcoming hunting tournament.” “Huh? But…” “It’s time you stopped cooping up in your room and started taking the opportunity to mingle with girls your age. And do something about that temper of yours!” the duke chided, clicking his tongue. A surge of resentment filled me. He seemed to think I stayed at home all the time because I enjoyed it. Unable to let it go just yet, I argued, “But, Father, I caused a lot of trouble yesterday, didn’t I?” “Trouble? My word! I could just throttle— Ah, never mind. Enough about all that,” the duke said, grinding his teeth together. He seemed to be resisting the urge to curse. Oh, come on. I know I told my knight to choke one of his, but there’s no need to threaten violence, is there? Seems a bit much! I pouted. Nevertheless, I felt sad that I had to be grateful to the duke for reining his temper in. It also meant that I’d been handed a terrible punishment—I would have to take part in the hunting tournament. “Take this,” he said, retrieving something from where it was sitting on the floor. It was a large, expensive-looking wooden box. I hadn’t seen it there since it had been hidden behind the table. Thud! He set the heavy box down on the table. Upon closer inspection, I realized it must be some kind of case, since there were handles and a lock on the top. The duke undid the latch, opened the case, and turned it toward me. “This is…” I was stunned by its contents. Inside was a beautiful silver crossbow sitting on a soft cushion, the sort of weapon you’d usually only see in a movie set in the Middle Ages. It glistened as if it was brand-new. Elaborate designs were engraved on its surface, and gems studded its body, all indicative of its great expense. “It’s your crossbow. I had it cleaned and repaired.” There was a bright flash before my eyes. <SYSTEM> Reward item acquired: [Magical Crossbow x1] A reward? For what? I was confused for a moment, then remembered the notification I’d gotten several days earlier. You have acquired [Affection: +3%] for [Reynold] and a [Crossbow] as your reward. This must be the crossbow I’d been given for completing that stupid quest with Reynold. “Ah…,” I sighed, bemused by the whole thing. The duke appeared triumphant, interpreting my reaction as positive. “I’ve had some modifications made so it’s safer for you to use.” I peered down at the wooden case again. It looked more like an expensive ornament that should be hung up on the wall rather than used as a weapon. Safer? Don’t tell me he made it so I can’t shoot it at all! I was almost immediately proved wrong when the duke reached out and picked something up. I’d somehow failed to notice the black pouch resting next to the crossbow. “Look here, Penelope.” He tugged the top of the pouch open and showed me its contents. It was full of round metal pellets the size of my thumbnail. I stared at him uncomprehendingly. “What is this, Father?” “These are enchanted pellets, meant to be used as a replacement for bolts.” “Enchanted? What do you mean—?” “The pellets explode on impact and emit an electric shock, leaving your quarry unconscious for some time. It’s not strong enough to kill, so you needn’t worry about lethal injuries, even if a human were struck.” “I see,” I said indifferently, before it dawned on me that I should probably sound a little more grateful given how enthusiastic he was about explaining the weapon’s features. I couldn’t help it, though. I’d lost all interest in everything after realizing I’d have to attend the tournament. Forget hunting… I’ll be lucky if I can avoid catching the crown prince’s eye. The duke frowned slightly upon noticing how uninterested I seemed. “There’s one more thing,” he said, more gravely than before. “The pellets have been magicked to, upon impact, erase any memories of the moments preceding.” “Huh? They…erase memories?” What business did a crossbow have carrying that sort of spell? I continued to stare at him in open confusion. The duke spoke, almost reluctantly. “If you really must shoot someone, lure them away somewhere isolated.” “Wh…what?!” My jaw dropped. What was that even supposed to mean? It almost seemed as if he was permitting me to shoot another human being if I wanted. “F-Father. I don’t think I understand…,” I said, carefully trying to confirm if I’d heard correctly. The duke clucked his tongue loudly. “I’m telling you not to charge headfirst in front of everyone and bring shame to our family name like last year! Anyone you choose to shoot will not remember what happened so long as the bullet makes contact, so there’s no excuse for any witnesses. Do you understand now?” It seemed as if he was trying to head off his immature daughter before she could cause too much chaos. But I thought I was banned from participating in the first place for trying to shoot someone. Instead of telling me to not attack people, the duke had replaced the crossbow’s bolts with enchanted pellets that caused people to pass out and lose their memories. I mean…come on. Should I be more impressed at just how much this family can get away with, or how out of control Penelope was? “Have you nothing to say?” the duke chided, watching my face dubiously. “Ah. Yes…,” I murmured, dazed. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him I would, in no uncertain terms, not be hunting another human. And unfortunately, this seemed to be the nail in the coffin on any hopes I had of avoiding the hunting tournament. Glumly, I said, “I understand, Father… I appreciate this.” “Good.” He cleared his throat, then unexpectedly added, as if to console me, “I summoned you because I wanted to hear about what happened yesterday in your own words and give you the crossbow. It was not to rebuke you.” I stared at the duke with wide eyes. He coughed awkwardly. “If you have nothing further to discuss, you may take that and go. This conversation has dragged on long enough.” As though surprised by his own candidness, he chuckled awkwardly and shifted in his seat. After calling for a maid, the older man instructed her to take the crossbow up to my room. The contents of the table were cleared away in an instant, and I hesitated as I stared at it. “Oh, I…” I hadn’t stood to leave yet, so the duke eyed me with curiosity. “Hmm?” Agh, screw it. I’d just give it to him since I’d brought it with me anyway. “I have something for you, too, Father.” I retrieved the small item I’d held hidden in the folds of my dress. The jewelry box was made with expensive velvet, unlike the one I’d given to Emily. I opened it and held the box out carefully for my adoptive father to see. I could see the glistening silver reflected in his suddenly wide, dark eyes. My unexpected gift had obviously thrown him for a loop. “Why…it’s an amulet, isn’t it?” he asked. “It’s been imbued with an emergency teleportation spell.” “For me? Why would you…?” I guess I was right. It was made clear by the duke’s reaction—his daughter had never so much as offered him a rose from the garden. Shaking my head imperceptibly at Penelope’s foolishness, I explained in a genial tone, “I heard it’s popular to gift one of these to any noble who is to take part in the hunting tournament, Father.” “Gift…?” “Yes. Didn’t you say that the foreign visitors in attendance will be bringing and releasing rare animals from their home countries?” “Yes, I did.” “Since there’s no knowing what might happen, I’d like you to keep it on you during the event.” “No one in the entirety of this empire would dare attack me,” he protested. “Maybe not attack, but we don’t know who might approach you in hopes of damaging or gaining the political power our family possesses.” The duke stared at me as if I were some kind of alien. The ornate silver amulet I’d gifted him was quite pricey due to the emergency teleportation spell it contained. I’d had a hard time choosing between teleportation and another amulet imbued with defensive magic, but in the end, I had decided this one was better. House Eckhart had refused to take part in the war, maintaining a neutral stance. Attacking or even killing the duke would be like declaring war on House Eckhart and reigniting the fighting; nobody would be stupid enough to do such a thing. But people could very well try to kidnap him in order to extort the Eckharts. “If anything were to happen to you, there’s bound to be groups who take advantage of the situation and force us to pick a side in the ongoing conflict between factions.” “Wh-why are you thinking about that all of a sudden?” the duke said, taken aback. Then with a jerky glance at me, he muttered to himself, “No, never mind.” He cleared his throat. “All right, I’ll make sure to keep it on me at all times.” He looked as equally bewildered as I had felt upon receiving a crossbow that erased people’s memories. It seemed he’d never expected to receive such a meaningful gift from his troublemaker adopted daughter. “I’ll be going back to my room, then,” I said. I’d brought the gift with me as means to soothe his inevitable ire. I didn’t get to use it for its original purpose, but regardless, I’d delivered it to him. Feeling rather embarrassed over the whole thing, I quickly got to my feet and made for the door. The duke spoke again before I could exit, though. “Penelope,” he called softly. “Father?” “…You’ve become quite mature as of late.” The duke’s eyes were unreadable as he said this. I should have been happy to hear such a nice compliment, but instead, I felt my throat tighten unpleasantly. I had no idea why. My tongue seemed to move all by itself. “Your Grace…” The duke’s blue eyes expanded slowly as he heard me address him this way for the first time in a while. “I can’t say I’ve never resented you. However…” Was I saying this on behalf of poor Penelope, or out of some kind of miserable pity for myself, who had never been important enough to my family to warrant even the small allowances the Eckharts had granted the wild and unruly Penelope? “I’ve never once not been grateful to you for taking me in.” In the next moment, a notification appeared. <SYSTEM> Your relationship with Duke Eckhart has improved. Reputation has increased +15 points. (TOTAL POINTS: 30) Whichever it was, I felt a little like crying. The hunting tournament was only a few days away. I summoned the butler in the morning and had him bring me some blunt wooden bolts I could use to practice the crossbow with, since I didn’t want to waste the expensive pellets, which had each been enchanted with two spells. After delivering the crossbow bolts, the butler lingered hesitantly. “Miss, I have something for you…,” he said, holding an envelope out to me uncertainly. “Huh?” I murmured, puzzled. I’d explicitly ordered the butler to burn any and all invitations addressed to me after I’d successfully met with Winter. “It’s a letter from the palace, so I am unable to discard it.” “The…palace?” I repeated. I could feel the muscles in my face twitching. Why had a letter been sent to me from the palace? The sight of the dragon stamped into the golden wax seal sent a chill of ominous foreboding down my spine. I don’t want to read it… But if I was to be prepared for all eventualities, I had to. With a heavy sigh, I grudgingly opened the envelope with a letter opener and began to scan its contents. To my dear Lady Penelope Eckhart, daughter of the duke. Several moons have already waxed and waned since our meeting in the maze garden. Though I instructed that invitations be sent to you for any and all banquets and events held here at the palace, not once have you come. Are you still bedridden with metal poisoning? How fortuitous, then, that the hunting tournament quickly approaches—and with it, the day I may see you again. I’m sure you have heard by now that your ban was lifted. I myself was very vocal in support of this, for the sake of my lady who has taken ill. I hope you recover soon so that we may meet once more in good health. P.S. You haven’t forgotten your promise, have you? You’d do well to remember it, daughter of the duke. For I have feverishly anticipated your response to my question while waiting for that forsaken metal to work itself out of your system. - Callisto Regulus “Crazy bastard!” Shuddering at the sight of the bold cursive signature, I crumpled the letter into a ball angrily. Why can’t he just forget about me already?! His persistence sent shivers through my body. I’ve been sucked into a freaking dating sim. Why am I being subjected to threatening letters? “M-Miss?” the butler said, taken aback. “May I inquire as to the nature of the letter?” How does blackmail from a raging lunatic with too much time on his damn hands sound? “Pennel?” I said, biting back the urge to respond thusly. “How long will the knights be training today?” “Until six in the evening, I believe… But why do you ask, Miss?” I’d intended to practice once or twice with the crossbow when I found the time so that I could gauge just how good this body’s muscle memory was. I assumed Penelope must have been quite skilled with the thing if she’d caused such a ruckus last year. However, I’d changed my mind. “I need to use the training field.” I suddenly had very good incentive to make sure I was a crossbow expert. Since the butler confirmed there would be no one using the training field in the evening, I read and waited for the sun to set. “Haah…” I had been sucked into a game, and now I had to practice wielding a weapon of all things. It was bothersome to say the least, and totally unfair, but what could a girl do? If I wanted to survive, I needed to be able to defend myself in the face of a threat—namely, one psycho crown prince and his threatening letter. I suppose I should be thankful the duke gave me this nice crossbow. I wouldn’t attack any of the other young noble ladies who got on my nerves, as the duke seemed to worry I would. Instead, if any of the love interests tried to kill me, I would shoot them down. Especially the crown prince, who was easily the most dangerous and difficult to deal with of them all. Because if I screwed up a shot on him, I’d be accused of attempted regicide, which would be a one-way ticket to a dead ending. Or, well, it should be. However, to my great relief, the enchanted pellet shocked its victim, wiping their memory and leaving no evidence. “Perfect.” I performed a small standing ovation at just the idea—the crown prince foaming at the mouth as he fell unconscious to the ground. But this is for the sake of self-defense, nothing more. I’m definitely not letting personal grudges get mixed in, I told myself, trying to tamp down my excitement. Eventually, the sun set outside my bedroom window, and I prepared to go out, changing into my hunting outfit. Ladies in Eorka only rarely participated in the hunt, if at all, so there was no specialized hunting attire for women. Instead, they wore thick tights and shorts with suspenders, which were also commonly worn by young boys. After pulling on my leather jacket and a tie, I studied my reflection. I expected to look silly, but a glance at the mirror told me otherwise. “No way… I look fantastic in this.” Apparently, people with crazy-good looks were immune to debuffs by way of ugly outfits. With my hair done up in a bun, I looked like some kind of hunting goddess. With a grin, I hefted the crossbow up, completing the look. Though it appeared heavy, it was surprisingly easy to lift, no doubt having been magicked to make it more lightweight. Penelope had used the crossbow a lot around this time last year, and I somehow found the feeling of it in my hands familiar. My inspection complete, I snatched up my quiver of bolts and left the room. Each servant I encountered on my way out gasped and avoided eye contact as I passed them. I could feel their glares stabbing me from behind as I walked down the corridor; apparently, the servants didn’t enjoy seeing me armed with a weapon. Looks like I’ll have to prance around like this every once in a while to remind them who’s boss. Thanks to the crossbow, I was able to leave the manor undisturbed, no one daring to approach me. The path leading to the training field was empty and quiet, though that was to be expected, since I’d purposely timed my visit for after the knights had all left. Or at least, I thought it was empty. I was soon proven wrong when a silhouette appeared coming from the opposite direction. His pink hair was dyed with the crimson red light of the setting sun, almost dark enough to resemble my own hair. I knew who it was even before I saw his hair, though, thanks to what floated above his head: [Affection: 17%]. I tried to turn back, but at that very moment, we made eye contact. I lurched to a stop. Dammit… I was dismayed to find myself staring at him awkwardly, a stretch of road between us. Why was it him of all people—the person I wanted to avoid the absolute most? I marveled at my bad luck. What do I do? It didn’t feel right to just give a friendly hello after the intense fight we’d had not that long ago. However, it would be even more strange to turn around and leave. Trusting in my thick skin, I decided to meet him head-on. Ugh, whatever. He’ll ignore me if he has even a smidgen of decency. Reynold, however, had far fewer scruples than I’d expected. “You look like a country bumpkin out on her first hunt,” he mocked as I walked past him. “Don’t tell me you’re going to the training field dressed in that embarrassing outfit?” I gave a cursory glance at my surroundings and was relieved to see there were no rocks that I might end up cracking my head open on should things go south. Choosing to disregard him, I kept moving, but he was nothing if not a persistent bastard. “So you’re flat out ignoring me now?” he said, sidestepping hastily in front of me and blocking my way. I sighed quietly and peered up at him. “Do you have something to say?” His piercing gaze told me the answer to that question was a resounding yes. Fine, then. Let’s hear what bone you have to pick with me this time. I stared, waiting patiently for him to speak. But he simply stared back, mum. “If you have nothing to say, then don’t talk to me.” I attempted to step around him again as I spoke. This time Reynold’s words came out in a rush. “The knights… They’re not done training yet. They’ve been doing some additional drills for a few days now. You’ll run into them if you go now.” I had no desire to converse with Reynold any more, but if he was right, it might be a smart idea to wait. Evidently, even he’d heard of my altercation with the knights. What does it matter, though? They’re the ones who should be avoiding me. They were the ones who did the trash talking. “I don’t care,” I said petulantly. “I’m sure there will be a spare target I can use. If that’s all, I’ll be leaving now.” As I moved past him, Reynold said softly, “You can go up to the attic if you want. I won’t interfere anymore.” The unexpected words caused me to freeze in place. “…Ha!” Once I’d processed what he was trying to say, I burst into laughter. What is this, some charitable donation? Penelope might have had some kind of emotional attachment to that attic, but I certainly didn’t. If I were to go again, there was no way of knowing when I’d be accused of making some kind of cruel wish on a damn firework. It wasn’t worth the trouble. Without a second thought, I turned and replied, “Yeah, no.” “…Why not?” “I’d hate to run into you up there.” The pupils in his blue eyes dilated, and the white letters above his head blinked threateningly. I watched, impassive. [Affection: 17%] I could afford to lose a few percentage points. Instead of worrying about the trivial matter of Reynold’s affection, I thought of the knights who were apparently still outside training. Does that mean Eckles is still there, too? My plan to work on Eckles’s affection during the hunting tournament had been foiled. I need to make some headway before leaving for the hunt instead. My musings were interrupted when Reynold finally managed to get out whatever words he’d been struggling to speak. “I…harsh.” “What?” Distracted by my thoughts, I failed to catch what he had said. His lips moved minutely as he repeated himself. “I…was…a bit…sh.” I still couldn’t make out his words, since his voice was barely audible. I instinctively knew what he was trying to say, though. If you’re going to apologize, be a man about it. Internally clicking my tongue, I gave him another chance. “What?” “I…that day.” “I can’t hear you,” I said, my tone automatically slipping into one of glee. Seeing him so embarrassed was a rare sight. I knew I wasn’t being very gracious, but I was unable to resist, considering everything he’d made me suffer. “I said I’m sorry! I was too harsh on you that day!” the pink-haired man suddenly shouted, throwing his head back. “Caw! Caw!” I could hear birds in the nearby bushes fleeing into the sky, no doubt startled by the noise. Holy crap, is he part megaphone? I frowned, rubbing my ringing ears. His cheeks a fiery red, Reynold grumbled, “You’re always the first to come find me. Why are you moping around for so long this time? Girls can be so stupid…” I stared at Reynold. Though he was just griping at this point, I could glean a lot about the dynamic between him and Penelope from his words. How would things go in this situation if I followed the intended route laid out by the game? I suppose I would accept his apology and thank him for saying sorry to me first. But why? Why was it that I was always forced to thank people even when I didn’t actually feel grateful to them? “…Reynold.” He glared in my direction and said sulkily, “What?” “I accept your apology. It’s not like I was particularly well-behaved, either.” “Well, I’m glad you realize that much,” he said, his expression immediately regaining its usual smug confidence. I could only assume it had deeply hurt his pride having to be the bigger person. He was already acting as though it was only right that I accept his “sorry.” “But I want you to know something.” “Huh?” “This is the first time you’ve ever apologized to me.” I wouldn’t waste my thanks on a righteously delivered admission of wrongdoing. “You’ve hurt me more times than I can count with your words, and I’ve forgiven you just as many times without so much as hearing a ‘sorry.’ So…” “…” “…I’ll forgive you this time as well,” I said, smiling broadly, making it clear that I was the one being generous here, not him. I had passed him and was standing closer to the training field now, so the fiery light of the sunset washed over my face, my hair fluttering in the breeze. I brushed the wayward strands aside, tucking them behind one ear as I gazed up at him. Huh? There was something odd about the expression on Reynold’s face. He seemed almost mesmerized, and when our eyes met, a blush spread across his cheeks. “I…,” he stammered, his face bright red. “I don’t need forgiveness from the likes of you. I said what I needed to say. I’m leaving!” Before I could respond, he spun and strode away. “What’s his problem?” I said, frowning, alone on the forest path. The letters bobbing atop his head shone suddenly. [Affection: 22%] I checked multiple times to make sure my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, fixated on the numbers until he was too far away for me to make anything out. Reynold had been right. When I arrived at the training field, the knights were just finishing their training. Thankfully, the target range, which was situated a distance from the sparring area, seemed to be vacant. There was probably no shooting practice today. Avoiding the knights, I sneaked around the edges of the training field and made my way toward the range. It would have been faster to go across, but I’d only just met with the duke—for the time being, it was safer to lie low and avoid stirring up trouble. When I finally arrived, I loaded the crossbow and pulled the string back until it was hooked on the latch. Turning the crank, I got in position to shoot. I trusted Penelope’s body to know what to do—she’d apparently already been using a crossbow for a year, after all. “Huh?” I couldn’t seem to hold the tip of the bolt steady on the target. Though the crossbow had felt light when I was carrying it, it felt heavy as I tried to aim it. My arms quivered as I attempted to hold it in place. “Don’t tell me Penelope’s never actually done this before,” I grumbled, letting my already fatigued arms fall. I’d managed to load the crossbow somehow, but I had no idea how I was supposed to handle or shoot it. “Hya!” I let out a grunt, shaking my aching wrists and hefting the crossbow up again. I intended to pull the trigger before my arms started trembling from the strain this time. “You won’t be able to aim if you hold it like that.” I felt the warmth of someone’s body against my back. A hand stretched out in my peripheral vision and easily supported the weight of the shaking crossbow. Jolting in shock, I tried to turn. “Mistress.” The muscular body behind me prevented me from moving, however. “Eckles?” Only then did I realize I was trapped in his arms. “What are you doing—?” He shushed me gently. “You need to keep your eyes straight ahead, Mistress,” Eckles whispered in my ear. I squirmed in his embrace, flustered. “Or else your prey will get away.” At the quiet murmur of his words, I froze, my back flush with a firm chest. I swallowed, my mouth suddenly inexplicably dry. “Let go with your left hand. Use your right hand to grip the trigger and pull it toward your chest.” The hand he’d been using to support the crossbow glided along the shaft of the weapon until it rested on top of mine. The back of my hand was bathed in warmth, but it was his breath ghosting over the nape of my neck that I was acutely aware of. “Support the tiller with your left hand and fix your eyes on the target.” His left hand took mine and gently guided it into position. The pose he’d coaxed me into already considerably improved the stability of my aim. “Breathe, Mistress,” he whispered, laughing softly in my ear. Just as I was beginning to feel as if the red center circle on the target was growing hazy, I pulled the trigger, launching the bolt with a loud whistling sound. Moments later, I realized it was buried in the center of the target. “Well done.” His warm hands slowly retreated from mine, the muscular arms that held me firmly in place releasing me. Eckles withdrew from my back and stepped aside, but the backs of my hands burned as if he were still holding them. I breathed out slowly, lowering the crossbow. “Is training over?” I asked. When I turned to look at him, I made sure that the flutter of strange emotions in my stomach wasn’t visible on my face. Eckles peered at me curiously. “How long have you been here?” “Not very long.” “And you didn’t come looking for me?” He sounded unhappy that I hadn’t immediately called for him. “Are you upset?” I asked with a faint smile, amused that he could say such things with so little expression. “The knights already don’t like us. If I popped up during training again, I wouldn’t be doing you any favors.” “Were you worried about me?” “Of course. I’m always worried when it comes to you.” His lips twitched slightly, and his affection rose in tandem. [Affection: 44%] The increase immediately made my mood soar. I felt the smile on my lips grow wider. “You look like quite the proper knight now. Do you like your new training clothes?” The money I’d spent had certainly been worth it—he no longer looked shabby. Instead, the new outfit lent him an elegant air. He nodded minutely in answer to my question. “Glad to hear it,” I murmured, turning away. Even if his answer had been negative, it wasn’t my problem. After all, I’d done everything in my power to help him. I hoisted the crossbow again, this time positioning myself in the same way he’d held me. Though it was a huge improvement, I still found it hard to aim accurately. My arms began to ache, maybe because I was exercising muscles I’d never used before. He could have helped, but in his usual tactless manner, he just watched as I struggled. “Is this because of the hunting tournament?” he asked. I huffed with exertion. Unable to support the crossbow any longer, I lowered it with a nod. “Yep…” Slightly out of breath, I muttered, “I’m going to bag me first place, get that prize money, and set you up for a life of luxury.” There was no chance I would actually win, of course. I was practicing solely to ensure my survival. Hearing a soft chuckle escape his lips, I spun around. His expression was as dry as ever, but I could see the faint shimmer of amusement in his eyes. I was a little surprised since I’d never seen him laugh for real before. “Are you laughing at me?” I asked, and he shook his head vigorously. “I think you’ll find it hard to wield the crossbow, Mistress.” “Why’s that?” “Because,” he said, “…too…ttle.” He lowered his eyes to the ground and mumbled something I couldn’t understand. “Huh? Because I’m a ‘little’ something?” I asked. He ignored my question. “You won’t be able to control the recoil if you don’t have proper posture. You might even sprain your wrist or cause the bone to fracture if you’re not careful.” “Really?” I didn’t hate the sound of that. “That would work nicely, actually…” At least then I’d have a good excuse for skipping the stupid hunting tournament. I’d accidentally let my true feelings slip out. Noticing Eckles’s eyes go round, I quickly changed the subject. “But how do you know so much about crossbows?” As far as I knew, Eckles didn’t get any formal training with weapons until later in the game. It puzzled me how well he was able to handle the crossbow. “In Delman—,” he said, then hesitated. Eventually, he corrected himself. “In my home country, archery is considered a basic skill.” So Eckles’s nation is called Delman. That information had appeared nowhere in the game. I tucked it away in my brain for future reference. I found it interesting, though, that the future swordmaster had learned to use a bow before the sword. “Not swordsmanship?” “No.” “I see…,” I said, nodding. “That’s good. Then you can help me correct my stance so I can get first place.” He was silent for a moment. Then in a low, husky voice, he asked, “Like I did just now?” “Yep,” I said innocently. The letters above his head blinked. [Affection: 49%] Hell yeah! I grinned at the surge in affection, mentally patting myself on the back for the ingenious idea of visiting the training field that night. Hesitation gone, Eckles came to stand behind me once more. His arms wrapped around me, and his hands enveloped mine again, ostensibly to help me aim the crossbow. All of a sudden, a frosty voice pierced the warm atmosphere. “What do you think you’re doing?” My body was jerked around roughly, but not of my own accord. Eckles had spun, taking me with him. Sensing an intruder, he instinctively aimed the crossbow with me still cradled in his arms. A dark-haired man stood stiffly in my line of sight. “…Young Lord?” I said. I was mortified. What is he doing here? In the game, there were virtually no events where two love interests appeared at the same time, with the exception of Reynold and Derrick. Despite the fact that my mind was still elsewhere, as I was completely flustered by this development, Derrick continued uncaringly in a low growl, “Penelope Eckhart.” This is very, very bad, I thought, a chill running down my spine. I had to defuse this situation somehow, and quickly at that. I moved to extract myself from Eckles’s arms, but his large hands just clung all the more fiercely to my own. “…Eckles?” I said carefully, trying to twist free. But the more I struggled, the stronger his grip seemed to grow. Tilting my head back to look up at him, I eventually said, “Let go, Eckles. You’re hurting me.” His ashen gaze slid down to my face. Our eyes met for a moment before he finally, reluctantly, released me. I immediately felt cold where he withdrew his touch. Hurriedly, I pulled away from Eckles and bowed to Derrick. “I asked you what you were doing.” His piercing gaze was still ice-cold. Why is he so upset? My recent quarrel with the knights had been smoothed over with the duke, and Derrick hadn’t made a peep about it in the last few days anyway. I didn’t do anything to make him angry during that time, either. Confounded by his bad mood, I tilted my head to the side and replied as gently as possible. “I’m practicing shooting with my guard.” “Forgoing the archers the Eckhart house employs, you mean?” His frigid gaze shifted to Eckles, who was still beside me. “I can’t bother them when they’re training,” I said, stepping in front of Eckles protectively. “And my guard is skilled with the crossbow, so he’s more than fit to teach me.” “Teach you?” Derrick’s eyes flashed a furious blue, like a blue-hot flame. He was deeply offended, but by what, I didn’t know. The score above his head began to flicker dangerously. However, it was the vicious look on his face that scared me more than the affection meter. He alternated glances between me and Eckles as he spat derisively, “You proved your lack of sense when you brandished your weapon at ladies your own age. What would you possibly be able to learn?” “That’s the point, Young Lord. I’d like to make up for what I’m lacking and learn what I can before the hunt.” Though his words didn’t bother me much—I hadn’t been the one to threaten those girls, after all—I couldn’t stop an angry sigh from escaping my lips. “But if my using the training field offends you, I can go somewhere else.” “…” “Come on, Eckles.” I tried to escape with my knight in tow as quickly as possible. As I was about to pass Derrick, he grabbed me. “Where do you think you’re going?” He prevented me from retreating any farther, holding on to my arm with a viselike grip. I whirled around to regard him with surprise, and he glared at me menacingly. “If you need a tutor that badly, I’ll teach you myself.” “…Sorry?” “You,” he said suddenly, turning to Eckles. “If you have no further training to attend to, return to your quarters.” His imperious command, given with an arrogant jerk of his chin, left me unable to say a thing in retort. Even though it had been I who’d wanted Eckles as my personal guard, it was because Derrick—the captain of the knights’ order—permitted it that he was allowed to take part in training at all. As was the case in any army, the Eckhart knights had a strict top-down hierarchy. All this to say, I thought Eckles wouldn’t hesitate to obey. Instead of leaving, however, he gently wrapped his hand around my other wrist, which still clutched the crossbow. “But…my mistress wants me to teach her,” he said, tilting his head upward defiantly. What has gotten into them? With both of my arms held captive, I stared at the two love interests in confused fear. Derrick’s expression twisted into something ferocious when he saw Eckles ignoring his order. “You’re nothing but a slave. Who are you to teach anyone?” “Even the Imperial Army was brutally routed by the archers of Delman at the Battle of Livius,” Eckles shot back. My jaw dropped. He was clearly picking a fight, and in response to his defiance, the air became thick with a cloying hostility. There was no way of knowing which of them the oppressive feeling was radiating off more strongly. How about you guys hash this out after letting me go… I struggled to free both of my wrists, but neither man seemed willing to let go. “Delman?” Derrick said with a mocking smile after a prolonged moment of just silently glaring. “Ah… You mean the vulgar, savage nation that pillaged many smaller countries, only to be betrayed by those very same countries and erased from the map altogether?” Eckles’s grip on my wrist tightened. Dammit, they’ll fight for real at this rate! I was scared and unable to make a sound, and my eyes darted between them fearfully. Honestly, I wished Eckles would bite his tongue. In this empire at least, he was of a far lower station than Derrick, so there was no winning against him. Please, Eckles. Please stop… Contrary to my desperate prayer, however, Eckles glared back at the young lord. “Why don’t I show you, then?” “What?” Derrick snapped. “How a vulgar savage teaches a daughter of the empire the way of the bow.” “You impudent little…!” Derrick’s expression grew somehow fiercer at Eckles’s taunting tone. I noticed that both of their affection meters were blinking ominously, and anxiety spiked inside me. If a fight between them was a predetermined episode in the game, I felt certain I would be the unlucky one who got caught in the middle and wound up dead. I’d remained silent thus far, afraid a single wrong move would get me killed, but I couldn’t take this any longer. “Enough! Enough already!” I shouted as loudly as I could, pushing both of them away. They’d been glowering intensely at each other, as if they were going to throw hands at any second, and it was only because I’d taken them by surprise that I was able to free myself from their clutches. I drew both arms to my chest just in case they tried to snatch them back, then quickly said, “I’m leaving. I don’t really feel like practicing anymore.” I need to get the hell away from here! I made to exit the archery range, leaving them behind. Perhaps rattled by my reaction, they both hastened to stop me. “Penelope.” “Mistress.” Even Eckles, whom I had expected to behave better than this, had rushed forward, plastering himself to my side. Brow furrowing deeply, I coolly pushed him away. “Don’t follow me. I’m going back to my room. Alone.” Though it sounded as though I was speaking to Eckles, this was mostly directed at Derrick. He could attempt to follow me all the way back to the manor, claiming it was his right as my older brother. If you’re going to fight, do it after I leave, please! “Goodbye.” I fled from the training field, afraid they might come after me, and felt eyes pinned on my back as I disappeared. Picking up my already hurried pace until I was practically running, I got farther and farther away from them. “Huff, huff…” When I reached a forest path, I glanced behind me, panting hard. No one was following, to my great relief. I finally felt safe enough to slow down a little. “Phew… I nearly died back there, caught between those two.” You should always trust your gut feelings. I shivered to remember the foreboding chill that had run down my spine earlier. Finding amusement in the fact that I’d managed to take my crossbow with me despite my chaotic escape, I muttered hollowly, “Thank goodness I managed to get away safely…” I had no way of knowing whether they’d started throwing punches at each other after I’d left. Neither did it matter much to me, since I’d already gotten the hell out of dodge. There should be no reason for their affections to be impacted based on a fight that happened strictly between the two of them. I’ll have to ask the duke to get me an archery tutor and just practice alone behind the manor. Repeating to myself like a mantra that I should stay away from the training field for the foreseeable future, I resumed my walk back. And then, the damn hunting tournament was only a day away. The maids forced me out of bed and into a bath in the wee hours of the morning to make me squeaky clean. All the fuss was because of the celebration marking the eve of the tournament, to be held on the palace hunting grounds. Because royal families and nobles from other kingdoms would be in attendance this year, the tournament was apparently supposed to be even grander than usual. As I was doused in scented oil for the second time that morning, other maids simultaneously dealing with my damp hair, I complained sleepily, “Is all this really necessary? I’ll be tying my hair in a bun and wearing pants for the hunt tomorrow.” “That’s why you need to look prettier than anyone else today! So all the men’s eyes will be on you!” Emily replied enthusiastically. The other maids who’d joined the early-morning invasion on my room also chimed in. “That’s right, Miss!” “You’ll be the queen of the Eve party this year!” “Yes! Miss Kellen took first place last year due to that incident, and her maids have been so arrogant ever since—” The last maid to speak abruptly clammed up. I could see Emily glaring at her in the mirror, the atmosphere suddenly turning awkward. It was obvious they feared I would be upset at the mention of one of my past blunders. Meh, that wasn’t me anyway. I decided to be generous and ignore her slip of the tongue. Instead, I thought about the hunt they seemed so excited for. Though it wasn’t really relevant in Normal Mode, the tournament was open to all genders. The amount of game caught by each contestant would be counted on the last day and used to determine the winner; however, it wasn’t as straightforward as a pure numbers game. The twist was that animals hunted and gifted by another also counted toward a person’s total score. Of course, beasts that were more difficult quarries, such as bears and tigers, were worth more. Because of this system, most men would give the game they caught to the woman they liked to help her win. It was basically a way of flirting. The hunting tournament’s just another plot device used by the game to appeal to female audiences, huh? What is this, some kind of romantic Secret Santa? Count Kellen’s daughter had won last year’s event, thanks mostly to Penelope, who’d threatened to kill her. People had felt immensely sorry for the girl, who’d been nearly shot by the Mad Dog of Eckhart—or “chimpanzee,” as people began to refer to Penelope—and all the men had dedicated their game to her. The count’s household must have made fun of the duke’s servants over the incident… Sadly for the maids’ winning aspirations, I wasn’t interested in anything but protecting my own hide. “Ow.” One of the maids tugged at my hair a little too hard, pulling me out of my reverie. “Oh! Did that hurt, Miss? Please forgive me.” The maid had been twisting my dry hair into an updo and fixing it in place, but she retreated as soon as I complained. “It’s fine. Go on,” I said, nodding to her. Then I muttered under my breath, “Don’t worry, girls. I’ve got a plan.” “Pardon?” replied one of the maids. “I won’t hesitate if the opportunity arises.” They looked puzzled by my words. “What do you mean, Miss?” “I’ll keep an eye on the woman with the greatest amount of game, I mean.” “…?” “And on the last day, I’ll shoot her with my crossbow and steal her points—” “M-Miss!” I’d meant it as a joke to ease the tension, but the maids all looked horrified instead. Emily, clearly appalled, quickly changed the subject. “Please don’t let such scary thoughts slip, Miss! Now, then! You’re all done. You just need makeup now.” “That means I’m far from done,” I grumbled. Despite my complaints, I closed my eyes as they requested. I did like looking pretty, after all. The pampering and polishing had begun early in the morning and did not end until late in the afternoon. The bloodred dress the maids picked out had a plunging neckline. I obediently wore it and the white pearl accessories they’d laid out for me. This type of look really does suit her. Evil things are often very beautiful, aren’t they? Penelope’s reflection in the mirror was dangerously seductive, the deliberate opposite of the heroine from Normal Mode. There was something suggestive about the way the outer corners of her eyes turned upward like those of a cat. She was like an apple that looked red and enticing on the outside but was actually full of poison. The maids brought black leather shoes for me to wear that went with my dress nicely. The heels were quite tall, though, and I was having a hard time adjusting to them. Seeing me wobble, Emily rushed over to help keep my balance and said, “Miss, would you like me to help you to the ground floor?” “No, call for Eckles.” “Huh?” Emily said, confused. “Why would you want—” “He’s my personal guard. Of course he should escort me,” I responded casually. “R-right! Please wait just one moment, Miss. I’ll call for him right away.” Emily nodded along at my words reluctantly before rushing from the room. I could understand her hesitance since slaves were not allowed in the palace. I’d actually asked for him not because I wanted an escort, but to find out whether he and Derrick had fought after I left the other day. And also…since the maids worked so hard to make me look good, I might as well try to raise his affection a little more. Knock, knock. It wasn’t long before the door opened again. “Miss, I’ve brought him.” “Come in,” I said. Emily entered first, followed by Eckles. “Mistress—” He froze when his eyes met mine, drinking in the sight of me lounging forward, my chin cupped in my hands. His ash-colored eyes reminded me of a violent storm. And I was certain it was thanks to how gorgeous I looked. [Affection: 50%] I smiled widely seeing the affection climb so easily, unlike before. “Emily, please take my crossbow case and wait for me downstairs.” “You’re bringing it with you today, Miss?” “I think it’s a good idea to take it to the cabana early.” “Right. Will do!” She left the room, case in hand. “Come closer, Eckles.” I tapped the table leisurely with one finger. As if he’d suddenly been shaken from a trance, he slowly approached me, stopping a few steps away from the table. “Closer,” I ordered, nodding at the space directly in front of me. He complied silently. “On your knees.” Though the command was delivered abruptly and forcefully, Eckles immediately did as he was told. I reached out and lightly gripped his chin. Because I hadn’t seen him since the confrontation with Derrick a few days ago, I needed to make sure he was okay. Thankfully, I couldn’t see a single blemish on his smooth skin. “Are you hurt?” I asked gently, though the way I was grasping his face contradicted the concern. Derrick might have only hit him where the bruises wouldn’t show. Eckles stared at me, then shook his head softly once I was finished examining his face. “So you didn’t fight, then. Good.” “…The captain left immediately after you did, Mistress,” he said, understanding what it was I wanted to know. “Were you worried about me?” It was the same question he’d asked me not too long ago. At that time, I’d said I was, and he appeared to like hearing those words. Now his gray eyes carried an air of great devotion as he gazed up at me as if he was willing me to say yes. However, recalling all the times he’d sent my heart pounding with his unexpected hostility, I chose the stick instead of the carrot. “Don’t interfere like that again,” I snapped in a tight, strict tone, as if I were disciplining a puppy. “I thought you said you could manage just fine on your own. Do you want to be thrown out before you even manage to prove your presence here?” “But that man grabbed your wrist—” “‘That man’? Not captain?” I let go of his chin and warned him coldly, “Does my eldest brother strike you as the type to overlook your rude posturing as I so generously do?” “…” Eckles’s gaze turned sullen, as if he were being scolded for doing something he didn’t do wrong. He was as expressionless as always, but there was an oddly glum air about him. I could just as well have been misreading him, though. I glanced at the white letters above his head and assumed a softer tone. “I want you to stay by my side for a long time.” I couldn’t allow Eckles to be kicked out of the manor until his affection gauge was full. That was the only way I could escape. “And for that to happen, you’ll have to keep me out of your personal vendettas.” “…” “What I’m saying is, don’t take out your resentment for the empire on me.” I hadn’t just been afraid of dying when I was caught in the fight between Derrick and Eckles. —“How a vulgar savage teaches a daughter of the empire the way of the bow.” I was taken right back to that rainy day when he’d said those words. Memories of a wooden sword slicing through the air and coming to rest at my throat had come rushing back. Though he may have revered me for taking him into my care, Eckles also held an intense hatred for the empire and its role in forcing him under its thumb. And if I wanted to escape successfully, I couldn’t let those mixed feelings fester. I need him to feel nothing but goodwill for me. I had to remind him of this. “Do you detest me for buying you? Do you think your life would be better back at the auction house, rather than having to withstand the disdain from everyone here?” “…” “I need someone who’s going to be useful to me. If you hate it here and feel like I’m forcing you to stay, I’ll give you this ring. You’re free to leave at any time.” I reached for the ruby ring, pretending that I intended to remove it from my finger. It was an aggressive tactic, and one I’d be forced immediately to regret and apologize for if he actually tried to leave. I’d played Normal Mode, though, so I knew how he’d endured Penelope’s rampages and fits of temper and remained at the manor regardless. As a slave from a fallen nation, he had nowhere to go that would offer him more security and safety than this manor. “Mistress…” Eckles’s eyes showed nothing but distress as I held the ring out to him. As I expected, he made no move to take it. Instead, he spoke. “I… I was wrong.” To be continued in Volume 2…