Chapter 17

A month had passed since Ian left for the Academy. Ian occasionally sent letters saying he would visit the Ducal house if he was bored, but I firmly refused him. I told him I wanted him to study hard and make some friends.

‘Has he still not become close with Ethel?’ 

I was extremely curious. I asked Ian about Ethel several times in my letters, but he never replied. He only reported on his Academy life and asked about my well-being. Frustrated, I even asked Angelo. Angelo replied that he had suggested the three of them dine together once more, but he had been flatly refused by both of them. It had been a week since I received that letter. Something was definitely strange.

‘I clearly cleared the quest to make Ian recognize Ethel’s existence.’ 

Why did Ian seem to have no interest in Ethel? I naturally thought Ian would be so deeply in love with Ethel that I would feel a little sad. However, judging from their letters, it seemed Ian still had absolutely zero interest in Ethel. 

‘At this point, did Lala just grant the quest as cleared because he felt sorry for me?’ 

Given his behavior so far, Lala was desperately working toward my happy ending, even to the point of forcing Ethel to fall in love with Ian. Of course, the problem was that the game was too dangerous, making it hard to distinguish from reality.

“If I had gone to the Academy, the two of them would have gotten close quickly…” 

The slow progress of their relationship, contrary to my expectations, was frustrating. I let out a deep sigh and picked up the new letter.

「How are you? I’m doing well. I sent this letter in case you’d completely forgotten our situation and were too immersed. I’m receiving penalties even for writing ‘gam*’ in the letter. I’m sorry I can’t send them often.」

It was a letter from Ethel. At my request, she had been sending me a letter like this every two weeks. She seemed to have deliberately misspelled ‘game’ in case she received a penalty this time too.

I had recently developed a new habit. It was different from before, when I thought about breakfast as soon as I opened my eyes. Now, the first thing I did was sit at the table and check Ethel’s letter. Of course, when I first started writing the diary, I also checked the first page every morning like this. But the problem was that that didn’t last long, and I soon reverted to looking for breakfast as usual.

‘This habit will last a long time.’ 

Because Ethel’s letters would arrive periodically, right around the time I started to forget this routine.

「I’m sure it’s disappointing for you, Miss Sia, but there’s been no progress with Ian. And there won’t be in the future. Fortunately, Ian also doesn’t seem to be interested in me. How about you just give up?」

“Ugh!” 

Lala and I wanted a happy ending so much, so why was he trying to go a different way? 

“If it’s not a happy ending, I’ll die,” I muttered to myself, realizing late. 

This was a game I was playing with my life on the line. If I let her know this fact, maybe she would change her mind and help me. Since I kept forgetting I was in a game, Ethel was sending me letters, despite receiving penalties, to remind me. Since she was a good-natured person, she might be moved by my plea.

“Please help me,” I muttered as I diligently wrote a letter. I wrote in detail that if Ethel and Ian didn’t get together, the real me would die, and that I was playing the game more desperately than anyone to survive. I hoped it would move her heart.

Four days later. She sent a reply.

「If the ‘game’ ends happily, a dying person will live? That makes no sense. Is Lala lying to you?」

Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to believe me. I sighed deeply and checked the rest of the content.

「Well, that explains why you’re so desperate to connect Ian and me. Alright. I will try talking to Ian. But if he doesn’t show any interest in me, there’s nothing I can do.」

It seemed she had decided to try and understand me. Probably, if Ethel approached him first and the two of them frequently met, Ian would grow to like Ethel. I found it a little funny that I was feeling wistful, having apparently grown fond of Ian despite everything.

And Ethel put it into action immediately. I was sure of this a week later when Ian’s letter arrived in my hand.

「How are you? Isn’t life in the mansion boring? I’m doing well. But lately, your friend keeps talking to me, and it’s annoying. I know you want me to get close to her too, but I have no intention of doing so in the future. I trust you know why.」

No, I don’t want to know the reason. Was the Ian from the original story this overly loyal? He won’t make other friends just to maintain our best-friend relationship… Wait, he’s quite close with Angelo, though. It was both admirable and absurd. I just wished he wouldn’t push away the people who approached him in the future.

“It’s still a long way to go.” 

I picked up my pen and scribbled fiercely. I wrote that making many friends would be good for his future life as a Duke, and especially that Ethel was a good friend whom I guaranteed, so he should relax and get along well with her. 

“Seriously, where can you find a supporting character who tries this hard?” 

I filled an entire page with encouragement for him to make new friends, and smiled with satisfaction.

***

“Long time no see.”

Vacation finally arrived, and Ian returned to the Ducal mansion. In the few months I hadn’t seen him, he had grown a little taller. He smiled when our eyes met, but then immediately dropped the smile and spoke.

“You look like you’ve been doing really well?”

Ian’s face, looking down at me, held a mix of delight and disappointment. It was understandable. He had written to me repeatedly, asking if I was bored and saying he would return to the mansion on the weekend, but I had refused him every time. Not only that, but I had urged him to make other friends, despite him showing off his extraordinary friendship by saying he only needed me.

Walking toward the room with Ian, I said, “I’ve been great, of course. I heard you had a meal with Miss Ethel and Angelo. How was it?” 

I had learned this two weeks prior through Angelo’s letter. Ethel seemed to have become favorable toward Ian, so Angelo had arranged a dinner for the three of them at the Academy before the vacation. I wanted to hear the full story, but the three of them hadn’t sent me letters, focused as they were on exams.

“Oh, I canceled that.”

“Why?”

I was so dumbfounded that my voice cracked. A precious episode between the male and female leads was destroyed. And the male lead personally destroyed it. But the strangest person in this situation was me. I was flabbergasted, but I wasn’t angry.

“I was going to go because you wanted it so much, but I thought it was strange to casually socialize with others right before an exam.”

“No, it’s not strange. It’s a precious time for friendship…”

“The exam is more important.”

“Memories with friends are also very precious.” It was especially important for Ian. It was a chance to build memories with Ethel.

“Those kinds of dinners aren’t particularly precious.” Ian’s voice was firm. I used to think the reason the original Ian didn’t have friends was because of his poor personality. But seeing that the improved Ian still didn’t have friends… he was just a voluntary outsider.

“But you might enjoy it if you actually go.”

“Is dinner with a friend really that important? It sounds bothersome,” Ian asked, wearing a bewildered expression.

“You… was dinner with me that bothersome?” I wanted to grab Ian by the collar but held back and asked. A moment later, as if realizing something, Ian’s lips curled up.

“Dinner with a friend is enjoyable, I guess.”

“Right? Then how about we make a dinner date soon? We can invite them to the mansion or go to a restaurant in the city center.”

“Should we?” Ian’s eyes curved in a crescent, seemingly pleased with my suggestion. Fortunately, my persuasion seemed to have worked. I smiled brightly, feeling proud, and looked up at Ian.

“I’ll try to skip class for one day next weekend. I think it would be nice to eat out instead of at the mansion.”

We had already arrived at the room. After the door closed, his large right hand landed on the top of my head. I thought it would quickly move away, but the hand stayed firmly fixed on my head. What the heck…

“It’s commendable that you’d skip class, but what are you doing right now?”

“This feels nice.”

At this rate, my head was going to become Ian’s hand rest. So I reached out my left hand toward Ian’s head, but…

“That’s not fair!”

Regrettably, my arm couldn’t reach his head. As I fumed, Ian, seemingly apologetic, removed his right hand.

“Here.”

Then he bent his upper body and offered his head to me.

“Go ahead.”

I pressed firmly on the back of Ian’s head with my palm, as if for revenge, then removed my hand. Ian then straightened up, and the gap in our height returned to being enormous.

“I didn’t press that hard.”

“But I only pressed it briefly. So, we’re going to the city center next weekend, right?”

“Yeah. I’ll find a good restaurant.” Seeing Ian answer confidently, he was probably going to ask the butler.

“Great. I should reserve four seats then.”

“Why four seats?”

“What do you mean, why? You, me, and Angelo and Miss Ethel.”

“Why do those two need to be included?” Ian’s expression, which had been smiling just a moment ago, turned serious.

“What? You just agreed to take time out on the weekend for dinner with a friend.”

“You seem to keep forgetting, but I only have you as a friend. They are not my friends.”

“If they aren’t friends, what are they? And you’re close with Angelo.” 

Close enough to have told Angelo they would get divorced when they became adults.

“We’re not close. They’re just your friends and people who happen to attend the same Academy as me.”

“…” 

I was amazed at how I had ever managed to cross the boundary into ‘Ian’s friend.’

“I’ll reserve the restaurant for two.” 

Ian looked down at me and spoke firmly, but I shook my head and refused.

“No. Definitely four people. It means nothing if it’s not four people. Hurry up and change your clothes and come down.”

Without listening to Ian’s rebuttal, I left the room and headed to the dining room on the first floor. Although we hadn’t explicitly promised, I knew that today, we would be dining as a party of three, not just Ian and me.

“You came early.”

As expected, Duke Bellocchio was sitting at the head of the table in the dining room.

“Where is Erlian?”

“He’ll be down shortly after changing.”

“I see.”

“Father, I have a favor to ask.”

“Only speak of what I can grant.” 

He was immediately wary of me just because I mentioned a favor. It was understandable. In the past, I had asked him to kill my own father as a ‘favor.’

“May I invite some friends to the mansion soon?” 

I didn’t plan to meet Ethel just once during this vacation anyway. I would meet her at the restaurant, invite her to the mansion, and try to arrange multiple meetings for the two of them to bond.

“That much is fine. Who are they? They can’t be too low in rank.”

“They are friends who attend the same Academy as Ian.”

“Tell the butler a week before those friends come. He will prepare everything. And they aren’t very close to Erlian, are they?”

“…” 

Since Ian didn’t consider the two of them friends in the first place, I couldn’t easily deny Duke Bellocchio’s words.

“It seems like you have more friends than Ian, who actually attends the Academy.”

I was glad Ian wasn’t there right now. If he heard that, it would have been a ‘fact assault’ requiring two weeks of recovery.

While I sighed in relief, Ian appeared in the dining room. He politely bowed to his father and took his seat.

“Let’s eat quickly.”

We began the meal in silence. Thanks to the chef giving it his all again today, the lamb melted in my mouth. I was able to enjoy a happy meal once more. However, I seemed to be the only one serious about eating; Ian and Duke Bellocchio didn’t have bright expressions and were eating mechanically.

The meal finished. As always, Duke Bellocchio broke the silence.

“Is Adria doing well?”

“Yes. She is doing well.”

“Nothing special she said to you?”

“No, nothing.”

At this point, Duke Bellocchio looked pathetic. He wished Adria would ask about him, but she had no interest in him and was doing perfectly fine on her own.

“Did she not mention any letters or gifts to you?”

“No, she didn’t.”

Duke Bellocchio clenched his fist. The napkin in his hand wrinkled intensely because of it.

“Father, what letter?”

“The Bianchi family sent a pouch to the Academy, but she returned it.” 

I remembered. The pouch given as compensation by the parents of the one who staged the hoax with Liam at last year’s hunting competition. Although it was a small and shabby cloth pouch, it was an amazing item that could easily hold large objects.

“I don’t know if Adria intentionally returned it with a letter, or if there was a delivery problem.”

“Then couldn’t Ian deliver it instead? He can take it when he goes back to the Academy.”

“That would work.” 

Ian, the person in question, didn’t agree, but we finished the arrangement arbitrarily among ourselves. However, Ian wasn’t so averse that he frowned.

“You were top of your class this time, too, right?” Duke Bellocchio finally asked about Ian’s grades, quite like a father this time.

“Yes.”

“Congratulations!” 

I clapped my hands, pretending to be quite happy, but the atmosphere remained cold.

“What was Adria’s reaction?”

“She had no reaction.”

“So this method isn’t working either…” 

A deep sigh escaped Duke Bellocchio’s lips. It was understandable that he was perplexed. He thought that if Ian showed a perfect appearance, Adria would return.

“Maybe it would be better if Erlian caused trouble again, like before.”

“No!” 

I vehemently denied Duke Bellocchio’s muttering. It reminded me of the fact that Ian’s Temperament had been reduced by 20 for breaking the Academy window. It was a great relief that Ian had been quiet and hadn’t caused trouble since then.

“There must be another way. If Ian causes trouble, your mother might dislike you even more.”

“I’ll have to think about that matter.”

He got up from his seat, as if he had nothing more to say to us, and left the dining room. I looked into Ian’s eyes and said clearly, “You absolutely must not cause trouble. You have to live virtuously like me.”

“Okay.” Ian smiled for the first time since the meal began.

“This is a secret…” 

He must be so happy that he was about to tell me a secret. What could it be? I stared intently at the area near his lips, signaling that I was listening with focus.

“I’m the one who returned the letters Father sent to Mother.”

“What?” When I asked again loudly in surprise, he put his index finger to his lips as if to tell me to be quiet.

I was very surprised by the unexpected revelation, but from Ian’s perspective, it was completely plausible. He had suffered a lot at his father’s hands over the years… Usually, I would have complimented him on a decent challenge. But I couldn’t do that now.

‘Did his Temperament get reduced again?’ 

I pushed my anxiety aside and asked what I was curious about.

“How did you steal the item and the letter?”

“I intercepted them after an unnamed Academy staff member was supposed to give them to Mother.”

How much Temperament would be reduced for stealing someone else’s letter and gift? I was scared. Still, he didn’t extort it and only returned it to the person concerned, so perhaps it was okay.

“Why, though?”

“Mother is burdened by being involved with Father anyway. She says he’s just a past acquaintance.” He must have caused this audacious trouble for his mother’s sake.

‘So is this filial piety or unfilial conduct?’

 I looked at the filial child sitting opposite me and thought. Duke Bellocchio would be hurt if he knew Adria’s true feelings. But Ian didn’t tell him that fact. After all, didn’t Ian keep silent for his father’s sake?

“I’m really looking forward to Father’s face when he’s been so hopeful and then despairs later.”

No, it wasn’t that. To be smiling so innocently while saying such a terrifying thing… It must be because his Temperament stat wasn’t very high. If he hadn’t broken the Academy window back then, it wouldn’t have come to this. I smiled bitterly with regret.

***

After that, Ian faithfully attended his various classes, and I diligently handled the accounts. Perhaps it was because I consistently carried out my financial duties that my allowance/salary increased. In response, I became even more dedicated and meticulous with the calculations. Was this the life of a slave?

I resumed the nagging I had stopped.

“Ian, you really have to live a good life. Get your life straight.”

“I know.”

“I know you think I’m saying the same thing, but I really mean it.”

“Yeah…”

Actually, I hadn’t nagged for a while because I thought Ian had been good and stayed out of trouble at the Academy. However, after learning about the Duke Bellocchio letter-intercepting incident, I couldn’t let my guard down again. So, I offered him advice until my mouth hurt before bed, and Ian… well, I’m not sure if he really listened. Ten days passed, and the weekend arrived.

“Let’s go.”

Ian’s lips were turned up, and he looked happy as he reached out a hand to me. I gently tapped his palm before climbing into the carriage. I could hear Ian chuckling behind me.

Once Ian was also in the carriage, the door closed. As the carriage left the Ducal mansion, large and small estates and towering trees came into view.

“I didn’t think you’d cancel a whole day of classes.”

“A single day should be fine.”

It was surprising and moving that the person who insisted on utility and was obsessed with classes would make such a bold choice. Ian even took an active role, telling me to just sit still and he would take care of everything. Yet, I was also anxious.

‘What if he didn’t invite Angelo and Miss Ethel after all?’

‘Does he dislike eating with them that much?’

‘No, that’s not it… anyway, if he didn’t invite them, I’m going to grab him by the collar.’

So, I even threatened him beforehand. I insisted that the two of them must come along.

‘Actually, I don’t really need Angelo.’

But for the sake of the pretext—socializing with friends—I included him. Since I’d been pushing so hard for Ian to get close to Ethel, inviting only her might make him feel burdened. And Angelo might actually be helpful. I thought that while we were meeting as four now, if we met frequently, a day might come when Ian and Ethel met alone.

‘It’s not that I don’t trust Ian…’

Actually, I was so nervous that I sent a letter to Ethel three days ago. I asked if she had heard that Ian and I were going to a new restaurant this weekend, and told her to come even if she hadn’t. Of course, because I sent it so hastily, I hadn’t received her reply.

After driving for a long time, the carriage arrived at the bustling downtown area, full of fancy buildings.

‘So many people.’

The crowds on the street proved it was the weekend. Normally, I avoided going out on days with so many people. This was because of the incident where I almost got lost when I went to the night market. This was my first time back downtown since getting Ian’s ring custom-made on a weekday. Of course, it wasn’t as crowded as the night market.

Ian and I were protected by escort knights, so we avoided getting jostled. After a long walk, we arrived at a three-story building. There were small flowerbeds on either side of the large door, and the exterior was clean, looking recently built.

“I asked the butler, and he said this place is very popular these days.”

“A beautiful exterior doesn’t make a good restaurant.” 

I shook my head with a firm expression. Shouldn’t a restaurant prioritize taste over interior design? My preference was a shabby restaurant with at least 50 years of tradition… Just by looking at the outside, it seemed like an aesthetically pleasing, SNS-worthy restaurant with terrible food.

‘But a place like this is probably better for Ian and Ethel to spend time together.’

Since it looked like a good date spot, I decided to put aside my personal preferences for today.

The moment we climbed the short flight of stairs, the door swung open as if on cue. The restaurant’s manager, who greeted us politely, led us to a window seat without even asking for our names. This must be the privilege of high-ranking nobility.

“Don’t tell me…” 

The moment I saw the table, I couldn’t help but suspect Ian. Only two sets of cutlery were laid out on the red tablecloth.

‘He didn’t invite Ethel and Angelo after all.’

Ian sat down, ignoring my glare, and naturally ordered food from the employee. Two servings, for only Ian and me, of course.

“Why didn’t you invite Ethel and Angelo?” 

I quietly asked Ian after the employee left.

“Ah, I thought they might be busy.” 

Ian said with a brazen shrug. He usually pretends not to hear my sermons about living a good life, but now he’s talking about being considerate…

“Aren’t you being too considerate of others?”

“I tried to be thoughtful.”

While he smiled brightly, looking very proud, tomato juice was brought out as an appetizer. I knew that unlike at the Ducal mansion, outside one should sip slowly, but I was so frustrated that I chugged it. Ian gave me a thumbs-up, looking proud, but I wasn’t in a good mood.

Clank. 

Just as I set the empty glass down on the table with a noise.

“It really is you guys.”

Angelo’s voice was heard, and at the same time, Ian’s brow furrowed.

“How did you two get here?”

I turned my head and saw Angelo and Ethel.

“Didn’t you know? This place is run by our merchant guild. I saw Erlian on the reservation list, so I came.”

See? Angelo was helpful after all.

“Welcome. Sit down.”

I grabbed Angelo’s arm and pulled him, making him sit next to me. Thanks to my quick thinking, Ethel was seated next to Ian. Please, this time, let him talk to Ethel.

“I get why you’re here, but why did she come?” He asked Angelo, not even sparing Ethel a glance, let alone a gesture.

“Since we’re meeting, it’s nice to meet as four. So, I called Ethel beforehand.”

“Angelo, that was great! How have you been, Miss Ethel?”

“I’ve been well.”

Ethel, who responded mechanically, must have read the urgency in my eyes, as she turned her gaze toward Ian and greeted him. However, Ian completely pretended not to see her.

‘He’s like the Ian I saw in the early days of our marriage.’

He ignored my greetings often back then… But he could do that to me, not to Ethel.

“Ian, your new friend, Miss Ethel, is greeting you. You should greet her too.”

“She’s not my friend.”

Of course, Ian was technically right that she wasn’t a friend. Ethel was his future wife.

“You’ve met her so many times; she is a friend! Hurry up and greet her warmly.”

When I threatened him by stabbing the center of a piece of bread with a knife, Ian only gave Ethel a half-hearted eye contact greeting.

“In the future, if you run into Miss Ethel, at least say hello.”

“It depends on the situation.”

Ethel waved her hand, saying it was fine, at Ian’s grumpy reply. I knew what she was thinking. She pretended to be magnanimous, but she probably didn’t want to get involved with Ian either. I sighed softly and forced a smile, saying,

“Wow. It’s really great meeting all together like this! I wish you’d visit our mansion more often.”

Ian frowned, showing clear distaste at my wooden, textbook-like delivery. Ethel didn’t seem hurt by his reaction, and Angelo ignored Ian, focusing only on me.

“Sure. I’ll visit soon. I like seeing Sia often.”

…Wow. They really do look not close. I know Ian and Angelo are close now, but Ian is very good at pretending they aren’t.

Inevitably, Angelo and I continued the pointless small talk, starting with asking about well-being, and Ethel occasionally offered reactions. Of course, Ethel’s reactions only came up when discussing the taste of the food.

“My prediction was right after all.”

“What did you predict?”

“…Nothing.”

The restaurant’s atmosphere was nice, but the food wasn’t very good. Of course, this didn’t seem to be a problem for the nobles who valued ambiance over taste.

‘So, this place is about atmosphere rather than taste…’

Ethel, who dreams of being a bakery owner, seemed to agree with me.

Our eyes met for a moment. I looked at her with an earnest gaze and then subtly glanced at Ian. I wanted her to please talk to Ian, not just focus on the food. Fortunately, Ethel immediately understood my hint and asked Ian a question.

“How is it, Young Master Ian? Is it to your taste?”

“Erlian.”

“Yes, Young Master Erlian.”

Ethel looked exhausted. Where did Ian’s social skills go? I let out a nervous laugh without meaning to.

“Ellie, how about you?” 

He didn’t answer Ethel but suddenly asked about my preference.

“To be honest, I think our mansion’s chefs are more skilled.”

“I know. We shouldn’t have bothered coming out. The taste is mediocre, and there are too many bothersome people around.”

So, I wasn’t the only one who thought the taste was bad. I nodded slightly and then glared at Ian.

“Miss Ethel asked you. You should answer her.”

At my prodding, Ian looked at Ethel and simply replied, “Mediocre.”

“Ian, next time, be clear that you mean the food is mediocre.” Because it sounded like he was saying Ethel’s presence was mediocre.

The thought that Ian needed to develop his social skills, not just grow up to be a good person, strongly occurred to me. Then I realized something late.

“I’m sorry, Angelo.” 

We had been too critical, considering this restaurant was run by Angelo’s guild.

“It’s fine. I was thinking the same thing as Sia. I need to change the chef.”

I only then looked over the table. Everyone had stopped eating a long time ago, with their forks and knives set down, and a lot of food still left on their plates. I stood up and said softly,

“Let’s go get dessert.” I had to revive my ruined appetite.

Ian paid the bill, and Angelo talked to the restaurant manager. Ethel approached me with a serious expression and said,

“See? Ian doesn’t show any interest even when I talk to him.”

“Ian is genuinely a good person, but I think he lacks some social skills today.”

“I don’t think he’s all that good, though…” I deliberately pretended not to hear her mumbling.

“Anyway, thank you for trying for me, Miss Ethel.”

“I try to be mindful, too, but if Ian dislikes it, there’s nothing I can do. But still, no matter how much I think about it, it’s strange.”

She clenched her fist and continued carefully.

“Saving a person if you get a happy ending to the ‘game’… Could Lala really be lying?”

“Honestly, I’m suspicious too. But we can’t help it, can we? It’s the only option we have. I even tried to die to return to reality, but the game wouldn’t end.”

“That’s right. I also tried to follow a route to die through my older brother’s schemes, but I was blocked from that route entirely.” 

Ethel must have been quite annoyed with this game too.

“In any case, it means we can’t leave until we properly finish this game.”

“So, let’s go for the happy ending while we’re at it.”

“If you pressure me like this again, I’m going to dislike it. It’s not a company, after all…” 

I wondered what kind of company she had worked at to hear someone’s suggestion as a demand and dislike it so much. In any case, the biggest problem was Ian. We had met several times, even forcefully, but he still seemed uninterested in Ethel. I thought he had developed a little interest, but I wondered if that was my mistake.

While I was deep in thought, Ian and Angelo emerged from the restaurant.

“Shall we go for dessert now? If anyone’s tired, you can go home first.” 

Ethel asked with an expectant expression. Her transparent intention of wanting to enjoy dessert alone in peace was so obvious that I shook my head.

I slowly opened my mouth and made a suggestion she would surely hate.

“How about we do some exercise for our health instead of dessert?”

“Miss Sia, we don’t necessarily need to focus on our health right now.” Ethel looked annoyed, but I spoke firmly.

“No, it’s absolutely necessary. First, let’s go to our Ducal mansion.”

“Do they have to come too? They can exercise at their own homes.” Ian made another socially inept comment, but I lightly ignored him and headed toward the carriage. Ian, who had to come with me anyway, followed with a face full of dissatisfaction, and Angelo, the selfless stooge, walked along happily. Finally, Ethel also sighed softly, as if she had no choice, and joined us.

After a short walk, we arrived where the carriages were waiting.

“Sia, see you in a bit.” Angelo greeted me and headed toward his carriage. Ethel simply exchanged a glance and climbed into her carriage. I saw the two of them and yelled out loudly,

“There will be no individualism in today’s gathering. Everyone, take our carriage!” I had a feeling from Ethel’s actions that she was going to return to her own house instead of the Ducal mansion.

“Miss Sia, what about my carriage then?”

“The coachman drives the carriage anyway. The coachman can just follow our carriage in the empty one, right?”

“That’s right. Sia is smart, as expected!”

“Do we really have to ride with them…” Everyone except Angelo had a negative reaction, but when I glared at them, they grumbled and got into our carriage. Ian sat next to me, and Angelo sat in front. This meant Ian and Ethel were sitting across from each other this time. I smiled contentedly, pleased with the seating arrangement, but Ian turned his head toward the window, as if he didn’t want to look at Ethel. Anyone would think Ethel was his parent’s nemesis.

“But what kind of exercise are we doing?”

“We’re going to do swordsmanship training.”

There was a reason I made this impromptu decision. In the original story, Ian was won over after seeing Ethel’s swordsmanship skills. Not only that, but even the current Ian took notice of her when she subdued a rabbit monster with her kendo skills. If that’s the case, shouldn’t I frequently show Ian the sight of Ethel holding a sword, starting now?

“Why swordsmanship all of a sudden?”

“Starting today, we’re members of the Swordsmanship Club.”

“Do we really have to do it with people whose skill levels don’t match? If you want to learn swordsmanship, I can teach you.”

“This isn’t serious swordsmanship training; it’s just a hobby and a way to socialize.”

Ethel, who seemed to catch my intention, nodded slightly and agreed with my opinion. And Angelo, once again, smiled happily.

“I’m weak at swordsmanship, but… if Sia is doing it, I will too. It’s a great idea! A Swordsmanship Club!”

“I guess there’s no choice.” 

Ian also seemed to concede, nodding his head.

After this, Angelo’s one-sided conversation began. He talked about how he was very interested in swordsmanship, but his parents disliked him doing strenuous physical activity because he was sickly as a child. I simply nodded and reacted vaguely.

After driving for a considerable time, the carriage arrived at the Ducal mansion. Perhaps because of the unannounced guests.

“I will prepare refreshments right away.” The servants moved busily.

“You don’t need to prepare anything hastily. We have things to do.”

We immediately headed to the training hall. I, Angelo, and Ethel were given wooden practice swords and learned basic movements from Ian. Repeating the same movements as if reviewing them, I slowly began to regret it.

‘Should I have not suggested this?’

Even though they were practice swords, the wooden swords were incredibly heavy. My arms were trembling because I hadn’t exercised normally. Ian made it look so easy when he practiced swordsmanship. I swung the wooden sword listlessly at a very slow pace and then looked at Ethel.

“I’ll do my own style.”

Ethel, who had learned kendo, approached the straw dummy without preamble. She then repeatedly struck the dummy’s head quickly, backed away, and approached again to strike the head quickly. Was Ethel trying to hit her boss’s head like that?

“Her movement is agile, but it’s terrible.” Ian criticized her swordsmanship out of the blue, causing Ethel to stop and throw her wooden sword onto the floor.

“This is my style.”

“That’s a strange swordsmanship style I’ve never seen anywhere. Is that how your family teaches it?”

I set down my wooden sword and observed the two of them. My plan was successful after all. Ian was talking to Ethel this much… The conversation between the two of them went on longer than I expected. They criticized each other’s swordsmanship styles, and proudly boasted about their own.

“That’s truly exciting.”

Angelo, who was standing beside me, also fixed his gaze on the two of them.

“They look like they’ll become close now, don’t they?”

“Exactly. It’s all thanks to Sia.”

“We need to have gatherings like this more often in the future.”

“You have to include me every time.” Angelo shook my arm, asking for inclusion, perhaps anxious that the three of us would become close without him. A handsome guy doing something cute makes him even cuter. Just as I was looking up at Angelo with a mischievous look.

“Take your hand off.”

Ian, who had been debating with Ethel just moments before, suddenly stepped in front of me and roughly removed Angelo’s hand. Seeing that, I just chuckled to myself. Now, Ian would have fewer reasons to be wary of Angelo like this.

***

A month later, on a Saturday morning, as I was about to drag Ian out, Duke Bellocchio called for me.

“Your clothes look very comfortable.”

“Yes. They suit me well, don’t they?”

I placed my hands on my hips, stood up, and slowly turned around once. It was to show off the training uniform the maids had prepared for me. However, he pretended not to notice and asked his next question.

“Are you going out again?”

“Yes. I’ll be back.”

His eyebrow twitched, showing his displeasure.

“Why in the world are you doing such a thing?”

“For socializing and world peace.”

“You are doing quite useless things.”

It was understandable that he disliked it. Ian had to skip all his classes for one day a week to attend the Swordsmanship Club meeting. Ian, I, Angelo, and Ethel met once a week for the purpose of camaraderie in the Swordsmanship Club. Ian was very annoyed but attended the meetings quite faithfully.

I was pleased that Ian had a regular meeting to see his friends. Of course, he still didn’t seem to particularly like Ethel’s swordsmanship style, but I thought this much progress was amazing.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“I hope today is your last meeting.”

I pretended not to hear Duke Bellocchio’s last comment and left his office.

“What did Father say?” Ian, who was waiting anxiously outside the office, asked me, perhaps thinking I was in trouble.

“He told me to have fun today, too.”

“Right.”

He didn’t exactly believe me, but he didn’t question it further. We walked toward the carriage. Until recently, we had been meeting at the Ducal mansion, but we started outdoor meetings last week. The time had come for Ian to recognize Ethel’s presence more strongly. In the original story, Ian started paying attention to Ethel when he saw her dealing with a monster during a dance party raid.

‘But the monster incident at the dance party has already passed.’

I had to create another event where Ian and Ethel would join forces to defeat a monster. So, we went outside the capital, under the pretext of ‘monster hunting for world peace.’

“But you can’t create a peaceful world by catching just a few monsters.”

“…We’ll just try it for now, I guess.”

Unfortunately, neither Ethel nor I had monster hunting experience, so we headed to a forest where low-level monsters occasionally appeared, matching our level. Although they were insignificant compared to the monster that attacked the dance party, perhaps Ian and Ethel’s love might blossom if we hunted together.

As we arrived at the entrance of the forest, two other carriages also arrived.

“Have you been well?” It was Angelo, who greeted me cheerfully despite having just met a week ago, and

“Let’s finish this quickly.” It was Ethel, with an expression of utter annoyance. Ethel was also wearing comfortable training clothes instead of a dress today. We confidently walked into the forest.

Perhaps because it was a relatively safe forest, no monsters appeared. We pricked up our ears for any signs of a monster attack and walked further in.

‘Did I choose the wrong place?’

There seemed to be even fewer monsters than in the forest we went to last week. No, not a single one was visible.

“I think today is a bust.” 

Ethel was the first to declare surrender and turned her back. No one could argue with her. It was the truth.

“Should we go back then?”

“Already? That’s disappointing…”

Regardless of Angelo’s disappointment, we turned around to head back to the carriage. Just then.

‘What was that sound?’

I heard a presence behind us. We looked around as if on cue and walked toward the source of the sound. After a short walk, a monster finally revealed itself. Three rabbit monsters, like the one we saw during the boat trip, and four lion-maned monkey monsters bared their teeth and glared at us.

This was the first time I had seen so many monsters at once since the start of the world peace operation. Honestly, I was excited. In the previous meetings, only one or two monsters timidly appeared, and Ian handled almost all of them. As a result, Ethel didn’t have a chance to draw her sword.

“I’ve never seen that one in person before.” Ethel muttered, looking at the monkey monster, and

“It’s 4 against 7.” Angelo counted the numbers. But he miscounted. It’s 3 against 7. Because I was only going to cheer.

“You stay behind.”

“Got it!” 

Ian alone knew my true intentions precisely. As soon as I answered, I quickly retreated to the back.

The moment Ethel and Angelo nervously drew their swords from their scabbards.

“What the—?”

There was no need to swing the swords. Ian had burned all the monsters with fire magic. The monsters let out screams of pain and turned into ash.

“Good job, right? I’m trying hard for the peace you want.” 

Ian, unaware that my expression was sour, thrust his head forward, asking for praise, and Ethel’s philtrum visibly lengthened.

“That’s not a good job! We’re a Swordsmanship Club, so what do you mean by using magic?”

As a result, Ethel lost the chance to show off her swordsmanship to Ian. As I fumed, Ian lifted his upper body again, wearing a puzzled expression.

“I killed the monsters, didn’t I?”

“You have to kill them with swordsmanship! That’s why Angelo, who is in the Magic Department, was holding a sword instead of using magic.” 

Angelo nodded, agreeing with my opinion.

“Besides, you burned the plants with your fire magic! World peace includes environmental protection, you know!”

“Fine. I’ll kill them with a sword from now on.”

Unlike me, who was fuming, Ian was smiling. His large hand briefly touched the top of my head and then dropped.

‘Ian really seems to think of my head as a hand rest.’

While I was having that thought, the group started moving further into the forest. I followed them. We hadn’t walked far before we had to stop. Entering further would lead to a dangerous area full of strong monsters.

“Shall we turn back around here?”

It was disappointing, but not a single monster was visible anymore, so we really had to give up now. We had hunted seven monsters, but Ethel hadn’t gotten a chance to use her swordsmanship, which was a shame.

Just as we were about to leave the forest again.

“Kieeek!”

While we were off guard, monsters rushed toward us. Fortunately, they were low-level monsters, but there were easily more than twenty of them.

“I’m in a hurry, so I’m going to use some magic.” Ian quickly said and burned half of the monsters with fire, and Angelo also dealt with the monsters mercilessly with magic. And Ethel slashed one monster that was about to pounce on me with her sword.

“Yes, everyone was excellent.” I clapped and praised them, like a leader commanding them.

However, Ian, despite having dealt with the monsters instantly, looked around cautiously.

“What’s wrong?”

“There must be more monsters left.”

Isn’t it obvious that there are monsters in this large forest? I didn’t think much of it, but Angelo looked serious, as if he agreed with Ian.

“We heard a monster scream earlier. It wasn’t from these guys.”

Thud!

As soon as Angelo finished speaking, the ground vibrated with a tremendous roar.

Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud!

The roars didn’t stop. The sound grew louder and the speed increased. And soon, the source of the roar revealed itself.

“That monster shouldn’t be here.”

The monster Ethel pointed out was three times our size and shaped like a human male, not an animal. However, it had large black wings on its back and only white eyes without pupils. It wasn’t wearing anything on its upper body, but fortunately, perhaps conscious of propriety, its important parts were carefully covered with tattered cloth. It was a familiar visual, one that I might have seen somewhere before.

“Shouldn’t we run away quickly?”

“It’s too late, Miss Sia. It’s fast at running and it will chase us even if it flies.”

“Then can’t we attack it with magic?”

“That species’ skin is hard like armor and it doesn’t burn in fire.”

So what were we supposed to do? Why did such a dangerous-looking monster appear here? What should we do! I looked at Ethel, who was a veteran of this game.

“We have to stab the monster’s weak points with a sword.”

“Where are those?”

“The heart and the center of its back. We have to stab those two spots simultaneously.”

Ethel replied with a determined expression.

“You know a lot.” Ian nodded.

At that moment, it came back to me. There was an event in the original game where she and Ian defeated this monster together. But that quest appeared when they were seventeen, during a monster subjugation training expedition. Because I needlessly created the Swordsmanship Club and went all out, we encountered this monster a whole year earlier. Furthermore, the current Ethel is not that skilled in swordsmanship.

“Erlian and Miss Ethel, you two take on that monster.” 

Angelo suggested the division of roles with a resolute expression. He must be stepping back because he was afraid of the monster too.

“I’ll deal with the low-level monsters gathering around.”

No, he wasn’t stepping back. We hadn’t realized that the smaller monsters were approaching us because we were focused on the large monster in front. The giant monster that was approaching from afar was now even closer to us.

“You should let the Lady stab the back, which is less dangerous.”

Ian and Ethel rushed toward the giant monster, and Angelo diligently defeated the low-level monsters with magic. And I quietly swallowed my saliva and looked at Ian and Ethel’s backs.

‘Perhaps this is a special event in the game.’

Anyway, if the two of them dealt with the giant monster together, they would surely become closer, just like in the original game.

Fortunately, Ian, Angelo, and Ethel worked well together. Angelo froze the low-level monsters trying to pounce on Ian and Ethel. Nevertheless, the low-level monsters kept appearing. They seemed to be emboldened by the power of the giant monster. Despite this, Angelo diligently dealt with the approaching monsters without even frowning once. And Ian quickly ran behind the giant monster, making it easier for Ethel to stab it with her sword, and kicked the back of its knee with all his might.

Thud.

The giant monster didn’t seem to be in pain, confirming that its body was hard like armor. However, due to the sudden impact, it eventually bent its left knee.

‘Thank goodness.’ 

The game was proceeding smoothly. Ian, who had approached the front of the giant monster, stabbed its heart with his sword.

“Grraagh!”

The monster, who screamed in agony, suddenly met my eyes.

‘What the, why is it looking at me?’

It flapped its wings in a final desperate struggle while keeping its gaze fixed on me. Because of that, a strong wind, enough to push our bodies, swept over us. However, perhaps because it was dying, the monster couldn’t fly.

“Sia!”

But the creature struggled and unleashed a wind spell toward me, and my body was tossed high into the air. At that moment, I saw it.

‘We’re screwed.’

Ethel’s sword, which should have been stuck in the giant monster’s back, was lying on the ground. The giant monster was not dead.

My body flew far away, tracing a parabola. I didn’t feel much pain, perhaps due to shock, but I didn’t even have the leisure to check anything else. I simply squeezed my eyes shut out of fear. I was sure I would be seriously hurt. However, at some point, I slowly descended as if the wind was embracing my body, and I landed safely on the ground without any injuries.

‘Where am I?’

Tall trees, grass, and rocks. I only knew I was somewhere in the forest. Fortunately, I didn’t feel any signs of monsters. Just as I was looking around.

[★Lala★’s Quest]

 

<Wait Quietly>

 

If you scream unnecessarily, monsters m*y approach.

 

Quietly w*it for your frie*ds.

A quest window popped up in front of me.

But something was strange. Normally, he would politely ask for my consent to proceed with the quest. This time, he just sent the quest content abruptly, even with careless typos. Well, it wasn’t a difficult quest anyway. All I had to do was wait quietly.

‘Will Ian be able to find me?’

I sighed deeply, and a rustling sound was heard.

‘Who is it?’

I couldn’t even make a sound and only looked around, turning my head. It couldn’t be Ian and the others. If it were them, they would have called my name. I suddenly broke into a cold sweat. Could I deal with a monster?

‘This is a safe zone.’

But why are monsters appearing so often? I pondered and reached for my sword scabbard but was flustered.

‘My sword is gone.’

The sword must have fallen somewhere when I was thrown here by the giant monster. Now I had no weapon.

‘What on earth should I do?’

While contemplating, an item suddenly came to mind.

‘Use Silencer Wand.’

A stick appeared in my right hand. My weapon, lighter and easier to grip than the practice wooden sword. Of course, I couldn’t defeat a monster with this.

‘But if it’s a rabbit monster, it’s worth a try.’

I could do it the way Ethel stunned the rabbit monster before. I gripped the Silencer Wand tightly with both hands and waited for the rabbit monster to appear. The rustling sound grew closer, and I was inevitably flustered when I confirmed its identity.

It wasn’t the rabbit monster I had so desperately wanted. It was a rat with incredibly long teeth. The problem was that the rat was as big as me. The rat monster spotted me, opened its mouth wide, and approached me. I couldn’t even scream and just closed my eyes tightly, wildly swinging the stick.

“Squeak.” 

The rat monster that was hit by me retreated one step. But the relief was short-lived; it rushed toward me again. After that, the same action repeated endlessly: it retreated briefly when I hit it with the stick and then approached again.

‘How much HP is left?’

Now that I thought about it, this was a game. So, shouldn’t the monster’s remaining HP be shown as a red bar, like in a normal game? But there was nothing like that visible. It was too realistic. As if I was actually fighting a monster.

‘It’s not even getting stunned.’

While I was wondering where to hit it to stun it like the rabbit monster, one more rat monster appeared.

‘Ugh…’ 

Two of them would be troublesome.

I swung the stick faster to prevent the monsters from approaching me. Fortunately, the monsters hesitated and couldn’t attack me.

‘When is Ian coming?’

I was scared. I even shed a small tear. Just as the strength in my arms was fading.

“Squeak!!”

The two monsters in front of me were burned by fire. I didn’t cast the magic. Ian had finally come to save me.

The tension released, and the strength drained from my hands and arms, causing the Silencer Wand I was holding to fly away. After that, I heard something breaking with a crack sound somewhere. But I didn’t need to worry about such a sound.

“Are you okay?” 

Ian was running toward me with a worried expression. He looked like he had a halo, appearing in slow motion. Was he just handsome because he was my savior?

Without even waiting for my answer, he hugged me tightly with both arms. As a result, my forehead touched Ian’s shoulder. I instantly felt my heart beating rapidly, as if it would pop out. I didn’t know if it was mine or Ian’s.

[Congratulations. You have completed ★Lala★’s Quest <Wait Quietly>. Would you like to check the reward?]

 

▷ Yes

 

▷ No

Thankfully, I seemed to have cleared the quest. When I quietly mumbled ‘Yes,’ the reward appeared before my eyes.

[Reward: Survival]

Is that it? I clenched my fist at the lousy reward. No Temperament increase either… Lala, you bastard, I won’t let you off easy if I see you.

“I’m sorry, Miss Sia. It’s my first time stabbing someone. I couldn’t stab deeply.”

Now I realized. Not only Ian but Ethel was also here. She had her head bowed low, looking genuinely sorry, and her hands were trembling just like her voice.

I understood. Ethel was a player like me. Even I wouldn’t have found it easy to stab a monster deeply.

“It’s okay.” I wanted to hold Ethel’s trembling hand. So, I tried to pull away from Ian’s embrace, but he hugged me even tighter instead of releasing his arms.

“I’m fine. Let go of my arms.” I hit Ian’s back out of frustration, but he didn’t let go. Why was he acting like this?

“Everyone, look at this.” 

Angelo’s voice was heard not too far away, and only then was I able to break free from Ian’s arms. Angelo picked up something on the ground with a serious expression.

“What kind of fragment is that?”

The fragment, which was large enough to fit in my palm and jagged, as if broken by some impact, was a blend of white, gray, and black.

“This is a Red Dragon egg. Sia threw the wooden stick and broke it.”

“What?”

It was an accident caused by the Silencer Wand flying away when the strength drained from my hands, but… I unintentionally destroyed the hope and dream of a new life.

“Good job. By the way, I didn’t know this egg would be here.” Ian’s hand came to rest on my head. He seemed to be using me as a hand rest again.

“Then, did I do well?”

“Yeah. I heard the Imperial Knights are searching the danger zones to eliminate this guy before it hatches, anyway.”

Ian’s explanation continued. The Red Dragon, a high-level monster, was so threatening that it could burn down the entire Empire and so difficult to kill that the Imperial Palace was trying to eliminate it before the egg hatched.

“Did it hide it here, thinking humans wouldn’t find it?” 

The knights searching for the egg were thoroughly scouring the danger zones. They didn’t think the Red Dragon would hide its egg in a safe zone.

“It’s supposed to be a safe zone, but there were especially many monsters only around here. Even a high-level monster appeared. It seems the monsters gathered to protect the egg. Sia, you really did well.”

No, I didn’t do anything. I just lost my grip while swinging the stick.

‘By the way, did the Silencer Wand return safely?’ 

I checked my inventory just in case. Fortunately, the Silencer Wand, which had flown far away from my hand, was safely back in my inventory.

“We just need to report the broken fragments to the Imperial Palace.”

As soon as Ian finished speaking, I bent down to pick up the egg fragments scattered around. However, before they reached my hand, the egg fragments began to float up.

‘What is it?’

It was due to Angelo’s magic. Even the small fragments scattered everywhere gathered on Angelo’s palm. As I admired the magic, a memory flashed through my mind belatedly.

“About that Red Dragon guy. Does it have wings made of fire? And does it shoot fire from its mouth?”

“That’s right. It’s considered the most dangerous monster in the Empire.”

“Wow…” 

I had ruined the original game’s event again.

When they turned seventeen, Ian, Ethel, and other Academy students went on a subjugation training expedition. They had to catch two dragons they encountered by chance during the subjugation, which I think were an adult one and a baby dragon that had just hatched from an egg. In the original plot, the two of them developed comradeship and grew closer during the one-semester-long subjugation…

‘I ended it too quickly.’

How was I supposed to know the Red Dragon egg was here? I gave a hollow laugh, then belatedly realized an important fact.

‘Ethel wouldn’t have gone to catch the Red Dragon anyway since she’s in the Baking Department.’

Only Ian from the Swordsmanship Department and Angelo from the Magic Department would have left in this reality.

‘Whatever, I protected the peace.’ 

I decided to look on the bright side.

***

So, I enjoyed it.

“My Lady, you are truly magnificent!”

“Oh, it’s nothing much.” 

I casually nodded at the servants’ exclamations, as if it were an obvious achievement.

“Miss Sia, was breaking the Red Dragon egg requested by Lala?”

“No. No one requested it, and I saved the world purely by instinct.” I replied with extreme brazenness.

“Sia, that’s truly amazing.”

“I know.” 

Of course, Angelo’s excessive admiration was a bit burdensome.

“Hey.”

“Why? Do I look like an amazing person who saved the world to you too? If so, you’re seeing things exactly right.”

“No. Let’s just go eat already.” 

Ian gestured with an expressionless face. Perhaps I had been too much; Ian had treated me as amazing at first, but now he seemed to find me somewhat pathetic.

In any case, I puffed out my chest and carried myself with pride, buoyed by the compliments from those around me who thought I did a great job breaking the Red Dragon egg. However, Duke Bellocchio, while acknowledging that I had done well to break the egg, considered the incident too dangerous and imposed a punishment: a ban on hunting. It was a shame because this meant the opportunity to show Ian Ethel’s swordsmanship skills had disappeared.

A week after the egg-breaking incident, things were more troublesome than I expected.

“You wanted world peace, and you finally achieved it.”

‘I said world peace, not world-saving.’

“It’s said that there were traces of a defense spell on the egg to prevent it from being broken by swords or magic, out of caution toward humans.”

‘I didn’t know that. It wasn’t my intention.’

“So, did you deliberately use a wooden stick to destroy the egg?”

‘That wooden stick was given by Lala. I had no other weapon.’

I couldn’t say any of this out loud and just offered an ambiguous smile. The Imperial Palace was surprised that we had destroyed the Red Dragon egg and took the fragments for confirmation, saying an investigation was needed.

When it was revealed that it was indeed a Red Dragon egg, Duke Bellocchio seemed extremely pleased and arranged a dinner, inviting the collateral family members. Then, in front of the collateral family, he spoke to me unilaterally.

“The Imperial Knights had been wandering for over half a year looking for that egg. No one expected it to be in that area, which was designated as a safe zone.”

I certainly didn’t know. No, I didn’t even know the Red Dragon egg existed in the first place.

“Did you know? Is that why you deliberately mentioned world peace and took Erlian out?”

It was a completely unexpected development that the egg just happened to be there and that the Silencer Wand I swung would fly away and break it. Unlike me, who wore a dumbfounded expression due to the overwhelming attention, the nobles, including Duke Bellocchio, looked at me with eager anticipation.

“It was just luck. It was thanks to my friends who were there helping me.”

“You are modest. Those present at the scene testified that you handled it all by yourself.”

Ian, Angelo, and Ethel were unnecessarily honest. When Duke Bellocchio’s questions stopped, the questions from the collateral family members present continued. How did I know the Red Dragon egg was there, why did I throw a wooden stick in particular, and so on.

‘It was all a coincidence.’

In the end, I only smiled and didn’t answer anything specific.

Thanks to this blasted egg, I was receiving excessive attention not only from the collateral families of the Bellocchio family but also from the Empire. My sister sent a letter saying she was proud, and Celine also sent a letter of admiration, saying I was amazing. Not only that, but I received letters and gifts from nobles I didn’t even know.

It was very burdensome. If I had actually intended to kill it, I would have been confident, but I was embarrassed to receive so much attention when it was just a stroke of luck. I felt like everyone was watching me, and since they were hyping me up so much, I gradually wanted to escape. The silver lining was that I didn’t engage in social activities and didn’t attend the Academy.

‘If I stay quiet like this, my existence will soon be forgotten.’

I just needed to endure this one dinner. Since I was receiving such immense attention for an accidental achievement, I only desperately wished that my heroic deed would be erased from others’ memories as soon as possible.

“Prepare to enter the palace in three days.”

“Why the Imperial Palace?”

“His Majesty the Emperor said he would bestow a gift, recognizing your meritorious service.”

…The burden increased further. However, unlike me, the other nobles were unstinting in their praise, saying it was amazing. Ian, who was sitting next to me, also simply smiled quietly.

Perhaps because I was quiet, they quickly lost interest and were busy talking about their own lives. I diligently cut my food with a knife and looked around.

‘I hoped Celine would come today…’

Having not seen her for a long time, she sent a letter apologizing for not being able to attend because she was still unwell. As a result, Liam was sitting across from me. It was a little strange that he was calmly seated and not glaring at Ian.

‘What’s his plan this time?’

I was wary of him until the end of the meal. However, contrary to my worries, Liam remained quiet throughout. The adults were still busy talking even after finishing their meal, so Ian and I quietly rose from our seats. Ian had to attend class even on a day like this, so he left for his magic lesson, and I was about to return to my room. Then Liam followed me.

‘Is this a surprise attack?’

I clenched my fists and glared at Liam. My heart was pounding fast. It seemed the time to use the ring had finally come.

“What is it?”

“Marchioness Evra refused my dating proposal. I assume your influence was involved.”

“You coveted the Duke Bellocchio position so much, and now you’re envious of the Marquis position?” 

That must have been why. At some point, Liam stopped picking fights with Ian and me. I just thought it was because he had experienced the bitterness of the Silencer Wand, but he must have been coveting my sister’s position.

“That’s not it. You might not know, but I had proposed an engagement to the current Marchioness Evra even before the previous Marquis passed away.”

“Why in the world?”

“Because…”

Ugh, how annoying. His face turned red. I rubbed my eyes, feeling like I saw something I shouldn’t have. Is he perhaps in love with my sister?

“Anyway, when our family proposed the engagement, your father suggested a business investment. But the business was too ridiculous, so my parents ultimately refused. I had no choice but to give up.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to just keep living as you are, having given up? You can just inherit your own family, can’t you?”

“…Celine can protect the family. Anyway, I’ve changed. I’m different from the old me who used to fight with you. So, please speak well of me to the Marchioness.”

“I don’t see any change. I’ll wait and see.”

Judging by his glaring, he hasn’t changed at all.

“Even when you hit me, the successor, with a magic stick, I kept silent. Because you are Marchioness Evra’s younger sister.”

“Or is it because you couldn’t prove it because there was no evidence?”

“My feelings are sincere.”

Gag.

I made a gesture of throwing up and quickly walked into my room, almost running. Liam couldn’t talk to me any further after that.

***

“It seems the development is indeed wrong…”

With each passing day, the burden of having to go to the Imperial Palace grew heavier. Duke Bellocchio occasionally looked at me with an approving gaze, and Ian offered me consolation that wasn’t really consolation.

‘It’s too much trouble to go to the Imperial Palace for something like this…’

‘It’s not like you lied, and it’s your achievement anyway. Don’t feel too burdened.’

Upon hearing that, I could only think,

‘What if I was sick that day?’

Three days passed. Unfortunately, I was very healthy. So much so that no one would believe me if I feigned sickness.

I put on the dress that the tailor had supposedly poured their soul into making and got into the carriage. Layers of faintly shimmering pale green silk created a voluminous dress. Thanks to this, the dress sparkled with every step. My hands trembled, anticipating that it would draw even more attention.

“It suits you well.” 

Ian complimented me as a courtesy, unaware of my feelings. I just offered an awkward smile. When I remained silent, Ian and Duke Bellocchio in the carriage, thinking I was nervous, didn’t speak to me any further.

The carriage quietly arrived at the Imperial Palace. However, this destination was not the main hall, which was the venue for the annual dance party. After walking down a corridor flanked by statues, we entered a room. The red curtains and red carpet immediately caught the eye. There was a large rectangular mirror at the front, and a white sofa dominated the center of the room.

We sat side by side on the sofa, as instructed by the Imperial Palace attendant. To temporarily shake off this burden, I needlessly clenched my hands into fists on my lap.

“Don’t be too nervous. You haven’t come here for committing a crime.” Duke Bellocchio spoke softly, seemingly finding my behavior strange. I was just feeling overwhelmed. So, I didn’t respond.

“You came early.” 

As the door opened and the Emperor appeared, we paid our respects. The Emperor was wearing a uniform, not the lavish clothes I had seen at the dance party and his coronation. If anything, I, who had gone all out for the palace visit, was more flamboyant.

“Is it true that you broke the troublesome egg?”

‘It wasn’t me. The Silencer Wand broke it.’

“A good opportunity just presented itself by chance.” 

Since I couldn’t get away with an awkward smile in front of the Emperor, I forced myself to answer in a roundabout way.

“For one who is not yet an adult to accomplish such a great feat. It is truly surprising.”

“You flatter me.”

“I hear you are the future Duchess of the Bellocchio family. Well, since you must be busy, I shall conclude my praise here.”

The Emperor gestured, and an attendant handed him a necklace. I looked at the red jewel at the center of the necklace and then lowered my gaze to my finger. It looked like it was a matching set with my ring…

“You must know this necklace. It is a necklace bestowed by the Imperial Family only upon those who have achieved great merit.”

Wow! That is truly overwhelming! Fortunately, he didn’t put it around my neck himself but handed me the necklace in a luxurious case.

“Thank you. It is an honor.” 

I accepted the necklace case with trembling hands. No matter how I looked at it, it was too much. I just wanted to go home quickly.

“Think about it, and if there is anything you desire later on, tell me. I am ready to grant your wish.”

“Thank you.”

How could he speak so casually without knowing what wish I might ask for? He probably thought that since I was young, I would request a relatively easy-to-grant wish. Duke Bellocchio regretted speaking so easily, though.

Fortunately, due to the Emperor’s busy schedule, we were able to quickly leave the Imperial Palace.

“You are truly admirable. I never thought you would achieve such a great thing. Still, do not force yourself to attempt hunting. Or how about starting to learn swordsmanship seriously, like Ian? It would be better to reduce your accounting work.” 

Just as I was starting to relax after getting into the carriage, Duke Bellocchio spoke again.

“That sounds good. Of course, we’ll only take the swordsmanship lessons together.” 

Ian agreed of his own accord, without even consulting me. Just like that, an extra class was unintentionally added.

***

I had acquired an enemy.

“My Lady, how is your condition today?”

“I’m tired.”

“Indeed, nothing beats training to wake you up.” 

Ignoring my belated explanation that I was fully awake and proceeding with rigorous training, of course.

“My Lady, are you getting used to it now?”

“No, I feel like I’m going to die.”

“It seems your training is still insufficient. Let’s strive for more improvement.”

He was a man who wouldn’t listen to my appeals that I was tired and in pain. I truly disliked him. I glared at the fencing instructor while gripping the wooden practice sword tightly, but he merely chuckled, having apparently seen such reactions often.

I had to attend swordsmanship lessons every day for the past week. Ian had wanted to take the lessons with me, but our skill difference was too great, so we were forced to take separate lessons. Honestly, it was hard. Terribly hard. And I had to do this every day.

In fact, on the third day of lessons, I couldn’t take it anymore and sought out Duke Bellocchio’s office without an appointment.

“I’m quitting swordsmanship lessons.”

“Why?”

“It’s hard.”

“It will get better as you do it. Keep going.”

“It’s genuinely hard.”

“No. You know our family is called the Sword of the Empire, right? You are a part of our family, so you must do it.”

After saying that, he chased me out, as if he didn’t want to hear any more of my pleas. I had not inherited the Bellocchio family blood, and I was going to be divorced when I became an adult. No, the game would end. Furthermore, learning swordsmanship was not even in the quest. Honestly, I didn’t know why I had to do it.

‘Ian is returning to the Academy in a week too…’ 

I suddenly wanted to follow him to the Academy.

Enduring my tears, I finished the swordsmanship lesson and walked, painstakingly moving my trembling arms and legs.

“The Duke is looking for you.” 

I had just entered the main building from the training ground and was climbing the second-floor stairs when the butler suddenly blocked my path.

‘He should have told me earlier.’

I slowly descended to the first floor, where Duke Bellocchio’s office was located. Still, I tried to think positively. Perhaps he might be informing me that he had canceled the swordsmanship lessons, which I had desperately requested four days ago.

However, the moment I entered the office, I realized the news had nothing to do with my hope.

“Ian is here too.” 

Ian tapped the space next to him on the sofa, as if he had been waiting for me, and Duke Bellocchio’s expression looked very serious.

“The Red Dragon has found out.”

“Found out what? Don’t tell me…”

“It found out that its egg disappeared and is now rampaging, I hear.” According to Duke Bellocchio’s subsequent explanation, the Red Dragon, upon realizing that its well-hidden egg was gone, couldn’t contain its rage and burned the forest where the egg had been.

“What if the Empire burns down because of this?”

“It doesn’t know the egg is broken yet, so we have time. It won’t attack the Empire recklessly. It needs to find its egg.”

“If it’s this dangerous, why didn’t you eliminate it until now?”

“Because it generally doesn’t attack unless provoked first.”

“…” 

This was a huge problem. I seemed to have caused an immense disaster. If I hadn’t broken the egg in the first place, the Empire wouldn’t be at risk of turning into a sea of fire.

“But don’t be too discouraged. If we succeed in this one task, we can completely exterminate the species. Although it doesn’t attack first, we never know when it might change its mind and attack.” 

The goal, now that things had come to this, was to wipe out the lineage so that a Red Dragon could never be born into the world again.

“The Imperial Knights, swordsmen, and mages have already left to capture the Red Dragon.”

“Then they’ll be able to catch it quickly, right?”

“Well, I don’t know. It flies so fast and hides very well.” 

We were about to end up with the Empire Destruction ending before reaching the Happy Ending.

“They are receiving support from the Academy’s Swordsmanship and Magic Department students for the subjugation.”

“I’ll deal with it quickly and come back.” 

Ian seemed determined to leave and spoke calmly to me. Fortunately, he didn’t seem angry at me for causing this unnecessary trouble.

If I think about it, in the original game, the 17-year-old Ian didn’t intentionally go to capture the Red Dragon. He coincidentally discovered and dealt with the Red Dragon during the Academy’s subjugation training.

‘He’ll be catching the Red Dragon a year earlier than in the original story. And Ethel can’t go because she’s in the Baking Department…’

They hadn’t even become close yet, and now Ian and Ethel would have fewer chances to see each other for a while. I felt a pang of regret about that, even in this situation.

“Be careful. Don’t get hurt.”

“You have to give me a reward when I return.”

What kind of reward did he want? I felt a bit uneasy, but when I nodded in agreement, Ian’s lips curved up. That made me even more suspicious. Just then, I heard Duke Bellocchio clear his throat. It was only for a moment, but he must have been uncomfortable because we had treated him like a mere screen.

“Actually, I was going to volunteer instead of Erlian. I would be better than mere young Academy students. But I was refused just because I am a Duke.”

“I don’t think it’s ‘just’ because you’re a Duke.” 

I shook my head and disagreed. Although Duke Bellocchio didn’t care about his son, he seemed to have a deep love for the Empire. I could see that as he was willing to put aside his own family matters to fight for the Empire.

“It probably means that if something happens in the capital, I should step up. Erlian, protect Adria well.”

“Is Mother going too?”

“Yes. But it’s a shame I can’t go. Though Adria will manage just fine on her own, of course.”

He didn’t care about the Empire; he just wanted to meet Adria. I was an idiot for praising Duke Bellocchio even for a moment. He finished what he had to say and dismissed us, claiming he was busy.

The conversation was long, but Duke Bellocchio’s reason for calling us—or, more accurately, Ian—was one: to protect Adria well.

“So, you’re leaving in a week?”

“No, in two days.”

“That fast?”

“It’s an urgent situation. Since you seem disappointed, I’ll deal with it quickly and come back.”

Ian used the top of my head as his hand rest again. I would have immediately shrugged it off normally, but this time I just stayed still. In a way, I was the root cause of this trouble.

***

“Sia, I’m sorry. I just showed up unexpectedly.”

The next day, Angelo suddenly arrived before lunchtime. I rushed out from diligently doing the accounts and greeted Angelo with a bewildered expression.

“No, it’s okay. What’s going on?”

“I’m leaving tomorrow. I thought it would be difficult to send a letter, so I came to see you.”

It seemed Angelo was also going with Ian to catch the Red Dragon. I sat on the sofa in the parlor and looked out the window. The breeze was gently blowing, making the leaves rustle, and warm sunlight greeted me through the window.

“The weather is nice; want to go to the garden?”

“Anywhere you like.”

Angelo’s last line was a bit cheesy, but I didn’t show it. As we moved to a table in the center of the garden, the servants set up refreshments as if they had been waiting. Just as I was about to enjoy a sip of my black tea while enjoying the pleasantly cool breeze.

“You were here.” 

Ian came looking for us. He had sweat beading on his forehead, likely from intense swordsmanship training right before. I honestly thought he would rest today since a difficult and exhausting journey to catch the Red Dragon would begin tomorrow. However, Ian had canceled all other classes and increased his swordsmanship training instead. He was truly relentless.

“Why did you come?” 

Ian asked Angelo indifferently and sat down next to me. Ian and Angelo were subtly not close, even though they seemed to be. It was a very strange relationship.

“Because I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Did you really need to come since you’ll be back?”

How could I possibly improve Ian’s social skills? I forced a smile to change the frosty atmosphere.

“You’ll be able to catch it and come back soon!”

“It won’t be easy, but I need to finish it quickly.” 

Ian replied calmly.

“Anyway, it’s a shame. I wish Miss Ethel had come too.”

“Why bother?”

“I know. I should have brought Miss Ethel too.” 

Ian and Angelo had opposing reactions.

My strange attempt to make Ian and Ethel close by creating the Swordsmanship Club had little effect. I’ve been thinking lately: what would happen to me if I failed to clear the happy ending?

“It seems like a truly serious situation. Doesn’t it, Sia?”

I snapped out of my daze at Angelo’s voice.

“Sorry. What were you talking about?”

“Students in the Academy’s Swordsmanship and Magic Departments who didn’t volunteer for the subjugation will have 50 points deducted. That means they won’t be able to advance to the next grade.”

“Then everyone will have no choice but to participate.”

“That’s right. Many must be participating reluctantly.”

I really seemed to have caused an immense disaster. As I sighed softly, Ian’s hand was placed on the back of mine.

‘Come to think of it, when did Ian’s voice become so low?’

It was distinctly different from when he was younger. The owner of the pleasant low voice was fixed on me. Since when? Whenever my eyes met Ian’s, I felt awkwardly and irritatingly ticklish, and I wanted to scratch myself raw. I was only frustrated that I didn’t know where I wanted to scratch.

‘But I definitely know this time.’ 

My left shoulder is itching. As if something quite large was nestled and squirming on my shoulder.

‘Wait.’ 

This wasn’t just a feeling. Something was definitely on my shoulder. Moreover, it seemed to be a quite large insect.

“Ian, is there something on my left shoulder…” Before I could finish my sentence, Ian’s hand brushed my left shoulder.

“You’re still scared of bugs.”

Ian’s smile was brighter than the sunshine. I had clearly seen Ian smile at me often. Yet, I didn’t know why my heart was beating fast the moment I saw Ian’s smile now.

Maybe this was…

‘No.’ 

I deliberately turned my head and looked at Angelo in front of me. But he, who usually smiled automatically when our eyes met, was now bowing his head instead of smiling.

‘What’s wrong with him?’ 

Just as I was flustered.

“Young Master Erlian, the Duke is looking for you.”

Ian stood up at the butler’s words.

“You should go quickly before it gets too late.” Ian suggested Angelo should leave quickly and headed to the main building, following the butler.

“I’ll walk you to your carriage. Thank you for coming.” 

I stared blankly at Ian’s back for a moment, then came to my senses and stood up. However, Angelo remained sitting with his head bowed, showing no intention of getting up.

“Angelo, are you sick?”

“Sia, you shouldn’t do that.”

“…What?” 

What did I do? I didn’t understand Angelo’s behavior.

“I’m leaving. See you next time.” 

Suddenly moody, Angelo left quickly, saying he would go by himself.

“Why is he acting like that?” 

I mumbled to myself and slowly headed toward the main building. Honestly, I felt uneasy. Angelo’s serious face, who was usually smiling like a fool, was unfamiliar.

‘What did I do wrong to make him act like that?’ 

I would have preferred it if he had at least told me why he was upset.

I recalled my actions just before Angelo’s attitude changed. I was scared because of the bug on my shoulder, and Ian simply resolved it. There was absolutely nothing for him to be upset about, unless he loved that bug.

I stomped my way slowly toward the main building, and the moment I encountered Ian coming out of Duke Bellocchio’s office, all thoughts of Angelo vanished completely.

“What did Father say?”

“He told me to go back to swordsmanship training right away.”

“It would be nice if you rested today since you’re leaving tomorrow…”

“He got angry, asking what I would do if I couldn’t properly help Mother.”

That is truly mad love. Pathological.

I followed Ian toward the training ground. Contrary to my expectation that he would rush to the training ground after being scolded by Duke Bellocchio, his steps were slow. He even kept glancing at me.

“It’s been a while.”

“What is?”

“You following me when I go to practice swordsmanship.”

“I was busy too.” 

In the early days of our marriage, I desperately followed Ian around. To try and get close to Ian, who was avoiding me. And to increase his Temperament points.

However, once I had gotten somewhat close to Ian and was used to the game life, I also got busy and stopped following Ian. Seeing Ian smiling at me like that now, I could be sure of one thing.

“You missed me following you, didn’t you? Are you happy that I’m following you now?”

“I’m not incredibly happy.”

“Then I’ll go back?”

“Go.” 

Ian said indifferently while timidly holding my sleeve.

“I can’t go if you don’t let go.”

“Let’s go to the training ground.” 

I laughed out loud and headed to the training ground with Ian.

“It really has been a while.” 

I found a seat on a bench in the shade to watch Ian practice swordsmanship. I used to come to this spot every day, as if checking attendance.

As soon as he arrived at the training ground, he picked up a wooden practice sword and began sparring with a knight. I had heard that the knight had been working for the Bellocchio family since before Ian was born, yet Ian was surprisingly pushing him back. His skill was on a completely different level from my clumsy sword-wielding. Ian’s efforts were shining. He was always growing.

As I watched him, a question suddenly arose.

‘Is he really just a game character?’

The immersion in this game is immense. It was partly because I was actually playing the game world through transmigration, but also because the characters felt like real people around me. Especially when I faced the male lead, Ian, I often mistook this place for reality. When I touched Ian’s wrist and hair. And when I felt his heart beating fast when we happened to hug.

‘This game is too dangerous.’ 

If this game were to be released, a large number of users would become severely overly immersed, even if they didn’t play for as long as I did.

Ian’s existence, in particular, was very dangerous. I glared at Ian for no reason. He had apparently finished his swordsmanship sparring and was now greeting the knight before turning his head to look at me. His black hair fluttered beautifully in the wind, and when our eyes met, his lips curled slightly.

Come to think of it, his gaze seemed to have always been directed toward me for some time now. He was always expressionless, but he would smile when he met my eyes.

‘This is a serious problem.’ 

My heart felt ticklish, and I couldn’t even scratch it to relieve the feeling.