Chapter 38
“The rumor that a nobleman, a lady, who hasn’t been married yet, is looking for a man of unknown origin is a disgrace to this family.”
I made a wedge with a smooth recitation. Penelope, seen from Derek’s point of view, also needed a change.
It’s not a parasite who yells at me every time and makes nonsense and stubbornness, it’s just a little bit of a thought.
‘So whatever I do, won’t you mind me completely?’
I looked at [a good 13%] with cold eyes. I’ve lowered myself as low as I can and said it politely, so there won’t be a fall. But he didn’t even have a rise.
“...Penelope.”
But why. Derek opened his mouth with a deep sigh.
“You’re an adult soon, so I won’t bother you until you don’t want to know your destination.”
“........”
“But if you’re going to go out, don’t use the doghole, just use the front door proudly. I’ll tell the butler.”
[Favorite 17%]
“Or you can dragged out the slave you bring in.”
Derek’s favorability has risen. I didn’t understand. Not only his favor, but also his words to me.
‘If I’ll die in your hand without knowing what my mistake is, then why do you do me a favor?’
Considering Penelope in the past, his questioning of a secret outing was justified. And if you go anywhere and run around like a crazy dog, then it’s all up to him!
However, it was an unexpected scenario that he would continue to admit to going out like today.
“.... Won’t you punish me?”
I asked with a puzzled look. Derek frowned instead of answering.
“You didn’t walk all the way to the mansion wearing that stupid-looking mask, did you?”
“...what?”
He suddenly reached out to me. Then he grabbed the mask he was wearing on his face.
“For lowering Eckart’s status, this is confiscation.”
“Uh....”
The mask came off without a moment’s. A cool night breeze touched my face, which had been tightly covered all day.
Looking up from a narrow view, Derek seemed very cold and angry. But when I saw him holding my mask of Hahoe mask with open eyes, I felt somehow....
“This is today’s punishment.”
Is it an illusion to look happy?
“Leonard bought it for me.....”
I mumbled absentmindedly, looking alternately at his face and my mask taken away.
“take this.”
Then he popped out something to me.
“I carved magic on the jewels. When you wear it, you can activate the protective magic and the appearance change magic.”
“........”
“The wizards who carried it said, “It’s going to look like a boy your age from the eyes of someone else.”
On his large palm, a handkerchief with a platinum string bracelet with finely scarlet gems showed up.
“The things that were originally attached were broken because they were cheap, so I changed them into the best garnet.”
Derek added. He sounded like he was grumbling.
I looked down at his big hand in a big way. On the first day of the festival, sneaking out to save Eclipse, it was the bracelet that Derek picked out when I picked up the mask.
Looking at the ripe plum-colored jewels, I thought it was similar to my hair color, but I didn’t think he would give it to me as a gift.
Because it was enough pink. I thought you’d keep it and give it to the FL later, but......
‘It’s already the second present.’
Expensive-looking scarves and magic bracelets.
When I looked up and saw Derek’s blue eyes again, I felt strange.
“......why?”
That’s how. The words popped out earlier than I thought.
“..........what?”
“Why do you give me this?”
I glanced down at the bracelet again, asking so.
When I switched to a top-class Garnet, the small gems of crimson glowed brightly in the dark. Even I, who was not very interested in accessories, had such a fine figure.
But rather than gratitude for giving the bracelet, they were ahead of questions and doubts. He and Leonard have had a history.
-The vulgar thing-
The eyes that looked like dirt on Penelope’s memory.
“You didn’t like me being extravagant.”
“..........wasn’t it that you liked accessories?”
Derek seemed a little embarrassed for some reason at what I said.
“I like it.”
I admitted mildly. Even in the game, Penelope couldn’t use any fancy accessories. But it was the only way to fill solitude and sadness.
“My complete jewels that I didn’t steal or steal from others.”
I don’t know why you’re giving me this because you despised me so much.
I didn’t know how far Derek had figured out what I was saying. I’m sure he’s got a stiff look on his face because he remembers what I said.
“If you don’t want it,”
“........”
“Get rid of it.”
He easily flipped the handkerchief he had put on thw bracelet. A sparkling platinum string crashed to the ground. And he rolled over the dirty dirt.
Struggling with his absurd behavior, Derek turned and quickly walked down the slope.
It was a moment when I was wondering if I should follow.
<SYSTEM> [Derick] and [Festival View] quest success!
<SYSTEM> Would you like to get a reward for SYSTEM?
[Yes. / No.]
Suddenly, a white square window popped up in front of my eyes.
“......Huh”
I was stunned with laughter.
“Is this quest still not finished?”
I definitely pressed “refuse” when asked if I would do it again before, but why is it a success?
I frowned and nervously pressed [Yes.]. The writing in the square window changed rapidly.
I got [favorability +3%] and [magic bracelet] from [DERICK] for SYSTEM rewards.
“Oh, this is a guitar reward?”
I remember it saying, “Favorite guitar, but not like it.”
I didn’t really care because I didn’t need anything.
I looked down at the bracelet rolling on the dirt floor with cold eyes.
“......a mean bastard.”
Eventually, he crouched on the floor and picked up the fallen bracelet.
“So you really throw it away?”
When I was shaking off the soil that was covered by the wind, I suddenly felt sad because I was in such a desperate situation where I had to be rewarded and receive something like this.
“What’s the use of a gift?”
[Favorite 20%]
I whined dissatisfiedly as I saw the white writing getting smaller and smaller.
********
The last day of the festival, which had been long and long for nearly a month, has come.
Emily made a fuss that there would be more spectacular parades, acrobatic troupes, fireworks and other attractions than ever since it was the last day. She meant to go out together.
But I didn’t want to do that at all, so I ignored it lightly and overslept.
Having just got up and had a sandwich for breakfast, I sat down in front of my desk after a long time.
It’s been a long time since I came here. Seeing that they all clashed one by one throughout the festival, it seemed like it was time to turn over a big episode of the game.
‘But it’s still stuck.”
When I first came, every single day was like a dying crisis. Of course, I’m still at the end of my tightrope. I couldn’t do it. There is a long way to go.
‘I’ll have to do an interim check.”
I opened the drawer and pulled out the paper I had kept hidden deep. It was the basic setting of The Male Leads, who first came here and wrote it down so as not to forget it.
I took out a new piece of paper and began to write down my earlier favorability and recent developments.
[ Derrick Eckart 0% to 20%
Leonard Eckart -10% to10%
Callisto Legoules 0% to 2%
Eclis 0% to 25%
Vuinter Verdandi 0% to 15% ]
As I wrote it down at a glance, the difference from the beginning was clearly noticeable.
“Unexpected.”
Looking at Derek and Leonard’s favorability, I opened my eyes round. Especially Leonard. It was a far lower favorability than other male leads, but considering that it started in negative territory, it rose by as much as 20 percent. So was Derek.
“Is it because you ran into him most often?”
I tilted my head and thought about their unexpected good defense. Just by looking at the paper written down at the beginning, I had put an X in their names without any sign of consideration.
However, the two’s favorability was not something to be happy about.
“Because I had a slight increase in my favorability, when I don’t meet .....”
It was highly likely that Penelope was eased from being “extremely hated” to just “disgraceful.” Because I didn’t act recklessly like the original fake princess.
“If we keep running into each other like this, we can maintain it.”
Both were not stable, considering that the basic favorability given in normal mode was “30 percent.”
But I didn’t have a “reset” button so I didn’t even intend to take risks and raise my favor.
Squeak – I firmly drew an X on Derek and Leonard’s names as before.
“Next, Crown Prince.”
This guy is, well, not even a moment’s consideration. I hit the X several times without a break and moved on to the next. But soon after, the hand holding the pen stopped.
“Eckliss...”
As planned, Eckliss was currently the number one favorite. Now, if you raise just 5 percent, you will fill the basic favorability of Normal Mode.
It was not as difficult as other Southerners. Eckliss’s favorability was very wide of the increase. If it goes on like this, it would be quick to see the ending.
“Well, I’ve been so busy since last time that I haven’t been able to meet him.......”
Around the name of Eckliss, sharp nib constantly drew a circle.
In fact, I said I was busy by mouth, but nothing else was so busy except the day I met Vuinter. Nevertheless, I did not come and find him.
‘...........Why do I feel so uncomfortable?’
I still remember that day clearly. A wooden sword aimed in the blink of an eye, a ghastly look as if it were an enemy at any moment.