Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Huh? That wasn’t it?

I glanced at the letters above his head.

“Then why—”

“Why are you calling me Lord Derrick again?” he interrupted.

“I’m... sorry?”

“No, never mind. I misspoke.”

Before I could make sense of what he was trying to say, Derrick abruptly changed the subject.

“I wanted to give you this.”

He effortlessly balanced the tray he was holding in one hand while rummaging about in his pocket with the other. My eyes widened when I saw what he was handing me. It was a women’s scarf that looked strangely out of place in his large, calloused hand.

“This is...”

“You can’t attend formal events in that condition,” he said gruffly, casting a glance at my neck.

I’d kept my wound tightly wrapped in thick bandages in hopes that when I inevitably met Derrick, he would have mercy on me. I must have looked almost comical since I was wrapped up so tightly, but he remained expressionless.

“Your reputation is already at rock bottom. Who’s to say what people will think if you carry around a handkerchief given to you by some nameless stranger?”

“...”

“Always consider the weight of your actions and how they might affect our family name.”

I alternated glances between the scarf and Derrick, my mouth agape. He was talking about the handkerchief Winter had given me. Though he had told Emily to throw it away, it now lay in my desk drawer, clean and laundered.

How did he know a man gave it to me?

I hadn’t known he was so perceptive. I’d been expecting him to lash out at me as soon as he saw me for causing another unbecoming incident but really, who could have known Derrick would react this way?

I considered him, taking a moment to process his strange shift in attitude. I finally said, “Thank you.”

Keeping in mind how much I knew he hated Penelope, I took the scarf gingerly, careful not to let our hands touch.

Well, well. This actually looks quite expensive.

It wasn’t gift-wrapped or presented like a proper gift, but I knew from the soft drag of the fabric over my fingers that it was made from an expensive material. I smiled, pleased by the unexpected present.

“Thank you. This is a wonderful gift, Lord Derrick.”

I glanced up through my eyelashes, meeting his eyes. He seemed to falter, and his expressionless face turned ice cold.

Wh-what’s his problem this time? I thought, frightened by the mercurial shift in his mood. I peered at the affection score glowing above his head wearily.

“I... I forgot I have something urgent to tend to.”

I watched as Derrick practically fled, striding out of the garden with the platter still in his hand.

“What’s the matter with him?” I wondered.

My eyes widened as I watched him leave, though.

[Affection Score 10%]

The white letters had changed.

“What is with this game?” I muttered to myself. Derrick had already disappeared. I couldn’t seem to make sense of what caused the Eckhart brothers’ affection scores to fluctuate.

I suppose that’s why I kept dying.

I stared down at the scarf and had the odd feeling that things were departing further and further from the game I’d originally played.

* * *

“Finally!”

My long days searching outside the manor, at last, yielded a discovery. The walls surrounding the manor were nearly flawless, but I’d discovered a small gap in the wall near the tourney hall, no doubt used by the knights when they wanted to play hooky. It was meticulously hidden behind some brush, and if I hadn’t tripped on a rock and fallen right into it, I’d probably never have found it at all.

“Ha! Why does this damned game never tell you about anything useful like this?”

I got up and dusted myself off before feeling a sudden rush of annoyance and kicking at the rock that had tripped me, I then readjusted my scarf, which had been disturbed by all my flailing about. I’d removed the ridiculous bandages recently and replaced them with Derrick’s gift.

“At least I found it before the festival.” I sighed in relief.

My deadline was just around the corner since the festivities would begin tomorrow. I had been worried. It would be a simple task to gain permission to leave the manor from the duke or Derrick, of course.

But there was no way I’d be allowed to leave unaccompanied when the capital would be filled with endless crowds, much less participate in the slave market, which opened only during the darkest hours of the night.

“I’m going through a lot of trouble to save you, Eckles. You better be worth it,” I muttered quietly, staring down at the opening I’d discovered. I arranged the trampled grass from where I’d fallen until it was once again hiding the gap from sight.

My task complete, I straightened just as someone called to me from behind.

“Hey, what are you doing out here?”

I flinched and spun to face the newcomer. The letters that glowed above his pink hair made me doubt my eyes for a moment.

[Affection Score 7%]

Reynold’s affection score had risen by 4% over the past week, even though I hadn’t met him once in that time.

Come on. Do these guys seriously grow more affectionate the less they see Penelope?

Something about it made me upset. While playing the game, I’d been forced to meet them due to the circumstances of each episode and hadn’t known that it would be so easy to raise their affection scores just by staying away. I regretted the sleepless night I’d spent resetting the game over and over.

“Why are you just staring? I asked you what you were doing,” Reynold pressed, bringing me back to my senses.

“H-huh?” I looked away from his affection score and said, “Just taking a walk.”

“A walk?” Reynold narrowed his eyes. “You just happened to be walking near the hole in the wall, huh? What an amazing coincidence.”

“...”

I nearly reacted but managed to keep my face neutral. There were goosebumps tingling the skin on my arms.

How the hell does he know? I’m pretty sure I hid it well!

I glanced over at the grass, confirming that everything was unchanged from before I’d disturbed it. Willing myself to stay calm, I changed the subject.

“Why are you here?”

“Training just ended. I’m on my way home now.”

I belatedly noticed that Reynold’s pink hair was damp with sweat. The loose clothing that he wore for exercise allowed me to catch a glimpse of his physique, which was usually hidden.

Ooh. He’s got a nice body.

Though he had a delicate, pretty face, his body was toned and muscular. The combination was strangely sexy.

I deserve something nice every now and then as payment for suffering through all the nonsense in this damned game.

I scanned his body surreptitiously, then pretended I had done nothing of the sort.

“Don’t let me stop you,” I said indifferently. “I’ll be continuing my walk.”

I then strolled away from him casually. He spoke up when I’d only taken a few steps.

“Hey, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said, his tone mocking.

I wanted to ignore him, but I had to keep his affection score from taking any damage. I stopped and turned to face him.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You already tried to sneak out of the manor four years ago, remember? After you saw some idiots climbing over the fence. You broke your leg, and Father had the walls rebuilt to be taller.”

“...”

“I could probably write a book with all the nasty stuff the knights cursed you with afterward.”

No wonder the walls around the manor were so high.

Something like that really happened? Ha! Penelope was such an impossible child!

Four years ago, at age 14, she would have finished the majority of her etiquette lessons.

The game had told me nothing about Penelope’s wild past. This, coupled with Reynold’s sarcastic tone, annoyed me deeply.

“I wasn’t thinking anything of the sort.” Even I thought I didn’t sound convincing.

“Just get permission from Father and go out the main entrance. Don’t do something stupid again and get in trouble for it,” Reynold threatened.

“I told you I wasn’t planning anything,” I shot back, and he went quiet.

With a final suspicious glare, he spun on his heel and strode away. I watched as the letters “[Affection Score 7%]” bobbed along with him.

A white window appeared in my vision.

<SYSTEM>

Special quest! [Go to the festival] with [Reynold].

Accept this quest?

(Rewards: +3% affection score with Reynold and other benefits)

[Accept / Decline]

This was the quest I’d been dreading.

“I have to try going to the festival with him again? And for a measly 3%?”

I recalled his brusque tone just now and shuddered. When I’d been playing the game, that 3% had been enough motivation to attempt the quest. It had resulted in the repeated use of the reset button. What was worse, I never actually beat the episode.

“No! Never!”

I punched the “Decline” button without restraint.

“How am I supposed to go to the festival with him angrily breathing down my neck?” I muttered to myself.

Besides, losing the chance to gain 3% was no longer something to be all that sorry about. I had a respectable 10% affection score with Derrick and 7% with Reynold, after all! Moreover, all my hard work to leave in secret wasn’t so I could simply enjoy the view.

Reynold had disappeared, and I glared at the spot he had been occupying.

Such a nasty man. See what will happen if you keep taking such a rude tone with me...