Chapter 18

'What the. It's not?'

I asked, continuously glimpsing up above his head.

"Then what...."

"Why did it go back to the 'first young master'?"

"...Pardon?"

"No, nevermind. I didn't say that right."

Derrick changed the topic before I got the chance to figure what he meant by that.

"I came here to give you this."

With one hand holding up the tray, he used his other hand to dig into his breast pocket.

My eyes went wide at the thing that Derrick was holding out to me.

It was a scarf for women which didn't suit his big hand that well.

"This is...."

"You can't continue to look like that every place you go now."

He muttered coldly, glimpsing at my neck.

My neck was still wrapped with bandages so that I looked more like a patient.

I must look hilarious like this but Derrick's face was emotionless without even a hint of a smirk.

"There are already so many bad rumors of you going around. You don't know that other rumors will form when you go around with a handkerchief a guy you don't even know the name of gave you.

"...."

"Always consider your place in the social circle and the weight you have on your shoulders before taking actions."

My jaw dropped while looking back and forth at the handkerchief and Derrick.

He was talking about the handkerchief that Buinter gave me.

Derrick told Emily to throw it out, but it was washed and nicely stored in the drawer in my room.

'How did he know that a man gave me this?'

I felt goosebumps on my arms at his amazing insight and perspicacity.

I thought he'd scold me right when he opened his mouth....

I didn't know Derrick would also be like this.

I thought of how I could take this in, then spoke.

"... Thank you."

I decided to be nice to Derrick and tried my best not to make skin contact with him while accepting the scarf since he hated Penelope so much.

'Ohh. It looks pretty expensive.'

It wasn't wrapped or packed like a gift would be, but I could tell this was expensive just by the texture of the scarf when it was passed onto my hands.

I smiled at the gift.

"I'll use it well, first young master."

I raised my head from the scarf and thanked him.

Derrick's eyes wavered for a moment, then his expressionless face suddenly stiffened.

'Wh, what's up with him?'

My heart dropped at his reaction.

I was looking anxiously at the interest gauge bat above his head.

"I... I forgot something important."

He turned his back on me, and with quick steps, he walked out of the garden with the tray on his hand.

"Why is he acting like that all of a...."

My eyes widened while looking at him leaving.

[Interest 10%]

The numbers glowing in white changed above his head.

"Just what's up with this game...."

Derrick disappeared in seconds, leaving me muttering behind.

I couldn't get a hold of what was causing the interests of the sons of this house to rise.

'Well, it's because I didn't know what caused those interests to rise that I kept on dying in the game.'

I couldn't help but feel like my days here are gradually differing from the game I've played.

***

"Found it."

I was finally able to find a secret way out as a result of searching one for days.

The wall that surrounded the whole mansion was almost like an iron barrier.

Therefore, it was fortunate that I was able to find an escape hole by the knight's training areas which I think was used when the knights were skipping their training.

It was well hidden with the bushes that there would've been no way I could've found it if not for me tripping on a small rock and falling on top of it.

"Ha, why won't this damn game provide me of any of these things and infos?"

I shook the dust off my clothes, then kicked the rock I tripped on.

Afterward, I readjusted the scarf around my neck.

I moved on from the bandages to the scarf that Derrick had given me.

"Whew... It's fortunate that I found one before tomorrow."

Tomorrow was the day the festival begins. I was really anxious up until now.

Of course, I would be easily able to leave the mansion for tomorrow if I simply got the permission from either the duke or Derrick, but there's no way that they'd allow a gong-nyuh to go alone on the streets where it'll be crowded with people from all over the empire.

Even more so when I say that I'll be going to the slave market that secretly opens at night time.

"I'm going through all these to save you, so you better meet my expectations, Eclise."

I muttered, staring at the escape hole that I just found.

Then I fixed the bush into its original form which was ruined by me falling on top of it.

It was when I got up from the spot, finished with fixing the bush.

"Hey, what are you doing over there?"

The voice came from behind.

I jumped in surprise and turned around.

I suspected my eyes after witnessing what was written above the head of a figure.

[Interest 7%]

I haven't seen Rennald in a week, yet his interest has risen 4%.

'Do these bastards have to not see Penelope at all for their interests to rise?'

I felt somewhat upset.

I didn't know this while playing the game since I had to unlock the episodes.

To think you could raise their interests this easily.

The time I've spent resetting the game was wasted.

"What are you blankly staring at? I asked you what you were doing."

"Uhh, huh?"

I got to my senses at Rennald's urging words. I moved my gaze off the interest gauge bar and spoke.

"You know, just taking a walk."

"Just taking a walk... ?"

Rennald narrowed his eyes at my reply.

"You had to be taking a walk at where the escape hole is located at, what a coincidence."

"...."

I was barely able to control myself from gasping out loud. Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck.

'Just how did that brat realize? I covered it well again!'

I glimpsed at the bush again. There was no difference to how it looked before and after it was messed up.

I tried my best to calm myself down as I changed the subject as if nothing had happened.

"... What about you? Why are you here?"

"I was just heading back since I've finished today's training."

Now that I see, Rennald's pink hair was damp with his sweats.

I could sort of see his body through the thin and white training clothing he was wearing.

'Ooh. He has some nice body.'

Unlike his pretty looking face, his body was hard with muscles which made him look weirdly sexy.

'Yeah. You want this kind of entertainment, too, to survive in this house.'

I scanned him once more, then spoke in a prim way.

"Then you go to wherever you're going. I'll continue with my walk, too."

Then I took some steps forward. I was going to continue to walk away until…

"Hey, really know your limits."

I heard a voice behind me.

I wanted to ignore him, but I had no choice to turn around for his interests.

"... for what?"

"Have you already forgotten that 4 years ago you broke your leg, trying to go over the wall like that one knight who was going to skip his training, which caused the walls to be extended higher?"

"...."

"It would make over 10 books if you were to write down all the words those knights said to defame you."

I knew that the wall surrounding the mansion was taller than I expected.

'Those things really happened?! Ha. This kid's really....'

If it was 4 years ago, it was when Penelope was 14. She would've mastered all the manners by then even though she started learning manners later than the others have.

I started to get annoyed at Rennald's words that revealed an extreme part of Penelope's past which wasn't mentioned in the game.

"... I'm not doing anything like that."

Those words I spoke weren't at all faithful even for me. Rennald heard what I said as he spoke with a scary tone of voice.

"Just get permission from father and leave the mansion confidentially. Don't repeat what you did in the past and get defamed at again."

"I told you, it's nothing like that."

He didn't say anything further after my words.

Instead, he stared at me in disbelief for a moment longer before he left the spot.

I was watching the [Interest 7%] getting further away from me.

Quest! Would you like to proceed the quest, [Date At The Festival] with [Rennald]? (Reward : Rennald's interest +3% and others.)

[Accept / Reject]

As expected, a quest appeared in front of me.

"I have to do this thing again with that brat? And the reward is only 3% of his interest?"

I snorted, thinking back to how annoying he was a minute ago.

While playing the game, I really wanted that 3% that I accepted the quest. Followed by, I had to press the reset button infinite amount of times.

What was more upsetting was that I still wasn't able to complete the quest.

"I'm not doing it, no way!"

I pressed on 'refuse' multiple times without having to think about it longer.

"How can I have a successful date at the festival with a guy who growls whenever he sees me?"

I didn't feel that, that 3% was wasted. I had '10%' and '7%' with me already!

Besides, I wasn't working my butt off like this to simply have a date at the festival.

I glared at the spot where Rennald was standing before and thought.

'Annoying. Hate him.'

If he said that in such a tone in front of the real Penelope, she would definitely....

~~~~~