Chapter 150.
Time stood still as I stared blankly at the tiny form behind Ikris.
The woman had gauze taped to one side of her forehead, just like the woman in white robes who had been injured by my magic the last time I was under Sorrel Island.
”…… Cheat, right?”
The leader of Leila’s remnant party is a heroine, that’s not my will. The important thing is that it’s not a bar mitzvah yet.
It’s not a bar mitzvah yet, it’s five days away.
”…… Why?”
I took my eyes off of Ebon and then looked back at Ikris. He was staring at me expressionlessly from the beginning. I’ll try to make myself happy.
‘But why?’
‘Why? Why?’
‘Why? Why?’
There was only one question in my head. My breathing gradually became hard and ragged. There was a suffocating silence in the foyer.
The Duke’s family didn’t say a word, and the heroine’s lovely face gradually became weepy.
“Leonard, Penelope.”
The Duke broke the silence and spoke heavily.
“You two go to your rooms first.”
“Dad!”
Leonard responded before I did. The Duke came to attention, “Quiet.” Forced to keep his mouth shut.
I felt his command to me, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t react. It was early in the morning, like a bomb had been dropped, as if everyone was the same.
Even though I didn’t go back, the Duke turned to Ibn.
“And you ……”
I could see very clearly at that moment, the always cold head of Eckhardt’s face, twisted with extreme longing and sadness.
“Please come with me for a moment.”
But no matter what time it was, the Duke kept his sanity and said.
“So far, there are countless people who have been deceived due to their appearance. To prove that you are really my daughter, you need to go through several tests.”
“…… tests?”
Iben’s blue eyes faltered. That look was more pathetically innocent than anyone else.
Of course, in the game, the heroines all passed those few tests. It was possible to guess the dead duchess’s items, or physical features like the structure of the body and moles.
All things that are hard to know outside of the parties involved. So far, anyone aiming for the duchess’ position close by had failed.
“But if it’s found to be false, it could be punished by death for insulting a noble.”
The Duke warned sternly.
“What would you do, so that you would still follow me?”
“I haven’t fully recovered my memory ……”
The heroine is not the day of her bar mitzvah though.
“I’ll try.”
But the answer was the same as in the game. Feeling breathless. Seeing Iben’s firm nod, the Duke turned his head with difficulty and immediately ordered Derrick.
“Derrick.”
“Yes.”
“Lock this man underground. I want to interrogate what’s going on.”
Derrick headed straight for Ikris.
“Wait, wait!”
The situation was unusual, and I was eager to stop the Duke. But Iben was one step ahead of me.
“Wait, why Ikris? That’s the one who helped me, I want to take the test. Stop it.”
She looked pitifully at the Duke to complain, but he shook his head firmly.
“That’s not your place, he’s an apprentice in our family.”
“He is, but ……”
“Surely you can’t allow an unauthorized outing. Please find out one by one how he brought you here.”
At the Duke’s order, Derrick and I were in a bind at the same time.
“Don’t tow away.”
Iben shut his mouth before I stepped forward.
“To be precise, this is my escort knight, one of mine.”
“Penelope.”
The Duke and Derrick turned around at my words with surprised expressions. I hadn’t realized I was still here.
“I have something to say.”
My mind kept spinning, but I had to ask now.
“Penelope!”
I walked up to Ikris in one breath and no one stopped me. The heroine standing next to him looked at me with marvelous eyes.
But didn’t mind things like that. Suddenly reached out his hand. Then grabbed him by the collar.
“…… you.”
That instant.
[System] Want to confirm Ikris’ favorability? [18 Million Gold Fame 400]
I chose 18 million gold. But.
[System] Holding insufficient gold! [Remaining: 2,000,000 gold]
The white characters that changed instantly. I managed to keep my sanity and re-selected [Fame 400]
[System] Not enough fame! (TOTAL: 360)
I know that I’ve already used up the rest of my money and fame to confirm this guy’s favorability.
I believe 100% will be coming soon. Also, I received the news that the butler started selling magic-processed emeralds, so it doesn’t matter. I should have known that this stupid judgment would end like this ……
I can only look at the system window in front of me, and the desire to desperately shake everything off rushes to my mind.
The hand that gripped the collar of Ikris’ coat was too hard and trembled at a level visible to the naked eye.
“Penelope! Stand down!”
The Duke reminded me for the second time. Picking himself up, he looked into the gray eyes that were silently gripping the collar of my coat. Probably startled, the eyes widened slightly.
“…… Master.”
“You …… why?”
I could only ask like a madman. In front of everyone, why did you bring a real male female, why did you betray me.
“Why?”
I just repeated the words as I looked into Ikris’s pupils, miserable me.
He looked numbly down at me like that and slowly spoke.
“…… Although I am a slave of the defeated country, I was gifted by the Eckhardt family. Knowing that the family is anxiously searching for a male daughter, I can’t bear to ignore it.”
“Ha, ha ……”
Ekris replied as if he was a man who had made a great war. I was seething with anger at what I desperately needed and what I was going through for.
“Ha, madman ……”
Gritting my teeth, I squeezed out the words.
“Your grace comes from me, not the Eckhardt family! I’m the one who bought you from that damn auction house-!”
I knew it was stupid. But knowing that still didn’t stop the screams that erupted. My hand lifted, before it pressed against his cheek.
“Penelope!”
The Duke fumed.
“Butler! Don’t bring Penelope up here again!”
“No! I have more to say.”
“Penelope Eckhardt!”
This time Derek called me cold as ice.
“What the hell is going on, and didn’t you say you were going to inquire as to the cause?”
“So I don’t know what’s going on, I’ll have to ask my escort ……!”
“Isn’t it childish to have to watch you do evil every time this happens?”
Disgust surfaced in his eyes. It was as if a “real male female” had appeared and was watching a “fake male female” who was jealous of her evil deeds.
He wasn’t the only one. The Duke, Leonard, the butler. And the servants who were watching the commotion. I looked at them one by one with fearful eyes.
Crimson, orange, light pink. The male leads were flashing damn good.
“…… Miss, it’s time to go.”
The butler called to me in a heavy voice. The hand that was meant to defeat Ikris slowly dropped. In the meantime, I was left to worry about the plummeting good sense.
The hand clutching the collar loosened all of a sudden. Still gritting my teeth, I turned away from my internalized male lead. Having to follow the butler with a hobbled gait.
Overwhelmed by the murderous atmosphere, brushing shoulders with someone stomping their feet. The woman’s face contorted with apologies and guilt.
The always amiable, normal-mode heroine. And the fake male female of the difficult mode who warned her and tormented her.
The creepy feeling of being in the exact same ideal state as the game proceeded spread all over her body.
Returning to my room under the watchful eye of the butler, I went straight to the desk and sat down paralyzed. Possibly hearing the news, the serving Emily carefully followed me.
“…… Ah, miss.”
“Out.”
“But ……”
The freckled-faced maid’s brown eyes looked at me as if turned. She was witty and probably tried to talk me out of it.
And, in order to perform well in front of a real male daughter, she might give up being my exclusive maid.
“Can’t you hear what I’m saying? I said, please get out!”
I looked at Emily, who was dragging her feet and not going out, and yelled nervously.
“Yes..! I’ll be waiting for you outside, call me if you need me, Miss! Ah, got it?”
With that, she snapped a reply and hurried out of the room.
Snapping – after a while, the room was so silent that even the sound of ant pups passing by could be heard.
“Ha……”
I covered my aching head and sighed deeply, burying my face in my hands. It was still just the beginning of the morning. I was as tired as if I’d been up all night for days. But that emotion was such a luxury too.
“I don’t want to die like this.”
I restrained my slowly dwindling spirit and stiffly raised my face. Then staring into the void, I lowered my head.
I don’t know what reason, but the male lead that I had pinned my hopes on betrayed me and brought in the female lead. I don’t want to get caught up in ordinary mode like this, become the evil female and die a tragic death.
But one cannot stay discouraged. Fortunately, as stated in the game, the female lead didn’t show up at the bar mitzvah.
“There are still five days left.”
In other words, I still have a chance to escape. 99%, very close to 100%, just need to hear the confession of I love you.
It doesn’t matter when the heroine shows up, just make it happen.
“I have to meet that guy.”
I stared angrily into the void, anxiously waiting for the interrogation to end. Then sneakily get Ikris’ defense and the money to confirm his favorability from there.
Agonizing over that. Buckle-
“Miss, it’s Fennel.”
Finally a message.
“Come in.”
I ordered hastily, and the butler came straight in to deliver the news.
“Miss, the first emerald necklace offered at the auction house last night met its owner. Just now, I passed on the proceeds to the mansion through the White Rabbit’s announcement.”
“Has the money been remitted?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
It wasn’t news about Ikris, but it was still good news in this bad situation.