Chapter 39

‘Ah.’

I reflexively shudder, stroke the jeweled ring on my left hand, and try to think calmly.

“When a dog tries to bite its master, you can only pull the leash tight.”

And, of course, after being strangled by the leash, the good feeling must have gone down.

“I think this is the only breakthrough, but why do I feel like I have no idea what I’m going to do next?”

Shaking my head, I willed myself out of my anxious thoughts to continue, and I moved on to the next one

“Winter Belldandy.”

He was the character who, for the first time, opened my eyes to the horror known as the plummeting of goodwill. At this point, I had already made up my mind not to look back, but I was still a little annoyed when I saw the “15%” number.

Although Winter’s biggest drawback is that he is the fastest to contact the heroine, but he is also the most normal character of the five, which is a major advantage.

The pen tapped the paper faster and faster.

“Haaah ……”

I tossed the pen into the air, hesitant to make up my mind.

“Why is there no easy route to take?”

Immediately afterward, there was a knock, knock, knock on the door outside. I was very sensitive to this, because I was writing something important that no one could see. Subconsciously, I lengthened my answer with a sharp tone.

“Who is it?”

“Miss, it’s Fennel.”

It was the housekeeper.

“…… Just a moment.”

I smiled through my teeth and easily straightened the papers that had been placed on my desk, placing them in the depths of the draw. He was allowed to meet me only after I had placed my pen in the holder.

“Come in.”

Clunk choke. The door to the room was carefully opened and the butler walked in.

“Yes?”

“I’ve come to tell my lady that the Lord Duke would like to invite you to lunch.”

“…… Lunch?”

I blinked. What a rare invitation. Ever since I arrived here I’ve been dining alone in my room.

It was an absolutely ridiculous array of diets compared to what I perceived as noble dining, but I felt satisfied in my own way, which was much better than eating rotten food or starving since I first arrived.

On the bright side, there wasn’t much for me, the Duke, and his two sons to run into.

Emily, who used to stab me with a needle all the time, has also become my faithful maid of honor.

‘What perfect personal time this is.’

I didn’t really want to head to the dining room on the first floor and have lunch with the guys who made me feel uncomfortable. The thought of dining under the eyes of servants who didn’t want me to be a duke’s daughter turned my stomach.

“…… I don’t mind eating alone in my room like before.”

If I could have avoided the matter, I would have done so, so I decently declined.

“Right now I’m still in a period of self-reflection.”

“The Duke-sama has something to tell you-sama, so please be sure to attend as well.”

“‘Does it also mean… that the elder brothers and adults will all dine together?”

“That’s natural.”

I’m dead.

“Butler. I have something to instruct you before we go to the dining room.”

“Please instruct, miss.”

After listening to me, he looked a little different.

“If you have any medication to help with digestion, would you be able to send some to my room after lunch?”

“…… You mean medicine to help digestion?”

He asked back, like he was curious about the unexpected words, even though I hadn’t eaten anything.

“Right.”

I nodded heavily. Gotta move faster from now on.

Following the butler, I step out of the bedroom.

Everyone is waiting for me downstairs since lunch is ready. In the face of this unrefusable unilateral notice, I no longer have time to continue delaying any further on the grounds of getting fully dressed.

“In these recent days, the Duke-sama seems to be busy with matters over at the palace.”

Just as I was walking along the corridor in silence, the butler who matched my pace suddenly spoke up and said so to me.

I didn’t realize that the Duke was busy. He seemed to come home late, but I wasn’t too interested in that.

“I suppose so.”

And I nodded my head expressionlessly as I answered, and for some reason I felt that the butler was looking at my face seriously.

“Weren’t you going to insist on attending every family feast when the Duke-sama was at home before?”

Upon hearing the query he threw down, my brows quickly furrowed together.

“…… Penelope is like this?’

Obviously staying on the edge was fine. Can there be any benefit to stuffing my throat sample with food in that place? Think about it, you get nothing but being looked down upon and ignored.

‘She’s really, well …… ugh.’

Anyway, I can’t blame her for not thinking things through, because I can guess the reason for her participation in the Duke’s family feast.

In the past, I had always been quick to choose to give up, and a move like Penelope’s was even more unprecedented. But even that did not help the pain I was experiencing.

The sound of cutlery emanated from the dining room as everyone carried out their daily routine of greeting each other, the perfect family that excluded me.

“…… Miss Penelope, miss?”

I blinked at the sound of the voice calling me. Fennel had come up to the stairway and was now looking at me with what looked like a complicated look.

“…… I’m not feeling sick.”

I replied absentmindedly before he could notice anything, following him down the stairs.

“I’m always worried about making a mistake, so eating in my room is a good idea for me.”

“So that’s really what you think ……. No, no, I slipped my tongue.”

Perhaps it was the fact that such words coming out of Penelope’s mouth would be very surprising that caused the butler to slip his tongue. He hurriedly closed his mouth and changed the topic.

“Because the young lady hasn’t been coming out of her room, the Duke-sama feels very lonely.”

“You won’t scold me for attending the luncheon, will you?”

The butler’s words made me laugh out loud. If your dog hasn’t been coming out of its kennel, then you need to visit it.

The master of this house was feeling lonely, but he didn’t seem intent on checking on his young daughter, whom he had personally adopted back into the house, to see if she was eating in the corner of her room, or starving.

“Who knows, my big brother thinks so, doesn’t he?”

“That ……”

The butler wanted to say something at my self-questioning, but I quickened my pace.

“Open up.”

I had arrived at the dining room before I got my answer.

The attendants bowed and obeyed me, but the eyes that gazed at me were unfriendly.

I nodded haughtily at the attendants who stood by the closed doors so they could serve food.

Never mind. I don’t have to focus on such superfluous trivialities

The door opens, and I see the faces through the doorway… they’re the ones I really have to deal with. The silent, middle-aged man sat at the bottom, and side by side with [Favorability 10%] and sitting to his right, was [Favorability 20%].

“Do you have any sense of time? Why are you so late?”

I had just walked into the restaurant, and as soon as [Favorability 10%] saw me, he grumbled with a tight frown. This was the prologue to this lunch from hell.

Since they all sat on the right side of the Duke, I sat on the left side out of instinct. The butler who followed me pulled out the chair for me, and only retreated after confirming that I was able to sit perfectly.

I walked in feeling like a banished sinner.

I can’t believe I’m talking about lunch, the food that was put up could have broken the legs of the table ……

It was one of the most magnificent culinary feasts I’ve seen, since I’ve been here.

Of course, it’s difficult to enjoy this much food in a room on the second floor, and it’s made me feel real about Penelope’s imaginary realm once again.

Just as I was bewildered by the many good fronts, the Duke’s voice, sitting at the very bottom, said in a low voice.

“…… Dine.”

Officially, the meal began.

In reality, I wasn’t too sure about the order in which nobles dine. But Penelope doesn’t have much common sense. So even if the etiquette wasn’t perfect, it wouldn’t seem too flawed.

”It’s a good thing that you’re no longer able to disgrace yourself more.”

I looked down at the cutlery in front of me, and then after a glance towards the side pieces to make sure everyone was holding spoons in their hands, I followed suit.

“…… Ha.”

Immediately afterward, I let out a cold laugh. In front of me were all the toddler cutlery for children who were just learning to use knives and forks.

“What’s going on?”

Probably hearing my laughter, the duke sitting on my right side threw a sharp gaze at me.

“Nothing.”

I shook my head hastily. Absentmindedly, I listened to the clattering sound made by the cutlery.

On second thought, they wouldn’t care what kind of knife and fork I used anyway.

‘But if there’s even the slightest bit of concern, the Duke should know too, since you’re sitting right next to him.’

Someone in the kitchen had the audacity to pull this kind of prank on the Duke’s daughter’s table.