Chapter 7
Creak One
From the moment I stepped out into the hallway after turning the door handle, I kept feeling a burning line of sight behind me.
The way the Duke treated me at the end just now was a little different than before I stepped into the room ……
I decided not to care about it though.
It’s not like the Duke is a Raider that I need to raise my favorability rating for anyway, and there’s no need for me to cross paths with him more deeply before my Bar Mitzvah.
Barring that, I gently closed the door behind me.
Just as I was about to turn around and leave, I heard someone coldly say, “You were clearly told to live quietly.”
I turned around in surprise to see a figure in the hallway darkly anxious about a person, exuding a strong aura of displeasure.
Blinding text [0% favorability] shone in the darkness.
Underneath that, I could only vaguely see his pitch-black hair and ice-blue eyes.
It was the eldest son of the Duke’s family, Derrick.
“Emily.”
“. …”
“A loyal maid who has worked in the Duke’s house for almost ten years.”
Derrick gradually stepped out from the rumbling shadow.
In that long corridor, he came to my side in just a few steps.
He looked at me with icy eyes as if he was looking at a piece of trash.
Even though I had done nothing wrong, I had to hide my disgust and hatred for him.
“No one would be willing to be your valet even with extra money. Out of everyone, she’s the only maid who volunteered to go out of her way to please you.”
“But it looks like today is the last day. Because you have no self-awareness, and you’re going to kick out your only maid after all your nonsense.”
I was indignant at his wording.
When did I make a fool of myself and kick someone out? The one who made a mess was clearly that pink-haired guy.
‘Instead, I’m the one who ate all that rotten food and almost had to die with the world!’
I was so angry that I wanted to yell.
But after seeing the 0% favorability on Lian Rik’s head, I held back.
”Hold it in, I’m going to die if the favorability goes any lower.”
I took a few deep breaths and calmed down.
”Favorability 0%…0%……”
After talking to the Duke, I was already very tired and ready.
And I was too concerned about how I could close the option just now that I even forgot about the plot that would happen at the moment.
So I decided to use the power of the system.
”Open the option.”
1.ha! Looks like she’ll serve you well in bed at night, right?
2. she was kicked out entirely as a result of her own fault.
3.(stares at him quietly without speaking)
Looking at the options in front of me, I can’t help but panic and shout in my head.
‘Close the option! Close!’
[Yes/No]
I pressed [Yes] in a hurry.
No matter which of the three options I chose, it would land me in hell.
Because I failed to answer his question for a long time, Derrick’s gaze at me became increasingly icy.
“Ha, see beg you can’t even listen to my words.”
His eyes were sharp like they could kill me.
I had no choice but to speak, “I’m terribly sorry I caused a commotion.”
How many more, down the road, would I have to apologize for things I hadn’t done?
I’m also a person with self-respect, and humbling myself like a slave and lowering my head can be tiresome and sad.
But all of that is nothing as long as I can live.
Besides, these people aren’t even human, they’re just virtual characters in a game.
”Those scars are from that bitch, father! Brother!’
‘Sure enough, people who live like lonely, rotting rats do vulgar things.”
Before living independently in my previous life, I had begged countless times.
Just like now.
In the old days, even if I didn’t apologize, my life wouldn’t be in danger like it would be in this game.
But for me, who was still young then, it was no different from putting me to death.
That’s why I’ve gotten used to being ambidextrous.
Now I don’t even feel indignant compared to then. Unlike me, Penelope did make a fuss about a lot of things.
Perhaps because I had already experienced too much pain in real life, apologizing for survival was easier for me.
‘What a harshly annoying similarity.’
Thinking back to the old days, I spoke, “As you said, once upon a time, I had no self-awareness.”
“…… What?”
“It’s all my fault for not showing proper decorum in front of my subordinates, so please don’t drive away that maid.
I just asked father for forgiveness as well, and was about to return to my room.”
After hearing my words, Derrick’s expression became strange.
His blue eyes widened slightly and seemed to overlap with the Duke’s reaction earlier.
Anyway, I’ve already said this many times, so it doesn’t matter if I say it again, “In the future, I, will never do anything that will bother you and annoy you again. Please forgive me this one more time.” I bowed to him and apologized.
‘Could it be that the tone of my words just now wasn’t vivid enough?’
After realizing how insincere my tone was, I couldn’t help but worry.
Although it was a cruel game, he shouldn’t be so bad as to cut off his sister’s head just because of that.
Thinking that, I relaxed and waited for his answer. After all, there was no crown prince in this scene.
I hoped it would end quickly so I could go back to my room.
Even just standing here is torture for me.
Thinking about what happened in the morning because of that maid makes me feel uncomfortable. Because of eating that food, my entire body is in a very bad state right now. And after that, I haven’t eaten at all.
Unlike what I was expecting, after staying up for five long minutes, Derrick spoke.
“…… Just this once.”
“. ……”
“I forgive you, just this once.”
Without giving me a chance to thank him, he continued, “But remember, this is the last time I will forgive you for your wanton and rude behavior.”
This reply was more offensive than that of the Duke.
But to my solid relief, it was at least not a reply that would have put me to death.
Even though I tried to force myself to thank him, I couldn’t spit out a single word.
‘Yes, yes, it’s just for the sake of my life.’
I heron down and bow low to him, just like I did to that asshole in my last life.
I then turned sharply, ready to go back to my room.
It was at that instant.
“Eh ……”
A sudden wave of vertigo hit me and my eyes went blank.
Perhaps because I was relieved that I didn’t trigger to the death ending, my legs ran out of strength.
The body shook as it lost its center of gravity.
‘Crap……!’
The sight was getting closer and closer to the ground, and it looked like I was about to fall that halfway there.
Snapped. A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder roughly.
“Hey.”
I felt a force pull me back.
Turning my head, I saw pupils like blue flames near me.
It was Derrick holding me up.
“I heard you ate spoiled food.”
My sanity seemed to return when I heard his impassive voice.
He looked at me in surprise and said, “Shouldn’t you call a doctor?”
The jumbled thoughts in my head suddenly sank in.
‘So he knew.’
He knew it wasn’t Penelope’s fault.
Knew it wasn’t my fault, but still blamed me for all of it, even the wrong that the maid had done.
”If I hadn’t pleaded for forgiveness, he probably would have killed me without hesitation.”
I felt as if I were in ice-cold seawater.
“No need, Young Duke.”
I broke away from his hand, it was a subconscious action. But I immediately regretted it; he might be offended by it.
So I forced a smile.
“Just now, I’ve already said that from now on, I’ll do my best not to trouble you any more.”
So mind your own business.
“It was me who was rude, then.”
I bowed politely again and turned to leave quickly.
My hasty figure looks like I’m running away, and in others it’s as ridiculous as if I’m being chased by someone
But it was also true that I was too afraid he would draw his sword on me.
I darted through the corridor towards the hall, wondering what the expression of the man behind me was.
“…The young duke?”
Derrick unexpectedly repeated what Penelope had said before she left.
This woman didn’t even dare to call the Duke her father, yet she still called him and Leonard “elder brother”.
Her pale face and near-fainting figure stuck in Derek’s mind.
His blue eyes sparkled as he watched Penelope flee.
Soon, however, he turned away as if what had just happened had become tasteless.
[Favorability 5%]
Shining above his head was the very change Penelope had missed.