Chapter 8

I hurried up the stairs and into the room. Immediately after going in, I closed the door behind me and then jumped straight onto the bed.

“Whew …..”

My stiff body instantly softened upon hitting the soft whirring mattress.

It was only lunchtime, but I felt as if a whole day had passed.

Taking a moment to catch my breath to calm myself down, because being with Derrick made me feel so nervous that my heart kept beating wildly.

That’s when I burst out laughing.

“Ha! See, I’m still alive.”

I guess it’s not useless to restart the game one after the other every time you miss a beat in the game.

Although I was scared just now, I didn’t forget to call Derrick “Young Duke”.

At that moment, the game’s image appeared in my mind.

Unlike other characters, Derek’s favorability was one of the issues when I first played the game.

When I boosted his favorability by making careful decisions, it often dropped even more after the next choice I made.

I don’t really know why this happens.

‘Why does his mood change so much in the game?’

My question was only answered after going through countless deaths.

Derek hates Penelope so much that he gets annoyed when Penelope calls him “elder brother”.

That’s why whenever I chose an option related to “elder brother” in the game, the character’s favorability dropped even lower.

“It’s so hard to get a hold of, he’s practically worse than that number one asshole.”

I grumbled as I knocked up my eyebrows.

But thanks to this I was able to keep myself alive.

‘From now on, never refer to Derrick as “older brother.”‘

The words kept repeating in my head.

Of course, even though I don’t intend to see him again, it’s important to keep these words in mind just in case.

Thinking about all sorts of things in bed, I started to feel my vision blurring.

‘I need to eat something.’

Meals are necessary for everything, and besides, it’s still lunchtime.

However, after the series of basket scares I received since this morning, I really don’t feel day.

”Ah, it doesn’t matter. ,’

Now, feeling listless, I closed my eyes. Sleep became the primary thing on my mind.

Maybe it was because I wanted to escape from reality.

Soon, after closing my eyes, I drifted into sleep.

“Why is this in your room?”

A voice colder than ice crystals in the winter period came from above my head. Immediately followed by a shout from the side.

“Answer it, you sneaky bitch! You stole it, didn’t you!”

“Leonard.”

The Duke warned the foul-mouthed Leonard.

Leonard didn’t control his temper even though he kept his mouth shut, and he started stomping his feet.

“Where is this?”

I looked around in bewilderment and lowered my head.

Saw a pair of tiny hands.

I immediately recognized it as Penelope’s dream.

“Speak, Penelope. How did you come to have Evan’s necklace? I thought I told you not to enter that room.”

“Father, there’s no need to ask anymore, this bitch must have stolen it!”

Even with the Duke’s warning, Leonard still didn’t sensitize his anger.

Penelope stared at Leonard dead in the face and shouted.

“I didn’t steal it! I didn’t do anything!”

“Shut up! Don’t lie about it! Then why was Father’s gift to Evan in the draw in your room?”

Leonard shouted as he shook the necklace in his hand.

It was the first time she had ever seen that jewelry. No doubt Penelope screamed and refused to admit what she hadn’t done.

“I don’t know! I was never in that room!”

“I witnessed everything.”

Just then, a man slowly stepped out from among the crowd.

The Duke and Leonard turned to face him.

“The butler.”

“I’ve seen Miss Penelope frequenting the third floor up and down these past few weeks. As a precaution, I checked Miss Evan’s room, but found that Miss Evan’s door was not locked.”

Everyone’s eyes, including the Duke, turned to the little girl.

Even if one wanted to take all these gazes seriously, Penelope couldn’t completely ignore them.

“…… No, it wasn’t me.”

She stepped back.

She did go up to the third floor a lot.

Because it was the least traveled floor, and because it was connected to the passageway to the attic.

She only frequented there because she didn’t want to stay with the maids who would abuse her, but she had no intention of stealing anything.

Let alone something that belonged to a true daughter of the Duke’s family.

“I really didn’t, father! I’ve never been in that room!”

Penelope shouted as she looked up at the Duke.

She looked at the Duke with love and trust in her eyes; after all, he was the only one who had personally brought Throw into the house.

However, the Duke ignored her with only an icy gaze.

“Butler, for security, lock every room on the third floor, especially Evan’s room.”

“Yes, Lord Duke.”

“Father, father ……”

Penelope froze in place, her face as pale as a sheet of white paper.

The Duke said nothing before he left

“I told well, you shouldn’t have stayed in the Duke’s mansion, stupid!”

Leonard whispered in Penelope’s ear after making sure the Duke had left.

Then he gave Penelope a rough shove and followed the Duke.

“Rubbish.”

Watching Penelope drop to the ground like a piece of trash, Derrick coldly whispered a whistle.

The scene changed.

After that, Penelope visited many stores and bought huge amounts of jewelry and jewels.

She squandered so much money that both Derek and Leonard angrily called her a “self-absorbed bitch”.

In addition, she never called the Duke “father” again.

…… Knock Knock.

The small sound was enough to bring me back from my sleep, and I opened my sleepy eyes.

I opened my sleepy eyes.

After not getting a response from me, another knock came.

The knocking seemed urgent, which made me realize the anger and agitation of the person knocking.

I slowly sat up and spoke.

“Yes …….”

Open ta ……. Before I could finish my sentence, the door burst open.

“Miss, it’s me.”

A bright light shone in through the open doorway, shining brightly.

The room was pitch black, and from here, the sun had already set.

My eyes stung due to the sudden light shining into the room, and I couldn’t help but frown when I turned my gaze to the person who opened the door.

“Butler ……?”

“Because there is an urgent matter that needs to find you.”

There aren’t many cases where someone like the butler comes to me in such a hurry.

But I was already feeling mentally exhausted, not to mention the dream I had just had.

“What is the urgent matter?”

Are those milquetoast brats coming to chastise me again? Am I guilty of something now?

My voice was very shaky when the question was asked. And the butler explained why he had burst into my room.

“I thought it would be best to choose your new point body waiting girl before dinner, so…

My brain became overwhelmed at such casual words coming from the butler’s mouth.

“Wait.”

I raised my hand to stop the butler from continuing.

The butler stopped. But he seemed to be displeased that I stopped him, and he slightly surrendered his eyebrows.

“That’s it?”

After hearing what the butler said, my first feeling was actually a sense of relief, which was ridiculous.

However, that feeling of relief was quickly replaced by anger.

”The reason he opened the door to my room without my permission is just to choose a new maid ……?”

The reason stated by the butler left me dumbfounded.

“…… Butler.”

I called out to him in a low voice…

“Yes, my lady.”

“What is your name?”

“…… What?”

He acted as if he had never anticipated such a question. I decided to be magnanimous and repeat my words back to him.

“What’s your name?”

“…… Fennel, miss.”

“Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden, Miss ……”

He didn’t seem to like the fact that I was here asking questions that weren’t relevant to the topic. The frown between his eyebrows became deeper.

“To answer the question you were asked, what is my name?”

“…… You are Penelope Eckhardt.”

He had no choice but to answer.

“Yes, Penelope Eckhardt, a nobleman.”

As I said my name, I nodded and increased my tone. Then I continued.

“I’ve never heard of a rule that allows a commoner without a family name to barge into a noble’s room without permission, have I?”

Stupid Penelope.

If she was going to get angry over these insults and scorns, then she shouldn’t have screamed loudly and irrationally, but instead use her status as a noble to make those people see their status.

That way those people won’t be able to bully you so easily anymore.

Officially adopted by the Duke’s family as a noble, that’s also a Duke’s daughter.

It’s a title that can be utilized in such a situation.

It’s much better than some ‘unknown illegitimate child of a rich family’.

“In addition, the fact that an outside man casually broke into a young noble lady’s room without permission is like a rumor that would circulate among commoners.”

“Wrong?”

After finishing my words, I smiled with an innocent face.

And just as I expected, the effect was good.

“Little, miss.”

After hearing my words, the butler shouted in a panic.