RFLAS 14

Chapter 14

“Ugh… What time is it?”

Sunlight poured over my eyelids, and I naturally opened my eyes.

Contrary to my expectation that I had slept for ages, it was still early morning.

Ever since I got trapped in this game, I had been sleeping in until the sun was high in the sky. This was the first time I had woken up so early.

For a moment, the unfamiliar feeling made me wonder if maybe I’d escaped the game in my sleep. But I didn’t even need to turn my head—this overly fancy room and the thick, brown hair spilling over my nightgown told me I was still Sera Arnstadt.

Of course.

Resigned, I decided I might as well have breakfast.

I still had no appetite, as usual, but if I wanted the strength to escape the game, I had to force something into my mouth.

I wasn’t someone who normally lacked appetite. Even when I lived alone, I made sure to eat two proper meals every day.

But ever since I got here, my stomach always feels heavy… like anything I eat will upset it.

A world that tries to kill the possessed heroine. Charlotte revealing her true nature. Sasha-mo, who made me feel only disgust when she was around.

This place wouldn’t let me be myself. It wasn’t a place I could ever feel safe in.

Yesterday was way too dangerous… One wrong move now and it’s really death. Get it together.

I pushed yesterday aside, stepped out of my room, and had breakfast. While chewing through a sandwich, I decided to think about what to do next.

“I wonder if I can get those two to make up…”

“Pardon?”

“Ah—no, nothing.”

I had muttered without thinking, and the maid beside me tilted her head. Right. I should keep the talking inside my head.

Charlotte is hostile, sure, but she wasn’t completely impossible to communicate with. She answered my questions, at least.

She only saw Angela as an absolute rival to defeat because she didn’t know Angela’s real nature.

Once she saw with her own eyes that Angela wasn’t even interested in the throne, even Charlotte would lower her guard.

Okay. First I need to make sure those two keep meeting. That’s the only way anything will progress.

I swallowed the last bite of bread and made up my mind. A full stomach made me feel just a bit more motivated.

“If the meal suits your taste, shall I bring you a bit more?” the maid asked after noticing my empty plate.

I was about to decline—until a good idea suddenly hit me.

Come to think of it, in any possession story, getting close to your assigned maid is always the first priority. Why did I forget that?

While playing the game, I’d been so focused on routes that I’d ignored unrelated characters. But with things turning out like this, it would be best to recruit the maid to my side.

I desperately needed someone on my side.

“Then… could you bring me half more? I’m unusually hungry today.”

I smiled kindly and handed her the plate.

As she added a sandwich, I started thinking about how to learn her name.

Based on the memories I got during the “tutorial,” Sera hadn’t had this maid long, so there wasn’t any information about her name. And Sera wasn’t the type to pay attention to her servants’ personal details.

She’s not important enough to have a status window… If only she had a name tag.

Asking her name out of nowhere would risk me being suspected as a “possessed person.” I needed a natural way to find out.

A natural way…

“….”

Then a realization flashed through my mind.

The most natural thing… was to act exactly like Sera Arnstadt.

Meaning: the most natural behavior was to simply not know her servants’ names.

There was no need to sneak around. No need to overthink it.

I just have to ask casually, like it’s obvious.

“Here you go,” the maid said, setting down the plate.

My planning complete, I smirked a little to myself.

I had almost gone the long way around for nothing. I picked up the sandwich in a small self-congratulation.

But—

“…Huh?”

The bread felt heavier than expected. I looked down—she’d given me an entire sandwich, not half.

Didn’t I ask for half?

“Ah… um…” The maid, noticing my reaction, awkwardly spoke up.

“You haven’t had much appetite lately, so I’ve been worried… But today you ate your sandwich so well, so I brought you a big one. I just wanted to make sure you’re eating properly.”

“….”

I froze, holding the sandwich mid-air. The maid hurried to continue, her voice even more flustered.

“If it’s too much, I can cut it in half—”

“No! I’ll eat it!”

I immediately took a bite, almost snatching it back before she could reduce it.

It wasn’t like anyone was trying to steal it from me.

Strangely, I didn’t feel queasy at all. The maid watched me finish my second sandwich with a pleased expression.

“Thanks for caring,” I said.

“It’s my duty to ensure your comfort, my lady.”

Her gentle voice warmed something inside me. It felt like a perfect moment to ask.

“What’s your name?”

I asked it casually, as if it were nothing—as if I had always done so.

“My name is Marie. I will continue to serve you with all my heart.”

She answered without any suspicion. Everything flowed naturally, as I hoped.

“Right. It feels strange to say it now, but… I’ll be counting on you, Marie.”

I couldn’t help smiling, thrilled by how easily I’d gotten her name.

Seeing my smile, Marie seemed to think I was delighted and became excited herself.

“If there’s ever anything you like or dislike during meals, please tell me! I’ll make sure you have the best meals possible! Ah—of course, not just meals! Anything, really!”

“T-thank you…”

I hid from her fiery enthusiasm by taking another bite.

But the more I ate, the tighter my throat felt. Maybe the bread was dry. Next time I’d ask for softer bread.

Still, I finished it all.

It was only after the meal that I realized something in my chest had been trembling faintly.

But I pushed the feeling down.

Her kindness was directed toward “Sera,” not the real me.

For someone who wasn’t even truly Sera to feel happy about that would be foolish. That was how I rationalized it.

And yet…

Why does it feel so strange?

Was it because the sandwich was tasty? Because I’d learned her name? Or because… someone cared enough to worry about me?

I didn’t know.

The next day, I attended the Sasha-mo regular meeting.

Charlotte didn’t personally appear at these meetings, but attending still had value.

By showing up consistently and faithfully, I hoped to ease her suspicion of me, even a little.

With that in mind, I cheerfully greeted the members.

“Good afternoon. How have you all been?”

But the eyes staring back at me were anything but normal.

“Lady Sera, is it true?!”

“We heard you were suspected of being possessed at the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet!”

“And that you’re close friends with Lady Schweiden?! You need to explain yourself properly!”

“…What?”

Bombarded with questions, I couldn’t even figure out where to look.

Then, suddenly, someone offered a hand. Sergey.

“Everyone, isn’t this a bit too much? You’re frightening the lady.”

“…?”

I stared at Sergey, who was pretending to be some kind of gentleman, and then at his hand. What on earth was this situation?

And then—

“Hooh, Sergey. Have you two already grown so close?”

“You partnered with Lady Sera at the last banquet too… I didn’t realize you were that close.”

The murmurs and assumptions were ridiculous. I lifted my head to clear it up—

Then felt a gaze, looked to the side—

Wink.

“…?”

Sergey suddenly winked at me.

The words I was going to say crawled back down my throat, but thanks to that awful wink, I understood the situation.

So you spread the rumors.

Honestly, I didn’t care if the Sasha-mo heard that I’d been suspected of possession, or that I was close with Angela.

Julian already cleared the first one, and for the second, I could just play it off by saying she was clingy.

But what infuriated me was that Sergey was the one spreading it.

When I was the one being suspected, you just watched from a distance—
and now you’re using it for this crap?