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Chapter 4
“Wow. Look at this procession.”
Even if I just snatched the carriage and horses that Grand Duke Asis Frezier was riding in and sold them, I could probably pay off all my debts.
Of course, nearly all of Tulia’s land was mortgaged to Marquis Lilius, so even if I cleared my debts, I’d still have to worry about surviving day to day.
But still, Grand Duke Asis Frezier was overwhelming.
He didn’t appear draped in gold and silk or anything flashy, but everything he wore was clearly top-of-the-line. One outfit alone had to be worth over 100 million gold.
“100 million gold… that’s like, a hundred million won in real money, right?”
I knew it was a game, so the real-world price didn’t exactly match, but playing The Bread of Fate had made it a habit to roughly calculate this way.
One outfit worth 100 million won… and Asis Frezier probably had hundreds, maybe thousands of sets like that.
“No wonder Tulia has to starve… it’s absurd.”
She was, after all, the granddaughter of such a wealthy man!
“Everyone, sit down.”
A low, commanding voice echoed through the hall. I sat quietly.
Thanks to my position as a marquis’ daughter, my seat wasn’t at the very back. In fact, it was fairly close to Grand Duke Asis Frezier—closer than even Tedric’s.
‘He can’t openly ignore me in front of the Duke.’
The dinner had been arranged suddenly, so the only direct family present were me, Tedric, and Lilius.
I glanced at Tedric; he was trembling slightly, his hands shaking. He kept sneaking glances at me, clearly anxious.
‘He does care, after all.’
He was probably worried that I’d snitch to Grand Duke Asis Frezier about whatever he had done, and that it might blow up in his face.
‘But tattling wouldn’t get him anything.’
If anything, it would be a long-term loss. Grand Duke Asis disliked family members snitching on each other. He considered it unbecoming for a family like the Freziers.
In The Bread of Fate, winning the good ending meant earning the favor of Grand Duke Asis Frezier. I knew exactly which behaviors he disliked.
I felt a pang of regret.
If I had been in the body of Koriko, the actual protagonist, I would have had no problem turning Grand Duke Asis into a “daughter-in-law fool” within a week.
At last, the servants placed plates in front of me, and I almost stopped breathing.
“Oh my god!”
Fresh vegetables on a crisp salad, accompanied by lemons. There was even honey and cheese.
Other nobles would have laughed at me for thinking this way. But today, all I’d eaten was a slice of bread stuffed with paper-thin cucumber. Hunger was hardly registering—it was more of a shock.
The Duke’s servants placed dish after dish with polite, measured hands. What was a luxurious feast to me was apparently ordinary for them.
I put a piece of fresh-truffle mushroom into my mouth. Its rich, refined flavor immediately hit my senses. One meal like this probably cost half a year’s salary for a commoner.
When the steaming steak arrived, I felt tears welling up. How long had it been since I’d had protein like this?
Though I wanted to gorge myself, I maintained the dignified composure of high society.
Fortunately, as a noblewoman of a prestigious family, Tulia had mastered proper dining etiquette. I could eat elegantly without any effort.
“It’s… so delicious.”
The high-quality pepper, butter, and beef melted together in my mouth.
This is a noble’s meal. This is the Frezier family’s feast!
As I bit into a rare melon, I silently steeled myself.
Grade A.
I must reach Grade A. I will reach Grade A.
In The Bread of Fate, achieving Grade A allowed you to unlock one of the best endings—an ending without worries, a life of wealth and comfort.
I’d live extravagantly, hire chefs, and every morning I’d slice huge croissants and slather them with ham, cheese, figs, and honey—without restraint.
After all, the Frezier family estate was Koriko’s stage. This entire empire was essentially Koriko’s world.
Even the Marquis’ people, who were supposed to care for Tulia, ended up being Koriko’s loyal supporters.
Everyone would be happy with Koriko. It had nothing to do with me.
‘I’m just going to enjoy a wealthy, comfortable life.’
I didn’t even expect to return to Hani’s world. My family was like that, and all my friends had lost contact while I was tied up with part-time jobs and scholarships. I had nothing to miss. Luckily.
Ice and sugar were rare even in this world. I’d buy an ice warehouse and spend my days eating ice cream while reading, living in absolute luxury.
‘I just hope what I say from here on out doesn’t sound completely insane.’
Grand Duke Asis Frezier held nearly as much power as the Emperor in this vast empire.
He was a key figure I had to impress to survive this crazy quest.
Pretending to sip champagne, I subtly shifted my gaze—and froze.
“Gasp.”
Grand Duke Asis Frezier was looking at me.
I immediately lowered my eyes. My heart was pounding like mad.
Reality hit me hard. Half of me still thought of him as a “game character,” but seeing him in person, I fully understood why most characters in The Bread of Fate trembled before him.
‘Did I eat like a beggar?’
I’d thought I’d followed etiquette. A glance at Tedric’s plate showed he hadn’t touched much.
Of course, centuries ago, nobles were considered uncouth if they ate everything on their plate. Eating half and leaving half neatly was considered proper and refined.
Tedric wasn’t following etiquette, though—he was too intimidated by the Duke’s presence to even chew.
And for them, this food was ordinary—they had it every day.
A new dessert appeared, but I couldn’t reach for it. Grand Duke Asis Frezier’s gaze kept me frozen.
‘I can’t afford to get on his bad side.’
Even though Tulia Frezier was already ostracized in her own family, and her father, Marquis Frezier, was famously at odds with the Duke, I still needed Grand Duke Asis Frezier to raise my “wealth stat.”
After a long, silent meal—so quiet I could hear a pin drop—we moved to the adjoining private room.
‘This is just as nice as the private rooms of any high-ranking noble in the capital.’
The second floor, with Tulia’s bedroom and bath, was nearly falling apart, but the first floor, with the dining and private rooms, looked like a true aristocratic residence.
Preparing a proper feast could easily take half a day. In just a few hours, Marquis Lilius’s servants had transformed the first floor into something dazzling.
Ebony furniture, purple velvet chairs, patterned wool carpets, gem-encrusted tapestries, silvered lamps—all of it.
‘I might take a few of these later.’
After all, I was the owner here… though it still felt a little unfair.
Even so, the lavish private room couldn’t compete with the presence of Grand Duke Asis Frezier.
‘He looks like a demon.’
I hadn’t done anything wrong, but his overwhelming presence made me want to bow automatically.
His silvery-white hair was icy, and his dark green eyes were deadly, like poison.
It fit his merciless, relentless personality perfectly—a tiger’s gaze, you could say.
Before Tulia was born, it was public knowledge that Grand Duke Asis Frezier had personally tortured and executed spies his family planted in the temple.
As a result, even nobles and royals avoided making eye contact with him. Blood relatives were no exception.
Thinking about that, Tulia’s father was impressive. How could he constantly stand up to such a terrifying Duke?
While other sons feared the Duke and tried to flatter him, Tulia’s father didn’t even send birthday gifts.
‘No child support for his daughter, no birthday gifts for his father.’
And now I, the daughter of such a morally bankrupt man—and in the game, the ultimate villain—had to achieve a Grade A.
Sigh.
‘It feels a little unfair that only Tulia gets treated like trash.’
