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Chapter: 10
[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of Lv. 3 “Deception,” the target believes that you have seen straight through their true feelings.]
Of course, it wasn’t because I was especially perceptive that I understood Adrian’s desire for revenge.
It was simply because the novel had already spelled out exactly what came of that hatred he sharpened like a blade.
Adrian still hadn’t released the front of my clothes. His blue eyes burned into me as if they might set me on fire.
At the very least, he wouldn’t ignore me anymore.
Either he would consider me an ally—or, like Melisandra, someone who absolutely had to be eliminated. One of the two.
Now there was only one thing left for me to do: turn Adrian’s heart toward the former.
“Listen carefully, Adrian. I’m going to get you out of here.”
“……”
“I’ll make sure you get everything back and set things right—without staining your hands with blood.”
“How ridiculous.”
The strength in the hand gripping my collar loosened. That didn’t mean the murderous intent in his gaze had faded.
“What could a brat like you possibly do?”
There it was: I don’t need help from a weak child like you.
Of course, I really was a weak child. If the status window hadn’t appeared, I’d still be wasting time at home, knowing nothing.
“You really think I can’t do anything?”
But now things were different.
“I managed to coax the Duchess into coming to see you, and I even saw through what you were really thinking ahead of time, didn’t I?”
“……”
[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of Lv. 3 “Deception,” the target cannot escape your confident gaze.]
Looking straight into Adrian’s blue eyes, fixed firmly on me, I spoke clearly and deliberately.
“Being strong isn’t just about physical power. What really matters is the power to move people’s hearts.”
“……”
“People create situations, and people move according to their own hearts.”
In the end, what I was really saying was, I’m not strong like you, so I’ll rely on a B-rank skill like Deception.
But hey—there wasn’t a single lie in that, was there?
And besides…
When Adrian eventually fell in love with Lexia, who appears in the original story, he would understand the meaning behind my words.
It would be far better for his future love life if he didn’t turn into a cruel, cold, obsessive man right now.
Good.
Since it’s come to this, I’ll turn Adrian into a gentle man anyone would be proud to introduce.
With that grand ambition in mind, I continued.
“I’ll change Lady Bellas’s heart so you can leave, and I’ll move the hearts of others so that woman receives the punishment she deserves.”
“…Ha.”
Adrian let out a hollow laugh, his expression strange.
The corners of his handsome mouth trembled slightly. He wanted to scoff at my words, but at the same time, he couldn’t help being drawn to them.
Naturally.
Hope was that sweet.
“When I come next time, I’ll explain the plan in detail.”
Leaving the silent Adrian behind, I stood up and smiled.
“So for now, eat some warm oatmeal and get your strength back.”
You have to eat first, no matter what.
[SYSTEM: Due to the effect of ‘You’ll give me the Best Actress Award, right?’, your smile is filled with goodwill.]
Smiling, I held out the thermos lid filled with oatmeal once more.
“……”
Adrian merely stared at the oatmeal in the lid. But unlike before, he didn’t knock my hand aside and spill it.
“Then… I’ll come again.”
After leaving him behind and exiting the basement, some time passed.
With a notification sound, a message appeared.
[QUEST: Bring food to the starving male lead ‘Adrian,’ who is trapped in the basement. (1/3)]
[SYSTEM: ‘Adrian’s’ favorability has increased by 1.]
* * *
When I returned home, I had dinner as usual, completed my daily quests, and unleashed a barrage of nagging at Erden.
[QUEST: Give stern advice to the male lead ‘Erden,’ whose moral compass is confused. (126/300)]
Maybe it was just my imagination, but letting everything out on Erden felt incredibly stress-relieving.
In a refreshed mood, I finished dinner, went to my room, took out some paper, and organized my thoughts.
First: the system.
I wrote System on the paper, and beside it, Contract with the Administrator.
I’ll do the quests you give me, so you protect my life.
That is precisely what I desire.
For now, the system’s interests and mine were aligned.
But…
If I failed a quest, would the Administrator abandon me?
If the system discarded me, my survival chances would drop drastically.
Damn it, that can’t happen!
For now, I had to focus solely on succeeding in every quest.
I glared at the quest window.
[QUEST: Bring food to the starving male lead ‘Adrian,’ who is trapped in the basement. (1/3)]
Thinking about it, the system was a bit underhanded.
At first, it made it seem like just meeting Adrian was enough, but dealing with a child who’d grown violent after being locked up for so long was entirely my burden.
This quest was the same.
Bringing food to Adrian was easy—the real challenge was persuading him to eat it.
In the end, the quest only provided the trigger. Advancing the situation was entirely up to me.
Under the word System, I drew an arrow and wrote Prevent Blackening.
To stop Adrian’s imminent descent into darkness, there were two things I had to do.
First, rescue Adrian from that basement.
Second, ensure proper punishment for Melisandra, who tormented him—in other words, enact justice.
I grabbed my head with both hands, struggling to think through how to shape the situation.
Soon, I picked up my pen again, and several keywords branched out from its tip.
Looking at the rough outline, it seemed entirely possible.
“Good.”
Under Adrian’s plan, I wrote the names Nathaniel and Erden.
“Nathaniel hasn’t appeared yet…”
I put a question mark next to Nathaniel’s name, and beside Erden’s, I wrote nag him consistently.
But then, there was one more problem.
According to the original story, the female lead Lexia appears six years from now.
In principle, the villainess’s death is triggered by the existence of the female lead.
I had no intention of acting like a villainess anymore, so I wouldn’t bully Lexia—but just to be safe, it would be best for me to leave the capital by the time Lexia appeared.
To do that, it’d be good to know how Lexia’s doing…
Where was the female lead right now?
In the original story, she was a commoner who came up from the Utel family’s territory.
It’s not like I can scour the entire territory while I’m stuck in the capital.
“…I’ll find a chance eventually.”
I’d stop all the male leads from blackening over the next six years, let Lexia choose her male lead on her own, and then I’d leave for somewhere peaceful and safe!
With my future plans complete, I tossed my pen aside and collapsed onto the bed, falling asleep.
And while Rohesia slept like the dead, unaware—
A message window glowing with bright gold appeared.
[ADMIN: You seem careful, yet subtly careless.]
The blanket that had fallen near Rohesia’s feet floated up and gently covered her chest.
[I send you out to do quests, and you nearly get hit by a thermos.]
The golden message flickered darkly, as if recalling the dangerous moment when the thermos had flown through the air.
But only for a moment.
Soon, the golden light illuminating the sleeping girl vanished, as though it had never existed.
* * *
The next day.
Seeing Erden first thing in the morning, I asked him a question instead of nagging.
“Erden, are there alchemical items that make people obey what you say?”
“Huh?”
“Like suggestion, hypnosis, brainwashing.”
Erden narrowed his green eyes and stared at me.
“…Why?”
“Well, I have a use for it.”
I knew full well how suspicious that sounded.
But I had no choice—it was a necessary function to complete a quest.
“Of course there are. What keeps the Utel family running are synthesized items with all kinds of effects.”
Oh.
Hearing that welcome answer, I smiled widely.
“Then where can I get one?”
When I asked eagerly, Erden dodged the question with something completely unexpected.
“What’s with you lately?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep going to the Bellas estate, and when you’re home, you just lock yourself in your room all the time.”
“Um…”
Going to the Bellas estate was obviously for quests.
And staying holed up in my room was because, like last night, I was figuring out how to survive safely in the future.
But there was no way Erden could know that.
“And now you’re even trying to get your hands on the family’s alchemical items you never cared about before.”
“Well, that’s just—!”
“Don’t tell me… you’ve got bad intentions toward the Bellas family’s son?”
Huh, what?
“Rosha, if you like someone, you should win them over fair and square.”
“…?”
“You can’t force someone’s heart by using brainwashing or hypnosis.”
“!”
What was this situation?
Was I really being told not to manipulate people’s hearts with alchemy—by none other than Erden Utel?
My goodness! Our boy has changed!
I was overwhelmed with emotion at having reformed delinquent Erden in an instant.
“Erden!”
“…?”
“That’s exactly right! Love should never be obtained through underhanded methods!”
—Ding!
[QUEST: Give stern advice to the male lead ‘Erden,’ whose moral compass is confused. (127/300)]
“You’ve finally become a proper person! Even when you’re grown up, never forget that!”
—Ding!
[QUEST: Give stern advice to the male lead ‘Erden,’ whose moral compass is confused. (128/300)]
All that constant nagging was finally paying off!
Still, as happy as I was, today’s real objective hadn’t been achieved yet. Acting as though I’d never been excited, I calmly asked again.
“So—where exactly is that amazing alchemical invention?”
