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Chapter: 9
Melisandra’s expression first looked annoyed, as if something unnecessary had clung to her. Then, as though a scheme had occurred to her, it shifted into something sly.
“Rosha. If you’d really do that for me, I’d be so grateful. While you’re at it, could you pass along a message for me?”
“…Yes.”
“Tell him to stop being stubborn and beg for forgiveness—for his own sake.”
“Hehe… Yes. I understand.”
She clearly meant for it to sound like, ‘Beg the Duke for forgiveness.’
But not a chance. I knew exactly what kind of person she was.
If I stayed any longer, my face would twist out of shape, so I gave a perfunctory farewell and quickly left.
In the basement of a secluded annex that didn’t suit the Velas Ducal Estate at all, a boy sat crouched behind iron bars.
“Young master, it’s your meal.”
Every morning, a servant would leave a piece of dried-out bread and a cup of water. Every two or three days, in the evening, that woman would come and spew her revolting words.
Since no light ever reached this place, even whether it was morning or evening was nothing more than Adrian’s guess.
“I—I’m sorry! I’m only following the madam’s orders. Please stay well, young master!”
Knowing he was doing something terrible to the duke’s son, the servant always babbled nonsense and hurried away. Naturally, he never noticed the faint light hidden in the boy’s palm.
Adrian opened his clenched fist. The two lumps of light had grown so small that there was no longer any need to hide them.
His parched lips twisted.
He didn’t even want to look at the light anymore. Especially not if he had to watch it go out completely—it would leave him feeling filthy.
He shoved the glowing objects into the straw on the floor and stomped on them.
How much time passed after that?
Footsteps sounded from above. Soon, the same girl from before came down.
“I’m here, Adrian.”
Rosha flinched. The glowing light she expected to see, even faintly, was nowhere to be found.
“Haha… Was I a bit late? But it hasn’t been long since the light went out, right? I came quickly, so I kept my promise, didn’t I?”
The system had said the light would last about three days. She’d come back in just two.
The system gets things like this wrong?
Either way, it was time to proceed with the quest. Rosha chattered as she unpacked what she’d brought.
“I can come more often now. I got Lady Velas’s permission. Oh! And this.”
Instead of the costly light orbs that cost 0.5 coins each, she’d brought a portable magic lamp from home. She set the round ball of light down and took out a thermos filled with oatmeal.
“You’re hungry, right? It’s still warm. It’s not anything fancy, but it’s really good!”
When she opened the lid, steam rose along with a nutty scent. But Adrian had no intention of eating.
She’d said herself that she got the duke’s wife’s permission—how could he know whether that woman hadn’t mixed something strange into it?
So he hurled the thermos at her.
It was a warning to get lost and stop fooling around. If she got hit and split her forehead open, she’d never bother him again.
“Kyaa!”
But in that instant, Rosha avoided it with incredible reflexes.
At least, that’s how it looked. In truth, she felt her body move due to some external force.
[ADMIN: Are you all right?]
The administrator’s message popped up immediately. The system must have intervened.
While Adrian stared in genuine shock, Rosha thought:
Did he just throw food at me?
By any standard, it was downright unfilial behavior. But still…
Endure it.
Compared to the kind of unfilial behavior where someone slices an innocent lady into eight pieces, this was practically angelic.
“Sorry. That must’ve startled you. I brought water too… See? There’s nothing wrong with it.”
She took several gulps from the bottle.
Watching that, Adrian was suddenly overcome by an unbearable thirst.
Unlike the porridge, he snatched the water and drank it greedily.
“Drink slowly, Adrian.”
Should I have brought another bottle?
As she wondered if he’d really been that thirsty, anger rose at the household that wouldn’t even give a child enough water.
And just now…
If the thermos had hit her directly, she would’ve at least gotten a nasty bruise. Thanks to the system, she was unharmed.
So it does protect me, one way or another!
As she bent down to pick up the thermos—
—Ding!
A message appeared in midair, visible only to her.
[QUEST: Sudden Quest Triggered!]
[Objective: Make the male lead, ‘Adrian,’ who has lost the joy of living, smile.]
[Time Limit: 04:59]
She’d barely finished praising it, and the administrator pulled a stunt like this.
Rosha screamed internally. It’s not like I can punch a status window!
But she had no choice but to try.
“Adrian.”
“…?”
“Do you know what it’s called when an apple laughs?”
…
“Then what about when an apple gets split? When a loach gets smaller? What’s the smartest fish?”
“……”
With every word, Adrian’s expression grew colder. Every attempt failed.
The sudden quest ended in spectacular failure.
Seeing the clock turn red at 00:00, her shoulders slumped automatically.
“No, forget everything I just said…”
“What was that?”
As she was about to answer, another message popped up.
[ADMIN: So what is it called when a loach gets smaller?]
As if amused, the faintly golden popup wobbled slightly.
“Be quiet…”
“…What?”
“Oh, nothing!”
Telling her to suddenly make the male lead laugh—what kind of nonsense directive was that?
Something was seriously wrong with this system.
Can I really entrust my future to it?
She added one more stack of suspicion toward the system in her mind.
[ADMIN: There was a special affection reward for completing that quest. What a shame.]
You can eat that affection meter yourself.
Sure enough, when she looked back, Adrian was staring at her like she was insane.
Damn it. The fact that his affection hadn’t dropped was a blessing in itself. Holding back tears, she made excuses.
“Hahaha! Adrian, don’t look at me like that!”
“……”
“I kind of get what you misunderstood, but I’m perfectly sane.”
If anything, his expression seemed even colder.
No—he’d completely turned his back on her.
What a rude male lead. People were talking to him.
But that rudeness was the kind that would kill her if left unchecked, so she had to placate him somehow.
Besides, even though she’d brought water and food, the quest still wasn’t progressing.
[QUEST: Bring food to the starving male lead ‘Adrian’ trapped in the basement. (0/3)]
She stared carefully at the quest window.
The system had been joking with her just moments ago, so it wasn’t frozen. That meant the conditions simply hadn’t been met.
Adrian had drunk the water she brought—but he hadn’t touched the oatmeal.
Do I need to make him eat it in front of me?
After all, even if she came often and brought food, it would be meaningless if she couldn’t open his heart.
If the food just rotted away in the corner every time, visiting again and again would be pointless.
“I know. You don’t trust me.”
Whether she was going to get him out of here to stop his corruption, or save him from a horrific death, it had to start with something simple—like sharing a warm bowl of porridge.
“I just wanted to see you smile.”
Some had spilled when he threw it, but there was still plenty left in the thermos.
She poured some into the lid, then poured about a quarter of that into a cup she’d brought.
Sitting beside Adrian, she handed him the lid with the larger portion.
“……”
As expected, his response was cold.
Still, when she placed the lid in front of him, he didn’t knock it over.
Phew. That’s a relief.
That alone was a huge step forward.
“Just now.”
“Hm?”
And astonishingly, Adrian spoke first.
“Was that supposed to make me laugh?”
She almost choked as she tried to sip her oatmeal.
“Cough—S-sorry.”
That was all. After saying that, Adrian neither ate nor spoke again.
A painfully cold silence settled over the basement.
No—don’t let the silence fall!
“Eat, Adrian.”
As if amused by her words, Adrian let out a short scoff.
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why should I?”
His gaze as he looked up at her was icy. Without realizing it, she swallowed hard.
This wasn’t good.
She’d planned to slowly coax him by bringing food, knowing how guarded he was—but his wariness was so extreme that even this didn’t work.
Then… was it time for a frontal assault?
She deliberately pulled her lips into a confident smile and straightened her posture before speaking.
“You need to eat if you want revenge, Adrian.”
The next moment, the world jolted with a loud clatter.
The small cup in front of her spilled over.
He’s throwing hands again.
“Why.”
As expected of the heir to a family of swordsmen—and the future male lead. Despite being emaciated from hunger, Adrian easily grabbed her by the collar.
If she showed fear now, everything would be over. Keeping her expression steady, she smiled boldly.
After all, confidence made up at least eighty percent of a con artist.
“The duke’s son is locked up in a place like this, and you’re looking at me with eyes like that.”
“……”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t know anything?”
