♡ Chapter 10 ♡
I organized the scattered pieces of Roy Veros’s impression of Lorelei.
“……Shouldn’t knowledge be open to everyone?”
“Miss Kiss, please understand that the reason the library is restricted to everyone… is because of you.”
“……”
Yeah… this really feels like a blacklist.
In the game, he was friendly.
So this cold attitude felt strangely upsetting.
“Even if the book isn’t for me… but for Princess Anastasia?”
I slightly moved Anastasia closer to Roy Veros.
Even if the library is restricted to everyone—
It should be open to the princess.
I looked at him with hope.
“Isn’t it better for children to be close to books from a young age?”
“…If you tell me the title you want, I’ll bring it. But you can’t come inside.”
But Veros acted like blocking me was his life’s mission.
“I want to go in and choose myself…”
How am I supposed to say I need to see Caligo Gaudium?
“Miss Kiss, this is the most kindness I can offer.”
He rejected me firmly.
I couldn’t keep pushing anymore.
“……”
There’s no way stories like The Three Little Pigs or Snow White exist in this world.
“…Then please give me any children’s book.”
“Wait here.”
Despite his calm voice, Veros didn’t leave the entrance.
He kept watching, as if afraid I might sneak in.
His dark green eyes peeked through the door gap.
“Hey! If you don’t give it to me, I’ll just force my way in!”
I can’t enter anyway because you hate me!
Only after I threatened him did the door finally close.
“Caligo is right behind that door… but I can’t even meet him.”
I have plenty of time, but important things should be done quickly.
“Greatest mage in the world, if you can read minds, please come out.”
Please come out and cast a protection spell on Anastasia.
And maybe on me too…
I kept repeating “come out” in my head.
Then—
Bang!
“No way…?”
Is it really Caligo?
“…Here are two books. Don’t return them inside. Put them over there—under the deer statue.”
It was Veros.
Not Caligo.
“Why do you look disappointed?”
He frowned slightly when I couldn’t hide my reaction.
“Is it really impossible to go inside…?”
I asked again, still clinging to hope.
But he looked at me like there was absolutely no chance.
I couldn’t just return the books I barely got.
“…No, thank you.”
“Yes. Please leave.”
It felt like I could hear his thoughts:
“And don’t come back again.”
I don’t know what kind of relationship he had with Lorelei…
But Veros clearly looked relieved that I was leaving.
“Still… at least I got the books.”
I should be able to spend meaningful time with Anastasia now.
The baby, who had been looking around the hallway, turned her red eyes back to me.
“It’s your first time with books, right? They’re more interesting than you think.”
Anastasia opened her mouth as if responding.
Her soft cheeks moved gently.
“Ah…”
And he still refused us?
“Veros definitely has no heart.”
“Why is everyone so cold…? Something must be wrong with their eyes, right?”
I barely held back the urge to gently bite her soft cheeks.
They say seeing something cute increases violent impulses.
I need to be careful not to act weird in front of Anastasia.
That strange urge only calmed down once we returned to the princess’s room.
The books Veros chose felt pretty good.
They had a decent amount of text and illustrations.
“This is what Mr. Veros picked. I wonder if it’s interesting. Let’s read it together.”
I sat in a comfortable chair with Anastasia.
“Once upon a time, in a kingdom, there lived a beautiful princess.”
The story was like any other fairy tale.
A princess, a prince, and overcoming hardships together.
“The prince, who was three years older than the princess, said…”
“The princess felt her heart flutter toward the prince her age.”
“The prince also loved the princess, who was three years younger than him.”
Just like in the real world, the story didn’t mention exact ages.
I added that part myself.
“And so, the princess and the prince of similar age…”
As I reached the last page—
Anastasia suddenly started crying.
“Are you already hungry? I’ll feed you right away.”
At that moment—
I had no idea.
“This was the beginning of a long struggle to calm Anastasia.”
♡ Prevent the Princess from Marrying Her Dad
Day 17 in the game, Day 16 of the tutorial
The baby who only cried when hungry or tired—
Was completely gone.
The past week made me realize the difficulty was truly [Extreme].
Anastasia cried all the time.
“Princess, are you hungry?”
Even though I knew it was useless, I gave her the bottle.
“Waaah—!”
And she clearly told me—
That was the wrong answer.
If she cried like this all day, I could understand.
She’s a baby.
Crying is her only way to communicate.
But…
“You must have it easy. I don’t think there’s a baby calmer than the princess.”
She only acts like this in front of me.
Complaining that a newborn won’t listen and just cries feels ridiculous.
And Anastasia is a princess.
I’m not in a position to complain.
“Waaah! Waaah—!”
“Princess… please tell me what’s wrong.”
I begged.
Even though I knew she couldn’t understand.
“Waaah—!!”
“I thought we had bonded…”
“It was just my misunderstanding.”
“……”
I care about Anastasia.
Not like Mrs. Lester, who only feeds her briefly.
Not like the servants who just call her cute.
“I spend all my time with her.”
Even if it’s not love—
I raise her with responsibility.
“What am I doing wrong…?”
Shouldn’t a baby like the person who raises them the most?
It’s been like this for a week.
I haven’t slept at all because of her crying.
“If my salary hadn’t increased, I’d already be dead.”
I lost count of how many times the system said:
[Sanity decreases]
[Stamina decreases]
In just one week, I became Mary’s VIP customer.
Her younger sibling even gave me extra potions as a gift.
“Waaah! Waaah!”
This is exhausting.
It’s not just about lack of sleep or food.
“I feel like I failed as a human being.”
✧ ✧ ✧
I haven’t slept for a week.
Strangely, breakfast with Cromwell Duke is still continuing.
“Maybe I really am the problem…”
Anastasia drank milk quietly, like an angel.
The table was silent.
The Duke always focused on work.
And I was the one who usually talked.
As my energy dropped, I spoke less.
“He barely responds anyway…”
No matter how much I praised Anastasia—
He showed no interest.
Should I call that consistency?
Talking to someone so passive is exhausting.
“Instead of my meal, take care of your daughter.”
Today again, breakfast was prepared for me.
It started appearing when I became quieter.
Maybe it meant he prefers silence.
“I feel like I’ll get indigestion if I eat here…”
I never touched the food.
Breakfast felt like a luxury.
“I’ll just use potions later.”
That’s more efficient.
I endured breakfast while feeding Anastasia.
For now, I wanted quiet mornings.
Dealing with Anastasia crying at me was already enough.
If the Duke joins in, I won’t survive.
The only reason I keep coming here is—
“If I stop once, it might stop forever.”
“Once the tutorial ends… I’ll do better.”
When spring comes, I’ll get better at raising her.
Then—
“……Are you okay?”
Cromwell Duke spoke.
I wanted to ask if he was serious.
But I answered properly.
He’s still my boss.
If I complain, he might fire me.
“I just got this job back…”
“I’m perfectly fine. Thanks to you, everything is going well.”
Lies are easy.
“Princess Anastasia is so gentle and cute. I lose track of time.”
I repeated what others usually say.
Even though the reality is the opposite.
But people prefer hearing good things.
This was the first time in a week he spoke to me.
I couldn’t waste it by complaining.
“I’ve been reading her fairy tales. Mr. Veros picked them, and even I enjoyed them.”
…That wasn’t the right answer.
“……”
Cromwell Duke looked displeased.
“You crazy man. Then why did you bring Anastasia here?”
Life here is still better than dying outside…
But I feel sorry for Anastasia, who has to call this man family.
I smiled while cursing him in my mind.
“If I stay longer, I might actually do something to him.”
“I’ll read to her whenever I have time.”
Anastasia had already finished eating.
Raising a child only gets harder.
And her father is no help at all.
It’s frustrating.
I can’t even talk to anyone about it.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
After counting to a hundred, I stood up.
“Have a good day.”
But saying that—
Broke my composure.
I don’t know if I was angry at him…
Or just pitied myself.
My throat tightened.
My nose stung.
“I can’t cry in front of Cromwell Duke.”
“Why am I even this upset…?”
I quickly turned and walked away.
Even if she won’t remember—
I don’t want to cry in front of Anastasia.
“She must be just as frustrated as me…”
Maybe even more.
Back in the room—
Anastasia, exhausted from crying all night, fell into deep sleep.
“Yeah… at least sleep now.”
This kind of peace doesn’t come often.
I cleaned the messy room a little…
And just as I was about to rest—
Knock, knock—
Someone knocked on the door.
