CRV 06

chapter 6

Charlotte called up a transparent screen from under the covers.

The screen had appeared suddenly the first time she was transported into this world.

It only showed the part of the story she had read. If she hadn’t read it, it would only show the title.

“‘Your Majesty, Please Let Me Go’? This is the novel I was reading just before the bus accident.”

Your Majesty, Please Let Me Go was an adult romance fantasy about a cold, loveless emperor and his half-sister.

Charlotte hadn’t cared much about the plot before—whether it was messy or depressing didn’t matter. She was always just an insignificant extra.

So insignificant that she never even got to see the main characters properly.

But this time, something about it caught her attention.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve always been transported into sleeping people, but this is the first time it’s been someone who was poisoned.”

Charlotte scrolled through the story and stopped.

“So that’s why the name seemed familiar.”

Your Majesty, Please Let Me Go had been left at the middle of volume 2, at the point when Lacal Statua first appeared at the royal ball.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes… no!”

Charlotte instinctively replied, then jumped and turned around.

A penguin blinked at her with round eyes beside the bed.

“Would you like some morning tea?”

“What?”

“Morning tea.”

The penguin waddled to a small trolley by the door and picked up a toy-like teapot.

“You… you can talk?”

Charlotte had seen dragons and intelligent monsters speak in fantasy novels, but a penguin?

The penguin nodded its round head.

“Yes. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you were sleeping so deeply I held it in. Hehehe.”

“Tell me what?”

The penguin pointed to the bracelet on Charlotte’s wrist.

“It’s the Master’s Seal. That’s why you can understand me.”

“Oh, I thought it was just a magic key, but it has other functions too. Do you know any other abilities besides understanding animals?”

The penguin shook its head.

“No, the previous master just said it’s much more precious than any magical tool.”

“I see. Still, it’s refreshing to hear an animal speak for the first time.”

Charlotte tested it by removing the bracelet.

“I’ll introduce myself… Kkiruk.”

“Oh-ho.”

Charlotte repeated putting on and taking off the bracelet in amazement.

“My name is Lyle… kkiruk… so… kkiruk. Just kidding, kkiruk, mace, kkiruk.”

The penguin’s round eyes were suddenly filled with tears.

Ah, it was a joke, but she was about to make it cry.

“Sorry.”

Charlotte put the bracelet back on properly and tried to soothe it gently.

“Okay, don’t cry. Now, tell me—who are you?”

The penguin introduced itself.

Her name was Lylea. Though her name sounded feminine, she had been the loyal servant of the late Baroness who lived in this mansion. The Baroness, sensing her death, had entrusted Charlotte with Lylea and a sparrow named Luke.

Lylea had guessed that Charlotte would be the new owner of the mansion.

Charlotte noticed something:

“Your voice sounds young. How old are you, Lylea?”

“Nine years old.”

“Oh. Nine. That’s… quite young to work.”

“I’m not young.”

Lylea beat her to it, clearly showing she hated being treated like a child.

Charlotte saw the determination in her eyes and said nothing. Fine, Lylea. You’ll just make my day brighter with your cuteness instead of work.

After her heart calmed from the surprise of a talking penguin, her stomach protested.

She was hungry.

She hadn’t eaten a single proper meal since being transported into this novel.

Talking penguin or not, she needed to fill her stomach first.

Rubbing her flat stomach, Charlotte said,

“Lylea, can we eat first instead of morning tea?”

The young penguin servant Lylea was very capable.

Charlotte was hungry, but she also wanted a warm bath.

As if reading her mind, Lylea had already prepared the bathroom.

Warm water, fragrant soap, a luxurious bath—it felt wonderful to be clean again.

Feeling refreshed, Charlotte went with Lylea to the dressing room and her eyes widened.

“Are all these grandmother’s clothes?”

“No. The late master prepared these for you.”

“Really?”

Wow, Charlotte couldn’t help but be impressed. The late Baroness must have been very wealthy.

It was a flood of clothes, more than she could ever wear.

After happily thinking about which daily dress to wear, Charlotte chose one and went to the dining room.

“Wow.”

A long marble table with a carefully prepared breakfast awaited her.

From the soft bed to the table—it was the life Charlotte had always dreamed of.

“I must not die. I’ll live a long, long time. I can’t leave this wonderful life for another novel.”

She picked up a soft piece of bread and took a big bite.

She froze and glanced at Lylea, expecting praise from her bright eyes.

But…

‘Do penguins always taste this terrible?’

It was awful. Truly awful.

Even in a perfect life, there were flaws.

But Charlotte remembered how hungry she had been with the fortune-teller witch.

Yes, she should value food. She didn’t want to be hungry again.

She ate the rest carefully and dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

“That was good.”

Hehe, Lylea balanced the empty plate on her head and waddled out excitedly.

Charlotte watched her cute waddle and smiled weakly.

“You’re happy, but I feel like I’m going to die, Lylea.”

Her stomach felt bloated.

The digestive medicine she had made back when she was a witch suddenly came to mind.

“Well, that’s fine. I can check the mansion while my food settles.”

Charlotte had only seen the mansion’s exterior from Lacal’s carriage. She hadn’t had time to look inside, having fallen asleep in the soft bed.

“I’ll go check around.”

Charlotte called toward the kitchen, and Lylea quickly followed.

“Where are you going?”

“To look around.”

“The lower floors?”

“Yes. I’m the owner now. I should check everything carefully, right?”

Charlotte glanced sideways.

Lylea waddled along with her short wings outstretched.

She would be adorable at an aquarium, kids would squeal at her cuteness.

Charlotte planned to wander the mansion alone, feeling the joy of ownership.

But Lylea insisted on following.

“You shouldn’t go alone yet.”

“Why?”

“You haven’t met the tenants yet.”

Charlotte raised an eyebrow. That was a curious argument—she was supposed to be careful in her own building?

“Is there a law that says the owner can’t walk around if they haven’t met the tenants?”

“No law, but…”

Lylea stubbornly led the way.

There wasn’t much to see anyway. Each floor had locked doors, stairs, and short hallways. Charlotte couldn’t enter others’ spaces, so she gave up exploring inside.

The tour ended on the first floor.

Charlotte leisurely explored, matching Lylea’s waddling pace.

The first floor had a large office, servant quarters, and a storage area behind the stairs.

Even though the tour was short, the joy was double. Seeing her own building made her happy—she smiled without realizing it.

She imagined how fat her wallet would get from the rent and tapped the wall excitedly.

Crumbs fell from above.

“Huh?”

Looking up, Charlotte frowned.

A large crack ran up to the ceiling.

Though the interior looked new, the building was old.

“I’ll need an expert’s help.”

“Why?”

“Cracks like that will make any building age faster if left alone.”

“Oh.”

“Even if we’re not remodeling, we need to fix it to prevent further damage.”

Where there’s one visible crack, there are probably more hidden ones. She needed a closer check.

“Luckily the explosion was small, so it’s just this crack.”

“Explosion?!”

Charlotte was shocked.

“This crack isn’t from old age? It’s from an explosion inside the house?”

“Yes, only the first-floor wall cracked. A few hallways were damaged too.”

Lylea cheerfully listed the damage.

Charlotte was stunned. An explosion inside a home—not a war zone?

“What kind of accident? Gas leak? Bomb in the basement or storage?”

“No. Mr. Pierce often caused explosions during experiments.”

“….”

“But not every day. When it was really big, stairs and doors were damaged, and the floor even sank.”

Charlotte felt her mind crack. Not every day, but still… how often does he explode things?!

“That Pierce—or Piercing or whatever—person needs to leave immediately.”

“Why?”

“If such a dangerous person stays, the mansion could collapse. Tenants would be scared and leave. Finding tenants would be impossible. My peaceful life plan would be ruined.