Chapter 5
100% Wariness
‘Wariness?’
How was she supposed to interpret that stat?
It wasn’t even starting from 0%. It was already maxed out at 100%. Elysia glanced sideways at the admin chat window.
‘Admin? Mind telling me what this means?’
Admin: …….
No matter how hard she stared, the admin chat window gave no answer. Elysia tilted her head.
‘…This is the problem, isn’t it?’
When she was alone, she could summon the admin or talk freely all she wanted. But now, Howell was standing right in front of her. If she spoke recklessly, he’d think she’d lost her mind. As she stayed quiet and cautious, Howell spoke again.
“You’re not answering? I asked what you were doing.”
At the sharp question, Elysia thought carefully.
‘What did I even do wrong to deserve this?’
Right. All she did was come down to the kitchen because she was hungry. There was no need to feel guilty or flustered. With confidence, she replied.
“I was just hungry, so I came down.”
“You? Yeah, right. You’re probably here to dig around and find something to use against us, aren’t you?”
Howell clearly didn’t believe her. His face looked utterly disgusted as he continued.
“Hah, whatever. It’s almost mealtime anyway. Don’t cause any trouble and follow me.”
Whether it was a scoff or a sigh, Howell let out a sound and started striding toward the dining room. Elysia followed him, her steps reluctant, but her eyes still sneaking glances at the viewer chat and customer service windows.
‘I really want to say something about this…’
There was so much she wanted to ask, or at least make a broadcast comment, but with Howell nearby, she couldn’t speak freely to the viewers.
Admin: Umm… Why are you staring at me like that?
Admin: Hello? Customer? Hello?
Apparently scared by how intensely she was glaring at the chat window, the admin began frantically messaging. He still hadn’t grasped the situation.
Elysia glanced at Howell’s back. Since he had his back turned, he couldn’t see her face.
So maybe she could speak with just her lips.
‘If I talk now, Howell will hear me. I can’t risk that.’
Admin: Aha!
Admin: You’re afraid the others will hear you, aren’t you?
Admin: Then how about using this new feature?
Finally, the admin caught on. A sparkling message appeared right after.
Notice
BETA Service – “Silent Voice” is now open!
Want to speak without the characters hearing you?
Press the Silent Voice button to use voice chat!
Characters can’t hear voice chat!
However, it will be broadcasted to customer service and the viewer chat room!
‘Oh…?’
It was a new feature. Elysia pressed the button labeled “Silent Voice” floating in front of her and muttered:
∥“So this is how it works? Can you hear me?”∥
Whoa, your voice sounds like it’s right next to us!
Feels like a narrator!
∥“Oh, I’m glad you can hear me.”∥
Admin: Yes! Exactly! If it’s something hard to say in front of the characters or a message for me, you can use this function to say it!
∥“But… are you sure they really can’t hear me?”∥
Elysia glanced again at Howell, walking ahead. Even though she was speaking via voice chat, he showed no sign of noticing.
∥“Howell, you idiot.”∥
“……”
‘He really didn’t hear that?’
Even after calling him an idiot out loud, Howell didn’t react, confirming the feature worked. None of the servants around her seemed to notice either. That was reassuring.
‘Well, they can’t see the menus, customer service window, camera, or chat box floating around me either.’
When she remembered how none of them had reacted to the interface visible only to her, it became clear: these game-related UI features were perceivable by her alone.
∥“Alright, let’s use this chance to figure out what this ‘Wariness Stat’ is.”∥
Elysia stared at the info window hovering over Howell’s head. Even while walking, that bizarre display remained floating there.
Wariness 100%
∥“…What on earth is that?”∥
Originally, Howell Semperion wasn’t even a capture target for Lady Marigold. But even non-capture characters had Trust Levels in the game. As you raised trust, you could become their friend or gain them as reliable allies.
In the original game, Frillian would often max out Howell’s trust and make him her friend to assist in progressing the story.
But this time, from the very beginning, it was showing Wariness?
The viewers in the chat were also discussing this strange stat.
Wait, I’ve never seen that before??
That’s not Trust. Why is that even there?
And it’s a full 100%…
∥“So none of you know either?”∥
It was disappointing. But at the same time, she learned that even veteran players had never seen this.
‘Wariness, huh.’
Let’s interpret it literally.
We usually feel wary of enemies, or people we’d rather not get involved with. So having a 100% Wariness stat wasn’t a good sign. She had to change that somehow.
With a soft, harmless tone, she opened her mouth.
“Um, Brother?”
At that moment—
“…Why are you calling me that all of a sudden? Did you eat something weird?”
Howell turned back with a shocked expression. And the stat changed immediately.
Wariness +30%
Wariness 100% → 130%!
Howell is extremely wary of you!
“……”
It clearly backfired. The Wariness jumped by 30%.
Looking disappointed, Elysia heard Howell speak again with an exhausted face.
“Oh, I get it. You did something again, didn’t you? Trying to butter me up so I’ll take your side with Father? Let me tell you right now—I’m never going to take your side.”
“No, that’s not it…”
“I said no.”
Howell coldly cut off her explanation and turned away.
By now, they had reached the dining hall. Howell quickly moved to take his seat, and Elysia cautiously looked over the table. There were too many seats for just the three of them.
‘Where should I sit?’
Just as she furrowed her brow, a cold voice cut in.
“Why are you standing there?”
She turned to face the voice.
Silver hair and blue eyes. He resembled Howell, but older.
This was her father, Duke Clint Semperion—the head of the Semperion family.
“So you’re planning to throw a tantrum and skip your meal again.”
The Duke frowned at her. Elysia quickly shook her head.
“…No. I’ll eat.”
At this point, sitting down was the best option. She scanned the table quickly.
The most elaborate seat at the head was likely the Duke’s. To his left, Howell was about to sit, gripping the chair back, waiting for his father to be seated first.
‘Then should I sit on the right?’
With only three of them, there was no point in sitting far apart. Judging that, Elysia stepped forward and grabbed the chair to the right of the Duke.
“…!”
The servants flinched. Even Howell looked visibly startled.
“You—why are you sitting there all of a sudden?”
Wariness +20%!
Wariness 130% → 150%
Howell is extremely wary of you!
The stat spiked again. It must’ve been the wrong choice. Elysia sighed inwardly.
‘Feels like I’m only making things worse.’
At this rate, she was going to blow her cover as a transmigrator.
Just as worry crept in, the Duke, who had been watching her in silence, finally spoke.
“Fine. It’s better than you throwing a fit and skipping meals like last week.”
“……”
“If that seat suits you, sit there.”
Apparently, he didn’t care much. Or maybe he just didn’t care where she sat at all.
The dining room atmosphere was cold and awkward. Even as the Duke approached his seat, nothing changed.
Without a word, he sat down. Howell followed suit. Elysia, watching carefully, also took her seat.
As soon as everyone was seated, the servants began quietly bringing out the food. Their cautious silence made the whole process feel unnerving.
Once the food was set, the Duke began eating without so much as a polite word. Howell also picked up his utensils in silence.
A dinner without even the most basic pleasantries. Neither man so much as glanced at Elysia.
She picked up her fork gingerly, tilting her head.
No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t the picture of a harmonious family.
‘…What is with this atmosphere?’
The tension in the air was enough to make her feel full before eating. It was nothing like the powerful, high-and-mighty Semperion family she’d imagined.
In the original Lady Marigold, Elysia always acted recklessly. The narrative allowed it because she had the full backing of the Duke’s power and wealth.
No matter her mistakes, the family cleaned up after her.
In the game’s ending, it was both the Duke and Howell who knelt to Frillian and apologized on Elysia’s behalf.
So she thought they cherished Elysia deeply.
But the first encounter with Howell was cold. And now this icy atmosphere…
No matter how she looked at it, Elysia did not seem to be the precious jewel of the household.
She poked at a piece of potato with her fork, feeling uneasy.
That’s when the Duke, who had been watching her, opened his mouth.
“Elysia Semperion.”
His voice was cold and sharp. Elysia flinched. The tone felt downright dangerous.
“…Yes?”
“I heard the story. This time, you finally arranged a meeting with His Highness the Crown Prince, did you not?”
The content of his icy voice was even more shocking.
“I hear you begged him every single day, sending letters in secret. Just when did you pull a stunt like that? When His Majesty told me, I couldn’t even raise my head in shame.”
‘What the hell is he talking about?’
That she forced a meeting with the Crown Prince? Her?
Well, it made sense. In the original story, Elysia was obsessed with marrying the Crown Prince before Frillian entered the scene.
It was part of the explanation every time Frillian pursued the prince’s route. Apparently, Elysia had already started making moves by now.
‘And the Duke clearly disapproves.’
Begging and forcing a meeting must have been a disgrace to the family. Even in the original game, Elysia only embarrassed herself and eventually lost the prince.
‘Why the heck was the old Elysia like that?’
It was pathetic. But there was no point in pondering the reason. That was just her character setting.
Villainesses were supposed to be childish and pitiful.
What mattered now was how she would handle things going forward.
‘I’ll just tell him I’m not doing that anymore. End it there.’
The old Elysia might’ve tried to cling, but not her. Her goal was to earn money and escape this place, not throw herself into doomed romance.
‘I’ll say I won’t see the prince again.’
With that thought, Elysia chewed and swallowed the piece of potato in her mouth.
At that moment—
Warning!
You have ingested a deadly poison!
A bright red window popped up in front of her.
