Chapter 009: Is This Truly the Game I Know?
When I opened my eyes, I was back in my room. It seemed I was summoned here whenever an episode ended or I lost consciousness. I pulled the bell cord, and soon Hiss entered with a gentle expression.
“Hiss. Could you call Edan for me?”
“Yes. I’ll bring him right away.”
Oh. A quick response and swift action. Being a close-hand maid really wasn’t a job for just anyone. Before long, Edan walked in.
“Is something the matter?”
His attitude remained as blunt as ever.
“I moved to perform a quest, and it turned out to be the Edwin training ground. Specifically, Cedric’s private one.”
“Is that so.”
……Is that so?
Lethe suppressed the urge to grab him by the collar and shake him, instead forcing a sharp, murderous smile.
“From now on, am I going to be sent to the Edwin training ground every time I do a quest?”
“I have checked, and there are no abnormalities in the game. It appears the quest content includes settings that weren’t fully explained in the main game story.”
“Then, during the quests, are Cedric’s words and actions perhaps—”
“Lady Lethe. This is inside a game, and game characters cannot be the same as humans.”
“…….”
Ouch. Right in the vitals.
Lethe knew this already. This was essentially a virtual world—no different from a VR experience. Yet, when she could feel his body heat and his heartbeat, how could she not be deluded?
Watching Lethe’s expression shift by the second, Edan suddenly reached out and took her hand.
“Huh? What are you doing?”
“What about me?”
“What do you mean, ‘what about’—”
Lethe tried to pull her hand away but froze upon seeing his eyes. His grey pupils looked strangely sunken.
“Am I warm? Is my heart beating?”
Edan’s hand was, to be honest, a bit on the cool side. But somehow, she felt his question wasn’t just about temperature. Lethe let her hand slide down to lightly grasp Edan’s wrist.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking asking that, but you’re warm. I can feel your pulse, too. Right here on your wrist—thump, thump.”
“I am an NPC.”
“First time I’ve met an NPC who says that out loud. I know. I know you’re an NPC. And I know Cedric is a capture target.”
“…….”
Edan looked down at his wrist held by Lethe, then looked back up. His grey eyes were still unreadable, yet she felt a sense of agitation from him.
“Still, humans can’t help but grow attached. I liked Cedric Edwin, whom I could never reach, because he gave me happiness and comfort. For a human, that’s enough.”
“I do not understand.”
Edan frowned slightly and placed his other hand over the one Lethe held. Can a human truly love a being without emotions? From what Edan had seen, love was extremely volatile, often evaporating in an instant.
“You’ll find out later, Edan. The moment when your heart starts to race, when joyful things stack up one by one, and when you suddenly feel like crying at a familiar landscape because of a surge of emotion.”
“That will be impossible. Unless the program changes my settings.”
Edan coldly brushed Lethe’s hand away and shook his head. He had seen countless players who spoke like dreamers. Usually, they enjoyed the game until they got bored, and then they left without a trace. For humans, love was just a moderate excitement, a constant source of amusement, and ultimately, an emotion they would grow tired of. That was Edan’s judgment.
And yet, the system had relentlessly brought this woman into the game.
“Well. Maybe the fact that Cedric loves me because he’s programmed to think and act that way means it’s not ‘real’ love. Maybe that’s why I keep pestering you about degrees of freedom.”
“…….”
“But just because Cedric isn’t a ‘real’ human doesn’t mean the things he gave me were all fake.”
“Lethe.”
“So, I’m just going to do what my heart tells me.”
Lethe smiled somewhat bitterly. Edan hesitated, his lips parting slowly.
“The character ‘Cedric Edwin’ was programmed from the start with a kind and considerate setting. He likely acted within that framework.”
“Right. I haven’t forgotten.”
Even Cedric’s actions today, which strayed from the original work, were likely due to the system setting of ‘Kind and Considerate Duke.’ Cedric would love Lethe Etoile—if she gave him gifts and picked the right choices to raise his affection.
“It is fine to enjoy the game, but it is best to avoid becoming too immersed.”
Lethe’s eyes widened in surprise. Edan didn’t seem to realize what he had just said. But for a game guide to give such advice… wasn’t he essentially worrying about her? Lethe let out a soft laugh. Edan felt quite reliable.
“But simulation games are only fun when you’re overly immersed.”
“Later, you might find it no longer fun, or you might come to regret it.”
“Eh?”
Edan’s voice was so cold that Lethe was momentarily taken aback. Edan, perhaps realizing he had acted out of character, quickly turned away from her.
“Please call for me again if you have any questions.”
After Edan left, Lethe sat dazed before flopping onto a chair.
“Wasn’t this… a healing romance simulation?”
Why was everyone so gloomy? Lethe was sensing a strangely different atmosphere. Unlike what she knew, this world might not be entirely happy and vibrant.
“Hmm. I’m definitely reciting all the original lines.”
Lethe buried her face between her knees. Her eyelids were growing heavy again. Come to think of it, she hadn’t slept once since arriving here.
‘The game’s play speed is too “Korean style.”’
Even for a nation of “hurry-hurry,” having to jump to a new chapter every time she opened and closed her eyes was exhausting.
[System] Entering Chapter Three.
[System] Episode: ‘The Plaza’
* Sudden Quests may occur.
Ding! The system window appeared again. Lethe limply raised her heavy hand and pressed ‘Close Window,’ and her vision began to turn white.
‘This game didn’t have sudden quests…….’
The light was palpable even through her closed lids, so Lethe had no choice but to snap her eyes open. The light faded, revealing a new location. The roar of chatter, birds chirping, water splashing in a fountain, the roll of carriage wheels, and the soft neighing of horses all hit Lethe’s ears at once.
“Wow. So this is Ancella Plaza.”
Lethe marveled as she looked around. Seeing a landscape she had only seen in illustrations come to life was beyond fascinating—it was wondrous. Ancella Plaza, located in the center of Berna Street, was the hub of incidents in the main story. Though the game’s beginning mentioned the kingdom was safe and peaceful…
“Well, for the sake of fun, you need some spectacular events.”
No sooner had she spoken than a person wearing a hood suddenly lunged out from an alleyway. Under the hood, which was half-blown back by the wind, chilling red eyes were revealed. While the startled Lethe stood frozen, a pair of large hands suddenly hoisted her up.
“Catch that man! Someone’s been killed! Call the guard, quickly!”
“Ah.”
It’s not fun when the ‘spectacular event’ happens to me.
Lethe watched the scenery blur past with a dazed face. The men chasing them were shouting that someone had died. And the killer was, presumably, this man carrying her like a sack of grain.
“Whew. I’m saved.”
Finally having lost the pursuers, the man let out a sigh of relief and set Lethe down.
“You could have lost them faster if you weren’t carrying me.”
“Hmm? Obviously, I had to carry you.”
As the man removed his hood, a cascade of brilliant, long purple hair spilled out. Lethe instinctively closed her eyes.
“Ugh!”
But she was too late. The man roughly grabbed Lethe by the chin.
“You’re too slow. You should have closed your eyes sooner.”
“Let go of me—”
“You. You made eye contact with me, didn’t you?”
“…….”
“Pretty lady. Have you ever seen a murderer let a witness live?”
Damn it. Lethe stared at the floating screen through watery eyes. The life bar came into view. Well, if it’s just one out of ten…
Having made up her mind, Lethe looked the man straight in the eye.
“Can I ask you just one thing?”
“To stay alive a bit longer, shouldn’t you ask three?”
“If you were crossing a bridge, and you were crossing it faithfully and correctly, but the bridge started shaking like a total b*tch, what would you do?”
“Huh?”
The man’s eyes widened at the unexpected, bitter profanity. Lethe leaned her back against the wall, surrendering to the situation, and let out a derisive laugh.
“I don’t know why I bothered memorizing the lines so hard. If things keep changing like flip, flip, five years of playing won’t help at all. Or did a massive update happen after I got here?”
