Chapter 5
「 Quest Complete!
Since you completed the quest, the duration of the status window has been extended by 1 week. ▼
▼ D-Day to part with the status window –13 days! 」
Phew. I still had no idea why I had to give flowers to that bastard Clayton. But losing the status window was far scarier, so I guess it was worth it.
“Are you all right?”
Francis was looking at me with a worried face. He probably didn’t know anything about the quest. Maybe he thought I got into trouble by following his suggestion and was now feeling guilty about it.
「 Francis Patella
: Captain of the Royal Guard / Affection level unavailable ▼ 」
“Yes. I’m fine.”
What good would it do to say I wasn’t? Was I supposed to get comfort from someone who hated me?
The payout period for a first-place lottery ticket is one year.
If you don’t claim it within that time, the 7 billion just disappears.
So, I have to finish this game within a year.
If I die, it’s a penalty. If someone else dies, it’s a rollback.
If clearing is the only way, then I’ll just clear it. They even said you could make a wish upon leaving, so let’s think positively and take this game step by step!
I took a deep breath and pressed the arrow. It would probably say the same thing as always, but I had to keep checking the status window.
「 ▼ Dislikes Princess Gracie. 」
So, you feel guilty, huh? Hm? At least “to the point of killing” is gone!
My sister apologizing to me—that’s not easy, so it makes sense as the final quest. If so, I’ll use whatever I can.
I can’t just rush in blindly.
Stay calm.
“Are you really all right?”
There’s nothing easier to take advantage of than a guilty conscience.
“Ugh… No…”
Crying was my specialty. There were plenty of situations where tears were the only escape.
“No parents.”
“You smell.”
“Don’t you have any new clothes?”
“If you die, no one would even be sad.”
“Princess Gracie?”
The words that always suffocated me flashed before my eyes, and it made the tears come even easier. It was humiliating to cry, but pride was useless in moments when survival mattered.
He had wronged me.
And I had to clear this game.
“Ugh… P-please, don’t come closer…?”
My face was hidden by the mask, but I kept my head down and sobbed. Francis hovered nearby, flustered, not knowing what to do.
His clumsiness was oddly cute, given his huge build.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said such things…”
“N-no… S-Sir Francis, it’s not y-your fault… hic…”
When I lifted the bottom of the mask to wipe my tears, they soaked right into my gloves.
「 Additional Quest! Since ‘Player 2’ has checked the affection level of Duke Clayton de Levoir, you must now proceed with the following quest.
▼ Receive comfort from Francis Patella.
Quest time limit: 5 minutes 」
Francis patted my shoulder and handed me a handkerchief. I hesitated, but eventually accepted it. When our eyes met through my tears, he didn’t look away.
I just had to endure 5 minutes.
“I must have done something to deserve this hatred.”
I whispered softly. Francis’ lips moved slightly.
All right, for these 5 minutes—spill the info about me!
“Yes…”
Say it longer than that, please.
“What do you think was my biggest mistake?”
“…You must already know.”
Princess Gracie. Why on earth did you live like this? Why?!
“Sniff Even so… Please tell me!”
Francis bit his lip, then sighed as if making a decision. But he faltered again, staring into my eyes. The hesitation was so frustrating I wanted to hit him.
“The worst thing you did was… when you rejected Duke de Levoir’s proposal at the founding festival.”
“How did I reject him?”
“You… humiliated him, didn’t you?”
His face twisted with pain, as though remembering it hurt him too, even though it wasn’t even his memory. Maybe they were close. Otherwise…
Wait a second.
“Then why did you tell me to deliver flowers to him?”
“Because… I thought you wouldn’t.”
Princess!
Seriously! What kind of life did you live?!
Huh?!
I felt sick, desperate to return to my original body.
And now, even the past I thought I’d almost forgotten was creeping back into my dreams.
“Aren’t you leaving?”
“No.”
Near the orphanage, there was an apartment with a tiny playground. I was always the last one there.
I didn’t want my new friends to find out I was from an orphanage.
“Then I’ll go first. See you tomorrow!”
“Yeah, bye!”
One by one, they left, holding their mothers’ hands. The sandcastle we had built had a short shadow at first, but as the sun set, the shadow stretched long.
Watching it made the empty playground feel huge, so I stood up.
The sunset stretched even my shadow longer.
As I looked at it, I thought—my parents must resemble me. Maybe their shadows would look like this one.
At school, they let me take broken chalk, so I always carried white, yellow, blue, and red chalk wrapped in tissues inside my pencil case. I didn’t want to ruin the precious books in my old bag.
I took out one piece and drew a huge outline of my shadow.
My shadow kept moving away as I shifted, but I managed to draw a person’s figure, really big.
Then I stepped inside the outline and lay down.
That way, it almost felt like being with my parents.
At least in those moments, the loneliness of being alone in the world didn’t feel so crushing.
Even though the ground was cold and rough, it felt almost warm.
Whenever it rained, the chalk picture was washed away. But I couldn’t stop myself from drawing it again.
“Maid.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The maid who once introduced herself as Lilfe still seemed scared of me. Even when I called her over, she never made eye contact.
“Why don’t I have any ladies-in-waiting?”
There was only one maid, no ladies-in-waiting. A princess should have at least five attendants, and twenty maids at minimum.
“T-that is…”
“I won’t punish you. Just answer me.”
“I heard Your Highness… dismissed them yourself.”
“Me? Why?”
She fidgeted nervously, clearly struggling to explain.
“B-because… y-you said you couldn’t… trust them…”
“So you mean I fired everyone except for one maid?”
“…Yes.”
So that’s why Caroline was like that.
「 Quest ☆ Kiira Fletcher Gabriella Bastian has opened a tea party!
‘Player 2’ has also received an invitation. Choose one of the options below.
Option 1. Attend.
Option 2. Do not attend. 」
Of course option 2. Going there for nothing would just deepen the rift, making it harder to get an apology.
It’d be better to create an opportunity to meet her alone and talk it through!
Option 2.
「 Invalid approach. 」
Son of a—
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
「 Invalid approach. 」
I almost spammed it a hundred times, but then I realized wasting energy here was pointless. I pressed my forehead, inhaling deeply, and pictured money in my mind.
–Inhale.
The 1st place prize assigned to me: 7 billion.
–Exhale.
With 7 billion, I could buy a house.
–Inhale.
I could support the orphanage.
–Exhale.
I could donate to the church.
–Inhale.
It would be my chance to repay those who were kind to me.
–Exhale.
Company G would wait for me too. They were known for great employee benefits.
–Inhale.
If I just went back, my life would be a bed of roses.
–Exhale.
White flowers, red flowers, yellow flowers, yellow freesias, roses in freesia fragrance, blue roses.
Blue roses… you bastard Clayton!
–Sigh.
Option 1. Attend.
「 You have selected Option 1! Receive your invitation! 」
“Ah, Your Highness. Princess Kiira has sent this.”
When I received the invitation, the status window popped up. That bright white text on a blinding blue screen—god, it hurt my eyes. Like a cheap Windows popup!
「 Invitation: You are invited to Princess Kiira’s secret garden, which only the invited may enter.
p.s. Do not remove your mask during the tea party.
If you remove it, the difficulty level will skyrocket, so beware. 」
Just wait, sister. At last, we’ll meet.
Let’s work this out, through conversation. Okay?
I really am ready to listen to anything!
You too, right?
Because that’s what family is for!
Having never had a family, the feeling was terrifying—but strangely exciting at the same time. Maybe entering this crazy game had already driven me mad.
