BOPE 24

Chapter 24 …

“Goodness gracious!”

Delma’s eyes were filled with tears as she patted Chloe’s back repeatedly, her palm stretched out in front of Chloe’s mouth. Her voice, trembling with urgency, urged her to spit it out, and her panicked feet couldn’t stay still, stamping restlessly on the floor.

Ah… Delma really cares about me.

Then let’s end the prank here.

Donghee quickly rearranged her expression, looking at Delma with a completely calm face.

“Delma! It’s okay. I was just surprised because it tasted so good!”

Her back still throbbed from how hard Delma had pounded it.

Delma, still unable to grasp the situation, kept her hand on Chloe’s back and blinked in confusion.

“Huh…?”

She looked completely out of it. Seeing the blankness in her eyes, Donghee felt a pang of guilt. She made a mental note never to pretend to be in pain in front of Delma again.

“I told you, I’m fine. Look!”

To prove her well-being, Donghee spread her arms out like a scarecrow and flashed a bright grin.

Tears rolled down from Delma’s wide eyes.

Ack—! The guilt jabbed at Donghee’s chest like sharp needles.

Delma wiped her tears quickly with the back of her hand, then began circling Chloe, examining her from head to toe. Even though Donghee repeatedly insisted she was fine, Delma clearly couldn’t rest easy until she saw it with her own eyes.

Every corner was inspected with a sharp gaze in such a short span of time, and sighs escaped Delma’s lips one after another. In between those sighs, she muttered lines like “Oh dear, I can’t live like this,” as if it were a refrain.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

Even after seeing Chloe safe and sound, Delma kept repeating the same question, as if it were still too unbelievable.

“Yup. I’m fine. Here, try one.”

Donghee smiled again and held out another piece of fried Dural.

Delma instinctively leaned away as if the food were about to bite her. Realizing how silly she must have looked, she straightened up and briskly dusted off her skirt with both hands.

“I’m telling you, it’s really delicious!”

Donghee urged again.

It wasn’t even in the same league as the fries you’d get as a side menu at a burger joint.

Since the potatoes were big, one Dural fry measured nearly 30 cm. The moment you bit into it, a burst of nutty flavor filled your mouth, and the crispy texture unique to freshly fried potatoes made you exclaim in delight. Donghee wasn’t usually a fan of fries, but this? She could eat it all day.

“If only we had ketchup. Delma, do they grow tomatoes around here?”

“In Lasen village, yes, but the drought hit us hard this year, so the crops didn’t make it.”

Delma understood immediately that Donghee meant tomatoes and answered without hesitation.

“Lasen tomatoes are truly divine,” she added, smacking her lips in disappointment.

Relieved to know that suitable soil for tomato farming existed in the territory, Donghee picked up another Dural fry.

Next time, she thought, I should try making Dural pancakes!

Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

Donghee munched away, chewing the long fry like a Pepero stick, all while keeping her eyes on Delma, who looked stunned.

By the time Donghee had finished her second Dural fry and gave a big thumbs-up, Delma hesitantly picked one up. But she didn’t grab it outright—she pinched it delicately between her thumb and forefinger like it might wriggle away. Her expression was one of pure dread, like she was being forced to touch a bug.

Delma looked toward Chloe, raising her brows in a silent question—Are you really telling me to eat this?

Donghee nodded emphatically.

Seriously? All this effort just to make someone eat a fry?

Donghee nearly told her to just skip it, but she couldn’t afford that. The territory’s food supply issue had to be solved. If even someone as friendly as Delma refused to eat Dural, how could she convince the rest of the people?

“Come on, try it! Mmm! So good!”

Donghee felt like a preschool teacher pretending vegetables were chocolate cake to convince picky kids.

With a face full of doubt, Delma glanced toward the kitchen entrance where two others stood watching, then slowly brought the Dural fry to her mouth.

Yes, yes, just like that! Open wide!

Donghee mimicked her motions, watching eagerly like a mother feeding a baby its first solid food.

As the fry neared Delma’s lips, Donghee’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

From the kitchen entrance, the two onlookers could be heard gasping nervously.

“This is terrible! Butler, you’ve got to stop them!”

The chef’s voice trembled as though he were about to burst into tears.

“They wouldn’t listen even if I tried. And… now that I see it, it actually seems okay.”

The young lord was casually touching Dural and even cooking it without hesitation, unlike him—an old man trembling in fear like a child.

Scrutinizing himself, Scrooge felt ridiculous. Come to think of it, he had never actually heard of Dural hurting anyone.

Why had he been so scared of it?

While he pondered this sudden doubt, Delma took a bite.

Crunch!

The tense air cracked like shattered glass.

“…Hmm?”

Delma’s chewing quickened.

Crunch, crunch.

The fry grew shorter, and her eyes grew wider.

If there were a status window floating nearby, it would surely say: “The shorter the fry, the bigger Delma’s eyes.”

Soon, her glittering eyes shifted toward the remaining Dural fries.

“Told you it was good, didn’t I?”

“My goodness! Dural is actually delicious?”

The fry vanished from between her fingers.

She waved urgently at the two still standing at the kitchen entrance, already reaching for another fry with her free hand.

“What are you waiting for? Come try it!”

“Try the steamed Dural too—it’s just like a fluffy potato!”

Dural, Dural… The name sounds funny the more I say it.

Dural’s friend… lolololol.

Donghee shook her head to rid herself of the stupid joke. If she cracked it in front of these three, she’d just get weird looks.

And there were already enough of those.

The excited Delma was now being stared at suspiciously by Scrooge and the chef as they slowly approached.

Welcome. It’s your first time with Dural, isn’t it?

After scarfing down both the fried and the fluffy steamed Dural, the three were now patting their full bellies, looking up at Chloe with admiration.

You have earned the unwavering trust and loyalty of three citizens!
You’re one step closer to solving your territory’s food crisis.
Perhaps you have a hidden talent for territory management? Hoho~
Applause for your ever-growing abilities!

Forget applause, how about some actual ability points or bonuses?

So impatient!
Here’s a special reward for winning over the unwavering loyalty of three people!

Up until now, the status window only gave stingy hidden points here and there. Donghee chomped on another fry, not expecting much, and waited for the next line.

Choose one of your activated locations.
We’ll expand the surrounding area for you.

Huh? What does that mean?

Expanding the area? Could it be…?

Donghee, who had been lazily rubbing her full belly, suddenly shot up.

“Milady, is something wrong?”

“Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing her stand up so suddenly after such a big meal, the chef looked startled, his lips gleaming from the oil like he was wearing lip gloss.

“No, no. I just want to walk it off.”

At her words, the chef let out a sigh of relief and plopped back down, immediately reaching for another fry.

Leaving him behind, Donghee stepped into the hallway and focused on the status window again.

What does expanding the surrounding area even mean?

Oh dear! Trouble with comprehension?
No worries! I’m a friendly system. Let me explain at your level:
If you choose the convenience store, we’ll expand the surrounding area of that store too.

Wow!

The first line was annoying, but the explanation was fantastic. Donghee didn’t hesitate and selected the expansion area.

Of course, it had to be Boreumdang. That alley had a cluster of old gold and silver shops.

You’ve selected Boreumdang for expansion.
You may now use areas within a set range connected to Boreumdang. However…

However?

There’s a time limit.

Time limit? That wasn’t anything new—Boreumdang already had one.

What happens if I break the time limit?

Boreumdang will be permanently deleted from your active areas.

Damn it! Seriously?

How much time do I get?

Ten minutes after leaving Boreumdang.
You must return to your shabby one-room apartment within that time.
Even a second over, and it’s game over. Hehehe~

Shabby?

If the system had a mouth, she’d yank it and twist it shut. Okay, it was a dingy basement apartment, but it still held her entire twenties—a precious space.

The system’s sass was growing more insufferable by the day.

Donghee fumed but soon calmed herself and began thinking.

Ten minutes, huh. That’s not too bad.

She had already managed to snatch plenty of items within that time at Boreumdang. Surely she could do the same elsewhere.

[Status Window]

Username: Chloe Grace
Occupation: Part-timer / Lord of Grace Territory
Ability: 0.5
Power-up Punch (when wearing gloves)
Terrain Info Lv.1 (Morata Village only)
Activity Radius: 3
Basement Room, Convenience Store, Boreumdang & nearby area (within 20m radius)
Trait: 0.1
Still dirt-poor territory. (When will prosperity ever come…?)
Mild obsession with chocolate rolls ★
Territory Affection: 6,270
New village unlockable. Warning: Unlocking may cause affection levels to plummet.
Inventory (Level 4): Storage (0/400)
MP: 75 / 86,400