Chapter 4
When I was a hero, I was so strong that I was practically nothing without my power, so I could withstand the penalties.
But it was difficult to act recklessly in this body.
Adrian’s body was far too weak. If the penalties stacked up, I could even die from shock.
There was no way a terrible author who killed even the protagonist would care about guaranteeing a supporting character’s life.
‘I need to be careful. If I die before the story ends, it’s all over.’
I swallowed my anger and put on a cold expression. The corners of my mouth trembled slightly.
“Piache, eavesdropping isn’t something to be proud of. Go back to your bedroom and reflect on what you’ve done.”
“I-I’m sorry……”
Piache stood up from her chair with a dejected expression.
It seemed she had been kicked out during meals more than once or twice, because Piache didn’t rebel even once.
“Piache, where are you going?”
“B-Back…… back to my bedroom.”
“Who told you to go right now? Eat your meal slowly, take a walk around the garden afterward, and then go back when it’s time for your nap.”
“……What?”
Piache’s eyes widened.
The maids waiting nearby to attend to us all looked equally surprised.
‘What’s wrong with them?’
I had only told her to take a walk after eating so she could digest her food. Was that really so surprising?
‘Does that mean Adrian’s personality is so awful that she doesn’t even say things like this to a child……? Adrian, you really are something.’
She probably had never been moved by beauty or felt her heart ache from cuteness. Had she ever even laughed loudly?
‘What on earth did she live for?’
I spoke in a voice that contained not the slightest bit of warmth.
“Sit back down.”
“Yes……”
Piache tilted her head in confusion before returning to the table and quietly sitting down.
“Let’s eat.”
“I-I’ll eat well.”
I secretly glanced at Piache while eating.
‘She’s wearing a yellow dress. She looks like a little chick.’
Piache was honestly far too cute.
She was polite and had such a good personality.
Just looking at her was enough to make the corners of my mouth loosen before I even realized it.
‘Look at how neatly she eats. Eat more, eat more. Don’t be picky. That’s it.’
Piache didn’t make a sound with her utensils or spill any food.
‘How strictly was she educated for a four- or five-year-old child to eat more neatly than I do…… Hm?’
Wait.
Come to think of it, Piache’s complexion seemed a little pale.
Was she sick?
She also seemed to be stuttering quite badly……
I calmed my suddenly anxious thoughts and pretended to speak in a cold tone.
“Piache, are you feeling ill?”
“N-No? P-Piache is h-healthy!”
Piache frantically waved her tiny hands.
‘Aww, she’s so cute. Maybe I was just imagining it?’
Although I was absolutely helpless against small and cute things, I hadn’t had much experience dealing with children.
So it was difficult to tell whether she was sick just by looking at her complexion.
‘She seems fine if she’s eating this well.’
After finishing the meal, Piache hovered around beside me.
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Um…… Duke.”
“Speak.”
“C-Can I…… can I go with you?”
“Go where?”
“F-For a walk……”
Piache cautiously held out her tiny hand, shaped like a cat’s paw.
‘Oh my god…….’
I suddenly felt dizzy.
The little creature in front of me was dangerously cute.
With tears in my eyes, I pushed Piache’s hand away.
“Do I look like I have that much free time?”
“N-No…… I’m sorry, I’m sorry……”
Piache turned away with a deeply disappointed expression.
I wanted to pat her dejected little back, but I couldn’t.
‘I’m sorry, Piache. I have a mountain of things I need to figure out right now. I’ll definitely play with you later.’
That terrible author only gave me instructions at important turning points. I had to figure out everything else on my own.
Therefore, finding information about the protagonist and identifying the major characters was an urgent priority.
Only then could I infer the events that would become the center of the story.
I would have to gather all those events and design the optimal route toward the ending.
Just thinking about it made me want to throw up from how tedious and complicated the process would be.
I watched Piache return to her bedroom before heading toward the drawing room.
The moment I sat down on the luxurious sofa, a middle-aged man poured me some tea.
He looked to be in his forties. His perfectly straight posture gave off the impression of a rather rigid personality.
He was probably the butler of this mansion.
[Stage 1: (Without even looking at the butler) What is my schedule today?]
Oh, so he really was the butler.
“What is my schedule today?”
“There is a meeting of the nobles scheduled around noon. It will be held in the Grand Conference Hall of the Imperial Palace.”
“What is the meeting about?”
“It concerns the construction of a golden statue of Hero Adella Helsington.”
The tea that had been smoothly going down my throat suddenly stopped.
I spat it out.
“Pfft—”
“Master! Are you all right?”
The butler hurriedly handed me a handkerchief. I wiped the tea dripping down my chin.
“What—cough, cough—what are they making?”
“A golden statue of Hero Adella Helsington.”
“……What are they planning to do with that?”
“To commemorate His Majesty the Emperor’s fifty-sixth birthday, they intend to extensively renovate the Grand Plaza. They say they plan to create a statue of Hero Adella Helsington and place it in the center of the plaza.”
“Don’t do it!!!”
“Pardon?”
The butler asked in confusion, looking slightly frightened.
I closed my eyes and opened them again, trying to calm myself down.
“Who proposed this?”
“His Third Imperial Highness, Prince Leonhart Genetic Filio.”
“……Prepare for the meeting.”
“It has been quite some time since you last attended a meeting of the nobles. Are you sure you will be all right? This is a meeting you may safely skip.”
“No. I’m absolutely attending.”
“……Yes, understood.”
I left the drawing room and went upstairs to my bedroom.
My face felt hot, and my stomach was boiling with anger.
‘Leonhart! What the hell are you thinking? A statue of me?!’
If he was making a statue because he thought I would like it, then that was complete and utter nonsense.
The moment that statue was erected, I would never be able to go anywhere near the Grand Plaza again.
I would be too embarrassed.
‘I already have a mountain of things to deal with. Are you really going to do this too?’
The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
It wasn’t as though Leonhart didn’t know my personality……
So why would he do something like this?
‘Could he be trying to get revenge?’
Leonhart had every reason to be angry with me.
After all, I had left them behind and died.
‘Yeah. He must have felt betrayed.’
I knew my companions would be hurt.
But changing the ending was impossible.
I also wanted the novel to end as quickly as possible so I could return to my original world.
Of course, the time I spent with my companions had been fun and happy.
There were even moments when my heart swelled at the realization that so this is what having friends feels like.
But no matter what happened, I could never erase the fact that this was a world inside a novel.
Once I became aware of reality, everything became meaningless.
Even when I laughed and chatted with them, even when I felt a deep bond of friendship, even when I shed a few tears because I was moved—
The moment I thought, ‘The author probably wrote this scene too,’ my heart would turn cold.
Because of that, I had to suffer from terrible loneliness while living alongside them.
I wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Several times a day, I would repeat to myself that I had to return.
Because I was afraid I would grow too attached.
Afraid that I would eventually want to stay by their side.
Afraid that my guilt and longing for my parents would begin to fade.
‘So don’t hate me too much.’
I’m already being punished enough.
“Master, the carriages are ready.”
“Very well.”
There wasn’t just one carriage waiting.
There was one dazzlingly extravagant carriage and two carriages that looked relatively ordinary.
Five maids were waiting in front of them.
‘They’re all rather thin. Does Adrian not feed them properly?’
“These are the girls who will accompany you today. Is this arrangement acceptable?”
“All of them?”
“Shall I call for more?”
Does Adrian get assassination threats or something? Why would she bring five maids just to attend a meeting at the Imperial Palace?
‘So that’s why they prepared two carriages…….’
I glanced into the air.
Fortunately, no instruction appeared.
“Reduce it to one.”
“……Pardon?”
“I said reduce it to one. It’s troublesome having so many.”
The butler stared at me as though he couldn’t believe what he had heard, then hurriedly bowed his head.
“Yes, yes, understood.”
The butler called one of the maids standing in line.
Her face looked familiar.
She was the red-haired girl who had helped dress me earlier, taking the place of the maid I had assigned to clean the laboratory.
“Take this girl with you. Luna, take good care of Master.”
“Yes, Butler.”
Luna opened the carriage door and then knelt down beneath it.
“Master, will you step up?”
“……”
Don’t tell me she expects me to step on her thigh to get in?
