TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 136
Today, the Desmond Estate was peaceful as always.
Darbav, who had returned home earlier than usual, stopped untying his scarf and stood still at the sight of an unfamiliar guest.
-Softly.
A subtle atmosphere lingered.
Darbav, who had not received any notice about a guest, locked eyes with the bold visitor standing confidently at the entrance.
The guest, sitting with a blank expression, stared at Darbav with a sullen gaze.
“Father.”
The woman began speaking with an audacious first word. Hearing the guest’s opening remark, Darbav replied with a stern expression.
“Yes, Olivia.”
“Mm.”
Without any further words, the father and daughter stared at each other. The deep gaze between them seemed to convey unspoken understanding.
Untying his scarf, Darbav asked Olivia.
“Did you come because you missed your Father?”
“No. Ricardo abandoned me and left.”
“Is that true?”
“No. Ricardo took a vacation. I came to hang out.”
“I see.”
A small smile appeared on Darbav’s lips.
Darbav was delighted at the thought of spending time with his daughter after so long.
But, what is that?
Darbav glanced at the black fur ball sitting obediently next to Olivia. It hadn’t been there the last time she visited—what was it?
-Bear.
It didn’t seem like a suitable species to keep as a pet. There were too many issues with raising such a beast as a domestic animal. Its food consumption would undoubtedly be significant, and it was questionable whether one could even survive if the creature got hungry.
Pointing at the black fur ball sitting next to Olivia, Darbav asked.
“Olivia, what is that?”
“A bear.”
“I can see that, but why is it next to you?”
“It’s an emergency food supply.”
Gomtangi, who had been staring at Darbav with a calm expression, turned her head to look at Olivia upon hearing the chilling designation.
-Bear?
Though he couldn’t understand animal speech, the growl sounded like a ferocious curse. Meeting Gomtangi’s gaze, Olivia placed a finger on her lips and fell into deep thought.
-Bear.
“Hmm…”
-Beeear.
“Hmmm…”
Intrigued by his daughter’s seemingly communicative behavior, Darbav asked.
“Are you conversing with it?”
“No. I don’t understand a single thing it’s saying.”
“Then why are you responding?”
“It’d feel bad if I ignored it, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
Darbav thought his daughter was remarkably considerate. To even extend her care to animals—wasn’t she practically an animal lover? Of course, her personality was endlessly cold toward people, though.
Darbav felt proud of Olivia for becoming an animal lover.
Having reached a mutual understanding after a mysterious staring contest with Gomtangi, Olivia patted the creature’s head and began elaborating on her earlier statement.
“Cancel that—it’s not emergency food supply, it’s a health tonic.”
-Bear?
“What.”
-Beeear?
“It’s an unavoidable situation.”
Gomtangi resented Olivia.
And Darbav…
“A bear, huh…”
He wanted to raise one.
“I’d like to keep one too.”
*
I’ve given it a lot of thought.
About This Episode.
Should I once again intervene as the Possessor to smoothly conclude the Episode, or should I trust the Protagonist to handle it on their own?
There were too many obstacles preventing me from helping directly, and the penalties for failure were far too severe to place my faith in the Protagonists.
Yuria’s darkening.
It was something that hadn’t even appeared in the Side Story. The idea of Yuria, who embodied the Pure White Color, undergoing darkening was completely unexpected.
Moreover, Yuria’s darkening signified that the very core of the novel would be disrupted.
With such penalties in place, entrusting the fate of the world to those foolish Protagonists was an absurd notion. Sigh…
And then there were the three rewards.
The Information of Vitality, the Hidden Magical Talent, and lastly, Magic Stats +100—these were irresistibly alluring rewards.
The Information of Vitality, in particular, was especially enticing.
My body was increasingly burdened with the depletion of vitality. The pain that accompanied its use and even catching a cold, which I usually wouldn’t, seemed to be connected to vitality.
Without knowing exactly what vitality consumed as a cost, I couldn’t recklessly use it.
So far, I only knew two things about it.
Vitality doesn’t recover over time, and its reduction doesn’t affect stats.
All other information about vitality was unknown and had to be discovered through experience.
So, I had to search.
The massive penalties for failure.
The enticing rewards for success made it impossible to ignore the Quest.
And having made my decision…
I now stood before Yuria.
“Ricardo?”
Yuria’s eyes widened in surprise at my sudden appearance. She wouldn’t have expected me to be at a secondhand clothing store, nor would she have known I was in the capital.
Smiling slightly, I looked at the astonished Yuria.
“Yes, it’s me. Have you been well?”
“How are you here?”
“I needed clothes too.”
I turned my pocket inside out to show Yuria.
“As you know, I don’t have much money, do I? The Empire was holding an event like this, so I rushed over.”
Yuria stared blankly at me. I was probably the only one who’d come all the way to the Empire just to buy a single set of clothes from Hamel.
With a puzzled expression, Yuria looked at me as I lightly tapped her forehead and smiled.
“What’s wrong? Haven’t you seen a Flower Beggar before?”
“No… it’s just…”
“Hurry and choose. All the good clothes will be taken.”
A slight blush appeared on Yuria’s face.
[Yuria Lv. 32]
[Job: Academy Student/Saintess Candidate]
[Favorability: 10]
[Favorite Conversation Topics: Friends/Volunteer Work/Justice/Handsome The Man/First Love/Savior of Life/Father/Ricardo/Budding First Love/Ball]
[Disliked Conversation Topics: Olivia/Financial Struggles/Heretics/Incompetent Self/(New!)So Embarrassing…]
I could tell that she was embarrassed about picking out a dress at a bazaar.
The Affinity Window said so, and the novel also described Yuria feeling embarrassed when selecting a Used Dress.
While other students picked out new dresses, Yuria must have felt ridiculous searching for a Used Dress that someone else might have worn.
So I treated Yuria as carefully as possible, opening the Episode in a way that matched her mood.
I repeatedly rummaged through the pile of clothes, keeping my gaze fixed on it as I spoke to Yuria in a calm voice.
“Even secondhand items can be quite decent.”
“…Is that so?”
“With how brutal the prices are, you know. Back when I attended the Academy, I often bought and wore secondhand clothes.”
“But the Academy has school uniforms…”
“I only wear Butler’s Attire, don’t I?”
“Ah…”
“If you search carefully, you can find some great items.”
I once again plunged my hand deep into the pile of clothes, repeating the act of searching for something.
‘Where did I put it… I’m sure I tucked it around here.’
The longer Yuria spent time with me, the more her previously stiff expression began to relax.
While rummaging through the pile of clothes, Yuria spoke in a Small Voice.
“I thought Ricardo wouldn’t like things like this.”
“You don’t seem to know me very well. I go crazy for cheap stuff.”
“Since you’re always with Olivia, I thought you’d only wear expensive clothes.”
“Hmm… That’s true.”
Nodding my head, I acknowledged Yuria’s assumption.
Until her Downfall, the Young Lady was indeed like a giving tree. It was true that she provided better treatment than most Nobles, from my salary to the clothes I wore and the food I ate.
Since there was nothing wrong with Yuria’s words, I didn’t react much and silently continued rummaging through the pile of clothes. Meanwhile, Yuria slowly began to share the thoughts she had been keeping to herself.
“My Friends wouldn’t like this kind of thing. I couldn’t even ask them to come with me.”
“It’s definitely awkward to share such a Prime Spot with your Friends.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it best to monopolize good items? The goal of this Marketplace is to eliminate competitors and secure the best clothes.”
After several deep plunges into the pile of clothes.
I felt a soft texture brush against my fingertips and began to pull it out slowly.
‘…Found it.’
Yuria’s face was redder than usual.
“Ricardo, don’t you feel embarrassed doing this? Isn’t it shameful to laugh while finding good clothes that others have already worn?”
“No?”
As I gently pulled the soft fabric closer to me, I smiled brightly and held it out toward Yuria.
“Doesn’t this count as a good find?”
“Oh…?”
A Pure White Dress.
The dress Yuria had been looking at earlier.
As it emerged from the pile of clothes, Yuria’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth.
“No… Why is this dress here…”
“This is what you call luck.”
Just to clarify, this dress was a brand-new item that I had purchased with my own money.
It wasn’t as expensive as the Young Lady’s dresses, and as someone who had just stepped into the Young and Rich lifestyle, this level of indulgence was an expense I could afford without much trouble.
So.
“Take it.”
This was a Gift for Yuria.
If she wore a dress I was familiar with, I’d be able to recognize her even if her face changed.
You never know.
The Affinity Window might malfunction.
In that sense, this was like a Tracking Device.
Because during this Event, Yuria would temporarily lose her Beauty at Hans’s hands.