Chapter 8
“You.”
He hurried into the room. The bar that showed [Interest -3%] was so close to me.
“Just what are you planning on doing?”
Reynold approached me, creating a dark aura. He frowned even more and gave a deathly aura when he saw Emily standing by the table.
“You…!”
“Y-Y-Young Master.”
Emily froze in place, her face pale. I hurriedly looked at the table. Every dish was on the tray, and only a fork was still set in front of me.
Hiya!
I had a terrible feeling about this situation so I grabbed the fork and set it on the tray. I looked around me if there was anything that could be used as a weapon, and spoke after I’d confirmed that there wasn’t anything that dangerous.
“You should leave now, Emily.”
She abruptly raised the tray from the table as if waiting for me to say this. However, Reynold shouted when she did so.
“Don’t you dare leave!”
“Hurry.”
I urged, looking at Emily as if telling her to leave before the aggressive Young Master starts to make a fuss. Emily seemed to have understood, and hurriedly left the room. She reminded me of myself from yesterday, running crazily away from Derrick to survive. When Emily had left, Reynold’s displeased gaze fixed on me.
“Answer. What are you planning to do?”
I thought of what to say for a moment. Penelope always talked informally to Reynold in the game. Reynold was 2 years older than Penelope. It was understandable if they fought like cats and dogs, since the two didn’t have a major age gap. Just like how the second bastard in the house and I were like. To be more accurate, he abused me, and I was always the one getting beaten.
I’d considered talking formally to Reynold like how I speak to Derrick, due to him being older than me, but I quickly changed my mind. It would be funny if a person who spoke to him informally just yesterday speaks formally to him now.
“Did you decide to ignore my words?”
Reynold asked, displeased when I didn’t reply.
Look at that, how impatient.
I replied to him like how Penelope would.
“…What exactly did I do?”
“Why are you saying that you’re going to use that bitch as your personal maid again?!”
[Interest -3%] sparkled dangerously above his fluttering pink, pretty hair.
What should I answer to avoid the death flag?
I thought about switching the ‘choices’ on, but decided not to.
No. Even if I do, there would only be useless lines.
I gulped, staring at Reynold huffing in fury. If it was Penelope, she would definitely say either ‘Not your business.’ or ‘Get out of my room.’, which would bring her closer to her death.
“That’s nothing going on. You don’t have to worry about it.”
However, I wasn’t Penelope, so I slightly sugarcoated those words.
Reynold wouldn’t take in anything I say nicely anyway.
I sugarcoated those words though, so I thought it was going to be enough to deal with the situation.
“…What?”
However it seemed to have the opposite effect than expected, because the emotion in Reynold’s gaze quickly turned from dark to deathly.
“Feeding her master rotten food is nothing to worry about to you?”
“No, that’s…”
“There are consequences for disrespecting an Eckart. How dare she, a mere lowly one, not know her place!”
“…”
“We don’t need that kind of maid in the mansion. There are countless others who are begging to work here until they die, even without being paid!”
Reynold shouted. I, who was going to conclude all this by saying this is nothing to make a fuss about, became speechless at his unexpected reaction. Looking at him being angrier than me, the victim, made me laugh.
“How dare you, a mere lowly one, not know your place.”
It was always the line Reynold would say to Penelope.
“You’re laughing in this situation?”
He said, frowning when I smirked for a brief moment.
“Just how lowly were you being seen by others that you were putting up with such insults?”
Yeah, that’s right. Just like you asked, how did people see the Duke’s daughter as so lowly that none of the workers here would listen right away to a single word I said?
I calmed myself down, knowing if I said that, I would be dead.
“I met with Father because of the incident yesterday.”
I looked at him with colder eyes.
“Yes. Father probably agreed. Since I told him we had to fire that bitch immediately.”
Reynold confidently added with a puffed chest, as if he was proud of his actions.
Did he want a compliment or something from his fake younger sister who he hated up until now?
Unfortunately for him, I didn’t plan on doing that.
“Father and the First Young Master desired not to fire Emily.”
“What?”
Reynold’s blue eyes widened when I continued with a calm tone.
“Father and… Brother did?”
And you aren’t going to be the male lead I’ll choose to see an ending with, so don’t you worry.
I once again told him to take his mind off the matter.
“So, you don’t need to mind yourself with my business, Reynold.”
I’ll take care of my business myself. Just take your mind off my things, insult me or whatever, and leave.
“I have to take a shower. Can you leave now?”
I said, glancing at the door. Reynold frowned. It was surprising, as it was an expression I’d never seen in the game before. At the same time, my heart dropped at a sudden thought that was brought up in my mind.
Wait, is the interest level going to drop lower now? No-! I didn’t act like how Penelope did in front of Reynold. Instead, I carefully chose the words he would accept… But why?!
The empty gauge bar above Reynold’s lovely pink hair started to sparkle…
[Interest 3%]
What the-?
My mind went blank.
Why did it just rise?
It rose 6% at that. I was dumbfounded as I kept looking back and forth between the gauge bar and Reynold. It was then when Reynold opened his mouth and muttered.
“…I’m the idiot here, to show consideration for you for even a short moment.”
The blue eyes that glared at me seemed to hold heavy sadness. He walked towards the door after finishing his sentence.
I’m probably seeing things.
I decided I was just seeing things while watching him leave the room.
Thud-!
The door slammed shut, and silence followed. I leaned an elbow on the table and started to think. Something felt weird. It didn’t feel too bad seeing the character’s interest rates rising with my own eyes, when I’d thought I had no hopes in doing so.
“Are my lines better now with the choices turned off?”
Since not all of the interest rates of the brothers who hated me dropped to a negative.
“I should keep it off all the time.”
I stood up on the spot after deciding on that. It wasn’t a lie when I told Reynold that I had to shower. While pulling on a string that signals the maids to come up, a thought went through my head. That I couldn’t call Reynold’s interest a negative anymore.
Please let me know if there’s anything inconsistent, or that needs further editing/corrections!!
-emrld
Scarlett Shoujo 