#107: Chapter 107 — The Gloomy Maid in the Teen Romance Simulation Game is Actually A Guy

“Sigh, seriously…”

“Just how long are we supposed to wait here…?”

“To be late to one’s own succession ceremony, where are his manners…?”

This is driving me crazy.

A significant amount of time had passed since the succession ceremony began, but the protagonist was nowhere to be seen.

“Isn’t he practically staging a protest right now because he doesn’t want to inherit the title?”

“A Duke with the Holy State backing him, and he is already looking down on the Imperial Court!”

Faced with the absence of the person who was supposed to be celebrated, the crowd’s dissatisfaction grew larger and larger.

Beside me, the Emperor’s face was hardening, and as a bonus, my own heart was burning with anxiety.

The guy was definitely inside the Imperial Palace up until this morning, so where on earth did he vanish to?

Did he act like he returned only to bolt again? On the day of his own succession ceremony? Even if you’re gonna leave, at least finish this first. Was that really so hard?

What exactly do you gain from screwing me over like this? Should I go hunt him down right now?

Above all, I had no idea what it was implying that the live stream remained completely radio silent despite this ongoing disaster.

“Don’t tell me… because I mentioned that matter…”

……? My ears perked up at the words the Emperor muttered thoughtlessly.

“What matter did you mention?”

“Ah. Mmm… It is, it is nothing…”

“Don’t play innocent with me, why don’t you spit it out?”

Although I was maintaining my poker face, I could somehow see an illusion of sweat dripping down the Emperor’s forehead.

Just as I was wondering if I should interrogate him with even harsher pressure, the Emperor suddenly rose from his seat.

Because a quiet commotion had been rippling through the venue up until that moment, everyone froze simultaneously at the Emperor’s sudden movement.

“Due to a sudden emergency, Sir Hereis is inevitably unable to attend today. Though it is a modest affair, let us at least celebrate among ourselves… the birth of a new Duke. Come, to Duke Hereis!”

“To Duke Hereis!”

“To the birth of the new Duke!”

The voices repeating the chant echoed grandly throughout the hall.

Offering congratulatory remarks at a succession ceremony where the party involved wasn’t even present—I had no idea what kind of ridiculous farce this was supposed to be.

Still, it was a relief that the succession itself hadn’t been rendered null and void.

At least the plan hadn’t been delayed.

For now, I need to get out of here, locate the protagonist using a Character Location Tracker, do some mental damage control through a conversation, and when the timing is right, propose to him so we can proceed with a quick marriage, even if it’s just a simplified ceremony…

Ding!

‘Don’t tell me?’

As expected, it was a notification for the live stream!

Sprinting away from the succession ceremony that had been wrapped up haphazardly, I focused on the screen while using the item.

“Ah, Your Holiness! Where on earth are you running off tooooo!”

I heard Allen cry out in despair, and Beatrice and Ilian tightly pursued behind me.

Without slowing down my pace, I turned around and spoke.

“Sir Ilian and Your Eminence Beatrice, standby here.”

“What kind of absolute nonsense is that? Where do you think you are going right now without your escorts?!”

“Standby. It is an order from the Saintess.”

“Argh, seriously! This is driving me crazy!”

Clutching at their hair, the two of them ultimately halted their steps.

Turning my head to glance back at the two figures growing more distant, I shifted my gaze back to the screen.

Despite it being a wide-open afternoon, the protagonist was in a place where barely any light penetrated.

-Where on earth is this?

-Is it underground?

-It’s so dark.

-Yo, I can’t see a single thing.

The protagonist was looking around vigilantly, keeping his guard up against his surroundings.

He looked precisely as if he had stealthily broken into somewhere.

Shutting the door and verifying his safety, the protagonist let out a sigh of relief.

And then, an internal monologue explaining the circumstances of how he ended up here began.

[ Hereis recalled the secret conversation he shared with the Emperor yesterday. ]

[ “My apologies, Your Majesty. For causing you so much concern…” ]

[ “There is no need for that… just make sure to prepare well for tomorrow.” ]

[ “I shall keep that in mind, Your Majesty.” ]

[ If I reject the succession ceremony, whether it is the Emperor or the Saintess, they will simply continue to pester me endlessly. ]

[ As long as the title of the Saintess's companion follows me around. ]

[ Hereis thought it would be better to just get it over with quickly. ]

[ Hereis behaved compliantly, pretending to yield and resign himself, while blankly staring at the Emperor with darkly sunken eyes. ]

[ “Um, by the way, is it truly certain that my uncle has passed away?” ]

[ “Ah…” ]

[ “I simply find it difficult to understand why you say you cannot show me the corpse…” ]

[ “My apologies, truth be told, not yet… ]

[ As I thought, it was a lie. No doubt the Saintess instructed the Emperor to say it just to force me to come back. His heart grew deathly cold once again. ]

[ “Even so, Sir Fredrick will be setting out shortly so it will be resolved in no time…” ]

[ The Emperor's tone, telling him not to worry because they would kill Jeffrey for him, was cold-blooded. ]

[ Jeffrey Rubel was a member of the imperial family. The Emperor's half-sister was Jeffrey Rubel's mother, after all. ]

[ Even if they were half-siblings, he was still his nephew; how could the Emperor possess such a heartless look in his eyes while talking about executing him? ]

[ Hereis chewed on his thoughts for a moment, letting out a hollow laugh. ]

[ ‘Ah, I suppose I am no different.’ ]

[ But his own situation was different. He was merely trying to execute the murderer of his biological kin. ]

[ ‘That's right, I am different.’ ]

[ Comforting himself, Hereis looked at the Emperor, smacking his lips bitterly. ]

[ “My uncle—no, Duke Jeffrey—seemed quite persistent. It didn't look like he would be captured easily.” ]

[ “Do not worry… he will absolutely be caught this time. Looking at his coordinates, if things go well, we should be able to corner him.” ]

[ “…Is that so? May I ask where he is located for you to speak with such certainty?” ]

[ “Why are you curious about that…?” ]

-Why does it feel like we’ve cruised straight into a Bad Ending route right now.

-Definitely looks like a Bad Ending LMAO

-Where did we pick the wrong option LOL

[ “Ah, no. I am not particularly curious.” ]

[ Although his hurried denial was strange, the Emperor did not think too deeply on it. ]

[ “……? Right……” ]

[ Even if the Emperor refused to tell him, there was a way to find out. ]

[ He only needed to find the person who had delivered his uncle's location to the Commander. ]

[ For instance, someone like a secretary… ]

[ “Ah! Vice-Commander Hereis, it has been a long time! Ahaha, I've been doing well, of course! That man's location? I definitely delivered it to the Commander without a hitch!” ]

[ “I was just curious if it was accurately relayed.” ]

[ “He said it was Helne Castle in the Karaman Fief! He's already been staying there for a few days now! Am I right?” ]

[ “…You know the details perfectly. Good work.” ]

[ “But of course!” ]

-Wow.

-This is awesome.

[ Karaman Fief. A place completely devoid of any connection to the Rubel family. A sanctuary of gambling that is responsible for the nightlife and pleasures of the south of the Empire. ]

[ ‘Is it the perfect place to hide out?’ ]

[ Helne Castle was the villa of Count Kara, who ruled the Karaman Fief. ]

[ It did not matter whether he shared some sort of collusive relationship with his uncle. ]

[ ‘It isn't that far from the capital.’ ]

[ Hereis was able to ride all night to arrive at the villa. ]

[ And the scene that unfolded before him was… ]

[ “Kyaaa~ Count Karaaa~ To think you would down that all in one go~!” ]

[ “Wow~ You are incredible, Count!” ]

[ “One more bottle! One more bottle!” ]

[ “Chug it! Chug it!” ]

[ “Bwahahaha! What's with all the fuss over something so minor!” ]

[ Helne Castle was packed with high-ranking nobles, courtesans, and gamblers. ]

[ The security was also tightly enforced. It was to the extent that even Hereis could not easily infiltrate. ]

[ ‘Are they all at least Sword Expert-level knights?’ ]

[ Then again, a sum of money like that would be pocket change to them if it meant protecting a sordid secret that must never be exposed. ]

[ ‘For now, let's head to a spot where the guard is lax.’ ]

[ Hiding himself inside an underground storehouse that appeared to be rarely used, Hereis caught his breath. ]

“How is it that not a single choice window pops up? For something this important?”

-For real.

-Looks like we’ve locked onto a specific route.

-Smells like a Bad Ending, don’t it?

“No way. His mental health was even in the positive digits, so how is this a direct cruise into a Bad Ending?”

-Here we go again. LMAO

-I actually dig this.

-Is it time to drop this game? I wanna see a different game.

-Focusing on a single lead is a must, but raising everyone’s affection like a player backfired on him.

“Ah, Hereis~! What are you trying to do?”

Mo Je-won wailed as he watched Hereis sit on a cobweb-covered chair inside the monitor, blocking his ears against the loud music blaring from the upper floor.

It was at that moment.

Step—

……!!

At the sudden presence of someone, Hereis pulled his back away from the chair.

Lacking the time to hide, Hereis drew his sword with the full intention of fighting toward the door that was unlocking right then.

“Dear me, Sir Hereis. You look a total mess.”

Verifying the person who had pushed the door open and stepped inside, Hereis had no choice but to lower his sword.

“This brings back memories. Back when I first came looking for you at your estate.”

-Whoa, whoa.

-Might not be a Bad Ending after all.

-The Saintess has arrived!

Because that person was none other than the Saintess.

“Even back then, your appearance was so disastrous that I was utterly flustered, Sir Hereis. Ah, but there is one slight improvement. Back then, the smell was truly unbearable.”

I had dashed like my life depended on it and almost practically died.

‘I actually made it on time.’

The protagonist had spent quite a bit of time trying to infiltrate the underground of the villa, which helped.

But the most decisive factor was the existence of a separate train reserved exclusively for high-ranking officials that went directly from the capital to major fiefs.

Sensing that it was his fault, the Emperor had immediately granted me authorization to use it.

‘Taking that train took less than an hour.’

They said the Empire achieved a technological breakthrough by utilizing the magic stones discovered this time, and that train was apparently one of those innovations.

Anyway, trying not to show how exhausted I was, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Then, the moment I saw his face, I reeled off the impressions that came to mind.

[ Faced with the far-fetched criticism the moment their eyes met, the corner of Hereis's mouth twitched. ]

[ Hereis also remembered that exact moment vividly. ]

[ A maid who had barged in out of nowhere and demanded that he hire her. ]

[ To be precise, it was a relationship that should be defined as an ill-fated match, yet she had confessed to being a fan, leaving him completely flustered. ]

[ He had planned to dismiss her at the first opportunity, but he kept getting caught up in things, and before he knew it, he had ended up all the way here. ]

“Why did you come looking for me?”

[ Hereis spat out a sentence that was unconsciously laden with deep resentment. ]

Did he just ask why I came looking for him?

I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

“Well, obviously to find a certain someone who put his own succession ceremony on the back burner.”

“Ah.”

[ Hereis felt sheepish, but he hardened his resolve nonetheless. No matter if she was the Saintess, if she had come to get in his way, he had no intention of backing down. ]

“Why did you come looking for me?”

“Because I was worried.”

“…….”

[ Worried……? ]

The protagonist glared askance at me before plonking himself onto a chair.

Setting an overturned stool upright, I casually dusted off the dust and sat down with my legs crossed.

“So, what is the plan of our grand Duke Hereis?”

The protagonist reacted to the word “Duke,” which I had deliberately emphasized.

“The title has been inherited, then.”

“Yeah. The succession ceremony was just for show anyway.”

“…….”

Can’t you at least talk back to me a little?