Chapter 114

After meeting Robert and finishing up the rest of the glass shards, I headed into the servants’ lounge and pressed my back against the sofa’s backrest.

‘Getting close is great, but…’

There were still two hurdles standing in the way of marrying Robert.

‘First, Robert is a married man.’

The quest objective was to become the mistress of the Rubel family.

Since only the legitimate wife is called the mistress, claiming that position meant clearing the current one out of the way first.

In other words, if I wanted to become the mistress, I had to somehow split him up with the wife he was already on bad terms with.

It didn’t feel great, but they were a couple destined to split up anyway.

Whether the cause was bereavement or divorce.

‘Second, I have to seduce Robert.’

…Compared to the first playthrough—where I had to pull Jeffrey down, play the role of the Saintess, keep the heroines in check while chasing the protagonist, and even make the protagonist the duke—this was structurally much simpler.

Yet, somehow.

‘This feels a whole lot harder.’

At least in the first playthrough, I could use my knowledge of the game, and I could predict future directions through Mo Je-won’s broadcast.

The fact that I could leverage political power even while my freedom of movement was restricted upon rising to the position of the Saintess also played a part in lowering the difficulty.

But Robert was an unknown entity, and being a maid meant starting from a low social standing.

‘What I can do is extremely limited.’

Unlike the first playthrough, I couldn’t appeal through my abilities or read the protagonist’s personality in advance to cleverly win favor.

‘It means I actually have to seduce him purely with my own abilities.’

Given the background of this era where it was absurd for a maid to become a proper legal wife rather than a mere concubine, marrying Robert required overcoming a gulf of social status.

Though, I suppose I could somehow try to push through it by properly exploiting the persuasiveness trait.

‘Something like… Robert, who lost his mind over a woman, used the power of love to elevate a maid to the position of the duchess…’

If that didn’t work, I’d have to figure out a way to raise my social standing.

Damn, I was lacking in confidence—way too lacking.

Should I just pretend to be the Saintess all over again?

A million thoughts crossed my mind regarding the bleak future ahead…

‘And I need to buy that trait soon, too.’

Translated intuitively, it had to be a trait that allowed you to hear the voices inside people’s hearts.

Wasn’t that an absurdly overpowered ability? Just having that might make seducing Robert a lot less difficult than I thought.

However, my remaining points were still sitting at 26.

‘Judging by how fast they accumulate, I’ve got a long way to go.’

It looked like using it was a distant prospect for the time being…

Ding!

[ Mo Je-won: Hey, hey, what are you up to? ]

It was a message from Mo Je-won.

Since I told him to let me know after visiting my hospital room, that must have been what it was about.

I quickly sent a reply.

[ Me: Did you go? ]
[ Mo Je-won: Yes, yes~ I went~ I played it off smoothly by saying I was a friend~ ]
[ Me: So? Don’t drag it out. ]
[ Mo Je-won: Why is your personality like this? Anyway, you look fine at a glance. A bit gaunt, maybe? And as for the diagnosis, well, they said it was an unexplainable coma. ]
[ Me: What about my family? ]
[ Mo Je-won: They’re plenty worried. Rumor was it? Apparently, your sibling even took a leave of absence from university just to nurse you every day. ]

Such a fool…

There was really no need to go as far as taking a leave of absence. A mixture of relief and subtle annoyance welled up inside me.

[ Mo Je-won: Hey, do you have any idea how much hands-on care a comatose patient requires? ]
[ Me: Never mind that. Just turn on your Survive stream for a bit. ]
[ Mo Je-won: What? You want me to do that again? ]
[ Mo Je-won: I need help. Manipulate the protagonist a bit in my favor. ]
[ Mo Je-won: The loop’s already started, won’t our timings clash? Still, I’ll give it a try. ]

Mo Je-won made a valid point. If anything, my thinking had been too short-sighted.
We had a long road ahead of us; what was I getting so impatient for already?
Phew… I suddenly craved that bitter liquid in the green bottle.

[ Mo Je-won: So what are you up to? Any progress? ]

I explained to him what had happened with Robert.

[ Mo Je-won: Are you insane, you’re actually doing what I said? You’re really gonna try to seduce Robert? Lol ]

You’re the one who told me to!

‘Nuri University Hospital. This is the place.’

Mo Je-won scoffed as he looked at the hospital sign shining brightly even in the dark night. In the end, starting with just one absurd message, he had ended up all the way here.

‘Damn it, why am I going this far just to see a total stranger…’

However, not a single grain of lie existed in the words of the person behind the message, Seo So-shin. Mo Je-won had verified everything with his own eyes, so there was no mistaking it.

When he reached out using the phone number of the person claiming to be the younger sibling…

“You’re my brother’s friend? Of course you can come!”

He had gotten that reply. Even though it might normally seem suspicious for a hyung’s friend to have his younger sibling’s number, the brother turned out to be quite soft-spoken compared to the hyung, who looked like he wouldn’t bleed even if you stabbed him.
In one go, he had managed to find out the hospital name, the room number, and even secure a visiting appointment.

“Hah…”

“You said you were going to visit a patient, right? This one is the best seller.”

Since he couldn’t show up empty-handed, he had stopped by the fruit shop in front of the hospital.

Looking at the neatly packaged fruit handed out to him and the basket attached with a message wishing for a speedy recovery, Mo Je-won nodded.

“Ah, yes. That sounds good. I’ll take one.”

Carrying a fruit basket in one hand and a box of Bacchus energy drinks in the other, Mo Je-won stood in front of the hospital room and let out deep sighs.

After a moment of mental preparation, Mo Je-won slid the door sideways.

Screech—

“Ah, you’re he— Oh? Wow! Aren’t you Je-won-nim? The Neotuber my brother watched every single day!”

Inside the hospital room, a tall young man with a sturdy build welcomed Mo Je-won.
His face still retained a few traces of Seo So-shin that Mo Je-won had seen in photos, but his beaming expression radiated a completely different vibe. This was definitely So-shin’s younger brother.

Mo Je-won smiled awkwardly and replied.

“Ahaha. Ahem. That’s right. I’m Mo Je-won. I’m also a friend of Seo So-shin… or rather, So-shin.”

Seo So-min looked thoroughly surprised, covering his mouth with his left hand while offering a handshake with his right.

“Oh my god! My brother was friends with Je-won-nim! That’s such a mismatch!”

Seo So-min must have been excited, shaking hands so vigorously that his arms made a whirring sound.

Trying his best to lift the corners of his mouth in response, Mo Je-won looked around the hospital room.

“Ah, my brother is over this way.”

So-min guided him toward the bed located in the furthest corner among the multi-bed ward.

When he pulled back the curtain, a young man with a deathly pale face and looking far more gaunt than in his photos was lying there. His shallow breathing looked precarious, as if it could cut off at any second.

“Sob. Ahem. For my healthy brother to suddenly fall unconscious… Why did something like this have to happen to him…? Even though his personality was prickly, he wasn’t a bad person… I went around to all sorts of hospitals, but the doctors say they don’t know the cause either, and I-I don’t know what to do, ugh, ugh-huh-huh…”

Seo So-min, who had been greeting him so cheerfully just moments ago, apparently couldn’t control his emotions upon seeing So-shin’s face and burst into tears.
Kneeling in front of the bed, So-min desperately gripped So-shin’s hand as he continued.

“If my brother is like this, what are we supposed to do… Je-won-nim? When… when will my brother wake up? Sob, I’m sorry. Asking such weird questions on our first meeting…”

“…”

“Brotheeer, I won’t nag you about anything anymore, so please open your eyes… I don’t even need allowance money, just please wake up…”

“Hey.”

Mo Je-won absentmindedly patted the shoulder of the wailing So-min as he spoke.

“Don’t worry. So-shin is definitely going to wake up. I guarantee it.”

“Sniff-huh-huh… Ahem, huh?”

How was he planning to wake up a patient in an unexplained comatose state? A bewildered Seo So-min asked back, but Mo Je-won was already waving his hand from the hospital room door.

‘His situation is just too pitiful.’

That made it certain.

Even though he hated to believe it and still couldn’t wrap his head around it, Seo So-shin was trapped in a game and had fallen into a coma in reality!

Seo So-shin’s younger brother, Seo So-min, didn’t know that fact and was waiting with longing for Seo So-shin to wake up. Not knowing why it happened or when he would wake up, endlessly…

On top of that, when he thought the name So-shin sounded somewhat familiar, it resembled the nickname of a viewer Mo Je-won had consistently watched since his no-name days.

‘It was Life of Conviction.’

Could it really be him, though that felt like a stretch?

‘Hah.’

Sitting on a chair in front of the hospital room and holding his head, Mo Je-won felt thirsty and headed toward the vending machine.

Two young men who had entered right after him from Seo So-shin’s hospital room came out, drawing his attention there for a moment without him realizing it.

And then, the words that followed made him stop in his tracks.

“So-min’s family really is pitiful. Their father has a developmental disability and their mother left a long time ago. Looks like the older brother was the practical breadwinner, but if he ends up in a coma like that, there’s basically no hope left.”

“Hey, hey, how can you say things like that right in front of the hospital room!”

“No, but how is this going to sound? Well, anyway, let’s take good care of So-min ourselves.”

“Will he even have the money to pay for tuition? Hah, I’m worried.”

The two young men cast glances at Mo Je-won as they passed by, but Mo Je-won pretended not to hear, pulled out two five-hundred-won coins, and dropped them into the vending machine. The sound of a can dropping echoed particularly loudly in the quiet hallway.

Clack-clatter!

Mo Je-won bent down, reached his hand into the vending machine, and pulled out the can. It was the canned coffee he had enjoyed drinking since his school days. Mo Je-won cracked open the coffee, which made a refreshing sound, and gulped it down. Maybe because it had been a while, it tasted far more bitter than he had imagined.

‘…Since it’s come to this, I might as well help out.’

He was the only one who knew Seo So-shin’s situation.

Neither anyone to believe it, nor anyone to help.

Now that he knew the circumstances, he had come too far to just turn a blind eye. Unless Seo So-shin could somehow escape on his own power, if he failed to do so…

‘No, let’s not even think about it.’

And he made up his mind.

‘If it means saving a single person’s life, losing my mind for a bit isn’t a bad deal.’

…Or so he had thought.

‘Where the hell is this, you crazy bastard!’

“Oh? This actually works. Nice to meet you, Mo Je-won. I’m Seo So-shin.”

If he had known Seo So-shin was going to drag him into this, he wouldn’t have felt that kind of pity!

Had I caught some shut-eye for a couple of hours? Before I knew it, morning had arrived.

“Lita! Wake up~ Oversleeping again?”

It meant it was time to get ready for work once more. Tearing at my throbbing head, I lifted my hips off the bed.

Beside me, Io mumbled as she gripped a hair tie between her teeth and neatly gathered her hair.

“Litaaa! Do you know Noah, the high-ranking attendant?”

“No.”

“He said you looked extremely pretty!”

Isabella said while brushing her wavy hair.

“Hey, hey, everyone who saw Belita yesterday reacted like that, what’s all the fuss about?”

“No, but his vibe was seriously weird, you know? While talking, his face turned bright red as if he fell in love at first sight!”

Ignoring the two of them, I intentionally brushed my hair forward over my face. In the mirror, the familiar, gloomy, and stuffy-looking woman stared back.

It was a shame after putting in all that effort to doll myself up, but there was no helping it if I wanted to become the Duke’s dedicated maid.

“Hey, that guy is pretty popular~ Tall, and has decent looks! Granted, our standards are high because we stare at people’s faces all day in the Rubel ducal household, but Noah isn’t someone who’d lose out anywhere else~ Yumi from the next room and Hella from the room across are both secretly nursing a crush on him, too!”

“So what, you’re trying to set him up with Belita? Stop it, just stop. You’ll probably just give them an excuse to pick on you again for playing around with romance.”

“What does romance have to do with work! Naturally, when people live under the same roof, sparks fly! That’s just how it is! Ah, wait a minute, Lita, you’re going out like that?”

“Why is she back looking like that?”

Io and Isabella stared at me simultaneously with looks of utter exasperation.

I shrugged my shoulders and replied.

“Just because. I figured it would only create more annoying trouble.”

“Wow, what’s with that stuck-up attitude.”

Io shuddered and narrowed her eyes.

On the other hand, Isabella nodded in understanding.

“A guy named Noah got tangled up with you in just a single day, so it’s not like you’re wrong.”

“Since Yumi and Hella are secretly crushing on him, I suppose you’ve already earned both of their animosity for now.”

“Ahaha! But honestly, we’re already being ostracized just for existing anyway, so what’s earning the enmity of one or two more people really going to change?”

“True enough.”

I felt sorry, but I was about to be liberated from Bridget’s clique. It was unfortunate for Io and Isabella left behind, but at least they had each other, so they wouldn’t be lonely.

Bang!

The sound of someone running in a rush came from afar, and our room’s door swung wide open violently. Then, a thin, middle-aged woman walked in.

“H-Head Maid?”

It was the newly appointed head maid.

Io and Isabella, who had been lingering in awkward postures, belatedly offered greetings.

“Haha, if you just burst in so… But what brings you here?”

Io asked affably, but no response came back. The head maid scanned all three of us once, adjusted her square-rimmed glasses, and opened her mouth.

“Which one of you is Belita?”

Puzzled gazes from Io and Isabella landed on me. When I raised my hand, the head maid gave a nod.

“Follow me out.”

I hurriedly threw on the apron I hadn’t managed to put on yet, tied the knot, and followed after her. Io looked like she wanted to say something, but there was no time to explain.
That was because the head maid was striding ahead so quickly that just keeping up was all I could manage.

The head maid led me over to the residential quarters of the Duke and Duchess. This hallway, paved in gorgeous marble and laid with golden carpets, was not a sight I was seeing for the first time.

After all, I used to visit frequently back in the first playthrough to clean Jeffrey’s bedroom.

“How on earth did you catch the Duke’s eye?”

“Pardon?”

“The Duchess is furious, saying that not long after you entered this mansion, you’re starting up again.”

“…”

“No matter what the Duchess says, just keep your head down and apologize as if your life depends on it. Talking back unnecessarily might only provoke her further. I’m saying this for your own good. Understand?”

Just as I was wondering what on earth she meant, the head maid stopped in front of a door and knocked politely.

“Come in.”

It wasn’t the low, deep voice of Robert I had expected. What echoed from beyond the door was the delicate voice of a woman. Moreover, it was a sharp, annoyance-laced tone.

Stepping into the room alone at the head maid’s gesture, I was met by the Duchess, her eyes glaring fiercely.