Chapter 144

“Ah! We shouldn’t have opened the door! Everyone get back! Demonic energy is going to rush in!”

Luca hurriedly ran over to close the terrace door.

Drot wrinkled his expression as if it were a hassle.

“Hey, just leave it. We need to air the place out anyway, right? And do you honestly think the air outside looks contaminated with demonic energy right now? It feels great just to breathe some fresh air for a change.”

“I’m going to freeze to death. Just shut it, please.”

“Whoa! You scared me!”

I don’t know if they’ve lost their minds in this cold weather, or why on earth everyone keeps opening the terrace.

Right in the middle of regretting my own self-inflicted atrocity of pouring cold water all over myself earlier because I couldn’t shake off that creepy feeling, without even realizing how freezing it was.

I told them to get the fireplace properly warmed up, but they just abandoned the firewood and sat down instead.

Wrapping my arms around myself where goosebumps had popped out from the chill, I stacked firewood in the fireplace and lit a spark.

-Stuff like this is something you endure with pure grit. Mister, your mental strength is way too weak.

I really wish she wouldn’t force her own foolish life philosophy onto other people.
And I figured that the very fact I was somehow managing to adapt in this crappy situation was proof enough that my mental strength deserved to have its excellence recognized.

Creak! Bang!

Crackle, crackle

Obediently shutting the terrace door, the group must have been cold because they all gathered around the fireplace together.

When Noah handed out some nicely warmed hot chocolate, it somehow felt like we were camping out around a bonfire.

It felt so cozy and drowsy that I felt like I could fall asleep right then and there.

Though I couldn’t actually fall asleep because Belita kept throwing tantrums in my head every time my consciousness started to fade.

Just as my wet hair was starting to dry out and feel fluffy again, Luca opened her mouth.

“By any chance, are you an angel sent to us by Lord Ralphican, Big Sis?”

“Pfft!”

Drott spat out his spit in a gross way.

It didn’t hit me directly, but it was extremely unpleasant.

Making a face, I answered that I wasn’t.

“Ahahaha! Kid. You’re saying that because you read that novel from earlier, right? What was it called? The Time I Found Out I Was Actually a Saintess Despite Being a Commoner, that one?”

Noah shook his head and corrected her.

“It’s ‘I Used to Be a Just a Plain Maid, But It Turns Out I’m a Saintess?’, actually.”

“Same difference.”

Clenching both hands into fists, Luca denied it.

“It’s totally different! Besides, no magical beasts even come near Big Sis…. I was just wondering if maybe that’s because a holy aura is radiating out from Big Sis…”

-Young children really have rich imaginations.

That was a book from the classical literature section of this library.

I couldn’t help myself and brought it along because the title felt nostalgic, reminding me of the 1st loop, but Luca must have enjoyed reading it.

-Well, it’s not a holy aura, but a killing intent definitely radiates out of you. The kid might actually have surprisingly good insight, come to think of it. If by any chance this kid goes outside and keeps blurting out stuff like this, our true identities might get exposed…. We should probably get rid of her, then…

[ “Not you starting that again?” ]

You’re reading way too much into a pure child’s imagination.

-Mister, you have a tendency to think way too optimistically.

That goes without saying.

If I weren’t optimistic, do you think I’d be trying to clear this absurd quest right now?

“Big Sis?”

Ah, I had lost my concentration because of Belita.
I immediately spun my head to come up with an excuse.

“It’s just a coincidence. It probably just looked that way because the head count of survivors dropped.”

“It didn’t really look like that to me, though…”

“Hey, kid. Belita here is just a maid, too. Same as you. Ah, she’s an Imperial servant, so later on, your rank might even end up higher than hers.”

Drott helped me out, acting like a comrade in the spy business.

Seeing Noah keeping his mouth shut and staring blankly into the fire, it seemed he had no intention of blabbing about me in any way.

“Stop getting fixated on weird stuff and just work hard at your job when you go back, alright~?”

-That’s a threat. Though I doubt she understood it.

You said it.

If you hear it without knowing context, it just sounds like encouragement, but once you know, it sounds like if you go around blabbing about me, I’ll wipe you out.

“…I always work hard at my job, you know?”

“Hooh, really? What kind of work do you do?”

“E-Even if I look like this, my laundry skills are completely flawless…!”

“Ah, is that so? How cool is that.”

“Drott, it’s totally obvious you don’t mean that.”

Drott clapped his hands together a couple of times and shouted.

“Alright~ Everyone go to sleep already! How many days left until the rescue team arrives?”

“Five days.”

Luca answered with a gloomy expression, drawing vertical tally marks on the wall.
Five days, huh.

-It’ll be over in a flash.

It’s a long period if you think it’s long, and short if you think it’s short.

The group stuck trapped in the room without being able to move around will probably find it boring, but I have a lot to do.

I need to plan what to do when Jeffrey arrives, and train to handle mana more skillfully, too.

I’ll have to spend the time as productively as possible.

-Mister.

In the dead of night when everyone was fast asleep.

For once, Belita spoke to me first.

-Are you asleep?

I had been closing my eyes for a moment near the fireplace and replied.

[ “No. Why?” ]

-No. Just… kind of.

Just, what?

Normally, this would be an absurd situation where she calls someone over and then ignores them, but…

Belita’s mood was so unsettled that even I started feeling anxious.

Let’s just ask.

[ “What are you so nervous about?” ]

-Ah. Well… Lord Jeffrey is coming soon, you know.

Belita hesitated slightly before continuing.

-Since it’s been a while since I last saw him, I guess I’m a bit nervous, too.

My heart was genuinely pounding thump-thump.

My hands felt like they were sweating a little, too.

-Ah…. I don’t know. Why am I so tense?

You don’t know? What are you supposed to do when even you don’t know?

[ “People usually get nervous when they like someone.” ]

-Haha, is that so?

[ “Since we’re on the topic, let me ask. How on earth did you end up liking him?” ]

I suddenly felt both of our faces burning hot.

-W-Well, that is.

Belita caught her breath for a moment, then started speaking like someone who had been waiting just for those words.

-I got caught up in some dangerous business back when I was in the orphanage. Lord Jeffrey is the one who rescued me back then. Even after I left the orphanage, he even taught me what kind of work I should do….

[ “Is that the ducal house?” ]

-No. I didn’t enter as a spy right from the start. I started out as a low-ranking maid.

[ “Why was Jeffrey at an orphanage?” ]

-He said he had to fulfill some volunteer service hours.

Service hours? Jeffrey was a noble too, so he must have gone to the academy, and it sounded like he probably had some kind of graduation requirement that needed those.

[ “Why did you agree to do spy work?” ]

-Because I figured that way, I’d get to see Lord Jeffrey at least one more time… Besides, Lord Jeffrey is my benefactor. I have to do whatever I can to help.

[ “You’re in Noah’s camp, too.” ]

I could feel Belita looking puzzled.

[ “He serves Duke Robert with absolute loyalty because the Duke rescued him when he was a kid, only to end up discarded.” ]

-I wasn’t discarded, though.

[ “…Well, that’s true.” ]

Let’s not mention the fact that she actually was nearly discarded.

Since that’s in the past now.

It would only put Belita in a bad mood for no reason.

[ “Anyway, you fell for him at first sight? At an orphanage?” ]

Her heart rate spiked wildly.

I realized no answer was necessary.

-W-Well, he was kind and, how should I put it? It felt like he paid extra attention to, u-us… to me, I mean.

Ah, is that so.

People usually treat the recipients well when they go out to volunteer.

I don’t know how good of a teacher I was considered back in my college days when I did orphanage volunteer work as part of some club activities.

Though back then, I just figured I was doing a good deed, which was why I could be endlessly nice.

-I-It couldn’t be helped! What am I supposed to do when he’s so cool!

…? I don’t think I’ve ever criticized her for liking someone.

Belita got defensive and flared up in my head.

Somehow, this made Belita finally act her age.

-H-Haven’t you ever liked someone, Mister?

Why is the conversation veering off in that direction?

-You said you’d s-seduce Lord Jeffrey for me, right? Seeing how confident you are, you must really have plenty of dating experience!

Belita hit the nail on the head.

[ “Me? Naturally…” ]

It’s not like I have zero dating experience. Not with men, of course.

Ah. Wait, is that true? Unofficially, I have a track record of trying to seduce the protagonist, the Crown Prince, Oscar, Noah, and even Robert. Even if I had the system’s help.

Feeling a sense of mental detachment creeping over me for some reason, I replied.

[ “I’m a veteran who has been through everything… mountain battles, water battles, ground battles, and psychological warfare.” ]

-As expected! I’ll put all my trust in you, Mister.

I felt like an applicant inflating their resume to land a job despite having absolute jack shit…

[ “Are you close with Jeffrey at all?” ]

-Um. We’re just in a spy-and-master relationship….

[ “That’s it?” ]

Belita didn’t continue any further.

‘So if it’s like this, then….’

To sum up Belita’s words and draw a conclusion, the human I have to seduce starting right now is none other than….

My direct boss!

‘What kind of difficulty is this?’

It was impossible not to feel a instinctive sense of rejection.

Still, since he’s a kind boss rather than a boomer, maybe it’s a bit better…?

I have no idea.

[ “Can you tell me more about Jeffrey? I mean, about Jeffrey as a person himself.” ]

Buying someone’s heart isn’t a normal task, after all.

That means to raise affection levels, thorough information gathering is necessary first.
In particular, I need to get a clue about what parts of Belita would appeal to Jeffrey.

-Um. First of all, he’s handsome. And he’s playful so he’s cute, but he doesn’t show that side at all when he’s being serious, so he has this gap moe charm…

…I appreciate the earnest answer, but that’s not the information I need right now.

I changed my question to be a bit more specific.

-What does he like? Well…. I think I heard that hunting is his hobby. As for what he hates, I’m not really sure.

-How did I become a Swordmaster? Lord Jeffrey used to teach me swordsmanship so I wouldn’t get beaten up at the orphanage. It just kind of happened naturally after that. There was an older boy who trained with us, too…

-Ah, Lord Jeffrey didn’t reach the level of a Swordmaster. I think he got pretty close, though…. He just had zero interest in training….

-What’s something he’s proud of? Um, I don’t think he really had anything like that.

-Why does he want the ducal title? Ah…. Well. Isn’t it just because he wants to have it?

-What was he like at the orphanage? Everyone liked him because he was a fun teacher. He’d play with us a lot, and he’d always remember what the kids liked or wanted and buy it for us. He was really popular.

-Ah, even when it came out that he was a young master of the ducal house and things got a bit awkward, he smoothed it out well. He didn’t really act like he was some high-and-mighty noble. He was just that easygoing.

-How is his relationship with his other siblings? I know he’s on good terms with all of them. Since he’s the youngest child of the ducal house, he apparently soaked up all the love from the family…. Especially, I’m sure he’s close with Lord Carlo.

From what I’ve heard, Jeffrey seems to have a personality where he’s delicate, gentle, considerate, and smooth, getting along famously with all sorts of people regardless of social standing.

Of course, that personality is probably put on.

Would a guy with a genuine personality like that try to dig up dirt on his own brothers just to grab the ducal title?

Not to mention those dangerous experiments using magical beasts…

‘He’s got some serious nerve.’

The real problem is whether a guy who is currently foaming at the mouth to achieve his own goals would even give a damn about romance.

To think I’d come to regret not even having a proper conversation with Jeffrey in the 1st loop…

I should have at least gone to look for him in the prison.

It would have been a great opportunity to learn Jeffrey’s true personality and inner intentions.

Besides, it’s hard to gauge the relationship between the two of them based solely on Belita’s remarks.

…Ultimately, that means I’ll have to meet him to find out.