Episode 52
Translator: RaidenTL
Episode 52
An ornate teacup was placed silently on the pristine white tablecloth. The moment she smelled the fragrant tea, someone came to mind.
Those gentle green eyes.
Elysia bit her lip hard and stopped the servant who was about to pour the tea.
“That’s enough.”
She wasn’t in the mood to drink anything. Especially not a beverage that would so naturally bring him to mind. She pressed her temples and slowly closed her eyes. And she thought.
It’s fine.
Yes, it’s fine. Is something like that between a man and a woman so rare? Of course not. It’s the kind of thing that can happen. So stop thinking about it, just stop…
Elysia belatedly realized she was clenching her fist and stared blankly at her palm, where the marks from her digging nails were still vivid.
She actually liked the tingling sting of such wounds. Whenever she felt a pain that sharp, Elysia would think:
I do exist, right?
Though it sometimes blurred, she fundamentally had the conviction that she, herself, clearly existed. But the same couldn't be said for the people around her. That was the source of her loneliness.
In <Panic in the City>, there were countless characters who expressed their gratitude to her. The citizens of Nightmare, a world rife with guns and knives, drugs and terror, would always beam at Elysia after she subdued a culprit, handing over a quest reward.
It was more eerie than pleasant. It was hard not to get goosebumps when surrounded by those robot-like expressions.
As she was transported here, she had viscerally felt the passage of time in the outside world. Technological progress must have been truly remarkable. She had been captivated by characters who spoke and reacted like real people. That was why she’d never been interested in raising their favorability.
Rather than seeing the ending, she had a stronger desire to settle down and live here. She thought that would be enough. Until Evan asked his question, her wish had been that simple.
“I saved you, so answer me properly.”
Evan, do you have any idea how happy I was then? I spewed it all out, so honest it was almost ravenous. I just wanted someone to listen to my story, to share something that would otherwise be dismissed as nonsense…
Selfishly, I think I was overwhelmed in that moment. I thought that perhaps this was the end of my loneliness. Swept up in my joy, I didn't even think of the pain Evan would go through.
A lonely person is like a swamp, always trying to pull others in. Elysia was no different. She had extended an arm clung to by solitude, trying to grasp the man’s hand.
In that instant, a small voice in her mind, having read the favorability window that represented his heart, spoke.
But you and this man are fundamentally different.
Elysia and Evan both lived lives swayed by the system. But she was a butterfly that had flown in from the outside, while Evan was a flower that had bloomed from a branch of the system itself.
As she was lost in a daze, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
“What is it?”
Pulled from her troubled thoughts by the annoyed voice, Elysia frowned at the sight of Siene standing there with a haughty expression.
Unlike her usual self, who was always covered in paint splatters on her apron, she was neatly dressed. Wearing a well-kept, though not extravagant, purple dress with her arms crossed, she spoke in a triumphant voice.
“So you came?”
“Yeah.”
At Elysia’s still-indifferent attitude, Siene pouted and gestured for her to stand up. Siene then scanned Elysia’s attire with a dissatisfied look and muttered.
“Don’t you have any other clothes?”
“What?”
“You’re going to see my painting in your school uniform?”
“What, you want me to go in butt-naked?”
Taking her grumbling remark seriously, Siene scowled and pressed her.
“Are you crazy? Go change! I won’t let you in otherwise!”
Aghast, Elysia gaped and ground her teeth. This is fucking ridiculous. God, this artist…
Normally, she would have yelled, “I’m not looking, you psycho!” and stormed out, but a flicker of curiosity arose. Just how amazing is it that she’s acting this cocky? Elysia remembered the dress she had impulsively bought earlier.
“You’re being a real pain in the ass.”
Muttering, she was about to equip the dress from the ‘Dressing Room’ menu when she hesitated, recalling the effects attached to the outfit. Is it okay to wear this? At that moment, as if reading her mind, a system window popped up.
♥ Tip! The increase in Charm and R-rated Event probability only applies to characters of the opposite sex! ♥
You crazy developer bastards, are you out of your minds? You incarnations of lust!
Siene beamed as she looked at Elysia, who now stood crookedly in a navy dress that exposed her shoulders and collarbones. So this is my permission slip. She wondered why there were so many damn requirements just to see a single painting.
“You were going to come anyway, so why pretend you didn’t want to?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I came here to fucking rip it to shreds.”
Siene burst out laughing at Elysia’s harsh words. It was a laugh that could only be described as supremely confident. The exhibition hall door opened, and Siene stepped aside to let her in.
“Go on, give it your best shot.”
Thud. The sound of the door closing behind her echoed. Elysia slowly followed Siene down the corridor. As she scanned the paintings on the wall, numerous selection windows popped up above them.
♥ Title: ‘Portrait of Cronus’ | Artist: Maxim Pavlovchenko (See more about character)
Would you like to form a patron relationship? ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ ˋ)੭✧ ♥
♥ Tip: If you form a ‘Patron’ relationship, you can add the character to the ‘Main Story’ Capture Targets! ♥
There’s a Main Story? The freedom was so high, I thought it was the kind of game that didn’t have one.
Elysia tilted her head for a moment, then cast her eyes over the other paintings. From portraits to landscapes and still lifes… the variety was wide, but nothing was interesting enough to hold her attention.
For someone who had long since shed any trace of soft sentimentality, this was the only kind of impression she could muster.
“So damn pretentious.”
“This way.”
Ignoring her comment as if it were nothing, Siene pulled her into a strange space enclosed by multiple layers of thick curtains. The soft fabric of the curtains brushed against each other, making a rustling sound. The black curtains kept obscuring her vision.
Unlike the brightly lit space outside, the area inside the curtains was excessively dark. Accustomed to the light, Elysia blinked to adjust to the sudden darkness that assailed her.
Elysia immediately voiced the question that had been on her mind as she walked through the exhibition corridor.
“Why is no one here?”
“Because you’re here.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“That thing, it’s a Privilege Pass. An invitation given only to the top student. When the pass holder visits, everyone else is kicked out of the exhibition hall.”
She was so surprised she let out a cough. Elysia blinked repeatedly to get her eyes used to the darkness as she asked.
“…I heard this was an exhibition where all the most renowned artists on the continent gather.”
“It is.”
“Isn’t it where all the rich people gather to find artists to sponsor?”
“That’s right.”
As Siene calmly affirmed her words, Elysia let out an involuntary sigh.
“Are you crazy? Why would you give that to me? Didn’t you need a patron?”
“I have no intention of being sponsored.”
“What?”
“Accepting patronage from another noble? How is that any different from advertising that the Reve Viscounty has no money? My father is trying to start a new business. If it becomes established fact that we’re short on funds, it’ll cause problems.”
Well, I’ll be damned. So immature. This woman really was a piece of work. Shaking her head, Elysia raised an eyebrow and said.
“Forget your damn pride. Shouldn’t you deal with the most urgent problem first?”
“Besides, what if the person who shows up to sponsor me is a man? I’d be stuck having to marry him after graduation. I would never want that.”
“…”
To that, she couldn’t bring herself to call her immature.
She could see the shimmering outline of wavy, silver hair that had been swallowed by the darkness. And that back, held ramrod straight with the resolve to never be defeated, just as it always was.
Only then did Elysia realize there was a small window cut into the ceiling. Sunlight shattered through the narrow gap, barely a handspan wide.
Just as she found herself unconsciously counting the specks of sunlight scattered on the floor, Siene’s voice, tinged with amusement, spoke.
“Can you see the painting now?”
“Like hell, I can’t see a damn thing…”
It was then that she spotted the painting in the dim darkness. Elysia was rendered speechless, staring blankly at the canvas that glowed under the minimal light.
A chill ran down her spine, so intense it felt like her hair was standing on end. A tingling shock, like being slapped across the face without warning, seeped into her mind.
What… is this? This is impossible. It’s just a painting…
At first, she thought it was just paint spilled haphazardly. But the colors, jumbled together in a chaotic mix, somehow created a calm atmosphere rather than a dizzying one—perhaps because they were in a darkened space. It was hot and cold at the same time. Chaotic, yet orderly.
And at the center of all that chaos, a woman stood tall, her back to the viewer, as if confronting something. In the woman’s right hand, painted a perfect, pure white, was a long spear.
“It has no title. I submitted it as ‘Untitled.’ I didn’t want to define it with words.”
“…”
“As for putting it in the dark, honestly, it’s because I have a bad personality. I spend months pouring my soul into creating a piece, and it pisses me off that critics just glance at it and they’re done. Even when I receive high praise, I feel like they’re just spouting nonsense without knowing anything. So I displayed it in a dark room. To tell them not to judge so carelessly when they can’t see a thing.”