Chapter 128
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Taming the Tomboy
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"Haa..."
It had been about a week since I couldn't endure the nonstop attention at the imperial villa and finally returned to the Belverk Ducal House.
"Young Master? Why the long face?"
"......"
"Young Master?"
As usual today, I woke up in bed letting out deep sighs, and Schwarz, who was lying beside me as if it were the most natural thing in the world, poked my cheek.
"Schwarz Big Sis..."
Schwarz had slept next to me in my bed every single day for the past two years, so I wasn't as startled anymore, but sharing a bed with her like she was my lover was still far from normal.
"The big sisters have been acting weird lately."
Still, as my personal maid, she was one of the few people I could openly vent to about this, so I opened up with a sulky expression.
"They keep telling me to just pick one of them... And if I don't, they glare at each other all menacingly..."
"Hmm..."
"Did I do something wrong...?"
She pondered for a moment before flashing her usual sinister smile and replying.
"That's because you're too... adora..."
"Huh?"
"Nothing. It's because you're so cute."
Of course, it was as unhelpful as ever, so I pouted and pressed her on it.
"Even you think I'm just cute, Schwarz Big Sis?"
"Yes. A new kind of cuteness every day."
"No fair! I hate you!"
Despite her leering smile that seemed to mock me, I turned away with a frown.
"Hee hee..."
But then she slipped her hand between my arms and started tickling my side.
"...Eek."
"Kuhuhu."
"Eee..."
I gritted my teeth and held back moans to ignore her completely, a challenge to my male pride, but my body kept twitching anyway.
There is a notification for user Kairen.
That was right when I was deep into my ignore-her challenge.
Main Quest Chapter 3 reward revealed.
Right on cue, the Chapter 3 quest reward—which had been silent for two years—finally appeared before my eyes.
Yeah, come to think of it, the Chapter 3 reward was supposed to unlock around when Chapter 4 main quest started.
Alright, let's see what amazing reward Big Sister System prepared after two years.
You may select one of the following rewards.
1. Search for a person who knows the full truth of the incident 10 years ago.
2. Complete removal of side effects from [Skill: Retry].
3. Height growth of 3cm. (No side effects)
"Hmm..."
I stared at the rewards with a stern, serious expression, but surprisingly decent options made me furrow my brow in pleasant surprise as I began to deliberate.
'Exclude 3 for now.'
Sure, option 3 had merit comparable to 1 and 2, but I couldn't waste a chance like this on just 3cm of height.
Honestly, 5cm might've tempted me more, but 3cm? I could grow that with effort... right?
"I've made my choice!"
After mulling between 1 and 2, excluding 3, I finally decided inwardly and swallowed hard.
▶ "Incident 10 Years Ago" data request confirmed.
▶ Condition: Relevance to the incident 80 or higher.
▶ Information collection starting...
I chose option 1: find people with info on the incident 10 years ago.
Option 2 was tempting, but time would eventually fix that anyway.
Option 1, though? A chance to uncover info that might never come again. No-brainer.
Related individuals [4 people] search complete.
1. Astridje Nox Belverk
Relevance: 100
Note: Her heart closed off after that day.
2. Dmitri von Opstein
Relevance: 95
Note: His experiments began after that day.
3. Anastasia Korhart
Relevance: 90
Note: Her plan started from that day.
The search finished, but seeing the names pop up, I frowned awkwardly.
'This is tricky...'
Mom wouldn't talk, obviously. I never wanted to see that damned Marquis Opstein again, and the saintess—the black curtain of this world—was out of the question.
So then, what was the point of picking the first reward...?
4. Schwarz
Relevance: 80
Note: She remembers everything.
"Huh?"
I'd been wondering if I should've picked 3 instead, but then I spotted the last one and froze, speechless.
"Schwarz."
How much time passed? I turned my body back toward her and spoke with a serious expression.
"What's wrong, Young Master?"
"......"
"Not mad at me anymore?"
Schwarz, who'd been tickling me with that creepy smile, tilted her head questioningly.
"Do you know anything about the incident 10 years ago?"
But right now, I had no patience for her teasing.
"I'm not joking."
"......"
"You know something, don't you?"
Truth be told, the moment she heard "incident 10 years ago," Schwarz dropped her playful demeanor and got serious too.
"Haha..."
But only briefly—she relaxed with an ambiguous smile and rose from her spot.
"Tell me everything you know about the incident 10 years ago."
"......"
"That's an order."
Before she could melt into my shadow, I dyed my eyes red and commanded her.
"...I'm sorry."
Even using my master authority for the first time in nearly two years, she just shook her head.
"I can't break an order I received before serving you, Young Master."
Red vines now coiled tightly around her body.
"Ah..."
Realizing the situation, I stopped pressing her and quietly looked down.
"If that's the case, no helping it..."
This damn household never spilled its well-hidden secrets easily...
"...The old me might've been different, though."
Wait, what did I just hear?
"What was that...?"
"Just kidding."
I looked up at the unignorable remark, and she whispered softly with her usual smile.
"Of course..."
"......"
"Time travel isn't possible, after all, right?"
With that, she melted into the shadow and vanished.
"Big Sister System."
How much time had passed since then?
"Are you listening?"
Kairen, who'd sat blankly on the bed ruminating over Schwarz's words, finally spoke in a low voice.
I am always by your side.
"If possible, stop suppressing the side effects of Skill: Retry from now on."
Kairen stared intently at the message before speaking with uncharacteristic seriousness.
Is there a reason?
"To learn the truth, I have to go back to the past."
The system window floated silently before posing the question.
It fell quiet again at Kairen's quiet reply.
Time travel will begin in 10 seconds.
After a long silence, the system finally granted his request with a red warning message.
- Zzzt zzzt...
Red lightning filled the room.
"Haha..."
As the red light faded, Kairen—who'd been perched on the bed—vanished.
"So it was you after all, Young Master."
Schwarz reappeared in the room, murmuring as she gazed at the empty bed.
"She would've been so happy to know..."
She caressed the white mask on Kairen's desk with a wistful smile.
- Zzzt zzzt...
Time rewound once more, to over 20 years ago.
"Lady Astridje, I'm sorry."
"Cough, cough..."
"But I can't trust you."
In what was once Astridje's room, a familiar voice echoed.
"Alliances with Belverk always end badly."
"......"
"Sorry to your master—my little sister."
The voice belonged to a young Schwarz, not yet 10 years old.
"Truth is..."
She stood before the bedridden Astridje—worn by accumulated wounds and fatigue—her eyes dark as she wrapped a hand around Astridje's throat and whispered.
"I'm not that sorry."
This Schwarz lacked the leisure and sinister air Kairen knew so well.
"Belverk's like that anyway, right?"
Dark circles, cold expression, cynical tone—it was the look passed down among personal maids doomed to serve unlikely heirs.
She'd likely sensed her fate: struggle with faint hope, then be eliminated alongside her master, as generations before.
'I knew it...'
Astridje, lying ill in bed, didn't blame the pitiful new demon maid thrust upon her as personal attendant just months ago.
'She won't come when it matters...'
She only blamed herself for briefly trusting an enigmatic figure uncharacteristic of Belverk.
"Stop."
But then, a low voice from behind Astridje and Schwarz.
"Move a single hair, and I'll send you back to hell."
"Eek!?"
Schwarz froze, ensnared by red vines the instant she heard it.
"...You okay?"
A boy stepped past the neutralized Schwarz to the bed, sitting at the edge and asking brightly.
"Like I told you..."
Astridje, staring blankly up at him, forced a cold tone.
"I don't need someone like you."
But her nose tip reddened mid-sentence.
- Sniff...
After sniffling briefly, she gazed at her guardian angel—who'd appeared true to form—and murmured in a crawling voice.
"Persistent..."
With that, fever claimed her consciousness again.
"Who are you...?"
"......"
"How are you contracted to her?"
Meanwhile, the immobilized young Schwarz ground her teeth at the intruder.
"Heh heh heh..."
But the innocent-looking boy turned to her with a sinister smile that didn't match his face.
"You know, this is a golden opportunity."
"...What?"
Feeling an uncanny vibe, Schwarz paled and tried to back away, but her body wouldn't obey.
"Time for revenge, Schwarz."
His eyes red with thoughts of payback for two years of teasing, Kairen reached out toward her.