Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Two Each!
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Defeated.
This body, to mere humans, no less.
I'd thought there was no way I could lose, so this defeat stung all the more bitterly.
Why did I lose?
I tried to pinpoint the cause.
Was it carelessness?
No. Even if the opponents were just humans, I'd given it my all.
I didn't lose due to any lapse in attention.
Then, was the opponent far stronger than I'd anticipated?
No. They might have had a slight edge over what I'd expected, but not enough to account for my defeat.
So why?
I pondered it, but deep down, I already knew the real reason for my loss.
"Ugh......"
I bit my lip.
If I'd lost due to carelessness, or because the opponent was stronger than I'd thought, it wouldn't have been this humiliating.
The cause of my defeat was a lack of stamina.
The pressure to take first place.
The extreme focus required.
Those two factors drained my stamina far faster than I'd imagined. Once my stamina flagged, my concentration shattered, and mistakes piled up under the mounting pressure.
Crying to freeze my enemies was a tactic so pathetic—even in my own eyes—that I couldn't bring myself to use it twice.
"I have to... pay back the money......"
Of the two games, I'd won one and lost the other.
A dominant first place in the first game, but mid-to-lower ranks in the second.
Even being generous, maybe scraping third.
A hamburger set.
Not a bad prize, but with the money I'd borrowed, I needed first place to pay it back.
But I'd failed, so to repay the debt...
I glanced at Madness.
It would have to come out of the 60,000 won spare cash she'd mentioned.
What kind of disgrace would that be?
I'd trusted in my abilities and boldly borrowed the money.
Win and pay it back—that mindset, with the heart of a beast driving me forward.
There was no way I could lose.
With that confidence, I'd kept the excess donations instead of returning them and even splurged on chicken for Madness.
And yet, I lost.
"How can reality be so cruel... so cruel......"
I had to make a choice.
Ask Madness to cover it for me.
Or bow my head to those who'd lent me the money and apologize.
The games were over, so I let go of the keyboard and stared down at the chat window.
They knew I'd declared I'd take first and pay everyone back, so they understood my predicament perfectly. There was no escaping it.
It was utterly humiliating, but with no intention of running, I hopped off my chair and stared straight into the cam.
Then, I bowed at the waist.
"To those who trusted me and sent such generous sums, I humbly apologize......"
I hadn't expected to lose. It was unforeseen.
I could make excuses like that, but I decided to stand a bit taller instead.
"However!"
"Can't you let it slide because I'm pretty?"
I stuck out my tongue slightly at the cam, doing my best cute act.
I knew the reaction wouldn't be overwhelming, but my looks were undeniably top-tier.
So, I hoped to wriggle out of this crisis with them.
Even I, who conquered the Demon Realm by force, never underestimated the power of beauty.
Beauty held an indescribable power, sometimes surpassing brute strength, intellect, or wealth.
"N-no good? I'm not saying I won't pay. Just give me a little more time......"
No matter how I thought about it, I couldn't ask Madness for help in this situation.
I'd made a huge fuss and gifted her chicken, but asking for that chicken money back? It felt all wrong.
If they went easy on me because of my looks, gave me a bit more time,
And I could earn from streaming, then I could pay it back.
It might be too optimistic, but I had no other options.
I sneaked a peek at the chat.
I'd practiced expressions diligently, forcing a pretty smile, but my heart was pounding.
I was anxious. If they didn't buy my aegyo, I'd have no choice but to turn to Madness.
"Wha......"
At the sudden donation, I pressed my index finger to my lips and tilted my head.
Anime tropes looked ridiculous in real life, but with the right looks, even that could come off as cute.
I made the cutest, most harmless expression I could.
A sudden donation.
10,000 won from some anonymous stranger.
I'd wanted donations, but actually getting one left me flustered.
"Another one......?"
A donation with no clear reason.
15,000 won in an instant.
"Th-this is......"
If I'd easily taken first, or if donations had flowed as expected from the start, I wouldn't feel this bewildered and scared.
But the current situation?
I'd lost, and couldn't pay back the money.
So I'd bowed and apologized, only for donations to suddenly pour in?
Déjà vu.
It was a tradition I'd seen often in the Demon Realm.
Granting the loser's final wish before execution...
"Ah, not yet...... I don't want to die. Hoo... I suppose I must accept it......"
When I launched the invasion, I'd never considered the possibility of defeat.
I'd assumed victory from the start—that's why I'd invaded.
But I lost and fell.
No excuses. As the vanquished, I must accept the victor's judgment.
"You're not going to kill me?"
"Because I lost......"
The reactions were wildly different from what I'd expected.
It felt like my thinking and the viewers' were running parallel, never meeting. I cleared my throat and read the chat properly again.
"Then this money is...? I thought it was deathbed cash, but am I wrong?"
"If it was because I'm pretty, you should've sent it sooner. Giving it right after I lost seems like granting the loser's last wish before execution......"
So, they wanted to donate because I'm pretty, but held back during the tournament?
Then these donations now...
"Because the tournament's over?"
I wondered why they'd wait until the end, but upon reflection, they were right.
Donations mid-tournament would've disrupted the flow, obviously.
Especially since, from the moment I angled the cam toward my face instead of my hands, Discord had been buzzing with comments like, "She's blatantly here for the stream, not the tournament."
If a real donation had come mid-match and distracted me, it would've been a problem.
I parted my lips in admiration.
"Ooh... You all are far wiser than I thought......"
"You all have sharper tongues than I expected......"
"Exactly, this body is cute."
Donations trickled in steadily—1,000 won, 2,000, up to 5,000.
I'd suspected a bit, but clearly, my looks worked on them.
Confidence surged. I lifted my head with a triumphant smile.
The donations had already covered what I'd borrowed, so now I could hold my head high.
"Hehe......"
"......Wouldn't it be better if you cherished this body a little more?"
The donations had put out the immediate fire, but something still felt off.
For instance, when I'd researched streaming, female streamers generally seemed to receive lavish affection from viewers.
Yet...
I scanned the chat and puffed out my cheeks slightly.
Honestly, I was cuter than the streamers I'd referenced, so why weren't they spoiling me?
Money was money, but it felt like I was somehow inferior.
I nodded at one viewer's question.
Just sitting and reacting had earned me this much.
Why quit such an easy gig?
What else could I even do if I stopped?
No need to overthink.
The incoming donations proved my looks were enough. And Madness had witnessed it firsthand,
So I'd proven I could pull my weight.
Quit? Absurd.
I answered "Yes" immediately and, eyeing the chat now at 50 viewers, announced my schedule.
"Tomorrow, streaming from 5 PM to 11 PM. I'd be grateful if you came back."
Oh, right.
"And to those who lent me money, I'll repay everyone once the donations settle."
This I swear on my true name, Abyss, and the name of this body, Dayeon. No falsehood or deception.
"See you tomorrow."
I clumsily ended the stream and turned to Madness.
She didn't avoid my gaze, so I approached, hands on hips, belly slightly out, and flashed a proud smile.
"Did you see?"
"I saw."
"Let's go. Out we go, to indulge in luxury."
Considering the 72,000 won I'd earned today, even if it halved next time, it should be plenty for splurging.
I revealed the desire tucked in a corner of my heart.
"I'll buy cola."
Even after my grand declaration of extravagance, Madness only showed mild surprise, so I pushed further.
"Two each!"
Now her face registered proper shock.
I crooked the corner of my mouth upward.
Watching her expression, it felt like I'd reclaimed my authority as a sovereign. So satisfying.