Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: You Are Not Wrong
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[Please Give Me Money: It's not something I can say for sure yet, but regardless of the amount, perhaps for Miss Luca, it's—]
[Please Give Me Money: Oh.]
[Please Give Me Money: Uh....]
The author, who had been typing away in the chat, suddenly went silent as if malfunctioning.
What the hell?
Regardless of the amount, what??
[Igugwoden: ???]
[Igugwoden: What's the problem???]
The author, who usually replied lightning-fast, had gone radio silent for over five minutes without a response.
This had happened before.
She'd attach replies to comments like a ghost, but when I sponsored 100,000 won, she froze up like she'd been stunned and then sent a chat link.
Does she just short-circuit and stop responding whenever she gets a big donation?
—Cooljjeoeok.
Anyway, while waiting for a reply, I could've calmed my emotions... if only.
"Ughheueung."
Luca's dead-eyed, sorrowful expression flashed in my mind again, and I burst into tears without realizing it.
I had no choice but to cry. It was just who I was.
In comics, anime, or movies, whenever a sad scene came up, I'd bawl my eyes out, saying, "Ah! So sad!"
Lines like "You must cry here~" meant nothing to me. I was confident I could sob more convincingly than anyone, right on cue.
It started back in childhood.
Forget scamming kids out of their snotty money—even calling into those shady cable TV audience participation shows that were straight-up scams, I did it because I worried the protagonist wouldn't overcome the trials without me.
That ability to immerse myself in even crude Flash animations didn't vanish just because I grew up.
To compare it to a hobby: it's like someone in their twenties who loves comics and anime suddenly thinking at forty, "Ah, I'm over forty now, so from today, I'll quit comics and anime and take up golf, fishing, and hiking." It doesn't work that way.
Mother. Are you watching?
Your son got spanked for it, but he grew up to be an adult who over-immerses in fiction....
Like that, consoling myself as much as possible, how much time passed?
By the time tissues soaked with tears had piled up beside me, the author finally returned.
[Please Give Me Money: Sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Igugwoden.]
[Please Give Me Money: First and foremost, for so generously donating the unimaginable sum of 300,000 won—]
[Please Give Me Money: We are truly, truly grateful.]
[Please Give Me Money: All of us promise to never forget this moment.]
[Igugwoden: Yeah.... but]
[Igugwoden: What was that earlier?? Explain the rest...]
Right.
Regardless of the amount, for Miss Luca—what?
Seeing just that sentence made me anxious, like even 150,000 won couldn't change Luca's fate. But that worry was fleeting.
[Please Give Me Money: No need to worry, Lord Igugwoden.]
[Please Give Me Money: With 300,000 won, it might just be possible.]
[Please Give Me Money: Perhaps... it could resolve in a way even I can't imagine, with that kind of sum.]
Yes!
If it can be resolved, I don't care how.
The story's progression is up to the author anyway.
I only want one thing. For Luca to be happy.
For her to be appointed as a new Holy Knight!
[Igugwoden: OK OK, then no problem, right?]
[Please Give Me Money: I'll use every means at my disposal and do my absolute best.]
[Please Give Me Money: Ah, and there's something I'd like to ask of you too, Lord Igugwoden.]
[Igugwoden: Ask???]
[Please Give Me Money: With just the power of 300,000 won, we might be able to change everything.]
[Please Give Me Money: But since this is no ordinary matter, I think we'll need the word of the god.]
No way, changing Luca's fate requires that much?
I thought of saying, "You changed the Holy Scripture for 100,000 won," when—
[Please Give Me Money: You remember what I said? "The word of the god holds power."]
[Igugwoden: Yeah, I remember.]
[Please Give Me Money: Just like back then, please write the message to leave for Luca.]
[Please Give Me Money: In the decisive moment, the word of the god will surely help.]
'Ah!'
Only then did I catch on to the author's deep intent.
This is WWE. A kind of role-play.
Talk of power to change fate or whatever, but the plot is ultimately up to the author.
I'd over-immersed in this novel and made a huge donation. The author was matching my immersion.
Like when I left the first line of the Holy Scripture last time, there needs to be some kind of "reward" this time too... but saying "You donated big, so you get to write a line!" would shatter the immersion and feel kinda cheap!
So she's laying it on with "The word of the god will help" and "Since it's no ordinary matter, we need the word of the god."
Got it. If you're setting up the technique, I'll play along!
[Igugwoden: lololol OK OK got it]
What effect will it have this time?
Last time, I said it without thinking, and the Holy Scripture's weight became "Fact) A Dish of Holy Scriptures," making Erin recall "Erin Boobs Super Big" at random and flash lewd expressions constantly. So this time, I gotta be serious.
Assuming I'm really the god of this world, and Luca's a real person.
If she walked the straight path believing I was always watching, yet faced trials too heavy to bear—
What would I say to her as her god?
I thought it'd take a while.
But surprisingly, the answer came quickly.
[Igugwoden: You are not wrong.]
Because I've been watching all along.
That's why I'm responding to you like this.
Your belief that I'm always watching wasn't wrong.
[Igugwoden: Pass this on to her.]
[Please Give Me Money: Understood.]
[Please Give Me Money: I'll announce as soon as the next chapter is out. It might take quite a while this time...]
[Please Give Me Money: But since you've sponsored such a large sum of 300,000 won, I'll do my utmost to fulfill Lord Igugwoden's will.]
'Whew.'
Ending the chat, I finally leaned back in my chair with a sigh of relief.
How long had it been?
Since I'd cried my heart out like this...
Still, though.
'Crying it all out feels refreshing.'
When will the next chapter drop?
* * *
Completely.
If it had been wrong from the very start, is there a solution?
In other words, you realize something went wrong at some point, frantically backtrack—
But then it turns out you encountered something inevitable from the starting point itself.
You thought you buttoned the first button wrong, but actually, you never even qualified to button it in the first place. That kind of hopeless despair.
That was Luca's fate.
No matter how she struggled, she could never end up happy.
Happiness seemed to creep closer, only for misfortune to swiftly crash down like punishment proportional to it.
The god desires Luca's happiness.
But if it's a fate where she can't be happy even if the god wills it?
—No.
With the god's sponsorship, nothing is impossible.
Right.
If it was wrong from the beginning, just uproot it entirely.
And so, the world responds to the Sole God looking down upon it.
* * *
The Poitiers family mansion.
It was a special day.
The thirteenth birthday of Armand de Poitiers's precious only daughter, Luca, his golden child.
What was the birthday girl Luca doing?
With a maid's help in her room, she was dressing up as fancy as she could.
The maid brushed Luca's black straight hair and said,
"Miss, you look even more beautiful than usual today."
"Yeah! Jena's pretty too!"
"Thank you. But I have a long way to go to match you, Miss. Hehe."
Jena, the maid who always took care of her, had been like an older sister to Luca since she was little.
Luca especially loved when Jena touched her hair like this.
"There, all done. Oh, right. Almost forgot this."
Jena rummaged in her pocket and pinned an exquisitely designed hair clip onto Luca's hair.
"Wow, so pretty!"
"You always say when I style your hair, 'This isn't it' or 'Something's missing.' I thought your long straight hair felt empty, so I got this. What do you think?"
"Yeah! Super pretty!"
Luca, who at first bounced around in delight—
Soon, her expression turned bittersweet.
"But... this isn't it either."
"Is that so? Doesn't suit your taste...?"
"No, no! It's really pretty. But... somehow, I can't shake the feeling that this isn't it...."
Whenever Luca looked at her hair, she always felt like something was missing.
When did she first realize it?
For some reason, she felt the same even as a little kid. She just couldn't put it into words back then.
'Something's forgotten....'
"Next time, I'll get something even prettier. If you don't like it—"
"Ah, no! I like this one. Hehe. I'll wear it today!"
Dressed up so prettily, she emerged to find everyone in the mansion gathered to welcome the star of the day.
"Happy birthday!!!!!"
"Miss, happy birthday!"
The table overflowed with her favorite cake and an even more lavish feast than usual.
"Waaah....!"
Luca, seated at the head, marveled for a moment.
As she scanned the table with her eyes... the maid beside her naturally slid a bowl toward her.
"This what you're looking for, Miss?"
It was potato soup.
Probably the cheapest dish on the table—
But Luca finally beamed.
"Yeah! Thanks."
"You're welcome. You love potato soup, Miss."
At that moment.
"Ahem. Shall we talk now, then?"
"Ah, Daddy....!"
Her father Armand, sitting beside her, spoke in a deliberately serious tone.
"Luca. You're thirteen now. This dad wouldn't mind if you stayed a carefree kid forever, but in a few years, you'll be a lady, so starting this year, you need to begin various studies. You knew this already, right?"
"Yes, Father. I know."
Luca was set to enter the Imperial Liria Academy at fourteen.
The official debut stage for high society, open only to children of the elite.
The noble Poitiers blood in her veins would make her shine even brighter there.
"So playtime with Dad will decrease... but no throwing tantrums and crying like before—that'd trouble the teachers—so promise you won't. Got it?"
"Huh? I don't mind not playing with you, Dad. I wanna learn stuff quick!"
"......What, did you say......?"
Seeing her shocked father at Luca's bold words, her mother across the table covered her mouth with her hand.
"You too. You delayed her education by a year because you couldn't bear less playtime with Luca."
"Kuhm!"
A few maids couldn't hold back laughter, but no one minded.
A harmonious family in a peaceful era, wanting for nothing.
If only she could shake that nagging "something's missing" feeling, Luca's every day was full of new joys.
* * *
After that day, as her father said, over ten tutors were assigned to Luca.
What she learned was incredibly varied: politics, magic, history, literature...
She even studied martial arts, but at her peak physical age, Luca absorbed every subject effortlessly.
Her father had said, "I prepared everything since I didn't know what you'd like, but tell me if it's too much and I'll cut back," but Luca enjoyed learning itself, so she never felt burdened.
"Hello, Miss. Nice to meet you."
Today was her first theology lesson.
The nun in charge had come a month later than the others due to circumstances.
Of course, Luca was just thrilled at learning something new.
"What do we learn in theology?"
"It's time to learn the words of the god. You know about the god too, right, Lady Luca?"
"Yes! The one who made the world, I heard."
She didn't know details, but she'd learn soon enough.
Luca sat and received a blue book.
—Holy Scripture.
Was it curiosity at seeing the fabled book up close?
Luca casually opened the first page.
「You are not wrong」
'?'
What?
The book was thick, but only one sentence was written.
The rest were blank pages.
Is the Holy Scripture supposed to be like this? She glanced at the nun—
The nun, checking her own Holy Scripture, began speaking in a kindly voice.
"Alright, shall we read the first page together? I'll start, and you follow along, Miss."
"Yes? Ah......"
She almost asked, "Even the first page has just one sentence," when—
"Genesis Chapter 1. In the primordial era when light and darkness existed, there was the god."
"......Yes?"
Luca checked her Holy Scripture again.
No matter how she looked, just one line: You are not wrong.
Seeing Luca's expression, the nun smiled kindly once more.
"You see the first line? We start from there. It's your first time, so you might be nervous. Let's try again. ......In the primordial era when light and darkness existed, there was the god."
......
......Huh?