I immediately opened my quest log.
[▶ Take Care of Belmond Ducal Castle!
Due to years of neglect, the Belmond Ducal Castle has fallen into disrepair.
As the future lady of the household, inspect the estate and carry out the necessary improvements to restore it to its former glory!
— Improvement List
∙ Improve the food storage and supply system (in progress)
∙ Improve servant working conditions (in progress)
∙ Renovation of castle interior (in progress)]
I’d already been itching to know more about the male lead’s identity, and the moment I reviewed the quest details, it hit me that he’s not going to show up until I’ve heroically solved all of these problems, and when he does appear,
“Are you the one who transformed this desolate castle into what it is now? Then perhaps you can change me too—I’m a broken man, burdened with a fatal flaw.”
…he’ll probably say something like that.
Is that too much of a cliché?
Sure, it’s textbook.
‘But, who cares?’
In a romance simulation with a whole roster of love interests to choose from, the fact that one of them even has this much backstory proves the devs put some real thought into it.
Besides, the lack of content had been fairly well patched over with the estate-management angle, so I silently gave the devs a round of applause.
And right then, during a rare moment of peace, a maid wearing an armband stepped forward.
“I have a report for the head maid.”
“What is it, Miss ■■?”
Because I couldn’t tell most NPCs apart—thanks to the empty void where their faces should be—I had suggested that all key personnel wear armbands labeled with their department and title.
Judging by this one’s armband, she was from the cleaning team.
She leaned in with a hesitant whisper, clearly unsure how to word what she was about to say.
“We’ve nearly finished cleaning the basement, but… there are still some stains and a lingering stench that just won’t go away. You might have to come see it for yourself…”
Huh?
Even after using a cash shop item, it still isn’t clean?
Something felt off. Without a second thought, I stepped up beside the head maid.
“Mind if I come too?”
“Not at all.”
Belmond Castle looked completely transformed—almost unrecognizable—and even the path to the basement had changed.
The once-slippery stairs, previously damp with moisture, were now dry and spotless. Freshly installed lanterns lined the walls, lighting the way.
‘Looks fine to me so far…’
But the moment we opened the basement door, I instantly understood what the maid meant.
‘Th-The smell!’
At first, I hadn’t really noticed because I was too distracted by the visuals, but now that I was back, a nasty stench—something rotten and foul—definitely lingered in the air, hitting me square in the nose.
To make matters worse, the floor and walls were covered in crusted stains.
“Th-These are the stains that won’t come off?”
Clutching my handkerchief over my nose, I asked the head maid.
In response, she gave it a try, swiping the wall with the Dust of Oblivion Feather Duster.
“…It doesn’t come off.”
Even with the revolutionary cleaning item that’s supposed to erase literally anything, it still didn’t work?
Then what on earth was this stuff?
Honestly, my tolerance for gross things was wearing thin by the second, but I forced myself to take a closer look at the stain.
And right then, something appeared before my eyes.
[Currently〈Belmond Ducal Castle — Basement〉is contaminated by a powerful curse.]
It was the same familiar notice I had seen in the backyard.
No wonder even cash shop items didn’t work.
“This… I think I can take care of it.”
“You, Miss Windsor? But how…?”
Straightening up, I stretched one arm into the air.
There was no need to explain it a hundred times—sometimes, seeing is believing.
‘Blessing of Purification.’
A radiant light began to gather at the tips of my gently outstretched fingers.
Soon, the light extending from my fingertips spread throughout the entire basement.
The maids were the first to notice the change.
“Oh my goodness…”
“The awful smell is completely gone!”
It was honestly like magic.
Sure, this was all “game logic,” but even so—what a dramatic result.
The divine power swirling around me dispersed, and just like that, the basement returned to a spotless, pristine state.
[The curse has been lifted by the ‘Blessing of Purification.’
〈Belmond Ducal Castle — Basement〉is now classified as a Safe Zone.]
Haha! You’d think this place was some kind of death trap before.
These system messages really do love to be dramatic, don’t they?
“What… did you just do, Miss Windsor?”
The head maid asked, still wide-eyed in disbelief.
I gave her a short reply.
“Sanitization.”
Well, I mean… technically not wrong, right?
* * *
As time passed, I came to realize something important.
The ‘Blessing of Purification’ was far more of an MVP than I had expected!
The day I purified both the garden and the basement, I noticed some changes on the 〈Belmond Ducal Castle〉 map visible through the main quest menu.
First of all, the areas I had personally purified—those the system now classified as ‘safe zones’—were highlighted in green.
On the other hand, areas I hadn’t visited yet or hadn’t used the blessing on were marked in red.
There were also a few parts of the map that were completely blacked out. Those were probably places that would unlock only after fulfilling specific conditions.
The lobby, corridors, and the room assigned to me didn’t have any color markers at all, so I wasn’t quite sure if that meant they were safe or… something else.
Anyway! I was in an absolutely fantastic mood right now.
Why?
‘Because I finally get to eat real food today!’
Just remembering the announcement that the first harvest was completed yesterday sent a wave of pure emotion rising from deep within my core.
And it was all thanks to the x30 growth speed boost that came bundled with the Blessing of Purification.
Oh, and one more secret surprise appeared—something only I could see after the harvest.
[First Harvest Complete! +500 Diamonds
Your farmland has expanded to twice its original size, and the same luck bonus now applies to the expanded area.]
[A new category, ‘Animals’, has been added to the Cash Shop.]
[Beginner’s Tip! Using livestock can significantly reduce crop growth time in farming.]
Thanks to this update, I could finally reassign some of the NPCs who had been working the fields to more useful tasks elsewhere.
Then, last night, looking more serious than ever, the head chef came to me with a declaration that only fueled my growing excitement.
“Tomorrow morning, our kitchen staff will prepare a proper meal just for you, Miss Windsor!”
For someone like me—who had been living off instant food like convenience store onigiri, cup noodles, and spicy rice cakes just to save diamonds—this was the best possible news.
Of course, I had dreamed about eating juicy fried chicken, sizzling steak, or a whole pizza, but the prices were so absurdly high that I couldn’t even think about buying any of it… sob sob.
“It seems you woke up early today, Miss Windsor.”
“Ahaha! Yes. The head chef mentioned he would prepare something special this morning, that’s why…”
“I shall escort you to the dining room.”
Following behind the head maid, who had come to fetch me as usual, I felt a strange certainty in my heart.
Today was going to be different. I could feel it.
The scent of freshly baked bread was already wafting through the lobby…!
And when I finally arrived and stood before the table, I had to clasp both hands over my mouth.
“Yes, this is it!!”
A tomato salad plated with artistic precision, delicate bits of green apple finely diced atop warm, freshly baked bread, and a gentle drizzle of honey glistening like morning dew.
And to top it all off, a creamy potato soup served on the side completed the perfect meal.
“Please, enjoy.”
Not just the head chef, but every kitchen staff member and nearby maid wore the same look of nervous anticipation.
I carefully lifted my fork.
One bite.
“De-delicious!”
There wasn’t a single hair caused by error; it was real food. It tasted like something worthy of three Michelin stars.
I finally understood those over-the-top reactions from cooking anime where someone takes a bite and suddenly flies through space or summons a golden dragon.
And as if on cue, a familiar system window popped up in front of me.
[《Visitor Guidelines for Belmond Ducal Castle》has been updated.
IV. During designated mealtimes, you must remain seated in your assigned place. However, it is strongly advised that you do not eat or touch the food that is served.
→ IV. Meals are served at 8 a.m., 1 p.m., and 6 p.m. All ingredients are procured through a verified and secure supply chain, and custom dietary options are available based on health status or allergy needs.
Praising a satisfying meal brings great joy to the kitchen staff.]
…The rules changed!
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