Thus, when the next day finally dawned…
Having finished getting ready to go out, I decided to start the day with a hearty breakfast before leaving.
And I realized something.
The quality of the meals kept getting better and better with each passing day.
Today’s breakfast was… Eggs Benedict!
“Freshly toasted English muffins topped with perfectly poached eggs and finished with a rich, buttery hollandaise sauce… the finest Eggs Benedict.”
“Wow…!”
Clap, clap, clap!
I gave the chef an enthusiastic round of applause after he proudly finished his introduction.
Actually, that little speech was something I’d coached him through.
Yesterday, before bringing Edwin to the dining room, he’d been so nervous that I couldn’t help worrying about him.
I’d suggested that introducing the dish by briefly explaining the ingredients and how it was prepared would help Edwin—who’d spent so long staring at meals full of mysterious “foreign objects”—feel more at ease.
But the chef hadn’t stopped there.
He’d used the same approach when serving breakfast to me today.
‘This is actually pretty nice.’
It even felt like I was eating at a fine dining restaurant.
“Thank you for the meal!”
Come to think of it, ever since the farmland became more productive and the supply of ingredients stabilized, I’d hardly needed to buy food from the cash shop anymore.
But I couldn’t stop there.
I already had a second phase in mind.
‘Maybe I should have everyone make kimchi soon?’
I’m Korean—I can’t survive long without kimchi. Besides, as a beta tester, it’d be nice to verify whether the game perfectly recreated the taste of homemade kimchi.
It definitely wasn’t because I was craving it…
Probably.
Anyway!
Just as I finished eating, another item was placed before me.
“Watermelon juice, Miss Windsor.”
“Ah! Thank you.”
The watermelons I’d planted ten days ago had become harvestable today, and they were perfectly ripe and wonderfully sweet.
“Thank you, Chef.”
“Think nothing of it. Please have a safe trip.”
Patting my full stomach, I headed outside toward the backyard.
Officially, I was taking a walk.
In reality, I had a very specific goal.
“Alright, let’s see how much these sell for.”
Standing before the still-unharvested watermelon patch, I tried selling one ripe watermelon.
[Fresh Watermelon — 25 Diamonds
Watermelon grown in clean, fertile soil.]
‘Just as I thought.’
After deciding it was too risky to keep selling random items from the duke’s estate, I’d been quietly experimenting by selling crops and goods from the food storage whenever I had the chance.
That’s how I’d discovered something.
Freshly harvested crops were worth more than produce that had been sitting in storage nearing the end of its shelf life.
In other words…
The sooner I sold them, the more profit I’d make.
Fortunately, freshness was the only thing that affected the price, so I only sold the blemished or oddly shaped produce to the cash shop.
After making one round through the fields, my total came to 2,900 Diamonds.
My wallet, which had become painfully thin after buying the dress and shoes, was finally looking a little healthier.
Just then—
“Miss Windsor, there you are.”
The head maid approached from behind, her voice unusually serious.
“There is something important I must tell you.”
“What is it?”
She hesitated after walking up to me.
Normally her tone wasn’t especially warm, but today it felt… different.
“Did something happen?”
“There are several things you absolutely must remember before leaving the estate.”
“Oh? Things I have to remember?”
“Yes. They are rules you must follow.”
At that, I walked with her to a quieter spot away from the fields.
“I’m listening.”
She struggled to begin, hesitating for quite a while before finally speaking.
“First… you will be dropped off at the moat gate that marks the estate’s outer wall.”
“Really? Not directly at my destination?”
She slowly shook her head.
“No. The coachman cannot travel any farther than that.”
That was a little strange, but maybe it was just another game mechanic.
Pushing aside my doubts, I nodded.
“From that point onward, you’ll have to continue alone. And once you pass through the moat gate…”
She stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper.
“You’ll begin hearing strange sounds.”
“…What?”
“You’ll hear voices calling your name.”
Her expression grew solemn.
“But no matter what happens…”
“Never look back.”
The atmosphere of Belmond Castle came back to mind.
Like I’d suspected from the beginning, even if you looked at it generously, this wasn’t a typical romance simulation.
If anything…
It felt closer to a mystery thriller.
Maybe this warning was simply another way of reinforcing that eerie atmosphere.
Then another unsettling phrase reached my ears.
“Even if you see… strange figures…”
“You must pretend you didn’t.”
“S-Strange figures? What do you mean?”
“…I don’t know what form they’ll take.”
“But if you follow the forest path beyond the moat gate all the way to the end, you’ll reach the village.”
“Once you’re there…”
“It’s safe to look back.”
What is this? Why make it sound so creepy…?
Still, she wasn’t trying to harm me.
After thinking over her warning, I slowly nodded.
“What about on the way back?”
“Should I avoid looking behind me then too? Even if I see something?”
“Yes.”
“…Alright. I’ll remember.”
Then again…
Ever since arriving in this game, I’d experienced more than enough things that defied common sense.
Remembering that this was all a virtual world somehow filled me with irrational confidence.
“So that’s everything I need to watch out for?”
“Yes.”
“However…”
“The Duke asked me to tell you that he wishes to see you briefly in the lobby before you depart.”
“Really? Thanks for letting me know.”
“Please be careful, Miss Windsor.”
She was worrying far too much for someone who was just going outside.
Smiling reassuringly, I waved a hand, gathered my small belongings, and headed toward the lobby.
“Miss Windsor.”
Just as expected.
The moment I entered the lobby, I found Edwin already waiting.
“Oh… hello.”
“You’re leaving now?”
“Yes!”
Why did he want to see me?
Was he actually here to see me off?
He looked down at me silently for a long moment before reaching into his pocket and holding something out.
This was…
A keychain?
A small raven, carved from what looked like a single piece of polished magical mineral, dangled from the end of a thin chain.
“What is this?”
“A magic tool.”
For a magical artifact… it’s surprisingly cute.
I accepted the raven keychain and examined it closely in my palm.
Looking carefully, I noticed a narrow groove carved into its belly.
“If the need arises to contact me,” Edwin explained,
“press firmly on its stomach, and whatever you say will be transmitted directly to me.”
“So I’ll be able to hear your voice too?”
“Yes.”
So it’s basically a cell phone?
Just as expected of the good Edwin.
He must have been worried about me going out alone.
A wave of emotion quietly welled up inside me.
“You really didn’t have to give me something like this…”
“Miss Windsor.”
His calm voice interrupted my embarrassed fidgeting.
“You are my fiancée.”
“And now…”
“You have become someone this estate cannot do without.”
…What?
‘Was… was that flirting?!’
Startled, I looked up at him.
Yet despite the words he’d spoken, Edwin’s expression remained as cold and impassive as ever.
It was the sort of face that warned me not to misunderstand.
That silent wall was enough to make me swallow the teasing joke I’d almost made.
“O-Okay… thank you.”
“I’ll be back.”
Embarrassed for no reason, I avoided his eyes under the pretense of saying goodbye.
“Travel safely.”
Edwin gave me a slight bow before slowly turning away.
Watching his broad back disappear, I couldn’t help feeling a little awkward.
‘Still… the fact that he specifically emphasized that I’m his fiancée has to be a green light… doesn’t it?’
I still hadn’t seen any system messages about affection levels.
But it was obvious that all the improvements I’d made to the estate had affected him positively.
Well, having the romance target’s affection displayed outright would probably be less fun anyway.
Creeeak.
As I pushed open the heavy doors and stepped outside, the little raven keychain the Duke had given me was already swinging gently from the waist of my dress.
Comments (0)