As I opened the door and stepped in, my eyes met those of the pink-haired person.
"Why are you here?"
Upon confirming it was me, Leonard paused his entrance and frowned.
'Tch, who does he think I'm happy to see?'
I glanced at his head and calmly replied,
"The butler guided me here."
"That's not what I mean..."
Leonard gave me a sidelong glance from head to toe and then sneered.
"Aren't you banned from the third floor?"
'Damn! Who got me banned in the first place?'
Feeling suddenly wronged, I retorted coolly,
"I'm no longer banned as of today. Father allowed it."
"Ah! That's why you suddenly asked about the attic..."
"Then why are you here?"
"I'm not banned like some cripple."
He sneered and walked in, his steps heavy.
Seeing this, my face involuntarily twisted. I didn't want my alone time to be disturbed by this unwelcome guest.
I grumbled irritably,
"I was here first."
In other words, I was telling him to leave. But he wasn't the type to listen.
"Who said what?"
Leonard walked into the attic without hesitation and plopped down on the soft couch.
He looked at me with half-lidded, lazy eyes.
"You can sit on the floor there. It suits you."
"Why are you here when you have your own room?"
"I'm the second son of this house."
'Oh, just great.'
My fists trembled. I wanted to punch his smug face but held back desperately.
'10% affection. 10% affection...'
It was the 10% I had barely earned. I had to be patient.
Pretending to ignore Leonard, I focused on the window again.
But he didn't leave me alone.
"What are you going to do, sitting there like a stone?"
"I'm just going to watch the fireworks and leave, so don't worry."
"Pity. You can't see the training ground from here."
He said something out of the blue and chuckled.
"Today is the last day of the festival, so everyone else has left early, but the slave you brought will probably still be running around."
"What...?"
I felt dazed, as if I had heard something I shouldn't have. I slowly turned my head towards him.
"...What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said. He's probably the only one left, training his heart out."
Leonard grinned and answered smoothly. I was speechless for a moment, then finally managed to ask,
"...Why?"
"Because I told him to."
'What a lunatic!'
Thud, thud. I could hear Eclis's affection level plummeting.
While I wasn't paying attention, something ridiculous must have happened.
'No, my full dedication!'
I jumped up to check his affection level.
Just as I was about to rush out of the attic,
Thud.
"Going to see that kid?"
My wrist was roughly grabbed. The lovely pink hair fluttered in front of my eyes.
Leonard had risen like lightning and was holding me. I frowned in frustration.
"Let go."
"It's too late. The moment you brought him in, he was marked by me."
"Ha..."
Leonard winked and said playfully.
I was stunned.
Sighing deeply, I tried to pull my hand away and muttered irritably,
"Why are you so childish? Try to be a bit nicer."
"Your words give me the creeps, you know."
He exaggeratedly rubbed his arm. I glanced at the [10% affection] above his head.
'What did this guy eat wrong today?'
The lunch I didn't eat was excellent.
There was no reason for this well-fed guy to be so eager to pick a fight.
Of course, Leonard was always like this, but today was especially bad.
"If you don't like me being here, just say so."
"..."
"I'll leave the spot for you."
I decided to back down with a sigh.
It would only harm me to argue further. It was better to avoid conflict.
'So just tell me to leave. I'll go quietly.'
I was waiting for his response quietly.
"Do you have no conscience?"
The guy, who had been staring at me, suddenly said something out of context.
"...What?"
"How dare you crawl in here, knowing where you are?"
"...Ha."
I couldn't help but laugh.
'He sounds like a mother-in-law scolding a daughter-in-law she doesn't like.'
I wasn't trying to mock Leonard, but I could see sparks in his bright blue eyes.
I quickly lowered my gaze and replied obediently,
"...What do you mean?"
"I thought you had finally come to your senses, being quiet and staying in your room lately... I was the one who was crazy."
"..."
"Thinking that a shameless girl like you had changed even a little bit."
I swallowed a sigh that escaped involuntarily.
Why should I be here to calm his temper?
After venting my anger with the butler, I was honestly tired and burdened by this situation.
Along with the Crown Prince, Leonard was a time bomb that should be avoided as much as possible.
I tried to soothe him with a tired voice.
"Leonard. Don't beat around the bush. If you have something to say, just say it. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden..."
"Did you come here to make a wish while watching the fireworks again?"
But before I could finish, he cut in sharply.
"I hope Ibon never returns to this house, or even better..."
"..."
"Disappears forever or dies."
"..."
"That's the wish you made here 6 years ago, when you lost Ibon on the last day of the festival."
Leonard's face, illuminated by the sunset streaming through the window, was flushed red.
He was laughing savagely, his eyes filled with malice.
'Penelope did that?'
I was inwardly shocked and could only stare at him.
I didn't know the main character had lost her brother during the festival.
Thinking back, it might have been mentioned briefly in the prologue of the game, but it didn't affect the story, so I didn't remember it.
'...Becoming a noble lady overnight, she had every reason to hope the real noble lady wouldn't return.'
In any case, as Penelope, I understood her actions.
Having experienced a similar situation of suddenly becoming a rich girl, I could relate more easily.
However, the main character's second brother, who had despised her so much in the past, seemed to hate her even more for climbing into the attic.
"How does it feel? You've been occupying Ibon's place for 6 years, just as you wished."
Leonard's demeanor was terrifying, as if a dead-end flag had been planted.
Looking at him, who was glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me, I carefully chose my words.
'What can I say to avoid provoking his dirty temper and make things better?'
On the day of losing his only brother, encountering a wicked girl who had taken his place must have been unbearable.
'If I act weak like the original Penelope, it could be disastrous.'
I instinctively rolled my eyes, checking for anything that could kill me nearby.
There was nothing sharp in the attic. But looking for such things was futile.
If an enraged Leonard pushed me out the window or strangled me, I would be dead.
"...I was young and foolish back then."
I took a step back from the window and managed to speak.
"I'm sorry. I apologize now. I've reflected a lot, so please forgive me."
"Reflect? Ha."
But Leonard didn't calm down even with my carefully chosen apology.
"Alright. Since it's in the past, let's talk about it."
"..."
"Why did you go that far? Ibon wouldn't have kicked you out even if he returned."
This was the most difficult situation I had ever faced with him. Even a sincere apology didn't work!
'What should I say now?'
I hadn't done it, so I was at a loss for words.
I was drenched in cold sweat.
"Answer me."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come up here. I was shortsighted."
"Is it that easy to let it go with an apology from you?"
"...Leonard."
"Father never told me how you convinced him. How did you manage to charm a duke at such a young age? Teach me, I want to learn."
The situation was getting out of control. His affection gauge was flashing dangerously.
The corners of Leonard's eyes, which were glaring at me, were already red.
I couldn't tell if it was from the sunset or from his intense anger.
Feeling wronged and increasingly depressed, I tried to stay calm.
This situation was dangerous, and if I couldn't resolve it, I needed to escape quickly.
I slowly spoke.
"I'm truly sorry for what I did when I was immature. I sincerely apologize. But losing your brother has nothing to do with me."
"..."
"I came up here today because the butler suggested watching the fireworks from here. Father also allowed it, so I came after a long time, planning to leave soon..."