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Chapter 44
2-1. Sure, you have skills now, but nobody ever said you can use them as you please.
Translated by Yonnee
“Then please feel free to let me or Miss Leticia know. Young Master, you don’t have to come out yourself just to trim the garden. All you have to do is tell us how to trim and decorate the garden, and we’ll take it from there. Why do this when you can just sit back comfortably, sir?”
“So.”
“Huh?”
“So you’ll do everything I ask you to? But then I won’t have anything left to do for Mother.”
“F-For real?”
What the. My lips answered automatically because I didn’t expect his answer. He’s Satan, but did he still love the countess because she was the person who gave birth to him? But that doesn’t add up.
In the game, even the count and the countess were Adrian’s kill targets. Or maybe… Was he planning to lure the countess to the garden, by the citrus tree, then brutally kill her there?
Yeah, that sounds more believable. This devil right here couldn’t possibly feel any human affection.
“But Hilda, are you going somewhere else? I don’t think there are any more shops on this street.”
I was about to go see the neighborhood patrol of this town and ask them about the recent murders, dear young master. I don’t think you’re the one who did it, but if they were looking for evidence or witnesses, I thought I’d join the witness protection program, ‘s’all.
I couldn’t say all this honestly, now could I, so I turned around with my back to the neighborhood patrol headquarters and pointed at some other random place.
“Um, there… No, over there?”
“That place… is a dead end, Hilda.”
Gosh. Looks like he knows this village well enough.
I looked elsewhere and tried to make a rough guess, but time passed and I still couldn’t find anything. Somehow, his gaze was persistent on me, so I let out a deep sigh, acting as if I had no other choice but to say this.
“Yes, I lied, actually. I wasn’t really going that direction, but it’s because I stopped by the stationary store for a bit. Because of you, Young Master.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes. Young Master, if you were to receive a gift, what kind of gift would you like the most?”
Rather than just looking around, waiting for the notification that would say, 「 Adrian likes this item 」 it’d be much better to just ask the guy directly. As long as it’s an item he actually likes, if I throw something like that at him, then I’m sure that his favorability points would go up, too.
“Will you buy it for me?”
“Um, well, it depends on the, um, budget, so I guess… maybe… or maybe not…”
“If it’s from Hilda, I’ll be happy to receive anything.”
When Adrian said this, he gave much emphasis on the name ‘Hilda’. I guess he really wants to receive something, huh. Maybe this is also how the count’s household maintains its riches.
I heard that the richer you are, the more… well…
“Here, I thought you’d like this, so I bought it.”
With a trembling hand, I took the pencil out of my pocket. It’s quite literally something I bought with my entire fortune, but what was I doing, giving it away without getting anything in return.
No matter what kind of game it was, I used to play until the maximum level without having to shell out any cash. But why do I keep getting ripped off here? It felt like I was in a constant losing battle against the game system.
I don’t want to give it to him. I want to take it back to the store and ask for a refund. I want to safeguard my money, even if it’s just 1 gold…
When I said that it’s for him, I felt my face twitch, starting from my lips.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Yes…”
To be more exact, I’m only giving it to you to raise your favorability. If that shoots up, then so do my chances of surviving and living a cushy life.
“This pencil looks like it’s easy and convenient to use. Thank you very much, Hilda. I’ll use it a lot.”
But what if the points don’t go up that much? Then I’ll just have to abandon the plan to raise his favorability. If it’s not going to be very efficient…
「 You gifted Adrian an ‘ordinary pencil’. 」
「 Adrian is delighted. 」
「 Adrian’s favorability has risen by 30 points. 」
「 Adrian’s favorability : Lvl.1 (34/400) 」
Hm. 30 points for 1 gold is quite the bargain. If I just flatter him a few times a day while throwing a pencil at him at the same time, I might be able to raise his favorability pretty fast.
He only received a shabby pencil, but Adrian smiled so brightly that even the person looking at him became delighted.
But for some reason, there was a certain image overlapping his figure right now. The one I saw at the game’s title screen—the one that seemed like Diablo’s fiery pit.
I managed to raise your favorability points, but why does it look like your smile became even more menacing…?
The moment I saw that expression, I was thrown into agony once more. Is it really a good idea to get the devil to like me?
Of course, indifference was surely the best, but I had to exclude that route because I messed that one up early on. In the first place, didn’t I ruin everything from the very beginning while I was supposed to be the maid who’s in charge of Adrian’s meds?
“Then, are you finished with your errands here?”
“Yes, Young Master. I bought everything already, so I was on my way back.”
I looked around again and tried to memorize the way to the neighborhood patrol headquarters that was not too far away from here. I’m gonna need to go there later. I need to pay a visit and talk to Inspector Harrison.