Chapter 39

The villain's ending is only death, Chapter 39

‘Ugh.’

I shuddered reflexively and, while stroking the ruby ring on my left hand, tried to think cynically.

“You just need to pull the leash when the dog tries to bite its master.”

Of course, I would have to endure a sharp drop in affection when the leash tightened around the dog’s neck.

‘I thought it was the only breakthrough, but why does it keep feeling like an all-or-nothing situation?’

I shook my head to dispel the uneasy thoughts and moved on to the next one.

“Bunter Verdandi.”

He was the character who first made me taste the fear of a sharp drop in affection.

I had already decided not to look back, but seeing the figure ‘15%’ made me hesitate.

Bunter had the disadvantage of being the one who made contact with the heroine the fastest, but he also had the advantage of being the most normal among the five.

Tap, tap, tap, tap. The speed at which I tapped the paper with the pen tip gradually increased.

“Sigh.”

Unable to make a clear decision, I threw the pen away.

“Why is nothing easy...”

Just then.

Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door.

I was in an extremely sensitive state, scribbling down important things that shouldn’t be discovered by others.

So, my voice unintentionally came out sharp.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Pernel, Miss.”

The butler.

“...Wait.”

I smiled wryly, neatly organized the papers on the desk, and tucked them deep into a drawer.

After placing the pen I was holding into the pen holder, I finally allowed him to enter.

“Come in.”

Click. The door opened cautiously, and the butler entered.

“What is it?”

“The Duke wishes to have lunch with you for the first time in a long while.”

“...Lunch?”

I blinked. It was an unfamiliar term.

Since coming here, I had always eaten alone in my room.

Although the meals were a continuous series of ridiculous menus compared to the formal dinners I knew from noble households, I was somewhat satisfied.

Because it was better than eating rotten food or starving, as I did at first.

There was no need to clash with the Duke and his sons unnecessarily, and Emily, who felt guilty towards me, served me with great care.

‘How perfect is this solo dining?’

I didn’t want to go down to the first-floor dining room and eat lunch with people I found uncomfortable.

Moreover, just imagining eating while receiving the disapproving glares of the staff who hated me for securing the position of the Duke’s daughter made my stomach feel queasy.

“...I don’t mind eating alone in my room, as I’ve been doing.”

I tried to politely decline, hoping to avoid it if possible.

“After all, the period of penance isn’t officially over yet.”

“You must attend, as the Duke has something important to discuss.”

“‘You must attend’... So, the brothers will be there too?”

“Of course.”

Damn. I barely managed to keep my expression from crumpling.

It would be foolish to openly show my dislike in front of the Duke and Derrick’s closest confidants.

‘Sigh... Mind control, mind control...’

I sighed deeply to myself.

“Butler, before we go to the dining room, there’s something I need you to do...”

“Please instruct me, Miss.”

The old butler’s eyes changed at my words.

“Do you have any antacids? Could you bring them to my room after lunch?”

“...Antacids?”

The butler, surprised by my sudden request for antacids before even eating, asked curiously.

“Yeah.”

I nodded firmly.

Because I was about to have a severe case of indigestion.

I followed the butler out of the room.

He said that everything was already prepared for lunch and everyone was waiting for me downstairs, so there was no time to hesitate, using preparation as an excuse.

“The Duke seems to be very busy with palace affairs lately.”

As we walked down the corridor in silence, the butler suddenly matched my pace and spoke.

I didn’t know the Duke was busy. I had noticed he was coming home late, but I didn’t really care.

“He seems to be busier lately.”

However, I nodded silently with a blank expression in response.

I somehow felt the butler carefully observing my face.

“Didn’t you used to attend meals whenever the Duke was at home?”

“...”

“Is there something uncomfortable about the dining room?”

At his continued question, I frowned slightly.

‘...Did Penelope say that?’

What a joke. Why would she force herself to attend such a place where she would only be ignored or despised?

‘She really... sigh.’

But for some reason, I couldn’t criticize her harshly, as I understood why she had stubbornly attended the Duke’s meals.

In the past, I always gave up quickly and would never have acted like Penelope.

But that didn’t mean I was any less miserable.

The sound of cutlery from the kitchen, the simple greetings about the day, and the perfect family scene... except for me.

“...Miss. Miss Penelope?”

I blinked at the voice calling me.

Pernel, who had been walking beside me, was looking at me curiously as we had already reached the stairs.

“...No, nothing’s wrong.”

Before he could think anything strange, I descended the stairs nonchalantly.

“It was only right to eat in my room while I was under penance for my misdeeds.”

“Really... No, I didn’t mean to... I apologize, Miss.”

The butler seemed genuinely surprised to hear such words from Penelope, and he stumbled over his words.

He quickly stopped and changed the subject.

“The Duke has been quite lonely since you haven’t left your room.”

“...”

“He won’t scold you for joining the meal.”

I laughed at the butler’s words.

Even a dog that doesn’t come out of its house will eventually be checked on.

It seemed the head of this household could feel loneliness but had no intention of checking whether his youngest adopted daughter was eating or starving in her room.

“I wonder. Would the eldest brother think the same?”

“That...”

At my self-deprecating question, the butler tried to say something, but I was quicker.

“Open it.”

We had arrived at the dining room.

I arrogantly gestured with my chin to the servants standing politely beside the tightly closed door, ready to serve the meal.

They bowed and obeyed my command, but their glances were far from friendly.

It didn’t matter. I had no energy to care about the minor extras.

The door opened, and the faces of the people I truly had to deal with were revealed.

The stern-faced middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table, and next to him, [Affection 10%], [Affection 20%].

“Do you have a sense of time or not? Why are you so late?”

As soon as I entered the dining room, [Affection 10%] frowned and started a quarrel.

The beginning of a hellish banquet.

Since the others were sitting on the Duke’s right, I naturally moved to the left.

The butler, who followed me, pulled out a chair and, after confirming I was seated, stepped back.

I felt like a criminal who had been escorted to the scene.

‘They said it was lunch, but they really went all out with the spread.’

It was a grand feast of luxurious dishes I hadn’t seen since coming here.

Of course, it would be difficult to eat such elaborate meals since I had to eat in my room on the second floor, but it made me realize Penelope’s position all over again.

Just as I was staring blankly at the variety of dishes, a heavy voice fell from the Duke, who was sitting at the head of the table.

“...Let’s eat.”

The formal meal began.

Actually, I didn’t know much about the order of utensils used by nobles.

But Penelope was never a person who followed such common sense.

So, even if I didn’t use proper etiquette, it wouldn’t be a big issue.

‘It’s fortunate that my reputation can’t fall any further.’

I glanced sideways to confirm that everyone was picking up their spoons and looked down at the utensils set before me.

“...Huh.”

And immediately, a cold laugh escaped my lips.

The utensils given to me were all like toys for young children just learning to use forks.

“What’s the matter?”

Hearing my laughter, the Duke’s sharp eyes turned to me.

“Nothing.”

I shook my head hurriedly and picked up the utensils as if nothing was wrong.

Thinking about it, they wouldn’t care which spoon I used to eat.

‘If they cared even a little, they would have already noticed the Duke sitting right next to me.’

Someone in the kitchen had dared to play such a prank on the Duke’s daughter’s table.