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Chapter 8




The Villain's Ending is Only Death Chapter 8
I quickly climbed the stairs and returned to my room. After shutting the door in a panic, I jumped straight into bed.
“Phew...”
The frozen stiffness in my body slowly melted away at the soft touch of the sheets.
Even though it was just morning turning into noon, the day felt as if it had already ended, leaving me feeling utterly exhausted.
To calm my heart, which was still pounding from the encounter with Derrick, I took several deep breaths.
Suddenly, a hollow laugh escaped me.
“Ha. I’m still alive, at least.”
It seemed that my stubborn attempts to play the game multiple times were not in vain.
Even in the midst of all that chaos, I didn’t forget to call Derrick ‘Young Duke’—a detail that I managed to remember.
As my tension eased, the content of the game naturally came to mind.
When I first started the game, Derrick’s affection level was unlike that of the other male leads; it was like a turbulent wave.
I would barely manage to raise it a little by making the right choices, only for it to plummet with the next choice.
I had no idea why.
‘He’s not even a personality disorder, so why is his mood so unpredictable?’
It took several deaths to finally understand the reason.
Derrick hated Penelope so much that even the way she called him ‘Big Brother’ was horrifying to him.
So every time I chose an option that included the word ‘Big Brother,’ his affection level would drop without any apparent reason.
“Tricky. Even more so than our eldest.”
I frowned and clicked my tongue at Derrick’s character.
At least I managed to remember this fact, which allowed me to survive this long.
‘I must never call Derrick ‘Big Brother’ again.’
I repeated this to myself several times, resolving to be careful in the future.
Of course, I plan to avoid him as much as possible, but I need to be prepared for any unexpected game developments.
As I lay there, lost in thought, my heavy eyelids began to droop.
‘I should eat something.’
Food is the source of all energy. It was almost lunchtime.
However, the shock from the morning left me with no appetite.
‘Ah, whatever.’
Feeling too lazy to do anything, I simply closed my eyes. Sleep was more important than food.
Perhaps I just wanted to avoid the bleak reality.
Before long, I fell into a deep sleep, as if I were dead.
* * *
“What is this doing in your room?”
A voice colder than winter frost fell by my pillow. Then, a fierce shout came from the side.
“Answer me, you little rat! You stole it!”
“Leonard.”
The Duke reprimanded Leonard, who was spewing vulgar insults.
Leonard shut his mouth but stomped his foot in frustration.
‘What’s this about?’
I looked around blankly and then lowered my head.
The lowered view, the small hands.
I immediately realized that this was Penelope’s dream.
“Answer me, Penelope. Why do you have the Countess’s necklace? I distinctly remember telling you that room was off-limits.”
“Father, there’s no need to look further! That girl stole it!”
Despite the Duke’s warning, Leonard continued to intimidate Penelope.
Penelope glared at him fiercely and shouted.
“I didn’t steal it! I never did!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Then why was the necklace, which Father gave to Yvonne as a birthday gift, found in your drawer?”
Leonard dangled the necklace in front of Penelope, who had never seen it before.
Naturally, Penelope waved her hands and shouted.
“I don’t know! I’ve never been in that room!”
“I saw it.”
At that moment, someone pushed through the crowd and stepped forward.
The Duke, who had been silent during the intense confrontation between Leonard and Penelope, turned to look at him.
“Steward.”
“I saw Miss Penelope frequently going up to the third floor over the past few weeks. When I checked, Yvonne’s door was unlocked.”
All eyes, including the Duke’s, turned back to Penelope.
Dozens of eyes pierced the young girl.
Even the defiant Penelope couldn’t ignore the hostile gazes.
“...No, it wasn’t me.”
She took a few steps back.
It was true that she had been going up to the third floor often.
It was the least frequented floor in the mansion and connected to the attic.
But she had only left her room to avoid being alone with the maid who bullied her, not to steal anything.
Especially not if it belonged to the real Countess.
“It’s really not me, Father! I’ve never been in that room!”
Penelope shouted desperately at the Duke, the person who had adopted her.
Her trust and affection were directed at him.
But the Duke coldly turned away from her.
“Steward. Lock all the rooms on the third floor securely. Especially Yvonne’s room—nail it shut.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“And call the jeweler immediately.”
“Father...”
The commotion that followed Penelope’s arrival at the Duke’s house was quickly resolved, regardless of her wishes.
Penelope stood frozen, staring at the Duke.
But he left without a word to her.
“Why don’t you leave our house when we’re being nice to you? Idiot.”
Leonard, confirming that his father had left, whispered cruelly.
He then roughly pushed the frozen Penelope to the ground and followed the Duke.
“Commoner.”
Derrick, standing by, muttered coldly, as if spitting.
The scene changed.
Penelope bought an enormous amount of jewelry and gold from the merchants who visited the mansion.
The amount was so large that the servants gasped, and Derrick and Leonard raged at her for her ostentatious spending.
After that, she never called the Duke ‘Father’ again.
...Knock.
A small noise pulled me from my deep sleep. I opened my eyes groggily.
Knock knock.
When there was no answer, the knocking came again, more insistently.
The short intervals between knocks were almost irritating.
I slowly sat up and spoke.
“Who is it...”
Bang. But before I could finish my question, the door opened.
“It’s me, Miss.”
Bright light flooded the room through the open door.
The room was dark, as the sun had already set.
The sudden light blinded me. I frowned and looked at the person who had opened the door.
“Steward...?”
It was rare for the steward to urgently seek out Penelope.
My heart sank, especially after the dream I had just had.
“What’s the emergency?”
Did those brats frame me again? What did I do wrong?
My voice trembled as I asked. The steward immediately explained why he had rudely burst in.
“I thought it would be best to select a new personal maid for you before dinner...”
I was momentarily stunned by the calm voice of the middle-aged man.
“Wait.”
I raised my hand to interrupt him.
The steward closed his mouth, but a faint frown appeared on his forehead, clearly displeased by my interruption.
‘Is that all?’
My first thought was absurdly one of relief.
But soon, anger quickly filled me.
‘To barge into a sleeping noble’s room without permission just to suggest hiring a new maid...’
The reason the steward gave for his visit was ridiculous.
“...Steward.”
I called him in a low voice.
“Yes, Miss.”
“What’s your name?”
“...Excuse me?”
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, he repeated it blankly. I patiently repeated myself.
“What’s your name?”
“...Pernel, Miss.”
“Then what’s my name?”
“Miss, why are you asking such a question...”
His frown deepened, clearly annoyed by my irrelevant questions.
“Answer my question. What’s my name?”
“...Penelope Ecart, Miss.”
Reluctantly, he answered in a grudging tone.
“Yes. Penelope Ecart, a noble.”
I nodded, emphasizing my name. Then, I continued in a gentle tone.
“However, I’ve never heard of a noble’s door being opened without permission by someone without a surname in a noble’s house. Has the steward heard of such a thing?”
Stupid Penelope.
If I had been angry at the humiliation and contempt, I should have used my position to put him in his place.
To ensure he would never dare to act so presumptuously again.
A formally recognized noble in the Duke’s house. A Countess, no less.
What a useful title to have.
It was a much easier position to leverage than being an illegitimate child of a wealthy family.
“Especially when it’s a common man entering a young noblewoman’s room without permission, it sounds like the kind of scandalous gossip that only circulates among commoners.”
“...”
“Isn’t that right?”
I finished speaking and smiled innocently, like a naive noble lady who knew nothing.
Indeed, the power of class was truly formidable.
“Ah, Miss!”
The steward was shocked, realizing the gravity of what I had said.