Chapter 8

I hurried up the stairs into my room. After abruptly closing the door behind me, I straight on jumped onto my bed.

"Whew...."

My stiff body melted as soon as the soft and squishy mattress came in contact.

It was only almost lunch but it felt as if a whole day has gone by.

I inhaled and exhaled a bunch to calm my heart down which was beating hard due to the nervousness I felt when I was with Derrick.

A little later, absurd laughs escaped from my mouth.

"Hah. Look, I'm still alive."

It wasn't a useless thing to do when I continuously repeated the game after failing each time.

Judging from me being able to call Derrick the 'first young master' even though I was panicking a lot at the time.

A while later, the images of the game popped up in my mind.

When I first tried the game in the difficult mode, Derrick's interest bar was one of the major concerns, unlike the other characters.

When I've increased the interest of his on me by a little through some carefully made decisions, it would go down more on the next choice I'd make.

I really didn't know the reason why.

'Why does his mood change so much in the game?'

My question was only answered through countless of deaths.

Derrick hated Penelope so much that he was terrified when she called him 'brother'.

That's why whenever I chose one with the word 'brother' in it, the interest would just sink lower.

"How picky. He's even worse than our oldest bastard."

I frowned and complained.

Anyways, thanks to that, I was able to keep myself alive.

'Let's never call him brother from now on.'

I repeated that over a few times in my head.

Of course, I'm going to try and not face him but I had to keep that in mind in case some things happen.

Thinking about this and that on the bed, I started to feel hazy.

'I need to eat something.'

Food is the main source needed for everything. It was lunchtime now.

However, from the shock I've gained today, I didn't really feel hungry.

'Ah, whatever.'

Feeling lazy now, I closed my eyes. Sleeping was the first thing in my mind.

Maybe it was because I wanted to escape from reality.

Soon after closing my eyes, I drifted to sleep.

***

"Why is this in your room?"

A voice colder than the crystals in the mid-winter could be heard over the head. Then a loud shout was heard from the side.

"Answer, you sneaky bitch! You stole it!"

"Rennald."

The duke warned Rennald who was spitting out swear words.

He didn't seem to hold his anger in with his mouth closed that he started to stomp.

'What's this?'

I blankly looked around the space and lowered my head.

Small two hands.

I could tell right away, this was Penelope's dream.

"Speak, Penelope. How do you have the gong-nyuh's necklace? I thought I told you that you can't enter the room."

[Gong-nyuh: It's a Korean word for a duke noblewomen/girl. It means the same thing as 'lady' but gong-nyuh is informal and for duke's daughter only while a lady is formal and for all noble ladies.]

"Father. I told you, that bitch stole it with no doubt!"

Even with the duke's warning, Rennald didn't hold his fury back.

Penelope glared deathly at him as she shouted.

"I didn't steal it! I didn't do anything!"

"Shut up! Stop lying! Then why did the gift father gave to Yvonne come out the drawer in your room?"

Rennald shouted with the dangling necklace in his hand.

It was her first time ever seeing that accessory. Without a doubt, Penelope shouted and refused to admit anything.

"I don't know! I never went into that room!"

"I saw everything."

It was then. From the crowd came out a man, budging through people.

The duke and Rennald turned around to face him.

"Butler."

"I've seen lady Penelope going up and down the 3rd floor often these few weeks. I've checked just in case but lady Yvonne's room door wasn't locked."

Everyone's gaze, including the duke's, turned to the little girl.

Even Penelope couldn't see ignore all these gazes, treating them as it's nothing.

"... It, it wasn't me."

She stepped backward.

It was true she went up the 3rd floor often.

It was the floor where the least amount of people walked around, and it was also because it was the floor that connected to the pathway to the attic.

She only went up there because she didn't want to be with her abusive maid, but not with the intention to steal anything.

Even more so if it was something that belonged to the real lady of the duke family.

"I really didn't, father! I never once went into that room!"

Penelope shouted, looking up at the duke.

She looked at him with the gaze of affection and trust. He was the one who brought her to this place himself after all.

However, the duke would only ignore her with an icy cold gaze.

"You, butler. Lock every room on the 3rd floor securely. Especially Yvonne's room."

"Of course, your grace."

"Also, bring the jewelry maker to the mansion tomorrow."

"F, father...."

Penelope froze in place, her face pale as a white sheet of paper.

The duke didn't say a word to her as he left the place.

"You should've left the mansion when we told you so, stupid idiot."

Rennald whispered after making sure the duke left.

Then he pushed Penelope roughly and followed after the duke.

"Trash."

Derrick coldly muttered, watching Penelope roll on the ground like trashed garbage.

The scene changed.

After that, Penelope visited many stores and bought a monstrous amount of jewelry and accessories.

She spent so much of the money that Derrick and Rennald would go crazy saying 'A bitch who doesn't know her place'.

And after that, she never called the duke 'father' any longer.

... Knock knock.

The small sound was enough to bring me conscious. I sleepily opened my eyes.

Knock knock knock.

Another set of knocks came after getting no reply from me.

The knocking seemed to be rushed which made me realize the anger and impatience of the person knocking.

I slowly sat up and opened my mouth.

"Who...."

Click-. Before I even finished my sentence, the door burst open.

"Lady. It's me."

A bright light came shining in the room from where the door was opened.

It was dark in the room, and judging from that, it looked like the sun has already set.

My eyes burned due to the sudden light shining in the room and frowned as I turned my gaze to the person who opened the door.

"Butler...?"

"I came here because there was something urgent I had to do."

There weren't many times when the butler came to find me in such a hurry.

Then I thought I felt my heart drop. Even more so from the dream I just had.

"What urgent thing?"

Did those brats blame me again? What am I guilty of now?

My voice came out shaking very much when I asked the question. The butler explained why he came bursting into my room.

"I thought it would be best to pick lady's new personal made before dinner, so...."

My mind went blank from the words that came out so casually from the mouth of one man.

"Wait."

I raised my hand and stopped him.

The butler paused. However, he seemed to be displeased with me stopping him because he faintly furrowed his eyebrow.

'Is that all?'

The first thing I felt when I heard what the butler said was ridiculously relief.

Soon, however, rage started to take over the feeling of relief.

'The reason why he opened and entered through the door to my room without my permission was just to pick a new maid... ?'

I was left dumbfounded at the reason the butler has stated.

"... Butler."

I called him with a deep, low voice.

"Yes, lady."

"What's your name?"

"...Pardon?"

He asked as if it was an unexpected question. I decided to be big-hearted and repeated my words for him.

"What is your name."

"... It's Pennell, lady."

"Then what is my name?"

"Lady. Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden...."

He seemed to dislike me asking questions totally not relating to the topic here. His crease between his eyebrows dug deeper.

"Answer what you're asked. What is my name?"

"... You're Penelope Eckart."

He answered, having no other choice.

"Yes. Penelope Eckart, a noble."

I nodded and applied force when I spoke my name out. Then I continued with my words.

"I've never heard of any mannered rules that allow others without a last name to just burst in the noble's room without permission. Have you?"

(A/N: If you don't have the last name, they are likely to be commoners, but if they do, they are usually nobles.)

Stupid Penelope.

If she was angry with these ignorances and hatred, then she shouldn't have screamed and made a fuss, but use her title and rank as a noble to show the lower ones their place instead.

So that they don't see you easy to mistreat you again.

'Formally adopted noble by the duke family'. And a 'gong-nyuh' at that.

What a good title to use in these sorts of cases.

It was better than 'one rich family's unknown whoreson'.

"Adding to that, a story of a man bursting into a young noble girl's room however they want seems like one case that would happen to commoners."

"...."

"Aren't I right?"

I smiled innocently after finishing my words.

Of course, as expected, the effect was great.

"L, lady!"

The butler shouted in panic, hearing my words which cannot possibly be heard by anyone else.