Chapter 3: Adonis Liberica Duke(3)

I’m not sure why he came to my room, but he left soon.

Hehe, that’s not the point.

The allowance I received from the Duke, or rather, the symbol of the family?

I’m looking at the symbol of the Duke’s family while lying on my bed, and it’s showing off such a beautiful appearance!

It’s card-shaped, and with this, you can buy anything in the name of the Duke’s family.

Because the Duke’s family will pay for it!

…But what I wanted was cash. Did he misunderstand me?

I need cash to run away if something happens. But I can’t take this with me.

…This won’t work. I need to buy things with this and then sell them to make money.

To do that, I need to buy things that are valuable and easy to convert into cash.

…But who should I ask to do it?

“Miss. It’s not good for your health if you only stay in your room.”

Anna, looking at me rolling around on the bed, is telling me that it’s not good for my health if I only stay in my room.

I checked the heart above her head, and it was shining brightly, and it was more than half full.

At this point, can I trust her and ask her to do it?

…Still, because there’s a chance something could happen, I should test it a few times and make sure before I ask her.

To do that, shall I start working on increasing the likeability?

I patted the spot next to me on the bed with my hand and beckoned.

“Come here!”

“W-where did you learn to say that!?”

I embraced Anna, who came and sat next to me despite her shock, and opened my mouth.

“Hug Anna?”

“……”

There was no change in her expression, but I had a cheat code.

The heart fluttered and filled up more than before, so it seemed she liked this kind of wordplay.

“Will you buy the things I ask for with this?”

“…I’m sorry. I, I can’t use such a precious thing.”

Anna looked distressed, refusing politely as soon as my words were over.

“Anna’s the only person I can ask right now. Really, can’t you?”

I looked at her with clear eyes, and she seemed to be hesitating, and the heart was shaking tremendously, but at some point, it calmed down.

“…Do you really trust me?”

“If I don’t trust our Anna, who can I trust…?”

Looking at her with an earnest expression, Anna finally accepted my card and told me to trust her.

I wrote down the items I needed on paper and asked her to run the errands. She left my room, saying she would be back soon.

…Actually, something I didn’t tell Anna was that if I wanted to buy something over a certain amount, I needed a document stamped with the family’s seal along with the card.

Well, I didn’t lie.

She’ll be my accomplice, and after I’ve earned money, I can launder it.

Hehehe, also, if I pay her a commission, she’ll become an accomplice.

A sunny morning! Delicious meals! A great bed!

When those three things came together, I could always visit the Duke in the morning feeling great.

This morning, as usual, I knocked on the Duke’s office door and went into the room, and the Duke was working.

“Hehehe, I came because I wanted to see the Duke!”

“Ahem, I can’t help it. Sit on the sofa.”

I sat on the sofa and pretended to watch the Duke work, and I checked the heart above his head.

It’s not as much as Anna, but still about 30%…? It seemed to have filled.

This was the result of a month.

I was kicked out in 10 seconds on the first day, but look at me now! I can sit on the Duke’s office sofa!

With my new ability, I can understand the other person’s atmosphere and lead the conversation in the desired direction, so increasing my likeability is as easy as eating a hot pancake!

I was smiling brightly and watching without offending the Duke, and the maids came in with snacks!

Numerous snacks began to be set on the table, and each dessert boasted its own splendor.

From the strawberry cake I saw in my past life to chocolate cake, many cookies, and pudding. I stared at them, drooling.

But the Duke’s voice was heard.

“Why are you staring?”

…Can’t I even stare?

I closed my eyes tightly and tried not to look, but the snacks I had just seen began to appear in my mind.

And I knew the taste from my past life, so my mouth was watering like a flood.

Does he dislike snacks?

I looked at the youngest daughter, who wasn’t eating the snacks and was closing her eyes, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

I watched her drooling, and her stomach rumbled, too.

…Who did she take after?

If she was like me, she would have eaten without hesitation, and if she was like my wife, she would have already eaten everything…?

“My youngest.”

“…Huh? Hup!?”

I put a cookie in my youngest daughter’s mouth, and it was amazing to see her take the cookie even though she was surprised.

Her eyes were as round as a rabbit’s, and as she ate the cookie I gave her, she looked like a squirrel.

When I gave her another cookie, she looked happy, eating it little by little like a squirrel, and I felt mixed emotions.

The young lady of the Duke’s family is so happy just for a cookie…

It’s my fault.

I couldn’t understand my youngest daughter’s personality.

…No, I wasn’t even interested.

“……”

I watched the youngest daughter eating the desserts, and the youngest daughter looked at the cake once, then at me once, and then at the cake again, and closed her eyes.

I was thinking about whether something had happened, and she poked a strawberry on the cake with a fork and headed it toward me.

“Duke, eat one.”

“…I like wild strawberries. You eat them all, my youngest.”

“Re, really?”

I almost laughed as I watched the strawberry go straight into her mouth.

But there was a more serious problem.

“My youngest. Why are you calling me Duke?”

“…Because you’re the Duke?”

“Isn’t there a better way to call me?”

How much time had passed?

My youngest, who had been thinking hard, with an expression of concern, didn’t open her mouth for a long time, but finally opened her mouth.

“Head of the family?”

“……”

Not yet. After all, she hasn’t done anything for me as a parent.

“I feel like my stomach is going to burst.”

“Miss! You shouldn’t use that kind of expression!”

I was only telling the truth, but I was scolded again.

More than that, I can’t move because I’m so full.

“It’s not healthy to lie down right after eating! Shall we go for a walk?”

“I, it’s impossible. I can’t move a step because I’m so full.”

“I heard there are many delicious wild strawberries on the hill behind the house. Let’s go pick them!”

Uhm, the Duke said he liked wild strawberries. Should I try to earn some points…?

…Impossible. I’m really too full. I’ll go next time.

In the end, after promising to go next time, I sent Anna away, looking disappointed, and decided to rest on the bed.

…I can’t sleep now that I’m lying down.

Whether it was because of rolling around or because there was a black hole in my stomach, I digested it quickly.

Uhm, in this state, I think I can go to the mountain to pick wild strawberries…?

Anna clearly asked me to go together, but there must be romance in the adventure.

Life is solo!

I started walking to the hill behind the house alone, and fortunately, there was no one there.

It seems it overlapped with the servants’ rest time. Today is a lucky day…?

The path to the hill behind the house.

It’s well-made like a hiking trail, and you just have to follow it, but a true adventurer opens up the path!

Looking at the mountain, which is higher than I thought, I went straight in the direction without a path, and I saw numerous wild strawberries.

Wouldn’t it be enough to eat them all year round…?

Also, to work on my likeability! And at the same time, to raise my reputation!

I started picking wild strawberries indiscriminately, but the problem was I didn’t bring a basket to take them.

…Can’t I just put them in my pocket…?

No! It’s not hygienic! Let’s break off the branches with the most berries and take them.

I was holding a branch with many wild strawberries in each hand, and I was about to go home, but a problem arose.

…Which way did I come from?

At the same time, chaos broke out in the Duke’s family.

The young lady disappeared while they were away for a while.

“It’s a disaster!! The young lady has disappeared!!”

That incident entered the Duke’s ears in an instant, and a state of emergency was declared.

“Release all the knights and find my youngest.”

As they were preparing and about to set out to find the youngest, they caught the youngest’s exclusive maid.

“She is the most likely suspect. What should we do?”

“…Do you know anything?”

“U, uh, I, I told her about the wild strawberries on the hill behind the house, and, perhaps, she went to the hill behind the house alone…?”

Looking at the maid, who was trembling, and said everything, I suddenly remembered what I had told the youngest.

Could it be. Did she go to pick wild strawberries because of what I said?

“……”