Episode 9

Outside the Lupinus Kingdom, there is a place that must pass through one southern kingdom.

There is a lawless city called Digitallis in that place. Digitallis was the first to find peace amidst the chaos of dungeon occurrences.

Although that peace was obtained through money and violence. In that place, the antagonist of this game, Ricardo, lives.

Ricardo Giato Digitallis, at the age of 18, killed his beloved father and rose to the pinnacle of the Giato family. At the age of 22, he seized the only throne of the lawless city and wiped out half of the continent with a monster army in the year he became the ruler. He is a cruel man who commits all the evil in this world and condemns the good.

But at the same time, he was also the protagonist of the hidden ending.

"By now, Ricardo must be 15 years old."

Blanche looked around her narrow room in the twilight.

Her bedroom was the smallest room on the second floor.

Still, it had a bed, a vanity, and a sink.

Blanche thought, "These things don't suit me. I will have something better."

Better than the greenhouse or dresses and accessories of the Earl's daughter, Mariette.

Of course, wealth, honor, and power.

So, I will never let anyone treat me disrespectfully.

"To do that, I should stick by the side of the female protagonist. But I don't want to go find her right now. It's like suffering as a secretary."

The answer came faster than expected.

It is to quietly avoid Ricardo, the antagonist, and when everything is resolved, turn to the female protagonist, Anastasia.

Then Blanche's remaining life can become peaceful.

In the midst of the room burning in the sunset glow, Blanche stood in front of the balcony door.

Beyond the glass window, an empty balcony was visible. Disappointed in her family, falling from the third floor on her own felt like a distant past.

The chilly air clung to her skin. "Now, all that's left is deciding when and how to leave this house."

Blanche thought that she shouldn't head straight to Digitallis, but first raise her level. "Since there are no monsters, I'll have to complete regular quests."

But in what era. . . Ah! A good idea came to her. There is a way to effectively level up quickly!

Blanche enjoyed the last remnants of the sunset barely left on the balcony. A familiar voice urgently called her from behind.

"Blanche!"

"Pierre, is that you?" Blanche turned around, surprised to see Pierre there. She turned pale as if she would faint at any moment.

Tears as clear as dew fell from his sharp jawline. "No, I was wrong, Blanche. So please. . . please stop having bad thoughts. Please, yes. . . ?"

Suddenly, a very good idea flashed through Blanche's mind. She showed Pierre that her leg had healed. Pierre rushed over and embraced her, bursting into tears.

Blancshe thought calmly as she faced him.

"Someday, Pierre will give the heroine a hidden item as a gift."

Blancshe waited until Pierre's crying subsided and then let out a sigh.

However, he could only stutter and couldn't bring himself to answer.

He knew that saying anything now would only hurt his younger brother, as Blancshe's marriage had already been decided.

"Blancshe. . . I. . ."

"Shh. It's okay, brother. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything unnecessary." Pierre felt his tears welling up again.

"I'm sorry. I'm the one who should apologize. If I had known, I would have asked the princess for help from the beginning. I'm sorry, Blancshe. My brother. . . I'm truly sorry for everything."

Blancshe made a pitiful expression, but in her mind, she was calculating more coldly than anyone else.

"So that's how it turned out. Given the Marquis' personality, if we help him once, we'll have to keep helping him in the future, so it's better to block it from the start." She gently slapped her wet brother's cheek.

In this moment, she was a born swindler. "Our brother. How will we survive under the notorious Marquis in the future?"

Pierre replied with a hoarse voice, "Now is not the time for me to worry, Blanche. You, marrying a viscount, look like that!"

"Brother, if you're really sorry, will you grant me one wish?"

"Tell me, whatever it is, I'll try my best."

Suddenly, Pierre tilted his head in surprise, and Blanche answered with embarrassment.

"When you and sister were young, you used to go in and look around the treasure vault, but I couldn't because I was timid. There are many valuable things in there. I thought I wouldn't be able to go in until I left the family. So, I wanted to see it at least once."

The marquis didn't hesitate to discriminate against her, fearing that she would break or damage the family's treasure.

As the embarrassing past came to mind, Pierre unknowingly blushed. Moreover, his sister's wish to get married was just something like this, and it broke his heart.

"Alright. I'll try to get the key from Father tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll trust only you, brother. And Pierre, there's one more thing I want to ask."

Blanche's beautiful smile faded for a moment, and she laughed bitterly. "I hope you keep it a secret from Father and sister that I can walk perfectly fine. They will both be upset for sure."

That's how it was.

If the Marquis knew, alcohol addiction might start.

"Blanche, don't you hate us?"

"How could I hate my family? Whether they are good or bad, they are still my family."

Pierre's crying was truly beautiful. Before the game was released, he told the female employees, "The character I want to make cry the most."

The next day, the Marquis personally came to find Blanche, holding the key to the treasure vault.

He shed tears as he listened to Pierre's story of searching for the key to the treasure vault.

"To my daughter who is marrying such a worthless person, this is all I can do." The Marquis stood in front of his second daughter with his eyes filled with anger.

When the Marquis cried, Pierre cried along with him, so Pierre's face was indescribable.

The two of them looked like a pair of goldfish. The Marquis personally placed the key in Blanche's hand as she sat in a wheelchair.

"Now, Blancche. This is the key to our family's treasure vault."

Blancche pretended to be happy, pretending to be a "good daughter," if it meant she could hit the back of the Marquis's head soon.

"Thank you, Father. And please forgive me for being sensitive lately. I was anxious because the wedding is approaching. I'm sorry, Father." The Marquis apologized as if he was about to cry.

"No, Blancche. There is nothing you need to apologize for."

It was true. But was it not inappropriate to speak honestly?

She forced a gentle smile and patted the dog.

"No, I'm a bad girl."

"Blancche. . ."

Pierre filled the Marquis's hesitation.

He knelt down on one knee in front of the wheelchair and gently held his sister's hand. "Blancche, would you like to have a picnic in the greenhouse after visiting the treasure vault? The weather is unusually nice for winter, it would be a waste to just let it pass."

Blancche could see through Pierre's true intentions in an instant. 'The treasure vault must be quite empty. He's considerate because there isn't much time to look around, thinking I might be disappointed. '

In her memory, the treasure vault was about 50 square meters, filled with various gold and jewels.

It would be a waste if someone with the ability didn't make use of such a place."

While biting her tongue inwardly, Blancche continued to act.

"Really? That's great. Oh, by the way, Father, would you like to come to the picnic too?"

"Of course. Even if it's late, spend the day by your side, feeling grateful like this."

And Blancshe. . .

. . . was Blancshe-like.

Because Pierre sniffled and said, "Let's go, Blancshe. Let's go see the treasure vault."

"Pierre, I will push Blancshe's wheelchair."

Blancshe smiled brightly as her eyes met with the Marquis who was trying to stand behind her.

"Father, I'm so happy. You finally gave me some time."

"Blancshe, from now on, you can call me 'Dad'."

"Ahem. Even if Pierre doesn't know, Alphonse and Mariette still call me 'Dad'."

She couldn't be more delighted than this.

E

'What is that supposed to mean now?'

Blanche imitated a gentle voice, hiding her trembling appearance. | ". . . No. Father. I'm about to become the Countess soon. Juan Viscount wouldn't want his future bride to beg like a child."

"Yes. . . I was too short-sighted."

Pierre, who saw through his father's disappointment, hinted at his younger brother.

11

"Blanche, stop that and call Father 'Dad' now. You used to use the word 'Father' more often than 'Dad' when you were young."

That was true.

However, it was only following the Marquis's command.

The Marquis had been afraid of hearing evaluations that he raised his sickly daughter as a burden, so he put extra effort into Blanche's etiquette education since she was young.

For a moment, Blanche was taken aback, but she could easily see through the Marquis's true feelings.

"Since I'm about to become the Countess and you think I'm a useful daughter, you want to improve our relationship, right?"

Suppressing the desire to grind her teeth, Blanche cautiously pursed her lips. | "Da. . . d?"

A warm and bright light shone on the Marquis's face.

Seeing this, Blanche's heart instantly sank, but she didn't say anything.

'I should have realized it when he ruined the household finances. This man has been crazy for a long time!'

But that was only in her heart.

It was nothing more than Blanche meeting the Marquis's green eyes with her own and smiling faintly.

And then, I faced an even more frustrating sight.

On Pier's lips, who had been watching such a woman, a pleased smile appeared.

With the desire to faint immediately, Blancshe forced a fake laugh. "Let's go quickly, ah. . . ba. . ."

Only then did the wheelchair start moving.

The three people, who usually had lively conversations, looked very pleasant to others.

Only until Mariette appeared.

She was standing in front of the water storage room at the end of the second-floor dormitory.

Whether she was waiting for the three people or not, Mariette greeted them with a bright smile.

"Welcome, Dad. Brother, Blancshe."

Mariette is hostile towards you.

The villainess receives worship from the family and. . .

Note: Unrevised