Presepe ended up tossing and turning all night.
"..."
At this rate, won't I collapse and die from fatigue before I even get out of the game?
And understandably so, as the reflection in the mirror was utterly pathetic. The skin was dry and rough, and the area under the eyes was dark, as if it had been roughly smudged with a black crayon.
"Ha..."
Presepe, sitting in front of the dressing table, let out a heavy sigh. Then, she briefly summarized the things she had been thinking about all night.
First of all, the most effective way to completely collapse the system was, as expected, to choose a character other than the male characters set in the game on the Day of Choice.
The Day of Choice, which is now less than two months away, is Presepe's birthday, but actually, there was nothing particularly complicated about it.
Before the bug appeared. So, to explain it according to the original system, on the morning of the Day of Choice, Presepe can choose a male character to spend her birthday with.
For example, if she chooses Dietrich, she just needs to stay with him until past midnight.
Of course, choices will continue to appear until the very end. In other words, it means she must reach 100 affection points before midnight.
However, the situation has changed now. It has deviated far from the predetermined progression of the game. Even the choices that appeared were limited to the male characters she met for the first time in this playthrough, and aside from that, she has done countless things she had never done before of her own free will.
The fixed events didn't happen at all. In fact, the subjugation festival event should have started by now, but since she had left the Imperial Palace, the subjugation festival and everything else had become completely irrelevant to Presepe.
Although the game was heading in a completely unpredictable direction, looking at it from the opposite perspective, it wasn't really a bad thing for Presepe.
Because even if the day of choice dawns, the system cannot force the male characters already decided as the ones to spend the last day with.
If the intention was really to completely collapse the system, it could be said that it was actually fortunate that a bug occurred.
Furthermore, regardless of anything else, the Day of Choice was also the most fundamental system of the game *Presepe in a Cage*.
After all, the story in this game was originally designed up until the Day of Choice.
"How the female protagonist pursues whom and what ending she achieves"—this is also the key point of all strategy games.
So, up to this point, it's a pretty good deduction and plan.
'Then what about the Grand Duke?'
The problem was Fenrir.
"Even though you said you could do anything for me..."
This is deceptive. Isn't this going too far?
It was even more so when she ruminated on Fenrir's face as he pleaded for her to love him, and his low voice that cracked slightly.
'...What if I honestly confess everything?'
Wouldn't that actually be better?
Of course, she had no idea how Fenrir would react. No, he might not believe her at all. In fact, even if he did, she wouldn't have anything to say.
And, really, what if?
Even after I have confessed everything, if the Grand Duke says he will endure it all and help me...
Will my heart be okay?
I am still wavering at that confession like this.
That's all there is to it. All you have to do is exit the game.
Will I be able to think with peace of mind like before?
It felt like a ball of yarn, so tightly tangled it could never be unraveled, rolling around in her head.
And it was none other than Hannah who managed to change Presepe's mood, even if only a little.
"Lady Presepe! It's Hannah. May I come in?"
"Yes."
As soon as she spat out the answer, Presepe roughly tidied herself up. She didn't want to burden Hannah, who was already worried about her.
"Did you sleep well? Actually, I heard from the Grand Duke! Lady Presepe stayed by his side until he woke up... huh?"
Hannah, who had been chattering as she approached, narrowed her eyes.
"The Grand Duke clearly said... that Lady Presepe had gone to sleep. But why do you look so tired? Is it because you have a lot of accumulated fatigue?!"
"..."
"Maybe that really is possible! The Grand Duke is waiting to have breakfast with you right now. Why don't you take a short nap after you finish your meal? I think that would be a good idea."
"..."
"Lady Presepe?"
When no answer came back no matter how much she chattered, Hannah finally wore a puzzled expression.
“Hannah...”
"Yes! Please tell me anything. I will help you with everything..."
Hannah could not continue speaking.
It was because of Presepe, who suddenly reached out her hand.
"Lady Presepe. Why..."
Hannah, caught off guard and held tightly in Presepe's arms, flinched slightly. However, Presepe did not let go of Hannah.
Instead, she gently patted Hannah's back.
"I'm sorry for taking the flowers without paying back then."
The little girl was crying bitterly behind Fenrir—you could tell just by looking at her face how hard life on the streets had been.
That was Hannah.
"And I'm glad to see you again like this, really."
It had a slightly different meaning from how Fenrir had come to her after going around in circles like her and enduring for a long time.
She felt a pang of sadness seeing her chubby cheeks, which had gained weight unlike back then, and she was so proud of her for growing up so brightly like this despite having gone through such a difficult childhood.
The reason she followed Presepe around like a puppy every time, talking incessantly with a flushed face, must have been because she was so glad to see her. The day they first met. When she said, "You have no idea how much I missed you," that must have meant the same thing.
Thinking that way, Presepe felt even more grateful to Hannah, who was still so young right before her eyes.
"Lady Presepe..."
Hannah paused slightly, perhaps realizing that Presepe was recalling something from the past.
“I was sorry too.”
Then, she continued speaking in a slightly hoarse voice.
"The flowers I had back then were all withered."
"..."
"I kept regretting it. That I should have given pretty flowers."
Hannah sniffled softly.
"It was a beautiful flower just as it was."
Presepe answered in a gentle voice.
"Because it was a flower given by you and the Grand Duke."
"...Really?"
Hannah pulled away slightly, looked up at Presepe, and asked.
"Then."
Finding that look cute again, Presepe chuckled and replied.
Hannah sniffled a few more times, then continued speaking with her characteristic bright smile.
"Please don't worry about anything now, Lady Presepe."
"...Yes?"
"The Grand Duke worked incredibly hard! He traversed so many battlefields... and when he heard that Lady Presepe was imprisoned in the Imperial Palace, he was extremely worried."
"..."
"But in the end, we are together like this now! We will definitely continue to do so. I promise."
Ah. Hannah doesn't know what happened between Presepe and the male characters, or the fact that she's been going in circles all this time.
"However, on the day of a celebration sometime ago... You threw yourself to your death right before my eyes. I jumped into the lake with you and rescued Lady Presepe, but that was the last time."
Could that be thethat be the reason? Since the Grand Duke was the only one there, perhaps that is why only the Grand Duke was caught up in her regression.
It’s actually a relief that Hannah doesn’t know about that.
Presepe thought to herself.
"You should go eat first!"
Hannah, who had no way of knowing Presepe's true feelings, shouted in a cheerful voice.
"The Grand Duke is waiting. I told him I would bring food to his bed since he needs to rest for a while, but he insisted on having a meal with Lady Presepe!"
"Ugh..."
"Get up quickly. Hurry up! You haven't been able to eat properly for days, either, Lady Presepe."
Regardless of Presepe's reaction, Hannah was practically headstrong.
Eventually, Presepe got up from her seat as if pushed from behind and left the bedroom with Hannah.
***
Breakfast was prepared on the mansion's large terrace.
The scent of profusely blooming flowers filling the garden was carried gently on the breeze, and the warm sunlight shone down just right.
And Fenrir, just as Hannah had said, was already seated, waiting for Presepe.
"Good morning, Lady Presepe."
As Presepe appeared, Fenrir greeted her with his signature smile.
"Yes... That is really true."
Presepe forced a smile and quietly sat down opposite Fenrir.
"Please wait a moment! I'll have the food brought out."
As Hannah hurriedly ran off and disappeared from view, silence descended upon the table along with a strange atmosphere.
That silence, which would have been insignificant in the past, felt strangely uncomfortable now. Presepe knew the reason all too well. It must be because she is much more conscious of the Grand Duke than before.
However, not wanting to show any signs of discomfort, Presepe deliberately tried to say something first.
However, Fenrir was a little faster.
“I was worried.”
“Yes? What?”
"I was worried that you might not even have breakfast with me, Lady Presepe."
"Um... I still wouldn't go that far..."
"That is a relief. I had even prepared a plan for what to do if you had reacted that way, but it seems I won't actually need to use it."
"...What kind of plan was it?"
“It’s nothing special.”
Fenrir shrugged his shoulders and said.
"I was thinking of starving myself until Lady Presepe thought, 'That fellow is really going to die at this rate. He's pitiful, so let's have a meal with him just once...' While feeling very sad, because I would actually be sad, very much so."
"..."
"But I am really glad you came out here."
At that ridiculous scheme, Presepe involuntarily burst into a hollow laugh.
"Thank you for smiling like that."
Fenrir smiled and said, "I also..."
Presepe was well aware that even such trivial words were a form of consideration. She assumed he was doing it out of concern that she might feel too uncomfortable. Indeed, the atmosphere softened considerably, and the heavy silence from earlier vanished. She was truly grateful for his thoughtfulness, yet also felt a little apologetic.
With Fenrir acting that way, she had no intention of keeping the atmosphere tense just because she was Presepe. So, she looked at Fenrir and said.
"...Contrary to my expectations, the Grand Duke knows how to throw a cute tantrum."
"I would be grateful if you found it cute, but I would be even more thankful if you knew that I was truly sincere."
Presepe chuckled.
Meanwhile, a wide variety of dishes began to be placed on the table. Although the meal menu had never been simple since she arrived at Fenrir's mansion, it was evident that much more care had been taken today than usual.
“Eat plenty.”
Henrik looked at Presepe and said.
"Otherwise, Hannah will be very sad. She has been nagging the kitchen since early dawn. And of course, I will be even sadder than Hannah."
“Yes, I understand.”
Presepe answered with a look that said she couldn't be helped.
And then, it was the moment she was slowly reaching out jer hand toward the knife and fork.
A sudden visitor came.
"Grand Duke Fenrir!"
It was Kevin who immediately turned pale.
"That's the matter."
The moment she saw Kevin's face, she instinctively knew something was wrong. Fenrir looked at him with a stern expression, completely different from when he was talking with Presepe, and asked.
Kevin gave an answer that no one expected.
"Archmage Ivan was found dead."
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