Episode 102.
Someone knocked the door. I only turned my head towards the door while lounging on the bed. It was obvious that they would visit my room anyway.
“Lady, this is Penel.”
The butler, one of the obvious and expected people, announced himself.
“Come in.”
I heard the sound of the last chock, and after a while I heard the door open.
I greeted the butler upside down.
“…lady. Were you enjoying the sewage?”
The butler, who had just entered, opened his eyes wide when he saw me like that.
“I’m sorry. I just heard from Emily that you just got back from the walk but.…”
Suddenly, the butler bowed his head and apologized. I glanced at him and replied.
“No, I just got in. I was just relaxing.”
“You don’t lie in a straight posture.”
“I was about to get up. What’s going on?”
“The Duke…”
The butler hesitated a little and then came clean about his business.
“He said he’d like to have a quick luncheon between all of the family members.”
“……luncheon?”
I frowned at once. I didn’t participate in the invitation to dinner that Leonard delivered recently. It was quite rude, but there was no response from the Duke. That’s why I thought it was over…
“Is there another reason why I have to be involved? I just want to eat roughly and relax in my room today.”
“The Duke has something to tell you, so please participate.”
‘Phew.’
I sighed quietly so that the butler wouldn’t hear it.
I didn’t want to participate because of the words “between all family members.”
Aside from the Duke and Leonard, I had to see the face of the first son too, which I don’t want to.
“Then get me something now. A simple bread or a soup.”
“…yes? With dinner coming up, why…..”
“I don’t want to starve again before the food.”
“Oh, lady.”
The butler called me in contemplation at the murmur of his shoulders.
“Never again, it won’t happen again.”
The butler acted as if I had spewed any taboos and it was a bit funny. I snorted back.
“How can you be so sure?”
“While you were participating in the hunting competition, we replaced the dining room’s employees.”
That was rather a surprising news. Looking back with glimmer in his eyes, the butler continued. For some reason, he looked a little solemn.
“And today’s dinner place is not in the dining room, miss.”
“Then?”
“The Duke specifically ordered us to prepare a meal in the glass greenhouse.”
“Glass… …greenhouse?”
“Yes, the autumn flowers are in full bloom. I hope that the lady will come and see it, too.”
I opened my eyes wide this time. There were some forbidden areas in this mansion that I couldn’t go. It was because the Duke closed down a place full of memories of the dead Duchess or his lost youngest daughter.
One such place was the large glass greenhouse at one side of the backyard. For as long as I had been here, I had never been there before, only acknowledging the existence of it from afar while going back and forth between the backyard several times.
“Why are we eating in the greenhouse all of a sudden?”
“The dining room in the mansion is about to be renovated.”
“Renovated?”
“Yes, so I’m afraid we won’t be able to use it for the time being.”
The butler stared at me with an unperceived intense look while he was answering to my question. I couldn’t see why the renovation was going on, but nevertheless I nodded and accepted it.
‘What, is it a good thing for me?’
If he wanted to eat at the dining room, he might not have gone with all sorts of excuses. Honestly, isn’t it unpleasant? I have to force myself to eat in a place full of bad memories. And how could he made me starve again?
“……for now I get it.”
But I ended up giving a positive answer. Not because the venue for the dinner had changed, but because of the thought of checking how Derick’s and Leonard’s heads have changed.
“It was raining before, so I’ll wash up and go to the greenhouse on time.”
The butler’s face lit up in a flash at my words.
“Then call me back when you’re ready.”
After a polite nod, the butler left the room.
* * *
Following the butler, I set foot in the glass greenhouse for the first time.
The huge glass greenhouse was warm and fragrant. The ceiling and pillars were corded with green vines, and numerous flowers were in full bloom.
The dinner table was set in the middle of the greenhouse, with the violets in full bloom. Three men with smoky faces were seen huddled together against a romantic background.
“You’ve come.”
The Duke, who was sitting at the end of the table, looked at me and pretended to acknowledge me. I bowed my head and opened my mouth.
“I’m sorry I had come a little late.”
“Huh, a little? You’re terribly late……”
Leonard was going to argue straight with me but suddenly shut his mouth. I raised my head, wondering what had happened. He was just floundering his nostrils with a very dissatisfied face, but he was no more harsh.
“Okay. Sit down, Penelope.”
At such fuss, the Duke, who was looking at Leonard, turned his head toward me and said casually.
I thought the Duke would say something about being late, but it was unexpected. Derick also glanced sideways with his cool eyes but he said nothing.
I sat on the left side of the Duke again, unaware of the reason. And as soon as I sat down, I took a glimpse above both of the ML’s heads and their gauge bar.
[Checking for Likes]
‘Ahhh.’
Sure enough, the level of favorability was completely covered. In addition, the gauge bar is colored.
I nodded as I looked over Derick’s head, which was turning bright orange like a warning sign.
‘Well, it’s not him anyway.’
As I turned my eyes lightly, I suddenly frowned over the pink hair.
‘What’s that?’
The gauge bar above Leonard’s head had turned into a color similar to his hair.
‘What does the color mean?’
At that moment, I inadvertently encountered blue eyes.
“What are you looking at?”
The man with the napkin on his collar wriggled his eyebrows and asked crookedly.
“I didn’t look at you.”
“Then?”
“I was looking behind you.”
“You’re looking like you’re going to kill me?”
Leonard glanced and asked back as if he was puzzled. I must have been staring at him with a look of contempt.
I coughed awkwardly and made a belated excuse.
“Because the flowers are pretty….”
“It’s the Ellenwick Rose.”
Then came a sudden reply from the side. I said nothing, but the Duke looked at me with a grave face and said,
“If you like it, why don’t you take it and put it in a vase?”
I had a good sight for the flowers behind Leonard that I hadn’t even seen before. A voracious salgutt-colored rose bloomed splendidly.
“It smells good. It’ll be fine if you leave it in your room.”
“No, it’s okay.”
I shook my head right away.
“It’s the most beautiful way to see the branches blooming.”
“That’s true.”
Fortunately, the Duke accepted my words. Soon the Duke ringed the bell that laid in front of him and after that, the food began to be brought in.
‘I had my water changed. Donny, I guess you’re not empty-handed.’
All the servants who brought trays and dishes were all new faces.
After a while, dishes containing food were neatly placed on the table. The menu was also very light. Although there were many different kinds, it was made up of light brunch stews, breads, salads, and sandwiches.
As for me, the menu was sweet. I can finish it quickly, and I can pick it up with my hands.
“Let’s eat then.”
Fortunately, however, I was given a perfect tableware this time. I looked down at the table set in front of me and looked through again to see if someone had played a prank. The Duke, who was sipping his tea, paused and opened his mouth again.
“Why won’t you eat.”
“I’m going to eat now.”
At his beck and call, I lifted the spoon with a wry face.
‘Why are you keeping such a close eye on me today?’
I didn’t do anything wrong except to ignore the participation in the dinner last time. I’m sure he’s not trying to take care of whether I’m eating or not now. If he was such a meticulous man, he would have immediately noticed that Penelope always starving herself.
‘Oh. Maybe it’s because the table is small.’
I soon found out why the Duke could immediately notice that I was not moving. The tables in the greenhouse were much smaller than those in the mansion.
Therefore, the distance from those who were at the table became closer. Even if I didn’t care, I could see it by the way the cutlery was set up in each seat.
I slowly tasted the stew with the spoon I was holding, convincing myself. A quiet meal began, surrounded with the scent of fragrant flowers. After a while, when my stomach was somewhat full, I put down the dishes I was holding right away.
“Are you not eating any more?”
The Duke was the first again to respond to the sound of a click this time.
“Yes, I think this is enough.”
“Should I ask for dessert?”
I shook my head. I had no appetite, so I didn’t feel like eating more.
“Do you have to eat this little? Then, take some sandwiches and bring them into your room.”
“No, Father. It’s okay.”
I quickly dissuaded the Duke from trying to feed me more.
“Rather than that, If I finish my meal now, can I go upstairs after this ? I’ve been taking a walk since the morning and I’m a little tired.”
I said it hurriedly. Just tell me the purpose of your call now.
“…… yes.”
Fortunately, the Duke opened his mouth heavily.
“The reason why I called you today is to tell you that I will bring in a painter and paint a portrait of our family after a while.”
The unexpected news made everyone flutter. Not only Leonard but also Derick seemed to be puzzled as he had never heard of the news before.
“What portrait all of a sudden, Father?”
“Isn’t it Penelope’s birthday in a month?”
I looked back at the Duke as I heard his words.
‘Birthday……?’
My head went blank. What is birthday? The day Penelope would reach her adulthood.
‘This fast?’
In the midst of the disbelief, the Duke delivered more cruel sentence.
“I’m thinking of painting a family portrait and hanging it on the central staircase before holding the coming-of-age banquet.”
The day when the real FL comes back and the end of the game’s hard mode deadline.
