TYLSA 02

Chapter 02

“Lady, it is time for lunch.”

Well, that made sense. No matter how much of a protagonist she was, she had to eat to live.

Besides, if I went to the luncheon, I would be able to meet one of the male leads—the younger brother.

I was a little nervous, but……

‘In the game, the Ducal residence’s cooking was described as quite delicious.’

Recalling that fact, I cheerfully rose from my seat.

Although I didn’t know the way to the luncheon hall, there was nothing to worry about.

“Lead the way.”

I simply had to give this command to the maid.

“Yes, yes, ma’am!”

The maid also didn’t seem to sense anything amiss, and quickly began to guide me.

A short while later……

“The Lady has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

At the gentle female voice granting permission, the door to the luncheon hall slowly opened.

Three people had already arrived at the luncheon hall.

Seated at the head of the table was a middle-aged man with sharp, handsome features.

‘The female protagonist’s father.’

To his left sat a woman with a gentle impression, her brown hair neatly pinned up.

Next to her, a boy who closely resembled the Duke—the younger half-brother, Calix—was staring at me with a sullen expression.

—

<system> Encountered ‘Calix Rozenheyer’!

—

‘No, rather than staring, it’s closer to glaring?’

It couldn’t be helped. Younger brother Calix was the only one among the four male leads who started off with a strained relationship from the very beginning.

‘Depending on the player, there were many who didn’t pursue Calix in the early stages because they disliked him so much…….’

Haha. And that was exactly me.

‘If I’d known it would come to this, I should have at least tried once…….’

Just then.

“Sister Yuri, you’re here?”

A lovely girl with platinum-blonde hair like cotton candy spun from honey and sparkling green eyes spoke.

My half-sister, Eleni.

‘Ah…….’

Now that I think about it, she was here too?

Eleni was the female protagonist’s half-sister and also a character who served as the female protagonist’s rival in the game Sowiso.

As the game progressed, an event called ‘Competition’ would occasionally occur, and if you couldn’t beat Eleni in terms of stats, you would receive penalties.

And the one who sided with Eleni and took the lead in tormenting the female protagonist was the female protagonist’s stepmother.

“Yuri, what are you doing? Come sit next to Eleni.”

The stepmother said with a warm smile, her eyes curving kindly.

“……Yes.”

As I took my seat, the Duke spoke.

“……Let’s begin.”

It wasn’t a welcoming remark.

‘Well, come to think of it, even in the original work, it was mentioned that Yuri and her father’s relationship wasn’t good.’

Actually, it wasn’t just ‘not good.’

It all started with Duke Rozenheyer taking a second wife less than half a year after the former Duchess passed away.

Because the wedding took place before the mourning period had even fully passed, rumors spread throughout high society that the Duke and Duchess had been in a secret relationship for a long time.

The protagonist Yuri also believed those rumors.

‘But I know.’

Rumors were just rumors. The current Duke and Duchess weren’t even in a secret relationship—they regarded each other as something like business partners.

The Duke was a man who, although unable to express it outwardly, carried gratitude and longing for his deceased first wife in his heart.

‘Well, anyway.’

When I saw it in the game, I thought a protagonist with a tumultuous family background was par for the course and brushed it off lightly…….

But now that the four of us were actually gathered together like this, I felt suffocated myself.

‘Let’s see, the stepmother is said to be the current Emperor’s sixth cousin, right?’

What was her name…… Letitia, was it?

While picking at the appetizer, I fell deep in thought.

Perhaps because I was struggling to recall a name that seemed just out of reach?

“Sister, you’ve barely touched your food.”

I hadn’t even noticed that the main course had arrived after the appetizer, and my hands had stopped moving.

“Are you not feeling hungry?”

Eleni asked with concern.

“She probably has no appetite because she’s with us.”

The boy shot out coldly in the tense atmosphere. Almost simultaneously, the stepmother scolded him: “Calix.”

“……Hmph.”

But Calix showed no sign of apologizing, quietly lowering his eyes and focusing on his food.

The stepmother clicked her tongue and spoke to Yuri again.

“It’s true you’ve barely eaten, Yuri. Shall I tell the kitchen to bring you something else?”

It sounded kind at first glance, but.

“It’s fine……”

“There’s no need to refuse. You’re often picky about your food, so the kitchen will understand.”

In the end, within that kind remark, I had been turned into a picky eater.

‘So this is how it is?’

I swallowed a hollow laugh inwardly. I couldn’t find it the least bit amusing.

Before I ended up here, I had worked for five years in an extreme environment called the design department of a major fashion company, so I was fairly resistant to interpersonal relationships and most schemes.

But judging by the sharp gaze I felt from the younger brother sitting across from me, at least to him, the stepmother’s rhetoric seemed to be working perfectly.

‘I think I roughly understand the atmosphere.’

Instead of accepting my stepmother’s ‘consideration’ like the good female protagonist would, I calmly shook my head.

“No, it’s nothing. I felt dizzy yesterday, and today I just don’t have much of an appetite.”

“Oh my, is that so? Then……”

Before my stepmother could continue, I folded the napkin I had spread across my lap, placed it on the table, and rose from my seat.

“Then, if you would permit me, I shall take my leave.”

“Very well.”

Fortunately, the Duke let me go without saying anything further.

“Sister…….”

My younger sister Eleni gave me a worried look, but I smiled back at her and left the table.

For now, what was more urgent for me was to meet the Tower Master as scheduled at the picnic tomorrow.

So as soon as I returned to my room, I ordered the maid to prepare for attending the picnic tomorrow.

“What? A picnic?”

However, the maid was startled as if she had never heard of such a thing.

When I asked for the details, this was the answer.

“You never received an invitation?”

“Yes, yes. That’s correct…….”

“How can that be?”

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at the unexpected news.

‘An invitation?’

Was that something that was needed?

It seemed strange at first, but upon reflection, that made sense.

In the game, things would easily progress just by pressing the ‘Next’ button, but this place wasn’t entirely inside the game—it was closer to a real world based on the game.

‘Of course, I have to receive the invitation myself as well…….’

Just then, the maid, who had been hesitating, explained this to me.

“Well, Lady, as you are aware…… all invitations that come to this residence are managed by the Duchess.”

“!”

Ah, right. That was the case.

I nodded as naturally as possible.

“Right, I remember. So, has there been no separate word yet?”

“Yes.”

According to the maid, all social gathering invitations that arrived at this residence were sent primarily to the stepmother, except for those addressed directly to the Duke.

The stepmother would filter out what needed to be filtered and pass along only what was necessary to the respective recipients.

‘That means the stepmother hasn’t given me my invitation yet…….’

The Tower Master episode was the episode that took place exactly two days after the first episode ended.

In other words, since I met the first male lead yesterday, I should have already received the invitation.

‘But there’s been no news…….’

I pondered for a moment. But there was no time.

If by any chance I couldn’t respond to the invitation and failed to get entangled with the Tower Master, manifesting my talent could become permanently impossible…….

If that happened, even attempting the Bad Ending would naturally end in failure.

Because in the Spinster Ending, Yuri Elrose doesn’t move to the third country of Pergana for no reason.

In the Spinster Ending, Yuri, who has raised various stats, is recognized for her abilities and is invited as a professor at the prestigious Magic Academy of the neutral nation of Pergana, emigrating there.

In other words, I had to build up my magical skills enough to become a professor at the Magic Academy, and…….

To build up magical skills, of course, manifesting my talent together with the Tower Master was the top priority.

‘I absolutely cannot fail this episode.’

There was no choice. I stood up.

“Lady, where are you……?”

“I need to go see my stepmother.”

By now, lunch should be just about over.

“Lead the way.”

“Ah, yes, yes. Understood.”

The moment I declared that.

—

<system> Entering ‘Mini Event: Argument with the Stepmother’!

If you win the argument, you will obtain the ‘Invitation to the Picnic hosted by Marquise Ciantic.’

If you fail, you will have to yield the invitation to Eleni.

—

As if it had been waiting, ding-dong, letters appeared before my eyes.

‘A mini event?’

Mini events that would occasionally occur within the game.

A system where achieving a small presented objective would give a minor reward, or increase stats or relationship levels.

‘But was there originally an event that appeared at this timing?’

It was an unfamiliar event, but I couldn’t afford to be flustered. I absolutely needed that invitation. And I absolutely could not yield it to Eleni, a rival character.

‘An argument, huh.’

It seemed time to show the skills I had honed at the Dongdaemun fabric market.

There was no need to delay in such matters. I immediately headed to my stepmother’s office.