Chapter 4

I clicked my tongue inwardly and asked Rozan about his business.

“What brings you here?”

“…I came by out of curiosity to see what you were up to.”

Rozan must have heard that I had found Livi.

That’s why she came to see Thérèse with such a stern expression.

Moreover, since I had even changed rooms, she couldn’t help but come and check the situation herself.

I said nonchalantly,

“I felt uncomfortable using this room. It’s the best room, so shouldn’t Livi use it?”

“……”

Rozan, in a dignified posture befitting a duchess, with her hands neatly folded, revealed her agitation by scratching her delicate skin with her nails.

If her nails were even a little sharper, they would have definitely left a mark.

Livi was a deep-seated sore in Rozan’s heart.

“If Livi were to return… this room should be yours. You are the eldest daughter.”

The corners of Rozan’s mouth were trembling slightly as she said this.

Her gaze, filled with deep distrust and suspicion, darkened her beautiful emerald eyes.

Although I felt a bit sorry, I didn’t feel any particular sympathy.

After all, they weren’t my family, and the people here had even become a threat to Thérèse.

If Livi returned, the number of candidates for the duchy’s successor would increase.

Thérèse, who had no special merits other than being the eldest daughter, would be quickly pushed out of the list of candidates.

However, with public eyes on them, they couldn’t just remove her from the list and would have to create a decisive flaw.

That was the original scenario where Thérèse would be excommunicated from the family and meet a miserable end.

‘Even if it’s not directly related to the family, if Rozan thinks Thérèse is a threat to her daughter, she won’t just sit by.’

I had put a lot of effort into the duchess’s character.

She appeared to be considerate and gentle but was willing to get her hands dirty for her children.

Even if it meant killing her stepdaughter.

This meant that if I stayed at the Squaire mansion, I might end up dead at the duchess’s hands.

Such a route definitely existed.

Therefore, I had to escape the Squaire mansion safely.

And… to be honest, I didn’t want to try to please people who weren’t my family anymore.

‘It would be much happier for them if I just left quietly.’

I spoke calmly.

“Stepmother.”

Rozan’s expression was one of complete surprise, as Thérèse had always called her “Duchess” and never “Stepmother.”

However, my use of “Stepmother” wasn’t a sign of a change of heart or a desire for a dramatic reconciliation.

“I don’t need you to go out of your way for me. I have no intention of getting close to the family.”

I just wanted to draw a clearer line.

“I’m not suggesting unnecessary conflict.”

I meant to treat each other with only the sense of duty that comes from being blood relatives.

Rozan seemed unfamiliar with Thérèse’s calm, almost cold attitude, which was a stark contrast to her usual aggressive behavior.

She looked at me with heightened suspicion.

Until now, Thérèse had been the one who caused the most friction in the family.

She had always criticized Rozan for trying to act like a mother and for a viscount’s daughter to dare act like a duchess, stirring up family discord.

These things couldn’t be erased in an instant.

To convince her, I needed a more Thérèse-like approach.

“You won, Stepmother.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I lost. I used the successor’s room, but I didn’t become the successor, did I? What if Livi returns?”

Livi would easily become the successor of the duchy.

It was a necessary part of the story.

So, was I upset about it?

Not at all.

‘If I were suddenly possessed and offered the position of the duchy’s successor, who would be happy about it?’

Instead, being a wealthy, carefree second-generation tycoon with no responsibilities would be much better.

I shrugged slightly.

“I’m planning to leave here. So, what difference does it make whether you give me the successor’s room or not?”

“You’re leaving the house?”

Rozan sounded incredulous.

Of course, she would. Thérèse was the type who would never stay in a dormitory.

‘Even though the dormitory was beautifully designed, to Thérèse, who was born into a noble family, it probably looked like a place for commoners.’

Comparing the dormitory to this mansion was absurd.

The effort put into them was different. The effort.

“Yes. I’m going to apply for the Valhalla dormitory. I won’t be coming back home until graduation.”

Valhalla was the name of the magic school Thérèse attended.

<God’s Play> was a typical school story, a fantasy magic school story.

The capital’s scenery, with its beautiful European buildings.

White pigeons flying in the sky.

The clock tower in the square.

And the school uniforms.

Even though the magic school was modeled after a university, the school uniforms were a must.

‘After all, it’s a school story.’

And the love stories that blossomed within it.

The adventure elements added like sugar.

It was a typical cliché, but also a guaranteed hit.

Of course, this was only when playing as the female protagonist.

Thérèse was a fourth-year student, in her final year.

She would only be in school for one more year with Livi, who would be a freshman.

But that one year wasn’t something to be complacent about.

The game only covered that one year.

Two of the male leads were in the same fourth year as Thérèse, making it an unavoidable choice in the story.

The developers had strongly insisted on keeping the student council president and vice president as male leads.

‘Of course. In a school story, you can’t do without the student council president character.’

I met the eyes of the servants who were watching the situation.

“What are you all doing? Are you going to finish the room before Livi arrives?”

“Move the furniture over there. Push the carpet!”

The servants, pretending to get back to work, quickly avoided my gaze.

I turned my gaze back to Rozan.

“Please check the rest, Stepmother. I’ll go to my room.”

“…Alright. Go ahead.”

I bowed slightly and quickly left the room, showing no lingering attachment.

I could feel Rozan staring at me, but it wasn’t my concern.

“I’m hungry…”

I hadn’t eaten anything since waking up, so it was inevitable.

Ding!

[Throne ‘LookingForEatingBJ’ has donated 100 coins.]

[Please eat something. I’ll donate 500 coins if you do.]

Since I had to eat anyway, I might as well comply with the request.

I called out to a passing servant.

“Hey, wait a moment.”

The servant approached me with a visibly frightened expression.

“Yes, what do you need?”

“Bring some snacks to my room.”

“Understood.”

The servant, relieved by the simple request, quickly left my sight.

“Hmm… Is this what it’s like to be a villain?”

I had been treated as a joke before, but it was the first time someone was afraid of me.

‘It’s not out of respect for my authority, but to avoid a potential time bomb.’

“It’s not bad.”

At least, I wasn’t a character who could be easily ignored, which was somewhat satisfying.

[Throne ‘ChaosEvil’ agrees enthusiastically.]

[Throne ‘OrderGood’ frowns.]

I tilted my head.

“But this channel just started yesterday, yet it already has a lot of viewers?”

Ding!

[Throne ‘ExplainMan’ has donated 100 coins.]

[Yes, Ozwald’s channel is one of the most famous among the channel managers.]

“That scoundrel… I mean, that manager is one of the most famous?”

It seems there’s a real lack of talent.

[Some thrones like the BJ’s scoundrel remarks.]

[Throne ‘BanHandsomeManager’ chuckles, saying Ozwald’s good looks are over.]

Aren’t thrones supposed to be like gods…?

It seems even they can be jealous of someone’s appearance.

‘Well, from the nicknames I’ve seen, none of them are normal.’

They felt more like regular Earth viewers than transcendent beings.

‘I accidentally called him a scoundrel, but the reaction was good, so that’s a relief.’

Anyway.

I returned to my room and assessed the current situation.

‘First, the timeline.’

I had checked the date when I moved rooms earlier.

February 15th.

There were about two weeks until the freshmen’s entrance ceremony on March 1st.

If I could get through this period without any issues and move into the dormitory, my involvement with the Squaire family would end.

‘I’ll have to keep being entangled with Livi, though.’

If I take her to places where the male leads often appear and let her go, they’ll handle the rest.

When I reached the door at the end of the corridor, the servants opened it for me.

Inside, there was a much larger living room and a middle door.

Beyond the middle door was an even larger bedroom.

The nobility’s mansion was truly luxurious.

I ordered the maids who tried to follow me into the bedroom to stay outside.

I had something to check on my own.

Plop!

I sat on the sofa in a posture that Raoul would definitely scold me for, and wiggled my feet.

“Money and power are good.”

[Throne ‘ChaosEvil’ agrees enthusiastically.]

[Throne ‘OrderGood’ frowns.]

I wasn’t sure what kind of content Ozwald’s channel handled, but it was definitely the opposite of ‘OrderGood.’

‘If you’re ‘OrderGood,’ why are you even in a channel with a villainous BJ?’

I had a minor question, but it wasn’t important right now.

I parted my lips.

“Status window.”