Chapter 26
Oh, I was so wrapped up in paying closer attention that I ended up right next to them.
Under their weird stares, I uncomfortably straightened my leaning body.
“Hahaha. Please carry on your chat.”
“Are you from this village? I’ve never seen your face before…”
Their eyes were filled with a mixture of wonder and apprehension as if they were looking at something strange.
Given the recent tragic occurrences in the area, it appeared that they were more wary of outsiders.
“Don’t be concerned! This individual works for Count Pfalzgraf.”
“The Count? If that’s the case, you should have mentioned it. I apologize.”
“There was no harm done. We’re also concerned because of rumors we’ve heard.”
When a nearby bedding retailer established my affiliation, the two people’s emotions suddenly calmed.
The fact that I worked for the Pfalzgrafs appeared to reassure them.
“How’s the Pfalzgraf doing these days? Working for such a magnificent Count must be a pleasure. My kid is thirteen this year, highly talented with her hands, and quick-witted. It’d be fantastic if she could work at the Count’s estate.”
“What? Didn’t you just say last week that your kid damaged clothes while doing laundry and was completely untrustworthy? Why don’t you come meet my child? She’s fantastic at her job, no kidding…”
“Oh, so you’re saying compliments for my child are just jokes now?”
The two were speaking happily on the bed when they began to fight.
As they compared their girls, their debate became heated.
Receiving such employment recommendations just because I worked at the Pfalzgraf house seemed weird.
It represented the Count’s family’s great position.
As soon as I stepped into this community, I felt as if the entire world was announcing the Pfalzgrafs as a reputable and recognized family.
To suspect the Count’s heir of being a demon and a murderer sounded preposterous.
“Excuse me, do you know anything about the murder case you discussed?”
It seemed senseless to ask the two, so I turned to the bedding seller, who smiled sweetly.
“I don’t know the specifics, but I hear things in my line of work. What do you want to know?”
“Was there anything out of the ordinary about the case? Are there any similarities between the victims? For example, did they both work or go to the same place?”
The entire event appeared to be staged in order to draw attention away from the Pfalzgraf.
It appeared to be making it simpler for Adrian to commit murder without being caught.
The kind reception I received for being affiliated with the Pfalzgraf family made me uneasy.
Maybe I was overreacting, but the cold I felt when I met Adrian was still fresh in my mind.
The sensation of his gaze cutting through my eyes and into my brain, the primitive fear like a thorny spine.
It’s an experience I’ll never forget.
“Hmm, no. According to the inspector, there were no similarities among the victims. It could be random killings.”
“Is that so?”
“But wait, there’s more. They don’t even know if the perpetrator is from this village. Some of the victims came from nearby villages. They were thinking about broadening the scope of the probe, but it’s terrifying.”
I inquired once more while the bedding dealer shivered in terror.
“Where can I find this inspector you mentioned?”
“Are you planning to go see him?”
“No! Not immediately away, but I want to be ready if something unexpected happens. Even when I’m at Pfalzgraf’s, I never know what might happen outside. It’s terrifying.”
I trembled and wrapped my arms around myself exaggeratedly, to which the bedding seller nodded in agreement.
“Right. It’s a scary world where you must always be prepared for the worst. However, you should be safe at the Pfalzgraf estate, possibly safer than in this community. Our neighborhood watch is a ragtag band of auxiliary cops who are barely effective. Inspector Harrison only visits the village police station a few times a week from Lukebel town.”
“Where is the watch located?”
“It’s at the end of the third alley next to our shop.”
“Thank you for the information.”
“Oh, nothing at all. The Count is responsible for so much in our village.”
The bedding merchant smiled again and went to break up the fight between the two persons who were still arguing.
I exited the store, following the merchant’s instructions.
But I was perplexed. Adrian was born with a feeble body, always sickly, always in need of medicine, and occasionally vomiting blood and falling ill for days if he missed his dose, according to the game’s setting.
How could someone like that go out to slaughter people in the village?
It made no sense.
But, if not Adrian, who?
Who else in this game would jeopardize Adrian’s prey?
“Huh? That’s…”
As I traveled through the village, I had an epiphany.
Product descriptions flashed above goods on display, like in the bedding store.
I saw an odd description on a pencil while passing by a stationery store.
「Standard Pencil – 1G, a straightforward pencil. Inserted graphite into a wood shell. Although functional, prolonged use can be taxing on the hands.」
This was a regular item description, but the description underneath it piqued my interest.
「 Adrian favors this item.」
Was it because I created the cold brew latte that it didn’t have a description?
The game was displaying items that would help Adrian’s favor.
Adrian’s interest in pencils was unexpected.
I expected him to prefer items that might readily kill, such as knives, hammers, and weapons.
I was going to move on after realizing this feature when something else occurred to me.
I noticed the gift-giving function above Adrian and the Countess.
I was able to visit this village since the coffee I made by chance had greatly boosted the Countess’s favorability.
Adrian is a significant character in the game, and it appears that it takes a lot more experience to increase his favorability level by one compared to other characters, implying that it may unlock something significant.
Furthermore, the Countess’s expression changed as her favorability level climbed.
Would Adrian save me in a life-threatening situation if I carefully boosted his favorability?
Would he reconsider killing me even if it meant gaining 5000 experience points?
The higher the amount of favorability, the more likely he is to spare me.
This could offer me more time to figure out how to get out of this game…
With these thoughts in mind, I stepped back into the shop.
I was hesitant despite the merchant’s enthusiastic greeting.
I knew I needed to improve on my favorability, but I’d spent virtually all of my money on a high-quality pillow, leaving me with only one gold.
Purchasing a normal pencil would deplete all of my remaining funds…
When I returned to my room, I’d get fair pay for today’s job, but I never knew when the system would play tricks on me again.
There was also no method to deposit the funds at a bank…
“Customer, what would you like to buy?”
“Th-th-th-thi…”
“Are you cold, customer? You’re shaking.”
“Thi… thi… thi… standard… pencil… please.”
I stuttered, my teeth shaking, and the merchant leaned in as if trying to grasp what I was saying.
I clenched my teeth to keep my heart from racing.
“Standard pencil, please.”
I had to work almost superhumanly hard to say these four words.
Finally, the merchant’s expression brightened when I spoke in plain human language.
“Ah, the standard pencil. Please be patient. Do you want it gift-wrapped?”
“Um… Please, yes. Perhaps it will boost favorability…”
“The wrapping will cost ten gold.”
“No, no! There will be no gift wrapping. I’ll put it to good use!”
“Alright then, I’ll just give it to you.”
I quickly declined, feeling a flood of pity wash over me.
With a clinking sound, my pathetic 1 gold at the top of my vision converted into a wretched 0 gold, making me sad even more.
Perhaps our Count should prioritize aiding people closer to home rather than supporting the needy and orphans in faraway regions.
I exited the business, holding a pencil that I wasn’t sure was from the exhibit or new.
A pencil, a bizarre yet familiar object.
I hadn’t used one since primary school…
I rolled the yellow pencil in my palm a few times before gripping it strongly for no apparent reason.
A sense of injustice poured over me once more as I looked up at the flashing 0 gold above my head.
Why should I, a poor girl, spend my money on Adrian?
He’s a wealthy young master with unlimited resources, and I’m only a tenant in his home!
Besides, giving Adrian a gift with the money I earned working like a dog at the Count’s estate was like taking my wage and returning it.
“This is no kind of payback…”
“Pay, what?”
“Payback, payback! Asking about payback because you don’t know…”