* * *
It wasn’t the answer Piel had expected, and his expression hardened slightly.
I couldn’t blame him if he thought my comment about being a paper servant was a joke.
Even I would find it ridiculous, so expecting others to believe it was probably a bit much…
But what am I supposed to do when it’s actually true?
I never imagined I’d end up as the protagonist of such a nonsensical story either…
Yet it didn’t last long. Piel soon regained his composure and summoned a servant to bring dessert.
As the warm, fragrant tea was placed in front of me, Piel opened his mouth to speak again.
“Cheong Dowoon. I like you. So… let me give you one genuine piece of advice.”
The words slipped in subtly, brushing against my ears.
When I looked at him, he was smiling gently.
It was a soft, unassuming smile that suited him well.
“Don’t rely on your brother too much.”
“…That might be a little too late.”
It wasn’t that I wanted to argue, just that it was the truth.
At this point, it was too late for me to distance myself from Baek Yigang.
Besides, the storyline was already progressing in his favor.
And that’s only fair.
After all the hardships I’ve gone through, Yigang should step down from the protagonist spot out of sheer awareness of the situation!
…In any case, even if I were to leave Baek Yigang’s side and go to Piel or Ian, neither of them would have any reason to genuinely thank me.
Not that there’s any particular advantage with Yigang either, but the odds of him acknowledging me are at least marginally higher than the others.
“Your brother is like a radiant comet adorning the night sky. It seems grand and bright, but only for a moment.”
Unperturbed by my indifferent response, Piel continued with his warning about Baek Yigang.
The tea was almost gone, and there was no longer any reason to stay with Piel.
Before he could try to set up another forced meeting like last time, I stood up, looking directly at him.
“Your Highness, I won’t leave his side against my will.”
If I do leave, it’ll be on my own terms.
I won’t be walking away from Baek Yigang just because someone else tells me to.
If he knew about the ruthless system watching me with eagle eyes, he wouldn’t be so quick to talk like this…
Ah, but there’s no way to show him that…
“That’s… a disappointing thing to hear.”
Despite his words, Piel didn’t seem disappointed at all.
It was clear he hadn’t listened to a word I’d said.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to back off easily with his twisted personality…
I guess obsession runs in the Baek Yigang family too.
Oh, and come to think of it, maybe it’s about time I assess my chances of getting any gratitude from each character.
Since it came to mind, I decided to check, casually rising from my seat and quickly calling up the system.
After what felt like a long loading time, maybe because it’d been a while, the familiar square window filled my view.
[SYSTEM: Would you like to check the ‘Gratitude Probability’ of the main character, ‘Piel Dirzio’?]
The blue text flickered like waves in the air.
Pretending to adjust my hair, I subtly raised my hand and quickly tapped ‘Yes.’
[SYSTEM: ‘Piel Dirzio’s gratitude probability toward player ‘Cheong Dowoon’ is currently at 34%.
※ This system updates data in real-time, so updates may take some time.]
Huh. Thirty-four percent?
It’s gone up quite a bit since the last time I checked.
So, does that mean all those little gestures of kindness Piel showed me were genuine?
Surprising.
As I widened my eyes at this unexpected result, the system window suddenly vibrated with a loud buzz!
[33%]
The number dropped.
And before I could even process it, another buzz hammered my eardrum mercilessly.
[30%]
The percentage fell again, this time by three points.
Wait… hold on, what the hell is happening?
I know how hard it is to raise even a single percent, and yet it’s dropping this fast?
Even if he’s not a character I’m actively pursuing, this feels downright insulting!
Who’s to say this won’t happen to Baek Yigang, too…?
This damn system—is it possessed by a demon or something?!
And the fact that it drops in real time?
I almost mistook it for some sort of affection game!
Well, strictly speaking, gratitude probability probably has a close connection to affection, but unfortunately, there are no stats other than what’s predefined.
Then again, maybe this is actually for the best. I’m not exactly dying to know how Piel feels about me.
“Your Highness, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave now.”
Before I could dive any further down the road of bitterness, I hastily bid Piel goodbye.
Even if it wasn’t obvious, it seemed Piel was gradually lowering his expectations of me.
It might not be the case, but… well, the system doesn’t lie about numbers.
“Hope we meet again.”
I replied with only a light smile.
Any wrong words here could bring him back to bring this up later.
No way am I falling for the same trick twice!
As I exited Piel’s drawing room in a hurry, Anna, who had been waiting nearby, quickly approached.
“Lord Dowoon, are you alright?”
“Hmm… I just had a meal, that’s all.”
Seeing Anna’s troubled expression, it seemed she had taken a scolding from Baek Yigang.
By now, I could tell who’d recently crossed paths with Baek Yigang.
People who were normally cheerful would suddenly look defeated after meeting with him.
“It’s late. I think it’s best for you to get some rest.”
“Anna, before we head back to the Crown Prince’s palace, just one question. Baek Yigang… is he mad?”
Now that I’d finished my meeting with Piel, a wave of worry hit me.
Anna, seeing my resigned face, let out a small sigh, looking troubled.
“Well… to be honest, it didn’t seem like his mood was terribly affected.”
She trailed off, then nodded slowly.
“But… he doesn’t seem particularly pleased either.”
“Yeah, but Baek Yigang always has that look, right?”
“It’s possible he’s no different from usual.”
“That’s… even scarier.”
I’d felt it before, but it would be less unsettling if Baek Yigang actually got angry with me.
But he never, ever does.
“Lord Dowoon, please take care of His Highness.”
“Aren’t you going in, Anna?”
“His Highness ordered that no one enter tonight.”
And naturally, that ‘no one’ didn’t include me.
In the end, Anna accompanied me only up to Baek Yigang’s office and then left.
So Asel and Philip aren’t inside either.
Wow… so I have to face ‘the usual’ Baek Yigang alone, is that it?
Swallowing dryly before the office door, I took a short breath, then slowly opened it.
The familiar scenery unfolded before me, with Baek Yigang sitting in the center as always.
“Baek Yigang.”
At my call, he lifted his head slowly.
“You’re late. I thought I told you to come to my office when you finished.”
His voice was cold, cutting through the air.
But that was it.
True to form, Baek Yigang continued working without any further reaction.
Him being so calm was a relief, but what was this huge sense of dread creeping over me…?
I crept closer to him, and when I was just a few steps away, a sharp voice stopped me.
“Don’t come any closer.”
The words were blunt, without context, but carried a heavy weight. My body froze instinctively.
“Why?”
But seriously, if he didn’t want me approaching, he should’ve included me in the ‘no one’ order.
“Do you really not know?”
“Would I ask if I didn’t? Why are you acting like this?”
Tilting my head with a blank look, Baek Yigang sighed deeply.
Looking frustrated, he loosened a few buttons on his cravat, then suddenly stood up.
Leaning against the window behind his desk, Baek Yigang rubbed his forehead and muttered, almost as if lamenting,
“Just looking at you irritates me.”
Wow… even if he’s mad, what’s with those harsh words right to my face?!
I was staring at him, slightly hurt, when Baek Yigang, apparently not done, spoke again.
“…That I even care about you.”
* * *
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