[One more ?Ability Window? is unlocked!]

[The number of available abilities has increased to two!]

[Cash obtained from the lottery will be adjusted upward!]

[Communication channel with ?Aphthanes? will be expanded!]

[?My Work List? function is unlocked!]

[From now on, you can view purchased novels anytime!]

‘Wow, isn’t this great?’

Even if I get a weird ability, I can just draw again!

If I’m lucky, I could have two good abilities at the same time!

They say the lottery will give more cash too!

‘And on top of that, my work list… Does that mean I can summon a novel I read before without spending any cash if I need its ability?’

If that’s the case, it’s really the best!

The light that filled my vision swirled around me like embers from a winter campfire.

The light that fluttered and scattered settled back into the book.

And then.

“…It’s changed its appearance.”

Architus looked different when I saw it again.

Two heart-cut crystals were connected like an hourglass on the cover.

One was dyed pink, and the other crystal was transparent.

I guess I can put a new ability in this transparent crystal.

[Ability ?Rush and Cash?]

Reader!

Your arrival in this world is no coincidence.

It is fate guided by karma.

You are the only one who can walk the line of limits determined by causality.

“…This one’s got some attitude too.”

I looked at the notification window crookedly.

Of course, it wasn’t a coincidence.

I was selected because I had the most upvotes!

What coincidence could there be in that?

Random lottery is a coincidence!

So be prepared.

Prepare for the day when the light loses its color and darkness engulfs the world.

On that day, your family and loved ones will all perish in front of the cold gusts.

Please be prepared for the cruel winter!

When the time comes, spread your influence in the world and raise your voice!

When you clench your fist, those who are with you will become your strength.

Now you are not alone, reader.

I stared blankly at the letters.

‘What does this mean?’

Is darkness coming? Then is it something like the end of the world?

Like dragons or demons attacking as in a romance fantasy.

If those who are with me become my strength, should I form a party or something?

Like a group of warriors defeating the demon king?

“…..”

I tried to make a joke-like thought, but I couldn’t laugh.

‘My family and loved ones will all perish. Die…?’

Anna, Nancy, Laura, Tilda.

Ares, Ixion.

And…

‘Dad.’

“Ugh…”

Just imagining it made my heart ache.

‘This is what it means to have someone precious.’

This is what it was.

‘…What should I do?’

Reader, there is a clear reason why you were born here.

Do not be afraid.

As a reader, there is something you can do.

Remember all those lives you have seen.

This characteristic that matches your aptitude will be helpful.

That was the end of the sentence.

But strangely, I felt energized.

‘What can I do because of my age.’

“Are you throwing up right now? Someone like you, without any academic background, should be grateful just for the help you receive. If you can’t do it, just let me know. There are plenty of people who can replace you.”

It’s different from back then.

There is something I can do because of my age here.

Then there is only one thing I need to think about.

“Do I want to do that job?”

I don’t know exactly what’s going to happen, but in any case, tragedies like the end of the world are scheduled.

If there is something I can do to prevent that destruction, if I can protect my family with my own hands.

‘Won’t it be a great thing?’

No matter how hard it is, it would be better than being swept away helplessly in tragedy without doing anything.

‘I couldn’t live my life the way I wanted in my past life either.’

Life and the world seemed to be bullying me.

I was born as a rich person in this life, hoping to avoid bullying, but it seems like the world is going to bully me again.

Not anymore.

I won’t let anyone control my life.

Whether it’s a person, a demon, or a dragon, I will live my life the way I want.

‘To do that, I need power!’

I need more power to protect myself than to trample on others.

‘And my power is…’

I tightly grasped Architus.

“Quest!”

[There is an unchecked quest.]

[Do you want to check all of them?]

I nodded, and all the new quests I received appeared in front of me.

I read every single word meticulously.

Among them, there were shocking contents and information that I didn’t know.

There were also quests for which I couldn’t think of a way to succeed.

There were no penalties for rejecting quests.

In other words, it meant that it was okay to refuse difficult ones.

However…

[Do you want to accept the quests?]

“I accept them all!”

I answered firmly.

The sound of my voice responding to the quests felt different from before.

I felt like I was holding the directional key of my life.

‘Great.’

So this is why it feels so good.

Then, an alert sounded.

[A new quest has arrived.]

?A Great Power comes from Mediocrity?

We applaud your will and determination, dear reader!

Reader, cultivate your strength!

So, please, let nothing reverse your life, dear reader!

However, remember this:

The most difficult thing is to maintain the everyday.

There is nothing that makes a person stronger than preserving their daily life and feeling happiness within it.

You are still a four-year-old child.

Enjoy yourself.

– Conditions:
1. Give Duke Phaeraton a kiss
2. Ask Ixion for a fishing rod
3. Have a delicious meal with Ares

– Reward: 1000 Cash Lottery Ticket

“…What is this?”

I rubbed my nose for no reason.

That devil, giving me a quest like this.

‘…Shouldn’t he have just told me to use my fists instead of using a stick earlier?’

I nodded my head slightly.

[You have accepted the quest.]

Now it’s time for me to take control of my life.

* * *

Sunset.

At the reception room of the East Wing of the Duke’s Palace.

“Since the youngest lady arrived, the atmosphere of the Duke’s Palace has completely changed.”

“Especially His Excellency. He even says things like ‘nom’… something”

“Ah, what do you mean… ‘nom’.”

“What on earth is everyone talking about? Nom?”

“…You’re jealous. You don’t even know what it is yet.”

“Ignorance is bliss. When it occasionally crosses my mind, it gives me the shivers and cold sweats.”

What could be so scary that they’re afraid to even say its name?

Could it be someone who can’t be named?

“Cough, well, anyway, the important thing is that His Excellency seems to favor the youngest lady more than usual.”

“Of course she’s pretty. And how could she not be, seeing as she took her fortune from Marquis Tarenka?”

“Objectively, it’s certainly a huge fortune, but it’s not shocking considering she’s someone from Phaeraeton.”

“That’s right. It’s not like she’s from another family, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a villa or a ranch in Phaeraton. Ultimately, what matters is what kind of business she brought in.”

There are two ways to judge a business.

How good the business is.

Or how well the business is run.

“A mining business with empty mana stones is just a crooked business.”

“You’re right, she’s young. Even though she knew that it was a mine with empty mana stones, she still brought it back.”

That’s not even a business.

As soon as you start mining, you’ll be in the red, and there’s no way to make up for that deficit.

Mana stones without mana are nothing but trash. Who would buy them?

“Still, it’s important to see that the youngest lady is receiving favor despite that.”

“Since the youngest lady did not receive any education, that point is also significant.”

“Come to think of it, there are already those who are applying to become the youngest lady’s aides.”

“I heard that Viscount Dier also applied.”

“Viscount Dier… isn’t he a genius among geniuses? Even though he’s a little insane.”

“Yes, he’s a person who rose to the rank of Viscount with his abilities alone. If he’s not a genius, who is? Even though he’s a little crazy.”

“Hmm….”

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

“I thought that because she wasn’t born with magic, she wouldn’t have much influence on the succession struggle, but this situation is strange.”

“Nothing will happen right away.”

“But sometimes, stepping on young sprouts can save you a lot of trouble in the future.”

“Doesn’t our youngest lady have any fatal weaknesses? How about using that…?”

“What do you think?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to the person sitting on the top seat.

* * *

“Hehe, look! This is a picture our lady drew for me!”

“Oh my, our lady drew a picture of a temple with a crown on it!”

“I want this picture too…! Our lady draws well!”

The employees laughed and waved their pieces of paper.

Viscount Erkel, Duke Phaeraton’s aide, frowned.

“What’s this? I’ve seen this scene before.”

Although the people in the Duke’s Palace had changed compared to the people in the Duke’s Manor, the same thing was happening.

“Has the youngest lady already captured the loyalty of the castle’s employees?!”

Even faster than at the Duke’s manor at the island!

And there was someone who looked at her suspiciously…

“…Making a big deal out of nothing.”

Duke Phaeraton couldn’t stand it any longer and spoke up.

The employees were startled by his words and quickly straightened up and bowed.

But there was something that couldn’t be overlooked in the Duke’s words.

“Y-Your Excellency, it’s not nothing. I’m not sure what you mean.”

Unlike the employees of the Duke’s Palace, Nancy, who had suddenly come out of the makeshift tent, spoke up.

“At best, there are lines crossing on a piece of paper. There’s no special meaning.”

The other employees who were restraining Nancy nearby flinched at those words.

“It’s so unfair to say that the drawings our youngest lady made have no meaning.”

“She drew them with all her heart, thinking of me. They’re worth more than the paintings of the court painter.”

As the employees continued to speak, warmth disappeared from Duke Phaeraton’s face.

Viscount Erkel, the Duke’s aide who was watching him from the side, broke out in a cold sweat.

‘Everyone shut up! His Excellency still hasn’t received the lady’s picture!’

But no one heard his inner cry.

Everyone was too busy with his insult on the precious picture drawn by the youngest lady.

The employees unintentionally continued to scratch at Duke Phaeraton’s pride.

‘This…this can’t go on. His Excellency is about to explode and we have a meeting soon. We have to do something!’

At that moment, a savior appeared in Viscount Erkel’s eyes.

Holding the hand of her older brother, the adorable child walks along with a spring in her step.

It’s the bomb-defusing agent!

“Miss!”

Ruatisha was taken aback as she saw Viscount Erkel, who was greeting her with tears in his eyes.

“Ruru.”

Ruatisha ran at the call of Duke Phaeraton.

As soon as he held Ruatisha in his arms, he looked down at his employees with an arrogant expression.

“Come to think of it, my daughter and I made a vow and shared it on each other’s palms.”

“What?”

“Since we even stamped it, we can never break it.”

The employees’ eyes shook.

‘A vow with the young lady?!’

‘A vow that cannot be broken, one that is engraved on each other’s palms….’

Is it a special vow like the loyalty oath of a knight or a wizard?

‘I want to do it too! I want to make a vow of loyalty to the young lady!’

The employees looked at Ruatisha with eager eyes.

Duke Phaeraton shrugged his shoulders and Ruatisha’s face was covered in thick beads of sweat.

‘No, it’s not a vow, just a promise we made by linking our pinky fingers….’

But it was an atmosphere where she couldn’t tell the truth.

With envious eyes fixed on her, Duke Phaeraton pinched Ruatisha’s cheek proudly.

“Well, then I should go to the conference room.”

Leaving only those words behind, Duke Phaeraton left gracefully.

Amidst the remaining employees’ sullen silence, Ixion raised one eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe it.

“But the cotton ball and I were supposed to go for a walk together?”

You can’t just take her like that!

* * *

Inside the conference hall.

The vassals were waiting for Duke Phaeraton with heavy expressions.

Today’s meeting was a general meeting held once a month, and was also the last monthly meeting of the year.

It was a meeting to summarize the year and prepare for the coming year, so the atmosphere was bound to be heavy.

Therefore, the atmosphere was as heavy as its importance.

Moreover, there had been many changes within the duchy during the past three years when Duke Phaeraton was absent.

In the absence of a tiger, a fox tends to take the lead, and if that period is long enough, the fox mistakes itself for a tiger.

When the tiger returns, it is only natural that it does not want to give up its position.

Furthermore, Duke Phaeraton’s duchy was as vast as a country, so he had a huge administrative organization.

There were also many foxes and even wolf packs following a young tiger.

There were even bats that jumped on the bandwagon of the trend and hyenas that aimed for meat dropped by others.

They were all wary of each other, thinking about what kind of meat they would take at today’s council, each with their own thoughts.

And finally, the door to the venue opened.

There is only one person who can pass through the front door, and that is the Duchy’s patriarch.

All those who came stood up at once.

The moment when they tried to show respect to their master,

“Th-that is…..”

“The youngest miss?!”

Their eyes fell upon the young lady who had been brought in by Duke Phaeraton.

No, it was acceptable for her to enter the office all this time, but even so, into the conference hall?

“Y-Your Excellency.”

Finally, the inexperienced Viscount Winchern opened his mouth.

“It’s not just any meeting, it’s a general meeting! A young lady who has nothing to do with the affairs of the house is not fit to attend…….”

“My daughter has nothing to do with the family’s affairs.”

Duke Phaeraton’s leisurely voice cut off Viscount Winchern’s words.

“What do you think, Viscount?”

“I-I beg your pardon. But the young lady is still young and has not yet taken on any duties….”

“There is a stench coming from your mouth, Viscount.”

Duke Phaeraton covered his daughter’s nose with his hand, frowning slightly.

Viscount Winchern’s face turned red.

“Oh, not a stench!”

“You don’t chika¹apparently its sound of brushing teeth?”

What?

What is ‘chika’?

• 1
  apparently its sound of brushing teeth