My pupils shook violently.

A pink heart, which didn’t suit the cold Duke’s face, shyly and cutely took its place.

‘No, it looks good too…’

A handsome man is truly amazing. To digest that.

‘This is not the time to think like that!’

Why did a heart pop out on the Duke’s cheek as a hint?

The reason is very clear.

My numerous romance novel experiences speak for themselves.

Put your lips on that heart.

In other words, kiss him!

‘Is this a hint? What?’

Is this what you call a hint? Seriously?

The devil’s warning to be careful of being naive and immature echoes in my head.

‘I should have never believed that damn devil!’

I groaned silently.

* * *

“Hmm?”

The Duke looked at me strangely, who had turned pale.

“You look strange. Like a sleepy frog.”

What? A frog?

Hey, do you want to kiss that sleepy frog? Huh? Be careful with your lips!

“Why are you like that?”

I couldn’t answer the Duke’s question and let out a sigh.

Well, I received a wonderful quest to kiss you right now.

But if I fail, I die, haha!

Damn it.

This world is like a 0-star rating!

‘Let’s calm down first.’

A hint is just a hint, and kissing is not a condition.

I just need to persuade the Duke and get that book.

‘The Duke is also human. We can communicate. Let’s ignore this damn hint.’

I pretended not to see the pink heart on the Duke’s cheek.

The die has already been cast.

“Oh, Daddy…”

Alright, here I go! Persuasion, Duke!

I grabbed onto the edge of the Duke’s garment.

“I’ll be very careful. Just once, can’t I take it out for a moment?”

Blink, blink.

Even the maidservants looked at her with innocent, guileless eyes, completely deceived.

But then…

‘Huh?’

For some reason, the Duke’s face, looking down at me, hardened even more.

His gaze even became sharper.

‘Ugh…’

I told you it’s not possible, and yet you dared to argue. I’ll kill you.

This can’t be happening, right? It can’t be. Sobbing.

I trembled my lips and spoke as innocently as possible, pretending not to know anything.

“Well, Daddy, songs are meant to be sung, and books are meant to be read.”

Why.

“If the book hasn’t been read by anyone for hundreds of years, it’s too pitiful.”

The more I spoke.

“I’ll gently stroke the book so it won’t hurt, okay?”

Is his expression becoming sharper?

Receiving that gaze feels like a knife is being thrust into my forehead. Ugh.

‘Y-You’re even putting too much force into it…!’

It’s not just because of my mood, but the Duke’s arms really are squeezing me tightly.

He’s not going to strangle me to death like this, is he?

Save me, sob!

The Duke’s eyes seem to be adding up to murder, and I’m finding it harder and harder to smile.

Am I going to get kicked out of life by the Duke’s hands instead of the quest?

On top of that,

‘H-His heart is growing?!’

Since I didn’t kiss him, small hearts started popping up. Not only that, but they’re even sparkling!

Plop plop.

Squishy! Squishy! Squishy!

It’s like I’m hearing voices from the hearts.

‘Uwaaaaaa!’

What the hell is this damn devil thinking!

It feels burdensome not to kiss as if something terrible will happen.

“Uh, Daddy!”

I give up on persuasion.

I bite down on my lips.

And I charge towards the Duke’s face.

Puck!

“Achoo!”

My nose hurts from hitting something hard.

[Control failure.]

?Walk control system? ¹internet slang; ?? is short for walk control system (or feet control), it’s a sarcastic remark, saying that if a player shows poor skills that don’t match their level or equipment, it seems like they’re doing it with their feet instead of their hands

Oh, you’re using the walk control system. No, I think I’ll do better controlling it with my feet.

I kindly showed you how to aim properly, but you still can’t hit the target properly.

This is not the behavior of a great contractee of Aphthanes.

I’m really disappointed! Embarrassed! Ashamed!

‘…?’

Why did this notification come up?

Are you trying to make fun of me? It’s not even helpful!

The person who sent this notification must be laughing somewhere.

Ugh, how annoying.

“…What are you doing?”

A low and chilly voice settled over my head.

I lifted my face, which had landed on the Duke’s shoulder, and rubbed my nose. It must have turned red even if I didn’t look at it.

Your shoulders are really hard, Duke.

The Duke looked at me with a furrowed brow.

He has a very cold face, but he’s covered in little hearts. Well, he’s still handsome. That works.

“Daddy.”

It’s not because I’m using the walk control system. It’s because the Duke is too tall.

As I stretched my arms out towards the Duke, he bravely lowered his head.

What? What’s wrong?

Haha, look at the face of someone who doesn’t know what’s going to happen to them.

‘No, wouldn’t it be better not to know?’

My situation suddenly felt sad. The hearts urged me on, becoming even bigger.

Okay, okay, I got it!

I tightly closed my eyes.

Mwah!

Unlike before, there was a cute and lovely sound.

My lips stamped onto the Duke’s smooth cheek.

Uh, that’s enough.

It felt weird.

I’ve never kissed anyone like this before in my life, in my past life or in my current life.

This was my first time.

“…….”

Unable to look at the Duke straight in the eye, I turned hmyer head as if concealing a flush of embarrassment.

I saw the butler and maids silently screaming.

Hmm, Munch drew a work called ‘Scream’ with that expression. I knew it was artistic exaggeration.

Until I finished my escape from reality, the Duke, who had been kissed by me, didn’t have much of a reaction. He was like a statue.

No, Duke Daddy. How come even when you’re turned into a statue, you look like a well-made art piece? It’s like a sculpture made by God.

I’m glad there are no more hearts. I almost thought I had vandalized an artwork.

It was time for me to try to escape reality again.

Crack.

A thin sound echoed through the silent chamber.

When I tilted my head, wondering if I had misheard something, a clear and distinct sound followed.

Chop!

I turned my gaze to the glass tube that had been covered with a book, and saw that gold lines were spreading across it.

‘Huh?’

Is it going to collapse? I thought, and then the glass shards… no, dust scattered in all directions as if hit by an explosion.

I opened my mouth wide as I watched the dust that had once been glass disperse into the air.

The glass tube… exploded, should I say? Anyway, it shattered without leaving a trace.

What on earth is going on?

At that moment, a book suddenly appeared in front of me.

I looked up at the Duke, who was holding out the book to me.

“Your-Your Excellency!”

I heard the frantic cry of the aide.

I snapped out of my daze and reached out my hand. But…

Whoosh!

Just before my hand could touch it, the Duke pulled the book back.

What, are you teasing me?

Whether I pouted or boasted, the Duke leisurely held the book and looked at it from side to side.

Then he lightly threw it up.

I opened my mouth wide.

‘My book…!’

‘Are you having fun teasing me? You rascal!’

Staring at the Duke with a sneaky gaze, the book came to a halt in mid-air.

A dark aura slowly swirled around the floating book like a gentle whirlwind.

“Well, there’s nothing strange.”

As soon as the Duke finished speaking, black energy dispersed like a lie, and the book fell from his hand.

“Although it’s said that nothing is sealed now, it’s still a seal. We don’t know if there are any remnants left.”

Huh?

I blinked my eyes at unexpected words.

Is it because he was worried that the book might be damaged that he hesitated earlier?

‘Is it because I might be in danger?’

Am I interpreting it too positively?

The Duke’s aide, who had been with him for a long time, probably knows better than I do.

“Your Highness, this book is a gift from the late Duke of Phaeraton, who has been with our family for generations. In case the young lady accidentally damages it—.”

“Is it yours?”

The aide’s words were interrupted by the Duke’s remark.

Of course, it’s Your Grace’s… no, my dad’s!

Don’t break it just because the owner says it’s okay, sir!

“Wow! Dad is the best!”

I smiled widely and stretched my arms towards the book.

Please give it to me quickly.

“The best?”

The Duke glared at me with a sinister look.

No, isn’t ‘the best’ a good thing to say?

Why are you getting scary when things are going well?

“Yes, the best…”

I grabbed the book slightly, but the Duke didn’t let go.

Ah, it’s really hard to get hold of a book once.

‘Should I turn you into a statue again…’

It was a joke, but something popped up on the Duke’s cheek like a kiss.

No way.

I chuckled with satisfaction as I saw a heart appear on the clean cheek of the cold-hearted man.

‘…If I catch that devil, he will die in my hands.’

I approached the Duke’s cheek as if I were close to him for some reason and took his lips.

Smack.

As I kissed him again, the Duke’s grip on the book loosened.

I feel like I put pressure on his shoulder.

‘Oh?’

I opened my eyes wide. He likes his daughter’s kiss.

Isn’t this a typical symptom of a doting father?

Looking at it now, his lips are loosened… no, it’s not loose, it’s gotten even harder.

He seems to be in a very bad mood.

As if a sleepy frog touched his sacred cheek…

That shoulder strain was probably due to frustration!

‘Well, that’s how it is.’

Anyway, I got the book in my hand.

I proudly wrote the cover of the old book.

That’s when it happened.

[You have acquired the ?Summoning Medium?]

[You have completed the quest ?Proof of Value?.]

[A reward of 500 cash will be given.]

[You have completed quest?The Best Filial Piety (1)?.]

[A reward of 5000 cash draw tickets will be given.]

A notification popped up.

‘Phew, I’ve escaped from the crisis of life. And there’s one—.’

5000 cash draw ticket.

A smile naturally appeared. Among the fans of romance novels, there is no one who doesn’t hold affection for cash.

The notification didn’t end there.

[The senior aide of the Duke of Phaeraton, Viscount Erkel, admires you.]

[Heinz, the senior butler of the Duke of Phaeraton, respects you.]

[The high-ranking maids of the Phaeraton family respect you.]

[Your influence within the Phaeraton family has slightly increased.]

[500 cash will be given.]

Oh?

The quest reward was originally one 5000 cash draw tickets, but I earned an additional 500 cash.

‘Is this how they give more cash when people react like this?’

I don’t know the principle well, but it was good for me.

‘But why are they admiring and respecting me…?’

I couldn’t understand.

But the most incomprehensible thing was the notification below it.

[Additional rewards will be given as the persuasion target Duke Phaeraton’s satisfaction is at its highest.]

“Huh?”

I rubbed my eyes and checked the notification window again.

[Additional rewards will be given as the persuasion target Duke Phaeraton’s satisfaction is at its highest.]

The notification was still the same.

‘The Duke’s satisfaction is at its highest?’

It was an unbelievable sound.

Even now, it seems like he’s contemplating whether to squash this frog flat until it dies.

“Have you finished looking around?”

“Yes, yes!”

I quickly answered the Duke’s question.

A new notification seemed to be coming, but I would check it later.

As I thought that, the notification window scattered in front of me.

The Duke returned to his office.

Just like that…hugging me while talking.

Unlike earlier, people were waiting in the open room next to the Duke’s office, which was decorated.

It must be time for the report.

They saw me in the Duke’s arms and gasped for breath.

‘Do they have asthma as a group?’

They did that last time too.

They tried to breathe carefully and followed the Duke into the office.

Meanwhile, someone was surprised to see the book I was holding in my arms.

“That book… can’t be…!”

“A book? What kind of book is it? Oh!”

Even other people were surprised.

‘Oh, was it more valuable than I thought?’

Still.

“It’s my book!”

I hugged the book tightly, and the people laughed as if I were cute.

“Huh?”

I nodded my head after thinking about it.

‘That’s right. Babies are cute when they do that.’

I also thought it was cute when I see a baby hiding chocolate behind their back.

However, I didn’t know that I would be the object of that cuteness.

‘I’ve never received such cuteness even when I was a baby.’

In my previous life and in this life.

I clasped my hands together with the book attached.

Somehow, I felt embarrassed to face the guests.

* * *

The Duke sat me on his lap and listened to the report of the guests.

‘Uh, I want to go back to the room and check the cash withdrawal tickets and additional rewards. I also want to look at the book and try out the abilities.’

I looked awkward and rolled my eyes around, but I heard a news that caught my attention.

“Investors are flocking to the mana stone mining business run by Marquis Tarenka. But there’s something strange… There are rumors that our Duke Phaeraton has invested in it as well. Of course, it’s a story that can’t be called reliable.”

Marquis Tarenka.

“That worthless girl who can’t even pay for her meals! A woman like you should come to your senses when you’re beaten!”

The face of Marquis Tarenka, who was whipping me, passed before my eyes.

I looked up and looked at the guest who spoke up.

“If Your Highness had not ordered to keep an eye on Marquis Tarenka, we would have just ignored it. It was just a word that came out of drunken Marquis Sherdel’s mouth. He denied it the next day after his hangover.”

Did the Duke order to keep an eye on Marquis Tarenka?

I glanced at the Duke.

“But the problem is… Despite the many variables in mana stone mining, many investors flocked to it. Too many. Here is a list of investors.”

Thanks to sitting on the Duke’s lap, I could see the list.

Duke Delvatren, Duke Iskamil, Marquis Sherdel…

The list continued on to the next page.

Even though I knew nothing about this world, I could see that giants were involved.

“Looks like the heavyweights made a move.”

“Isn’t it strange? If there is no mana in the mined mana stone, it’s just wasting money.”

“You have to be confident that there is plenty of mana in the mana stone. And the one who can give that confidence is…”

“The information that Duke Phaeraton invested in mana stone mining business.”

The Duke’s voice was low.

“Marquis Sherdel probably said something foolish when he was drunk. Where did he hear such nonsense?”

“It is unclear where the rumor came from when Marquis Sherdel said something foolish when he was drunk. However, when we traced the movements of Duke Delvatren and Duke Iskamil, we found out that all three invested around the same time.”

“Marquis Sherdel was active in parties and clubs, but Duke Delvatren and Duke Iskamil were quiet. The three have never had any private contact.”

‘Oh? Then it must be one of the two.’

As I thought that, the Duke leaned back in his chair and lazily spoke.

“Then it must be one of the two, regardless of whether the two invested in response to the rumor that Phaeraton invested or not.”

That’s right, or not.

“Marquis Tarenka talked to them directly.”

Everyone’s attention was focused on me in response to my words.

Oh!

Did I just say that out loud?

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  internet slang; ?? is short for walk control system (or feet control), it’s a sarcastic remark, saying that if a player shows poor skills that don’t match their level or equipment, it seems like they’re doing it with their feet instead of their hands