My Dream is to Get My Own House - Chapter 57

Episode 57

When the Countess was momentarily distracted, Diana took action.

“What are you looking at? Focus on your task.”

“Oh, yes.”

Diana closed her eyes and immersed herself in dark magic.

Her golden hair deepened into honey-colored tones, and vitality filled her appearance.

She felt an even stronger sense of pleasure.

“They say I have to demonstrate my abilities at the hunting event, but how do I do that?”

“No one can threaten Lady Diana’s position.”

Hearing the young conviction in her voice, Diana felt at ease.

She now wanted to participate in the hunting event and showcase her abilities.

“That’s right. We have dark magic.”

“Yes. So…”

Countess Orléans wore an enchanted expression as she spoke.

“As per their wishes, please take control of the Saboia Mansion, Lady Diana.”

* * *

After leaving Count Orléans’ mansion, Diana headed straight to Tower of Matap.

She intended to properly mark Claude, who had started paying attention to her.

Before meeting Claude, she casually wandered around Matap.

She even went into the laboratory and rummaged through various potions.

“What’s this potion?”

The magician clapped his hands with a startled expression.

“It’s a dangerous potion. If you touch it, ah, it’s not-.”

“Huh? I want this.”

Diana pouted.

In response, the Matap magicians exchanged quick glances and started to flatter her.

“Yes! Yes! Please take it!”

They all seemed to submit to Diana without hesitation.

The feeling of power coursing through her body filled her with delight.

Diana leisurely smiled and reached out to take the potion.

“Ah, can I have this too?”

“Oh my, that belongs to Ishael.”

“Don’t touch it.”

“She’s a genius.”

As soon as Ishael’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere shifted.

Even at the Saboia Mansion, she had heard only praise for Ishael!

“Haha, she’s an apprentice magician, no, a future grand magician.”

“What’s she up to these days?”

“Right? She’s taken leave from administrative duties, started learning at Matap, and hasn’t been seen picking her nose anymore.”

“I really want to see her!”

Praise for Ishael continued here as well.

While only Ishael’s story was being told, Diana was pushed aside.

Still smiling, Diana clenched her fist.

“I’m better than that lowly Ishael selling stones on the streets.”

At that moment, the door behind her opened with a soft sound.

Although she tried to ignore it, the voice output from the magic device was heard.

[Are you better than the insignificant Ishael?]

Diana turned around, her expression flustered.

“Huh? Did I say that out loud?”

The confusion was brief. When Claude smiled at her and patted her shoulder, everything was forgotten.

[Thanks to you, I’m feeling quite good right now.]

Diana blushed.

‘I’m finally being recognized by Claude!’

He even said she was better than the insignificant Ishael.

Although the tone of his words was a bit strange, the anticipation erased all doubts.

Her life as the real Lady Diana was gradually beginning.

She wanted to become a more remarkable presence.

The position of Lady Diana was hers to claim.

“If only Ishael, that woman, would disappear.”

Not long ago, she heard that there were factions who despised Ishael from Countess Orléans.

She should bring those people and properly crush Ishael.

Then there would be nothing else to bother her.

* * *

Diana was truly on a roll.

Stories of her summoning noble youths to her townhouse for parties, meeting Sharp Long, or recruiting new maids echoed in her ears.

Moreover, did she even boast about her magic skills at Matap? 

Regardless, I went to the miscellaneous market every day. 

While doing so, I diligently collected pebbles. 

It was a truly peaceful time. Except for one thing. 

I hesitated and carefully spoke to Dylan. 

“Dylan.” 

“Yes.” 

“Today, we’re not doing business, why is that…” 

His attire was still half-tattered today. 

Without any change in his expression, Dylan whispered as if proclaiming the truth of the universe. 

“It seems like Ishael likes it.” 

“Ah…” 

I was discovered. 

“Did I guess correctly?” 

His expression seemed to tremble slightly. 

‘My image has already gone downhill.’ 

If that’s the case, I have no choice but to be honest! 

“Yes…” 

He glanced at me briefly, and his ears turned red. 

“I’ll keep trying hard from now on.” 

Now, it seems like I only have to explode with frustration. 

Being honest about desires is a good thing, after all… 

He casually snatched the bag I was holding, put it on his shoulder, and held my hand. 

“Oh, there are pickpockets, so be careful.” 

“Yes.” 

In his words, we had been pickpocketed while collecting stones for the past few days. 

These scoundrels even stole our bags. 

“I didn’t know there were so many rascals trying to steal mere stones.” 

I carefully lifted a stone lying haphazardly on the ground. 

The earth-colored stone had an endlessly smooth surface. 

This one’s a pass. 

I leisurely hummed a tune and said, 

“That’s right. Anyway, they’re thieves. They steal a flea’s liver.” 

Dylan and I strolled leisurely. 

Of course, we occasionally picked up stones from the ground while walking. 

His bag was gradually getting heavy with stones. 

With a pile of stones each, Dylan and I wandered around the market. 

That way, we could arrive at the riverside near the market while having several stones snatched by pickpockets. 

I glanced at Dylan. 

“Hey.” 

Since we’ve picked up all the stones, it’s time to open the door to conversation. 

“What do you think of dogs, Dylan?” 

“I like brave Chihuahuas.” 

In his words, the ‘something’ that had been making a noise behind us since earlier stopped moving. 

“Woof.”

…

A very small, whining sound that seemed to be uncomfortable. 

“Um, then what do you think of rural dung dogs?” 

“I don’t think anything about them.” 

“Woof…” 

This time, a gloomy sound was heard. 

I solemnly nodded. 

“Then, from now on, you’ll have new thoughts about rural dung dogs.” 

While digging through Dylan’s bag to lift a white stone, I looked behind me. 

“There’s a cute puppy over there!”

I shook the white stone, looking around the seemingly empty riverside. 

“Look!” 

Just then, the puppy hiding its face in the crevice of the riverside raised its head slightly. 

It was a small, palm-sized rural dung dog with white fur. 

“Woof?” 

Its black pupils sparkled. 

Furtively, it seemed like it was glancing at me, and I shook the white stone once again. 

‘You’re designed to resist this stone’s temptation.’ 

I smiled with satisfaction. 

Sure enough, unable to resist the temptation, the puppy ran towards me. 

“Woof!” 

Dylan.”

Dylan nodded as he looked at me. 

He hugged the puppy that had come running towards us. 

“W-woof!” 

The puppy shook its body vigorously, but I immediately brought the white stone to its cheek. 

The puppy unconsciously opened its mouth and bit down on the stone before letting it go. 

“You wanted this lucky stone too?” 

Calling it a lucky stone was a stretch; the stone exuded a faint dark aura. 

That eerie energy flowed into the puppy’s mouth. 

At that moment, the puppy’s eyes sparkled even more and turned bright. 

“W-woof!” 

Watching the growling puppy, I smirked slyly. 

“Now, slowly reveal your true identity.” 

“W-woof…?” 

The sparkling eyes of the puppy looked perfectly ordinary no matter how you looked at them… 

But I wasn’t fooled. 

“Come on.” 

“…W-woof.” 

After a few seconds passed like that, the puppy’s body gradually grew larger and soon transformed into an eight-year-old child with white hair and pink eyes. 

The little one, who fell to the ground, let out a gasp. 

“Ack, huff!” 

“So, that’s your true form, little spirit fortune-teller.” 

“Huff!” 

“You’re a spirit.” 

The fortune-teller’s body stiffened instantly. 

I looked at her with glinting eyes. 

Before the regression, I once saw a news article about a suffocated corpse found in the outskirts of the capital. 

She was a trashy individual who would strike others on the back of their heads and spit out weird fortune-telling.

 But here’s the thing. 

Strange divine power was detected from that corpse. 

It was called ‘anomalous divinity.’ 

Upon investigation, it was said that the corpse was a spirit who died without becoming a god. 

People lamented the appearance of a spirit after a long time and wagged their tongues. 

No wonder, spirits were beings that could become guardians of the empire.

As the divine realm and the human realm split, the gods couldn’t easily approach humans. 

Spirits and immature beings aspiring to become gods all remained in the divine realm. 

Very occasionally, curious little spirits would get lost and fall into the human realm. 

Baby spirits were still immature beings and couldn’t return to the divine realm alone. 

But if they became gods, they could relatively freely move between the divine realm and the human realm. 

So, the spirits pretended to be human and wandered in the human realm, making efforts to become gods. 

“Heh, hehehe…” In an instant, her face contorted. 

“Back then, I was an adult, but now I’m a child! H-how did you know?” 

“Just a hunch?” 

No. I’m grateful I remembered the news. 

Spirits that couldn’t become gods usually stopped growing around the age of eight. 

There were also research results that showed they occasionally transformed into dogs or adult men. 

‘So you were pretending to be a puppy and circling around us.’ 

The eight-year-old baby spirit seemed afraid and was trying to escape. 

But I couldn’t let it run away today. 

I spoke to the baby spirit gently. 

“I’m not here to do anything bad to you.” 

“Liar. Humans always do bad things to me!” 

“Let’s make a deal that I won’t do bad things to you. Spirit and human.” 

The baby spirit lowered its head as if it was frightened. 

“No. I’m scared of humans!” 

If it kept going like this, it seemed like it would disappear again. 

As I pondered how to use carrots and the whip technique, I crouched down to the height of an eight-year-old’s eyes. 

“I’ll make you a spirit tomorrow. How about that?” 

At that moment, the spirit’s eyes sparkled.