Chapter 10

✠

“So it’s been four days already and the only thing we’ve done is read. It almost seems too easy, since all I’m doing is relaxing with a book. I’m a little worried if it’s okay for me to just sit around and do nothing like this.”

⟬«System» [Morning Prayer] in progress. Current Progress: 65%.⟭

“That’s right, I forgot to tell you. Nellie and the head maid left the castle yesterday. Things were a little behind schedule because the head maid’s embezzlement and malfeasance were uncovered. The butler and doctor were also replaced after it was discovered that they were accomplices. It’s probably going to be difficult for those three to find work anywhere else, seeing as how word of their misdeeds has already spread like wildfire amongst the aristocracy. It’s probably safe to say that their careers are over.”

The progress bar steadily rose as I gave a detailed account of the head maid’s crimes. Then something else came to mind and I switched gears.

“Going back to the playdates... To be honest, it’s really not that bad, reading all day. It’s a good way for me to learn new things about this world. Besides, books are an exclusive commodity reserved for nobility. I have to make the most of the situation while I still have access. So that got me thinking, the Ultimate Library’s functions seem to be lacking something. It only lets you store books that you read before transmigrating. Couldn’t you include books that I read in this current life as well?”

My god responded.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World says he’ll give it some serious thought.⟭

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World tells the rookie god to get to work.⟭

“Oh! Thank you!”

As soon as I gave my thanks, a system message popped up.

⟬«System» [Morning Prayer] complete.⟭

⟬«Quest» 1,000 Days of Morning Prayer (5/1000). Next prayer available in 22 hours and 36 minutes.⟭

Today’s assignment was complete. Now all that was left to do was get ready for work. I had been extremely busy lately. Healer job advancement quest, leveling up cooking skills, alchemy skills, tea serving skills, and even my daily reading sessions with Lady Bianca. I couldn’t help but admire my own hard work. I wrapped up my duties and headed to Bianca’s room after lunch.

“Oh, Miss Ailette, good, you’re here. What would you like to read today?”

“We’re reading again?” Not that I was complaining, but I still asked her. From the rumors, none of her playdate friends stayed past the three-day mark. It was already day four.

“Are you tired of reading books?” Bianca asked.

“Hmm, how about you, milady?” I replied.

We regarded each other quietly for a moment. Bianca’s deep red eyes slid sideways in thought. It was slightly amusing to see such an assertive little lady who was normally so confident in her decisions deliberate over her playdate options. From the looks of things, it seemed like Bianca was the one who wanted to try something new.

“Shall we do something else today?” I prompted gently.

“Then... Do you want to play with dolls?”

“Dolls? Sure.”

I fervently nodded my head to convey my sincerity. Memories of playing with dolls with my brother when I was younger started to bubble up. We would always end up playing out cosmic storylines in order to account for both my brother’s robots and my dolls.

I longed for those days. It seemed like Bianca was also excited at my enthusiastic attitude. The usually apathetic little lady was nowhere to be found, but instead, a wide-eyed girl with flushed cheeks stared at me expectantly. She even took it upon herself to carry her dolls out of the closet.

“Whoa!”

The little girl’s collection was on a different level. The basket she carried out was filled with beautiful, intricate ball-jointed dolls along with their delicate matching accessories. Just the sight of it made my heart flutter with excitement. There were three female dolls and one male doll.

Bianca chose two of the female dolls first, declaring, “I’ll be the scary duchess and the loyal maid.” She proceeded to give me the leftover female doll and male doll, assigning roles to each of them as well. “You can be the cheating duke and his secret mistress.”

Hmm? The plot was sort of...

“Let’s start.” Bianca lifted up the doll she had assigned the role of the duchess. A stern reprimand echoed throughout the room. “I finally caught you, you foxy little tramp! I shall have you put to death at once! Take her away to the underground torture chamber!”

Well… The theme of this imaginary scenario was starting to get a little weird.

✠

It’s not that Bianca didn’t want any friends. In fact, she desperately wanted to make friends. Sure, books she could read by herself. But playing with dolls alone was no fun.

The standards Bianca had for potential friends were much more lenient than what she thought would be acceptable for an eventual spouse.

All I want in a friend is character, intelligence, and taste. Is that too much to ask? Despite her incredibly low bar, she had a difficult time finding someone that satisfied her requirements. Bianca was already ten years old. As it was right now, she would end up passing through her precious childhood with no fond memories.

Even after giving up on finding a girl her age with strong character and intelligence, she still couldn’t find a single person with similar tastes. In the midst of this personal crisis, she had a fateful encounter with young Ailette Rodeline.

Due to her nature, Bianca was in the habit of tracking the goings-on in the castle, down to even the smallest details about all the servants working there. It went without saying that she was keeping an eye on the daughter of the alchemist, an essential part of the castle’s manpower.

It was quite interesting to see this ordinary girl whom she’d overlooked many times distinguish herself from her peers. And Bianca was, if anything, a go-getter. She immediately sprung into action to visit Ailette as soon as the other girl piqued her interest. Ailette’s strength of character was beyond her wildest imagination.

She took care of the head maid mother-daughter duo in one go. Even Ailette’s innocent smile couldn’t trick Bianca. Bianca recognized Ailette’s extraordinary potential and began to develop a keen interest in her. After she’d seen Ailette’s character, it was time to test the other girl’s intelligence. The first day that Ailette came over for the playdate, Bianca took the fact that the other girl was a commoner into consideration and made sure to pick out an easy, fun-to-read book for her.

Bianca felt a little disappointed when Ailette only lasted thirty minutes with the well-written, touching piece of classic literature, but the book Ailette moved onto was none other than the bible itself! Hearing her reason for choosing the bible was quite shocking.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to really appreciate literature without better understanding the bible.”

She treated the bible, a predominantly faith-based book, as raw knowledge, then went on to apply the information according to her needs. Bianca was enamored by Ailette’s intellect.

Perhaps a girl like this might... Even though she’d already been disappointed countless times, Bianca still felt herself getting her hopes up.

But the final criteria of taste was something no other girl had managed to satisfy. Perhaps her taste and preferences were just that weird, but all of her potential friends ran out of the room blubbering within a few days.

Even as she carried her heavy heart to say goodbye, they would panic at the sight of her. Bianca was actually deeply hurt by their reactions. No matter how much she lowered her standards, becoming friends with those children just wasn’t an option. Friends should be able to embrace each other’s tastes. Bianca was afraid that perhaps Ailette Rodeline would shun her just like her other playmates had.

To delay this possible conclusion, Bianca held off introducing her dolls until the fourth day. Fortunately, Ailette did not disappoint Bianca.

“Aagh! I’m innocent milady! It was the duke who seduced me when I first came to the capital! I’m the victim here! The duke tricked me with false promises of marriage! And most importantly, there’s nothing between the duke and myself. You want to know why? It’s because the duke couldn’t perform in bed!”

“D-Duchess, see here now,” Ailette said feebly, her voice a mockery of a distressed older man. “How could I ever cheat on you? I couldn’t cheat even if I wanted to, for my body does not allow it. Untie these ropes!”

Ailette held the secret mistress doll in her left hand and the duke in her right, passionately acting out her roles. Bianca gawked at her enthusiastic performance.

Ailette had the secret mistress doll kneel in front of the duchess Bianca was holding aloft. “Milady! I wish to repent my sins and serve you for the rest of my life. As proof of my loyalty, I volunteer to torture the duke myself!”

Ailette showed off her knowledge of some obscure torture tools as she took the lead in their storytelling. Such refined and intricate details piqued one’s imagination! Bianca was astounded. Not too long after, the duke’s all too realistic screams died down.

“Whew. The duke has passed out. Well, milady? What did you think?”

Bianca stared at her, motionless.

“Lady Bianca?”

The dolls in Bianca’s hands hit the ground with a thud. Just as Ailette was about to check to see if she was okay, Bianca grasped both of Ailette’s hands and thrust their faces close together. Her flaming eyes glistened. In all her days, this was by far the best doll play ever!

“It’s okay if I call you Allie right?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Allie, okay? You can call me Bia too. You don’t need to call me by my title. You can talk casually when it’s just the two of us.”

This was a truly unprecedented privilege.

Bia continued to speak as Ailette tried to understand what was going on. “And... You know those torture tools you were talking about earlier? Can you tell me a little more about those...?”

Ailette nodded at Bianca’s shy request. Ailette decided to read her the History of Medieval Torture, which was stashed away in the Ultimate Library. “Ah, of course, Lady Bianca.”

“Just call me Bia. Please?”

And just like that, Ailette became friends with Gilette Castle’s secret authority figure.

Things That Happen When You Receive God’s Love and Favor

As I became closer and closer to Bianca, there was one thing that bothered me.

“At the rate that things are going now, our family won’t be able to produce an aura master for a second generation in a row. We’re on track to meet our downfall if we don’t do something soon. There’s only one way out of this mess. I need to become the head of the family and bring in a competent husband.”

“Whoa. It’s just as you say, Lady Bianca.”

“Name. Lose the honorifics.”

“Okay, Bia, then. That sounds like a perfect plan.”

“Allie, I knew you would say that.”

How did the Gilette family ruin itself in the original story with such a bright heiress? It wasn’t long before I found out why.

⟬«System» You have entered [Gilette Castle’s Underground Cemetery], an A-Class Dungeon.⟭

It was because Bianca Gilette and Ailette Rodeline were destined to die together!