SWNOVELXO Chapter 136
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 136
The Desmond Estate was peaceful again today.
Darbav, who had come home earlier than usual, stopped unwrapping his scarf and stood still at the sight of an unfamiliar guest.
-Softly.
A subtle atmosphere flowed between them.
Darbav, who had not been informed of any visitors, engaged in a staring contest with the guest who boldly stood at the entrance, looking straight at him.
The guest, sitting expressionlessly, stared at Darbav with a sullen gaze.
“Father.”
The woman began the conversation with an audacious opening remark. Hearing the guest’s first words, Darbav responded with a stern expression.
“Yes, Olivia.”
“Yes.”
Without any further words, the father and daughter gazed at each other. It was as if they understood each other’s hearts without speaking, their intense eye contact saying it all.
Darbav, unwrapping his scarf, asked Olivia,
“Did you come because you missed your father?”
“No. Ricardo abandoned me.”
“Is that true?”
“No. Ricardo took a vacation. I came to hang out.”
“I see.”
A small smile appeared on Darbav’s lips.
He was thrilled at the thought of spending time with his daughter after so long.
But then, what is that?
Darbav looked at the black fur ball sitting quietly next to Olivia. It hadn’t been there the last time she visited. What could it be?
-A bear.
It didn’t seem like the kind of animal one would keep as a pet. There were too many issues with raising such a beast as a pet. Its food intake would be considerable, and there was also the question of whether one could survive if the creature got hungry.
Pointing at the black fur ball sitting next to Olivia, Darbav asked,
“Olivia, what is that?”
“A bear.”
“I can see that, but why is it next to you?”
“It’s an emergency food supply.”
At the chilling designation, the bear, which had been looking at Darbav with a calm expression, turned its head to look at Olivia.
-Bear?
Although he couldn’t understand the animal’s sounds, its growl somehow felt like a fierce curse. Meeting Gomtangi’s gaze, Olivia placed a finger on her lips and fell into deep thought.
-Bear.
“Hmm…”
-Beeear.
“Hmmm…”
Darbav, intrigued by his daughter’s seemingly communicative interaction with the bear, asked,
“Are you talking to it?”
“No. I have no idea what it’s saying.”
“Then why are you responding to it?”
“Well, ignoring it might hurt its feelings.”
“…”
Darbav thought his daughter was remarkably considerate. To even show concern for an animal—wasn’t she practically an animal lover? Of course, her personality was endlessly cold toward people, but still.
Darbav felt proud of Olivia, who had become an animal lover.
Having reached a mysterious agreement with Gomtangi through their staring contest, Olivia began to explain her earlier statement while stroking the bear’s head.
“I take back what I said. It’s not an emergency food supply; it’s a tonic.”
-Bear?
“What.”
-Beeear?
“It’s something that can’t be helped.”
Gomtangi resented Olivia.
And as for Darbav…
“A bear, huh…”
He found himself wanting to raise one.
“I’d like to have one too.”
*
I thought about it a lot.
About This Episode.
Should I intervene as the possessor again to smoothly resolve the episode, or should I trust the protagonist to handle it on their own?
There were too many obstacles for me to directly help, and trusting the protagonists carried an enormous penalty for failure.
Yuria’s darkening.
It was content that hadn’t even appeared in the side stories. The idea of Yuria, who embodied a pure white color, succumbing to darkness was something I had never considered.
Moreover, Yuria’s darkening meant the very foundation of the novel would be disrupted.
Entrusting the fate of the world to the hands of foolish protagonists, given such penalties, was an absurd notion. Sigh…
And then there were the three rewards.
The Information of Vitality, Hidden Magical Talent, and lastly, Magic Stats +100—these were irresistibly enticing rewards.
Especially the Information of Vitality, which piqued my curiosity even more.
The more vitality was consumed, the greater the strain on the body became. The pain that arose each time it was used and even the rare cold I had caught seemed to be related to vitality.
Without knowing exactly what vitality consumed as its price, I couldn’t recklessly use it.
So far, I knew two things about vitality.
Vitality didn’t recover over time, and even when it decreased, it didn’t affect my stats.
Beyond that, all information about vitality was a mystery and had to be figured out through experience.
Which meant I had to find out.
The severe penalties for failure.
The rewards for success. These made it impossible to ignore the quest.
And the decision I made was…
To stand before Yuria now.
“Ricardo?”
Yuria’s eyes widened in surprise at my sudden appearance. She wouldn’t have expected me to be at a secondhand clothing store, nor would she have known I was in the capital.
I looked at the startled Yuria with a small smile.
“Yes, it’s me. Have you been well?”
“How are you here?”
“I needed some clothes too.”
I turned my pocket inside out to show Yuria.
“As you know, I don’t have much money, do I? When I heard about this event in the Empire, I came running.”
Yuria stared at me blankly. I was probably the only person who would travel all the way to the Empire just to buy a single outfit from Hamel.
I gently tapped Yuria’s forehead and smiled as she looked at me in confusion.
“What’s wrong? Haven’t you seen a flower beggar before?”
“No… it’s just…”
“Hurry up and pick something. All the good clothes will be gone.”
A slight blush appeared on Yuria’s face.
[Yuria Lv. 32]
[Job: Academy Student/Saintess Candidate]
[Favorability: 10]
[Favorite Conversation Topics: Friends/Volunteer Work/Justice/Handsome Men/First Love/Savior of Life/Father/Ricardo/Budding First Love/Ball]
[Disliked Conversation Topics: Olivia/Financial Struggles/Heretics/Her Own Incompetence/(New!) So Embarrassing…]
I could tell she was embarrassed about picking out a dress at a bazaar.
The Affinity Window said so, and the novel had also described how Yuria felt embarrassed when choosing a used dress.
While other students picked out new dresses, Yuria must have found herself ridiculous for searching through used ones that someone else might have worn.
That’s why I was being as careful as possible with her, opening the episode in a way that matched her mood.
I plunged my hand deep into the pile of clothes, rummaging through them repeatedly. Fixing my gaze on the heap, I spoke to Yuria in a calm voice.
“I think secondhand items are quite decent.”
“…Really?”
“Well, with how brutal the prices are, you know. Back when I attended the Academy, I often bought and wore secondhand clothes myself.”
“But the Academy has uniforms…”
“I only wear the Butler’s Attire, don’t I?”
“Ah…”
“If you search carefully, there are plenty of good items to find.”
I plunged my hand deep into the pile of clothes once again, repeating the process of searching for something.
‘Where did I put it… I’m sure I placed it around here.’
The longer Yuria spent time with me, the more her previously stiff expression began to relax.
While rummaging through the pile of clothes, Yuria spoke in a small voice.
“I thought Ricardo would dislike things like this.”
“You really don’t know me, do you? I go crazy for bargains.”
“Since you’re always with Olivia, I thought you’d only wear expensive clothes.”
“Hmm… That’s true.”
I nodded, affirming Yuria’s thoughts.
Until her downfall, the Young Lady had been like a tree that gave generously without hesitation. It was true that she had provided better treatment than most nobles—whether it was my salary, the clothes I wore, or the food I ate.
Since there was nothing wrong with what Yuria said, I didn’t react much and silently continued rummaging through the pile of clothes. Gradually, Yuria began to share the thoughts she had been keeping to herself.
“My friends would hate this kind of thing. I couldn’t even ask them to come along.”
“It’s understandable to feel reluctant about sharing such a prime spot with friends.”
“What?”
“Isn’t it best to keep good finds to yourself? The goal of this marketplace is to eliminate competitors and secure the best clothes for yourself.”
After several deep dives into the pile of clothes—
I felt a soft texture at my fingertips and began to slowly pull it out.
‘…Found you.’
Yuria’s face was redder than usual.
“Ricardo, aren’t you embarrassed doing this? Laughing while searching for decent clothes among things others have worn—doesn’t it make you feel ashamed?”
“Not at all.”
As I gently pulled the soft fabric closer to me, I smiled warmly and held it out toward Yuria.
“How about something like this?”
“Oh…?”
A pure white dress.
The dress Yuria had been eyeing earlier—
When it emerged from the pile of clothes, Yuria widened her eyes and covered her mouth.
“No way… Why is this dress here…”
“This is what you call luck.”
Just to clarify, this dress was a brand-new item I had purchased with my own money.
It wasn’t as expensive as the Young Lady’s dresses, and as someone who had just stepped into the world of the Young and Rich, this level of indulgence was a manageable expense.
So—
“Take it.”
This was a gift for Yuria.
If she wore a dress I was familiar with, I’d be able to recognize her even if her appearance changed.
You never know.
The Affinity Window might malfunction.
In that sense, this was like a tracking device.
During this event, Yuria would temporarily lose her beauty at Hans’s hands.