Chapter 3
Even after I finished speaking, the pen Adrian was holding didn’t move at all.
“What are you doing now…?”
“I think we need to rewrite the threat letter. Hurry up and take dictation. It would be even better if you write it more menacingly.”
Adrian was looking at me with confused eyes.
Frustrated with Adrian, I pretended to tear up the threat letter. Then Adrian quickly snatched the paper from my hands.
“There’s no need to rewrite it.”
“But this isn’t a threat letter, is it?”
“It is a threat letter.”
“This isn’t a threat. It’s a request. Write it the way I told you. That’s how it’ll work.”
At my words, Adrian looked at me as if asking how I could say such cruel things.
Those eyes looked so kind that I rather felt like I was more of a villain now.
“Do we really have to do that? Such strong words don’t look good.”
“Of course they don’t look good. It’s a threat.”
“But writing that you’re safe will give your family at least some peace of mind.”
“From the moment I was kidnapped, peace of mind is kind of…”
For a moment, guilt seemed to flicker across Adrian’s eyes.
Realizing I had misspoken, I tried to quickly change the subject, but Adrian’s apology was faster.
“I know it’s not my place to say this, having kidnapped you. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing for something you’ve already done? It’s okay. It’s fine. It’s already happened, so…”
“I didn’t want to do this either… I’m sorry.”
As Adrian apologized once more and gestured, the threat letter and pen that had been placed in front disappeared.
Then he slowly stood up. He seemed to want to escape this situation.
“I will take your words into consideration.”
I nodded at Adrian’s polite deflection. Seeing his firm expression, further argument seemed pointless.
I thought Adrian would leave the room immediately, but he was still standing in front of me as if he had more to say.
I stared at Adrian intently, meaning he should speak if he had something to say. The eyes that met mine seemed to contain worry for some reason.
Is he worried about me, the hostage? No way?
“Lady Ort, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”
No way became reality. I deliberately answered cheerfully.
“Unwell? I’m perfectly healthy.”
“I understand that you have a weak constitution. If you’re feeling sick…”
“No, I’m really fine. By the way… I…”
Just as I was about to say I wanted to rest a bit, a loud sound rumbled from my stomach.
I became embarrassed at the unexpected sound. As I lowered my head, a gentle voice sounded from above.
“Are you hungry?”
“…I think so…”
“I’ll prepare something right away.”
I quietly nodded. Thinking he would leave now, I kept my head down, but I felt his gaze on me for quite a while.
Adrian watched me for a few more seconds as I didn’t raise my head, then went outside.
Adrian was no different from the main story. That was fortunate. It was fortunate, but…
“It seems like he’ll suffer quite a bit in the side story too…”
I was worried about Adrian, who still hadn’t come to his senses and remained kind. I was even scared that he might die in the side story without achieving his revenge.
Adrian’s life and death was very important, but what was urgent right now was the quest that my life depended on.
Wanting to see the system window again, I raised my index finger to the air and poked here and there. But the system window didn’t appear.
“It would be nice if you could give me the system window?”
I had no choice but to speak to the air. I felt like someone was watching me.
Whether my thought was correct, as soon as I finished speaking, a window appeared before my eyes.
[SYSTEM: Guide for the Ignorant You View status window again: Touch thumb and index finger together, then separate. Close status window: Press the X mark on the right side of the status window. Check achievements: Press firmly into the air with your thumb. Check titles: Tap twice with your index finger. You must tap rapidly in succession. (More)]
Following the system’s instructions, I touched my thumb and index finger together and separated them. Then the window I had seen when I was kidnapped appeared before me. I closed it and this time pressed firmly into the air with my thumb.
[Rare Achievement Achieved 50 Stupid Words and Actions Great Achievement: Perfect Conclusion Welcome / Unstable Possession]
I quickly pressed the X mark. Then, to check titles, I tapped twice with my index finger.
[Acquired Titles ‘Possessor’ / ‘One Who Forgot Past Life’ / ‘Variable of the Side Story’ UP! Suspicious Title ‘Hostage More Villainous Than the Villain’]
I let out a hollow laugh at the titles displayed in the window, then checked the title written after UP! and clenched my fist with an expressionless face.
Then the window quickly changed.
[You can check the effects of corresponding achievements and titles.]
The fact that there were effects was at least good news. I didn’t expect much, but it seemed better than nothing, so I was about to check when the door burst open.
Startled, I quickly closed the system window and turned my gaze to see a girl through the open door.
It was a young girl with brown pigtails.
Was there such a character near Adrian? A new character from the side story?
Before I could say anything, the door slammed shut again.
I just blinked at the sudden situation, then heard a forceful knock.
…Does she want an answer?
“It’s okay to come in.”
As soon as I finished speaking, the door opened carefully.
Through the small gap, the girl I had seen earlier was looking at me. She appeared to be about ten years old at most.
While I was observing the child, the child was also observing me. Her brown eyes sparkled as she explored me.
She looked like a curious rabbit. My heart melted at her cute appearance.
“Hello?”
The child flinched, startled by my greeting.
I crouched down to meet the child’s eye level and greeted her with a bright smile.
“Nice to meet you.”
The door gap opened a little more. Realizing the child hadn’t let down her guard, I tried to talk more.
“May I ask who you are?”
The child opened her mouth briefly, then shook her head.
“I can’t tell you.”
At the child’s words, I realized I had asked a stupid question. Where would there be an idiot who would tell their identity to a hostage?
To ease the awkwardness even a little, I offered my introduction with a smile.
“I’m Ashley Ort.”
“Yeah, I know. I investigated about you, sister.”
“Haha… I see…”
“Yeah. Among us, I know the most about you, sister.”
The child looked somewhat proud, making me wonder if I should praise her. But since going through someone’s personal information without consent wasn’t a good thing, I tucked away the praise and asked a different question.
“Is that leader… the person he’s sending…”
“Yeah, it’s me. Our leader told me to feed you, sister.”
“Huh?”
“You’re going to eat, right?”
I was about to answer the child’s words when, instead of words, my stomach sound intercepted my response.
A loud rumbling sound once again echoed through the room.
This stomach had no sense of timing. The child looked at my stomach once, then extended her right hand to me.
“Let’s go. It’s ready.”
“Huh?”
“We have to go to the dining room to eat. The leader doesn’t like eating on beds.”
“That…”
Where is there a hostage who eats in a dining room? You villains who aren’t even villain-like…
I sighed at the author who assigned villain roles to such people. Whether she heard my sigh, the child added.
“Our leader is worried because the hostage isn’t healthy. So you have to eat even if you don’t want to.”
“Ah, the sigh wasn’t about that…”
“Shh! Sister, you’re a hostage, so listen to me. I’m the one who kidnapped you.”
The child brought her small index finger to her own mouth. I shut my mouth tightly.
Why is this threat so cute…
The child took me to the dining room. Food was already prepared there.
However, Adrian wasn’t there. When I looked around, the child asked me.
“Looking for our leader?”
“Ah, no?”
“The leader doesn’t eat with us. Sister, you’re eating with me today.”
I nodded at the child’s words and sat in the seat she pointed to.
The child’s and my menu were the same. One warm soup and bread.
It was quite a luxurious meal for something given to a hostage, and I thought it was very much like Adrian as I picked up the spoon.
Adrian said he would send me back safely… There’s no poison, right?
As I looked at the soup with some suspicion as a hostage should, the child said to me.
“If sister doesn’t eat, I’ll get in trouble. Eat quickly.”
Right. It’s Adrian. Surely not…
With faith in Adrian, I scooped up a spoonful of soup. I opened my mouth and put the soup in. It wasn’t difficult.
But the moment it touched my tongue, I had no choice but to spit it out.
