Chapter 2.2
First of all, she would need to know who the target would be, how to increase the favorability of the target, and what the conditions for the special ending are. Besides that, common sense about this world was basically essential.
But right now, she was too ignorant. The situation was so serious that there was no choice but to rely on this mysterious cell phone.
‘Still… I still need more information.’
Thinking so, the woman pressed the system window as though being guided by a straightened index finger. And as if responding to it, a new window containing the desired contents came to view.
Yes.
‘No’ wasn’t a choice at all.
It seemed that all she could do was to run straight along a certain path.
With no way out, she complied and pressed the screen.
The moment when a new phrase appeared, it felt like an electric current flowing into her body and the woman’s fingers clutching the phone trembled.
“…Aah!”
A startled shriek escaped her lips, which had been closed.
At the next moment, the cell phone she was holding slipped out of her grasp, and the device she picked up fell back to the floor again.
‘What will happen at this rate?’
The numbness rushed through her bones and all over her body in an instant before she could resist as if electrocuted.
‘Don’t tell me I’m going to die…’
On the one hand, it felt like she couldn’t help it even if she died. The woman surrendered her body as though it were meant to be, and her body was consumed by her helplessness. In the end, her sight darkened, and even her consciousness was cut off.
It was the evening after a full day had passed when she opened her eyes again.
Still, in the same room where she passed out, when she awoke in bed, a person who appeared to be a doctor checked her condition and left. Although they seemed to have left a brief message to take care of herself, she couldn’t quite remember it well.
My mind was still in a daze.
“Young Lady, I’ve prepared the water for washing your face.”
“….”
“I’ll help you wash your face.”
She didn’t answer, but cold water was splashed on her face.
“Please close your eyes and hold your breath for a moment.”
The maid washed her with her crassness. After cleaning and scrubbing, she then rinsed with water and dried with a towel.
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
The maid left after only making one-way conversations until she got out. However, she wasn’t upset by the maid’s behavior.
Rather, she was used to it.
It was because of the newly emerging memories. Her head, which had been clarified by the friction of the cold water, was filled with information that had never been seen before. Her own body bearing the name ‘Ariel Huckley,’ the only daughter of a count who led a fairly wealthy life.
Possessed… it was that kind of situation.
Nonetheless, thanks to the memory of her growing up in this world being engraved in her brain, it felt more like reincarnation than possession into this body. She would have believed that she was reincarnated had it not been for the strange sense of distance as if she were seeing the memories of others.
Her newfound knowledge of her own body was quite monotonous.
Moderately indifferent parents who were neither cold nor warm, an extremely reticent personality who wouldn’t say a word of greeting, and a desolate life, confined to a room without friends or any hobbies…
The blank interpersonal relationships and empty routines were eerie to her. It was like borrowing the body of a doll without a soul.
…As if the body was created just waiting for her to come inside.
At that moment, the phrases in the system window, which felt awkward along with eerie questions, instantly filled her head. A world that seemed to have been waiting for her to come… such implications as if it had known her before or had observed her.
‘Don’t tell me… really?’
A cold sweat broke out at the realization, and Ariel wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Her hand trembled slightly as she wiped the sweat. She didn’t like the feeling of receiving awkward hospitality, following an unexpected invitation.
‘I’m sure no one is looking at me right now… right?’
As she seemed to feel a gaze, the moment Ariel glanced around, the door opened with a formal knock.
“Young Lady, I’ve brought you dinner.”
A maid with a wooden tray entered the room. She seemed accustomed to setting the table right away without waiting for permission.
The maid took care of her, cleaned up the mess, and even stocked up on the supplies she needed. It seemed that she didn’t bother to ask for an answer because she knew the character of a normally reticent lady.
It wasn’t long before the maid was ready to leave as she had finished setting up the food.
A Cloche was still covering the plate. Following the owner’s tendency of not eating on time, the maid was considerate so that the dishes wouldn’t cool down.
“The stew is already made easier to eat by mashing the potatoes. According to the doctor’s opinion, there’s nothing wrong, but for the time being, we’ll prepare food that is easy to digest for the Young Lady.”
She spoke like she was reading a script, but there was a hint of worry… a little pity for a girl who was a nominal employee but was confined alone… That was all, but the small kindness that came to Ariel’s desperate situation felt very warm to her.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
The moment she heard that, the maid hardened her face with wide eyes as if she had seen a ghost.
“Young Lady?”
“Ah… It’s just…”
Recognizing that her answer was awkward, Ariel belatedly covered her mouth. In the first place, an extreme evasiveness without a word was fitting for Ariel Huckley.
‘I have to avoid looking at her and lower my head…’
That was how she would be naturally.
As she swallowed her words, she suddenly realized.
‘Do I really need to emulate Ariel’s past, when she was living like she was dead?’
Now that she was in the body of Ariel Huckley, still, she wasn’t the former Ariel Huckley.
Even though she didn’t have an active personality, she didn’t know if she’d go crazy with the frustration of living like Ariel before. Ariel’s past actions transferred to this body of hers were static to that extent. She never left the room, and her only expression was a nod or a shake of her head…
‘But, there’s no need for me to do that, right?’
It might be suspicious, but she thought it would be better to change a little than to stick to the old ways. After all, her purpose was to find her original memories and leave this world, and to do so…
If you see the special ending within three years, you succeeded!
‘…The deadline is three years.’
She became nervous.
At first glance, the three-year period seemed long. However, it was a short period of time when she had to meet someone she had never met and develop a relationship… so, within those three years, she had to meet the target, build a relationship, and create the damn special ending.
It was a goal that could never be achieved by living like the Ariel Huckley of the past.
It was obvious that it was only because she wouldn’t speak a word that the count wouldn’t show Ariel in front of others. How would he bring a mute person who couldn’t even have a simple conversation outside? It was apparent that she would ruin the family’s honor.
Therefore, to change the life of a doll in a cabinet like this, she at least had to answer well. Only then would the count give her a chance to talk to other people…
‘If that’s not the case, I won’t even be able to meet the target.’
Ariel had to change. She didn’t have to change completely from beginning to end. It was fine as long as communication was smooth enough for now.
So, she could go back… to regain her original self that was forgotten.
Ariel parted her lips calmly, looking at the maid, who was still astonished.
“I couldn’t even call for help because I couldn’t speak…”
As she said so, the maid nodded her head sympathetically.
It took her a long time before she discovered that the silent young lady had passed out. It was a shame because while she hadn’t been sick yet, if she happened to faint again like today again, then it might be difficult to guarantee her survival.
Besides, the possibility of death was sufficient enough to change people.
“From now on, I’ll at least talk and live. I’ll change my personality a bit at this moment.”
As Ariel made a firm declaration of her willingness to change, the maid’s face brightened considerably. After all, it’d be much easier for her if the young lady she served would speak to her directly.
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