Chapter 170

A mad dog's coming-of-age ceremony was held in which I was raised by a Duke who was so powerful that even a bird fell. The ducal family, including me, stood side by side behind the podium.

"Congratulations on the coming-of-age ceremony of Penelope Eckart, the Eckart's the only woman. As an honorable nobleman and one loyal people of the Great Empire, so as to make its castle and name known to the world throughout its life..."

On behalf of the Emperor, who was unable to come in person due to illness, a servant under his command issued an edict. The boring speech was repeated. The next order was the congratulatory remarks of the original family.

"The beginning was only a minor aesthetic to escape from the trapped pupa, but now in adulthood, she is a member of the proud Eckart house..."

He said it long and elegant, but now that I'm an adult, he was telling me not to run like I used to. I could see Reynold pointed to the old man and said, 'I think the nagging is about to start.'

The speech of the elder, which seemed to be highly self-possessed, went on as delicate and long as it seemed to be never-ending.

"Therefore, I admit that Penelope Eckhart has grown up, and I formally declare it."

Tak-. At the end, the elder grandfather finished speaking and neatly closed the right-hand file he was holding. There was a thunderous applause from the audience.

I was supposed to hear it silently, without smiling or answering at any other questions. That's all I could do while I was holding this kind of Coming-of-Age ceremony.

"Butler."

As the applause calmed down little by little, the Duke looked at the butler, who was in charge of the ceremony. The butler moved at once. He dragged the tray that he had prepared on one side.

It was the final procedure. Drinking serials as a way of congratulation and reverence between immediate family members.

Of course, this does not end completely, and it has since led to a reception. Anyway, I put my mind down because I was just about to finish it safely.

"But where the hell is Derrick?"

At that time, the Duke asked Renald with an angry voice. I realized only then. That Derrick wasn't in his seat during the ceremony.

Renald frowned as he looked around the hall.

"Oh, I've been looking for him for a long time before, but I can't find him. Should I bring him now, Father?"

"You, go right away to him"

But before the Duke allowed it, the butler arrived. The Duke quickly shut his mouth and again put a friendly expression on his face. On the tray brought by the butler, there were four bottles of liquor and four golden glasses side by side.

"Butler, go ahead. Find Derrick and get him here."

The Duke ordered the butler who handed the glass over him. He soon asked the guests for their understanding.

"Please wait a moment."

The ceremony stopped. I had a new impression because I didn't know that Derrick, who was so thorough, would cause problems.

But that too, for a moment, I took a close look at the maid putting a bottle of liquor and a glass on the

table instead of the butler. Click-.

There was a rather crude gold cup in front of me. It was a monotonous thing with no name written on it, Unlike the Duke's and the fancy glass of his two sons, in which the crest of the family and the beautiful handwriting were engraved.

The golden cup used on special days, such as the coming-of-age ceremony, is not a new one, but a long- time favorite. This meant that he expressed his affection for the main character of the day. So the nobles here gave and received gold cups with their names engraved instead of gold rings when their children were born.

I just heard from Emily that Penelope also had a cup. When she had just followed the duke to the duke's house, Derrick's coming-of-age ceremony was just around the corner.

For that reason, I could not engrave my name unfortunately while preparing for a rush. Since then, there had been enough time to engrave name, but there had been a long gap of four years until the coming-of-age ceremony of Renald. The Holy Grail, which was forgotten even by its owner, was still plain.

As I stared blankly at the golden cups, the agitation of the nobility grew bigger and bigger as it stopped. The butler who went looking for Derrick still hadn't come back.

"Penelope."

It was decided that there could be no further delay, and the Duke had no choice but to take the bottle. "I'm going to lift the glass."

I raised my share of the glass without a reply. The ceremony, which had been suspended for a while, was held again.

Squeeze-. A bloody red liquid poured into the golden cup. Then the Duke handed me the cup and whispered

"If it's too strong, just pretend to drink and throw it on the floor."

It was good to hear. I did not really want to drink. I tilted the bottle to his glass with a slight turn of my head.

Clang—. Soon the glasses bumped into each other. "For Penelope."

The Duke, who had made a short toast, poured the wine into his mouth. Again a steady stream of applause burst out. I pretended to drink as the Duke told me and threw away the wine on the lawn.

When I put my glass on the platform again, Renald poured the wine naturally. "For Penelope."

The previous acts with the Duke were repeated once again. Throwing away wine was easier and more natural than before. When sharing the toast with Renald was finished, the Duke opened his mouth quietly.

"Sadly, the Young Duke have something to do"

"I'm sorry for being late."

It was then, stopped the Duke's words, someone stepped into a solemn, still place. Everyone's eyes glanced there. The first thing that caught my eye was an old butler with a puzzled look.

Approaching him, the tall man reached to the podium. As usual, a cold, cool face faced me. I looked at him with a little surprised eyes and hesitated.

'The gauge bar'

Above the top of Derrick's head, the gauge bar had changed color. From orange to bright yellow.

My eyes were wide open. Derrick's favorability was distracted by the change of color in the gauge bar, and I didn't notice it. A small figure standing behind him.

"Who's that lady?"

"Is she the hidden lover of Young Duke? What the hell..."

The whisper began to spread all over the quiet hall. It was the Duke, not the me, who recognized it first.

"Derrick, you... you...!"

The Duke couldn't speak, staring at the slender wrist he was holding. When Derrick saw his father in astonishment, he said calmly.

"It's a place where all immediate family members should attend. I was late picking up Yvonne." "Ah, Father..."

A small shivered figure slowly emerged from behind his back. It was Yvonne.

Carefully raising her head, she looked at me, shivering her shoulders, and lowered her head down in fear. It looked as if she was forced to be hidden under the evil influence of a fake princess, but was dragged out of the hands of wicked woman.

"Father-- ..?" (The crowd)

"Well, then, that lady, don't tell me..." (The crowd)

A little murmur quickly spread to a loud noise. I watched the coming of age ceremony, which had become a mess, with dull eyes.

"Derrick Eckart!... What the hell are you doing—?!"

A roar of anger broke out from the mouth of the Duke, who was trembling all over his body. "No matter how much I think about it, I can't understand it, Father."

Derrick was talking like he had no doubt that he was doing the right thing.

"Why do you delay announcing that Yvonne had come back at Penelope's coming-of-age ceremony, and even hide her presence?"

"You, you! How dare you!"

"Let's announce about it at this event, where most of the guests of the Empire, as well as the family members, are gathered."

His gaze, which had been fixed on the Duke, at that moment shifted to me. "...The Lady Eckart, who had been lost since her childhood, has come back again."

At that moment, I faced his blue eyes. It wasn't as surprising as I thought. Maybe it's because I made this assumption that this might happen when I heard that they were holding refreshments in the morning.

At that moment, the eyes of the man, who was looking at me with no expression, twitched. 'Is it because I am not so overcome with emotion?'

Derick's jaw stood out.

I glanced over him and looked around the mess at coming-of-age ceremony. 'What's going to happen now?'

The silent hall was noisy like the Dottegi market.

(*Note: Dottegi market is an apps to sell preowned clothes online)

Yvonne was taking advantage of the fuss, and completely stood out of Derrick's back and looked at the Duke with a glare.

It was then.

<SYSTEM> The hard mode limit period is over.

<SYSTEM> Counting favorability...

<SYSTEM> ...

<SYSTEM> ...

<SYSTEM> Favorability's count is complete!

The light flashed before my eyes. And.

<SYSTEM> You didn't succeed in ending with any target until the time limit. A system window pops up to inform me that the game had failed.

It was okay because I was prepared so far. But that was not the end.

<SYSTEM> Penalty due to failure.

'Penalty?'

The unexpected development made my mind blank. 'What? What kind of penalty is this'

Before I could even accept the situation, the writing in the system window changed rapidly.

<SYSTEM> [Downs the favorability of all capture targets] Penalty application. [Eclise -20 %]

[Derrick -20 %]

[Renald -10 %]

[Vinter -10 %]

[Callisto -10 %]

In the blink of an eye, everything fell apart. The white writing with '—' came to me like a vision from all sides.

I quickly lost the favorability I had accumulated with tears of blood. (Wow i got goosebumps when i read this chapter.)