Chapter 42

[I’ll be back after finishing work, so wait quietly.]

With those words, Viviana left heartlessly. Thanks to that, I was left alone on the large bed. I tried to untie the tightly bound rope on my hands, but it didn’t budge, as if something extra had been done to secure it.

“…I guess I don’t have to worry too much.”

Even though I was tied up on the bed in this confined space, honestly, I wasn’t too worried. I didn’t think she would do anything as harsh to me as Mardian did.

Viviana is a good person.

Having played this game multiple times, I can vouch for that fact. Unless Viviana takes a specific corruption route in the later parts of the game, she’s someone with a warm heart, even if her exterior is cold.

“Ugh.”

I slowly leaned back and lay down on the bed. With my arms tied, there wasn’t much else to do, so it was more efficient to think about what to do next now that I was alone.

Viviana will keep me locked in this room for a month. She said she’d allow me to go to other parts of the mansion if I cooperate well, but for now, I’ll have to stay on this bed for a while.

The contract stated that my basic needs would be taken care of, so there shouldn’t be any issues. All I had to do was eat the meals Viviana provided and sleep on this bed.

“…Not bad, huh?”

Isn’t this the unemployed life I’ve always dreamed of? I don’t have to wear a mask and face people, and I can sleep whenever I want.

Moreover, where am I? This is one of the four grand mansions of the ducal family in the Empire. The food provided here is bound to be delicious.

‘The bed is super comfy too.’

I couldn’t hold back the smile creeping up my face. Since there’s no one else in the room, I let out a hearty laugh at Viviana’s expense.

“You underestimated me, Viviana.”

Ignoring the true laziness of the unemployed? I’ll show you what real laziness looks like here.

*

“…I’m bored.”

I muttered to myself while staring blankly at the intricate patterns on the ceiling.

I didn’t expect this. I was so excited about the perks of the unemployed life I had imagined, but an unexpected obstacle appeared.

Boredom.

In Korea, there were plenty of dopamine sources to fill this boredom. Games, web novels, movies, variety shows—with just a smartphone, I could lie in bed for a whole week.

But here, it’s different. Of course, there’s no smartphone, and there’s nothing even remotely similar.

After Viviana left, time passed agonizingly slowly. At first, I laughed at the leisure, but as time went on, the growing boredom overwhelmed me. Plus, with my arms tied, all I could do was stare at the ceiling or observe the wallpaper.

For someone soaked in the dopamine of modern society, this was an unbearably monotonous time.

“Is there anything…?”

I lost count of how many times I opened and closed my eyes. Being confined in such a luxurious space should have been like a dream, but the daily life inside was dull.

And as time went on, the boredom only grew. I desperately needed dopamine. If there were at least people around, I could have toyed with them for fun, but in this vast bedroom, I was all alone, with nothing to do.

It’s only been 7 hours, but enduring a whole month like this might be more of a challenge than I thought.

As time passed, the frustration inside me turned into stress, and that stress turned into irritation directed at Viviana.

No.

“…If you’re going to call me a pet, shouldn’t you at least give me something to play with?”

Thinking about it now, it’s really selfish.

Locking me up on this bed with nothing? If you’re going to confine me to a room, at least give me a few books or a newspaper, wouldn’t that be better?

Filled with resentment, I buried my face in the pillow and closed my eyes. Time was already dragging, so I tried to force myself to sleep, but even that wasn’t easy.

But as they say, after hardship comes ease. My efforts were slowly paying off as my eyes began to close.

But just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard footsteps from the hallway. The door opened, and in came none other than Viviana.

“Did you wait long?”

At her calm and dignified voice, I raised my head.

“…Not really.”

“You waited quietly. Good job.”

Viviana approached and untied the rope binding my hands. The sudden freedom felt a bit strange.

“Tina, there are some people I want to introduce you to.”

“People to introduce me to?”

That was unexpected. I thought Viviana would keep me locked up here and not let me meet anyone.

“Come in.”

At Viviana’s voice, the door opened, and three pretty girls in maid uniforms entered. They looked about my age and bowed to Viviana in greeting.

“These are the girls who will assist you from now on.”

“Assist… me?”

“Yes, if you’re hungry or have any discomfort, tell them. I can’t take care of everything myself.”

Oh.

So they’re my attendants, huh?

Well, that’s good for me.

I was getting bored anyway, so this works out.

“Nice to meet you.”

At my smile, the three girls greeted me one by one.

The first girl, with long blonde hair, bowed her head with a calm smile.

“I’m Siriel. Nice to meet you.”

“Hello, Siriel.”

Next, a lively-looking girl with short brown hair raised her head. Her big eyes sparkled with curiosity as she looked at me.

“I’m Luna! I hope I can learn a lot from you.”

“I’m glad to be with you too, Luna.”

Finally, a girl with a calm demeanor approached me. She had dark black hair and equally dark eyes. Her sharp features gave her a rather cold impression.

“I’m Iris. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, Iris!”

They all had fresh looks, but Iris stood out with her exceptional beauty. If it weren’t for the maid uniform, she could have passed for a cool northern duchess. I felt like I could get along well with Iris.

‘Having people around is definitely better.’

With their arrival, the room suddenly felt lively, and the boredom from earlier seemed to fade. Viviana smiled faintly and stepped back.

“Oh, by the way, they won’t speak to you from now on.”

“Huh?”

“They’ve already greeted you. They don’t have anything else to say, right?”

I blinked in confusion at her hard-to-understand words. Didn’t she say they were here to assist me? But if they’re not going to talk, how am I supposed to communicate when I need food or something?

“Here, take this.”

“…What’s this?”

Viviana handed me an unfamiliar object. A small bell that fit snugly in my palm. It was the kind nobles used to summon their servants.

“Ring it once for meals, twice for the bathroom, three times for a bath, and four times if you urgently need to see me.”

“…?”

“These girls will only respond to the sound of this bell. Of course, even if you ring it, they won’t speak to you directly.”

“What kind of…?”

I’m not a mute chick, and as a human with the perfect means of communication called language, where does this method even exist?

Feeling absurd, I looked at the girls who had just greeted me warmly, but they just stared at me, with no intention of speaking.

And maybe it’s just my mood, but one of them seemed to be looking at me with hostility.

Luna had a slightly dumb smile, but there was no malice. Iris still had her calm and steady gaze.

But Siriel, the blonde girl, was looking at me with disdain. It was a subtle emotion that others might not notice, but I could clearly sense the slight hostility.

“You can all leave now.”

At Viviana’s words, the three girls bowed only to her and left. Their apparent disregard for me only doubled my frustration.

“Viviana, why are you going this far?”

“Well, I think you know why.”

What do I know?

…Or did she read my thoughts about wanting to boss them around? That could be it. Viviana has eyes as sharp as the sword she wields.

Well, fine.

For someone who’s been confined, I’m living pretty well. And honestly, aside from Iris, I didn’t really feel like talking to the others.

The girl named Siriel, who seemed like a perfect morning snack, seemed to dislike me for some reason, and Luna looked pretty dumb.

Personally, I don’t like dumb people. Spending time with them might make their stupidity rub off on me.

But Iris seemed pretty great. She had a cool beauty vibe and a calm personality that I liked.

Well, thanks to Viviana, I won’t even get to exchange a single word with her, let alone get close.

“Were you bored?”

I glared at Viviana briefly, but all I got back was her calm voice.

“Of course I was bored? I’ve been tied to this bed for 7 hours with sunlight pouring in.”

“If you want, I’ll give you books. Whether it’s knowledge-filled books or fictional stories.”

“…Really?”

Of course, this world has novels too. They might not be as thrilling and refreshing as the ones from my past life, but at least it’ll be less boring than now.

“Then… I’d like to read a novel-.”

“Depending on how you behave.”

Viviana’s firm voice cut me off. As I blinked in confusion, Viviana continued with a strange smile.

“As I mentioned briefly before, the benefits you receive will change depending on how well you fulfill your role.”

“…”

“If you do well, the benefits you can enjoy in the mansion will increase.”

In short, if I want something, I need to be a good pet.

Well, that’s not hard.

In fact, it’s easy for me.

I’ve been living as a socialite’s pet for almost two years now. If nothing else, satisfying my owner as a pet is a piece of cake.

“Alright.”

I smiled brightly. With the same harmless and pure gaze as always, I looked up at Viviana.

Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. I decided to act immediately while the mood was right. Gently smoothing out the bed wrinkles, I spoke in a sweet voice.

“Master, you must be tired from work today, right?”

“…Master?”

Viviana dislikes fake flattery, but since a pet’s role is to flatter, there’s no helping it. She’ll understand, right?

I demurely moved to the side and lightly patted the middle of the bed.

“Would you like to lie down comfortably? I’d like to give you a massage after your hard day, Master.”

“…”

Seeing the slight tremor in Viviana’s eyes, I smiled even more brightly.

Satisfying people?

Piece of cake.