Chapter 10

“……So it’s already been four days and I’m still reading books. I don’t do anything other than lie down and read a book. I don’t know if it’s okay to continue like this.”

[ ‘Morning Prayer’ in progress. Current progress 65%.]

“Oh, by the way, Nelly and the maid left the Count yesterday. The reason for the delay by a few days was that the corruption and embezzlement she made in the manor in the past has been revealed. The butler and doctors involved were also replaced altogether. It would be difficult for these people to find a new job. Instead of getting a letter of recommendation, rumors will spread around the aristocratic families, so it should be seen as a departure from the industry.”

The progress rate steadily rose even while telling on this or other crimes the maid committed. Then I thought of something to say, and turned the topic.

“Coming back to the story of playmates…. To be honest, it’s not bad to just keep reading books. Because I can know about this world. Besides, books are the property of nobles, so I should read them carefully when I have the opportunity to read them. So, to say the least, the function of the integrated library was a bit disappointing. Only the books I read or bought during my lifetime are saved, can’t you make it so that the books I read after transmigrating are also saved?”

God’s answer was heard.

[‘The world-building God’ replies that they will seriously consider the update.]

[‘The world-building God’ throws new jobs to the new gods.]

“Wow, thank you.”

As soon as I said my thanks, a system message popped up.

[ ‘The morning prayer’ has been completed.]

[ A Thousand Days of Dawn Prayer (5/1,000). The quest can proceed after 22 hours 36 minutes.]

Today’s homework is over. Now I had to clean up and get ready to go to work.

I’ve been really busy these days. Healer job change quest, cooking level up, alchemy level up, tea serving study and finally reading club with the Count’s Young Lady.

I think I’m living a really hard life.

Today, I finished my daily routine until lunch and went to Bianca’s room.

“Come on, Miss Ellet. What book would you like to read today?”

“Today, too?”

I didn’t have any complaints, but I did ask once.

I heard that her former playmates always ran away on the third day, but I’m already on the fourth day.

“……Are you tired of books?”

“Hmm, how about you, Miss?”

“…….”

“…….”

Bianca rolled her rabbit-like red eyes to the side.

It was a little strange to see the Count’s Young Lady, who was firmly assertive in her opinions, worriedly looking into the air.

Bianca was the one who seemed to do another thing other than reading.

“Shall we do something else?”

“Then…would you like to play dolls with me?”

“Playing with dolls? That would be great.”

I sincerely nodded my head with enthusiasm.

The memories of playing dolls with my older brother when we were young came to mind.

It was a space-themed doll play in which a doll and a robot appeared together, it was a theme made to compromise both our tastes.

I miss it even thinking about it again.

Bianca seemed happy with my ambitious appearance. For some reason, the child who was always indifferent was slightly blushing and her eyes were shining.

Then she went directly to the next room without asking me to do so and brought the dolls into the basket.

“Wow!”

Indeed, the Count Young Lady class was different. What was in the basket were four pretty elaborate jointed dolls and various delicate props. Just looking at it made me excited.

The doll consisted of three female and one male. Bianca picked the two female dolls first.

“I’ll play the terrifying Duchess and the loyal maidservant.”

Then she gave me the other male doll and one female doll and assigned me a role.

“You play the cheating Duke and a young, hopeless mistress.”

Huh? The setting is kind of…

“Let’s get started,”

Bianca lifted the Duchess doll.

A stern shout rang out.

“I have finally found the foxy girl who played with my husband! I’m going to get what I’m owned today, so take her to the basement torture chamber right now!”

…… The genre of doll play was strange.

✠

Bianca didn’t really hate having friends. No, she really wanted to make friends.

You can read a book alone, but playing with a doll is no fun alone.

Bianca’s criteria for choosing friends were very generous compared to those of her brother.

‘Personality, intelligence, and taste. I only look at those three.’

Despite her low threshold, none of her peers met the criteria. Bianca was already ten years old. At this rate, her precious childhood would pass without a single memory of playing with dolls.

Even though she eventually gave up the personality and intelligence criteria, it was no use.

Then, like fate, the presence of Ellet Rodellaine stood out.

Bianca knew everything about the Count’s servants. Of course, she also knew about the daughter of a major human resource like The Alchemist.

She was amazed when a child she had previously thought was just an ordinary girl suddenly came into her sight.

Bianca was surprisingly an activist. As soon as she was interested, she immediately went to see Ellet with the Countess.

And Ellet’s personality that she saw in the garden exceeded her expectations.

‘You’re sending the maid mother-daughter pair away at once.’

The smirk on her innocent and harmless face did not deceive Bianca’s eyes.

Bianca, who knew at a glance the extraordinariness of Ellet, felt a great interest in other people for the first time in a long time.

After she confirmed her personality, the next one was about intelligence.

On the first day that Ellet came as her playmate, Bianca choose easy and fun books in her own way, considering that Ellet was a commoner. She was a little disappointed when Ellet passed by the classic purist literature, praised for its excellent writing skills, and picked a narrative.

But the next book that Ellet picked up was the Bible.

When asked why she chose it, the answer received was truly shocking.

―I don’t think I can understand literature without understanding the Bible.

The Bible, the realm of faith, is only treated as knowledge, and attention is paid to it by necessity.

Bianca was momentarily but deeply excited by Ellet’s indifferent and intellectual behavior.

‘If it’s this kind of person…’

Even though she had already been disappointed several times, expectations arose.

However, the last criterion, taste, was something that no one had ever passed. Perhaps her taste was so strange that it made all her playmates leave the room crying after three days.

They were even terrified when she tried to say goodbye, it was lonely and disappointing.

To be honest, Bianca was deeply hurt.

She also didn’t seem to be able to make friends with such children no matter how low she set her standards.

Friends should be able to embrace each other’s tastes.

Ellet Rodellaine was a ray of light, and she was afraid she might end up like her former playmates. But, on the fourth day, she made up her mind and took out her dolls.

And Ellet did not disappoint Bianca.

“Ah! It’s unfair, Madam! It was the Duke who just came up to the capital and seduced the innocent me who knew nothing! Rather, I was the victim of a marriage fraud scam! And above all, there is nothing between me and the Duke. There was no deed, for the Duke was not standing!”

“Wi-Wife, look at that. It’s limpy, so it can’t work. I can’t do anything even if I want to, so put down your whip and loosen the rope. Cries!”

Holding a mistress doll in her left hand and the Duke’s doll in her right hand, Ellet performed with passion.

Bianca’s face, watching the play in front of her, was a little dazed.

Then her mistress doll knelt in front of the Duchess doll.

“Madam! I repent of my sins and want to serve the Madam for the rest of my life. As proof of my loyalty, I want to torture the Duke myself!”

In the end, she leads the doll play to a climax by showing off her knowledge of various torture tools that she has never heard of in her life. With such a rich setting and a description that stimulates the imagination, Bianca could not help but admire it.

Before she knew it, the real-like and lively scream of the Duke ceased.

“Phew. The Duke has fainted. Madam, do you like it?”

“……”

“Madam?”

The dolls fell from Bianca’s hands.

It was at that moment when Ellet, who was engrossed in her passionate performance, was slightly embarrassed and tried to look at Bianca.

Bianca grabbed Ellet’s hand and pressed her face closer.

Her red eyes shone like a rabbit. It was the first time in her life that she had so much fun playing with dolls.

“Can I call you Eli?”

“What?”

“Well, Eli. You call me Bia, too. It’s okay to speak informally when there’s only the two of us.”

It was truly an extraordinary privilege. Bianca continued, while Ellet was puzzled.

“And you know what? Can you tell me more about those torture tools you said earlier…?

At the shy request, Ellet nodded her head.

She thought it would be good to read through ‘The History of Medieval Torture’ in the integrated library.

“Ah, yes. Miss.”

“Call me Bia, okay?”

In this way, Ellet became friends with the Count’s hidden power.

The closer I got to Bianca, the more I had a question.

“If this continues, the Gillete family will not be able to produce a second-generation Aura Master, which is a shame because of our reputation as master swordsmen. There is only one way to save the family that is still in decline. I have to become the head of the household and bring in a skilled knight as a son-in-law.”

“Wow. That’s a wise thing to say, miss.”

“Name, informal speech.”

“Yes, Bia. It’s a perfect plan.”

“Eli, I knew you would think like that.”

Why did the Gillete family become like that in the original when there was such a smart young lady to save it?

And it wasn’t long before I found out why.

[ You have entered an A-level dungeon ‘The Cemetery buried under Count Gillette’.]

Because Bianca Gillette was doomed to die with Ellet Rodellaine!