Chapter 8: Chapter 8

[birds chirping]

“Madame, there is something I want to ask you.”

It’s so cold. It is only 5 AM in the morning and we just came back after sending the merchant and his troops back to where they belong along with the guards that I sent to keep an eye on them since they were still tied and will only be released when they reach the border. In any case, I am glad I personally see them off because I get to learn how people would go down on this floating land. They have portals that are connected to the land below. Adam said it’ll take them a day to cover the distance since the other end of the portal is like 30 miles away.

“Madame”

Geez. I heard you. Can’t you tell that I refuse to open my mouth in this cold weather?

“What is it, Adam?”

He looked back at me and squinted his eyes. “When did you learn to fight hand on hand? It was my first time seeing you do that yesterday.”

Oh, so the Leonora they know doesn’t know how to? That’s a shame, anyone should know how to fight. It’s a basic skill.

“Somewhere, why?”

Not like you can understand it if I explain. I might even be labeled as crazy if I try to tell you. But hmm, being labeled crazy doesn’t sound too bad. You won’t be responsible for anything and they would only blame your mental illness. Hahaha~

“You’ve been using that word a lot these days, Madame. May I know where this somewhere is?”

I can’t recall using that word a lot though. Anyway, developers should be able to erase my existence effortlessly since they’ve determined what the errors are. Why did they take the roundabout way by sending a weak-ass AI?

“You’re a certified chatterbox, Adam.”

“Chatterbox?”

Ah, do I have to explain what that also means?

“Nothing, let’s get back. I feel cold.” I tugged the reins of the horse and started heading back to the manor.

--

“I told you Madame doesn’t want to see you right now! Why are you not listening!”

“I will only listen if I hear such thing from Madame!”

“No, Mr. Adam! She told me not to let you in no matter what the circumstances are! Can’t you see that I am only doing this to protect Madame?”

“Ms. Lyra, I have something urgent to report. If I can’t deliver this to her immediately, --” I slammed the book I am holding, making them both stop. I am currently inside the library, hiding from Adam since earlier. As for why I am doing this? It’s because of one reason, ONE. The papers. The damn papers that are stacked up in the office! Why do I have to do it all?! Geez!

“MADAME! You need to go back to the office now. Miss Nayeli will also arrive in an hour to talk about what she found out on the border. There are also lots of papers that need your sign.”

And he reminded me of those papers again!

“I say burn them.” I flatly uttered while scratching my ears.

Adam’s jaw dropped when he heard what I said. He pushed Lyra and stood in front of me.

“W-What did you say, Madame?”

He kind of sounded like a robot—not that it is far off his real existence. He is, after all, a character inside the game.

“I said, burn them.”

He’s completely frozen. Is it really that surprising?

“Madame, the livelihood of your people depends on those papers. What do you mean by ‘burn them’?”

Ah, right.

… I am the feudal lord. Freaking hell. Mother-freaking-hell!!

I averted my gaze from him while pressing my tongue on my inner cheek.

“I was joking. Why don’t we go and get it all started?”

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His facial expression changed from frozen to cheerful. He clapped his hands and laughed. “That’s what I was saying!”

“Just shut up… and wipe off that smug expression you have unless you want me to punch your face”

He followed me back to the office and my head started aching as soon as I saw the pile of papers again.

“Looks like I have to deal with this in the meantime.” Only until the developers send another AI to kill me.

Heh~ Now that I think about it, that anonymous man who tipped me, is he a player who knows about me, or is he one of the developers who want to mess around with the other developers by warning me about an AI that will approach? I don’t know. Anyway, what’s the use of thinking about it too much? I’ll just do what I can when the situation calls for it.

These papers though… Ah, I really hate doing this kind of thing. I’ve been through a lot of timelines and seeing this much workload is making me slightly unwell.

Let’s just get over with it…

…IS WHAT I SAID!

“Adam.”

“Your expression is grim, Madame. Is there a problem?”

I turned my head to him, shaking.

“Should we burn this all after all?”

“NO!” His immediate response hurt me. Okay, Adam. Should I tell you who I really am then? Or the truth about this world? None of this matters actually. None of this should matter! We are inside the game for god’s sake!

“There’s a lot! It feels like I haven’t progressed a bit! I’ve been here since this morning and even continued doing this after Miss Nayeli left! Why does it feel like it only keeps going?!”

He fixed his monocle that fell.

“Also, change your monocle to an eyeglass. That thing is useless.”

“It’s fashion, Madame. Miss Nayeli also loves seeing me with these on. Eyeglasses looked like something only the elderly wear.”

Tch. Talk to yourself. It’s the other way around.

“Hah! At this point, we’ll end up looking at these papers until dawn. Can you separate them depending on their importance? That should help us get this done a bit quicker.”

I cleared the table by putting all of the papers on the floor. Adam started sorting it out and placed the papers that he deemed more important than others.

“Why did we not think about this method earlier, Adam?” I stretched after I finished signing the last paper. My hand is a bit numb.

He stood up and I almost laughed when I saw his legs shaking from sitting for more than 2 hours.

“I agree. We managed to finish all that quickly. Oftentimes, we have to stay until midnight to finish all that.”

Oftentimes? That’s a lot of pain in the ass.

“Those papers weren’t there when I visited the office yesterday. Why were we suddenly flooded?” Most of them are concerns sent by the serfs. Some of it was papers concerning the palace, the king ordered my imme— huh? Hold on. I feel like I’m missing something.

“That merchant should’ve gone to the palace to ask permission about them camping in the borders. Why did they come to me? I am only a feudal lord of a certain area, not the whole country.” That never occurred to me ever since I came to this place. Not even once!

“Huh? Didn’t the king assign these tasks to you? You are the Grand Duchess, after all. Why do you look so confused?”

Eh? EH?

Oi, did I miss something while reading the book about the Stryker family? How come? I believe I was thorough though. The only thing I’ve read about Leonora is—

Oh crap. Right. I skipped the profiles of other members!

“Madame?”

AH! WHY DID I HAVE TO BE A GRAND FREAKING DUCHESS?! Ah… the responsibilities that come with it… AHHHHH!! Not the paperwork! Not again!

“Madame, are you all right? Please stop pulling your hair!”

I looked at Adam and tried to calm down.

“Sighhhhhh~”

“That was a long sigh. Is there a problem?”

I glanced at him again.

“Your face is really funny; it helps me calm down.”

His eye twitched and was about to say something when I jolted from my seat, making him surprised.

“I can feel Lyra coming.”

“H-huh? Is that so?”

knock knock

“Madame, dinner is ready.”

I smirked at Adam.

“Told you, Lyra’s coming.”

After having my dinner, I went out for a short walk to burn what I ate and only headed back when I felt the cold breeze on my skin.

“Goodnight, Madame,” Lyra uttered before leaving my room.

thud

I tucked myself into the bed and fell asleep quickly because of how tired I am throughout the day, only to be woken up by some hoodlum lurking at my window. I waited until he was by my side. He attempted to stab me with the sword he has in his hands when I jumped at him. He whimpered in surprise and tried swinging his sword.

“Die, Madame. Die.”

????

That voice sounded familiar.

I grabbed my blanket and tossed it on his face. I kicked his balls, making him groan in pain. While he was on his knees, I stepped on his hand until he let his sword go.

“This scene is utterly familiar.”

I picked up his sword and stabbed him.

“Argh! Geeuk.. hng…”

He rolled over and landed at the part where his face can be seen under the moonlight.

Well, well, well…

“Ah~ you are back… I remember telling you to only fight me when you get stronger… Why are you back so soon?”

His face is now pale because of how much blood he lost.

“M-madame… huff, huff… you need to d-die.. haah”

I grabbed his hair so he could clearly see my face. He is now throwing up some blood. What a shame, his face looks more handsome than before somehow. Did the developers upgrade his looks only and not his skill?

“Next time Trevor, next time.”

As soon as I said that, he vanished into thin air. his knees, I stepped on his hand until he let his sword go.

“This scene is utterly familiar.”

I picked up his sword and stabbed him.

“Argh! Geeuk.. hng…”

He rolled over and landed at the part where his face can be seen under the moonlight.

Well, well, well…

“You are back~ I remember telling you to only fight me when you get stronger… Why are you back so soon?”

His face is now pale because of how much blood he lost.

“M-madame… huff, huff… you need to d-die.. haah”

I grabbed his hair so he could clearly see my face. He is now throwing up some blood. What a shame, his face looks more handsome than before somehow. Did the developers only upgraded his looks and not his skill?

“Next time Trevor, next time.”

As soon as I said that, he vanished into thin air.