Became the Owner of a Poor Estate
Chapter 6
The heart was twice as large as before and twinkled more brightly, as if it had been fitted with fresh batteries. After mentally chanting ‘Favorability,’ Donghee waited with a fluttering heart for the screen to float before her eyes.
-The current favorability of the territory’s citizens is -189,450.
It had risen by a staggering 40 points.
Donghee, who had expected an increase of about 20 points at most, nearly shouted ‘Jackpot!’ at the higher-than-expected score.
She didn’t think she had ever been this happy, even back when she’d managed to get a question right by guessing on a test.
Donghee checked the favorability score—now 40 points higher than when she started—several times with a satisfied smile.
“So, I can get points multiple times from the same person?”
It hadn’t been long since Thelma had left the room, clutching the five loaves of bread she’d received from Donghee like precious treasures.
Ding, ding, ding!
-The favorability of the territory’s citizens has increased by 10.
-The favorability of the territory’s citizens has increased by 10.
-The favorability of the territory’s citizens has increased by 10…….
Suddenly, notification chimes rang out from all directions, and messages stating that favorability had risen appeared repeatedly with slight time intervals.
She didn’t see any hearts like before. Since there was no one else in the room, that was only natural, but Donghee spun around in circles, trying to figure out what was happening.
“What’s going on?”
As she blinked blankly, not understanding the situation, her nanny entered the room with a flushed face and a wide smile. Unlike when she left, her hands were empty.
“My Lord, you have no idea how much the servants loved the bread!”
Only after hearing Thelma’s words, delivered an octave higher and faster than usual, did Donghee realize what had happened. The nanny had done her work for her.
Thelma looked as delighted as if she were the one who had received the praise. She was so excited that the radiant warmth emanating from her reached Donghee instantly.
Feeling how deep the nanny’s affection for the Lord was, a surge of guilt welled up inside Donghee. Though it wasn’t by choice, she felt like she was deceiving everyone by stealing someone else’s body.
Thelma, who had entered with an elated face, grew worried that she had made a mistake when she saw the Lord’s glum expression.
“If you didn’t want me to give them out, I won’t do it again.”
At the nanny’s tentative words, Donghee snapped out of it and smiled brightly.
“No, I should have been the one to give them out. Thank you. Did they really like it?”
As Donghee’s expression brightened instantly, Thelma smiled back in relief and nodded vigorously.
“Yes! They were so happy, saying it was the most delicious bread they’d ever tasted in their lives.”
Since Thelma had rarely heard the servants speak well of the Lord, today’s events were even more special to her.
‘Please look after our Chloe. I have no one to trust but you.’
The Marquis had been unable to close his eyes in peace because of his daughter, who had to inherit the lordship at such a young age. That was the request he had made while clutching Thelma’s hand with his cooling fingers.
Her heart had been heavy because she felt she hadn’t properly fulfilled his dying wish, but today, Thelma finally felt her burden lighten a little.
It was the first time the self-centered Lady Chloe had looked after her subordinates.
Thelma pressed down the sudden surge of tears with the back of her hand and smiled broadly.
She couldn’t let herself be seen crying on such a happy day.
-The current favorability of the territory’s citizens is -189,400.
Meanwhile, Donghee’s whole body seethed with excitement as she checked the favorability that had shot up in an instant. Favorability rose even if she didn’t deliver the bread herself.
Perhaps turning that enormous number into a 1 might be easier than she thought.
Now that it seemed doable, she was itching to break that score.
Though it might be a hassle, she felt she could smoothly reach 1 point if she went in and out of the Convenience Store a few more times.
As she was vaguely calculating how many loaves of bread she would need, a status window popped up abruptly without being summoned.
-120 Hidden Points will be awarded to the user who succeeded in raising favorability by 100 points in a short period of time.
“My Lord, we can’t have your dress getting wrinkled. Let me smooth it out nicely for you.”
While the nanny was carefully patting the hem of Donghee’s slightly crumpled dress with her palms, the status window began to spit out more words.
-Hidden Points can be used to purchase items sold in the Hidden Shop. Would you like to open the Hidden Shop?
‘Yes.’
Donghee answered with a pounding, expectant heart.
-Thank you. 60 points will be deducted as the fee for opening the Hidden Shop.
“Hey, you son of a—! This isn’t right!”
At the unannounced point deduction, Donghee shouted out before she could stop herself.
“Pardon?”
Thelma, who had been pleasantly smoothing the dress, blinked and asked slowly with a bewildered expression.
“Oh, no, not you, Thelma.”
At the harsh words that had suddenly burst out, Donghee smiled sheepishly and gave an awkward wink.
‘Wow, this status window is a total scammer.’
Even though they were points she hadn’t had before, Donghee couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been mugged by a status window that wasn’t even human.
[Status Window]
-User Name: Chloe Grace
-Occupation: Part-timer / Lord of the Grace Territory
-Abilities: 0 / Meaning you have absolutely nothing
-Radius of Activity: 2 / Basement studio, Convenience Store.
-Traits: 0 / A dirt-poor territory. ★Tends to be obsessed with Chocolate Marble Bread
-Citizen Favorability: -189,400
-mp: 60 / 86,400
Then, she summoned the status window she hadn’t even called before her.
Donghee, who had momentarily knit her brows at the status window that suddenly dyed her vision blue, widened her eyes at a new entry.
MP?
“What is that?”
“The back of the dress was wrinkled. There, all done now.”
Thinking the question was directed at her, Thelma spoke kindly as she patted the back of the dress.
“Th-thank you.”
-Don’t mention it.
She had been thanking Thelma, but this time the status window replied as if it were no big deal.
It was driving her crazy, but she decided to let it slide for now.
She felt uneasy about the appearance of a new category and very displeased because she felt like she’d been ripped off. But then, with a fluttering sound, a screen she had never seen before unfolded on the status window.
Dozens of long rectangles, laid out in order, fluttered like dragonfly wings before aligning neatly from the bottom, and refined text appeared.
-These are the items and stats available for purchase with your remaining points. Would you like to check them now?
“My Lord, it’s time to head out. Today, you must get out of the carriage and look around where the people live, alright?”
Because the status window and the nanny spoke at the same time, Donghee was completely distracted.
“Not now.”
At Donghee’s words, the status window vanished with a pop!, but the nanny’s eyes went wide as saucers and she let out a heavy sigh. The woman who had been looking at her with such pride just a moment ago was gone, replaced by an expression that said, ‘Here we go again.’
“If not now, when else are you going to look around the territory?”
Misunderstanding the words meant for the status window as being directed at her, the nanny began to nag. However, it wasn’t a sharp voice, but rather a coaxing one, trying to persuade her.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Thelma.”
Feeling the woman’s sincere concern for her, Donghee felt somewhat sorry.
She could probably open the Hidden Shop whenever she wanted.
Though the nanny’s eyes were still full of suspicion, it didn’t last long, perhaps because of the bread from earlier.
“Then to whom……?”
Thelma’s voice trailed off as she looked around the empty room. She looked worried that Donghee might be playing another nonsensical prank like before.
“I was just thinking to myself.”
“Really?”
Only then did Thelma open the door with a much clearer expression and smile brightly at Donghee.
“My Lord, it is time to depart.”
No matter how she thought about it, Thelma was more like a secretary than a nanny.
Donghee quickly organized her thoughts as she left the room that had been chaotic all morning.
‘First, I need to focus on raising the citizens’ favorability.’
If she could raise the score significantly in a short period like before, she might be able to earn more Hidden Points. She didn’t know what she could do with those points yet, but since she’d been told she could buy things, she figured the situation would at least be much better than it was now.
Zzzzt.
Zzzzzzt, fwoosh…….
Quiet static echoed in the empty room that Donghee and the nanny had left after their busy morning. It was a sound so small that one would miss it unless listening intently.
A few sparrows perched on the windowsill tried to enter through the open window, but after glancing around, they chirped and flew away.
Dozens of tiny, fragmented square bits of light repeatedly flickered and vanished over the neatly made bed.
The white duvet was dappled with blue from the sudden flickers of light.
The handful of light fragments grew to half a dozen, then dozens, before merging into a single, undulating mass.
Finally, the lump of light transformed into the shape of a large status window. It was larger than the duvet covering the bed, yet it contained only a single line of text.
-mp : 60 / 86,400
The status window, which had only recorded simple numbers, distorted and warped, stretching vertically. The window, which had been elongating like dough, glowed so brightly that the surroundings were dyed in light, and then it spat out a person.
