Chapter 27
The role of a simple observer had expanded. Now, multiple spectators were watching my every move.
Panic flared in my chest. I scrambled to pull up my status window.
[System: Status Window]
Tulia Frazier (15 years old)
- Coins Owned: 995
- Character: 1
- Beauty: 8
- Skill: 1
- Wealth: 0
- Luck: -10
Overall Rating: F
The atmosphere in the hall had shifted. Only moments ago, it felt as pleasant as a high-end tea room, but now a biting chill was settling over the room. Without wasting another second, I began pouring my currency into the interface.
A metallic chime rang out.
[System] 2 coins have been deducted.
[System] Skill level 2 reached!
I prayed this would be enough to fix the situation. Yet, the Frazier Necklace seemed to possess a malicious will of its own. It writhed like a living serpent, fighting to slip from my grasp and shatter on the stone floor. Terrified and acting on pure survival instinct, I caught the jewelry and desperately dumped more coins into the system.
[System] 3 coins have been deducted.
[System] Skill level 3 reached!
[System] 4 coins have been deducted.
[System] Skill level 4 reached!
In the middle of the chaos, a small part of me felt a wave of relief. Unlike the character attribute, the skill stat was remarkably cheap to upgrade. I continued the spending spree until another chime echoed.
[System] 986 coins have been deducted.
[System] Skill level 5 reached!
Time seemed to stop. My lungs forgot how to draw air as I stared at the notification. The cost was astronomical. I couldn’t believe the numbers flashing before me.
The system provided a cruel, shimmering confirmation.
[System] Current Balance: 0
[System] A bonus of 1 coin is granted for your second evaluation rank-up.
[System] Balance updated: 0 → 1
Current Overall Rating: D-
“Tulia Frazier?”
The voice broke my trance. I blinked, returning to reality. Grand Duke Assis was observing me, his brow furrowed with a look I couldn’t quite place.
“Are you feeling ill?” he inquired.
Had I been thinking clearly, the faint trace of concern in his tone would have shocked me. But I was far beyond clear thinking. My mind was a total wreck. I forced myself to maintain a semblance of composure, though my voice betrayed me as I spoke.
“Forgive me, Grandfather. The moment overwhelmed me… my hands just lost their strength.”
The Grand Duke hummed in response, his eyes narrowing as he glanced toward the Lilius faction. I didn’t have the energy to see how they were reacting. I functioned like an automaton, moving with stiff, half-conscious motions to secure the Frazier Necklace around my neck once more.
Failure wasn’t an option. If the necklace fell again, everyone would assume I was rejecting the honor on purpose. The Glory would be stripped away. Without that symbol of my lineage, family law would keep me a prisoner within these walls. I would never meet the first male lead, and my path to an A-rank would be permanently blocked. Failure meant the end of the Main Quest—and the end of my life.
My fingers shook violently at the thought. However, this time the jewelry settled against my skin perfectly. It looked as though it were an inseparable part of me, radiating a magnificent glow. Despite the bitterness of losing all my coins, the sheer beauty of the moment brought a lump to my throat.
“Wealthy praise to you, Lady Tulia!"
“The Glory is a perfect match for your grace."
“It has truly found its home. You look stunning.”
The retainers’ empty flattery drifted past me like mist. I couldn’t feel their joy. My gaze remained fixed on the invisible numbers hovering in the air.
[System] Current Balance: 1
It was madness. My mind felt numb. I realized then that when life becomes truly absurd, all you can do is laugh. It was a hollow, dry sound. The system was clear: once a stat was raised, there was no going back. I should have been more aggressive with my spending on wealth earlier. Now, the opportunity had passed, and I was left with the consequences of my poor timing.
I had become a villainess who possessed world-class skills but lacked a single cent to her name. It was the equivalent of a starving person learning high-stakes gambling before finding a meal. I was a high-status disaster.
“Well done, Lady Tulia."
“Incredible. Is she the youngest Frazier in history to receive the Glory?"
“She is clearly destined for greatness. A true credit to the House."
“The gems complement her perfectly, don’t they?”
I fought back tears as the congratulations continued to pour in.
“Thank you. I am honored,” I managed to say, bowing to each person in turn. All the while, the necklace dangled and sparkled, a heavy reminder of my empty pockets.
“That will do, Tulia,” the Grand Duke said, stepping toward me. “Go and get some sleep. You look exhausted.”
Normally, I would have used this moment to further my standing with him, but he was right. I was spent. If I didn’t leave now, I was liable to grab the shimmering status window and tear it to shreds.
“Thank you, Grandfather…” I murmured, my voice fading into a tired whisper.
I collapsed into bed that night. It wasn’t until the following morning that I learned the Grand Duke had sent a massive delivery of rare, high-priced medicinal tonics to my room.
The sun rose on a day I had been anticipating. After a late meal and a quick morning routine, I gathered my personal staff and had them stand in a disciplined line.
“Rilda?”
“I am here, Lady Tulia,” she answered quickly.
News of the previous night’s events had surely permeated every corner of the Frazier estate by now. With so many witnesses present, there wasn’t a soul in the domain who hadn’t heard the story. My maids were no exception.
I paced toward Rilda. She looked like she was about to faint, her skin ghostly pale and her forehead slick with sweat. The others weren’t faring much better.
I wondered if Rilda was the only one on the payroll of my enemies. Was she the person responsible for planting Tedrick’s exam papers in my quarters? Neither I nor Head Maid Adel had been able to confirm the specifics. All I knew was that Aubrey had hand-picked every girl in this room. Determining who was a spy and who was just a bystander seemed impossible.
Then, I remembered my new advantage. I focused my eyes on the shimmering system icon that followed me like an annoying insect. I locked my gaze on the maid at the far end of the line, who was visibly trembling.
[System: Profile]
Marie (23 years old)
- Native of a southern Briyang city.
- Joined the Grand Ducal service three years ago…
I didn’t need the life story. I shifted my focus to the section regarding her secrets.
- Hidden Information: (Expand)
I tapped the command mentally.
- Co-conspirator. Currently receiving bribes from Viscount Lilius and Aubrey.
My heart leaped. The Profile feature was far more versatile than I had imagined. It was like I had just discovered a winning lottery ticket in my pocket. I moved down the line, checking every single one of them, a wide smile spreading across my face.
“Rilda,” I said softly.
“Yes, My Lady…”
“Marie. Beckley. Cindy. Jeje. Clara.”
Each girl flinched as I spoke their names. It was almost impressive—not a single one of them was innocent. Every last maid was an accomplice. It was a stinging realization, but not a surprising one. Aubrey held the keys to the household, and until very recently, I was nothing more than a forgotten girl from a disgraced branch of the family.
“Everyone,” I said, stepping directly in front of Rilda.
I lifted my hand, and Rilda instinctively cringed, bracing for a strike. Given her age and experience, she had likely been promised a high-ranking position in a smaller noble house if she succeeded in ruining me. Instead of hitting her, I reached out and took her hands in a gentle clasp.
I gave her my most sincere look. “I want to thank you.”
There were no threats and no accusations. I simply offered a warm, radiant smile. Rilda blinked, her confusion evident as she looked up at me.
“…Pardon me?”
“You and the others. I owe you five a great deal.”
It was a confusing statement without context, especially for someone with a guilty conscience. But Rilda was sharp; Aubrey wouldn’t have hired her otherwise. She understood the subtext almost immediately.
By thanking them, I was implying something very specific. I was suggesting that they had actually helped me by sabotaging Aubrey’s plans. I was framing their failure as a deliberate act of loyalty to me.
“Oh, My Lady! I would never—”
She stopped herself before she could finish the protest. She couldn’t say she hadn’t betrayed Aubrey without admitting there was a conspiracy to betray in the first place. If she tried to defend her loyalty to my aunt, she would be handing me the evidence I needed to charge her with the previous day’s frame-up.
Before she could find her voice again, a new one filled the room.
“Tulia, dear? Forgive me for not knocking.”
It was Aubrey. Her voice carried that familiar, forced kindness that barely masked the contempt she held for me.
