Chapter 8
The Grand Duke had spent a lifetime drowning in a sea of petitions and extravagant bribes. He had reached a point where such offerings only inspired a sense of profound weariness.
Yet, in all his years of power, he had never encountered a gift quite as diminutive and endearing as this basket.
Assis Grand Duke Frazier found himself pulling back the fabric cover out of sheer curiosity.
Beside him, Ruk Kelfosher watched through his monocle, a flicker of genuine amusement dancing in his gaze.
“The girl prepared this jam with her own hands,” Ruk explained.
Had a man like Assis Grand Duke Frazier ever been offered something as humble as homemade preserves in exchange for his favor?
I dismissed the thought with a vigorous shake of my head. It seemed impossible.
The problem was that I lacked any alternative. I didn’t exactly possess the culinary talent to impress a man of his stature, either.
I glanced sideways to summon my interface. After a great deal of frantic experimentation two days ago, I had finally located the toggle to control its visibility.
[System: Status Window]
Tulia Frazier (15)
- Coins: 1,005
- Character: 1
- Beauty: 8
- Ability: -10
- Wealth: 0
- Luck: -10
Overall Grade: F
I had assumed the window would vanish entirely when deactivated, as it would in any standard game. Instead, the display merely collapsed into a translucent, winged star that hovered near me like a persistent shadow.
I began to worry that even the basic act of hiding the menu might eventually cost me currency. The sheer greed of such a system made me shudder.
However, I had more pressing concerns than the interface’s design. I turned my attention back to the mirror, focusing on the fact that my coin count had increased by five.
The agonizing ache in both of my shoulders was the price I had paid for those coins.
I didn’t have to look far to understand the source of my sudden wealth. The answer was staring back at me from the glass.
It was a sight of pure despair. My reflection showed a version of Tulia whose hair had transformed into a chaotic, tangled mess that resembled a heap of unwashed wool.
The disaster had begun five hours earlier.
My initial goal had been simple: I wanted to look presentable.
The attempt was a total catastrophe. Now, a comb shaped like a small axe was hopelessly snagged in my frizzy mane. The sight of it sent a chill down my spine because it reminded me of Coriko.
In the original story, there was a moment where Coriko used an axe to end Tulia’s life. The illustration of that scene—showing the angelic protagonist’s descent into darkness—was etched into my mind. I could still vividly recall the sight of the blood, the severed neck, and Tulia’s wide, lifeless eyes.
The memory made my stomach churn.
“I am going to survive,” I whispered, repeating the words like a protective charm. I tried to gently dislodge the axe-shaped tool from my hair, but it refused to budge.
I let out a heavy sigh. This wasn’t a deliberate attempt to ruin my appearance; it was the result of that wretched penalty.
I felt a surge of resentment toward my stats. When my character score was in the negatives, I couldn’t even speak properly. Now, with my ability score at negative ten, the simple act of brushing my hair had triggered a bizarre magical reaction that turned my head into a disaster zone.
How was I supposed to reach an A-rank and stay alive if the world was this stacked against me?
My self-pity didn’t last long. I looked down at the handfuls of pink hair I had accidentally pulled out and felt a wave of anxiety. I wondered if I should just spend some of my savings to boost my ability stat.
I had a decent amount of coins, but I knew I had to be frugal. I couldn’t predict what challenges lay ahead, and I wasn’t the original protagonist. I needed every resource I could get.
I decided to wait for a servant to fix the mess. As I sat there, I couldn’t help but notice how striking Tulia was, despite the chaos on her head. It was a bizarre irony that a villainess destined for a gruesome end possessed such breathtaking beauty.
Her name was a nod to the tulip, and it suited her perfectly. The shimmering pink of her hair and the pale, fresh green of her eyes were a stunning combination. There was a sharp, fox-like quality to her gaze—perhaps a result of her upbringing or her naturally cold heart—but it only added to her allure.
Still, even a legendary beauty couldn’t pull off the ‘ghostly shipwreck’ look.
I recalled a detail from the game about Tulia Frazier’s legendary vanity. Other nobles used to gossip about how she never even tied her own shoes or brushed her own hair. I used to think it was just a way to show how spoiled she was, but now I understood the truth.
If her hair reacted this way every time she touched it, she probably had no choice but to rely on others.
The image of the axe-wielding Coriko flashed in my mind again, deepening my gloom. Impatience finally got the better of me, and I reached up to wrench the comb free.
There was a sharp snap as the plastic gave way.
I stared at the broken tool in shock, but the silence was immediately broken by the tinkling sound of digital currency.
[System] 2 coins earned!
- Total Coins: 1,002
I blinked in surprise.
After spending half the day struggling, I realized what was happening. The system was treating my manual labor and grooming attempts as experience, which it then converted into currency.
This was a departure from the original mechanics of the game. In the source material, Coriko earned stat boosts by passing etiquette exams after joining the Frazier household. There had never been a coin system at all.
I couldn’t explain why the rules had changed, but I had to deal with the reality of the situation—which included the massive pile of pink hair on the floor.
I was pleased with the coins, but I started to worry about my scalp. If I kept this up, the most beautiful girl in the world was going to end up completely bald.
Then, an idea struck me.
Tulia’s new quarters were massive, including a private kitchen, a lounge, and several other rooms. It was more like a detached house than a bedroom. I had been delighted by the luxury of it all.
I hurried into the kitchen area. There were no chefs or servants stationed there, which suited my purposes perfectly. I scanned the counters and found a small knife.
I took a deep breath and began to work.
A short while later, the familiar chime rang out again.
[System] 2 coins earned!
- Total Coins: 1,004
“It actually worked,” I whispered, looking down at the mountain of diced apples on the table.
I felt a sudden wave of gratitude toward my uncle Lilius and his wife Aubrey. They had stocked my kitchen with the cheapest, most bruised fruit they could find as a petty insult. Some of the apples were even starting to rot.
Under normal circumstances, I would have been insulted, but this was perfect. If they had given me expensive, high-quality fruit, I would have felt too guilty to waste it on practice. Since this was essentially garbage, I could chop to my heart’s content.
Eventually, the adrenaline of the coin hunt faded. I looked at the ten jars I had packed with fruit and sugar and realized I had a problem. I had intended to make jam, but I hadn’t actually cooked anything yet.
With my ability score at negative ten, trying to use the stove was a death sentence. I’d likely burn the entire fortress to the ground. Even the simple act of adding sugar had been a disaster; my hands were so clumsy that I had dumped in far more than intended.
The jars were basically filled with syrup and raw fruit now.
As I stared at them, a memory from the game surfaced. I remembered that to win over the Grand Duke, Coriko had to give him something she had made herself.
He was a man who had everything, so he placed a high value on effort and sincerity over material wealth.
I looked at the jars of over-sweetened fruit. Perhaps I could use these to get on his good side as well.
