Let’s Start Part 2 of this Ruined Work

    When I was a warrior, I was strong enough to be a corpse without strength, so I was able to endure the penalty. However, it was difficult to show such bravado with this body. Adrian's body was so weak that she could have died of shock if the penalty overlapped.

    A ruined writer who killed the protagonist couldn't guarantee the life of a supporting character.

    ‘Let's take care of this body. If you die before the end, it's over.’

    I swallowed my anger and made a cold expression. The corners of his mouth trembled.

    “Piace, eavesdropping is not something to brag about. Go back to your bedroom and reflect on yourself.”
    “I, I was wrong…….”

    Piace rose from her chair with a sullen look on her face. Piace did not rebel once as if she had been kicked out once or twice during a meal.

    “Piace, where are you going?”
    “Uh, uh…… My, my bedroom.”
    “Who told you to go now? Eat slowly, take a walk in the garden, and then go in time for a nap.”
    “……Pardon?”

    Piace opened her eyes wide.

    The maids who were waiting were all surprised.

    ‘What's wrong with them?’

    I just told her to eat and take a walk to digest, is that such a surprise?

    ‘Are you the kind of person who doesn't say things like that to a child……. Adrian, you're amazing.’

    You've never been touched by beauty or heartbroken by cuteness. Have you ever laughed out loud?

    ‘What kind of joy did you live on?’

    I said in a voice that didn't feel the slightest of warmth.

    “Have a seat again.”
    “Yess…….”

    Piace tilted her head, returned to the table, and sat down quietly.

    “Let's eat.”
    “Thank, thank you for the food.”

    I glanced at Piace while eating without anyone knowing.

    ‘She’s wearing a yellow dress. Just like a chick.’

    Piace was just too cute. She was polite and had a nice personality.

    As I watched her, my mouth almost loosened without even realizing it.

    ‘She’s eating so well. Eat more, eat more. Don't be picky. That's right.’

    Piace did not make a dish noise or spill food.

    ‘No matter how strictly educated, a child of only four or five eats cleaner than I do.…… Huh?’

    Wait a minute, now that I think of it, Piace's complexion looks a little off.

    Where does it hurt? She seems to stutter a lot.…….

    I calmed down and acted out my cold tone.

    “Piace, are you sick?”
    “Ah, no? Pi, Piace is, is strong!”

    Piace waved her cute hands wildly.

    ‘Aigoo, so cute. Did I just misread it?’

    Although I was obsessed with small and cute things, I had not encountered children often. So, it was difficult to tell whether someone was sick or not just by looking at their complexion.

    ‘Seeing that she eats well, it seems to be okay.’

    After finishing the meal, Piace was fidgeting next to me.

    “Is there anything you want to say?”
    “That…… Duke.”
    “Go ahead.”
    “Can, can’t you come, come with me?”
    “Where?”
    “Ta, taking a walk…….”

    Piace quietly held out her cat’s toe beans-like hand.

    ‘Cra, crazy…….’

    I was momentarily dizzy. Because the creature in front of me was fatally cute. With tears in my eyes, I pushed Piace's hand away.
 

    “Do I look so free?”
    “N, no……. I’m, I’m sorry…….”

    Piace turned around with a look of great disappointment. I wanted to pat her sullen back, but I couldn't help it.

    ‘Sorry, Piace. There is a mountain of things I need to know now. I'll be sure to play with you later.’

    The ruined author only gives instructions at important crossroads, and I have to figure out the rest myself.

    Therefore, information on the protagonist and identification of the main characters were urgent. Only then could I infer the events that would be the center of the novel. In this way, the optimal path to the ending was designed by collecting the events. It was a tedious and complex process that made me vomit just thinking about it.

    I watched Piace go back to the bedroom before heading to the drawing room. As soon as I sat down on the luxurious sofa, a middle-aged man poured me tea. He was in his 40s, and his straight back showed his straight personality. He was probably the butler of this mansion.

    [Stage 1: (Without even looking at the butler) What's the schedule for today?]

    Oh, he was really the butler.

    “What's the schedule for today?”
    “An aristocratic meeting is scheduled around noon. The venue is the Great Conference Room of the Imperial Palace.”
    “What is the meeting about?”
    “It's about making a golden statue of Lady Adela Helsington the hero.”

    The tea, which was flowing smoothly down my throat, stopped suddenly. I just spouted out the tea.

    “Phoosh-”
    “Master! Are you okay?”

    The butler hurriedly handed over a handkerchief. I wiped the water dripping down my chin.

    “What, cough, will be made?”
    “Golden statue of Lady Adela Helsington the hero.”
    “……What are they going to do with it?”
    “To commemorate the 56th birthday of His Majesty the Emperor, the Grand Square will be extensively refurbished. I heard they're going to make a statue of Lady Adela Helsington and put it in the center of the square.”
    “Don’t do that!!!”
    “Pardon?”

    The butler asked with a puzzled expression. I think I was a little scared. As I closed and opened my eyes, I calmed down.

    “Who initiated the proposal?”
    “It’s the Third Prince Leonhart Genetic Philio.”
    “……Get ready for the meeting.”
    “It's been a long time since you've attended an aristocratic meeting. Would that be all right? It's a meeting that doesn't matter if you don't attend.”
    “No, I will attend.”
    “……Yes, I understand.”

    I left the drawing room and went up to the bedroom. My face grew hot and my stomach churned at the same time.

    ‘Leonhart! What the hell are you thinking? A statue of me!’

    If you were making a statue thinking I would like it, that was nonsense. The moment the statue is built, I will never be near the Great Plaza. Out of shame

    ‘I have a lot of work to do, are you going to do this too?’

    It was weird the more I thought about it. It was not that Leonhart didn't know my personality……. Why would he want to do that?

    ‘Is he, by any chance, trying to get revenge?’

    Leonhart deserved to be angry with me. Because I was dead, leaving them alone.

    ‘Yeah, he must have felt betrayed.’

    I knew my comrades would be hurt. However, it was impossible to change the ending. I also wanted to return to the original world as soon as the novel was over. Of course, the time with my comrades was fun and happy. I was overwhelmed by the thought that this was what friends were. However, I couldn't erase the fact that this place was in a novel.

    Once you become aware of reality, everything becomes meaningless. Even when we laughed and chatted, when we felt strong friendship, even when we were moved to tears, when I thought, ‘This scene must have been written by the author’, my heart went cold. So while I was with them, I had to suffer from severe loneliness.

    I wanted to leave as soon as possible. I repeated several times a day that I had to go back. I was afraid I'd get more attached to it. I was afraid I'd want to stay with them. I was afraid my guilt and longing for my parents would be blurred.

    ‘So don't hate me too much.’

    I'm already being punished.
 

* * *

    “Master, the carriage is ready.”
    “Alright.”

    Not one carriage was ready but one dazzlingly gorgeous carriage and two plain-looking carriages were ready. Five maids were waiting for me in front of them.

    ‘They are all skinny. Adrian didn't feed them?’

    “These are the children who will accompany Master today. Are you all right with this?”
    “All of…… these children?”
    “Would you like more?”

    Is Adrian getting death threats? How can you take five maids on your way to the imperial family meeting?

    ‘No wonder they prepared two carriages…….’

    I glanced in the air. Fortunately, no instructions were issued.

    “Reduce it to one person.”
    “……Pardon?”
    “It was cumbersome, so I said to reduce it to one person.”

    The butler, who had been looking at me with an expression of disbelief, hurriedly lowered his head.

    “Yes, yes, I understand.”

    The butler called one of the maids. Her face was familiar to the eye. It was the red-haired child who dressed me up in place of the maid who was entrusted with cleaning the lab.

    “Please take this child. Luna, take good care of Master.”
    “Yes, Mr. Butler.”

    Luna opened the carriage door and knelt beneath it.

    “Master, would you like to come up?”
    “…….”

    Are you telling me to step on your thighs?