novelzi Chapter 2
Chapter 2
“...Is ‘Manager’ a nickname or are you actually a manager?”
[asdf: Real]
[Please Shake a Carrot: Yes, a real manager!]
So, a manager for oversight and supervision, then. I hadn’t expected to be assigned a manager.
If they were a manager, they might as well act as my ally.
I thought it would be best to greet them first. I looked at the chat window and said hello.
“Hello?”
[Manager: ᅳᅳ]
Instead of a response, only a terse emoticon was thrown back.
‘Don’t they like me?’
As my expression showed my thoughts, someone else spoke up for me.
[Isaac: It’s okay, that one’s always grumpy]
[Isaac has been muted from chatting for 5 minutes.]
[asdf: Tsk tsk]
[MadelineTastesGood: If they’re really that grumpy, why?]
[MadelineTastesGood has been muted from chatting for 5 minutes.]
[OnlyFinley: Are they fools?]
[SaltNPepperCat: ** That’s abuse of power]
[Manager: ᅩ]
Clearly, they had a bad attitude. I understood right away.
That was enough for the greetings. Before the viewers got bored and left, I had to do something. I got out of bed and left the room.
As I came out, I saw a few people dressed as maids.
The maids glanced at me and then simply passed by, treating me like I was invisible.
[Please Shake a Carrot: Ah, so it’s right after the original story starts]@@@@
[asdf: Totally ignored, lol]
I could guess why there were no maids in my room and why the servants ignored me.
The Duke of Erpeso had firmly declared that he would no longer treat Anais as his daughter. The servants, having heard the rumors, were behaving accordingly.
If the Duke truly had given up on Anais, he would have sent her to the Grand Duke. But Selena was still set to go to the Grand Duke’s estate. This meant that Anais, his biological daughter, was still more precious to the Duke than Selena.
First, as all the original characters would be in the main house, I left the annex and headed there. Surprisingly, no one, neither knights nor guards, tried to stop me from heading to the main house despite my supposed isolation.
I had arrived at the main house, but I didn’t know the layout.
‘It would be good if I could meet Selena.’
As I was thinking this, I heard a voice from behind.
“...What?”
I turned around. A man with red hair looked at me with a frown.
I immediately recognized the man, thanks to the donation window that popped up.
[OnlyFinley has donated 100 points!]
– Fin!!! Lee!!!
Finley Erpeso. Anais’ younger brother and a secondary male lead.
With a look of distaste, Finley asked me,
“Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be isolated?”
[OnlyFinley has donated 100 points!]
– Finley speaks!!!
[OnlyFinley has donated 100 points!]
– Our Finley is so handsome!!!
[Isaac: Let’s focus on the broadcast, guys]
The reactions and donations from the angels seemed to intensify with every interaction, reflecting their excitement. It was clear that every move and dialogue here mattered to them. I needed to play my part convincingly, not just for the sake of the story, but also to gather the points necessary for my reincarnation.
As Finley confronted me, I knew I had to respond in a way that was true to Anais’s character, yet intriguing enough to captivate the audience. I readied myself to engage with Finley, knowing that this interaction could set the tone for how the angels viewed my performance in this world.
Ignoring the chaotic situation of the broadcast, I spoke calmly.
“Today marks the end of my isolation.”
“What? You still had a month left.”
“If I’m out, then it’s over.”
“.......”
Finley looked utterly incredulous.
I passed the door and entered the room. Due to Finley, the door wasn’t completely closed.
A woman was crouching on the bed. Her messily cut golden hair was the first thing I noticed.
The woman’s green eyes turned towards me. Startled upon making eye contact, she exclaimed,
“L, Lady...”
It was Selena, the female protagonist.
Just by making eye contact, Selena was already trembling. She must have been terribly bullied by Anais.
“How are you feeling?”
“...”
In response to my question, Selena avoided my gaze and then replied in a trembling voice,
“I’m okay.”
She clearly didn’t look okay. It seemed like she said that just to appease me, carefully gauging my reaction.
I thought back to the original content of the novel about Selena.
Selena was a fallen noble. Although she lived like a commoner, unaware that she was of noble birth, the reason she suddenly came to live in the Erpeso ducal family was because of a single proposal letter from the ducal family.
The Heyward Grand Duchy. They, bearing the bloodline of demons, managed the demon beasts in the outer regions.
To humans, demons were highly dreaded beings. Consequently, the image of the Grand Duchy was similar.
Rumors abounded about the reclusive duke, who cut off all ties with society. Amidst this, the Erpeso ducal family had no choice but to accept the proposal due to a debt owed to the Grand Duchy in the past.
Even with his eccentric daughter, Duke Erpeso cared for Anais. Unable to send his daughter to a territory filled with demon beasts, the duke hurriedly brought in a suitable person to pretend to be of the Erpeso bloodline. That was Selena.
“...”
Selena gripped the blanket tightly.
“Lady, I know what I have to do. I have no intention of refusing.”
It seemed like she mustered a lot of courage to say that.
Selena was shedding tears.
“I’ll listen to everything the ducal family says. So, please... don’t hate me too much.”
Selena must have been terribly mistreated by Anais. The exact details of what Anais did to Selena were not described in the text. There were just one or two lines mentioning that Selena was severely bullied by Anais.
I glanced at the weeping Selena and then spoke,
“I’ll come back later.”
There was nothing I could say at the moment. Selena was still frightened of me.
I quietly left the room and closed the door. Finley was leaning against the wall next to the door.
“...Was she crying?”
“Selena? Yeah, she was.”
“.......”
Finley bit his lip, his expression troubled.
I looked at him and casually asked,
“But why is her hair like that?”
Her hair had been a mess when I saw her earlier. It looked unevenly and haphazardly cut.
At my question, Finley’s face twisted.
“Are you seriously asking that?”
From Finley’s reaction, I belatedly realized the reason.
[Isaac: Hey, you’re the one who did that.]
[Gold2: LOL, that’s hilarious.]
[PleaseShakeACarrot: LOL, Sister... Didn’t you read the original story?]
[MadelineTastesGood: I didn’t know either.]
[NyamNyamoo: ??]
It seems that in cramming the original content, I missed some detailed settings. Apparently, there was a scene where Anais cut Selena’s hair randomly.
Whether it was a fleeting part or not, there were somewhat puzzled reactions in the chat window.
Finley sighed deeply.
“Anais told her to leave it like that until her self-isolation ended. That’s why Selena also refused all the hairdressers.”
Even so, to leave her hair so badly cut like that. By now, Finley should have more influence in this family than Anais. But Selena, afraid of Anais, could not dare to accept Finley’s help.
‘Good thing I didn’t reincarnate as Selena.’
If I were Selena, I would have suffered greatly enduring Anais’s cruelty.
Anyway, after spending some time, maybe it’s time to send Finley back.
“So, back to the room.......”
Just as I was about to suggest we both head back to our rooms, the sponsorship window popped up.