"Why do I need to yell at her? Did she do something bad to this girl?" she whispered, hoping the floating screen would respond.
It didn't.
She glanced at the chef, who was already frozen mid-motion.
Since she didn't know what history this body had with the poor woman, it felt safer to stay calm… or at least follow the instructions in her own way.
"Please prepare my breakfast."
The chef startled, then hurried to obey, hands shaking as she reached for ingredients.
[ You gained 10 EXP. Total: 10/30 ]
[ Dominance Route and the Fear-Based Obedience System successfully unlocked ]
Seira let out a tiny sigh of relief.
She wasn't exactly proud of it... but part of her felt thrilled.
The system worked.
It actually responded.
Still, a part of her didn't like that it required her to scare people to get results.
The chef glanced at her, confused, wondering why she was still standing in the kitchen.
A noble like her should be sitting at the dining hall, not idly watching behind the stove.
But the woman said nothing, too afraid to speak.
Seira turned around and mumbled to herself.
"This is so exciting. I haven't felt this rush since I last played a game. I have so many questions. What's the max level? Are there areas to unlock? How many characters can I meet? Can I actually eat the food and taste it, or is it just... holograms? Am I stuck in this place or can I explore more? How do I even grind for more EXP.... like, how?"
[ I cannot process all your questions ]
[ Please ask one at a time ]
She sighs again, but the excitement never really leaves her face.
"Never mind. I'll explore everything by myself."
Ten minutes later...
She's still in the kitchen.
Still with the chef.
The chef had quietly prepared a luxurious chocolate-themed breakfast ... a slice of rich chocolate cake topped with whipped cream and a truffle, a powdered sugar croissant, a few chocolate truffles, a chocolate-dipped strawberry, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
All served neatly on a gold tray.
"Oh my! This looks so delicious," she gasped.
She carried the tray over to the counter and just stared at it for a moment, eyes wide and mouth watering.
"When was the last time I even went to a café? I swear, it's been forever since I got married..."
She mumbled mostly to herself, though the chef... still standing nearby... felt increasingly uncomfortable.
Confused too.
"What was the lady talking about?"
Seira dipped the croissant into the hot chocolate and took a bite.
The soft crunch, the warmth, the sweetness... pure bliss.
For a brief second, she felt nothing but joy.
Then a single tear rolled down her cheek.
She remembered her dream, she dreamed of opening her own café.
She already had everything planned... the name, the cozy little space in her mind,
even the scent of pastries she wanted to fill it with.
She had a notebook full of recipes,
sketches of the layout,
and a list of names for every drink flavor.
But then the pregnancy came.
The daily expenses started piling up.
Bills, groceries, diapers, life and her savings slowly disappeared, drained by things more urgent than dreams.
Alona and Noelle once offered to help, to invest, to give her a chance... but she turned them down.
She had a baby to raise.
That came first.
And so, the café remained nothing more than an idea.
A warm, quiet dream that lived only in her mind.
She sipped from the cup again. A bit of chocolate smudged her upper lip.
If only I hadn't chosen Max...
Maybe we'd be running that café by now.
"Lady Valerie... your face..." the chef said cautiously.
"Oh? Don't mind it. Do you have a tissue?"
[ Route to Kindness Unlocked ]
[ Amelia the Chef – Affection +5% ]
The chef's brown eyes widened.
She was still trembling, but now there was something else in her gaze…hope.
Then she noticed that in this world there's probably no tissue.
"You're Amelia, right?" Seira asked, turning to her.
"Y-Yes..."
"Do you have a handkerchief?"
Without saying a word, Amelia quickly pulled one from her pocket.
Her hand shook as she offered it, eyes closing in fear.
She braced for a scolding.
Maybe a slap.
She'd seen what the princess was like before.
But instead… Seira gently took the cloth and patted her lips.
[ Sure! By the way, eating food replenishes your stamina ]
"Huh? But you said I can only interact and use it twice a day?"
[ Correct! But if you want to complete more tasks, just eat to recover your fatigue.]
"This game has that many tasks?"
[ According to player reviews, most couldn't even finish half ]
[ There's too much to do and it gets complicated ]
She grinned.
"Well... at least I won't get bored."
They head next to the Library, where all the core stats are displayed... visible only to her.
Core Stats
Charm: 2%
Wit: 0%
Grace: 0%
Reputation: 0.5%
Manipulation: 0%
Affection Points (Love Interests): 0%
Morality: 1%
"I'm lacking in so many areas..." Seira muttered, a bit embarrassed.
As she stared at the stat list, her thoughts drifted to her husband.
His carefully crafted schemes.
Back in college, he had all the charm...
Too much of it...
But she had grace and reputation on her side.
He, on the other hand, was a master manipulator... just completely lacking in morality.
But then she noticed something else...
There were locked stats, still hidden from view.
That made her even more confused.
"Just how many layers of nonsense did this game have? Who was the developer, and what were they thinking?"
"This is kind of absurd," she muttered. "Do these even affect the ending?"
And then her eyes landed back on one stat in particular [ Manipulation ]
"Why is that even part of my stats? Am I... the villainess?"
She stared at her reflection in the nearby glass.
The face she currently wore didn't look villainous.
In fact, it looked kind... soft eyes, gentle features.
It was hard to picture that kind of face scheming in the shadows.