[Appraising…]
Julien looked at the boy in a black suit and mask as the system did a profile check on it.
[…Appraisal complete.]
Na: Jacqueline Lex Vicross
Path: Spiritualist/Assassin
Favorability: 77
Personal info:
Likes warm cookies with milk but will never eat it in front of anyone.
Likes taking a bath and combing hair.
Is hiding her gender.
Was almost killed in a political feud.
Lost both parents.
Lost her family.
Is on the run.
Finds Julien Von Lichtenstein reliable.
Finds the House of Lichtenstein warm.
Feels nostalgic in the House of Lichtenstein.
Has cried twice in seclusion since entering Lichtenstein Castle.
Cannot be her real self until her goal is achieved.
Is a virgin. Doesn’t know anything about sex.
Is a killer through and through.
Massacred multiple monsters in the Floor 0 trials.
Doesn’t know Julien Von Lichtenstein fully, hence cannot place her trust completely.
However, is grateful for helping her choose the right constellation and saving her life in the trial.
Fears Eleanor Von Lichtenstein.
Imdiate goal is to find what remains of her family.
The current setting irks her.
Is controlling her bloodlust to kill the nobles in the room.
*PFFTTT—!*
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Julien spat out his tea and began coughing aggressively.
"Oh my, are you alright, honey?" Eleanor quickly put a transparent barrier around them and patted Julien’s back.
The barrier showed visuals of a few minutes ago where they weren’t drinking tea and sitting quietly with their faces covered.
"Cough—I’m al—cough—right."
"Don’t speak." Eleanor rubbed his back and helped him drink so water.
"Are you okay, Master?" Jackie asked with concern.
"Do you need healing?" Alia asked.
"I’m fine…" Julien wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and stopped coughing.
"You should be more careful when handling hot beverages, my dear." The concerned Duchess stated and shook her head.
"Yes. My apologies." Julien nodded in agreent.
Eleanor helped Julien wear his mask again and then took off the barrier she erected.
Calm now, Julien once again looked at the pink-black system screen. This ti, he wasn’t going to be as shocked…
’JACKIE IS A GIRL!?!?’
…or so he thought.
Julien stole glances at the beautiful butler seated opposite to him. Dark orange hair, bright orange eyes… a small fra…
’No wonder… no wonder I kept thinking he, no she, was quite cute. So she is in fact a girl and not a boy…’
For a while, Julien had questioned his own sexuality due to Jackie. This guy was too cute to not get attracted to.
’I am thankfully not attracted to boys…’
Julien was almost on the verge of tears.
’Anyway, now is not the ti to think about Jackie’s beauty. Rather… What’s with Jackie’s past?’
First Alia and now Jackie. Both seed to have a troubleso past and seed exactly like the type of people who would invite disaster.
Julien wasn’t fazed by this revelation at the very least. His bad luck was bound to attract problems for him in one way or the other. The only way to go about this was to solve these problems and not get tangled in them.
Julien wanted to rub his temples and sigh. This was so much work that it wasn’t even funny anymore.
’Jackie, Alia…. Both of them are my companions. It’s my duty to look after them.’
Julien fell silent, contemplating over the thoughts he just had.
’Duty huh…’
Julien fiddled with the teacup on the saucer.
In the blink of an eye, so much had happened.
From being an abandoned child scavenging for food in trash cans to now taking responsibility of the people he barely even knew for a month… he sure had co a long way.
Julien’s somber mood was felt by everyone around the table.
Being his mother, Eleanor naturally wanted to ask what was bothering him, but held back from doing so. Always helping one’s child during tis of trouble would actually hinder their growth. Thus, sotis, they were better off to fight their own battles.
If her baby needed help, she was always there for him. He just had to ask.
Unaware of his mother’s thoughts, Julien kept thinking about Jackie.
This lad, no, this lass, how was he supposed to go about interacting with her now?
Julien glanced at Jackie as he thought so.
[Ding!]
[Obtained — 10x multiplier!]
[All points will be multiplied by 10 if the Player indulges in lustful deeds with the androgynous beauty.]
’…’
What the fuck?
Why was this system so stupid? Why did it only detect things whenever it felt convenient and not when Julien actually ca across soone?
For example, it could’ve imdiately stated that Julien would get a multiplier when he appraised Jackie. But no, it waited until now.
’If that’s the case, will it…’
Julien shifted his gaze to the nun in red priestess outfit.
[Ding!]
[Obtained — 5x multiplier!]
[All points will be multiplied by 5 if the Player indulges in lustful deeds with the holy nun.]
’Haah… this dumbass system…’
Julien gave up trying to understand the system. The system reflected the maker’s personality and knowing what type of person El was, this system was bound to give him so more trouble in future.
"…and now, ladies and gentlen, please head over to the courtyard upstairs for the cake cutting ceremony."
A voice pulled Julien out of his stupor.
Turning towards the stage, he found there to be a different man than the King who was asking everyone to go upstairs.
’Right… This banquet was held to declare the new Crown Prince.’
Julien turned to Eleanor. "Shall we go too?"
Eleanor nodded. "We’ll be the first to move upstairs. Just wait until the officials arrive.
As she had stated, the King’s officials did arrive monts later after the announcent and took the Lichtenstein House’s mbers upstairs.
There were no chairs there. It was an open terrace courtyard in the middle of which was a stage where nobody stood yet.
The King and his family were already here, surrounded by a few guards.
More guards were around the courtyard, so in hiding and so in disguise. Though, none of them glanced at the Lichtensteins as a show of respect.
Julien could see the King and his family mbers in the center. They were chatting and minding their own business, not approaching him or his family.
It was sort of weird to look at this dynamic. All the ani he had watched, all the mangas and novels he had read, and all the gas he had played, all stated how social nobles from aristocratic settings were.
Julien wondered what his family’s goal was to co to this banquet if they didn’t want to socialize.
Shortly after, many more nobles arrived and gathered around the Royal Family to converse.
The Lichtenstein House had no interest in conversing with them and stayed in a corner, watching the folks with drinks in their hands.
"What was the point of coming here, mom?" Julien looked up at Eleanor and asked.
Eleanor sipped the red wine in her hand and said with a sigh, "If we don’t, these guys will think that we are weak and cause trouble. When that happens, I might not be able to hold back."
Julien raised his eyebrow in surprise.
Jackie and Alia, standing beside him, were also as surprised, looking at the Duchess with interest.
Eleanor shook her head and continued, "It’s a long story. And a boring one at that."
"What’s…" Julien was about to ask more but stopped himself from speaking when he saw a middle-aged noble and his wife approach them.
Eleanor stopped speaking as well and stared at the incoming couple.
"Duchess Eleanor, what a pleasure to see you here!" The man said and made so small talk.
The gathering on the rooftop was different from that in the ballroom.
There were no tables or chairs here. No standing or seating arrangent. Anyone could stand anywhere they wanted, and was done with the purpose that the nobles would be able to freely communicate with each other.
The Lichtenstein House couldn’t avoid the approaching nobles even if they wanted to.
In the King’s Palace, all forms of conflicts were strictly forbidden. Causing any trouble would result in severe punishnt. The nobles, confident that the Lichtensteins would at least give the King face and follow the rules he had set, thus approached them without fear or hesitation.
Eleanor returned the greeting with a nod and stayed silent, hinting to the nobles that she wasn’t interested in this small talk.
"Thank you for keeping us safe at the borders and always being on the frontlines." The noble man said with a smile and his wife bowed slightly along with him.
Eleanor once again gave them a nod and didn’t speak.
The noble man said a few more words and finding the lack of words disappointing, took the hint and left.
After he was gone ca another noble, repeating a similar set of words.
There was a youngster with him, sneaking glances at Julien, the butler Jackie, the priestess Alia, and the maid Sophie as if he was looking at sothing out of this world.
Julien got a firsthand experience of how shaless the nobles were. And his mother was right, it was definitely better to not mingle with them. He would only slow himself down in useless politics and not be able to climb the Tower.
"…then, we wish the Duchess a pleasant night." The family left after saying so.
In ca another set of folks wanting to have a conversation with the Duchess right after them.
Eleanor was getting annoyed now, but held back from lashing onto these people and creating a scene.
She wanted to have her son experience social gatherings and acted like a proper noble for once.
"Our sincerest greetings to the Duchess." The newly arrived nobles stated.
Eleanor greeted them back and once again began a round of useless conversations.
This went on for a while and the nobles kept coming in and saying the sa thing, until finally…
A tall, blonde boy, appearing to be in his early 20s, walked towards them while buttoning his pristine blue suit’s button.
"Yo, Duchess…!"
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