The number of betting chips makes the situation crystal clear.
The participants in the collaboration all expected that I would do well in this ga.
As a result, every one of them bet at least one chip on .
'...I should’ve aid for second place instead of first.'
But there was no helping it. I couldn’t possibly predict how others would escape, so waiting and timing my escape for second place wasn’t an option.
In hindsight, my biggest misstep might have been betting too few chips on Sora.
"Ouroa-san, you ca in last in the betting round. How do you feel about that?"
The first thought that ca to mind was, The rule prohibiting self-betting is terribly unfair.
However, I didn’t say it out loud. Kaiser had undoubtedly imposed that rule intentionally.
After all, this collaboration was ant to serve as a kind of social exchange.
By implenting the betting system, Kaiser aid to prevent PK (player killing) and encourage thoughts like, I’ve bet on that person, so I should help them escape.
I suspect Kaiser wanted all the Fantasy League participants to bond more closely.
"As befits the daughter of a duke, I will accept it with humility."
That’s what I said.
Although losing in the betting competition stung, in a way, it also proved my excellence.
After all, every participant had bet on , leading to this outco. Even though I lost, it wasn’t an entirely unpleasant feeling.
What can I say? I’m the daughter of a duke.
More importantly:
"So, what punishnt ga do I need to perform? A horror ga?"
"Hmm… Ouroa-san, you’re known to be rather fearless, aren’t you?"
"Who knows."
If soone lacks the emotion of fear, they don’t experience tension. And without tension, people tend to make mistakes.
In that sense, there are indeed monts when I feel fear. I just know how to keep it from showing on my face, and modern society rarely provides situations that are truly fear-inducing.
If a nuclear bomb were to drop above my head, even I would feel fear, I imagine.
"If you want to do a horror ga, I’ll gladly oblige."
"Though I’m not sure if it would count as a punishnt for you…"
Kaiser chuckled as if he found it absurd. He was right.
To be honest, I’m curious myself—what sort of punishnt could possibly suit soone like ?
As Kaiser said, a horror ga wouldn’t qualify as a punishnt. Ghosts, zombies, jump scares—they’re not real threats to my life.
Because of that, I couldn’t promise to give the kind of over-the-top reactions expected in horror gas. I could fake being vulnerable, but my viewers know too well by now to fall for that.
So, what other punishnts could there be?
Punishnt gas are ant to entertain, not to genuinely punish soone.
The first thing that cos to mind is sothing humiliating, like buying and reviewing adult products.
While that could work as a punishnt ga, it would likely raise questions about the person’s character. It would also tarnish the brand and image of "Ouroa," the VTuber.
Thus, the punishnt couldn’t be too extre but also couldn’t be too mild—finding the balance was tricky.
"Deciding the punishnt ga isn’t up to ," Kaiser said suddenly.
"Then who decides, dear sir?"
"I told you not to call that... Of course, each winner decides."
"The winner?"
"The person who escaped first gives a punishnt to the one who escaped last, and the one with the most betting chips gives a punishnt to the one with the least. How about it?"
Kaiser sought agreent. Hmm, in a way, it was reasonable.
Now that I think about it, there had been ntion of punishnt for the losers, but nothing about rewards for the winners. Kaiser must have intended this as a reward for the winners all along.
"So I get to decide Ouroa-chan’s punishnt, then?"
Anna suddenly jumped into the conversation.
Now that I recall, she was the top in betting.
"Yes, that’s correct. Anna-san, what punishnt would you like Ouroa-san to perform?"
"I already have sothing in mind!" Anna declared confidently.
"Ouroa-chan, you’ll be my maid from now on!"
…Excuse ?
"Did you pack everything, sis?"
Leon asked as he dragged a suitcase over.
What a foolish question.
"Dear , why would you ask that? You’re the one who packed my things, aren’t you?"
"…Why do you leave your packing to soone else?"
Leon muttered in exasperation.
It seems Leon still doesn’t understand how noble ladies operate, even after living with for three years.
Noble ladies rarely pack their own belongings.
Of course, heirlooms representing the family’s honor or engagent rings from their fiancé—items too important to entrust to servants—are exceptions.
But things like clothing or accessories? Those are always managed by attendants.
As the daughter of a duke, it would be unthinkable for to pack my own outfits.
"A duke’s daughter, huh… all while going to soone else’s house to play maid."
Leon frowned as he lugged the suitcase.
He loaded my luggage into the car trunk and opened the door for . I waited until Leon had opened the car door before stepping inside.
"…Sis, are you sure about this? Living at Anna’s place is going to be rough."
"A punishnt is a punishnt. What choice do I have?"
I crossed my legs and folded my arms.
I couldn’t help but recall what happened after the escape room ga.
"You’re using your winner’s privilege to make your maid?"
"And it seems you’ve forgotten that I, too, hold a winner’s privilege."
Anna might have been first in betting, but she was last to escape.
On the other hand, I was last in betting but first to escape.
In other words, I could also decide a punishnt for Anna.
"Just so you know, punishnts canceling each other out isn’t allowed!"
Anna declared firmly.
"It’s more fun if we each perform our punishnt! Canceling them would be boring!"
"Fine by . But rember, Ouroa-chan is my maid from now on!"
"And stop calling that."
"I’ll call my maid whatever I like!"
Anna was more formidable than I had anticipated.
I briefly considered scaring her with a horror ga punishnt, but Anna was unshakable.
Her determination to boss around was unwavering, to the point it felt like a life-or-death mission for her.
‘What a handful.’
Admiring her resolve, I decided to humor her and go along with the punishnt.
Of course, there was no way the noble daughter of a duke would be anyone’s maid forever.
With less than two weeks until the Fantasy League starts, I agreed to stay at Anna’s house for only a week.
"Just so you know, I’m not staying at Anna’s place," Leon said, sensing sothing ominous.
"…I only do housework at your place because I’m freeloading. I’m not doing it at Anna’s place."
"I see."
"So don’t call . Got it?"
Leon pleaded earnestly. This could get a bit tricky.
‘If only soone else had co in last instead of Anna.’
Then, just as Anna made her maid, I could have turned soone else into my maid and delegated the chores. The classic "outsource the outsourcing" strategy.
Unfortunately, Anna was the one who ca in last.
I did briefly consider making Anna my maid as well.
We’d both be each other’s maid, forming a bizarre, chaotic relationship where roles constantly reversed. It could’ve been amusing.
But upon reflection, Anna would make a terrible maid.
She can’t cook, can’t clean—she’s practically a house cat in competition with pets.
If she hadn’t beco a VTuber, she’d probably be a shut-in.
VTubing is her true calling. She should stick with it for life.
So, no matter what punishnt I gave her, house chores wouldn’t get done. That’s why I decided to give Anna a different kind of punishnt.
Even though I could’ve chosen a horror ga, it felt too predictable and dull.
Watching her during party play sessions, Anna was clearly hopeless with horror gas. I couldn’t even assign her sothing like Phasmophobia.
Instead, I ca up with a much more terrifying punishnt.
Anna might regret choosing to make her maid.
And for Anna to perfectly carry out her punishnt, I needed to show her how it’s done.
A maid.
If I’m going to do it, I’ll do it thoroughly.
After all, as a duke’s daughter, I must always be perfect.
Even as a maid, I’ll be nothing less than flawless.
"Sis, we’ve arrived."
Finally, the car ca to a stop.
Leon stepped out of the driver’s seat and opened the door for .
We had arrived at a departnt store.
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