Chapter 4
A Soft Mochi Rice Cake Puppy.
True to its name, it was a small, white, squishy puppy, like a little rice cake.
Its black eyes shone brightly, and its tiny, wet-looking nose was utterly adorable.
Lucy could still see its image vividly in her mind.
During her previous playthrough, when she had failed the quest, it had been Elisha who received the puppy from the Emperor and carried it around.
Every time Elisha appeared before Lucy, she flaunted the puppy, which diligently followed her on its short legs.
‘That puppy should have been mine.’
Lucy regretted it bitterly.
Her obsession with the Soft Mochi Rice Cake Puppy wasn’t just about wanting a cute pet.
‘It’s necessary for a future quest.’
Lucy felt once again that the game she had possessed herself into was poorly designed.
To make such an important pet the reward for the very first quest—
And it was her first and last chance to obtain it.
It was practically as if the game was designed to prevent completion.
‘I must get that puppy this time if I want the true ending.’
Lucy felt a surge of determination.
The penalty for failure didn’t even register.
Honestly, what difference did it make if her reputation dropped from -100 to -120?
People with nothing to lose were always the most dangerous.
[Quest Accepted!]
[Days until the Palace Banquet: 14]
[Prepare thoroughly to gain the Emperor’s recognition!]
The system’s prompt made Lucy’s expression serious.
She recalled her previous playthrough.
Failure was the mother of success. By failing, she had learned how to succeed next time.
Still, knowing the method made her current situation—with negative stats—even more disadvantageous.
However…
‘If I can somehow fix just my negative stats…’
She could succeed in the quest and get the Soft Mochi Rice Cake Puppy.
‘For now, I have to wait.’
Lucy calmed her mind and waited.
The next day, the Emperor’s awaited order arrived.
Lucy was in the carriage early that morning.
The imperial command was simple: remain at the temple for a while and focus on recovering from her accident.
The rumor that she had become so helpless that she couldn’t move without a maid’s help, or even solve simple problems, worked perfectly to her advantage.
The servants in the annex whispered that the abandoned Princess Lucy had now been forcibly sent to the temple, but Lucy was grateful.
What was the temple?
A place where priests with sacred healing powers gathered.
Apparently, the game designers wanted to mix adventure into the dating sim, so sometimes there were monster-hunting quests.
The “monsters” weren’t that threatening—more like rare animals.
Items obtained from hunting could be used to court the male leads.
The temple served as a save point and a place to restore a certain amount of stamina.
[Having received the priest’s blessing at the temple, your stamina has increased by 20.]
With the system’s guidance, Lucy thought:
‘If I receive focused treatment here, I can easily recover negative health stats.’
Of course, the trip wasn’t just to increase her health.
‘Cecil is at the temple.’
Lucy remembered her first encounter with Cecil.
Not only had she driven his favor into triple-digit negative numbers, she had also torn the cherished cloak he prized.
It had been a painful first meeting, but Lucy decided to forget the past.
Who was she?
She was a player who had figured out how to navigate the game on her own, without any guides.
‘Of course, it ended up being a guide to the death-ending, though.’
Not all that time had been wasted.
Some of the information had been useful.
‘Especially about Cecil.’
Cecil had been one of the male leads whose affection was easiest to raise during her previous playthrough.
The more opportunities she had to meet him, the higher the chance to court him successfully.
‘Recover my health and increase Cecil’s affection.’
Hehe. Seems the system underestimated me.
Of course, Lucy would regret being overconfident, but for now, there was no way to know.
“Arrived.”
The driver’s announcement brought a small smile to Lucy’s face.
Before stepping down, she looked out the carriage window.
The temple entrance was crowded even in the early morning.
People from across the empire had come for healing.
There were nobles and commoners alike.
The temple’s policy was to treat all equally in the face of illness.
However, nobles stayed in the main building in private rooms.
Lucy, as a royal, would also stay there.
“Princess Lucy.”
A maid stepped forward to support her as she got out of the carriage.
Lucy grasped the hand, but suddenly felt herself sinking downward.
‘Huh?’
Ding!
[Stamina Depleted!]
[While leaving the annex and traveling by carriage, your stamina has reached its limit.]
[A side effect from ‘Poor Health Status’ has been triggered.]
Side effect?
‘I only rode in a carriage… what is this…’
Before she could react further, her legs wobbled like a newborn giraffe, and she collapsed.
“Your Highness!”
The maid supporting her cried out in alarm, and people nearby stirred.
“Your Highness?”
“What? The person who just flailed like a flightless bird and fell is the princess?”
Lucy couldn’t lift her head amidst the whispers.
It was always more embarrassing to flail and fall than to simply fall.
“Is that… Elisha’s younger sister?”
“Yeah, the second princess who was exiled from the palace and lived in the annex.”
“Oh, that ‘princess,’ huh.”
“The rumors say she’s both physically and mentally impaired due to the accident…”
People stared at Lucy with open curiosity.
The temple attendants quickly brought a stretcher, drawing even more attention.
Lucy waved her hands in panic.
“I’m fine…”
“Your Highness! You might have twisted an ankle!”
The maid’s anxious plea left Lucy no choice but to allow herself to be carried on the stretcher, closing her eyes. Even so, the stares made her skin tingle.
Then—
“Cough! Cough!”
A loud cough came from nearby.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the sound.
A man, whose presence was so striking that he drew attention even over Lucy’s fall, had collapsed dramatically.
Blood covered his mouth and the hand he had used to block it.
Like a scene from a horror movie, Lucy couldn’t help but stare in shock.
Black hair as dark as night, pale skin.
Beneath thick, neat eyebrows, his blue eyes seemed indifferent.
He was extraordinarily handsome, but looked extremely ill, as if his life was in danger.
The surrounding atmosphere grew solemn at his presence.
“Who… who is that?”
“Don’t you know? He’s a famous patient in the temple’s special care.”
“The heir of the Paraday Duke family, isn’t he?”
Lucy’s eyes widened.
The heir of the Paraday family.
‘Another male lead from the game.’
Alexander Paraday.
The final male lead to appear, the Northern Duke’s heir, and the romantic interest in the game.
‘Alexander came to the temple? And he’s coughing up blood?’
Lucy examined him again.
Her expression subtly shifted as she looked him over.
‘This isn’t Alexander.’
The Alexander she remembered looked completely different.
He had silver hair and purple eyes.
His aura was healthy, and his eyes shone with sharpness.
This pale, ailing man radiated the complete opposite.
‘Then…’
Lucy’s eyes narrowed.
‘Who is this man? Who could have taken Alexander’s place?’
