MPBGS 31

Chapter : 31

Because she wasn’t wearing the familiar nun’s habit, I didn’t recognize her right away. But when I looked at her facial features, it was definitely Daisy.

This wasn’t even near the orphanage, was it? So why was Daisy standing here, soaking in the rain and looking so miserable?

“How did you recognize her?”

It must’ve been hard to tell, especially with the rain pouring down.

“Jelly recognized her.”

Ah. That made sense. I nodded in understanding. Last time, when we nearly got lost in the temple, Jelly helped find the way. He must’ve tracked her scent again this time. As expected of a werewolf—it’s all about the nose.

So is this an event? Jelly discovers Daisy, who’s discouraged in the rain, and rescues her, building some romantic tension… As expected, Daisy must have originally been a minor couple character with Jelly in the main story or an extra side story. Right now, because I messed up the original plot, she’s become a character who interferes with romance instead.

Ah.

“Jelly. Can you go bring her here?”

“Me? I don’t want to. It’s cold.”

Jelly buried himself in some fur coat he’d brought from somewhere. Where did he even get that? Did he secretly slip one into the clothing store earlier? That sounded very plausible. Well, buying him a coat isn’t something I’d mind…

But refusing because it’s cold seems a bit shameless, doesn’t it? Is he really the male lead? He’s a werewolf, a mage, and even has that delinquent-looking charm—yet he’s acting stubborn while his partner is out in the rain? No, this isn’t Jelly’s fault. This is all my fault for monopolizing the routes and twisting the story flow.

This was irritating. Fine, I’ll go myself. I’ll make a good impression on Daisy and try to clean up my past mistakes.

“Miss, I’ll go instead.”

“It’s okay. Stay here with Pudding.”

I handed Pudding, who had fallen asleep in my lap, to Canna, then stepped down from the carriage and opened an umbrella. I really had to thank the shop owner who gave me the umbrella earlier. I wonder if they made it home safely?

I walked briskly and stopped right in front of Daisy. She’d been standing in the rain for so long that her lips were completely blue. At this rate, she’d probably collapse with a fever tomorrow. I tilted the umbrella toward her.

Daisy must have thought I was just a passerby, because she immediately apologized and tried to move aside. Who are you apologizing to right now?

“Daisy.”

Whether she recognized my voice or just reacted to hearing her name, Daisy—who had seemed half-lost in thought—slowly lifted her head.

“Lady Evangeline… How… how are you here…?”

She was trembling again, just like last time. Just how awful had the original Evangeline’s personality been? She must’ve traumatized an innocent girl like this.

And the cleanup duty ended up being mine—that was the saddest part.

“I came looking for you.”

It was honestly a miracle I found her. If I hadn’t come with Jelly, I would’ve waited uselessly near the orphanage, and Daisy would’ve been sitting in the rain all day. One small misstep, and the romance novel protagonists spiral completely out of control. It truly felt like I was inside a romance-fantasy world now.

Now I needed to persuade Daisy gently and get her to talk. It might be better to put her in the carriage first and take her to the Ronson estate.

As I tried to help her up, Daisy suddenly grabbed my skirt tightly.

“I have a request. You said you would grant my wish.”

What? Ah. Right—I had said that before we parted. I had intended to compensate her for the harassment and settle things so she wouldn’t spread rumors about what Evangeline had done.

Just as I was about to ask what she wanted, a good idea suddenly came to me. Well—not exactly good. More like a bad idea.

I had planned to propose something first, but Daisy was the one who said she had a request. And since she had already spoken badly about me to Gabriel and Hena, the scales weren’t balanced.

So instead of granting her wish unconditionally, I should say I’ll do it only if she tells me what she said to the others.

“Fine. But there will be a price.”

It felt like I was truly living up to the name Evangeline again. I’d long since abandoned my conscience, so it was fine.

“You know what I want, right?”

Of course she didn’t. I just asked randomly. Evangeline would obviously want something outrageous—like massive amounts of gold! Or “Become my servant!” So if I acted like I wanted something big, then later reduced it to simply asking for the conversation details, she’d feel relieved and spill everything.

“I—I’ll give myself to you.”

Cough. I nearly choked despite not eating anything.

That… was big. Very big.

Why was she still so afraid of me, yet offering herself? Don’t tell me this was some strange combination of trope and plot device.

“Please… please help me.”

I couldn’t tell if Daisy’s face was wet from rain or tears. Her desperate voice swallowed the words I was about to say.

“Alright. I’ll help you.”

I held out my hand to help her up. After hesitating briefly, she took it.

“First, get in the carriage.”

Once inside, Daisy looked at Canna in shock, then at Jelly—who was even more surprising—but she eventually sat quietly in the corner.

Canna glanced at Daisy, then fussed when she saw me come in behind her.

“Oh my, you’re completely soaked.”

I had only a few drops on me, but Daisy looked like she’d just been pulled out of water.

Canna took the fur coat from Jelly and gave it to me, but I wrapped it around Daisy instead. Jelly let out a hollow laugh when he saw his coat pass through several hands and end up with Daisy.

“Hey, looks like your good days are over.”

“Shut up, Mr. Jelly.”

What? Did I hear that wrong? I looked at Canna in shock, but she pretended she hadn’t said anything harsh. Maybe I misheard.

“Long time no see?”

Jelly greeted Daisy. It felt like I was watching someone else’s romance unfold in real time, and my heart pounded.

Daisy didn’t answer.

“You’re ignoring me?”

“Our relationship isn’t that close.”

“But we ran away holding hands.”

“Who was holding—!”

Daisy stopped herself mid-shout. Last time she had been extremely frightened, so I had worried. But now, this pairing really did look like a sub-couple—grumpy heroine and sly male lead. A classic combination.

Since they kept bickering and Daisy stopped talking, I decided to move on.

“So, what is your request?”

Daisy clenched her hands tightly.

“I… am an orphan.”

Ah. So this was her backstory, helping her grow closer to Jelly. Even with my interference, things were progressing smoothly.

She explained that she had been abandoned too young to remember, raised in the orphanage, and was able to visit the director even after becoming independent.

Since I had already gathered all this information through questioning the butler, I didn’t know how to react. If I admitted I investigated her, I’d just be labeled a villainess. Better stay silent.

“But today, when I visited, everyone at the orphanage had disappeared.”

What? Suddenly there’s a missing-person case in a romance fantasy novel?

One possibility came to mind. Daisy and Jelly had once escaped from slave traders. Maybe that connection was resurfacing.

“Lady Evangeline, my wish is this: please find the director and the children.”

“Wow. Just hearing that sounds troublesome.”

Jelly, you idiot—why are you ruining the romance route?

But thinking about it, Daisy was the side story. The heroine was Canna. The sub-couple wouldn’t develop until later anyway.

“Alright. I’ll find them.”

I answered while glaring at Jelly. He was technically a guest in my house, so he had to do as I said.

Because I’d ruined Canna’s romance route, I wanted to properly connect the sub-couple at least. As for Canna… I’ll match her with the most impressive person in this world. Gabriel is off-limits because my life depends on him.

But would Canna even date anyone? Right now she seemed like the original heroine who’d fallen for the villainess and declared, “Love over romance!”

“As for a suspect?”

“Troi.”

“Troi?”

Daisy explained further.

Troi was the director’s biological son. He had always been jealous and cruel, resenting how the director loved all children equally. He had bullied kids, poured hot stew on a friend’s arm causing a scar, called overweight children pigs and starved them, and even tried to take advantage of visiting nobles’ favor.

He claimed that because he was the director’s son, he could do whatever he wanted.

Eventually, the orphanage staff and children couldn’t tolerate him and drove him out. But even after that, he kept returning and causing trouble.

Given the typical romance-fantasy logic, Troi was likely connected to slave traders—and possibly responsible for the disappearance.

Wait for me, Troi. I’ve never seen your face, but I’ll show you the wrath of a villainess.