Chapter 39
I wasn’t jogging but slowly strolling around the mansion grounds.
Originally, I planned to push through my injury with “Patience” and run, but Wendy stopped me at the door.
“Oh nooo! You need to rest, Count…!”
“Move aside. I’ve rested enough.”
“You’ve only rested for a day!”
“That’s enough rest for me.”
“N-no way…! This is advice from your Exclusive Maid! If you want to go, you’ll have to step over me!”
This feels less like advice and more like a threat.
But even threats don’t work on me.
Wendy stood in front of me with her arms spread wide.
Seeing her teary eyes, I could feel her determination.
What a cute entrance.
I had no choice but to give up on jogging.
Instead, I compromised with Wendy and decided to just walk.
But I made her jog while I walked alone.
There was something I wanted to test.
The Ruelberta Mansion grounds had a forest perfect for walking.
It was large and well-maintained, ideal for forest bathing.
I chose this place because the dense trees hid me from outside view.
When I fought Blanshe, I realized something.
She’s one of the strongest in this Otherworld.
I was unlucky to encounter her and barely survived, but there’s no guarantee I won’t face someone as strong as her again.
I couldn’t fight with just a gun.
I needed more means to fight.
After confirming “Wrath,” “Pride,” “Greed,” and “Patience,” I checked my last Personality Trait.
+
Personality Trait: Jealousy
Rank: SS
Details: You envy all the geniuses in the world. You endlessly compare yourself to them. When jealous, you mimic their talents. However, you can never reach their level because it’s not your talent. The more you envy, the more your soul rots with inferiority.
*This trait is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.
+
At first, I didn’t know how to use it, but now I think I do.
I closed my eyes and recalled the day I fought Blanshe.
Sorry, Wendy, but I’ll have to push myself a little.
[You are “Jealous”!]
A wave of nausea rose from deep within me.
Thinking of Blanshe, ugly emotions took hold of me.
Her precise movements targeting vital points.
Her reflexes so fast they were almost invisible.
I envied her overwhelming skills.
I envied her elegant assassination.
I envied her boldness in facing Marco, the Captain of the Guard.
I envied Blanshe’s talent to the point of madness.
I clumsily began mimicking her movements.
Blanshe’s sharp claws became my hand, and I broke a branch from a tree in front of me.
Snap.
Not yet.
Once again, my hand broke a branch.
But her attacks were never this sloppy.
Never this dull.
Snap. Snap.
If it were Blanshe…
What would she have done…?
I kept recalling her martial arts as I struck down branches.
I swung my hand like hers, over and over.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
I wanted to copy Blanshe.
I wanted her sharpness.
The more I thought about it, the faster my hand moved.
I also felt my soul being tainted by ugly emotions.
Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap……
Broken branches piled up at my feet.
The tree lost its branches as if pruned.
I swung my hand at the last branch.
Swish—.
At that moment, the branch slid down.
As if cut by a sharp blade.
I had finally “cut” the branch with my hand.
[You are “Patient”!]
“Haa…”
The nausea in my stomach subsided.
It felt like waking from a murky emotion.
Is this what it feels like for a soul to rot?
I picked up the cut branch.
It was nothing compared to Blanshe’s skills.
Not as sharp as hers.
Not as fast as hers.
But for me, this was enough.
For now, this result was satisfying.
As they say, jealousy can be a great power.
I haven’t tested it in real combat yet, but I should add jealousy-based training to my routine.
But… my wound started to ache.
Maybe it reopened.
“Ugh…”
If Wendy finds out, I’ll get an earful.
Just as I thought that, I heard someone calling me.
“Count!”
I saw someone running from afar.
So much for being a noble.
Wendy, dressed in workout clothes, ran over after jogging as I told her.
As she got closer, I naturally covered the bandaged wound on my stomach.
“Haa… haa… Count…”
“What is it?”
Wendy caught her breath.
I waited for her to calm down.
“A letter came for you, from Sir Arthur…!”
*
“Pretty sure it’s around here somewhere…”
Bella was at the central market in Ludlow.
The market was bustling with people.
This was a traditional market mainly used by the Empire’s commoners.
There were people selling goods from stalls, shopkeepers, and even haggling customers—all kinds of people.
It was a place that didn’t suit Bella, the daughter of a Duke.
Looking around, there were no other nobles in sight.
Nobles had no reason to come to a commoners’ market.
But Bella came here to repair her doll.
She had heard from her servants that the tailoring street in the central market could fix anything made of fabric.
Her bear doll could be repaired here too.
So Bella came here alone.
It was a hassle, but she couldn’t ask the mansion servants to fix it.
She had to hide the fact that she still had such a doll.
Luckily, Blanshe was out today, so Bella sneaked out of the mansion and came to the central market.
Her appearance drew attention, so she kept her hood pulled low.
Bella looked around the crowded market.
It was a confusing place.
The market was like a maze, with too many shops to easily find the tailor.
Just as she was about to move on, she heard a cry.
“Waaah… Mommy…”
Bella looked down to see a little girl clutching her sleeve.
The tear-streaked girl looked up at her.
“…Did you lose your mommy?”
“Mommy… *sniff*… suddenly disappeared… *sniff*.”
Bella knelt to meet the girl’s eye level.
The girl’s mouth fell open as she saw Bella’s face under the hood.
“Pretty lady…”
“Haha… You’ve got good taste, huh?”
Bella smiled, brushing her shining silver hair.
It was a captivating smile.
“…Are you a fairy? *sniff*.”
“That’s right. You found me here, so you must be a good girl.”
“R-really?”
“Yes. I know you. Asumiell Kindergarten, Tulip Class, Number 15, Alice. Right?”
“Y-yes! Wow! You really are a fairy…! Really!”
The girl’s eyes sparkled as she jumped up and down.
Bella smiled, glancing at the name tag on the girl’s uniform.
“Of course. Now, do you want to find your mommy with me?”
Alice nodded eagerly.
Seeing her tiny head bob up and down, Bella couldn’t help but laugh.
Alice wiped her tears with her sleeve and asked,
“But why did you come here, Fairy Lady…?”
“Me? Well…”
Bella pulled out her bear doll and showed it to Alice.
“Mr. Bear is sick, so I came to get him treated. Hehe…”
