ITIWAFRBIAHS Chapter 5

Strong and powerful morning! As for me, I'm a golden spoon unemployed person!

Waking up in a good mood in the morning, I immediately set off on a journey to Mother's personal study where she conducts business. The study on the 4th floor is a place I've only heard about until now, but the day before yesterday when consulting with the doctor about my amnesia problem, Mother said with a tearful expression.

'Rose, I'm usually in my study from early dawn until night, so if any problems arise, you can always come see this mother anytime.'

Staying in the study all day, if she's not reading novels like me, what on earth is she doing? Is it work after all? To maintain this wealth, the head of household must work hard? If that's the case, I should gladly yield to my sister (assumed) later.

Anyway, that's why I'm climbing to the 4th floor looking for my stepmother's personal study as explained. Walking stealthily since it's early dawn, I looked around to see the newly risen morning sunlight streaming through the gaps in the swaying curtains by the windows, illuminating the antique and elegant corridor here and there like patterns.

It was a dreamlike, beautiful scene. I suddenly felt the charm that made me want to open each of the oak doors along that straight corridor and explore. Tomorrow it might not be bad to come out early in the morning and explore various places in this manor.

I praised myself for planning a vibrant future and quickly moved my feet.

"Here it is."

In front of the massive bronze double doors, I took a brief deep breath, then knocked vigorously.

"...!"

"...Hello?"

There was a sound of something falling inside. It sounds like furniture fell over! I was surprised and threw open one of the doors.

Inside was a completely unexpected scene.

"Hik!!"

"Eh?"

My disheveled step-sibling (assumed) was crouched beyond the desk. What kind of situation is this? Did they fall? I carefully approached.

"What are you doing... HEOUK!"

"Get out!"

I covered my face with the catalog I was holding and hastily backed out the door. I don't think I've ever backpedaled that fast in my life.

And while closing the door, I thought calmly. They fell and their top got caught and torn somewhere, and that, well...

They had no breasts.

But they had chest muscles.

"...Hehehe."

A crossdressing hobbyist step-brother (assumed). What kind of spectacular life had this body been living? Come to think of it, maybe I'm not even the biological daughter of this house's deceased father? Hm?

"I don't know. Anyway, if it's a hobby, let's respect it..."

I just decided not to think about anything. Let me buy cameras.

Work Regulations

9. You must not tell Madam Sawyer's daughters your real name. Any servant who reveals their real name will be immediately dismissed and must leave this manor before sunset that day.

After a suffocating period of time, I cleared my throat and called to the person inside the door as gently as possible.

"Hello? Have you sorted everything out?"

"..."

There was no answer. Fortunately, the corridor was still quiet since the working staff hadn't emerged yet. I looked around unnecessarily and tapped the door lightly.

Tap- tap tap tap, tap tap.

"Won't you chat with me a bit?"

I almost said "Do you want to build a snowman?" I got a response this time.

"...Get lost."

It was a much calmer voice. Listening again, the voice is definitely low for a woman. Could that be why they barely spoke at dinner? Anyway, I spoke as gently as possible again.

"I came because I have something to ask, so I'll just ask that and leave quickly."

"..."

Silence means consent, right? I carefully opened the door and entered.

My step-brother (assumed) had set up the large oak chair that had fallen earlier and was sitting in it. They had somehow procured a colorfully patterned blanket wrapped around their body... Ah, looking closely, isn't that a carpet?

"I came looking for Mother, but do you know where she might be? I heard she'd be here."

My step-brother looked at me as if dumbfounded.

"She left early this morning for an urgent business trip."

"R-really?"

She must really work hard... I used the catalog in my hand like a fan with an awkward expression.

"Well... I wanted to ask about buying something."

"Whatever you want to buy, Mother will tell you to go ahead anyway, so what's the problem?"

Somehow they seem to be answering my words through gritted teeth since earlier. Am I imagining it? If we're going to nitpick like that, I could question why they're in someone else's study from early morning!

But I decided to be patient once. It's probably because they're very flustered about their hobby being suddenly discovered. Let me think positively.

"Actually, what I want to buy is a camera. I thought it would be better to ask once before purchasing."

"Camera...?"

The camera superstition seems to have been quite hot. My step-brother's expression also showed meaningful signs. The boy swallowed and asked again.

"Why, why do you want to buy one?"

Since I even saw their crossdressing hobby, it would be polite to tell them this much, right? I readily told the truth!

"Yeah. I want to take some photos of my fiancé."

"What?"

But judging from their reaction, they seem about to pick another fight. No good, let me retreat quickly! I recited closing remarks to my step-brother whose voice got loud again, in the fast, businesslike voice used for unfavorable terms in insurance commercials.

"Anyway, I will absolutely never tell anyone about what I saw today, and I respect individual hobbies, so don't worry, and let's all enjoy our fun hobbies in the future while not making meaningless criticisms of each other. Well then!"

"Wait, wait! You and your fiancé..."

I carefully closed the door with quick hand movements. As expected, my step-brother seemed to be picking a fight, but considering my mental stability, I didn't bother listening to the end. Instead, I quickly returned to my room.

Whew, this morning I absolutely must eat something sweet to soothe my startled heart.

After finishing a hearty breakfast, I ordered tea.

"Bring lots of honey."

I'd like them to bring absolutely everything they have. Sunset also answered my serious attitude seriously.

"Understood."

And a honey pot almost as big as Pooh Bear's honey jar was delivered with the tea set. Sunset brewed tea and placed it in front of me.

I scooped up plenty of honey from the honey pot and put it in the teacup. Ah, come to think of it, the teaspoon my fiancé gave me is in this table's storage compartment. I took that teaspoon out of the storage compartment. It was still a delicate object shining silver.

I carefully dipped the teaspoon into the teacup and stirred so the honey I'd added to the tea would mix well. Mm, it was a good goods debut.

Then I waited a bit for the tea to cool, and like drinking honey water the morning after drinking alcohol, I gulped it down glug glug. It was a sweet taste that chased away worries and troubles. Keu, eating really is the best.

"Was there anything inconvenient while you were drinking?"

...She probably didn't see me adding an excessive amount of honey since she was busy arranging the tea set.

"Yeah. It was good."

Actually, I put in so much honey it just tasted like honey water with tea fragrance, but the person who brewed it might feel hurt. Sunset looked carefully at the tea set I'd finished, then made a gesture to clean up. Hm? Too fast? I waved my hands and said.

"I might drink more. I'll call when I'm done."

"...Please don't drink too much."

Is she worried about blood sugar? That I'm consuming too much fructose without exercise? I felt a bit embarrassed and silently nodded, and Sunset, who had been hesitating until the end, soon left the room.

...Let me drink just one more cup, not too much. I poured the still-full teapot water into my cup and added a moderate amount of honey, more restrained than before. Now let me wait for it to cool.

"While I'm at it, let me handle this too."

I slily took out that black pill that came out at breakfast too. This time I hid it in my sleeve, and it was very successful. None of the working staff noticed, so I can hang my hat on the camera I'll order soon too.

Now, where should I throw this away to dispose of it properly... Oh.

"Oops."

I accidentally dropped the pill.

The pill coincidentally fell plop into the teacup I was cooling. The pill dissolved with bubbling bubbles rising.

Oh no, I need to throw this away and drink fresh tea. Where should I throw it? Right! Let me throw it in the bathroom. While I'm at it, I can throw away yesterday evening's remaining pill too.

Thinking it was a good idea and congratulating myself, I quickly picked up the teacup. When the still-hot teacup made me slightly shake my hand, the tea water inside swayed and the spoon swayed along with it.

Then I saw it. The teaspoon had turned black where it touched the tea water.

"Hiiiik."

I put the teacup back down. My head spins dizzy. W-wait. Let me think. This... is it silver? A silver-shining, delicately crafted golden spoon gift teaspoon would naturally be silver, right? Then did it change color because of poison?

Ah, no. That can't be. At my happy circuit starting to spin frantically to prevent my carefree unemployed golden spoon life from being shattered, I read somewhere that egg yolk also contains substances that discolor silver. The medicine probably contains egg yolk!

...Even as I said it myself, it's such an overly optimistic guess that the circuit might burn out?

L-let me experiment once more.

I hastily took out another pill I'd stashed in the corner of the drawer. This is the medicine I didn't take yesterday evening and brought with me. I carefully dissolved it in water and let it touch a part of the silver spoon that hadn't discolored yet.

"...No reaction?"

Could it be the tea water itself? But when I just stirred the tea earlier, there was no reaction. Gasp. Could mixing the two create poison?

I poured the remaining tea water from the teapot into the cup with the evening pill dissolved.

The spoon discolored further. Hiik.

"P-poison assassination."

This is poison assassination. This meticulous planning where the reaction only occurs if you drink tea right after taking the medicine. Is someone targeting this body's inheritance! My face turned pale as I looked away from the teacup.

F-first, let me call a working staff member to show this and say there was a poison assassination attempt and discuss countermeasures... No wait. I don't know who might be involved in this situation. My stepmother isn't here right now either, and there's only my uncooperative step-brother with bad relations. In this situation, if I rashly make a big deal and spread rumors, it might become evidence destruction time.

...And the worst-case scenario is this. After evidence gets destroyed and the culprits all cover their tracks, if my stepmother receives this report, she might suspect I've finally developed persecution delusions on top of my already erratic memory track record. So this time, commitment to what's called a sanatorium but is actually a mental asylum could be decided...

No way! Even if this body's owner returns later, this can't be salvaged!

C-let me think calmly... Is the answer really to gather anything valuable tonight and leave this manor? Is that it?

While making completely uncalm plans, I circled the room. And when I'd circled the room more than twenty times, there was a knock.

"Miss?"

The voice is Sunset's.

"Are you there?"

Gasp, did she come to check if I'm dead? No wonder she was watching me drink tea so intently today and told me not to drink too much. Was that her conscience crying out?

Evidence preservation first! I hastily pulled out the discolored spoon and threw it into the inner desk drawer. That was the place where I'd put the pills I didn't take. And I quickly poured the remaining tea water into the bathroom.

All of this happened at superhuman speed within 5 seconds, and only then did I clear my throat and answer as calmly as possible.

"Yeah. Why?"

"...Lord Moore requests a meeting with you, Miss."

Right. My fiancé was still at the manor. I'd forgotten because it's been so spectacular since dawn! Right, maybe I can tell my fiancé about this. At minimum, he's someone who wouldn't particularly benefit from this body's death! Since his character seems decent, in the worst case, he'd at least arrange a carriage when I need to escape.

I swallowed and took the teaspoon back out of the drawer and stuck it in my pocket.

"Okay. Let's go."

I expected to be guided to the reception room again, but unexpectedly Sunset headed toward the entrance. Honestly, I was worried she might guide me to some secluded part of the manor and attack, but fortunately that didn't happen. After all, someone who attempted poison assassination so meticulously wouldn't do such amateurish things.

I squinted and looked at the girl around my age, the number one suspect.

Even if she doesn't personally hold a grudge and want to kill me, people can do such terrible things when they have various circumstances. She could be threatened, or it could be a money issue!

If it's the latter, we might be able to reach an amicable agreement, but what if it's the former? I don't know how to handle it since I can't do anything... Damn it. If I'd known this would happen, why did I go to Russian Literature based on my scores instead of Political Science and Diplomacy? There's no Mother Russia here at all!

Regardless of my inner turmoil, Sunset faithfully performed her guidance duties, and there I also met the first person who drove me crazy today.

"You..."

"I'm here to see my fiancé. Don't misunderstand."

I quickly answered looking at my step-brother. My step-brother was completely bundled up from head to toe, apparently trying to secretly leave the entrance. He doesn't seem to be crossdressing... actually, I can't tell because he's too bundled up. Anyway, he seemed very flustered at being caught by me, biting his lips.

Gasp, wait. Could he have commissioned my poison assassination and was hastily trying to leave the manor for an alibi? I looked up and down at him with suspicious eyes.

"Rose."

"Oh, Lord Moore."

At the soft, low voice, I turned my head to see a face that's still incredibly amazing. Even in this situation, his face catches my eye—simply amazing.

My fiancé smiled and said to me.

"I have good news. My work has been resolved, so I can stay at this manor for a while."

"Oh..."

Interpreting my reaction as lukewarm, my fiancé lowered his eyelashes and added.

"If it becomes a burden, I'll purchase a place to stay nearby."

Keu, look at that wealth. Buying a house comes out so casually.

Anyway, I'm happy if my fiancé continues staying at this house. I can have more practical consultations. I nodded.

"Ah."

And then my fiancé seemed to notice my step-brother for the first time, looked toward him and smiled brightly. Then he approached with big strides and spoke gently.

"You must be Madam Sawyer's eldest daughter. This is the first time I'm meeting you separately as Rose's fiancé, so please take care of me from now on."

"..."

My step-brother looked at my fiancé expressionlessly, then passed by him without answering and ran up the stairs.

"Oh my, she must be very shy."

"..."

No, I think he just disappeared quickly to avoid being discovered as male... Did he give up on going out? I watched my step-brother go upstairs with a lukewarm expression. And while turning my gaze, I flinched.

Sunset was snickering while looking at my step-brother.

I've never seen her smile so broadly, even though we haven't known each other long. That expression, as if she'd become an entirely different person, was startling, but then I gaped as the bigger picture suddenly hit me.

Could it be that Sunset likes my step-brother and tried to poison me to give him the inheritance?! Wow crazy, surely not. Such an emotionally excessive reason couldn't be the answer... W-wait. Haven't all my experiences here been exactly this kind of emotionally excessive narrative?

"Gasp."

"...Rose?"

That's right. Only then did I realize it. The whole story of this situation!

A sickly protagonist from a wealthy single-parent household with lots of money and stories, a face genius fiancé with all the popular settings and a beautiful traumatized stepmother, a crossdressing step-brother with bad relations, and romantic problems with poison assassination attempts! Crucially, even possession!

That's right. What I did was possession—what else would possession be?!

This stimulating taste that pricks human nerve endings! The scent of insane settings and developments that make you curse and cry while eating sweet potatoes, but still click the next episode expecting the refreshing resolution to come!

This is K-romance fantasy!

I've entered a *romance fantasy!

*Translator Note: It really says 로판 (ropan), but isnt it more like a makjang? lol Or is she saying all k-drama are in its core, makjang.