I organized the scattered pieces of ‘Veros’s impression toward Lorelai.’

“……Shouldn’t knowledge be open to everyone?”

“Miss Keith, please recognize that the library is restricted to everyone because of you.”

“……”

It seems I’m definitely blacklisted.

It’s oddly disappointing when a character who was favorable in the game now draws a line against me.

“What if it’s not for me to read, but books for Lady Anastasia?”

I subtly reduced the distance between Anastasia and Veros.

Even if the library is restricted to everyone, it should be open to the lady.

I looked at him with expectation.

“Shouldn’t children be exposed to books from an early age?”

“……I’ll bring you the books if you tell me the titles you want. But you can’t come in.”

But Veros acted as if preventing my entry was his sole purpose in life.

“I want to come in and choose them myself……”

How am I supposed to say I need to see Caligo?

“Miss Keith, this is the extent of my kindness.”

I can’t continue pestering someone who refuses so firmly.

“……”

There’s no way stories like The Three Little Pigs or Snow White exist in this world.

“……Please get me any children’s book.”

“Wait here.”

Despite his straightforward voice, Veros wouldn’t leave the entrance, afraid I might sneak in.

His anxious dark green eyes were visible through the door crack.

“Ah! If you don’t give me books, I’ll just force my way in.”

It’s because you dislike me that I can’t enter anyway!

The door only closed after I made my threat.

Caligo is just beyond that door, yet I can’t meet him.

Time is the one thing I have plenty of, but I want to resolve important matters promptly.

‘Supreme mage of this world, if mind reading is possible, please read this thought and come out.’

Please come out and cast protective magic on Anastasia. While you’re at it, casting it on me too would be great…….

How long had I been mentally chanting ‘come out’?

Bang!

‘Could it be?’

Is it really Caligo?

“Here are two books for now. Don’t come in to return them, put them under that—over there. That water deer statue.”

The person who came out wasn’t Caligo but Veros.

“Why do you look disappointed?”

When I showed obvious signs of disappointment, Veros frowned slightly and asked.

“Can I really not enter……”

I tried once more with a lingering voice, but he looked at me as if there was no room for persuasion.

I can’t return the hard-earned books saying I don’t need them.

“No, thank you.”

“Yes, please leave.”

I feel like I can hear his inner thoughts saying ‘And please never come back!’

Though I don’t know exactly what relationship he had with Lorelai, Veros was extremely happy that I was gone.

‘At least I got the books.’

I can spend quality time with Anastasia, right?

The baby’s red eyes, which had been scanning the corridor, settled back on me.

“Is this your first book? It’s more interesting than you might think.”

Anastasia opened her mouth as if answering.

Her soft cheeks wobbled with the movement.

“Oh……”

To reject such an adorable creature.

Veros definitely has no heart.

“Why is everyone so cold…… They must be blind. Right?”

I barely resisted the urge to nibble on the baby’s cheeks.

They say seeing cute things increases violent tendencies; I need to be careful not to show such ugly behavior in front of Anastasia.

The periodically rising violence only calmed down after we reached the lady’s bedroom.

The books Veros chose had a good feel to them.

Skimming through, they had an appropriate amount of text and illustrations.

“These are books Mr. Veros chose, I wonder if they’ll be interesting. Let’s read them together.”

For proper reading, I sat in the armchair with Anastasia.

“Once upon a time, a beautiful princess lived in a kingdom.”

The plot was similar to any fairy tale.

There’s a princess, a prince, and together they overcome trials.

“……The prince, who was three years older than the princess, said.”

“The princess felt butterflies for the prince who was her age.”

“The prince also loved the princess who was three years younger than him.”

Just like in the real world, fairy tales here don’t specify exact age differences either.

I added that part myself.

“And so the princess, together with the prince who was her own age……”

Around the time I was reading the last page of the book, Anastasia suddenly started crying.

“Are you hungry already? I’ll feed you right away.”

At that time, I had no idea.

That this was the beginning of a long journey to comfort Anastasia.

Day 17 of Being Trapped in a Terrible Game, Day 16 of Tutorial

The baby who used to cry only when hungry or tired has completely disappeared.

The past week has been a painful reminder that the difficulty is [Extreme].

Anastasia cried at all hours.

“Lady, are you hungry?”

Though I knew it was futile, I offered her the bottle.

“Waah—!”

And Anastasia kindly informed me that was the wrong answer.

If it had been like this all day, I could understand.

She’s a baby, crying is her only means of communication.

But……

“You must be so comfortable. I don’t think there’s a baby more well-behaved than the lady.”

She’s only like this with me.

It’s funny to complain that a newborn baby doesn’t listen to me and just cries.

Plus, Anastasia is a ducal lady.

That means I’m not in a position to grumble.

“Waah! Waah—!”

“Lady……, please tell me what’s wrong.”

I murmured pleadingly.

I was begging even though I knew the baby couldn’t understand words.

“Waah—!!”

I thought we had bonded.

It was just my delusion.

“……”

I care for Anastasia.

I’m different from Mrs. Lester who comes briefly in the morning to bring food, or the servants who say she’s cute when passing in the hallway.

I devote all my time to her.

Even if it’s not a grand emotion like affection, I raise her with a sense of responsibility, doing my best.

“What’s going wrong……”

Shouldn’t a baby prefer the person who raises them? Isn’t that logical?

This has been going on for a week.

I haven’t slept a wink due to the continuous crying at night.

‘If my weekly wage hadn’t increased, I’d be dead by now.’

The notifications [Mental strength decreases] and [Health decreases] that appear every dawn have become too numerous to count.

In just a week, I’ve become Mary’s VIP customer.

To the extent that her brother gratefully gave me extra potions as a bonus.

“Waah! Waah!”

It’s hard.

It’s not just about not sleeping or eating.

I feel like I’ve failed as a human being.

✧ʚ .·:¨༺♡༻¨:·. ɞ✧

I haven’t slept for a week straight.

The suffocating breakfast with Duke Cromwell is surprisingly still ongoing.

‘It really must be me who’s the problem……’

Anastasia drank her milk with an angelic expression, as if she had never cried.

The table was quiet.

Duke Cromwell is always working, and I was usually the one making noise, so this is a natural scene.

Along with my decreasing energy, my talkativeness has also diminished.

‘It’s not like he gives satisfying answers anyway.’

I thought, looking at Duke Cromwell.

No matter how much I praise and flatter Anastasia, his consistent lack of interest could be called principled.

When the other person is so passive, there’s no joy in conversation.

‘Take care of your daughter, not my meal.’

Today again, a meal prepared for me was set before me.

This breakfast started appearing when I became less talkative.

I took it as a kind of hint that he liked me being quiet and not chattering.

‘I feel like I’ll choke if I eat in front of this person……’

Though I’ve never touched it, my breakfast was always prepared at the table.

Even breakfast is a luxury for me.

‘I’ll fill up on potions later.’

That’s more efficient.

I endured breakfast while giving Anastasia her bottle.

I wanted to spend mornings quietly for a while.

Anastasia crying whenever she sees me is enough of a headache; if the Duke joins in, I won’t have any sanity left.

There’s only one reason I can’t stop the breakfast meetings.

I’m afraid a temporary halt will become permanent.

‘Once the tutorial period ends, I’ll properly……’

Let’s do this properly.

When spring comes, I’ll be more skilled at raising a child too.

“……Are you alright.”

While I was making this resolution to myself, I heard Duke Cromwell’s voice.

I wanted to ask if he was genuinely inquiring.

There’s no room for the comfortable observation that Duke Cromwell initiated conversation at this table first.

Still, I need to answer properly.

Whether he marries Anastasia in the future or not, he is my superior.

If I complain about being tired or dying, Duke Cromwell might fire me this time.

‘After I just got this position back.’

I should make something up.

“Is there any reason I wouldn’t be? Thanks to you, I’m doing very well.”

White lies aren’t difficult.

I continued speaking as I put down the bottle.

“Lady Anastasia is so gentle and cute that I don’t even notice time passing.”

I’m just repeating what my colleagues say.

The reality is the opposite.

But people usually only want to hear good things.

This is a precious opportunity where Duke Cromwell has finally spoken to me after a week; I shouldn’t waste it on mere complaints.

“These days I’ve been reading her fairy tales. Mr. Veros chose the books, and I find them enjoyable even when I read them.”

That doesn’t seem to be the right answer.

“……”

Duke Cromwell looked quite displeased.

‘Hey, you crazy bastard! Why did you bring Anastasia then?’

While it’s probably better than dying in a wasteland, I felt sorry for Anastasia who would have this man as family in the future.

After cursing him thoroughly in my mind, I pulled the corners of my mouth into a smile.

‘If I stay here any longer, I don’t know what I might do to him.’

I need to get out of here.

“I plan to read to her whenever I have time.”

Anastasia had already finished her meal anyway.

Child-rearing seems to get more confusing as time passes, and the father figure who should be helpful is not helping at all.

It’s frustrating.

These are hardships I can’t share with anyone.

It would be strange to leave in the middle of speaking.

“I shall take my leave now.”

After mentally counting to a hundred, I stood up.

“I hope you have a good day.”

My well-maintained composure crumbled as I wished Duke Cromwell well.

I’m not sure if I’m angry at him for being so comfortable, or if I’m pitying my own situation.

At least the surge of emotion appeared at the end of my sentence.

My throat tightened, and my nose stung.

I might cry in front of anyone else, but not Duke Cromwell.

‘Why am I so upset……’

I quickly turned and hurried away.

Even if it’s something she won’t remember, I didn’t want to cry in front of Anastasia.

She must be just as frustrated by our inability to communicate.

‘She might even be having a harder time than me.’

I returned to the room with Anastasia.

Perhaps crying all night is exhausting for a baby too; she was sound asleep as if catching up on missed rest.

‘Yes, sleep now at least.’

Such peace doesn’t come every day.

After tidying up the messy room and just as I was about to catch some sleep myself……

Knock knock—

Someone knocked on the door.