[Repeat the same action until the system finishes analyzing the user’s performance information.]

[Required hits for analysis 0/100]

So this means I need to do it a few more times to understand what’s going on.

It seems I did something that deviated from the original story, though I’m not sure what.

‘What could it be? My head feels dizzy, like all my energy has been drained.’

It was like this when I hit the swordsmanship instructor too. Though this is much worse.

[Required hits for analysis 3/100]

“……”

I quietly opened my mouth.

“Noah.”

“Yes?”

“Go to your room for a while.”

“Why…? Am I, am I not allowed to be here?”

“No. Hurry.”

Noah became dejected but eventually trudged away.

The muscular maid watched Noah’s small, slumped back with concern.

“My lady. You’ll comfort Noah later, right…? Ouch!”

Thump thump thump!

“Oh, my lady? Why are you hitting me again?”

“It’s your initiation as head maid!”

“Whaat?! Ow, oww.”

Thump thump thump thump!

Since it would take forever to reach the count with one hand, I clenched both fists and punched away like spinning windmills.

Each time, the mysterious message kept appearing.

[■■■ +1]

[■■■ +1]

[■■■ +1]

And finally.

[Required hits for analysis 100/100]

[User’s performance information has been analyzed!]

“Huff, huff.”

Okay. So what exactly is it?

[Analysis Result: User’s special ability discovered!]

Huh?

[Special Ability: The Villainess’s Parenting Method]

[Pain from the villainess becomes joy. If there’s someone whose abilities you want to develop, hit them. One of their ability stats related to that ability will grow.]

‘I awakened a special ability?’

I know special abilities appear in mages who have too much mana to control.

For me, who has mana incompatibility, to have a special ability.

It was hard to believe.

Thump.

So I hit the maid again.

“My lady…. Are your hands okay?”

“Quiet, dear.”

What appeared as broken text before now showed up properly.

[Confidence +1]

So does this mean I’ve been increasing the muscular maid’s confidence all this time?

And by a whole 100 at that?

[‘Maid Lina’s’ hit count has reached 100, permanently applying the grown ability.]

So it’s not normally permanent? That means there must be an effective duration.

It seems you need to hit the target consistently to properly develop them.

‘So has the maid gained some confidence now?’

Just then, the muscular maid suddenly took my hand.

“Oh my, my lady.”

“…Hm?”

She skillfully tied a handkerchief around the back of my hand.

“Your hands are delicate, don’t overdo it. It upsets me.”

“…Did you just grab my hand without permission?”

“Wh-what? When I thought about how it must hurt, I suddenly felt I had to… I’m sorry!”

“That’s a compliment. Well done.”

“Thank you……”

The hesitant maid carefully handed me a fan this time.

“Anyway my lady, since you might really get hurt, use a fan instead when hitting others.”

“Like this?”

Slap.

“Heeng.”

[Confidence +1]

Oh. It works. I tried hitting because I was worried it might not work after reaching 100.

“That’s an excellent suggestion. You’re promoted to super-premium head maid.”

“Thank you…!”

Anyway, this unexpected awakening of a special ability was quite encouraging.

Though I’ll never use it on Noah since the activation condition is violent.

‘It’s okay to hit adults though.’

I’ll have to think about who to hit next.

‘But I should keep my special ability awakening a secret.’

It’s honestly an ambiguous ability to claim as the legitimate heir’s special ability!

The benefits of revealing it are unclear.

‘While the dangers are certain.’

If the Young Marquis learns I’ve awakened a special ability, he’ll definitely try to kill me.

Even if I have mana incompatibility, if it’s known I’ve awakened a special ability, people might try to make me the next Marquis Offensa again.

It’s frustrating, but I can’t face him yet as I am now.

‘It has to remain secret at least until I build up my strength.’

“You can go now. Do well as head maid.”

“Yes… Oh right!”

The maid fumbled and held out some mail.

“I almost forgot I came to deliver this. Here. It came for you, my lady.”

“Oh. Finally.”

My eyes lit up as I opened the letter.

To make the silver-haired man my ally, I needed an illegally modified magical beast control artifact.

The problem was that it wasn’t easy to meet the merchant who sold such items.

If I hadn’t played <Marino> multiple times, I wouldn’t have known how.

There was more to the conversation where Noah asked the silver-haired man how he became blind.

“What’s the only thing that could have helped? I’ll get it for you!”

“It would be difficult. They’ve completely gone into hiding since I failed.”

“You failed…?”

“Yes. I got something the merchant liked but was deceived. It was my mistake.”

And I could roughly guess what the ‘something the merchant liked’ was. Among various items you could acquire during gameplay, there was an old liquor bottle.

It was an item with the description ‘Liquor once used as a bribe to an illegal merchant.’

‘This is how I pieced together all the information I knew.’

And so.

My current task was to obtain liquor that would appeal to the illegal merchant’s taste. Getting this liquor was the most crucial issue.

Now that the general store had contacted me saying they got the liquor, there was no reason to delay.

“I need to go right away.”

“Are you going out now? Then let me escort you.”

“No, it’s fine. You stay and control the servants’ gossip.”

“Hiccup.”

The maid looked at me pitifully, but I ignored it.

‘If I’m slow, the silver-haired man will snatch it.’

Since Dietrich’s party will be held soon, the silver-haired man must be trying to obtain the item now too.

But the silver-haired man ultimately fails to get the artifact and bears that much risk. So for his sake too, I needed to beat him to it.

Ah, before that.

“Maid. Go ask Noah if he wants to go out with me.”

I felt bad about forcing him to his room earlier.

Actually, I want to go out with Noah too.

“Yes!”

Strangely, the maid answered more cheerfully.

* * *

After Calliphe left with an excited Noah.

Lina clutched her thumping chest when she found maids gathered in the corridor, chattering in groups.

Lina was the name of the one Calliphe casually called “maid” every time.

‘Though my lady probably doesn’t know.’

In fact, fewer people would know Lina’s name.

Even among the maids, Lina wasn’t called by name but as ‘muscles.’ Or ‘hey,’ ‘that one,’ ‘her,’ etc.

Being more muscular than others, she was mocked even more for not living up to her build.

Until now, she’d lived by convincing herself she didn’t need recognition from those who couldn’t appreciate the beauty of muscles…

‘Me, a head maid!’

Now she had to face them whether she liked it or not.

There was her master’s order to control the rumors as head maid.

“Baron Rotten is just a vulgar nouveau riche, right? To think even the great Lady Calliphe would end up marrying such a man, haha.”

“But didn’t Lady Calliphe reject him before? Is she really getting married?”

“I heard it’s certain.”

Sure enough, the maids were gossiping about Calliphe’s marriage. Of all people, it was those who looked down on Lina the most.

Lina approached them and gathered her courage.

“Th-that’s false. Lady Calliphe’s marriage partner is not Baron Dietrich Rotten, so please stop spreading false ru-rumors.”

She bit her tongue from being too nervous. Hueeeng, she wanted to die!

“Hm? What’s this. Isn’t it muscles?”

Mockery appeared in the maids’ eyes when they spotted Lina.

“We’re just telling the truth, what’s the problem?”

“Yeah. Who are you to tell us what to do?”

“I-I’m the annex head maid from now on……”

Lina reflexively hunched her shoulders. But doing so with her broad shoulders only made her look more ridiculous.

“Hehehe. Head maid? You? How funny~”

A forceful index finger jabbed at Lina’s temple provocatively.

Someone handed her 1 bronze.

“Then, Madam Head Maid? Go buy a chocolate cookie set from the market with this and bring back 5 bronze in change.”

“Just try not bringing back change, head maid or not, you’ll get it.”

“This is hilarious. How are the master and maid both so clueless about their place?”

For a moment, Lina’s eyes twitched.

The maids laughed loudly as they bumped Lina’s shoulder while passing by.

That’s when it happened.

“Who was it.”

“……?!”

At the sudden deep voice, the maids slowly turned around.

Lina was staring straight at them with an unprecedented stern face.

“Who dared to speak ill of our lady?”

Her threatening biceps bulged. Her presence was like that of a general.