Episode 5

Next morning, the maid came rushing in to Jennifer’s room again.

“Miss, you have to wake up and get ready this instant!”

She groggily wake up and rubbed her eyes.

“What is it this time? The Duke came again? He has so much time in the world that he has to visit every day? Seriously?! The Duke has nothing to do?” she complained as she gets up

“No Miss. It’s not the Duke. It’s your father, Sir Owen. He came back from a business trip and wish to have a lunch

with you all. Miss Rene and young master Liam will be there too. Your step mother will also be there. So, you have to be prepared”

‘Eh? So I am not from this family? Am I an illegitimate child of this house? But they told me that the master of the house loves me very much. Hmm… before I go there, I have to roughly know what happen before I make a fool of myself. This maid seems quite concerned about me though. Maybe I can get a little information through her?'

“What’s your name?”

“This maid name is Sammy”

“Sammy. How long have you been working in this mansion?”

“About 15 years Miss”

“When did you start serving me? Does my step family hate me? ”

“I started serving you as soon as you become a part of this family. You don’t have to worry about that Miss. The master has given order to everyone so they dare not to harm you.”

“You mentioned that only my step family and my father will be there but where is my mother?”

“……Miss? Are you okay?”

“Hmm?” Jennifer looked at her, puzzled.

“Miss. Did you really lost all of your memories?”

“….”

“Oh my! Miss…We actually thought that before this you committed suicide because the Duke and you broke up and you try to act like you forgot everything so that you can get back together with the Duke. We didn’t realize that you do actually lost your memories. We are really sorry Miss”

Sammy bowed her head in apology followed by a few maids behind her. Then she told her everything that happened before. She was told that her mother is a maid and a lover of Sir Owen. How she and Liam was close to each other before and why everyone do not dare to harm her. Everything makes her mind blown away. But now she has to protect herself against this people.

When she reached the dining hall, it was pin drop silence. Everyone turned their head to look at her except one person whom she assume is Liam. She looked at the male whose head is staring at the plate blankly.

“Jenny. You are finally here. Take a seat next to Liam. We shall eat together every day like this” Owen smiled at her.

She didn’t know what to do. It was awkward for her to sit beside of him after knowing what happened. She quietly sit

beside the male and take a quick glance at him.

‘He looks familiar though’

She ate her food slowly and silence fill up the surrounding again until a person spoke.

“I heard that Jennifer troubled the Princess again today” Rene commented

Jennifer look up at her but continue eating after that. Ignoring her.

“Did you just ignore my Rene?” the mistress literally shouted at her

She didn’t even bother to look up again as she continue eating her food.

“This is ridiculous. She just ignore my daughter and now she ignore the elder. Dear please send her away for her to get some education. We don’t want her to disgrace our family” she pleaded at Owen

“Jenny? Are you still not feeling well?” he asked worriedly

“……”

“You see that dear?! She even dare to ignore you. We must send her away.”

“Enough with this nonsense! Do not say anything about sending her away again. Let me eat peacefully for once.” The veins on his forehead and neck stood out like cords.

After a moment of silence, everyone continue eating the food on their plate.

“I see someone has grown some backbone” Liam whispered softly as he continue eating

“None of your business” she snapped back

“What a rare sight for someone who cried in my arms yesterday”

‘Yesterday?’ she turned her head and look at the person who was eating calmly beside her. The person turned to look at her and smirked.

Grayish hair and dark brown eyes.

‘My step brother actually looks quite handsome though. Not bad’

“Stared enough?”

She scoffed and look away back on the food that was on her plate. But then she realized something was missing.

‘What the fish? I am quite sure he is the second target though. After I met him, the mission was completed. The system wants me to seduce my own step brother? And why is there no interest bar above his head? If he is really the second target, then I guess I know the reason why the interest is a negative now. It’s because he is my step brother. So, he must have hated me since then. I have to ask Max what happened to his interest bar’

After finishing her breakfast, she excuse herself and went straight to her room. She saw Max sleeping in his bed.

“Max” she called out softly

He opened half of his eyes and look at her before continuing his sleep.

“Max! Wake up! It’s urgent”

“What was it” his eyes is still closed

“Is it possible for the target to not have an interest bar?”

“Yes. It may be on their chest”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes and No”

“What do you mean?” she asked curiously.

“….”

She was dying to get an answer from Max but Max didn’t seem to care about it at all. When she receive no reply from him, she look at Max and the cup of water on the table and back at Max. She took the cup without any hesitation and poured it over Max.

“Hey!” he jumped from his bed and wagged his tail furiously.

“Finally awake huh?”

“It’s not that urgent though. Why makes you so eagerly trying to wake me up”

“Because you left me hanging!”

“Fine. Fine. I am sorry for ignoring you okay? But promise me not to wake me up again by pouring water on me.”

“Alright. Then I am sorry too. But I really need your help right now”

“Okay. So, some target might have missing interest bar because of bug. System bug happen in almost every game.”

“Then is it real that some of their interest bar will be on the chest?”

“No. That was a joke.” He laughed

“……”

“Alright. I will stop playing. What makes you so mad?”

“Why does this game want me to seduce my own step brother?”

“Step brother? You mean your step brother is a target?”

“Yes!”

“That’s not possible though”

“But..I get to complete the mission after I met him.”

Max was silent for a few second before speaking again.

“I am not sure what happen but our system did not make any of your family member a target”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I might have to go and check the things you mentioned”

“Are you going to ask them about the bug too?”

“Yes. I am going to ask them to fix the bug and we will see what happen next. Because it is quite a long journey, so I may take up to a few weeks. During this few weeks, please refrain from acting too ignorant and try to increase the interest rate if possible. Take care”

“Wait Max! Before that, could you give me some information of the crystal that Damien wants?”

“Sure”

Max explained to her the usage of the crystal and left right after he finished. Only Jennifer was there alone in the room. She was confused, frustrated and worried. She didn’t know what she should do. So, in the meantime, she decided that she should just go look for Damien and gain more of his interest as soon as possible. She prayed to herself that she will be able to at least survive until all the target’s interest reached 100%.

She was quite confused about the reason Damien wants the crystal. According to Max, he said that the crystal was used to revive a person. But Damien is in a good health and there is no news about his family members or anyone close to him getting injured.

‘Then why would he want it? Is there any secret that no one should know?’

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 After a few days of meeting Liam ‘accidentally’. She confirmed that this guy is purposely finding trouble with

her. He would ‘accidentally’ push her in to the pond, ‘accidentally’ touched her face with black ink, ‘accidentally’ made her fall because his leg is too long and ‘accidentally’ put poison in her food.

To Jennifer, he is a devil in disguise. He would act innocent and caring like a brother in front of Owen but when they are alone. He almost tortured her every chance he get. Since Jennifer was quite sure he might not be a target. She wanted to scold him for being immature. But kept her mouth shut because she remembered that she promised Max that she would behave during the time he was away. She wouldn’t want to waste her saliva on Liam either.

The past few days, Duke Damien was quite busy with something else so he could not come and spend time with her. But he told her that he would make some time today to accompany her. She was glad that he tried to make an effort to spend time with her. After thinking for the past few days, she decided that she should try to act like a lovely girlfriend to him because he seems like the type who could not resist cuteness.

When the Duke reached the mansion, he personally assist her to the carriage. Both of them sit facing each other.

Damien is the first one who speak.

“You look really beautiful today” he smiled sweetly at her

If she doesn’t know about his initial motive, she would probably fall for his trap. Although she does really take her time to dress up today. She wore a simple yellow dress and tie up her curly hair showing off the skin on her neck.

“Really? You look handsome too”

“I am sorry I didn’t mean to neglect you the past few days. It’s just many thing has happened and I need to report here and there.”

“It’s okay. I understand. You are a responsible and hardworking man. I am sure you did all this because of the

people and not for yourself.”

“I am surprised that you would say that”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just that before this, you would always kick and punch me and make a fuss if I don’t spare my time to accompany you to go shopping” he chuckled remembering the scene

[Interest 18%]

‘Woah.. his interest increased by 3% just because I didn’t make a fuss? That’s good though.’

Jennifer look out of the moving carriage. She noticed a group of people were gathered in a circle. A little boy that look like he was around 10 years old were surrounded by those people. He was clutching on to a bag and some adults started kicking leg.

‘What is wrong with these people?’

“Could you stop the carriage?”

“Why? Is there anything you want to buy?”

“No. I will explain it later but stop the carriage now”

“Okay”

He ordered them to stop the carriage and Jennifer open the door quickly. She jumped down the carriage without thinking and headed towards the crowd. She squeezed herself into the crowd and witness the whole situation which made her boil in anger.

“Speak! Why are you stealing?” the man wearing a hat step on the small boy’s hand.

“Arghhh!” he screamed but no one dare to help

“Do you know how much all this medicine cost?!”

“I said I will pay you back!” he glared at the man

“You are only a low life. How will you pay me back?”

“….”

Receiving no reply, the man with a hat raised his leg and pressed it on the boy’s face.

“I will pay for him”

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