Hearing those incomprehensible words, a shiver rose up the back of Noah's neck.
With a face clearly showing his confusion, he reflexively turned to look at Fenric.
However, Fenric, who was staring at him, was wearing an extremely calm expression. But he was smiling.
“With so many valuable items gathered in your home, aren't you worried about potential intruders?”
“…”
"You should always be careful. No one will immediately notice anything happening, so maybe you should consider tightening your security."
“Oh, well… yeah, you're right.”
Finally Noah relaxed, let out a chuckle and nodded.
“Now that you mention it, that seems like a good idea. I have guards, but, hmmm...”
Noah continued talking.
“How can I put it? I'm not the type of person who likes to have a lot of people near things I value. You understand that, don't you?”
“Yes,” Fenric answered in a very low voice.
"Good."
“Duke Fenric and I seem to have a lot in common. I am glad that I have gained such a valuable friend through this opportunity.”
Fenric didn't answer, just quietly following Noah as they walked.
Soon, the two arrived at a room located at the far end of the house.
Noah made a noise as he lit up the room, and light quickly seeped into the previously dark place.
It appears that Noah's claim of having "many valuables" was not an exaggeration. The spacious room was filled with luxuries of every kind.
Paintings whose titles were unknown but were undoubtedly expensive. Dozens of jewels sparkle from inside the glass display cases. And stuffed animals, which he proudly called his most beautiful and precious possessions.
It was quite a skill to collect such an enormous collection of expensive decorations and arrange them so meticulously.
“This is my favorite place. I hope you like it too, our Grand Duke.”
As Noah walked around the room, he began explaining the paintings and jewelry on display — how much he paid for them and how many people coveted the items.
And then…
“The most impressive of all, of course, are these stuffed animals.”
“…”
“Aren't they really beautiful?”
The variety was wide – lions, elk, dogs… There was not the slightest hint of guilt or sympathy on Noah's face towards the poor animals.
But what was evident instead was his stench, filled with greed and an unbridled desire for possession.
Just as it was his way with Preseppe.
Noah likely never thought about Precipe's suffering, just as he never thought about the suffering of these animals.
To him, Presibe was nothing more than a toy to be owned, not a human being.
“Did you know, our Grand Duke? As with accessories and clothing, taxidermy also has trends.”
“...Directions?”
“Yes. When I was younger, small animal taxidermy was very popular. I used to collect them avidly, but that trend quickly died down. So, I have now followed the current craze and moved on to collecting large animal taxidermy. I also tend to lose interest fairly quickly.”
What did you do with the stuffed animal you lost interest in?
“I got rid of him.”
“…”
"But there was so much of it that, at some point, I started hoarding it like trash. It's a shame, considering how much I spent on it, but what can you do? Things you've lost interest in are no different than trash."
Just like he did with Presibe?
Fenric bit his lips hard.
“However, my taxidermy is particularly straightforward because the blood is dried while the animals are still alive and then immediately chemically treated.”
“…”
“But recently, I've become interested in something else.”
Noah spoke excitedly.
“Monsters. I heard that stuffed animals can now be made from monsters, and when I learned about it, my heart beat faster. But getting them is very difficult.”
Fenric didn't answer.
Instead, he looked towards the plush sofa in the corner of the room, against the wall.
Fenric slowly walked towards the sofa, and as he ran his hand over its soft skin, he opened his mouth.
“So you can sit here and admire your collection.”
“Yes, I often sit there to enjoy my treasures and finish my day. Every day, without interruption.”
This was his favorite time of day too.
At Noah's words, Fenric smiled faintly.
"But the wall above it looks a bit empty. Wouldn't it be appropriate to decorate it with the most expensive stuffed animals ever?"
Fenric was staring at the blank wall above the sofa as he spoke.
"I thought the same thing. I left this spot empty on purpose. But I haven't found anything that fits it yet."
With so many exceptional pieces here already, the focal point has to be something truly exceptional, don't you think?
Noah continued speaking tirelessly, while Fenric offered no further answers.
He just looked silently at Noah, his red eyes sparkling frighteningly.
***
Preseppe spent two full days hiding in the tower, immersed in gathering information about the real male protagonist.
This was possible because there was still some time before the next event, but in reality, the upcoming event was incredibly stressful.
The original story was as follows: A few days after Dietrich's banquet, Preseppe was unfairly implicated in a certain incident.
This event marked the true beginning of Preseppe's hardships.
Quite simply, Dietrich receives a mysterious message.
The Messengers are the remnants of the opposition he has not yet been able to completely suppress – followers of the Second Prince, his brother, whom Dietrich murdered despite his position as the original heir to the throne.
The letter mocked and insulted Dietrich, but the most disturbing part was that it contained information that only he should know.
Specifically, she described how, on the anniversary of his mother's death, Dietrich drank heavily — even though he never touched alcohol — and spent the night crying at her grave.
Dietrich's mother was an empress, but died of illness when he was young.
They called it a “disease” but everyone knew the truth. The Emperor, who lavished excessive affection on the Second Prince's mother, a concubine, while neglecting the Empress, further weakened her.
It was the only time Precipe and Dietrich were close to each other during that period. Precipe was the only one who stayed by the sick Dietrich, who had no one else to rely on.
That's how I learned about this sad habit of his.
However, Dietrich had deep feelings for his late mother. Her mention of making fun of him, let alone revealing such a private moment, was enough to make him angry.
Since the secret was something only Precipe should know, it was natural for Dietrich to suspect her.
The main points of Dietrich's anger were as follows:
1. The content of the message itself.
2. His suspicions that Precipe was colluding with outside forces – in other words, that she was planning to betray him and escape again.
3. The misunderstanding that Preseppe had published such an intimate and humiliating secret of his own.
Of course, Precipe was not the culprit. However, in his anger, Dietrich began hunting down the remnants of the Second Prince's followers and imprisoned Presipe in an ice prison.
[“Your Majesty, I am truly innocent...”]
And so Preseppe repeated these miserable words endlessly, only to collapse on the third day. When she regained consciousness, she was of course in the tower.
If the player goes directly to Dietrich's cabin, he can clear up the misunderstanding and increase his popularity. If he stays in the tower, he will meet Siegfried, who has been ordered by Dietrich to check on their condition, and increase his popularity instead.
Alternatively, if they wandered out and lost their way, they might encounter Noah or Atar, depending on the direction. The same opportunity to increase preference applies to them.
“…But Atari is already dead, and I’m faced with a wrong choice with Dietrich – will this progress properly?”
Honestly, even if he didn't make any progress, it was still a win in itself. The match was already full of agonizing moments, and shivering helplessly in an icy prison for days was an extremely stressful experience.
...Of course, if things didn't go as intended along the given path, the problem was that the game would become completely unpredictable.
However, there was nothing to gain by worrying. So Precipe decided to focus on what needed to be done.
“No matter how you look, there is nothing special...”
She reviewed the flashbacks, the character's event logs, and all of the system's windows, but discovered nothing new.
Instead, she saw countless miserable illustrations of herself suffering at the hands of those damned characters, which made her feel sick to her stomach.
Furthermore, the Book of Memories remained locked and inaccessible.
“Hmm...”
Presibe rested her chin on her hand and stopped suddenly.
She stared at something that had just caught her attention.
It was a map of the imperial palace.
“But the map…? I already know all the locations.”
Still, just in case.
She let out a sigh, and Prisippi muttered under her breath.
“Show me the map.”
[System: Display the map of the Imperial Palace.]
And then…
“What?”
Her facial expression turned to disbelief. It was because, for the first time, she appeared in a place she had never been before.
[System: Secret Mode has been unlocked, revealing previously inaccessible areas.]
“No way, you should have told me this earlier!”
As expected, what a trivial game. A worthless trivial game. Presibe cursed to herself.
“Show me the new location!”
[System: The newly opened location is the Church. Its location is located in the west, relative to the central tower...]
And that's when it happened.
“Mrs. Presby.”
Unexpectedly, I heard Ella's voice.
…But nothing had ever happened before the Ice Prison Event until now.
What followed only increased the complexity.
“Grand Duke Fenric has arrived.”