A Sweet Peace Offering

After asking Emma for her understanding, I brought Enoch to my room.

“…….”

Enoch hesitated to step inside, perhaps finding it improper to enter a grown lady’s bedroom.

“It’s alright.”

“Then, excuse me.”

Enoch rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he entered.

‘What’s with him?’

Last night, he was so sly and full of mischief. I felt a sense of bewilderment, but I quickly focused on the situation at hand. A heavy silence filled the room.

“Enoch.”

I was the one to break that silence.

“I’m asking you one more time.”

I slowly reached out and took his hand.

“Become my knight, Enoch.”

Claiming him as my knight earlier was merely a momentary wit to escape a difficult situation. Thanks to that, I luckily managed to bring him into the house, but I still hadn’t received a firm confirmation that he would stay. His own will hadn’t been factored into the process at all.

Forcing someone to stay when they didn’t want to wouldn’t raise their likability. I had to make him choose to be my knight of his own accord.

“…….”

He flickered his lips, unable to answer immediately. He seemed to be wavering.

At that moment.

Ding.

◎ Essential Quest Triggered! ◎

◎ Persuade Enoch! ◎

◎ Reward: Likability between -5% and +5% ◎

‘……The reward is likability?’

What caught my eye wasn’t the quest itself, but the reward listed beneath it. A reward of anywhere between -5% and +5% likability. In other words, succeeding in this quest meant a direct shift in Enoch’s feelings. In a situation where even 0.1% was precious, this was enough to tempt me.

However, I had to analyze the situation coolly.

‘If it lands on a negative, it could actually drop.’

If the number was determined randomly, like the random item from before, the probability of getting -5% couldn’t be ignored.

‘Usually, gacha-style items specify the odds, don’t they?’

All the games I’d played were like that. Driven by hope, I pressed the system window firmly.

◎ Would you like to check the ? ◎

‘……!’

I hadn’t expected it to actually be there. I pressed “Yes” immediately.

◎

[-5% ~ +0%] 16.67%

[+1% ~ +4%] 66.67%

[+5%] 16.67% ◎

‘The odds for the worst and the best are the same.’

A negative outcome and the full +5% had equal probabilities. But what truly caught my eye was the line in between.

‘The probability for between 1% and 4% is…… 66.67%?’

That was well over half. It meant that even if I tried three times, it would come out twice, right?

‘……Well, it’s an essential quest anyway, so I have to do it.’

The generous odds had already washed away my cool-headedness. After calming my racing heart, I selected the “Accept” button with a thought.

Ding.

Immediately, a mysterious gauge appeared before my eyes. It looked similar to the likability gauge but with a different design. The biggest difference was the cute SD character faces at either end.

‘Wait a second.’

I looked closer at the characters, struck by a strange sense of familiarity.

‘……Isn’t this Enoch?’

Curly red hair. Piercing crimson eyes. Sharp fangs. This character, with its overall sly and mischievous aura, was definitely Enoch.

One unique detail was that the expression changed depending on the position. The character on the left was frowning, while the one on the right was smiling brightly and purely.

‘……Does this mean I have to pull the gauge as far to the right as possible to succeed in the persuasion?’

Is that why the right side is smiling? If this guess was correct, it was an incredibly one-dimensional and simple system. I wasn’t sure, but I decided to start.

“Enoch, become my personal guardian knight.”

As I spoke, Enoch hesitated for a moment, and the gauge shifted slightly to the right.

‘It really works.’

It was a simple deduction a schoolchild could make, but it was the right answer.

“I’ll make sure you gain wealth and honor, whatever you want.”

“…….”

“And of course, for your siblings back home as well.”

I had already seen with my own eyes how much he cherished those children. He must have faced many hardships looking after them in the slums. I was certain his heart would waver at my suggestion. However…….

‘……?’

The persuasion gauge began to move frantically.

To the left.

‘Wait. If it hits the far left, the quest fails!’

The gauge began to race toward the scowling face at an alarming speed.

“E-Enoch!”

I hurriedly grabbed Enoch’s wrist. The gauge came to a dead stop. He answered in a voice that had dropped several octaves.

“……That place is not my home.”

He then gritted his teeth, as if telling me not to dare treat such a place as his hometown.

“I understand.”

I nodded vigorously to show my empathy and quickly changed the subject.

“Isn’t your talent a waste?”

……It was a line that sounded like it came from a third-rate entertainment agency. I felt like I was desperately trying to cast someone for a role they wanted no part of.

“I’ll help you. I want to help you.”

But the gauge didn’t move to the right; it didn’t even flicker. Well, of course he wouldn’t be persuaded by such a cliché line.

“Tell me if there is something you want.”

I was feeling desperate. After all, if he was the male lead of this world, he would eventually have everything, so what could he possibly need?

However, Enoch’s answer was outside my expectations.

“Do you know of the House of Theseus?”

“Theseus?”

I slowly shook my head at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar name. I wondered if I should have pretended to know, but it was truly a house I had never heard of before.

‘I wonder if the real Evelyn would know.’

As a possessor, there was no way for me to know. I only knew the information provided in .

Enoch asked.

“……You said you’d make sure I gain anything.”

“Of course.”

“Is revenge also possible?”

I snapped my head up at those words.

A chilling voice I was hearing for the first time. Enoch’s eyes were glowing even more fiercely than before. He was a far cry from his usual playful self.

“…….”

While I hesitated to answer, the gauge began to move to the right.

Revenge? Against whom? After a brief thought, I nodded slowly.

“Yes, anything.”

“…….”

The gauge swayed violently.

Enoch fell back into a short silence, and eventually, the gauge hit the far right. The brightly smiling SD character flashed yellow.

“Let’s try to get along well.”

Just as I was about to reach my hand out to him.

Ding.

◎ Quest Success! ◎

◎ Reward: ‘Random Likability’ provided. ◎

Immediately, a roulette wheel began to spin noisily with a loud sound.

‘Please. Just don’t let it be a negative.’

The classic roulette sound filled the air, and soon the wheel came to a stop.

‘Please.’

I narrowed my eyes and slowly looked up.

Ta-da!

◎ Congratulations. +5%! ◎

“What?”

“Pardon?”

The roulette needle had stopped exactly on +5%.

◎ Likability increased by 5%! ◎

◎ Enoch’s current likability is 2%. ◎

‘I didn’t even expect this.’

I thought I’d be lucky if it hit +1%. But +5%? Of course, there was still a long way to go.

“By the way, Enoch.”

I asked him tentatively.

“You’re so strong, but have you never properly studied swordsmanship?”

“…….”

Enoch clamped his lips shut, unable to find the words. Did I ask something I shouldn’t have? Well, it’s not like proper education would have been available in the slums.

“Never mind. Forget I asked……”

“I learned when I was young.”

“Pardon?”

Enoch answered.

“I believe I began learning around the time I started walking.”

“…….”

“Well, it’s all in the past now.”

Enoch offered a bittersweet smile.

He learned swordsmanship since he started walking? That was something usually reserved for high-ranking nobles. I felt that I should slowly learn more about Enoch.

As I heard from Elliot, I needed Gervan’s permission to grant Enoch a knighthood. Above all, he needed to join the Ducal Order to receive training. In other words, a confrontation with Gervan was unavoidable.

<His Grace has loved éclairs since he was a child. Once, ate eight of them as snack and so full couldn’t eat dinner.>

Elliot’s face, chuckling as if he found the young Gervan precious, floated in my mind.

Based on the information I received from the butler, I even prepared some freshly baked éclairs from the chef. I had placed a cloth over them to keep the dust out, but the scent of fresh bread still tickled my nose.

“Right, people are weak to food.”

If he says he won’t eat them, I’ll just eat them myself. I nodded with a determined resolution and knocked on the office door.

“…….”

However, no answer came from within.

“Is nobody there?”

Hoping for the best, I turned the handle, and the door opened with a creak.

“……Should I just go in?”

If I took these back to my room, I felt like I’d eat them all immediately. I cautiously stepped into Gervan’s office.

The interior was as quiet as the hallway. I checked the sofa first, wondering if he was sleeping like last time, but no one was there.

“Should I put the éclairs on the desk?”

Last time, I only got to see as far as the sofa, but this time, I stepped all the way to the desk. Just as I placed the dessert basket on the office desk and was about to turn around—

“…….”

What caught my eye was a large frame hanging on the opposite wall.