Case 39: Upon encountering the forgotten villainess.

''My lady... are you sure you won't need the magic dress...?''

''Oh, come on, Mary. It's so warm outside. I'll be fine.''

''I see...''

It was approaching spring.

At some point, the layers of snow draped over Syrus had melted, revealing the city's true beauty beneath. It was the first time I had seen the capital in its entirety, and I was impressed. Of course, another good thing was that the weather got noticeably warmer, allowing me to go outside without the cold piercing my bones.

Still, I liked to wear my sky-blue cape. It looked nice, and I could reduce the awkward moments when people unconsciously stared at my chest.

''Hah... it's a nice day outside.''

I wondered what my lovable ladies were up to. If it were possible, I'd like to hang out with them more often.

A few weeks had lightly passed ever since I slept at Rachael's place. Normally, that would set me on quite a volatile trajectory, especially considering the situation with Penelope's contract, yet nothing really happened.

Rachael was still the imperial princess, meaning she had a lot on her plate already, but it seemed something had come up on Penelope's side, too. As for Kiara, her winter break was long over, so she had to go back to school, only visiting our manor once in a while.

So... I just spent all of that time lazying at home, texting them whenever I had the chance to, and of course, I stayed with Lyra the most. My little sister was a proud lady, and when one thought about how she grew up, it was no surprise that she became quite independent. I couldn't help much, but I made sure to feed her right and took care of her emotional needs, too.

Still, such a distinguished and adorable lady would grow up someday, and that made me a bit sad.

...Her thirteenth birthday was right around the corner, so I probably should be worried about what to give her first.

''Hm...''

As I checked the numbers on my phone, my thoughts drifted along the clouds.

While the original game didn't at all mention Lyra's actual preferences, and that was justified since she was probably there for the players to insert themselves, from the few lines of Lyra that the developers allowed, I could somewhat guess her likings.

Well, even without the game, I already knew from spending time with her anyway.

As it was, Lyra didn't have a clear hobby outside of swinging the sword and playing certain instruments. She liked music, and she also enjoyed having strength, as it made her feel in control of her own being.

If I were to choose a gift, I'd lean toward the fighting side since that topic was more important to Lyra. Besides, the manor didn't lack anything musical in the first place. Surprisingly, the marchioness liked music, too.

This choice would also be in line with what I was planning to do.

''...Good.''

Now would be a prime time to start feeding Lyra different elixirs and potions. That was what all the min-maxers did simply because stat-boosting and efficiency-boosting items had the best value when used at the start of the heroine's growth spurt, which began right around this time.

Thankfully, I was well-prepared.

Most elixirs and potions could be acquired through means that the current Lyra or her in-game counterpart at the moment couldn't, namely doing commissions, monster-hunting, tomb raiding, etc.

However, without the game's constraints, I could get all of them using... money.

With the massive success of smartphones and other goods that I had invested in, my bank account was overflowing with money. Of course, I made sure not to use my real identity to operate on this side, only doing it anonymously, and that included creating several dummy bank accounts under various names for different purposes.

Sure, I could just do it all publicly and show the world how rich I was, but there was a reason I tried this hard to cover myself—or, more accurately, to create another identity.

Anyway, I had already acquired a few items by commissioning adventurers and other agencies, but another way to get these things was to buy them from the underground auctions where goods from the black market were being sold.

I usually wouldn't go to such events since they were tedious, and I would have to deal with a lot of pests, but I had to today. This round of auction, according to my information, would have a certain elixir that I really wanted on sale.

''Hah...''

So, here I was, donning my disguise and standing in front of an inconspicuous building. It was a small clothing shop, but upon telling a certain attendant inside a certain string of passwords, they would guide you to a hidden entrance—one of many—to reach the auction.

''Greetings, dear customer. How may I help you?''

Er... the neon sign outside was purple today, right?

''I want a purple vest with two buttons and thick shoulder pads. Also, show me two dozen pairs of high heels.''

''...Understood.''

As I walked along the dark tunnel that led underground, I tried to think of another item I could get for Lyra. It was her first birthday with me, so I wanted something that would last, not just a potion she could drink.

Accessories... those would be the obvious, but it couldn't be too flashy either. How about matching items?

That could be nice.

I stayed lost in my thoughts like that for a while, but eventually, faint noises began to enter my ears. It seemed we had arrived.

''Please enjoy your experience here.''

''Okay.''

The attendant opened the door for me and excused themselves.

Along the vast auditorium that was half-filled, low murmurs floated. The mostly masked folks present were all paying attention to the stage, where the main event was being prepared.

I took a seat on my own and let out a sigh.

''...''

I was already feeling exhausted at the moment. For one, I would have to sit through a lot of useless stuff before my desired item could be presented, and most of all, I was being tailed... again.

In short, there would always be some idiots who tried to target bidders since, more often than not, they had the money to be robbed. They would have a scout inside the auction to scan for targets before ambushing them after the event was over.

Did those fools not think about how powerful one would need to be to attend an underground auction in the first place?

...To be fair, there were indeed naive kids who would go without security, and I definitely looked like one. Seriously, though, I didn't want to deal with them again.

[Why don't you hire guards next time you go?]

To Lucy's whisper, I could only sigh, ''That's the only way, I guess.''

Still, wasn't I being targeted by too many robbers? Why was it... oh.

Right then, I suddenly realized that there was a transparently innocent-looking batch of three ladies not far away from where I was. First of all, they didn't even use a speech alteration artifact, which was the basic minimum inside such an event.

''L-Lady... should we really be here...?''

''Right, I-I think we can pass on this...''

''Quiet, or I'll seriously get mad the next time you whine to me. You chose to follow me in the first place.''

'''' Ugh... ''''

Oh, man, their talks radiated the words 'first-timer' and 'young noble ladies' so loudly. At least they got some decent disguise, but... I thought I heard the stern one's voice somewhere...

''Ah.''

The villainess.

That jealous lady of Blaire Duchy. I was certain that she was the same person.

What was she doing here, though...?

[Hah, I bet she's trying to buy poison to kill you or something.]

''Huh? Why?''

[You slept with her crush, remember?]

''Ah... yeah. But no way, right?''