Chapter 8
Instead of popcorn, I munched on oranges as I watched the intriguing situation unfold. It felt like watching a movie from the front row seats.
‘The brother is quite handsome. I’ll probably start by getting rid of all the servants first, then work on conquering the brother.’
A familiar storyline played out in my mind. He may be brusque at first, but would quickly fall for her changed demeanor.
“Go back to your room obediently. You’re confined for the time being…”
“Yes! I will. I’m relieved you’re safe, Brother.”
The woman suddenly hugged the man tightly and beamed. Flustered, he pushed her away.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m happy to see you again, Brother.”
I peeled a second orange as I watched the radiant smile on her face.
“…Take Eve away.”
“Yes, yes! My lady, let’s get you back to the manor. You’ll catch a cold at this rate.”
The diligent maid led Eve towards the mansion.
Instead of following Eve, I glanced at the man left behind.
“I truly cannot fathom what she’s thinking.”
“If I may, my lord…”
As the butler approached, the man waved him off impatiently.
“Enough. Don’t needlessly take Eve’s side.”
“But…”
“Enough! How long must I indulge her foolish antics? Leave me.”
Though the butler looked like he had much to say, he obediently followed the man’s orders.
“Yes.”
Leaving the man firmly set on the route of familial regret behind, I tiptoed after Eve.
‘An otome game is unfolding right before me, how could I miss this?’
Fortunately, the two hadn’t gone far yet.
“What if our lady catches a cold? Let’s head inside quickly.”
“No need to worry. I’ve attained my powers.”
As distance grew between them and the man, Eve stretched out her hand and softly chanted a spell. The moisture from their drenched bodies then receded.
“Huh? Just now, you…”
“I made a contract with a spirit.”
Water droplets freely circled around Eve. The maid clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.
‘An ability-user heroine, huh.’
Right. If she regressed, she’d need max-level abilities. I nodded in satisfaction, but then my smile gradually faded at Eve’s next words.
“In my previous life, I couldn’t do anything. But this time, I’ll protect everyone!”
The curiosity I felt until now turned to cold disinterest. Her overflowing enthusiasm was not to my taste.
‘I can’t really immerse myself if she’s so different from me.’
As regrettable as it was to turn back after coming this far, I had to disembark. My basket was full anyway, so I nonchalantly uttered “Return” and went back to the cocktail bar.
Now that I paid the subscription, it automatically transports me inside the building. Truly the epitome of capitalism.
‘Ah, the fruit bill… I’ll just treat it as credit, I guess.’
🫧
I thought I’d never have to pay that debt, but…
‘There’s no place with fruits as plump as these.’
Is it because the noble family maintains it? Or is there some magical cultivation explanation befitting an otome game? Either way, each fruit looked premium quality.
‘They even have watermelons here.’
I couldn’t pass up these juicy fruits.
“Isn’t it a world where we help each other out?”
Today again, I stealthily gathered fruits. It was as vast as an orchard, so it wouldn’t really be noticeable.
‘In return, if the protagonist here visits my cocktail bar, I’ll serve her cocktails for free.’
An unspoken exchange of goods occurred.
Just as I excitedly discovered some plump grapes I hadn’t seen before, lively laughter came from not too far away.
‘Did they make up already?’
I placed two large grapes into my basket and peered over. Eve was elegantly enjoying an afternoon tea with her maid.
‘Isn’t that called an afternoon tea set?’
I spotted a three-tiered tray filled with colorful macarons, cheese mousse cakes, chocolate truffles, and cucumber sandwiches.
Even the tea was served in dainty cups.
‘Good idea. Maybe I should try that too? Set the first tier with fruits, second with cheeses, third with dried snacks.’
If I give it a fancy name like ‘Afternoon Snack Set’, I could probably charge a premium price. More interesting than a ‘Snack Platter’, right?
As I approached to get some inspiration for the arrangement, Eve let out a deep sigh.
“Haaa……”
“My lady? What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how to dispel my family’s misunderstanding. At this rate, we’ll fall into the emperor’s ploy to topple our noble house……”
Eve seemed more troubled than I expected. I thought an ability-user heroine would resolve things quickly.
As regrettable as it is, it’s none of my business. She’s the protagonist after all, she’ll figure it out.
‘Why should I worry about her?’
I turned back around and moved to grab the grapes. I planned to freeze some for snacks and juice the rest to mix with vodka.
But as I reached for the grapes…
‘Huh?’
My arm wouldn’t move.
Sensing something amiss, I looked down at my arm to find, well, the wind tightly binding it.
Ah, did I get too close?
“Are you an assassin? Who sent you?”
Eve was glaring at me, having noticed me at some point.
Answering wrongly here could get my arm broken.
So I answered honestly.
“I’m just a fruit thief.”
“Don’t play dumb. This is still part of the noble estate, you know. The security is extremely tight!”
True, it didn’t seem like a place that’s easily accessible.
But telling the full truth that I crossed dimensions would only complicate things.
‘No need to go through that hassle.’
I smiled brightly and shouted.
“Return.”
<Notice> This dimension’s protagonist is interfering with your return.
Surprisingly, nothing happened. I just ended up randomly shouting “Return” like an idiot.
I really believed it would work!
Is the system unable to exert absolute influence in other dimensions?
“What did you just say?”
“Um, well…”
“What did you say? I couldn’t hear clearly. Did you confess to being an assassin and obediently accept death from me?”
“Maybe you should calm down first.”
“Do I look like I’m in a mood to calm down?”
Without luck on my side, I’d get beaten up by the wind spirit. With just a bit of luck, I’d end up imprisoned.
This situation has gone completely awry.
“I absolutely didn’t mean to overhear, but it seems you have some troubles. Perhaps I could help?”
“You? What could you possibly do?”
Eve gave me a skeptical once-over.
“Just trust me for now. You’ve got nothing to lose, right?”
My confident tone made Eve hesitate. Not giving her a chance to think, I quickly added:
“In exchange for helping…”
“In exchange?”
“You supply me with fruits.”
Conveniently, I didn’t have any other viable fruit supply lined up.
Though I spoke seriously, Eve’s face contorted.
“…So you really are just a fruit thief?”
“My life depends on these fruits.”
I meant it. Without a steady fruit supply, I’d have to make thousands of cocktails.
I can’t work that hard. I’d keel over.
Eve pursed her lips incredulously and exchanged glances with her maid.
“How exactly would you help me?”
“Wait and see. View dimension details.”
<Dimension Information>
Title: The Regressor Lady Protects Her Family (950 episodes)
Genre: Romance Fantasy, Regression, Sweet Potato
Synopsis: Eve’s noble family fell, and her powers of spirit were stolen. Just before dying, the crown prince, whom she once had a crush on, reveals the truth. It was all a scheme by the royal family.
She was stripped of all her power and died, but somehow, she returned to a brilliant past!
“This time, I’ll live differently!”
To do so, she must first resolve the misunderstanding with her family. But it’s not as easy as she thought?
[Y] [N]
“950 episodes…”
It was an epic saga beyond my expectations. The sheer volume made me hesitant to even attempt reading it.
‘Reality is tough enough as is, why bother with a 950-episode angst story?’
As I shook my head, I suddenly recalled this otome game.
‘Ah, this! The heroine regresses but keeps dragging misunderstandings, making it an angst-fest that everyone hated.’
It was infamous for only showing progress around episode 250.
‘Then I’ll just check episode 250.’
I skimmed through that episode at rapid speed.
‘The Marchioness died giving birth to the heroine, so everyone closed their hearts to her? Ah, I know this trope.’
It was a classic romance fantasy.
The father doesn’t hate Eve, but avoids her because he doesn’t know how to treat her.
The brother thinks their mother’s death is Eve’s fault.
A simple conversation could resolve it, but the lead-up process was arduous.
“What Eve needs is to have a conversation with them. Instead of just worrying, you should try speaking up first.”
“But… Father and Brother were deeply hurt. They’re unexpectedly quite sensitive. I can’t bring myself to trouble them with my own struggles.”
“Yet you say that all to me.”
Is she really the same person?
🥂
⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊ Translator Note ₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆
The term “sweet potato” (고구마) is used to describe a story or situation that is frustrating, stifling, or leaves the reader feeling choked up, similar to how one might feel when eating a dry sweet potato without any water.
This often applies to plots where characters face seemingly insurmountable obstacles, misunderstandings, or prolonged periods of hardship and tension without resolution. It evokes a sense of frustration or suffocation for the reader.
The term “cider” (사이다) refers to moments in a story that are refreshing, satisfying, and provide a sense of relief, much like drinking a cold, fizzy cider on a hot day.
This applies to plot developments where conflicts are resolved, justice is served, or the characters finally achieve a breakthrough after a period of tension. It gives the reader a sense of catharsis and satisfaction.
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
<3
Thank you for reading! (ㅅᵔ ˘ ᵔ)♡