Chapter 82

Divorce (8)

[You have received one message from the game developer. Would you like to view it?]

Truthfully, I could not bring myself to open the message right away.

So far, two people had been identified as “game developers.”

One was the unknown man who headed Cthulhu Games.

The other was my mother, the head of the Salvation Project.

Assuming the head of Cthulhu Games was the one who had started this transmigration, there was a high chance that he had sent the message.

However, the game he created had only been the dating sim at first.

That meant the message sent to me through the system could also have come from my mother.

One might wonder why I was hesitating to open a message from my mother, but…

‘I’ve resented her all this time.’

What if I opened the message and found an explanation of the circumstances that had forced her to abandon me?

If I logged out and heard it directly from her, I could at least confront her.

I could demand answers or say something in return.

I did not want to hear it one-sidedly in a place like this.

‘This… can wait.’

In the end, I decided not to open the message.

All I could do was hope that whatever it contained was not important.

The next day, Luna scolded me because I had left her with the Commander and forgotten to pick her up.

I quietly stared at Luna as she angrily berated me.

‘If Luna Moon really was my mother and this guy really is Haydam… then I suppose he really is my older brother.’

[I told you, I’m not Haydam!]

Anyway.

Together with Shin Eun-jo, I headed for Daphne’s mansion.

We also brought a few supplies.

Shin Eun-jo alternated between staring at me and the object I had handed her before asking,

“…What is this?”

“The key that will open Daphne’s heart.”

Shin Eun-jo’s expression turned peculiar.

“These are… tarot cards. Extremely crude ones at that.”

“Hey, don’t call them crude. I stayed up all night making them.”

I had ultimately failed to open the game developer’s message last night, but I had thought long and hard about how we could meet Daphne and get her to reveal her true feelings.

These tarot cards were the result of that contemplation.

“What exactly am I supposed to… do with these tarot cards?”

“Make use of your expertise.”

“What expertise?”

“Tarot reading.”

[What’s tarot reading?]

‘A technique for reading someone’s innermost thoughts… I suppose.’

[You asked me whether I had a lie-detection function, and now you’ve made one yourself?]

‘Something like that.’

Unlike the innocent Luna, Shin Eun-jo resisted fiercely.

“Tarot reading, my ass. I’m a shaman.”

“I know. Hear me out.”

“You know?”

“Do you seriously think Daphne will just accept it if you tell her you’re a shaman?”

“And you think she’ll accept tarot reading?”

“At least tarot cards roughly fit into this world’s setting.”

“…”

Shin Eun-jo remained speechless for a moment, apparently dumbfounded, before letting out a sigh.

“I really don’t know how to read tarot cards.”

“That’s fine. I’m not asking you to perform an actual reading. Just pretend you know what you’re doing.”

“Pretend?”

“When Daphne picks a card, put on a grave expression and ask whether she has some kind of problem involving a man.”

Shin Eun-jo nodded as though she finally understood.

“So, in simple terms, you’re telling me to scam her.”

[All you ever think about is scamming people.]

This scam was not for my own benefit, so I hoped they would kindly let it slide.

“More importantly, problems involving a man? Are you still curious about how Daphne feels about Meursault? I’ve told you repeatedly that Meursault isn’t a romanceable character.”

Throughout the journey to Daphne’s mansion, Shin Eun-jo continued muttering that she did not understand why we had to go as far as committing tarot fraud just to uncover Daphne’s feelings toward Meursault.

I gave her only one answer.

“When you meet Daphne, open Character Inspection.”

“…What?”

“And remember, the fact that we’re players is a secret. As much as possible, pretend you’re just an ordinary child who knows nothing.”

Shin Eun-jo looked at me as though I were speaking nonsense.

She probably found it strange that I was asking her to inspect the status of an NPC, and equally strange that I was reminding her of the obvious fact that we had to conceal our identities as players.

But soon, she would understand everything.

“Try not to look too surprised.”

After giving Shin Eun-jo one final warning, I entered Daphne’s mansion with Luna in my arms.

A dazzlingly beautiful silver-haired woman descended the staircase with the same pure-white fur draped over her shoulders as before.

I had already fallen victim to her beauty once, so I had switched titles beforehand to counteract the item’s effect.

Shin Eun-jo, however, stood there dazed for several moments.

“I heard that you’ve been carrying a cat around lately… but it seems you’ve brought another companion as well.”

Daphne looked surprised that I had brought someone with me.

She must have assumed I had come to ask why she had refused to meet Meursault, so the presence of a stranger probably seemed even more unusual.

Despite that, Daphne gave Shin Eun-jo a gentle smile.

“You must be the child I’ve heard so much about. Come along. I’ll serve you some warm tea.”

As we followed Daphne, Shin Eun-jo whispered to me,

“Did you tell me not to be surprised because she’s so beautiful?”

Of course not.

‘Character Inspection.’

I mouthed the words silently.

Fortunately, Shin Eun-jo understood me and shifted her gaze toward Daphne.

A moment later, Shin Eun-jo’s expression twisted strangely.

She looked like someone who had just seen something she was never supposed to see.

She was probably shocked to learn that Daphne was a player.

‘And I suppose “Meursault’sWife” is a rather shocking nickname.’

Now that she knew both Daphne’s nickname and the fact that Daphne was a player, she must have understood why I had said that Daphne was the one who wanted the divorce.

We arrived at a salon filled with works of art and sat facing one another across a small tea table.

The instant I sat down, I asked Daphne,

“Why did you refuse to meet Meursault?”

There were two possible reactions I expected.

If Daphne became flustered because she was conscious of Shin Eun-jo, a complete stranger, that would not be bad.

In that case, she might honestly explain her situation if I remained behind alone.

However—

“You’re still too young to understand, Haydam. The only men permitted to enter my mansion are Hayden and Haydam.”

If she acted as though she had no idea what I was talking about, that was not good.

I clearly remembered her telling me she would gather the courage to confess to Meursault.

The fact that she was now speaking like this meant something had changed her mind in the meantime, and she was likely trying to pretend that everything she had previously said had never happened.

‘I prepared the tarot reading because I expected this.’

At this point, it would be better for me to leave.

Even if I remained, Daphne would only continue showing me that mechanical smile.

When I rose from my seat, Daphne looked startled.

The slight unease wavering in her eyes made it clear that she was hiding something.

“Actually, I came today because I hoped you could look after this child. My surroundings are crawling with grim-looking men, so there’s no one suitable to take care of her.”

“Ah…! So that’s why you brought her.”

“Could you keep her company for the day?”

“That won’t be difficult. A guest of Haydam’s is no different from a guest of mine.”

Once it became clear that I had no intention of asking any more questions about Meursault, Daphne visibly relaxed and gladly accepted my proposal.

Shin Eun-jo had been sitting there with a thoughtful expression.

Apparently, she had not expected me to dump everything on her and leave, because she stared at me for a moment with the face of someone who had been betrayed.

Soon afterward, however, she turned toward Daphne and smiled shyly.

[It’s cruel to dump everything on her and leave.]

‘She rules her own zone as the leader of a cult. Surely she can handle one Daphne.’

[She still looks a little pitiful.]

‘There’s nothing to pity. You’re staying too.’

[Whaaat?!]

‘I need you to watch and make sure Shin Eun-jo doesn’t say anything unnecessary to Daphne.’

[Y-You…!!]

Luna was helplessly lowered from my arms and transferred into Shin Eun-jo’s embrace.

In any case, compared to me—the son of Hayden and one of Meursault’s closest associates—Daphne would probably find it easier to reveal her inner feelings to Shin Eun-jo, a complete stranger.

Most importantly, Daphne knew I was not an ordinary child, which made her cautious around me.

She could not possibly imagine that the person I had left behind was an even more persistent veteran player.

Shin Eun-jo did not return to the Commander’s residence until evening.

When she found me lounging around on the bed in my room, I saw her fists trembling.

“How was it? Did you manage to talk to her?”

[Haydam is an idiot!]

Luna, who had returned in Shin Eun-jo’s arms, shouted that at me before retreating into the ring in a sulk.

Maybe leaving her in someone else’s care two times in a row really had been too much.

Unlike Luna, Shin Eun-jo seemed resigned to the fact that I had abandoned her.

She dropped onto the edge of the bed and said,

“I hate to admit it… but the tarot reading was a good idea.”

“Really? What did you do?”

“I did exactly what you told me. She told me everything before she had even drawn more than a few cards.”

Thankfully, the tarot strategy had worked.

Truthfully, even if we had brought some other kind of counseling gimmick instead of tarot cards, Daphne probably would have opened up.

The moment I had revealed that I knew she was a player, she had spilled her entire story as though everything that had built up inside her had finally exploded.

“So… why did she change her mind?”

“She was afraid.”

“She was afraid?”

I straightened my posture and sat up.

“Of what? Confessing to Meursault?”

“No. Divorcing Commander Hayden.”

“Hm?”

I blinked, unable to understand why she would suddenly be afraid of divorcing Commander Hayden now.

Shin Eun-jo continued with a sigh.

“From what I heard, you recently got rid of two officers from the pro-Daphne faction. Max and Anton.”

“I didn’t exactly do that. They brought it upon themselves.”

“If those two had still retained all their power, Daphne probably wouldn’t have been afraid of divorce. But after you purged the pro-Daphne faction… I think even I would have been afraid to divorce Commander Hayden.”

Ah.

So that was where things had gone wrong.

In other words, everything Daphne had previously said about wanting to divorce the Commander had been sincere.

However, that had only been true while she held power equal to the Commander’s.

Now, the balance of power had clearly shifted in the Commander’s favor.

I had assumed that this meant the Commander would suffer little damage from divorcing Daphne.

But from Daphne’s perspective, it meant the divorce would inevitably inflict a devastating blow on her.

I had failed to consider that.

Now I finally understood why Daphne’s attitude had changed.

“After getting rid of her closest allies, I told her to divorce my father and marry Meursault. From Daphne’s perspective, it makes sense that she would question my intentions.”

“So what are you going to do now?”

“If she can’t divorce him because she’s afraid, then I just have to make sure she has nothing to fear.”

“Knowing you, you’re not going to restore Anton to his position…”

Of course not.

After all, there was someone else who could solve this problem.

“…What did you just say, Lord Haydam?”

Meursault asked again with a look that suggested he could not believe his own ears.

“For Lady Daphne to divorce him… what exactly did you say I have to do?”

I smiled brightly and repeated exactly what I had just told him.

Meursault stared at me for a moment, utterly speechless.

“…Do you seriously believe that’s possible? No, forget that. This is simply insane!”

“You didn’t know, Meursault?”

Marriage has always been an act of insanity.