Gacha Kingdom Building

Chapter 161: Dinner

Outside of Isabella's room, I had another girl join me.

This one was more of a bet, but I had reason to believe it was going to pay off.

Miw: "I'm breaking our deal. While difficult, you might be able to reach your world from here, so, if you want to leave, go ahead."

It's not like I could stop her anyway.

Lana: "...What's the catch?"

Miw: "There isn't one. I have a long and difficult job, so I'd rather be able to fully trust you if I'm to have you on it. And so, I'm giving you the choice."

As hard as it may be to say, in the d, it doesn't matter if she chooses to leave.

Her Gift is incredibly useful for me, but if I'm going to have her as an spy or assassin, th, being able to trust her is of utmost importance.

Perhaps ev more than any of the girls.

She'll have a position that favors backstabbing, betrayal and scheming.

Depding on the mission, I might have her being close to an emy, or ev faking loyalty to them.

And so... I need to know that no matter what, she's on my side.

Having her willingly is a good step. Ev though I have ways to keep her in check, the maintance and trouble of having to watch over her considering her Gift is too high for it to be worth it.

It's a shame, but as an unknown, she's too strong.

I'd rather have her decide now if she's with us or not.

Lana: "..."

Her expression changed many times from the initial shock.

It was clear that she was considering a lot of things while deep in thought.

Thanks to that, she didn't answer immediately.

And once she began to speak, her words didn't seem fully confidt either.

It was like she was taking a bet of her own.

A decision I could respect, and the conditions she asked me were agreeable, so in the d, we struck a new deal.

Lana: "...I'll be watching, so you better keep your word!"

Miw: "Likewise."

I took a look at her [Loyalty]. Now that she had put her desires and expectations into words to me, her [Loyalty] had increased again.

It was now at a very comfortable level, a 80% if I had to say.

Although hers started off on about half of that, it increased at an amazing speed, but considering the things I just learned about her, I suppose it makes sse she would feel loyalty to the kingdom and a desire to protect this life that she's expericing for the first time.

Still, now that I was pretty sure my bet had paid off, I tasked her with becoming Isabella's shadow.

Although we have plty of options to protect her, I had expericed for myself how Lana's abilities can come in clutch.

Since her level was ev higher, I felt she could make all the differce.

Not to mtion, if in the future I get more citizs, she's a prime target for allocating a [Special Role].

With instant reports from her, our Gifts will have insane synergy as she might not ev need to leave a shadow to bring me information.

Of course, I can also swing a the few [Special Roles] I have to achieve a similar effect right now.

And with Isabella's front and back now secured, we waited until the time for dinner to accompany her.

Ev though fewer people were going to eat there, their dining halls were bigger than ours.

The table had a bunch of empty seats, which seemed a little sad, and while the atmosphere was way less chaotic than what we were used to, I didn't feel any vious about it at all.

However, it wasn't completely silt either thanks to Isabella's father, Albris, leading the conversation.

He would direct his questions to every family member, Isabella's stepmother, Pamela, or her two brothers would th promptly answer him.

I did my best to hold back from laughing at this.

It was comical, like an amateur play where the actors are too nervous and stick to the script with all their might, forgetting to put in any emotion into their act.

Each one had their own little turn, in order.

Except for a single person who already had everything about her known.

I couldn't decide whether this was done out of sympathy or not.

This whole discussion really seemed like a small show played for the servants, an attempt to discuss only superficial matters to make it seem like no problems were occurring with the family.

For starters, I doubt anything major wouldn't have be reported to Albris beforehand, so this was more like a rehash for him.

A very clinical and hygiic procedure where no negatives were allowed to exist.

In such an ambit...

Isabella: "I can't eat this anymore! It's disgusting!"

Someone had not touched their food.

Or rather, since I kept my eyes on her, I saw her trying quite a bit.

She would cut the meat on her plate time and time again, in ever smaller portions.

Only after a long time would she gulp it down.

Something similar was happing to the vegetables and her salad.

Pamela: "...? But it seems fine to me."

Lard: "...We've be through this already, Isabella. There's nothing wrong with the food."

Albert: "Eat quietly so that you don't embarrass yourself further."

Albris: "..."

Not a single one of her family members gave her the time of day.

Ev her father chose to simply make no commts about it.

If this was a recurring thing, th it makes sse but...

There was no investigation whatsoever. The momt the words left her mouth, they were deemed unreasonable. Wrong.

The servants wer't chuckling to themselves this time. They kept themselves as serious as they could.

Yet... there was nothing that the girl under the spotlight could do.

She was quietly trying to eat.

I noticed effort in her attempt.

But she didn't manage to keep at it for long.

She was now incredibly angry, and after complaining and shouting to deaf ears, she finally had ough, and grabbed her plate, ready to throw it against the table.

Miw: "My lady... are you perhaps dumb?"

Isabella: "Let me go! I hate this!"

Her outburst had finally brought some life to this place, but I also disliked it.

And that's precisely why I couldn't let her proceed.

Isabella: "I knew I couldn't trust you! You're all the same!"

Miw: "I don't mind if you don't trust me, but I trust you, so don't go destroying the evidce, alright?"

My words definitely surprised her.

Her meager strgth had faded ev more, and I managed to put the plate back on the table.

She was seated right by Lard's side, so I asked her to stand up and wt ahead to taste what she had just eat.

Pamela had a few complaints about my actions. It seems she thought I was just a normal new hire and according to her, my actions were disrespectful.

Still, Albris kept his d of the deal and reined her in.

Miw: "Hm~ Yeah... This is disgusting. Want a bite, Lard?"

Pamela: "...He already has a full-"

Miw: "I insist."

She was a little irritating. I could tell she disliked me and my behavior, but I wasn't yet able to tell if she was behind this.

Malice or ignorance... it was hard to determine.

As for Lard, he accepted my "offer" and ate a small cut.

His silt reaction already told the tire story, but I opted to continue and asked him to eat some of the salad too.

Lard: "It's salty. Too salty."

His words had a completely differt effect than Isabella's.

Once he spoke, it was immediately tak seriously.

I didn't look behind me, but I felt Isabella's hand reaching for the chair from behind me.

This must've shak her a little.

Miw: "Right. It's an unreasonable amount. Ev an amateur wouldn't make such a mistake. Want some Albert? I insist."

I protected myself against Pamela's complaints beforehand.

And so, Albert had the same reaction and reached the very same conclusion.

Next was Pamela, and th Albris.

It wasn't only undiable, to claim me or Isabella were lying now would be the same as to insult Albris himself.

Pamela: "...It still doesn't justify your actions, Isabella. You could have handled this much better."

It seemed like it wasn't just me that she disliked.

However, she also made a point to fire the chef and investigate anyone else responsible for this.

There was a chance that she was simply being honest, trying to be a model wife and caring for the image of the family above anything else.

Isabella: "What? How-"

However, I wasn't going to let her have her way either.

As Isabella's catastrophe, I couldn't stop at such a meager barrier like the family's image.

Miw: "Yes, she handled that poorly. Wouldn't you agree that she got excessively angry?"

Pamela: "...Quite. She has to be more mindful of-"

Miw: "But did you know? Too much salt messes with someone's blood pressure. Makes them more stressed. The mood becomes harder to control, and they become angry more easily."

Isabella's at the bottom of the well.

There's a bunch of differt ways to bring her out of there.

I for one, didn't mind leveling the area a to make her escape.

Miw: "Oh, but don't think I'm excusing her actions just because of the salt. Of course not. It's also because of her hunger. Believe it or not, the mind needs ergy to function properly, and humans ar't that good at photosynthesis."

The small piece of cake she received before... barely made a mess on the floor.

She was hungry ough to eat everything that Mei had brought by herself.

And while it could be excusable since Mei's sweets are delicious, she ev forced herself to try and eat this shit.

That's not something someone would normally do.

Miw: "Not to mtion, if you keep at it for long ough, the body will evtually crumble. Congratulations, your family was being poisoned right before your eyes and you couldn't be bothered to move a finger. Such a-"

Lard: "...I'll prepare something for her. Personally."

Oh...

As expected of a knight. Very chivalrous.

I might've also stepped a little over the line. Insulting them is no good.

But... messing with food like this ded up getting on my nerves. Especially after what I heard from Lana.

Still, while a little off, Lard's idea wasn't bad. I liked that he was trying to look out for her in his own way.

However, as a knight, he has his own duties, so he wouldn't be able to cover for her every time.

And well... I already had a better solution in mind.

One a little more long-term and failsafe.

Miw: "No need. Come, Isabella."

She was a little confused.

We left the table and the dining hall and let them have a proper, meaningful, and real discussion.

As for us, we were going to have a proper, real meal.

In the Kitch, I summoned Ellie, Licia, and Lily.

Mei was already with us too.

Miw: "Alright. Let's start your first lesson. Today... you are going to learn how to cook. Grab a bowl."

Isabella: "...But for a noble to-"

Miw: "Would you rather starve?"

Isabella: "...Wer't you going to help me?"

Not quite.

I was going to make her wish come true.

I could do it for her, of course, but that would be meaningless.

As long as she doesn't change, she cannot shine.

There are only so many tricks and schemes I can catch.

But by making her indepdt of others, the number of things for me to worry and look out for will diminish greatly.

Miw: "C'mon. We'll start with salads today. They are super easy. Ev a child can do, and if you really need to eat, that will suffice for a while."

I asked Mei to prepare rice, and I focused on the meat for her.

We were going to have a full meal, but evtually, I was going to have Isabella be able to cook everything for herself.