My Game World, Eventually, Afterward.

My Game World, Eventually, Afterward.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

Oh, this system again. I pulled the blanket up to the top of my head, trying to escape the loud alarm sound disrupting my morning. My eyelids were heavy after staying up all night reviewing the wedding guest list. Just 10 more minutes, no, 5 minutes. Despite the continuous stream of tasks I needed to do this morning popping into my mind, I grumbled, trying to ignore them.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong-dong!

Even though I said I'd sleep just 5 more minutes, this heartless system dug into my blanket cocoon with an even louder alarm. Despite covering my ears with my hands, the sound pierced through, and I finally sat up abruptly in frustration. I went to bed after watching the sun rise, can't it let me sleep 5 more minutes? What a merciless system!

"... Oh, it wasn't the system."

The text that should have been floating before my eyes, obscuring my vision, was nowhere to be seen. In my unusually clear field of view, all I could see was the clock ringing on the bedside table. It was the alarm clock I had asked Adrian to make for me, as I'd been oversleeping lately due to working late into the night.

Right. Adrian had closed the game system for me. I thought it was the system bothering me again because the notification sound was similar.

Feeling a bit sheepish, I scratched my forehead and got out of bed. Adrian must have woken up early and left the room, as only his clothes from yesterday remained draped over a chair like a shed skin. He was as busy as I was with wedding preparations, making it difficult to see each other except during meal times. But we should have more free time after the wedding. We won't be this busy then. I pushed down my complicated feelings as I let go of Adrian's clothes that I had been fiddling with.

Today was four days before the wedding. It was also three days since Adrian had closed the system for me. Thanks to being freed from the various controls and restrictions that had limited my actions, as well as the view full of buttons and text, I had been able to adapt as if I had lived here all along. However, having had my life dominated by the game system for so long, I found myself unconsciously recalling the system at times during daily life. Just like a moment ago. Perhaps I had grown oddly attached to it in the meantime.

"Oh my, Hilda. You're already up...?" 

Emily, who had quietly opened the door trying not to wake me, asked in surprise when she saw me. She instinctively started to use informal speech but then lowered her voice after confirming no one else was around. It seems she's not completely used to it yet either.

I am up, yes. I'm up, but... I'm dying of fatigue. If I could see my stamina as a gauge bar, it wouldn't even be half full. With a mountain of tasks to do today, what am I going to do?

Seeing me blinking my heavy eyes, Emily approached with a worried look.

"You look so tired. You went to bed late yesterday too. Would you like to drink this? I was about to leave it for you to drink when you woke up."

"Yeah... What is it?"

"Lemon tea. You've been looking tired lately, so I made it with plenty of honey."

Feeling like I needed to get something healthy into my body, I gulped it down in one go. The refreshing lemon scent cleared my head instantly. Ah, vitamin C really is the best for fatigue. If only I could have a health potion with this, it would be perfect.

"Thanks. I feel much better already."

"Since you're awake, I should tell you. Hilda, Mrs. Darcy is downstairs right now."

Mrs. Darcy? Isn't that the fussy woman who came for the wedding dress fitting?

"Why is she here again? We already received the wedding dress. It's taking up an entire room by itself. Is the payment still pending?"

"No, the payment was completed when we received the dress, but she says a new dress that will lead future trends has arrived, and she wants to show it to you personally. I told her it would be better to come back another day since you wouldn't be able to meet her today, but she kept insisting on knowing why you couldn't meet. She's stubbornly sitting there, saying she'll wait until you come. I was in a bit of a predicament."

Well, just a typical difficult customer. Not only did she show up unannounced, but she's also refusing to leave. Emily looks quite worn out from dealing with her. If she's coming to me about it...

"But with the wedding only four days away, a new dress? Isn't 'trend' just an excuse to try and sell both dresses?"

"That's probably it. I think she's also trying to get on your good side. It can't hurt to make a good impression on the new mistress of the Palzgraf family."

"Ugh... I'm so tired."

As I groggily gathered and put on my indoor clothes, Emily quickly came to help me.

"It might be too much after all. Should I go back and tell her to leave?"

"No, it doesn't seem like that person will leave until she meets me. Rather than seeing her being rude to you, I'll go down and have a quick chat with her."

As I let out another long yawn, Emily looked at me with eyes full of concern.

Ugh, I need to rest properly for a while once the wedding is over. I heard the marriage procedures and preparations here are so complex and demanding that they make Korean weddings look simple in comparison, and now this seamstress is suddenly getting involved too.

The nobility's weddings are incredibly intricate. Even though we're processing things relatively quickly with the help of servants like Emily and Delores, I still had to personally look over things like selecting guests to send invitations to or choosing the menu for entertaining them, which took up several days entirely. Today I need to organize the guests from my adoptive parents' side... I don't understand why there's no such thing as a small wedding in this world. I don't need to have such a large and grand wedding ceremony.

"Oh my, madam! It's been a while, and you've become even more beautiful! I almost didn't recognize you!"

As I entered the room where Mrs. Darcy was waiting, she scurried over to me, making a fuss. Anyone could see that I was worn out and haggard from fatigue, yet she could say such things without hesitation. I suppose the reason she's the nobility's favorite designer and seamstress includes her ability to give lip service. I was about to say that I'm not a madam yet, but I didn't even have the energy to refute, so I moved on to the main point.

"What brings you here? I thought the dress was already completed and received."

"Oh my, is there ever an end to choosing dresses? If a prettier dress comes along, you wear that for the ceremony, the one you originally chose becomes the reception dress, and the reception dress gets demoted to indoor wear. Isn't that how things go in this world?"

Mrs. Darcy, having presented her miraculous logic, smiled with her eyes crinkling cutely. Telling her to go back because it's not needed would only prolong the conversation. By the way, I'm still not used to speaking informally to someone older than me, which is quite troublesome.

"Is it possible to have a new dress made just four days before the wedding?"

"If it pleases the Countess, we'll make it even if we have to work through the night!"

"If you're that confident... show me."

"An excellent choice, madam. Quickly, show the dress to the madam."

As I plopped down on the sofa, the assistant seamstress who had been waiting behind brought forward a mannequin on wheels. As Mrs. Darcy finished saying not to be surprised by its elegance, the cloth was dramatically pulled off, revealing the actual dress. The jewels embedded in a soft line from the shoulders to the waist dazzled my eyes. My mouth fell open without me realizing it.

"Wow..."

"Isn't it amazing, madam? As expected, you have a discerning eye. This dress, if I may say so, is a high-class gown that will lead a new elegant style. From the fabric to the lace, there isn't a part that hasn't been touched by my hands. The slender waistline and the gracefully spreading skirt will further accentuate your noble aura. Above all, do you see this? The jewel decorations that highlight the neckline and décolletage! The essence of a wedding dress is, after all, the neckline, don't you agree?"

As Mrs. Darcy excitedly promoted the dress, seizing her chance, it was clear that only premium materials had been used for both the fabric and the jewels. However, my amazement was for a completely different reason.

I wonder what incredible options that dress has to shine so brightly?

My favorite is the evasion option, but it would be strange for that to be on a wedding dress. It's clearly not +0 enhancement. I wonder what level of enhancement it was born with? Can wedding dresses be enhanced too? If I bought several dresses of the same tier and enhanced them, they would probably shine brilliantly with mythical gold and ancient rainbow colors like the dresses in my closet. I'm curious what options such an expensive-looking dress would have. Luck? Evasion? Health? Or what else? Maybe it has two or three options attached. That's quite tempting...

"What do you think, madam? If you like it, we can start sewing as soon as we get back!"

Startled by Mrs. Darcy's passionate voice, who had somehow approached right in front of me, I snapped back to reality. At the same time, I realized that whatever options that dress might have, it didn't matter at all. I can't receive buffs from the game anymore, can I?

"No, there's no need. The dress is pretty, but I prefer the one that's already completed. You put a lot of effort into making that one too, didn't you?"

"But still... Madam, why don't you take a closer look? You could even try it on. You seemed to like it."

"Of course I like it, it's something you brought. But I think this dress will have a better owner, so I'll pass it on for them. Now, please return safely."

I left the room, leaving behind Mrs. Darcy who was trying to make a sale by any means. Emily quickly approached and cautiously asked if I wanted to buy it since I liked it, but I declined, saying it was fine. My amazement was because I thought the dress had amazing buff effects, not for any other reason.

"Hilda, should I have the meal prepared first?"

"Yes, please. I think it's better if I take a walk in the garden to wake up fully before eating."

"Alright. Oh, and I heard that the Count was upset today because it's been too long since he had a meal with you. Try to at least say a word to him in the evening. The Count might fall ill at this rate."

Emily whispered so only I could hear, and when we reached the lower floor, she called a passing servant and ordered them to prepare the meal. As Emily was the de facto ruler at the top of the servant hierarchy, all the news from every corner of the mansion reached her ears, and she would filter out the useful information to relay to me. She especially never failed to pass on news about Adrian. My friend is truly capable.

"Ma-Madam! Madam!"

As I reached the first-floor landing, someone called out to me as if they had been waiting. Why are so many people looking for me today?

"Madam, please help me. Hans... our Hans."

Oh, it's April. I heard a few days ago that she was pregnant. I was thinking of congratulating her since we bumped into each other, but her face is all tear-stained. What's going on? Pregnant women should be resting.

"What about Hans?"

"Hans... has disappeared. We've been looking everywhere since this morning, but we can't find him!"

As I had requested from Adrian before, April and Kazimir were staying with the children in a small villa that had been converted from a charity medical center. There were six children in total, soft and squishy like rice cakes, and Hans was the second oldest among them.

Despite his young age, he was much more mature than the eldest, and when he first came to this mansion, he even sought me out separately. I remember clearly how he handed me 10 gold coins, saying he was grateful for letting them live in such a nice place and that he had been saving to buy a good house for Kazimir and April someday. That Hans has disappeared?

"Did he say anything about where he was going? Didn't he just go out?"

"I don't know. Nobody... knows where Hans went. I don't know if he got lost while playing outside, or if someone possibly kidnapped him... *sob* I don't know what to do about our Hans. What if we can't find him by late night? If he can't find his way back because it's dark, if we never find him... Please help us, madam. I beg you, please help. Kazimir and I alone are not enough. I'll repay you somehow later, so please help us, I beg you..."

"Calm down, April. Don't cry, don't think bad thoughts, just wait. I'll find him even if I have to send people out to search."

"Yes, thank you. Thank you..."

I was going to help even if she hadn't asked.

Leaving the sobbing and staggering April in Emily's care, I hurriedly left the mansion. Kazimir, who had been acting quite refined lately since becoming a butler, was pacing anxiously at the entrance, looking like a homeless person. He seemed unsure where to start searching for Hans. Upon seeing me, his lips trembled.

"Hi-Hilda."

He's lost it, completely lost it.

"I just heard from April. Any idea where Hans might have gone? Any places you can think of?"

"Uh, recently he said he wanted to go play in the village, but I told him not to..."

"Is that all? Nothing else happened? Did he fight with a friend?"

"Uh, no. Hans rarely fights with the other children. Our Hans has a big heart and is kind..."

His shaky voice gradually turned into sobs. Oh, he's about to cry.

"And that Hans has, uh, disappeared, *sob* *sob*..."

Oh, he's crying right away. Normally, I would have patted his back and comforted him, but there was no time for that now. In this state where he can't judge anything on his own while panicking, giving instructions on what to do is the best approach.

"Kazimir, you and I will search the garden. I'll send people to search from the front of the mansion to the village, so calm down."

"*Sob* Hans..."

"Kazimir! If you don't pull yourself together now, you'll never find Hans. Do you understand? Stop crying and focus! You're Hans' guardian!"

"O-Okay..."

"Good. You and I are going to search the garden first. Got it? After we finish one area, we'll meet back here."

"Y-Yeah. I understand..."

I sent Kazimir, who was still choking back sobs, to the garden first, then called the servants to search the village. If only I could use item or footprint tracking skills when searching for people, I could track them down quickly. If I had a lucky dress buff, I might be able to find him by chance without walking around like this...

"Hah, hah... Where could he be?"

After searching the garden for a while, I wiped the sweat from my forehead. Can Kazimir and I alone search this huge garden? But since there's a high chance he's in the village he wanted to visit a few days ago, it might be better for us to quickly sweep through the mansion and then go to the village together.

"Hans? Did you find him?"

"No, he's not on this side."

"Then I'll look over there. You go the opposite way."

I pointed to a path branching diagonally from where he came, and Kazimir immediately dashed off in that direction. It's even pitiful to see him running while shouting at the top of his lungs, "Hans, Hans! Where are you! Please answer!" and scattering tears. I shouldn't be dawdling either. I turned in the opposite direction from where Kazimir went and started searching various parts of the garden. I checked near trees, tables and chairs scattered along the walkways, and even the greenhouse, but he was nowhere to be seen, which was frustrating.

"Where on earth are you, Hans..."

The image of the child earnestly explaining that he was sorry he could only give 10 gold coins despite working hard to save them, and that he'd save more when he grew up to give the rest, flashed through my mind. If he really was kidnapped or trafficked... That would be the time to unleash the game system and show them the spiciness of a +20 ancient evasion dress.

"A young kid like you shouldn't be here..."

"Then what should I do? Kazimir doesn't need me anymore."

Just as I was wondering if I should head to the village after searching the garden for a long time without seeing even a shadow, I heard voices chatting in the distance. Though almost drowned out by the wind, it was clearly children's voices.

Is it this way?

I quietly approached the direction of the voices. In the past, I would have noticed with a notification asking if I wanted to add someone to my list of liked people, along with their name, but without such a function now, I could only listen more closely to the voices.

"It's not that you're not needed anymore. You're getting a younger sibling, right?"

"That kid... that kid is different from us. They're not an orphan or a burden like us, they're Kazimir and April's real child."

As I got closer, Hans' voice became clearer. I let out a sigh of relief internally, unable to make a sound. Ah, thank goodness. He was here. My hands started shaking belatedly from how startled I had been. As I was thinking about how to coax him and take him back to Kazimir, a familiar voice came from above.

"Real child? So you're saying you're a fake child?"

"I-I'm an orphan. So I'm not real."

"Hmm."

"Why... am I not Kazimir's child? If I was going to be abandoned and live with Kazimir anyway, it would have been nice to be their child. I could have made them smile so happily..."

"..."

"I think it's the first time I've seen it. That face of such joy..."

I saw a small shadow crouched behind a tree trunk. Glancing up, I saw a long gun poking out between the leaves. Our genius assassin often came to play at our mansion, but rather than showing himself directly, he would hide somewhere in the garden like this and disappear when Adrian appeared. I thought I heard two voices, but unexpectedly, Roji was being a conversation partner.

"Kazimir... doesn't care about us anymore. It's the same with April. We're just a nuisance now..."

"In short, you resent that child. You're afraid they'll monopolize their love and push you away. If you don't like that, the answer is simple. When the baby is born, secretly kill it."

"Wh-What? Kill it?"

Hans, who had been crouched and sniffling the whole time, suddenly raised his head. I heard the sound of bullets being rolled in a hand from above.

"Yes. If the baby disappears, the problem ends, right? I'll teach you how to kill. It won't be difficult since the target will be weak and defenseless."

"N-No, we can't kill it. Kazimir and April would be sad."

"Aren't they sad now anyway? You just saw that do... Kazimir running away crying. You pretended not to see and hid."

"But... but we can't make them sad. That's not right."

"But you're the one making them sad now. Don't you understand?"

"That's..."

"Hans."

As I called his name and approached, the small shadow flinched. When I looked up at the tree, Roji's eyes immediately sparkled like candy stars. I conveyed my gratitude with my eyes for talking to Hans when he was alone, as I might not have found him until the end otherwise, and Roji giggled happily.

"Why were you hiding here? We've been looking for you for a long time."

"Ma... dam."

Hans stood up, saw me, and lowered his head, not even thinking of running away. Catching my breath after running around the garden, I slowly approached the child.

"Let's go back to the mansion together. April is very worried. She was crying, asking what she would do if we couldn't find you, begging us to find you."

"..."

"Kazimir too. Kazimir cried a lot."

"..."

"I understand how you feel, but you already know well that they don't think that way. If you don't go back, Kazimir and April won't be able to sleep because they're so sad. They might suffer from guilt for the rest of their lives, and maybe they'll never smile again. Is that really what you want?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

Hans lifted his head at the mention of the two being sad. As I thought, he didn't run away because he hated them. He just felt a little left out. Feeling greatly relieved inside, I held out my hand.

"Alright, then let's go back now."

"If I go back... won't they be angry?"

"Well, they might be. But they'll be much happier than that. You're Kazimir and April's second child, after all."

"..."

"How sad would the newborn youngest be if they heard their second oldest brother disappeared? Should you make your unborn sibling worry like that? Hmm?"

When I spoke with a gentle smile, Hans hesitated for a moment before taking my hand. Hmm, since I've done such a big favor, I should milk this with Kazimir for a while.

By the way, how happy must April have been about being pregnant for the child to run away like this? Of course, she must have thought of the six orphanage children as her real children to react that way. If she thought they were fake as Hans said, she wouldn't have been able to rejoice about having a real child.

"But... about that girl who was up there earlier."

Hans was about to follow me but stopped and looked up at the tree he had been hiding under.

"I should have thanked her, but she just left. Do you know what her name is?"

"Huh? Oh, her name is Roji. She comes to play at the mansion sometimes."

"Roji... That's a pretty name."

Hans mumbled softly and blushed... ? Is this an unexpected romantic development?

"Oh... You seem to like Roji, don't you?"

"What? N-No. It's not, it's not like that. Just... If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have realized what I was thinking wrong. Actually, I didn't wish for the baby to disappear, I was just sad that I couldn't bring Kazimir and April that much joy. If she hadn't... spoken so extremely about teaching me how to kill, I might not have realized until the end."

Well... I think Roji was being sincere rather than giving advice. Seeing that she even spoke to him when she rarely shows interest in others, it seems she was resting in the tree and got annoyed by some boy sniffling noisily. It looks like she intended to scare him off, but it turned out to be an unexpected shock therapy.

"Next time... can I meet her again?"

Hans, looking up at the now empty tree, was red as a tomato. Well, well. It's spring, spring indeed. Adrian and I used to blush shyly like that too.

"Yeah, probably. She comes to play in the garden sometimes, so keep a good eye on the trees."

"Why would she be up in the trees? It's dangerous if she falls..."

Oh, this seems more serious than I thought. Of course, Roji is cute and lovable, but it would be quite a difficult path. Not only is she hard to approach due to her infamous reputation, but if Kazimir finds out about this, he'll foam at the mouth and collapse. Kazimir and Roji still fight with guns and fists whenever they meet. It's only because I mediated, threatening to kick them both out if they're going to fight in someone else's garden, otherwise one of them would have died long ago. Hmm... I wonder which one would win though.

"Hans!"

As Hans and I approached the mansion, April, who had been supported by Emily at the entrance, came running out crying. Hans tried to hide behind me, afraid of being scolded, but April hugged him tightly and burst into tears. Kazimir, who joined late, called Hans' name with a roar-like shout, and the three of them hugged and cried loudly. The other five children, not knowing what was happening, came running and hugged their legs, crying too. They really are like a family of rice cakes.

"Emily, I'm sorry, but could you send someone to recall the servants who went to the village?"

"Yeah, don't worry and go upstairs to rest, Hilda."

They'll probably sort out the misunderstanding among themselves, so there's no need for me to stick around anymore. I was so worried when I heard the child suddenly disappeared, thinking he might have been taken by devil worshippers or human traffickers, but I'm really glad it ended up being just a small incident.

By the way, a child...

Is it because the wedding is approaching? Seeing April's slightly protruding belly and hearing Hans' story, it suddenly occurred to me that it might not be such a distant topic for Adrian and me either.

If the system was still there, when I eventually give birth, it would probably show notifications like "You are giving birth to a baby. Do you want to continue?" Even if I was pushing hard, seeing such a notification would probably make me lose strength without realizing it.

Then I might end up having a smooth delivery out of anger, thinking "Are you kidding me right now?" Adrian would be flustered beside me, wondering what's wrong, and I'd be giving birth while letting out a strong shout... As I imagined that situation, I couldn't help but laugh out loud while climbing the stairs.

"Hilda, welcome back. You look particularly tired today."

It was late at night when I returned to the bedroom after finishing all the work that had been delayed due to the day's commotion. Adrian, who had been turning pages with a single candle lit, quickly closed his book to greet me. I walked in, wobbling as if I might collapse at any moment, and fell onto the bed. His hand soon approached and gently stroked my head, and a refreshing sensation swept from my toes to my head, making me feel refreshed. I didn't even have the energy to go wash up, so this was perfect. Hurray for a husband who can use magic.

"How tired must you be to collapse as soon as you arrive, Hilda? I told you not to overdo it."

"Mmm, you're right. Today... there was unusually a lot of work... Ah, I don't even have the strength to talk. Just give me your arm as a pillow."

Even though I was mumbling with my tongue feeling weak, Adrian understood perfectly and stretched out his right arm to support my head. The perfect height with firmness, warm temperature, and a subtle scent of skin. As expected, Adrian's arm pillow is much better than a mythical pillow!

It's comfortable, so comfortable. When the game system was active, I couldn't even use an arm pillow because of the interference saying "This is not a pillow, so you cannot fall asleep." Thinking about how the first thing I asked Adrian to do when we came back after locking the game system was to give me an arm pillow, the resentment I've felt towards pillows would take all night to express fully.

Although I missed the legendary blood circulation I experienced when using the legendary pillow, I was glad that I no longer had to be obsessed with pillows. Adrian kept offering his arm as a pillow, but I had to keep refusing, and he seemed a bit upset that I would fall asleep as soon as I used a pillow. At one point, Adrian even hid my pillow out of frustration, which almost led to our first marital argument. Looking back now, it's all fond memories.

"You know, about that system, Adrian."

"Yes. Go on."

Even though my words were probably hard to hear as I mumbled sleepily, Adrian responded kindly. I buried my nose in his chest and continued speaking with a more relaxed mind.

"The system caused me a lot of trouble and pain, but thinking about it today, I realized it wasn't all bad. Unexpectedly, I received various forms of help from it."

"I see. Is that so?"

"Yes. I think I might have developed some attachment to it because today... I found myself missing it at times. Like when I was looking for Hans... I thought it would have been easier with the system's help."

"Hilda, if you feel that way, should I unlock the controls again?"

He asked cautiously in a quiet voice. If I asked Adrian, I could probably go back anytime. Back to those days of adding people to my list of liked individuals, managing task lists, summoning Roji as an assistant, and freely using items and buffs. If an incident like today's happened again, I could probably handle it much faster. I hesitated for a moment, but soon smiled and shook my head.

"No. While I do miss some things now that it's gone, after reconsidering, I much prefer living naturally like this. I think I pushed myself too hard when even my own attributes were converted into numbers... I believed I was really okay when the system said I was okay. Now I finally feel like I'm living as a human."

"..."

"When living like this becomes natural, when I no longer recall the times with the system... I want to tell it. That I'm living well without you, that I lived well today and will live even better in the future."

So you don't need to worry and can rest too.

"Adrian. I'll make you happy."

"You're suddenly confessing while talking about the system? You're making my heart flutter."

"Mmm, I'll make you incredibly happy. This is my proposal."

"I'm always happy as long as I have you, Hilda."

He had been gently tucking my hair behind my ear, but now he softly laughed and kissed my earlobe. When I slightly opened my heavy, sleepy eyes, I saw his lips curved in a gentle smile. His beautifully curved eyes, and even his shyly blushing cheeks. And for the first time in a very long while, I saw faintly glowing white text floating.

"Game update function has been deactivated."

The white text, floating alone in the darkness, somehow lonely, scattered and disappeared like grains of sand. I knew this was the only function that Adrian hadn't managed to stop, the last remaining one. The game, closing its final function on its own, left this message like a farewell and never appeared again.

Goodbye, and thank you for everything.

Although there were more days when I cursed it, the system still helped me overcome various difficulties more easily. I bid farewell to the place where the white text had appeared and disappeared, then closed my eyes.

That night, as if I had used the "Deep Sleep" function, I was able to fall into a deeper and more comfortable sleep than usual.

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