TNBTW | Episode 40

“Becky, you need to play well.”

Vivianne, who seemed reluctant to part, patted Becky a few more times before finally rising to her feet.

The sun, once high in the sky, was now nearing the horizon. It seemed she could no longer delay the time.

Having reunited with her owner and now free to play in an unrestricted space, Becky began to tire and soon started nodding off. Vivianne, gazing at her with affectionate eyes, handed Becky over to Edith.

“Duchess, I’m terribly sorry for taking up your time. I know you must be busy.”

“It was a pleasant time,” Edith replied.

Her graceful tone remained unchanged, but the caution woven into her words was an unadorned sincerity. She had come to genuinely care about Edith’s feelings.

 

 

Edith could have known this without looking at the status screen, but seeing the data in front of her confirmed it.

The sharply risen Affection was the first thing to catch her eye, but Edith calmly scanned the other figures first.

‘The immediate danger has been dealt with, but…’

While it was fortunate that Vivianne’s overall psychological state had stabilized, Edith suspected it might only be temporary.

The numbers would likely continue to fluctuate until Vivianne’s other issues were resolved, so it was too early to relax even if things had improved slightly.

‘It’s best to keep monitoring her condition and stay vigilant.’

Just as Edith made this decision, the status screen suddenly shifted, displaying detailed information. Surprised that something had changed without her interaction, Edith focused on the transformation.

What had previously been hidden under a question mark was now glowing brightly and unlocked.

 

 

Edith had already suspected Vivianne’s personality. Compared to others her age, Vivianne was highly self-sufficient. While this was a positive trait, it could make her defensive if it was taken too far.

The drop in Affection when she was first offered hot chocolate was likely tied to this. Although Edith had not treated her like a child, Vivianne’s defensive habits had been triggered.

Vivianne saw herself as an adult, which probably contributed to this reaction.

‘Who is Veronica?’

The same name appeared both under things she liked and disliked. It could be a person, or possibly a stuffed toy or something else she was attached to.

Edith decided to simply remember the name for now. Knowing more might help her understand Vivianne’s heart better, but it wasn’t something she could act on prematurely.

 

 

As Edith quickly scanned the updated section, she paused. The desires, which had been hidden all this time, revealed Vivianne’s concealed wishes.

Edith gazed at Vivianne, who stood before her, hidden behind the immense title of Grand Duchess. Beneath it all, she was just a girl who longed to be loved by her parents.

“Please, do come visit anytime. I really meant it. So, make sure to come!”

Edith smiled warmly at the girl. Vivianne, who had been standing there absentmindedly, broke into a bright smile.

 

 

Once again, the Affection score had risen.

Seventy-seven. The unexpected number brought joy to Edith. She hoped this would bring good fortune to Vivianne’s future as she saw her off.

‘Light?’

An unknown light surrounded her just as she was about to turn away after seeing Vivianne off.

The bright yellow light swirled around her like a whirlwind. Despite this being the first time experiencing something like this, Edith felt no fear. In fact, the light felt strangely comforting.

Dririririring!

Before she could even wonder what was happening, a magnificent sound effect echoed. The light that had enveloped her seemed to dissipate, merging with a newly appeared status screen before vanishing.

 

 

Blinded by the bright light, Edith blinked a few times and stared at the new sentence that had appeared on the screen.

It wasn’t the first time the status screen had displayed a message, but it was usually a warning or an informational note when a child’s condition became serious.

‘A message?’

However, this didn’t seem like a mere notification. It almost felt like a mission.

‘Who would send something like this…?’

Edith continued to ponder the mystery, but before she could figure anything out, the message disappeared, and the screen refreshed.

 

 

The new phrase “Golden Child Happiness Level” appeared below the five stars. One star, brightly yellow, was filled, while the other four remained empty.

‘Do I need to fill them all?’

That seemed likely. The problem was, she didn’t know who had sent this mission, why it had been sent, or what the criteria were for filling the stars.

‘I have no idea what’s going on!’

One star was already filled, but since she didn’t know why it was filled, it was hard to come up with any plans.

“Mmm…”

As she processed all this grim reality, I looked around to find Becky, who had been dozing, finally woke up and started looking around. It seemed she was searching for Vivianne. Edith, taking Becky in her arms, headed back into the mansion.

 

***

 

Back in her room, Edith decided to take a moment to sort through the situation.

‘The status window appeared when my relationship with Vivianne improved. Does that mean it’s related to her happiness?’

No, that didn’t seem quite right.

Edith shook her head. If that were the case, the display would have explicitly stated ‘Vivianne’s Happiness’. The status window always provided clear and precise names once they were registered.

‘Gold Child’s happiness, huh…?’

The objective was far too vague to grasp. The progress indicators were just as ambiguous, making it all the more confusing.

Stars? If only it used numerical values like the usual status window, it would’ve been much easier to determine what factors influenced it.

 

 

The single, shining star twinkled brightly, oblivious to Edith’s frustration. With a sigh, she returned to the main screen.

 

 

Edith focused on the heart next to Vivianne’s name. Though still faint, it had turned a noticeable shade of pink compared to the colorless state it had been in before. That meant the child was still unstable, but she was in the process of improving.

She began checking each child’s name one by one. Fortunately, the status window could be updated even from afar, and it seemed most of them were doing well without any major issues.

She had made sure to keep in touch with the families ever since coming to the capital, just in case. Seeing her efforts bear fruit each time she checked the status window filled her with relief.

Now that her position had changed, she wouldn’t be able to oversee them as closely or contact them as often as before. Even so, knowing she could still provide even a small measure of support was reassuring.

Of course, there were still children like Finn who continued to struggle. But since he was at least within her reach, she intended to take her time and help guide his heart.

‘Wait a moment…’

As she methodically reviewed the children’s statuses, a realization struck her, prompting her to return to the list.

‘Didn’t the heart colors change based on the children’s conditions?’

From the moment she first encountered the status window in this world, every child’s name had been marked with a heart.

At first, she hadn’t understood its significance. But now, she knew well enough.

The heart symbolized stability. The more at peace a child was, the deeper red the heart became. Conversely, the more unstable they were, the more their heart faded in color.

Edith scanned the list once more. Each heart had its own degree of saturation, but for the most part, they were red.

Of course, that hadn’t always been the case. It was a painful truth, but every child listed in the vault carried their own burdens.

The red hearts symbolized the collective efforts of many such as the child’s own resilience, the care and attention of those around them, and the persistence and dedication poured into them. It was a hard-earned testament to their growth.

‘If that’s the case, could this also be connected to the happiness level?’

She couldn’t be sure yet, but it felt highly likely.

‘But…’

With a troubled gaze, Edith’s eyes landed on one particular name.