Episode 2
Elliot County.
Despite being a small, rural territory, the Elliot family, loved by its people for its upright governance, had one adorable young lady.
“Father, what is this dish? It’s so delicious!”
People would unanimously praise her, saying that flowers seemed to bloom wherever she went.
Indeed, when she swayed her long, golden hair, it created the illusion that the surroundings were brightening.
And how lovely were her rosy, peach-colored cheeks.
Her movements were no different.
Every time she moved her small, chubby arms and legs, her father, Count Elliot, would think that a well-made doll was walking around.
“Is that so? Eat a lot.”
Despite being such a lovely daughter…
“Count, I have a thought that often comes to mind when I see the young lady.”
“Oh? What thought is that?”
“Well, it might be rude to say, but—the young lady often feels like she’s my age.”
“…What?”
“She communicates well with me, and the way she speaks is just like… Ah, never mind.”
Seeing the Count’s stern expression, the Knight Commander clamped his mouth shut, straightened his posture, and averted his gaze as if nothing had happened.
“Don’t say such nonsense.”
“I apologize.”
Despite saying that, Count Elliot, who understood what the Knight Commander meant right away, made a troubled expression.
His beloved daughter, Yurius de Elliot, would often casually make remarks that made him wonder if she was really 10 years old.
For instance, just yesterday…
“Our Yuri, aren’t you lonely?”
Usually, in families of Count status or higher, it was common to have many children due to having multiple concubines in addition to the legal wife.
However, Count Elliot deeply loved his wife, Jane.
Since even one childbirth was a burden on Jane’s frail health, they didn’t have any more children.
Naturally, he had no intention of taking concubines, so they only had one child, Yuri.
It was natural for a Count who loved his wife, but he couldn’t help but feel concerned about his young daughter being alone.
“I am a bit lonely, but it’s okay. If I had many siblings, I would probably get caught up in power struggles.”
And the Count felt dizzy at his daughter’s response.
He hadn’t expected such words to come out of the mouth of his 10-year-old daughter.
“Sigh, where is Yuri?”
“She’s at the training grounds again today.”
“It seems she’s been going to the training grounds often lately.”
“Yes, she shows exceptional talent in swordsmanship and martial arts.”
This was also a concern for the Count.
Despite being such a lovely daughter, precious enough to be the apple of his eye…
Instead of just showing her beauty, grace, and loveliness, she was voluntarily rolling around the training grounds.
“Let’s go see her.”
“Yes, I’ll escort you.”
Crossing the Count’s mansion and passing through the garden, they reached the entrance to the training grounds.
The door leading to the outdoor training grounds was quite large, exuding an overwhelming sense of intimidation.
“She finished her basic physical training in the morning and is now practicing swordsmanship.”
Following the Knight Commander’s words, they entered, and the figure of a small child wielding a practice sword in a dress came into view.
“Is that practice sword custom-made for Yuri?”
Usually, the children’s practice swords placed in the training grounds were quite heavy, as they were intended for children who had been training from a young age to become knights.
“No… That’s, uh, a practice sword used by young soldiers.”
A 10-year-old girl, as cute as a doll, was wielding a practice sword weighing nearly 5kg with one hand.
“That’s preposterous…”
“I was also surprised when I first saw it, but she always practices with that sword.”
If it’s true, she possesses truly unbelievable strength.
He didn’t know where such power came from in that delicate body, but Yuri was diligently swinging the sword, oblivious to her father’s arrival.
“Wow, young lady. You’re working hard today as well!”
“Really? This much is natural… No, it’s something you have to do every day to become a knight, right?”
“Do you want to become a knight, young lady?”
“If I had to choose, rather than a knight… a hero? I want to become a hero who saves the world!”
The sweat dripping down her face glistened in the sunlight.
And seeing Yuri’s eyes, sparkling with vitality like stars as she declared her dream of becoming a hero, the Count only grew more troubled.
“A hero, you say. Should I be happy about this?”
“…I’m not sure. Perhaps she’s lonely being alone.”
“She said she doesn’t need siblings. Should we make her some friends?”
“My son is the same age as the young lady. Should I bring him over?”
“Your son?”
Even though she was only 10 years old, he wasn’t thrilled about having a boy near his daughter.
“He’s a good kid. He’s so timid that he wouldn’t do anything strange to the young lady.”
Seeing the Knight Commander shrug as if it meant nothing, the Count nodded with a troubled expression.
“Alright, bring him over sometime.”
The Count decided to put aside his worries about what might happen in the future.
He decided to trust the Knight Commander, whom he trusted the most.
Of course, if his son dared to touch his beloved Yuri, his trust in the Knight Commander would vanish that very day.
“What..? You can see the status window?”
This is absurd.
This shouldn’t be happening.
What have I been training for all this time?
Because I’m still young…
I firmly believed that the status window would appear when I got older, so I diligently trained every day, wearing this bothersome dress…
“Tell me properly. What does it look like?”
“Uh, uh… W-Wait a minute. Young lady, please calm down..!”
I ended up grabbing his shoulders and speaking aggressively without realizing it.
I thought I shouldn’t push timid types, but I lost my composure.
After living as a child for 10 years, I feel like even my mind has become childish.
Embarrassed, I step back slightly and clear my throat.
“Shall we go to my room first? It would be great if you could draw it for me.”
Dustin, looking at me smiling as I returned to my usual tone, lowered his head again and nodded slightly.
“Let’s go.”
I wanted to tell him to draw it on the dirt floor right away, but I held back and headed to my room.
“Lily, bring me crayons and paper.”
“Yes, young lady.”
I ask my personal maid with a determined look, and she quickly brings me the requested items.
As expected, you need money and power, huh, haha.
Oh, no, that’s not it.
“Here, draw the status window you see on this.”
Dustin, holding the crayons in his small hands, stares at the crayons and paper alternately for a while, as if fascinated.
“Hey, when are you going to draw it?”
I would have waited patiently usually, but not now.
It’s urgent.
I’m in a hurry!
“Ah, I-I’m sorry… I’ve never used these before…”
He mumbles, then stares into space for a moment before starting to draw on the paper.
A square shape with letters written on it, this…
“Wait a minute. Is this for real? Is it really like this?”
“Ah, y-yes, yes. It’s all like this.”
The most obvious difference between South Korea, where I lived in my past life, and the Marcia Empire here is, of course, the language.
In Korea, we used Hangul, and here they use the Marcian language and script.
But the language Dustin is currently drawing is clearly Korean.
“It’s called a status window, but I can’t read it at all. And I’m afraid something bad might happen if I touch it, so I can’t even try…”
No, this is crazy.
If you’re going to write it in Korean, why give it to him and not me?!
System administrator or whatever you are.
You crazy bastard! Are you listening, you son of a bitch?!
“So you can’t use it..?”
“Yes, young lady.”
“No, damn it. Don’t call me young lady.”
“Y-Yes..?”
Ignoring Dustin, who’s flustered in front of me, I fall into deep thought.
No matter how much I think about it, it’s absurd.
If you’re going to give it in Korean, shouldn’t you give it to me, who was Korean in my past life?
Why would you give the status window to that clumsy kid who only knows Marcian?
I can’t understand it.
Was I not the protagonist?!
“..Y-Young lady..?”
“Be quiet!”
No, that’s right.
Usually, in any novel, the protagonist gets the status window.
Then, is Dustin the protagonist?
But he can’t read Korean, so he can’t even use it?!
This flow is incomprehensible.
I don’t know where it went wrong.
“..Just keep drawing. You must be able to see other things, right? Everything you see.”
I lean closer and point to the paper, and Dustin, who suddenly steps back, starts to blush.
“Y-Yes, yes. I understand..”
What’s wrong with him?
Does he have a cold or something?
“Are you sick? Your face is red.”
“N-No, n-no, n-no..!”
His increasingly red face seems to indicate a problem.
But since he says he’s fine, I decide not to mention it further and just sit quietly, sipping the black tea Lily prepared, and wait for Dustin to finish his drawing.
“Hmm..”
No matter how I look at it, it looks exactly like the status window from the games I know.
Name, occupation, level, title, strength, agility, intelligence, luck, etc.
It’s written in Korean, so it looks even more like the ones from the games.
Judging by the remaining stat points, it’s the typical RPG system where you get stat points when you level up.
“I-I’m done drawing, y-young lady..”
He also drew the quest window, inventory, etc. on the side.
Everything has the same structure as a typical RPG.
It’s a perfect status window, except for the fact that it’s all in Korean.
No, even if it’s in Korean, it’s a perfect status window for me.
If I had it, that is.
“But even if you can’t understand it, it’s literally a status window, right? Don’t you have any intuitive sense of how to use it?”
“Huh? Not at all..”
Is it strange that I’m familiar with it because I’ve seen it a lot in games and novels?
Well, there are no computers here.
And there are no electronic devices similar to them.
It’s truly a boring world.
It might not make sense to ask people like them if they have any intuitive sense of it.
“Should I teach you? How to use it?”
Who knows?
Maybe later, as time passes, the blessing of the status window will be bestowed upon me as well.
So, this is that.
Like a rehearsal for the future.
“But how…”
“It’s a secret, but I can read this.”
I point to the Korean words Dustin wrote and smile brightly.
Yes, the status window will definitely come to me.
It’s written in Korean, and I’m the only one who can read Korean, so it would be absurd if it wasn’t meant for me, right?
“Then, would it be okay if I ask for your help, young lady?”
“Let’s change that ‘young lady’ title first.”
It’s so cringeworthy that I can’t stand it!
I used to have the same thing between my legs as you until recently, and now I have to be called ‘young lady’?!
Haven’t you gotten used to it yet?
No, not at all.
It’s actually becoming more and more jarring, dammit!
“Then, how about calling you Master…?”
“Uh, um. S-Sure. Do as you please.”
‘Master’ is also quite cringeworthy, but well.
It seems better than ‘young lady’, so I readily nod.
And so began the strange, secret tutoring between Dustin and me.
The creator of this world is actually trolling the mc lol