Nicomaine has her dissatisfied reaction I always saw every time I did something she didn't like.
She crosses her arms before answering me. "Nothing in particular. I'm just talking to 'someone' I accidentally saw trying to escape his responsibilities again." Then she put her right arm on her side and used her left index finger to point me. "Nicodeim, when are you gonna learn your lesson?"
Every time that Nicomaine discovers my plan of going, I can't escape. In times like this, I used to think that I didn't want to waste my time in my study room to finish that pile of work.
But for the sake of completing the quest, I will play along with this.
"Neglecting my responsibilities? Did it even cross your mind to ask where I was headed?" I asked her as I raised my brows towards her.
She gets down her arms as she realizes she maybe got the wrong idea. "I did not," she answered.
But she pointed her right index finger at me again as she spoke. "But I know you! So I don't need to repeat myself, just finish your work!"
I sighed. "I was heading to meet Nicolo about something important. I snuck out the window to keep it quiet as I hid the fact that he was the one I was meeting right now. But since you saw me, I guess I can't hide it now."
Her facial expression changes as if she's hiding her smile. I grinned inwardly. Got her.
"You're meeting P-Prince N-Nicolo?" she stammered, her voice rising. "Do you even realize how inappropriate it is to meet the crown prince without prior notice? Are you stupid?"
Well, she's right. I know saying it is unbelievable, but I don't have any choice. She's in love with that soon-to-die crown prince and he is the only person I can use to get my sister's attention.
"Nicomaine, my dear little sister," I sighed heavily, pretending to be annoyed. "Have you forgotten how much I despise formalities? They're such a bore."
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. "He's my cousin, after all. If I want to see him, I will. And let's be honest, do you really think I'd send the palace a notice for a secret meeting? Use your head."
She acted as if she bit her tongue. "Whatever. I still don't believe you! You were just using him to escape from me because you know he's my weakness. But it won't work to me anymore, so quit it!"
The smirking on my lips doesn't fade away as I shake my head. I know my sister very well, she always acted this way when it comes to Nicolo. "Okay, fine. If you don't want to believe in me, then I guess I shall make you come with me."
"What?"
"Did your servants forgots to clean your ears today?" I asked. "I said—"
"Fine! Let's just go!"
As I expected, this doesn't even make me sweat. I should thank the crown prince as soon as I meet him. He's useful, indeed.
When I followed my sister to the entrance of our mansion, she ordered the carriage.
"Did you tell them where are we going?" I ask Nicomaine when I stand beside her.
She looked at me, confused. "Why would I do that? It's your job now. I already help you, do the rest." Then she rolled her eyes before she rode the carriage before me.
What choice do I have? Of course, I told the coachman where are we headed before I followed my sister inside the carriage.
"Aren't you gonna thank me?" I ask her to break the silence between us.
As expected, she raises her eyebrows at me. "For what? As far as I know, I am the one who's helping you here!" she exclaims as she glares at me.
I never had a sister in my old life so I don't know how to deal with her right, but I'm certain this conversation will help me to finish my quest.
"Let's see…" I hold my chin up and act as if I am thinking of something.
Before I spoke again, I saw her right eyebrow raised on me.
"I mentioned that I need to talk to Prince Nicolo privately, right?" I ask. "I also said it is because I have some matters need to settle with him…"
Her eyebrow gets down but she lifts her chin as she still listens to me.
I continued speaking while I pointed my right index finger upwards. "My business with him can work without you there. But here I am, allowing you to come with me so you can see him."
She shows me her smug face. And before she could rebut, I spoke again. "Or what if, I can give you both alone time together?"
Her reaction to what I said never escaped my eyes.
She's hopelessly in love with the soon-to-die crown prince. Too bad she never got a moment with him in the series.
"I knew it, you're just fooling around! I regret following you this far!" she said loudly while pointing her right index finger at me again. "As if you had a business need to settle with him! How naive of me to believe on that bluff of yours!" she added.
I grinned when the carriage stopped at the front of the palace. "Well, too bad you fell from it. Now that we're here, do you think you can stop me from escaping?"
She was too shocked to at least let her words out of her mouth.
I hasty move down on the carriage and there, a footman approaches me to ask what is a mob character like me doing here at the front gate of the palace.
"Well, I only send my sister here. She want to meet the crown prince and wished to have alone time together," I said.
"Nicodeim!" I can feel her anger at me with her low but with a warning tone, but she can't hit me here, not in a place like this.
I looked at her with a wide smile on my face as if I didn't notice her anger. "Nicomaine, my sister, he said you can meet the crown prince as long as you want. So, why not step down now and meet him inside the palace? We are just going to fetch you after quite some time."
To be honest, I wanted to laugh so very loud now but I did my very best to control it and not to let even a single sound of a laugh if I didn't want my perfect plan to be ruined.
Nicomaine has no other choice but to step down in the carriage and catch the footman's hand to help her step down. She still has her glaring eyes when she looks at me but she still manages to smile at the footman that will escort her.
Man, I'm really lucky I know her backstory from the series.
I smile at her once again. "Enjoy your day with the crown prince, my dear sister."
And with that, before anything bad happened, I hastily went back inside the carriage and left the palace. I can't take staying there for too long.
[NOTICE: Secondary Quest Completed! Rewards have been issued to your inventory.]
I grinned at the glowing blue screen. This was my first step toward changing the story—and avoiding my untimely demise. The rewards weren't much, but they were a start.
[NOTICE: Here is the list of Rewards:]
Reward 1: +100 EXP
Reward 2: +10 Influence Points
Reward 3: +1 Skill
[NOTICE: Additional information or new quest details may now be available. Check your system interface for updates.]
"Accept reward 1," I command. Then it shows in my status that my level is now level 1.
Before I claim the next reward, I can't help but become curious about what 'Influence Points' means. I wasted no time and checked the system updates and another tab showed up.
[NOTICE: Congratulations! You learned about 'Influence Points!' Use these points to 'unlock' more skills or enhance them along with your attributes. You can also spend it to prevent critical events from happening.]
My eyebrows furrow as I gaze at the explanation it provides. The glowing blue screen floating thing describes it very well but since this information is new to me, I can't quite understand what it means about the 'critical event' thing.
Though, I easily absorb that I can also use those points to unlock and enhance skills and attributes. I am excited to discover what it can give me in the future.
I decided to leave it like that for now and resume to claim my other rewards. "Accept reward 2," I commanded again then the influence points I received showed up in the upper right corner of my status.
And here is the exciting part, the first skill I will ever have. "Accept reward 3."
[NOTICE: You have acquired a new skill: Basic Rapport.]
I nodded. I'm not impressed since I don't know yet what this skill can benefit me.
"Show details," I commanded then the description of the skills appeared before me.
[NOTICE: Basic Rapport improves conversational skills, making you better at forming connections with others.]
I nodded. "Not bad, not bad," I said. But I'm still not impressed about it.
"But maybe it can turn into a useful skill. There's no other way to find out but to try using it in doing my other quest."
I already accepted the other secondary quest that the glowing blue screen floating thing gave me earlier when I also accepted the quest to spend time with my sister. And now that I'm done with it, it's time to do this other secondary quest.
[NOTICE: Secondary Quest Available: A Path of My Own.]