Farming Emotion Points, huh...
Oh, your Uncle Lynn is all too familiar with this~
‘I'm a man known as the King of Galgames!’
Faced with a girl's timid and anxious state, his gamer conquering soul was burning with an uncontrollable fire!
What a treasure of a girl!
Without Lilian, where else could he find an SSR character who could drop a gold trait?
If he had mindlessly wasted his only newbie benefit—that free gold trait slot—to copy some white or green trash trait, Lynn would have cried himself to death.
Lilian had not only allowed him to freeload a powerful gold trait, but she could also sustainably yield Emotion Points for him to harvest, making him continuously stronger.
A treasure girl like this was hard to find even with a lantern, yet he, Lynn, had her delivered to him with just a click!
Lynn's gaze toward the young girl grew increasingly passionate.
If this world really were a giant galgame, the dialogue options appearing before him would probably look something like this:
【1. Gently comfort her: The suspension bridge effect has already left the beautiful girl in front of you completely flustered. Strike while the iron is hot! With your top-tier character model, won't you take her down directly?】
【2. Ignore her: I want to become number one in the world. Women are just in the way~!】
【3. Assault her... cough, cough, wrong game.】
Clearly, the trait system did not have the function to display dialogue options like those, so Lynn could only let it go with regret.
While choosing Option 1 to gently comfort her and farm her favorability was certainly good, still...
‘Right now... there is a much more efficient way to handle this.’
Lynn straightened up and casually tapped the table with his right hand. “Head Maid.”
“Your subordinate is here.”
“Very well.” Lynn paused. “Since when... did such a useless bunch of parasites sneak into the Reinhardt manor?”
“Using their so-called seniority to think highly of themselves, suppressing newcomers in every possible way...”
“Putting today's matter aside, if a visiting guest were to see this one day... wouldn't they think this is the family custom of the Reinhardts?”
The tall Head Maid bowed slightly. “...It is my dereliction of duty.”
“Very well.” Lynn paused. “I do not know whose connections those servants used to squeeze their way in, nor do I care to know.”
“But tonight, make sure those maggots and their masters pack up their things and get out.”
“As you command.”
After doing all this, Lynn rested his chin on his hands.
His interlaced fingers hid the corner of his mouth, which couldn't help but curl upward.
Perfect!
That's right, the first thing he needed to do...
Was to establish authority!
...
This so-called establishment of authority was actually not meant for the Head Maid and the subordinates... at least, not entirely.
His primary target—was none other than the future boss he had just saved, ‘Lilian’!
Watching the young girl suddenly fall silent, Lynn could hardly restrain himself from popping the champagne.
He was all too familiar with this psychology.
The heartbeat caused by the suspension bridge effect would make a person unconsciously rely on the other party in a short period of time, and even unwittingly ignore the gap between them.
After all, isn't that how all the stories go?
An ordinary girl is accidentally saved by a young master of a wealthy family, and from then on, the two fall hopelessly in love...
‘What a pity. I, Lynn, will not give you even a single shred of that overbearing-president fantasy!’
He had deliberately disposed of his subordinates' fates right in front of her to puncture the girl's beautiful fantasy. And the moment that fantasy popped, what followed was—
A massive sense of disparity!
【Emotion Points +150】
Seeing the girl's expression instantly become tense, Lynn proceeded to the second step of his plan without changing his expression.
...
Silence returned to the dining table.
The young girl sat upright in her chair, her back so stiff she didn't even dare to touch the backrest.
‘Th-That's right! Lilian, what on earth did you just do?!’
‘He was just being polite, yet you went ahead and talked about repaying him on your own...’
‘He is a young master who can decide the lives and deaths of countless people with a single word... why would he care about a poor girl like you who has nothing?’
And just now... what an offensive thing she had done!
Today was her first day working as a maid at the Reinhardt manor, and it was also her first time meeting the supposedly “notorious” young master.
Perhaps the sun-like warmth in his arms earlier had been too comfortable, causing her to accidentally...
She quietly used her peripheral vision to nervously observe Lynn's calm expression, terrified that on a whim, he would casually add her to the massive list of servants to be purged.
‘Mother's situation can't be delayed. I won't be able to find another job with such a generous salary anytime soon...’
Her uneasy emotions slowly fermented into panic. In response, the notifications on Lynn's side were popping up frantically.
【Emotion Points +5】【Emotion Points +3】【Emotion Points +6】...
Keep it up, my little Lilian! Work harder to yield more gold coins!
The dining table fell into silence once again.
A dazzling array of pastries was served and cleared away on exquisite tableware. The tempting aroma penetrated everywhere, stirring the hunger pangs in the young girl's stomach.
But Lilian did not take a single bite.
She sat carefully, looking like a little hedgehog curling herself into a ball.
After her brief, impulsive passion faded, she seemed to revert to the girl who was easily frightened and panicked.
Dressed in simple clothes, she was utterly out of place with everything before her.
She didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, trying her best to reduce her presence.
You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me... She closed her eyes and chanted frantically in her mind.
But speak of the devil, and he shall appear.
“...Miss Lilian, do these dishes not suit your taste?”
Prompted by Lynn's gaze, the Head Maid ignored the girl's desperate eyes and delivered a follow-up attack: “If so, please allow me to change them for you.”
The heart that Lilian had kept suspended in midair finally died.
“Uwah—!”
Startled, the girl let out a small squeak. Her face flushed red as she hurriedly covered her mouth.
【Emotion Points +80】
“N-No, that's not it.” The girl twirled her two index fingers anxiously. “I... I just...”
She stared at the silver butter knife, her lips turning slightly pale.
...
In a promotional video for Version 1 of Dawn, there was a line mentioning the villain boss, ‘Sinfire Red Lotus’: As a child, Lilian used to be afraid of sharp blades.
Ever since she witnessed her knight father being pierced by a sharp blade in her childhood, she had been terrified of anything sharp and pointed that could hurt her.
That childhood shadow had accompanied her to this day. In modern terms, she had deep PTSD regarding knives.
This had nothing to do with whether she was strong or not; it was simply the most primitive wound in the depths of her heart.
But to put it another way—
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to farm Emotion Points?
After catching the falling girl, Lynn, who recognized her and recalled this series of plot points, quickly formulated a preliminary plan and exchanged a look with the highly emotionally intelligent Head Maid.
The Head Maid: I understand!
As for Emotion Points... if you are only nice to someone, their threshold for you will only get higher and higher, and the speed at which they yield points will only slow down...
And if you want to extract a large amount of Emotion Points all at once, the unavoidable core strategy was—
【Push and Pull】!
Staring at the petite girl whose lips were pale and who was trembling all over, Lynn unhurriedly sliced the steak on his plate.
“Miss Lilian, if it's not because the food doesn't suit your taste... a guest not eating a single bite at the table is hardly in line with the Reinhardt family's hospitality.”
His golden eyes narrowed, radiating an innate authority.
“By doing this... I will find myself rather troubled...”
‘Tr-Troubled?’
The young girl's face instantly turned deathly pale.
“Young Master, perhaps this is not Miss Lilian's fault.”
The cool and capable Head Maid spoke thoughtfully, instantly igniting a sliver of hope in the girl's heart. But in the next second, she felt as if she had plunged into an icy cavern.
“Perhaps it is simply because the manor's chef is unskilled. We might as well take this opportunity to clear him out too,” the smiling Head Maid said calmly, uttering incredibly terrifying words.
She was... she was going to drag the completely innocent chef into this too?!
No, she couldn't let that happen!
The girl's face flushed red and pale in turns. She took a deep breath, then closed her eyes.
【Emotion Points +3】【Emotion Points +4】...
After a flurry of minor Emotion Points popped up, she seemed to have made up her mind.
Gritting her teeth, she trembling reached her hand toward the terrifying utensils, inch by inch.
...
But just before those soft little hands could touch the ice-cold utensils, a gentle breeze supported them.
“Head Maid, starting from the next meal, replace Miss Lilian's utensils with a spoon.”
Wh-What...?
Her dazed mind couldn't process this turn of events, and she raised her head blankly.
“My apologies for not immediately noticing your difficulty, Miss Lilian,” the Head Maid said, bowing slightly with an apologetic expression.
No, wait? Is... is this right?
A wave of bewildered confusion overwhelmed her. Before she could ask, the silver butter knife in front of her suddenly shot up.
Glowing with a green light, it carried the steak from the plate into midair.
The knife danced like a lively elf. In its dance, the juicy steak was neatly sliced into small, bite-sized pieces.
Once the dance concluded, it even bent playfully, as if bowing to the audience.
Could utensils really be so beautiful...?
As the Head Maid clapped along, Lilian realized that the knife she had feared was now spearing a small piece of steak, floating right in front of her mouth with a faint green glow.
On the other side of the table, Lynn's expression was calm. Seeing her look over in confusion, he nodded slightly at her.
She closed her eyes, squeezed out some courage from who knows where, opened her mouth, and gently bit into the steak.
Juices burst forth.
The tender meat juices exploded in her mouth.
Unlike the coldness in her nightmares, it was exceptionally warm.
She stole a glance at the smiling blond youth.
Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting a glow on his defined features, making him look like a meticulously carved marble statue.
So warm.
Just like the sun.
Even the utensils that had terrified her seemed to have suddenly grown gentle.
The image of the majestic and cold young master she had just built up in her mind seemed to collapse instantly. While his persona became more elusive, the girl felt that she had actually drawn closer to him.
Polite and gentlemanly, cold and majestic, or perhaps his current slightly indirect consideration...
Which one was the real him?
Curiosity clawed at her rapidly beating heart like a little kitten.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But in the end, she only mumbled a compliment while chewing.
“So... so delicious...”
Wind magic really is superior, oh boy.
Lynn couldn't help but feel grateful for the talent he was born with in this life.
If his affinity had been fire instead of wind, how could he have pulled off such fancy moves?
He probably would have just stared blankly, performing a fire-roasted steak show to entertain Lilian.
【Emotion Points +700】
“Cough, cough...”
Lynn, who was happily sipping his juice, almost choked.
So many!
As expected of me, the King of Galgames! Even in another life, I've still got it!
Everything is going according to plan!
Seeing Lilian's cheeks puffed out like a hamster's, he couldn't help but be in an excellent mood.
“Here, have another piece.”
“S-So...”
Emotion Points +20!
“This salad has a great texture too. Give it a try.”
“Mmh... nom.”
Emotion Points +30!
“This grapefruit juice from the North is very fresh. Try some.”
“Slurp...”
Emotion Points +40!
Watching the Emotion Points roll in continuously, Lynn wracked his brain to recall how much stock was left in the manor.
“Head Maid, bring out the diamond caviar Viscount Rese gifted me on my birthday!”
“Bring out the champagne that the old man hid in the library too!”
“And bring out that... chocolate the little princess keeps sending me for some reason!”
Hurry up and bring it! Can't you see that I... wait, no, can't you see Lilian is about to cry from drooling!
The pleasant dining time ended with the girl clutching her stomach, her eyes hollow as she murmured, “I can't fit any more...”
【Current Emotion Points: 1420】
Seeing such a harvest in just a single day, Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
The Head Maid stepped out from the shadows and reported with a bow.
“Miss Lilian's background has been thoroughly investigated. There is no possibility of her deliberately approaching you, Young Master.”
Lynn took the documents handed to him.
To sum it up: a father who died early, a mother who was gravely ill, a shabby home, and a broken girl.
Lilian had come to work at the Reinhardt manor precisely to earn medical fees for her mother, who suffered from Redblood Disease.
Perhaps her mother's death in the original plot was the trigger for her corruption.
“Regarding Redblood Disease...”
“Your subordinate will contact the famous potion masters and clergy around the Tidevoice Domain to alleviate and attempt to cure Miss Lilian's mother's illness.”
The Head Maid was truly too reliable.
And earlier, she had perfectly deciphered my plan with just a single glance from me. Is this the caliber of a head manager in a great family?
Lynn looked at her with emotion.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“It is my duty,” the Head Maid replied expressionlessly.
‘Now, it's time for the final step of the plan...’
At Lynn's nod, she led him toward the study.
And at a corner in the distance, a pink-haired girl ‘just happened’ to be cleaning.
The Head Maid cleared her throat, her voice suddenly growing louder:
“By the way, Young Master, why did you go to such lengths for a girl you've never met before?”
The girl at the corner also pricked up her ears quietly.
They walked slowly to the drawing room, looking up at the marble statues of the ancestors and the words deeply engraved on the ceiling.
‘Nobility,’ ‘Kindness,’ ‘Always Keep Justice in Your Heart.’
Those were the ancestral teachings of the Reinhardt family since ancient times.
Lynn's face “naturally” showed a nearly devout solemnity.
“Does this require a reason?”
“As the sole son of the Reinhardt family, I must lead by example and pass down the righteous glory of our ancestors.”
“Furthermore...”
Then, Lynn changed his tone, smiling as he gave the answer he had planned for a long time.
“Because I think highly of her.”
“Her talent is like an unmined raw gemstone; with just a little polishing, it will shine. This is a guaranteed profitable investment. And...”
“I believe in her, just as I believe in myself.”
...
Excellent!
My acting is flawless!
【Emotion Points +150】
The rapid 'pitter-patter' of footsteps faded away around the corner. The pink-haired girl covered her blushing cheeks, leaving only a pair of blinking eyes visible.
The two drama queens in the drawing room stood awkwardly in place. Only after confirming that the girl had completely walked away did they relax.
The Head Maid shook her head with a complex expression, then suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
“Young Master... you really have changed a lot.”
“I was just a little lost on the road of life in the past, that's all.”
Rate on N.U.
