I Became a Gallery Manager in Another World

[Again, rejected. Isn’t it too thoughtless to push forward like this? Just looking at the expression, it seems like something bad happened to him, and at 230 years old, shouldn’t you be able to read the mood…]

“Ah, damn, stop nagging. I knew what I was doing.”

[Knowing and still doing it is even worse. When will you, as an elf, ever grow up? How can you lead a Red Revolution like this?]

At Ifrit’s words, Elfrida ground her teeth.

A hunter must always understand the state of their prey.

Ian looking upset?

Of course, she knew that.

Was she not trying to just let it pass?

‘Seeing his face, today isn’t the day… Hmm…?’

Elfrida just couldn’t ignore it.

‘That redhead… doesn’t even understand the deep intentions of a high elf like me.’

Indeed, the Spirit King does not understand the heart of an elf.

“…Ah, enough. Don’t you smell something?”

Elfrida sniffed the hand she had held with Ian, prompting Ifrit to speak.

[What smell are you talking about? A chicken coop…]

“…Say that, and you’re really dead, got it?”

Elfrida said with such sincerity that even Ifrit stepped back.

[Just kidding. …Did you wipe your nose?]

“Stop joking around when I’m serious! Ah, really, what is it? It feels familiar but also not…”

[I don’t know much, but if you feel it… there must be something. You are…]

“I am?”

Ifrit wanted to say “animal” but held back, knowing Elfrida would explode.

[…a genius spirit magician.]

“Hmph, I know. That I am a super-genius-cute-high-elf girl. Ah… but really, what is this smell?”

[….]

Ifrit sighed, watching Elfrida tilt her head so much that her twin tails swayed.

Estelle lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

‘…I want to die.’

Whenever she felt this way, Estelle would write posts in the gallery to vent, but today, she didn’t even have the strength for that.

‘Drip- Drop’

‘…Disgusting, go away.’

‘Never come back again.’

The words and actions she directed toward Ian replayed endlessly in her mind.

…She didn’t want it to be like this.

Ian spilling coffee on her legs was an unintentional mistake, not something done with malice.

It was a mistake that anyone else would have laughed off and moved on from.

But Ian had knelt down to a disgusting cripple like her and wiped away the coffee.

Thump─! Thump─! Thump─! Thump─!

It felt like being treated like a princess by a prince…

So happy and delighted, she feared Ian might hear her heart racing…

But it scared her more than anything.

‘…Must…do it!.. Estelle…you must…do it!… You must!… Now…you must!!!’

Squeeze─

‘Drip- Drop’

A long stream of blood trickled from between Estelle’s lips.

“…I…ruined everything…”

The short time she had spent alone with Ian in the library…

After her parents passed away, it was the first time her heart had felt this peaceful and joyful.

Every action, word, and gaze from Ian was warm.

She understood all too well why Ian had to be the co-protagonist.

To the point where she deluded herself into thinking that maybe she could open her heart to him a little.

But…

This was the only way she could do it.

‘…Disgusting. Go away.’

Knowing that Ian would hate her…

‘Never come back again.’

Knowing that she was destroying the time she cherished…

If she didn’t do this…

Ian would surely…

“I hate it…”

Tears flowed through Estelle’s fingers as she covered her face with both hands.

“…Now… I… I hate… why… only me… why… do I have to… sob…”

The emotions she couldn’t vent in the gallery spilled from her mouth.

“…Ah… Ahh… sob… I’m sorry… I didn’t… want this…”

Even though she knew she shouldn’t let someone like her get close…

“Sob… but… I hate… being… alone now… sob…”

Weak as she was, she couldn’t overcome her loneliness and accepted it without protest.

And…

In the end, she hurt Ian and drove him away.

“Sob… I’m sorry… sob… sorry… for not being strong… sorry… for hurting you… sob…”

Knowing that Ian didn’t need to be hurt.

Knowing that Ian deserved to be happy.

She knew everything and still wished he would stay by her side.

‘…Yeah. …I’m sorry. I won’t come again.’

As she remembered Ian’s sad face as he apologized and left, it felt like her heart was being ripped apart by a knife.

“…Sob… I’m sorry… for… not dying… for being a coward… sorry… for being born… sob…”

Estelle hated herself…

She couldn’t bear it.

[Poster: EightTimesaDay◆]=[Ian]

[I'm feeling down...][0]

Maybe I should just go and die...

ㅇㅇ(74.812): Why are you down, admin?

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: My dick controlled my brain and did something terrible to a classmate.

ㄴㅇㅇ(74.812): ??? Are you crazy? What did you do?

Estelle also used the gallery.

Worried she might catch on if I wrote in detail, I replied, omitting as much as I could.

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: Well... some physical contact happened... She seemed really disgusted, and she cut ties with me in a contemptuous voice.

ㄴㅇㅇ(74.812): For real. You were a trashy admin. Just go die.

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: Right... I was trash... I'll die.

ㄴㅇㅇ(74.812): No, think again, don't die, just cut off your dick. Who will manage the gallery if you go?

Tenant Farmer Fan■: If only you were more handsome. She might have liked being touched then...

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: I wish... Being ugly is a sin.

My heart hurt.

In my childhood, when my only friend was Evelyn, everyone called me ugly.

Even though Evelyn stopped calling me ugly a few years ago, I gained a bit of confidence in my looks as I made more friends… Today, I hit rock bottom again.

ChildhoodFriendAssault■: LOL, damn, it's so funny. The admin is not normal, either. How did you touch her? Was it lewdly?

ㅇㅇ(122.39): Says the person who assaulted their childhood friend?

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: If you're jealous, try it yourself LOL. And he really liked me, so it was practically consensual.

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: It wasn't done lewdly... I thought I was being gentle.

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: LOL, you're hopeless, touching her like that and thinking it's okay. Disgusting LOL.

Hearing such words about Evelyn, I sighed deeply.

ㄴEightTimesaDay◆: For real, thinking about it makes me feel disgusted... What should I do...

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: What to do? LOL, just forget about it and masturbate to get rid of the sexual desire. Next time, buy a gift and apologize. That's the solution.

ㄴㅇㅇ(122.39): Did you also apologize to your childhood friend?

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: Are you illiterate? Haven't I already told you? We practically agreed?? He likes me so much he wants to work at the same place as me later.

ㄴㅇㅇ(122.39): LOL, that's nonsense. That's just what you think, LOL.

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: But it's the truth? Wasn't he the one who said that?

ㄴㅇㅇ(122.39): Then go ask your childhood friend again LOL.

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: OK, I'm going now.

‘I didn’t say anything like that…’

Evelyn’s response seemed quite rational.

The real issue was that my brain was fogged by the build-up of semen.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have mistakenly spilled coffee on Estelle or touched her leg.

[Time Remaining: 36 minutes 24 seconds]

I nodded as I looked at the time left until the end of my celibacy vow.

‘Just enough time for a bath.’

I planned to take a careful bath, release my pent-up urges with a photo of Yuris, clear my mind, and then make amends with Estelle next week.

ㄴㅇㅇ(122.39): Then go ask your childhood friend again LOL.

ㄴChildhoodFriendAssault■: OK, I'm heading out now.

The moment Evelyn read the comment, she rose from her bed.

She had resolved to remain just friends for a while, but…

Recalling the recent depth of contemplation in Ian’s eyes, she couldn’t hold back any longer.

Click─

As she opened the door, her nanny appeared.

“Nanny.”

“Yes, Miss Evelyn.”

“Please prepare the carriage. I have a place to go.”

Upon hearing this, a smile spread across the nanny’s face.

“Understood. I’ll tell the coachman you are heading to Mr. Ian’s house.”

“…What? I didn’t say I was going to see Ian.”

“Oh, isn’t it?”

“…Well, it is, but…”

“Hehe… I wonder how long Ian will trouble Miss Evelyn. Do you think it will be possible this year?”

“…I don’t know. That damn… Ahem. Ian is so dense, I just have to keep trying.”

“Be strong, Miss. I’m betting on your success this year.”

“…Betting? On what?”

“Oh my! I’ll go prepare the carriage. Please come down in five minutes.”

Evelyn sighed as she watched the nanny laughing and running off.

“Ah! But don’t forget about contraception! His Lordship is waiting.”

“…Ah! Nanny!”

In the past, she would have screamed that it wasn’t like that and blushed, but it was no longer that stage.

Even the household staff knew about her feelings, but that damn Ian was the only one oblivious.

‘Really, why doesn’t that bastard get it?’

Having boarded the carriage, Evelyn pressed her temples, deep in thought.

In truth, she hadn’t confessed her feelings, but hadn’t she done everything else?

Her once self-conscious wide forehead had always been exposed since Ian said it was pretty…

Every Valentine’s Day, she gave him handmade chocolates without fail…

Whenever she bought new underwear, she showed it to him under the pretext of muscle pain, asking for a massage here and there…

She had even learned to cook well because he said his ideal type was a woman who could cook…

During a birthday trip to the hot springs, they had even bathed together…

And although Ian didn’t remember… they had even had sex.

‘…But he doesn’t know?’

Was there not a limit to being oblivious?

‘Really, what more does he expect me to do… this dense idiot.’

If Ian had half the sense of an average person, by now, he’d be ‘Ian Marigold.’

‘…Surely he isn’t pretending not to know because he dislikes me… No, that can’t be right…’

Thud─ Thud─

“Miss Evelyn, we have arrived. Do you think… he’ll be waiting today?”

“…No. You can go back first.”

“Understood. I’ll inform His Lordship that you’ll spend the night at Mr. Ian’s residence.”

“…Yes. Thank you.”

As it stood, even her parents acknowledged her relationship with Ian.

Her mother had even openly inquired when she would bear an heir.

“…Sigh. Alright, I give up on waiting for a confession. Instead, let’s settle this today.”

Knock─ Knock─

Evelyn Marigold.

Today, she stood in front of the door, not as Ian’s 15-year-long childhood friend…

But as a woman who had come to meet the man she loves.