“No, just asking.”

[Manager: Shall I leave?]

“No, no.”

The time for conversation with the Manager after the broadcast ended was quite important. The Manager was akin to a collaborator for my broadcast and the only angel I could turn to for advice.

And today, I had something I was curious about.

“Do you know who wrote this book?”

Today’s conversation with Kabir sparked my curiosity about the author.

The Manager knew the person, and the answer came quickly.

[Manager: A popular author in the Celestial Realm.]

“So, ‘in the Celestial Realm’ means the author is an angel?”

[Manager: Yep.]

During the meal, it seemed like the angels were quite curious about this work.

If they are fellow angels, I wondered why they didn’t just ask the author directly instead of going through me.

“Then, can’t they directly ask the author if they have questions?”

[Manager: They’re very busy. Even I don’t see them much.]

“Are you close with them?”

[Manager: Just acquaintances through others.]

The author seemed intriguing. The novel itself was definitely interesting. I hoped to meet them, even if just through chat, someday.

[Manager: What are you going to do tomorrow?]

“Can I ask for a favor?”

[Manager: What is it?]

“Please don’t ask me about my plans. I’ve never made any in my life.”

[Manager: Alright…]

Tomorrow will go on somehow.

Whatever happens, I just need to make it enjoyable.

To satisfy others, not myself.

* * *

Days passed in an ordinary routine.

I exchanged letters with Finley as promised. I also sent a letter to the Duke of Erpeso but received no reply.

Surprisingly, I got a letter from Selena.

Selena’s letter was full of concern about me. Despite Anais’s torment, she still worried. Such a foolishly kind main character.

I read Selena’s letter and then lowered my hand holding it.

‘I do want to see her again.’

I left the mansion too hastily and didn’t have much conversation with Selena.

“When will Selena come here?”

[PleaseShakeACarrot: Should be soon.]

[Something: Yeah, soon.]

Finally, the time for the male and female leads to meet was near. It had been a long and winding journey.

Having focused on Kabir for so long, it was time to turn my attention to someone new.

So, until Selena arrives, who could be the person to focus on for a short while…

“Eric.”

I immediately went out of my room to call Eric, who was waiting by my door.

“Yes?”

“Do you want to go for a walk with me?”

“Again?”

During my stay at the mansion, I always hung around with Eric when I had nothing else to do. He was the only character from the original story around.

Thanks to this, I had grown closer to Eric, and the viewers had also become quite fond of him.

Being in a somewhat ambiguous position, similar to a fallen noble, made this closeness possible. Eric, being a commoner, was now comfortable enough to joke around with me.

Sometimes it seemed more than just a joke.

“As the Duke said, personal outings are limited to once a day. You already went out this morning.”

Kabir had put restrictions on my outings. It must be unsettling for him to have outsiders wandering around the mansion.

Since I couldn’t argue, I had no choice but to go back to my room.

‘So, another chat broadcast today.’

Stuck in the room, chatting with viewers was the only thing to do.

‘Just chatting, touring the mansion, talking with Eric, and more chatting with viewers…’

The content was definitely becoming monotonous. I was worried the viewers might drop off before Selena arrived.

I wished something big would happen.

Then, a snack was brought in. The tea-time treats always arrived at the same time.

‘No choice but to chat.’

I had no other options.

Sitting in a chair, I picked up a sandwich.

The moment I took a bite, a foul taste filled my mouth.

“……!”

I covered my mouth with my hand. The piece of sandwich had already been swallowed.

[Stress: What’s going on?]

[Isaac: ??]

[NyamNyamoo: What’s happening?]

[Gold2: What’s happening?]

The chat window began to fill rapidly in response to my reaction.

Without a moment to respond, I continued coughing.

Blood was staining my hand.

‘What is this……’

Was it poison? Who would do this to me, and why?

My mind was in turmoil. I didn’t die in front of monsters, but like this, so trivially?

Ironically, I didn’t feel any pain, despite apparently being poisoned.

Before I could think further, my vision went dark.

* * *

Blink.

When I opened my eyes again, a different scene filled my view, one that felt strangely familiar. It was lighter than reality, bright and cheerful.

“You’re awake?”

It was a voice I had heard before.

In front of me stood the woman I saw on the day I first died.

Then it hit me.

“I’m dead, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” she said with a bright smile. It seemed like a system where you return here upon dying.

“Let’s not say ‘dead’. Let’s call it a ‘game over’. You can always start over.”

The weight of life seemed too light. I had prepared for this, but still.

After being Anais for a while, returning to being Heo Jiha felt odd.

“Do I come here every time I die?”

“Yes. We need time to prepare a new body. It won’t take long. You can’t leave this room, but make yourself comfortable while you’re here. How do you find the job?”

“It’s fun. It suits me.”

“That’s good to hear,” said the woman warmly.

Despite her imposing size, her gentle aura made her seem not at all frightening.

“Can I ask something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s your name? I mean, how should I address you?”

“Gabriela. You can call me Gabi.”

“Okay, Gabi.”

It had been a while since I saw her, but I only now learned her name.

I seized the opportunity to ask something that had been on my mind.

“How is my broadcast received in the Celestial Realm?”

“It’s sensational. Most don’t care much about human affairs, but word is spreading. Especially a few fans are really digging deep.”

She must mean angels like ‘PleaseShakeACarrot’ or ‘asdf’, who always joined my broadcast.

I wished I could see their faces, but since I couldn’t leave this room, it seemed impossible for now. Maybe there would be a chance later.

“Why did the Manager take on the role of managing me?”

“He’s a friend of mine, and also a junior. I asked him as a favor.”

That explained why the Manager seemed somewhat reluctant.

“So, for setting up the shop or these arrangements… the Manager needs to get your permission?”

“Yes.”

So, Gabriela was the ultimate authority. Everything went through the Manager, and she made the final decisions.

“It seems everything’s ready. Let’s start over.”

“Wait a moment.”

Before I went back, there was one question I had to ask.

“Who poisoned me?”

Gabriela chuckled lightly.

“Should I tell you that?”

“What?”

“It’s up to you, but you’ll miss out on the most interesting content.”

“…!”

Was she a genius?

It was clear someone inside the mansion was after my life. It could be Kabir, maybe Eric, or perhaps someone not mentioned in the original story.

I was determined to find out who it was. Just when things were getting dull, an intriguing content opportunity arose.

“So far, you’ve accumulated 10,100 points. I’ll deduct the resurrection fee of 10,000 points.”

“That leaves me with…”

“Yep. Starting again with 100 points.”

Starting almost from scratch after one death. Gathering ten million points seemed an insurmountable task.

“Don’t worry. Everyone starts off giving 100 points, but as time goes by, they’ll have more points to give generously.”

That made sense. In the beginning, getting even 500 points was a big deal. Nowadays, people freely gave 1,000 points.

“What’s the criteria for giving points?”

“Performance. The better you do, the more points you get, so everyone’s work efficiency has improved. I’m talking about your broadcast viewers.”

So, I did have fans. The thought that they were working hard to give me points was quite touching.

“It’s really time to go now.”

I always heard that resurrecting was the biggest hassle at a funeral. Now, I was about to do just that.

‘How will I handle things when I return?’

With various concerns in mind, I decided to go back.

* * *

As soon as I regained consciousness, I heard the screams of people around me.

“She’s really come back to life…!”

“How is this possible!”

“Oh, Lady Venetia…!”

I didn’t know who they were talking about, but there was a commotion.

Where was I? Looking around, I saw a white building with yellow point decorations here and there.

“Everyone, please step back. It seems the lady is startled.”

A calm and warm voice spoke.

There stood a young man who appeared to be around my age. His long white hair was neatly tied to one side.

His eyes were closed, yet I felt as if he was looking right at me.

As I looked on bewildered, the man smiled gently and spoke.