Chapter 17
A young man with a red, swollen forehead gritted his teeth and shouted.
"Damn it! Did you hammer a nail into your palm?! Why does it hurt this much?!"
"If I put proper force into it, you’ll feel it. Three more to go."
"Shut your mouth, you damn— Ugh!"
Slap slap slap! The woman’s fan struck the young man’s lips in rapid succession.
"I told you to call me Noona."
"Have I lost my mind?!"
"But this—"
The young man flinched as Calyphe raised her hand, shrinking back. The line between thug and victim blurred entirely.
"Calyphe…?"
At the child’s trembling voice, Calyphe froze. She hastily hid her raised hand behind her back and stared wide-eyed at the boy and the man beside him.
"R-Ryanen?"
"......"
An unexpected reunion with someone she’d hoped never to see again. Calyphe alternated glances between the two intruders before hurriedly explaining to Noah:
"Whatever you’re imagining, it’s a misunderstanding. This is… a complex adult negotiation."
Here’s what happened.
After sending Noah away, I faced Dietrich in a standoff with no room for compromise. Enraged, he resembled a rabid dog unleashed.
"I-I’ll stay quiet as a corpse…"
The shopkeeper cowered behind furniture, too terrified to flee.
Dietrich bared his teeth in a vicious smirk.
"Did you hear that, Straight-Line Heir? Even if I tear you apart here, they’ll stay silent. Shouldn’t you tread carefully?"
"You’re wealthy, aren’t you?"
"Hah?"
"Perfect. Hand over three hundred gold."
Let’s use your money to clear this quest.
"Did you entrust something to me? What gives you this audacity?"
"Yes. I did. Don’t recall the passphrase?"
"What nonsense—"
"The password is—"
I stepped closer to the snarling man and whispered the secret he’d fought to conceal:
"You’re illiterate."
"......!"
Dietrich’s eyes bulged.
"Or rather, you lost the ability after becoming a noble?"
"H-how could you—?!"
So you’re the Black Hand’s heir.
In My Little Noah, there are four guardian candidates. One is the "Master of the Black Hand"—the empire’s shadowy underworld market.
Choosing this path could’ve made Noah the Black Hand’s successor, replacing the original heir: the Master’s biological son who’d declared, "I’ll live honorably!" and become a noble. But when illiteracy struck him post-ascension, shame drove him to hide it until his patron discarded him. A fatal flaw for both a noble and a black market lord.
Noah pitied this tale like a true protagonist.
Not me. I’ll laugh till my soul leaves my body.
"Pfft! A noble who can’t read? No shame at all?"
"Y-you— How dare you—?!"
Dietrich’s face burned crimson. I leaned in mock-concern.
"Oh dear! Will you cry? Run to Mommy?"
"F*ck your tone! Shut it or—"
"Does the Viscount know?"
His breath hitched. The noble who’d discarded him was the Viscount. I whispered like a witch:
"One word from me… and noble society slams its gates forever. Right?"
"...What are you?! How did you—?!"
He seized my shoulders, but my icy glare halted him.
"Can’t you read the room?"
"......"
He released me slowly, teeth grinding.
"...F*ck. What do you want?"
"Three hundred gold."
"That’s all?"
"Five hundred."
"You’re insane! Why the increase?!"
"Interest. Seven hundred."
"Since when do you set rates?!"
"Nine."
"Crazy bitch! Fine! Take it!"
I resisted pushing further—dangerous to overplay threats with a betrayal risk this high.
"One more condition."
I poised my thumb and middle finger at his forehead.
"Take ten flicks."
Enjoy the growth buff. Like with the brawny maid, stats tied to targeted flaws improve most.
"Hah! Think your twig fingers’ll tickle?"
"Let’s test that."
Thus began the lesson:
"Respect your Noona!"
Flick!
"Properly!"
Flick!
"Even asleep!"
Flick!
"Bread awaits!"
Whack!
"Gah! Damn that stings!"
Noah and Duke Ortega stared bewildered at my enthusiastic flicking.
Goal achieved.
The system window showed unexpected results:
[Burden -1]
[Burden -1]
[Burden -1]
Negative stats? Makes sense—reducing Noah’s stress in worked similarly.
[Quest Complete!]
[Secretly purchased ‘Legend 25’ from Viscount Kaiman.]
"Ah…"
Post-quest energy drain hit instantly. I staggered, forehead in hand, until Noah steadied me.
"Calyphe! Are you hurt?"
"I’m fine—back off." Before I collapse on you.
I forced myself upright.
"......"
Noah sulkily retreated. Before I could explain, Dietrich sneered:
"The victim’s me, yet you play wounded. What’s your business here, Duke Ortega?"
"Baron Lotten, why take hits willingly?"
"None of your concern…"
Flustered, Dietrich straightened his disheveled clothes.
"Listen, Straight-Line. Keep quiet unless you want marital hell."
"I’m not marrying you."
"Ha! We’ll see at the engagement banquet."
"What about the last three flicks?!"
"Shut it!"
He stormed off under Duke Ortega’s piercing gaze. My earlier excitement curdled into awkwardness.
"Um… Long time."
"......"
"Were you shocked? You okay?"
"...Why the sudden formality? Guilty conscience?"
"......"
Drop the honorifics. Just don’t cling like before.
Ding!
[Filial Piety Quest!]
[Hug Duke Ortega in reconciliation (0/1)
Reward: Filial Piety +3]
…You disgraceful system.
Calyphe’s sudden grimace at the air summoned awkward silence. Noah cautiously intervened:
"Calyphe?"
"Hmm?"
"The Duke helped me earlier."
"Helped?"
"I nearly fought a huge dog!"
"What?"
She dropped to her knees, inspecting Noah.
"Where’s the injury? Are you—?"
"I-I’m fine!"
Noah flushed under her fussing.
"What’s on your mouth? Blood?!"
"J-just jam from a cookie… Heh…"
"What’s funny?!"
At his shy head-shake, Calyphe finally relaxed and turned to Ryanen.
"Thanks for helping Noah."
Her tone remained icy. Ryanen, poised to ignore her, stiffened when she bowed slightly—uncharacteristically humble.
Impossible. A commoner orphan’s charity must be self-serving.
"I didn’t act for you. Control your violence before the child."
"Exemplary guardians don’t brawl."
The prideful Calyphe should’ve snapped.
"Criticizing me?"
As expected—
"Fair point."
"...What?"
Ryanen doubted his ears.
