Kill the Author, Then to Hell - Chapter 10.2

Honestly, the [Perkily Perked] buff was undeniably useful.

Surviving in a house crawling with murderers required keeping tabs on their movements.

‘What’s been added this time?’

It seems I acquired a new buff by dying at Johan’s hands.

The explanation below read:

‘The author even knows something about Korean family dynamics. Impressive.’

As someone who suffered because of an older brother for over two decades as Lee Jinseo,

And nearly fooled again by a somewhat handsome face of the older brother here, every sentence struck a chord.

Of course, whether one must die to learn this lesson, or whether it could be taught without death, is another matter.

But the most important aspect was the content of the buff itself, beyond the wrapping.

‘Hmm.’

Only usable for five minutes and once a month, with the vague term ‘goodwill’.

While it’s a shame that it’s constrained by certain limitations, the buff seemed quite useful.

For example, it might allow me to sneak a peek into the family’s study or read a magic book, simple requests to my family members.

I must not forget that I possess the boon of [Coincidence].

Just one lucky break could empower me to accumulate the strength needed for an escape from this house.

‘Now, let’s try to survive without dying this time. Slowly and carefully.’

As the third funeral of my mother concluded, I made that resolution.

I had yet to fully grasp how challenging the goal of ‘slowly and carefully’ truly was.

Thus began my long, long sequence of deaths.

***

This time, it seemed to be going well.

I hadn’t mentioned wanting to go to the academy, nor had I snooped around in my mother’s secret-filled room.

Overall, I had perfectly played the role of a good daughter, the naive younger sister, Edith.

Of course, I didn’t forget to gather various pieces of information using the [Perkily Perked] buff.

And so, I managed to survive for a whole two weeks.

‘It was all for this moment.’

Today was the weekend when Peter returned home from the academy for a brief visit.

It was the first proper family dinner since the funeral, gathering all family members.

I had read and re-read the content of the [Affection of One’s Blood and Flesh] buff, waiting for this moment.

‘The buff only stated it would awaken goodwill in family members. It didn’t limit the number of family members affected.’

Maximizing the effect of a mere five-minute buff was best done when three family members were present, I judged.

As the awaited dinner began,

“That technique has its limits. It’s the kind of thing only children who skim the surface without understanding history would consider.”

“But Father, there are many points worth noting. For example…”

While my father, brother, and younger brother were engrossed in a topic I couldn’t join,

“Hoho, everyone, your food will get cold.”

I simply smiled and enjoyed the meal. By now, I was accustomed to this level of exclusion.

As the meal neared its end and the conversation lulled, I seized the moment to speak up.

“I have something to say to everyone.”

All three pairs of eyes turned to me simultaneously.

“Yes, what is it, Edith?”

Simon relaxed his previously furrowed brow from the debate and smiled warmly,

“Do you have a new magic stone bracelet you want?”

Johan teased me playfully.

But no one knew better than I how cruel these two could become.

I calmed my trembling heart.

“It’s nothing much, but it’s been a while since Mother passed, and I feel like I’ve been idly wasting my time. Father and Brother are always busy with work, and Peter is diligently studying at the academy.”

I made eye contact with each family member in turn, putting on my most innocent and harmless expression.

I had thought a lot over the past two weeks about how to approach this, how I could achieve what I wanted.

Directly asking to be taught magic was out of the question. I knew better than to expect anything other than a swift demise for being so presumptuous.

So, how about this approach?

“I want to be useful to the family too. After all, we’re a family, aren’t we?”

‘Keyword activated.’

As soon as I uttered the keyword, a five-minute timer started counting down before my eyes.