Chapter 10-1 – Did the Maid Survive the Horror Game?

In the deep night at the tavern. Those who remain in the tavern until the streets are shrouded in fog and cold gusts are usually there with unsavory intentions. Preparing for a big gambling session or engaging in secretive deals.

As whispers exchanged among the patrons, the sound of the creaky door opening merged with the night mist. Sharp, guarded eyes focused on the newcomer. With a dazed look, he scanned the interior, seeming like he had wandered in by mistake. At the tavern owner's nod, a man seated at the edge stood up. It was at that moment.

"Over here."

Someone called the new guest. It was a man who had been sitting alone at a corner table since before sunset. His face was obscured by a high-collared coat and a hat pulled low, but the tavern owner, seeing the man had spent a considerable amount on drinks, nodded again to seat him.

Oblivious to the surrounding tension, the newcomer hurried towards the voice with evident excitement. Harrison. He never expected his respected senior, who had recently left the police station, to call him out like this.

"Inspector Harrison... I'm sorry I'm late. I tried to come earlier, but I couldn't leave."

Jeffrey brushed off his coat as he sat across from Harrison. Despite the empty bottles on the table, Harrison's sharp gaze hadn't dulled a bit. That's our inspector, thought Jeffrey, feeling a twinge of pride.

"I understand. You've probably been overwhelmed with work since your superior fled. But surely you're not here to blame me?"

"How could I? I wouldn't dare."

"As you can see, calling me inspector here would get us both kicked out. Just call me what you want. Harrison will do. I'm no longer your superior."

"Please don't say that. Even though you've submitted your resignation, it hasn't been processed yet. No one at the station could easily push you out. You're still our esteemed inspector."

"Everyone but you wishes I were gone."

"That's not true!"

Jeffrey exclaimed, but Harrison merely chuckled and poured himself another drink.

"No need to deny it. You know well enough that no one there wants me around anymore."

"It's not true. Even if it were, if you came back, with time... they'd all realize how great you are. You've prevented countless sacrifices. Many criminals would never have been caught without you. Everyone at the station knows of your reputation."

"Reputation, huh. Jeffrey, I'm not that great. Now I see it's not the superiors, but you, who can't let go."

"...."

"You know how hard I've worked. Isn't it time to let me go?"

Harrison chuckled again as he quickly emptied his glass. Jeffrey knew his laughter always had a tinge of bitterness, an outlet for his anger. It filled up, emptied, and filled again... Jeffrey pictured his lonely superior, wondering how many glasses he'd drained alone.

"Think of it as a ghost haunting the police station for a while. You were just enchanted by the ghost. That's enough."

"So you really have no intention of returning."

"Stop the nonsense and take this. It's the investigation files on the Count of Falzgraf."

"What? Didn't you stop investigating? Inspector Mark told you to cease."

"If I did everything the higher-ups told me, would I be meeting you here? Just read it. And take these too. They're important evidence."

A large bag, hidden under the table, was suddenly placed on it. Jeffrey, overwhelmed, alternated his gaze between the documents and the bag as Harrison continued explaining.

"As you'll see, not only is there circumstantial evidence linking Count Falzgraf to a demon-worshipping cult, but there's also proof he kidnapped and sacrificed his wards multiple times. That's why he started killing criminals. Remember? The serial killer who only targeted criminals. The murder weapons are in the bag. You can verify them."

"What? That serial killer was Count Falzgraf?"

"There's more. His son killed him. Though the news says he died in a carriage accident, it's all lies."

"What? The young count, who is rumored to be frail?"

"There's a witness. You'll believe it when you see them. I'll send them to the police station tomorrow for a statement. This should be enough, even against a high-ranking noble."

"When did you... investigate all this? And murder weapons? How did you obtain what we couldn't find at the crime scene?"

"Isn't it obvious? I collected them because I knew they'd ignore them if I submitted them one by one. What, are you doubting me now?"

"No! Of course not! How could I doubt you!"

Jeffrey, startled, dropped the documents. He realized his question could be misconstrued as doubt. His heart raced. Doubt Harrison? Impossible. It was because of him that he became a police officer. Though many things felt off, he pushed those thoughts aside. There was no way. Harrison's investigative skills were well-known.

"But even if all this is true, Count Falzgraf recently..."

"Yes, he's dead. But high-ranking nobles value their honor as much as their lives. If found guilty posthumously, it would still ruin his reputation. And the young count is still alive. There must be something to uncover about the count's death."

"But why did he kill him? There's no motive."

"We'll find out. I think they were accomplices. Something must have gone wrong with their charity work or demon worship."

"Accomplices? But the young count... no, the new count is said to be too weak to leave the mansion. Could he have the strength to kill the robust Count Falzgraf? Maybe the opposite."

"There's a witness. Decide if they're credible after you meet them tomorrow."

Harrison's lips curled into a sly smile, unnoticed by Jeffrey as he scrutinized the documents.

"Understood. If this is all true, it's truly shocking. The royal family won't let this slide."

"Yes, dealing with a popular noble will be tough. That's why I'm leaving it to you. No matter what, you'll carry on my will. Right?"

"Inspector..."

"This is for you too. Handle this well, and your future will be secure. By the way, I have one more favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"Arrange for me to speak privately with the young count when he's summoned. Just for a moment."

"During the investigation? That's very difficult. If Inspector Mark finds out, it won't end with a simple reprimand."

"I know. That's why I'm asking you directly. Just a brief conversation will suffice."

A tense silence followed.

"This will be my first and last request, Jeffrey. I won't ask for anything more."

It was the first time Jeffrey heard such a heartfelt plea from Harrison. Jeffrey looked down, troubled. Even though Harrison's resignation hadn't been processed, Inspector Mark wouldn't stand by and watch Harrison come and go. Even if he managed to summon the young count, it wouldn't be easy to create a moment of privacy under such scrutiny.

"I'll... try. I can't promise, but since it's you asking..."

"Thank you, Jeffrey."

Harrison knew it was an almost impossible request, but he also knew Jeffrey would find a way to make it happen. That's why he had prepared everything in advance.

Pouring Jeffrey a drink, Harrison glanced at the bag. The only light was the flickering candle on the table, but the bloodstained edge of the bag was unmistakable. The bag was real, filled with the weapons he used to execute criminals. Revealing them was a huge gamble. It could eventually backfire.

But if he didn't, the young count would remain hidden behind the high, sturdy walls of the Falzgraf estate.

As an unjudged guardian of justice, an unqualified executioner of mass punishment, continuing to live a noble life as always.

He couldn't allow that. He lowered his eyelids to hide the madness in his eyes. He was accustomed to this now. Delivering judgments and punishments society failed to.

But before that, he intended to have a conversation, however brief.

Even death row inmates get to say their last words.

Or maybe, if luck favored him... he might gain a true ally. A divine ally. The thought sent a thrilling shiver down his spine.

"......Then I'll contact you. Senior."

"Yes, be careful, Jeffrey."

I've never felt such anticipation before. Not even on the way to meet a notorious criminal, nor at the moment of delivering justice, did I experience such a thrill. My whole body trembled as if it were itching.

I don't know what you are, but it's clear that the blood of a demon flows through you, seeing how you captivate souls so easily.

I want to meet you. I want to kill you. I wanted to meet you. I wanted to kill you. I wanted to hear even a single word from your lips. I felt like killing you before I even had the chance to hear it. I couldn't wait to see how smoothly your neck would fly off. The indescribable joy, anger, and ecstasy boiled up inside me, making it hard to bear.

I wanted to rush into the mansion immediately, but I felt that it was necessary to show proper courtesy when meeting such a noble figure, so I restrained myself. Harrison obsessively fiddled with the holy water bullets in his pocket.

A giant shadow left the tavern shortly after, fierce and swift like a beast released from a trap.

It's a bright morning!

As soon as I woke up, I flung the windows wide open to enjoy the dazzling sunlight. Indeed, deprivation breeds satisfaction; having been confined for a month, I basked in the sunlight whenever I could. In the morning as soon as I woke up, during work breaks in the afternoon, and once more before sunset. These small daily routines were precious to me, making my time with Adrian more enjoyable.

The mansion was as serene and peaceful as ever. If you looked closely, whether it was the laundry room or the kitchen, it was a battlefield every day, but everyone worked hard with pride and a sense of duty towards the Count's family. Actually, their hearts had always been the same, but perhaps I was only now noticing it because I had the luxury to look around?

My life these days, at least on the surface, was smooth and peaceful. Emily, who had regained her memories, constantly asked about my romantic history with the young master, her eyes sparkling. Dolores treated me as her benefactor, working diligently to repay the price of the legendary pillow. Sniffles, who monopolized the household’s love, brought all the snacks to Tricolor, and Tricolor, who didn’t seem to mind Sniffles, visited more often than before.

And most importantly, Adrian... well, I wasn't sure. Since his romantic confession with the sky-blue crystal, he seemed to have regained his composure, but sometimes it felt like he was just pretending.

Lately, he would disappear occasionally and return with thick books, reading them like mad. He was so focused that he wouldn't notice even if I called him from beside. I suspected he was plotting another outrageous plan, so I tried translating the books, but the translator gave up, saying it was an unknown language. What on earth was Adrian reading that even a translator couldn't identify?

When I asked him what he was reading, he just smiled. It was suspicious. I’ve been trying hard to keep my mind blank to avoid triggering the third main quest, but he kept making me think.

"Hilda. How's the tea, do you like it?"

As I drank tea, thinking how warm the sunlight was, he asked for my thoughts. Adrian, against the backdrop of a garden in full bloom, looked even more radiant than usual.

"Tea made by the young master is always the best."

Raising my thumb to signify there was no need for words, he seemed quite pleased. He enjoyed mixing various teas to find the perfect ratio, so my evaluation was important to him. Unlike him, who discarded any blend if the taste and aroma were off by even 1%, I was fine with anything that wasn't poisonous. With an ordinary palate, it was hard to detect the subtle differences in the mixtures.

"But Hilda, what have you been waiting for since earlier?"

"W-Waiting? What do you mean all of a sudden...?"

Startled by his sudden question, I almost dropped my teacup.

"I've noticed you glancing towards the front gate. Even though you can't see it from here. Are you expecting a guest?"

"Well... Ah, there they are."

Just then, the sound of children laughing loudly grew closer. It was a sound rarely heard in the affluent Paltsgraf mansion, which made even Adrian look curious. I waved at the busy man trying to catch the kids running around the garden.

"Kazimir, over here, over here!"

"Oh, Hilda!"

"......Kazimir?"

Being from the canine family, he looked straight at me even from a distance. He got busy again when the child he had just caught ran off into the garden, but once he managed to gather them, he approached with Avril.

"Young master, I invited Kazimir along with his family. You remember I mentioned reinstating him, right?"

"Yes, of course, I remember."

Adrian's voice had dropped significantly, and his gaze was intense. He said he would call for him soon, but it seemed he had no intention of doing so. So, I called him first.

"Young master, you should treat Kazimir well. When I went looking for you recently, he was a great help. If it weren't for him acting as bait... Ahem, we wouldn’t have caught you. This time, a word of thanks would make him incredibly happy."

"Since it was an illusion, there's no need to feel sorry. But Hilda, aren't you creating excuses to meet him on purpose? Did you want to see him that much?"

"It's not me but the other servants who missed him. He’s incredibly efficient. Honestly, if all the other servants quit, the mansion would still run smoothly with just Kazimir. So, young master, don’t be too surprised if I make a sudden proposal later."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Retaining talent often involves keeping their children close."

If an employee's child attends the company daycare, it's hard to switch jobs. To reward Kazimir for being bait and to prevent potential desertion, I planned to enhance his welfare. Adrian seemed to forget his intense jealousy, watching me calculating mentally.

"Young master, it’s an honor to be called."

Before our conversation ended, Kazimir and Avril arrived. Adrian still looked displeased, but Kazimir was on the verge of tears just seeing Adrian's face. Avril, who didn't recognize Adrian, hurriedly bowed.

"M-My God. To think it's the Count... I didn't recognize your noble visage. I apologize. Please show mercy and forgive me..."

"Wow! Sparkly!"

At that moment, the children scattered around the garden rushed over. Avril, who had been apologizing in a tiny voice, was startled and tried to stop them, but they had already surrounded Adrian. Oh, this was a rare sight.

"Sparkly! How can a person be so sparkly?"

"Wow, eyes! Eyes are transparent! Why are they transparent? They’re prettier than the sky! I’ve never seen such eyes!"

"Wow, I want to touch your eyelashes. Can I touch them?"

"I want to touch your hair! Shiny golden threads!"

"Me too! Me too, I want to touch!"

"Let's line up. Let's stand in line! I'm first!"

"Why are you first? I saw it first!"

"I saw it faster! So I'll touch it first!"

"Hey, kids. Wait... You can't do this. Do you know who he is? This is rude..."

Avril spoke in a trembling voice to the children lining up to touch Adrian. She seemed quite flustered, unable to even think of reaching out to Adrian.

"Um, excuse me, are you an angel? I’ve seen pictures of angels in fairy tales, and you, um, you look like one."

"Me too, me too! I’ve seen it too! But you look even prettier."

"Wow! I made eye contact!"

"Kazimir, Kazimir! Can we take this person home too? If he’s sitting by the roadside, maybe he has no home! Right?"

"So, are we family now? What should we name him?"

While the guardian was nearly collapsing, the children kept surrounding Adrian, completely unfazed. Most of them crowded around him, but a few blushed deeply, peeking from behind Avril’s skirt. Hmm, their reactions were enthusiastic and pure, as expected from children.

"Kazimir, are these your children?"

Adrian asked casually while moving the hot teapot and teacups out of the children’s reach. He seemed surprisingly calm despite the sudden crowd of yelling kids.

"N-No, they're children we take care of."

"I see. Show them around a bit and then take them away. If they keep running around like that, they might get hurt."

"Yes, yes. I’ll do that. You kids, get away from the young master!"

"Young master, I wanted to talk to you about those children."

Supporting Avril, who was about to faint, I cut in. Adrian, having moved the teapot safely inside, looked at me directly.

"You’ve been looking for a place to sponsor, right? I know you’ve mostly supported the arts, but how about sponsoring an orphanage this time? It would be something new and nice."

"......Those children?"

The children, blocked by Kazimir, were all crying out loud. They seemed to be protesting why they couldn’t take Adrian home, touch him, or name him. Truly, his body brought many sins.

"Yes. First, I'd like to arrange a place for them to live. How about letting the Kazimir family stay in the mansion? You mentioned demolishing the charity hospital to build a new building. It seems perfect for the children."

"Hilda, I've already told you what that place will be used for."

He had mentioned it. I couldn't remember the details, but he said it would be a small villa just for me and Adrian. The first floor would have a piano and an indoor garden, the second floor would be my private space, the third floor would be for watching sunsets... It was a six-story villa plan, and I suddenly thought of Kazimir and Avril's orphanage. It looked like a shantytown that could collapse with one strong typhoon.

I was, of course, happy and grateful for Adrian's heart, but there were plenty of places in the mansion for me to stay... Couldn't we use the space in a more meaningful way? Improving employee welfare and expanding charitable activities, for instance.

"Even so, I think they need it more than I do."

"Kazimir, you can leave now."

Oh, his reaction is more resistant than I expected. Maybe I should have talked about it before Kazimir arrived.

"By the way, Kazimir, good job."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, good job."

Adrian added, seemingly recalling my request late. His tone was ambiguous, as if he was encouraging or warning, but the content was heartwarming.

Kazimir's reaction was, of course, enthusiastic. He was on the verge of tears, swimming in a sea of immense emotion incomparable to when he first met Adrian. I could bet all my future luck on the fact that he'd cry within five minutes.

"Hilda, what do you mean? You don't need it? Does that mean my heart is unnecessary to you?"

After they left with the children, Adrian asked urgently. Just then, I heard a warm conversation, "Kazimir's crying! Kazimir's crying!", "Don't cry! I'll comfort you!", "Are you crying because I'm crying? Sorry! We've stopped, so Kazimir, you stop too!" I lightly shook my head with a smile.

"Of course not. I'm always grateful and happy for your heart."

"Then? Then why don't you need it? Don't you want to be with me in our own wonderful space? I thought you'd be happy..."

"Oh, dear. I always have you by my side, so why would I need a house or a room? Do I really have to say this for you to understand?"

"......"

"If you absolutely don't want to, I can't help it. But if that's not the case, I'd like you to consider Kazimir's situation. It's a good cause, after all."

Adrian, surprised by my unexpected response, looked momentarily dazed. Always by my side... Always by my side. His voice became increasingly sticky as he repeated it dreamily. The focus returned to his blurry eyes after he mumbled it about a hundred times.

"...No, don't try to evade with those words. Hilda, you’ve been going back to the servants' quarters every evening recently. You don’t even stay in the next room to mine, so how can I believe you?"

"Ah, that's..."

"That's what?"

When Adrian asked impatiently, I clammed up again. As he said, I had been returning to the servants' quarters diligently lately, and it seemed to have made him unintentionally anxious.

I used to think it was okay to stay in the next room occasionally. Even though I knew how it might look to others, Adrian was so earnest, and I thought it didn't matter as long as I was confident. But once we started spending nights together, I realized it wasn’t something to take lightly.

First of all, I was at a loss about how to resolve the status difference between Adrian and me. Adrian wouldn't care at all, but that was the problem. He'd throw everything away just to be with me. It would be heartbreaking to see Adrian become a social outcast because of me. That's not what I wanted or why I stayed by his side.

"Well, you locked me up for a month and then hid away alone, didn't you? You deserve to be stripped of your boyfriend status. You could say it's a period of reflection."

Not knowing what to say, I made something up on the spot, and I couldn't help but laugh. Considering Adrian's grand titles as an omnipotent demon and a count, this shouldn't work. At most, he might sneer politely.

Just then, there was a sudden loud crash. Startled, I turned around to see Adrian, who had dropped his teacup, looking broken and pale.

"Stripped... of my status?"

"......"

"What happens if I'm stripped of my status?"

His voice was trembling slightly. Oh, it's working?

"Below a boyfriend... Well, you'd be a male friend, I guess?"

Another crash. This time, he dropped the teapot he had tried to steady himself with, shattering it. The grass absorbed the result of his morning's effort to find the perfect tea ratio. I stood up in surprise.

"My goodness, are you okay? Everything's broken, did you cut your hand? Let me see. Oh, thankfully, you didn't get cut."

"That's not the problem, Hilda."

"Of course it's a problem. I spent an hour picking out that teapot. What a waste."

Come to think of it, Adrian has been breaking household items lately. It’s been improving, but after making love, a few pieces of furniture are always broken. And now, he’s broken a teacup and a teapot today. At this rate, I wonder if we'll go bankrupt.

"Hilda, technically, I'm not human. So wouldn't I just be a boyfriend?"

As I picked up the broken glass pieces, Adrian fumbled and helped me up.

"I was a demon. How can I be human? So it's naturally impossible for me to be a male friend, isn't it?"

"Oh, come on, stop playing word games. You are human. So you can be a male friend too."

I pointed out the illogical part, and Adrian turned as pale as when he was sick, losing his words for a moment. Anyone would think the world had ended.

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore, just... a male friend."

"......"

"If I can't be your boyfriend, what's the point of... having a beautiful face, being transparent, sparkling... It doesn't matter if it doesn't work on you."

"Wow, are you bragging right now?"

"If it means nothing to you, it means nothing to me. It's not even something to be proud of, just annoying."

"......"

"A male friend..."

Seeing Adrian mutter in despair made me chuckle. He knows too little. It already works too well.

I wanted to ask him, if I thought of you as just an ordinary male friend, would I have said I love you? Would I have kissed you, ripped your shirt, and gone further?

I considered telling him it was a joke, but decided to wait until today. Adrian's serious reaction to my joke was amusing, and his struggling was endearing. Maybe I'm a bit of a sadist, too.

But when will I tell him about the Countess?

I chewed on two cherry tomatoes from the appetizer at once, deep in thought. I had two things to tell Adrian, one about Kazimir and the other about the Countess. Fortunately, the matter of improving Kazimir's situation passed without issue, but the Countess' matter was much more challenging.

I had no idea if he'd be happy, sad, angry, or surprised to hear it. Judging by how he never mentioned the Countess, it seemed he decided to pretend she didn't exist.

Given he barely survived a near-death experience, it's understandable if he doesn't have good feelings left. Even considering the Countess's terrible experiences with the Count.

Pretending to eat the appetizer diligently, I sneaked a glance at Adrian. My usually cheerful young master looked unusually somber since morning. He seemed to be eating even less than usual.

I wondered if Adrian had somehow figured out about the Countess. I hadn't told him, so he wouldn't know, but his intuition could sometimes be unexpectedly sharp.

"Uh, young master. Don't you like the appetizer? You've been poking at it with your fork."

"...Hmm."

"If you don't like it, you should have told me. I'll go to the kitchen and get a different salad. If you have something in mind, I'll bring that."

"No, Hilda. It's fine. Really."

Adrian's face was dark as he declined.

What is it? Is something really serious going on? Did he figure out about the Countess and get upset but doesn't want to take it out on me?

"Why are you like this, Young Master? You've had a sour expression since this morning. Is something wrong?"

"......"

"Come on, tell me what's bothering you. I can't help if I don't know what it is."

Despite my insistence, Adrian remained silent, his expression clouded. He looked so dejected that it was hard to believe this was just about the Countess. His face was one I'd never seen before, causing my heart to race. What on earth happened?

"It's nothing, really......"

"Really? What's nothing? What's bothering you?"

"Because I've been demoted......"

"What?"

"I'm just a guy friend to you now......"

He trailed off, setting down his utensils. He'd barely touched his food, and a heavy sigh escaped him. Just a guy friend. I needed to recall what led to this statement. Honestly, I'd forgotten about it since yesterday.

"You've been thinking about that all this time...... Are you serious?"

"Hilda, I was demoted just yesterday. What could be more important than that?"

Adrian's previously gloomy face twisted into a slight pout.

"I'm not your lover anymore. I'm just a friend......"

He quickly became sorrowful again. Now that I thought about it, he'd started moping after the demotion talk yesterday.

"I feel like we're complete strangers now. No, it feels worse than that. It feels like a continent has risen between us. Nothing could be more despairing."

"......"

"I feel like I've been abandoned in a snowstorm, like I've sunk to the bottom of the sea....... I wonder if this is part of Lilith's curse. Hilda, can you understand how I feel?"

Adrian's desperate plea was almost pitiable.

No, I don't understand at all.

I bit back the words that nearly escaped, holding them in upon seeing his serious face.

"I wish you were more ambitious. I wish you'd get intoxicated by status, wealth, power. I wish you'd possess me as if those things were all yours. That would have made it easier......"

"So, do you plan to stay demoted forever?"

Suppressing a laugh, I replied, and Adrian finally turned to look at me. His eyes were lonely, like a glacier adrift.

"Could I get it back?"

"That depends on you, Young Master. Cheer up. It's not as hard as you think."

"It depends on me......"

Adrian repeated the phrase as if engraving it in his mind. Seeing his thoughts clearly on his face was adorable. How could I resist him?

Confirming his worries were trivial, I relaxed and started eating my soup. I had been worried it was something serious.

"By the way, Young Master, I have something to tell you too."

"Sure, tell me anything."

Adrian responded eagerly, his eyes sparkling like a puppy wagging its tail.

It seemed like a good time to bring it up. I quickly finished my soup and cautiously spoke.

"Actually, a letter arrived from the villa a few days ago. The madam has regained consciousness. She's been waking up briefly, but now she can eat by herself."

"I see. That's good."

Immediately, his voice became indifferent. I felt his attention drifting away. Oh no. I hurried to catch his gaze.

"Young Master, please listen. Despite some unfortunate events, the madam is your only blood relative. After attempting to take her own life, she's been constantly asking when she might die. It breaks my heart to think how distressed she must be. You feel the same, right? Young Master? Are you listening?"

"Yes, of course."

His reply was steady, but he seemed disinterested. It was clear he was only pretending to listen. I needed to keep this brief.

"Anyway, the madam wants to see you. She said she'd understand if you refused because of past events. If that's not possible, she'd at least like to watch from afar or exchange letters."

"That's unusual. She used to run away whenever she saw me. To think she's suddenly changed her mind like this, maybe she's really lost it......"

"No, Young Master. Actually, I told her that not all of the old you was gone. I'm sorry for speaking without your permission, but I couldn't help it. It seemed like if not for the Count, things wouldn't have gotten this bad between you two."

"......"

"Was it too soon? It's not long after that incident, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it. It's okay to pretend you didn't hear it. I'll handle the aftermath."

"No, it's fine. I was already thinking of visiting once."

"Really? To the villa? Truly?"

Surprised by his unexpected response, Adrian propped his chin on his hand, his expression still uninterested.

"Yes. Even though she's at the villa, she still has some rights to the estate's property. I need to secure her consent for the succession of the title. Since she'll tremble just at the sight of me, I was worried about how to approach it, but it seems she made the first move. That makes things easier."

His tone was so cold it could have shattered. The little hope that had swelled at his words deflated.

The Countess wasn't calling him for that reason......

I felt a bit down. I couldn't force him to be kind to the Countess. They needed to genuinely accept each other. It seemed impossible given how far things had gone.

"It's okay, Hilda. Don't worry. No matter what she plans, I won't fall for it easily this time."

Misinterpreting my gloomy expression, he added kindly. Trying to explain the Countess' true intentions wouldn't work now.

But nothing is solved in one go! At least he's agreed to meet!

When I quickly recovered and nodded, Adrian's face brightened too.

"Shall we get going if we're done eating?"

Perhaps because he heard he could regain his boyfriend status, he came around the table to escort me. He didn't realize that such gestures only spoiled me more.

"Hilda, I plan to visit the village today. What do you think?"

He opened the door, guiding me to link arms with him. Did he really need to make a simple village visit sound so sweet? Of course, I was happy!

"The weather's nice, so let's go quickly. Oh, wait. Someone's coming."

Just as I was about to agree, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. I quickly released his arm and stepped back demurely. Adrian looked at his now-empty arm with lingering regret.

Leticia appeared in the hallway and approached, bowing her head.

"Young Master, you just finished your meal. It seems I came up in a hurry. My apologies."

"Wait. Leticia."

Summoned back, Leticia, ever the dutiful servant, returned quickly. Adrian reluctantly tore his gaze from me.

"I plan to visit the villa soon. I won't stay long, but preparations need to be made."

"Excuse me, but are you going to see the madam?"

Leticia's question surprised me. I'd never seen her say anything but "yes" to her master.

Adrian continued, unfazed.

"Yes. I need to handle the inheritance and title succession matters. As I said, it won't take long. Arrange for a carriage and prepare necessities for about five days. While I'm away, Elbern will manage the estate."

"Then, may I prepare some food to take to the madam?"

Leticia quickly interjected, seizing the opportunity.

"Food?"

"The villa is so remote, it's nearly impossible to get supplies. I remember going there once and couldn't even find a needle to mend a torn sleeve. We had to wait endlessly for a peddler, and they come without any set schedule. Given how scarce things are, I'm not sure if there will be anything the madam likes. Considering how picky she and you were with food, it was a struggle to please her. It's a relief to hear she's eating well now, but...... Oh, I misspoke."

"......"

"May I prepare some food for the madam?"

On the surface, Leticia appeared to be docile, but she had stayed at the mansion longer than Adrian and had served the Countess faithfully. Despite the tension between mother and son and Adrian's position as the de facto authority, he wasn't heartless enough to ignore the Countess completely. Leticia, feeling sorry for the Countess, had likely sent food or other items to her in secret on several occasions. She wouldn't miss an official opportunity like this.

I was pleased, but Adrian remained silent for a while.

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be now...”

“Wow, Lady Leticia! That’s a great idea! Since the Countess is weak, it would be good to prepare some nutritious food for her. She will be so happy!”

As Adrian began to refuse, I clapped my hands loudly and interrupted. Leticia, not noticing her master closing his mouth, brightened.

“Right? Hilda, you think so too, right? There’s no decent cook at the villa, so Olivia must be having a hard time. Even when eating delicious food, it pains me to think of her.”

“Yes! Even if she doesn’t say it directly, she must miss the meals she had at the mansion. It’s a wonderful idea! What do you think, Young Master?”

“...Yes, there’s no harm in it.”

Adrian, who had been staring at me for a long time, finally let out a heavy sigh. Unaware of the situation, Leticia clapped her hands in delight. Although she said she would prepare ‘a little,’ it was clear she meant much more.

Adrian ended up with an unexpected gift load, but it didn’t matter. What’s good is good.

“Count!”

At that moment, the lively atmosphere was shattered by the sound of someone rushing up the stairs.

“Butler?”

What’s going on? It was the first time I’d seen the butler running. As soon as he reached us, he hurried over, his face pale. Even I, who had never seen him so discomposed, was taken aback.

“Count! There’s a guest downstairs. It’s...”

“A guest?”

“Count Adrian?”

The sound of several footsteps echoed up the stairs, and then unfamiliar faces appeared one by one. Seeing them from afar, I froze. I didn't recognize any of the faces, but their uniforms were familiar. The smile disappeared from my face, and my throat tightened.

Police officers... Why are the police here?

“Oh, I told you several times that you can’t come up here! This is problematic!”

“Count, you need to come with us to the police station.”

They pushed aside the butler and approached Adrian. I was left gasping for breath, watching the shadows fall over Adrian. The pounding of my heart made it impossible to calm down.

Why, why are they here? Have we been caught? There were too many things we’d done to guess what this was about. Adrian hadn’t done anything recently, especially since he got better. And I was mostly an accomplice, so why only Adrian?

“Wait, you need to explain why you want him to go to the police station so suddenly!”

“Unfortunately, you’ve been named a suspect in the murder of the late Count Palzgraff.”

“What? That’s absurd! The circumstances of his death have already been clarified! There were witnesses to the carriage accident; how can it be murder?”

“That’s true, but we have a witness. We cannot ignore the tip-off. Besides the murder, there are also allegations of kidnapping a ward and practicing demon worship. We need to investigate these claims.”

“Demon worship? What on earth...!”

The butler was too shocked to speak, and Leticia covered her mouth in surprise, frantically looking around. I clenched and unclenched my sweaty hands. A witness to Count Palzgraff’s murder? But Adrian had assured me that he’d killed all the cultists present, that he’d left no one alive. How could there be a witness?

Moreover, we couldn’t touch the police...

Hiding my unease, I looked over at Adrian and our eyes met. His pure, innocent eyes sparkled for a moment.

“If there are suspicions, they need to be cleared.”

“Count!”

The butler and Leticia exclaimed simultaneously. I couldn’t believe Adrian was agreeing to go to the police station without a fight. I held my breath.

“Hilda, wait for me at the mansion. It won’t be a big deal.”

His gaze lingered on my trembling hands before moving away. For some reason, Adrian seemed strangely satisfied.

Adrian had been living in unparalleled happiness lately.

Although he hadn’t managed to remove the irritating system from Hilda, everything else was nearly perfect. Whenever he was overwhelmed with the anxiety that she might disappear at any moment, she would whisper her love and stay by his side until he was reassured, then return to her quarters.

She could have left, but she didn’t.

And that wasn’t all. After scattering and encapsulating the time he had kept her confined, Hilda had become more lenient. She constantly told him that she loved him the most, more than the girl Emily or Kazimir.

Adrian was overjoyed.

If a moment’s deceit could earn such affection, he could have shown her everything from the beginning of time. Would Hilda love him infinitely if he gave her infinite time? If so, he would offer all the time of every living being to her.

He floated on cloud nine, feeling like he could walk without touching the ground. Besides telling her multiple times a day how much he loved her, the act of being physically close to her provided immense comfort.

Hilda was honest about her desires, and Adrian loved that about her. Whenever they had free time, they embraced each other. Sometimes she initiated it, sometimes he was more proactive. They were neck and neck in terms of frequency.

The time he had avoided her for fear of hurting her now felt like a waste. A thousand years wouldn’t be enough. It was terrifyingly blissful, to the point that he fantasized about ending the world and leaving only the two of them.

Most of his affection was tender, but sometimes his patience snapped, and a ruthless, violent side emerged. When suppressing the urge to make her cry uncontrollably, he occasionally exerted too much strength, breaking furniture, which worried Hilda to no end.

Although her concern about the household items being destroyed was cute enough to make him want to nibble on her, he didn’t want distractions.

So, he began to set up barriers whenever he spent intimate time with Hilda. Fortunately, this reduced the frequency of broken furniture, but sometimes his strength accidentally blew away parts of distant mountains. He completely obliterated a small mountain near the mansion, but as usual, Hilda never noticed.

Seeing the reduction in broken furniture, Hilda seemed to think he was getting better at controlling his strength. That wasn’t true at all.

In any case, he seemed to be getting used to pretending to be human. The fact that he, who didn’t even understand what ‘like’ meant among humans, now realized that ‘boyfriend’ referred to a lover was proof.

Everything was perfect. Until he heard the terrible word “male friend.”

“Well, you locked me up for a month and then hid away yourself, right? You lost your boyfriend qualifications. It’s more like we’re in a trial period now.”

“Lost qualifications... What does that make me then?”

“If not a boyfriend... I guess a male friend?”

Adrian, who had been floating on clouds, suddenly plummeted into the ground. Everything turned dark, and despair enveloped him. All hope in the world disappeared, turning it into hell.

Male friend, male friend...

He repeated the hateful term thousands of times. Each repetition made him feel worse, confirming that it was a term that should never exist.

First, he wanted to find the person who came up with that dreadful word and kill them. If they were already dead, he wanted to drag their soul from hell and tear them limb from limb. The thought of them being in heaven never crossed his mind. No one with such a wicked idea could possibly be in heaven.

“Count, you need to come with us to the Metropolitan Police Department.”

First, a male friend, and now even the appearance of a watchman.

Adrian was extremely annoyed. He was already feeling down after being demoted to what felt like a stranger. He had planned to go into town today to try a blitz campaign, but now that was blocked.

Normally, he would have hypnotized them and sent them away or killed them, but since these were watchmen, there was a risk involved. Even if he brainwashed and sent back the few small fries in front of him, other officers would come again. If he sent them away, others would come, and this would repeat several times. If anyone got suspicious, it would become even more troublesome.

How annoying.

He looked around indifferently, but for some reason, Hilda seemed anxious. It was a rare sight these days.

As he met her teary eyes, his heart sank heavily. Those moist eyes stirred the memory of a recent night, awakening a desire to push away the watchmen and take her to the bedroom immediately.

‘Young Master, what should we do?’

She asked with her eyes, not knowing what to do.

Ah, Hilda is worried about me.

A feeling of satisfaction, which he hadn't felt in a while, filled him up. It stacked up and overflowed. He had felt a strange emptiness lately, and this was the reason. Since he regained his strength and health, Hilda had rarely worried about him.

But now she was genuinely worried about him, just like when she saved his dying self.

His chest swelled with warmth. After being demoted to a mere friend, it felt like he was soaring above the ground. Regardless of who was watching, he wanted to hug his beloved tightly.

The troublesome and tedious actions of humans felt enjoyable. Now, he quite liked this situation.

“If there are suspicions, they must be cleared.”

His answer made the small fry approach, and Alban and Letitia sighed, but Adrian did not lose his smile. Rather, the more he saw Hilda in shock, the wider his smile grew.

He couldn’t miss this rare opportunity to receive genuine concern.

“…Are you saying our young master will stay here? Without even a ray of sunlight?”

Hilda mumbled in shock. She insisted on accompanying him to the Metropolitan Police Department, claiming she was his loyal servant and had to personally check the place he would stay.

“Is the investigation going to happen in that room? In that tiny room? What if they torture him there? Will they at least feed him properly? Surely the bed we just saw isn’t all there is? There wasn’t even a proper mattress on that stone floor, and our young master can’t sleep without six pillows! There’s only one pillow here!”

“Hilda, it’s fine.”

“What do you mean it’s fine! There are no cameras here, what if they beat and torture him to force a confession? There will be no evidence, and if he gets hurt, really…”

“I said it’s fine, you don’t need to worry.”

“How can I not worry when the curse hasn’t even been lifted yet! This is a den of watchmen!”

She fretted over him, stomping her feet. He felt like he could fly with joy again.

No, Hilda. If I’m with you, even a prison would be heaven.

“Sergeant Jeffrey! Come here and explain what’s going on, you can’t just drag people away like this! I understand the investigation room, but what’s with that cell? Surely you’re not going to make our young master sleep there? Let me meet this witness. I won’t move a step until I hear what they saw and where!”

“Hilda, calm down.”

Hilda grabbed an officer who was trying to sneak away from her and lashed out at him harshly, while Adrian half-heartedly tried to stop her from behind. The more furious she became, the more pleased he was, which confused Jeffrey.

“Um, Miss Hilda. We have a duty to protect the witness… we can’t expose them before the investigation is over. But we have secured enough credibility in their testimony. The sighting took place at the temple. The temple in Lucubel village.”

“Lucubel… temple?”

The location was exactly right. This meant they didn’t have completely wrong information. Jeffrey failed to notice the slight sign of panic and adjusted the papers in his arms.

“The investigation won’t take long. Unlike murder cases with witnesses, all other issues are just circumstantial evidence. And honestly, we didn’t expect the Count to comply so easily… we need a bit more preparation. We’ll make sure you’re as comfortable as possible, so don’t worry. It’s a simple investigation, despite the summons.”

Perhaps because of his docile attitude, Hilda’s aggressive stance softened a bit.

“Even with a witness, the investigation could reveal no charges. If the Count is innocent, it’s a necessary step to prove it. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation, so please go back. Okay?”

“Yes, Hilda. I’ll be fine, so go back. Nothing will happen.”

He couldn’t stand the idea of her talking to another man for longer than necessary. Adrian gently took Hilda’s hand away from Jeffrey and stood between them.

“Oh, oh.” Jeffrey stumbled backward, tripping over his feet and spilling the documents he was holding. Hilda glanced at the scattered papers. Adrian stepped on one of them as he caught her gaze.

“Young Master, this is definitely a setup or a conspiracy, isn’t it?”

Hilda asked, implying if he had left any witnesses or evidence at the temple.

“Of course.”

There was weight to Adrian’s confirmation. On the day he took Count Palzgraff’s life, he had also taken the lives of all living things within the temple, so there couldn’t be any witnesses or evidence. He was even more innocent regarding the abducted patron incident.

“I understand. Please wait a bit, even if it’s uncomfortable. I’ll be back soon.”

Hearing his firm response, her voice also grew resolute.

The clever Hilda seemed to have already figured out what the document he stepped on was. We can communicate just by looking at each other’s eyes. Adrian felt even more satisfied as he kicked away the paper he had stepped on.

Before leaving, Hilda whispered, “Don’t wreck this place in the meantime,” but her eyes were still filled with concern as she looked back at him several times while leaving the Metropolitan Police Department. He was elated by how much she was worried about him. It had been so long since she had been this anxious because of him.

You’re worried about me. That means you love me that much, right?

“Count, please wait here.”

Jeffrey hurriedly picked up the scattered documents and pointed toward the investigation room. Adrian didn’t add any words and entered the investigation room, sitting in a chair. Table, two chairs, a small window… it was a very humble place, but he was satisfied enough to stay for a day.

Actually, he didn’t want to be away from Hilda even for a moment… but he wondered how much she would welcome him after suffering at the police station. He couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Maybe she would even make him her boyfriend again.

Out of pity… yes, his master was kind and compassionate, so it was entirely possible.

She said it depends on how I act, right? That means I could become her boyfriend again or even more than that. I might live in her room again, or she might become my wife. She could live with me forever...

The phrase “depends on how I act” was very convenient. Since Hilda said it herself, there wouldn’t be any scolding. He liked it.

“Um… Count, excuse me. I need to ask you a few questions.”

[ hey there, sorry for disturbing your reading! I'm just here to make sure you are reading this from my website (https://tlbyviridescent.blogspot.com/p/surviving-as-maid-in-horror-game.html) and not somewhere else where it got reposted without my permission... that's it! ]

A rookie officer, who had clearly not been in the force for long, came to take his statement.

Although he had complied, summoning a high noble like him would be tricky. If he were released later due to insufficient evidence, they would surely be busy trying to cover their tracks. They would claim they only found out later and blame their subordinates. It was obvious. The final person in the chain of responsibility was probably the rookie in front of him.

The poor rookie officer, oblivious to his fate, asked about his alibi and various other things. Adrian wasn’t known for having a good personality, but he was in a good mood today, so he answered obediently. His alibis were meticulously crafted.

The rookie officer reviewed the statement and seemed puzzled. How could he be summoned as a suspect with such a solid alibi?

“Please wait a moment.”

The officer ran out with the statement, and not long after, another officer barged in. There were only two types of people who entered this place. The first was a low-ranking officer like the previous one, and the second was someone ambitious enough to make a big achievement.

“How can you expect me to believe all this? Count, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Inspector Reuben. From now on, I will determine if there were any falsehoods in this statement. Is that acceptable to you?”

The inspector who had just entered was of the latter type. He was polite, acknowledging the presence of a great noble, but the machine he dragged in was quite noisy.

“Excuse me.”

Two bracelets connected to the machine were placed on his wrists. Adrian immediately realized that this machine was meant to measure his pulse to detect lies. Quite an interesting toy they brought. With the generosity he gained thanks to Hilda, Adrian willingly accepted Reuben's questions.

Initially, the questions were simple, asking for his name, family name, title, and residence. Once the average heart rate was established, Reuben began to ask more serious questions, flipping through the statement.

“Count, is everything written in this statement true?”

“Of course.”

Reuben glanced sideways. The machine spat out paper with zigzagging heart rate changes. While lie detector results alone couldn't determine guilt, he seemed to be looking for any loophole to exploit. In other words, a futile effort.

Well, who knows? If you flail about enough, you might touch the tip of something.

“Did you ever go to the temple with the late Count Palzgraff?”

“My father was an atheist. There was no reason for us to go together.”

Reuben's eyes shifted secretly. Adrian could see the obvious result without checking. Trying to read his inner thoughts with such a crude machine was a useless idea.

“There is a witness who testified that you and the late Count were together. Including the murder.”

“My father died in a carriage overturn accident. The coachman and servants who were with him at the time can testify sufficiently. It seems you've targeted the wrong person for this machine.”

“According to our investigation, the late Count was not an atheist. You don't intend to say you were unaware of the abducted sponsored individuals, do you?”

“I really didn't know.”

His bright, clear eyes blinked gently. Reuben's expression twisted sharply.

“How is that possible? You were in business together, but you didn't know? Count, you may not realize this, but this case can be prosecuted based solely on circumstantial evidence.”

“Really? How interesting.”

“I'll ask again. Did you have any involvement in the death of the late Count or his abduction schemes?”

“Not at all.”

The lie detector's results were as clean as his answer. His heart rate was so stable it seemed almost as if it had stopped. Even if this was conducted with inanimate objects, the heart rate change would be greater.

Despite presenting witness testimonies and several pieces of evidence, it was all in vain. He didn't even blink an eye, let alone show a heartbeat change, resembling a living doll.

“How long do you plan to continue this useless act?”

His disdain for the crude machine seemed to embarrass Reuben. His grip tightened on the pen as if he might crush it.

Reuben racked his brain from the moment Adrian entered the police station. Since it was Officer Jeffrey who brought this case, he had to do everything not to be outdone. He needed something, anything that could touch this unshakable man.

“By the way, the woman who came with you earlier is your personal maid, right? Let's call her in and interrogate her. If she's your personal maid, she must have been by your side constantly, right?”

“Haha, that's amusing.”

His voice grew unusually low, and for the first time, his heart rate changed. Reuben's eyes widened. It was slight, but compared to before, the fluctuation was more than tenfold. This is it!

“Let's summon her immediately.”

“You better not do that...”

Better not? This was finally the breakthrough. Reuben rose confidently from his seat.

When Adrian's indifferent blue gaze pierced him.

“Argh!”

Half of his head was blown off.

It seemed like an invisible shell had flown in at tremendous speed, blowing his head off and disappearing. Reuben screamed and fell. The chair that was barely supporting him toppled over, and he rolled to the floor. It seemed his eyeball was also blown away, as half of his vision went dark.

“You should have listened when I told you.”

“Huh, uh, uh...”

“I am not lenient to those who don't know their place.”

It was strange. Even though half his head was blown off, he could hear the voice clearly as if both ears were intact, and his consciousness was clear. Given the amount of blood pouring out, he should be dead by now.

My head's blown off... my head... In a panic, he rolled on the floor, screaming in pain that made death seem preferable. The enormous amount of blood soaked his vision.

“You're quite the drama queen.”

With a small murmur, the pain disappeared as if it were a lie.

What? The limbs that had been thrashing like crushed bugs stopped. Not only was the floor that had been soaked in blood clean, but so were his hands. Most importantly, his vision was restored. When he groped around, he found that the half of his head that had been blown away was back.

What... what the hell is this... He looked up at Adrian with trembling eyes.

Adrian's haughty blue eyes looked down at him arrogantly.

“How interesting. Most would be utterly terrified by now.”

The intense and violent light. His hands trembled as if they had touched the fangs of a beast.

“Even after... after laying hands on an officer, after doing this...”

“What did I do?”

At his light, almost humming words, half his head was blown away again.

“Aaaaah! Aaaah!”

“Quiet...”

Leaving Reuben thrashing in immense pain, Adrian murmured indifferently. If he directly harmed an officer, Lilith's curse would manifest, so he trapped him in an illusion. Yet, it only made things more chaotic.

Adrian knew many ways to torture the soul without laying a hand on it. One of those ways was creating an illusory world and overlaying it on a person. Of course, the illusions created by Satan were far more realistic and painful than those of other demons, so most people didn't last long.

He restored Reuben's head and blew it away again. Restored it, and blew it away. This time, not just half, but the whole thing.

He had to endure all this as if his hands and feet were tied. Since there was no substance, he couldn't dodge it. Even if other officers rushed in, it would just seem like an unexplained seizure, and he wouldn't be able to plead his case.

After repeating this about five times.

When the screaming showed no sign of stopping, Adrian decided to change the type of illusion.

“Do you know how to swim?”

His beautiful eyes curved gently. That blue light soon became a brutal and violent current, swallowing Reuben. He screamed in a shrill voice, suffering alone in the agony of drowning.

With his eyes rolled back and gasping, he resembled a fish out of water. Perhaps he should slit his throat to give him gills...

“It's better now that it's quiet.”

Adrian smiled slightly as he removed the soundproof barrier around the interrogation room.

Ignoring Reuben, who was choking and struggling to breathe, he once again indulged in pleasant thoughts.

When I return to the mansion tomorrow, can we become lovers again? Is just being captured not enough? What if, as I feared earlier, she was forced to confess and beaten? Would she be more concerned? Creating signs of being beaten is simple enough, so it might not be a bad idea.

Hilda, you worried about me being in pain, but the truth is, I can endure anything if it proves your love. In fact, is it childish to want to suffer more?

Sorry, Hilda. For rejoicing while making you genuinely worry, I must be an unavoidable demon.

It was definitely Isaac, that witness.

His name was on the document Adrian stepped on. Given his high status and power, even if Adrian were imprisoned, he wouldn't be there forever, but he couldn't just sit around waiting to return to the mansion.

Most of all, it was strange. There shouldn't be anyone who survived the temple to witness "Adrian killing the Count." If someone saw it, it didn't make sense, and if they didn't see it, the situation becomes even more complicated. Either way, he needed to meet and talk to him.

I immediately took a carriage to Aida Village to find the last place I saw Isaac. Iris's house. Isaac had danced and recited poems of courtship in front of this house's window. This was also the first place the fame system was unveiled.

I happened to meet Iris and found out where Isaac lived, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling. It might be better to take some backup.

There were two people I could rely on in such situations. I chose the one who was easier to call. I summoned Rosie with the "Lieutenant Call" and was about to close the window when I accidentally clicked "Hostile Target." As I was about to close the window after glancing at the remaining two hostile targets, I noticed something strange and my hand hesitated.

"What the... is this?"

「Isaac - Allied

Harrison - Allied」

Wait, these two are allied? I've seen hostile targets forming alliances before, but it was suspicious that these two even knew each other.

A slack mailman who scammed fruit sellers and danced while courting, and a detective with a murderous aura... This combination didn't make any sense. Even if alliances in the game could be made with the click of a button, this was odd.

It seemed an event occurred while the system was down, causing me to miss the alliance notification. Isaac stood as a witness while forming an alliance? And the other one was the detective who constantly harassed us at the mansion. The connection between the two made everything even stranger.

"Sister."

Ah, I was startled. A quiet voice from below made me reflexively close the window. When I looked down, I saw a little girl with a long gun slung over her back, staring up at me with wide eyes. I was about to thank her for coming today when Rosie spoke first.

"You're alive, sister."

"Huh?"

"I've been looking for you since the day you vanished."

I suddenly realized that the day Rosie was talking about was the first night I was trapped in Adrian's room. Oh, right, I was so preoccupied with Adrian and Emily that I hadn't told Rosie anything when I returned to the mansion.

"I've been searching since that day... I couldn't get close because of the immense power shielding you. I thought I had lost you forever."

The usual bright eyes, like candy stars, had dimmed. Rosie, who always cheerfully carried her large gun, seemed defeated. I had been so busy lately that I forgot about our last encounter, which must have shocked her. She had been looking for the person who called for help, only for them to disappear without a trace.

"I was on my way to find you. You called me for help, but I was too scared to go. That person took hundreds of lives there. Even from a distance, the energy was so intense, it felt like my back was being slashed repeatedly. When I finally arrived, all traces of time had been erased. It's a power that ordinary demons don't possess, but for him..."

Rosie paused, breathing heavily as if recalling the moment.

"I couldn't find you at the mansion either. He had hidden you so thoroughly that people had already forgotten about you. They thought you were dead. It must have been because of me. Because I didn't get there in time."

Her small shoulders trembled visibly.

"I couldn't go. I promised to help but was too scared to go."

Without waiting for me to stop her, tears began to fall. Rosie was crying... I only intended to thank her for coming today, but my light heart suddenly felt heavy as if soaked in water.

Rosie seemed more shocked than I thought, and I felt incredibly sorry for forgetting the incident from a month ago. I knew she liked me, but I never imagined she had been searching for me all this time.

"Because I couldn't keep my promise, you..."

"No, Rosie! It wasn't because you didn't come that I got trapped there. Nothing happened at the temple either. Look, I'm perfectly fine now. You don't need to blame yourself. I'm actually grateful for all the help you've given me."

"Re... really?"

Her deep crimson eyes, glistening with tears, looked like dark rubies. I nodded vigorously.

"Of course! Even if something had happened to me, I wouldn't have blamed you. If anything, I'm sorry for calling you to such a scary place."

"..."

She said it felt like her back was being slashed repeatedly. Despite feeling extreme fear, she came to the temple to look for me. She searched for a month and felt guilty because of me. I couldn't believe it was only because of her quantified affection points.

"I'm sorry, Rosie."

This apology wasn't just for Rosie but for everyone else as well.

When I first arrived in this world, I treated all people and objects as data. I thought the pixelated figures only recited lines the developers programmed and moved according to the scenario. Their feelings, emotions, likes, and even lives were just programmed, something that could be reset if they were lost.

Even while exchanging emotions with Adrian and recognizing reality, I never seriously considered others. Emily, Kazimir, Kaiden, Grover, Rosie, the Countess, Letitia, Alben, Dolores... As I became familiar enough to pronounce the names that initially felt strange, I naturally grew attached and developed emotions for them, but still.

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

This was sincere.

I never considered what I meant to Rosie. I never thought she would search for me for such a long time after I disappeared without a trace a month ago. Because I didn't see them as people, I only viewed them as targets of affection that could be requested and summoned at any time.

Rosie's guilt and tears made me feel the weight of my actions even more. They were treating me as a reality, regardless of how I treated them.

"I won't disappear without a word anymore. I won't make you worry like this again."

But now, they were all real to me. Acknowledging this meant I had to live with the guilt of treating them as data and the responsibility for the murders. I never intended to avoid it, but acknowledging it out loud made it feel more real.

I still didn't have concrete proof that this was reality. Menus and icons floated around like in augmented reality or VR games, and giving gifts quantified emotions into affection gauges. I could still move them by pressing the "Request" button.

But not seeing them as people meant I would have to think of Adrian as data, and that was unthinkable.

"...As long as you're okay, sister, that's enough for me."

Rosie's sobs gradually subsided. Although she wiped her tears with the back of her hand, the wet eyelashes and slightly red cheeks clearly showed she had been crying. Are demons naturally tearful? Adrian cried easily, Kazimir cried recently, and now Rosie. It seemed like all demons were crybabies.

Moreover, Rosie was supposed to be a little demon. She must have lived much longer than me, so I wondered if it was right for her to call me sister. Given her appearance, I often treated her like a child, which felt strange. But Rosie called me sister first, so maybe demons also wanted to feel rejuvenated.

"But... that person isn't here. They were ominously surrounding you for days."

Rosie looked around with her red eyes after stopping her tears.

Oh, right, now's not the time for this. Adrian was at the watchmen's den. Thinking about him left alone at the police station made me anxious. If his crime was revealed, Lilith's curse might manifest in some way. I had to prevent that.

"Rosie, I'm sorry to ask this after apologizing, but..."

"Please, tell me, sister."

"I have somewhere I need to go today. I don't think anything will happen, but just in case. Of course, if you don't want to, you can refuse."

Even though it pricked my conscience, I gave her an option after making her cry. If Rosie didn't want to, I could take Kazimir instead. But since he specialized in hand-to-hand combat, while Rosie was a shooting expert, it was better to have her. In games, ranged characters often turned out to be overpowered.

"Where is it? I'll go anywhere."

Seeing Rosie adjust her large gun and get ready made me feel both grateful and sorry. Hmm, I'll have to give her something in return after today's task. Perhaps a gun she wants but can't buy, or a growth supplement.

Rosie's height hadn't changed much since I first saw her, but the machine gun she carried was getting longer. The one she had today was even dragging on the ground... I wondered if she could even shoot it.

Anyway, thanks to Rosie's cooperation, I had a reliable ally to find Isaac.

I needed to confirm two things: whether he really witnessed the murder and, if not, why he gave false testimony. He wouldn't confess easily, but with Rosie by my side, I could threaten him sufficiently.

"Let's see, it should be around here..."

Following Iris's directions, I wandered around, but the houses looked so similar that I was going in circles. Rosie followed me, circling around as well. We were both spinning around. It's not that I had a poor sense of direction; the alleyways were just a maze of twists and turns.

「A hostile target is approaching.」

"This house... looks like it."

I peeked in front of the house we finally found, timing it with the alert. I knocked and called Isaac's name, but there was no response. If not for the alert, I might have thought he was out delivering mail since it was still daytime. Was this guy avoiding me because I was a hostile target?

"Sister, I hear movement inside."

While I was momentarily lost in thought, Rosie tugged at my clothes. I couldn't hear anything, but Rosie seemed to.

"Should we open it?"

"Yeah, could you?"

Would there be a crime of breaking and entering in this world? There must be, right? But with Adrian now hauled off by the police, breaking and entering seemed like the least of our worries. If I ended up in jail, I’d just pay bail and get out. While I was admiring the hefty amount of gold royalties I had recently received for my macrame crafts, Rosie pulled a small handgun from her coat and aimed it at the door.

With a soft bang, the handle shattered, and the latch fell off. It seemed like there was nothing a gun couldn't do. Maybe I should get one for emergencies, too.

[Translator Note: "Macrame" is a form of textile produced using knotting techniques.]

「The alliance between Isaac and Harrison has been severed.」

Just as I was about to grab the now wobbly door and open it, white text flashed before my eyes. Isaac and Harrison’s alliance had broken? I had just found out about their alliance, and now it was already severed?

As I opened the door, I froze in shock at the scene that unfolded before me. I had imagined countless scenarios of what could happen when I met Isaac. Considering our antagonistic relationship, I thought he might run away, show hostility, or threaten me. I had been busy thinking about how to make him talk in those situations. But I never imagined I would walk in on Isaac being strangled by some thug.

“Grrrk, gck...”

Isaac’s eyes were rolling back as his throat was ruthlessly crushed.

What should I do in a situation like this? I wanted to run away saying, "Oops, wrong house. I didn't see anything. Go on with your business." But I couldn’t. I still had questions for Isaac, and more importantly, the assailant looked familiar.

"Ugh!"

As soon as we entered, the thug literally threw Isaac aside. Isaac flew like a ragdoll, hitting the floor with a thud and rolling over, seemingly losing consciousness after hitting his head on a chair.

"Sis!"

Things were getting intense. Rosie pushed me aside with surprising strength. I stumbled a few steps but managed not to fall. In that instant, a bullet grazed Rosie’s arm, leaving a long gash.

Turning quickly, I saw a smoking black gun barrel. Damn, there was a gun! But if he had a gun, why was he strangling Isaac?

Even with his face completely covered by a large robe and mask, his eyes seemed to glint when he saw the wound on Rosie’s arm.

Soon the gun was pointed at me. Click, click. He pulled the trigger a few more times, but only a clicking sound came. It seemed there was only one bullet loaded in the gun.

That meant he had just tried to kill me. That crazy bastard?

"Can I kill him?"

"Please do."

I would have preferred to capture him alive, but it didn’t seem like the kind of situation where that was possible. With my permission, Rosie quickly swung the machine gun she had strapped to her back into position.

Bang, bang, bang! The violent sound of gunfire echoed through the house, far louder than the handgun. Even though it was a relatively lightweight, modified version, the large machine gun shook wildly with every shot, spewing smoke.

Despite her small frame, Rosie held it steady with both hands, unfazed by the recoil. That machine gun was meant to be fired from the ground, but Rosie wielded it like a handgun... She truly was an overpowered character without any handicaps.

Crash! Clink! The belt of bullets hanging from the machine gun shortened as the house got torn apart. Even in the midst of the chaos, I thought it was a relief that Isaac had already lost consciousness. If it were me, I would have cried.

The casings clinked as they hit the floor, pouring out from the relentless machine gun fire. Rosie’s ability to handle the recoil was impressive, but the thug narrowly dodging the bullets and diving out the window was just as remarkable.

Crash! Glass shards flew everywhere as the thug escaped through the window. Rosie chased after him, but I stopped and turned back to Isaac. My primary objective was him, not the thug.

"Isaac, Isaac! Wake up, hey! You can’t die like this! Is your testimony to the police true? Is it really true?"

You have to answer my questions before you die! I slapped his cheeks, but he showed no sign of waking. Stopping the slaps, I placed my fingers under his nose. Thankfully, I felt a faint breath, indicating he was still alive.

If we hadn’t arrived, he would probably be dead by now. To strangle him so viciously, there must have been real intent to kill.

“I hope Rosie’s okay...”

I glanced at the broken window. The curtains fluttered pitifully in the breeze. The thug had run out of bullets, and Rosie had plenty of guns, so she should be fine. But I couldn’t shake the worry about the wound she had sustained.

“Um, is everything okay here?”

A cautious voice came from the crack in the door. Neighbors, alarmed by the gunfire, had started gathering outside, peeking through the door. It was understandable; such loud noises in a residential area in broad daylight would scare anyone. Sweating profusely, I explained that it was just a burglary and assured them there was nothing to worry about, sending them away one by one.

After the villagers left, I tied the broken door shut with a string and waited for either Rosie to return or Isaac to wake up. There was much to confirm with both of them.

Fortunately, Rosie returned soon. She seemed dejected, which worried me, but it turned out she was just upset about losing her target. She was sure the thug knew the area well enough to escape so quickly.

Honestly, I was more concerned about the wound on Rosie’s arm. The injury itself was troubling, but what bothered me more was its nature.

"Sis, I really could have caught him. If he hadn’t slipped away like a fish... He must know a lot about guns to calculate the reload time and aim around corners like that. Where can I find someone who knows the area and is skilled with guns? I want to settle this."

"Rosie, about this wound... It looks like a burn. No, it’s like it’s charred..."

"Don’t worry about it, sis. Sometimes bullets are hot when they’re fired, and they can cause burns. Just wrap it up with a bandage, and it’ll be fine."

"Really? Wait, hold on. Let’s apply some more ointment before wrapping it."

As a former soldier, Rosie bravely tried to bandage right above the wound. In her previous life, she had died young on the battlefield, so a minor gunshot wound seemed like nothing to her.

"See? The bullet’s still hot, right?"

Seeing my continued concern, Rosie pulled a bullet from the wall and handed it to me. Wow, it was still warm like a hot pack even though quite some time had passed. It must have been scorching hot right after being fired.

It seemed gunshot burns were more common than I thought. Remembering the Adrian Holy Water incident, I realized I might have been overreacting.

"I’d rather find that guy again and finish this. Where should I go to settle the score?"

Rosie fumed with anger while I applied ointment to her wound. Her vertical pupils, like a cat’s in the light, showed her agitation.

I always thought Rosie was tough and straightforward, but now I realized she had a strong sense of rivalry, too. She would probably excel in school later. With her leadership skills and proficiency with firearms, her future seemed very bright. It might be wise to stay on her good side; connections are everything in society.

"Hmm, I’m not sure. We ran into him by chance today. Maybe Isaac will know who he is when he wakes up. There can’t be that many thieves with guns around here."

"When do you think he’ll wake up? Should I slap him again?"

"No, I already tried that, and it didn’t work. If we slap him more, his cheeks might bruise. Let’s wait a bit and see if he wakes up on his own."

"Darn it!"

Rosie stamped her foot in frustration, ready to punch something, but calmed down when I insisted we wait.

Isaac finally woke up after sunset. It was a relief since I had considered leaving him to Rosie, who might have really crushed one of his cheekbones.

After a while, clutching his bruised neck and wheezing, Isaac saw me and burst into tears. At first, I thought it was because of the mess in his room, but it turned out he was grateful we had saved him.

"Thank you, Hilda. Thank you for saving me...sob."

Isaac sobbed uncontrollably, tears and snot running down his face. Though I comforted him with pats, he was still an enemy who had initially opened up the infamy system for me. I was torn between gratitude and resentment. The infamy had made dealing with criminals easier, but it hadn’t been pleasant at the time. He was a complex figure in my life.

"They told me to testify against the Palzgraf family, saying it wouldn’t be a big deal, so I did...sniff, because they offered me money."

Isaac, repeatedly thanking us for saving his life, began to spill information I hadn’t even asked for. Wait, I couldn’t just let that slide.

"So, you mean...you testified to witnessing a murder scene even though you didn’t see it? You thought it wasn’t a big deal?"

"Th-they said they’d pay me..."

"Because of money...you put our young master in prison?"

I need to kill this bastard. I shouldn't have spared him earlier.

Isaac, sensing the deadly change in the atmosphere, dropped to his knees, pressing his forehead to the ground, and began begging profusely with his hands clasped together.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I did testify at the police station, but it felt so uneasy that I thought it was better not to do it! When I mentioned that, they started strangling me, calling me a traitor! I made sure to write a statement so that my testimony would still be valid even if I died!"

"And you expect me to believe that now?"

"Sister, should I kill him?"

Rosie jumped in, as if she had been waiting for the moment. Long, golden bullets rolled and clinked in her small hands. Isaac had already turned pale as if he had been shot. He was clearly the type who was weak to threats.

"W-wait! Just hear me out! He said he was an inspector! An inspector, so I thought it would be safe to trust him! I never thought anything wrong would happen, I swear!"

"What? An inspector?"

"Yeah, Harrison! He definitely said that name. He called himself Harrison!"

My thoughts froze at the name Isaac spat out with a spray of spit. That terrifying man was Inspector Harrison? Why Harrison?

Before entering this house, I had seen the alert that our alliance had been broken, but I thought it was just because Isaac was dying. I never imagined it was because Harrison had come to kill him after breaking the alliance. More than anything, Harrison was a cop overflowing with a sense of justice... Wait a second. No way.

"Isaac, did he leave anything behind? Anything at all. A weapon would be best. Something that might have absorbed his emotions... anything?"

"W-what?"

"Harrison! Did he drop anything?"

Leaving a bewildered Isaac behind, I scrutinized the surroundings, realizing something, and looked back at him. It had been right in front of me. The object marked with his intent to kill.

I used the 'Seer's Eye' skill and stared at Isaac. As the skill activated, the murderous intent left behind by someone began to emerge in various colors, like smoke. The murderous intent I was looking for crawled up Isaac's body like a snake, extending a long tongue to coil around his neck.

A deep, dark purple.

It was the exact same color. The murderous intent of the serial killer who had been cutting off wrists and had tried to strangle Kazimir.

"Law? Hah, back in the day, sure. I ran around trying to catch criminals, hoping the law would judge them. It was all bullshit. Bullshit, I tell you. What's the point of running around? They just get off easily with money or status. Justice in this world died a long time ago. Yeah, a long time ago. So..."

"I have to... establish justice myself."

Eyes filled with rage. The chilling atmosphere. Obsession laced with madness.

My God, the serial killer who had been murdering criminals was Inspector Harrison. And for some reason, he had bribed a witness to frame Adrian as the murderer.

As the connections between what I had previously dismissed as coincidences clicked into place, a shiver ran down my spine, as if claws were scratching my nape.

Catching Harrison, who had already slipped away, was secondary to rescuing Adrian. I dragged the terrified Isaac, who wanted to hide at home, to the police station. Since Adrian had been summoned mainly because of the witness, if Isaac retracted his testimony, we could get Adrian out.

Of course, I sent Rosie back on the way to the police station. She was too scared of Adrian to bring her along. Since she got hurt today, I splurged and bought her three guns in small, medium, and large sizes. The sight of her happily heading home with extra vitamins for growth was endearing.

"Uh, Hilda. I... I won't be punished for lying, right? They'll understand if I say I was following the inspector's orders, right?"

"Of course. You didn't know anything and just did as the inspector told you. They'll understand."

"Right? I should be able to get out without any issues?"

The closer we got to the police station, the more anxious Isaac became. There would undoubtedly be charges of perjury, but I didn't tell him that. What if he got scared and ran away?

Even now, he seemed ready to bolt at any moment, so I had to practically drag him by the arm. I couldn't help but wonder why he lied just because someone told him to when he was this frightened.

"Huh? What brings you both here together?"

Sergeant Jeffrey was smoking a cigar outside the police station. Isaac froze at the sight of the officer, and I pushed him toward Jeffrey.

"Hello, Sergeant. This person has something to confess."

"A confession, not a testimony? Well, let's go inside then."

Jeffrey, who had no idea what confession he was about to hear, put his cigar back in his pocket and kindly led us inside.

I dragged the hesitant Isaac and practically handed him over to Jeffrey, then sat down on a chair that had been indicated to us, watching them through the glass. Isaac's anxious eyes darted to me, then wandered around like a ghost before finally landing on Jeffrey. Jeffrey's expression, initially curious about what Isaac had to say, grew increasingly grim as Isaac stammered out his confession.

"What do you mean you're only telling us this now!"

Jeffrey's enraged voice echoed through the glass wall. Isaac flinched as if struck, and Jeffrey hurried off somewhere. Probably to report to his superior. It seemed the tendency to immediately report everything to superiors was the same here as elsewhere.

Watching the officers bustling around, I prepared myself to meet Adrian. Since the false testimony had been revealed, they should release him soon enough. This society respects status, and Adrian had one of the highest.

Though he had only been here a few hours, I worried about how he was holding up. Our dear devil needed six pillows, hated having his collars wrinkled, and was extremely sensitive to anything dirty or noisy. Even though he had recovered his health, he was still vulnerable to stress, sometimes suffering from headaches. I hoped he wasn't in pain, suffering alone...

But I should avoid making a fuss like I did the first time. Checking the interrogation room or the cells and asking for six pillows had been over the top, even by my standards. So let's not make a fuss this time, don't make a fuss...

"Hilda."

"Young Master!"

Seeing Adrian escorted out by the officers, I leaped up. I must have repeated to myself not to make a fuss at least ten times, but I forgot all about it when I saw him.

He looked pale and haggard, likely from the ordeal of being interrogated. The thought of leaving Adrian to sleep in prison tonight was inhumane and heartless of those damn officers.

"Are you okay, Young Master? Was it tough being interrogated in there? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I'm fine, Hilda. But you seem to have had a hard time. Have you eaten?"

"How could I eat with you in here? Let's go home and eat together."

When I held his hand, his angelic smile made my heart ache. He said he was fine, but I couldn't help but think about how scared he must have been, surrounded by the watchdogs of the curse-infested police station. It was like leaving a hamster in a den of cats.

Oh dear, just saying it made me feel even more sorry for him. Poor, dear devil.

"Good heavens, my Lord! You were here!"

With a clatter, officers came rushing down the stairs. The cats were coming; I had to protect the hamster!

Startled, I stepped in front of Adrian as the officers swarmed around. The one who seemed to be the highest-ranking officer ran towards us, sweating profusely.

"Nice to meet you, my Lord. I'm Inspector Marc. I should have come to you earlier, but apparently, the report was missing. If I had known you were here, I would have come down sooner. And the witness... I'm ashamed to say I have no face to show. If I had been informed, you wouldn't have been inconvenienced like this."

"It seems the witness changed their statement."

Adrian gently pulled me behind him, like an escort. Ah, this man was the same inspector frequently mentioned in the conversations between Harrison and Jeffrey.

"Yes, well... the witness confessed that their testimony was coerced. Since no evidence emerged during the investigation, you are free to go, my Lord. I deeply apologize for bringing you here with insufficient evidence. These idiots! Why aren't you all begging for forgiveness! You should have let him go as soon as the lie detector showed nothing!"

The inspector, bowing deeply, spotted the stiff-backed officers and barked at them. Then he turned back to Adrian, bowing again.

"I'm truly sorry, my Lord. I have no excuses. Please forgive my incompetent subordinates."

"Did they also confess who coerced them?"

"Well, it seems a former officer of this station was behind it. Although they are no longer with us, it is deeply regrettable that a former officer of this station was involved in such a matter."

"Inspector Harrison, are you aware that he had a private meeting with me an hour ago?"

What! Harrison had come to see Adrian directly an hour ago! What had he been doing here after shaking off Rosie? My eyes widened in shock, and the inspector's eyes grew even larger.

"Y-yes? Harrison entered this police station? That shouldn't be possible. Harrison no longer has access..."

"Then I must have been hallucinating. To have met and spoken with an inspector I had never seen before... I must be ill."

"That's not what I meant! How could I dare... Who did this! Show yourself immediately!"

If someone unauthorized had entered, it also meant there was an insider who had cooperated. Among the officers, who were stirring in confusion, one person particularly stood out. Jeffrey, muttering "There's no way the Inspector would do such a thing, there's no way...," seemed utterly dazed. Even someone like me, who didn't know him well, could tell he was the collaborator.

"Jeffrey, see me later. Count, has Harrison committed any serious offense? This is also our fault, so we will compensate you at the Metropolitan Police level."

"Compensation is unnecessary. However, we must catch the person who caused all this trouble."

Adrian's voice lowered to a chilling degree. Sergeant Marc seemed startled as if he'd been burned.

"Of course! No need to worry! From now on, we'll mobilize all personnel to track down Harrison immediately. By the way, Count, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"What did Harrison say when he came? I hope he wasn't too disrespectful..."

"There was no such thing. We exchanged a few trivial questions and answers, and that was it. It was cut short when another officer returned, and he fled the station. That's all."

"I see... Understood. Count, it's late. Please return to your estate. I'll go prepare the carriage. Sergeant Reuben, you've troubled the Count a lot with your investigation. Stay here and apologize properly. Then escort the Count to the carriage when it's ready. Count, I'll visit you again soon. The Commissioner has also expressed his wish to come along next time."

"Thank you."

"No need to mention it. I'll go prepare the carriage now."

Sergeant Marc bowed servilely and left, followed by the other officers.

Seeing one officer who interrogated Adrian still standing among the departing officers, I focused my gaze on him. Memories of coercive interrogation, pressure, and violence surged back, making me decide to question him further based on his apology.

But his state...?

"Young Master, why does that officer look like that? He doesn't seem well."

「Status Abnormal – Incapacitated」

He swayed like a broken doll, a strange sense of déjà vu confirming his abnormal state.

"Yes, Hilda. I missed you too."

Adrian, sensing my attention on Sergeant Reuben, naturally blocked my view by pulling me into an embrace. Despite just coming out of prison, Adrian still looked stunning. Even slightly gaunt, he was noble, handsome, and impressive.

He said he missed me. Isn't that enough... His smile, bright as sunshine, made my mind go blank for a moment until the status abnormality notification snapped me back to reality.

"Young Master, did you do that to him?"

"No."

"Really?"

"...No."

There was a one-second pause before his answer. He did it, didn't he?

"How could you do that to an officer! What if something had gone wrong! And this is the police station!"

"But Hilda, that guy was planning to call you in for questioning too."

Adrian protested, looking aggrieved as I scolded him.

What? Then I guess it's understandable... No, this isn't right.

"Even so! If I had to be questioned, I would, but you can't lay a hand on an officer! What if Lilith hid something in the curse?"

"It's not dangerous, Hilda. It was just a light illusion. If you had been summoned and interrogated, it wouldn't have ended so lightly."

He answered gently, like a docile lamb. His kindness contrasted sharply with his actions. I sighed deeply. Well, at least no one lost any body parts or died, so I guess he was lenient.

"Even so, you can't just incapacitate an officer. If it's just a witness interview, you should comply. What's the big deal? If you keep this up, you'll end up killing someone who bumps into me on the street."

"Is that not allowed?"

"Of course not! There's no benefit in drawing attention to ourselves right now. Quickly, fix him."

"But..."

"Do it."

Adrian reluctantly turned his head with a long sigh. With just a glance, the officer's shaky body slumped to the floor. I asked him to fix it, not make him faint. Is he still alive?

"Hilda, if you keep focusing on him, I might do something you'll dislike. Are you okay with that?"

Obviously not. I started to peek over his shoulder to check on the officer but quickly lowered myself back down.

Sorry, Sergeant Reuben. This is my limit. Not getting involved any further will be better for you.

Since Lilith's curse wasn't activated, I decided not to worry about it anymore.

"What kind of investigation did he conduct? What's this lie detector?"

"Ah, it's a device that measures heart rate to determine lies. It was crude."

Adrian explained while fixing my disheveled hair.

There were similar devices in my previous world. But they didn't work on him?

Adrian actually killed his father, so this was puzzling. As I looked at him questioningly, he turned to meet my gaze. His blue eyes became moist.

"You know my heart only beats for you, Hilda."

He held my hand to his chest and smiled charmingly. Usually, this would be a romantic cue for a kiss, but I was worried about something else. He might stop his heart to prove his point.

"Young Master, just to clarify, your heart should beat even when I'm not around. Understand? If your heart stops, you die."

"Hilda... your unromantic side is the most romantic thing in the world. That's why I love you."

"Think about it, I have many other good points."

"Whispering sweet words makes you even more beautiful. Will you whisper like this in bed too?"

"Don't say such things here, Young Master. If you say it in bed, I'll do it right away."

"Sorry, you're so lovely I couldn't help it."

"You're just as bad..."

"Uh, um. The carriage is... ready."

An officer, who had been watching us, flinched at the entrance. I vaguely heard about the carriage's arrival earlier but dismissed it like a fly buzzing.

We locked eyes, and he briefly looked awkward before his eyes rolled back, and he fainted. Without needing an explanation, I knew Adrian had erased his memory and put him to sleep.

What used to surprise me now seemed routine. Adrian's various abilities made life quite convenient, and I couldn't fault him for using them naturally.

Holding Adrian's hand, I stepped over the two fallen officers and headed to the carriage.

If I told Adrian, we could be back at the estate in a blink, but a romantic carriage ride under the moonlight sounded enjoyable.

As expected, our return to the estate was very pleasant. Throughout the ride, Adrian kept saying, "Being with you makes even a prison a paradise," and when I replied, "Isn't it better to be at home with a bed?" he marveled at my wisdom. I hoped his infatuation never faded.

"Wow, look at this room..."

Returning amicably with Adrian, I found the room a mess, left in a hurry that morning. There was so much to clean up. Just looking around, my list of tasks kept growing. I thought I'd finally rest after running around all day...

"Hilda, what are you doing?"

Adrian asked, watching me silently start tidying up the room. Can't he see?

"The room's a mess. It's still as it was before we went out to eat. Usually, someone cleans and tidies up when we're both away. They must have been too busy today."

"Hmm, how about leaving it for tomorrow and resting today?"

He summoned fire to the fireplace and approached, hugging me from behind. Just as I stood up after neatly arranging the towels, I felt the warmth on the nape of my neck and froze.

"Don't do that. I haven't even washed yet."

I gently raised my hand to stroke his hair. The strands, softer than a cat's fur, slipped through my fingers. He had to crouch to embrace my much smaller frame, which was incredibly endearing.

"Shall I wash you?"

"How can you say something like that so casually? Do you think of nothing else all day? Seriously..."

He is incorrigible.

"What do you mean, Hilda? I meant I'd wash you like this."

As he lightly brushed his hand down my arm, a refreshing sensation swept from head to toe. My hair, which had been covered in dust, felt clean, and my sticky skin was now smooth and dry. It felt a bit like cheating, but I remembered he had washed me like this a few times before. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I kept my mouth shut, and Adrian let out a small laugh.

"It seems I'm not the indecent one here."

"Yes, this indecent servant will be leaving now."

"You're sulking. How cute. But don't leave me so coldly. It's true I thought of you all day. Now I finally get to hold you."

He turned my slightly pushing hand around, interlocking our fingers and lowering it. His lips brushed near my neck, and his hands gently rubbed the back of my hand, making me feel ticklish. Well, he had a hard day just like I did. My slightly sharp mood melted away.

"But, young master, you said Inspector Harrison came by earlier. Was there really nothing significant?"

He was the one who tried to frame Adrian as a murderer by bribing a witness. He even infiltrated the police department with Jeffrey's help, so he must have had some sinister motive.

"Yes. He seemed oddly agitated, but he just asked a few questions and left."

"Really? That doesn't sound like him... "

"The strange thing was, I couldn't sense his presence at all. Not while he was approaching me, nor when he was sitting right in front of me. I even tried hypnosis and some light magic, but none of it worked. I've never met anyone like him before. He might be my nemesis."

"Really? Your nemesis? He was hiding there... What! Why didn't you tell me that right away?"

"I didn't want to worry you, Hilda."

When I started shouting in panic, Adrian's voice trailed off as he continued to rub the back of my hand.

"Even so, you should have told me sooner! Wait, is he really your nemesis? How can you meet a nemesis so casually? You couldn't sense his presence? Your powers didn't work on him? Have you ever encountered anyone like that before? Oh no, you're not hurt, are you? He didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"No, I wasn't hurt. I've never met a human who magic doesn't work on before. Physical strength might work, but he's definitely unusual. So, I just suspect he's the nemesis mentioned in the curse."

"That's... that's really dangerous. And he came to meet you. The curse said that you can't kill your nemesis and if you do, your world ends..."

How could Harrison be designated as his nemesis? Could it be because both tried to kill criminals? Is this some kind of territorial battle?

"Don't worry too much, Hilda. I know he's my nemesis, but he doesn't even know the curse exists. The curse won't activate. That's why I used the police officers earlier instead of dealing with him myself."

That's true. I know about Lilith's curse because I came from outside. But why would Harrison go to such lengths to frame Adrian?

Moreover, the fact that no power works on him is shocking. Is that really proof he's the nemesis? Hypnosis doesn't work on me either.

"Young master, wait. Let go of me for a moment."

I pushed Adrian's arms and hands away and walked toward the fireplace as if possessed. He called my name and followed, but my eyes were fixed on the blazing fire. Hypnosis doesn't work on me. So, what about Adrian's power?

"Hilda, what are you... Hilda!"

As I thrust my hand into the fireplace, Adrian rushed over and pulled my arm out. My hand, scorched from the infernal flames, was a mess. My legs gave way. My shoulders ached and my hand hurt so much I couldn't even clench it, but the mental shock was greater, leaving me dazed.

"It hurts."

"What on earth... oh."

"It hurts so much..."

Adrian's power works on me. Hypnosis didn't work because my survival instincts were stronger than others'. Hypnosis can't override instinct. All the brainwashing attempts Adrian tried in the beginning, I perceived as threats to my survival.

So, Harrison really is the nemesis. I saw madness in his eyes at times. Maybe I really misjudged this badly.

"Hilda, please don't do such reckless things... I'm begging you."

Adrian was desperately trying to restore my burnt hand, just like he had once fixed my crushed bones. According to what he explained once, he couldn't heal, but he could reverse the time of specific body parts to before they were injured.

However, just as a wound-up clock has limits, he couldn't reverse long-term injuries or disabilities, and since the human body constantly changes, reversing only parts could result in a mismatch. That's why he avoids doing it when possible.

"Don't get hurt. Please, don't get hurt. If you get hurt, I... I can't bear it. I'm afraid you'll die, I just can't..."

As Adrian reversed time, the pain that felt like thousands of needles pricking my hand gradually faded. When my burnt skin returned to normal, I grabbed Adrian's cheeks and turned him to face me. His eyes had been wet since the moment I thrust my hand into the fire.

"Promise me one thing."

His eyes wavered faintly. I looked straight into them and spoke clearly.

"Never, under any circumstances, directly touch Harrison. The pain from Lilith's curse is already enough. I can't stand to see you suffer any more."

"..."

"Promise me. Don't give up on your world so easily. Treasure yourself as much as you treasure me."

How much undeserved suffering had he endured? He was just beginning to get healthy and happy, and now they say his world might end. What does the end of the world mean? Ultimately, it's death. After all the pain he's been through, all the loneliness...

My nose stung and my eyes heated up. Remembering the pale Adrian when I first met him, I felt even more unjust.

"...Okay. I'll do that."

I hugged Adrian tightly. He fell back naturally, asking if I was crying and soothing me. But I didn't cry. I swallowed my tears with dry eyes and looked ahead. Adrian agreed to follow my words, but I knew he might change his mind depending on the situation.

But I will never let your world end.

If it ever comes to that, I won't let you face the end alone.

As I once said, in the abyss, we were always together.

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