Chapter 9-2 – Nobody Mentioned the Lock-in Event in the Horror Game

My boyfriend, who I've been dating for a short time, suddenly stopped contacting me and disappeared. Should I wait for him, or should I go look for him? Would he be mad if I showed up?

I ate a delicious sandwich I made in the kitchen while staring at the darkness that had spread throughout the corner of the room. After deciding to wait for him to come back on his own, I spent two days observing the situation. I discovered that it wasn’t just this room that was engulfed by darkness. The darkness had rooted itself here and grown like a massive vine, wrapping around the entire mansion, making it look like it could collapse at any moment.

It felt like an endless night had arrived. Everyone was asleep, time had stopped, and even plants had ceased to grow. It was a perfect darkness where not even a breath of wind or a sliver of sunlight could penetrate. I was the only one awake in this pitch-black void.

Luckily, I could still go outside on my own, but every time I did, I felt the darkness watching me intensely. Why hide if it was going to be like this?

The mansion was in such a dreadful state that I was worried passersby might notice. Strangely enough, people seemed to pass by as if the mansion didn't exist. Was this Adrian’s power? It was as if he had detached this place from the world.

After two days of reflection, I concluded that Adrian must have been in distress ever since he first locked himself in. From the stream of consciousness he let out while his mind was crumbling in real-time, it seemed he suffered more because he thought he had become like that girl demon. He must have agonized alone for four weeks and then exploded when he heard I was going to leave the room.

Now I understand why he wasn’t willing to have a proper conversation. I should have tried to forcefully keep him and talk on the first day.

“Adrian’s presence cannot be detected.”

The indicator at the bottom left, which used to show Adrian's status, hadn’t moved since it was restored. Not being able to get help from the system regarding Adrian was extremely inconvenient.

This time, I focused on the spot where I suspected Adrian was hiding. Boom, thud. Watching the darkness pulse, sometimes red and sometimes black, a description appeared.

“Hidden Dungeon - Abyssal Darkness

Rating: ???

Attributes: Dark, Fire

Clear Reward: ???

Special Features: Darkness drawn from the abyss”

“Alright, let’s go then.”

I finished packing the sandwich stuffed with ham and cheese, grabbed my bag, and stood up.

A water shield spell to block fire attributes, a flashlight to illuminate the darkness, a detector that was supposed to find people, a legendary dress Adrian had piled up to enhance my ‘luck’ stats, and food to last through the exploration.

The detector, which was supposed to find people, looked so much like a dowsing rod that I couldn’t trust it much, but I figured I was prepared enough.

“Do you want to enter the hidden dungeon? Once you enter, you cannot leave until you clear it.”

As I stood before the writhing darkness, white letters shimmered into view.

I could ignore this and go on living. Adrian had hidden himself, the mansion’s time had stopped, and I could easily take advantage of this situation without worrying about being confined again or the uncertainty of the main quest.

But one thing was certain: my happiness couldn’t exist without Adrian. He had made me weak at times, but mostly, he made me incredibly strong. I was determined to walk thousands of miles if it meant finding him. I had resolved to give him a happiness greater than the anxiety I had caused him. And this time, I intended to tear apart that white shirt of his when we met.

Taking a deep breath, I pressed ‘Yes,’ and the surroundings went completely dark. With a single breath, my nose and throat burned intensely, so I quickly pulled out the water shield spell from my bag and tore it.

“You have entered the Abyssal Darkness (Hidden Dungeon).”

“You cannot heal or repair equipment inside the dungeon.”

“You are an uninvited guest.”

“You receive stat penalties. (Natural Recovery Rate -30%)”

Only after using the water shield could I breathe and take in my surroundings. The world beyond the transparent blue barrier was completely different from the one I lived in. It was a world I had never seen but had imagined at least once.

A blazing volcano, dark blue sky, black night city, swirling volcanic ash, and the stinging smell of sulfur.

“Is this... hell?”

Should I be glad I came here alive rather than dead, or should I lament my misfortune? Given the atmosphere, it seemed like a place one wouldn’t want to come to after death, so I decided to think positively.

I grimaced and pinched my nose. The damp air mixed with the constant burning smell, the stench of melting rubber, and the acrid sulfur odor made my nose ache with every breath.

Wow, I really came all the way to hell just to take off Adrian's shirt. When I find him, I must get compensation for all this trouble.

“I found ‘Adrian.’”

Just in case, I took out the detector first, but no matter which direction I pointed it, the same message repeated. At first, I was surprised it could find him so quickly, but no matter how I checked, I couldn’t see a single hair of Adrian’s. This item was clearly buggy. Ah, it did look like a dowsing rod, so no wonder I couldn’t trust it.

Where should I look for this missing demon? If he really wanted to, he could hide in a place no one could find, but then again, he wouldn’t expect me to come here, so he might be off guard. Adrian’s house... Since this is hell, I should look for Satan’s house.

Where would Satan live in hell? Given his love for quiet, my eyes first went to the volcano, but since Satan held quite a high position here, it seemed unlikely he would live hidden in the mountains. As someone trusted by the ruler of hell, he would likely be kept as close as possible.

“Let’s start over there.”

A massive castle towering into the sky. I set my sights on the large settlement beneath it and started walking.

“The water shield has 9 hours and 38 minutes remaining.”

The water shield was practically my lifeline when I first entered hell. Ugh, my budget was tight, so I couldn’t buy enough. If I had known the air would be fire-attributed, I would have sold some enhancement materials to buy more.

9 hours and 38 minutes... This isn’t much time, especially since I have no clue where Adrian is in this unfamiliar hell.

Starting from a mountainside, it seemed like it would take quite a while to reach the settlement below. As soon as I took the first step, I felt eyes watching me from all directions. The sharp sensation, like having a knife pointed at me, made me flinch and look around, but all I saw were volcanic ash and rocks.

Is it the sky?

I lifted my head and saw the dark sky heavy with storm clouds. Somehow, it felt like thousands of eyes were staring at me from behind that deep blue mist. It felt like the whole world was watching me. Is this really hell?

Soon, I looked ahead and started descending the mountain. I walked diligently without stopping, but it didn’t feel like I was getting any closer to the settlement. Occasionally, I encountered venomous snakes slithering up the mountain and a large nine-headed snake, so I had to hide behind big rocks for a while.

“The water shield has 6 hours and 12 minutes remaining.”

After three hours of walking, the large castle and village still seemed as distant as if I were looking at them from the mountain’s peak. It felt like I was trapped in a maze.

Due to the fire and dark attributes, my stamina was depleting rapidly. My total stamina was 1233. A new red status bar appeared next to the level indicator on the top left of my view, which seemed to be a new feature that had been unlocked during my confinement. Notifications kept popping up, saying it was related to newly unlocked skills, but I didn’t have time to look at the system in detail now.

My remaining stamina was 891. As an uninvited guest, my natural recovery rate had been reduced, so my stamina didn’t regenerate over time. If I didn’t replenish it with the sandwich I had brought, I would die before the shield ran out.

After replenishing my stamina to 1100, I was pondering how to get to the settlement when I saw something small wriggling in front of me. Thinking it was another group of snakes, I prepared to hide but then noticed a small girl and stopped. There’s no way a person could live here... so she must be a demon?

“What are you?”

Thinking it would be better to avoid her, even if she was a young demon, she spoke to me before I could react. Seeing how quickly she approached, it wouldn’t have helped to hide behind a rock.

“I’ve never seen anything like you. What’s this?”

Her vivid purple eyes, like embedded jewels, seemed more interested in the barrier surrounding me than in me. She poked at it with her fingers, finding it amusing that it would spring back after being pressed.

“That’s water.”

“Water?”

“Yes. Now can I ask you something? Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“My name is Lilith. I’m searching for seedlings under my master’s strict guidance.”

“...Lilith? You mean the daughter of the Lord, Lilith? With Satan as your master?”

“Do I need to explain more after you hear my name? That’s unusual.”

I

 had run into Adrian’s former... well, it’s not quite accurate to say former, but anyway, a woman with a long and deep story with him. Wasn’t she supposed to be dead? Why does she look like a child and call Satan her master?

There were two possibilities: either this was the past or it was Adrian's memory

I was confused about which one was easier to believe.

"Hey, you know, this thing. Can I have it? I like it, so I want it."

While I was speculating that if this was Adrian's memory, he might still be favorable towards me, young Lilith bluntly betrayed that thought. She seemed to like the soft, light blue shimmer and grabbed it firmly, pulling it hard. The protective barrier stretched far, becoming faint.

"The Water Shield is about to be deactivated."

"No, you can't have this! Let go... right now!"

Instead of letting go, she pulled harder, so I had no choice but to slap her hand away. Thankfully, the barrier snapped back into place, and the warning disappeared, but Lilith didn't take kindly to my refusal. Her eyes, which had been rising slowly, began to glow ominously.

"Why? Why can't I have it? Why won't you give it to me?"

"Why can't I give it to you? It's mine. It's really important to me right now."

"If I ask for it, you have to give it to me. That's the rule. No demon here can claim anything as their own."

"Listen carefully. This doesn't belong here. I bought it long before I came here. The reason you could get whatever you wanted was probably because the demons around you indulged you. Or you're just seriously mistaken."

"Are you saying there's something I want that I can't have? That doesn't exist!"

"..."

I thought she might not understand because she was a child, but remembering what Kazimir had told me, it seemed she never outgrew this kind of reasoning. It wasn't logic; it was sheer tantrum.

"You need to listen to my orders because you're here now. Fool."

I couldn't help but think that Adrian, despite the mentor-student relationship, resembled her somewhat. Just as Lilith always got what she wanted, Adrian had lived an endless life without ever stumbling. If she couldn't understand what I was saying, perhaps he too couldn't comprehend the single stumbling block in front of him.

Anyway, from just a few words exchanged, I could see how stubborn Lilith was. Her way of thinking was completely authoritarian. If she grew up like this, it would be even worse. Dear Lord, this is not how you educate your children. No wonder she betrayed you...

And Adrian suffered greatly because of her. This time too, he dug deeper into his trauma from the past, leading to this situation.

I raised my fist and gave Lilith a good thump on the head. Her head dropped, and when she lifted it again, the mischievous smile was replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

"You... hit me?"

Her hands, which had tried to take the shield, trembled.

"You hit me... No one can hit me here."

"I hit you because you deserved it. You shouldn't covet what's not yours."

Her eyes, which had widened in shock, slowly filled with tears. The trembling that started in her hands soon spread to her entire body. Her lips quivered. This wasn't looking good.

"I'll... make sure you regret it."

"What..."

"I'll make sure you never meet him again!"

Lilith screamed, and the air began to vibrate. My ears buzzed with the sound, making me think it was some kind of sonic attack, but surprisingly, that was just the beginning. As volcanic ash started to swirl and Lilith began to cry, a massive hurricane formed right in front of me.

My feet lifted off the ground in an instant. Help... someone help!

The wind picked up speed as the young demon wailed. Volcanic ash swirled around like paper, making it impossible to keep my eyes open.

I'm getting dizzy. Am I going to fly to the ends of the sky or get thrown to the ground? The wind roared so loudly in my ears that I thought my eardrums would burst. As various possible death scenarios flashed through my mind, white letters flickered.

"The Legendary Luck Dress (Purple) buff is activated."

"You have gained great luck! You will land in a random location."

I could hardly believe my eyes. What? Land in a random location? At this altitude? That's basically telling me to die!

I quickly looked around for a 'buff deactivate' button, but of course, this game didn't offer such user-friendly features.

I... am falling! Suddenly, I dropped from the raging hurricane.

"You have gained great luck! The impact will be cushioned by a tree."

"Ugh! Ow! Ouch!"

Thud, thud, thud sounds echoed as my stomach, back, and butt took massive hits. Was this really cushioning the impact? It felt more like getting beaten up.

Thud! According to the game, the tree was supposed to cushion my fall, but it just scratched my leg and let me drop. I fell into a deep pit, wondering why such a trap existed by the roadside.

You can't understand hell logically, but this was just too much. As I stared blankly at the high sky from which I had flown, I wondered if I could climb out. At least Lilith hadn't followed me out of spite.

"Is anyone... out there?"

"You have gained great luck! Your call for help reaches a passing dog."

It would be nice if someone could pull me up. I mumbled in exhaustion, and the luck buff kicked in again.

Oh no. Just don’t activate again... I muttered weakly, but my plea went unheard as three pairs of eyes glowed in the darkness.

A dog, you say? There are dogs in hell...

"Growl..."

Yes, there are. Hellhounds. Cerberus.

Isn't that more of a monster than a dog?

It would have been better to die quickly than to suffer in stages like this. As I watched the massive claws of the approaching Cerberus dig into the ground, I knew I had no escape. This was it. There was no way to win.

I knew this would happen. I always suspected this game system would eventually succeed in killing me. At this point, the third main quest might as well be 'You've survived too long. Time to die.'

System, do you have something against me...?

"Growl..."

Cerberus's middle head, as big as this pit, approached first, leaving the others waiting outside. At least I wouldn't have to watch three heads fight over me. If they decided to split me into three equal parts, I'd die in a very gruesome way. I’d rather die cleanly all at once, please!

As the giant black bean approached, I closed my eyes tightly, bracing for the imminent pain. But instead of feeling its breath or drool, I just felt a lot of snuffling near my ear. It was like having a humidifier blow directly in my face.

Sniff, sniff. The stronger breath blew my hair around, settling it on my face. What is this? Does this monster have a habit of sniffing like it's about to drink wine?

I cautiously peeked through half-opened eyes, expecting to see Cerberus's open jaws. Instead, it was busy sniffing something else. It seemed desperate to use its nose since it couldn't use its paws to pull something out.

Wasn't it going to eat me?

"Um... Do you want to eat this?"

The only thing in my bag that could be attracting the smell was the ham and cheese sandwich. I cautiously pulled the bag towards me and took out the sandwich. As soon as I did, Cerberus's large bean-like nose twitched with excitement, and I could hear the other two heads, which couldn't enter the pit, barking in protest.

Ignoring them, the middle head devoured the sandwich without even chewing. It seemed even hungrier, its eyes gleaming with greed.

"Do you want more?"

Before I could finish my sentence, it had already taken the next sandwich. Even after eating several, its eyes still sparkled expectantly. I reluctantly gave it more, fearing it might eat me if I didn’t. Eventually, it devoured fifteen sandwiches.

Could you eat any less? I even gave away the sandwiches I’d packed for Adrian.

"Cerberus of Hell expresses its affection towards you."

As I looked sorrowfully at the now-empty bag, the middle head of Cerberus licked its lips contentedly and started to nuzzle me. While it might sound heartwarming, the giant head was pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe. Thankfully, it didn't try to eat me, but I could barely breathe!

"Wait a second. I get that you’re happy, but calm down and move a little... ouch! That’s hot!"

As I tried to gently push the head away, its mane burst into flames out of excitement. Even with a water shield, my palm turned slightly red; without it, I would have had at least a minor burn. Seeing me flapping my hand in pain and blowing on it, Cerberus tilted its head and put the flames out.

"Hey, do you know where Satan lives? Could you guide me if you do?"

Having lost all my sandwiches, I asked Cerberus if it knew Satan’s residence. Instead of answering, it presented its snout. Was it telling me to climb up? I secured my bag and started climbing. The slope made it difficult, and I kept slipping down.

In the process, I kicked its nose and pulled out some of its fur while trying to hold on, but fortunately, it didn't unleash its fiery mane again. I felt grateful for Cerberus’s patience, but considering how many sandwiches it had eaten, it seemed fair.

Finally, I climbed up between its ears. Cerberus raised its head.

Whoa! I slid down its neck, nearly falling off, but its thick tail saved me. Climbing back up, I sat securely on its neck as it began to move.

Its slow, leisurely steps gradually quickened, and then it leapt high. In just a moment, distances that would have taken me 30 minutes to walk flashed by. Then, another leap.

“Wow.”

Barely opening my eyes against the strong wind, I was awestruck. Each jump altered the surroundings dramatically, making it feel like the world was rushing toward me.

The surroundings were still hellish, with meteors raining down and a pervasive sulfur smell, so it was hard to appreciate the view. This is a nightmare. I need to find Adrian quickly and get out of here.

From Cerberus's back, the distant cluster of buildings approached rapidly. It seemed more efficient to ride Cerberus for 10 minutes than to walk for three hours. The sandwiches weren't wasted after all.

Arriving quickly at the cluster, the scene was different from what I had seen from the mountain. Some bizarre-looking creatures and demons glanced at me, but they showed no hostility or interest. Maybe it was because I was riding Cerberus, or perhaps this dungeon was friendly to me. Cerberus stopped its majestic strides in front of a massive mansion.

"Is this where Satan lives? ...I don’t even need to ask."

Getting off Cerberus, I saw it wag its tail gently. Despite having three heads with blood-red eyes, menacing fangs, and gigantic paws that could kill with a single swipe, it looked quite adorable.

To thank it for the ride, I scratched the middle head. The two other heads tried to push it away. Only after I scratched all three heads in turn did they stop fighting.

It felt like caring for three jealous puppies.

Having calmed Cerberus, I turned to the mansion. Its exterior alone made it clear it was Adrian’s home. The mansion, covered in plants and vines, was the only one like it.

"Is this the Amazon jungle or what?"

Adrian always dreamed of owning a giant greenhouse, but if this is his idea of a greenhouse, I strongly oppose it. Upon closer inspection, the plants all looked bizarre.

Those countless white, pointed things on the petals... are those teeth? And that’s drool? They all seemed to turn towards me, exuding a menacing aura. Is that murderous intent I’m feeling?

Unable to bring myself to enter the mansion, I wandered back to the entrance, where I spotted a man examining the ground.

Tall and broad-shouldered... he looked familiar, especially those extraordinary arm muscles.

"Excuse me, are you Kazimir?"

"Hmm? Do you know me? I don’t think we’ve met."

Oh, I guessed right. How did I know? It still feels surreal. I recognized him just by his arm muscles, despite his face being entirely different. I hope he doesn’t ask how I knew—it’s a mystery even to me.

Seeing him after a month felt even better. His confused eyes brought a wave of familiarity. Whether as a demon or human, his eyes were always the same.

"Yeah, I know you. Actually, I work at that mansion."

"Satan hired a servant? That’s unusual."

"It’s true. If you’re skeptical, you can ask me anything."

"Hmm. How many rooms are there in that mansion?"

"Thirty-two."

I remembered clearly because of a past argument with Kazimir about using Hell-specific knowledge. It was good to remember. My confident answer earned me a look of admiration from Kazimir. It was the competitive look he always had during our battles.

"Who was the first demon to challenge Satan to a duel in Hell?"

"Astaroth."

Kazimir had told me that story at least ten times.

"What’s Satan’s habit when tending to his plants?"

"He gives each plant a name only he knows."

I was horrified when I first heard that.

"What does Satan do before going to bed?"

"He checks his collection of statues and paintings."

When I first saw him wandering around, I thought he was sleepwalking.

"So you do work at the mansion. I never saw you before, so I was suspicious."

Kazimir nodded as if he accepted my response. He had told me half of this himself, but it didn’t matter. This was a dungeon made from Adrian's memories. Seeing Kazimir made me sure of it, despite the confusion between past and memory.

"So, why are you out here instead of inside the mansion? You seemed to be looking for something."

"Oh, I was looking for a small note. I can’t enter the mansion right now anyway. It contains landscaping knowledge I learned from a human gardener. It disappeared suddenly, and Hell has been in an uproar. They say someone must have stolen it because they coveted human landscaping knowledge. Some evil spirits are so tired of being questioned by Satan that they're ready to move on to the afterlife. I need to find it quickly."

Kazimir seemed more concerned about finding the note than figuring out how I knew his name or why I was speaking informally to him. But wasn’t that the note I had seen gloriously enshrined in the temple? The one Count Luaeri boasted as proof of Satan’s existence?

"Hey, stop looking. That note’s on the surface. You won't find it no matter how much you search."

"What? Is that true? No wonder it didn’t show up after turning all of Hell upside down."

"But why can't you enter the mansion now? Have you been banned or something?"

"See those flowers baring their teeth? You have to wait until they fall asleep and sneak in quietly. Otherwise, you’ll lose a part of your body. So many demons have fallen victim. You work at the mansion, and you didn’t know this?"

Flowers that tear apart demons? Why does Adrian grow such plants? The more I learned about his tastes, the more determined I was to prevent him from building a botanical garden.

"I haven’t worked there long. I must have only come and gone when those flowers were asleep. How long until they sleep?"

"Well, they just woke up, so it’ll be a while. Maybe half a day?"

Half a day! I couldn’t afford to wait that long with the water shield’s limited time. I needed bait to distract those terrible carnivorous plants. Something big enough to draw their attention...

I glanced at Kazimir.

"Hey, can you look at this for a moment?"

"What is it?"

Kazimir's eyes followed the long object I pulled from my bag. It was a detector I had bought for 200 gold, now useless. Long and slightly curved at the end, it seemed like it could be used as a boomerang. I shook it in front of his eyes and then threw it with all my might.

"Kazimir, fetch!"

Straight into the garden teeming with carnivorous flowers.

The werewolf, mesmerized by the detector spinning through the air, leapt towards it. The drooling flowers’ eyes all turned to him.

This was my chance! Sorry, Kazimir!

I seized the opportunity and dashed towards the mansion. Even with the legendary shoes’ buff, the garden was wide, and I couldn’t avoid drawing some attention. But Kazimir, realizing the situation after catching the detector, yelled loudly, redirecting the flowers’ focus.

Haha, sacrificing others in difficult dungeons is always the best strategy. When quest items don’t drop, you can just take them from other players. Being told, ‘Wow, you play like a total jerk,’ is the highest compliment a player can get.

In that sense, Kazimir’s curses were proof of my superior play.

I felt a bit guilty for using someone I knew as bait, but I did help him get his job back in reality, right? This was all Satan’s fault for raising such bizarre carnivorous plants. Yeah, it’s Satan’s fault.

…I'll make it up to Kazimir when I get back.

Leaving the dreadful screams from the garden behind, I entered the mansion and had to hold my breath. The interior was also filled with those carnivorous plants. 

Fortunately, unlike outside where the flowers had wide petals, these were closed up like garlic cloves, probably due to different lighting conditions.

I must be careful not to wake them. But where could Satan’s room be? The mansion had too many rooms to check one by one. I crept up to the second floor without waking a single flower and glanced down the silent hallway.

"So quiet."

I wondered if Adrian was really here. I decided to check the rooms from the end of the hall. Just as I turned my head, I saw a shadow slip into a room. Did I see that right?

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

〔Hello.〕

A voice echoed from the opposite direction. A cold breath swept past my ear, freezing me in place. The presence I was about to chase vanished completely.

〔You shouldn’t go there. Come this way.〕

The voice echoed again, distorting the space bizarrely. Everything twisted and cracked as if time and space were mixed up. When the view finally returned to normal, I was standing in front of him.

I didn’t dare to ask who he was. Though he was just sitting and reading a book, his presence alone was overwhelming.

I didn’t expect to find him so quickly after entering the mansion. And he called me over himself.

"Hello."

"……."

"Show some respect, uninvited guest."

He spoke without raising his head. His voice was husky and low, like scraping iron.

"Hello. It's my first time seeing you like this."

Though it was Adrian in essence, this version felt much more like a grand demon, making me bow my head. As I showed respect, Satan finally looked at me. Slowly, his gaze felt like it was dissecting me. Without showing any hostility or murderous intent, he made me feel the same tension I felt when I first met Adrian.

"It’s been a while since I’ve seen a soul not belonging to Hell. What brings you here?"

"I came to find someone."

"In my mansion?"

As his tone lightened, the oppressive atmosphere became easier to bear. Only then could I raise my head and look at him, marveling at his elegantly narrowed eyes.

Wow... red eyes. The color naturally associated with demons, which he embodied perfectly. Just like when I first met Adrian in the horror game, I was once again awestruck.

If you layered the darkest shades of sunset a thousand times, you might get that color. A deep, blood-red hue tinged with black. You couldn’t find such a cruelly beautiful color anywhere in nature.

Every time I met Adrian, I only thought about tearing his shirt off, but meeting Satan made me humble. It’s been a while since I felt this kind of pressure.

"It seems you’ve made a mistake. I am the only one in this mansion. But as a guest, I should at least offer you some tea."

He stood up gracefully.

If Adrian was a delicate beauty, Satan was a cold, handsome man. His movements were aristocratic and elegant, contrasting with his decadent, dark eyes. He must have "must be handsome in any form" engraved on his soul profile. Whether a demon or a human, he was incredibly attractive.

"Thank you. But I’m not mistaken."

"You mean you came to find me."

"That's true. But now that I see you, I’m not sure what to say. I didn’t consider the possibility that you might not remember me… Why did you forget? Maybe it’s because your mind collapsed so spectacularly?"

"I collapsed? You tell interesting stories."

Even his light chuckle carried weight. When I sat by the window as he guided me, he skillfully brewed and poured tea. His appearance was entirely different, but he still felt like Adrian. Despite being an uninvited guest, he was treating me to tea.

"What did you plan to do when you found me?"

"I wanted to persuade and comfort you to come home with me. Have the conversations we couldn’t have and clear up misunderstandings."

Satan seemed to smile faintly at my bold answer.

"That’s a foolish resolution. If I wanted to be with you, I would already be by your side."

"That’s true, but."

"You wouldn’t need to come looking for me. I would have found you first."

My efforts to narrow the distance were neatly dismissed. Adrian left me of his own accord… He hit me where it hurt.

"Well, you’re not wrong. But this situation is a bit different. As I said, your mind collapsed spectacularly."

"Because of what?"

"Because of me. You really loved me."

Satan now looked at me as if I were a strange creature. It must have sounded absurd to him, but it was all true.

"I was the one?"

What was that look in his eyes? I felt an urge to punch him.

"Yes! In doing so, I went off track and hid away because of the intense guilt. As a result, I ended up here. You might not remember it now, though."

"…Me?"

"Is there nothing you remember? I even made a flower ring for you. This one…"

"I don't know what kind of prank this is, but it's clear you're delusional."

I held out the flower ring I had worked hard to make while waiting for Adrian to come out on his own for two days, but all I got in return was a cold retort. He didn't even bother to mock me anymore, suggesting he wasn't amused. I put the flower ring back in my bag and leaned against the chair back.

"Sigh… Right? It sounds like a delusion? But I feel the same way. I'm wondering if I'm deluded into thinking you've forgotten me."

I was about to say a cliché line from an old drama about how much we loved each other, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. Whatever I said, I felt it would be trampled by that icy face of his.

If only it were Adrian's face, I would have found it easier to speak. Wasn't I making a fool of myself, looking for a completely different person?

"I hate to disappoint you, but I've never seen you before. So there's no memory to erase or delusion to indulge, and there's no chance of us returning together. You've come a long way, but it's all in vain."

"……."

"You'd better return as soon as possible. With your frail body, you won't last long here."

Even though the person I loved was treating me coldly due to amnesia, my heart didn't ache as much as it should have. Was I avoiding reality, or was it because his face was completely different, and it didn't feel real? It couldn't have been a more clean and quick failure, yet it didn't feel like failure.

More than that, wasn't it strange? I had followed Adrian and even found Satan, but my attention kept being drawn to another presence.

"Excuse me, may I ask you one thing? Earlier, you said we were the only ones in the mansion, right?"

"That's right."

"Since you're the owner of the mansion, there shouldn't be anyone wandering around without your knowledge."

"There was someone just now. An uninvited guest."

"Then why do I feel like someone keeps watching me? From earlier, it seemed like a shadow was flickering around the entrance…"

"It must be your imagination. There's no one here but you and me."

"Imagination…"

It couldn't be just my imagination. Since entering the dungeon, I had felt the world's eyes on me more intensely, the moment I entered the mansion. Desperate yearning, the stickiness of a rainy day, searing heat. Emotions I'd never felt before in my life chased me, tapping on my back before disappearing.

"Hilda, I never had a place to belong."

One night, while walking under the moonlight, Adrian had held my hand tightly and said that. He said he had never had a place to belong. Since he had a grand mansion, it didn’t seem to refer to a physical space.

"But it feels okay to be by your side. Can I do that? Always, with you…"

"Come on, you're right next to me, saying such things. Young master, you sure have a knack for saying unexpected things."

Feeling ticklish for some reason, I laughed it off heartily, but Adrian seemed quite happy with my answer.

Always. Always by my side… Ah, I understand now.

The detector wasn’t broken. The notification that Adrian had been found, no matter where I pointed it, wasn’t a lie. This world was Adrian itself.

Adrian had been with me all along from the start.

I drank the tea in front of me in one gulp and stood up, pushing the chair back. Red eyes, like those stained with blood, followed me as I stood. I smiled at the stiff face that seemed to wear a mask.

"Thank you for the tea."

"Are you giving up and leaving?"

"I am leaving, but I haven’t given up. I almost got hurt because you kept saying you didn’t know me… but I’m glad it didn’t take too long to realize. The person I’m taking back isn’t you."

"……."

"Somehow, I thought I'd shed a tear if you said such things to me, but it’s strange how I’m fine. Sorry, but it might get a bit noisy. I’m quite desperate right now."

"What…?"

"Still, it was nice meeting you. I was curious about how you looked in the past."

After engraving Adrian’s past appearance in my memory once more, I quickly left the room. As soon as I exited, a shadow flickered and disappeared at the end of the hallway again. I hurried to the end of the hallway and checked the room, but a shadow slipping into the inner room caught my eye. Chasing it with all my might, it disappeared around the corner again.

Moving to the adjacent room of the one the shadow had entered, I quickly opened the door and finally faced it. As I took one step forward, a new door appeared with a thud right in front of me.

A door within a door. Another door inside. As countless doors appeared in succession, the distance I had barely caught up with widened again.

I wanted to boldly shout, "Hurry up and come into my arms!" when I found Adrian, but here I was, playing tag. Did he think I would give up if he kept running away?

「You've received great fortune! Moving to the desired location.」

The expanding distance instantly shrank. The startled shadow surged up in the shape of a person and slipped toward another door. Squeak. Running with all my might towards the closing door, I barely managed to grab the disappearing hand.

"Did you think hiding behind a puppet would make you untraceable?"

I steadily grasped the arm, elbow, and forearm. He could have easily shaken me off, but was he hesitating? He stiffened, but it was an opportunity for me.

"Pretending to forget everything, saying only hurtful words, did you think I'd give up and leave? You were the one who couldn’t leave all this time."

He couldn’t bring himself to push me away, sinking into darkness. The darkness that had crawled up to my ankles seemed to try to take him the same way it had two days ago. I embraced him tightly from behind. The darkness that had climbed up to my knees began to cling to me as well. For some reason, I let out a satisfied laugh.

"If you want to hide in the darkness again, if that makes you feel less anxious, then do it. But this time, I’ll be with you. We were always together in the abyss."

"……."

"If you intended to confine me, don’t flee out of guilt. If you try to run away again, I might confine you this time. Understand? You’re not the only one who can lock someone up, binding them so they can’t move."

"……."

"I once imagined our end, but not like this. Unless you’ve come to hate me, you can’t run away so cowardly. If you’ve come to hate me, you can leave. I’ll curse you all I want, but I’ll only feel bad for a moment. But if you can’t leave, then stay quietly by my side."

In my desperation, I mixed explanations, threats, and pleas, alternating between informal and formal speech. I had to do this to prevent another new dungeon from being summoned. I didn’t even have the money to buy more summoning scrolls now!

"Or… Do you really hate me?"

"That… can’t be true."

If he kept his mouth shut, who knew what thoughts he’d brood over. I casually tossed the question, and fortunately, he replied. The darkness, which had reached my thighs, hesitated and began to recede slowly. It seemed my words were getting through.

"Then why do you keep running away?"

"Because I… to you…"

"Did something like Lilith?"

"……."

"Well, yes. I know how much you hate that woman, so I can understand why you’re more sensitive and reactive. Of course, locking me in the room was wrong, but that alone doesn’t make you become her. Did you try to kill me, or cast a terrible curse? You’re far from it. And there’s a crucial difference between you and her."

"What…"

"I love you."

"……."

"I love everything about you. Whether you laugh, cry, get angry, or complain. Even feeling guilty and running away. So please trust me… and let’s go home. I don’t like the suffocating air here."

I threw out every possible threat and argument I could think of, hoping that at least one would stick. Watching the water shield's duration drop hour by hour felt like waiting for a time bomb to go off.

Adrian remained motionless for a while. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking with his eyes so clouded, but seeing the gloomy aura gradually lift, like the sun breaking through clouds, made me feel somewhat relieved.

As the darkness faded, the mansion began to melt away, dripping like a watercolor painting washed with water, revealing a familiar space.

Adrian's room.

It looked just as it had two days ago, perfectly tidy and organized.

「Dungeon clear rewards being calculated…」

「WARNING! External interference detected.」

「FATAL ERROR- FailedOperationException: Operation has been halted.」

「An unknown error has occurred. The system cannot be restored.」

As Adrian returned, the system went into red alert, and the brightly lit map darkened, making my world feel narrow once more. However, I was just happy to be back home with Adrian, and nothing else mattered.

Ah, home at last. I was suffocating so much I almost died. If the memories were that bad, in a real hell, I would’ve suffocated and died without any protection. From now on, I need to keep an eye on Adrian to ensure his mind doesn’t collapse.

Exhausted, I collapsed onto the bed without even thinking about changing clothes. Adrian, who had been watching me with his eyes, slowly crawled over. He seemed embarrassed to make eye contact but clearly wanted to hold me.

As I hugged him tightly, he gently tickled the back of my hand with his fingertips.

“Um, Hilda, it’s hard to breathe…”

“So what if it is? You tried to run away after saying you’d get used to it.”

“Right? If I could die in your arms, that would be the most blissful end.”

I sighed and let go of him. Adrian, seeming slightly regretful, played with the strands of my hair scattered on the bed. I never thought I’d see a demon looking so dejected.

“…Honestly, I didn’t expect you to follow me there. It’s a dangerous place for humans.”

“Well, once I set my mind on something, I see it through. But I have a question. Did you really plan to hide there forever and avoid me? Setting up a puppet to make me believe you’d forgotten everything?”

“…This might sound like an excuse, but Hilda, I didn’t go there willingly. When you said you wanted to leave, I got confused and couldn’t control myself. I was afraid you’d hate me, that I was just exhausting you. But I couldn’t let go. I didn’t know what to do…”

“Adrian, calm down and listen to me. You’re different from her. I can tell you this a hundred times.”

Maybe I should’ve waited until he was more stable to ask. Seeing his eyes waver again, I quickly grabbed his hand. As I stared into his blurred eyes, the focus slowly returned.

“Do you remember what I said earlier? I love you, so I don’t think you’re the same as her…”

His desperate lips covered mine suddenly, pressing down with such force that my head tilted back. His hands encircled my neck, pulling me closer. His tongue entwined with mine, making it hard to breathe. As he angled his head slightly, a salty taste spread.

He was crying again.

Opening my eyes, I saw his tear-filled eyes. Long eyelashes dripped with tears, falling onto his cheeks. When I wiped his eyes, my fingers quickly became wet.

Even after all this, he couldn’t meet my gaze, his blue eyes half-closed, looking sorrowful.

“Sometimes… I think you might have been sent by the gods to conquer and kneel me.”

After a brief kiss, Adrian drew back, pulling my hand to his lips and kissing my palm deeply.

Inside the palm, on the wrist, on the pulse. Twice, like it was a promise. Once more, as if never to let go.

I sometimes thought that maybe I came here to meet him.

“Otherwise, I wouldn’t have fallen so deeply. I wouldn’t want to give everything I have to you…”

His lips moved to my palm, and I stroked his trembling fingers. A playful bite left a faint red mark.

If I could gather the most beautiful lines in the world, would they form his lips?

“Take it all. It’s fine if you ruin everything. Maybe then I can be at peace…”

As I traced his lips with my fingertips, he bit my finger gently. Wetting it slightly with his tongue, it stung a bit.

“My hands… they’re dirty.”

“What are you saying? Nothing of yours is dirty.”

Now I understood why Adrian had been so upset when he put his hand in my mouth weeks ago. The sensation of my fingertips getting wet, the softness inside his mouth, and the sight of my fingers in his mouth… It was visually overwhelming.

“Hilda, can I fully take you in?”

By the time Adrian released my fingers, my face was flushed. His dark, longing eyes looked up at me.

Even the simple act of stroking from my calf to my knee felt intensely erotic.

He clearly wanted to undress me, and I had no reason to stop him. As I nodded slowly, his hand, which had been subtly caressing my thigh, moved behind me with purpose. Unlike the negligee I usually wore at home, the dress had knots, so it took some time to fully remove.

As I pulled the dress over my head, my hair fell messily around me. Adrian frowned slightly, then smiled. As he tried to kiss me again, I pushed his forehead gently. His blue eyes widened in surprise.

As he realized I was reaching for his clothes, his eyes narrowed in slight embarrassment. Even now, he was reluctant to show his body, revealing how much he hated it.

His desperate eyes fixed on the hand holding his shirt. It’s not ugly, and I won’t be scared. Despite my reassurances, his eyes trembled with anxiety. I couldn’t make any more promises as I was just as nervous.

He was stiff as a broken machine, and my sweat-drenched hand struggled to grip his shirt. I regretted not tearing it off in hell many times, so I decided against gently unbuttoning it.

Rip. My hand, which had slipped several times, finally managed to tear off the shirt. His shocked expression brought an inexplicable satisfaction. It must have been an expensive shirt because it tore so easily.

The thickly padded edges meant I still had to undo the buttons, but tearing off the shirt felt like I’d accomplished something. However, as soon as I saw Adrian fully exposed under the dim candlelight, that thought vanished.

Seeing him confirmed why he’d been so desperate to hide his body. The scars, which had been faint before he regained his strength, now appeared in stark, brutal detail.

Yet, I had never seen a more beautiful being.

What others might see as ugly scars only made him more perfect. His hair, darkened with shadows, his gentle eyes and lips, his clavicles and neck at perfect angles, his wide shoulders, and firm sides that had always been hidden. I was utterly mesmerized by the sight.

As dark hues began to spread across his body, I realized he was trying to hide in the shadows again. I snapped back to reality.

“Please don’t. Let me see you a little longer.”

“…”

“What do you mean you’re ugly? You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”

I traced my hand up his body, pulling him close. He seemed so defenseless coming down to me, that I kissed each of his delicate eyelashes. Starting with his back, the least sensitive area, I began to touch him. Even so, his body trembled pitifully.

As I fumbled to hold his hand, it was clear that he wasn't going to stop. He just held it on top of his own. When I gently touched the clearly marked scar, I felt his body heat rise slightly. A low, intense moan escaped him.

I slyly moved my hand down to undo his pants. Adrian’s eyes immediately became confused and wandered in the air. His chest heaved up and down as he took a long breath to steady himself. His face, tense with emotion, made my heart flutter even more.

His eyes, now returned to me, were flushed with shy heat. His reddened ears and the slightly stiff but gentle smile attempting to form on his lips were charming. He always whispered that I was beautiful, but it was because he couldn’t see his own sensuality.

With half my effort and half Adrian's help, we were able to completely bare ourselves to each other. Every time we brushed against each other, a warm heat spread like embers.

Feeling embarrassed by the gaze that now covered every inch of my body, I pulled my arms close. He softly pressed his body against mine and whispered in my ear.

“Hilda, you... you’re so wild. Where did you learn such naughty things?”

“Oh, um. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable.”

Feeling a sudden blush from our contact, I apologized. Then he planted a deep, dense kiss on my forehead, my eyebrows, and my eyelids.

“No, actually, I’m more in love with you. I didn’t know you liked ripping shirts. Next time, I’ll pick a fabric that tears more easily.”

“There’s no need for that... Just don’t wear clothes in front of me...”

“You’re so wise.”

Contrary to his meltingly soft tone, he suddenly devoured my lips fiercely. The kiss seemed endless. Just like that morning, when I turned my head away to catch my breath, he persistently followed and covered my lips again. Then, like a drowning man gasping for air, he hurriedly inhaled my breath, exploring my mouth.

How many times did he steal my breath like that? A strange satisfaction swelled up within me from his impatient and passionate movements.

While Adrian's hands diligently roamed, heating my body, his own body became hot with no special caresses. I tried to recall how Adrian stimulated me, following his gestures from his shoulders to his back, and felt his back muscles twitching violently. It was like an electric current had passed through him.

When I looked up at him wide-eyed, he whispered with a thin smile, “It’s all because of your seductive eyes...”

He always blames others so well, like a devil. But seriously, are we really going to do this? I meditated briefly as if Adrian wasn’t there.

I had gone to hell and back with the sole intention of tearing his shirt, but I had never seriously thought about what would come next. My goal was simply to undress him and rub against him, based on a baseless assumption that it would work out somehow.

Will it hurt? It will, right? How much will it hurt? They say sexual compatibility is important. What if we both end up disappointed?

“What are you thinking about?”

His sudden bite on my nose brought me back to reality. I hesitated, unable to say that I was nervous, and Adrian laughed, his eyes crinkling.

“If you’re hesitant, we don’t have to do it, Hilda.”

Despite his tender voice whispering with his nose buried in my neck, his biting and licking along my neck was clearly meant to excite me. His hands, which had been stimulating my chest and sides, were now sliding down to rub my sensitive skin. In an instant, my legs tensed, and my vision turned white.

“You’re so soft. I feel like I could just bite you and eat you whole.”

Following my collarbone, as if gauging the shape of my bones, he chewed and licked, then suddenly sank his teeth in. Just as the sharp pain made me frown, he pulled back, leaving a slightly stinging sensation, indicating he had left a mark. His eyes were like that of a satisfied beast marking its territory.

His hand, busy below, became even more active. Though he rubbed softly, the stimulation grew so intense that my back straightened involuntarily. As moans slipped through my clenched teeth, I heard and felt various sensations.

[ 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! ]

The wet sound and his suddenly dampened hand. The hard, heavy heat of Adrian pressing against me, which I could clearly feel since our bodies were intertwined.

Heat surged to my head.

“Um, my lord. If it hurts too much... I’m okay with just a healthy, spiritual relationship. Just holding each other is nice... Actually, I like that the most.”

Mumbling urgently, pushed to my limit, the fierce determination I had to tear his shirt seemed almost laughable now.

As I slightly slipped back, clutching the sweat-drenched bedsheet, Adrian calmly pulled me back with his arm around my waist. And once again, I faced that intense heat, firmly blocking me as if saying my place was there. He had begged not to undress earlier, but now he seemed unstoppable.

“If that’s what you want, I’ll of course follow. As long as I can stay by your side in any form.”

“No, wait, what do you mean by that?”

“But shouldn’t we decide after trying it? Give me a chance, okay? I’ll try not to hurt you.”

“...Then, okay.”

Suddenly, my guard melted away at his sincere-looking face. Well, I can’t back out now that we’ve come this far. He said he won’t hurt me, so it must be true. My stiff legs gradually loosened. Noticing the signal, he smiled joyfully.

“Tell me if it hurts, okay?”

You just said you won’t hurt me. 

I glanced down, wondering if there were parts even Adrian couldn’t control, and the shadow cast there made me understand. One thing was certain. If that goes in, it will definitely tear. It’s going to hurt for sure.

As Adrian lowered himself and his hot, slick length touched below, my body stiffened again. The pressure was slightly applied. Was it because we were both too excited, or was Adrian too eager, or maybe I tensed up? It slipped along the gap.

As if on cue, we both held our breaths simultaneously, trembling at the first sensual stimulation we felt from each other. When our wandering eyes met again, I was engulfed in a blue haze, a delusion brought on by his raw, intense desire.

He let out a deep breath, as if to calm himself, and slowly began to press inside. Gradually, my inner walls started to stretch, and he filled the gap.

“Augh...”

The unfamiliar sensation of him invading inside made my back arch. What is this? It hurts so much it’s making me tear up. The pressure felt like my pelvis was splitting apart, and without realizing it, I dug my nails into Adrian’s arm.

By now, it should have ended, but he kept pushing deeper without end.

“It hurts, ah. It hurts... Please, pull it out, pull it out...”

“Does it hurt? Hilda, does it hurt? I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I’ll pull it out right away.”

“Don’t pull it out. Ah, I said don’t pull it out. If you do, I’ll really kill you...”

“Okay, I won’t pull it out. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for hurting you... Instead, do you want to kill me? If it would make you feel better, you can kill me anytime.”

“Augh...”

“Hilda, try to relax your body. If you keep tensing up, it’ll hurt more...”

Unable to pull out or push further, Adrian was at a loss. He seemed flustered, not expecting me to be in so much pain.

He tried to ease my pain by placing a pillow under my hips, but it was futile. The more he moved, the more excited he seemed to get.

“Is the position uncomfortable? Do you want to try holding onto me? Come on, lean on me like this.”

After all his small efforts failed, Adrian slipped his hands under my armpits and lifted me up. The foreign sensation persisted even while moving, and sitting on his thigh only pushed him further inside, making me grit my teeth. Making me let my guard down with his face, and this is what he does. It's not fair.

“Hilda, I’m going to move a little.”

He moved his hips slightly, testing how much I could tolerate. Unaccustomed to the fullness inside, I couldn’t help but let out a stifled sound.

When I groaned with my forehead pressed against his shoulder, Adrian became even more cautious. He moved so gently that it was as if he were barely moving at all, a stark contrast to his earlier relentless thrusts. The slow, careful movements were much easier to endure.

His clumsy motions gradually slowed, stopped, and then resumed with caution as he watched my reactions.

“Does it hurt? Is it too much?”

“I’m still… okay…”

As I grew accustomed to the tight, demanding presence, and as the light strokes began to ignite a strange thirst within me, Adrian, who had been solely focused on my pain, bit down hard on my shoulder. Then, he held me firmly and drove deep.

“Ah…”

It was overwhelming.

It felt like being submerged in hot water and then pulled out repeatedly. Waves crashed over me, dragging me back and forth, leaving me dizzy.

“Hilda. I…”

Am I going mad? His murmured words sounded dreamlike.

“What should I do with you… I promised not to hurt you, but it’s not working…”

His sweet eyes and half-crazed voice conveyed his struggle.

In a world that had turned pitch black, where everything was shut out, Adrian alone existed with suffocating sensuality. The flickering candlelight behind him made it seem like he was emitting light. His disheveled state was even more intoxicating than the vivid stimuli.

I scratched at his back, pulling him closer.

I’m not in pain, so… Although my breath came in short gasps and my words were cut off, the message seemed to get through as his movements quickened.

At that moment, something shattered and rolled on the floor not far away. What was that noise?

“Don’t look… It’s nothing you need to see.”

When I tried to turn my head, Adrian grabbed my chin, blocking my view. The brief return of my rationality melted away when I saw him. My already sensitized body shivered even at his lightest touch.

“But I’m sure something just broke…”

“I’ll fix it, don’t worry.”

So, something did break. What was it?

When I tried to turn my head again, Adrian suddenly started thrusting deeply.

“Hilda, if you look at something else right now, I might go insane.”

“Just… wait, ah!”

My vision turned white as everything evaporated. The heat burned from my fingertips upward.

A demon full of anxiety and distrust. Coldly polite and brutally innocent. He seemed omnipotent and perfect, capable of achieving anything effortlessly, yet internally unstable. It’s still impossible to predict what he might do or how severe it could be, and that will likely remain unchanged.

If asked whether I could fully handle someone like him, I wouldn’t be able to answer affirmatively. But if asked whether I would love him unconditionally, I would definitely say yes.

Because I can’t go back to the time before I loved Adrian. Isn’t it enough that we have each other now?

As they say, the most dangerous thief is the one who learns late. Our night had only just begun.

It was not a refreshing morning.

I woke up early after being pressed down by nightmares all night. I’d never experienced such a thing in my life, so I wondered what caused it. Upon waking, I immediately realized the culprit. Two arms were wrapped tightly around my waist and shoulders. I was completely trapped in his embrace.

No wonder I felt pressed down. I frowned with dissatisfaction. Being held by a demon surely must be harder than being pressed by a ghost.

I tried to slip his arm off my shoulder, but Adrian only hugged me tighter, making my attempt fail miserably. I sighed and spoke up.

“Sir, wake up. You’re heavy.”

“Umm…”

I really meant it, but he pretended not to hear. Maybe Adrian intended to suffocate me to death? I almost pushed him off in frustration but managed to hold back. His sleepy act of rubbing his forehead against my shoulder was endearing.

“Stop pretending to sleep. Why aren’t you asleep? Don’t tell me you stayed awake all night?”

“Yeah, somehow. I kept thinking about you, and time flew by. But how did you know?”

When I pinched his arm, his voice became clearer. He seemed surprised that his elaborate act to make it seem like he had slept was easily seen through. In fact, I was also unsure at first, but the game system being still inactive confirmed it. The system usually resumed once Adrian fell asleep or moved far enough away that he couldn’t detect it.

“It was just a feeling.”

“I see.”

“But Sir. You might have forgotten, but I’m… still inside you.”

I could clearly feel the slick warmth continuing from my inner thighs. It was fascinating and embarrassing that I fell asleep with something so heavy inside me.

How long does he plan to keep it in? Whenever I tried to pull away slightly, he would fill me tightly again, making me give up. We had been at it all night, yet Adrian didn’t seem tired at all.

“Sorry. You said you’d kill me if I pulled out. You asked me to do it forever, and if you die now, that won’t be possible.”

“When did I… Yes, I did say that. But I didn’t mean to keep it in all the time…”

“I want to stay like this forever, not just for a lifetime. A thousand years would pass quickly if I were buried in you.”

Maybe because he’s not human, his time scale is unimaginable. If he were a normal person, I would laugh and call it a joke, but I could feel he was serious, so I couldn’t laugh. If we did this for a thousand years like last night, wouldn’t I dry up and die? Adrian might actually create a space for just the two of us to live together for a thousand years, which was frightening. Yet, part of me was also looking forward to it.

But I’d like him to lower his arm.

I turned my head to look at his arm and gasped. There was a large, dark bruise on my shoulder. It was strange to have such a big bruise without remembering it. I quickly recalled the moment.

It must have been when I reached climax several times and Adrian also lost control, gripping my shoulder roughly. The force was so harsh and violent that I screamed. Although he let go immediately, the intense pressure had inevitably caused a bruise. I was lucky it didn’t break a bone.

“Oh, how’s your back? I scratched you pretty badly… It must be scraped. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you. It just happened…”

“No, I’m glad to have your marks on me. I wish my back were covered with your scratches. Could you make a big one next time, somewhere visible? It would make me happy to see it whenever I miss you.”

“What are you saying? Let me see your back. I’ll apply some medicine.”

“I’m fine. What if it heals and disappears? That would be a waste.”

He kissed tenderly along my neck, shoulder line, and upper back, trying to seduce me. Adrian was truly a fascinating being, both honest and chillingly kind yet cruel.

“Hilda, they say a honeymoon burns hotter the morning after the night. Have you heard that?”

Until yesterday, he kept repeating not to leave, and now he’s saying he wants more. Of course, I don’t mind…

“But Sir, doesn’t the bed seem a bit tilted? Is it just me, or is it because we’re lying down?”

I stared blankly at the room and tilted my head. He replied sweetly while sucking on the skin of my shoulder.

“Yeah, it’s just your imagination.”

“Really… But it also feels like there’s a draft coming in.”

Was it the aftermath of last night’s intense passion? The world seemed oddly tilted. I dismissed it as my imagination and lowered my gaze, but then I saw a chair shattered in the distance. That wasn’t all. The curtains fluttered strangely because the window was completely broken, with shards scattered on the floor. It wasn’t just my imagination!

“Wait… the window!”

“Sorry for startling you, Hilda. I’ll fix everything up later, so don’t worry.”

“Wow, what is all this? The bed and chair are broken, and the window is shattered… Is that powder over there the side table? Oh my goodness. They said emotions could lead to a loss of control… Was it because of that?”

I finally noticed the pillow lying in tatters on the floor. It was a shame, making me want to cry out. That pillow was precious…

“Yes. But don’t worry too much. I’ll fix it all soon.”

He had told many lies, but saying he might lose control and hurt someone wasn’t one of them.

So, every time we make love until he can control his strength, is the room going to turn into a mess like this? The fact that I didn’t notice anything breaking except at the beginning must mean he did something to distract me. The thought of our household items being destroyed made me dizzy.

"Sorry for making you sleep on the tilted bed, Hilda. This won't happen again. I'll make sure to get a bed that doesn't break easily."

Is there even such a bed? If I live with Adrian, I might have to spend a lot of money to buy an indestructible bed.

Luckily, the game system was down. Otherwise, there would have been constant warning messages about the bed's durability decreasing every time Adrian moved. The thought alone gives me chills.

In that sense, tearing the shirt while the system was down was probably the best choice I've made since living here.

"Don't worry, Hilda. I can always prepare another bed."

Adrian muttered self-deprecatingly as he pulled me close, almost trapping me in his embrace.

"Yes. There's nothing else I want but you. Now, everything is finally perfect."

As he continued speaking, his voice grew increasingly ominous until it hit rock bottom.

I snapped out of my thoughts about the cost of all the broken furniture and repair expenses. I wondered if he would demand compensation from me once the system reopened. Adrian, with his chaotic demon attribute, always became crooked when left alone for even a moment.

"My lord, we need to talk. Just put that down for a moment..."

"Hilda, you're happy now, right? You like being with me, don't you? If you're uncomfortable, just tell me. I'll do anything for you."

As if sensing something, he cut me off quickly and desperately. Although I had gone through the trouble of dragging him out of the dungeon, none of our problems had been resolved. His once calm hand hurriedly caressed my skin, stimulating sensitive areas. Despite knowing his obvious intentions, his touch was gentle and ticklish, almost making me give in.

"It's not about liking or disliking. The way we're trying to solve our problems isn't right. As proof, despite me being by your side, you were always anxious and wary of your surroundings. I was happy to be with you and hoped you felt the same. I even thought it might be better for you if I wasn't here."

"Hilda, no. That's not it."

"Why? Why should I stay when I make you constantly anxious and sad?"

"No, no. That's really... not it. How could you think that..."

"But your actions so far have said otherwise."

"No. Hilda, please, that's not it. Please... don't say such harsh things. I'll do anything..."

"You don't have to. I'm not staying by your side because of what you do for me."

"......"

"So, stop hiding and tell me. Let's go back to when we met in front of the temple. Why did you suddenly tremble and confine me?"

Why did Adrian imprison me?

When I boldly asked the question he had been avoiding for a month, as expected, he seemed extremely flustered. His hands wandered aimlessly, recalling our encounter at the temple or maybe just shocked by my direct question. He hugged me tightly, then let go, then grabbed me again with sweaty hands. I didn't forget to hold one of his hands tightly, in case he tried to retreat back into the dungeon.

"Did you... see something in me?"

"......"

His breathing grew rough.

Adrian had long been aware of the existence of the game system. If he regained his strength after killing over 500 people, maybe he could even see the system. Considering he hacked it, he must have recognized its existence. His anxiety began right after completing the second main quest. I might get answers if I complete the third one.

"I saw it. I've seen it. The thing attached to you."

He spoke in a somewhat somber voice, so quiet I had to strain to hear it. I could tell how much internal conflict he had gone through before speaking. I steeled myself not to be surprised by anything he said.

"At first, I thought it was just an evil spirit. But I realized it wasn't. At some point, it started exercising an annoying power to take you away. I tried to remove it from you because I thought it would do no good."

I hadn't been prepared for a minute before I was shocked. He tried to remove the system? If he succeeded, what would happen to me? Would I log out, or would I be trapped here forever? Adrian's plot was more deeply rooted than I had imagined, and I was left stunned.

"I decided to regain all my power after that. I thought I couldn't remove it because I was weak. But it wasn't the case. Even with my regained strength, I couldn't remove it... Hilda, I had no choice. It kept trying to take you away. Somewhere outside my reach."

"......"

"I couldn't just watch you disappear. I had to do something to survive, Hilda. Without you, I would die. How can I live, how can I exist without you? Everything else is meaningless without you..."

He clung to me, whispering pitifully and incessantly. His voice was so persuasive it seemed almost magical. Even I, who couldn't be hypnotized, found myself thinking as he spoke. When he was happy, sad... especially when he knelt and begged like this, I felt a heartbreaking pain. When tears welled up in his transparent eyes and fell, it was like a deep well formed in my heart, and I wanted to give him anything. Maybe the saying that demons are born to tempt people is true.

"My lord, since we're talking, I have something to say too."

"Anything as long as it's not that you're leaving me."

"Oh, come on, I wouldn't say that. Um, you have to promise not to faint from shock."

"Okay, I won't faint."

"Seriously, don't faint. So... it might sound crazy, but I'm actually from another world. Far, far away."

"Mm, I see."

"......"

"......"

"Hey, you're not shocked? You're not fainting from too much surprise, are you?"

"You told me not to faint. How could I disobey?"

"But still... Aren't you shocked to hear that I'm from another world, that I'm not the person you knew?"

"Would it help you calm down if I said I was shocked?"

He wasn't shocked at all! I had been worrying about how to console him if he trembled with betrayal. I had worked up the courage to say it, but his calm reaction surprised me more. Adrian played with my hair, twirling it around his fingers, and chuckled.

"Actually, I suspected it, so I'm not that surprised."

"You suspected...?"

"Well, you suddenly changed personalities overnight. The Hilda I knew was always obedient, like a doll. Like an empty shell without a soul."

"Huh..."

"So? Why bring this up now? Oh, I'm very glad you told me yourself, Hilda."

"Yes, right. I... I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to take it so naturally. I've been thinking about how to explain it."

"It's okay. Take your time."

"Yes. So, about that evil spirit you see. I call it the system."

"The system."

"Yes. More precisely, the game system. At first, I thought this place was inside the system, but I realized it's not. It's more like a passage connecting this world and me. Through the system, you and this world can meet."

"That sounds... very complicated."

"It mostly is, but sometimes it helps. To me, it's both a love-hate relationship. Anyway! That force trying to take me away, that's a quest. The system has set tasks. If I complete all three, I might return to my original world. I've completed two so far. Not intentionally, though."

"Then we definitely can't let go of this system."

"About that. You might think you've perfectly blocked the system, but you haven't."

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, it's already been released several times. When you were asleep, and..."

"Has it been undone?"

For the first time, Adrian interrupted me, showing how urgent he felt. I gently pushed him away, trying to remain calm as I continued speaking.

"Based on what I've observed so far, it happens when you fall asleep, or when you're far from me."

"Then, I should stay awake by your side at all times..."

His grip on my shoulder tightened. His voice, edged with sharp vigilance, suggested this conversation could be lengthy. I firmly shook my head.

"No matter how determined you are, you can't stay awake forever. Even if you try desperately to prevent it, we don't know when another gap might appear, when the system might suddenly recover, or what might happen if the system completely shuts down. You can't hold onto me like this."

"..."

"Until now, you've tried to control your surroundings to keep things unchanged, but that won't solve anything. The important thing is the choices we make in situations that are constantly changing. I've shown you my choice many times already."

I gently held the hand that had fallen limply from my hair. Adrian must have realized by now that despite having many opportunities to leave, I had stayed.

"I haven't left, and I won't leave in the future."

"..."

"Are you still anxious? Do you still think I might leave at any moment?"

"The mission..."

"I can't give a definite answer because there are too many variables. But no matter what happens, if we trust each other strongly, we can get through it. It might sound like wishful thinking, though."

"..."

"We're supposed to understand each other with just a look, right?"

The main quest would appear at unexpected moments, wherever and whenever my thoughts aligned with it. Like the second quest, it might be completed without my intention, but my feelings needed to be clearly conveyed. I wanted to stay by his side, even if it meant abandoning my world.

Sure, this world was a total disaster with a collapsed moral code, but I had committed murder here... Going back to an ordinary office job would be impossible. If the boss acted up, I'd probably think about killing him.

And I couldn't imagine how much Adrian would cry without me. Once he started crying, he wouldn't stop easily. He might even kill innocent people out of anger... For world peace, it seemed better for me to stay here.

Therefore, it was crucial not to proceed with the third main quest. Like the first and second, it would probably involve killing people. I'd need to be more careful with my actions from now on.

"It would have been simpler if you just said you hated me."

After a long silence, a dark sigh spilled over my shoulder. His hand, which I held, had turned cold and pale.

"Enduring your hatred would be easier for me than repaying your trust."

"I understand. We can't change everything in an instant."

"...But I'll try. It might sound obvious, but because you want it, I'll try."

Had my efforts and persuasion finally worked? Adrian had finally said he'd try. I knew that what seemed like a light promise to others was as heavy as iron for him. Once he made such a vow, he'd do his utmost to keep it. His resolve hit me like a wave, with an unbearable weight, but instead of being overwhelmed, I felt delighted. I wanted to embrace him, finding him so endearing.

"No, actually, I don't want to. I don't want to have such vulnerable feelings. I can't bear the thought of losing you..."

Wait, is he retracting already? Then I take it back too. The overwhelming emotion that had surged through me quickly dissipated.

"If our roles were reversed, it would be better. Then I'd never leave you. Oh, how wonderful it would be to be bound by you. If you were anxious about me leaving, if you clung to me... I'd be so happy. How could I leave someone so adorably tenacious?"

Didn't he hate being obsessed over? But Adrian looked so happy in his own fantasy that I didn't bother asking. Hmm, I didn't realize he liked it this much. Maybe I should stage a possessive confinement scene for him next time, even if just as a special event.

"Actually, Hilda, I wanted you to be more troubled and lonely. So you'd rely on me more. So you wouldn't leave me."

"Did you?"

I habitually checked if his nails were still attached while I asked. As they say, people adapt. What used to give me chills now seemed almost normal. It was almost humanizing to think he simply wished for it.

"Yes, so when you committed murder, I was overjoyed. The more you suffer and weaken, the more you'll lean on me. The longer you suffer from nightmares, the later you'll leave my side at night, and that made me happy. But at the same time, I was sad. My life grew by feeding on your pain."

Every word was so sincere it felt heavy. It was the first time he revealed his feelings without any calculation or pretense, and I couldn't help but listen quietly. He continued in a low voice.

"Having survived by feeding on your sacrifice, I became scared. For the first time, I became attached to life because I wanted to stay by your side, and I felt terror at the thought of losing you. No matter how much it hurt, I never wanted to die. I wanted to survive, even if it meant being pathetic..."

"...."

"I don't mind being weak. But I want to be weak together with you. If growing old means becoming weak, then I want to grow old with you. It's because of you that I can feel all this."

Adrian often ran ahead of me too quickly, like now. It showed how much he liked me, but sometimes I worried it was detrimental to his mental health.

"So your feelings must not change, Hilda. They must never change."

As soon as he seemed to compose himself, he started clinging again. Why does he always think I'll leave him? Honestly, could you abandon someone who loves you this much? Could you let go of someone who showers you with so much affection?

"I understand, Adrian. I understand your feelings, and I won't change. But first, let's wash up. We've been up for a while now and we're still like this..."

Is it still there? I blushed as I felt the subtle presence below. I tried to move away, but Adrian pressed closer, rubbing his forehead against mine.

"Mm, can't we stay like this a bit longer? It feels good..."

"If you don't move now, I'll curse you for life."

"If it means being cursed by you for life, that wouldn't be so bad."

Adrian's voice turned dreamy again, as if retreating into his fantasies. I decided to stop talking.

"It hurts, so hurry up. You kept tormenting me all night!"

"Hurts? Are you hurting now?"

"Yes! It hurts. It hurts so much I could die. It hurt all night!"

"Really? That's strange. It seemed like you enjoyed it very much. You were crying out, saying you liked it..."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

When I grumbled, flushed red, Adrian looked momentarily puzzled, then smiled. The kiss he placed on my nape was light, leaving behind lingering reluctance. The warmth inside me slowly dissipated, leaving me feeling slick from whatever he had done while I was asleep. The dampness made it all too clear.

We fell silent as if by agreement. Turning my head slightly, I met his gaze, his face just as heated as mine.

"Um, are we thinking the same thing..."

"Yeah, I think we are."

"..."

"If I tempt you now, will you give in?"

Adrian suddenly hugged me tightly, brushing his lips against my shoulder. He'd been doing that all night. Treating me like some sacred deity, touching and kissing me with utmost devotion... It was almost embarrassing for me.

This... this seductive fox. Does he think I'll fall for it?

I groaned and squirmed, feeling my resolve melt under his touch. Like a sandcastle on the shore, my rationality crumbled too easily.

"I'm... having a hard time."

"I won't make it hard for you."

"It hurts..."

"I'm a quick learner, Hilda. It'll be much better than last night."

Oh, that's quite tempting.

That morning, we did it three more times.

They say honeymoon mornings burn brighter than the nights, and our nights and days blazed in a fierce competition. Any worries from our first night seemed laughable—we were perfect as lovers! I had one more reason to stay here.

After more than a month of struggle, Adrian finally decided to let me go. Even after making the decision, he delayed as long as he could, and only then did he release the system. The icons for the map, skills, and affection gauge, which had been inactive for a while, lit up, and the world began to regain its light, revealing places that had been hidden in darkness.

The mansion was still peaceful. With summer approaching, the air had grown a bit warmer, and the sunlight was even more intense. The servants who had returned from their holidays boasted about how much their hometown people admired them and shared their hometown delicacies. Among them, I found the rice cake from Malibon, a famous port city, to be the most delicious.

In the meantime, the system had undergone many changes. Just as I had briefly checked when the Hell Dungeon was created, a red status bar with the health value '1223' had been added to the right of the level indicator in the upper left corner. My level had increased to 42, ending the "Special Growth Aura Buff," and during that time, one additional skill and one dungeon clear reward had been added. Moreover, I had gained an exceedingly burdensome title: "Master of Demons."

The system had changed significantly, illustrating how much one could fall behind after a month of absence in a game. The thought of how many levels I could have gained in that time, and the sense of loss, was a typical mindset of a veteran gamer.

「Skill for a One-hit Victory

Unlock Condition: Lv 40

Cooldown: 1 day

Games are all about PVP! Now that you are no longer a beginner, this is the skill you need the most. 'Skill for a One-hit Victory' enables PVP between veterans and beginners. When the skill is used, both parties' health is matched, and the first to land a valid hit wins. If health drops to zero, you fall into a status ailment, all item effects, buffs, and defenses are nullified, so use it carefully. Enjoy more thrilling PVP with 'Skill for a One-hit Victory'!」

「Universal Antidote

Grade: Heroic

Features: Recovers from paralysis, status ailments, and fatal poisons

Usage: Press the right icon to use」

When paralyzed or afflicted by a status ailment, it would be hard to rummage through the bag, so it seemed they provided an icon. However, even pressing a button might be difficult in such situations.

After scanning the system, I went out to the garden where a black puppy enthusiastically greeted me. Its name was 'Sniffer.' As cute as it looked, it was very affectionate and loved by everyone in the mansion. However, the more they loved it, the more I had to hide its true identity.

Sniffer was actually Cerberus from the Hell Dungeon.

I didn't realize it at first, but Adrian told me. As memories took on concrete forms, it could follow me out. Adrian had tried to drag it back to Hell, but it whined and transformed into a small puppy to hide behind me. It still had three heads, so it didn't look like an ordinary puppy.

"How dare you use Hilda as a shield?"

Adrian came back to catch it with a fierce look. The little puppy looked so pitiful at that moment that I asked if we could keep it instead of sending it back to Hell. Adrian's face hardened.

"Hilda, that's not just any dog. It doesn't belong on the surface."

"But it's so gentle. It helped me a lot when I went to find you. If we hide two of its heads, it will look just like a regular dog. If we keep it in the garden, it could also serve as a guard. How reassuring would it be to have a Hellhound guarding the mansion?"

Perhaps noticing that I was on its side, Cerberus hid two of its heads and wagged its tail like a normal puppy.

In the process, the three heads fought and bit each other, causing a bit of a bloodbath, but I pretended not to notice. Despite seeing blood, I thought it was a peaceful resolution as long as they didn't rip each other's heads off.

"Well... if you insist, I suppose there's no helping it."

He still looked like he would prefer otherwise, but I had already fallen for Cerberus's charms and decided to ignore Adrian's displeasure this time.

Thus, the Hellhound that followed us up from Hell started living in the garden, and I named it 'Sniffer' because it sniffed around curiously at the new environment. I reminded it never to wander around with all three heads out.

"Sniffer, when Tricolor comes, give it this."

Sniffer nodded intelligently when I placed some cat food next to its own food. I had been worried that the Hellhound might chase Tricolor away, but it ended up liking the cat so much that it followed it around annoyingly.

I heard that last time it had protected Tricolor from a wild dog that came down from the back mountain. I was glad I convinced Adrian.

"Oh? There's something here?"

After feeding the adorable animal friends, I habitually checked the mail and found something addressed to me.

「Olivia」

Seeing the sender's name, my eyes widened, and I quickly opened the letter. The last letter I had waited so long to receive mentioned that "The lady's condition has worsened, so I couldn't deliver the letter. However, she briefly regained consciousness. I will make sure to deliver it next time if there's an opportunity."

A second letter? My hands trembled as I slowly read it. As I read Olivia's neat handwriting, my heart pounded.

〈To Hilda.

What on earth did you write in your letter? I couldn't understand it, but as soon as the lady saw it, she burst into tears. She fainted soon after and remained unconscious for a whole week. When she finally woke up, she cried again while holding your letter. She cried so much that the doctor and I had to calm her down. She said she finally understood the goddess's will, and after asking a visiting priest something, she was convinced. She mentioned that the archbishop had been giving her oracles, but she didn't understand them until she read your letter. I don't know what those oracles were, though.

Anyway, the lady said she wants to visit the young master. She used to ask when she would die, but recently, for the first time, she took some food. Although she can't walk by herself, so returning to the main house is impossible...

Hilda, what kind of magic did you put in that letter? The doctor was quite surprised. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not angry.

The lady really wants to see the young master. She fears he might be deeply hurt by the past events, and she's prepared for rejection. She said she'd be happy to see him from a distance, but if that's not possible, she'd be satisfied with exchanging letters. She kept asking if you could ask him about it.

She promised to comply with any conditions regarding the time and place to prevent a repeat of the last incident. Can you ask the young master for his opinion? She said she could wait as long as it takes.

I'm asking you a difficult favor. Could you reply as soon as possible? The lady doesn't say it, but she waits for your letters every day.

Olivia.〉

"Oh my."

My hands trembled. Wow, the countess... I need to tell Adrian right away.

I quickly put the letter back in the envelope and started running to Adrian's room. Leticia's shouts echoed through the hall, scolding me for running around, but I couldn't stop now. I took the stairs two or three at a time and was on the fourth floor in no time.

"Adrian!"

I burst through the door, and there was Adrian, buttoning his sleeve, turning to look at me.

"Hil..."

Without warning, I dashed forward and hugged Adrian tightly. He effortlessly spun around, lifting me up as if he were accustomed to this. He looked up at me, supporting me with one arm like a chair. His blue eyes sparkled with joy.

"Hilda, I thought a storm of flowers was sweeping over me just now," he said, pulling my hand to his chest as if he were overwhelmed. His heartbeat was even faster than mine after I had run up to the fourth floor.

"It felt like the world stopped. How is it possible, unless you want to burst my heart?"

He was so excited, as if just my running to him had thrilled him. Seeing his ecstatic face made my lips involuntarily curl up.

"What’s that? Where did you get that line from?"

"Oh, you caught me. It’s the 49th love poem I wrote thinking of you. Do you like it?"

So, he had written 49 poems already. I had seen him scribbling on paper every time I was busy running around, and it turned out to be poems. Last time I sneaked a peek, he was on number 11. When did he write over thirty more...?

"Why are you so happy, Hilda? What’s the good news?"

Adrian readjusted his hold on me and asked gently.

Even though it was good news for me, I hesitated to tell Adrian. Ultimately, it was up to him, but I worried that just bringing it up might hurt him again. The last memory wasn’t pleasant.

"It’s okay. You can tell me when you’re ready. Just seeing you this happy is enough for me," he said with a kind smile, though he must have been frustrated by my prolonged silence.

"Actually, it’s perfect timing, Hilda. I have somewhere to take you today."

"What? Oh, but I promised to help clean the hall today."

"We can do that together later. Come with me now. It’s important."

I could hardly believe my ears. Instead of telling me to postpone or assign the chore to someone else, he said we’d do it together later. Leticia would faint if she heard that.

Realizing that I’d have to deal with the household chores later, I nodded, and Adrian’s face brightened. He truly was a master at reacting to my every mood.

"We’re going out?"

I thought he meant somewhere in the mansion, but seeing the carriage waiting out front, I realized it was something else. Even when I asked where we were going, he only smiled mysteriously without answering.

I guessed it wouldn’t hurt to get some fresh air for a change.

We rode the carriage for quite a long time.

"Adrian

Lv ???

Health ??????"

"If the level difference is over 200, you can’t see the opponent’s level."

I stretched and discreetly closed the window displaying Adrian’s stats. Since the system had reopened, I could now check others’ levels and health, and while most people in the mansion had two-digit levels, Adrian’s was three digits.

Moreover, his health was six digits. Even though I had four digits, proving I wasn’t the weakest, my assumption was shattered.

Those ??? probably meant 999. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adrian had reached the game’s level cap. If the max level were above 1000, it would show ????. He must have played his cards well early on.

"Hilda, get ready to get off soon."

We stopped at an unfamiliar place. Adrian quickly put the coachman to sleep and led me to a large riverbank. The view was unobstructed, revealing a wide open sky.

He must have planned ahead, as there was no one else around.

"Why are we here? The river...?"

"Yes, Hilda. Do you want to sit here for a moment?"

He laid a handkerchief on the grass, having picked the best spot to view the scenery.

Did he bring me out because I complained about being cooped up in the room? When did he plan such a sweet gesture? He’s so reliable, cute, and thoughtful. What am I supposed to do when he’s perfect?

"The view is beautiful. We should come again in early spring or fall. I’m curious how it will look with the autumn leaves."

"Anytime you want."

"If you told me we were going out for fresh air, I would have followed without hesitation. I would’ve regretted missing this."

As I carefully sat on the handkerchief, Adrian sat beside me.

"I’m glad you like it, but, Hilda, we came for another reason today."

"Another reason? What is it?"

"To return something to you."

Still not quite understanding, I tilted my head. Adrian smiled warmly.

"Your lost time."

Return my lost time? When I asked with wide eyes, he gently tapped my hand, signaling me to look ahead. The peaceful scene remained unchanged.

"Do you see? The dawn on the day after you started staying in my room looked like this."

"Oh..."

"A thick white mist hung so heavily that you couldn’t see a thing. Fortunately, it dissipated as the air warmed, and the day turned sunny. The sunset was this deep color."

As Adrian described it, the world changed.

The clear sky quickly darkened, and thick fog blanketed the river so densely that I could barely see. Gradually, the sky brightened, then turned red and yellow as he said.

And then it was night again. The sky filled with stars, and when he mentioned the moon looking like an eyebrow, a crescent moon appeared, slicing through the night.

Wow, what is this?

I couldn’t tell if he was turning back time or controlling the sky. I was too busy trying to keep up with the changes in the sky, river, and wind.

"The wind was cold. I returned to my room late that night, and you were asleep. I covered you with a blanket, worried you might be cold. You kicked it off, saying you were hot, but I was relieved you didn’t catch a cold."

At that moment, a cold wind brushed my elbow. I vaguely remembered Adrian fussing over me, trying to cover me with a blanket.

"There was a meteor shower that night. Watching the stars falling, after enduring a thousand years, never gets old."

The dark blue night sky was torn apart by a rain of shooting stars. The droplets of light left long tails as they fell.

It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. So beautiful that the word "beautiful" seemed insufficient and made me feel regretful.

"The second day also had mist from the morning. Was it because of the thick moon halo? The third day, it rained all day. The air was heavy, and the wind was so rough that the gardeners struggled. As the flower petals rained down, I suddenly thought of you. I wished you were there to see it. I missed you without realizing it."

A white ring formed around the moon, then the air became humid as a fierce wind blew. I laughed as an illusion of a gardener running to catch his hat appeared.

Then colorful flower petals poured down. We were in the middle of a flower storm. The floral scent filled my lungs to the point of dizziness.

When I reached out to touch the swirling petals, they passed through like a mirage, but Adrian caught one and handed it to me. It was real, with a delicate, moist texture.

"The next day, it was incredibly clear. The sky was wide and clean with no clouds. The sunlight reflected off the lake, dazzlingly bright. That day, too, I thought of you and returned to my room as soon as I finished my work. You looked tired, though you said you were fine. I felt sad and anxious, worried you were getting tired of me..."

During that long month, he told me what he did every day and how I was.

Hilda, I was glad you were happy that day. You were pleased with your first long composition after learning to write. The next day, you looked strangely weak. Were you in pain?

The day the purple sunset colored the river, you asked if we could take a walk. You soon forgot the refusal, but I agonized over it, the moment of your disappointment stuck in my mind.

Still, I was happy because of you. I didn't realize it was making you sick.

"Wow..."

The skies, the river, the ocean from the days that had disappeared from my world.

I saw the fragments of the world that Adrian had witnessed.

Countless moments surged like a giant wave, coloring the sky and pouring over me. I wandered endlessly through the time he guided me through, soaking wet.

While I was confined to my room, the world outside changed in various ways.

The night sky, the stars, the dawn light, and the sunset... they all seemed the same each day, yet subtly different.

Some days were endlessly blue as if the sky had been washed clean, while other days were dominated by a grand purple sunset. The crescent moon shone brightly through the black curtain of night, then turned crimson and finally faded into darkness.

Morning light burst forth like a spray of water, leading back to another day. The transition was gradual, like a veil being lifted. It turned hazy and brightened, then darkened again. Countless colors layered over his memories, washing over them repeatedly.

Feeling small within this immense flow of time, I finally reached the end of it.

Adrian extended his hand toward the sky.

"I'll gather all this time and give it to you."

The scenery that adorned the entire world was sucked into his hand. The gathered light rippled like a lake.

When the light melted away, what remained were countless glass beads. Each transparent bead contained the scenes I had just witnessed, divided precisely by each day, endlessly repeating.

My lost time.

"I'm sorry, Hilda."

The glass beads changed colors endlessly. Struggling to tear my gaze away, I looked up.

The surroundings were just transitioning from night to day, so a soft light highlighted the contours clearly.

His deep-set eyes reflected the white moonlight. Such elegance.

Thump, thump thump. My heartbeat pounded painfully.

"I'm sorry."

His voice, although awkward with the apology, dug deep into me. It beat and beat, making my whole body tremble.

My heart felt warm. It was unbearable.

I couldn't breathe well...

"Thank... you. I'm happy."

How could someone touch me like this? I wanted to say that giving me a few glass beads doesn't make everything okay, but my throat tightened.

Then, suddenly, I couldn't help but cry.

"Hil... da. Are you... are you crying?"

Adrian's face appeared blurry in front of my teary eyes, hardened. My hand was wet before I could stop it.

"I'm sorry, Hilda. I really did wrong. Don't cry, okay? Blame and curse me instead. You don't have to forgive me ever... just don't cry."

I said it was okay, but it wasn’t. Sometimes, I felt weak and anxious.

I felt guilty for making Adrian unhappy and sad that Emily forgot me. I feared being kicked out of the game and was startled when Adrian disappeared. I was scared I wouldn't find him in the dungeon and worried that Satan, who didn't remember me, was the real Adrian.

I was anxious and sad, fearing he might not trust me until the end, that I might be forever confined to the room, that my faith in him might eventually fade away... Countless moments made me slightly anxious and sad. Though I tried to be strong, I was often trembling inside.

"Please, Hilda, please stop crying. Please..."

I was the one crying, but it seemed like Adrian was suffering more. Catching my tears with his hands, he couldn’t bring himself to wipe them away and was in utter distress. I hoped I wasn't crying as miserably as he imagined.

"...Thank you."

My voice, barely out, was hoarse. Adrian, kneeling like he had committed a grave sin, looked at me with tearful eyes. His gaze seemed to ask what he had done to deserve my thanks.

"Thank you for showing me that my faith wasn't misplaced. Thank you for not making me regret it."

"Hilda, I..."

"Stop apologizing. Just promise you won't do it again, and that's enough."

I wasn't crying to get an apology. I knew he wouldn't understand even if I explained this complex feeling. Although he seemed puzzled by why that was enough, it was okay. There were still plenty of things left for us to do together.

After receiving his promise several times that he wouldn't do it again, we rode the carriage back to the mansion.

The glass beads Adrian made were piled up in abundance, keeping me occupied on the way back. I spent an hour staring at the scene of the meteor shower, and he seemed quite pleased. He even said, if I liked it that much, he could gather the scenes from the dawn of time.

"Hilda, pick a couple of your favorites. I'll move the rest to your room."

As we arrived at the mansion and I was about to get off the carriage, Adrian asked. Indeed, carrying all the glass beads seemed cumbersome.

"Okay, then I'll take this one... and this one."

"Excellent choice."

He sincerely admired my choice of the two I liked the most.

"Hilda, Hilda!"

In front of the mansion, embraced by the soft sunset, someone waved and called my name. It seemed they had been looking for me all day. Smiling, I turned to Adrian, whose expression had hardened.

"Emily must have come to greet me. If you go to the room first, I'll follow after talking to her for a bit."

"...Okay."

"Sir, what did I tell you in the carriage?"

"You said you love me the most..."

Seeing Emily softened his sharp demeanor a bit.

Before this incident, I could never have imagined it, but Adrian was very jealous. He was jealous of anything and everything near me, whether it was inanimate objects or living beings. If I had kept looking at the glass beads for a few more days, he might have smashed them, claiming it was a mistake.

To dull his aggressive jealousy even a little, I came up with the idea of constantly reminding him that I love him. It seemed more effective than I expected, even against a devil.

"Thank you for returning our world to us."

"...Yes."

"You are the best in the world."

Adrian liked holding my hand tightly, so he could feel my warmth deeply. As I held his hand the way he liked, his face softened.

On that day, drenched in the red sunset, I was sure.

We would be fine from now on. We would be happy. We would keep smiling forever. That’s what I believed.

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