3. IF) I was reincarnated as a diamond-spoon lady in a horror game.

3. IF) I was reincarnated as a diamond-spoon lady in a horror game.

I first opened my eyes due to a presence lurking near my bed and a flustered voice.

"Miss, Miss Hilda, you must wake up now!"

Clutching my throbbing head, possibly from a hangover, I opened my eyes to see the cliché 'unfamiliar ceiling'. But it wasn't just the ceiling that was unfamiliar. An unfamiliar name, an unfamiliar servant's face, an unfamiliar room... It didn't take long to realize that this world, where nothing was familiar, wasn't the place I used to live. For starters, the room was at least ten times larger than my original one, the furniture and decorations looked dizzyingly expensive, and the blanket was meltingly soft. For a moment, I worried that I might have drunkenly trespassed into someone else's house, but seeing the servant fussing over me, I felt relieved that wasn't the case.

"Hilda? Are you talking to me?"

"Miss, what are you saying? Are you feeling unwell? Oh no, if that's the case, I'll call for the family doctor!"

"Wait, wait! I'm fine. You don't need to go. And don't rush like that, you might fall."

"Miss... are you worried about me? How can you be so kind...!"

[Sylvia's affection has increased by 1000.]

[Current Sylvia affection level: 10 (MAX)]

[Sylvia's affection has exceeded the maximum level. Additional affection gained can be received as gold.]

[Gold +1,000G]

I had just said a word of concern because I was worried about the servant pacing anxiously, but suddenly, unfamiliar white text appeared before my eyes, ending with the clinking sound of falling coins. I wondered what affection and gold were, but when I glanced up slightly, I saw a small golden coin icon with a number next to it. However, something about the number seemed odd.

[94,672,349,999,999...G]

The number wasn't fully displayed, using ellipsis instead. Is this my wealth? How can there be so much money? I wanted to try touching it to check the exact figure, but I couldn't because Sylvia was shedding tears of emotion. Thinking that this probably wasn't the world I knew, I calmly looked at Sylvia. For now, she's the only one who can explain the situation, so I should try to calm her down first.

"Um... Sylvia? Don't cry..."

"Are you comforting me, Miss? You even remember my name, how kind of you."

[Sylvia's affection has increased by 2000.]

[Current Sylvia affection level: 10 (MAX)]

[Sylvia's affection has increased by 3000.]

[Current Sylvia affection level: 10 (MAX)]

[Sylvia's affection has exceeded the maximum level. Additional affection gained can be received as gold.]

[Gold +5,000G]

With just those few words, money fell into my hands again with a ding sound. What was even more frightening was that even after 5,000 gold was added, the [94,672,349,999,999...G] displayed as my wealth didn't change at all. How many long numbers are hidden in those ellipses for there to be no noticeable change?

"Are you... that moved by just a few words from me? I can't remember, but have I been harsh to you before? Or..."

"Harsh? Not at all! Miss has always been kind and treated me well. The competition to get the job of waking you up was so fierce!"

I wondered why waking someone up was such a desirable job, but at least it was a relief that I hadn't been cruel. Anyway, seeing the constant message notifications, wealth, items, and status window appearing before my eyes, I roughly understood the situation. It seemed I had been reincarnated into a game I had been playing. The problem was, probably because I had drunk a lot, I couldn't remember the name of the game. It was something about a duke's or count's family, I think. Ugh, what was it?

"Oh my, we don't have time for this, Miss! The Viscount and Viscountess will be arriving soon!"

"Uh, okay?"

"This is no time for 'okay', Miss! As adorable and lovable as your dazed look is, I'll have to be a bit rude now!"

It didn't take long for Sylvia to transform me from a disheveled figure sitting on the bed into the perfect image of a noble lady. As it turned out, she was an incredibly capable person. There was one more surprising thing. When I was all dressed up, I was an undeniable noble lady, a far cry from my appearance when I had just woken up. A purple silk dress, elaborate but not excessively so, neatly braided brown hair, and unfamiliar green eyes. With the addition of a feathered hair ornament and jeweled earrings, I became a completely different person in an instant. No wonder the competition was fierce; she must have been selected based on her skills.

"Oh my, Miss! The Viscount seems to have arrived already. We should hurry downstairs. The Viscount will probably be feeling disappointed already."

"Huh? Why disappointed?"

"Oh dear, you only sent ten letters while the Viscount was away on his trip!"

"Ten letters... isn't that a lot? Um, I drank some wine last night and my memory is a bit fuzzy, but how long was this trip?"

"Two weeks! A whole two weeks, and he only received ten letters. The Viscount was quite upset about it. Anyway, hurry downstairs! If you go out to greet him first, he'll cheer up quickly."

Isn't ten letters in two weeks quite a lot? Sylvia took me, still somewhat bewildered, to the front of the mansion. As we descended the stairs, I realized that this mansion was much larger and grander than I had imagined. So, the owner of this palace-like house is the Viscount, and I'm his daughter? It was a fact as hard to adapt to as my changed appearance.

As we reached the first floor, I saw expensive-looking artworks and sculptures elegantly displayed in the marble-floored hall. There was a large horse statue made of gold that I wanted to go touch, but Sylvia was urging me on so much that I couldn't even get near it.

"Oh, it's the young lady."

"Miss Hilda! Good morning. You look beautiful as always today."

"Miss! Please look over here too!"

And as we went downstairs and out of the mansion, for some reason, the servants' eyes turned into hearts whenever they saw me, making a fuss about how lovely I was. When I waved my hand, feeling a bit dazed, they clutched their hearts, and each time, white text appeared saying that their affection had increased, but since it was already at the maximum, it was being converted to money. So, just from going down from the third floor to the first floor, I earned over 30,000 gold. What was even more terrifying was the still unchanged [94,672,349,999,999...G]. How many digits were hidden in those ellipses?

"Miss, that carriage over there. The Viscount is coming!"

A splendid carriage pulled by white horses was just entering through the well-maintained green garden. I unconsciously clenched my hands in nervousness at the thought of meeting new people in this unfamiliar world. If only I could remember what genre of game I was playing last night. Is it okay to greet the Viscount and Viscountess so unprepared? What if they're the final bosses? We might suddenly have to fight!

While I was considering going back upstairs for a moment due to this sudden feeling of being at a loss, the carriage arrived in front of me. The carriage door opened, and a middle-aged man with a stern expression and an elegant, haughty woman stepped out and looked at me. Then, without looking at anything else, they strode straight towards me.

Here they come, the possible final bosses of this game...!

"Hilda, my beloved daughter!"

But as the Viscount, who had such a solemn atmosphere that even sturdy guards might shrink back, approached me, his expression melted. It seems he's not the final boss. Then, the Viscountess? Perhaps the common stepmother setting, mistreating the child of the previous wife...

"You step aside, I'm going to hug her first!"

"Oof!"

"Hilda, my cute daughter. Have you been well? I was worried if you were scared when there was a heavy rainstorm two nights ago."

The Viscountess, who had pushed the Viscount aside with fierce momentum, hugged me tightly and stroked my head. The Viscountess made a fuss, saying she wanted to see her daughter's face after so long and that I had become even prettier. The Viscount, who had been pushed aside by his wife, made choking sounds, saying he wanted to hug his daughter too. It was a family overflowing with love, to the point where my earlier tension seemed a bit silly.

"This man was crying so much, saying he wanted to see our Hilda quickly, that we cut the schedule short by five days. Come on, let's go in and have a meal. We'll get to see our daughter's face for a long time after so long."

"Dear!"

No matter how much fuss the Viscount made behind us, the Viscountess headed to the dining room, doting on me to her heart's content. Hmm... it seems these people are definitely not the final bosses of this game.

Over the course of a week, I figured out the setup of this game. Just like when I doubted whether the Viscount and Viscountess were the final bosses, I carefully examined each new person or situation I encountered to see if it was a trap, but I hadn't discovered anything yet. And of course, I still couldn't remember what kind of game this originally was. At first, it was very frustrating, but the more I stayed here, the more I forgot about it. That's because I wasn't just any golden spoon here.

My name is Hilda Archibald. I was the only daughter of the Archibald viscount family. A viscount's daughter, no less! Pampered from dawn to dusk, with someone always by my side to serve me. First of all, speaking of my father and mother, while they were quite respected nobles outside, at home they were hopelessly devoted to their daughter.

"Father, I want to change rooms. To the central room on the 4th floor where the sunlight is good."

"Of course, of course. Why don't you just use the entire 4th floor?"

"I'd like to change the furniture too while moving."

"How much do you need?"

"I've been feeling cooped up staying at home lately."

"I'll give you more allowance, so go play in the village tomorrow. Don't worry about your lessons."

"I want to go to the villa for a few days instead of the village. I want to get some fresh air."

"That's not allowed! How can we go without seeing our daughter!"

"Daddy."

"Ugh... How about two days? If... if you don't like two days, up to three days is... okay."

Not only my father, Viscount Archibald, but also my mother, the Viscountess, would do anything I said, and even if I occasionally expressed an opinion contrary to theirs, using the terms 'Daddy' or 'Mommy' would end the negotiation. They rarely opposed my words in the first place, unless it involved disappearing from their sight, like going on a long trip.

Even though this was just a game and it was a situation where someone suddenly started doting on me as parents, it felt very awkward and unfamiliar. But being human, I couldn't help but gradually let my guard down around people who poured so much love on me. Of course... I still couldn't get used to times when they'd encounter me wandering around in a disheveled state after waking up and shout, "Our daughter just woken up is so cute, I can't stand it! We must preserve this moment in a portrait, why hasn't anyone called for a painter yet?!"

Around a month after entering the game, I gradually became accustomed to calling them father and mother, and even the sometimes overwhelming love began to feel normal. As if I were really their daughter. Indeed, humans are creatures of adaptation.

"Daughter, are you going out again today? Don't come back too late. You know how dangerous the world can be. There are even some unsettling rumors going around lately... This mother can't help but worry. You understand, right?"

The Viscountess rushed over and tightly held my hands as I was preparing to go out. I stared at those warm hands for a moment before smiling.

"I understand. I'll come back early today."

"Our good daughter who listens to her mother so well. Say that you love mommy more than daddy."

I obediently did as the Viscountess wanted, and in a great mood, she pressed a handful of gold coins into my hand, telling me to eat something delicious. As if on cue, white text appeared, glimmering.

[You have acquired 'Viscountess Archibald's Treat in a Good Mood'.]

[You have gained 30% additional gold due to the 'Am I Destined to be Rich?' buff.]

[You have gained 60% additional gold due to the 'I Can Give You More, Daughter! Viscount Archibald's Struggle' buff.]

[The scheduled savings amount has been transferred to Coltitz Bank.]

[Interest rate has increased by 1% due to the 'Thank You to Our VIP Customer Who Always Uses Our Bank' buff. (Current interest rate: 27.9%)]

[Current balance: 95,622,459,999,999...G]

Seeing the allowance from my mother followed by my father's, and even the bank's sincere thanks scrolling by, I couldn't help but smile contentedly. As you can see, my parents often showered me with money in such displays of affection, and I couldn't let assets rivaling those of a tycoon just sit idle, so I made good use of bank savings and investments to grow them. All for my secure retirement, of course. Naturally, to ensure stable profits in these times, I had made appropriate diversified investments in real estate and businesses. Yet my cash assets kept piling up day by day, so even if the family were to go bankrupt - though that's unlikely - I had become wealthy enough to live comfortably until death.

At first, I tried to escape this game. I couldn't remember the game's title or genre, which was unsettling enough, and I didn't even know how to exit. Driven by anxiety, I tried pressing the menu to find an exit button and even tried talking to village NPCs, but it was all in vain. But that didn't last long. Seeing the ample wealth that would be a shame to leave behind, parents who adored me, and people around me hitting maximum affection at every moment, I began to wonder if there was really any need to leave. Even though I was on guard, watching out for when the final boss might appear, my days were filled with only trivial concerns like "What should I do for fun today?" or "What should I spend money on?" As time passed, I gradually relaxed. After about a month, I completely forgot about it.

Oh well, never mind. Since the final boss hasn't appeared yet, this must just be a romance fantasy simulation game!

"Sylvia, which of these two do you think looks better?"

I asked Sylvia while choosing a golden pocket watch at a general store. Sylvia raised her affection, touched that "the young lady is asking for my opinion!", and the affection that exceeded the maximum limit went straight into my wallet. Watching this, the store owner said, "I've never seen a young lady so kind to her servant. It really inspires respect!" and likewise raised his affection to the maximum. Then a message appeared saying, "You are receiving respect and love from the general store merchant. You can purchase all items sold in the general store at a 30% discount!"

Oh my, another buff has appeared. At this rate, the buff window will be full, endlessly scrolling.

So far, there hasn't been a single person I've met who hasn't hit maximum affection, and with buffs attaching to each of my words or actions, my affection target window and buff window were already over capacity. I didn't really need the discount buff since I had enough money to buy this entire village and then some, but... I should pretend to like it.

I smiled at the white text twinkling before my eyes as if asking for praise, and the system, as if jumping for joy, randomly generated a flurry of buffs. I didn't even bother reading what kind of buffs they were.

Interestingly, this game system is not just friendly to me, but loves me so much that I wonder if it wasn't the first to hit maximum affection for me. And like just now, it would do things I might like and wait for praise. Sometimes it felt a bit annoying, but it looked like a dog wagging its tail asking to be petted, so I've been finding it cute in its own way.

"Hmm... the left one? But miss, don't you already have both of these? I think I saw them in your room."

"Yes, that's right. I'm just buying one more as a gift."

After praising the system a few more times as it wagged its tail like a windmill, I only paid for the left one. Actually, it wasn't for a gift; I wanted to test item synthesis.

[Do you want to synthesize Expensive Pocket Watch (High-grade) with Expensive Pocket Watch (High-grade)? 40% chance of failure. Proceed with synthesis?]

[Starting synthesis.]

[Super Great Success!]

[2% chance of additional grade increase in synthesis.]

[Mythical item creation successful!]

[You have acquired a Pocket Watch (Mythical) that can't be found anywhere else.]

"Oh my... another mythical item."

"Pardon? Miss, what did you just say?"

"Oh, nothing."

I mumbled, stuffing the pocket watch that had become so extraordinary its value couldn't be measured into my sleeve. This was the tenth synthesis. When I first created an item to test the game's features, I was surprised that it turned out to be mythical grade, so I tested it a few more times, and it kept showing super great success, breaking through that incredible probability.

Isn't this game too easy?

Money is overflowing, and life is smooth sailing. Everyone loves me, the viscount's daughter, and the game system shows favoritism towards me, the user. I'm lucky to be coasting through... but sometimes I wonder if it's okay for a game to be this easy. Even now, I don't particularly have any complaints, but life is so easy that it sometimes gets boring.

Sometimes I think I should have raised the difficulty if I had known I'd enter the game, but then I shake my head, thinking it wouldn't have been much different from now. I'd still have plenty of money, if not as much as now, and raising affection would still be the easiest thing in the world. Mythical grade items would be strewn about like junk.

This is what makes games fun! Plus, I'm the protagonist, right? What if I had entered the game and become a servant instead of a noble? It would be hard to save money with low wages, having to grind for even cheap common items, gaining experience by pulling weeds, and having to build affection by offering gifts bought with scarce money - where's the fun in that? Only fools would play such a game.

"While we're at it, what should I buy today?"

Back home, I took a big bite of cake and started calculating in my head. As I steeped a mythical grade tea bag in a high-class teacup that I had prepared with dessert, white text appeared again, reciting all sorts of buffs. Out of habit, I praised the system with "Good job, system, good job," and gold poured down once more. This is what makes games fun!

While my world was full of such kindness, there was something peculiar. As is often the case in games, restrictions that don't exist in the real world were sometimes imposed on the user.

One day, this happened. I was lying in bed about to sleep when suddenly I heard a woman crying. Earlier that day, when I picked up a small knife that had fallen in the hallway, an unusually eerie description appeared: "A suspiciously sharp knife. Perhaps someone dropped it by mistake while carrying it as a murder weapon?" So, hearing a woman crying in the middle of the night could only be terrifying. W-what's going on?

Thoroughly scared, I carefully opened the door and peeked out. Sob, sob... A sorrowful crying sound that I had only heard in horror historical dramas echoed from the end of the dim corridor. Usually, this is when the ghost of a wrongfully dead maiden cries like this and then suddenly appears to scare you. The sound of wind blowing through an open window and the cold air created a perfect collaboration. What's with this atmosphere in what should be an ordinary romance fantasy simulation game?

Instantly shrinking back, I was about to close the door again when my gaze stopped on a figure barely visible at the end of the corridor. Huh? Is that...

"You're... Lilia?"

"Sob, ah, ah, young lady..."

"I wondered who it was. You scared me for nothing. What's wrong? Why are you crying here?"

Lilia was a young servant who had recently joined the mansion. She was familiar to me as she followed Sylvia around, learning the work. As I approached, Lilia looked up at me with hiccups and reddened eyes.

"Sob, sob, it's nothing... hic. It's nothing."

"If it's nothing, why are you crying like this? It's okay, you can tell me."

There was no way it was nothing when she was crying alone, unable to even tell Sylvia. As I gently comforted her, her big eyes filled with tears again.

"...gone... it's gone..."

"Huh? What did you say? What's gone?"

"Hic, the pillow... sob, it's gone, sniff. Sister Sylvia said I can't sleep without a pillow, that I won't be able to work the next day, and told me to take good care of it..."

Before finishing her sentence, Lilia burst into loud tears with a "Waaah!" What, was that all? As I mentioned earlier, this game sometimes imposes inexplicable behavioral restrictions on the user, and pillows were one of them. Ridiculously, in this game, you can't sleep or rest without a pillow. As someone who always sleeps with six pillows, I only knew this setting in theory, but seeing it directly for the first time... I realized that not having a pillow could really put someone in such distress. I felt pity, thinking that if this game had been unkind even to me, a user rather than an NPC, I could have suffered like Lilia because of a pillow.

Having just started working, she obviously wouldn't have any saved money, and even if she did, it would be difficult to go out and buy a pillow now... I couldn't bear to see this young bud struggling, caught in the game's cruel behavioral restriction trap. I patted Lilia's back and headed to my room.

"Here, take this, Lilia. This will be okay, right?"

"Hic, sniff... sob, huh?"

Lilia, who had been crying pitifully, looked up and widened her eyes at what I was offering.

"Ah, young lady. This... this is..."

"Take this and go to sleep. You'll stop crying now, right?"

"But how can I accept something so precious..."

What I brought from my room was a mythical pillow. A mythical grade pillow worth 10,000 gold each, with a dazzling description that read, "The ultimate pillow that allows you to visit heaven while sleeping." I had wondered why a pillow had such a serious description, but after sleeping on it once, I had to nod in agreement. Lilia must have been using only common or high-grade pillows until now, so it was understandable for her to be surprised at a mythical pillow.

"No, young lady. I can't accept something so precious. How could someone like me..."

Lilia's lips trembled, unable to even touch the mythical pillow with its overwhelming presence, as if emitting a golden aura.

"Come to think of it, I didn't give you a welcome gift when you came to the mansion. Everyone else got a welcome gift, will you not accept yours?"

"A welcome... gift? Everyone else received one?"

Lilia rolled her big eyes, tightly clenching her trembling hands. I lowered my voice as I stroked her small, round head.

"That's right. So don't hesitate to accept it. But you have to keep what you received a secret. This is specially prepared just for you. Understand?"

"But... but..."

"I'm telling you it's really okay."

"..."

After I coaxed her several times, Lilia, who had hesitated at first, carefully accepted the pillow and then hugged it tightly to her chest. She bowed several times in gratitude before heading down the stairs with excited steps. The mythical pillow is expensive, but I can always buy a few more!

Ah, I feel proud to have lived another day doing good deeds. I wonder if I'm becoming known as a generator of heartwarming stories. It would be troublesome to be loved even more than this. Should I try synthesizing mythical pillows to create a new grade of pillow to commemorate this? It doesn't seem too difficult. Humming that this is how hard the life of a popular person is, I returned to my room.

Since entering the game, I had been living fairy tale-like days. Parents who only cared about me, a magnificent mansion, a wallet overflowing with money, a game system that poured in more money with all sorts of reasons when I tried to spend it, cheat-level buffs, and affection levels that were strange if not at maximum. Life was going so smoothly that I wondered if there could be another life as easy as this, so I completely forgot the wariness that had initially been raised like a hedgehog's quills, and gave up trying to remember what this game was.

What does it matter what game this was, when my life is going so well! No matter how long I waited, there were no changes in the status window and no final boss appeared, so I just became filled with the thought that I didn't want to leave this game. I'm truly happy. Every moment is fresh and thrilling. I won't forgive anything that disrupts this game's ecosystem... That's what I thought just last night.

"I remember."

The genre of this game.

The memory of the game that I unconsciously recalled while sleeping. I sat up in bed, turning pale.

"This... this game was a horror."

This was truly a shocking realization. The memory is still hazy so it's not complete, but it seems it was a game where someone kills the people in the mansion one by one. Is this possible? Murder in such a bright setting and luxurious mansion? It doesn't fit at all no matter how I think about it... No, wait. I did see an item description of a knife good for killing not too long ago. And before that, I had seen eerily inappropriate description windows... Could it really be true?

"Young lady! Oh, you're already awake. Breakfast is set in the dining room, would you like to go right away?"

Sylvia appeared as cheerful as ever, carrying the bright sunlight. Normally, I would have thought Sylvia was bright and cute today too, but knowing the genre of this game, I couldn't look at her normally. She looked like the perfect supporting character 1, naive and trusting, easy to be killed unnoticed in a back alley. Oh no. The game I've been coasting through is starting to look more and more like a horror game.

"No, Sylvia. I'm going to... take a short walk."

"Oh, you don't look well. Did you have a bad dream last night?"

Rather than a dream, I found out something bad.

"It's not that, don't worry. I'll just take a quick walk around the garden alone."

"I see. Then please be careful."

She couldn't follow me since I said I wanted to walk alone, but she couldn't hide her worried eyes. What could be dangerous about a garden walk, not even going outside? I once again assured her not to worry before leaving the mansion.

"Phew... I feel a bit calmer now that I'm outside."

When I realized it was a horror game while half-asleep, I broke out in a cold sweat all over, but after regaining my senses, I thought I might not need to be so tense. I mean, the murderer who's supposed to be killing people in that mansion might not be near me. Since no murders have happened around me yet, this might not even be the main setting of the game. I might just be a supporting character who receives buffs well.

And even in the unlikely event that a murder does occur... I should be able to survive somehow. With so many buffs that the buff window is full.

I decided to kneel down in a corner of the garden and pull out some weeds. As if on cue, white text appeared with a flash.

[Critical! You gained 2000 experience points for removing weeds.]

[You have acquired a weed!

Characteristic: Useless]

[The 'Game Genius, Blessed with the Best Luck in Everything' buff is activated.]

[The grade of the acquired item will be randomly changed.]

[The grade of the acquired item 'Weed' has been changed to 'Legendary' grade. (Probability 0.0001%)]

The green weed that had been suddenly pulled out and was lying limp was suddenly enveloped in a rainbow-colored glow and returned upgraded to legendary grade. With experience events that seemed to open only for me like this, my game level had already hit the maximum, and items that came into my hands changed to at least legendary grade no matter how bad they were. Right, with such luck on my side, how could I suddenly be murdered?

"Look at this arrogant bastard. Can't you see properly?"

As I was crouching in a quiet corner of the garden, trying to calm my pounding heart, I suddenly heard a strange voice.

"Look at the nerve of this guy, still hanging around the mansion after hurting the young lady like that."

"Should we beat this bastard up so he can't show his face around here anymore?"

What's with these lines that sound like typical back alley bullies? Half curious about words I had never heard while staying at the mansion, I got up and followed the voices. As expected, I found several people cornering one person against a wall and bullying them. Behind the person being one-sidedly bullied, there was a noticeably large black stain on the dark red wall, and the moment my eyes fell on it, a description window suddenly appeared.

[Unknown Large Stain

A large stain left on the wall by a sticky liquid. Could it be blood that wasn't cleaned up after a murder...?]

Last time it was "Maybe someone dropped a murder weapon?", and this time it's "Maybe it's blood left after a murder?" My heart, which had just started to calm down, began to pound again. It was like watching the game I thought was a simple romance fantasy simulation gradually turning into a horror game. No, I must stop that at all costs!

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Gasp, ah, young lady..."

Here's the English translation of the Korean novel chapter, following your guidelines:

I rushed over, determined to maintain peace in this game, causing the servants who were acting as bullies to turn and gulp. As they bowed their heads one by one, I approached them with purposeful strides.

"What's going on here? Why are you ganging up on one person? And what's this about injuring me?"

"Ah... Miss, well..."

"Speak up quickly!"

"This scoundrel caused you to get hurt, Miss! How can such a grave sin be punished with mere three weeks of probation?"

I was startled by their audacity, caught in the act yet still so aggressive. Of course, given that I had maximum favorability with not just the servants but everyone in this world, they were overly sensitive about matters concerning me. But what incident were they referring to where I got hurt?

"That's right! It's our duty to protect you, Miss, but because of him, you were injured in the carriage! And as soon as his probation ended, he has the gall to show his face around here!"

"We couldn't stand his shamelessness!"

As I stood there, confused and unable to recall, a servant who had been biting his lip in frustration kindly explained. It was only when I heard the word "carriage" that I remembered the incident from three weeks ago.

"Is that all? You're tormenting him over such a minor injury? He's already served his punishment with probation, hasn't he?"

"But Miss!"

"Enough. What are your names? Should I inform the butler that some seem to have objections to his decision?"

"T-That's..."

Seeing that I showed no signs of calming down, they glanced at each other nervously. My claim that it was an insignificant accident wasn't a lie to end the situation. When I had just entered the game and was still disoriented, I heard a violent coughing sound from outside while riding in a carriage to the village. Already preoccupied with many thoughts, the coughing that sounded like he might cough up blood bothered me, so I had the servant ride in the carriage with me. Lost in my worries, I didn't get a good look at his face, but I remember him being hesitant, probably feeling awkward about a servant daring to ride in the same carriage as their master.

Not long after taking him in, coincidentally, a wheel came off, causing the carriage to overturn and slide down a slope. Reflexively, I held onto the servant as we rolled. In fact, the accident itself wasn't minor - I hit my head on the carriage wall, and broken glass left scratches here and there. As we tumbled inside the carriage, I feared for my life, but being the game's favorite, I healed instantly, avoiding any real danger. The game showcased its ingenuity by activating various buffs, healing wounded areas, and cushioning impacts against hard surfaces.

When we returned to the mansion, my parents made a fuss about being worried, resulting in an overly thorough examination by the physician. But I was so perfectly fine that I had almost forgotten about the accident itself. I hadn't heard what happened to the servant I protected, but it seems he was given probation. If only I had known, I would have prevented such a punishment.

"Sigh... If you understand, leave now. I'll overlook this as a momentary lapse in judgment. But if you protest any further, I won't stay quiet."

Especially now that I know the game's genre.

Speaking sternly with an angry face, even those who had initially raised their voices in indignation began to read the atmosphere and leave. As I was catching my breath, thinking I should prioritize maintaining peace in the mansion for the time being, I sensed the remaining servant bowing politely. Come to think of it, I didn't even see his face when I saved him.

"Miss, thank you for your help."

"..."

"And... if I may be so bold, I'm relieved to see you looking healthy."

I turned to face him reflexively and froze. How... could he have such a face? How could I have missed seeing a face like that, even if I had been lost in thought? I've met many attractive people since coming here, but none, regardless of gender, were more beautiful than the man before me. Platinum blonde hair I'd rarely seen before and sky-blue eyes clear as glass. A graceful forehead and a perfectly straight nose bridge. An air of desolation and melancholy flowed faintly about him, yet his noble bearing made me forget he was a servant. If he changed his clothes, he could easily pass for the precious son of a high noble family. He had an elegance that would make such a claim believable.

My gaze was drawn to the soft hair falling over his forehead, but I snapped back to reality when I felt his eyes fixed on me. So this is what it means to be captivated by beauty.

"Well, as I said earlier, the carriage accident was more dramatic than harmful. But are you... alright? The servants seemed to be treating you quite roughly."

"I'm fine. In fact, I deserved even harsher treatment for my crime. As a servant who should have been protecting you, I instead received protection. It would have been understandable if I had been expelled from the mansion for such a grave offense."

The nameless beauty smiled somewhat bitterly as he brushed off the dust on his shoulder. It seems he had already been physically threatened, perhaps pushed against a wall, before I intervened with the instigators.

"While I don't feel wronged by what just happened, I didn't want to be expelled like this. I've incurred two great debts to you, Miss, and I couldn't bear to leave without repaying them."

Two great debts? Just as I was wondering if there had been another incident besides the carriage accident, the game kindly provided an explanation.

[Adrian * ** *****

He has a past of being kidnapped as a child and sold to slave traders, but was coincidentally saved by you when you participated in an auction. Since then, he has been working as a servant in the Archibald Viscount's household, trying to repay your kindness. However, due to his inherently weak constitution, he often falls ill and is unable to work as much as he would like.]

What? I was the one who saved this beauty from slave traders? With a face like that, who knows what might have happened if he had been sold to the wrong person. Well done, past me. And the reason I let him ride in the carriage was because of his coughing - so he's physically weak. His face was as white as jade, making him look particularly pale and noticeable. With such a weak constitution, putting him on probation seems too harsh, butler...

[Additional information: He is the protagonist of this game.]

Just when I thought the explanation was over, I almost cried out at the sudden appearance of these words. Protagonist! If I hadn't known the genre of this game, I might have been excited about finally meeting all the game's main characters. Unfortunately, I found out just a few hours ago. That this is inside a horror game where a serial killer is on the loose! Then... does that mean this person is the killer? And I'm the one who happened to pick up this killer? Good grief, if the system hadn't told me, I never would have guessed his true identity from his appearance.

[Game settings are being changed. (Progress: 21%)]

That wasn't the end of it. Perhaps because I finally encountered the game's protagonist, a blue text I had never seen before informed me that the game settings were being changed. What! What settings are being changed and how? Surely it doesn't mean that now that the protagonist has appeared, the horror game is about to begin in earnest? I sincerely hope that's not the case, but I can't think of any other possibility, causing my hands to tremble. Oh my goodness.

"Miss, you look pale."

I startled and stepped back when I saw his hand approaching, asking if something was wrong. Even though I was his superior, he couldn't persistently follow, and his hand fell hesitantly. He seemed to be asking for forgiveness, thinking he had frightened me, but the pounding of my heart filled my ears, making it difficult to hear his voice. As I waved my hand, overwhelmed by shock and terror, Adrian hesitated for a moment before bowing and leaving. At the edge of my vision as I mustered the courage to look, I saw his limping leg. Even in my dizzied state, I realized he must have been kicked in the leg by that group earlier.

Needing time to calm down and think, I staggered back to my room. I had hoped that even in a horror game, as long as the main setting was elsewhere and I remained a supporting character, it would be fine. But it all seemed like a vain hope now. When my complexion worsened, the servants cast worried glances, which all converted into money and clinked into my wallet, but never had my wallet felt so precarious. To die with so much unspent money piled up? Impossible.

But how could there be no incidents when the game's protagonist was openly wandering around our mansion? A reason for resentment had already occurred, and the game settings were even changing... My modest goal of living a sweet life had all but failed. Technically, I was his benefactor, but being a benefactor to a serial killer isn't particularly reassuring.

What should I do now? Should I expel Adrian? If I send him far away, he might never be able to return. No, that's not it. No matter what, he's the protagonist of a horror game. There's no way he could be avoided by such a simple method. Expelling him might even cause him to harbor greater resentment.

Ugh... what should I do now? I collapsed onto the table, clutching my head. Why did the place I entered have to be a horror game? If only it had been a romance fantasy simulation as I had guessed!

"No, let's calm down and think about this."

Maybe the situation isn't as hopeless as it seems. First, "Settings being changed" means they haven't changed yet, implying there's still a chance to stop Adrian or expel him without incurring his wrath.

Then the answer was clear. Either prevent Adrian from turning to the dark side or send him away gently without causing resentment. Objectively speaking, since no murders had occurred in the mansion yet, there should still be opportunities... Unless he had secretly killed and buried someone. A shiver ran down my spine at the chilling thought.

Believing that assessing the situation was urgent, I called for the butler. When I inquired about Adrian, the butler seemed surprised but answered without asking for reasons.

As the system had informed me, Adrian was brought here by my younger self when he was almost sold by slave traders as a child, and he had been staying here ever since. However, due to his frequent illnesses and weak constitution since childhood, he couldn't be assigned any physically demanding tasks and was only entrusted with minor duties like bookkeeping. The butler added pessimistically that all the money he earned went to medical expenses, so he probably had no savings, and if expelled, he would likely die on the streets. During the previous carriage accident, he was held responsible and made to stay alone in a basement room instead of his usual quarters as punishment.

No close friends, no acquaintances, no outings, nothing to do on holidays, nothing, nothing, nothing... The only reason he hadn't been fired was because I had taken him in, and the viscount's family wasn't so poor that they couldn't afford to feed one servant.

Indeed, he was a character shrouded in mystery, befitting the protagonist of a horror game. But a basement room must be terribly cold. I remembered being surprised by how cold and chilly it was when I went down there by chance, even though it was warm outside.

"Butler, from now on, I want to put Adrian under my jurisdiction. Can Adrian's original duties be assigned to someone else?"

"Yes, given how weak he is, he couldn't be assigned any particularly important tasks. There's no need for a handover, so it can be done immediately."

The butler seemed curious about why I wanted to keep a servant who was useless except for his looks close to me, but he didn't dare ask his superior. Not feeling the need to explain, I pretended not to notice.

"I see. Then I'll start managing him from today. And from now on, report everything related to Adrian to me. Don't leave anything out, no matter how trivial."

"Yes, I will obey your orders."

As soon as the butler left after a polite bow, I went straight down to the basement. According to the butler's report, Adrian was resting today due to a mild cold. It might be called a mild cold, but for someone with a weak constitution like him, it would be much more difficult. I hope he doesn't turn to the dark side out of resentment for being confined to a cold room with a cold. I paced back and forth in front of the room, repeatedly checking for any signs of movement.

It's suspicious, very suspicious. For a horror game protagonist to be such a weakling, it doesn't fit at all. Is he really sick, or is he pretending to be sick while preparing for murder? I carefully put my ear to the door and heard something from inside. Wait, isn't that a groan...? Not that kind of sound, but a sound as if he was really dying. Surprised, I opened the door to find Adrian collapsed on the cold floor. Oh my goodness. What's this?

"Adrian! Are you alright? Try to wake up!"

"My... lady?"

I cradled Adrian's head and placed my hand on his forehead; it was burning hot. His weakly closed eyes suddenly opened and turned towards me. His moist eyes seemed to sparkle for a moment, then his blinks slowed down, and his eyes gently closed. His condition looked serious enough to make my suspicion of him faking illness seem ridiculous. I quickly called for servants to move Adrian.

Adrian was ill for a full week. The physician who examined him said it was a natural result, given that he already had many chronic illnesses and had been staying in a cold room. While saying that what the patient needed was sufficient rest, appropriate medical treatment, and nourishing meals, the physician seemed hesitant to treat Adrian due to his servant status. I asked the physician to not only treat his cold but also look after and treat his chronic illnesses, and I stayed by Adrian's side. When we brought him from the ice-cold floor, he was so pale he could have been mistaken for a corpse, but fortunately, his complexion improved once we put him in a warm bed.

I rested my chin on the bed and quietly observed him. Sleeping silently without even making a breath sound, he looked like a magnificent painting. To think that such a beauty would turn to the dark side and go around killing people. If I hadn't remembered it was a horror game, I never would have imagined such a setting.

In truth, while waiting for the physician after bringing him to the adjacent room, I wasn't without doubts. If I had pretended not to notice and closed the door earlier, if I had left him untreated... Adrian might have died, and I could have lived in a romance fantasy simulation game as I had wished. Looking at him sleeping peacefully after receiving treatment, I felt mixed emotions.

But no matter what, I couldn't ignore a person collapsed right in front of me. No murder had occurred yet... and it would be contradictory to commit murder myself to prevent murders from happening. So, as I initially thought, let's do our best to prevent Adrian from turning to the dark side. I'm in a position to give him orders, and I have the wealth to pave a flowery path for him.

"My... lady?"

Adrian, who had been unconscious for a while even after his fever broke, finally opened his eyes after more than ten days. I had just come back from an outing and stopped by to check on his condition when he regained consciousness. Perhaps thanks to recuperating in a warm place with plenty of sunlight, he looked much more lively. As I approached, Adrian tried to sit up quickly but held his forehead, apparently feeling dizzy.

"It's okay, lie down."

"How did I end up here...?"

"I found you collapsed in the basement room and brought you here. You had a high fever and have been bedridden for a long time."

"I see, I'm once again deeply indebted to you, my lady. I'll return to my room now."

"No need, stay in bed. And from now on, you can stay here."

I calmly said, pressing down on Adrian's shoulders as he tried to get up hastily, making him sit back down. He looked at me with puzzled eyes at the words that he could stay here. Now that I hadn't chosen the option of leaving him to die, it was full speed ahead with no looking back. I'll make sure you can never commit murder!

"But as a mere servant, I can't possibly stay in a place like this."

"No, you can. From now on, you'll be my personal attendant. You'll have to serve me all day long, and it would be inconvenient if you were far away when I need to call you."

"Personal... attendant? Me?"

His eyes, which looked like they could ripple like clear water, trembled. Why is even his confused expression beautiful?

"What, you don't like it?"

"...No, but is it alright to keep me by your side, given that I caused you injury?"

"I've already fully recovered from that injury, haven't I? Are you using that as an excuse to refuse my offer now?"

As I rolled up my sleeve and held out the arm that had been injured in the carriage accident, Adrian hastily turned his head away. Seeing the tips of his ears turning slightly red, it seemed his fever hadn't fully subsided yet. Thanks to the game system's extreme favoritism, I wasn't seriously injured and healed instantly, but faint scars remained. Come to think of it, it's fortunate that I was the one injured; if it had been Adrian, he might still be unconscious, half-dead.

"No, how could I refuse? It's an order from you, my lady."

"Then from now on, you must stay close to me at all times. Even if something unavoidable comes up, stay within a distance where you can come running immediately when I call. I've already told Father that you're my person now, so you don't need to listen to anyone else. Just stay by my side. Understood?"

"...Yes, I'll do as you say, my lady. I'll work hard."

Somehow, his voice seemed different, and at that moment, a slightly shy smile spread across Adrian's face.

"You... always seem to save me, my lady."

Good heavens. That small smile... it's beautiful enough to make my heart stop. Under his long eyelashes, his pale-colored eyes sparkled like jewels, seeming pleased. As I stared at him, forgetting to breathe for a moment, he quickly erased his smile, probably thinking it was impolite, but I couldn't shake off the dazed feeling for a while afterward.

"What do you think I'm going to make you do when you say you'll work hard?"

"Anything."

"..."

"If it's your order, my lady, anything."

Somehow, my heart was pounding so hard that I couldn't look at him directly and stood up. I felt like my face was heating up as if I had caught his cold. Seeing his face smiling as if he were innocent of making me feel this way made him look a bit mischievous.

Alright, laugh all you want now. From now on, I'm going to watch you so closely that you won't be able to breathe.

Adrian finally got out of his sickbed after a full two weeks. Given how weak his body was, there were times when I felt alarmed, to the point where I asked him several times if he was really okay to leave the room, and that if he wanted, he could stay in bed a bit longer. He seemed to find it somewhat embarrassing and shy, but not unpleasant. "It's been a long time since someone worried about me," he said.

Hmm, judging by what he said, I suppose he doesn't harbor any grudge against me? Perhaps due to being the protagonist of a horror game, Adrian's affinity wasn't visible to me, which was quite an obstacle for someone like me who had been reading everyone's inner feelings as affinity scores since entering the game. Usually, anyone I spoke to would start with maximum affinity, but with Adrian, I had no idea. Maybe instead of affinity, he had an innate murderous intent score? It's truly terrifying.

"Miss, I can get off and walk from here."

Adrian, who had been unusually quiet during our carriage ride to the village, suddenly spoke up. Normally, servants don't ride in the carriage with me, so this was exceptional treatment. Was that making him uncomfortable? He had looked particularly pale since earlier.

"No need. Are you planning to keep coughing outside like last time?"

One's state of mind is greatly influenced by physical condition. If his health deteriorates, his murderous intent might boil over and lead him to start killing. I need to prevent that first!

"If my coughing bothers you, I'll suppress it."

"Forget it. Are you asking me to mistreat a patient who hasn't fully recovered? It's fine, just relax. What did I tell you last time? That you're my person now, and you should stay where you can come running when I call. What if you fall behind while following outside because your condition worsens? Would you be able to come immediately when I call?"

"That's..."

"It would be difficult, right? So just relax. But don't get too comfortable and put your legs up on me."

Hearing this, Adrian seemed quite shocked and tried to speak urgently, but upon seeing my expression and realizing it was a joke, he couldn't help but smile. This guy... that's the problem. That shy smile. That face keeps making me forget he's the final boss and treat him sincerely well.

Anyway, I hope he doesn't forget that I'm watching him closely every moment. I've been saying it indirectly, but I wonder if he's understood.

"It sounds nice."

"What does?"

"Being your person, Miss."

Adrian spoke up again after a long while. My thoughts had long since drifted from our conversation, so it took me a moment to understand what he meant. You're still thinking about that?

"Of course, you're my person."

So don't even think about having other intentions.

I meant to glare a warning, but somehow Adrian looked even happier. There was no reason to feel happy about those words, as far as I could tell. I really can't figure him out. But let's not let our guard down. He might be smiling like that because he finds it thrilling to commit murder while evading my vigilant watch. It could be that I've piqued the interest of a murderer, so I need to be careful, extra careful.

With Adrian smiling inexplicably happily and me maintaining a wary atmosphere, the carriage finally stopped in front of the village. Adrian quickly tried to get down to escort me, but I energetically disembarked first, causing him to miss his chance. I hope he wasn't planning to make me stumble and kill me? I was now habitually suspicious of him.

Today, my destination was the bank. I intended to somehow deal with the mountain of money that had piled up, but I could sense the footsteps behind me slowing down. Where is he looking? Following Adrian's gaze through the glass window, I noticed an antiquarian bookshop. Come to think of it, when I went down to the storage room where Adrian had been confined, I remember seeing a few books on the floor. Does he like reading?

"Shall we stop by the bookshop for a bit today?"

"..."

As I suddenly changed course from heading straight to the bank, I almost collided with Adrian, who had been walking in a daze. Flustered, he tried to catch me but then visibly stepped back, probably thinking it would be improper. Then he followed me as I entered the antiquarian bookshop with light steps.

As we crossed the threshold, the distinctive smell of old paper wafted into our noses. From ancient tomes stained by time to newly published books – the shelves were packed to the point where some were too high to reach, yet not a speck of dust was visible, indicating meticulous management. While I pretended to look for a specific book, Adrian approached me.

"If there's a book you want, I can look for it."

"No, I'll search for books myself."

"I could..."

"I said it's fine. By the way, Adrian, you can read, right?"

"...Yes."

"Then read some books. It might take me quite a while to find what I'm looking for."

With that, I abruptly turned and went to another bookshelf. Adrian hesitated, unsure whether to follow me, but slowly turned his gaze to the bookshelves. I thought he might not be able to read due to constantly watching me, but when I peeked out a little later, he seemed to be already engrossed in a book. So he does like reading. He must have missed it, not having much time while working as a servant.

Seeing Adrian get absorbed in books more smoothly than expected, I no longer needed to pretend to search for books. I wandered between the shelves, occasionally pulling out interesting ones, and observed him. He must have had many books he really wanted to read, as finished books began to pile up next to him where he had settled down. As the breeze from a slightly open window made his platinum blonde hair sparkle and flutter, I found myself mesmerized while watching. So this is what they mean by looks that can enchant people. He's a beauty that could captivate anyone regardless of gender – I wonder how anyone could have mistreated him, even in a corner of the garden. Even though I know he's the protagonist of a horror game, I sometimes find myself staring absentmindedly.

"Uh, Miss. Excuse me. Ahem."

As I was admiring Adrian's figure like a work of art, suddenly someone who appeared to be the bookshop owner approached and addressed me. What is it in the middle of this busy moment? When I nodded, signaling him to speak, the owner stammered and continued.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but reading books without purchasing them... We need to make a living too, you see."

Without a word, I took out a plump money pouch from my bosom and placed it in his hand. I don't know for sure, but it's probably enough to buy two more small antiquarian bookshops like this one. Surprised by the weight of the pouch, the owner leaned in as I lowered my voice.

"He's finally found time to read, and I don't want him to be disturbed. You can help with that, right?"

At my words, the bookshop owner nodded frantically, closed the shop entrance, and declared it closed for the day. Thankfully, the owner also disappeared up a ladder, leaving just the two of us. The sunlight filtering through the curtains was warm, and in the peaceful silence, only the occasional sound of turning pages could be heard. The pages were turning quite quickly – I wonder if he was actually a nobleman before being kidnapped as a child.

With Adrian no longer watching me, I also felt more at ease and settled down at a distance, resting my head on the table. It's peaceful and cozy. He looked happier than ever while reading, and I was glad I could stop suspecting him habitually. I wish he wouldn't do terrible things like murder and just read books peacefully with me. Then... we might be able to live quite happily.

I must have dozed off without realizing it after blinking my drowsy eyes a few times. When I regained consciousness to the sound of someone pacing uncertainly in front of me and calling my name carefully, the sun outside the window had already turned red and yellow.

"Miss, I'm sorry."

"Huh? For what?"

I had a really good, long nap. As I stretched, feeling my energy bar fill up rapidly with a critical recovery, Adrian suddenly apologized. Glancing over, I saw that he had tidied up all the books he had been reading, and the place where he had been sitting until I fell asleep was clean.

"I got too engrossed in the books without realizing and caused you trouble."

"I fell asleep because I was sleepy, why are you apologizing? By the way, what about the books? I'm sure there are still some you want to read."

"No, it's fine."

"Don't say that when I'm sure there's plenty left. But don't worry. I'm going to move this antiquarian bookshop into the mansion."

"...Pardon?"

"Why do you look so surprised? You don't expect to come to the village and sit here every time, do you? That would be tiring for me too."

"..."

Work might be tough, but you can go anytime after your duties are done. If you're short on time, just let me know and take a vacation."

[Game System messages appear:]

"You have moved the game's protagonist."

"The 'Game Genius, Blessed with the Best Luck in Everything' buff has been activated."

"The 'Our Master is the Best' buff has been added."

"Gold +1,000,000G"

While Adrian remained silent, the system messages enthusiastically revealed his inner thoughts by adding money and buffs. I hadn't particularly intended to please him; I just thought that if he was absorbed in books like before, he might not think about killing. But it seems he liked the idea. Well, it's much better than him disliking it. After going this far, if he still gets upset... I guess I'd at least have the right to accuse him of having no conscience before I die.

"Let's head back to the mansion now."

"Didn't you have business in the village, miss?"

"Yes, I was going to the bank, but it seems I don't need to anymore."

I had planned to deposit money at the bank, but now I'd likely spend it all on the rare bookstore. Adrian looked dubious, but I paid no mind and stepped outside. Since I already have so much, it doesn't make a difference whether I deposit it in the bank or spend it recklessly. I've become numb to spending because no matter how much I use, even more pours in. But Adrian's unexpected appreciation made me feel even more satisfied. I might get addicted to this strange emotion...

"Adrian, would you like to design this garden?"

I asked suddenly as we got out of the carriage upon arriving at the mansion. I pointed to the southwest garden from the main gate. It's the sunniest spot in the vast garden and also visible from Adrian's room. Though it had grown dark without a trace of light, I could clearly see his pretty blue eyes filled with surprise. He seemed curious about how I knew, but didn't dare to ask. Well, if I didn't notice that all the books he was reading at the rare bookstore were plant encyclopedias and gardening-related, I'd be a fool.

"Really... is that alright?"

His voice trembled slightly with joy. That feeling transmitted to me, and I found myself nodding without realizing it.

"Why wouldn't it be if I'm giving permission? I only assigned you this part because I thought it might be too much work, but if you want, I could let you manage it all."

"As much as I'd like to, I'll have to decline. It would leave me with insufficient time to attend to you, miss."

"Well, well, you're quite good at flattery too. I didn't know that."

"It's not flattery... *cough*"

Perhaps due to a sudden cold breeze, Adrian covered his mouth and coughed softly. He hurriedly lowered his hand and tried to apologize, but I found myself grabbing his hand and pulling him closer before I knew it.

"Good heavens, your hand is like ice. Why didn't you say you were this cold?"

"M-miss..."

"Isn't your clothes too thin? We should have bought thicker clothes when we were in the village earlier."

[Game System message appears:]

"Changing game settings. (Progress: 30%)"

The thought suddenly struck me: what if he turns evil and commits murder out of anger at the world's cold air? Like a ghost from a horror game, the idea popped up unexpectedly. I reached for his shirt, but the sight of the white text appearing snapped me back to reality. I felt his hand, forcibly held by me, stiffen like a statue, unable to even wriggle. Oh no. As I hurriedly let go, the white text faded away.

"I, I'm sorry. I just thought you looked cold. You must have been surprised when I suddenly grabbed your hand."

"No, it's not..."

Adrian hid the hand I had grabbed behind his back and covered his mouth with the other hand. I couldn't tell if he was hiding his face or just his mouth... it was too dark to see clearly. He must have been really surprised. Well, I suppose he might feel betrayed if a boss he thought was treating him well suddenly initiates physical contact. After mentally sorting out the situation, I apologized to Adrian again and headed to my room. He seemed quite upset, not even trying to make eye contact with me until I closed the door.

If physical contact is a trigger point for murderous intent, I'll have to be especially careful not to touch him from now on.

Fortunately, my relationship with Adrian returned to normal the next day. Since I wasn't touching him, there were no more ominous setting change messages, and things were progressing smoothly as I tried to pave a rosy path for Adrian while keeping him under surveillance. The first positive sign was that Adrian's attitude began to change. Because I was both his direct superior and childhood benefactor, he had been somewhat passive, but time seemed to heal that as moments of intimacy occasionally arose. Rather than standing like a mute, he began to speak first, and even made requests on his own initiative.

"Miss, there's a place I'd like you to accompany me to."

"Oh? What is it? Just tell me."

"The garden... could you come see the garden I've designed?"

"That's not difficult at all. You've been going to the garden often lately, so I guess you've made it pretty. I'm looking forward to it."

When I showed an enthusiastic response as part of my recent 'Make Adrian Happy' project, Adrian smiled softly, his eyes crinkling. Ugh, why does my heart ache every time he smiles like that? At first, I really wondered if it was right to keep him by my side, if the horror game scenario would continue to unfold regardless of my efforts, but I'm glad that doesn't seem to be the case.

Sometimes Adrian's excessive enthusiasm became a bit troublesome. Not long ago, he came to me in the middle of the night, insisting on doing something I hadn't even asked for, and I had a hard time sending him away.

"I'll attend to your bath from now on, miss."

"No! Your work is already done, so go rest! You, you! You're still not feeling well."

"I'm not sick anymore, so you don't need to worry. More importantly, about attending to your bath..."

"I said no! I can bathe myself, so go, get out!"

"Then at least allow me to wash your feet."

"Absolutely not!"

No matter how noble I've become, I just can't accept that! When I firmly refused, Adrian showed great disappointment as he left. I don't know why he suddenly insisted on doing something he'd never done before, but even if this somehow created a grudge, it was a proposal I simply couldn't accept. Even if I allowed him to wash my feet, I couldn't bear the thought of those soft hands with no calluses touching me - it would be too ticklish. Besides, doesn't he dislike touching me? How can he dislike contact but offer to attend to my bath? It was truly difficult to guess Adrian's thoughts. He really isn't the final boss of a horror game, I tell you.

However, to others who didn't know he was the protagonist of a horror game, Adrian still appeared to be a sickly, easy target, and useless servant. One morning when I couldn't find him, I searched around and found him being bullied by those servants again in a corner of the garden. They seemed to have a lot of pent-up feelings and were arguing loudly, but by the time I saw the scene, I had already lost my grip on reason and couldn't hear what they were saying.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"M-miss...!"

"How dare you bully Adrian not once, but twice! He's my personal attendant, my person! I've already told you that touching Adrian is the same as touching me!"

As I raised my voice in rare anger, the servants who had Adrian cornered against the wall trembled and fell silent. I was about to yell at them to teach them a lesson once and for all, but I hesitated when I caught a glimpse of Adrian. Huh? Wasn't he smiling just now?

"Miss... it's not what you think."

"What do you mean it's not? I'm not going to let this slide quietly, so be prepared!"

I silenced them as they tried to explain with trembling voices and hands, and immediately summoned all the staff through the butler. Then I meticulously listed all the workplace bullying incidents I had witnessed so far, and warned that anyone who touched Adrian even once more would be fired immediately. This estate is a good workplace considering the working conditions and benefits, but I thought it would be better to get fired early than to die by being murdered here while bullying Adrian. Though what I actually heard seemed different.

Do you know who you're messing with? You're really going to die at this rate!

"Miss, there's really no need to go this far."

Even Adrian himself tried to stop me, looking embarrassed. Good, this is going well. I need to get angry enough for him to feel this way, so he won't want to take revenge.

"That's right, miss! Why do you always protect only him!"

One of the servants who had looked disgruntled but hadn't dared to speak up raised their voice. What do you mean protect? I'm the one trying to stop him.

"We wanted to serve by your side too, miss, but you never gave a chance to the other servants who have assisted you for so long, and only favor him! Is it because his face is handsome...!"

Oh, so you do recognize he's good-looking. Well, if you have eyes... No, that's not the point. You fools, stop it. I'm trying hard to smooth things over, but you're going too far. What if he gets angry and turns evil? Then you'll all be dead!

"Stop it right now! You're all my people, there's no favoritism!"

[Game System message appears:]

"Changing game settings. (Progress: 88%)"

I was trying to protect Adrian and sort out the situation, but something unexpected happened. The progress rate suddenly shot up to the sky.

This is insane, it was only 30% until recently, how can it jump to 88% in one go! I kept him close to me because I was worried the servants might cause more trouble if left alone. What am I going to do now, just look at Adrian's face hardening with anger! You guys might really die if you keep running your mouths carelessly here!

"Could it be that, as the rumors say, you have different feelings for him, miss..."

"That's enough, go back to work now!"

At this rate, we'll hit 100% progress! Shocked by the drastically increased progress rate, I immediately dispersed the servants. They spouted all sorts of nonsense, but since everyone already had maximum affection for me anyway, it wasn't something to worry about. More importantly, the progress rate! I never expected it to rise so quickly, this is beyond my expectations. It's the greatest crisis yet. Surely Adrian won't remember everyone here and kill them one by one...

"Miss."

"Eek!"

When a quiet voice sounded from behind, I flinched as if I'd encountered an assailant in the dark. Turning around, I saw Adrian, unusually cold, and unconsciously took a step back. Under his eyelashes that sparkled in the sunlight, those blue eyes I always found beautiful were fixed on my feet. Perhaps he didn't like me retreating.

"I'm sorry for startling you, miss."

"Ah, no. It's alright."

"I also want to apologize for causing trouble due to my inadequacies."

Was it my imagination, or did his voice, usually sweet and gentle, sound somehow low and ominous? His expression seemed somewhat stiff too. Seeing such a face on someone who usually looked purely sorrowful was surprisingly atmospheric, and I unconsciously tensed up, my shoulders becoming rigid.

Whoosh. Just then, clouds covered the sun, casting a heavy shadow over Adrian's head. Does even the weather follow the progress rate of the setting change? The atmosphere felt ominous. Surely the progress won't suddenly hit 100% and start a murder game, right?

"...You once told me, miss. That if I wanted to read a book, even during work hours, I should say so, and you would give me the day off."

I was momentarily stunned by the words he slowly uttered after a long pause.

"Hm? Well, yes, I did say that."

"Then, would today be alright? If you don't have any special plans."

Even though I'd given him an entire rare bookstore next door, he never left my side, but now he suddenly requested a day off. He'd been bullied by other servants since morning, and his transformation into the final boss was in progress, so it's understandable that his mood might have changed. Besides, I needed time to calm this confusion too, so there was no reason to refuse. As I turned my head and waved my hand to indicate he could go, Adrian remained silent for a moment before leaving with proper courtesy.

"What should I do now?"

I anxiously bit my nails and paced back and forth, then decided to calmly review the clues given to me. How was Adrian's background explained again? He was kidnapped as a child, sold to slave traders, and I happened to save him, right? So where was Adrian originally from? He reads skillfully and his behavior is not ordinary. What if he was a nobleman? Have I been given any clues that he was nobility? As I carefully retraced my memories, something flashed through my mind. Come to think of it, the explanation window that popped up when I first met Adrian!

"That's it!"

Those asterisks! The eight asterisks that were attached after Adrian's name! Why didn't I think of this right away when I first saw it! I smacked my dull head a few times and headed towards the servants' quarters. It would be best to investigate the room Adrian is currently staying in, but since I might get caught, I decided to start with his former quarters.

I grabbed a passing servant and headed to Adrian's former quarters. The remote attic room on the top floor. My heart ached imagining him suffering in a much worse environment than the other servants. Although dust was thickly settled and mold had grown here and there on the walls, it was well-organized, seeming to reflect the personality of the person who had stayed in this room.

If I had noticed his existence earlier, would it have been different? Would he have suffered less?

Feeling somewhat regretful, I wandered around for a while before steeling myself and opening the dresser first. Whether there were no belongings originally or he had taken everything when he moved to the basement room, it was completely empty without a single item.

After searching the room for about an hour, I found only one thing. A letter that seemed to have been left behind, perhaps dropped accidentally and slipped under the bed without him noticing. The words 'Dear. Beloved...' were left alone, written in an aristocratic and elegant handwriting that didn't match the old, fragile paper of poor quality. As I examined it front and back to see if there might be some code written, an item description window popped up shortly after.

[Undelivered Feelings

Also known as a love letter. A letter that someone wanted to give but couldn't deliver. After rewriting the letter several times, at the last moment, they couldn't even write the name and put down the pen.]

What's with this love letter? It seemed so out of place and even abrupt given the situation. I thought it might be a clue, but it doesn't seem to be something Adrian left behind. Looks like someone was deeply in love. Feeling sorry for them, I pushed the letter back under the bed where it was, hoping they would be able to confess to their love someday.

The next place I headed was the basement room where Adrian had been confined. Even though it was confinement, would he have been able to bring his belongings? Skeptical thoughts prevailed, but with the mindset that I had nothing to lose, I headed to the basement. When I first came here, I couldn't examine it well because Adrian had collapsed, but the basement room where he had stayed was still shady and bone-chillingly cold. It's too much to confine a sick person in a place like this, no matter how you think about it. Even a healthy person would struggle to stay well here. I should have looked after him better, but it seems too late now, and my heart ached again.

The search of the empty room with barely any furniture ended quickly, but I found a small clock fallen behind a crude wooden table. Could this have been Adrian's possession? As I stared at the clock and waited for a moment, the description window that had been loading with '...' suddenly popped up.

[Small Wristwatch

An expensive luxury item gifted by Count Palzgraf to his son for his birthday.]

Isn't Palzgraf one of the most respected and admired noble families in this country? There shouldn't be any connection with our family, so why was a gift from the Count to his son found in this underground room? If this happens to be Adrian's belonging... it might be worth investigating. If the five asterisks after Adrian's name stood for 'Palzgraf', it would fit perfectly.

I left the basement room and examined the watch carefully as I climbed the stairs. The fine leather that hadn't worn out despite its age, the gold-rimmed case, and the intricately engraved dial - it was a masterpiece that showed the craftsman's skill befitting an item from a Count's family.

If this wristwatch indeed belongs to Adrian, it would mean that the one I thought was a servant is actually the heir to the Palzgraf family and a young count. Given that he was kidnapped as a child, the Palzgraf family must be searching for their only son. If I briefly confirm the facts and contact the Palzgraf family, they'll come to verify immediately. Wouldn't it be good for Adrian to reclaim his original status?

No matter how well I treat him, a servant is still a servant, and it would be difficult to be as happy as a young count from a prestigious noble family. He wouldn't be bullied by others when I take my eyes off him for a moment like today, and he could wear better clothes, eat better food, and live happily.

But something felt odd. This is clearly good news for Adrian, and if he knew, he would want to reclaim his original status right away. I should rush to tell him this good news, but strangely, my feet wouldn't move.

Adrian would be overjoyed to hear this news. He might even say he wants to return to the Count's family right away... Imagining that scene somehow made me feel a bit sad... No, no! What am I saying? This is a golden opportunity to send away the horror game murderer, why would I feel sad? That's nonsense. This is just... because I'm being cautious not to give him false hope by telling him something uncertain. It's just that I'm still shocked and dazed from seeing the progress rate.

"Yes, let's keep it a secret until everything is certain."

This could be considered an extremely rational and reasonable decision, as inaccurate information might provoke murderous intent. I kicked a few innocent pebbles before realizing I had unconsciously arrived in front of the garden Adrian manages, and startled, I hurried back to the mansion.

Although the game provided various stories unknown to others, I couldn't contact the Palzgraf family directly without investigating anything. Wouldn't it seem strange to everyone if a young baroness from a distant province, with no previous connection, suddenly contacted them saying she had their long-lost child? It was even more so because the Palzgraf family was keeping quiet about their heir's missing status, likely due to family circumstances.

Fortunately, an opportunity arose to learn about their internal affairs discreetly, as the butler said he knew someone connected to the Count's family. No matter how well hidden, the servants working in the mansion would surely notice the heir's absence.

While I sent the butler to speak directly with the Count's people, I began using my network, which extended even to the back alleys, to track down the slave trader who had Adrian and the kidnappers who sold him. If evidence came from either side, I could reveal the truth to the Palzgraf family. I spent several sleepless nights pushing this investigation forward.

While things were chaotically unfolding outside the mansion, I was leisurely lying on the sofa, observing Adrian. Since morning, he had been taking out all the books I had haphazardly stuffed onto the shelves and reorganizing the bookcase. But somehow, he seemed to be in a bad mood, his lips tightly pressed together. Why is he like this? He doesn't know about the butler's mission, and other servants can't bully him because I'm watching closely.

As I ate a grape from the bunch beside me, I thought carefully and realized he'd been like this ever since that day. Could he be embarrassed that I caught him being bullied twice? It's certainly an issue that could hurt his pride. I should have noticed when he requested a break and shut himself in the library that day. It seems I failed to consider Adrian's sensitive feelings. He's so complicated, and he's not even a teenager going through puberty.

"...Adrian, if you're tired, you can go back to your room and rest."

"No, I need to finish organizing the library today."

"You can call other servants and have them do it."

"No. I'll do it myself. I... don't want anyone else to touch your belongings, miss."

Adrian paused slightly as he spoke, his hands stopping. I thought he was staring at the book, but he just seemed lost in thought. Why does he care so much about my belongings?

"Do as you like. But Adrian, do you have any memories from when you were young?"

"You mean when you rescued me and brought me here, miss?"

His tone, which had been stiff lately, softened noticeably when he said this. I was about to peel another grape but put it down, feeling lazy.

"No, before that."

"If you mean at the slave trader's... I remember being punished for resisting when they tried to undress me."

"What? What kind of punishment?"

"I was whipped. They couldn't damage the merchandise too much, so it was only one lash, but the scar remains on my back."

"If such a thing happened, why didn't you tell me!"

Upset, I shouted and immediately brought out some writing paper. I needed to modify the mission I had given to my back-alley subordinates.

<Find the slave trader who sold Adrian (X)

Find the slave trader who sold Adrian and beat them within an inch of their life (O)>

After scribbling this down in a fury, I folded the letter and put it aside, trying to calm myself. I'll send it via carrier pigeon later.

"And? Is there nothing else?"

"I wasn't at the slave trader's for long, so there's nothing more. If you hadn't bought me right away, miss, I would have suffered worse."

"Don't say 'bought.' What about before that?"

"Before that..."

"I mean before you were kidnapped. Did you stay with any family, or your parents..."

"How do you know I was kidnapped, miss?"

Oops.

"Just... a hunch. That's not important right now! So, do you remember anything or not? Like if any of your belongings were gifts, or items from a particular family?"

"No."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

"No. When I was kidnapped, I hit my head badly while rolling around in the carriage, so I don't remember anything from before."

This was unexpected. To think someone with the appearance and demeanor of a noble young master had such a painful past. I sighed inwardly and took out another sheet of paper.

<Find the criminals who kidnapped Adrian (X)

Find the criminals who kidnapped Adrian and beat them within an inch of their life (O)>

"If... if, hypothetically speaking, we found out about your past?"

"..."

"If we discovered where you were born and that your parents are still alive? If you could go back, what would you do?"

"..."

"You'd want to go back... right? I'm asking the obvious, aren't I."

"Why are you suddenly asking this, miss?"

When I came to my senses, Adrian was right in front of me. When I looked up, I couldn't see his expression clearly because he was backlit by the sun. I buried my face in the cushion again, sprawling on the sofa. The conversation was going in circles, and perhaps because it was comfortable, I felt a yawn coming on.

"So, if you found out, would you want to go back or not?"

"I can do whatever you wish, miss."

"I'm not asking about me, I'm asking about you, your will. What do you think?"

"My will is your will, miss. Without a doubt."

"Flattery... It's not like I can promote you any further."

As I grumbled in dissatisfaction, I heard Adrian chuckle softly. I'd never seen him laugh out loud before, so I raised my head, and as if on cue, a peeled grape was popped into my mouth. He must have been watching when I started peeling it earlier but gave up out of laziness. This isn't the time to be leisurely eating grapes, but somehow the grape was delicious, the air was warm, and this moment with Adrian by my side felt so good that my eyes slowly closed.

"Adrian..."

"Yes, miss."

"Are you feeling better now? You were in such a bad mood."

"I wasn't in a bad..."

"You were. You've been frowning for days. Your tone was curt too."

"..."

"You're sorry, right? You should be sorry."

"Yes."

"If you're really sorry, don't harbor any ill feelings... Can't we just stay like this? Peacefully together."

"..."

Even with my eyes half-closed, I could feel his hand, which was about to put another grape in my mouth, hesitate in mid-air. I was really drowsy from staying up for several nights, so I mumbled with my eyes closed. I'll pave a path of flowers so beautiful that no one could bear any grudges, a path so happy it's almost unbearable. Can't we just live like this?

"It's fun being with me, isn't it? I give you everything you want. And I'll keep doing so."

"..."

"I'm rich. I can make you happy for life. There's no need to harbor any ill feelings."

"For life?"

"I can buy you anything you want. The garden? You can have it all. Well, expensive things like territories or castles might require a trip to the bank, but for everyday needs like clothes or food, anything..."

"You clearly said 'for life' earlier, miss."

"If you need territory in another country, we'd have to resolve it diplomatically..."

"Can you promise me 'for life'?"

His tone had become somewhat insistent. I'm trying to have a serious conversation here, and you're fixating on 'for life'? If I wasn't so sleepy, I would have pinched his cheek.

"Did you hear what I said? Think about it carefully. You have nothing to lose. I can pamper you without you having to lift a finger. After all this, if you still harbor ill feelings, then you, you... would really be a bad person."

"Promise me, for life."

"I... Huh? I'm treating you so well, what more do you need for the progress rate to..."

"You're promising 'for life' only to me among all your 'people,' miss."

"Alright, alright! Only for you, for life! Are you satisfied now? Let's get to the main point."

As expected of a potential final boss, his ambition to monopolize my wealth is immense. But what can I do? If the world ends, what use is my money anyway? Well, even if I give him lifetime usage rights to my assets, surely he won't take everything... I planned to muddle through somehow. But for some reason, after hearing that answer, Adrian responded with a gentle "Yes, yes" to whatever nonsense I mumbled in my sleepy state. Even when I got annoyed asking if he was really listening, he just smiled softly and adjusted my cushion to make my neck more comfortable.

"Ah, I don't think you're listening to me at all."

"I am listening. Every single word."

"Don't tease me... When I wake up, you'll be the first one I scold..."

In my drowsy state, I felt a thin blanket being placed over me. The crisp feel, as if it had just been sun-dried, and the cozy scent of fabric pleasantly lulled my consciousness. I think I rubbed my cheek against the hand that was pulling the blanket up to my chin. Even though it was just a light touch, barely grazing the skin, that hand froze in place. When I pulled it to rub against my cheek again, it became hot as if a fire had been lit on the skin. I liked the whisper saying that everything would be as I wished, so I kept rubbing my face against that hand for a long time.

When I opened my eyes after a long sleep, it was already late at night, long after sunset. As I sat up, the blanket slid down and fell onto my thighs. Looking around the room, I saw that books were still piled in front of the bookshelf. He said he'd organize them himself, but I guess he stopped to avoid waking me.

So where is Adrian now? I feel uneasy when I can't see him. I was about to go look for him in his room when I casually glanced out the window and saw a shadow lurking near Adrian's garden. He seems to have been really into gardening lately, look at him going straight there when I fell asleep. I vaguely remember mumbling something about scolding him before I fell asleep. Why was that... I don't know, I must have said that because he did something wrong. Let's just go scold him anyway.

I went down to the garden with determination, but for some reason, Adrian wasn't in his area. If he's not here, where could he be?

"Maybe he's in his room..."

"Miss."

Ah, you scared me! I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice someone approaching. As I clutched my startled heart, he bowed apologetically. It was too dark to see clearly, but when he raised his head, I could faintly make out his face. I furrowed my brow, trying to remember.

"Oh, you're the one from before..."

"Yes, I'm one of the servants you scolded recently, miss."

No wonder he looked familiar! He was one of the group bullying Adrian!

"What? If you're here to say I'm favoring Adrian again, just forget it."

"That's not it, miss. Please hear me out."

"If it's not that, what do you have to say? You bullied Adrian so much..."

"Actually, bullying him wasn't our own will."

What is he talking about now? As I stopped speaking and frowned, the nameless servant just stood there nervously, watching my reaction. If it had been earlier, I would have chased him away for saying such strange things, but I hesitated, thinking there must be a reason he gathered the courage to speak despite knowing I was angry. If nothing else, I couldn't disbelieve the maximum affection level he had for me.

"What do you mean? Are you saying someone ordered you to bully Adrian?"

"Yes! That's right. We were just following orders."

"Who? Who dared to do such a thing in this mansion?"

"Adrian!"

"What?"

"It was him himself! He ordered us to bully him!"

I froze in shock. Seeing that I couldn't continue speaking, he bowed even lower and cried out.

"It was him! He did it. It's true. I'm not lying. Please believe me. He ordered us to bully him, even specifying the time and place. He said if we did that, he would grant each of us one wish."

"..."

"Somehow, he knew exactly what each of us wanted. He even fulfilled one person's wish right there on the spot. We didn't know why he made such a strange proposal, but in that situation, anyone would have believed and followed his words."

"That's... that's impossible. Why would Adrian do such a thing?"

Adrian happily tending to the garden, Adrian peacefully reading a book, Adrian smiling shyly... The images of Adrian I had seen flashed before my eyes, making it impossible to continue my thoughts. The servant was trembling, either as confused as I was or perhaps afraid of something.

"That's what I'm saying. When we asked why he was doing this, he wouldn't answer, just told us to do as we were told. But, but we never dreamed you would appear at that moment, miss. None of us did. I couldn't sleep at night after you scolded us. If we had known you would show up, we would never have followed his words..."

"...Evidence? How can I believe you just based on your words?"

"Evidence... Unfortunately, there isn't any. He was thorough in making sure no traces were left even then. We didn't understand why at the time, but looking back now, it seems he had anticipated even this situation... But, but miss. Even without evidence, please look at me. There must be a reason I came to you like this, even though you already said you wouldn't punish us and told us to go back. I, I just couldn't bear the injustice..."

At the end of his words, he even sniffled a bit. I wanted to tell him not to lie, but somehow my lips wouldn't move. I couldn't outright deny his words, even though I didn't understand any of it. From the servant's attitude to his gaze, his tone, even those glistening tears. I knew that this servant, whose name I didn't even know, was being sincere to me at least.

"First... thank you for having the courage to tell me this."

"Th-thank you for listening to me, miss. That guy seems to be hovering around you lately, so please be careful. Nobody knows what he's plotting..."

"...Alright, I understand."

The servant, who seemed greatly relieved that I didn't yell at him, left sniffling. I stared blankly at the garden Adrian had tended so carefully, then went back to my room, where a carrier pigeon had already arrived. I hadn't sent out the orders I had written earlier, but it seems they had already quickly found the slave traders and kidnappers. I unfolded the letter attached to the pigeon's leg, and it was longer than I expected.

As expected, the first part was about capturing the slave traders and kidnappers, but what caught my eye was the lower part.

<But the slave traders told a strange story. They said that although they were rotten to the core, they wouldn't go as far as to dig their own graves. They remembered his appearance clearly. That child with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, they said they could tell at a glance he was from a noble family and wanted to send him back for fear of future consequences. But for some reason, the child himself insisted on going to auction.

And didn't you win the auction, miss? They say that actually wasn't a winning bid amount. Another auction participant had offered twice the amount you proposed, but the child said he would decide the winner himself, offering more than three times that amount. He chose you as the winner. They say he paid the auction price with the clothes he was wearing and the jewels he had on him.

Still, these people might be lying, so I'll press them further.>

Here's the English translation of the Korean novel chapter, following your guidelines:

The truth was slightly different from everything I had known until now. All because of Adrian. The thought that I might not have actually saved Adrian from trouble as I had believed sent a chill down my spine. Why on earth...? What was Adrian up to?

Still reeling from the shock of the information I had just received, I stumbled and put the letter down on the table. My eyes fell on the newspaper lying there, with a headline in large print:

"Another Murder in Bayreuth Village! Serial Killer Not Ruled Out......"

Bayreuth was a village within spitting distance of our mansion. If it said "another," it meant there had been previous murders. Why hadn't I heard about these incidents before? I pushed the letter aside and carefully read the article. There had been four murders so far, mostly occurring at night, and the culprit was still at large. The dates were listed, and somehow... they seemed to coincide with the days Adrian had asked for time off?

"Wait a second..."

I hurriedly flipped through the journal I had secretly instructed the butler to keep, and it was true. On each day a murder had taken place before I kept Adrian by my side, the journal noted that Adrian had gone out. I had been reassuring myself that we were still safe because the setting change was only at 88%, with 12% left to reach 100%, but now I felt like I had been hit hard from behind.

This is insane, it's all over. Did he manipulate the slave auction to come to this mansion so he could start killing in that village? Making the servants bully him to gain my favor, eventually becoming my confidant to make it easier to get days off... It sounds absurd, but given the situation, it seems plausible.

Night! It's night now! Could he have gone out to kill again?

"Adrian!"

Burning with a sense of mission to preserve the peace of this game, I rushed to the adjacent room and flung the door wide open. I need to get clear answers about what I've seen and heard today! As I entered the room with blazing eyes, I immediately met Adrian's gaze. He... seemed to have just finished bathing, his hair slightly damp and a few buttons of his usually fastened shirt undone.

"My lady, you're awake."

A water droplet fell from his platinum blonde hair, not yet completely dry. His eyes were moist, and his cheeks flushed, probably from the recent bath. He looked like a water forget-me-not drenched in water. Wait, this is unexpected.

"What brings you here in such a hurry? Perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?"

"Have you come to punish me?"

His eyes curved alluringly, almost bewitchingly. As he took a step closer, the fresh scent mixed with soap fragrance dizzied both my eyes and nose. While I was at a loss for words, whatever thought crossed his mind deepened the smile on his red lips.

"What kind of punishment do you intend to give?"

"You... you..."

"Please don't make it too painful. Though any punishment from you would be sweet."

It must be a joke... but the way he wrapped one arm around himself and tilted his head slightly was the perfect picture of a shy new bride. The air of innocence and pitiful charm was flawless. W-what are you saying? My head felt ready to explode just from the information I'd learned today, and now the source of all this trouble was looking at me with an incredibly pure and shy face, making mischievous remarks. My thoughts were in complete disarray.

For now, yes, I need to prevent the murders. To stop the murders, um... since they said the murders mostly happened at night...

"Adrian! You... from tonight, come to my room!"

"...Pardon?"

"You can't go out at night anymore. You have to come to me every night. Understood?"

"Do you mean..."

"You can rest as much as you want during the day without working. Instead, you just need to focus on what we do at night. In other words, your main job now will be what we do at night, so you absolutely can't skip it or be negligent!"

I blurted this out, thinking that as a servant, work was the only excuse he could use. Adrian's fingertips twitched strangely. Why? Is he flustered because his murder plans have been disrupted?

Being with him at night when the murders are supposed to happen could put me in danger of being killed, but since I'm receiving such fervent love and care from the system, surely it would alert me before anything like that could happen. Even if I were actually stabbed, all sorts of buffs might activate to prevent my death. All of this is based on the premise that Adrian intends to kill me, but hmm, would it be too naive to think he wouldn't have such intentions given the time we've spent together?

"Every... night?"

"Yes, every night! All night long! Continuously!"

The playful curve of his lips slowly relaxed, and Adrian's mouth opened slightly. "All night long, continuously..." he softly repeated my words, and his pale neck seemed to redden a bit. He covered his mouth with one hand and half-turned his face.

"I thought... that someday you might give such an order. But I didn't expect it to be today..."

He anticipated that I would give such an order? Has he noticed that I suspect him of being a murderer? Damn, Adrian might be capable of that and more. After all, he was the protagonist of this game, the final villain, the final boss! While I was shaken, having hit the nail on the head, Adrian also seemed to be trying to calm himself, taking a small deep breath before lowering his gaze.

"My lady, if that's what you mean... I'm prepared. However, it's rather sudden today, so I'd appreciate it if you could allow me a little time. If you go to your room first, I'll follow shortly."

"What time? This is fine as you are now, let's go quickly. I'm in a hurry!"

"That won't do. Although I've bathed, I can't please you with this body. I beg you to give me some time."

What preparation! Unless it's preparation for murder! Thinking that I absolutely shouldn't give him time, I desperately grabbed his wrist, but he resisted firmly.

"Bathing isn't important right now! I told you it's urgent!"

"I didn't expect you to be this eager..."

This is getting really annoying! I was contemplating whether it might be better to knock him out with a blow to the nape rather than have this kind of argument every night, when I suddenly felt something odd. His voice saying "I didn't expect you to be this eager" sounded excited, as if moved, and the hand clutching his unfastened shirt collar was trembling. Looking closely, his ears and neck were slightly flushed, and his expression was incredibly shy. That's when I realized. Focused solely on the idea that I shouldn't leave him alone at night, I hadn't considered how my hastily spoken words might have been interpreted.

"Ah, no, no, no, that's not what I meant! I take it back, I take it back!"

As I waved my hands frantically with a face that felt like it was about to explode, Adrian gazed at me intently. His eyes seemed to ask if I was really abandoning him after taking his innocence. The room spun before my eyes in my flustered state. This... wasn't what I had intended at all. The atmosphere suddenly became unbearably awkward.

Not knowing what to say, I stumbled over my words, blurting out things like "It's a misunderstanding," "I'm sorry," "This isn't what I meant," "Don't worry about it and sleep well"... and then fled to my room at lightning speed. I slumped against the door after slamming it shut and locking it, feeling mortified for a long while. I heard Adrian's door close much later.

Although I had experienced an embarrassing incident with Adrian that I couldn't tell others about, I couldn't ignore the various concerns it had raised. No matter how much I racked my brain, there were things I couldn't understand on my own. Why Adrian had done those things, whether it was solely to create a connection with me, why it had to be me specifically, whether he was manipulating me by using my sympathy and pity... Without asking him directly, I couldn't know the answers. Thinking about it carefully, these were chilling matters, but for some reason, I couldn't believe he had malicious intent.

And for it to be solely about creating a connection with me, these were all such low-probability events. Even when Adrian was being bullied, I only turned back to look after seeing the game description calling him the protagonist of a horror game. If it weren't for that, I would have just called the butler to resolve it. From Adrian's perspective, not knowing about the description visible only to me, there was too little to gain no matter how I thought about it.

Perhaps I was desperately trying to deny this reality.

"My lady, may I come in?"

It was the butler who had contacted me a few days ago to say he would be arriving. As I was organizing the documents I had been looking at, the butler opened the door and entered, confirming that there was no one else in the room. After a brief greeting, he reported the information he had gathered, and Adrian's character description updated accordingly.

[Information about Adrian (character) is being updated.]

[Unconfirmed information is being supplemented by the 'Game Genius, Our Lady Can Do Anything She Wants' buff.]

[Adrian von der Palzgraf

The sole heir of the Palzgraf Count family. Although Count and Countess Palzgraf are desperately searching for him, they cannot publicly reveal this due to issues with the succession structure involving branch families, and have been conducting the search in secret for years.

He was kidnapped as a child and sold to slave traders, but was coincidentally saved by you when you participated in an auction. Since then, he has been working as a servant in the Archibald Viscount family, trying to repay your kindness, but due to his inherently weak constitution, he often falls ill and cannot do as much as he would like.]

So Count and Countess Palzgraf have been desperately searching for Adrian. That's somewhat of a relief, I suppose. If I had found Adrian's original identity and tried to return him, only for them not to welcome him, it would have been quite disheartening.

"This is truly surprising. To think that boy was the heir to a count's family. Shall we contact the count's family immediately?"

"No. Wait for a while. Later... let's do it later."

"Why is that, my lady? All of this information is reliable. The count's family would be overjoyed to hear the news. This could also be an opportunity to form a connection with the count's family, which I'm sure the viscount would greatly appreciate."

"No. Maybe... he might not want to go back."

"Pardon?"

I blurted out without thinking and immediately regretted it. What am I saying? As the butler said, this would obviously be beneficial for both the count's family and our family. Of course, it would be more comfortable for Adrian to return as a young master rather than staying here as a servant, both physically and emotionally. If I truly believed that, I should be contacting the Palzgraf family right now, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Ah, it's nothing. But contacting the count's family... let's do it later. There are still things I need to look into."

"I understand, my lady. Please call me if you have any further instructions."

Although a somewhat puzzled expression crossed his face, the butler quickly erased it and left the room, closing the door behind him. As if there's anything more to look into. The game description had confirmed that all the information the butler had gathered was accurate, so there was no need for further investigation. With the setting change progress over 80%, if we just informed the count's family now, we could send Adrian back legally without incurring his resentment. So why did I feel so reluctant?

"My lady, is something the matter?"

"Huh? Oh?"

"You've looked unwell since this afternoon. Is something troubling you?"

Adrian suddenly asked, perhaps noticing that something had shown on my face since the butler's visit this morning. Even though the sun had set and it was growing dark, his face captured my gaze as if it had collected all the sunlight. I stared intently at his straight forehead, his delicate eyes, and his pupils that seemed to hold the most brilliant and beautiful waves. Looking at him again, his every movement was impeccably neat and dignified, almost unbelievably so for a servant. It was remarkable that news hadn't reached the Palzgraf family until now.

"It's been a while since you've looked at me like this. Since that day."

Adrian, who had been silently meeting my gaze, lowered his eyes halfway as if embarrassed again. I opened my mouth like an idiot and let out a small gasp, "Ah." Remembering that incident made it difficult to keep my eyes on his face. I felt my neck warm slightly as I bit my lip.

"That, that day... can you forget about it? It was my mistake."

"..."

"More importantly, Adrian, I have something to tell you."

As soon as I said I had something to tell him, his gaze, which had been shyly averted, immediately sought mine out. Come to think of it, he had always been like this. Even when he seemed to be staring into the distance as if in another world, he would return to me as if pulled by an elastic band whenever I approached. And then he would wait, as if in anticipation, until my lips parted. When did I start thinking that this blind devotion might not be because I was his master, but directed at me as a person? Even though I knew it was absurd...

I took a small breath, hoping Adrian wouldn't notice. There was a mountain of things I wanted to ask him, but faced with his direct gaze, the words wouldn't come out. If I told him that he wasn't actually a servant but the young master of a noble count's family, that the count and countess were desperately searching for him, what if he became too overjoyed? If he said he had always found this place unbearable and would leave tonight now that he could finally escape... Just imagining it made me feel conflicted, and my tongue felt stiff. But that reaction would be natural, wouldn't it? The thought that he might not want to go back was nonsense upon reflection. It's his rightful place, and there's no reason for him to refuse.

"From this moment on... you don't need to be by my side anymore."

"Pardon?"

"I'm going to have someone else attend to me from now on. You don't need to come to me like this, morning or night. But I'm not saying I'm going to make you work with the other servants again. Just... just rest. For a few days. It won't take long."

As soon as day breaks, I'll contact the count's family, and they'll come to get Adrian. The count and countess might even come personally. Now that I knew his true identity, I couldn't continue to treat him as a servant. Perhaps because I hadn't given a detailed explanation, Adrian looked puzzled.

"If I've unknowingly done something wrong..."

"It's nothing like that. This isn't because you've done anything wrong."

"Have you... grown tired of me, perhaps?"

When I brought this up, I had imagined hundreds of possible reactions from Adrian, but this was completely unexpected. How could I be tired of him, with a face that one could never tire of seeing even in a lifetime? No, that's not the important thing right now.

"It's not like that. For now, don't ask why and just go back to your room. In a few days... you'll understand why."

"If it's because of what happened a few days ago, you don't need to dwell on it. I'm prepared for even more than that if it's for you, my lady."

"What are you saying? Stop joking around and leave."

Despite saying this much, Adrian remained unmoved. The longer the conversation went on, the more complicated my thoughts became and the more unsettled my heart felt. Now I genuinely wanted to send him away. Seeing that he wouldn't leave on his own, I had no choice but to push him towards the door. For someone who was supposedly often ill, he was tall and not small in build, so he didn't move easily, but since I was the one pushing, he seemed to have no choice but to take steps back. I've made this difficult decision, so why are you resisting so much!

"My lady, please don't abandon me."

Just as I finally managed to push him out and was about to close the door, a hand reached in and grabbed my sleeve. The blue eyes visible through the gap in the door looked as pitiful and miserable as an abandoned puppy on a snowy winter day, making me hesitate. For a moment, I even thought he might know why I was doing this. If it seemed like he was asking me not to send him away, to let us stay like this, then...

But that couldn't be. There's no way anyone in the world would prefer to live as a servant rather than as a noble, no matter how much you searched. I'm just interpreting it the way I want because I'm reluctant to let him go.

Steeling my heart, I removed Adrian's hand and pushed it back through the door gap, then closed the door. Fearing that if he tried to grab me again with those eyes, I wouldn't know what to do, I closed it quickly, resulting in a loud bang as if I were angry. I paced for a long time, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. This is all for Adrian's sake, so why do I feel like I'm doing something wrong?

As soon as I sent the news at daybreak, the count's family moved with surprising speed. Despite being high-ranking nobles of royal descent who shouldn't leave their posts even for a day, a reply came saying that the count and countess themselves would come all the way here. It took three days for them to arrive, and it seemed they had traveled through the night, probably without sleep. From that alone, I could feel their deep love and desperate longing for their lost child, which somewhat alleviated the guilt I felt for forcibly pushing Adrian away a few days ago. Although that guilt had built up again over those three days as I avoided Adrian's desperate attempts to see me.

Finally, on the fourth day, when I faced the count and countess in the reception room, I could be certain they were Adrian's parents, even though I had already confirmed it through various means. There was no need to even check the portrait they had brought. After all... the countess and Adrian looked as if they had been cast from the same mold. To think there could be two such beauties in the world!

"Adrian! My baby!"

Does blood recognize its own, even after a long separation? As soon as Adrian entered the reception room, the countess burst into tears and embraced him.

"Do you remember me? Oh my goodness, if I had known you were suffering in a place like this... It's all my fault. I shouldn't have taken you to the square alone when you were so young. Everything is this mother's fault. How scared and difficult it must have been for you..."

"Adrian, do you remember us?"

The countess clung to her lost son, sobbing, while the count also asked various questions with a trembling voice. It was a moment that conveyed how desperately they had searched for their son, enough to make one's nose tingle with emotion. This is good. Everything has worked out well.

"Thank you so much, young lady. Without your help, we would still be wandering in darkness. We will never forget this kindness that saved the Palzgraf family, and we will repay it."

"Thank you, young lady. Thank you."

"Repayment? It's an honor to have been able to help."

It was natural for them to be this grateful, having led them to their long-lost only heir, and doing so in utmost secrecy out of consideration for the count's family circumstances. As the count had declared, a reward that would surprise even my parents would likely come, but somehow, I felt that such things didn't matter.

"Come now, let's go home. It seems we have a lot to talk about."

The countess, who had been embracing Adrian and crying for a long time, finally calmed down and spoke. Now... they're really leaving. I turned my gaze towards Adrian, whom I hadn't been able to look at properly since he entered the reception room due to my unease, and my heart sank. His eyes, which had been directed at me all this time, looked as pitiful as an abandoned small animal. They looked incomparably sadder than when I had pushed him away four days ago, and for a moment, my chest ached sharply.

As the countess turned around, saying they should hurry to the carriage, and even Adrian, who had been staring only at me, turned his body, I found myself moving without realizing it. When I came to my senses, I had my arm outstretched.

"..."

Feeling a hand pulling back, the steps moving forward stopped, and Adrian slowly half-turned his body. His gaze was directed at me. More precisely, at my hand that had grabbed the edge of his clothes. He seemed to want to ask what this meant, and I stared blankly at his face before hastily letting go.

Why did I grab Adrian? I was so flustered I almost hiccupped. I should be congratulating him for returning to where he belongs, blessing him to live well... This is what I wanted, isn't it? But why.

"Adrian, come along now."

While I was swimming in these countless thoughts, the countess called for Adrian from outside. He seemed to look at me for a moment before leaving his spot. It was only a long time after I heard the sound of the carriage departing that I raised my head. Even as I looked at the door with an inexplicable expectation and faint hope, not even the edge of a shadow was visible. My parents came running belatedly, asking for the whole story in agitated voices, but I brushed them off and hurried up to my room. Because even I was taken aback by the stifling and disappointed emotions that had clouded over me like dark clouds.

After sending Adrian away, daily life returned to normal. I was still wealthy, people's affection for me skyrocketed whenever they saw me, and the game was desperate to do more for me. The progression of game setting changes and the appearance of chilling description windows related to murder in certain places and items also ceased. This must all be thanks to Adrian's disappearance. Now there will be no more murders in this mansion, nor will this romance fantasy simulation game turn into a horror game. I should be able to enjoy a rich and comfortable life as before. All of this should make me feel relieved and at ease, but since then, I had been continuously gripped by a strange sense of emptiness.

Was the room always this spacious? With the tension gone, it feels a bit boring. The study I had created for Adrian was gathering dust without its owner, and I barely managed to prevent the part of the garden I had entrusted to Adrian from withering by belatedly tending to it. Adrian had been so happy when I told him he could tend to the garden if he liked.

"My lady, I've brought today's newspaper."

Lost in thought while resting my chin on my hand and staring out at the garden, I came to my senses at the voice beside me. Silvia, who had become my personal attendant again after Adrian left, was holding out a neatly folded newspaper. These days, I was reading the newspaper without fail every morning. Silvia poured out admiration and praise, saying that the young lady was not neglecting to broaden her horizons, but in reality, it was to access other news.

[Palzgraf Young Count, previously shrouded in mystery, makes first appearance in social circles... Secret contact with the Imperial family]

[Marriage proposals flooding in for Palzgraf Young Count, which young lady will seize the luck?]

[Palzgraf Young Count expresses great interest in artworks... Establishes scholarship foundation at Le Jeu Art Academy]

[Palzgraf Count urges restraint on excessive external interest to allow Young Count to settle in]

Adrian, who had returned as the sole heir and young count of the Palzgraf family, was receiving intense public interest, and his every move was occupying various parts of the newspaper. Every day, not only information and rumors about the banquets and important occasions he attended, but even the most trivial aspects of his daily life, such as "He's staying at home today" or "Someone saw him walking in the garden with the countess," were attracting the world's attention. With his god-like appearance and added title, it was natural for the hearts of unmarried young ladies to flutter. And here I am, seriously checking this every day.

But well, isn't it natural to be curious about the news of someone who used to be my servant? And honestly, I wasn't looking at the newspaper just to check on Adrian's news. As Silvia said, it's to develop a worldly perspective and broaden my horizons. I tried to tear my gaze away from Adrian's articles and flipped through a few pages of the newspaper, when suddenly a small article in one corner caught my eye.

[Serial killer in Bayreuth Village caught! The culprit, Harrison, shocks as former inspector from the police department. Confesses to committing these acts out of hatred for criminals... Voices for self-reflection within the police department.]

The serial killings in Bayreuth Village... Isn't this the case I saw in the newspaper not long ago? At that time, I was scared it might be Adrian, but seeing that the real culprit has been caught, it seems it was a misunderstanding. I feel a bit sorry.

"My lady, the viscount is looking for you."

"Father?"

I wonder what he wants to talk about this time. I folded the unfinished newspaper and put it away, then went to my father's room. As if he had been waiting, my father handed me a letter. Judging by my father's slightly flushed face and my mother's dazed look, it seems the contents are not ordinary. I'm anxiously wondering why they're like this. I haven't done anything to be nervous about except making a lot of money. But as I opened the letter and read through it, my mouth fell open without me realizing. No, this is...

"Father, what is this..."

"I should be the one asking what's going on. My dear daughter, what on earth happened?"

"..."

"If this is what you want, I won't stop you, but even so, already... This father's heart is about to break."

Looking at my father with tears in his eyes, I couldn't say anything. Leaving behind the two who looked as if they had just returned from a funeral, I went back to my room. Even after calming myself down and reading the letter several times, my eyes weren't mistaken. It felt like I had been hit hard on the back of the head. Is this... Is this real? Is this even allowed?

"My lady, you should go out."

I had been sitting for hours, skipping meals due to the shock, when Silvia peeked her head through the door in the afternoon, well past noon. Her face was flushed as she covered her mouth and giggled.

"The person you've been waiting for has arrived."

I wanted to ask who it was, but my body was already moving. If it were an ordinary guest, they would have been in the reception room, but there was only one place I could think of where the person I had been waiting for would be. I rushed out of the mansion, almost running towards the garden I had been constantly looking out at recently.

There he was in the green garden under the warm sunlight. Unlike when he left, he had become a high-ranking noble. A solitary radiance amidst the flowers and leaves swaying like waves. From his platinum blonde hair to his blue eyes and smooth, white face. As if mocking the thought that pale colors wouldn't suit him due to his overall light complexion, the black coat accentuated his noble bearing and innate elegance.

When his gaze, which had been carefully examining the garden, turned towards me as I stopped in my tracks, my heart trembled as if in spasm. The moment his somewhat dry and barren eyes lit up and curved beautifully passed by slowly.

"My lady."

"..."

"It's been a while."

Here's the English translation of the final part of the story, following your guidelines:

His gentle and calm voice felt like a dream. I trembled slightly, then realized I had brought the letter with me in my haste. Hours had passed since receiving the letter. I felt embarrassed, as if I had been caught reading it over and over until now. I quickly hid the hand holding the letter behind my back, but Adrian seemed to have already noticed it, wearing a faint smile.

"What brings you... here?"

"Please speak casually. It's embarrassing to hear you address me formally, my lady."

The person I had only seen in portraits and photographs in the newspaper smiled. Even with advanced technology, photographs couldn't capture half of his beauty. Perhaps that's fortunate. If my heart had pounded this painfully every time I looked at the newspaper, my life would have been halved by now.

"Not a single flower has withered. Especially this one, which wilts if not watered daily."

"..."

"If you've been taking care of them, I couldn't be happier."

As the corners of his eyes turned slightly red, a wave of excitement spread through me. My chest fluttered and my fingertips trembled slightly. I'm so glad I had hidden my hands behind my back earlier.

"What brings you here today?"

"You received the letter, didn't you?"

"..."

"I came to let you keep your promise."

His gentle voice made it sound as if he was saying, "I came to keep my promise." What promise is he talking about? I was momentarily confused as he suddenly brought up something other than the letter's content. Adrian smiled, his eyes crinkling slightly.

"You said you'd make me happy for a lifetime."

"...Ah."

"Please marry me, my lady."

His faint smile was full of shyness. My chest fluttered and I felt incredibly ticklish somewhere, causing my hands hidden behind my back to fidget constantly. Hearing the words written in the letter directly made my face feel even hotter. I had been staring at the letter for hours, but the development still made no sense. Is this right for a horror game?

That's when it happened. As if responding to my words, text that hadn't appeared since Adrian left the mansion started to scroll:

[Game setting change in progress. (Progress: 100%)]

[Game setting change completed.]

[Game setting change token (one-time use) has been used.]

[Changed setting: Genre]

[Horror Game → Dating Simulation Game]

[We sincerely thank the user for playing "Heart-throbbing♡ with the Palzgraf Count Family". As a congratulatory gift for successfully changing the genre, we have deposited a small item in your mailbox. We hope you enjoy your time.]

["Ultra-luxurious Newlywed Mansion and Dowry (First-time exclusive)" has been saved in your mailbox.]

What is all this? The text scrolled up too quickly for my eyes to follow, and finally, with a cheerful "ding!" sound effect, the letter-shaped icon in the upper right corner shook. The game setting that was being changed was the genre? It was originally a horror game, but now it's become a dating simulation game? And I had sent Adrian back without knowing this?

"At first, I didn't understand my feelings for you. I was just happy and delighted that you called me 'my person'."

"..."

"But the moment you referred to others as 'my person' too, I realized my true feelings. And I was angry at my position that prevented me from saying I wanted it to be just me. Even though it was the position I had chosen..."

The moment I called others besides Adrian "my person" was when I scolded the servants who were bullying him. So he wasn't angry then, but hurt? And when he realized his feelings, the genre change progress suddenly jumped to 88%?

"You said it was the position you chose?"

"Yes. I always knew my true identity. I hadn't lost my memories."

"You hadn't lost your memories? Then why didn't you go back and stayed here instead? Even to the point of being confined in that cold room..."

"Because I wanted to be by your side."

Just for that? I didn't even remember you until the character introduction saying you were the protagonist of a horror game appeared. Even during the carriage accident, I didn't particularly save you because it was you, and I didn't know you had collapsed from illness while confined in that cold room, I...

"But I couldn't propose to you as a servant, so I decided to go back. You didn't chase me away."

I pushed you away and sent you out. Adrian spoke as if he had read my mind.

"You held onto me. That's enough."

"..."

His voice was calm and gentle, but it trembled slightly at the end, like someone who had just poured out a passionate confession. If he could have proposed while still a servant, would he not have gone back? I thought no one in the world would refuse to become the precious young master of a count's family, but here he was.

"I'm sorry it's so simple for a moment I've waited a lifetime for."

"..."

"I'll serve you as my lady and make you happy for the rest of our lives."

"...You fool, that's my line. Didn't you come to make me keep my promise?"

As I chuckled and spoke, Adrian's face relaxed. He had been smiling all along, but it seems he had been trying to hide his nervousness. His reddened eyes were so beautiful that my fingers tingled with the urge to caress them. I firmly held my crumbling smile and said:

"Alright, I understand. I guess I have no choice. A promise is a promise, I should keep it... Whoa!"

Before I could finish speaking, Adrian swiftly approached and lifted me up. Where did this strength come from? I could now look down at Adrian, whom I had been looking up at all this time. Up close, Adrian's eyes were sparkling with ecstatic and overwhelming joy.

"I put the letter in and couldn't wait, so I rushed here. To hear this answer. Am I good?"

"I thought you might have forgotten me, being so busy with news constantly appearing in the newspapers."

"How could I forget you? I can't forget you."

[Adrian's affection level has been unlocked.]

[Current Adrian affection level: Lv.?????????]

[Adrian's affection level has exceeded the system's critical allowance.]

I gently brushed back the brilliant golden hair scattered across his handsome forehead. Perhaps because my fingertips touched him, his eyes became slightly dreamy, as if in a dream. For a moment, something damp and viscous clung stickily before disappearing, but his eyes were warm and full of affection, as if I were the only one in the world. As I traced from those eyes to his elegant nose bridge with my hand, I unconsciously murmured:

"But was he always this... handsome?"

"Do you like my appearance?"

No, crazy. Did I just say that out loud? As I pulled my hand away in surprise, he caught it with one hand and brought it to his lips. With a soft sound, hot breath flowed along the inside of my wrist. He lightly licked his upper lip as if parched.

"I'll take even better care of myself. If it pleases you."

"...No, that's enough. If we go any further here, it'll be trouble for me too."

"Trouble?"

"Yes, real trouble. I can't spend the whole day just looking at your face."

It seems we'll have a lot to talk about in the future. Like wedding preparations, for instance. I meant it quite seriously, but whether he understood this feeling or not, Adrian's eyes sparkled as he smiled brightly.

When this news spreads, the world will be in an uproar. Tomorrow's newspaper front page will probably feature large portraits of Adrian and me. But that doesn't matter. From now on, I probably won't have time to read the newspaper because I'll be too busy looking at this unrealistically pure beauty.

- End of "Surviving as a Maid in a Horror Game" (Side Story 2: How the Couple's Family Planning Went Awry)

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