《I Possessed the Final Villain of the Horror Game》 Chapter 0 The tower that was pointed like a sharp spear, stood alone, cutting the blood-red moon. Such a large moon will never be familiar, but no one has ever seen it. One person, a box big enough for one to hide oneself in it. In order to prevent herself from making sounds like quivering and chattering of teeth, she hugged her forearms with both hands. Terrified, the lightless pupil couldn¡¯t find a place to settle as she veered her eyes around. She could hear footsteps from afar. The sound of footsteps dragging on the floor without a sign of hustle. It was as if it was looking for someone, stopped and then walked again. The footsteps gradually got closer to the wooden box where the person was hiding. A gap as wide as two fingers in the wooden box did not give a detailed picture of what is approaching. She could only see that a black shadow was approaching her. Thump Thump¡­ The figure seen through the gap was now right in front of her. She covered her mouth with both hands, holding her breath so that the sound would not leak out, and desperately hoped that the figure departs soon. The white, bare feet unhurriedly passed in front of the box. It slowed down from its initial speed. It disappeared while making a dragging sound. The sound of footsteps gradually went farther away and soon was out of hearing range. The figure appears to have completely left the room. She lowered her head while letting out the breath she had been holding. As she raised her head again, wiping the sweat off her forehead¡­ Boom! The only thing that could be seen through the gap was a vast darkness, like a black hole. However, the lights were not turned off. What she saw were the black eyes that took up half the face. The pupils of those eyes, which were too strange to be human, followed her. A skinny hand shook the wooden box right after she recalled that she had made eye contact. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± She managed to get out of the box. The face of a woman smiling as if she was tearing her mouth, gigantic eyes, and the missing chin was vivid in front of her. She could hear a woman dragging her feet behind. The woman stalled for a while, but soon she made a crackling sound and pursued the person ahead. She evacuated the room and ran down the hall. Candles, which had been lit at regular distances, were extinguished as she ran through the hall. She wanted to run to the room and hide, but the door closed by itself and she had nowhere to escape. She had no choice but to run as something stalked her. And at the end of the hallway, what she saw before her eyes was a woman trembling in fear in the dark. The woman¡¯s white eyes along with her long hair that was scattered were as bright as the moon floating in the night sky. She was terrified as if she was hunted by a non-human entity. The person who opened her mouth first ran forward. ¡°Tess!¡± The woman, who was trembling and was terrified and turned around to the point that her entire body staggered. After looking at the face of the person who called her, the expression that turned serious informed us that they were by no means a savior. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Lena¡­¡­how did you get here?¡± ¡°Look around you!¡± Their surroundings were full of blood, flowing everywhere on the floor, and the dead bodies killed brutally made it hard to recognize them. The woman was alarmed and dumbstruck as if she had never seen the scene before. ¡°I¡¯m not like this.¡± ¡°Come to your senses, Tess.¡± ¡°Lena, Lena, Lena! If it weren¡¯t for you!¡± A woman in fear like a cornered animal held a sharp sword in her arms. She tried to run away again because of the sudden change in the woman¡¯s behavior, but behind her, a woman with white bare feet was pursuing her. She had nowhere to hide. The woman¡¯s looming sword came charging at the woman¡¯s heart. [GAME OVER] Red letters appear on the black screen filled up the whole screen. Again, another type of bad ending was recorded. Chapter 1 One of my hobbies is playing games and I am particularly excited about horror games but, since it is a game, it sometimes gets me thinking about what I would do if I was the main character in one of them. I would probably die in the least scariest way. The only exception would be, if I became the main character of the horror game I recently started playing, which is called ¡°Black Castle¡±. I would rather throw myself out of the window right away. I say this because ¡°Black Castle¡± is one hell of a game which creates sympathy for the characters no matter how evil or graphic they are. As a player, it makes me wonder if there is any other game that is this crappy. I usually am not the type of person who would get stuck on one thing, so it feels strange to me to hang onto a game for a couple of days just so I could see the hidden ending. Hidden ending?. Yes, there is one in this game. It¡¯s actually called ¡°Real ending¡± or ¡°Happy ending¡±, but it is considered a hidden one because it was still not revealed yet. No one had discovered it as of now. Even the most prominent game players could barely avoid the death ending, so it would only be natural that no one was able to find it. I¡¯ve started the game from the starting point so often that I¡¯ve already completely memorized everything. I didn¡¯t even go too far off from the games start, but the protagonist had already died due to my brief mistake, not long after, I died again before I could even reach the checkpoint so I had to restart from the beginning and the protagonist had to suffer yet again. But I never stopped playing this game. The ones getting killed in the game were the characters, and not me the player. I killed the protagonist several times already, but I could always reset it again. There were so many other games that were better, but I just had to see the hidden ending. I never should have done that. Because the next day when I woke up, I became a character in the ¡°Black Castle¡±. I woke up realizing that something was wrong. The style and interior was something that I have never seen before, but I was wondering why everything that I¡¯d seen seemed so familiar. I even looked out of the window thinking that this could not be the only thing familiar, but I just got more miserable. Outside of the window, a graceful crimson moon was floating in the cloudless sky. Whenever I played ¡°Black Castle¡± a crimson moon would always appear outside of the window in the game. ¡®I entered the game world too¡¯. Of course, I have never seen this in reality. I¡¯ve only read about it in romance and fantasy novels. Am I the pathetic protagonist, Lena, who gets beaten up like dog shit? How many times has she died, gotten hurt and ran away? I immediately looked into the mirror. I thought that a cute little girl with pink eyes and sky blue hair would be reflected in it, but no. It was common brown hair and creepy red eyes that looked back at me. What the hell is this? Why do I look like Tess Voncador?! Tess Voncador is the adoptive daughter of the Voncador family. Mrs. Voncador, who felt sorry for Tess who as a little child was living on the streets ever since she had lost her parents, adopted her and raised her together with her biological daughter Lena, but Tess grew up being a strange child. People didn¡¯t like Tess who never smiled even once. But with Mrs. Voncadors warm affection, both Tess and Lena grew up without much trouble. Until that incident happened. In the silence of the night, bandits attacked the Voncador household, they firstly killed the mother then proceeded to kidnap Lena. Due to this terrible incident, the Voncador mansion was turned upside down in panic and the struggle to find Lena. However, Lena was never found, and the whole Voncador mansion fell into a deep sorrow except the young Tess who did not even shed one single tear in this tragedy. The game begins when the missing Lena returns to the mansion on her 19th birthday. Lena, who had a birthday party, with everyone¡¯s good wishes and in a happy mood from meeting so many new people, decided to head back to the Black Castle, where Tess was staying in, so she could celebrate her birthday together with her sister. But as soon as Lena stepped into the castle, the curse of the Black Castle awakened and soon, terrible monsters started opening their eyes. Lena avoided all of the monsters and one by one she was able to defeat all of them as well as break the curse of the Black Castle. As everyone had already suspected it, the cause of everything was Tess, and now with the curse over the castle being gone, Tess was finally defeated. The game has a similar progression, but has multiple endings. The endings depend on items or hidden events that a player acquires and unlocks throughout the game play. I myself played the game over and over again to see new endings. But I don¡¯t know all of the items that are important for the game¡­ Either way, in all of those multiple endings, Tess dies in a variety of ways. She falls off of a height and dies, gets eaten, gets chopped up to death. I ended up as the character that is destined to die! There is no dream or hope of survival. It is safe to say that the purpose of this character¡¯s creation was death. ¡°No¡­..maybe¡­..¡± Rather, isn¡¯t it a good thing to not be in the body of the main character? If Tess, the culprit of everything, used the curse of the Black Castle to torment Lena, she would have to die. But what if Lena doesn¡¯t go through all of those scary things?, if Lena doesn¡¯t go through them, then Tess wouldn¡¯t die either. This is a good thing! No. There is no way that I, who possessed Tess¡¯s body and who was not Tess to begin with, would know how to awaken the curse but I was curious, what power did Tess use to manipulate the monsters of the Black Castle? Besides her gloomy personality, Tess was an ordinary human being. *hic, hic, hic¡­* Just then I was able to hear a woman¡¯s cry in the hallway outside of the room. There were no signs of the sun rising yet, but the sound of crying in the middle of the night was very strange. It somehow felt ominous, I carefully opened the door and looked to the side where the sound of crying was coming from. The hallway was dark, it was not even lit up by the moonlight and besides the sound of crying, there was no other sound that could be heard. Unlike the relatively warm room, the air that hung in the hallway was chilling and as my eyes got used to the darkness, a woman¡¯s back was gradually getting more visible in the dark. She was wearing a long black dress and the front of it was covered by a white apron, she looked like a maid from the old era. And that maid seemed to be the source of the crying sounds. Chapter 2 Usually if you asked a crying person why they were crying and suggested they return to their room because it was late at night, you would¡¯ve been able to notice how their creepy crying was slowly coming to a halt. But¡­ My survival instinct was telling me that I should not even approach this woman to begin with. Although she had the appearance of a person, I was convinced that she was not human at all, and the goosebumps and chills that I had all over my body, were just supporting my suspicion. I tried to closethe door since I did not have the confidence to face this ominous figure. But right in that moment, she slowly started to turn around. It didn¡¯t even occur to me that she would start moving. I wanted to move backwards to try and hide myself, but I couldn¡¯t even move a muscle because I was frozen in fear. The maid¡¯s face had finally been revealed to me and the first thing that I noticed was her white jawline, but the moment my gaze moved slightly above her lips, I had almost screamed. There was no face above that woman¡¯s lips. My eyes had met the eyes of a faceless woman. No, our eyes did not meet considering that she did not even have them. After she had been standing there for a while, she suddenly turned around and disappeared into the dark hallway. This action caused me to let out a slight scream as I tried to push myself into hiding. This was the first time that I had ever seen something like this. The room was quiet and the sounds coming from the hallway had stopped as well. If I had been the protagonist, I would have probably followed her to find out more about this strange occurrence, but I myself would never do that even if I had to die. I¡¯m not crazy enough to follow a faceless woman! I slammed the door behind me and ran toward the bed, the first place where I woke up in, and quickly laid back down covering myself with a blanket in hopes that if I reopened my eyes, that I would end up in my room again. To be honest, I have never read a novel setting where a person returned back into their original world by just reopening their eyes. Just thinking about it made me feel desperate. Why can I see the monster maid when I¡¯m not even Lena?-Actually, I did see the maid in the game. The two of them are enemies. She is a ghost that occasionally appears to attack Lena, but there is no way to fight her back, so the only option for Lena is to either run away unnoticed or to die. Why is Tess Voncador able to see the appearance of this maid? I can¡¯t believe it. I hoped that all of this was just a dream as I buried myself deeper into the blanket. But as I put my hand under my pillow, I heard the sound of paper rustling at the same time as I felt something touching my hand. And indeed it was a crumpled up piece of paper that had something written on it. [Subject must promise not to disclose any of the information that they receive. The company is not responsible for any compensation of any kind in case of public disclosure. The subject must follow all the rules below on every day of the crimson moon. The company will not be liable for compensation if any harm is done to the subject in case these rules were not followed precisely. 1. On the night when the crimson Moon rises, the mansion will feel exceptionally quiet and dark, but that is a natural occurrence. Don¡¯t be anxious. 2. Don¡¯t be surprised if a bird dashes towards the window and breaks it. Do not open the window and do not try to inform people about it. We are not responsible for any danger that might occur if you do open it. 3. After midnight, every time you go out to inspect the mansion, make sure that there are no locked doors. The door on the first floor, however, is excluded. 5. If you find a room with a lock door, never try to open it. Place three pre-prepared flowers at the door and bow three times. Red flowers such as anemone flowers and red roses are a good choice. Please refrain from using lilies and white roses. 6. If something falls out of the window, never check out what it is, we recommend you leave the vicinity immediately. 7. If you hear a man shouting, immediately lower yourself to the ground and go into a hiding place. Hold your breath for 40 seconds. If you feel the need to stay longer then do so. 8. Occasionally you will be able to see a carpet in the mansion get red, but since the wine has already been spilled, you can ask someone to clean the carpet up. 9. The subject has to light up all the candles in the banquet hall before dawn. If you fail to light them all up, leave the mansion immediately. Hide in the building with the altar and wait until you see the sun raise up. 10. If you hear a window break caused by a woman¡¯s scream, stop the ritual that day, leave the mansion and start everything over again on the next day ( the crimson moon will still be present). 11. Never talk to a maid that is crying in the hallway and stays in the same space for a long time. Be careful she is not a person. 12. If you¡¯ve done everything correctly up until this point, the maid will be the first one to leave, meaning, that the ritual has been a success. 13. If the door is locked on your way back from lighting the candles in the banquet hall, run. Find a place to hide in but be careful not to make any sounds by locking doors or turning off the lights. Do not be disturbed by the sound of scratching or choking breath. If you are lucky enough to stay alive until the sun rises you will have to repeat the ritual the next day again. This situation occurs rarely so do not worry about it in advance. 14. There is no rule number 4 on this list. In case you are able to see it, please burn the list and visita sorcerer. We suggest you to be careful while using the procedure above. We wish you endless peace in the future.] I didn¡¯t understand all of the rules from the ritual, but I had a vague guess about number 12. Tess has finished all the tasks from the list. The fact that the crying maid avoided her and left first means that the ritual had been a success. And this instruction list feels like the tutorial of the Black Castle game. Birds flying through the window, three flowers in front of the locked door, screams and red carpets were all events in the game. Does that mean that I awaken the monsters of the Black Castle through this ritual? So do they use them to hurt Lena? Oh, I¡¯m screwed¡­. I thought that I could just do nothing, but if I don¡¯t do anything, I will die. It was very frustrating that there was no compensation for the damage to the subject if the rules are not implemented. The damage wouldn¡¯t be something like my clothes shrinking because I turned on the wrong programme on the washing machine. The damage caused by failure in complying to the rules may mean that it will cost me my life! *** Tess did not live in the Voncador mansion. For some reason the people in the mansion hated her and Tess herself didn¡¯t like living in the mansion either. Instead, she asked the head of the family, Wolfgang Voncador, to provide a separate house for her, and Wolfgang listened to all of the wishes of the child his deceased wife cherished. Whether it was right or wrong. Tess rarely came out of the Black Castle. She occasionally would be called over for dinner, which was just an excuse to get Tess out of the castle. Usually, the villainous character would also be the leaders of society, but Tess was not the queen of the social world¡­.In fact, it was believed that the Black Castle didn¡¯t allow any outsiders to visit. The night of the crimson moon was still vivid in my memory as was the maid that had no face above her lips. The next days passed without many difficulties. The only owner of the Black Castle was Tess, so everyone listened to her. I even found more information about the crimson moon. It seems like it raises roughly once a month. Strangely, the crimson moon seems to be a phenomenon that can be only found in the area of the Black Castle. It¡¯s kind of similar to the aurora lights¡­¡­. I haven¡¯t decided on what to do about the rules yet, since I was too busy getting used to my new life here. Fortunately, it seemed like no other monsters were wandering around the castle. Now, let¡¯s create a plan on how to stay alive in this world. The moment I made up my mind, I received a message from the main mansion. It was an invitation to join them for dinner. I asked if it was all right to skip the dinner under the excuse that I was sick, but it seemed that I wasn¡¯t allowed to skip since everything had already been arranged. So in the early hours, I got dressed up and got onto the carriage. The distance between the Black castle and the main house wasn¡¯t too far. ¡°Miss, are you feeling alright?¡± The maid that spoke to me was named Donna, she worked as Tess¡¯s maid for a long time. She looked really young compared to her actual age. ¡°You look good. You always say that you don¡¯t feel fine, but¡­.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡­.¡± I was worried that my and Tesses personalities were too different, so people would notice that it was weird, but nothing happened. Whether it¡¯s fortunate or unfortunate, our personalities seemed to be the same. At least it¡¯s not causing any complications for me so I liked that. ¡°- Seeing you say that, I guess that I treated you badly whenever I was in a bad mood¡± ¡°-No, you¡¯re not that kind of person.¡± This is it, the most surprising thing about my life. Why do people around me treat me like the world¡¯s biggest villain and judge my rationality as a human being? Shouldn¡¯t people that are the closest to a person know them the best? Tess is not too extravagant. Her dresses were simple and so was her jewelry. Tess didn¡¯t bother people around her. Everyone around her was neither fond nor were they too afraid of her. Despite being a commoner in the past, Tess had aristocratic manners. While she was still in the mansion she got a tutor and received a high level of education. What was the secret of Tess? Why was she treated as the villain of the game? While I was thinking about all of this, a splendid mansion came into my view. Both this mansion and the Black castle gave off a different vibe. They were located not too far from each other. I was curious as to why Tess had the desire to stay away despite the distance being this short. ¡°Welcome, miss.¡± It was the butler who greeted me. It was a smart looking older man whose hair has gotten white with his age. His movement felt refined and his outfit was impeccably neat. He was a man who suited the position of butler in this large mansion. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± ¡± Yes, indeed. It has been a long time.¡± His answer was polite and didn¡¯t feel out of place, after all, he did not show any signs of surprise as he guided me to my room. ¡°Please rest here, we will see you at dinner time.¡± ¡°Yes. I will see you then.¡± After the door had been closed, Donna immediately started to arrange my luggage. Tess¡¯s room was luxurious, but it didn¡¯t reveal the owner¡¯s taste at all. I started opening and checking everything out in the room in hopes of finding more clues. Perhaps, there would be more information to the guidelines that I had found on the night of the crimson moon, or as I call them, the tutorial. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°Milady, is there anything I can get for you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Donna, the maid, was confused by my answer. I myself was looking for something, but I said I didn¡¯t need her help, so of course she¡¯d be perplexed. ¡°A diary or a journal . . . Did I keep such a thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, Milady . . . I don¡¯t dare intrude upon your privacy. Maybe your first desk drawer?¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Following Donna¡¯s instruction, I opened the drawer. At first glance, there was nothing there, but I could feel the outline of a hidden handle at the base of the drawer. When I opened it, I found a diary with a cover made of dark leather. Donna must know everything about Tess. How else would she come to know about the first drawer¡¯s trick when she said she wouldn¡¯t invade upon her master¡¯s privacy? I looked sideways at Donna with a hint of suspicion, but I turned my attention back to the drawer. What an eerie person . . . No matter how private one¡¯s thoughts were, I wonder why Tess felt the need to hide her diary from a maid who¡¯s practically attached to her hip. Of course, a young noble lady¡¯s privacy wouldn¡¯t be taken seriously anyway, so other instances like the maid finding out about her diary must have happened a lot. If so, then wasn¡¯t Tess a bit of a scatterbrain? She should have noticed that her maid was sticking her nose into her business. Right? I wanted to read the diary¡¯s contents, but I left it alone for now. Though this place was a short distance away from the castle, it¡¯s my first time riding a carriage, so I felt quite tired. And I wanted to save my strength for the dinner that¡¯s to come. ¡ª At some point, I fell asleep on the couch, but I was woken up by a rustling sound. As I opened my eyes, I saw a maid who wasn¡¯t Donna. ¡°. . .¡± Her eyes were filled with disgust. She was the first maid I encountered with such a gaze. ¡°I apologize, Miss. It¡¯s almost time for the dinner appointment, so I¡¯m here to help you prepare.¡± ¡°. . . Alright.¡± As she assisted me in getting ready for dinner, the maid maintained a disrespectful yet business-like demeanor. I didn¡¯t chat with her either. I was curious about why her attitude towards me was different from Donna¡¯s because it was a little shocking to be treated like this for the first time in my life. It somehow added to my fatigue. After dressing for the occasion, we went on our way. We passed through a bright corridor and arrived at the banquet hall. I would never have been able to see such a fancy interior like this in my life, only in movies. And inside the opulently adorned room were two people sitting at the table. The middle-aged man sitting at the head of the table was Tess¡¯s father, Wolfgang von Cador, and beside him was Dalton, the firstborn son. Of course, Tess and Dalton weren¡¯t blood related since Tess was adopted. The two noblemen¡¯s eyes, which were entirely alike, darted to me. They were devoid of any emotion, and as I sat down, they did not say hello. Everyone here seemed to be used to this heavy silence¡ªhow taciturn could they be? Even the servants weren¡¯t making any sounds. I could feel that this was unpleasant for them, too, as they continued keeping their heads bowed down, avoiding eye contact. Our meal was finally served, and the food was as colorful as the room¡¯s interior. The silence was prolonged as we began eating. I could already feel the onset of indigestion even though I was eating such delicious food. ¡°I heard there¡¯s going to be a charity party soon. It¡¯s a private event, so we can¡¯t be absent.¡± ¡°Is it the Milend family?¡± The conversation between the two men was too stiff, as if they were employee and employer instead of father and son. Dalton also didn¡¯t show any affection towards Wolfgang while he spoke, but nevertheless, their relationship wouldn¡¯t be considered as a bad one. Their conversation flowed smoothly, and though they excluded me, this treatment didn¡¯t seem to be out of place. It was strange. I thought that dinner would end without any problems, but I let my guard down too soon. ¡°Tess, be sure to attend the party,¡± said Wolfgang. ¡°Pardon?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to talk to me, so I wasn¡¯t prepared to answer. The father and son looked sharply at me. ¡°You don¡¯t feel like it?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go.¡± Ah, I replied too quickly. Because I was flustered, I forgot that I had to speak like Tess. Wolfgang seemed to be puzzled due to the way I answered, and Dalton had a doubtful expression on his face, too. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s good.¡± That was the end of our conversation. No one spoke again after that, perhaps because all three people present weren¡¯t the talkative type. We were eating splendid food, but I honestly couldn¡¯t digest anything well because of the tense atmosphere. The entr¨¦e came and went, and in no time, our desserts were served. The fatigue that I¡¯d been accumulating since earlier didn¡¯t disappear¡ªit only turned into a headache. My condition was at its worst right now. The servants came in with dessert plates. They were all men dressed in green uniforms. I watched them come in, amazed that there seemed to be no end to them, but one of the men stopped abruptly and didn¡¯t move. What¡¯s going on? Somehow, I was entranced by the immobile man. Then, the servant who had placed my dessert plate from behind me asked, ¡°Miss, is there something wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just . . .¡± As I answered, I did not look away from the immobile man. His red hair was striking. ¡°Why isn¡¯t that man moving? That redhead over there¡ª¡± Clink! Startled by the sound of silverware dropping to the floor, I turned my attention to the other side of the room. One of the servants had dropped a fork. Embarrassed, he quickly picked it up and apologized. Then somehow, the banquet hall was thrown into a chaotic atmosphere. Several people looked at me, and my eyes met with the furious Dalton. I¡¯d sensed it in the beginning, but Dalton really had a frightening air about him. ¡°Here we go again.¡± It was said under someone¡¯s breath, so it was audible only to me and not to Dalton and Wolfgang. From that short sentence, I could feel everyone¡¯s hostility toward me. As I snapped out of it, I realized that the red-haired man had disappeared. In the end, nobody told me anything about him. Dinner ended on a sour note. ¡ª ¡°Donna, I think the maids here hate me.¡± ¡°Milady . . .¡± I tried to weasel out the truth from Donna. How did it become this way? I wasn¡¯t sure if it was originally like this in the game, but the servants here were clearly belligerent towards me. Something about the redhead from earlier also still bothered me. Donna looked at me anxiously. She maintained a professional distance, but she was the maid closest to Tess, so she should be able to give me a proper answer. ¡°What was it this time, Milady? Was there ash in your food? Or maybe they gave you damaged tableware . . .¡± ¡°. . . Huh?¡± The relationship Tess had with the servants here seemed to be more one-sided than I originally thought. Didn¡¯t the hostility go both ways? ¡°Let¡¯s return to the castle now. You¡¯ll just feel horrible the more we stay here.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him . . .¡± Donna hesitated, but she seemed to know the answer. She tried to read my mood first before she answered. ¡°You¡¯ve always been afraid of the strange things around here. You said you can see things that no one else can . . .¡± ¡°. . .¡± What had Tess seen in this manor since before? After I dismissed Donna back to her quarters, I opened the diary I found earlier. The words inside were written in a neat cursive script. Rather than a diary, it seemed that Tess recorded things at random, without any structure. [ I saw that woman again in the garden. Her white dress was soaked in blood. ] Just as I thought. Tess could see ghosts. That¡¯s why I could see them, too, since I happened to possess her body. Well . . . damn. It¡¯s true that I liked horror games a lot, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted to experience the same thing in real life. There¡¯s no way someone who could see ghosts would have a normal life. [ I want to leave this manor. It¡¯s become worse recently. Now they can touch me directly. Some maids think I inflicted this shoulder wound onto myself. They don¡¯t even know what horrible things I experience everyday. They just think I¡¯m doing this for attention. How funny. I wish all the maids who didn¡¯t listen to me would just die. ] It was worse than I thought. Apart from the fact that ghosts could attack Tess physically, I learned about Tess¡¯s true self that wasn¡¯t even revealed in the game. The diary was filled with pages of curses, rather than wishes, of wanting everyone to die. I couldn¡¯t relate to it entirely, but I understood both the owner of this manor and Tess herself. People who couldn¡¯t see ghosts would think that those who could were ominous. But at the same time, it was frustrating for the people who could see ghosts when nobody believed what they said . . . [ Today is that child¡¯s birthday. On this day, the entire manor is in a shitty mood. And everyone¡¯s especially more cruel to me. I¡¯ll only stay in my room today. Even the von Cadors just ignore me and won¡¯t force me to eat with them today. Of course they wouldn¡¯t want to see me. And on a day like this, they always come out. The red-haired John comes out of the banquet hall and wanders around the mansion. ] Red-haired John? Just as I thought, the redheaded servant I saw earlier in the banquet hall was a ghost. It wasn¡¯t my imagination that I felt something foreboding about him, but I didn¡¯t think he was actually a ghost. I knew it¡ªTess could see them. Tess knew that ghost¡¯s name, too, but how on earth did she come to learn about it? And the ¡®child¡¯ that was mentioned in the diary was probably Lena, the von Cador family¡¯s missing daughter. [ All the maids and attendants pretend that John never existed. They just don¡¯t want to admit that they killed him. They¡¯re all cunning murderers, each and every one of them. ] What did this mean . . . ? Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ¡ªKnock knock. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Milady, Young Master Dalton is here.¡± Dalton? What did von Cador¡¯s young master want with me? Donna let him in then hurried out right away. Before long, only Dalton and I were left in the room. ¡°Been a while.¡± Without even looking at him, I could feel his iciness just by the sound of his voice. The father and son really resembled each other. I couldn¡¯t read anything on Dalton von Cador¡¯s face. With navy blue hair as dark as the night sky, he had cold features that expressed emotions very seldomly. It almost seemed like he was too exhausted to bother showing any feelings. I couldn¡¯t get a read on him since I saw him at the banquet hall, but the general vibe I got from him was that he was a little scary. ¡°You were supposed to come by last night. Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes . . .¡± ¡°. . .¡± What followed was a heavy silence. One mistake would definitely cost me. I thought that this kind of silence was just the usual whenever Dalton conversed with someone since he was a frighteningly quiet person. He was quiet not only with his words, but with his every movement as well. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like going to parties, but it would be best if you attend the charity event.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Right, well . . . I heard from Father that you¡¯ll need a new dress for the party. I¡¯ll send a stylist to where you¡¯re staying.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°Alright . . .¡± Did I sound too insincere? I had no idea what kind of sibling relationship Dalton and Tess had, but I didn¡¯t want to draw suspicion by answering too enthusiastically. Whether or not their relationship was amicable, they didn¡¯t seem close anyhow. Even when I played the game back then . . . Whenever Dalton stopped by my room, I¡¯d just be relieved that we weren¡¯t at each other¡¯s throats. ¡°You said you saw something during dinner.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°Have you stopped taking your medications?¡± ¡°The medicine . . .¡± ¡°It¡¯s what your physician prescribed. He said what you have is a mental illness.¡± Dalton and the von Cador patriarch seemed to be thinking that Tess saw ghosts because of a mental illness. That¡¯s exactly what they thought. Fortunately, Wolfgang and Dalton were humane enough to treat Tess as a sick person, compared to those servants. ¡°I¡¯ll call the doctor for you, so make sure you drink your medicine.¡± ¡°Yes . . .¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± At that, Dalton left the room. Maybe he didn¡¯t hate Tess? No, maybe I¡¯m just reading into things and spinning stories on my own. I didn¡¯t know what kind of family the von Cadors were towards each other because it wasn¡¯t explained in the game, but to others, their name must be prestigious enough considering the size and splendor of this mansion. If I just asked Dalton to go with me to the Dark Castle while I was doing the fourteen written techniques, then he¡¯d really see how I was suffering, and the misunderstanding with the ghost thing would be resolved easily. Though he looked scary at first and he seemed awfully moody . . . it was still nice to look at his face despite it all. I should improve my relationship with him whenever I have the chance. ¡°The next time we¡¯ll come back here will be at the next dinner, Milady,¡± Donna said. ¡°Yeah.¡± I really was going to leave after just one dinner here. I pondered the relationship between Tess and the people in this mansion. Not one of them asked if I would like to stay longer. The servants who blended into the background clearly had malice in their eyes. Without Donna, I would have been completely isolated. I didn¡¯t know how Tess put up with this treatment, but I was already sick and tired of it. I packed up Tess¡¯ diary, which I hadn¡¯t finished reading yet. Since there¡¯s a month left before the next Crimson Moon, I had to use my time well to investigate. Like the mansion¡¯s people that sent me away with no remorse, I climbed into the carriage I was using on my way back with no regrets. But as I stepped into the carriage, the butler called to me. ¡°Miss.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What you saw in the banquet hall wasn¡¯t real. Your symptoms have gotten worse.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°The physician will come visit you. I hope you continue doing your best during your treatment . . .¡± ¡®This cheeky old man . . .¡¯ I wasn¡¯t Tess, but I still knew that the butler had no right to say that to the young lady of the von Cador house. He was so polite to me at first, but I was left stunned by this attitude that he displayed. The relationship between this mansion¡¯s people and Tess continued to elude me. I had read more than half of the diary¡¯s contents, but it only contained this and that, so I put off reading it until I went back to the Dark Castle. I wasn¡¯t sure if I¡¯d find something out after reading it, especially about that red-haired man. If what I saw really wasn¡¯t real . . . But Tess wrote in her diary that the servants in this mansion were sly murderers. Were they covering up John¡¯s death? Maybe Tess was the only one who witnessed it. The murderer or murderers might be looking at Tess with animosity because they¡¯d be exposed for their crime. I was getting a rough idea of the situation. Back at the Dark Castle, I searched Tess¡¯ room for any other clues that she might have left behind. Donna asked again what I was looking for, but I didn¡¯t bother to tell her this time. Donna might have happened to know where Tess¡¯ diary was in the mansion, but generally, important information should be hidden away from the maid. I was already bothered by her as she quietly observed my behavior that was out of character. After a while, I came up with an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m looking for some emergency funds.¡± ¡°Why would you need that, Milady?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to know.¡± Like a moody adolescent, I kicked Donna out of the room. She said that I should just call out to her if I needed her, but when she finally left, I began to search the room in earnest. The Dark Castle was worlds apart from the sparkling von Cador mansion. The furniture here wasn¡¯t that old, but the mismatched designs were hardly enough to keep up the facade of aristocratic dignity. I searched all throughout the room, including beneath the carpet, in the box under the bed, between cushions of the chairs, inside the drawers and all the way up to the curtains. Nothing came up. I wanted to somehow get in touch with an information broker like the ones that always cameoed in fantasy novels, but I didn¡¯t want to draw any attention just yet. I¡¯d have to get a feel of the atmosphere here and ambush Donna with my questions first. Fortunately, Wolfgang spared no expense when it came to Tess¡¯ allowance, so I had plenty of cash at my disposal. Things were going better than I initially thought. ¡°Milady . . .¡± Donna¡¯s worried voice interrupted my thoughts. When I turned my head in surprise to look at her, I got confused because she usually spoke so confidently. Then, I saw Donna¡¯s stiff expression. Fidgeting and with a grimace on her lips, I got worried as well because Donna wasn¡¯t someone who¡¯d make such an expression easily. Donna was actually a lean woman who was taller than most men. But as she stood before me now, it was as if she was drained of all color. Her expression was so tense that she gave the impression that she might be blown away by the wind any second now. That¡¯s why I was getting nervous as well. Why was she being like this? ¡°. . . The physician has arrived.¡± ¡ª Shwaaa¡ª ¡°Ugh . . .¡± I¡¯d been doused with cold water for several hours, ¡®baptized¡¯ with buckets of ice several times as ¡®therapy.¡¯ The treatment, which began yesterday, was something that servants of the Dark Castle weren¡¯t privy to. It happened in a place where only the physician and I were in, with no proper conversation uttered between us. I couldn¡¯t even see the physician¡¯s face clearly. He was wearing a strange mask that had a long beak, like a crow¡¯s. ¡°Miss, the reason you see these things is because you have a disease in your mind. This baptism will cleanse you.¡± What a load of bullsh*t! This quack doctor! I shouldn¡¯t have assumed that psychiatrists of this era would do a proper job when cars hadn¡¯t even been invented yet! I should have just told them I didn¡¯t want the treatment before all the maids were sent away¡ªeven if I knew that they wouldn¡¯t listen to me. ¡°You must eat what only comes from the earth. Food that was created by taking lives can lead you to a sinful path. This is what the Miss¡¯ ¡®sickness¡¯ is.¡± My teeth kept chattering because I was shivering from the cold. I had already told the physician several times to stop, but he didn¡¯t listen. Even if I had the von Cador name, my status was nothing in this place. The physician seemed to have known Tess since she was a child. How many times had she received this treatment? This ¡®cure¡¯ wasn¡¯t something a kid could have endured. No, I shouldn¡¯t even call it a cure. ¡°To cleanse your body of sin and injustice, you must fast for a day and meditate in the prayer room.¡± ¡°. . .¡± ¡°All that is in your mind are evil things. You must strive to cleanse your mind of evil.¡± The physician¡¯s admonishing voice reverberated throughout the room. What was happening right now was supposed to be a cure for a mental illness, but what was likely to come out of this was a new trauma. The powerless body that I reincarnated into had been trembling nonstop since I¡¯d been doused with water, but the physician¡¯s precautionary tone about a ¡®sickness¡¯ I presumably had continued to echo in my head. ¡°Look here . . .¡± ¡°No conversations while the treatment is ongoing, Miss.¡± ¡°Do my father and Dalton know what kind of treatment you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Of course, Miss. Under the Master¡¯s command, he entrusted me with the Miss¡¯ treatment.¡± ¡°Does he even know how you¡¯re conducting it?¡± ¡°. . . The Master knows, of course.¡± Damn it, so I really was just tricking myself! I thought Dalton von Cador had some heart left in him to help me, but this moment of foolish hope disappeared right away. It was clear that both Dalton and Wolfgang abhorred Tess. Otherwise, how could they allow this treatment? It was one thing to just ignore Tess, but they went as far as to do this to her. In the first place, it was the von Cador¡¯s Madam who brought in the orphan Tess, but she died not too long after. There was no way that an adoptive family would treat a foster daughter well when they couldn¡¯t spare her any love. Any affection they had disappeared when the biological daughter went missing. But then, I distinctly remembered Dalton¡¯s attitude when he said he¡¯d send the physician to me, seemingly with kindness and concern in his tone. . . . I finally realized why I was afraid of him¡ªit was because his low voice and austere countenance reminded me of the psychopaths that I saw on TV. Anger boiled within me. I couldn¡¯t understand what I ever did to deserve this. All I did was play a game. Physically, I was being tortured by a quack doctor and a family of psychopaths. And mentally, I was being tormented by ghosts and the steps I needed to do every Crimson Moon. Why did the people in the game say that Tess was like the devil incarnate? Did they think anyone would turn out normal if they grew up in this kind of environment? Tess was already doing great by not blowing up and going berserk! After having been baptised by ice cold water, I was thrown into a small room with absolutely nothing inside. It was called a prayer room, but it was just an empty room that was supposedly being used in countries where religion had been lost. There was nothing inside¡ªno furniture, no candles, not even a chair I could sit on. I couldn¡¯t distinguish whether I was shivering because of the baptism, or because of this room. Outside the room¡¯s lone small window, it was already dark. I couldn¡¯t continue living like this. It¡¯s like I was already as good as dead. I got reincarnated into a horror game where I wasn¡¯t even the heroine, thrown into a creepy place, and the first thing I came to know was that I was about to die. It was all so ridiculous. As quickly as possible, I needed to find out how to stop the magic around me, to figure out how to stop seeing ghosts, and last but not least, to get as far away as I could from the von Cador family. They were people who held absolutely no affection for me, so even if I disappeared, those noble faces wouldn¡¯t even blink. If I could somehow get some of my own power, I¡¯d definitely want to punish everyone in that mansion, both the father and son and every single servant there. Ha . . . I could now understand why Tess cursed at everyone in her diary. ¡°You may return to your room, Milady.¡± It was already the next day, and Donna was the one who woke me up. With the sun¡¯s rays streaming through the small window, it seemed like the torturous treatment was finally over. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 After receiving that damn treatment, I lay on my bed with not even enough energy to lift a finger. I was so cold and I shivered so much that it was a wonder why I didn¡¯t catch a cold. The servants were more careful than usual, and I noticed how they treated me delicately as they looked at me with pity in their eyes. Well, they didn¡¯t have any authority to stop the treatment, so all they could do was tell the tutor in advance that I wasn¡¯t well enough for class today. As I finally had some time alone, I took out Tess¡¯ diary and read it while I was lying in bed. [ It seems like Wolfgang cares for me, but I know for a fact that it¡¯s all an act. He didn¡¯t come at all when I almost died from a fever. ] [ That maid didn¡¯t deliver my meal on purpose. ] [ Today in the garden, I saw a woman wearing a white dress dyed with blood. I can see her more clearly the closer I approach her. ] [ I asked Wolfgang to buy me an estate in the middle of nowhere. I¡¯ll stay there. He allowed it after he saw how a maid tormented me. ] [ I can start anew at the Dark Castle. I¡¯ll take revenge on everyone who ever scorned me. ] The diary contained entries of ghosts that she saw, or instances when she was being bullied at the mansion. I wanted to find out more information about the red-haired man, but there was nothing else about him other than what I saw earlier. As I read more of the diary, I felt Tess¡¯ anger, hatred, and sorrow grow deeper and deeper. It was disheartening to read about a child experiencing all of this, especially seeing the anguish in every word she wrote. There was no way to know what her hobbies were, or what she liked. She had no time to think of such frivolous things. Poor Tess¡ªall that she had in her was resentment and the goal of exacting her revenge. She was depicted as a villainess in the game, but now that I saw what was behind her character, I understood why she turned out this way. Rather than her own innate nature, it was the environment around her that made her into a villainess. ¡°Milady.¡± Donna came into the room and approached me without any hesitation. She spoke to me using the same tone as usual. ¡°Would you like to go to the dungeon?¡± ¡°Dungeon?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you always go there after every treatment?¡± I nodded for now. I couldn¡¯t ask Donna why, so I just followed her. Maybe this was an opportunity to get to know Tess better. ¡°Shall I wait outside, Milady?¡± ¡°. . .¡± There was something really extraordinary inside the underground prison. There was a man inside. With his limbs bound, his mouth gagged and his eyes blindfolded, a large man sat in the middle of the dingy room. Faced with an unprecedented sight, I almost panicked in front of Donna, but she walked into the room as if there was nothing unusual here. ¡°Is it safe?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He won¡¯t attack you like before.¡± After saying that, Donna handed me something that made my eyes go wide. I dropped it immediately. It was a short whip made out of leather. ¡°Please have a good time.¡± ¡®Wait, don¡¯t leave me!¡¯ The loyal maid Donna, who didn¡¯t hear my heart¡¯s pleading cry, exited the dungeon and left me alone with the man. The whip was still at my feet. What the hell was I supposed to do with it? It was foolish of me to think that Tess was a misunderstood villain created out of a misfortunate situation. That¡¯s a dangerous idea. Sure, she had a bad childhood and sure, she still had to endure the indifference of the mansion¡¯s owners and the quack doctor¡¯s questionable medical knowledge. But a whip?! Wasn¡¯t this game R15? Wasn¡¯t a whip too hardcore?! I kicked the whip away and walked around the prison. I needed to clear my mind. But as I wandered around, the man seemed to have stirred. The chains around him clanged. ¡°. . .¡± Only then did I take a closer look at him. He looked terribly uncomfortable. His clothes were dirty, and though there didn¡¯t seem to be any noticeable injuries on him, it still looked like he wasn¡¯t being treated well here. I had no idea whether he was being fed properly. How did he end up here in this castle in the middle of nowhere? Did Wolfgang give this man to Tess, too? That aloof father might have done too much without paying any mind to his daughter¡¯s actions. Really, Tess¡¯ environment played a huge role in making her a villain. I tried to organize my thoughts. If I were to put things simply: I should just right all of Tess¡¯ wrongs. For now, I¡¯d have to listen to this man and ask him what happened. As I approached him slowly, he didn¡¯t show any signs of budging. I trusted Donna when she said he¡¯d stay still and wouldn¡¯t attack me, so I released his muzzle with trembling hands. The man seemed to be surprised by my actions, but I couldn¡¯t see his eyes because of the blindfold. ¡°How did you end up here?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you remember how you ended up here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here because you captured me.¡± What a logical answer! Despite the nerve-wracking situation, the man replied calmly. His voice was a baritone that matched his lean body well. He didn¡¯t look like he had the leisure for it, but he somehow seemed relaxed. ¡°What kind of life did you live before you were captured?¡± ¡°Just do what you usually do and cut the useless questions.¡± . . . It really seemed like Tess hit him. What should I do? There really was no turning back. I tried to lessen Tess¡¯ sins by setting the man free, but that might not be possible. Whether I did good things or bad things, people would think it¡¯s the same. ¡°Did it hurt when I hit you?¡± ¡°No.¡± He looked exhausted. Was he bluffing? Even though it was only a woman who hit him, it would have still felt painful, especially since he was being restrained like this . . . Making up my mind, I decided to bring up the topic of freedom. It might now work, but I still had to try. I had to get rid of the false impression that Tess was a total villain. ¡°Um. That won¡¯t happen anymore. You can get out of this dungeon and live freely again. I¡¯ll give you whatever you need.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°All that time, I was just . . . I must¡¯ve been crazy. I couldn¡¯t believe I did all that. Now that I¡¯ve come to my senses, I¡¯m going to set you free. I won¡¯t keep you here or hit you anymore.¡± ¡°. . .¡± His silence was making me nervous. I must have chosen the wrong words. Maybe he wanted to get revenge on me instead of freedom after all the hell Tess put him through. Money wasn¡¯t always the solution for matters of the heart. Wasn¡¯t it obvious? If I was in his position¡ªkidnapped, detained, and flogged by a woman to relieve her stress¡ªI might have had enough resentment to shoot an entire trilogy of revenge-driven action films. I wouldn¡¯t be able to make up for what Tess did. It was all too much even in a country where human rights wasn¡¯t developed yet. But I couldn¡¯t just leave him like this. It was too inhumane. The man seemed to be shocked. He didn¡¯t move an inch from his position, but he maneuvered himself despite his shackles and leaned toward me. In a daze, all I could do was stare at him as he crouched down and moved his face near my feet. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He drew his lips over one of my shoes . . . . . . And kissed it. I was so startled that I took a step back as I looked down on him. I still couldn¡¯t see his expression, but elegant words flowed out of his lips all of a sudden when he had been speaking informally just now. ¡°I have submitted myself to you wholly. I will never go against you. So please, don¡¯t turn back on your words.¡± ¡°. . . What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You said that you would never throw me away.¡± I was sure that the eyes beneath that blindfold were frantic with madness. It wasn¡¯t just his sudden polite tone. It was so unusual to see someone change their attitude, as if a switch was flipped to turn him into someone else entirely. Somehow, there was a voice in the back of my mind saying that this man who willingly kissed my feet only seemed to promise that he would never go against me, but he would also never give me his entire heart or loyalty. There was that kind of instinct in me. * * * At the man¡¯s insistence, I withdrew my offer to free him. Still, it didn¡¯t feel right to keep him in prison, so I told Donna to prepare a room where he could stay. She was shocked, but she soon heeded my order. Before going out, the shackles on his arms and legs were released. He was untied from all the restraints on him, but I said that he shouldn¡¯t remove his blindfold. It was quite underhanded of me, but there would be a lower chance of him getting revenge on me later if he couldn¡¯t remember my face. It was a cowardly move, but I was powerless. Until he was out of the dungeon, the man just kept staring towards my direction. Ah, it just hit me . . . Tess really kept a man in the dungeon. Goosebumps crept along my spine at the thought that I might uncover more. ¡°Milady, there¡¯s an empty cabin behind the castle. Why don¡¯t we let it stay there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of rooms in the castle. Can¡¯t he just stay in one of them?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do so much for it, Milady.¡± Donna wasn¡¯t even treating him like a fellow human being. Was he a slave by any chance? I read somewhere that slaves from fallen kingdoms were treated worse than other slaves. I knew I lucked out by becoming a noble who¡¯s pretty high up on the ladder, but I still get goosebumps when the gap between classes was shown to me like this. It wasn¡¯t just once or twice that I¡¯d seen how people of low status were treated badly or outright excluded. ¡°Is it because he¡¯s a slave?¡± ¡°No? What are you talking about, Milady? It¡¯s a mixed race magical creature.¡± ¡°Magical creature?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a monster subhuman. Didn¡¯t you buy it at the marketplace? They¡¯re usually sold there, where they¡¯re thrown into an arena where they either fight to the death or become prey. Being bought like this is the best fate for them.¡± So this is what he meant by ¡®throwing away.¡¯ Even if I gave him plenty of money and released him, he might get sold at the marketplace again if he¡¯s found out to be a mixed creature. As I realized this, my heart grew heavy. Despite Donna¡¯s dissuasion, I gave the man an empty room in the castle. The servants frowned in disapproval, but there was no one in the Dark Castle who could stop me. They also couldn¡¯t discourage me because I just got out of that damn treatment. Somehow, it felt lucky to have these people around me here. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 The phases of the moon were passing by. At this rate, the Crimson Moon will come soon. On the night of the Crimson Moon, the ritual must be carried out according to the technique written in the instructions. But¡­ I wasn¡¯t confident if I could do the technique properly. ¡°Donna. Can I buy information from a guild? I¡¯ve been curious about something lately¡­¡± I threw the bait. Tess was involved enough in the underworld to buy and sell slaves. And there wasn¡¯t anyone around her to forbid her from doing so. Therefore, there¡¯s no way that she¡¯s approaching merchant or information guilds secretly. Please take the bait. ¡°You mean the Midnight Guild? Yes, I heard you can buy and sell information there. Should I send a letter?¡± Nice. She took it. That damn association, or whatever they called themselves, that was mentioned in the piece of paper with the instructions. I wanted to find them. ¡°So we¡¯re going to the guild tonight, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Milady. I¡¯ll have the carriage ready. Leave it to me.¡± The Midnight Guild was said to be located in a small village nearby. When I asked Donna, she said it¡¯s a small place, but it¡¯s a good place to start. I wanted to request information from the largest guild in the country, but I don¡¯t know much about this world yet. Not long ago, I heard this country¡¯s name from the tutor for the first time, so it¡¯s too early for me to make a move. ¡°How is that man doing? Is he kicking up a fuss or something?¡± ¡°You mean the mixed-race? No, Milady. There¡¯s no trouble.¡± Knock, knock, knock¡ª ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Milady, the boutique¡¯s representative is here.¡± It seemed like the dressmaker that Wolfgang said he¡¯d send finally arrived. That reminded her¡ª she needed to attend a charity party or some such. That¡¯s terrible. I¡¯d have to see that arrogant look from Dalton and Wolfgang again. Those psychopaths, who abused a young girl since childhood, didn¡¯t look good in my eyes at all. ¡°Long time no see, Milady! It¡¯s Marvin. Oh, you¡¯re thinner than last time. We¡¯ll need to measure you again.¡± A young woman named Marvin chattered about as soon as she saw me. It was so hectic. She spun me around and flitted here and there to take my measurements. But not only her hands were incredibly fast, even her lips moved at lightning speed. The topic changed so much every single time that I was out of breath just by answering. ¡°I heard you¡¯re attending a charity party. I heard that they¡¯re venturing on a new business, so the party is probably an extension of that. Oh, Milady, bright colors are in vogue these days. You have skin as white as snow, so this color will suit you perfectly. Oh my, would you look at this. You¡¯re gorgeous, Milady.¡± Inside the room were Donna, two more maids who waited on me, and Marvin Olafer. After I saw my reflection, I could feel the atmosphere becoming a bit chilly. The bright colors didn¡¯t suit me at all. The dresses that Tess usually wore were all dark colored and simple. Pastel-toned and lightweight fabric clashed with Tess¡¯ blood-red eyes too much. ¡°I don¡¯t really like it¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Milady, but Lord Wolfgang told me to make sure to get you a trendy dress. Trust me~ It¡¯ll look great on you~¡± Was this a new approach at harassing her? I really didn¡¯t want to wear this, but I didn¡¯t want to argue about one dress, so I told Marvin to do whatever she wanted with that. She even told me to take a look at some jewelry even though I didn¡¯t need new ones. Still, I just said that choose whichever, but choose the right ones. As I observed the dressmaker, I thought she was trying to rip me off. Well, Wolfgang will pay for everything anyway. All I did was respond to Marvin¡¯s words when I needed to, but I was already completely drained of energy. I guess it¡¯s because I wasn¡¯t used to this kind of thing. ¡°Come to think of it, I saw something interesting before I arrived here at your room, Milady.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a strong-looking man wearing a blindfold and sitting obediently like a sheep.¡± I was wondering if she saw any ghosts in the Dark Castle, but I was surprised that she mentioned the man from the dungeon instead, and she described him as a ¡®strong¡¯ person. It was a long way from my room, so how did she get to see him? I wanted to avoid being talked about by a blabbermouth like Marvin, but I wonder if that plan¡¯s already been thrown out the window. As much as possible, I answered in a blas¨¦ manner like it was no big deal. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just someone to play with for a short while.¡± ¡°To play with? Ohoho~¡± It seemed like she was laughing at me. Well, I knew it was a bad excuse. Marvin kept mumbling to herself about playing. I really had no luck when it came to people from the von Cador mansion. Even the dressmaker! Marvin stayed for a long time, as if she didn¡¯t want to leave. After just barely managing to kick her out, I immediately went to the room where the man was. I was worried if he said something to Marvin. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even though I opened the door without knocking, he didn¡¯t seem surprised at all. He was still wearing the blindfold. But wow, he should just take it off since he¡¯s alone and the shackles on his wrists were gone. It felt strange to see a capable-looking man wearing a blindfold. ¡°Why do you still have it on? Aren¡¯t you frustrated with it?¡± ¡°You never told me to take it off.¡± His polite tone from last time was gone. I had no idea what page we¡¯re on right now, but I won¡¯t ask him to speak respectfully. I was feeling guilty because I found him imprisoned in a dungeon and treated as a slave, so I didn¡¯t want to coerce him into doing anything. And yesterday, I knew that it was unfair how I pushed him away and spoke back a little sharply. ¡°Then keep using it if you want. I won¡¯t care if you feel uncomfortable or anything¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± ¡°I heard that my master is a lady from a high-ranking family, but you¡¯re letting me speak freely.¡± ¡°Well sorry to burst your bubble.¡± After he cleaned up a bit and dressed nicely, he looked quite handsome. Even though he was wearing a plain shirt and ordinary pants, it was nice just looking at him because he had a good physique. Right there was a muscular man wearing a blindfold and sitting obediently on a chair. ¡­It¡¯s making me feel kinda weird. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Did you talk to a woman you don¡¯t know today?¡± ¡°How could I possibly talk to a woman I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. How many words did you exchange with a woman you saw for the first time today? She¡¯s a dressmaker named Marvin¡ªhigh-pitched voice, talkative.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t talk to anyone.¡± I was glad to hear that, but¡­ I felt bad that he didn¡¯t talk to anyone else. Staying in a room like this was considered special treatment, sure, but he couldn¡¯t even make a friend. He wouldn¡¯t get scolded anyway. I should tell Donna later to let the servants talk to this man. ¡°Take off the blindfold first. No one¡¯s going to talk to you because you still have it on.¡± I approached him with the intention of taking off the blindfold, rushing because of a guilty conscience, but as I got closer to him, I tripped over the tea table and fell forward. ¡°Ack!¡± Thud¡ª At that moment, the man caught me and sat me down on his thigh. No, I didn¡¯t do that intentionally. I really just tripped. Now, it looked like I purposely sat on his solid, thick thighs and touched his firm chest. Gah. How embarrassing. The only good thing about this was that the man¡¯s blindfold was still on, so I couldn¡¯t see his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re being careless.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± It¡¯s been so long since I last had contact with any man, so I was feeling a bit hot. But this man was still so composed. I struggled to stand up, but the man moved me himself. He carried me slightly and set me down on the couch beside him. I calmed myself first so I wouldn¡¯t stutter before bringing something up that¡¯s been on the back of my mind all this time. ¡°My name is Tess. Try calling my name when the servants are around. It¡¯ll be good to lessen the gossip, right?¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name? I can¡¯t just keep saying ¡®you¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Call me that. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°No, it makes me feel uncomfortable in many ways. I don¡¯t know how to call you if I¡¯m bringing you up in another conversation.¡± ¡°Just call me Slave. Just like you always did.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± The man even smirked when he told me to call him a slave. It was so disconcerting to see him talk about it in this way. This man kept pushing my buttons. I couldn¡¯t help but walk on eggshells around him. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just pretending, but you should know that I don¡¯t have a name.¡± ¡°What?¡± Was this also something of common sense in this world? I must have stepped on a landmine. It always seemed to happen when it came to this guy¡­ ¡°Then let¡¯s call you Joaquin.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°How about Heath Ledger?¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Benedict Cumberbatch.¡± ¡°Nope.¡± I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s even being picky right now¡­! Maybe it wasn¡¯t a good idea to name my favorite actors. This man might have seen through it all. He probably knew all the names were half-*ssed. ¡°Then, how about Leon? Hippies say you should draw names from nature. The name is from something that isn¡¯t shackled down, so it¡¯s a nice name for you.¡± ¡°What does Leon mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Is it a foreign language?¡± Calling it a foreign language was technically correct, but it would never be heard in this world. It¡¯s a word from the place I was originally from. This man who said no after all the suggestions I threw at him earlier finally stopped with his rejections. And so the name Leon was now his because he neither approved nor disapproved. ¡°Leon.¡± When I called his name, Leon looked back at me. It was a moment to celebrate that there was finally a word to refer him by. I told him to wear the blindfold until he got tired of it, but somehow, he hadn¡¯t tried to take it off yet. I was worried about him, thinking that he¡¯d only stay in his room all day, so I told him I¡¯d bring him some stuff so he could kill some time, but he said he didn¡¯t need anything. What would he do in this room if he didn¡¯t talk to anyone or try to leave the room to do something else? He was a bit of a strange guy. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 As it got darker, Donna began the preparations for going out. Tonight, I¡¯ll be going to a place called the Midnight Guild at the outskirts of town, and I¡¯d need to get on a carriage to go to that small village. It was even farther away than the von Cador mansion. I really need to get some useful information¡­ If I don¡¯t do any research like this, then I¡¯d be as good as dead. Let¡¯s just say that the technique I¡¯m required to do once a month should be settled before Lena¡¯s return. As we passed by the uneven dirt road, I could only see trees outside, until some folk houses could be seen. The village was a bit refreshing, after being surrounded by castles and mansions all this time. The houses looked like they were from the Middle Ages? I didn¡¯t know the exact time period, but it seemed around that time. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the quaint roofs. The village was lined with shops. They were all interesting, and there were some shops selling antiques, medicine, and swords that I had never seen before. Was there such a thing as magic or monsters in this world? Was this place like a fantasy world that I only saw in fiction before? Maybe they existed if ghosts or the technique during the Crimson Moon existed, too. Somehow, it got me excited. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived.¡± The carriage was parked nearby and I walked a little to find this shabby building. It was a two-story building that didn¡¯t look very special. You¡¯re saying the guild was in a place like this? ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside. Please go ahead, Milady.¡± I was a little nervous to go alone, but taking Donna might be a huge risk because I¡¯ll be asking about the technique. I had no choice but to enter the shabby building and go up the second floor. The stairs weren¡¯t lit, but there were no obstacles. When I entered through the open door, inside was a small drawing room with a couch. In the corner, there was a woman standing there who looked like a maid, but she wasn¡¯t even looking at me. I sat down, thinking I should wait there¡­ ¡°How are you, Lady Tess? It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Gah, you surprised me!¡± ¡°Haha! You still get surprised easily!¡± I didn¡¯t even notice the man who sat in front of me. No, since when had he been sitting there?! I guess he was waiting in the dark, waiting for me to notice him. This son of a¡­ he¡¯s treating the final villain of the Dark Castle game like this¡­ Was Tess really portrayed accurately? I heard that everyone was supposed to be afraid of Tess, but wasn¡¯t this guy just making fun of her? ¡°Oh~ The Lady¡¯s atmosphere changed a bit. You¡¯ve had some fun recently, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Just the usual.¡± ¡°Come on, don¡¯t say that~ Tell me a funny story about the man wearing a blindfold at the castle¡¯s coziest guest room~¡± ¡°What?!¡± How did he know that? For a moment, I got so surprised that I froze. At this, the man seemed convinced. He was already smiling, but somehow, his smile got wider. ¡°Is there anything I don¡¯t know? I¡¯m the owner of the Midnight Guild after all!¡± ¡°That¡ªwho told you?¡± ¡°My lips are sealed. It¡¯s my principle to protect the privacy of my informants.¡± Damn it. Did that dressmaker, Marvin, who came to the castle just today spread it? In less than a day? In mere hours? Ugh. But anyway, I¡¯m not here for personal stuff. The important thing was to find out more about the ¡®technique¡¯ and that ¡®association¡¯. I shouldn¡¯t get swept away by this guy¡¯s pace. ¡°Okay then. I want you to listen to what I want to know.¡± ¡°Tell me anything~!¡± I wanted to talk to the man alone, but it didn¡¯t seem like the maid in the corner was going anywhere. I was left with no other choice but to continue. ¡°Do you know about magicians?¡± ¡°You mean sorcerers?¡± His narrowed, smiling eyes glanced at me. You did say you were the owner of this guild, right? Well, I didn¡¯t think anyone who was the owner of such a place would turn out to be normal, but I couldn¡¯t get used to his sudden change in demeanor. ¡°Don¡¯t you know more about the sorcerer than me?¡± I was startled by the guild owner¡¯s words. He acted like I already knew all about it. ¡°Since they¡¯re so secretive, there are not many records on them. That¡¯s why Lady Tess said you already know better than I do. The information that someone who already met one is much more accurate.¡± ¡°Already met one?¡± ¡°Yes, have you forgotten already? I introduced you to a good sorcerer. I remember you were quite satisfied.¡± ¡°Tell me about it again. I lost the contact details.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not good~¡± ¡°Why?¡± The smiling guild owner put his fingertips together and smiled wider. It was such a strange smile, seemingly rebuking me for not knowing the answer. ¡°You know sorcerers don¡¯t stay in one place for too long. It¡¯ll take months, or even years, to contact them again.¡± Years! I¡¯d already be dead by then! ¡°I have to see the sorcerer again. Is there a way?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try as hard as I can. But it would be easier to just give up.¡± It would be easier to just give up~ He said it in such an annoying way. ¡°So there¡¯s no other sorcerer nearby? I don¡¯t mind paying more, as long as I can meet one¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite urgent, isn¡¯t it, Lady Tess? Hmm¡­¡± The man pretended to be worried and hesitated. Then, he acted as if he realized something significant. ¡°Ah! Come to think of it, I heard about one man who knows how to wield magic! Seeing as you¡¯ll be attending a lot of events, I think you¡¯ll see him at the charity party you¡¯re going to soon.¡± ¡°His name?¡± ¡°Well, hm¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The man stared at me, holding up his hand with the tips of his pointer finger and thumb touching, making the money sign. ¡°Everything is prepaid in our guild~!¡± Even though we had yet to discuss payment, the man¡¯s sparkling eyes seemed to be saying that he¡¯d been setting me up for it. When he saw my desperation, he set a high price. This bastard¡­ The information that he had been saying was all meticulous so far that I wondered how he knew about it. When I asked him if he had information about me, he just smiled and said it was a secret. The guild owner brought out a portrait of a handsome man with red-brown hair. His name was Redcliffe Andersen. He¡¯s a young baron who reportedly bought his title from a fallen noble family. People in high society say that his assets and background were a mystery. The Midnight Guild also couldn¡¯t investigate deeper. What¡¯s more important was the information that came next. Redcliffe Andersen was known to have a mysterious power, but no one knew exactly what it was. It wasn¡¯t clear whether the strange power was sorcery or black magic, but judging by the movements of the sorcerers, it might be something related to the ¡®technique¡¯. It¡¯s said that this information was from a sorcerer. ¡®He might be dangerous.¡¯ From the information divulged here, it was clear that sorcery had many secrets. The people who actively pry into it could have been dealt with. And Tess was right in the middle of everything. The next information given to me was about Redcliffe Andersen¡¯s private life. He didn¡¯t seem to show any unusual or messy behaviors. In his mansion, only he and his servants lived there, and very few visitors came. There were more things written down, such as his ideal type, his likes, and dislikes. I asked the guild owner how he got ahold of this data, but this guy¡­ ¡°This kind of information sell like hotcakes with aristocrats like you~¡± He said that it became a habit of his to collect tidbits of information, and they naturally piled up. After hearing his answer, I realized why information guilds didn¡¯t mind doing business with young aristocrats. As I looked over the data sheet, it was clear that Redcliffe was trying to hide his involvement with a mysterious power. If I asked him about the technique out of the blue, he might try to run away and avoid me forever. I think it¡¯s better to be on his good side for now. Since the guild owner said the man would be at the charity party, then I¡¯ll approach him with the intention of becoming friends. I got a little excited with this plan, so I left the guild and walked back to the carriage in a hurry. Donna quickly opened the carriage door and helped me get on. ¡°I¡¯ll need to put some effort in my appearance for the charity party.¡± ¡°Do you mean it, Milady?¡± Donna asked, dumbfounded. It wasn¡¯t said in the game, but when I saw Tess¡¯ closet myself, I knew at once that she wasn¡¯t someone interested in dresses or jewelry. It was right that Donna got surprised that I said I¡¯d put an effort in my appearance, and for a party Tess wouldn¡¯t have wanted to attend to boot. Of course, I wasn¡¯t interested in it either, but it was at least motivating to know that Redcliffe would be there. I didn¡¯t realize this, but Donna was staring at me while an ominous smile appeared on my lips as I stared out the window. Outside the window, exotic landscapes that I was yet to be accustomed to flitted by as the carriage passed by. Chapter 8 - 2. Difference Chapter 8 2. Difference After I returned to the castle that day, I searched everywhere for any more clues that Tess might have left. But before long, the charity party was just one day away. ¡°Young Master Dalton is on the way for a visit!¡± ¡°What? Dalton?!¡± It was like a lightning strike out of the blue. Why was he suddenly visiting the Dark Castle? Why couldn¡¯t he just ignore me like usual! ¡°The party¡¯s right around the corner, so it might be that the Young Master is thinking of staying overnight so you could go straight to the party together tomorrow.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s unnecessary! What time is he coming?¡± ¡°I heard he left right away, Milady. It won¡¯t be long until he arrives.¡± The von Cador mansion and the Dark Castle were quite close to each other, so there really wasn¡¯t much time left. How unpleasant that I¡¯d have to see the psychopath who would torture Tess. And there was another thing that was bothering me¡­ ¡°I need to hide Leon. Where did you say that cabin was?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in a hidden spot outside the castle.¡± ¡°Then get it ready. I¡¯ll tell Leon!¡± I ordered Donna to clean the cabin, then ran straight to Leon¡¯s room. I knew that if it came to light that I was keeping a slave in the castle, I¡¯d be surrounded by nasty rumors in an instant. Marvin and the Midnight Guild owner might treat it as something of a joke, but it wouldn¡¯t be easy to smooth it over if Dalton found out about it. I knocked hastily and opened the door without waiting for a response. Inside, I saw Leon right away, who was sitting by the window with his blindfold still on. He might have removed it when I wasn¡¯t around, but why wouldn¡¯t he take it off when I was here? But anyway, I wanted to comment on Leon¡¯s contradictory behavior of following, yet not really following my order regarding the blindfold, and it was slightly bothering me too¡ªbut there was no time for that now. ¡°Leon, we¡¯re going to have to move your living quarters. Is it alright if you stay at the cabin right outside the castle for a little while?¡± ¡°You look busy.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a bit hectic.¡± In preparation for the Crimson Moon, I had to explore the castle, memorize the information regarding Redcliffe, and also get ready for the party. Leon slipped my mind in the process, and in the meantime, Leon was behaving himself and didn¡¯t cause any particular troubles. ¡°You¡¯ll be busier from now on, too.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess. But anyway, that¡¯s not the point. Come with me now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°My brother¡¯s staying over at the castle tonight. He¡¯s definitely not going to say anything good if he catches you staying here. He¡¯ll be here soon. We need to go¡ªright now.¡± Leon kept stalling. He wasn¡¯t resisting, but he just kept looking out the window as if he could see through that blindfold of his.¡± ¡°We have to go.¡± ¡°So my presence here will be a disadvantage to you.¡± What, did that bother you? I wasn¡¯t expecting this reaction, so I was rendered speechless for a moment. It wasn¡¯t easy to figure out what he was thinking because he was such a mysterious man, so I had no idea how to respond to this¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not that your presence would harm me.¡± It¡¯s not like my reputation would get any worse. I looked at Leon with concern, thinking that he might be burdened, but his lips were tightly shut. ¡°But Master doesn¡¯t want to get caught still?¡± ¡°Yes, but what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± I trailed off. Leon¡¯s tone was a bit grumpy. It felt like he was whining that I didn¡¯t want to be seen with him. Leon and whining¡­ It¡¯s like trying to imagine warm iced americano, but here he was. ¡°It¡¯s really not like that. It¡¯s just that high society might not look kindly on you, that¡¯s why I want to hide you.¡± Lies flowed out of my lips like a downstream river. Actually, I wanted to hide Leon for my own sake because it would be too obscene for a noblewoman to buy a slave and let him stay as a guest in the manor. Leon looked at me through the blindfold without saying a word. He was like a man with ghost-like intuition who knew that he was being lied to. And if he really knew, then he hit the nail on the head. But¡­ time was ticking during this brief intermission. Dalton¡¯s really going to arrive any second now. I pulled on Leon¡¯s arm. I knew he was sulking, but he needed to hide. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later and just come with me already. Let¡¯s go to the cabin.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s an order, then¡­¡± Well, his sulking was valid. He knew that I was reluctant to use the word ¡®command¡¯ and repulsed by the caste system in general, but he followed me anyway. I wish he¡¯d just remove that blindfold while we were walking¡­ But until the end, he was stubborn to keep it on. Even when he kept bumping into things while walking. ¡°Ah, this can¡¯t do. Here, just hold my arm!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± From then on, Leon followed behind me with my wrist clasped in his hand, then we headed towards the forest behind the Dark Castle. Right after he held onto me, he was walking so steadily that it was hard to believe he was wearing a blindfold. Maybe his other senses were good. There was only one path towards the cabin through the forest, so we wouldn¡¯t get lost. The forest might not have been entered by anyone for a while, so the road was a little rough, and the branches kept messing up my hair and dress. I almost tripped at one point. Thankfully, I was holding onto Leon¡¯s hand¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure if it was him or me who needed the support. ¡°The path is a bit rough¡­ I¡¯ll tell the landscape gardener to smooth it out later.¡± When I tried to lift my hand, I was scratched by a stray branch. ¡°Ow! Ugh, damn it.¡± At the same time, Leon lightly held my scratched hand, then proceeded to violently break the branch that wounded me with his other hand. Crack, crack. ¡°Leon, what did that tree do to you!¡± ¡°Apologies. These useless branches scratched my Master¡¯s hand.¡± The cabin could be seen at a distance, and I brushed off what he said as a joke. It was an old cabin, but it looked so picturesque, as if it was a painting. It¡¯s a relief that it didn¡¯t look half bad. It didn¡¯t look perfect, but at least it was good enough as a place to stay¡­ ¡°Milady!¡± Behind us, rushing through the path we walked on, one of the servants called out urgently. ¡°The Young Master has arrived!¡± ¡°Oh! Leon, I¡¯ll be right back. Stay here, okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leon didn¡¯t answer. I tried to wait, but I couldn¡¯t stay longer because of Dalton¡¯s arrival. ¡°Take Leon to the cabin. I¡¯m going to meet Dalton.¡± ¡°Yes, Milady.¡± I ran down the path, but in the middle, I looked back to see Leon on his way to the cabin. I hope he¡¯ll do well without any problems. As I rushed to the castle, I could still see the carriage in front and the people around it. I went there immediately, trying to fix my clothes on the way and pretending I wasn¡¯t in any hurry. But there was no way to hide my heavy breathing from running. ¡°Brother.¡± Dalton looked back at me inquisitively. The navy blue coat he was wearing was a similar shade to his hair, and he looked good. He was calm, as if he had walked out of an oil painting. This impression could stem from the fact that there were very little changes in his facial expressions, and he didn¡¯t make any unnecessary movements. Some would say that he had an air of mystery around him, but to me right now, he was just a guy who seemed to lack the emotional capacity for empathy. I didn¡¯t notice until I looked down that he was holding a thin, beautifully crafted longsword in his left hand. He didn¡¯t seem like the type, but I guess he¡¯s a swordsman? Of course, there was one ending where Dalton died after he got his neck sliced, but the fact that he knew how to wield a sword wasn¡¯t mentioned in the game. He approached me wordlessly and reached out without raising the sword. Then, I was stunned when he leaned down. I knew that he wouldn¡¯t, but at the back of my mind, I suddenly thought that he was going to beat me up. Was it because I lost faith in him a long time ago that I easily believed this thought? I felt a little embarrassed, and it seemed like Dalton was as well. ¡°There are leaves on your hair, so I thought I should take them off.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± ¡°Tess, your dress¡­¡± I looked like a mess next to Dalton. My hair was tangled by the branches and my dress was torn in places. My breathing was still heavy, and my face was likely flushed red because I hadn¡¯t calmed down from running earlier. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just went for a walk a while ago.¡± Dalton¡¯s eyes scanned my dress again. ¡°Please show my brother to his room.¡± ¡°Yes. Young Master, this way please.¡± Donna and I exchanged glances as Dalton was led away to the still unorganized guest room. No matter how quietly Leon lived, it was impossible to erase the traces of a person¡¯s presence who¡¯d been living there until just a few minutes ago. Ah, why couldn¡¯t this guy just stay far away and never visit? ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guiding me to the west wing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Dalton¡¯s question, the atmosphere froze for a moment. The guest room at the west wing was the room where Leon had been staying. If Dalton was asking like this, then perhaps that¡¯s the room he had always used whenever he stayed here at the castle. As all the servants and I were trying to come up with a good enough excuse, Donna came up with something. ¡°The west wing¡¯s guest room is not suitable for the Young Master¡¯s stay at the moment. It hasn¡¯t been long since its renovation started.¡± ¡°It seems like this von Cador estate is not being managed properly.¡± The servants lowered their heads, clearly dismayed by what he said. I felt sorry for the servants in the Dark Castle because they were all working hard, so before I knew it, I spewed out an excuse that didn¡¯t really make any sense. ¡°Because that room is close to the room where I usually reside, and because of the noise, I told them that the east wing¡¯s guest room might be better for you.¡± He looked like the kind of guy who was sensitive to sounds and liked quiet places, and he didn¡¯t like Tess much anyway, so I decided that it might be better to lessen our encounters and the uncomfortable situations that would stem from those. With my answer, the mood became more and more sullen, yet no one opened their mouths to refute me. After a long silence, Dalton finally spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And so his curt tone allowed everyone around him to move after having been frozen. Eventually, Dalton arrived at the eastern wing¡¯s guest room instead of the western wing¡¯s guest room where Leon had stayed. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 I had been with Dalton for only a short time, but I was already exhausted. And I thought I was the only one, but it seemed like the servants were tired as well. Shocked by my messy appearance, Donna quickly turned me back into a proper human being again. Donna seemed to have dealt with Dalton while I was away, maybe that¡¯s why she especially looked more tired than the rest. When I asked what happened, Donna listed down all of Dalton¡¯s strange activities while he was waiting. He stayed in front of the castle for a long time and asked about the weather, and it didn¡¯t seem like he was interested in unloading his carriage. Donna said it was like he was looking for something. Maybe he was looking for any trace of Leon. Going by the gossip alone, which I¡¯m sure had spread out of control already, it would have reached Dalton¡¯s ear already. He might be waiting to get me arrested or confined, call the quack doctor, then they¡¯d tell me again that it¡¯s my fault for the treatment not going well¡­! I might be being too hasty with thinking this, but I really don¡¯t know what to expect from Dalton¡¯s facial expressions. Just the fact that I had to go to the charity party with him was horrible enough because I had to approach Redcliffe at the party. There was more than one thing for me to do, and now I even had to be mindful of Dalton¡¯s sharp surveillance. Next to me, Donna was brushing my hair, and I asked her, ¡°Is Dalton still practicing swordsmanship these days? My tactic nowadays was to absorb as much information as I could by answering vague questions like this. The question could be interpreted in two ways: first, that I was being sarcastic and I was accusing him of not practicing for a while, or second, asking if there was still a nobleman like him who practiced their swordsmanship on a daily basis. Donna sometimes answered my questions the way I wanted, so the results of my new tactic were pretty good. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure if the Young Master is preparing for an examination¡­ But I heard that he¡¯ll need to practice even though there¡¯s no test to take.¡± His specs were better than I thought. He¡¯s older than Tess was, but he¡¯s still younger than the rest, so did he really need to go above them? I thought that Lena¡¯s older brother might have been given more buffs. Well, if he wasn¡¯t the main character, then who was it? He was the kingdom¡¯s best swordsman, a psychopath, and he was the man who¡¯ll eventually go against the villain. I honestly don¡¯t know what to think of him. ¡°From that day on¡­ the Young Master never stopped practicing.¡± ¡°That day¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the day the Madam passed away.¡± Huh? Did she mean the von Cador Madam? The angel-like biological mother of Lena who adopted Tess after she saw her on the streets? No details of how she died came up in the game. It was just mentioned that she was murdered by an unidentified person. She wasn¡¯t a significant character in the narrative in the first place. Donna stopped talking, startled by her own words as she was lost in thought. ¡°I apologize, Milady. It was a slip of the tongue.¡± She stopped brushing my hair and politely bowed down. It looked like she wasn¡¯t going to move until I told her to, so I spoke. ¡°What are you doing, Donna? Get up.¡± Rather, it was me who got embarrassed, so I quickly pulled Donna up. She was acting as though she had uttered a taboo. Was it a terrible thing for Tess that the von Cador Madam was murdered? There was no such detail in the game¡­ After bowing, Donna still looked at me with remorse. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll give me a straight answer even if I asked, so I¡¯ll have to find out about this later. It might be a good opportunity to learn more about Tess. The time had come for what I¡¯d been dreading. I need to eat dinner with Dalton. It¡¯s the second meal I was going to have with him. The first one was completely ruined, and it was only because of the red-haired John. That meal ended horribly. Even if I saw a ghost, I should never let other people know. Dalton might send me to that quack again. I hadn¡¯t encountered a lot of ghosts yet, but I managed to figure out some of their characteristics after reading about them in Tess¡¯ diary. At first glance, they looked exactly the same as people, but if you look at them closely, the differences would become obvious. Their movements were too little, they repeated certain actions, and they did anything that was opposite to humans. For example, there was one ghost that Tess wrote about in her diary. He was eating with a fork and knife, but he was holding them in the wrong hands, and he was pretending to eat while cutting something up on an empty plate. There was also one time she saw a ghost that was supposedly dancing a spinning waltz, but all she could see of that ghost was his back. She also saw this one ghost that was clapping with the back of his hands. Perhaps it was hard to tell unless it was a very obvious, creepy difference. According to the diary, a ghost could be seen in the mansion through an illusory day, but she¡¯s never seen them at the Dark Castle except when the Crimson Moon rose. Perhaps this was the effect of the technique? I could see now why Tess was obsessed with this Dark Castle. ¡°How was Marvin?¡± Dalton suddenly initiated a conversation, as if rebuking me for not paying attention to the meal. Marvin was the dresser who came to the mansion and saw Leon. Did he hear something from? I had no idea if this was about Leon¡­ ¡°Yes. Did Brother leave Marvin in charge of the clothes for the charity party?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen her for a long time because I¡¯ve been busy.¡± Well, finally, some good news. That meant Marvin hadn¡¯t told him any unnecessary things. ¡°But I heard that you don¡¯t like the dress that you¡¯ll be wearing.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­¡± Because it was a bubbly outfit that didn¡¯t match Tess¡¯ image at all. I wondered if it was him who recommended this dress just to bother me, but it turned out that pastel-toned frilly dresses were actually the trend these days. Before that, I thought about wearing another dress because I didn¡¯t want to stand out, but if this was something I could use to gain Redcliffe¡¯s favor, then by all means, let me wear that dress, ¡°Father won¡¯t be upset if you wear something you like instead. I sent you the dressmaker so that you can pick what you like in the first place.¡± I was almost fooled by that friendly way of speaking again despite his cold demeanor. Sending a dressmaker to make me feel better was proof enough that he didn¡¯t know Tess¡¯ tastes at all. It would be better to just send a huge block of salt to make Tess feel better. It could either be used for cooking, but it could also be used to chase away ghosts. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t like it at first, but after looking at it more, I realized that it¡¯s pretty. I¡¯m going to wear that dress.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± After we ate dinner without any incidents, it was decided that we¡¯d ride the same carriage tomorrow. I¡¯m already tired just thinking of sitting in the same enclosed space as him. I looked up at the dark sky. There, the light red moon was hanging. ¡°There¡¯s a red moon, Milady. It¡¯s already been this long.¡± Somehow, it felt strange when Donna mentioned it because she didn¡¯t mean it to be related to me or the passage of time I¡¯d come here. For me, the night the Crimson Moon rose was the same night I¡¯d have to risk my life. Once the moon was full, I would have to proceed with the ceremony. But before that, I had to meet Redcliffe as soon as possible. The next day, I called for the maids and commanded them with determination. It was like a commander making a resolution before her soldiers before invading the enemy bases. ¡°Today, I have to stand out more than any other young lady. Use all the abilities you have at your disposal.¡± My tone that carried the grave spirit of life and death stirred the maids. I bet Tess never made any such request before. While it¡¯s true that I used this method as something like shock therapy to them, it seemed to have a greater effect than I expected. Their eyes shone like the sharpened blades of a knight¡¯s exam taker who was sharpening the blades after it had rusted over a long period of time. Ah, I think I overcompensated with the shock therapy. ¡°Milady, I¡¯ve been waiting for this day ever since I stepped into this castle to serve the Young Lady of von Cador. When I was active, my nickname was ¡®Debutant Killer.¡¯ No one will have more beautiful hair than Milady. Please leave it to me.¡± While on active duty¡­ did she mean when Tess wasn¡¯t a recluse? Her ostentatious handiwork smoothed out my hair so expertly, so she might not have exaggerated. My hair, which hadn¡¯t been taken care of for so long, became silky in an instant. And unlike the usual hairstyle, she put my hair i nto curlers, like the ones I¡¯ve seen pictures of from ancient times, but somehow I got a bit scared. ¡°My makeup skills used to go beyond the realm of makeup artistry to the point of perfect disguise. Some people clamored for my techniques for a lot of money, but after I was scouted at the Dark Castle, I gave up my greed and cared for only you, Milady. I¡¯m confident.¡± You¡¯re saying you even got scouted? If we were in the world I lived in before, she would have made a lot of money, so somehow I felt like it was a waste. I thought she would put on heavy makeup on me since she mentioned ¡®disguise¡¯, but she was putting on a natural look instead. The maid, who was being so careful to apply each product to come up with a seemingly bare-faced look, generously showed me the secret to her techniques. ¡°Milady, I struck a deal with the butler.¡± As expected of Donna. With a determined face, she brought out a small box. ¡°This¡­ This is¡­!¡± Our Debutant Killer maid recognized the small box and gasped. There was a small glass bottle inside the small box, but it seemed pretty simple. ¡°It¡¯s probably not being sold anymore, but¡­¡± ¡°A lot of money was paid for this.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you won against that cheapskate butler!¡± It didn¡¯t look like an expensive perfume, so I was confused why the maids were buzzing around in delight. How much was it? And I never heard about the butler being stingy with money¡­ ¡°Did you have to go through a lot to get it?¡± The innocent-looking maid asked secretly. What¡­ it¡¯s not like they¡¯re dealing with an illegal substance, right? ¡°It¡¯s a perfume called Potion of Love, right? Does it really work?¡± ¡°I know of it by another name! It¡¯s called Pheromone Essence.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s absolutely perfect. Especially to women who are expecting proposals.¡± Now the maids were more excited about the perfume instead of me. Of course, I wasn¡¯t even interested in it, anything would work fine. It¡¯s not too important. But a few hours later¡­ I regret not taking it seriously. It wasn¡¯t me who had done all the work, it was the servants, but I still felt so drained. They do look a lot more tired than me, but they still had that sparkle of determination in them. And so, I stumbled out of the room smelling of that perfume. I walked slowly thanks to the shoes I was wearing, so as I went down the stairs, I had to be supported by my maids on both sides. I was so distracted that I didn¡¯t notice it, but as I descended the steps, Dalton was staring at me. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Dalton was still wearing the same understated navy blue design, but it looked great on him. He had an atmosphere around him that attracted everyone¡¯s attention even if he didn¡¯t dress himself ostentatiously, so people would naturally gather around him like bees. But the difference today was that Dalton¡¯s eyes looked very much alive compared to when he would usually just look bored out of his mind. He faced me and didn¡¯t say anything, which I thought was strange. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the carriage.¡± Seeming to have come to his senses, he held out his arm to escort me there. I couldn¡¯t refuse because I was in a daze. Why was he acting like this when we hadn¡¯t even arrived at the party yet? ¡°It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a while since I went to a party.¡± ¡°I thought you were usually indifferent towards parties, but today¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Dalton averted his eyes from my inquisitive gaze. He just closed his mouth tightly like a clam and just avoided my eyes. I realized that it was useless to expect him to continue speaking as he kept silent like nothing was wrong with that. Maybe he was trying to compliment me? Ah, but I won¡¯t fall for that again. His acting skills were getting better. One might think that he was a pure young gentleman who couldn¡¯t say anything or maintain eye contact because he was feeling shy, but it was ridiculous to think like that for a man who had such a cold, striking atmosphere around him. He was avoiding my eyes, but his facial expression remained the same. Somehow, my mood soured because I remembered the sharp look from Dalton at dinner. The arm I was holding suddenly felt unbearable to touch. He would be by my side for the duration of the party, but his presence felt like a ball and chain to me. Reading my mood, Dalton didn¡¯t say anything either and only wordlessly helped me up the carriage. We traveled for quite a while in such an uncomfortable silence. Unconsciously, I let out a sigh of relief when an escort knight said that we would arrive soon. I looked at Dalton, my eyes saying ¡®You heard that, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ but he just continued to look out the window with a lethargic look. He was reticent once again. ¡®What the hell is he thinking about?¡¯ I was curious about Dalton himself because there wasn¡¯t a single line about him in Tess¡¯ diary. Of course, my goal at today¡¯s party was Redcliffe, but I¡¯d also try to see what kind of position Dalton held in society when I could. Would he show signs of being a psychopath while wearing a normal man¡¯s mask just as he did in front of me, or¡­ ¡°Tess.¡± Dalton had gotten off the carriage first and reached out to me, quietly waiting for me to come down. We entered the party arm in arm. The grand hall was already full of people. Everyone was wearing light tones for the coming spring. Fortunately, the trend was more widespread than she thought. Many formalities were skipped in this party, perhaps because its nature was for charity, so there was a free atmosphere where people could enjoy themselves more. As soon as I entered the party with Dalton by my side, everyone¡¯s eyes turned to me. Inside the hall where the people were abuzz, it seemed as though some of them looked at me with envy. Apart from that, the flowers that filled the hall with all those colors made me a little dizzy. No, I can¡¯t be like this. I need to stay alert and get close to Redcliffe. But Dalton¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s planning on leaving my side. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t those people look like they want to talk to you? Don¡¯t mind me and just come back to my side later.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to go to them.¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± Me! I¡¯m uncomfortable! I haven¡¯t even seen a tuft of Redcliffe¡¯s reddish-brown hair yet. I think people have stopped paying attention to me, but I wanted Dalton to leave me alone at least. Didn¡¯t Tess have a close aristocratic mindset? There was not a single mention of having a friend in her diary. Now that I looked at it, there weren¡¯t any ladies coming up to greet me. Well, even if they had, I didn¡¯t have enough information to have conversations with them, so it wouldn¡¯t be easy keeping up. Rather, it might be more convenient to make new friends. ¡°Miss Tess, Miss Tess!¡± Unexpectedly, a small young lady came up to talk to me. She was a skinny little girl in a bright yellow dress. ¡°You didn¡¯t forget, did you? I¡¯m Soph. It¡¯s been a while since we met. And oh! I greet sir Dalton of the von Cador family. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Dalton seemed as equally surprised as I was that I had a friend. He finally stepped away when I gestured that I would continue talking with the girl named Soph. He went towards the group I pointed out to him earlier, but he kept looking back towards me as though he was worried that I¡¯d disappear. Well, of course he¡¯d be worried that I¡¯d draw attention to myself by acting strange. ¡°When was the last time we met?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already been half a year¡­ By the way, you¡¯ve changed so much that I couldn¡¯t recognize you at first. Especially today¡­¡± Soph was short in stature and skinny beyond belief, but she seemed to be paying attention to me closely. Her eyes had the same look in them as the others who scrutinized me when I first entered the hall. ¡°You look beautiful.¡± Somehow, Soph¡¯s behavior didn¡¯t seem to me like she and Tess were friends. What the hell was their relationship? ¡°Tess, there¡¯s a lot of fun going on. Why don¡¯t you come and talk to me for a while? There are so many people here.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Once she heard my answer, Soph took the lead while asking me if I was feeling fine. She led me across the huge hall and found a place where it was somehow quiet but not too isolated. In this place where they wouldn¡¯t attract people¡¯s attention, Soph spoke to me. ¡°I¡¯ve been so lonely without Miss Tess these days. Why weren¡¯t you attending parties?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t enjoy them much.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this the best place to get good information?¡± ¡°So did you get a lot of good information?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m getting them now.¡± It was somehow difficult to smile. She handed me a glass of champagne and asked me to have a toast with her. I didn¡¯t want it to touch my lips as much as possible. If Tess had a weak constitution against alcohol, then it would hinder her plans for the night. After taking the glass, I put it onto my lips and took a very light sip. Soph didn¡¯t care about anything and gulped the whole glass in one go. Was that alright? Well, for now, I didn¡¯t have any information on her, so I had to get to know this kid. Please take the bait. ¡°Do you remember the most interesting topic we talked about last time?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t the most popular man in the kingdom?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, that¡¯s¡­ I don¡¯t know who¡¯s who these days.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same person who¡¯s always on the top as usual? You know that.¡± ¡°Ahaha, is that so? But what¡¯s the fun thing to do these days? I¡¯m curious about things that people do for enjoyment.¡± ¡°Oh, that? Is it about the slave market again? Tess, are you interested?¡± Cough, cough! ¡°¡­Um, not that. But are you saying that this is what people do for enjoyment?¡± As I talked to Soph, I felt like my life expectancy got shortened by one year. Tess¡¯ favorite conversation topic was the most popular guy in the kingdom? I didn¡¯t think she would be interested in such things¡­ But what was fun about the slave market? Did Tess really share secret information with this young noble lady? Ah, I really don¡¯t know anything about Tess. Soph smiled more, whether she was already drunk or if she thought of something funny. Or was she making fun of me? How polite of her to restrain herself this way then. It¡¯s true that I might learn something about Tess while talking to Soph, which would help me with doing the technique at the Crescent Moon. But instead of helping, my impression of Tess was just getting more and more chaotic. ¡°Ohoho, so Miss Tess¡­ are you fishing for a decent guy today as well? You¡¯ve always done that, haven¡¯t you?¡± Haa¡­ Fishing for a decent guy¡­ Maybe Soph had mistaken Tess for someone else. Or perhaps there was a big misunderstanding. The topic of this conversation was getting out of hand, so I¡¯m going to stop talking to her. And it occurred to me as well that I needed to focus on finding Redcliffe. ¡°It¡¯s not like that today. I need to find a guy named Redcliffe.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. So he¡¯s the one you¡¯re aiming for today? Aren¡¯t you making more friends?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll need to be on my way now.¡± I tried to get away from her quickly because I might leak the wrong information to her. The way back to the banquet hall wasn¡¯t complicated so I was going to go back by myself, but Soph stopped me. ¡°Miss Tess, can I give you a piece of advice?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any close friends except me, so you¡¯d better ignore them if they talk to you. Ohoho.¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± ¡°And about the most popular man in the kingdom¡­ People have different opinions, so don¡¯t be too sure about it. Pfft.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± I practically ran away from the spot. It was so unpleasant to be with her. At first, I couldn¡¯t feel any hostility from her, but that might have been an act. There¡¯s no way to explain this unpleasantness if it wasn¡¯t that. She said that there was only one guy who could be the most popular man in the kingdom, but now she was saying that there were differing opinions. She wasn¡¯t being consistent at all. I didn¡¯t know which one was the truth and which one was a lie, so that kid might just be making fun of me. I shouldn¡¯t be swept away by her. I rushed through the hallway at a quick pace, but I hadn¡¯t seen a single person since earlier. And perhaps it was because my clothes were thin, but it felt a bit cold. Maybe I got lost? I couldn¡¯t believe I got lost within minutes after I was so sure of myself that I¡¯d return to the banquet hall easily. The thought of not being able to meet Redcliffe made me panic. Then, in front of a pillar in the hallway, there was a man holding a champagne glass. I approached him because I hadn¡¯t seen a person in a while. I opened my mouth to ask for directions back to the hall. ¡°Excuse me, um, apologies. I¡¯m on my way back to the grand hall, but¡­¡± He held his champagne glass up to his lips and his neck twisted at a strange angle that wasn¡¯t possible for someone alive. With the glass upside down over his throat, there was a sense of incongruity that seemed to separate the man from this space, and a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu swept through me as I thought of the red-haired John. The gentleman looking out the window slowly turned his head towards me. Ghosts copied what humans did, but everything they did was the opposite. Right now, that man was trying to lift that champagne glass upside down to moisten his throat. I froze in place, not being able to breathe. I continued walking down the hall, but I didn¡¯t come across any other person at all. Maybe I really went the wrong way. Come to think of it, the only place where Tess didn¡¯t see ghosts was at the Dark Castle, except for when the Crimson Moon rose. So this place¡­ ¡°Miss?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Heuk¡­¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± I took a deep breath at the sudden appearance of someone blocking my way. I couldn¡¯t see his face because his wide chest covered my view. I looked up to see who it was¡ªand it was a tall, good-looking man who stared worriedly at me. It was a man with reddish-brown hair. I¡¯d seen this man before, but in a portrait and not in person. It was Redcliffe himself, who I had targeted from the beginning. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°I apologize if I come across as rude, but you look a bit faint, Lady. Are you having any troubles?¡± Redcliffe checked my condition, expressing his worries as he saw me being light-headed. I felt my stiffened body loosen up as the tension within me was released, and I patted away the cold sweat on my forehead. When I looked back to where the gentleman was earlier, he was already gone from that spot, all without a trace. It wasn¡¯t the most ideal first meeting, but the most important thing was that I finally managed to meet Redcliffe. I cleared my mind and focused on the task at hand: not letting him leave right away. ¡°Huu¡­ I¡¯m feeling a bit dizzy. If you don¡¯t mind, can you help me?¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll take you to a place where you can rest, Lady.¡± With a cautious touch, Redcliffe helped me. Compared to the portrait where he had a striking appearance, he had a softer impression in person. His long hair partially covered his face and his clothes were a little old-fashioned, and because of this, his good looks were barely noticeable if you don¡¯t take a closer look. Redcliffe guided me to a couch inside a designated break room for guests. Mentally exhausted, I was genuinely relieved to lean back on the couch comfortably. I was still a little out of it, but I quickly remembered that Redcliffe was still by my side. ¡®I can¡¯t let him leave like this! I need to get ahold of myself!¡¯ I looked up and saw that Redcliffe was still here. Inside the room, it was only the two of us, so it was a good chance to talk to him. I had already researched Redcliffe¡¯s ideal type, so I recalled it carefully and spoke just as I rehearsed. ¡°Thank you very much for your help. Can you tell me your name? I would really like to repay your kindness.¡± ¡°No, I just did what I had to do. My name is Redcliffe Andersen. What is the name of the Lady who is as beautiful as a flower?¡± Hearing his favorable response, I thought that it really was a good idea to buy that information in advance. And the notes about his ideal type had already been burned in my mind. The first thing I did was to close my eyes as I smiled brightly, then I greeted him. ¡°I am Tess von Cador, Lord Redcliffe.¡± ¡°Lady Tess¡­¡± I could feel him wavering because of the smile. I immediately lowered my eyes shyly and decided to speak softly. It was important to act like a dainty heroine in an opera. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here until the Lady is feeling better. If you need anything, please tell me.¡± ¡°Will you really hear my request?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d be happy to.¡± The room seemed to get a little brighter because of Redcliffe¡¯s smile. Did more lights get turned on? ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you, Lady Tess, even though I¡¯ve attended a lot of banquets. Don¡¯t you normally come to these gatherings?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m actually a little uncomfortable with crowded places. I just like being alone at my quiet estate.¡± I upped the delicate and demure image as much as I could, and I especially emphasized my preference for being alone. Our tastes should be similar, according to note number three. ¡°How did someone who likes quiet places end up at a party like this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m interested in.¡± Redcliffe didn¡¯t particularly come to this party for the sake of the gathering. Other people here were interested in the auction later, and Redcliffe was interested in some items as well. I decided to actively comment on the item he wanted, according to the information I know about him. ¡°I like rare things.¡± ¡°The Lady and I are the same.¡± ¡°Then, what items have piqued your interest in this charity party, Lord Redcliffe?¡± This charity party will also feature a very bizarre item¡ªa red diamond that hadn¡¯t been seen for decades. There was a pamphlet describing the items to be auctioned along with the invitation to the party. However, I also found more information about the red diamond by requesting it at the Midnight Guild in advance, and it¡¯s said that the red diamond had a mysterious crimson sheen that shone even more if blood was shed over it. The red diamond¡¯s original owner was a queen from a small kingdom that had already fallen. The queen, who loved beautiful things, ordered an alchemist with magical powers to make the most beautiful and rare thing in the world. The alchemist gave the queen a plain, ordinary diamond. Curious about it, she asked the alchemist what was so special about the diamond, but the alchemist said something ominous, then he disappeared. ¡¯The diamond is a living creature. The preciousness of this diamond will depend on what kind of food you feed it.¡¯ The queen really liked the diamond that the alchemist gave her, then she began to wonder what kind of food would suit it. Rumors about the queen and the diamond flew across the country and snowballed out of control as people speculated about her treasure. But the queen never had the chance to feed it. The royal family, which enjoyed endless pleasure and luxury, was eventually overthrown by a rebellion. The queen, carrying the diamond with her until the very end, died with it in her hands as her throat was slitted. When the blood from the queen¡¯s throat seeped into the diamond, it became an object that fed on human blood. The redness of the diamond was due to all the blood it had consumed. And according to the rumors about the diamond, anyone who became its master would eventually die an early death. Perhaps Redcliffe would covet the red diamond. From the information about him given by the guild, he was the type to be curious about strange things like it. ¡°What I¡¯m interested in is¡­¡± With bated breath, I waited for Redcliffe to finish the sentence, but I was careful not to be so obvious about it. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a diamond that gleans a mysterious light.¡± As expected! If Redcliffe would buy the diamond, I¡¯d have another excuse to approach him while saying I¡¯m also curious about the item. If I¡¯m lucky enough to get invited to his estate, it¡¯ll be easier to talk to him more discreetly. However, Redcliffe¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t all that bright. He continued speaking with a hint of hesitation. ¡°But¡­ Maybe I won¡¯t be able to buy the diamond.¡± ¡°How come¡± ¡°I heard that Lord Wilhelm is interested in it as well. I don¡¯t have the confidence that I could outbid him.¡± Redcliffe smiled thinly after saying this. I didn¡¯t know that someone other than Redcliffe would like such a horrible object. I don¡¯t really want to do this, but¡­ I must somehow continue my connection with him. If he wasn¡¯t confident about taking the diamond, then¡­ ¡°I¡¯m interested in the diamond, too.¡± ¡°You are, Lady Tess?¡± ¡°Yes, because like Lord Redcliffe, I also like mysterious items.¡± It was time for the auction to start, so Redcliffe and I headed back to the great hall. The crowd went abuzz when they saw me enter with him. Of course, the fact that the young lady of the von Cador Duchy was with a lowly Baron was enough to stir their interest. Redcliffe might have not been aware of the rumors circulating around Tess before he entered high society. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Are you alright?¡± I bumped into a woman who was in a pink dress. When we collided, the woman dropped what she was holding in her hand, so I tried to pick it up right away. It was a coin-sized pendant that had a strange pattern engraved on it. But it was strange. The woman looked a bit blue with anxiety, and this bothered me. Somehow, there was a sense of incompatibility in the air again, just like with the gentleman I encountered earlier in the hallway. I was wondering if the woman was a ghost, so I looked at what other people around me were looking at, since they¡¯d only be able to see fellow people, but it seemed like they could see her. ¡°Tess, where have you been?¡± But then someone approached me in a hurry¡ªit was Dalton. Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen him ever since I had been led away by Soph. I told him to go and just talk to his friends, but why was he looking for me again¡­? ¡°Hello, Lord Dalton of the von Cador household. My name is Redcliffe.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The air around Dalton noticeably became sharper, making goosebumps rise up my spine. I looked at Dalton with a questioning gaze because of his obvious hostility, but Redcliffe might not have noticed it. ¡°I told you not to follow suspicious people.¡± Huh? He did? Dalton looked at me as though I was a lost child, then stepped in between me and Redcliffe. Even with the suspicion suddenly thrown on him, Redcliffe didn¡¯t seem to be upset by it, seeing as he only smiled bashfully. Well, I wanted to talk more with Redcliffe while the auction went on, but with Dalton here, that was no longer possible. ¡°Let¡¯s go that way.¡± Dalton began to drag me away, so I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye to Redcliffe properly. I turned to him slightly and gave him a nod. If I could get my hands on that diamond, then there¡¯d still be a chance to talk to him later. Redcliffe also responded by returning her gaze. I hope I made a good enough impression on him. When I walked forward, people moved out of the way. Was Tess really someone to be so terrified about? Anyway, in order to participate in the auction, servants handed out small panels with numbers on them. The one handed to me was number 104. ¡°I found the young lady who was with you earlier, but she didn¡¯t return with you. Where did you go?¡± ¡°I felt a little tired for a while, so I went somewhere to rest.¡± ¡°Are you not feeling well? Should we go back to the castle now?¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± That¡¯s ridiculous. I needed to participate in this auction, but you¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll send me back home¡­ ¡°But you hate crowded places.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one item I¡¯d like to have.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± At that time, Lord Milend¡¯s voice reverberated around the hall as he made an announcement. ¡°As we start the auction, I would like to thank you all for coming to this charity party. This auction is for the benefit of the children from the slums, so we look forward to your active participation.¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°The first item.¡± It was a painting wrapped in white cloth. As the cloth was lifted, several people gasped in awe. It might be a famous painting or something, but of course, this wasn¡¯t my target. ¡°How do you know that person? He¡¯s not someone you¡¯ve associated with before.¡± ¡°He helped me earlier. It¡¯s my first time meeting him today.¡± The auction proceeded smoothly, and the painting was acquired at a reasonable price, then the next item was introduced. ¡°What happened that you needed his help?¡± ¡°I felt dizzy for a moment¡­¡± ¡°I knew it¡ªyou¡¯re not feeling well. You should head back. I¡¯ll get what you need for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright now.¡± I knew that it would be better if Redcliffe saw me win the bid myself rather than for Dalton to do it. I made some calculations in my mind¡­ I hope my funds won¡¯t fall short¡­ ¡°The next item.¡± ¡°Tess, you don¡¯t look well. We should really head back.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯d like to see the rest of the auction.¡± Obviously, just as Dalton said, I wasn¡¯t feeling well. The presence of the third ghost hit me much harder than I expected. Considering the gentleman looking back at me, trying to make eye contact¡­ ¡°You look like you¡¯re about to faint.¡± ¡°Here is the next item.¡± At last, the red diamond came up, and people became enthralled. There seemed to be more people than I thought who were interested in it because of the rumors surrounding it. ¡°The starting bid is 1000 gold.¡± A well-kempt middle-aged man offered the first bid. The crowd was abuzz with hushed commotion¡ªit must be a high amount. But I can¡¯t lose. ¡°3,500 gold. The new bid is 3,500 gold.¡± I raised my panel, then the host pointed to me as I gestured for this amount. Every time a panel was lifted, the bid would rise in 500 gold increments. So far, I¡¯m still pretty relaxed, but when I began to participate in the bid, everyone around me stirred in excitement. The auction¡¯s progression was quick. The next amount was called. ¡°4000 gold.¡± The one who raised to 4000 was Lord Wilhelm. He held up his panel as if to see if I had any intentions of giving up the bid. ¡°4000 gold is the current bid. Going once¡ªor is there anyone who would like to raise it to 4500 gold?¡± But I didn¡¯t give up. Instead, I raised my panel. The host pointed at me and said, ¡°4,500 gold is the current bid. Would anyone like to raise this¡ª5,000 gold. 5,000 from number 315.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to be thinking of backing down either. The bid went higher and higher because of numbers 315 and 104. Right now, the bid had already risen by thousands. ¡°8,000 gold. Would anyone like to bid 9,000 gold?¡± Excited by the unprecedented and unexpected turn of events, the host¡¯s voice went higher and he talked faster every time the bid rose. Spectators were now more interested in the two people who had no intention of losing, rather than the item itself. They were wondering just how far we¡¯d go. Now, the bid went up by 5,000 gold increments. ¡°20,000 gold. Number 315, would you like to bid 20,000 gold?¡± I thought he¡¯d let up soon, but 315 really seemed to have no intentions of losing this bid. What was that about? 315¡ªthe man named Wilhelm took a glance at me, but it was more of a cautious look than a greedy desire for the red diamond. Was he doing this because he was at odds with the von Cadors? But those personal feelings were getting in my way! ¡°35,000 gold. Number 104, would you like to proceed with 40,000 gold?¡± This was the end. The money I can use was only approximately 40,000 gold. It¡¯s a close call and I know I was overdoing it, but I shot a smile at 315 and held my panel up high. ¡°Number 315 has bid 45,000 gold. Number 104, would you like to proceed with 50,000 gold?¡± Ah, it¡¯s my loss. I had no more money for it. When I hesitated to raise my panel, the host urged me again. ¡°Number 104, the next bid is 50,000 gold. Would you like to stop here? Won¡¯t you regret it?¡± I looked over to 315 and saw that he was smiling with a gloating expression. He must be very proud about winning against a young lady. Good for him, I guess. ¡°The winning bid goes to number 315 at 45,000 gold. Congratulations!¡± Tak! After the sound of a gavel striking the wooden board, applause filled the great hall. The spectators clapped for 315, who finally won the tight bid that never seemed to end. Everyone looked happy¡ªexcept for me. In the end, I was robbed of the red diamond. I lost all the energy in my body, and all at once, I felt a sudden sense of fatigue. Right now, instead of the diamond, all I wanted was to go back to the castle. ¡°Tess, let¡¯s go back now.¡± Dalton looked down at me with a worried expression and helped me out the hall. ¡­A worried expression? Well, I couldn¡¯t get the diamond after all that, but Dalton probably had more money than I did. If he was so worried, why didn¡¯t he bid on it for me? Even when the bidding went higher than people thought, Dalton didn¡¯t even pick up his own panel. His actions were so contradictory, pretending that he was concerned for me but at the same time he held on tight over his own bank account. It looked a bit hypocritical¡­ ¡°Alright.¡± I replied coldly, even as I was in turmoil. I needed to find a new way to approach Redcliffe now. We were at least acquainted with each other, so I could perhaps meet with him again by attending another event where there was even the slightest possibility that he¡¯d come. Another day was wasted. There¡¯s only a little more than a week before the Crimson Moon would rise¡­ ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± People applauded again and cheered for the next item that seemed to have been sold at a good price. Looking furtively to the side, I saw that the winning bidder was the woman who I bumped into earlier, the one who had a bad complexion. The object she won was a strange looking mask. There was a younger girl by the woman¡¯s side who looked worriedly at her, but if she was so worried, why didn¡¯t she just talk to the woman? With my gaze still lingering on the ongoing auction, Dalton steered me out of the hall. I staggered as though I was a soldier who lost a battle. I couldn¡¯t wait to go back to the castle and rest. Dalton kept fussing over me, asking me about my condition. Well, I guess that¡¯s all there was to his concern. I could feel Dalton¡¯s gaze on me as I looked even more fatigued. When his eyes turned away from me, I looked at him, but it seemed like he was thinking of something else. ¡°Go back quickly.¡± Dalton said this to the horseman, then reached out to help me get into the carriage. I had no idea what Dalton¡¯s expression just now meant. He didn¡¯t seem to be the kind of man who would put up pretenses just to seem like a good person to other people, but I still didn¡¯t think he truly cared for me¡ªfor Tess. What¡¯s scarier than hostility was indifference. Dalton¡¯s attitude towards me seemed friendly at first, but at the core of it all, I could feel his indifference. Knowing what kind of treatment Tess was being subjected to by that quack doctor, not looking for me after I disappeared earlier from the great hall¡­ I wasn¡¯t even far from the banquet hall in the first place. I had been perfectly in a place where I¡¯d be easily found if he wanted to find me. ¡°Tess, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± I realized that I dozed off a little in the carriage even as Dalton was sitting right across me. When I opened my eyes, I saw the Dark Castle out the window. When I first possessed Tess¡¯ body, the Dark Castle looked absolutely terrifying. But right now, it was completely different. The Dark Castle was my sanctuary now. I would never encounter spirits here¡ªall except for the night of the Crimson Moon. Having exhausted my stamina along with feeling the bitter taste of defeat, I slowly trudged towards the castle with tired steps. Dalton walked alongside me, matching my pace. Then, in front of the door, the maids looked at us with their hands clasped together. ¡°Milady.¡± The grim-faced maid corps welcomed me despite my defeat at the battlefield. I couldn¡¯t even raise my head in front of them. ¡°Why is Milady¡­¡± After seeing my downcast expression, they realized that I hadn¡¯t achieved my goal for the night. Then, the maids became as equally sullen as me. ¡°You guys did a good job.¡± ¡°Milady!¡± One might think that I truly came back from war. The maids were picturesque in their tearful gazes. Then, they also made a quiet declaration. ¡°We can try harder next time.¡± No, wait. It¡¯s not what you think. 3. Date Now that I was back in my bedroom, I changed out of my stuffy dress and turned to Donna. ¡°How close were Young Lady Soph and I?¡± ¡°Lady Soph?¡± Hmm, was this kind of prompting not working anymore? Now that I think about it, this kind of questioning made me think about the way Soph spoke. Damn, that charity party really was a series of defeats. ¡°What kind of person is she? I¡¯ve never heard you mention her before?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± So Tess didn¡¯t tell Donna about Soph. Well, she didn¡¯t have to report everything to her maid after all. If only she had a diary that recorded her days¡­ ¡°Did Milady make a new friend? That¡¯s really good. You haven¡¯t appeared in high society for a year. When did Milady have a chance to make friends?¡± But didn¡¯t Soph say it¡¯s only been half a year since she met me? ¡¯It¡¯s already been half a year¡­ By the way, you¡¯ve changed so much that I couldn¡¯t recognize you at first.¡¯ As I looked back, Soph¡¯s smile back then was more of a sneer. Ah, so she¡¯s that kind of person. I was curious about Lady Soph, but apart from that, I wanted to know what kind of person Lord Wilhelm was. And the blue-faced young lady I encountered at the party was also weighing on my mind. In that sense, I wanted to visit the Midnight Guild again, but I couldn¡¯t move freely. At this moment, Dalton was still staying at the eastern wing of the Dark Castle. When we ate a meal together, he didn¡¯t say much about why he was here, so his presence was highly suspicious. Maybe he¡¯s here to monitor me? I could see the Crimson Moon gradually becoming fuller in the dark night sky. The blood-red moon was surprisingly wondrous, but it gave off an ominous feeling. It was like a faithful countdown to my struggles. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Time passed without meaning, and I couldn¡¯t stand it. I really wanted to go to the Midnight Guild today to get new information because I hadn¡¯t heard from Redcliffe yet, so I was getting restless. I was forced to go to the eastern wing of the castle where Dalton¡¯s room was. I really didn¡¯t want to see him, but I was overcome with the urge to ask him just when he¡¯d be leaving. ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°Tess.¡± Dalton looked back at me with a cold expression on his face. Dressed in comfortable clothes, I found him reading a letter. But when I entered the room, he organized the documents and made a face. Seemed like that look of affection was gone now. Why didn¡¯t I notice that it was useless hanging onto a rotten rope as a lifeline? ¡°What were you reading?¡± ¡°Just some letters related to work.¡± And then there was silence once again. I had no idea which one was more accurate, if he truly didn¡¯t know how to talk to people, or if he just didn¡¯t want to talk to me in particular. ¡°You must be very busy.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you have to go out for work? I thought you might be staying here for too long¡­¡± Ah, was that too direct? But anyone who had eyes could see that he was uncomfortable staying here in the castle. But after hearing my words, Dalton made a dark expression. Did he catch on to what I was hinting at? Ah! Just what did I say. He had no change in expression no matter what I said, before, but why was he being like this now? ¡°Of course, I¡¯m also happy that you¡¯re here with me, Brother. Haha¡­¡± I quickly added this, laughing awkwardly. Then, Dalton¡¯s expression¡­ hardened and became suspicious. ¡°What do you usually do?¡± Dalton schooled his features and suddenly asked a question. Was he finally trying to open me up? The reason why he¡¯s staying here at the Dark Castle must really be to investigate me and see if I¡¯m doing anything strange. If I do something wrong again, I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be happy to send me over to that damn quack doctor right away. However, ever since Dalton started staying over at the castle, I hadn¡¯t acted suspiciously at all. I was being more careful than usual, doing the usual things that noble young ladies did. I purposely didn¡¯t even go to the Midnight Guild because of this. It was clear that Dalton, who couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious about me, was still doubting what he was seeing. ¡°I just read, embroider, or go on walks in my spare time.¡± It was a bland enumeration of hobbies that noble young ladies did. Dalton¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all when I answered, and somehow, it felt like he was aware of my lies. But what could I do? It¡¯s not like I could just go and tell him that I was preparing for the ritual I needed to do during the Crimson Moon. Feeling nervous after seeing his unimpressed reaction, I impulsively brought up another hobby. ¡°I also sometimes go downtown and spend time at a tea house.¡± I brought this up because I recalled a maid talking about this tea house not too long ago. It¡¯s popular amongst young women these days. Commoners could enter the establishment, but for some reason, the tea house was also gaining popularity with young aristocrats. Of course, I¡¯d never even step foot in that place. ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± If I¡¯d have gone, of course I¡¯d goalone. Tess didn¡¯t have any friends. I couldn¡¯t answer his question directly, but Dalton continued speaking without a change in his expression. It was an impassive tone, as though he was watering a motionless plant. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of stopping by downtown, so you can come with me.¡± ¡°O-oh, no, that¡¯s alright!¡± It was an offer that I could never take. Firstly, going to town with Dalton was something that didn¡¯t make sense. Secondly, going to a tea house with him was even more far-fetched. I was going to reject him firmly. With that in mind, I looked straight into his eyes, but then¡­ When I did, his cold, sharp gaze silently put pressure on me. I couldn¡¯t understand his intentions, but I had already made a mistake with my words earlier. I had no other choice but to tuck my tail between my legs here. Besides that, this just made me realize that I was still terrified of him. After averting my gaze, I begrudgingly accepted his offer to go downtown, bracing myself for what was to come. ¡¤ It was at a small town near the Dark Castle. The people there were mostly travelers, so the population was small, but the town itself was complete with everything. Even the Midnight Guild was in that town. The last time I visited the guild was in the evening. Perhaps that¡¯s why it was interesting to see how lively the village was during the day. The scenery was just like the Middle Ages, so it was also fun to see what kind of wares the travelers brought from all over the world to sell here. I was walking around with Dalton and an attendant that he brought with us. Not wanting to get caught staring at him, I lowered my gaze when he turned around. Dalton handed over an item to the servant, giving meticulous instructions that might be related to some errand in town, but I couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. ¡°Where is the teahouse you mentioned?¡± ¡°Oh! The teahouse?¡± Donna winked and made a subtle gesture to tell me which direction the teahouse was in. Despite my dire situation, it looked like she was having fun. ¡°It¡¯s this way, ahaha.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Here, I thought that Dalton would go ahead and attend to his business, but he started following me. With an onslaught of dread, I could feel cold sweat running down my back as I tried to deny reality. No, it couldn¡¯t be that Dalton was coming with me to the tea house. You¡¯ll just walk me there because we¡¯re going in the same direction, right? I glanced at Dalton, hoping that my silent question would reach him, but as we walked together, he had a grouchy expression. If he was following me with that kind of face, wouldn¡¯t it just be better if we just went our separate ways? It¡¯s not like any of us would enjoy this experience. Donna said she would be waiting outside, perhaps thinking that she¡¯d get in the way with what Dalton and I would be talking about. I hoped she would leave me alone with him, but it was customary in this world that a maid would not sit at the same table as her master. And so I was forced into the tea house alone with Dalton. When we stepped inside, an employee came out to greet us. Noticing that Dalton was a noble without even introducing himself, we were led to a private, quiet area. Unlike the middle of the tea house where most of the customers sat, the table we were guided to was next to a window and there were no other people sitting nearby. I could feel myself sweating as I pretended to have been here at least once before. But when I hesitated over what to order, Dalton just went ahead and asked the waiter to recommend some tea for us to drink. I think the lie that I¡¯d been here once had already been caught. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t expect it, but¡­ there was only silence between me and Dalton. The view outside the window was beautiful, but I couldn¡¯t appreciate it fully because of how awkward it was. Before we came in, the tea house was buzzing with chatter, but right now, I couldn¡¯t even hear anyone whispering. When the employee brought over our tea, the awkward atmosphere slightly got better. I really had nothing to say, so I just took the teacup to my lips and sipped, but I was surprised by the unexpectedly amazing taste. It was my first time tasting anything like this. It wasn¡¯t black tea, coffee, or milk tea, but the fragrance and flavor were so sweetly delightful. I fell in love with the tea, and so I could feel myself having a better mood. ¡°So you like things like this.¡± I was so captivated by the tea that I was startled when I heard Dalton¡¯s remark. I forgot that we were together. As he stared at me drinking tea, he still looked indifferent. ¡°Sometimes it¡¯s not bad to enjoy things like this.¡± That¡¯s it, my lie was caught. It really was my first time coming here, but I answered back with bravado anyway. Dalton raised his teacup to his lips, unbothered by my answer as he sipped indifferently, then he placed the cup back down on the table. The teahouse¡¯s interior was full of pink, frilly furniture, but that kind of warm, lighthearted atmosphere was 500 lightyears away from how it was between us right now. The juxtaposition was actually kind of funny. Come to think of it, he wasn¡¯t at all reluctant to enter this place. There was no other male customer here, but didn¡¯t he feel even a hint of embarrassment? Breaking the stifling atmosphere, a group of noble ladies sat at the table next to ours. Thanks to the interior design that prioritized privacy, our faces weren¡¯t exposed to one another. However, their voices could still be clearly heard. ¡°Lady Beth, you attended the Milend family¡¯s charity party, right? Who else was there?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t even believe what happened. As expected of a party hosted by Lord Milend, many rare faces appeared. Even the owner of the blue sword attended.¡± ¡°Oh my, Sir Dalton as well?¡± Cough! I was startled by the sudden mention. Embarrassed by spewing out a little tea, I avoided looking at Dalton¡¯s face. Was that his nickname? ¡®Owner of the blue sword¡¯? I could feel Dalton¡¯s gaze on my flushed face, but I didn¡¯t look at him. ¡°Did you get to see him? Ahh, as long as I could see his perfectly chiseled face again, I¡¯d even sell my soul to the devil.¡± ¡°Anyone would, come on. Just a glimpse of him makes even his surroundings feel like a sacred oil painting. Even your soul wouldn¡¯t be enough to sacrifice to get the best groom in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Goodness, Lady Beth! Please don¡¯t insist on who you think is the best groom in the kingdom. We decided not to argue about that.¡± ¡°Well excuse me, Lady Jeilda, but the number one in my heart is still the eldest son of the von Cador family, Sir Dalton of the blue sword! Ohoho!¡± Now my face was definitely bright red like a burning sweet potato. I didn¡¯t expect their conversation to turn in that direction after they brought up Dalton¡¯s name like that. And I didn¡¯t know that the number one groom in the kingdom would be Dalton. I didn¡¯t expect that topic to be brought up when I was with Dalton himself! Furtively glancing at Dalton¡¯s reaction, his eyes were as unreadable as ever as he looked outside the window, chin on one hand and only half of his face visible. Was he not affected, even if only a little? ¡°By the way, besides Sir Dalton, another person from the von Cador family came to the party.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Duke?¡± ¡°No. Tess von Cador.¡± After my name was mentioned, there was a sudden change in the atmosphere. I prickled my ears to hear what they had to say. ¡°Oh, that person¡­¡± ¡°She looked completely different from before¡ªfrom head to toe.¡± ¡°That must have been quite the sight to see.¡± It was only to be expected that positive things wouldn¡¯t be said. Of course it was worth seeing just how much my maids made an effort to pretty me up, but their tone didn¡¯t express any appreciation. Was her name Beth? I¡¯ll be sure to remember her¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t she infamous for saying such terrifying words at a party?¡± ¡°It does seem like she has a hobby of scaring people by saying she¡¯s seeing invisible people.¡± ¡°She¡¯s just doing that for attention. Who even cares? And her birth is also questionable¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, keep your voice down.¡± Tess hated even just taking a step outside the Dark Castle, let alone going to parties. She wasn¡¯t interested in dressing up either. How could people think that she was saying such things only for attention¡­ If they saw the world with Tess¡¯ eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to talk about her lightly. I was thrusted into this position and I kept having to double check if the person I was looking at was a ghost or a human being. Far from enjoying any parties, every single day was difficult unless I was staying at the Dark Castle. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t know this, but it felt unfair. I had only experienced a minuscule fraction of Tess¡¯ life, so I couldn¡¯t imagine how Tess herself managed to endure. It was all so depressing. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°I think she still hasn¡¯t fixed that bad habit of hers¡ªshe even made a commotion at the charity party.¡± ¡°What kind of commotion?¡± ¡°Just to get that ominous red diamond, she bid an absurd amount on it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t someone else win the diamond?¡± ¡°Yes, but what drew people¡¯s attention was Lady Tess as she competed for the winning bid.¡± Their tone was sarcastic. It was a story that made anyone feel horrible enough, but I continued listening anyway because I might get some decent information. For example, Wilhelm might have started experiencing scary things like seeing ghosts after taking that diamond home. ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid of the Royal family¡¯s order of not involving oneself with unpleasant things.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know that just by behaving so strangely, Lady Tess is already drawing the Royal family¡¯s antipathy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she cares. She might be relying on the fact that the von Cador name could block it. She doesn¡¯t even consider how this will affect Sir Dalton¡¯s honor just so that she could be protected from the Royal family.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a troublesome person in many ways.¡± This was new information. I thought that people were just generally against magic and divination, but I didn¡¯t know that the Royal family was directly involved in vilifying such things. Perhaps that¡¯s why Redcliffe hid his interests. This might make it more difficult to approach him¡­ What a headache. Then, what would happen to Tess, who happened to see ominous things with her bare eyes? I heard the light clack of a spoon hitting a cup. Furtively glancing at Dalton who sat in front of me, I supposed that it was uncomfortable for him to listen to it more. Right now, he was sweeping back his hair slightly with one hand. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was acting this way because it was bothering him or if he just didn¡¯t care. Come to think of it, was it mentioned that Dalton was under the Royal family¡¯s protection? If it¡¯s like that, then it¡¯s natural to think that his half-sister was doing strange things. Was that why he¡¯s been subjecting me to that near-torturous treatment? Well, whatever his motives were, it still wasn¡¯t good. When we left the tea house, Donna was waiting nearby. For some reason, she had a sullen expression as she came up to us. ¡°Milady¡­¡± She looked exactly like a homeless, depressed beaver, and she wasn¡¯t saying anything else. Dalton¡¯s attendant came back and reported about the work he did. I wasn¡¯t in a good mood at all, and it didn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s anything worthwhile to do here, so I just wanted to go back. However, I saw the person I¡¯ve been wanting to see all this time. He seemed to be going further away, so I locked my eyes on his retreating figure and hurriedly said¡ª ¡°You go back first, Brother. I have something to do someplace else. Donna, come on, hurry up!¡± ¡°Milady!¡± I followed him quickly without even hearing a reply from Dalton. I could see Redcliffe¡¯s red-brown hair. I ran as fast as I could so as not to miss him. I don¡¯t know why he came to such a small village, but since he¡¯s here now, it was a good opportunity to pretend this was a coincidence and get closer to him. His red-brown hair headed towards the marketplace in the alley. It was a dark and dangerous alley, so I wasn¡¯t sure why Redcliffe headed there. It was a marketplace that was filled to the brim with cages, and inside those cages were exotic birds that I¡¯d never seen before. It didn¡¯t seem like they were selling anything else here. Strangely enough, the owner wasn¡¯t anywhere here. No other people passed by either¡ªonly the sound of birds could be heard. And I also lost sight of Redcliffe. ¡°Milady, let¡¯s head back. I don¡¯t know what place this is, but the atmosphere isn¡¯t good¡­¡± Donna had yet to catch her breath from running to catch up with me, but this was the first thing she said. Indeed, there was a dangerous air in this place. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d lose sight of Redcliffe here. Before I could lament this fact, something caught my eye. ¡°Milady!¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± In front of one cage, there were some instructions written on a palm-sized piece of paper. ¡¸ Give the bird food and water once a day. Please keep the bird clean so that it doesn¡¯t get sick. When the bird sings, you can listen to its song to fill your heart with joy. Lastly, please do not open the cage. We will not compensate for any damages that you may suffer if ever the bird comes out. ¡¹ Evidently, these weren¡¯t ordinary instructions. What¡¯s unusual was that¡­ the cage was empty, and there were thick chains and locks blocking the cage door. It was a clear message preventing anyone from opening the cage no matter what. The piece of paper with the instructions written on them wouldn¡¯t look strange to people who didn¡¯t know about it. But because I knew about the instructions hidden deep in Tess¡¯ room, the two felt quite similar. The difference between them was that the instructions Tess had didn¡¯t have the strange symbol drawn at the end of the bird cage¡¯s instructions. It was a square overlapped with an inverted triangle with an eye in the middle of it. The instructions Tess had didn¡¯t have this symbol, but I¡¯m not really sure if it really didn¡¯t have it. The bottom of the instructions had been torn. Apart from that, I¡¯ve seen this symbol before. Wasn¡¯t it a similar pattern engraved on the pendant that the blue-faced woman had at the charity party? Obviously, this was a clue. ¡°Lady Tess?¡± At that moment, I heard someone¡¯s voice, so I hastily put back the piece of paper to its original place and looked behind me. Redcliffe, who I had been chasing after, was standing behind me with a surprised look on his face. ¡°What brings you here¡­?¡± He asked me with a startled tone. I couldn¡¯t say that I followed him here of course, so I had to wrack my head about what to answer. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m looking around the village to buy a gift for my brother.¡± ¡°Are you giving him a bird as a present?¡± Only birds were being sold here, however, I didn¡¯t intend to buy any at all. I continued talking calmly anyway. ¡°I want to give him a unique gift¡­¡± ¡°Oh! I see¡­ I never thought that I¡¯d see you again, and here of all places, Lady Tess. I¡¯m so happy to meet you here¡­¡± Redcliffe¡¯s face was flushed as he lowered his eyes. I didn¡¯t gain a lot at the charity party, and I thought there was no progress at all because we parted so suddenly like that. However, based on Redcliffe¡¯s actions now, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. It was clear that he started seeing me in a favorable light to some extent. ¡°I¡¯m glad to meet you again, too. I was really sad when we had to part ways like that.¡± I feel the same way, Redcliffe! We parted ways like that, so I was at a loss about what to do. If I couldn¡¯t get in touch with him again, I¡¯d have missed my only lead on the rituals during the Crimson Moon. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave our next meeting to fate, so Lord Redcliffe¡­¡± ¡°Lady Tess¡­¡± There¡¯s no time to waste. The Crimson Moon comes once a month. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be alive next month. ¡°I also had a hard time falling asleep just thinking about the day we met again, but I¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure if it was right to approach you, Lady Tess¡­¡± ¡°Lord Redcliffe¡­ Please don¡¯t say that.¡± It seemed like the situation was going a different direction from what I had foreseen. I tried to plan a meeting so that I could ask him the things I needed to ask, but the conversation turned into one that lovers had¡­? This wasn¡¯t going anywhere. But anyway, I briefly mentioned my intentions with my next words. ¡°Every day, I thought of wanting to see you, Lord Redcliffe. There was something I really wanted to ask you when I met you again. ¡°Lady¡­¡± Redcliffe was flustered by my words, his cheeks remaining bright red as he hesitated to answer right away. ¡°I shall send you an invitation for dinner as soon as possible so that no one else may disturb us¡­ Is this alright?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± It sounded exactly like a date, but that¡¯s fine. The fact that I had to meet Redcliffe again remained unchanged. ¡°Tess.¡± The rather shy atmosphere between Redcliffe and I was instantly broken due to the cold voice that froze the air. Eyes, which usually expressed aloof disinterest, were showing an unfamiliar spark of light. I hadn¡¯t seen him since I left the tea house, but my left hand was suddenly grabbed and I was dragged away, separating me from Redcliffe. Judging from his expression, it was like Dalton was looking at a pest as he hid me behind him. ¡°Who are you?¡± It hadn¡¯t even been that long since the charity party, yet it seemed like he asked this question on purpose just to say that Dalton didn¡¯t think that Redcliffe wasn¡¯t someone worth remembering. Dalton really had a talent for looking down on other people despite his languid attitude as though he didn¡¯t care at all. He was clearly the younger one between the two guys, as Redcliffe looked more like an adult, but Dalton treated him like someone equal or even of a lower stature. It was the attitude of someone who had been brought up with the mindset of having a prominent position in society. ¡°I am Redcliffe of the Andersen family. We met at the charity party.¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you were presumptuous then, too.¡± ¡°¡­I am aware that it¡¯s unreasonable for someone like me to dare be acquainted with Lady Tess.¡± Seeing Redcliffe¡¯s courteous attitude, I somehow felt sorry for him. The only reason he¡¯s being treated this way was because I showed even a little interest in him. Right now, it¡¯s like we¡¯d been caught having a secret rendezvous. Even so, Redcliffe continued to be calm and unperturbed. ¡°It was an inevitable encounter because I found Lady Tess without her companion by her side.¡± Redcliffe¡¯s tone was determined as he sought fault in my companion during the charity party instead. Perhaps¡­ he didn¡¯t know that the person in front of him was the same companion I had during the party. It quickly subsided, but it seemed like Dalton suddenly had a flash of anger pass through his expression. It¡¯s like he couldn¡¯t bear acknowledging that he felt anything at all, so he had to erase his emotions right away. I guess he thought it wasn¡¯t even worth getting angry about since it¡¯s something related to me. Dalton, who was calm again, turned to face me, blocking me from Redcliffe completely. So it¡¯s my turn. I didn¡¯t feel the extent of the heavy atmosphere earlier because it wasn¡¯t directed at me, but as I felt his oncoming admonishment, my body shrank down. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°I was worried when you disappeared all of a sudden.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What was the reason?¡± Surprised by Dalton speaking the way he usually did, I looked at his ever-impartial expression. With his lips, he said that he was worried, but he didn¡¯t look worried at all. Still, it didn¡¯t look like he was worried, so that¡¯s good. I suddenly remembered that I mentioned to Redcliffe that I was going to buy a gift for Dalton. I couldn¡¯t backtrack, so I just went with it. ¡°Because I want to give you a bird as a gift.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°Yes. A special bird.¡± ¡°What kind of bird will you give as a present?¡± I thought Dalton was going to refuse. I was already even thinking of what to say in response to his rejection, but it wasn¡¯t necessary. Now that this happened, I really had to look for a bird to give him. Rather than looking around, I was too focused on the empty cage, so I didn¡¯t know what to get him. At that time, I found a small, yellow, cute bird chirping next to Donna. It was a pretty bird that looked very loveable. ¡°This yellow little bird here¡­¡± ¡°Bird?¡± ¡°It matches you well.¡± It looks good. ¡°Ahem, hmm, excuse me.¡± Redcliffe turned his head and coughed. He suffered a lot today, too. Donna tactfully took the cage next to her and presented it to me. ¡°Isn¡¯t it pretty?¡± ¡°¡­Sure.¡± On the way back, an amiable atmosphere surrounded us. Dalton didn¡¯t even care why Redcliffe was with me picking out a gift, then Redcliffe and I exchanged glances. It seemed to mean that he would send a letter soon. Now I can meet with Redcliffe again. I¡¯ll be able to investigate more this way. As we returned to the Dark Castle, Dalton¡¯s attendants were waiting. I could read the desperation from their countenance, begging for the young master¡¯s return because they couldn¡¯t delay any more of the work. Were these adults so impatient that they couldn¡¯t wait for us even though we went out for only a few hours? But later that evening, as I saw Dalton packing up and leaving in a hurry, I realized it wasn¡¯t that they were waiting for only a few hours¡ªapparently, Dalton had overstayed here at the Dark Castle for quite a while. Dalton never brought up my rendezvous with Redcliffe earlier. As he finished organizing his luggage and got ready to go back, he brought back the yellow bird with him without hesitation. At that bird market, there were a lot of other more valuable birds rather than this hastily chosen bird, but I was a little moved by how it seemed like he valued my gift. As he got on the carriage, he stopped suddenly. I quickly schooled my features into an expression of courtesy, but he began to look at the forest behind the Dark Castle. One knight asked Dalton if there¡¯s something wrong, but he just silently looked at the forest. But soon, he got on the carriage. I was wondering just what it was that he saw, but as I looked into the forest, there was nothing strange. There were only birds flapping away. Dalton only left when I promised to come to the estate for the next dinner we¡¯d have. It just reminded me of how much I didn¡¯t want to go there. But of course, I¡¯d only need to participate in that dinner if I was lucky enough to still be alive. What would happen if Redcliffe didn¡¯t get the right information about divination? In any case, the day might come when I¡¯d really have to do the ritual myself. But at least it wasn¡¯t impossible to do. Didn¡¯t Tess succeed the last time? The fact that the faceless maid avoided me when I saw her back then meant that Tess was successful in doing the ritual. As I was trying to find out more about magic and divination, it would be better if I could find a way to finish the ritual quickly. ¡°Milady, let¡¯s go in now.¡± Dalton¡¯s carriage was now out of the castle¡¯s grounds and barely visible across the horizon. I stopped staring at the carriage and followed Donna back into the castle. For now, I decided to learn the mansion¡¯s interior structure. Due to the nature of the game, ¡®Dark Castle¡¯, knowing the castle¡¯s blueprints was an important factor. When I played on my computer, it was easier to move there. But in real life, it was going to take a while. After receiving the blueprints of the Dark Castle from the butler, I memorized it meticulously. I carefully determined how many rooms there were to lock, and whether there were any hidden rooms. I was complacent at first because the castle was relatively on a smaller scale, but there were actually more rooms than I thought. Would I need to go to each door just to see if they were locked? It was making me dizzy just thinking about it. At least it was a comfort that I wouldn¡¯t need to do that on the first floor. The crimson moon gradually rose, and strange things began to happen. I could already see the carpet turn red, just as the instructions had mentioned. ¡¸ Occasionally, you can see the carpet turning red inside the mansion, but since the wine has been spilled, you may ask someone who is out there to clean it up. ¡¹ I left that area and, according to the instructions, I asked a maid to clean the carpet. I stayed away for a while longer. And when I came back, the red spots would have already disappeared. I was shocked to see it happen at first, but after it repeated two or three times, I got used to it a little. These small things made me feel on edge gradually, and the maids grew anxious as they saw me act unusually. As I was checking the number of candlesticks in the banquet room, Donna quietly approached me. ¡°Milady, a letter arrived.¡± ¡°Is it from Redcliffe?¡± Donna replied that it was. You finally sent me a letter! It was good news that he sent it as soon as he could. But unlike my bright expression, Donna answered back with a solemn tone. ¡°But why did the letter come to the castle, Milady?¡± ¡°Huh? Is it weird that the letter was sent here?¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± I didn¡¯t push Donna to say more. I trusted her quite a lot, so I thought that she must have a reason for not explaining further. Without a word, I opened the sealed letter. I knew that people¡¯s handwriting must be beautiful in this age where print still wasn¡¯t widespread, but when I saw the cursive script, I really mistook it for something out of a printer. ¡°Milady, what does it say?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me, Milady?¡± ¡°He¡¯s inviting me to go boating at the Mald Garden Park.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about not about the conclusion, but the way he got there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll spare you the details.¡± Donna usually showed a very business-like front and wasn¡¯t someone who poked her nose in personal affairs. But still, I didn¡¯t want to tell her the contents of the letter. In the letter, there were more compliments about me than there were details about the meeting. I couldn¡¯t show it to Donna because it was embarrassing. I kept thinking this, but I really didn¡¯t intend for it to come to this. When I wanted to curry favor from Redcliffe, it was so that I could ask him about divination, but somehow, it led to developments that a relationship between a man and a woman had. The atmosphere just kept on getting weird¡­ Donna was chattering about what kind of dress would be good to wear once I went to Mald Garden Park, moving on from the topic of the letter¡¯s contents with a somewhat dejected expression on her face. When I asked her if it would be good to wear a big hat since I¡¯d be under the sun for quite a while, she said that it would be better if we recreated the atmosphere similar to the charity party. The excitement of receiving the letter gradually subsided as I recalled my purpose of meeting Redcliffe. How on earth would I get him to talk about divination? ¡¯She doesn¡¯t seem to be afraid of the Royal family¡¯s order of not involving oneself with unpleasant things.¡¯ ¡¯Don¡¯t you know that just by behaving so strangely, Lady Tess is already drawing the Royal family¡¯s antipathy?¡¯ The words of the young ladies at the tea house suddenly came to mind. The Royal Family didn¡¯t think well of divination and magic, and they¡¯d ordered the nobles not to involve themselves with those subjects. I wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid punishment if I was discovered to be involved with it since it¡¯s the law, so if I ask Redcliffe directly and say something wrong¡­ He may immediately report me. I had to be cautious. ¡°Milady, may I come in?¡± ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± ¡°Are you writing a letter?¡± ¡°Haa, it¡¯s not a letter.¡± She¡¯d probably be surprised if she found out that I had written a strategy manual for Redcliffe. I was surprised with myself, too. It was a manual that I wrote last night. He mentioned that he¡¯d pick me up from the Dark Castle. Right now, the servants of the castle were in a fluster because they weren¡¯t used to having any guests come here. To make my general aesthetic similar to how I was at the charity party when I wore that sky blue dress, with my hair braided to the side, I was wearing a white dress made of flowy fabrics, with an accent of a blue ribbon in the middle. It was a look that the talented maids of the Dark Castle had poured their heart and soul to. As Redcliffe greeted me, he smiled brightly. ¡°Hello, Redcliffe.¡± ¡°Lady, you¡¯re as beautiful as the violets on a field.¡± I had no idea what a violet on a field looked like, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a bad metaphor. As he approached, he escorted me gracefully, smelling of gentle, warm sunlight. Even though I was rarely escorted by Dalton, there was a subtle refreshing scent that I only found on him. It felt like Redcliffe himself was the sun. While looking at me, I thought that it suited him. And so, together, we went to the Mald Garden Park. ¡ª