Chapter 9
Sren’s eyes turned a deep red as he gave his order. Phantom bowed his head low and answered,
“Yes. I will carry out your command, Master.”
Phantom had barely taken a few steps when Sren’s dark, chilling voice rang out again.
“Wait.”
“…!”
“I can smell Rachel’s blood. Right now.”
“Yes?”
It wasn’t only her blood. A mixed scent, blended with someone else’s, filled the air. Sren already knew whose it was.
There was no way Rachel could have defeated Behemoth on her own. In this mansion, aside from himself and Phantom, there was only one person capable of facing that creature.
“Adenhar Seferta… that man again.”
He had clearly been bound and locked away. Yet like a petty thief, he had escaped using some cheap trick and headed straight for Rachel.
Imagining the two of them meeting in secret behind his back made Sren feel like he was going insane with tangled jealousy and hatred.
Rachel was his.
He would not allow anyone else to touch her. Even if she was hurt. Even if she was killed. Only he had that right.
As Sren’s dark emotions surged, everything around him seemed to lose its vitality and wither away.
Sensing his dangerous mood, Phantom broke out in a cold sweat.
Then Sren’s voice, colder than ever, whispered,
“Fear is the strongest shackle there is.”
“Sren… if you go this far, Rachel may truly come to hate you.”
Phantom’s concern continued, but Sren answered without hesitation.
“It doesn’t matter. If she won’t stay by my side willingly, then I’ll keep her there with fear.”
“…!”
“I won’t let that bastard lay a single finger on her.”
The words carried a dangerously intense possessiveness and obsession.
“Rachel belongs to me.”
****
For some reason, a deep chill ran through me. I rubbed my arms as if cold, and Adenhar immediately looked at me with concern.
“Rachel. What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Huh? No… I just suddenly felt really uneasy.”
“Well, I guess that makes sense. This mansion, and what we saw earlier… it doesn’t feel like a place people live in.”
Adenhar nodded as if he agreed, rubbing his chin.
“Still, the Duke of Crochet has gone too far.”
“Hm?”
“Kidnapping you like this is wrong. And your family too… no, never mind.”
Wait.
It sounded like Adenhar was about to say something important.
Realizing his slip, he covered his mouth with his hand. I narrowed my eyes at him.
“What were you about to say just now?”
“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”
That’s suspicious.
“You mentioned my family. What about them?”
See? I only said the word “family,” and his face already looked troubled.
I poked his side insistently. Seeing that I wouldn’t let it go, he let out a long sigh.
“Alright. I’ll tell you. I can’t hide it forever anyway.”
“…!”
“The Paminion family was wiped out after being attacked by an unknown force.”
“…What?”
“You’re the only surviving heir now.”
The news shocked me.
Adenhar continued with a serious expression,
“The one who orchestrated it might be the Duke of Crochet.”
“…Is he confirmed as the culprit?”
“No. He’s still only a suspect. But the chances are high. The incident happened around the same time you disappeared. It’s hard to believe that’s just a coincidence.”
“…I see.”
Honestly, I had only been thinking about escaping the game. I hadn’t even considered Rachel’s situation outside this mansion.
When I stayed silent, Adenhar clicked his tongue softly in regret and gently patted my head.
“Stay strong. I know this doesn’t really make things better.”
“…No. Thank you for telling me.”
He smiled gently.
“Don’t worry about what comes next. Once we escape, my family will protect you.”
Adenhar really was kind.
Too kind.
But my thoughts were growing complicated. From everything I’d heard so far, this wasn’t just a normal horror game. It might not end with simply escaping Sren. I might have to uncover the truth behind what happened to Rachel’s family too.
And if Sren truly was the mastermind… that was horrifying.
I knew he was supposed to be a yandere character, but killing her family just to possess her?
My head started to throb.
And Phantom clearly knew far more than he was telling me. Maybe I really should grab that NPC and force the truth out of him.
If I were truly Rachel, this would be unbearable. Kidnapped by a madman, and then losing your entire family overnight…
Just imagining my own brother dead made my chest ache.
My expression darkened.
Seeing this, Adenhar misunderstood and apologized again, filled with guilt.
“You’re shocked, right? I’m sorry for telling you something so painful. I wanted to tell you later, if possible…”
“No. I’m okay. It’s shocking, but… this is reality, isn’t it? Then I have to accept it.”
“…You really think so?”
“Yes. Thank you for telling me.”
“No. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”
His face looked sad.
Then, as if trying to lighten the mood, he forced a smile.
“Oh, right! Can you hold out your hand for a moment?”
“Huh?”
When I did, he placed a ring in my palm. It was a square ring with a deep red ruby set into it. Inside the gem was a strange, mysterious symbol.
Why was he giving this to me?
“Adenhar, what kind of ring is this?”
“Huh?”
“Are you proposing to me right now?”
His face instantly turned bright red.
Flustered, he hurriedly explained,
“N-no! This ring belonged to the previous head of the Paminion family. Your father.”
“Oh…”
“You’re the one who must lead the family now.”
Only then did I realize my mistake.
I’d asked without thinking. What if he asked why I didn’t recognize the family symbol?
As I hesitated, looking awkward, Adenhar muttered quietly under his breath,
“…I’ll prepare a proper ring when I officially propose later.”
“Huh?”
His voice was too quiet for me to hear clearly, so I asked again. But he just avoided the topic, his face flushed.
“It’s nothing.”
It sounded like he said something important, but since he didn’t repeat it, I let it go.
He quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, let’s find a way out of here.”
“Yeah.”
I answered confidently, but the truth was, Adenhar didn’t know anything.
To leave this mansion, we needed a key. And to find that key, we needed at least five more Door Stones, in addition to the one he had found.
I was stuck.
If I explained it, he’d ask how I knew. What was I supposed to say? That I overheard it?
Sren wasn’t careless enough to leak information like that. And there were barely any servants around either.
So what excuse was I supposed to use?
As my thoughts tangled, Adenhar gently took my hand.
Then—
A voice filled with murderous intent cut through the air.
“Let go of her hand. Right now.”
