Chapter 7
Even though he held her hand, Rachel kept smiling.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Crochet, who stood beside them, looked uncomfortable even though no one had taken her hand.
Thinking back on that moment, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Rachel’s smile must have been fake too.
He wanted to taint that innocent smile she showed him. If she truly didn’t know what ugliness was, then what would happen if he showed her the dark side of the world?
Would you still smile at me then?
The idea amused him.
He had been born covered in filth, a man more vile than the depths of a sewer. He felt no hesitation or guilt about ruining her. That was true back then, and it was still true now.
So what about you now, Rachel?
A curved smile formed on Sren’s lips. Thinking of her, even though she wasn’t here, he slowly drained the glass in his hand. As his throat was wetted, his thirst for her only grew stronger.
“Haa…”
A bitter taste lingered on his tongue, followed by a faint, fragrant buzz. Not that it could truly intoxicate him or stir his emotions.
As he savored the red wine, Sren spoke calmly to the one standing beside him.
“Phantom. What is Rachel doing right now?”
“She’s moving exactly as you predicted, Lord Sren. Shall we block her path now?”
A dangerous smile flickered across Sren’s lips. He asked lightly,
“Why?”
“At this rate, Rachel will be in danger.”
But Sren answered without hesitation,
“That’s not so bad. She needs to learn that she can’t survive without me.”
“…But.”
Phantom looked troubled. Seeing that, Sren smiled like a crescent moon and replied,
“She’s not really dying anyway. Not yet.”
That struck the mark. Phantom fell silent.
Satisfied, Sren picked up his fork and knife and cut into the meat before him. Bright red juices spilled out, dripping like blood. He put the meat into his mouth.
As he savored it, Sren closed his eyes and let out a short, pleased sound. After swallowing, he opened his eyes again and spoke coldly.
“If you remove the fun toy from the game, it won’t be entertaining, right?”
Phantom gave a bitter smile, already guessing what kind of cruel prank Sren was planning.
Meeting his gaze, Sren spoke firmly.
“Release it.”
“The prisoner, sir?”
“Yes. Even Behemoth needs a good meal. And if Rachel sees it… that would be perfect.”
As expected, he was a truly cruel master. But Phantom had no intention of stopping him. He simply smiled and replied,
“Understood, Master.”
****
The eerie hallway grew more terrifying with every step. Maybe it was the chill in the air. Goosebumps rose along my skin, and I felt cold.
“That’s strange…”
I had felt it for a while now.
Even though I could only hear my own footsteps, it felt like someone else was there. But whenever I stopped and looked back, there was no one.
Then, when I looked forward again, the path had changed.
A door appeared in the hallway where there had been nothing before.
“Was it a mistake to come out?”
If I had stayed in the room, Sren might have come to me. I felt a twinge of regret, but it was already too late to turn back. I sighed and kept walking.
Then the wall lights flickered.
Startled, I froze, one foot still hovering above the floor.
Click—!
The sound of heels echoed, exactly like my footsteps.
When I quietly set my foot down, the heel sound echoed again.
My body stiffened completely.
A cold sensation pierced my chest. My head slowly tilted back as if pulled by something.
And reflected in my eyes was—
A woman in a white wedding dress, her long hair hanging loose.
Her pupils were unfocused, as if she had lost her mind. Her tongue hung out of her mouth, reaching almost to the floor, and blood poured from the corners of her lips. Her nails were long like a beast’s claws, crusted with dried blood.
More than anything, the overwhelming stench of blood made my face twist.
I swallowed hard.
At that moment, the woman met my gaze and laughed strangely.
“There’s nowhere to run. Being alone is lonely… play with me.”
Her voice was high and sharp, like claws scraping. It split into several overlapping tones, like an a cappella chorus. The pain felt like my eardrums would burst, and I clamped my hands over my ears.
“Hah… ugh!”
My whole body trembled.
But she hadn’t moved from her spot.
It seemed she couldn’t see. Even though I was right in front of her, she didn’t notice me. Maybe it was just coincidence that I thought our eyes met.
What kind of insane game is this?!
Wasn’t avoiding Sren supposed to be enough?
I was panicking.
That horrible thing was right behind me. So close I could almost feel it. My heart began to pound wildly. She stretched out her long arms, waving them around, as if searching for me.
If this continued, I would be caught.
But what should I do? If I ran, she’d hear me. She couldn’t see, but she was clearly sensitive to sound.
And then I noticed something.
Her face felt familiar.
Where had I seen it before?
But that thought vanished when she moved again.
The distance closed in, and I nearly screamed. The hallway was narrow, and her arms were far too long. If this kept up, she would grab me. Each time she licked her lips, sharp, elongated teeth flashed.
What do I do? If I move, she’ll catch me.
As she drew closer, my panic peaked.
I decided to run.
But the moment I did—
Clink, clink!
Damn it! The handcuffs!
Startled by the noise, I tried to run faster, but the chain yanked hard. My steps tangled, and I fell straight onto the floor.
“Ah…!”
My vision spun. The skin scraped against the floor burned painfully.
But worse than that was the voice behind me.
“Found you.”
A strange laugh echoed.
Something slippery wrapped tightly around my legs.
“Ugh!”
Before I could resist, my body was dragged helplessly. I clawed at the floor with my nails, but it was useless.
So this is how I die again?
Maybe that’s better. I don’t even know what happened to Adenhar anyway.
Fine. Let’s just reset everything.
Just as I gave up and accepted it—
A familiar voice reached my ears.
“Rachel. Close your eyes.”
A gentle voice that calmed my heart.
Adenhar.
I didn’t know how he got here, but that didn’t matter right now. I shut my eyes tightly, just as he said.
Then—
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Gunshots rang out one after another.
“Kyyaaaah!”
The woman screamed.
Even her scream was grotesque, and I covered my ears tightly. At the same time, the pressure around my legs disappeared. It seemed Adenhar had freed me from the monster.
I opened my eyes again.
Adenhar was fighting the blood-soaked woman. Her hair, tongue, hands, and feet stretched unnaturally, trying to grab him. But he moved swiftly, firing his gun with one hand and wielding a knife with the other.
Adenhar was strong.
His movements were precise and elegant, sharp yet controlled. I stared with my mouth open, and when he noticed me, he smiled.
As if scolding a child, he whispered,
“Don’t look. It’s not over yet.”
Then he draped his jacket over my head so I wouldn’t have to see the rest. I caught the familiar scent that was uniquely his.
He didn’t have to do this.
I’d already seen plenty of horrors.
But of course, he wouldn’t know that.
A wet, tearing sound followed, like raw meat being ripped apart. Then something heavy fell to the floor with a thud.
After that, Adenhar’s polite voice reached my ears.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace.”
Only then did I realize who she was.
No wonder she looked familiar.
Her face was the same as the one in the portraits lining the hallway.
Which meant—
She was the Duchess of Crochet, the former mistress of this mansion.
But why had the Duchess turned into such a monster?
Hadn’t Sren killed her?
