Chapter 3
Safety Rules for the Haunted Grand Duke’s Castle
No, their clothes were definitely those of the servants.
The only problem was that where their faces—where their features should have been—there was nothing but an empty hole.
Pale, mask-like skin stretched over where flesh should be, and within it, something faintly squirmed… in a void.
The grotesque sight made chills run down my spine. Of course, that thought didn’t last long.
‘Guess it’s still a beta version, so it’s not perfect?’
Now… how was I supposed to report a bug again…?
After a moment’s thought, I decided to just let it slide and send official feedback to the game company after the session was over.
While I was settling on that plan, an NPC who appeared to be the head maid approached.
“Are you Miss Nadia Windsor, the fiancée of His Grace, the Duke of Belmond?”
That endless, black void was aimed right at me.
Her voice was flat, without rise or fall, giving no hint of nuance.
But her meaning was clear enough—apparently, I was the Duke’s fiancée.
‘The game description did say multi-route… so this must be some kind of specific character event.’
Did they put me into this section because these bugs happen often?
Or maybe landing in this area at all was the bug?
Well, whatever the truth was, I decided not to overthink it.
Once I was in the game, all I could do as the player was play—and to enjoy it, I’d need to immerse myself.
“Miss Windsor?”
“Ah! Yes—yes, that’s me.”
Realizing I’d kept them waiting while lost in thought, I quickly nodded.
The head maid began to guide me.
“I’m relieved you arrived safely. Please follow me.”
Beyond a garden shrouded in ominous fog, the faint outline of a massive castle emerged.
The safety guidelines had said it was in ruins, but perhaps that was just part of the setting—though the grounds were somewhat unkempt, the castle itself was quite grand and antique-looking.
‘Approved.’
I stole glances at the servants, scattered about carrying luggage or feeding chickens, each busy with their own tasks.
But then I noticed something strange.
A servant was feeding chickens, but there was no grain falling to the ground… and no chickens pecking at it.
Looking more closely, the same was true elsewhere—servants hauling empty carts, a stable master standing guard before a stable with no horses at all.
‘Wow, this place is crawling with bugs.’
Objects that should have existed were missing entirely, or polygons repeated weird animations…
All of it was common game glitches. Nothing a feedback report couldn’t fix.
Rumble…
We passed through the castle’s heavy central doors into a vast hall, lavishly furnished, though dust clung to the walls and the floors were generally dirty.
It seemed the setting was that the master was absent and maintenance had fallen behind.
Or perhaps it was the kind of plot where the arrival of the Duke’s fiancée would restore life and beauty to the castle…?
Either way, ignoring the grime, I kept scanning for more glitches.
“This is the room you will be staying in, my lady.”
Before long, we arrived at a room noticeably cleaner than the others I’d seen—probably because it was meant for the Duke’s fiancée.
But upon closer inspection, there were still odd details.
For example, the lilies in the vase by the window were completely withered and shriveled, and a finely crafted religious icon was hanging upside-down on the wall.
There was something suspicious in the air here.
Glitches aside, at least the aesthetic was consistent.
“Do you find it to your liking?”
Her question made me realize I hadn’t reacted at all.
Even if I tried to put a positive spin on it, the place gave off the vibe of a failing hotel…
“Haha—yes, of course!”
Wanting to protect the head maid’s feelings, I answered brightly.
“That’s good to hear. Since it is late, I will postpone the tour of the castle until tomorrow. If you need anything, simply pull the bell cord beside the bed.”
“Alright, thank you.”
While I finished looking around, the head maid gave a polite bow and withdrew.
Click.
“…”
Finally, I was alone.
In-story, I’d just arrived from a long journey, so she’d probably left to let me relax and get a good night’s sleep.
How considerate…
‘I’ll make sure to file a strong request to fix your bugs.’
Feeling touched, I glanced at my rather scruffy self and headed to the bathroom.
The bathwater was already warm, and though the cleaning left something to be desired, the tub was still usable.
“Ahhh…”
In real life, living in a cramped one-room apartment, I couldn’t take a soak unless I went to a public bathhouse—yet here I was enjoying a proper half-bath.
The hyper-realistic sensation of my fatigue melting away, blood circulating warmly through my body—it was impressive.
Feeling pleasantly heavy-limbed, I washed up and changed into the neatly laid-out nightclothes on the bed.
Once my body had relaxed, a thought suddenly resurfaced.
“The quest.”
Right—earlier, the main quest had arrived.
The moment I remembered, the quest window popped up again, as if it had been waiting.
[Main Quest]
▶ Uncover the Secrets of Belmond Castle!
The gloomy yet beautiful Castle Belmond hides suspicious secrets centered around the master of the house, Edwin Belmond.
Interact with the key figures residing here, investigate the castle’s many locations, and gather clues.
— Key Figures List
— Belmond Castle Map
— Rewards List
As I reread it, my curiosity naturally drifted toward the master, Edwin Belmond.
The developers had blurred out his face in all the promotional materials to “preserve anticipation,” but since this was a romance sim, good looks were practically guaranteed.
So what kind of secret was he hiding?
‘A brooding villain male lead and a savior heroine… a bit cliché.’
Imagining a lonely, dark antihero, I scrolled down to the next item.
— Key Figures List
· Head Maid (new!)
A loyal woman who manages the Belmond household and once served as Edwin Belmond’s nanny. She knows a great deal about him.
Affinity: 0/100
· ???
· ???
So far, I’d only met the head maid, which explained why the others were locked.
But… affinity points?
I hadn’t even gotten a clear look at her face, and our “first impression” was basically nonexistent—her manner toward me was purely professional.
Kind on the surface, but impenetrable underneath.
Still, the fact that she had an affinity score probably meant she could be “won over” to reveal her true nature.
‘I’ll have to act friendlier from now on.’
After staring at the list for a while, I moved on to the “Map” tab.
Unsurprisingly, nothing was displayed yet—I hadn’t actually been anywhere in the castle.
So it was basically telling me to go explore myself.
“Tch… such a tease.”
Muttering under my breath, I looked to the final tab—the heart of any quest:
The rewards.
— Rewards List
· 50,000 Diamonds
· ???
“Huh?”
Was the second reward hidden to avoid spoilers? It was frustrating, but it did build anticipation.
And 50,000 Diamonds—currency that could apparently buy anything—wasn’t likely to be a small sum, even if I didn’t know the exchange rate yet.
“Nice.”
The tasks ahead of me were starting to take shape in my mind.
Once I’d mentally outlined my next moves, I slowly lay down on the bed.
If I wanted to get moving tomorrow, restoring my stamina came first.
I pulled the covers over me, sinking into their warmth.
The moment the blanket wrapped around me, my eyelids fell shut as if they’d been waiting for the signal.
