Chapter 06
Even though I hadn’t done it on purpose, guilt crashed over me like waves.
Why didn’t I notice? The scream had sounded completely different from yesterday.
While I was blaming myself, John was still groaning in pain.
I quickly supported him and helped him up.
“Are you okay?!”
His foot, the one I had stepped on, must have hurt badly. He couldn’t steady himself, and he was too heavy for me to support alone.
My body tilted under his weight.
Wait a second. At this rate, I’m going to get crushed.
“Move. I’ll handle it.”
Just before I was about to be flattened by John, Killian stepped in and took his arm over his own shoulder.
“It doesn’t look serious. We’ll have to call a doctor to be sure, but let’s summon Pelton for now. Henry! Puck! Come here.”
After gently examining John, Killian called the servants over to help.
The servants, who had been nowhere to be seen before, quickly appeared and carried John upstairs.
As the person who had caused this mess, I watched nervously, then carefully approached Killian when I found a chance.
“I’m sorry. It really was an accident.”
I expected him to be angry, but instead he simply looked at me with glass-like eyes, without any visible reaction.
That calm response only made me feel more guilty.
“Both the slap and stepping on his foot. His words were getting harsher, so I tried to stop him… and I kept seeing bugs. I’m really scared of bugs.”
I explained clumsily.
Even to me, it sounded ridiculous. But Killian listened quietly.
Then he asked something completely unexpected.
“…Your shoulder?”
“My shoulder? I hit his cheek.”
“Your shoulder. Here. My father touched it earlier.”
He lightly tapped my shoulder with his finger. It was the spot I had hit in the car yesterday.
I hadn’t even thought about that. Maybe that was why it was hard to support John.
I gently rubbed my upper arm. It still felt slightly sore, but not nearly as painful as yesterday.
“It’s fine.”
“Go rest. You look very shaken. We’ll have lunch separately and dine together this evening. Rest until then.”
Killian quickly wrapped up the situation.
Still feeling uneasy, I couldn’t leave right away.
Seeing me hesitate, he added,
“We’ll talk in detail later.”
He said nothing more.
After eating lunch alone, I sprawled across the bed.
The chaos with John Clyke replayed in my mind like an afterimage.
What were the developers thinking when they made this game?
In a horror game, are choices like that even reasonable? At least give something normal. Not ridiculous options like those.
Is this how horror games usually go?
I’d never played games before, so I couldn’t even properly criticize it.
As I twisted around on the bed, cursing the game, someone knocked. It was Killian.
“My father’s examination is finished. I thought you might be curious.”
“How is he? Is he badly hurt?”
I asked, worried.
“There’s nothing wrong.”
“That’s a relief…”
A sigh escaped me.
It hadn’t been severe violence to begin with, but I couldn’t help worrying. He looked fairly old, and older people get injured easily.
“You must have been very concerned.”
“Of course I was. He screamed like that. Weren’t you worried?”
“Well… he tends to exaggerate. I assumed from the beginning it wasn’t serious.”
Killian said it casually. I was surprised.
He seemed very attentive toward his father, but he was more detached than I expected.
“More importantly, I’m worried about something else.”
Killian lowered his beautiful eyes and met mine.
My back stiffened. Beauty really does make you nervous.
I avoided his gaze.
“W-what do you mean?”
“Of course I mean you, Suzy.”
He smiled gently.
“Were you very tired? Did you sleep poorly?”
“No. I slept very well.”
Killian looked around the room behind me.
“Is the room comfortable? Nothing inconvenient?”
“Nothing at all.”
“Really?”
He frowned slightly, as if he had heard something unbelievable.
I nodded firmly.
He brought his fist to his lips, looking unconvinced.
“Then what happened earlier… was truly just because of a bug?”
So that’s why he kept asking.
Of course. After what happened to his father, it would be strange to just let it pass.
I felt like biting my tongue.
“I’m really sorry about that. I truly hate bugs.”
Actually, what I hate most is being trapped in this horror game and not knowing when the next forced choice will appear.
Lying made my conscience ache, and my voice came out subdued.
Perhaps sensing my sincerity, Killian did not question me further.
“I’ve instructed the servants to clean more thoroughly, so you needn’t worry about that again. But there is something I must advise you about.”
“What is it?”
“Now that you’re living here, it would be best to avoid causing disturbances like that.”
“….”
“Think carefully about what you came here to do.”
“What I came here to do…?”
Did I come here for work?
As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a notification appeared.
[Notice! 〈Suzy Hampton’s Circumstances〉
– You came to Dreambound Mansion at the invitation of the godfather’s son, ‘Killian Clyke.’
For detailed settings, refer to ‘Suzy’s Diary.’]
Isn’t that a bit too little information for a notice?
There was new information, but it felt incomplete.
Basically, it was telling me to find the diary if I wanted details.
Sure enough, the notification crumpled up on its own and changed to:
[〈Mission: Find the Diary〉]
This game really…
“Ah, you said you don’t consider it ‘work.’ Very well. Then let me offer some advice regarding your ‘repayment.’”
Seeing my strange expression because of the pop-up, Killian added calmly,
“You only need to keep Father in good spirits as his companion. That’s all.”
His tone was firmer than before.
He must still be somewhat angry.
“Yes. I’ll remember that.”
I clasped my hands together and nodded.
Thankfully, Killian did not dwell on his anger.
“Your luggage was moved at dawn. It wasn’t much, but if you need anything, feel free to ask.”
He changed the subject generously.
But hearing that made me feel even more uncomfortable.
It felt like I shouldn’t actually take him up on that offer.
Ah, I get it.
It was like when your boss hands you the company card and says, “Order whatever you want,” but if you actually do, you’ll be scolded for lacking sense.
I gave him a professional smile.
“Ahaha, okay.”
“I mean it. I don’t spare support for my people. Tell me anytime.”
Apparently dissatisfied with my answer, he repeated it while looking straight at me.
When a man that handsome stares at you like that, it’s impossible to endure.
So I answered again, more sincerely this time.
“See you in four hours. The dining hall is on the first floor.”
“Don’t forget.”
Only after adding that did he leave.
A man paced in front of a room at the end of the hallway.
Between his teeth, which were chewing relentlessly on his thumbnail, a dazed muttering slipped out.
“…This time it will succeed. I brought something good. It’s different from before. Yes….”
A small drop of blood formed from the torn skin and fell to the floor.
But he did not stop.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
He kept chewing until the beaded blood traced a line down to the floor.
At the appointed time, I went downstairs and wandered around the first floor.
“Where is the dining hall?”
The hallway stretched endlessly, and I thought I’d find it quickly, but the inside of the mansion was more complicated than it looked.
If I saw someone passing by, I would ask for help—but for some reason, none of the many servants were anywhere in sight.
I opened the fourth door.
A large, cozy room with a sofa, a fireplace, some furniture, and a mirror.
Not the dining hall again.
If the house is this big, they should at least put up signs.
Every room looked the same. It was impossible to tell them apart.
At this rate, I might end up circling the entire first floor.
The end of the corridor was already near. The dining hall had better appear before that corner.
Anxious, I grabbed the handle of the fourth door.
“The dining hall is in the opposite direction.”
