Chapter 4: Chapter 3.1

Morning came.

In the past, the first thoughts upon waking were, “I need to go to work,” “I want to clock out even though I haven’t clocked in yet,” “crowded subway hell,” or “when’s payday?” Now, it was more like, “Time to take Adrian his medicine,” “What, does he not have hands or feet?” and “Let’s try not to die again today.”

In the context of the era this game is set in, it was only natural for a servant to bring medicine to their master. But when that duty came with the constant threat of losing your life, it was an entirely different story.

Adrian was terrifying. He didn’t act particularly scary, but his very existence—his role in the game—was enough to strike fear. Even if he didn’t directly kill me, the daily threat to my life I felt every morning was bound to shorten my lifespan in the long run.

Despite Adrian being utterly unhelpful to my life in this game, I still found myself the target of jealousy and resentment from other servants because of this very task.

“They say you’re desperately trying to win over the Young Master’s favor, even undoing your blouse to seduce him.”

“Ridiculous,” I muttered inwardly.

Adrian had been sickly since childhood—well, more like weak because he hadn’t regained his demonic powers yet. He’d never participated in family affairs or even set foot in social circles. Despite that, he was the sole heir to this household. It made sense for people to hope to get on his good side, to secure a position of influence. If one started life as a servant, why not aim to become the head servant rather than remain a lowly one?

But really, they couldn’t have picked a worse target. I wasn’t interested in climbing the social ladder. My only goal was to survive! It was absurd and infuriating to be accused otherwise.

“You’ve been so full of yourself lately, taking care of the Young Master’s medicine,” one of the maids spat.

“You think you’re special just because you’re serving him? Get real.”

“You don’t even deserve it, yet you act so high and mighty.”

Like a scene straight out of a high school drama, I was dragged out to the back courtyard as soon as I arrived at the kitchen and subjected to a barrage of thinly veiled insults.

About ten servants surrounded me, but only three were the main instigators. I tilted my head subtly to look at them.

The ringleaders: Serena, Louise, and Dolores—just pixelated nuisances.

“A filthy nobody like you!”

“How dare someone like you seduce the Young Master?”

“Know your place!”

“If you’re going to disgrace the Count’s household, you should leave on your own! Instead, you cling like a parasite without a shred of shame!”

What they wanted was for me to say I’d stop bringing Adrian his medicine and leave this house entirely. If I left, they’d fight among themselves over the task. But I didn’t even want to do it in the first place! I felt like my body was twisting in frustration. If anyone here wanted to leave, it was me!

“You’re still silent after everything we’ve said?”

“Move aside.”

One of the ringleaders finally stepped forward—Dolores, with her faded golden hair. If I recalled correctly, she was destined to become one of Adrian’s victims too.

Not just her. Every person here was fated to die at Adrian’s hands eventually.

A wave of pity hit me. They were all so young, and yet...

“You know what people say about you behind your back, don’t you?” Dolores sneered.

“How would I know? If it’s behind my back, obviously I wouldn’t hear it,” I replied.

Dolores’s expression twisted, caught off guard by my unexpected response.

“If you’re so desperate to serve the Young Master’s medicine, why not go tell him yourself? Yesterday, I broke a tray and spilled the medicine all over the floor. Maybe he’ll let you take over after seeing that. You’d be perfect for the job—completely incompetent. I’ve seen Leticia scold you countless times for messing up the dishes.”

“W-what?”

I’d meant my words sincerely, but Dolores must’ve taken it as mockery. Her face turned bright red, and the others around her stifled laughter. Furious, she shouted,

“What nonsense! Are you mocking me?”

“I’m not mocking you. You know I grew up in a temple, right? Back then, I prayed so hard that I developed a divine sense. Sometimes I can see glimpses of people’s futures.”

Drawing on Hilda’s character background, I continued. She’d been abandoned by her parents and discovered by a priest, which led to her spending time in a temple before becoming a servant in the Palzgraf household. Everyone here knew this backstory, so the mention of divine insight made them flinch.

“The divine spirit revealed something to me. This year, 473, an evil spirit will haunt this mansion.”

“An evil spirit?”

“Yes. You might not understand, but this isn’t the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. There’s a common enemy, you see. If you don’t want to die, you should never go anywhere alone. Especially you.”

I pointed directly at Dolores, then glanced around.

“And you. And you... Oh, you too. Be careful.”@@novelbin@@

“What kind of nonsense is this? Are you treating us like fools?”

“Mark my words. Even if it’s not an evil spirit, what if that flowerpot up there falls on your head?”

I gestured at a precariously perched flowerpot on the third-floor railing. Serena, who had been leaning against the wall below it, quickly stepped aside. The scornful looks shifted into wary stares, as if I were some kind of fortune-teller. They didn’t want to believe me, but they couldn’t dismiss it entirely.

“Well, I need to take the Young Master his medicine now, so I’ll be going...”

“...”

“Late, and Leticia will scold me,” I muttered before spinning around and leaving the group behind. Judging by their stunned silence, they hadn’t expected that reaction.

“What’s with her? Has she lost it?”

“Using the excuse of delivering medicine—cowardly much.”

“Wait, was Hilda always this defiant?”

Even as the whispers trailed after me, they barely registered. What was the big deal about some petty bullying compared to being summoned daily by an aspiring serial killer?

Besides, something far gloomier awaited me.

With a heavy heart, I prepared Adrian’s medicine and breakfast on the tray. By now, I’d gotten so used to it that it barely took five minutes. Once again, I’d have to step into Adrian’s room today, wouldn’t I? If I just left the tray at the door, he’d probably pop out suddenly to startle me again. Maybe he’d even take offense at the audacity and demand compensation for breaching his orders.

Whether in reality or in this game, the paycheck always just brushed my account, leaving the balance pitifully low. And the bosses? Well, they called the shots. A vicious cycle of misery.

“Hilda! Taking medicine to the Young Master, are you? Perfect timing. Let’s clean his room together while we’re at it.”

“What? C-clean? But it seemed fine yesterday.”

“You have no idea. It’s an absolute mess now,” Leticia said, her expression suddenly grim as she clicked her tongue. What had happened this time?

“It’ll be too much for just the two of us. Katarina, come along.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Katarina replied, swiftly abandoning her onion peeling to join us.

“What are you grinning at? Hurry up!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

It felt like being plucked from the depths and dragged to the surface. Having companions meant that, at least for today, Adrian wouldn’t be able to kill me without breaking the rules.

“You seem awfully cheerful. Something good happen this morning?” Leticia asked suspiciously.

“No, ma’am. I’m just happy to walk with you,” I answered with genuine gratitude. Leticia gave me a look as if she couldn’t believe her ears. But I meant it. Thank you for sparing me.

“Good morning, Alban.”

“Good morning, Leticia. Heading to the Young Master’s room?”

Leticia exchanged greetings with Alban, the estate’s butler, whom we encountered in the corridor. She glanced around before lowering her voice.

“What about Madam?”

“The physician administered a sedative and left. She was highly agitated.”

“What was it about this time?”

“She had a dream… of that day.”

“Oh dear,” Leticia sighed, looking genuinely concerned.

“When you go up, act like you don’t know. She caused quite the commotion.”

Alban winked with a grandfatherly air that softened the severity of his words. He turned to me and Katarina.

“You two will have a rough day ahead, especially you, Hilda. I hear you’ve been diligently delivering the Young Master’s medicine. Be sure to keep taking good care of him; he needs comfort.”

“...Yes, sir.”

“That’s the spirit. Seeing how much you’ve grown from a troublemaker into a responsible young lady is truly heartwarming.”

Alban gave a final nod before stepping aside for us.

Leticia led the way up the grand staircase, while Katarina walked beside me. My curiosity burned, but I kept quiet as we climbed.

“That thing…” Katarina murmured.

“It must be that.”

“…”

“Don’t you agree?” Katarina asked, both of them turning their expectant gazes toward me.

...What thing?

“Uh… probably?” I ventured.

Even though I clearly had no idea what they were talking about, they nodded knowingly to each other.

“Exactly.”

“Of course.”

The world had evidently decided to exclude me from its secrets.

“Hilda, you’ll take good care of the Young Master, right?”

Why was it always me? This estate was full of servants vying for Adrian’s attention, yet the tough jobs always landed on my plate. It reminded me of my first supervisor back in the real world, who dumped all their work on me.

“Well, it’s true Hilda’s really grown up. Back in the day, though… oh, she was hopeless.”

“...”

“She’d ruin fabric when sewing, smash the china while cleaning the pantry—oh, it was endless.”

“That was then. Look at her now. She’s doing so well. Even Leticia secretly favors her.”

“Favors? Ha!”

Based on what I’d just heard, Hilda had been a walking disaster. Her long history of blunders must have cost a fortune in damages.

Feigning a defeated expression, I spoke up.

“Leticia, wouldn’t it be better to send someone else? What if I mess up in front of the Young Master?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

She rejected the idea as firmly as she’d criticized me earlier.

“The truth is, the others aren’t focused on working—they’re all just trying to impress the Young Master. But you? You’re not like that. You don’t seem to fear authority, either.”

That wasn’t true. I feared him more than anyone else in this household.

When we reached Adrian’s door, I lagged behind. Even with others present, knowing I couldn’t be killed didn’t stop my fear. Just standing outside the door made my heart pound.

“Master Adrian, it’s Leticia. May we enter?”

“Come in.”

With his permission, Leticia turned the doorknob and led the way inside. Katarina followed, and I hesitated before stepping into the room.

The sight froze me in place.

The room, usually pristine, was in complete disarray. Torn curtains fluttered in the breeze, shattered vases and cups littered the floor, the carpet was soaked, and ink splattered everywhere. Nothing was where it belonged. It looked like a storm had passed through.

“Oh my goodness… Young Master, are you alright?”

“Good morning. Yes, I’m fine.”

“You must have been so frightened.”

“I’m fine. Just clean it up quickly,” Adrian said, his tone both gentle and imperious. He gave instructions like a true noble, accustomed to commanding others.

“Yes, sir. We’ll clean it right away, as if nothing ever happened.”

“Thank you.”

He flashed a smile that was dazzling yet ominous, his expression enough to make the emergency alarms in my head go haywire. My field of vision was tinted red from the blaring warnings, and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.

“I’ll put the medicine… uh, here… no, here… or maybe here…”

Amidst the chaotic noise, I searched for a suitable spot to place the tray. The table had been overturned, the nightstand was a mess, and in the end, the only place left was the foot of the bed. I set it there, seething internally at whoever had made this mess.

“Mother did it.”

“Pardon?”

My heart sank—not because of some in-game skill, but because of the sheer, visceral thudding of my real heart. Adrian raised a single eyebrow as he caught the look of shock on my face. Meanwhile, the mental alarm bells screamed louder than ever, demanding that I put as much distance as possible between myself and him.

“You seem curious. Did I surprise you?”

“N-no, not really.”

“Today, you didn’t just leave the tray at the door and run away.”

“Y-yes. That’s right.”

“I’m glad. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

Ouch. Every word hit its mark, and it stung.

Adrian smiled serenely and turned his attention back to the book he’d been reading since we arrived. Leticia, who had been listening to our exchange, came over and muttered sternly, “Leaving the tray at the door? We’ll discuss this later.” She then walked off with a warning glance.

As I stood there, face twisted in despair, I thought I heard a faint chuckle. I turned, doubting my ears, but Adrian was engrossed in his book, looking as serene as ever. That smug bastard. Was he doing this on purpose to mess with me?

“Ugh, just look at this curtain. What a mess… Oh no, and the chair—it’s scratched. This was an imported piece, you know!” Leticia lamented, clicking her tongue.

“Do you think the Madam got hurt?” Katarina asked.

“The physician’s already been here. If she’d been injured, they would have treated her. Let’s just focus on cleaning this room and keeping things quiet,” Leticia replied in a hushed tone.

Even though they whispered, I could hear every word. Adrian, however, remained perfectly nonchalant, acting as though none of this concerned him in the slightest. It was hard to believe the person responsible for this disaster was sitting calmly right there, reading a book.

When he sat quietly like this, he looked strikingly normal—so much so that I almost forgot the “demon” part of his backstory. His aristocratic features, from his long, elegant lashes to the composed lines of his face, were disarmingly beautiful. He looked like a perfect noble heir, not someone who could cause chaos.

The game’s UI flickered briefly, and for a moment, a faint approval meter appeared above his head before vanishing. The sight gave me an unsettling feeling.

Could I be wrong? Was I blaming an innocent person?

The approval meter wasn’t even part of the original game mechanics. If this game wasn’t exactly what I remembered, could Adrian’s character settings be different too? What if he wasn’t a demon? What if he didn’t gain his powers by killing people?

The thought left me deep in contemplation until—

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

The unrelenting alarm blared again, shattering my focus. Frustration surged. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I needed to at least mute this noise.

“I’ll take this carpet downstairs,” I said, rolling up the stained carpet. Leticia waved me off, signaling her approval.

Carrying the heavy carpet to the kitchen, I found the settings in the game’s menu and lowered the alarm volume. Finally, some peace.

“Hilda, leave the carpet there. We’ll wash it later,” Katarina called out, having followed me downstairs at some point. The clinking sound of glassware revealed she’d brought down shards of broken dishes too.

Now was my chance.

After propping the carpet against the wall, I turned to Katarina. She was meticulously sorting through the dishes, checking for chips or cracks.

“Hey, Sis, about Adrian’s room… What exactly happened?”

“What do you mean? We already talked about it.”

“No, you didn’t. All you said was, ‘That thing.’”

“That thing, you know—what happened 14 years ago.”

“And what exactly is ‘that thing’? Why did the Madam wreck Adrian’s room?”

The game’s lore hadn’t mentioned anything like this. Or maybe I just hadn’t played far enough to find out? I should’ve finished the game before going to bed that night…

“What? Hilda, don’t tell me you don’t remember. The entire estate was in chaos for a while because of it.”

“Uh, yeah… Leticia said I wasn’t the brightest, remember? Guess I forgot.”

“Wow, unbelievable…”

Katarina looked half-exasperated, half-pitying, but she sighed and began explaining.

“The Young Master is an only child, born after the Madam had several miscarriages. She was overjoyed when she was finally able to carry him to term. Leticia still says she can’t forget the Madam’s radiant smile back then. Since the Count was always busy, the Madam raised Adrian practically on her own. She was so happy… until the day of Adrian’s baptism.”

“B-baptism?” I stammered, hiccupping in surprise.

“Yes. It was supposed to be a surprise for his sixth birthday. She personally invited the priest to conduct the ceremony.”

“And? Did it happen?”

“Well… Adrian refused. The priest eventually decided to leave, but he left behind some holy water as a birthday gift. The Madam took it and sprinkled it on Adrian. That’s when everything went wrong. The Madam claimed that the holy water burned Adrian’s skin and said it was proof that a demon was inside him. Of course, no one else saw it happen.”

“Wait, a demon?”

“Exactly. There’s no such thing as demons. If Adrian really were possessed, don’t you think something terrible would’ve happened to this household by now? At first, everyone was scared because of how loudly the Madam screamed about it. But over time, people just started thinking she’d lost her mind. Most of the staff who were around back then have already left.”

“And the rest? Did they quit?”

“Some quit, others just disappeared. You know how it is—workers leave when things get tough, and no one bothers looking for them.”

“...”

“After that, the Madam started staying in her room most of the time. She mumbles to herself a lot, and some of the things she says are genuinely creepy. If you ever have to serve her, pretend you didn’t hear anything. Especially if she starts talking about Adrian—it only makes her more agitated.”

“So… the room today…”

“The Madam went to Adrian’s room while no one was around and threw a fit, screaming about demons again. That’s probably why it’s in such a state. Whenever this happens, we just clean it up quietly. It wouldn’t do any good for people to know the Madam’s not in her right mind.”

“Wait. You said not many people know about this incident anymore, right? Who does?”

“Let’s see… There’s me, Leticia, you, Emily… The Count and Madam, of course. Alban knows, and maybe Dolores. That’s about it.”

I paused to think, trying to see things from Adrian’s perspective. If he truly were a demon, holy water and baptisms would be his natural enemies. If those were evidence of his identity, what would he do?

Kill anyone who knew about it.

“Wait, Sis. Did you come downstairs alone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who’s still in the room?”

Katarina’s eyes widened as she realized what I was asking.

“Well, Adrian and Leticia, I suppose. No one else would go to his room right now.”

“Oh no!”

“What’s wrong? Are you worried the Madam will show up? Don’t be—”

I didn’t have time to listen. I shook off Katarina’s hand and bolted out of the kitchen.

I’d been so busy digging for answers that I hadn’t realized who I’d left alone with Adrian.

Don’t kill her. Oh, please. God, no.

Taking the stairs two or three at a time, I sprinted up to the fourth floor without stopping. The alarm, which had been quiet earlier, started blaring red again as I neared Adrian’s room.

BANG!

I reached the door and turned the knob without hesitation. Inside, Leticia stood with her back turned, folding the shredded curtains. Adrian, standing behind her, froze mid-motion as my shout rang out.

“Leticia!”

Adrian stilled for a fraction of a second before slowly lowering his hand. Leticia turned, startled, but she didn’t seem to notice anything suspicious.

“W-what’s wrong, Hilda?” she asked.

“I… um… Leticia, could you come to the kitchen with me for a moment?”

“Why? Did something happen?”

“I-it’s urgent! You need to see it right away!”

Leticia frowned, clearly unconvinced. “I’ll finish up here and come later. The curtains need to be folded first—”

“No, no, no! It’s really urgent. You have to come now!”

Her sigh was heavy with frustration, but she relented. “Fine, fine. What’s so important?”

“Quickly! I’ll carry the curtains for you!”

I grabbed the thick fabric before she could argue further.

“Alright, alright. Adrian, forgive me. There’s some commotion in the kitchen, but I’ll return shortly to finish cleaning.”

“…Very well,” Adrian replied, stepping back gracefully with an expression as inscrutable as ever.

I practically dragged Leticia out of the room, my pulse still racing as Adrian’s gaze followed me out.