A Horror Game Steeped in Immorality - Volume 1 - Part 6
“Leah.”
I could feel the strength in the hand wrapped around my shoulder blade. It wasn’t painful, but the grip was firm enough to feel.
“…You.”
Lycan chewed on his lips hesitantly. In that brief moment, I tried to predict what he might say next. If he asked, ‘Don’t you think there’s something suspicious about our mansion?’ how should I respond? It was crucial to first determine whether Lycan’s intention was to probe me or if he was genuinely curious. The safest answer would be, “I’m not sure.”
Lycan, who jogged in a storm, Lycan, who aggressively asked if I had seen anything—there were too many suspicious points.
“Do you like younger guys?”
“…What?”
“Damn it. I wonder if you’re into young, virg!n boys, Leah?”
Lycan seemed to hurt his own pride just by asking this question. I couldn’t manage my expression.
“What kind of strange question is that?”
Lycan, who had been fuming, suddenly lit up his eyes.
“So, you’re not into younger guys, right? Say that, Leah.”
“I’ve never thought about it.”
“Good. Never think about it. Don’t even entertain the possibility that a younger guy could be your match.”
“……”
Lost in his own world of imagination again. Lycan was always like this. Though incomprehensible, Lycan, who liked me, was full of persecution complex. He would ascribe meaning to every little action of mine, always concluding them negatively.
If I showed even a slight interest in other family members, he would claim he’s been abandoned and threaten to end his life. Because of Lycan, I’ve already been kicked out of the game five times.
“Don’t be fooled by that sly and mean brat, Lionel.”
“He’s our brother.”
“Don’t defend that bastard in front of me.”
“I’m not defending… Ugh, forget it.”
I walked past Lycan. I felt him following me a couple of steps behind. After I entered my bedroom, it took a long while before I heard his footsteps recede. Only after I had finished bathing alone in my attached bathroom without a servant did I hear his footsteps moving away.
“…How long was he standing there?”
* * *
“You better stay out of trouble until I return next week, Leah.”
“Do I look like a troublemaker to you?”
Four carriages were waiting in front of the vast main gate of the Albert family’s mansion. All the servants of the mansion lined up to bid farewell to Duke Daymond Albert as he left for the royal palace.
Just before boarding the carriage, Daymond took off his black leather gloves and caressed my cheek.
“It’s not Leah who causes trouble but the others.”
“Huh, what?”
“Leah, don’t disappoint your father.”
“……”
Daymond left these cryptic words behind and boarded the carriage. He didn’t even glance at Lycan and Lionel standing by my side before leaving. The coachman’s shout prompted the carriage to start powerfully.
I deeply sighed as I watched the carriage disappear.
When Daymond is not in the mansion, the murderer does not appear. In other words, this is a perfect opportunity to acquire a large number of items.
“Celina, that girl… Where on earth is she hiding when the master is leaving? It’s a good thing the head servant didn’t catch her.”
As I was planning to thoroughly search the annex and other hidden places for items, I overheard the servants whispering. It seemed that a servant named Celina had schemed to avoid attending the farewell procession. Well, that could happen.
“Shh, shh…”
“Why?”
“Never mention Celina’s name out loud again. The truth is, yesterday…”
[Surprise Mission: Affectionate Siblings. It seems Lionel has a concern. As a kind sister, listen to your brother’s worries and comfort him until he is satisfied. No time limit.]
[Reward: Piercing Eyes. You will be able to see the threat status of your family members as a numerical value.]
A sudden mission with an eye-popping item appeared. ‘Piercing Eyes’ is an item I managed to acquire only once in six plays, and it was incredibly useful in understanding the psychology of Lycan, who attempts suicide frequently. Out of six plays, five ended in the game over due to Lycan’s suicide, and once because I failed to find the murderer within a year.
In other words, preventing the suicide of the mentally fragile Lycan alone could significantly shorten the total game clearance time.
[Miss, will you undertake the mission?]
[YES / NO]
There was no need to think it over. Compared to the absurd mission of finding a single barley grain among six bags of rice in ten tries, this mission was like lying down and eating rice cakes, or blowing one’s nose without using hands.
“I’ll do it.”
[Would you like to start the mission immediately? Selecting ‘YES’ will automatically transport you to the front of Master Lionel’s room. If you are not yet mentally prepared, please select ‘NO’.]
“What preparation do I need? Just transport me now.”
It was essential to complete as many missions as possible and acquire good items while Duke Daymond was away.
[You are being transported to the front of Master Lionel’s bedroom.]
The scene in front of me blurred with streaks of thick blood, and my vision turned entirely red. Feeling as if I was floating, I tensed my toes to brace myself. As the blood mist dispersed and the surroundings gradually became clearer, I found myself instantly moved from the garden leading to the mansion’s main entrance, to right in front of Lionel’s bedroom.
[The mission begins.]
[You will not be able to find me until the mission is completed.]
“What? That’s not fair. You didn’t mention that!”
Despite my protest, there was no response from the system. Does this mean that if I don’t succeed in this sudden mission, the system won’t appear until the GAME OUT?
“Important conditions should be communicated in advance.”
Feeling utterly blindsided, I took solace in the mission’s minimal difficulty level. All I had to do was listen to Lionel’s worries and offer a few words of comfort.
Confidently, I opened the door to Lionel’s bedroom.
