How to Escape from the Yandere’s Crazy Obsession - Chapter 97
“Well, I don’t think anyone will notice. But since we’re hungry, let’s go down for dinner.”
Creak.
The sound of the door opening echoed loudly. The enormous castle was so deathly quiet that each step they took made their shoes resound through the hallways.
Where had all those people from earlier gone? Not even the sound of their breathing could be heard. It felt like she and Vallon were the only two people in the entire castle.
Leticia rubbed her arms, a chill creeping over her at the eerie atmosphere inside the castle.
As they walked, she noticed how the floor and the cracks in the windows were spotless, without a single speck of dust. It was so clean that it felt unnaturally so.
How do they manage to keep such a big castle this immaculate?
She was once again impressed by the Duchess’s capabilities in maintaining the household’s internal affairs. She now understood why the servants had looked so stressed earlier—it would take all day just to keep a place like this clean.
Even though the castle was flawlessly maintained, it felt cold and lifeless, perhaps due to its sheer size. There was no warmth, just an overwhelming sense of emptiness.
Why can’t we see anyone around?
“They’re probably working out of sight somewhere.”
“It’s so quiet, it’s unsettling.”
“Why? I like it. It feels like it’s just the two of us.”
How could the absence of others feel this uncomfortable? Leticia’s gaze fell to the floor.
‘Huh?’
Something was strange. There was a shadow under her feet, but none under Vallon’s. How could that be possible?
She rubbed her eyes, thinking she had seen wrong, but when she looked again, there was still no shadow beneath Vallon.
It felt like she was seeing a ghost.
Had Vallon always been without a shadow? No, that wasn’t it. She couldn’t recall paying much attention to his shadow before, but on the first day of school after winter break, she distinctly remembered looking at it.
A shadow is supposed to be a subtle presence, but Vallon’s had always felt eerie, as if there was something wrong with it, making her wonder if it was more than just a shadow.
Maybe it was because of those dreams she’d had, where shadowy monsters attacked her. But now she was certain. There was something off about Vallon’s shadow.
Could it be that he was able to move freely using his shadow? Was it his eyes and ears, allowing him to know everything that had been happening all this time?
It didn’t seem far-fetched. Could Vallon really control his shadow as if it were a subordinate? Could that actually be possible?
Feeling a sudden wave of fear, Leticia looked at Vallon, who was holding her hand.
I can’t let him see that I’m scared. I need to act normal. If Vallon senses that I’ve discovered something, who knows how he’ll react.
With her nerves on high alert, they finally arrived at a large set of doors. From the slight gap between them, the delicious scent of food wafted out.
“Shall we go in?”
Would the Duke and Duchess be waiting for her inside? Leticia took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
As the heavy doors swung open, she could finally see what was behind them.
But no one was there. There was only a long table, large enough to seat twenty people, laden with more food than the two of them could ever eat.
Who’s going to eat all that?
Do high-ranking nobles always eat like this? Leticia’s family wasn’t poor, and she never thought they lacked for anything, but seeing the opulence of the Duke’s dining table made her realize just how modest her own home was by comparison.
The dining room, which was twice the size of Vallon’s room, was staffed only by a few servants, just enough to serve the table.
Leticia couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face.
“Are you upset that it’s just the two of us?”
Vallon gently wrapped his arm around her slender waist and led her toward the grand table.
“N-No? Why would I be disappointed? Are more people coming, Vallon?”
“No?”
“Then who’s going to eat all this food?”
“We are.”
Vallon pulled a chair back with a scrape and seated Leticia in it. Then, instead of sitting across from her, he took a seat right next to her.
“Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”
It was hard to imagine being able to eat comfortably in such an uncomfortable atmosphere. The servants, with their heads bowed low, looked like cows being led to slaughter. Their faces were all filled with fear, just like hers.
They, too, were scared of Vallon. After all, they had known him for much longer than she had, so they probably understood him better.
There was no way this madman had been behaving normally just because he was at home.
Still, she couldn’t show her discomfort. Leticia picked up a knife and fork, doing her best to cut the meat and force it into her mouth.
