* * *
The midday sunlight was shining through the window. Mia’s father collapsed onto the sofa, wanting to drink wine straight from the bottle. His face, flushed red with intoxication, was wrinkled with frustration. No wonder—after days of gambling, not only had he squandered everything, but he had also accumulated a massive debt. Mia’s father ground his teeth.
It’s all because of that b*stard. That Raphael or whatever his name is…!
At first, when he lent him money without hesitation, Mia’s father thought he was a good person. But it only took a few days for him to realize it was a trap. While his winning percentage in the games was high, by the end of each round, he had no money left. In the rounds with small bets, Mia’s father won, but in the rounds with big stakes, Raphael always emerged victorious.
That b*stard, he played me…!
He thought it was just a coincidence at first, but after days of the same pattern, he realized it was intentional. Unfortunately, the realization came too late. Even Mia’s father, who had been borrowing money as easily as drinking water, was shocked at the mountain of debt he had accumulated.
No, it’s fine. I have Mia. If she managed to gather that much money in just a few months… Surely, she could pay this amount off as well. After all, Raphael had lent the money without interest.
But how did she manage to gather that much money just working as a maid? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with a reason.
After some time, he smiled. Ah, she must be her master’s lover or something.
Mia was quite pretty, after all. It would be great if she didn’t just stay as a lover but married into that household. Thinking that way lifted his spirits a little, and he chuckled.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Stumbling, he approached the door and opened it to find the postman standing there. The postman wrinkled his nose at the strong smell of alcohol but handed him an envelope from his bag.
“A letter has arrived. I’ll be on my way.”
After the postman left, Mia’s father checked the sender but didn’t recognize the name.
“Who sent this?”
Without much thought, he opened the envelope and checked the contents. Inside was a strange symbol. It gave him an eerie feeling. Crumpling the paper, he tossed it onto the street and returned inside.
By evening, more guests had arrived. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Raphael hadn’t shown up. The gambling went on until just before midnight. As the game ended, the guests spoke enviously to Mia’s father.
“You were on fire today.”
“Yeah, looks like you made quite a bit.”
Indeed, today, the game had been in Mia’s father’s favor. He kept getting great hands, and the games flowed smoothly, likely thanks to his bold decisions. He had made a considerable amount of money, and a broad grin spread across his face.
He pulled out a few gold coins and handed them to his guests. “Here, take this and cheer up. Come back tomorrow, alright?”
“Sure, tomorrow I’ll have my revenge, so be prepared.”
The guests left with playful smiles, and Mia’s father was left alone, laughing happily to himself. If only every day could be like today.
Humming a tune, he headed toward his bedroom, but just then, the clock on the wall struck twelve. Daeng, Daeng, Daeng… A loud sound echoed from the living room, and his vision started to blur. Had he drunk too much?
As he staggered and tried to steady himself, he realized the surroundings had changed. He was no longer in his house but in a grand yet ominous mansion. It was too vivid to be a dream, and he stood there, bewildered, staring at the scene.
“What the hell is this…”
He had no idea what was happening. As he looked around the mansion, a familiar yet sharp voice rang out from somewhere.
“Damn it! Where the hell is this place?”
Following the voice, he saw two loan sharks he often dealt with at his favorite office. Why were they here? The loan sharks, in turn, noticed Mia’s father.
“Huh? You’re one of our customers…”
“Yes, it’s me. I didn’t expect to see you here. Do you know where we are?”
“No, we don’t. We suddenly ended up here, too…”
What on earth was going on? As they exchanged meaningless conversation, they heard footsteps approaching. Light, dry footsteps.
Looking toward the sound, they saw a man standing there. He was a breathtakingly beautiful figure. His silver hair framed piercing silver-gray eyes, and his expressionless face gave him the appearance of a ghost. Mia’s father didn’t recognize him, but the loan sharks did. Their voices were filled with shock.
“Huh? You’re that noble who came with that debtor, right?”
Without a word, Isaac approached them. At that moment, Mia’s father noticed something in his hand. Isaac was holding a longsword. Seeing the sword, Mia’s father instinctively took a step back. The loan sharks reacted similarly.
“W-What the hell? That sword…!”
“He’s crazy! Run!”
But Isaac was faster than they were. He swung his sword, and the loan sharks fell with final screams. In an instant, the air was filled with the scent of blood.
Mia’s father collapsed, trembling in fear. Isaac slowly turned to him. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were filled with boundless malice and contempt.
* * *
“Huu…”
I let out a long sigh as soon as I woke up. I had been worrying about money problems until late last night, and the same thoughts plagued me as soon as I woke up. What should I do? Even at this moment, could my father be piling on more debt?
I had no idea when the debt would end. The amount owed to the loan sharks had already reached several hundred gold coins. What on earth was he spending so much money on? No, it wasn’t just gambling. Despite being deep in debt, my father lived in a luxurious house and wore expensive clothes. His vanity and indulgence were certainly contributing.
“Haa…”
Thinking about how any money I earned would just disappear made me not want to get up. Could I ever escape from here…?
Still, I had to work. I dragged myself out of bed, attended the morning assembly, and was on my way to attend to Raphael when one of the maids came running.
“Mia! An urgent letter has arrived for you!”
“A letter?”
Who could possibly be sending me a letter? I took the envelope in confusion, only to find it was a death notice.
[Your father has passed away from a heart attack. Please arrange the funeral as soon as possible.]
…My father is dead? At that moment, instead of feeling sorrow, I felt a sense of relief. Now, I wouldn’t have to worry about the debt anymore. But after that thought came a sense of doubt.
My father… dead? At such perfect timing? Then my eyes fell on the cause of death: a heart attack. In the game, when someone died in the mansion at night, their real body would die from a heart attack.
I suddenly recalled something Isaac had said, whispering to me in the rain as he held me close.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of it.”
Could Isaac have killed my father?
I stood there for a long time, unsure whether to feel joy at my father’s death or sorrow over Isaac’s possible involvement in murder.
* * *
Isaac was sitting in his office, looking over some papers. His face was as expressionless as ever. He had been silently focused for a long time when a knock at the door made him finally lift his head.
“Come in.”
The person who entered was Mia. She looked somewhat drained, and Isaac’s hand twitched slightly.
Mia bowed her head and spoke quietly. “Thanks to the time off Master gave me, I was able to take care of the funeral. Thank you.”
“…I see.”
Isaac watched Mia’s reaction closely.
The loan sharks who had tormented her, and her father, were now gone. She should have been happy, but Mia didn’t seem that way. Why wasn’t she pleased? Then suddenly, Isaac reflected on why he was so concerned about Mia’s attitude.
Why did he want to make her happy?
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