Becoming a Cat in a Horror Game

Just facing him now made me want to cry—how was I supposed to endure four years of this?

 

I could barely breathe. As I sat there in a daze, a passing maid noticed me and asked in a puzzled tone.

 

“Hey, you’re the new girl, right? What are you doing here? Go get to work.”

 

“Ah, yes…”

 

I staggered back to work. It was window-cleaning again, but I couldn’t focus at all.

 

How could I escape? How…

 

As I finished cleaning another window, a system window popped up.

 

[You have completed window cleaning. Bonus +1 copper.]

 

How much is 1 copper worth?

 

I pulled up the system window and saw that there was a display for 1 copper alongside my inventory. Wait, what about the 50 gold I supposedly advanced?

 

A question mark appeared next to the 1 copper, so I clicked on it, and this window appeared.

 

[100 copper = 1 silver]

[100 silver = 1 gold]

 

…Are you kidding me? So I have to clean 100 windows just to earn 1 silver? And I’d have to clean 10,000 windows to make 1 gold? This is crazy—I’ll never escape at this rate!

 

“Mia, if you’re done with the windows, go do the laundry.”

 

“Yes, right away…!”

 

After working like mad all day, I finally returned to the dorm. Exhaustion hit me like a brick wall.

 

“Ugh…”

 

This is insane. I never realized being a maid was this hard. The only silver lining was that I managed to earn some money in the meantime…

 

[Current Funds: 1 silver 10 copper.]

 

The meager amount made me want to cry.

 

I flopped onto the bed, staring at the system window, and let out a deep sigh. How was I supposed to gather 50 gold at this rate? The thought of repaying the debt filled me with dread.

 

“Sigh…”

 

Meanwhile, the clock was inching closer to midnight.

 

Would I be dragged into the Night World today…?

 

The night world came for the protagonist at random intervals—sometimes every night for a week, other times after a month.

 

What would happen tonight? In the game, it was inevitable to be pulled in after midnight…

 

Tick, tock… Even after midnight passed, nothing happened. It was quiet. In a way, it was a relief since I was planning to escape anyway.

 

Some might ask why I was so determined to flee when Isaac was so kind at night. But that was because I was a cat! Isaac was only kind to the cat Mia; he was cold to me!

 

I may have died for Isaac, but the person in front of me now was no longer the Isaac I knew. Since I couldn’t pay off the debt in four years, I decided to make a run for it. I didn’t know how I’d survive outside, but it had to be better than this.

 

I clenched my fists. Alright, let’s run away tonight.

 

Gathering my clothes and a few belongings, I slipped outside. I had scouted out the back door while working today. Fortunately, I didn’t run into anyone as I left. The entire mansion was eerily quiet as if everyone was asleep.

 

“Phew…”

 

Once I left the mansion, I found myself in a residential area. The town was silent in the night. Only a few streetlights cast a faint glow, adding to the overall sense of desolation. The absence of people made the place feel even more eerie, but at least there were no witnesses.

 

Alright, let’s get out of this town.

 

Having lived as a stray cat, this world didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar to me. But this wasn’t the same town where the Dias mansion was located. Did they move?

 

As I walked quickly, lost in thought, someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder from behind. I screamed in surprise.

 

“Kyaa! W-What the?”

 

When I turned around, I saw a man with a gentle expression standing there, smiling.

 

“Why are you alone at this hour…? Is something wrong?”

 

Though he wore a friendly smile, my instincts, honed from life on the streets, told me this man was dangerous. His mouth was smiling, but his eyes weren’t.

 

I forced a smile and took a step back. “No, I’m fine. I was just on my way home.”

 

“Shall I escort you, then?”

 

“No! I can manage on my own.”

 

“Don’t refuse. It’s dangerous for a woman to be out alone at this hour.” The man grabbed my arm and started dragging me along.

 

A shiver ran down my spine. I tried to break free, but he was too strong. Blood was draining from my face.

 

I’d just escaped a murderer, and now I was dealing with a kidnapper? Who knew what he’d do if he took me away?

 

I struggled and screamed with all my might. “Aack! Help! Somebody help me!” But no one came, no matter how much I screamed.

 

The man growled as he dragged me into an alley. “Shut up, or you’ll regret it…”

 

Thud. Just then, a stone flew through the air and hit the man on the head. He let out a groan, releasing me as he turned to see where the stone had come from.

 

“Damn it… Who are you?”

 

Trembling, I turned around. And I couldn’t help but be surprised at the person standing there.

 

“Isaac…?”

 

It was Isaac standing there. He looked as if he’d just returned from an outing, impeccably dressed.

 

Isaac glanced between me and the man with a cold expression before speaking. “What’s my maid doing outside at this hour?”

 

I never thought I’d be glad to see a murderer.

 

As I sat trembling on the ground, Isaac approached the man. Perhaps recognizing Isaac as a noble, the man seemed to shrink back a bit. He clicked his tongue and said, “Ah, so she’s your maid. I thought she was lost, so I was just trying to help h—”

 

Thud. Before the man could finish his sentence, Isaac’s fist slammed into the man’s jaw. The large man staggered, almost falling before catching himself against the wall.

 

“Ah, crazy… You crazy b*stard…!”

 

The man snarled and charged at Isaac, but it was useless. Isaac swiftly dodged the attack and then kneed the man in the stomach. As the man doubled over with a grunt, Isaac grabbed his head and slammed it against the wall. A dull thud echoed. Thud!

 

I watched Isaac fight. At first, he seemed dependable, but as time went on, I started to feel scared. The man was already unconscious and covered in blood, but Isaac kept slamming his head against the wall. Even in such a brutal situation, Isaac’s face remained expressionless, sending chills down my spine.

 

After a long series of thuds, Isaac finally let go. The man collapsed limply.

 

Is he… dead?

 

Then Isaac turned to me.

 

He wasn’t going to kill me for running away, was he?

 

As I trembled, he took out a handkerchief and wiped his blood-stained hands, saying, “Why are you here at this hour?”

 

“I, that…”

 

“Were you trying to run away?”

 

“I’m, sorry…” An apology slipped out of my mouth without me realizing it.

 

Isaac clicked his tongue in annoyance, then extended his hand toward me. “Get up.”

 

“…”

 

“We’ll discuss your situation back at the mansion.”

 

My situation? What does he mean by that… He’s not going to kill me, right?

 

Hesitantly, I took Isaac’s hand and stood up. After helping me up, he turned and began walking back toward the mansion without hesitation.

 

But why was he out at this hour? What could he have been doing in the middle of the night…?

 

As I watched him uneasily from behind, we entered the mansion together.

 

“Follow me.”

 

Isaac’s cold voice sent a shiver down my spine. I still wasn’t used to seeing this cold side of him. I cautiously followed Isaac into his office. He sat down at his desk and spoke.

 

“Do you remember the contents of the contract?”

 

“Contract…?”

 

No, I didn’t remember. What was written in that contract?

 

He pulled out a thick stack of papers from a drawer, took out one sheet, and handed it to me. “Read it.”

 

I carefully took the contract and skimmed through it. When I reached one particular clause, my voice trembled.

 

“T-Triple the penalty…?!”

 

There was a clause stating that if I tried to escape, I would have to pay triple the amount as a penalty.

 

Wait a minute, if it’s triple…

 

“Yes, that’s 150 gold.”

 

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