BCHG Chapter 41

Still, it was a relief. If he had said no, I was wondering if I would have to catch a rat from the mansion or something. Anyway, if the next favor is of this kind, it seems like I could easily solve it.

 

“So, what’s the next favor?”

 

“That’s a secret. First, come up to the third floor. Then I’ll tell you what the second favor is.”

 

As I heard those words, I felt a sense of unease. I needed to figure out a way to get out of this mansion as soon as possible. But he said he would reveal the second request only when the third floor was opened. As more floors are opened, more clues will appear, and Lian will get closer to the truth…

 

Is that what this demon is aiming for too? Seeing that smirk on his face, it seemed likely.

 

“Then see you on the third floor, Lady.” He chuckled and snapped his fingers. With that, his figure vanished without a trace.

 

I stared at the empty space for a moment before standing up. My mind was a mess. The more I talked to the grand duke, the worse I felt. I’d rather be with Isaac.

 

If I’m late, Isaac will cause a fuss again, so I should hurry. As I carefully scanned my surroundings and headed toward the library, a strange sound came from the corridor ahead.

 

Grrrrr…

 

A chill ran down my spine. That was the sound of the ‘pet.’

 

A huge shadow appeared at the end of the hallway. The creature, in the shape of a four-legged beast, was distorted as if it had melted, and it had no face. It resembled both a human and a giant dog, sniffing around with a nose that wasn’t even visible.

 

Nothing good would come from encountering it. As I tried to carefully avoid it, I heard the sound of someone running in a panic.

 

“Aah, get away! Don’t come closer!”

 

Startled, I turned around to see someone running while shouting. Behind them, the pet was chasing closely.

 

Making that much noise would immediately draw attention…!

 

Just as that worry crossed my mind, a dreadful feeling came over me. When I looked back, the pet was already looking this way. To be precise, it was looking at me.

 

Growwwl!

 

The pet was charging toward me from both directions. Thankfully, there was a side path halfway down the corridor. I ran with all my might in that direction. Dashing sideways into a random room, I threw myself in and slammed the door shut. The door clicked close, but it wasn’t fully locked.

 

“Ahhhh—!”

 

Then, a scream close to a death cry echoed from outside. No, it might have been a true death cry.

 

The sound of something gnashing and chewing rang out, followed by heavy footsteps. I backed up, trembling with fear.

 

The pet was smarter than I had expected. Since it had noticed me fleeing, it was likely searching for me. As if to confirm my suspicion, a loud bang shook the door. It seemed to be trying to break it down.

 

Damn it, damn it! What should I do? There was nowhere to hide in this room. Looking around, the only thing hanging on the wall was a single sword. If I were at least human, I might have been able to grab the sword…!

 

Then, suddenly, I remembered something the grand duke had given me last time.

 

“A transformation stone. With this, you can change your appearance to whatever you want.”

 

It was exactly the item I needed in this situation. I hurriedly took the transformation stone out of my inventory.

 

[Do you want to use the transformation stone?]

 

YES! YES! I urgently pressed YES, and I could feel my perspective rising in an instant. Looking down at my hands, I saw human hands.

 

There was no time to be surprised. I hurriedly pushed the sofa against the door and picked up the sword. It seemed sharp, even though it was just a decorative piece. With this…!

 

Bang!

 

The door cracked, and a small gap opened. Thanks to the sofa, it didn’t fully open right away. The pet was trying to wedge its head through the gap. It looked like the door would open any moment.

 

There was only one thing I could do.

 

Slash! I drove the sword into the monster’s head with all my strength. The creature let out a pained groan, but I didn’t have time to care about that. Once, twice, three times… Each time I plunged the sword, the monster’s movements slowed until finally, it stopped moving altogether.

 

“Gasp, gasp…”

 

I barely managed to kill the monster.

 

Come to think of it, there was another one… what happened to that one…?

 

Outside, everything was silent. I held my breath for a long time, thinking it might be waiting, but it didn’t come inside.

 

When I cautiously stepped out, the monster was gone. Instead, there was just a horribly mutilated corpse. It seemed the pet had been satisfied after killing one person and had left.

 

A sense of relief and sadness washed over me as I sighed and left the room. I had to find a safe place as soon as possible. To Isaac’s study…

 

…Wait. I glanced at my reflection in a hallway mirror. The person looking back at me was dressed in a maid’s outfit.

 

Isaac was protecting me as a cat, not as a human. That meant going to the study like this wouldn’t be good at all. I should find Lian instead. He must have been summoned today, right? I had to find him, please.

 

I held the sword and cautiously scanned my surroundings, but everything was quiet. I couldn’t tell if I should be thankful for the silence or not. As I trembled and searched, I saw a headless butler wandering in the distance.

 

Startled, I rushed into a nearby room. At this rate, it would head this way. It was better to hide than to try to run away. I opened a wardrobe, slipped inside, and hid myself. With a sword in one hand, I calmed my breathing. If the door opened, I’d strike immediately. Just strike…!

 

I could only hear the pounding of my heart. Then, I heard footsteps approaching. I gripped the sword tightly. The wardrobe door slowly creaked open, and light streamed in. I stabbed through the gap.

 

Thud! But what I struck was thin air, and I tumbled to the floor.

 

This is bad, if I don’t attack right away…!

 

“…You?”

 

At that moment, a bewildered voice reached my ears. When I hastily turned around, there stood Isaac. I wasn’t sure if I should feel relieved or not. As I froze and stared at him, Isaac, too, looked surprised.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Given his sudden appearance, it was no wonder Isaac was shocked. I had to pretend I was equally surprised and make up an excuse.

 

“Ma-Master? Master…!”

 

I threw myself into Isaac’s arms, pretending to be on the verge of tears. He seemed flustered but didn’t push me away.

 

“W-What is this place? I suddenly woke up here, and a monster appeared…”

 

“Wait. Calm down, calm down.” He patted my back, trying to comfort me.

 

Unexpectedly kind, wasn’t he? I thought he’d be cold, but he seemed to be gentle to familiar faces.

 

“Master, where are we? Have we been kidnapped?”

 

“No. It’s a long story if I explain it…” Isaac seemed troubled, not knowing how to explain. Then, he withdrew his hand from my back and stood up. “… Let’s get out of here for now. Stand up. Are you hurt?”

 

“N-No. I’m fine…”

 

“There are many monsters roaming around here. It’s better to stay with me.”

 

At times like this, he was truly reassuring. Since it was dangerous to roam around in human form, staying with him seemed like the best option. Though I regretted not being able to gather items today, survival was the priority.

 

Isaac helped me up, and we took a step outside. Then, as if something suddenly came to his mind, he asked me. “By the way… have you seen a cat around here?”

 

“Huh?”

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