BCHG Chapter 47

I didn’t want Isaac to live a lonely life. Whether it was with a cat or people, I hoped many hearts would stay by his side, sharing emotions and companionship.

 

Isaac couldn’t easily respond to my words, so I urged him by tapping his thigh.

 

“…Alright. I’ll keep feeding that cat. But I won’t be as kind to it as I am to you.”

 

Of course, that’s only natural. You should adore me the most and be just a little kind to others.

 

Satisfied, I climbed onto Isaac’s lap and kneaded him. Time passed peacefully like that.

 

After three hours, I lifted my head to look at Isaac. He seemed to understand that it meant I was ready to leave, and with a bit of reluctance, he let me go.

 

“Be careful, alright?”

 

“Meow.”

 

I left the study and started looking for Lian. Since I’d already hidden all the information about the Dias mansion on the second floor, it seemed like it was time to help open up the third floor.

 

While wandering around, I saw Lian coming out of a room. He smiled brightly when he saw me.

 

“Ah, Mia! You’re here today.”

 

“Meow.”

 

Nice to see you, Lian.

 

He approached me and set the Ouija board in front of me. “Sorry for jumping straight to questions. There are a few rooms I haven’t been able to open, and I don’t know how. I thought you might know.”

 

-Where?

 

“One of them is the room with a nameplate that says ‘Parlor.’”

 

Ah, that place. I didn’t want to go in there, but there was no choice if we wanted to unlock the third floor.

 

I placed my paw on the Ouija board and guided him on how to proceed, and then we carefully started moving. As we quietly followed along, I heard the sound of steady footsteps. Normally, I’d avoid those footsteps, but today wasn’t one of those days.

 

Lian and I exchanged glances, and he moved toward the sound. What emerged from the darkness was a headless butler. It turned its body to face us. Even without a head, I could tell—it had noticed us.

 

The moment it spotted us, the butler started charging at full speed. My fur stood on end instinctively. Encountering the butler head-on, something we usually avoided, gave me chills.

 

In the past, we could simply run from creatures like this, but not today. The butler had the key to the next room, so we had to get it. When I played the game, I died several times due to my lack of control…

 

As the butler closed in, sharp spider-like legs sprouted from its severed neck.

 

Ugh, disgusting!

 

Just as I recoiled in horror, Lian leaped forward. Clang! The sharp sound echoed as Lian’s sword clashed with the spider legs. The legs were so strong and sharp that they couldn’t be cut even by a sword. One of the legs aimed for Lian’s head, but Lian skillfully blocked every attack, driving the butler back.

 

As the butler began to retreat, Lian struck the legs with force. Stab! Seizing the opening, he plunged his sword into the butler’s torso. It must have been a critical hit as the butler staggered heavily.

 

Slash! Lian didn’t hesitate and delivered a final blow, slashing the butler down. A thick, ink-like black liquid oozed from the wound. The butler collapsed.

 

Though my heart was still pounding, Lian seemed unfazed. He looked at me and smiled. “Didn’t I tell you not to worry? I’m pretty strong, after all.”

 

Impressive, Lian… If I were human, I would’ve applauded.

 

Lian retrieved the key from the butler’s body and headed toward the parlor. When he opened the door, a bizarre scene greeted us. A round table was set with a three-tiered tray of desserts, teacups, and a teapot. There were six chairs around the large table, and five of them were occupied by what appeared to be mannequins. All of them were headless, making them look like corpses.

 

I had already informed Lian about this room, but it was still a shocking sight, even when expected. Lian frowned.

 

“So, I just need to fill the empty seat?”

 

I nodded.

 

To solve the puzzle, the empty seat had to be filled, but if a player sat there, they would instantly be decapitated and die. One solution was to force another survivor to sit in the chair, but there was an easier method.

 

Following my instructions, Lian dragged the butler’s body into the room and seated it in the empty chair. With that, the tea party was complete.

 

At the same moment, a bookshelf on the far wall began to shake, revealing a hidden door. Lian stood up and walked toward the bookshelf. Behind it was an iron door and a lever mounted on the wall. Lian turned to me and asked, “What do we do now?”

 

This puzzle could be either simple or challenging. Pulling the lever opened the door, and the path led to a hidden gem. All we had to do was retrieve the gem, but the catch was that the door only stayed open while the lever was pulled. If the lever was released, the door would close, trapping the player inside and forcing them to navigate through traps and puzzles to escape. However, there was a loophole in the puzzle, so I decided to use a transformation stone.

 

“Huh?”

 

When I transformed into my human form, Lian looked utterly shocked. His eyes widened as he spoke.

 

“Mia, you can transform into a human?”

 

“Yes, but only for an hour each day. I’ll hold the lever while you grab the red gem inside.”

 

“Got it.”

 

Lian didn’t hesitate and went inside. Once he entered, I held the lever down. Normally, the lever would slowly rise, causing the door to close, but since I was holding it, the door remained open.

 

A few minutes later, Lian returned. He looked astonished as he spoke. “I can’t believe we made it through this trap so easily…”

 

“Thanks to me, right?”

 

“Yes, it’s all thanks to you, Mia.”

 

[Lian’s affection has increased by 3]

[Current Lian’s affection: 50]

 

He grinned, and I couldn’t help but giggle along with him.

 

Lian moved closer to me and asked, “So, where do we go next?”

 

“Now, we need to find the blue orb. It’s located—”

 

As Lian and I left the parlor, an unexpected figure stood there.

 

“Mia?”

 

It was Isaac. Why is he here…? I didn’t want to run into him while in human form.

 

I awkwardly smiled at Isaac. “Hello, Master.”

 

“…Hello.”

 

Isaac looked at me with a strange expression, then glanced at Lian. Lian, in turn, looked back at him as if to ask, ‘What are you looking at?’

 

“You two were together.”

 

“We’re a couple, after all.”

 

Oh, right. That was our cover story.

 

Isaac’s expression grew even more peculiar at that comment. What’s with that face?

 

Isaac looked between me and Lian before speaking. “So, what were you doing?”

 

“We were solving the mansion’s traps. What do you want?” Lian’s tone was a bit blunt. It was no secret that the two didn’t get along.

 

I watched anxiously, hoping they wouldn’t start a fight. After a moment, Isaac spoke.

 

“I’ll help too.”

 

“What?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

I stared at Isaac, taken aback. He wanted to help us?

 

Lian, looking incredulous, asked, “You’ve stood by all this time. What’s gotten into you?”

 

“Everyone else is a stranger, but Mia is my person. That’s why I want to help.”

 

That was unexpected. After killing me, he’s now showing kindness?

 

Lian was momentarily speechless, unable to come up with a rebuttal.

 

“Whatever you’re planning, lead the way.”

 

“Sorry, but Mia and I can handle this. We don’t need your help.”

 

Instead of responding to Lian, Isaac simply looked at me. His silver-gray eyes were calm. “Do you not need my help either, Mia?”

 

How was I supposed to respond to that? There’s no employee in the world who could say to their employer that they don’t need their help, right?

 

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