At that moment, the picture frame rattled, and a key and a piece of paper fell from behind it. The frame, which had previously seemed empty, now held these items.
“…Mia, you were right.”
Lian picked up the paper and began reading it. I wanted to see it too, but I figured he would tell me once he finished.
In the meantime, I found myself staring at the portraits again. The fact that I knew these faces made the atmosphere even more unsettling. The poem I had read earlier kept echoing in my head, particularly the lines about no one being left on the fourth day and only ‘they’ remaining on the fifth day. Who were ‘they’? The mansion must be referring to Dias Mansion, but…
I couldn’t make sense of it, so I stayed silent. Then Lian spoke in a hurried tone.
“Mia, take a look at this. There’s a note here from my brother.”
What could it be? Could it have something to do with Isaac? My heart raced as I read the contents.
[It’s been a month since we were brought to this mansion. Running from the monsters is unbearable, but at the same time, I’ve found clues to escape here and there. It seems someone is drawing us to this mansion. We must find out who they are.”
I was startled. This clue usually appears on the third floor… So why is it showing up on the second floor? The game I knew was becoming increasingly different, and it scared me, not knowing how far things would deviate.
“Alright, Mia. What should we do next?”
With the second floor fully explored, the staircase to the third floor should have opened. But since the third floor was the most dangerous, we decided to prepare for the day.
As Lian and I discussed our next steps, the final lines of that poem kept circling in my mind. Especially the part where only ‘they’ remained in the mansion. What could that mean?
* * *
For breakfast, the usual soup and bread were served. As I was eating my bread slowly, the maid next to me asked.
“Mia, what’s wrong? You look tired. Did something happen?”
“No, I just didn’t sleep well last night…” I gave an awkward smile.
Half of what I said was true, but half was a lie. My mind was a mess with all sorts of thoughts. The game was straying from the original story, Raphael being a demon, and that strange poem… It felt like something unknown was quietly moving in the background.
Then another maid, seated across from me, spoke up. “How was the party yesterday?”
“Um. It was a bit awkward…”
“Really? I’d love to go to one. It must be so much fun.”
That sparked a round of chatter among the maids, mostly about the party and Raphael.
“By the way, why did you go with Lord Raphael but return with Lord Isaac?”
“Lord Raphael had some urgent business…”
I offered a vague excuse, and the maids seemed to accept it. One maid, while cutting cheese, commented, “Well, he did leave in a rush at dawn. He must’ve been busy.”
Yes, Raphael had left early this morning, saying he had something urgent to take care of. Honestly, I was relieved—I wasn’t ready to face him again so soon.
As I sat there, I noticed some passing maids giving me sharp looks. Their expressions were filled with jealousy as they looked my way.
“Must be nice to be so favored. First the master, now even Lord Raphael. You must be enjoying this.”
Ever since I started receiving special attention from both Isaac and Raphael, I’d become the target of envy. Sigh… If only they knew it’s attention I didn’t want. I swallowed a sigh as one of the maids grumbled.
“If I were the personal maid, I’d do a much better job…”
I almost blurted out, ‘Please, take my place’.
Receiving the attention of a demon was quite suffocating. But there was no way I could explain that. I’d just have to endure the jealous looks…
By the way, I couldn’t stop thinking about Isaac and Raphael’s relationship. How could I find out more? Does Isaac know Raphael’s true identity? What kind of history do they share as mentor and student? Maybe if I raise Isaac’s affection a bit more, I’ll be able to ask him…
After finishing my breakfast, I stood up. “Well then, I’ll go see master!”
With Raphael gone, I had to attend to Isaac. It was oddly a relief to focus on him instead.
Come to think of it, Isaac had shown up unexpectedly last night. Had he been planning to attend the party? Or… was he following us? I should have felt uneasy about being followed, but since he had helped me, I didn’t mind so much.
I made my way to Isaac’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
When I entered, Isaac was fully dressed. He was adjusting his cufflinks but glanced at me as I walked in.
“Are you alright?”
“Pardon?”
“You seemed startled yesterday.”
It was nice that he was still worried about me, even after a day had passed. At times like this, he just seemed like a normal person…
“Yes, I’m fine, thanks to Master.”
“That’s good to hear.”
I stood quietly by the door, watching him. Now that I looked closely, his complexion seemed a bit pale… Was he sick?
When Isaac noticed me staring, he turned toward me. “Why?”
“Um, Master looks a little unwell…”
“…You must be mistaken.”
[Isaac’s affection has increased by 5]
[Current Isaac’s affection: 9]
Hmm? What is this? His affection went up again, but I had no idea why. He’s really hard to figure out…
Maybe I should call a doctor. While I was thinking that, a knock came at the door, and the butler entered with a slightly troubled expression.
“Excuse me, Master. A guest has arrived to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“It’s a detective. He says he has something to discuss about Toby’s disappearance…” The butler glanced at me as he spoke. “He’s asking for Mia.”
“Huh?”
He’s looking for me? Why? I couldn’t think of any reason and stood there, confused, when Isaac spoke.
“Take Mia with you. Is the detective in the parlor?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Alright. Come, Mia.”
Isaac strode out of the room, and I hurried to follow him. When we entered the parlor, a man was waiting for us. He was wearing a well-fitted coat and had a serious expression. Isaac narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man, who nodded slightly in greeting.
“You must be Mr. Isaac?”
“Yes, I am. And you are?”
“I’m a detective. I’ve come regarding the disappearance of Mr. Toby.”
Hearing Toby’s name made my heart sink. Memories I had tried to push away came rushing back. Isaac strangling Toby… Where had he hidden the body?
I remembered the damp, earthy smell that clung to Isaac after it happened. Toby was likely buried somewhere in the garden. Even so, I found myself worrying about Isaac. What if the detective figured things out and arrested him?
How ridiculous. After all, Toby was the one who died, yet here I was worrying about Isaac.
While I was lost in thought, Isaac and the detective sat across from each other on the sofa. As a maid, I stood quietly behind them, but Isaac glanced back at me.
“Sit.”
“Pardon?”
“Sit down. He’s here to see you, after all. He’s your guest.”
I hesitated before sitting next to Isaac.
The detective looked at me intently before speaking. “While investigating Mr. Toby’s disappearance, we learned that he frequented the post office. That’s where we started our search.”
“The post office?”
“Yes. The staff there remembered him well. They said he often sent letters under a false name.”
He sent letters under a false name? The more I listened, the stranger this all felt.
A maid came in and placed a cup of tea in front of us. The detective nodded in thanks and picked up his cup. Isaac, however, immediately asked.
“And how is the post office connected to Toby’s disappearance?”
“It’s not directly related. But… there was something strange.”
The detective pulled something from his coat and placed it on the table. It was a letter with unfamiliar names listed as the sender and recipient.
“We checked the post office box Mr. Toby used under his alias and found several letters. I read through them.”
Isaac picked up the letter and quickly skimmed its contents, his expression growing grim as he bit his lip. Why was he reacting like that?
“…I think you need to see this.” He handed the letter to me, and I felt a sense of dread as I took it.
When I read the short lines inside, I immediately understood why Isaac had been so unsettled. My name was clearly written in the letter.
[I don’t know how things are progressing with bringing Mia to our side. Let me know if you need more funds. I’ll send them along.]
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