The dolls’ heads shook as they laughed.
In the original game, you’d need to go to another location to figure out who the seeker was… But I already knew who the seeker was.
As I scanned the laughing dolls, one in particular caught my eye—a red-haired doll in a green dress. I quickly touched the doll, and the laughter stopped instantly. If I had picked the wrong one, the dolls would have attacked immediately, so I was lucky to get it right on the first try.
The doll blinked at me, then its mouth opened, and a thin voice came out.
[They were the only ones left in the mansion. Everyone else was hiding in the annex. Now, hide well! It’s time for hide-and-seek!]
After saying that, the doll closed its mouth and wouldn’t speak again, no matter how many times I touched it.
Hiding in the annex? The annex was where the black magic rituals were conducted… Could ‘they’ be referring to the demon worshippers?
As questions continued to pile up in my mind, I moved on. I had gathered a clue, so now I could check the other rooms and look for the grand duke.
As I stepped into the hallway, I noticed people approaching from the other side. Each day, they looked more and more worn out, and there were fewer of them. For them, each night was a living hell, so their reactions were understandable. But today, their gazes seemed especially off.
Sensing something behind me, I turned around and saw someone standing there. The group exchanged glances and spoke.
“Is he here?”
“No, it looks like he didn’t come today.”
As I listened to their conversation, a sense of dread crept over me. One of them stepped forward and threw something at me.
“Mew?!”
It was a net. When did they prepare something like that? Caught off guard, I couldn’t dodge in time and was trapped.
Why is this happening again? There’s no more need for live sacrifices!
As one person grabbed me tightly, another looked uneasy and asked.
“Are you sure we can kill it? What if that madman goes on a rampage again…?”
“He’s not here now, is he? And if we kill this cat, everything will be over.”
Over? What would be over? I stared at them in confusion as the man continued.
“They said there’s something in this mansion that’s drawing us here. We need to find it.”
Ah, they must have seen the same hint. But just like before, they were misinterpreting it.
“But there’s no proof this cat is the one.”
“It summons the monsters, doesn’t it? On the first day, it cried, and a monster appeared. And when that monster with the same face showed up, it was crying too.”
That’s how they interpreted it? I was crying to warn them of danger…!
They seemed convinced by the explanation, exchanging nods.
One of them pulled out a dagger. “Yeah, if we kill this cat, it’ll all be over.”
No! I can’t die like this…!
Desperately searching for a way to save myself, I remembered the transformation stone in my inventory.
[Would you like to use the transformation stone?]
YES! YES!
I frantically hit the ‘YES’ button. In an instant, I felt my body shrink. Thanks to my smaller size, I slipped through the gaps in the net.
I heard the people shout in surprise.
“Look at that! It turned into a rat!”
“It must be a demon!”
I had thought about transforming into a person to try to reason with them, but I couldn’t be sure that would work. And even if I did transform, I wouldn’t be able to escape the net, so it was better to run away as a small rat.
For now, I had to get out of here immediately. I sprinted down the hallway. The sound of their footsteps behind me made it hard to breathe. They were yelling as they chased me.
“Where did it go?”
“Check over there! Let’s split up and look!”
At this rate, I was really going to die.
The face I wanted to see most right now was none other than Isaac’s.
Somebody, please help me…!
Just then, I felt someone lunge and grab hold of me.
“Got you, you little rat…!”
The hand holding me squeezed tighter and tighter. Was this person planning to kill me? I struggled and bit their fingers, but they didn’t seem like they were going to let go.
No, please…! No!
Even though I squeaked and cried, no one came to help. Was this how I was going to die? Just as my mind started to go blank, I heard a confused voice.
“Huh? Who on earth are you…”
Slash! There was a sickening sound of something being sliced, and the hand gripping me suddenly released.
I-I was saved…
As I lay on the ground gasping for breath, the stench of blood hit me. When I looked back, I saw a person lying there with their head severed. That made me want to scream.
At that moment, someone gently scooped me up. “Well, well. It seems you’re a mouse lady today instead of a cat lady.”
I looked up to see the grand duke’s face. His lips curled into a soft smile. It was the same smile I always saw from Raphael at the mansion.
I glanced back and forth between the dead body and Raphael and asked, “T-That person… Did Grand Duke kill him?”
“Yes. You looked like you were in danger.” He said this casually and then coughed lightly. Dark blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, which he wiped away with the back of his hand. “I’m not supposed to get involved, but I made an exception for you. I had to, didn’t I?”
I didn’t know exactly what he meant, but it seemed like he had helped me at a cost to himself.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. What was Raphael’s true goal? It was clear he had some sort of affection for me, but it was hard to fully trust him. For now, it seemed best to keep quiet about the fact that I had figured out Raphael’s identity.
As I was deep in thought, the grand duke gently cradled me in his hands. “Shall we head inside?”
He walked into a nearby room—a game room with a billiard table. Sitting down heavily on a chair, he placed me on the table.
“So, why were they chasing you this time?”
“They thought I was the one bringing monsters to the mansion, so they tried to kill me…”
Then I looked at Raphael. In the original game, Isaac was the culprit, but so much had changed from the original. Could Raphael be the real culprit?
I looked at him carefully and cautiously asked,
“Did Grand Duke bring us here?”
He chuckled softly and gently patted my head with his finger. “It’ll cost you if you want an answer to that question. What do you think?”
I was curious, but I didn’t want to take any more risks.
As I remained silent, the grand duke spoke in his usual relaxed tone. “I’ll just tell you this—if you kill Isaac, you can leave the mansion.”
So that part hasn’t changed. He had sworn on Icarus’ Wings, so it wasn’t a lie…
“So, what’s your second request?”
“There’s a monastery in the area where you live, right?”
“Yeah. You mean Ashwood Monastery?”
“That’s the one. They have a holy grail there—a chalice made of crystal…” The grand duke smiled quietly. “I’d like you to destroy it.”
“What?”
I was shocked by his unexpected request. Sneaking into a monastery to destroy a holy grail…! I had expected something sacrilegious, but not this. That certainly made me feel uneasy.
“What happens if it’s destroyed?”
“Nothing bad will happen to you or anyone around you. It’s just something personal.”
“Isn’t there another way?”
“No. Don’t you want to save Isaac?”
I did, but…
After thinking it over for a while, I clenched my paws. If it was to save Isaac, I had to be prepared to do something bad.
“It might take some time. Sneaking into a monastery won’t be easy…”
“You’ve got the gift I gave you. That should help.”
The transformation stone… It had already proven useful, so maybe it could help me find a way…
“Well then, no more problems, right? Have a good night, cat lady.” He chuckled and snapped his fingers. In an instant, he was gone.
I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty space where he had been. His intoxicating scent lingered for a long time.
NOTICE
Hello, Alyalia is here~
This will be the last chapter I will update on the Moonlight Novels since I’ll be transferring this novel to another site. Starting next week, you can find the new updates in here. Just click the word here (the bold one) and you’ll be directed to the new site right away. That’s all I have to say, thank you for reading it~
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