Chapter 1. How To Protect The Master of The Monster Mansion.

The Day the Pampered Young Master Died for the 43rd Time

The young master I had lovingly raised for a whole year has died again. I'm going absolutely insane.

※You have failed to protect your charge.
※'Dian Redford' has died.
※Cause of death: Achillesia poisoning and excessive blood loss.

Crash!

While rummaging through drawers, I saw the status window pop up before my eyes and threw the medicine bottle I was holding in frustration.

Thud!

"Young master!"

As soon as I ran down the corridor and entered the bedroom, an ominously fragrant scent hit my nose.

The young master, who had been perfectly fine just moments ago, lay as if asleep on a pile of red flowers that had bloomed on the floor. His face looked so excessively beautiful and peaceful that he hardly seemed like someone who had stopped breathing.

But looking at the sticky pool of blood on the floor and those cursed flowers that only bloom from corpses, there was no doubt that the information in the status window was true.

The 'THE END' display that appeared in my vision right after, delivered the final confirmation. I sighed.

"This sunfish!"

No, really, it was just for a moment! He died in less than a minute while I was away getting an antidote.

I had earnestly begged him multiple times to stay quietly on the bed, which was the safe zone, so why did he come out and insist on crossing the river of death? He really was a young master who wouldn't listen.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"

"Kekekekekekekekekeke!"

The evil spirits who had succeeded in killing him scattered their spine-chilling laughter as background music as they were sucked into the darkness.

Bang! Bang!

Annoyed, I aimed the hunting rifle in my hands at the ghosts and fired. But since the ending had already occurred, the bullets that flew didn't affect the evil spirits.

Would you like to save the video of Episode 214?

[ ▶YES/NO ]

Finally, I clicked my tongue in displeasure and lowered the gun. Then I pressed  [YES]  in front of me. After that, I was about to log out in anger when my gaze fell on the boy before me.

The sight of the silver-haired beautiful boy lying with his eyes closed, surrounded by blood-red flowers, was so splendid and beautiful that it naturally drew admiration.

This was the year 20XX. It was an era when virtual reality games were popular. With just one small connection device, anyone could easily enjoy another world different from reality.

Among the games that were particularly popular among young women these days and had produced countless fans was the one I was currently playing: Young Masters of the Monster Mansion - Raising Angel Boys.

This game combines the genres of dating simulation, horror action, and childcare. The basic scenario involves choosing one of the angelic boys living in a cursed mansion and adopting him. The player must protect the boy from evil spirits or monsters while raising him to become a fine adult.

Just as the rumors said, the developers worked tirelessly and the game's implementation was exceptional, boasting exquisite and sophisticated visuals. This was also the reason why I, who normally had no great interest in games, had been pouring money into raising this *sunfish-like young master for several years without hesitation.

The seven angelic young masters of this bizarre monster mansion all possessed various multifaceted charms.

Buyers could play a variety of roles in the game, including a maid working in the mansion, a tutor, a priest, a hunter, a young noblewoman who is a distant relative, and many others... There were over 30 different occupations to choose from.

Among them, the profession I had chosen was the mansion's maid. The one I selected as my nurturing target, among the seven young masters, was 'Dian Radford,' a beautiful boy with silver hair and red eyes.

But this young master... was too much of a sunfish!

No, his appearance was really to my taste, but he had already died 43 times. I could understand why Dian, the final character, was famous among players as an impregnable fortress.

However, despite knowing this notoriety, when I started the game, I was somehow filled with confidence and chose Dian, who looked most to my taste, as my nurturing target without hesitation.

Ah, what groundless arrogance that was...

I should have changed my target after failing a few times. But later, I became stubborn and obsessively devoted myself to raising Dian. And the result was today's 43rd death ending.

Particularly in the early days when I lacked skill, I had underestimated Dian's sunfish-like nature and met absurd endings countless times. Still, this time I had managed to raise the twelve-year-old kid to sixteen, so it seemed like I might be able to see the ending if I just tried a little harder...

But in the end, a year's worth of effort had gone to waste again. At this point, I was starting to feel dizzy with frustration and anger.

Vanitas production company, these damn bastards. Should I just quit right now? Not being able to see the ending for several years - this is absolutely ridiculous! Aren't they just complete fraudsters?

But just like I had done for the past few years, after staring at Dian's body buried in red flowers for exactly 10 seconds, my heart began to quickly regain its resolve.

Ha, no... How could I abandon him now? Even if his survival rate is absolute garbage, I've grown too attached to switch to another game. Right, games are supposed to be challenging to make conquering them fun.

I swallowed my tears and crouched down, reaching out to Dian. The still-warm cheek of the boy was as soft and warm as if it were real.

"Aww. Don't worry, baby. I'll definitely save you next time for real."

I made my resolution once again and said my final goodbye to the 43rd iteration of Dian.

That's when it happened.

'Really?'

Someone's voice rang in my ears like tinnitus. I was startled and shuddered.

'Then I'll leave it to you.'

Whoosh!

The next moment, the blood-red flowers that had been in full bloom around Dian suddenly crawled up my arm.

"Ah...!"

Could this be a bug?

I didn't even have time to shout "logout" due to the strangeness. The crimson flowers, red as fresh blood and known in the game as corpse flowers or flowers of the death god, instantly covered my entire body.

Soon after, my vision went completely red and dark, and my consciousness was completely cut off.

***

Knock knock!

I gasped at the sudden knocking sound that pierced both my ears.

"Young Master Dian, a new caretaker has arrived."

The moment I opened my eyes, a large black door standing right in front of me came into view. The two wheels with a spread-winged eagle crest engraved in the center, and even the number 7 carved above it, were all very familiar.

"Why are you only coming now? You're late!"

Just then, a clear, youthful voice rang out from inside the door.

'Huh? Is this the game opening?'

I couldn't be mistaken—I'd experienced this situation dozens of times already. Even the sight of the maid standing beside the door turning to look at me was exactly the same as I remembered.

But didn't they just call me a caretaker? I never chose that profession. As far as I remember, there wasn't even such an option to begin with...

"Ms. Lynne, please follow me inside."

Click. Creeeeak...

The moment the woman beside me opened the door, blinding light streaming through the gap turned my vision white.

"How can you be 5 minutes late for an appointment?"

The boy's voice, somewhat sharp as if displeased, rang more clearly in my ears than before.

"What is this from the very start? Do you even have the intention to do this properly?"

Through my narrowed eyes, I could see the scenery inside the room. The window where sparkling sunlight poured in. The elegant purple curtains hanging beside it. The table decorated with flowers, and the checkered carpet on the floor.

And the boy with long silver hair sitting alone on the white bed, radiating unrealistic beauty.

"I apologize, Young Master. There was some confusion along the way, and preparations took a little longer."

The woman who had bowed politely to him then turned to me and said,

"Now, please greet him, Ms. Lynne."

The boy's cold red eyes also slid toward me following her gaze. Finally, our eyes met for the first time.

"This is Young Master Dian, whom you will be serving from today."

As a Dian fan, this was the game's opening scene that I never got tired of watching no matter how many times I saw it—it was always fresh and thrilling, so I had never skipped it even once.

"Lynne? What's your surname?"

"Ms. Lynne's surname is..."

But this time, the situation was a bit different. Not only had this opening scene started again regardless of my will, but considering what had happened just before, there was definitely an error in the game.

"Log out."

I cut off the maid—that is, Jane, the head maid of this mansion—in the middle of what she had just started saying. But this time too, the game didn't end. Dian frowned and said coldly,

"Lynne Logout? That has an unusual sound. Is it a northern naming convention?"

"No, logout isn't a surname, it's..."

As I answered in a daze, I suddenly noticed something strange. Wait. Now that I think about it, if this is exactly the same as the game story...

"Duck your head!"

I shouted at Dian sitting on the bed and hurled the vase from the table at him.

Kiyaaaak...!

The vase that had been flying toward Dian at high speed hit the pitch-black hand dead on and shattered. The moment the holy water inside splashed out, a grotesque scream poured from the head maid's mouth.

The game's first episode began on the first day of entering the mansion. And on that same day, suddenly, the head maid turned violent and attacked Dian, the target of care, in his own room.

*Translator Note: In gaming context, calling a character a "sunfish" means they're extremely fragile, weak, or prone to dying easily from seemingly minor threats. It's basically calling them a "glass cannon" but even more fragile - someone who dies constantly from stupid or avoidable situations.