HTPTMOTMM Chapter 11

"Take him away immediately."

"Yes, Miss Marianne."

"Miss Marianne, please forgive me...!"

The maid cried out desperately for forgiveness, but Marianne coldly shook off the hand that grasped her. The other maids were just as merciless.

Marianne's maids, with red strings tied around their wrists, took the person kneeling on the floor and disappeared in the opposite direction from Lynn. Marianne watched their retreating figures with cold eyes before entering her room.

'Devil's Garden?'

Lynn only came back around the corner after the hallway had grown quiet.

The "Devil's Garden" mentioned in the conversation she'd just overheard was a place that had never appeared in the game before. But what kind of place could it be that would make a maid react with such horror? She was curious.

'New character! New map!'

Users who've been playing stagnant content are always thirsty for new material. Lynn was no exception, and learning about this new map information made her mouth water.

'Since it's still morning and I have plenty of time, should I take a quick look?'

There was still time before she needed to watch Dian for the first episode.

Lynn began walking down the hallway that had been filled with a chilling atmosphere just moments before, her footsteps silent.

Since there was only one door leading outside where the maids had gone, she should be able to quickly follow and find them.

'By the way, do the caregivers here have a lot of authority?'

No matter what mistake she'd made, to personally punish a maid like that. Moreover, for what should have been a simple employer-employee relationship at the mansion, the other maids' attitudes toward Marianne seemed strangely loyal.

A glint appeared in Lynn's eyes. She briefly wondered if Marianne might be the culprit who had prepared that cute gift for her at the welcome party, but it probably wasn't her.

'Actually, there's someone else I suspect... But more importantly, when is that chick who's been following me going to come out?'

Someone had been tailing her since shortly after she left Dian's room. She'd noticed this fact early on but hadn't let it show.

The person seemed to have no talent for surveillance, completely unable to hide their presence—it was a young boy. Moreover, from the glimpse of brilliant blonde hair she'd caught, the culprit was definitely Minuel from Room 2, whom she'd met on the first day.

But why was Minuel wandering around alone without his caregiver? Usually the other children seemed to have their dedicated caregivers stuck right to their sides, like Marianne just now.

"Hmm."

'Could Mr. Cheswick be a laissez-faire type of caregiver?'

She was building on what Dian had mentioned at breakfast about "attachment-type caregivers."

Of course, Lynn was also separated from Dian right now, but that was because Dian was having lessons with his tutor.

The children at the mansion were studying various subjects according to their individual schedules. When they weren't doing that, it seemed common for caregivers to stay by the children's sides.

Well, but children are unpredictable by nature. So it was possible that Minuel had snuck out alone, leaving his caregiver Cheswick behind.

Lynn was curious about the intentions of the boy who was so obviously following her. So she pretended not to notice his presence and left the building. As expected, after walking for a short while, she was able to spot the maids who had gone ahead.

'What the heck, how far are they going?'

They were heading toward the secluded rear garden. Lynn absently touched her pocket.

In case she encountered a dangerous situation while wandering around the mansion, she had hidden the gun she'd taken from under the lion statue in her clothes.

With 43 rounds of experience, Lynn's shooting skills were quite excellent. Not just guns, but she could use knives like the one she'd used in Dian's room on the first day, spears, axes, daggers, crossbows, and all sorts of other weapons and weapon substitutes placed throughout the mansion.

Originally, Lynn enjoyed the combat included in the scenarios as a fan of this action-horror genre game. However, the fact that parts like bloodshed had become overly realistic due to this system error wasn't particularly welcome. So until the system was restored, it would be best to avoid frequently encountering monsters or evil spirits.

"Wow, that's a big door. Was this kind of place hidden in the rear garden?"

A short while later, Lynn stood before a much larger iron gate than expected.

The maids had just entered through this rusty iron gate connected to the rear garden behind the mansion. So this must be the Devil's Garden they had mentioned.

But for a garden, no fragrance was wafting from beyond the door at all.

All that was visible was a path obscured by fog so thick you couldn't see the end, and lush green grass growing wildly in front of it.

'But something feels strange about this?'

She couldn't express it precisely, but it seemed like an unpleasantly creepy, foul, and ominous energy was seeping out from inside.

Lynn tilted her head, then reached directly for the iron gate before her.

"Wait...!"

That's when Minuel, who had been tailing her, came rushing out from behind a tree.

"Room 7 newbie, what are you doing right now? Take your hand off there!"

Lynn, who had been inwardly waiting for him, brightened up and greeted him.

"Wow, I was wondering when you'd come out and say hello, but it was faster than I thought? Hi, Minuel!"

"Hi... no! What, what! You knew I was following you?"

Minuel was flustered by Lynn's reaction. As if asking and answering himself, he muttered 'What a scary woman!' and quickly took a step back from Lynn.

"No, more importantly, what are you doing? Why are you trying to enter this garden! Don't you know what kind of place this is?"

"It's the Devil's Garden, right? Want to take a walk together?"

"What, what did you say? You know this is the Devil's Garden and you want to take a walk...?! And you're asking me to go in together?"

Whether it was because of the intense sunlight despite it being morning, or because he'd been busily following Lynn, Minuel's face was more flushed red than usual today, and he looked confused.

"An elite graduate caregiver wouldn't have come to the mansion without basic information... Seeing how you knew I was following you, are you trying to test my reaction?!"

He seemed to be muttering to himself, but his voice was too loud for that.

But it seemed like he was misunderstanding something. Anyway, Minuel, who had apparently reached a conclusion through his own question-and-answer session, glared at Lynn again.

"What, if you're not planning to take a walk together, why did you follow me?"

"That, that's..."

"Hm? Why did you follow me?"

But this time, before Minuel's mouth could open again, Lynn took the initiative.

When Lynn moved closer to meet his gaze and asked, the pretty boy visibly flinched.

"I just... happened to be passing by and saw you, so I came to see if you were doing anything suspicious!"

It felt like he was making excuses, but Lynn didn't bother to call him out on it.

"Hey, what suspicious thing would I do?"

"Then why would a new caregiver, so fearlessly... approach this Devil's Garden... huh."

But for some reason?

Minuel, who had been pointing at Lynn and spouting what might have been criticism, began to slow his voice from the middle, then couldn't even finish what he was saying and started to stagger.

"Minuel? What's suddenly wrong?"

He barely managed to maintain his balance on his own, but Minuel put his hands to his throat and chest area with a face twisted as if breathing was difficult. Lynn looked with surprised eyes at Minuel, whose face had grown even redder than before and who was breathing roughly.

"New, newbie."

Then, Minuel let out such a faint voice between his lips that it sounded like it had been squeezed from his throat with great difficulty, enough to inspire pity.

"I... think I'm going to faint."

"What?"

"So, quickly... come here and support me..."

Even in this situation, Minuel gave Lynn an order like a little tyrant commanding his servant, reaching out his hand, then collapsed. Lynn reflexively jumped forward and caught the falling Minuel.

Minuel's arm that she touched was very hot. The face that she'd thought was unusually red today apparently wasn't due to the strong sunlight. Heat was boiling throughout Minuel's entire body.

Then suddenly, Lynn realized this situation felt strangely familiar.

"Huh?"

For some reason, Minuel was experiencing the symptoms that Dian was supposed to suffer in the original first episode.

"Yes... It's just a simple cold."

Doctor Conrad, the attending physician of Redford Mansion who had been called to Minuel's room, announced the results of his examination.

"A simple cold?"

The handsome man with long brown hair tied loosely in one bundle nodded as if this situation was very bothersome and troublesome. He hadn't relaxed his furrowed brow even once since he'd first arrived.

Doctor Conrad, who had only made a show of placing the stethoscope against Minuel's chest, hastily packed it up.

Then he took off his cloudy monocle and roughly wiped it with his clothes while speaking.

"That's right. I'll give him some cold medicine for now, so when he comes to his senses, make him take it... Just make sure he stays hydrated."

I clicked my tongue at this situation that was exactly as I'd feared.

A child suddenly developing a severe fever and collapsing, and he calls it a simple cold. As expected, he was exactly the incompetent quack doctor who didn't earn his salary, just like I'd seen time and again in the game.

"Most of the time it happens because they sleep with their stomachs exposed, so make sure to keep him well covered with blankets."

"I see, doctor. Thank you."

But Cheswick still seemed unaware of this person's true nature and, far from being incredulous, politely thanked the quack.

A little while ago, Cheswick had come out to the hallway looking for Minuel who had disappeared from his room, and seemed quite shocked to see the child I'd brought back on my back.

Even now, looking down at Minuel lying in bed and suffering, Cheswick's sighing figure looked exactly like a dejected male deer.

"Tsk. These overprotective caregivers... There's a saying that you're young because you hurt. Kids naturally grow up catching colds and getting injured, so calling someone over first thing in the morning for something this trivial..."

The quack doctor Conrad grumbled about being called for such a minor matter while leaving the room, true to his character as a major frustrating figure in this game.

I shook my head watching the retreating figure of a man who was a billion light-years away from my taste.

'For such a character with a rotten personality to be a romance target, Rabbit Company needs to wake up!'

Surely the current trend should be pure-hearted men who are refreshing and cleansing just to look at, right? But instead we get such an outdated, foul-tempered character like this!

"Minuel! Try to come to your senses. Doctor Conrad left some medicine."

"Ugh."

"You need to take this to get better. Come on, open your mouth."

While I was internally clicking my tongue, Cheswick sat at the head of the bed trying to wake Minuel.

Still, Minuel quickly came to his senses at Cheswick's call. I could only see Cheswick's back, but he made quite a worried voice while personally giving Minuel the medicine.

"*Gasp*, gah! *Cough, cough*!"

"Minuel! Are you okay? Pull yourself together! Minuel...!"

But as if the medicine had gotten stuck in his throat, the next moment Minuel let out tremendous coughing. Cheswick also grabbed Minuel's shoulders and desperately called his name.

"Wheeze..."

"Minuel, Minuel...!"

Then when Minuel closed his eyes again and collapsed limply onto the bed, Cheswick sighed more deeply than before.

"My goodness, if I'd known this would happen, I would have treated him better."

No, the kid's not dead.

Anyone listening would think he was facing a terminally ill patient. He seemed to completely trust what the quack doctor had just said, but why is he now acting like he's watching a child about to breathe his last?

"Mr. Cheswick, Minuel just collapsed because he's exhausted. So please calm down a bit."

Since it seemed like Minuel's complexion was getting worse while receiving Cheswick's non-nursing, I tapped his shoulder to help him regain his senses. Then Cheswick looked back at me like a melancholy deer again.

"He was perfectly fine until this morning, but for Minuel to suddenly fall ill like this..."

Cheswick, who muttered in a mournful tone, moved closer to Minuel who was suffering in bed.

"I learned at the training institution that colds can be fatal for young children, so that must have been true."

Cheswick picked up a new towel and his hand moved toward the basin at the head of the bed. He seemed to be planning to change the wet towel on Minuel's forehead.

But what Cheswick just said gave me a strange sense of unease.

"Minuel has never caught a cold before, has he?"

"No, our Minuel's health is his only... no, his greatest asset."