HTPTMOTMM Chapter 2

"But why isn't the quest window popping up?"

Something felt strange, but for now, I followed what had become second nature after playing this game over 40 times - I threw the tablecloth to shield Dian's eyes from the bloodshed that was about to unfold. I'm a courteous player who cares for delicate beautiful boys, after all.

*Swoosh!*

At the same time, I grabbed a decorative sword hanging on the wall and ran forward.

Since this was essentially a tutorial episode, dealing with the head maid was easy. The head maid, who had been rushing at me with a grotesque appearance of protruding black veins, had her head cleanly severed in an instant.

Huh...? But wait, what's this? Why isn't there any blur effect...?

Black blood splattered before my eyes. The foul-smelling liquid that should have been rendered hazily in the original game had splashed all over my face. The head maid's body collapsed right before me. The severed head rolled across the floor with a thud.

I froze in place, still holding the sword. The silence that had settled in the room finally sent chills down my spine.

Then, from the boy covered by the tablecloth, a small voice mixed with shallow breathing flowed out.

"...Is it dead?"

It was dead. Black flowers had already bloomed around the fallen head maid's body. They looked exactly like red corpse flowers, but the flowers that bloomed from monsters were black like this.

Without thinking, I let out a hollow laugh and poked the head maid's body with the sword I was holding. The corpse on the floor instantly turned to ash and scattered.

It was a scene I'd always seen in the game, but now everything felt eerily vivid. As if this wasn't a game but actual reality.

At that moment, a numbing sensation hit me like a blow to the back of my head.

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

"Then I'll leave it to you."

The voice I'd heard last before opening my eyes in front of Dian's room flashed through my mind.

After that, no matter how much I shouted "logout," the game wouldn't end. Moreover, the chillingly realistic sensation I felt when I cut down the head maid, and even the feeling of hot blood splattering on my face... it all felt strangely real.

Then suddenly, I think I realized it— like being struck by lightning.

Maybe I had actually entered into this game.

[ 01. 44th Playthrough Begins ]

"I'll clean the bedroom quickly, so please wait in the reception room for a moment, young master and guardian."

"Yes, take your time... No, please hurry a bit."

Shortly after, maids came to clean the room.

As if they were used to such things, they didn't even blink at seeing the head maid turned to ash.

They brought equipment and tidied up the messy room with seamless efficiency.

Meanwhile, I sat facing Dian, my character I'd been raising, in the reception room attached to the bedroom.

"......"

"......"

Both of us were in shock, so only silence lingered in the reception room.

I was flustered by the situation where the game's system window wouldn't respond, and the young master in front of me seemed to have no leisure to process and accept the current situation.

'Logout. Logout!'

I tried shouting logout in my mind again, but nothing happened.

'Settings! Item window! Character info! Map check!'

No matter how much I shouted other game terms, it was the same.

'What is this! Is this really some new bug? Why isn't anything working?'

Moreover, in the original game, after killing the head maid, it would immediately skip to the next episode, but now I couldn't use that function either. It was the same as not being able to log out earlier.

"Um, excuse me."

Finally, unable to bear the stiff atmosphere, I called out to the maid standing at the reception room door.

But for a moment, perhaps thinking I had called him, the boy sitting across from me flinched. I flinched too.

'Baby, am I scary to you...?'

I felt a brief reality check at my favorite character being wary of me. But it was natural, wasn't it? It was right after I had spectacularly blown off the head maid's head at our first meeting.

Remembering the scene I'd witnessed raw without any blur effect made me feel sick. I tried to divert my attention elsewhere and spoke to the maid.

"Could you bring a holy water diffuser here first? And some warm tea too, please."

I thought she might not understand since "holy water diffuser" was a term players used, but the maid was quick-witted. She hurried out and brought back something identical to the vase I had broken.

Shortly after, a vase containing holy water with light purple flowers was placed on the table. A gentle fragrance spread through the air. I couldn't determine the exact concentration since the system window wouldn't appear, but the air in the room seemed clearer. Along with it, my heart began to gradually find stability.

Two teacups with steam rising from them were also placed on the table. Besides what I had requested, the maid also brought a towel soaked in water. When I looked at her questioningly, the maid carefully said,

"I thought it would be good for you to wipe your face."

"Ah, right. Thank you."

Right, I had the head maid's blood on me right now. No wonder Dian was scared of me. I quickly picked up the wet towel and rubbed my face.

Dian wasn't drinking the tea in front of him, just holding the teacup and staring down at it. After wiping my face and hands, I downed the tea in one go.

"Ahh."

The warm tea made my tongue tingle, but thanks to it, I felt like I'd come to my senses a bit. Dian was still fidgeting with his fingers like a pitiful rabbit, watching me nervously. His earlier prickly demeanor was nowhere to be seen - he looked completely cowed.

Seeing that, I felt like I should comfort him and put him at ease. I felt a sense of duty as the older one and opened my mouth.

"Um, I think we should start over with our first meeting..."

"Wow, what's this?"

A clear voice rang in my ears right then.

When I turned my head toward where the sound came from, I could see someone peeking their head through the open door.

"I heard a guardian finally came to Room 7, so I came to take a look, and it's chaos here?"

Then, without permission, a beautiful blonde boy with a bob cut suddenly entered the room and began looking around. He appeared to be about the same age as Dian.

A dress shirt with lots of frills, shorts, knee socks... This was the typical outfit for the boys in 'The Young Masters of Monster Manor - Raising Angel Boys,' the game's main characters you could raise.

Though he was a boy, this one had a particularly flashy feeling about him.

"Is it true that the new caretaker killed 'Morose'?"

Moreover, his appearance was as flashy and haughty as his way of speaking. Having lived as a gaming enthusiast for quite a long time, and having seen profiles when selecting nurturing targets, I naturally knew who this boy who had appeared was.

Room 2's angel 'Minuel'. Minuel was a popular nurturing target who appeared regularly in video records uploaded by other players. He was also one of the favorite characters I had seriously considered switching to, even if briefly, whenever I hit reality checks while raising Dian.

The boy who had walked over with bouncing steps like a dancing lark perched on the reception room table. His curious eyes sparkled toward me. But as soon as he saw my face up close, he flinched. Hmm, I guess the blood wasn't completely wiped off.

"Wow... so it's really true that you killed Morose. You look frail, but you must be quite a capable caretaker? What's your name, newbie?"

"Why are you asking my caretaker's name?"

The answer came not from me but from Dian. I looked at Dian with wide eyes as he snapped sharply at Minuel. Dian was almost glaring at Minuel, and his gaze was as sharp as his voice.

"What's wrong? I just asked for a name, why are you being so sensitive?"

Minuel snorted. I was surprised too.

'Did these two little ones not get along?'

I didn't think there was such a setting in the game, but Dian's attitude toward Minuel was blatantly hostile.

"What, are you scared your first caretaker might get stolen by me?"

But after hearing Minuel's mocking addition, I ended up covering my mouth with my hand. Upon hearing Minuel's words, Dian bit his lips tightly as if hit right on target. Seeing that, I almost punched the wall.

'Is he, is he getting worked up because he doesn't want his big sister stolen?'

Long live bugs! Originally this scene was set to be skipped, so I had never seen Dian like this before.

"Hmph, well, I'd be scared too if I were you. Not all the kids here are the same grade, and besides, if caretakers had to choose between you and me, it's too obvious who they'd pick, isn't it?"

Minuel spoke mockingly to Dian with a smug attitude. Minuel, the angel of Room 2, originally had a somewhat show-off personality.

"Hey, newbie. How about becoming my caretaker instead of this guy?"

"Get out of my room right now, Minuel!"

Dian growled as if he couldn't stand it anymore.

"I already have a caretaker, but I could make a special exception for you. You know pairs can be changed if both the nurturing target and caretaker agree, right?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Lynne is my caretaker!"

"Ah, so your name is Lynne? That's a pretty name. It seems to go well with my name too."

When Minuel spoke provocatively toward Dian, Dian glared at Minuel with fierce eyes.

Even so, it felt like watching a skirmish between two cats, one yellow and one white. Moreover, though I wasn't sure what was what, the atmosphere seemed like those two kittens were both fighting to choose me as their servant.

"No, wait. Don't fight, let's calm down first, you two."

Perhaps because of that, my voice trying to stop them came out more gently than expected. Both Dian and Minuel snorted at each other before turning their heads to the side.

"Newbie, honestly tell me. Who was your original first choice?"