HTPTMOTMM Chapter 26

Normally I wouldn't have thought much of it, but now I unconsciously sighed softly upon seeing him.

'Ah, I was wrong. After hearing what the maids said, Cheswick is really starting to look like a man with a past.'

Cheswick tilted his head puzzledly, seeing my pitying gaze.

"I have things to buy, so I'm going to the village for a bit."

"Alone?"

"Yes, alone."

"Do you happen to need someone to guide you?"

Going village exploring with a new character was tempting, but today I was just going to handle necessary business and come back, so it was better without a companion.

Then I suddenly realized something I'd forgotten.

"Ah, come to think of it, didn't you offer to give me a mansion tour on my first day here, but it fell through because Minuel called you?"

"Oh my, that's right. That did happen. Then shouldn't I make up for it today?"

"No, it's fine. I can go by myself today. I'm really just going to stop by briefly and come back."

"Really? That's too bad. Take me with you next time."

"Yes, next time."

After our conversation ended, Cheswick waved lightly at me.

"Have a safe trip, Miss Lynn."

But maybe because I'd lived alone in the real world for so long, it had been ages since someone saw me off like this? Hearing Cheswick's farewell, I felt strangely emotional for a moment. So I unconsciously paused.

I awkwardly smiled back at Cheswick, then turned and walked toward the door. When I hesitantly turned back around after a moment, Cheswick was still looking at me with the same warmly smiling face.

"...I'll be back."

I finally left him with those unfamiliar words of response and hurried my steps as if running away from the mansion.

"We've arrived at the village, Caregiver."

"Huh?"

A moment later, I woke up to someone's voice.

But I was puzzled about what this situation was.

Looking around, I was in a carriage, and the coachman was just opening the door and placing a step below.

Huh, what? The system is broken but the map movement function is still alive?

I remembered taking the carriage prepared at the mansion and passing through the main gate, but my memory was completely cut off after that.

Well, it's nice that I arrived instantly without waiting time... but unlike usual map movements, why does my head hurt so much?

"Th-that! I didn't know you were sleeping, but I dared to wake you, Caregiver... If you're upset, I'm truly sorry."

But seeing me unconsciously frown, coachman John started sweating and stammering excuses.

Goodness, seeing an elderly person flustered like this awakened the Confucian girl that had been sleeping inside me.

I wiped the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand, wondering if I'd drooled, and smiled at John, who was carefully watching my mood.

"Ah, the carriage was so comfortable I fell asleep without realizing it. Thank you for waking me."

"Oh! Ah, yes! I see! I may not know much else, but I drive a good carriage! Hahaha!"

Simple John's face lit up immediately at my praise, breaking into a pleased grin.

I stepped down from the carriage using the footstep he'd laid out.

"Then I'll wait here. Take your time with your business."

The village scenery was exactly the same as what I'd seen countless times before.

What I was planning to buy here today were emergency potions to use in case our baby faced danger, everyday clothes to wear at the mansion, and several other daily necessities.

Though I'd become broke when the system froze, I still had money I'd received from Redford Mansion.

Since I was currently employed as a caregiver, I received 500 zenas monthly from the mansion, and thankfully it was paid in advance. So I could squeeze out this month's allowance for now.

'If only I had crafting skills, I could make super special grade potions myself.'

As mentioned before, my former glory as a potion master was all from previous playthroughs - now all my skills were reset to initial state, so I couldn't even make basic cold medicine for our baby cat. The life-sustaining potions I'd painstakingly made stitch by stitch for our baby were also frozen in my item window.

I smacked my lips in regret but soon cleared my mind again.

Anyway, in game time, after two weeks passed and I was automatically logged out, this playthrough that started with an error might reset. Still, I planned to do my best to keep Dian alive until then at least without being stingy.

'I always give my best for our kid! This is proper fan dedication!'

After buying necessary items, I also bought a small gift for Sara Rose, who had lent me clothes while I'd lost my bag.

"Do you have red oranges here?"

"Oh my, of course. They're our village's specialty."

The last place I stopped was a fruit store.

I recalled the postscript from yesterday's letter from Stella's administrative office.

P.S. Orange is red. - Message from Raphael Cardigo.

Orange is red - is this some kind of code?

Since I didn't know what it meant yet, I thought I'd prepare and bring actual red oranges.

"The oranges are really apple-red."

After buying everything I needed, I returned to the carriage where John was waiting.

On the way back, I kept my eyes open, but strangely my consciousness cut out again the moment we left the village.

When I opened my eyes, the magnificent Redford Mansion was looming before me like a giant mountain range again.

This time too my head hurt, making me automatically frown.

"Ugh, system errors come in all varieties... These damn rabbit bastards, just wait until I log out."

I'll give them only one star and spam the customer complaint board too!

Grumbling like that, I headed toward where our cute cat was waiting.

But the closer I got to the room, the lighter my steps naturally became, and humming started flowing from my lips.

Is this how a breadwinner feels returning home with delicious candy for the hamster-like kids waiting at home!

"Hey, Caregiver! You're back now!"

But my smile shattered the moment I arrived at the room.

"Young Master Dian has disappeared! He went out saying he was going to the bathroom during break time and hasn't returned since!"

What, our puppy did what?

"No no no no, what do you mean?"

I threw down what I was holding and asked tutor 1 again.

Our baby skipping class! This was unprecedented behavior in 43 playthroughs!

"He went to the bathroom and didn't come back - when was this break time?"

"About an hour ago. He's never been late without notice like this before, so I thought it was strange. So I searched all the bathrooms in the mansion, but he wasn't anywhere..."

So that's why you were sweating buckets thinking something might have happened?

I immediately tried to rush out the door to find Dian. Just yesterday an unexpected Morose had appeared, so I couldn't feel at ease with him missing somewhere.

"Master Lynn, you're back! It's, it's terrible!"

Just then, Sara Rose came running with perfect timing.

"Master Dian! Another maid saw him entering the Devil's Garden just now...!"

"What? The Devil's Garden?"

The Devil's Garden was the place where Marianne, the Room 1 caregiver, had sent the maid who switched Lusca's medicine. And it was also where that maid had gone missing.

I recalled what I'd heard from the maids.

"You don't know about the Devil's Garden? Are you really a new maid? You'd better learn this well. If you go out the back door from the mansion's main building, there's a backyard with a big gate to the west, right? No matter what happens, you must never go in there."

"What happens if you go in?"

"What happens? You get your life force sucked out and die! Why do you think it's called the Devil's Garden?"

"Are there monsters living there that suck life force?"

"Similar. I've never seen a single person who went in there and came back unharmed."

Last time Minuel had also stopped me from trying to enter that place.

After that, my interest was drawn to matters related to the annex's purple room and the previous RoomRetryOContinueEdit1 pair, so I never went back there.

But our Dian went in there?

"Thank you for telling me, Sara Rose!"

I immediately started running down the corridor.

"Ah, Master Lynn! You're not planning to go in there yourself to bring him back, are you? But that place is...!"

Sara Rose tried to say something while chasing after me, but couldn't keep up with my speed and fell behind.

I knew what she was trying to warn me about from what I'd heard from the maids.

Seeing how all the mansion people were unanimously afraid of it, there must really be something serious inside, right?

But our sunfish cat is in there, so I can't not go check!

'Wait, baby! Big sister is coming!'

I reached the iron gate I'd seen before and rushed into the garden that emanated an eerie aura.

The Devil's Garden I'd only heard about in words was gloomy enough to understand why it got its name.

I'd only opened one iron gate and entered, but it felt like I'd entered a completely separate space, totally cut off from the outside.

Actually, at first it felt similar to an ordinary garden. The single connected path had green grass, trees, and modest wildflowers blooming.

I wondered if something like a cemetery would appear to match the name "Devil's Garden," but that didn't happen.

However, as I walked deeper into the garden along the path, the surroundings gradually became darker.

"Doesn't the gardener maintain this? What kind of trees are so densely... huh?"

But after looking up to check above my head, I was startled.

What was covering the sky with thick leaves wasn't trees.

"They're flowers?"

No, what flowers are this big?

They looked similar to tulips but were as huge as trees.

Could there be a rich-get-richer, poor-get-poorer phenomenon even in plant sunlight exposure? Or are these new species that only exist in this world setting?

Anyway, they say 'pretty thing + pretty thing = prettiest thing!' but these were too big, so they were actually creepy instead.

"Young Master Dian!"

Oh dear, our sunfish cat is in such a strange and eerie place!

Is he crying for his big sister by now?

"Dian!"

I called out loudly for Dian.

"Ah, footprints!"

Then I discovered familiar footprints on the ground.

These footprints are definitely our sunfish cat's! The overall length, toe area size, and sole pattern are all certain!

"Young Master Dian!"

"Ah, Lynn...?!"

My eyes were accurate - following the footprints, I was able to meet the boy I'd been looking for.

Dian was sitting among giant flowers that looked like cosmos, doing something, when he quickly hid his hands upon seeing me. Since he had the presence of mind to do that, fortunately it didn't seem like anything serious had happened to him here.