ITIWAFRBIAHS Chapter 26

No matter how I think about it, I have no memory of seeing any staff all day.

Is this possible?

Surely there were dozens of people managing the mansion. During the day, encountering staff while moving around the mansion was almost a daily routine! How could I not have met a single one during all this chaos?

As my thoughts reached that point, the surrounding people suddenly became suspicious. Could one of these people who intruded into the mansion today have kidnapped them all and locked them in the basement to smoothly handle some sort of business without witnesses...

Ah, no. Let me not create strange thriller narratives. It's physically impossible anyway. How could they lock up dozens of people without using sleeping gas or something?

Then the part of my brain responsible for high-fantasy romance novel fandom raised its hand brightly.

Didn't the dragon use magic? We just caught a dragon clone too. It's probably starting to become active in earnest.

But why would he capture the staff?

I don't know. Maybe he wants to use them as slaves? I've seen a lot of them capturing dwarfs or elves to make them work. Maybe that person who stuck out their arm escaped? We'll meet the dragon in an impactful way while helping that person!

Hmm, that makes sense romance-wise. Let me designate this as the first hypothesis.

Then this time, let me make a realistic, positive, and rational guess rather than romance. This is simple. Someone was working in the basement and had problems due to the earthquake, so they're asking for help. Maybe they only stuck out their arm because they're injured and have difficulty moving.

Then should I quickly help them up either way?

The moment I was thinking that far, another hand popped out from the basement. Not just one, but several arms wriggling like squid tentacles, groping the air and feeling the walls. Arms of various people, regardless of age or gender.

Hiiieek.

Anyone would nod their head at the mention of evil spirits and exorcism at that visual.

The sound of my happiness circuit being destroyed can be heard in real time.

'Farewell—the happiness circuit is casting off all the yokes and bonds of this development and taking its leave!'

What is that? Did the dragon fail at polymorphing after sleeping too long? Please tell me it's something like that! Don't leave, happiness circuit!!

"Waaah."

Someone grabbed my arm. After watching arms sticking out all spider-like like that, something grabbing me gives me goosebumps! I almost reflexively shook it off, but the person holding my arm moved first. They try to drag me down to the entrance hall.

When I turned my head, I saw Lord Moore with a frighteningly expressionless face. No, when did you move again?

"Listen carefully."

Lord Moore muttered quickly. He's definitely talking to me, but his eyes are still fixed on the basement.

Meanwhile, more arms are sticking out and the surrounding people still can't take their eyes off there, so it's a complete mess. It seems only Lord Moore and I are trying to do anything.

"Once we get out of the entrance hall, you must run as fast as possible. Move around the side without roses, and when you reach the perimeter, never use the door but climb over the wall to get out. Do you understand?"

This time, disaster movie clichés are suddenly starting to appear. Although I don't understand a few of the details he mentioned, anyway, seeing that he's trying to evacuate me, he must be a well-conquered male lead candidate.

But another one of these clichés is that people who escape alone like this are the first to be brutally killed.

Until now, I believed in romance novel protagonist protection and thought I wouldn't die, but looking at how things are going, this romance novel is too strange!!

Was the author under a lot of stress? The content is completely going to hell!

Since it's impossible to discontinue a paid serial, maybe they're just angry and trying to kill off the main characters to force an ending!

And bad premonitions are never wrong—though the progression was a bit different, as expected, this recommendation proved impossible to execute.

Lord Moore urgently grabbed the entrance hall door handle and pulled, but it wouldn't open.

"......"

Lord Moore can't let go of the hand holding the door handle.

It's okay, it's okay. I knew this would happen. With all the male lead candidates here, it would be strange for the protagonist to escape too. I had already given up everything and patted Lord Moore's shoulder with an enlightened feeling.

Lord Moore flinched every time my hand touched him, but he seemed too shocked to say much. Aren't you having a mental breakdown too quickly for a scheming male lead?

Even in the midst of this, the hands coming out of the basement are increasing. Now it's not spiders but sea anemone level. Hehe.

"......"

I'm gradually wondering if I'd wake up in my original studio if I died here. Should I have taken the money and fled in the night when there was a poisoning attempt? Is there no hope now?

No, I should try something anyway. My life as an oil tycoon with handsome men doesn't have much time left, so I should at least try to survive in this body. Let me see... First, I need to snap those people who are still frozen like that out of it.

I picked up the nearest porcelain and threw it on the floor. The white and gorgeous porcelain that went well with the entrance hall side table looked very expensive, but it won't be as valuable as human life, so let's use it generously!

With a sharp explosive sound, fortunately people were startled. I first asked the people who had talked about evil spirits.

"Is that an evil spirit?! Isn't that the evil spirit you were talking about, not Lord Moore?!"

The detective seemed to mutter some kind of curse words to himself, then finally ran down to the entrance hall quickly, shouting.

"I don't know! We also came here tracking missing people, we're not evil spirit experts!"

"Then why did you bring up evil spirits with such confidence?!"

"Because Hazel said she experienced it directly while working at this mansion! Some Sunset... Damn!"

Not long after the detective set foot in the entrance hall, all the hands that had been coming out of the basement were sucked back inside as if being drawn in.

And as if the tremendous noise from before had been a lie, an anxiously burning silence flows. This is definitely not a resolved atmosphere. It's the atmosphere right before something happens.

The detective caught his breath and laughed as if it were absurd, then said.

"For now, as best we can... shall we at least hold guns?"

At that moment, something burst out of the basement with a shriek. The form with two legs and two arms for bipedal locomotion was correct. It was also correct that it was wearing the uniform worn by the working staff.

It's just that the uniform was incredibly filthy. Some kind of black fluid was stuck all over it, with a dirty stickiness that would make someone with mysophobia faint.

And there are tentacles where a human face should be.

"...Heck."

No, there really are tentacles. Giant... sea anemone-like things. I just said sea anemone as a joke, but why are there really sea anemones attached to the head?

Looking closely, the feet have a sea anemone-like texture too. The only thing that has human form is the hands.

While this stream of consciousness passed in an instant, the sea anemone was making strange geek geek sounds and staggering towards us. I reflexively realised that the noise that had been echoing from the basement was this sound.

Bang bang! Bang!

Loud gunshots ring out from beside me. Hazel White was on the left, so she must have shot. But the problem is that even though three bullets hit the sea anemone squarely, it only slowed down a bit and is still advancing. Ahhh! Crazy!!

The sound of the detective on the right shooting was heard, and at the same time I also fired my gun. My bullet hit the sea anemone's shoulder, but with a squishing sound of piercing mucous, that part just collapsed a bit with no particular reaction. And the detective's bullet hit its foot, which seemed to be somewhat effective as the sea anemone fell over! Amazing!!

But beyond the fallen sea anemone, I can see other sea anemones squirming out of the basement again. Uhhuk...... Don't tell me there are as many as the arms that stuck out earlier? Is that it?

Hazel White seems to have quickly grasped the situation and is earnestly aiming for their feet, but this really had no answer. Sea anemones keep coming out of the basement like some rush hour subway transfer station.

Could the story end with all the characters becoming colleagues with sea anemones......? If it's a flop to this extent, it would be amazing enough to become a topic on social media.

Hehe. I don't know.

I did my best. Still, let me keep shooting for now.

Keuhup. Tears welled up, so when I raised my head, I could see Jeril still on the stairs.

Honestly, I thought Jeril would also be holding a pistol, but what he's holding is that translated paper he had brought earlier. Seeing Jeril buried nose-first in that paper frantically reading, a lightning-like realisation struck me!

That's right! That's a photo of the wall of the secret cave under the basement! Gasp, could there be some hint written there to exorcise these sea anemones? Is that it?

Right, something was strange. Their appearance is more like chimeras than evil spirits! Anyway, bullets (physical attacks) are working! It makes more sense to see them as chimeras or monsters guarding a dragon's lair!

Hang in there, Jeril, find something! I also like this development where unexpected things connect to find hints and win dramatically!

But the moment of exorcism came regardless of my big picture.

First, Lord Moore, who hadn't taken out his gun even once during all this chaos, took out a strangely shaped blade and things began. That slightly curved and twisted weapon looked somewhat familiar, and when Lord Moore held the weapon upside down and muttered something in a foreign language I couldn't understand, I remembered.

That looks like a part taken from the tool I got from gardener Sunset? The blade shape and color are exactly the same.

Anyway, regardless of my recollection, Lord Moore's muttering continued. Listening to it, that's not just words but rather like some gloomy poem or song lyrics. There are many repeated intonations and I can feel something like rhythm.

But why is he suddenly doing that? Could he be some kind of magician?

Immediately after, something truly magical happened.

Lord Moore stopped his incantation-like muttering and turned the blade he had been holding upside down to point upward.

Then all the sea anemones that had been squirming and advancing covered in gunk froze in their movements. And not many seconds later, they began to melt away.

Like metal entering a furnace, the sea anemones whose forms collapsed soon disappeared, leaving only dark red puddles and uniforms.

"......"

Amazing. Isn't Lord Moore actually a dragon? I stared at my self-proclaimed fiancé with my mouth hanging open. I think everyone in this entrance hall probably had the same reaction.

Lord Moore still didn't even look this way and handed me the dagger he had been holding.

"......?"

Why are you giving me this? Is this some dragon-style courtship behavior?

I took it since he was offering. Holding the dagger and looking at it up close, it still had a strange curved shape and had even developed cracks at some point. But it feels strangely reassuring. Maybe it's because I just saw this dagger eliminate the chimera sea anemones.

"Keep it with you."

"Why?"

"Just in case."

Lord Moore said matter-of-factly. His appearance, with his eyes cast slightly downward, still highlighted his admirable facial features, but he somehow looked a bit tired. That was understandable. What he just did was really an incredible magic!

Sure enough, the detective whistled and asked a question.

"What exactly are you? Hazel, you said that person was an evil spirit, right? But he exorcised the monsters instead?"

"...I was definitely under suggestion. I suddenly had knowledge about a fiancé who didn't exist."

Hazel White, who had been organizing her gun, responded to the exasperated detective. Then, after looking over Lord Moore with suspicious eyes as he didn't respond to the detective's words, she turned to me and spoke calmly.

No, why are you singling me out to talk to again... I think Lord Moore's scheming male lead mileage has already been sufficiently accumulated.

"It's also certain that an evil spirit-like existence is parasitic in this mansion. As soon as I became a servant of this house, I entered a strange state of mental domination."

Isn't that a sleeping dragon that's only mentally active?

"That evil spirit made the servants...... move with a strange personality that called itself Sunset."

"Gasp."

As expected!! I gasped, recalling gardener Sunset who had burst into black water. So this is how it all connects!

Then the fact that the servants in this house kept using those strange nicknames was actually a process of being transformed into dragon slaves? Please don't tell me the final evolution version is those chimera sea anemones. I hope those things were just monsters pretending to be servants.

"But you definitely said you didn't know anyone called Sunset back then."

"I did that because I had a bad feeling since we were inside the mansion. I'm sorry for the confusion."

Hazel White readily admitted it.

Hmm, hearing it that way, it was understandable. Even I wouldn't have wanted to say it if all that were true because it would be creepy. Rather, coming back to testify is brave in itself.

Anyway, this dragon really seems to have a rotten personality. A scheming male lead and psychopath dragon sub-male lead. Isn't this romance novel really dark romance? I think I should escape before the real dragon appears and the story progresses further.

The detective is already going to the entrance door and pulling on it. But the door still wouldn't open. The windows were the same. I sighed involuntarily. Let me ask someone who seems to know something again.

"Excuse me, Lord Moore? How did you get rid of those sea anemones? Do you have any idea how to get out?"

"Sea anemones..."

Yes, those sea anemones! Lord Moore only muttered the word, then shut his mouth tightly. But not long after, he readily answered.

"If we remove what's blocking the door, we should be able to get out."

"......"

The dragon? Don't tell me you're suggesting we go catch the dragon now? Fortunately, that wasn't it.

"And that person probably knows about it."

"Excuse me?"

Lord Moore pointed to my stepmother. My stepmother, who had been lying there blankly and silently, only moved her eyes to look this way. Lord Moore continued matter-of-factly.

"Since that person is the one possessed by the evil spirit."

Upon hearing those words, my stepmother's suspicious behaviours couldn't help but pass by like a panorama.

"The reason I deliberately created the pretext of being a fiancé to enter this mansion was also to drive that woman away."

As soon as Lord Moore concluded seriously, everyone's gaze focused on my stepmother. The detective and Hazel White were looking at my stepmother with expressions that seemed somewhat convinced, and Jeril had an expression mixing resignation and anger.

"Hahaha......!"

My stepmother suddenly burst into laughter.

"How disgustingly you act, you illegitimate child of the Moore family."

"......!"

"Surprised? You're surprised, aren't you? You must be feeling flustered, anxious, and blood-chilling because the suggestion you cast to bleach my brain didn't work. Yes, good. Trash like you should also go to hell. You disgusting, abominable thing..."

My stepmother spewed out rambling curses, then suddenly looked at me.

"Rose, have you ever been curious about why the Aubert family specifically bought and moved into this mansion?"

Ah, no. I haven't.

It was the same kind, feminine voice as when nothing had happened. Upon hearing this illegitimate child nonsense, I was surprised and swallowed my saliva—I had been mentally crafting a backstory epic for a scheming male lead. Honestly, I was really scared.

"Well, I wonder."

"Oh my, listen carefully. You see, it goes back to a very long time ago. There was another family that originally lived in this mansion. Horribly greedy and despairingly cruel, they had been continuing very interesting customs and traditions since ancient times. That family was..."

"Shut up."

It was a voice full of sharp dampness. I knew the voice, but it was more emotional than I had ever heard. When I slyly turned my gaze, I saw Lord Moore with surprisingly gloomy and passionate eyes.

Is, is the scheming male lead's true nature starting to show?

"Why are you so scared when everything will end anyway? Rose, please believe me this time. I was modest. That thing really... had a tremendously horrific plan. The way he's acting so sweetly now is also because things went wrong and he's looking for an opportunity."

My stepmother finished speaking with a brilliantly bright smile.

"An opportunity to kill me and cast suggestion on everyone here... continuously."

As soon as my stepmother finished speaking, many things happened simultaneously.

First, Hazel White suddenly got up and loaded her gun. At the same time, Jeril, who had run down from the stairs, grabbed the back of my neck and pushed me behind him. Ugh, wait. I have a gun. I can shoot too if necessary! Everyone please stop trying to throw me around...!

And finally, the detective looked back and forth between my stepmother and Lord Moore for a moment, then sighed briefly and pointed his pistol at my stepmother.

"...Aren't you aiming the gun meant for the illegitimate son at the wrong person?"

"Madam, you're no less suspicious yourself!"

The detective replied through gritted teeth.

"That creepy guy at least did something helpful! But you keep saying strange things that aren't even information. As if you're..."

The detective suddenly hesitated. He looks like he realised something he didn't want to realise while spouting words.

"As if... you're trying to buy time."

Flick.

If there had been a sound, that's the onomatopoeia it would have had. Of course, in reality, the phenomenon occurred without any sound at all.

The light suddenly disappeared.

"......!"

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

I tried to treat my stepmother's laughter as background music and earnestly looked around. Checking more calmly, all the lights had just gone out, but the light coming from outside was still fine.

No, it's not fine...?

Light was definitely coming in, but burning red sunlight shone through the windows. Even though it's definitely midday now!

Very... somehow it feels like a very bad omen, but is it my imagination?

After exorcising the sea anemones, now space-time has twisted. Maybe if we go outside, we've returned to another world or the past before the dragon's sleeping period. Until we escape the dragon's domain, we'll have to endlessly fight all kinds of sea anemones, won't we......!

"I'm sorry."

While my misfortune circuit was spinning vigorously, Lord Moore suddenly spoke to me. What a surprise.

"Yes?"

"......I'm sorry."

Lord Moore suddenly apologises.

Oh, right. I understand you're trying to switch from scheming male lead to regretful male lead tech right now, but couldn't the apology and regret development be done later? Now doesn't seem like the time for this kind of emotional exchange! Let's do that after this crisis is resolved, okay?!

Don't tell me you're not feeling a sense of crisis because you're really a dragon?

Although a frustration like eating a hundred sweet potatoes comes over me, Lord Moore insisted on finishing his words.

"Everything... everything is my mistake."

And the entrance door opened wide.

In the midst of the piercing red sunset pouring down, someone stands against the giant sunset as a backlight. That small, clear black silhouette peers into the mansion.

"...Huh?!"

That's gardener Sunset...?

If I could name this emotion, it would surely be fear. An overwhelming sensation that could only be explained as terror.

The man who had been Rose's fiancé unconsciously looked down at his own hand. The back of his hand, covered by black leather gloves, was trembling.

The man had never once been overwhelmed by the possibility of "what if." To him, the world had always been divided into two clear choices, and he had never regretted any decision he'd made for even a moment.

But right now, in this very moment, that word dominated him.

What if.

What if.

That hypothesis traced back to the very moment the man first set foot in this mansion.