NOMAMWTM Chapter 7

Born and raised in the Cardium Estate, teeming with invisible horrors, working as a maid for ten years following in her dead mother's footsteps.

Becky had memorized not only the basic regulations but also the special clauses that changed from time to time—a maid specialized in survival.

She didn't bat an eye at most things.

She knew that running away or thinking of solutions was more efficient for survival than being surprised or trembling.

However, even she had become sensitive to the smallest sounds since 'Madam' arrived at the estate.

Six days since Madam came to the estate.

Ten people had died.

All were colleagues who had encountered Madam nearby.

Colleagues who had caught a glimpse of her even from far away went blind for about half a day and said that something like wriggling eyeballs had been stuck in front of their eyes all day long.

Special regulations were hastily created.

The master strengthened the magic circles and stayed by Madam's side, taking her out to the garden during the day to keep watch.

Still, people kept dying.

Unlike the horrors, Madam's actions had no consistent pattern, so there was no way to avoid them.

Death always arrived as it does—sudden and silent...

Since they must not encounter Madam, her room was to be cleaned when the master took her out to the garden.

It would have been better not to do it at all, but no one could bear the calamity that would come from failing to provide such basic service.

For six days, those assigned to clean Madam's room came out alive.

It was fortunate. However, she wasn't sure if it was really fortunate that they all complained of auditory hallucinations.

And today, Becky and Jeina were assigned to cleaning duty.

Becky headed toward Madam's room with Jeina, her legs trembling.

They wouldn't die, but she couldn't help being scared.

It was the room where an unidentified monster that had brought even greater disaster to this already hellish place resided.

Becky forced herself not to run away and reluctantly reached Madam's bedroom door.

The door was slightly ajar.

Becky, about to open the door, froze.

Through the gap, she saw a wide-open window.

"...!"

She immediately shut the door.

Not entering a room with an open window was one of the most basic regulations of this estate.

An open window was a hallucination created by the horrors to lure and kill them.

If she repeated closing and opening, at some point she should see a room with the window closed...

...or so it should have been.

Click.

Click. Click.

Click. Click.

Even after opening and closing it five times.

Click. Click-click.

Click-click-click.

Even after opening and closing it eleven times.

Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Even after opening and closing it fifteen times.

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG! BANG!

Even after opening and closing it twenty times, the wide-open window remained the same.

Never before had a window stayed open no matter how many times she closed it.

She even felt a gentle breeze, as if trying to convince her the window was really open.

[...Come.]

[Come in.]

Around the fiftieth time opening and closing, she even began hearing voices.

On the fifty-first time, Becky and Jeina opened and closed the door with trembling hands.

The window was still open.

Their legs wobbled. Cold sweat flowed.

Fear descended until they couldn't think rationally.

Then.

A frigid hand settled upon Becky's hand that was gripping the doorknob, now burning red-hot.

Shiver.

Goosebumps spread all over.

Becky lowered her gaze slowly, very slowly.

She saw a white hand so cold it felt like ice. That hand of unknown ownership gently removed her hand from the door.

She saw the hem of a green dress settling down, rustling against the floor.

Not a servant. But a woman.

Not the grand madam. Becky knew how warm the grand madam's hands were.

Moreover, the ailing grand madam could barely leave her room now.

...Then.

Becky's mind went blank, and Jeina drew in her breath.

"It was stuffy, so I opened the window..."

A voice tinged with laughter. So clear and beautiful it raised goosebumps. Such a voice bored into their ears.

Becky momentarily forgot what terror she had been gripped by and tried to turn her head to look at the owner of the voice.

Instinct whispered for her to move her head, despite reason's warning alarms.

She felt she must immediately turn her head, lift it, and gaze upon and worship the owner of this captivating voice.

Becky's head slowly turned.

She saw the pale white hands.

She saw the green sleeve hem, the clothing.

She saw the snow-white neck.

But just before she could fully take in 'Madam,' she saw something hazily.

Full of eyeballs, black—.

The moment she saw it, Becky snapped back to her senses and bowed her head deeply.

Her shoulders trembled violently.

Something round and black, full of eyeballs.

Clinging as if hanging from the green dress hem, and heaped on the floor.

It disappeared quickly like an afterimage, but she knew what it had been.

Those who had miraculously survived at the brink of death in this estate all said the same thing.

The horrors were full of eyeballs. Small, but many.

"A bit, disgusting, isn't it?"

Madam asked in that laughter-tinged voice, as if she knew exactly what Becky had seen.

Becky trembled violently.

She felt death approaching right before her.

She realized.

From the moment they had encountered Madam, she—Becky and Jeina—

One wrong move, and they die.

Soon, Madam passed between the two trembling maids.

Long black hair fluttered.

A slender body in a green dress brushed past them and click, shut the window.

So casually.

Becky and Jeina quickly bent deeply at the waist before Madam could turn around.

Terror crawled up their legs.

Cold sweat dripped down. Their ears went numb.

Immediately after.

"But why are you here?"

A question was thrown.

And when they couldn't answer immediately.

Becky gasped for breath.

An invisible frigid gaze, air, and probably the horrors, pressed down on her.

She wanted to run away. Wanted to run away. Wanted so desperately to run away.

At some point.

...answer...answer...answer...answer...answer

She heard something.

Her frozen lips moved, betraying their owner's will to survive.

"...Cle, cleaning..."

"Ah... Then could you bring some water? I found this baby, and I'd like to feed it."

A clear voice rang out.

Baby?

Before she knew it—

Becky lifted her head.

Again.

A black baby rabbit lay nestled in the green dress of Madam, who was now sitting on the sofa.

Becky's eyes, her lips, parted.

It was a familiar rabbit.

It had to be.

The rabbit cradled in Madam's arms looked exactly like Nero, the rabbit that had been the master's familiar.

But Nero—the rabbit that could see horrors, saved countless maids and servants from danger, and was adored by everyone—

Was dead. Ten years ago.

So there couldn't be a rabbit in this estate.

But there was. On Madam's lap.

Madam stroked Nero ostentatiously.

Nero wasn't Nero.

Nero had inherited the master's golden magic power and possessed golden eyes.

But the eyes of Nero blinking up at her.

Were red.

Goosebumps spread all over.

Though ordinary rabbits also had red eyes, she knew. That wasn't just red.

When their gazes met with the rabbit's glass-like red eyes, an illusion arose of blood dripping.

It was the color of a demon.

She should have lowered her head then.

Should have cast down her gaze, pressed her head to the floor, and begged forgiveness for daring to look upon what a mere human shouldn't.

But Becky lifted her head.

What she finally took in were: a small white face.

Red eyes.

Black hair hanging like threads.

The excessively beautiful face of something not human, with no life dwelling in it.

And the eyeballs of the small black masses positioned all around her, glaring.

"...Cky, Becky!"

Ah. Nero was forgotten.

Becky shoved past Jeina who was following her and ran.

She had to escape.

Had to escape.

Had to escape...

"Becky?"

Becky lifted her head.

In a place full of eyeballs everywhere, the master stood.

The kind master who knew every single servant's name.

Their Duke Michael Cardium, who ignored them, treated them coldly, always remained alone and distant, yet cared for and protected them more than anyone else in this Cardium Estate.

The one and only reason the Cardium household had survived until now. Their protector. If it was the master, he would somehow handle this. This terror.

[Giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle]

This terror chasing her.

Becky rushed toward the master who was descending the stairs.

[Giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle]

She stepped on the stairs.

[Giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle-giggle]

One step, two steps, three steps.

Michael's eyes widened. He reached out his hand.

Why? Becky asked.

But soon she understood.

Crack-crack-crack. Crack-crack-crack.

Her vision suddenly dropped lower.

She had collapsed.

Something warm seemed to flow beneath her body.

Ah.

At that moment, she realized.

Madam's room was on the third floor.

Then the stairs going upward from here—.

Thud.

Her vision went dark.