Chapter 10

“Heuk!”

Before I could even grasp the situation, I shot up from the bed and pressed my back hard against the headboard.

The holy power shocker I’d hidden under my pillow didn’t even come to mind. I was too overwhelmed by the fact that Kid was right in front of me the moment I opened my eyes.

Only after a few seconds did I realize that the pillow was under my butt.

‘Ah, the shocker…’

“I-I’m sorry! I thought it was a dream. I didn’t mean it like that. No, not to you…”

I trailed off. I didn’t even know how to address him.

Kid watched me quietly, as if my flustered reaction amused him and he wanted to let out a chuckle.

My heart raced. I hadn’t even moved, yet I was already breathless.

I stared at him nervously, afraid he might be holding a knife again like yesterday.

But instead of a weapon, he was holding that yellow flower I saw earlier. A tulip.

‘Why is he holding that?’

Maybe it was my imagination, but it looked exactly like the tulip I gave to Seniel.

While I was trying to figure out why Kid had it, he narrowed his eyes and stared at me.

“You said ‘you.’ Like you don’t know who I am.”

Kid’s eyes filled with interest.

“So who do you think I am?”

A clear threat.

In the brief moment I’d seen him, I was already facing death. My jaw trembled. I instantly regretted not wearing more protective gear. Would that be my last regret?

“I-I’m not sure who you are…”

“Is that so?”

It felt like he was testing me.

A cold sweat ran down my back. I instinctively curled in on myself.

“Are you blind, or just pretending not to know?”

To be honest, it was strange not to call him Seniel. But I had to feign ignorance. I shook my head as earnestly as I could.

Spin. He twirled the tulip between his fingers.

Then he brought it up to my face. I squeezed my eyes shut. The soft petals brushed my cheek.

‘This feeling…’

It wasn’t unfamiliar.

It was just like the cheek tapping in my dream. So it was him, poking my sleeping face with a flower.

“You bastard.”

They say not to hit someone even with a flower, but this guy literally did.

I was fuming inside, but I couldn’t stop him as he continued to tap my cheek with that tulip.

“That guy wouldn’t put up flowers just because it’s spring. And he doesn’t have any friends who’d give him one. This must be your doing, right?”

“Y-yes… I gave it to him. I wanted to get closer to Seniel…”

Even while being humiliated, I had to speak meekly. I hated myself for it.

The tulip that had been tapping my cheek now gently brushed it. His lips curled into a smile. A truly murderous smile.

“You’ve got talent.”

“…”

“You managed to get a flower into the hands of someone who refuses all gifts. And even got it displayed in his room.”

His deep voice held a hint of laughter. It was the most genuine amusement I’d heard from him.

Instead of relief, I felt creeped out.

‘If I hadn’t given him that tulip…’

A misstep like that might’ve cost me my life. I made a promise to myself to be more thoughtful about even the smallest things going forward.

Grateful for that tulip, I looked at it. Kid still seemed to be in a good mood.

‘While he’s like this, I need to emphasize how useful I am.’

If I didn’t, it might not be a tulip next time, but a weapon.

“A-a-and it wasn’t just the tulip! We held hands today, and Seniel said he’d use a pet name for me! We even ate together! I know I’m not his most important person yet, but just give me a few months and I will be!”

So please, just let me live for a week.

Words tumbled out of me. Maybe because I wasn’t seeing him for the first time, I was slightly less terrified. Still, the more I spoke, the smaller my voice became.

I didn’t have the luxury of pride when on the brink of death like this, but being this pitiful made me hate myself.

The tulip finally lifted from my cheek.

‘Did it work?’

He placed the flower into the glass on the bedside table. Jane must’ve replaced it with a new one.

“Well. I’ll admit you’re useful. You got better results than I expected.”

“Thank you…”

“I thought you’d just cower and tremble.”

He tapped the glass with a fingertip. The tulip seemed to have genuinely lifted his mood.

‘And… he’s not holding a weapon…’

I glanced around, checking his hands and his pockets. No signs of any weapon.

‘So he really can come to kill without one… or maybe today wasn’t about killing.’

No way. Kid wouldn’t visit without murderous intent.

But then I remembered that I’d called him a bastard today.

‘Wait, and he let that go?’

I was sure I’d be stabbed, but he didn’t mention it. Maybe he really wasn’t planning to kill me until I succeeded in seducing Seniel.

‘If that’s true, maybe I can ask something…?’

I wiped my sweaty palms on the blanket, carefully moved one hand closer to the pillow. I cleared my throat and asked in a mosquito-like voice:

“U-um… is there a certain standard for becoming Seniel’s most important person…?”

“Why? Planning to butter me up and bolt once you make it?”

Exactly, you psycho.

“O-of course not!”

All I had was my mouth.

Kid didn’t even glance at me. He picked up the water bottle beside the glass and poured it in. The sound of the water felt absurdly loud.

Then he spoke in a compassionate tone, as if he was doing me a favor.

“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t understand. But fine, I’ll explain it. You seem… at least a little useful.”

Please do. So I know what to avoid.

He let go of the bottle and smiled gently at me.

It was surprising how often he smiled. Seniel never did, but Kid smiled plenty. The problem was, his smiles were terrifying.

His lips moved.

“When Seniel falls for you. Completely.”

I waited, thinking there’d be more.

‘…That’s it?’

But his expression said he was done. He looked satisfied.

‘That’s the condition?’

It was just another version of a selfish threat.

Kid clicked his tongue at my expression.

“Well, now that I’ve confirmed you’re useful, I’ll keep my promise. You get to live until then.”

Just like that, he started walking away, completely at his own pace.

His footsteps echoed in the quiet room. With his long legs, he crossed it in just a few strides.

I followed him with my eyes as he approached the door in the ceiling.

“Do your best.”

He didn’t even bother to close the door behind him. His long black cardigan fluttered like a tail.

I remained hunched over my pillow, staring into the open darkness.

The lamp crackled quietly beside me.

“So… he’s saying I’ll live?”

If I can keep it up for just one week, I’ll survive.

Relief washed over me. I slumped back onto the bed.

* * *

I must have been so relieved that after Kid left, I slept very deeply. I stretched as I greeted the morning.

Before the maid arrived, I made sure to hide the holy power shocker in the drawer and threw open the curtains. Morning sunlight flooded in.

‘Since I said I’d greet Seniel in the morning, should I head to the annex now?’

But I didn’t even know where the annex was… maybe I could ask the staff who had already arrived.

While I was thinking that, there was a sudden urgent knock. Even without opening the door, I knew who it was. There’s only one person in this mansion who’d knock so anxiously.

A voice came from beyond the door:

“…Young Lady? Are you in there?”

I’d told him not to call me Vivi instead of Young Lady. And since I’m married, it wouldn’t be Young Lady but Madam.

Still groggy and exhausted, I reached for the doorknob. But before I could turn it, the door flung open from outside.

A broad chest filled my vision.

When I looked up, a pale-faced Seniel stood there. He must’ve come running; his hair was bedraggled.

His chest heaved as he breathed. He looked winded.

I didn’t exactly feel warm feelings for him after last night, but seeing him like this softened my anger.

I clicked my tongue half in jest, half in exasperation:

“Do you normally burst into someone’s room like this? And I told you, call me Vivi. Not Young Lady.”

I expected an apology from him.

But he said nothing. Frozen in place like a statue, he just looked at me.

I was about to ask what was wrong when abruptly a single tear fell from his eye.

More tears followed, streaming down his face. He seemed deeply shaken, stumbling over his words.

“This morning, I woke up… the tulip was gone… I panicked, so… I acted… so rude…”

“Oh my.”

I pulled on Seniel’s arm to bring him inside. He allowed it without resistance. Once the door was closed, I turned to him.

“If we keep doing as I asked yesterday, nothing like this will happen again.”

“…I’ll do everything you say.”

He nodded over and over, like a faithful dog.

“Good. For now it’s just what I asked before, so you can go to work. Stop crying.”

I grabbed the doorknob to send him off. He looked at me with damp eyes.

“Thank you.”

Yes, you can be very thankful now. I waved as he opened the door.

“See you at dinner.”

Seniel stopped in his tracks mid-step. He turned back to me, looking solemn.

“…Yes. See you at dinner.”

With that said, he still didn’t leave right away. He hesitated, glanced at the floor, then timidly looked at me again.

“…Vivi.”

He’d already begun following every request I made now that I’d given him some trust. He looked uncomfortable and turned away before fully leaving.

Wow.

I almost forgot myself and got lost in his face, though it wasn’t the time or the place. I shook my head sharply to bring myself back.

“Beauty kills, they say. I nearly got mesmerized.”

Had I not known my position, I might’ve been completely lost.

* * *

After Seniel left the room, I considered what to do with the tulip Kid had planted. I wanted to just throw it away, but…

“He’ll probably say something if I do.”

So I stood staring at it. No answer came, so I left it there.

Meanwhile, I busied myself preparing for the day’s plan.

Once I heard Seniel had gone to work, I naturally left the room.

Today: gather the evidence of Kid’s murders.