Chapter 12

When I stepped outside, I saw Sansi hurrying toward me with a water bottle in his hand. Maybe it seemed strange that I was coming out of the office, because he tilted his head and walked over quickly.

“Already leaving? Without seeing the High Priest?”

“I just met with him. Thanks for showing me the way.”

“Oh, you met him already……. But wouldn’t it be better if you at least had lunch before going?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’m busy. I’ll be going now.”

I brushed it off with an awkward smile and quickened my pace. It was just stealing a single key, but maybe because my nerves were weak, I ended up running away like a guilty thief.

The sound of my footsteps echoing down the hall seemed unusually loud. I hopped into the carriage waiting for me and headed straight back to the mansion. My heart pounded at the thought that Seniel might have seen.

I pressed my fingers hard against my forehead to drive out the tension and thoughts.

‘Even if he did see, it’s not like Seniel can do anything about it.’

Suddenly, I wondered what the hell I was even doing. Life was really hard.

* * *

By the time I arrived at the mansion, it was almost 3 p.m.

When you stay hungry for a long time, there comes a point where you stop feeling hungry and that was exactly where I was. There was a faint ache of hunger every now and then, but it was bearable. Collecting evidence came first.

I stuffed the recording orb I had hidden in my room into my pocket.

Just in case, I also packed the sacred shocker and a few self defense tools. I knew Kid wouldn’t suddenly storm the mansion, but without them, I’d be too scared to go.

Just as I was about to move, my nose stung and I felt tears threaten to spill.

I hadn’t even gone down to the first floor yet, but my eyes were already damp.

‘What if a corpse suddenly pops out of that secret room?’

It felt like bravely buying a horror game out of curiosity, but turning it off right after watching the opening. I wanted to just give up.

But I shook my head hard and steeled myself. This might be my last chance to survive. I couldn’t just waste the opportunity without even trying.

I carefully snuck down to the first floor. The servants weren’t paying me any mind, so moving around was easy.

Maybe because of the warning not to approach the first floor, there wasn’t a single person walking in the halls.

The hallway was fairly long, with one turn at the corner, so unless someone came close, they wouldn’t know I was there.

‘Getting caught by anyone here won’t do me any good. Move carefully.’

I pulled out the key from my pocket. Sliding the rose patterned key into the lock of the door at the far end, I turned it. With a neat click, the door opened.

I pushed it open cautiously, then closed it as quietly as possible.

‘It’s dark.’

Even though it was daytime, the blackout curtains made it almost impossible to see inside. I drew in a deep breath.

The thought that murder tools might be inside made my heart hammer violently. My fingertips tingled with nerves. This terror was on a whole different level from when I was searching for the key.

I kept getting the feeling Kid would suddenly burst through the door. I flinched over and over, glancing back behind me each time.

After some time, my eyes adjusted to the dark, and I could roughly make out the shapes.

A heavy red carpet covered the floor. On the left wall, a tall bookshelf stretched to the ceiling, and on the right hung the blackout curtains. In the center, a tea table sat between two sofas, and behind them, a large framed picture hung on the wall.

‘Looks more normal than I expected. Kind of like the other rooms.’

Other than the books and the stale, dusty smell, there wasn’t anything particularly unusual. Maybe because I hadn’t gone into the hidden space yet.

Stopping my wandering gaze, I headed for the large frame on the wall in front of the entrance.

‘Oh, geez.’

I had tried to act tough, saying it was nothing, but the wooden floor creaked with every step, squeezing my heart tighter. The floor looked like it had been left neglected for a long time.

As I got close to the frame that was nearly as tall as I was, the painting inside became clear.

‘Ugh, what is this.’

“……Creepy.”

An angel was shedding tears of blood, arms wide open, laughing in ecstasy.

In the original story, it was only described as a frame on the wall. It never mentioned this painting.

Scowling at the grotesque, eerie painting, I felt around beside the portrait. Behind the bookshelf, I found a recessed groove. Pulling it aside like a sliding door, it moved smoothly.

A small room appeared, windowless and dark enough that I could barely see ahead.

I pulled out the recording orb from my pocket. It had a light function, which was why it had cost so much. I could’ve used it when I first entered, but I’d held back. If it stayed on too long, it couldn’t record properly and it would die in under five minutes.

‘How does Kid even get in here?’

At a glance, there wasn’t any sign of candles ever being lit. The novel did say he had good night vision, but this was beyond just that. You’d need the eyes of a tiger or a cat to see anything here.

I gave the cramped room a quick scan, then shuffled forward. I saw what looked like a heavy iron door.

Using the key I’d found in Seniel’s office, I cautiously unlocked it. With a clunk, the lock gave way.

“Mommy……”

I stomped my feet in place. My hand was on the doorknob, but I hadn’t opened it yet. Like a bristling cat, I just stared at it.

What if the moment I opened it, a corpse tumbled out? In the novel, the murder tools had only been vaguely described, so I had no idea how grotesque what lay inside would be.

‘I can’t do it.’

Whimpering, I gripped and released the knob again and again. The cold metal made my fingertips curl back each time.

At last, squeezing my eyes shut, I inhaled deeply and shoved the door open.

The heavy door groaned open with a crash, and I nearly lost my balance.

Just opening it had drained so much of my mental energy that I was left panting and trembling all over.

Before I could even take in my surroundings, a damp, fishy stench assaulted my nose. I instinctively hunched my shoulders, frozen stiff.

Finally mustering the courage, I cast the orb’s light around. My eyes were squinted to slits, too afraid to fully open or shut them.

“What is this place…….”

I’d thought it would be structured like the previous room, but the very flooring was different. The ground was smooth stone, and the walls were plain white.

Four long tables stood before me, like the ones from a science lab. Against the wall were glass display cases and drawers, stuffed with medicine bottles and strange experimental tools.

‘Looks like a laboratory.’

In the corner, inexplicably, stood an iron cage. Something must’ve been kept there.

‘This looks like the place Seniel was experimented on.’

The novel never specified exactly where it happened, so I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed likely.

“Uuuhhh….”

Then I spotted the glinting blades laid out on the tables. My knees went weak, and tears welled in my eyes.

I wanted to run, but I couldn’t. My instincts told me this was the evidence I’d been searching for, and I had to confirm it.

‘I can do this. I can do this.’

I muttered it like a mantra until I finally had the courage to move. 

Huff, puff, huff, puff

Every tiny step I took scraped out a ragged breath.

I bit my lip hard to stifle the sob about to burst out. The closer I got to the table, the clearer the blades became.

‘I knew it! I knew it would be like this!’

Like art pieces on display, murder weapons, strange documents, and clothes were neatly arranged on the tables.

It was the murder evidence I was looking for.

‘I can’t. I can’t do this!’

Even as I choked back tears, my hands steadily began recording with the orb.

As I recorded, I ended up looking more closely at the items. Little white cards caught my eye. Labels that listed when, who, and what had been done.

Imperial Year 320, April 5. Father, alcohol lamp.

‘……This is Kid’s first murder…….’

Burned clothes and a cigar.

Right after his personality split, Kid had butchered his father, then doused him in alcohol and set him ablaze. Which meant this scrap of charred cloth was his father’s clothing.

A shiver ran up my spine, and a moan escaped me.

‘Wait. April 5?’

The date jumped out at me. I tried to recall what day today was. Yesterday had been April 2, which meant today was April 3.

That left only two days until the late marquis’s death anniversary.

‘No way. Should I just die now…….’

In the novel, Kid went on a rampage every year on his father’s death day. If he was already insane, what did it mean for him to get even worse? My vision went dark, imagining the hell about to unfold.

Even as I recorded carefully, I kept glancing back at the entrance. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Kid suddenly burst in.

Praying silently to my mom to save me, I kept moving sideways. The further I went, the more documents there were. The handwriting was messy but legible enough.

Marlin Steuber, drunkard. Every Friday, visits Abinen Salon, carrying on an affair under the guise of literary discussions with the owner, Emil Abinen. Always leaves at 10 p.m. through the back alley……

Reading them, I realized the papers were plans for perfect crimes. Kid was more of a meticulous, planned killer than I thought. I’d assumed he just lashed out whenever he was annoyed.

‘The novel did say he obsessed over murder plans, but still.’

Afraid the orb would run out, I moved a little faster. My palms were slick with sweat.

Then I came upon the final piece of evidence. Beside it sat only a slip of paper, occupying its own spot.

Year 326, July, Saelan, yacht party, wine.

Today was April 3, Imperial Year 326. Seeing “July” written, with only an empty space and no evidence yet, it had to be an upcoming murder he was preparing for. The fact the work was still being completed in real time made my breath catch.

Should I consider it fortunate I wouldn’t be around in July? It had nothing to do with me, but my eyes were still drawn to it. Shuddering, I turned away.

‘That’s enough. Time to go back.’

I had more than enough evidence to drown in. Stopping the recording, I left the light on and kept moving. I couldn’t take a single step in the dark without it.

It felt like something was staring at me from behind the whole time. Rubbing my back with one hand, I walked on. After checking one last time that I hadn’t left any evidence, I headed for the exit.

‘……What now.’

Around the entrance, papers covered the wall that I hadn’t noticed when coming in. I wanted to ignore them, but it felt like they were important clues Kid had left behind, making it hard to just pass by.

But I didn’t want to linger any longer, so I decided to skim only the beginnings.

Year 314, fingers broke but regenerated on their own. Cut off finger joints and confirmed full regeneration even after all were severed. Confirmed suitable as the perfect vessel for God.

Year 315, confirmed full regeneration even after limbs were broken or amputated. Confirmed full recovery even after inserting foreign objects following disembowelment. Subject reported extreme pain as if entire body were being wrung out, but the pain had minimal effect on abilities.

Year 316, subject showed defiance. Changed strategy: rather than threatening, decided to treat subject kindly. Pretended to offer choices in experiments, built rapport with conversations and games, allowed weekly outings, to elicit cooperation. Subject smiled at certain individual, responded by trying to lessen said individual’s worries, saying it didn’t hurt much……

“……What is this?”

My stomach churned. All I could say was that it was insane. Just coming here had already drained me, but reading this summary made me nauseous.

It was obvious who the subject was. Next to the text were bizarre illustrations, all too grotesque to look at with a sane mind.

I read about halfway before I couldn’t take any more and stopped. By chance, my eyes fell on a small table below. And there…… were glass jars, holding body parts. From left to right, they grew larger with age. I could guess whose they were.

Fuck.

I bolted out of the room. This place was pure madness.

* * *

Even as I ran out gasping, I made sure to carefully erase any traces.

“Uuurgh.”

Back in my room, I dashed to the bathroom and gagged. Kid’s crimes, the deranged experiment reports, and those body parts in jars…

‘Even the original didn’t go into this much detail.’

What I had seen kept replaying in my head against my will. I was terrified, and even my brain was betraying me. Slumping against the bathroom floor, I gasped for breath.

‘Compared to those body parts and experiments, Kid’s displays almost felt angelic.’

Maybe Kid wasn’t that bad after all. For a second, I actually felt sorry for him.

While reevaluating him, I shook my head violently to clear it.

‘If I compare them, Kid would be the lesser evil and more pitiful, but he’s still the murderer threatening me. Get a grip.’

There was no time to sympathize or pity anyone. Just sneaking in and out had drained my legs of strength, but I couldn’t collapse yet. I still had things to do.

First, I had to return the rose key.

‘……Mom, Dad, up in heaven. Please save me.’

I always thought I had strong mental endurance. Today was the exception. Wiping my tears, I pushed myself back up.