Chapter 21
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They returned to the dressing room.
As Cynthia had expected, there were no traps or puzzles in the first-floor dressing room. It was, indeed, a rest point. They decided to use it as their base for the time being.
The most threatening creatures on the first floor, the Butcher Cooks, would only be encountered near the kitchen, so as long as they stayed away from that area, there was no danger. The Harvesters also had fixed patrol routes on the first floor, so their plan was to observe their movements and search for the key needed to safely reach the second floor while avoiding them.
However, contrary to Cynthia’s expectations, she and Segleninde ended up trapped in the dressing room all day.
There hadn’t been any mention of the patrol patterns changing like this!
It seemed that with the update, the Harvesters’ patrol routes had been expanded—they now roamed the entire first floor.
So, when Cynthia, after bracing herself, first tried to leave the room, she opened the door only to come face-to-back with a Harvester. She had to stifle a scream and quickly shut the door. When she opened it again, she found the distinctive black fluid left by the Harvesters had stained the floor in front of the dressing room.
If you pressed your ear to the door, you could hear strange noises outside.
Kkigik! Kikik! Kikkeureureuk!
Kareureureuk, kagak, kakk! Kagagak!
Kkigeugeug, kkigigeuk!
It seemed the Harvesters had noticed there was still prey left on the first floor and were actively searching for them.
If they got caught, the chase would begin immediately, and no matter how high her ‘Agility’ stat was, Cynthia had no confidence she could both shake off the Harvesters and find the key.
This was the sort of thing she’d rather only experience from the other side of a monitor, not firsthand…
For now, it seemed best to observe the situation a bit longer before making any moves.
Since Cynthia was so wary of the Harvesters that she didn’t even attempt to go outside, Segleninde also just watched for any movement. So, the two of them had no choice but to stay in the dressing room the entire time.
As for meals, the only thing they had was the packet of biscuits Cynthia had had in her inventory from the start. Even that had been secretly packed for her by Melissa, who had worried that the young lady was being starved from the day before until the morning of their carriage ride to the manor.
Cynthia didn’t eat them all by herself. No matter if Segleninde was a monster who lived off human life force, it would feel wrong to eat alone. So, when she shared the precious biscuits with him, this monster had the nerve to complain.
“This stuff ruins my appetite. Do I really have to eat this?”
Are you expecting bread, meat, or wine in this situation?
The retort came to the tip of her tongue, but she held it in.
He was still the villain, after all. No matter if he’d become an ally and her status as fiancée was now set, in the game, there were plenty of times when an allied character would turn back into an enemy if you fell out with them. There was no telling how he’d react if things soured.
Honestly, except for the food situation, staying in the dressing room wasn’t so bad. It was safe, there were two sofas to sleep on, and even a shower room inside, so they had water.
But the real problem that cropped up was Segleninde’s mouth.
Whenever Cynthia tried to stay quiet, he would come over and pick a fight.
“It’s ridiculous, the more I look at it. How do you even eat this stuff? Is your noble family all show and nothing else? I can’t believe it.”
What’s really unbelievable is your personality. This guy is seriously rude.
When she tried to ease her hunger by nibbling on a biscuit, he’d come over just to talk. If she trembled at the sounds of the Harvesters’ footsteps and screeches outside the door, he’d snark at her.
“Why do you tremble so much? Are you cold or something? So weak.”
Says the monster who revives no matter how many times you cut him up and uses traps as weapons.
So, if Cynthia tried to avoid him by changing seats, he would still have something to say about that.
“Just stay put. You’re so tiny, don’t go getting kicked around. Stick to the sofa, will you?”
Because he’s built like a utility pole, everyone else probably looks small to him. Seriously. Is 163cm short? Is it?
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