Chapter 10
“Ugh!”
Before I could even process the situation, I instinctively sprang up and pressed my back tightly against the headboard of the bed.
I completely forgot about the Holy Power Stunner tucked under the pillow. The shock of seeing Kid right in front of me as soon as I woke up was overwhelming.
It took a few seconds before I even registered the pillow under my butt.
“Oh… my Holy Power Stunner…”
“I-I’m s-sorry! I thought it was a dream, and I definitely didn’t mean t-to say that to you…”
I stammered, unsure of what I should even call him.
Kid let out a quiet “Ho-oh,” watching me intently with curiosity.
My heart pounded. I hadn’t even moved, but my lungs felt as if they were at their limit.
I tensed up and scrutinized Kid. My throat swallowed nervously, worried that, like yesterday, he might have a knife in his hand.
But, to my surprise, all he was holding was that yellow thing I had seen earlier—a tulip.
“Why is he holding that?”
It looked eerily similar to the tulip I had given Seniel.
As I pondered why Kid had a flower in his hand, he narrowed his eyes and fixed his gaze on me.
“You really don’t know who I am, do you?”
Kid’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“So, who do you think I am?”
That was a clear kill angle.
Just a few seconds of seeing Kid and my life was already in danger. My jaw trembled. I regretted not wearing three or four layers of protective gear; now I feared it might be my last regret.
“W-well… I don’t really know who you are.”
“Really?”
His probing gaze wasn’t casual.
Sweat ran down my back. Without realizing it, I curled my upper body in as much as possible.
“Either his eyes are squinting or he’s pretending not to notice.”
It made sense that it would be strange if I didn’t act as though I didn’t know him. I had to play ignorant—violently shaking my head to signal I knew nothing.
Spin, spin—the tulip whirled dramatically between Kid’s thumb and forefinger.
He held it steadily before me. I shut my eyes tightly, and the tulip gently tapped my cheek.
“Wait… this feeling…”
It was an unfamiliar sensation, yet also familiar.
It felt exactly like the touch that had tormented my cheek in the dream. He had definitely tapped me like this in my sleep.
You… damn bastard.
There’s a saying you shouldn’t hit someone with a flower, yet this guy even managed that.
I was frustrated, but I couldn’t stop Kid from mischievously brushing the tulip against my cheek intermittently.
“He’s not the sentimental type to decorate flowers just because it’s spring. He’s not the type to receive one from a friend… so this must be your doing, right?”
“…Y-yes… I gave it as a gift… to get closer to Seniel…”
Even in such a humiliating moment, I had to answer obediently, and I hated myself for it.
The tulip that had been lightly tapping my cheek now rubbed softly, and at the same time, his lips curved into a smile—an utterly lethal smile.
“You’ve got some skill.”
“…”
“You managed to give a flower to someone who rejects every gift and even got it neatly displayed in their room.”
A laugh, low and laced with amusement, followed. It was the happiest I had ever heard him sound.
Seeing him genuinely pleased didn’t make me feel relieved—it gave me chills.
“If I hadn’t given the tulip to Seniel, I’d be…”
A small mistake could have cost me my life, reminding me to be meticulous in everything I do from now on.
Secretly exhaling, I looked at the tulip on my cheek with gratitude. Then I watched Kid, who seemed exhilarated.
“When he’s in such a good mood, I need to prove my usefulness.”
Otherwise, it wouldn’t be a tulip hitting my cheek next time—it could be a knife. That lesson was firmly learned today.
“…Not only did I give the tulip, but today I held his hand, and Seniel even decided to call me by my nickname. We had dinner together too! It might not make me someone important to Seniel yet, but in a few months, I’ll be truly special.”
So, please let me live at least for a week.
Having spoken my relief-filled thoughts, my voice grew increasingly submissive as I went on. Having seen him once yesterday had slightly eased my fear.
Still, the more I spoke, the more pitifully my voice sank.
There’s no room to maintain pride when your life is on the line, but begging like this felt utterly humiliating.
The tulip wandering over my cheek finally dropped.
“Is… that it?”
It landed neatly in a glass on the bedside table, as if Jane had just set it there.
“Alright. I recognize your usefulness. The result exceeded my expectations.”
“Th-thank you…”
“I thought you’d just cower and do nothing.”
Kid tapped the glass with his fingertip. Thanks to the tulip, he seemed noticeably in better spirits than yesterday.
“No weapons either…”
I scanned his hands—there was no weapon. Perhaps hidden in his pockets? But his clothes didn’t seem to carry any weight.
“Even without weapons, he could still kill… or maybe he never intended to today?”
Nah, there’s no way Kid came without intending harm. But I remembered how I had shouted at him yesterday.
“Come to think of it… he let it slide.”
I expected to die immediately, yet Kid granted me mercy. Perhaps he genuinely won’t kill me until he tempts Seniel.
“Then… can I ask a question?”
I wiped my sweaty palms on the blanket, keeping a hand near the pillow just in case. Softly, almost like a mosquito, I asked:
“Um… is there a standard for becoming someone important to Seniel?”
“Why? Planning to suck up to him for now and run off at the right moment?”
Yes, you bastard.
“N-no! That’s not it!”
Too quick-witted.
Kid didn’t even glance at me as he picked up a water bottle beside the glass and poured it. The sound of water splashing into the glass was unusually loud.
He spoke, his voice unusually generous:
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you the criteria. But I’ll explain kindly. You seem somewhat useful.”
Yes, please. I’ll be careful not to meet the criteria.
Kid took his hand from the table and smiled gently at me.
He laughed surprisingly often, even if he didn’t seem that way. Seniel, on the other hand, had never smiled once. That laugh of his was creepy, though.
His smooth lips moved as he said:
“When Seniel is completely smitten with you.”
I waited, expecting him to say more.
‘Is that it?’
Kid’s face was brazen, as if he had said everything he wanted to.
‘That’s the standard.’
A capricious, threatening standard.
Kid looked at me and clicked his tongue, annoyed that I didn’t understand.
“Now that I’ve confirmed your usefulness, as promised, I’ll let you live until then.”
Just as when he came, he left on his own accord.
His footsteps echoed through the quiet room. With his long legs, he crossed the spacious room in no time.
I followed him with my eyes, relying on the faint light. The ceiling-high door opened.
“Do well.”
Without closing the door, he left the room, his black cardigan trailing behind him like a tail.
I remained huddled on the pillow, staring into the darkness beyond the door. The soft crackle of the lamp filled the stillness.
‘He just confirmed he’ll let me live, right?’
As long as I follow his instructions for a week, I’ll survive, right?
Hearing him say he’d spare me, my whole body went limp. I slumped back onto the bed with a groan.
Relaxed from the tension, I slept deeply after Kid left and woke to the morning.
Before the maid arrived, I hid the Holy Power Stunner securely in the drawer and threw open the curtains. The morning sunlight hit my eyes like a blow.
‘Since I said I’d greet Seniel in the morning… should I go to the annex now?’
I had no idea where his room was… maybe I could ask the servants who were already at work.
As I pondered lazily, urgent knocks sounded at the door. Even without opening it, I knew who it must be. Only one person in this mansion, aside from Kid, would knock like that.
A voice called from the other side:
“…Miss? Are you in there?”
Miss? I told him to call me Bibi. And I’m a wife now, not a “Miss.”
Weary but composed, I reached for the doorknob. The door swung open violently from the other side before I could grab it.
A broad chest came into view.
I looked up to see Seniel’s pale face. His hair was disheveled, as if he had rushed over.
His chest heaved in front of me, and his breathing was ragged.
Despite not feeling particularly fond of him due to last night, seeing him like that softened my irritation.
I clicked my tongue inwardly, part playful, part annoyed:
“Do you usually barge into someone else’s room like this? And I said Bibi, not Miss.”
I expected him to apologize, but Seniel remained silent, frozen in place, staring at me blankly.
I was about to ask what was wrong when suddenly a tear fell from his eye.
That single tear triggered a stream down his face. He looked flustered and spoke incoherently.
“In the morning… when I woke up and the tulip was gone… I panicked… and… I was rude…”
‘Oh dear.’
I grabbed Seniel’s arm and pulled him inside. He didn’t resist. After closing the door, I turned to him.
“You followed the promise, so why are you crying?”
“…Thank goodness… thank goodness.”
He sighed, letting silent tears fall. Unlike Kid, who had been laughing crazily all night, Seniel’s demeanor was completely different.
He looked pitiful and fragile.
Even though it was ultimately Seniel who had threatened me, he seemed vulnerable.
But the atmosphere, even his face, was completely different between Kid and Seniel. Strangely, it felt hard to believe they were the same person. I had thought of them as two personalities in one body, but now it felt like I was dealing with entirely separate people.
I raised my hand to console him but lowered it again. I’m not the heroine here, and I didn’t want to offer meaningless comfort.
Remember my role. I just need to escape safely.
“If you continue exactly as I instructed yesterday, nothing will happen today, just like this morning.”
“I’ll do whatever you say.”
Seniel nodded repeatedly like an obedient dog.
“Good. For now, that’s all I asked for. Go ahead and get ready for work. Stop crying.”
I reached for the doorknob to let him leave. Seniel looked at me with moist eyes.
“Thank you.”
Yes, be very grateful. I waved at him as he left the room.
“See you tonight.”
Seniel stopped mid-step, turned, and spoke with a serious, solemn expression.
“Yes, see you tonight.”
After saying that, he lingered, glanced at the floor nervously, then looked at me shyly.
“…Bibi.”
Seniel, who complied with all my demands after gaining a bit of trust, averted his face embarrassedly and finally left.
‘Wow.’
It wasn’t a situation to be charmed, yet I almost got distracted by his face. I shook my head firmly to regain focus.
‘No wonder they call it peerless beauty.’
I nearly forgot my own situation and got caught up.
After Seniel left, I pondered what to do with the tulip Kid had placed so carelessly. Ideally, I would just throw it away, but one simple reason held me back.
‘If I throw it away, Kid might scold me.’
I crossed my arms and stared at the tulip. With no solution in sight, I decided to leave it there.
Instead, I busied myself preparing for today’s plan.
After learning that Seniel had gone to work, I naturally left the room.
Today, I intended to gather evidence of the murders committed by Kid.
