Chapter 4
After finishing my bath, I slipped into a robe and wrapped my wet hair in a towel.
I called for Jane, and she came over to dry my hair, asking if I liked the pajamas she had prepared.
Even though she had chosen them for comfort and ease of movement, they were useless in the current situation.
“I’m going out for a bit. Prepare my outing clothes and the carriage.”
Jane’s hands froze mid-motion as she dried my hair. I heard her hesitant voice.
“Master left instructions that you must not go out late at night… so I don’t think I can do that.”
“Why not?”
“Well… I’m not entirely sure…”
Master isn’t home, so why couldn’t she just follow my orders? And whether I liked it or not, I was Seniel’s wife—shouldn’t that put me on equal footing with him?
Jane eyed me cautiously, clearly afraid I might ignore Seniel’s words and go ahead anyway.
Seniel must be worried I’ll run into Kidd if I go out at night.
But why didn’t he think I might just stay out for the night?
I considered asking him to cooperate: “I know your secret, and I won’t tell—help me escape.”
No, that’s too dangerous.
If Kidd discovered Seniel’s memories, I could die immediately. I abandoned that thought.
Jane, drying my hair more slowly than before, finally spoke with a hint of hesitation.
“…The coachman has already left for the night. Master said it was okay… If you really want to go out, should I sneak out and fetch the carriage?”
Walking from here to the mansion entrance would easily take thirty minutes, but she promised she’d return quickly. I let out a weary sigh.
Jane’s eyes were filled with worry and pity.
Naïve as she was, she pitied my situation—alone without Master in the mansion—and seemed to think I would simply go looking for him.
The village was far from the mansion; how could I walk all the way there?
This secluded mansion took a long time to reach even by carriage. Walking there and returning before midnight seemed impossible.
Seniel wouldn’t return home tonight, so roaming at night wouldn’t be a problem—but it felt off. The instinct of someone who had died once was telling me not to go.
…In the original story, she survived about a week. No need to be this hasty yet.
I shook my head. Jane’s expression brightened slightly at my decision. She had offered help, but clearly didn’t want to walk all the way to the village herself.
“If it’ll take too long, forget it. You can leave for the night.”
Jane took a step back as I waved my hand.
“I’ve left a water bottle here in case you get thirsty. The lamp and matches are also here.”
She bowed slightly.
“Have a good night, Madam. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Whether it would be a good night, I didn’t know.
The door closed. Silence fell.
Even the faint white noise of insects was gone, making the already eerie atmosphere feel even more sinister.
I quickly put on my pajamas and clung to the bed, a chill running down my spine. There was nothing else I could do.
At first, exhaustion hit me hard, and I fell asleep quickly.
But a lingering thought—that I must stay alert—dominated my subconscious, and I awoke shortly after.
What time is it now?
With the curtains fully drawn, I couldn’t even see a clock.
I opened my eyes wide, but the bed offered no help. I had no choice but to leave the bed and check nearby.
The room was so quiet that even the slightest noise—the rustling of blankets—felt deafening. Going out now was terrifying. One wrong sound and disaster could strike.
In the pitch-dark night, knowing all the servants had gone home, chills ran down my spine. Cold sweat dampened my back.
I tried to stay still, pulling the blanket up to my nose. A dreadful premonition told me the door might burst open.
I cursed myself for not making Jane get the carriage. Tears began to fall as I silently called for my mother.
Creak.
A strange sound came from somewhere.
I grabbed the blanket in shock.
I must have heard it wrong…
Like after watching a horror movie, small noises often sounded exaggerated. I tried to convince myself it was just fear playing tricks.
My heartbeat pounded so loudly that I couldn’t focus on finding the source.
“Mom…”
No other sound followed. Maybe the wind shook the window, or perhaps it was just my imagination.
Still, one tear fell, fear already taking hold.
Creak.
Another strange sound came.
I jumped instinctively but pressed my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming.
Then, in the eerie silence, I heard someone walking heavily.
It had to be a trick… I was just imagining it…
The door opened.
I discovered that at the peak of fear, one can’t faint—only nerves sharpen.
I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. I had no choice; my body was frozen.
I can’t move!
I wished I were a ghost rather than a human.
But the approaching footsteps were unmistakably human.
I heard the swish of a jackknife, someone twirling it with their hand.
Shhh. A match struck, then the lamp clicked open.
Mom…
I knew immediately—it was Kidd. It had to be.
My hope that it was a ghost shattered.
Kidd had a cruel habit: he always revealed the victim’s face before killing them, to enjoy their reaction.
At first, they were relieved—thinking Seniel, the Chief Priest, wouldn’t kill them.
Then confusion and shock set in, followed by despair when Kidd mutilated them.
Kidd delighted in watching hope vanish from their faces.
The footsteps grew closer; death felt imminent.
Was it like this in the original story? Really? This is insane!
Impossible. In the novel, Vivi didn’t encounter Kidd until a week later. No earlier meetings existed.
Am I really going to die now…?
I tried to move my heavy, paralyzed body, like a person trapped in sleep paralysis. Not a single finger moved.
Then, silence. Kidd had paused, as if checking my reaction.
Clink.
A glass shattered violently. Judging by the sound, it must have been the one Jane had set aside for me. It had been on the nightstand next to the bed.
In other words… Kidd was now—
“Pretending to sleep, are we?”
My frozen body twitched at the sudden sound of Kidd’s voice, which carried both boredom and cruelty. I nearly peed myself.
I wanted to beg for a gentle death, but my body wouldn’t respond—besides the startled twitch, I was immobile.
Even the “escape-friendly” pajamas were useless. My preparation barely mattered.
“I know you’re awake, yet you won’t get up.”
A shadow fell over me.
I swallowed hard, even with my eyes closed, sensing the presence.
A pointed, firm touch grazed my cheek—harder than cotton, softer than a knife.
Is he poking me with his finger?
Every poke made my eyebrows twitch involuntarily.
“Your acting is impressive.”
The poking grew more frequent.
“If you don’t get up within three counts—”
Like a miracle, my body jolted upright. Kidd was a master, damn him.
“I-I’m up!”
A foreign breath touched my nose. My vision filled with something bloody. It didn’t take long to realize those were Kidd’s eyes.
“Eek!”
I recoiled sharply, but Kidd didn’t follow. He simply tracked me with his gaze.
He was Seniel, yet completely unlike him.
His curly hair was loose and wild; his eyes were insane. Kidd twirled the knife casually, speaking lazily.
“I have no regrets about you. But I’m very angry right now.”
“……”
“Scared, yet you don’t even ask who I am?”
Kidd’s eyes narrowed, his face scrunching in irritation. He looked like he could crush anyone in front of him.
“Did Seniel tell you about me?”
The knife hovered close to my chin. One more inch, and it would scratch my throat.
“…N-no. I-I don’t know who you are.”
He hated being confused with Seniel; saying “I don’t know” was the safest answer.
Kidd watched me carefully, judging whether I was lying.
“Of course. If I’d told you everything, you’d have run away. Why move this damned me around?”
Yes, exactly. Very rational of you, sir. I know nothing.
“Anyway, whatever. Whether you know or not, you’re going to die now.”
Plea: my lips didn’t move. Tears filled my eyes.
Kidd’s eyes curved into a crescent, smiling.
“You’ve stayed quiet, so I’ll grant you the grace of no pain. I hate noise. Any last words?”
“W-wait a moment!”
“Is that your last word? I’ll tell your husband well.”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
