CHGD 02

Chapter 02

As I stared at him with a bewildered expression, the octopus-man cleared his throat with a *hem* and hid the meat he was holding behind his back.

“Well, I heard recently that someone actually got sick from eating raw liver.”

He added something like, “These days, humans have impure innards,” but I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard. At the very least, it wasn’t a story that would benefit my mental health.

“Still, I really should learn to cook. I can’t keep—… No! That’s not it!”

As if suddenly coming to his senses mid-sentence, the octopus-man took a large step forward—*should I say stepped or crawled?*—and widened his eyes.

My gaze kept drifting to his octopus legs.

“Anyway, you’re an intruder! Crossing the Dead Lands in the middle of the night—you’ve got some nerve!”

“Raw liver, you mean?”

“Ah, not that liver… Stop interrupting me!”

Whether it was fear making me lose my mind, my words kept slipping out.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t provoke him, my tongue moved on its own.

“Ahem, anyway, as the Knight Commander, I can’t just let an intruder—”

“I’m not an intruder.”

“Uh? Really?”

“I’m the new lady of the house. My name is Deliana Royd. Didn’t you know?”

Finally, my name was revealed.

But the octopus-man’s eyes showed a question mark, as if hearing it for the first time.

“I got married to the Count here half a month ago. They even sent gifts over…”

“R-Really?”

“As the Knight Commander, shouldn’t you know that much?”

“I’m always out on patrol… They don’t really include me in meetings.”

*Don’t make that sulky big-dog face when you’ve got bloody meat scraps on your mouth…*

I forcibly suppressed the bizarre irritation rising from deep within.

If I showed any more emotion, I might end up as fresh liver (feed) with complaints like, “She’s a bit rude, isn’t she?”…

“And there’s a gatekeeper here, right? That… large, beautiful-eyed person.”

“Oh! You met Blacky!”

It seemed that monstrous gatekeeper’s name was Blacky.

“He let me in. If I were a real intruder, he wouldn’t have let me go, right?”

“Well, Blacky does have better eyes than me…”

*Of course. Those eyeballs are huge.*

The octopus-man, unaware of my inner thoughts, nodded a couple of times and then spoke with an apologetic expression.

“So you really are the lady of the house?”

“Yes, at least on paper. If you’re curious, you can ask the Count.”

“Nah, it’s fine. Doesn’t seem like you’re lying.”

He nodded with his harmless-looking face.

“But why did you arrive so late at night? It’s dangerous outside at this hour.”

“Dangerous?”

“Yeah, you crossed the Dead Lands, didn’t you?”

“…….”

I learned the name of that wasteland for the first time.

A chill ran down my spine at the thought that I could have been killed by an unidentified monster if I’d been unlucky.

“I had circumstances. Anyway, could you guide me to the Count? Ah, or you could help me find my way back home instead…”

I subtly expressed my desire to return, but the man completely ignored the latter part.

“Oh, right! I’ve been keeping the lady standing all this time. Sorry, follow me!”

There was a proper title like ‘milady’ instead of ‘lady of the house,’ but I didn’t bother correcting him.

It seemed best to loosen a few screws in my own brain when talking to the octopus-man.

“Still, it’s lucky you ran into me. If it had been the other guys, an ordinary per… guest would have been… by now…”

*He was about to say ‘human’ just now, wasn’t he?*

“Oh, wait. The butler said to wear shoes when walking in the hallways.”

The octopus-man suddenly bent down and touched his leg suction cups a few times, and the octopus legs began to slowly transform into human legs.

I’d lost count of how many unimaginable sights I’d seen today. My reason felt numb, and I even let out a hollow laugh.

The octopus-man pulled old shoes out of his pocket, put them on, and grinned like a mischievous boy.

“I heard my footprints are sticky and hard to clean.”

Whether I should sympathize or understand, I nodded blankly.

“Alright, the master’s bedroom is this way!”

Thus, I entered the castle following the octopus-man. The castle, even more immense than it had appeared from the wasteland, was like a maze.

The strangest thing was that there were multiple buildings of similar shape. Rather than a lord’s castle, it seemed more like a giant dormitory shaped like a castle.

*No, considering the color scheme, it looks more like a prison than a dormitory…*

I shook my head, chasing away the eerie thought.

I was already frightened, wondering if the Count who lived in a place like this was even human. I didn’t want to add unnecessary worries.

“Are you okay? You don’t look well, my lady.”

“I’m fine, just a bit tired. Let’s keep going.”

Honestly, I wished all of this were just a dream I was having because I was tired.

I wanted to go home right away, but now that I knew monsters lurked in the wasteland, I had no choice but to seek help from the Count.

Soon, the realistic horror known as the Count’s bedroom loomed before me.

“This is it.”

“Thanks for guiding me.”

*I’ll just say I need to go back home for a moment. Yeah, I’ll say I left something behind.*

As I was rehearsing what to say, fixing my clothes and steeling my resolve, the octopus-man abruptly opened the door.

“Wait!”

“Master! We have a guest!”

The inside of the door, flung open so suddenly, was… not the splendid room one would expect of a Count’s bedroom.

*Darkness.*

The room was dark.

No, it was more accurate to call it a chasm of darkness. In a square room, there was square darkness.

Beyond the threshold, where no light, sound, or sensation could be felt, there was an overwhelming presence, as if the night sky itself had been brought right before my eyes.

I was transfixed by the blunt darkness, as if it would seize my entire body the moment I stuck a finger in.

“Oops.”

Just then, the octopus-man hurriedly closed the door.

As the darkness vanished and the door once again filled my vision, I came to my senses.

“What was that just now…”

“Ah, nothing. Just… the master was a bit sleepy, I guess.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Anyway, that’s just how it is! Wait a moment!”

The octopus-man belatedly knocked on the door. A cautious motion, as if to announce, “We’re coming in, so get ready.”

After several knocks, a small voice came from inside.

“Come in.”

“Sorry, master!”

The door opened again, and this time, an ordinary bedroom appeared beyond it, not the darkness.

A dark crimson canopy, a massive bed, and luxurious furniture that didn’t match the gloomy castle were visible.

It was even more splendid than the royal guest room I’d seen just once as a child.

And the man standing in the middle of that magnificent room was just as beautiful as the room itself.

*…He’s human, right?*

Hair woven from the darkness I’d just faced. Cheeks as pale as moonlight but full of life, and distinct, refined features. Unlike his delicate chin, he had a thick neck, broad shoulders, and a body as solid as a black panther, even visible through his sleepwear.

This must be what the legendary incubus, said to transform into a prey’s ideal type, looked like.

His inhumanly beautiful appearance made me doubt if he was really a monster at all.

“Deliana!”

The man smiled brightly upon seeing me.

His smile was so radiant that I momentarily thought the lights in the room had turned on, and I blinked dumbly.

“You appeared so suddenly, I was surprised. I was planning to come out to meet you when your arrival was delayed, but I suddenly got busy and… I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s just…”

“Does this mean you crossed that wasteland on foot? Was the journey uncomfortable? Any injuries?”

I wanted to ask about the nature of the darkness I’d seen before the door opened, but as if to block my questions, the Count fired off questions of his own.

Flustered, I glanced at the octopus-man beside me.

Noticing my gaze, the octopus-man stammered.

“Uh, the lady arrived just a little while ago. She explained her situation to me, so I brought her to you.”

“…Alone? Without any escorts or attendants?”

“Yeah, she was alone.”

At that moment, a dark crimson mist erupted from around the Count.

It vanished in an instant, but I clearly saw with my own eyes the space it touched become distorted.

I shot another questioning look at the octopus-man, but he rolled his eyes and looked away, pretending to have seen nothing.

“I should have…”

The Count muttered something chilling that I didn’t want to hear, then turned his gaze to the octopus-man’s leg area.

“So, Valos, you guided Deliana?”

“Yeah. If it weren’t for me, it could’ve been dangerous.”

“And you’re absolutely sure you guided her safely and politely? …With your ‘shoes’ properly on?”

The Count emphasized the word “shoes.”

I instinctively realized he meant the octopus legs.

[Pretend you didn’t see!]

Thanks to that, I think I’ve gotten a solid hold on one of Valos’s weaknesses.

When I gave Valos a meaningful smile, he flinched, as if thinking, *This isn’t going as planned.*