IKMHITM 3

࣪ ִֶָ☾. Chapter 03 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

Come to think of it, the beautiful woman in the portrait was wearing a veil.

“So you are a sister in faith. No wonder I felt such good energy from you. Hoho.”

“Let’s get along well as fellow believers!”

Eve had just lost her religion.

Honestly, her faith was just an escape. When she was at home, her family attacked her. She needed a steady sanctuary where she could hide for a long time without paying money.

But deep down, she must have been relying on it. The moment the ghost mocked her, Eve’s vision went dark.

“Oh my?”

Eve’s body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. The candlestick she dropped rolled dangerously before stopping on the carpet.

Right before the fire could spread, a shoe stepped out from the darkness and stomped out the flame.

“Kamien! You’re here too.”

The woman in the portrait welcomed the new arrival.

“Come and greet the new master.”

“…Greet her? An unconscious person?”

A deep, rich voice, resembling the mystery of the night, asked in disbelief.

The tip of a shoe, so black it had lost all its shine, stopped in front of Eve. The man knelt on one knee and grabbed Eve’s face with his large hand.

After turning her head this way and that, a short observation flowed from his mouth.

“She looks too weak.”

“If she was weak, how could she have passed the mansion’s test?”

“Sometimes there are lucky humans.”

“This master is different. I have a good feeling about her!”

The beautiful woman in the portrait argued, rolling her eyes with her bloodstained face. It was a terrifying sight, but the man shook his head as if he were sad.

“Gain, you still haven’t given up hope.”

“God helps those who believe.”

“The devil wouldn’t help, though.”

The beautiful woman’s face suddenly twisted. Instead of arguing further, she turned her body and disappeared into the portrait.

“Was I too harsh?”

Kamien shrugged. He had work to do.

Grabbing the back of the dead Serian’s neck, he easily slung the corpse over his shoulder like a rag doll.

Serian was quite tall, but this man was even taller. The man’s reflection in the hallway mirror was captivating, like something out of women’s dreams every night. Even a delicate, handsome man like Serian looked dead next to him… well, in this case, he actually was dead.

Anyway, after “disposing” of the body, Kamien returned to the bedroom. He picked up the unconscious Eve and laid her on the bed.

A gentleman would have done his duty and stepped back at that point. But Kamien calmly lay down next to Eve.

“It’s a bit much to call it a welcome ceremony.”

He pulled Eve, who was not even half his size, into his arms.

“Should I also try to flatter the new master?”

With this body.

The Roman estate where Eve lived was neighbors with the Arno estate, where Belper Mansion was located.

A great family like Arno would need a massive number of employees. It made sense that they would hire some of them from the neighboring Roman estate.

But strangely enough, no one had ever worked at Belper Mansion.

Except for the crazy widow who had lost her husband.

Belper Mansion is a den of demons!

The widow was completely out of her mind and walked around wearing a black veil backward.

She said she had to avoid the demon’s eyes, or something?

That place destroys and eats people! You shouldn’t go near it!

Everyone ignored the widow’s words. Eve did the same.

I should have listened carefully back then.

By the time she regretted it, it was already too late. A teapot ghost, a talking portrait… Oh, my God.

But the absolute worst was Serian Arno.

Whenever she made eye contact with him, Eve’s consciousness grew faint. Like someone hypnotized.

But was it because Serian was dead? One faint memory returned to her.

I saw a man. At my wedding.

Everyone attending wore white clothes. But exactly one person was dressed in pitch black from head to toe.

He was looking down at Eve from the second-floor balcony as she walked in as the bride.

With sad eyes, like watching a pig being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

Yes. That’s how it was…

“Don’t reject me.”

The man from that day was hugging Eve.

Is this a dream?

Wherever she looked, all she saw was skin. There’s no way something this wonderful is my dream.

The man caught Eve’s hand as she tried to push him away.

“Shh. I won’t hurt you.”

There was a beauty mark near the corner of the man’s softly curving eyes.

Did he have a lot to cry about in his life?

He doesn’t look like he would.

Strong brow bones, a distinct nose bridge, sensual lips, and a sharp jawline. It was a deeply sculpted, wild face. Even when he was completely still, his charm seemed to burst out.

His hair looked black at first glance, but looking closely, it had a purple tint. It was a bewitching color, like a poisonous spider that seduces and eats people.

“Wrap your arms and legs around my body.”

His large, muscular body made her feel like she was pinned under a rocky mountain. The heat coming from beyond his solid skin was unfamiliar.

Eve, who knew nothing, was suddenly terrified.

“This is just a dream. Don’t be scared and leave everything to me.”

His eyes, looking down at Eve, smiled. The color was deeply red.

He was fiercely masculine, so why did he give off more sensuality than the women of the red-light district? She felt dizzy. Eve ended up leaning against him like someone with motion sickness.

“Yes… good girl.”

The man lifted Eve’s limp hand and kissed it. A burning, faint heat remained wherever his breath touched.

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt.”

That seems impossible.

The man’s presence gently pressing against her left thigh was immense. Noticing Eve’s consciousness shifting that way, the man’s lips formed a curve.

“Do you like it?”

Before she had time to answer, he swallowed Eve’s lips. It was hot and slippery.

It was a strange and stimulating taste she had never experienced before. A soft moan leaked out without her realizing.

“Mmh, this…”

“Does it feel good?”

Heat gathered around her eyes. The heat transferred from the man melted her mind to mush.

She didn’t know what was going on, or what she was doing with this man…

“Ah!”

“You’re sensitive. I think I’ll get along well with the new master.”

New master? Before she could ask, his hot lips moved to her earlobe, making her flinch. Soon, his wet tongue dampened her hearing.

The wet sound filled her head, evaporating all other thoughts. She didn’t know this sensation. Without realizing it, she clung to the man’s rock-solid body and moaned.

She felt dizzy, as if she were drunk. Pressed down by his large, hard body that barely let her breathe, she felt like she would suffocate.

But she liked it.

“It’s dangerous to act too cute. This is strictly a treatment.”

The captivating eyes right in front of her narrowed. They were eyes that seemed interested, but at the same time displeased with himself for being so.

What is this? What is happening to my body?

Their breaths tangled again. It felt as if she was being sucked into his mouth.

Driven by stimulation beyond her limits, her head spun. Eve’s consciousness faded again.

“Oh my. Why did you faint after doing so little? How innocent.”

(I’ve never even done that before.)

“I’m looking forward to the future.”

It felt like she had an incredible dream.

Eve sat up and touched her forehead. Then, startled by the feeling of hair on her bare arm, she looked at herself.

“What? Why am I wearing such revealing clothes… I feel like I’ve said this before.”

Feeling an ominous sense of déjà vu, Eve raised her head and saw an unfamiliar bedroom.

A few seconds later, the memories of last night came back.

I killed someone!

Eve sprang out of bed and frantically searched the bedroom. She even looked under the bed, but Serian’s body was gone.

“Where did he go?”

“If you mean the corpse, it has already been cleaned up!”

The beautiful woman reappeared in the portrait on the wall.

“It wasn’t a dream…”

“Hoho, I do hear that I’m a dream-like woman a lot.”

The ghosts in this house didn’t seem to care about the time of day. It was broad daylight now.

Eve tried not to panic and began to figure out the situation.

“Um… did you clean up the body?”

“Should I have left it? So you could eat it as soon as you woke up.”

Eve already missed normal, common-sense conversations.

“Could you tell me where it was moved?”

You didn’t just casually hang it on a garden tree somewhere and say it’s ‘cleaned up’, right? Please.

“I ate him. Hoho.”

Eve immediately took a step back from the portrait.

“I’m joking. He became nutrients for the mansion.”

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”

“Then should I explain it differently? Serian’s body will absolutely never be found.”

Eve felt slightly relieved. But not completely.

How could she trust a talking portrait?

I can be suspicious later. First, I need to solve the crisis in front of me.

Soon, people from the Arno family would come.

Marriage between nobles was completed by the wedding night. Only after having the first night is it recognized as a true marriage.

Therefore, it was a custom for the elders of the family to check the bedsheets the day after the wedding night.

But…

“Why isn’t anyone coming?”

“Who would dare disturb the master’s sleep? No one can enter until the master comes out.”

At this point, Eve couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Aren’t you misunderstanding something? I’m not a member of the Arno family. How can I become the master of the mansion?”

“Don’t worry. Arno’s blood is definitely flowing through the master’s body!”

“I just got married yesterday and haven’t even had my wedding night yet.”

“But you drank the ceremonial wine, didn’t you?”

Ceremonial wine? Isn’t that just alcohol?

“The ceremonial wine is brewed with Arno’s blood. When a predecessor dies, blood is drawn from their heart and kept, then mixed into the alcohol of the spouse the descendant marries. That is the preparation step to make them a sacrifice for the ritual. It is flowing through your veins right now! Red, red, very bright red…”

It was a kind explanation. Eve responded with loud gagging.

“Ugh!”

Unfortunately, it seemed everything had already been digested, so nothing came out. Her throat just hurt, so Eve mindlessly grabbed the teapot.

Trickle. The water coming out was ice cold.

Just like the expression of the boy reflected on the teapot’s lid.

“Pfft!”

Eve violently spat out the water and coughed. The boy disappeared with a look of contempt.

“You’ve already met Andy, haven’t you?”

“Andy? Is that… his name?”

“He’s a good boy. A bit sensitive, though. As long as you don’t shake him, he’s fine!”

“What happens if I shake him?”

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･