X
It seemed Xiluo’er was fine, so Eve decided not to disturb her sleep.
Still, it was a slight pity that the little one didn’t want to sleep with her.
“Oh, right, Xiluo’er, if you hear any strange noises tonight, remember to come find me.”
Eve remained uneasy about the Chaos Cult, so she reminded Xiluo’er once more before leaving.
The door closed softly, and Xiluo’er, who had just relaxed at Eve’s departure, stiffened once again.
The words Eve had just spoken were clearly a hint, and Xiluo’er understood this perfectly.
It was a hint for her not to cause trouble, not to act rashly.
*Hiss*. Her plan to return to the Adventurers’ Guild hadn’t even been implemented yet. Moreover, Rona’s situation at the City Lord’s Mansion remained unknown.
What should she do? Eve had hinted to this extent; if she acted recklessly now, the chances of exposure would greatly increase.
But… the image of Rona, who had transformed into a monster in the game’s ending, flashed through her mind. Xiluo’er gritted her teeth and rolled over.
No. Though she didn’t know exactly what had happened in Kanna City, having glimpsed part of the truth, she absolutely could not allow the story to progress to that point.
Furthermore, she had to find a way to get Eve to the City Lord’s Mansion. She alone wouldn’t be nearly enough.
The black hood once again obscured her face. Xiluo’er watched the clock on the wall, patiently waiting for Eve to fall into a deep sleep.
****
A scent of blood.
And not a faint, elusive one, but a thick, heavy scent, as if it had slowly accumulated over a long period.
It was the kind of smell that would make an ordinary person nauseous.
Though Rona was far from ordinary, having handled many similar, difficult cases as the captain of the city guard over the past two years, she still instinctively felt a wave of nausea upon smelling the blood.
Her five senses were gradually returning after she awoke from unconsciousness. Although her vision remained limited, Rona had first detected the potent scent of blood.
‘What… happened to me?’
The back of her head throbbed, seemingly struck by a blunt object. Rona endured the intense headache, trying to recall what had transpired.
Not long ago, using the brass key given by the mysteriously appearing Chaos Cult member, Rona had successfully opened the secret door in the storage room.
Seeing the pitch-black passage leading underground, appearing before her eyes, Rona’s mood became complicated.
She had even hoped the Chaos Cult member was lying, that the key wouldn’t open the basement door at all.
However, reality offered her no chance to escape.
‘Perhaps, just perhaps, clues to the true culprit could be found in the basement. Maybe the real culprit wasn’t Lord Serol after all, and she herself didn’t even know such a basement existed in the City Lord’s Mansion?’
Taking a deep breath, and clinging to this thought, Rona descended the steps into the basement, one by one.
Although… Rona also knew that Serol had been the Lord of Kanna City since the end of the civil war. This very City Lord’s Mansion had been built under her watchful eye, making it highly unlikely there were places within it unknown to Serol.
Yet, she hadn’t walked far into the basement, her eyes barely adjusting to the darkness, when a sudden whooshing sound came from behind her head.
Rona had no time to react. A sharp pain erupted at the back of her skull, and her consciousness slipped away.
‘I was… knocked unconscious?’
‘By whom? The owner of this basement? The true culprit?’
Rona quickly began to piece together her current predicament.
She felt a distinct sense of restraint on her limbs; she seemed to have been tied up.
‘This isn’t good; it’s a bit difficult now. I need to find a way to escape. Oh, and it would be best if I could confirm the identity of the person in this basement—’
Her thoughts abruptly halted midway, for her vision finally returned at that moment, allowing Rona to see her surroundings clearly.
The environment around her could only be described as terrifying.
Rona wasn’t sure where in the basement she was tied, but the space before her wasn’t wide. It felt cramped and suffocating. Within the small area, only a dim kerosene lamp provided illumination.
Under the faint light, Rona discerned patches of dark red stains on the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling.
No wonder the smell of blood was so overpowering here.
Suppressing the urge to vomit, Rona noticed a peculiar arrangement on the floor before her.
It appeared to be a magic array, with intricate symbols and candles placed around a person-sized area in the center.
Rona had studied the Knight’s Way of the Cross Family since childhood, so her knowledge of magic and arrays was limited. Even so, she could tell at a glance that this array was deeply unsettling.
Combined with the surrounding environment, Rona found it difficult not to suspect this was some kind of cult ritual.
‘Were all those kidnapped, missing people brought here…?’
Footsteps suddenly echoed, and Rona instinctively looked up towards the door.
‘Someone’s coming?’
Indeed, within seconds, a figure stepped into the cramped room.
“Serol… Lord.”
Rona opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn’t control herself, allowing the name to slip from her throat. For over two years, she had grown accustomed to greeting this person respectfully.
So much so that upon seeing Serol, Rona’s first instinct was to call out to him. But unlike before, after the name left her lips, Rona’s mind felt utterly blank.
Though she had harbored such suspicions, truly seeing the truth and reality laid bare before her, Rona felt she couldn’t quite accept it.
The familiar knight’s uniform, the familiar face—the one who appeared in the room was undeniably Serol.
“…Rona.”
Staring at Rona for a long moment, Serol suddenly sighed, a complex expression on his face.
The familiar voice shattered Rona’s last shred of illusion. Rona even closed her eyes and reopened them, but the scene before her remained unchanged.
But, but it shouldn’t be like this. Rona couldn’t believe that Lord Serol would appear before her, simultaneously with such a horrifying environment.
Many questions instantly arose, brewing, eager to burst from her lips, but Rona opened her mouth, then pressed them all back down, saying nothing.
Finally, Rona spoke, her voice trembling slightly, asking a simple question.
“Is… it you, Lord Serol?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
The scene seemed to freeze. Serol stood there for a moment, ultimately giving that answer.
You think this chapter was thrilling? Wait until you read The Fake Yandere Was Forcefully Loved By The Real Yandere! Click here to discover the next big twist!
Read : The Fake Yandere Was Forcefully Loved By The Real Yandere
