Chapter 3: Death Flags Never Sleep
Chapter 3: Death Flags Never Sleep
THE skirt of my black dress fluttered against my legs as I proceeded past the wooden hallway walls. Jack slouched along behind me. Since we were out on a job, he was wearing his butler’s uniform properly for once.
We were being led by an older woman in a high-collared dress. Her feet dragged on the floor with each step, and her shoulders were slumped in a visible display of grief.
“Madame Silent, you said that when your daughter returned from Lord Knightley’s ball, she went straight to her bedroom. Is that correct?” I asked.
She stopped in front of a closed door. “Yes. She said she felt feverish, so I gave her medicine and told her to rest. I heard a scream just after that, and when I rushed up here…this is how I found her.”
Behind the door was a large bed beneath a lacy canopy hung from the ceiling.
A girl lay there deep in sleep, her body tucked snuggly under a white blanket.
She was the next victim in the spree of Sleeping Beauty cases. This was none other than Madeline, the only daughter of the Silent family, who were the owners of a famous textile company. She was also the girl with the seashell earrings who spread those rumors about me at the ball.
In all honesty, I knew from the start that she would be the next victim. It’s the first event that happens in the game after you decide which love interest to pursue.
But I’m not exactly over the moon to see it in real life…
It’s a common trope in otome games that feature a rich girl as an antagonist. The girl bullies and demeans the heroine until those actions come back to haunt her, and it all leads to her own ruin.
This development is known as the “justice served” twist, as it makes the player want to cry “Serves you right!” It’s so popular that some people even pick up the game just to play this part…though I never cared for it myself.
Taking joy in an event like this can only mean two things: either you’ve been so worn down over time that you can’t feel anything anymore, or you’re as coldhearted as a demon.
Despite having been pushed into a pond by Madeline, I didn’t hate her. I was filled with a mix of emotions as I approached her bed.
“She’s fast asleep.”
A small vase rested on her bedside table, holding the single blue rose we all received as guests of the ball. Next to it were a pair of seashell earrings and a small brown medicine bottle.
“Did you hear anything unusual from inside this room?”
“One of our servants heard the window opening right before Madeline screamed. But by the time she made it here, the window was closed, and my daughter was asleep in this empty room.”
The window could only be opened by pulling up on the pane, which wasn’t possible from the outside. While I examined the window, I took the opportunity to glance outside.
“We’re on the second floor, but there’s a safety fence underneath the window. I suppose one could climb it if they had a rope… Oh, what’s this?”
I spotted a fresh scratch on the window frame, which revealed white wood underneath the scraped-off paint.
When I moved to examine Madeline’s fingers, I found small woodchips under her nails.
“It appears that Miss Madeline scratched at the window. Perhaps she was in front of the windowsill when she screamed, and not in bed.”
“But what does that mean?”
I began to construct my theory for her mother. It was all based on the evidence I’d seen so far.
“Miss Madeline returned home from the ball, changed into her nightgown, took some medicine, and tried to fall asleep. She then realized she was still wearing her earrings, so she laid them on the bedside table. It could have been then that she spotted an intruder outside the window…”
The more I spoke, the more the details of the case began to come back to me.
The Sleeping Beauty cases always seem to occur behind closed doors. However, during the game, we learn that Madeline had actually allowed her secret lover to enter her room through the window.
The man in question turns out to be nothing more than a thief. His territory is in the East End, and he’s constantly looking for new targets to rob. In order to search Madeline’s home for valuables, he forcibly drugs her, causing her to let out a scream in the process.
The wood under her fingernails is proof that Madeline resisted his attack.
Though the man succeeds in drugging her, Madeline’s screams alert a nearby servant in time to prevent him from making off with any valuables. In the end, he has to flee from the second-story window.
The window would close naturally when it wasn’t being held open, which gave the appearance that this was a closed-room case.
That man used the same method to rob many other girls, but their parents refused to allow police to search their property, so the existence of a burglar was never confirmed. I remember that much.
This was the only case that didn’t involve theft.
As I calmly analyzed the situation, Madame Silent came up to me with tears streaming down her face.
“Please! Tell me how to wake my daughter! The police just think she’s asleep, and they won’t investigate further than that!”
“Calm down, Madam. Everything will be all right once we find the culprit.”
“But…what if you can’t find them?” Her dry lips trembled as she spoke.
“Well…”
If everything went exactly as it did in the game, the Liddell family would catch the man and enact his punishment. Of course, that explanation would hardly serve as a reassurance for the distressed mother.
“Madam, for now, let’s focus on how to wake your daughter. Have you consulted a doctor yet?”
At this point, the game offers a choice to call for a doctor. If you agree to have her examined, you learn that Madeline’s coma is the result of excess cold medication in her system, and the doctor is able to successfully revive her.
I thought this would be the end of it, but the woman weakly nodded her head.
“I’ve already had her examined. The doctor said the medicine isn’t what’s done it.”
“That medicine didn’t put her to sleep? But I was quite sure…”
Strangely, this case appeared to be slightly different from the version I was familiar with.
Even though the rest of the story is right out of the Evil Alice’s Lover that I know…
It felt like I was watching an altered retelling of the plot from the other side of the screen this time.
As I pondered the situation, I noticed Jack picking something up in a handkerchief at Madeline’s bedside table. I realized it could be an important hint in solving this new version of the case.
“Madame Silent, please rest assured that we will find the culprit. In the meantime, I ask that you continue to pray for your daughter’s safety.”
I clasped her cold hands in mine, hoping it was a comfort.
A single tear rolled down her cheek, and in that moment, I felt just how capable the characters in this game were of love.
♥♥♥
“THE medicine didn’t put her to sleep…”
I stared up at the clouds as I walked.
The two of us, after leaving the Silent estate, were in a residential neighborhood near Mayfair. The streets were lined with the mansions of aristocrats.
Hyde Park, sprawling and lush, was located to the west. To the north was the bustling Oxford Street, close to the rows of high-brand shops stretching up and down Regent Street. The passersby were all dressed in finer clothes than you would see in the rest of London.
Everyone was rushing about to avoid the chilly June rain that could fall at any moment.
“We best get home before we end up soaked. Bloody rain. I’ll find us a carriage.”
Jack removed his coat, tied it around his waist, and loosened his tie with a yank. He was back to his usual bad-boy style. I called out for him to wait as he tried to leave.
“Before we go, tell me what you found in Miss Madeline’s room.”
“…We shouldn’t discuss it out here.”
Jack led me into a nearby coffeehouse. He purchased a newspaper at the counter and led me through the cloud of tobacco smoke out to a seat on the terrace. There were no other customers outside with us, since the sky was dark with rain clouds.
“This is what I found.”
Jack removed the handkerchief from his breast pocket. He unwrapped it to reveal a small medicine bottle and a single blue rose.
“This medicine is called laudanum. It’s also known as opium tincture.”
“I’ve heard of it. It’s a cure-all used for everything from colds to pain relief, correct?”
The medicine used to be widespread to the point that it was sold in general stores. It was still available to purchase by weight when needed, so it could easily be obtained by nobles or commoners without a doctor’s prescription.
Jack nodded. He spread the newspaper out on the table in front of us.
“It’s on the front page today. Read this.”
“Let’s see. ‘Doctors Warn of Opium Tincture’s Addictive Properties’…?”
The article explained the situation:
A string of incidents had recently come to light. Working mothers were giving their children opium tincture to put them to sleep during the day. The kids were ending up dead after overdosing on the medicine.
“This is so tragic…”
“This is happening because it’s so easy to get ahold of,” Jack continued on angrily as I stared at the paper in disbelief. “Opium tincture is opium dissolved in alcohol and diluted with water, and then they put in cinnamon or cloves to give it an aroma. A small dose will make you sleepy or kill pain, but too much at once will kill you, and it’s easy to become addicted if you use it every day. Don’t you think the medicine put Miss Madeline in a coma because she had an addiction?”
“I disagree.”
I picked up the bottle he’d brought with us. The small 10 cc container was still over half full.
“If she was addicted, she would most likely purchase her medicine in a much larger bottle, even though we only found this small one. She probably didn’t think seeing a doctor was worth it, as she only needed a tiny dose at night to quell her symptoms. The medicine’s not what’s keeping her asleep. The doctor didn’t think so either.”
In the version of events I knew, the key pieces of evidence in unveiling the culprit were Madeline’s testimony after waking and the same bottle that Jack got his hands on.
But if the details in this case were different, I couldn’t see it coming to the same conclusion.
Was there even an intruder in the first place? That was the question.
This is still an otome game. There has to be a hint out there somewhere that will lead me to the answer.
The blue rose on top of Jack’s handkerchief caught my eye.
“Madame Silent didn’t find it strange that you took the flower from the bedside table?”
“This is a different one.”
“A different one?”
“Yeah. It was on the ground.”
Jack held the thornless rose by its stem and gave it a twirl.
“Everyone who attended the ball was given a single rose. If there were two in Miss Madeline’s room, that proves that someone else entered to put her to sleep. It wouldn’t be the sort who lives in the East End either. The culprit must be someone of high enough status to be known by Lord Knightley.”
That person didn’t fail to steal from Madeline’s room because they were interrupted. They didn’t need to steal because they were already wealthy.
“The culprit was there at the ball…!”
I leaped out of my chair, then sat down again when I realized the next problem.
“Sneaking into the rooms of young ladies and putting them to sleep… Just what was their objective?”
“He wanted to watch them sleep…?”
“Jack, do you find yourself wanting to watch women sleep?”
I was surprised enough at his comment to question him on it. Jack blushed.
“No! I don’t actually want to watch you sleep, but sometimes when I go to wake you up, I just kind of end up watching you for a second or two!”
“What’s the fun in that? This isn’t a face worth looking at.”
I cocked my head in confusion, but it wasn’t hard to see what he meant; in this world, I looked like ‘Alice.’
Even the me of my past life would stare at such a beautiful girl if she was asleep in front of me. It would surely be a sight for sore eyes.
Jack’s shoulders lurched as I sat there in deep thought.
“Don’t talk about your looks like that! You’re beautiful, my lady! Even without makeup, your lips are so red, and your eyes are big and round, and your nose and lips are so small…”
I felt myself smile at hearing Jack’s flood of praise for Alice.
Yes, this was why he was my ultimate bias in my past life. He loves the heroine with all his heart.
“Hehe. It sounds like you’re quite taken with my face, yes, Jack?” I chuckled.
He pulled his hand away from me and covered his face with his arm.
“It’s not…just your looks…”
“Is it my arms and legs as well? I know what you mean. They’re long and slender, like a fashion model’s. Women are more than just their outer beauty, but still, I think it’s the kind of beauty we all would like to experience, if only once in our lives.”
“Experience? No, that’s not what I mean.”
“Then could it be my hair? I know what you mean. It’s so smooth and glossy. The balm I use gives it a lovely fragrance too… Though I wouldn’t have thought you were so attracted to women’s hair, Jack!”
I was gleeful to obtain this bit of information, something I never heard of in my past life. Jack gave a sigh of resignation, wondering aloud how we’d reached this point. But his face suddenly went serious and he placed one hand atop the table.
“Since you don’t seem to get it, I’ll just tell you. What I like about you is how—”
Some horses whinnied in the distance and cut off his sentence.
“What is that?”
I peered down the street, where I saw two horses attached to a carriage. They were coming toward us from the south.
The horses were out of control, and the driver, gripping the reins, looked like he was about to be thrown off his seat. The passenger car swayed back and forth behind them, crashing into the signposts and stalls that lined the streets.
I watched as the carriage smashed through an ice cream stand. The blood drained from my face when I realized it was a familiar sight.
This is what happens when you make the wrong choice on this street!
I didn’t see an opportunity to make any choices, but it appeared my life had veered off course just like it would in the game.
I’ll die for sure at this rate!
I stood up to rush inside the coffeehouse, but just then, I noticed a small child walking on the side of the street. If the carriage continued in our direction, she would surely be struck.
“Jack! Take that child and run to the center of the street!”
“But the carriage will hit us!”
“It’s not going toward the middle! It’s coming toward me!”
The carriage drew closer as we argued.
“Forget it. I’ll do it myself!”
I drew my pistol and ran into the middle of the road. The carriage diverted from the path toward the coffeehouse and came barreling straight at me.
I stood my ground in the middle of the street, raised the gun, and aimed it straight at the horse’s eyes.
My heart pounded in my ears. I tried to steady myself as I pulled the trigger.
“Forgive me!”
The bullet burst forth and struck the metal that held the horses together on their rope.
With the fixture broken, the horses were now free. They separated to my left and right.
I’m saved!
I lifted my head up in relief, but at that moment, I saw the passenger car racing straight for me.
Ah, I guess I still can’t escape the death flags.
“Miss Alice!”
A dark figure grabbed me and dove off to the side.
I squeezed my eyes shut and tumbled across the street like a stuntman in a movie. Pebbles stung my face as they struck me, but I didn’t have time to even think of screaming.
When we finished rolling, I heard the voice of the person who’d saved me.
“Are you all right, my lady?”
I opened my eyes to see Jack sprawled out at my side.
His amethyst eyes were clouded with worry. Bits of dirt were stuck to his cheeks.
“Yes. You saved me.”
“…I’m glad you’re okay.”
Relief and hope filled me as he wrapped his arms around me so strongly.
This wasn’t a scene I’d ever laid eyes on in Evil Alice’s Lover.
When the carriage breaks loose during the game, Alice is unable to escape and always meets with certain death. But in that moment, I was able to prevent myself from befalling my worst fate.
I can change my life with my own two hands.
To think that every single one of my actions had consequences—it was almost as if I wasn’t in the game at all.
Where there were no choices for me to make, for better or worse, I would be met with unpredictable results.
“Who would have thought that real life could be more amusing than a game?”
I began to laugh now that the danger had passed. Jack watched me curiously and let me out of his arms.
“You’re a strong woman to be laughing in this condition.”
“Not at all. Is the child unharmed?”
I looked back toward the coffeehouse and saw the child in her mother’s arms. She didn’t appear to be injured. The coachman was off to the side, rubbing his back and wincing after being flung off the carriage, but there were no deaths resulting from the incident.
That means I was able to make a choice where no one was sacrificed.
We slipped through the crowd of onlookers and returned to the coffeeshop. The owner, who’d witnessed the whole ordeal, offered us both warm mochas.
I was taking a rest in one of the window seats when I felt something heavy on my shoulder.
“I thought I heard an awful fuss around here. What happened, my lady? Your coat’s a right mess.”
It was Leeds, who was now resting his chin on my shoulder. He wore a loose and dark chesterfield coat. His bright shawl was the only splash of color on him.
I lifted my cup and breathed in the scent of the mocha.
“It was nothing. I tripped in the street while examining two potential racehorses.”
“I’m sure they’ll be fine racehorses if you’re the one who’s chosen them. Though I always bet on the ones who kick up the most sand, not the fastest ones.”
He glanced at Jack, who was surrounded by other customers, all praising his heroism.
“Can I ask what happened?”
“There was a random accident outside. Jack saved me, and no lives were taken, so I’m fine now.”
“Your life and body may be fine, but is that really all…?” Leeds began to tenderly smooth my messy hair with his hands. “Listen well, my lady. Boys, girls, people like me who don’t quite suit either label, and even animals all need a good cry after they’ve had a fright.”
“A good cry?”
Despite his suggestion, I wasn’t the slightest bit upset. In fact, I was rather pleased with my successful escape from that death flag. There was no chance of me shedding any tears.
“I see… I’ll work in a cry if the opportunity arises.”
“Be sure you call for me when you’re ready to cry. It’s a promise, okay? There you go—it’s nice and pretty now.”
Leeds had finished braiding my hair. The conversation ended, and Jack returned.
“Everyone’s so bloody excited about the whole thing. Most of this lot saw the accident, too. If I use my flames in here, things might get ugly.”
Ordinary people must never witness the power of stigmas. The execution of sinners is the only time anyone’s allowed to know what we’re capable of.
Jack eyed Leeds, who was still standing behind me.
“Why aren’t you with the earl?”
Leeds had been tasked with staying at the Knightley residence. He was to report to us if he noticed anything strange. But now that he was here…
“Dark… I mean, Lord Knightley must have left the grounds, right?”
“Indeed. It sounds like he was arrested by the police.”
Leeds said it quite cheerfully, but Jack and I leaped from our seats.
“Arrested?!”
♥♥♥
I passed through the gates of the police station alone.
The stone building was chilled to its core. I half expected to see my breath in the air.
A well-built officer and a scary-looking man with tattoos all the way up to his face were going at it in the hallway. It was unsettling to see them spraying spittle at each other as their fight escalated loudly.
I can’t believe Dark may have been behind the Sleeping Beauties…
According to Leeds, Dark had visited a judge’s house in Hampstead, then strolled himself into this police station, as if it were nothing more than a visit to a coffeehouse.
By the sound of things, he’d turned himself in, as hard as that was to believe.
Maybe he sought the safer option? He knew we would execute him if we learned of his crimes.
It was all too common for noblemen to strike deals with law enforcers to get off with a lighter punishment. The Liddell family wouldn’t be able to get their hands on Dark if he was in prison, and that must have been his plan.
During the ball, he acted so confident that he could solve the cases before we did. But it was just an act to divert our suspicions…
My heart felt heavy when I realized he never intended to marry me.
He acted like he was in love with me, proposed marriage, and even opened up my heart with his kiss. But they were all lies to have me eating out of the palm of his hand.
I hated myself for how taken I was by his charms.
I want to hear Dark explain himself. If I learn how he put his victims to sleep, I might be able to wake them up again…
In a kingdom with no system of family registry, commoners like Leeds or Jack would be unable to prove their status if they were stopped by an officer. But as a noblewoman, I was able to walk around on my own, though I still didn’t want to draw attention to myself.
I peeked into the traffic enforcement department—no sign of Dark.
He wasn’t in the detectives’ offices, nor the larceny department either.
I returned to the reception desk, where a young woman about my age was filing her nails with a bored look on her face. If an earl’s confession to such a crime were made public, the building would be drowning in a sea of reporters. Judging by the quiet state of the place, that information hadn’t been leaked yet.
“I need to find him soon. Have I been everywhere except the jail cells?”
I would need a visitor’s pass to enter the jail.
As I stood there and planned my next move, I spotted another room I hadn’t entered yet.
“‘Interrogation room’…”
I pressed my ear to the door, which had an “Occupied” sign hanging from the knob. I could hear a man’s voice inside.
I wasn’t sure, but I thought it sounded like Dark. If he was being grilled about the Sleeping Beauty cases, I couldn’t have him carelessly slipping my family’s name into his confession.
There’s no time to hesitate!
I flung the door open immediately.
The room held a worn-out desk and chair, a single police officer, and Dark, just as I suspected.
But he wasn’t the one sitting in the suspect’s chair underneath the barred window. Dark was the one doing the interrogation.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this, but as an earl, it’s my duty to protect the common folk…”
Dark sat on the desk with his back to me. He was wearing a frock coat with lace trim, a top hat with three kinds of ribbon tied around it, and a cane in one hand.
“Officer, I’m sure you must understand what I’m saying. Isn’t that right?”
My eyes went wide when I heard Dark’s question.
Could this officer be behind the Sleeping Beauties?
Dark may have come to the police station not to confess, but to arrest the real culprit, who was a member of the police force. Even though that meant he’d beaten me in our competition, more than anything, I was impressed with his detective skills.
If he’s this crafty, I could easily entrust him with the Liddell family business…
That thought shook me back to reality.
If he took over my business, then I would definitely be well on my way down Dark’s character route. I was supposed to be looking for a side character who would give me the best chance of survival. How could I even think of marrying the walking death flag?!
Dark hopped off the desk, pointed his cane at the officer, and barked an order at him.
“Hurry up and solve the Sleeping Beauty cases already! That’s your job, isn’t it?!”
“…What?”
Dumbfounded, I looked over to see the officer with his shoulders slumped, asking for Dark’s forgiveness.
“But you see, Your Lordship, it’s only our job to investigate criminal matters. We can’t assign officers to this case just because some girls are sound asleep!”
“You fool!”
Dark slammed his hands down on the desk and began to rant like a politician at the podium.
“These beautiful young ladies are trapped in a never-ending slumber, and you have the gall to tell me there’s nothing worth investigating?! What is a police officer if not a man who fights with love, courage, and sincerity to dispel the fears of the kingdom?!”
“…Now I get it…”
I hung my head in great disappointment. Dark was only trying to get the police to conduct an inquest.
Even though the Liddells were already working on the case, since it would be difficult to investigate and convict through legal means…
“Lord Knightley, may I ask what you’re doing…?”
It came out as almost a sigh. Dark turned around and looked at me with wide eyes.
“Alice, it’s a surprise to see you here. Do you have business in this interrogation room?”
“I’m here to pick you up.”
“You are…? No, I can’t take it!” He clutched his head as if I’d just told him the world was on the verge of ending. “An English gentleman should be the one escorting the lady, and yet she comes to escort me? What shame I’ve brought upon myself! Should I fall on my sword like one of those samurai of the East?!”
“There will be no sword-falling. Please quiet down.”
The police officer stared at us with a grimace as I tried to calm Dark. I knew exactly how he felt. Trying to converse with such a nonsensical person was maddening.
“I’m going to leave with this man now. Sorry to have disturbed your work.”
I dragged Dark out of the room by his arm. People stared at us curiously. We were clearly out of place there.
I didn’t want to stand out like this.
It was all Dark’s fault, of course. Flames of rage prickled inside my chest.
I squeezed Dark’s hand, and he complained.
“Alice, you’re hurting me a bit.”
“Be quiet. I’m mad at you.”
“Have I done something to offend you?”
“…I thought you lied to me.”
“Lied?”
I bit my lower lip. “I was so sad when I thought you’d lied about your affection for me.” No, there was no way I could be so honest.
We left the station, and I stopped to stare up at Dark’s inquisitive face. Finally, I spoke.
“I’m inviting you to the Liddell estate. I want you to see just how dangerous our investigations can be.”
♥♥♥
DARK and I boarded the carriage Jack called for us and headed out of town toward my home.
Raindrops pattered on the roof above us. It was the only sound that echoed through our passenger cab.
After some time, we arrived at a small hill within a frame of iron fencing. The tip of each pole bore the shape of a heart.
The brown brick Liddell manor sat at the top of the hill
Our family crest was a rose, and thus, roses were planted as far as the eye could see. Green ivy stretched from the gates to the walls, and a few red roses were blooming on the garden fences.
Dark stepped down into the roundabout after me. His eyes lit up as he surveyed the grounds.
“It’s a real rose house! They’re all so red and beautiful.”
“I remember you gave out blue roses at the ball you hosted.”
“Weren’t they fascinating? We used blue pigment to dye white roses. They say God was too jealous of the blue rose’s beauty, which is why the plant is no longer allowed to grow naturally.”
“You seem to take an interest in things that are forbidden.”
Jack opened the front doors and we entered the mansion.
The front hall was lined with grand staircases to the left and right. Sculptures of angels stood perpendicular to the red carpet, and each one held a water jug or bow, smiling in the direction of where the guests would arrive.
Above the chandelier, the ceiling was painted with heavenly images of more angels smiling against blue skies. Thorny roses lined the border of all four sides.
Dark, overwhelmed by the beautiful colors, continued down the carpet with his eyes cast upward.
“I’ve never seen a ceiling mural like this before. It makes it seem as if the ivy stretches out so far…”
“Don’t stand there.”
“Hmm?”
Just as Dark turned to look at me, an arrow grazed his cheek. It had been fired from the bow of one of the angel statues, and it hit the wall with a sharp twang.
“T-The angel shot me?”
Dark stiffened in shock.
“This house is filled with hidden traps to keep intruders from breaking in,” I calmly explained. “If you walk on the carpet without knowing what you’re looking for, you’ll be shredded to bits in an instant. If you move a little more toward the middle—”
“Like this?”
Dark took a step forward and felt the ground shift under his weight. At that moment, the iron chandelier came crashing down from above. He let out a yelp and jumped out of the way without a second to spare.
“As you can see, the chandelier falls when you do that. There are also large boulders that roll down the halls, trapdoors in the study floor that’ll send you into the dungeons, and more. Would you like to see?”
Dark smiled grimly and cast aside his cane, which had been crushed under the chandelier.
“I don’t care to die today, so I think I’ll stay away. You have a lovely home, but with this many traps, hosting a party here would probably end in bloodshed.”
“I’ve never hosted a party and have no such intention, so don’t worry about that. These traps were built just after my birth. They serve as an important lesson.”
I approached Dark, minding the safe spots on the ground I’d memorized over time, and took his hand.
“‘Never forget that death is always just around the corner.’ The Liddells have spent generations executing sinners, and that’s earned us a lot of contempt along the way.”
The chandelier rose back up automatically, rattling loudly as it went. I would have to return the arrow in the wall to its angel later.
Dark cast his eyes over each fixture in the room.
“You have to rely on such dangerous traps just to protect your own safety.”
“That’s right. In this house, we’re taught that even making friends could lead to betrayal and, ultimately, our deaths.”
The “Alice” in the game is a desperately lonely girl. Without Jack and the others, she would have no one at all. It saddens her at times, but she never shows it outwardly, as she knows it is a weakness that could be exploited. Thus, I couldn’t show any of that weakness if I wanted to protect my family. I didn’t think Dark would be able to understand.
“You really don’t have any friends?” he responded in a quiet voice.
He sounded so timid and sad that I couldn’t help but scowl at him.
“That’s what I said.”
“I see… But you can’t be certain you’ll have to live exactly like your predecessors. To think that being born into this family means a life without friends or parties…it’s just too cruel.”
“Cruel? Don’t be silly!” I snapped and went off on him. “I’m just fulfilling the duties that have been passed down to me. It’s neither a blessing nor a curse. As the daughter of a baron, I have to live the same life as my father, all while doing enough work to pass on our fortune to the next generation. Isn’t it the same for you now that you’re an earl?!”
“You’re wrong, Alice. Her Majesty didn’t intend for you to live a baron’s life as a woman. Your family may still be noble, but the title doesn’t belong to anyone until you find a man to inherit it. Until then, there’s no need for you to play the role of executioner just because it was your father’s line of work. You should be able to leave your home freely and pursue whatever makes you happy.”
Dark held up a section of my hair and pressed it to his lips in a kiss.
“…Alice, that’s why I want to give you that happiness.”
“!”
A small gasp slipped out of my mouth at his touch.
When Dark touched me, I felt all my resolve start to melt away, even though I had sworn to live a life of blood and shadows—all to protect the kingdom and my family.
“…Regardless, if you’re a pacifist who seeks the police’s help to solve this case, then we have very different stances on things. Perhaps you should give up while you can.”
“I wouldn’t call myself a pacifist.”
Dark let go of my hair and turned toward the window. Lightning shot through the cloudy sky. The rain was now pouring rivers against the walls of the house.
“Looks like it’s turned into a real storm. I don’t suppose I could stay here and have a cup of tea until it calms down?”
“Very well. Could you quickly prepare some tea, Jack?”
“Right. Lord Knightley, may I take your coat and hat?”
Jack walked up to Dark’s back and reached out for his jacket. He tried to remove it, but Dark scowled and waved him off.
“I’d rather leave them on. Don’t cause a fuss.”
“…My apologies.”
Jack spoke politely, but he shot a glare at Dark before retreating into a back room.
♥♥♥
I led Dark to the conservatory and was met with a shocking sight.
“What happened here…?”
Everything on top of the long dining table was a terrible mess.
Scones and slices of cake were stacked high atop dishes of all sizes. Knives and forks stuck out of the milk pitcher. A large lid, which would usually be in the kitchen with its matching pot, was covered in a pile of precariously balanced sugar cubes. An old oven mitt was wrapped around the teapot. It looked like the very picture of chaos.
The guest of honor at this unsightly tea party was none other than Hisui, the servant from the Knightley residence. Dum and Dee were on either side of him, and a gigantic pudding sat on a platter in front of their seats.
The twins raised their forks cheerfully when they saw me.
“Welcome home, our dear Alice!” they cried out together.
“Thank you, Dum and Dee. Why are the two of you having tea with Dark’s servant?”
“Hisui is our friend from long ago.”
“We fought him many times at the dueling arena.”
The Tweedles used to entertain audiences with their dueling shows. It was an opportunity for guests to bet money on the duels’ winners, losers, survivors, and fatalities. If the twins had fought him before, that meant Hisui was a fellow duelist. Perhaps his resurrection even happened after a particularly violent battle.
I decided to greet him as a formal guest, so I held my skirt and curtsied.
“I’m glad you could join us, Mr. Hisui. I am Alice, the current head of the Liddell family.”
“Nice to be meeting you. Are you, too, a stigmata?”
I stared into his purple eyes and smiled. That was a question I never thought I would have to answer in my own home.
Hisui sniffed at the air, and Dark began scolding him like a parent.
“Now, now, Hisui. Isn’t it your job to do as I ask at all times?”
“My lord… That man has the same smell as the twins.”
He was looking at Leeds, who was disassembling the sugar cube mountain on the side of the table.
Dark just slumped his shoulders in defeat. His servant appeared to be a bit of a free spirit.
“Can you please inform me before you go out to meet with old friends? I thought you were on duty when I left the mansion, but I was being followed all day. I couldn’t even visit the secret parlor where nobles go to share information. It wasn’t easy, giving them the slip.”
“Dark, did you go to the police station to get rid of the person tailing you?”
“How else could I have gotten away from them?”
He gave me a satisfied smirk, and I knew I’d been had.
Dark went to the police station to throw off his tail. He must have been talking to that officer in the interrogation room to make it look like he was there on official business. Without a pretense like that, he knew he’d just be thrown back out onto the streets.
He was a calculating, courageous, intelligent man. Not to mention a real nuisance. I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.
But in the game I played, he was totally clueless!
I would’ve been more prepared to handle him if I didn’t have my past-life preconceptions getting in the way. I should have researched the theory that this popular character was being rewritten in the DLC to be a clever, capable guy…
Filled with regret, I watched as Jack pushed the serving cart with a teapot on top into the conservatory. He pulled out a chair across the table from Hisui and the twins.
“You sit here, Lord Knightley. There’s no cook here today, so help yourself to cold scones. If you want something hot, I’ve made some black tea. Have a nice meal.”
Dark took his seat and watched as Jack sloshed the tea into his cup. The earl let out a dispirited cheer. “Wow. This sure looks great…”
“Don’t patronize me, you bloody… Hey! You’re that water bastard!”
“Water? Is that me?” Hisui pointed at himself as Jack stormed his way.
“Yeah, you. I lost the last battle with you, but I won’t lose again. You’re here for the twins today, so I’ll agree to a truce. I bet guarding that earl’s a real pain, so make yourself at home here.”
Unlike with Dark, Jack carefully filled Hisui’s cup with black tea. He then lifted up a basket packed with sweets from the cart.
“I baked these orange biscuits this morning. Kids, you get to taste test. Open up.”
“Aaaah!” “Aaaah!”
The twins opened their mouths up wide. Jack stuck one light-brown biscuit into each of their mouths, then set the rest down in front of Hisui. It was a real banquet of sweets.
Hisui, clearly not used to being treated as the guest of honor, timidly stuck one of the biscuits into his mouth.
“Mm. Crunchy. Delicious.”
“Good. My lady, sit down and have some tea too.”
“All right…”
I sat down at the end of the table and surveyed the lively sights before me.
The Tweedles were having a blast. Hisui was blushing as he helped himself to biscuits. Jack waited on them, trying his best to mind his manners, though the scowl on his face was obvious. Leeds took a break from watching over Dark to help himself to a cup of tea. The animosity between everyone had completely vanished.
Dark pressed his hand to his chest and gasped as he watched Hisui and the twins.
“It just warms my heart. Is this what it feels like to be a father?!”
“I’d appreciate it if you don’t declare my family as your own, thank you very much,” I declared firmly.
“So harsh,” Dark said with a laugh before taking another sip of tea. Even though he was dining at his rival’s house, he seemed to have no intention of testing anything for poison. Maybe he knew I wouldn’t resort to such dirty tricks.
I really hate this guy…
Irritated, I bit down hard into a biscuit. Even as I crunched on the overcooked dough, I still couldn’t come up with any way to win against Dark.
The rain continued through the day and straight into the night.
Dark, now with his newfound paternal instincts, continued to insist that I allow him to adopt the twins. We had to bribe Hisui with sweets to take him back home, and finally, our strange tea party came to an end.
♥♥♥
BOTH “I” and “Alice” had each experienced a tragedy in our lives.
The first instance was when I was struck by a car in my past life. The other occurred three years before I regained the memories of my reincarnation. It was an autumn night, and Alice had just turned thirteen years old.
The hour was late. Rain pelted the windows
I dashed down the dark hallways of the mansion with only the wall sconces to illuminate the way.
“Mother? Father? Where are you?!”
Searching through the house with my white nightgown lifted above my knees, I failed to find my parents no matter where I looked. Our servants had collapsed in the hallways, each of them lying motionless in a dark puddle of liquid.
The smell of iron stung at my nose, and I knew it was blood. The scent mixed with the moisture of the rain in the air. Something about it reminded me of the smell of the ocean I’d experienced during our family vacation to Sicily.
When I finally reached the landing of the stairs in our entrance hall, I spotted my maid.
“Mary, wake up! Wake up!”
Her palm felt wet as I bent down to grasp her hand. Looking closer, I saw the partially dried blood clinging to her skin like glue.
I shuddered and wiped the blood off on my nightgown. Red streaks formed against the white cloth of my dress like rose petals caught in the wind.
“What’s happening to everyone…?”
I was frozen in absolute fear. I choked back my cries as I heard footsteps approaching from below.
“Who’s there?!”
“It’s Jack, my lady!”
Jack, one of our servants, appeared at the landing. He wore his sword belt fastened over his pajamas. Jack had served as my father’s page when I was little and was like a caring older brother to me throughout my whole life.
All servants of the Liddell family received combat training so that they were prepared for any situation. With his many years of training, Jack knew how to keep a calm demeanor, but he was clearly disturbed to see the blood on my clothes.
“Have you been hurt?”
“I’m fine. This is Mary’s blood. She’s… She’s dead…”
I was heartbroken at the thought of never being able to speak with Mary again, but I knew that clinging to her body wouldn’t bring her back. Death was a path that no one could return from.
“I can’t find Mother and Father. Have you seen them?”
“No, I haven’t. There was no one at the emergency escape route in the garden either. But I’m sure they made it to safety,” he insisted and extended his hand out to me. “My lady, I shall protect you with my life. Can you stand?”
“Yes.”
I rose from the ground, and Jack led me downstairs by the hand. As I turned my head to take one last parting look at Mary, I saw a shadow dart past.
Is someone here…?
With a gulp, I squinted up toward the upper floor, where the light of the chandelier didn’t reach.
Thunder rattled the walls. A flash of light tore through the sky. In that instant, I saw a figure illuminated—it was a man of otherworldly size.
He must have been three times my height. At first, I thought I was going insane from fear, but the farther up I looked, the more I could see his horrifying stature, reaching up toward the dark ceiling.
I froze again. Jack realized something was wrong and quickly moved in front of me.
He pointed the tip of his sword at the man.
“Who the hell are you?!” he shouted.
“…Ah… Ahhh…”
The man bellowed out as he began to descend the staircase. With each loud step he took, we could hear a wet squelch from underneath his feet.
Finally, he emerged from the darkness and stepped into the orange glow of the candlelight.
“…!”
I quickly covered my mouth before I could scream. I heard Jack gulp.
Illuminated by the light, I saw the man’s grotesque, sinewy face. His body had been painted red in blood, and drops trickled off him with each step.
That man was neither a servant nor a member of the Liddell family. There was no mistaking that he was an intruder.
“…A…Ahh…Alice…”
His voice stung my ears as he called my name. It sounded like metal grinding against metal.
My reflection filled his dark, empty eyes.
He came here for me!
Upon that realization, I leaped out from behind Jack and ran in the opposite direction. The man bolted past Jack’s arm and trailed behind me.
“That’s right! Follow me!”
I descended the stairs and reached the main hall, treading over the carpet and trying not to look over my shoulder.
If I lure the intruder outside the mansion, I can save Jack and any of the other servants that are still alive… Mother and Father too!
My destination was the front door sitting ajar across the room. I would lead him out of the house, and then…
While lost in thought about my plan, I suddenly felt something strange under my foot.
It’s one of the trap spots!
I had forgotten entirely. Everything except the center of the carpet in the main hall was rigged. My parents and Mary always warned me so many times.
My eyes shot upward. The chandelier, wrapped in many layers of glass and crystal ornaments, was already on its way down.
“Miss Alice!”
Jack ran toward me, casting his sword to the ground and wrapping his body around mine. At first, the tips of the ornaments merely grazed his back, but all too quickly, the sharp candlesticks were piercing his body. I felt them enter me also.
For just a moment, I heard a pained breath against my ear.
Forgive me, Jack…
Our bodies were crushed there together.
After that point, my memories are hazy.
I believe I heard fragments of the chandelier raining down, as well as the sound of the intruder’s footsteps approaching me.
My body was ripped to shreds, but I felt no pain.
With what was left of me, I closed my eyes and took my final breath. Blood stained the floor around me as my mind drifted deeper into the darkness.
Ah. I guess this is where I die.
Just as I reached that realization, I heard the faint sound of a kitten’s cry.
I didn’t know when or where, but I felt as if it was a cry I’d heard before.
♥♥♥
“MY lady?”
When I opened my eyes, Jack was there, staring at me with concern.
I’d been asleep in my bed and, by the feel of it, holding my breath for quite a while. I exhaled deeply.
“I was dreaming…”
The tragedy from three years earlier had resurfaced again as I slept.
“Looks like you were having a bad nightmare. You’re all sweaty.”
Jack lowered himself onto the side of my bed and swept my damp bangs away from my forehead. He was wearing his butler’s uniform, including the blade he kept hanging off his belt, despite the late hour.
“Are you on patrol?”
“I was just heading out, but I wanted to check on you first. You always have bad dreams on rainy nights.”
Rain poured loudly outside my window, forming white lines against the sky.
Jack scowled at the sight. “It’s gonna wash away all the new roses. This is why I hate water.”
“If it’s cleanup you’re worried about, I’ll help you. The whole family can tidy up the petals together.”
Family. Just speaking the word was a comfort to me.
After the tragedy, Jack and I were the only two souls brought back to life by the passing demon.
It couldn’t undo the grief of losing my entire family that night, but now I had Dum, Dee, Leeds, and even Bear to pay me surprise visits from time to time. As long as they stayed with me, I could carry on without drowning in a pool of tears. It didn’t mean I wasn’t still lonely, deep down in my heart, but Dark was the only one who knew about that.
“When the garden is in order, let’s bring out a table and host a tea party. We could even invite Mr. Hisui. I’m sure Dark would tag along, but if it’s nothing more than tea, I don’t think it will be any harm…”
“My lady… You should stay away from him.”
“Why? I know we’re competing against him, but I can’t be rude to the man.”
Jack shook his head as soon as I responded.
“Something feels off whenever I look at him… During that weird tea party today, I felt as if this wasn’t the first time we’d met.”
“You two come from very different backgrounds. Where would you have met?”
The people of this kingdom are strictly separated by status. Commoners live among commoners, while the nobles form relationships with other nobles. But commoners and nobles don’t often interact, as their lives and even residential areas are drastically different.
“I don’t remember exactly. I haven’t forgotten anything that happened after I was resurrected, so it must have been long before I went to the East End…”
He inhaled deeply as if he was desperate to fill his lungs.
“I just don’t trust that earl. He’s never come back from the dead, but he knows enough about stigmata to recognize them, right?”
“That’s because Mr. Hisui is his servant. He’s seen that man’s power and knows it exists in others as well.”
“Even if he knows a single stigmata, there’d be no reason to think there are more of us out there. And why does he want us to work with him, even though he doesn’t know the first thing about us? Is that just how badly he wants to be with you?”
Jack plunged his sword in and out of its sheath—a familiar sign that he was deep in thought.
“At first, I assumed he developed feelings for you after seeing you reclaim your family’s status all on your own. But maybe that was just for show, and he’s really after the Liddell family business instead.”
“That can’t be…”
The Liddells’ secret operations were reliant on the goodwill of those controlling the stigmata. If a selfish person were to take on the same work, every righteous soul in the kingdom would suddenly have to watch their backs.
Say that I ended up marrying a man who turned out to be evil. He would inherit the business and be able to use Jack and the others for his own gain. There would be no punishment for him, even if he chose to eliminate anyone who got in his way.
“You shouldn’t worry about that, Jack. Her Majesty wouldn’t allow anyone to conspire against the kingdom like that.”
“But he’s already on her good side. She’s the one who introduced him to you, remember? He’s only nice to you so he can manipulate you. Promise me you won’t let him steal your heart.”
I couldn’t look Jack in the eyes, even though he was only asking me to be cautious.
If Dark had really been eyeing the Liddells for some time, he would know that a young girl was running the household without much support. Proposing marriage to that girl would be a means of taking her estate for himself.
It certainly sounded like something a nobleman would do. But still…
I don’t want to believe that Dark is a bad person…
Casting doubt on him was natural for someone who had to constantly be wary of everyone around her.
I understood that much, but my heart refused to accept it.
It felt like I was dangling on a string. My lungs refused to obey my brain. If my emotions were vivid and colorful, this feeling was cold and transparent—heavy as stone, yet weightless as air.
I could barely breathe as I lay in my bed.
I don’t understand what this is…
“He’s no normal earl, my lady. That’s why…”
Jack leaned in close to me. My body went stiff, as for a moment, I thought he was about to kiss me. His childlike face filled my vision entirely.
“…you shouldn’t try to get close to him on your own. Got it?”
“O-Okay. I’ll be careful…!”
All I could do was nod like a puppet.
And yet Jack continued to stare at me with what could only be described as love in his eyes before he sat up without touching me.
Huh?
I was living in the world of an otome game. I was the heroine, and Jack was a love interest.
Even without the usual game choices appearing, there was no reason we couldn’t fall in love. I was certain of that much, and yet, for some reason, he didn’t try to kiss me.
“All right, I need to start my patrol. Good night, my lady, and sleep well.”
“Good night…”
I watched with disappointment as Jack left the room. Once the door was closed again, I let out a groan.
I can’t make Jack fall for me in this life…
I thought I was raising my affection with him at the coffeehouse, but then the carriage accident happened.
When I tried to pursue a relationship with him, the game seemed to determine I’d made the wrong choice in the story, and then “Alice” was sent on her way to a bad ending—one where she might not make it out alive.
No matter how much I care about you, we’ll never get to be together…
Jack was the boy I declared my “absolute favorite otome game character” in my previous life. I played his route so many times, and it never once failed to make my heart flutter. This reality was just too cruel.
“Jack…”
Biting my lip, I buried my face into the soft pillow. Tears stung my eyes.
“…I loved you, you know. I loved you so much, I thought about you every single day…”
That night, I cried silently in my room over my lost love.
Perhaps knowing of my heartbreak, the rain continued to pour through the night, drowning out the sound of my tears.