Chapter 4: Chess is hard

That morning, the Mistrenge mansion was in an uproar.

“Find Layla immediately!”
“Yes, master!”

Servants scurried at the Marquis’s command.

His only daughter, Layla Mistrenge, had vanished, leaving only a letter. Its contents were devastating.

________________________________________________________________________________

My dearest Father,

By the time you read this, I will be far away. I must confess, I have been defiled. After our separation, I became a murderer, worse than the vilest scum in the back alleys. The weight of my sins is too heavy to bear while living a life of happiness. I must atone for my crimes by wandering the world. Lord Isabel is the only one who has offered me a path to redemption. I will remain by his side, seeking forgiveness for my sins. Please forgive your unworthy daughter for leaving without your blessing. I will dedicate myself to helping others and bringing harmony to the world with him. I pray for your good health.

 

Your daughter, Layla Mistrenge.

________________________________________________________________________________

“Layla…”

The Marquis crumpled the letter in his hand. This was all the Black Hound’s fault. He must have bewitched his daughter.

“Find her! No, find the Black Hound! Find him!”

Late that night, after a long and arduous day dealing with Seraphina’s antics, I finally had a moment to myself.

Lunch and dinner had been harrowing experiences.

She had nearly gouged out a servant’s eyes for staining the carpet and threatened to stab another with a fork because it felt “wrong.”

She was a truly monstrous countess, but a potentially rewarding one if I could redeem her.

I was determined to chip away at that malice gauge.

“Mistress, I’ve brought you some herbal tea.”
“…Leave it there.”

Seraphina sat on her bed, engrossed in a book.

I watched her discreetly.

Is this the illustration of her reading in bed? This scene was straight from the game.

Seraphina in lingerie, reading a book.

Lilith Tycoon, or LilTy as it was often abbreviated, had even more…revealing illustrations available for those willing to pay.

The “Event Lingerie” outfit was particularly memorable…

“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“…What are you doing?”

She had caught me staring.

“Ha ha, I was just curious what you were reading.”
“Hmm? Nothing else caught your interest…?”
“Like what?”
“Like…my attire, perhaps?”

She smiled slyly.

“Ha ha… what are you…”
“You’re more interested in my clothes than the book, aren’t you?”
“Well…”

There was no point in denying it.

“Of course, mistress. You’re incredibly beautiful.”
“Ha…? You’re so blunt it’s almost insulting.”
“Ha ha, would clumsy lies work on someone as perceptive as you, mistress?”
“Oh? You’re quite bold.”

It wasn’t boldness; I knew she hated lies.

Seraphina was the ruler of Grace Field, skilled in manipulation and control.

Simple deceptions wouldn’t work on her.

“But boldness alone won’t save your life.”
“Excuse me?”

The lingerie accentuated the tattoo on her cleavage. It glowed red as she summoned her sword and pressed it against my throat.

“Ha ha, why are you doing this, mistress?”
“…I don’t like you. I want to kill you. You’ve been meddling in my affairs all day.”
“You’re going to kill me?”
“Why not? You’re my servant, before you’re the Black Hound, the cleaner of the nobles’ messes.”

This was bad.

[Seraphina Fires is hostile towards you. You may be in mortal danger!]
[Seraphina Fires’s Malice Gauge is at 96%.]

The system warning confirmed my fears.

She was angry that I had thwarted her attempts to punish the servants.

“Any last words?”

Her expression was dark, her smile cruel.

“Will you grant me one last chance?”

I smiled calmly.

“A chance? What kind of chance…?”

I knew her weaknesses.

I knew what she enjoyed.

I had an escape route in mind.

The question was whether she would accept it.

“Let’s make a wager.”
“Oh? What kind of trickery is this?”
“Ha ha, I’m a dead man anyway. Please, grant me this one chance. A game of chess. The winner gets to make a wish.”
“…Chess?”
“I’ve heard you’re a formidable chess player, mistress. One of the reasons I came here was to play against you. To witness your skill firsthand.”
“…”

She didn’t respond, only frowned.

Chess was the only wager that would pique her interest.

She often played chess late at night to combat insomnia.

It was her hobby, one that would eventually make her a grandmaster in the world of LilTy.

And I, a complete novice, was challenging her to a game.

“…Are you confident?”
“Absolutely! I’m confident I can beat you!”
“…”

She pressed the blade harder against my throat.

My confidence was clearly irritating her.

“Gulp! M-Mistress!”
“Hmph… You’re a bold one. You’ve been nothing but confident since you arrived.”
“Ha ha… is that so?”

Had I hooked her? She sheathed her sword and stared at me impassively.

“Fine. I accept your wager. If you win, I’ll spare your life. But if you lose…I’ll cut off your head.”
“…O-of course.”
“Set up the board.”
“Y-yes.”

“…This is impossible.”
“Ha ha, that’s twenty wins in a row, mistress.”

I had won every game.

Slam!

“This can’t be happening! I can’t lose…”

This was a devastating defeat for Seraphina.

She clutched her head in frustration.

“How…how did this happen? How did I lose?”

No matter how many times she replayed the games in her mind, the result was the same. She narrowed her eyes.

“Who are you?!”
“I…I’m your servant?”
“No, that’s not what I… Ha…”

She was understandably frustrated.

I had narrowly won every single game, despite my complete lack of chess knowledge.

I knew the basic pieces: king, queen, rook, bishop, knight, and pawn.

That was it.

The reason for my consistent victories was simple: the “Guaranteed Win” item from the LilTy system shop.

It was designed to subtly rig any wager against a heroine.

The problem was, it cost a significant amount of points, and I had used twenty of them, depleting half my reserves.

It was a steep price, but I hoped it would pay off in the form of…more revealing outfits.

More rewards to come! I thought, eager for the “industry bonuses.”

“Shall we continue?”
“…Play me again later.”
“Of course. I’m always eager to play against you, mistress.”
“I’m tired.”

Seraphina slumped back in her chair, exhausted after a sleepless night.

But I still had to claim my prize.

“Mistress…about my wish…”
“Ha… I’ll spare your life. Are you satisfied?”
“One more thing…”
“Ha… why?”

She was even more annoyed that I was asking for more after defeating her so thoroughly.

“You said double or nothing after every game, mistress. Twenty wins…”
“…Fine.”

Her competitive spirit had backfired. She glared at me.

“What do you want?”
“It’s simple.”

I stood up and approached her.

“Show mercy to your servants. Forgive their mistakes.”
“…Forgive them?”
“Everyone makes mistakes. Please, don’t punish them so harshly. That’s my wish.”
“Ha! You have some nerve. How I treat my servants is my business.”

She treated them like tools. But what about her pride?

“Is that so? That’s a shame. I thought you, of all nobles, valued honor and pride.”
“…Hmph, and what’s that supposed to mean?”
“As the Black Hound, I’ve seen many nobles. But you, mistress, are the ruler of the proud Fires family. I believe you have enough pride to honor a simple wager made with a servant.”

She pretended to ignore me, looking out the window, her red hair partially obscuring her face.

But I saw a flicker of something in her eyes.

Knock, knock.

“Mistress.”

A maid entered with a tea cart, carrying a silver tray and a teapot.

But something was wrong. I could smell a different kind of tea.

I approached the cart and peered into the teapot.

…That’s Earl Grey!

Seraphina hated Earl Grey.

If she was served that…well, she was known to split a servant’s forehead open for such an offense.

I had to stop this.

Damn it! She’s already serving it! That maid was doomed.

“E-excuse me, mistress. I’ve brought you some…Earl Grey tea.”
“What? I hate Earl Grey.”
“…I-I’m sorry, mistress!”

I had to intervene!

“…But the aroma is quite pleasant. Bring it here.”
“Y-yes…?”
“What? Do I have to repeat myself?”
“I’m sorry!”

The maid hurriedly handed her the cup. Seraphina took it with a smirk.

“…It does smell nice.”
“Th-thank you…”

She listened to me? Her expression was still impassive, but less hostile.

She took a sip of the tea and stood up, basking in the morning sunlight.

“Ugh, I stayed up too late. Don’t bring me this again. I won’t forgive another mistake. Understand?”
“Y-yes, mistress!”

One apology, one death. Had it been upgraded to two apologies, one death? Seraphina, slightly mellower, walked towards me.

“I’ll let you off this time, but there won’t be a next time. Got it?”
“Ha ha, of course, mistress.”
“…You’re so irritating! Hmph!”

She flipped her hair and walked towards the wardrobe. She pulled out a red dress and began to undress… then stopped and glared at me.

“Do you want to die? Get out!”
“Ha ha, yes, mistress.”
“Oh, and…we’re playing again tonight.”
“What?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself! We’re playing again!”

She seemed to have enjoyed our chess match.

It was probably a relief to find someone who could challenge her.

I could sense a childlike excitement in her.

I smiled and nodded.

“Yes, mistress.”
“Why are you smiling like that? It’s creepy…”

She crossed her arms and turned away.

“It’s infuriating! I can’t believe I lost to an idiot like you! Ugh!”
“Mistress…”
“What?!”
“…Thank you for listening.”
“I didn’t do it for you!”

She was trying to sound annoyed, but I could see a hint of a smile.

“Now get out! I need to change.”
“Yes, mistress!”

The all-night chess marathon and the points I’d spent were paying off.

[Seraphina Fires’s Malice Gauge is at 73%.]