Episode 36 – A Scream Echoes in the Mansion

*

As I entered the garden, even though Daniel’s tomb wasn’t visible yet, I could feel his corpse, saturated with magic, as if it were within my grasp.

In my previous life, I wasn’t very sensitive to magic, but now I can feel it so clearly.

Is it because I’ve become an undead? Or is it because the magic that permeated Daniel’s body is coming from within me?

Ha, what does it matter?

What’s important to me now is that I can awaken Daniel’s body, saturated with magic, even from this distance.

I checked one more time to see if there was anyone around.

Fortunately, there was no one near the garden, and it was very quiet.

Thanks to my sudden visit without prior notice, the mansion must be busy preparing to welcome guests.

I started to envelop my right hand with magic.

As the jet-black mist wrapped around my right hand, it vibrated heavily, resonating with the magic of the distant corpse.

“Heeheehee.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

Mena, of course, and even Lara and Lily, don’t know what I’m doing right now.

I was curious about what kind of results this absurd thing I’m about to do would bring.

Turning Daniel into an undead.

Honestly, half of it was just a light thought of ‘maybe I can use it someday.’ 

Even if I did use it, I was just preparing it as a ceremony to decorate Robin’s end more miserably.

But I couldn’t wait any longer.

Yesterday’s meeting with Robin and Mena’s unfortunate story.

And even Banata’s whereabouts that I found out last night,

Robin’s utterly detestable actions were so disgusting,

It felt like my mind, which was already being overworked without a break, had snapped the last thing it was barely holding onto.

I had been trying hard not to be consumed by my anger.

What was the reason for struggling to ignore the Demon King’s temptation to kill everything in sight, with my tattered mind?

It was to take everything from Robin, expose all his bullshit, and plunge him into despair, slowly drowning him in that swamp of pain and regret.

If I went crazy and stormed into the mansion and tore Robin and Jennifer to pieces, it might feel good in the moment, but the world would still remember him as a heroic warrior, and I couldn’t bear to see that shit.

But now I don’t know anymore. 

Of course, I have no intention of throwing away all the plans I’ve made so far because of a momentary impulse, but at least I need to vent a little.

I need to screw with him a little.

I must see Robin’s empty face when he sees his son’s walking corpse.

Happy-looking Melado,

That good-for-nothing son of mine with my name,

And that eight-year-old brat can all go fuck themselves.

My revenge is the will of the Goddess, isiyeo,

I pulled on the magic that reached my hand.

I clearly felt the sensation of some weight being pulled from far away, as if connected by a thread.

And, after a while.

A scream loud enough to echo throughout the entire mansion was heard.

*

Mela’s son, Edward, had been spending a lot of time with his younger sister, Tess, every day since the funeral.

His younger sister, who had her body ruined by an accident in the past and recently even lost her sight, but still bravely persevered, believing that her brother would save her.

He felt proud and sorry for her, so he wanted to make as many memories as possible with her during his short stay at the mansion.

Today, Edward opened her door with a book to read to Tess tucked under his arm.

She always knew exactly who it was just by someone passing by the door, so he didn’t even bother knocking anymore.

There was no way that an embarrassing situation like her changing clothes would happen.

“Tess, what are you doin…”

“…O… Oppa…”

“Tess?”

Edward was surprised as soon as he opened the door.

Tess, who couldn’t see and was crawling on the floor, was groping towards Edward, who had opened the door.

Her hair, which was usually neatly combed, was disheveled, her cloudy pupils were shaking wildly, and her rough breathing was erratic, making her look like a madwoman.

Edward dropped the book and rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders and asking.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

“O… Oppa,”

“Yes, I’m here. What’s wrong?”

“Something… something is there.”

“What?”

Tess’s shoulders were trembling as 불안정하게 as her voice. 

Edward picked up his trembling younger sister, who was lying on the floor, and took her to the bed.

“Tess, it’s okay. I’m here, so calm down.”

“N… No, outside, there’s something scary outside.”

Even after sitting her on the bed, Tess was still trembling with fear, and as soon as Edward’s hand left her, she grabbed his arm and clung to it.

What the hell is outside that she’s so afraid of?

Edward stroked her hair like a child and asked in a soft voice.

“What’s wrong, what’s outside?”

“I don’t know… just that something scary is there…”

Edward looked at her, who was burrowing into his arms, and fell into thought.

Tess suddenly acting strangely, saying there was something scary outside.

Could it be that she, who is usually so sensitive that she can easily recognize him outside the door, felt something? 

He couldn’t figure out what she was feeling that made her so afraid.

Come to think of it, he heard from the maids that Baron Salvie had suddenly visited the mansion. 

He didn’t know the details, but he heard that he came to pay some money, could that be the reason?

But Tess had never felt fear because the Baron had come before.

As he was bewildered by the unknown situation,

A scream was heard.

“… A scream?”

“…Eueut, Oppa…”

Tess pulled even harder on her brother’s collar and clung to him.

The sound came from far away and passed through the closed windows, so it was very faint, but Edward was able to recognize it immediately. 

That scream was definitely Dena’s voice.

*

Mena, left alone in the guest room, was sitting on a chair, staring at the ceiling, silently waiting for Ed’s signal.

She had worked in this mansion until yesterday, so everything in sight was familiar. 

Rather, the most unfamiliar thing was the clothes she was wearing.

As Mena felt the texture of the fabric of the clothes she was wearing with her fingertips, she suddenly thought that too much had changed in just one day.

Yesterday, she met Ed for the first time here, and the very next day, she became his maid and came back here, so it was no wonder she felt that way.

As a result, even this familiar space felt a little unfamiliar.

It was because Banata might be trapped somewhere in this mansion, and the fact that she had been living here without knowing that her daughter was imprisoned somewhere in this mansion felt creepy.

Mena clenched her teeth.

‘If Banata is really in this mansion,’

Robin.

Just how terrible of a 개자식 is that human being?

Mena slowly took a deep breath and calmed her mind.

Even Ed, who hated Robin as much as she did, or even more than Mena, held back his boiling anger and made a plan.

It must be a plan to give Robin the maximum amount of pain, so she couldn’t act rashly and ruin things.

Mena took another deep breath in and out and decided to focus on finding Banata first.

Even though it felt like she had been waiting for quite a long time, the mansion was still quiet. 

Ed had definitely said he would give her a signal, but since he hadn’t shared the plan with her, she had no idea what that signal would be.

She started to worry that Ed might have sent a signal but she was too distracted to receive it, when someone opened the door to the guest room and came in.

“Long time no see, Mena.”

“…Madam,”

“Madam? You should say Master. Ah, you went to Baron Salvie, so now I’m just a stranger?”

She wondered if it was a signal, but the person who came in was Jennifer.

Mena turned her eyes away from her.

In the past, after being horribly abused by Robin, she confided in Jennifer and asked for help after much deliberation, but all that came back to Mena was cold indifference and harassment.

Mena felt her cheeks flush red with anger and lowered her eyes.

Jennifer, unaware of Mena’s feelings, continued to speak.

“We’ve been living in the same mansion, but we haven’t been able to run into each other,”

“Because I’ve been avoiding you.”

“…Ha,”

Jennifer snorted unpleasantly.

Well, how dare a mere maid talk back to the Countess, and since Mena was a maid in this house until yesterday, it would be even more unpleasant from Jennifer’s point of view.

Mena sat silently, looking straight ahead without even looking at her.

“Judging by that attitude, you don’t plan on coming back,”

“No.”

“Right, you’re not a maid in this house anymore. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“This bitch is really…”

Jennifer glared at Mena, her eyes wide, as if she was upset by the continued short answers.

But no matter how fiery Jennifer’s temper was, it couldn’t be hotter than the anger burning in Mena’s heart.

She was no longer afraid of Jennifer.

Far from being afraid, Mena was actually doing her best not to lose her mind right now.

“If you have something to say, please wait until the Baron-nim returns. Countess.”

“…Hehehe, Mena.”

“Yes.”

“Just try being disrespectful one more time.”

“I am the Baron-nim’s property. You can’t touch me carelessly.”

“You are, aren’t you.”

“…What did you say?”

Mena finally turned to look at Jennifer.

Jennifer, who was covering her mouth with a red fan with white feathers, folded the fan and looked down at Mena arrogantly when Mena turned to look at her.

As Jennifer lowered the hand holding the fan, a face with a bitter smile was revealed.

‘Could it be that Jennifer is…?’

Mena’s fur and ears stood on end.

When she thought about it, she was one of the last people to see Banata.

Of course, Banata was just a victim, but if she was blaming Banata for the deaths of Daniel and Rose, then she had enough motive.

Could it be that she really did Banata…

Mena was unknowingly frowning, baring her fangs, and glaring at Banata.

Jennifer was just laughing at her as if she was ridiculous.

“You, where did you hide my daughter?”

“Are you talking about the bastard child born between Robin and a whore? Why are you looking for her from me?”

“You… I won’t let you get away with this.”

“Don’t use honorifics, you filthy animal! What are you going to do? Huh? How would I know where your daughter is, why are you yelling at me?”

“You… why did you come here?”

“Don’t drop the honorifics, you filthy whore! You called me Madam, and now you’re calling me you? I gave you one chance, and you’re climbing all over me!”

At that moment, the door to the guest room burst open with the sound of someone rushing in.

The mansion’s butler, Gaetan, shouted, panting heavily.

“Jennifer-nim! Are you here?”

“What’s going on?”

Jennifer fanned herself again, covering her face flushed with anger, and asked Gaetan, who was panting as if he had run in a hurry.

The old butler’s forehead was dripping with sweat, he had run so hastily.

Gaetan shouted.

“Something terrible has happened! You must go to the young master’s tomb immediately!”

“Daniel’s? What’s wrong!”

“Miss Dena is…!”

Mena thought.

‘It’s a signal.’

*

I walked towards the scream, lost in thought.

It’s a little funny that I’m thinking about this now that I’ve become an undead, but I think it’s worth going over it once.

How much do people know about the existence of the undead?

Generally, the undead is a word that combines all the magical creatures that have been resurrected by the power of magic.

Most undead have immortal bodies and move with the power of magic, so they don’t need to replenish energy by eating or sleeping.

The energy that moves the undead is magic, and if there is an environment full of magic, the undead, even if they cannot communicate, can speak simple words or sentences.

Another characteristic of the undead is that they move according to their desires and instincts.

A corpse that moves only for its own desires without consciousness.

Then what are the desires of most undead?

The most common desire that many people have in common.

I think it’s probably appetite.

That’s why zombies and ghouls sink their teeth into human flesh even though they don’t need to.

Isn’t it the same for me?

After becoming an undead, the first thing I saw after regaining consciousness was myself tearing apart and eating the Demon King’s flesh.

Just like Daniel, who is biting the shoulder of an eight-year-old girl over there.

.