episode_0031

An irresistible desire for sleep came crashing down on me like a wave.

Mirelda’s voice was heard on the border between reality and the virtual world where consciousness flickered.

[Think carefully about why I could hurt that man.]

After offering brief advice, she added something meaningful.

I’ll leave you with the most necessary tools.

Also, try to figure out the intentions of the cute knight who was protecting our young lady.

They say that will be the most important key to the next ordeal.

“Umm…”

Asher’s consciousness gradually returned. He was half asleep, staring into the dark hallway with half-open eyes.

“Is this… a mansion?”

“Yes, Asher. Congratulations on your safe return.”

“Aha…”

Asher was nodding off due to the lingering sleepiness. It wasn’t long before she regained consciousness.

“…… Is this reality!?”

Whoosh, whoosh!

She turned her head vigorously to determine her position. Then, her soft blonde hair fluttered and tickled her cheeks and neck.

Then, I looked down at the strange sensation I felt in her arms.

Asher was holding a large canvas like a treasure.

This is a masterpiece that precisely depicts the appearance of Mirelda as a noblewoman. It was the first work and masterpiece that burned my soul to the point that it is unclear how many days I focused on it in the world of painting.

“I’m glad you found a solution.”

“That’s right. The wounds that were inflicted have healed…”

Asher let out a deep sigh of relief. The butler was quite impressed with Asher.

Unlike the first floor, the butler had little room to intervene on the second floor. At best, he could only meddle to drag Mirelda into the world of painting.

‘It feels like I’m putting on some effort, but I feel a little nervous…’

It was Ashe’s turn to be rewarded for his hard work.

“We will pay you compensation.”

Exactly!

As soon as the butler snapped his fingers, a large gift box fell from the air with a clatter.

Asher opened the gift box with excitement and haste. He looked as lively as a child who received a birthday present.

“Butler, butler!”

“Yes, Asher.”

“Look at this, it’s a really pretty gem.”

Asher showed the butler a white jewel with a soft sheen. It was such a beautiful object that even the butler, who had no taste for extravagance, was momentarily impressed.

But the jewel that Asher was proud of emitted an intense light for a moment and then melted into her skin.

“Kkiyaaah!? House shaaah, butler aaaah!!!”

“Ah, Ash?!”

“What should I do! There’s a stone in my body…! Am I dying? Am I dying?!”

“That, that’s…!”

The butler also had a hard time responding. He was sucked into Asher’s body before he could even appraise the item.

“No… I guess…”

“Are you sure…?”

“… Yes. What I received as compensation wouldn’t harm Asher, right? ”

“Oh, right?”

“Maybe… that’s right.”

Ashe gradually regains her senses.

Given the circumstances, the jewel that Asher absorbed must be a star fragment. She will have to gradually discover its effect as she roams the mansion.

“Ugh… It’s awkward, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It already happened. Let’s look at other rewards…”

Asher took out the last reward from inside the gift box.

“Book…? Why is the writing so crooked?”

Asher turned the cover and flipped through the pages, but it was impossible for Asher to decipher the unknown language.

“Butler, can you read this?”

“I don’t understand the details either… but I understand the purpose.”

[Item: Book of Unequal Exchange]

[By offering up the flesh as a sacrifice, the living flesh of the designated target is constructed.]

The butler recited a short explanation.

The ensuing reaction was easy to understand.

Asher’s face turned pale. His complexion was pale, as if white paint was flowing through his veins.

She half-screamed.

“Ma, that’s ridiculous! You want me to sacrifice my body? You want me to die! You want me to become a ghost like the butler?!”

“… Hmm.”

“And the effect… Isn’t this completely asking me to be the sacrificial lamb? Like, if there’s a hole in my chest like Mirelda, I should sacrifice my body to fill it? ”

“Just keep it. If you don’t want to use it, then just don’t use it.”

“That’s true… but it’s so unfair. This is the compensation for all my hard work. It’s so frustrating…”

Ash grumbled and put Mirelda’s portrait and the spellbook into his leather pouch.

My face turns red with anger.

The third floor would definitely be more difficult, and he kept muttering about how they could do it with this kind of compensation.

‘It’s not that I don’t understand, since it’s a matter of life and death, but…’

Although he didn’t show it on the outside, the butler was secretly worried about the future.

Mirelda, who hurt him, must have been a special case.

Not only on the third floor, but even on the fourth floor, which is the highest floor, there will be no beings that can hurt the butler.

The opportunity to easily disappear has completely passed.

From this moment on, the butler’s only hope was the two royals who visited the mansion.

“… Ash.”

“Huh?”

“The path to the 3rd floor is open. However…”

“Just?”

“I wonder if you would like to check on Arsent’s life or death.”

“Ah… That’s right. You were sucked into the painting too, sis? I was so busy living that I completely forgot.”

Asher clapped his hands as if he had just remembered something.

“First of all… Yeah, I need to know if he’s dead or alive.”

Although my remaining affection had hit rock bottom, I thought it would be better to at least confirm whether he was alive or dead.

“Butler, what happened to your sister?”

“I don’t know either. It’s been almost a month since Asher disappeared, but he hasn’t returned in that time.”

“What, what? I lived in a painting for a month?”

“Didn’t you know?”

“I had no idea!”

It takes about two weeks from the beginning of the world of painting to Mirelda’s death. So, a little over two weeks is expected.

But it’s already been a month.

‘It took a really long time to draw a portrait…’

The strange sensation still lingers in my fingertips. I was working on Mirelda’s portrait with a skill far beyond my original ability.

It is truly a state of selflessness.

This was the result of being so absorbed in something that I forgot the passage of time.

“Ahem, anyway. Sister Arsent hasn’t come out for over a month, is that it?”

“That’s right.”

“Uhh… Is he really dead…? Is there no way for you to find out?”

“Unfortunately, that’s not possible. So I was going to suggest that Asher take a week off when he returns.”

If Arsent did not return after a week, he would be considered dead. In fact, if a month plus a week had passed, it would be safe to assume that there was no hope.

They walked towards the painting that Arsent had been dragged into.

“Anyway, I’m glad that you found a solution and came back.”

“Hehe, I do it well when I do it.”

“I thought the picture that forcibly draws people in was important…but I guess that wasn’t the case.”

“Huh? That’s right. Maybe it was just a bad-tempered drawing.”

Ashedo also looks puzzled by the wrong reasoning. In any case, since the path to the third floor is now open, there is no need to worry about it anymore.

Eventually, they arrived in front of the painting where Arsent had disappeared – [Magic Mirror].

It was a landscape painting that gave off a strangely eerie atmosphere. Asher stared at the magic mirror and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

“This… Honestly, it doesn’t look like a picture where my sister will survive.”

“… I don’t know. It could be a picture that is better than it looks.”

“A painting that is good to live in. The expression is strange, butler. Where is that? Especially a painting like that, it is even worse.”

“That was a slip of the tongue.”

The devil.

Actually, it was said to be an abandoned land located on the border of the empire.

An extreme land that requires a changeling count just to deal with the demons that escape from there.

So, I’m actually guessing.

The probability of Arsent coming out alive approaches 0.

Unlike Ashe, who survived Haley and Mirelda admirably, she has no experience or track record. Based on a brief observation, it is difficult to judge that she has a personality that is soft on the outside but strong on the inside like Ashe.

If Arsent were to return from the demon realm, it would be okay to turn the evaluation around and change it. The butler was sincerely thinking so.

“There is still a lot of time left to wait. How about resting in your room first?”

“Is that so? My body still feels so sore. My torn side has somehow gotten better, but for some reason it still hurts.”

Asher kept grumbling. The butler softly praised her.

“… I know I’m saying this again, but you did a good job.”

“Hehehe, you can praise me a little more excitedly. I’ll allow it.”

Even if you just give her a little space, she has a unique personality that can scratch people’s nerves. Therefore, the butler gave her the most appropriate excuse.

“Ashe is a stylish and fun person.”

“Yeah, I’m a cool guy and a slut! But what exactly does slut mean?”

“I remember it as one of the popular compliments from 500 years ago.”

“Oh… My historical knowledge has been enriched.”

It was truly a sight to behold, the pure admiration of Asher. For the first time, the butler felt a sense of supreme satisfaction in his heart.

“How about rubbing this Jamin’s shoulder, butler?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Asher looked closely at the butler’s face, wondering why he was so obediently agreeing.

The butler’s expression, as if he was treating me like an insignificant being, irritated me.

But he felt too much of a tyrant to order her to correct her expression just because it offended him.

Just as the butler placed both hands on Ashe’s shoulders, something strange happened.

Bang!

From the picture of the magic mirror, Inyoung fell to the floor. As expected, Ashe and the butler’s eyes simultaneously followed the intruder.

Jewels hanging from her dress in such a way that it was almost annoying. And she had the same blond and red eyes as Ashe. They were similar in height.

“Ugh…”

Even down to the familiar voice, every element hinted at the identity of the intruder.

“… Sister Arsent?”

“Haa… Haa… This is ridiculous. This is… No, but still. What I saw…”

Arsent was talking nonsense as if he was in a panic. He ignored Ashe’s words as if he was listening to her.

For a moment, she regained her focus as if she had come to her senses, and slowly turned her gaze this way.

To be exact, he was glaring at the butler as if he was going to eat him.

Within moments, Arsent’s lips drew a curve and he let out a roar.

“Ahaha… Ahahahaha…! Yeah, that’s right…!”

Arsent burst out laughing like crazy. Something was so funny that a high-spirited scream flowed out.

But at some point, she stopped laughing, got up carefully, and approached the butler.

It’s a close distance, as if someone were to push you and kiss you.

Arsent seemed to enjoy this inappropriate distance, whispering softly enough for only the butler to hear.

“I know who you are.”