The Uninvited Guest Of The Haunted Mansion (38)

It was the greatest mystery.

If the man was to be believed, even after Serenity escaped from this urban legend, the tale would continue.

If Serenity truly was the entity that halted his tale, he would have no reason to help her escape from his story.

He might as well keep her by his side forever, one would think.

So there was a contradiction in the man’s words.

Blake raised his eyebrow at Serenity’s question.

He looked puzzled, as if he hadn’t expected such a question.

“If you can’t answer my question…”

“I can answer.”

But the display of emotion lasted only an instant. Blake immediately composed his expression and smiled brightly at Serenity.

“When an outsider disappears, this world stops.”

“It stops?”

“To be precise, it enters a resting period, because there is no longer a target to devour. You are both a means to stop my tale and a delectable food source for this world.”

“Food, you say; that’s an odd way to put it.”

“Oh dear, I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

Blake drooped his brows and said it insincerely. The problem was, he didn’t look remotely sorry.

“As long as you remain, miss, this place will keep contorting itself one way or another to swallow you. Simply put, it’s like a Venus flytrap. You’re the unlucky fly caught in it.”

The metaphor hadn’t sat well with her from the start, yet she admitted it was rather apt, a fly trapped in a Venus flytrap.

“Sadly, the one affected by that phenomenon is me. So it’s in my best interest to drive you out of here as soon as possible. Understand?”

“So I’m both the cause and the solution, in the end.”

“Yeah, easy, right?”

Blake smiled languidly.

Her questions, which had risen to her throat, were swallowed by the smoothness of his practiced words.

Indeed, this manor was doing everything to kill Serenity. Her death was treated as if it were its own meal. Serenity felt confused about what to make of the fact that the unease she had felt up until now was not mere delusion.

‘Now that I hear the explanation, I understand the situation. If I get out of this urban legend and the world stops, I don’t know what will happen to this man…’

Does that not matter?

Would he be safe if I’m gone?

Then why does it feel so…

‘Doesn’t it feel fishy?’

She felt an itch, as if one puzzle piece didn’t fit. It seemed she was missing something important, but it was hard to put into words. In the end, she only opened her mouth a few times and shut it again.

Meanwhile, Blake watched Serenity’s shifting expressions with apparent amusement.

Serenity lowered her gaze and stared absentmindedly at his twitching feet.

According to the man, he should be just as desperate as she was. She couldn’t understand why he always seemed to be watching from the sidelines. Was that also because he was an Anomalous being?

“Fine.”

Serenity’s contemplation didn’t last long.

‘Anyway, I’ve got nothing to lose.’

For now there was no other choice but to ally with this man. Over the past ten returns after death (time loop) and the ten months of this cycle, hadn’t Serenity tried everything she could on her own?

Even if she couldn’t fully trust him, it was obvious that using him as a tool for the time being was advantageous.

Even if the cost might head in a completely unexpected direction.

Serenity clenched her hand that had been resting on the bedsheet.

“Alright, let’s do that.”

Blake beamed at the words that finally came out.

“See? I told you you’d choose me.”

—

“So, merely getting out of the manor isn’t necessarily the solution?”

That afternoon, Serenity met Blake again and headed to the painter’s cottage. Blake, pulling the cart, nodded calmly at her question.

“Right, if you want, you could leave, but there’s no guarantee that simply jumping over the fence will mean escape.”

“So leaving the manor isn’t everything…”

“Think simply. If this world is a single organism, the Primdellrose, the Count’s residence where you live, is like its heart.”

She had suspected this ever since unknown external Anomalous beings had often visited the manor, but having it confirmed still left her with mixed feelings.

“Then would clues about escape also be inside this manor?”

“We’ll have to look, but probably?”

“Where on earth is it…”

Only about ten of the mansion’s ‘rules’ remained. Apart from the ones related to the blacksmith and the sculptor whom she hadn’t yet met, most of them would be directly or indirectly related to escape.

“Don’t be too hasty. Do you still not trust me? I’m helping you so wholeheartedly.”

“I appreciate that.”

“We’re here.”

While Serenity murmured, the two arrived at the painter’s cottage. Though only a day had passed, it felt oddly unfamiliar.

Blake unloaded a canvas covered in cloth from the cart and said,

“Let’s deal with what’s in front of us first.”

The two stood in front of the cottage door. This time, before they could knock, the door opened from the inside.

“I’ve been waiting.”

The painter greeted the two of them, eight arms twitching and wriggling.

“Here’s the painting you requested; take a look.”

Blake crossed the cottage and set the painting down, and Serenity nodded toward the painter. With his seventh arm, the painter drew back the cloth to reveal the canvas: as in the storeroom, it depicted a pitch-black sky and an even blacker forest.

The only difference was that there was a cottage painted into the scene that hadn’t been visible before.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this somewhere too.’

She still felt an inexplicable déjà vu, but since she couldn’t trace its source, Serenity only kept tilting her head.

“Yes, this painting.”

“Good. It was a bit of trouble to bring it.”

I nearly died for real.

Thinking she couldn’t do that twice, Serenity responded confidently. The painter, who had been studying the painting for a while, nodded.

“This will do.”

His shaggy long beard hid his face, but somehow she thought he looked satisfied.

The painter, having stared at the painting for a long time, turned and asked,

“Is there anything you need? I’ll compensate you.”

“No, you don’t have to…”

Just as Serenity was about to wave her hand, Blake, who stood beside her, quietly grabbed her hand and shushed, shaking his head.

“Then could you paint a portrait for me? Small enough to hold in one arm would be perfect. And while you’re at it…”

Blake trailed off and whispered something into the painter’s ear. The painter, frowning as he listened, nodded.

“Not difficult. Whose is it?”

“I’m fine. If it belongs to you, miss, that will be sufficient.”

The two men’s gazes turned to Serenity.

“…A portrait of me?“

Serenity asked in puzzlement, but all that came back was Blake’s insouciant shrug.

“It’s not good to know in advance. It won’t harm you, miss, so accept it.”

From the way he spoke, it didn’t sound like a pleasant gift. Not wanting to pry, Serenity chose to keep quiet, thinking it would be useful somewhere.

“Tomorrow, before you leave, under the cottage’s steps.”

“Alright, come by and look for it at your leisure.”

A mysterious exchange she couldn’t fathom took place, and the painter, with a look that said they’d best leave, gestured them out.

‘So have I at least eased one worry now?’

Serenity thought as she left the cottage willingly.

She had handled the Countess’s orders, and the painter would leave safely tomorrow, so perhaps she could relax for a while. Though it was accidental, she had some grasp of this man’s intentions, so now she could truly focus on escape…

“Miss! There you are!”

Before she could finish her thought, the sharp sound of Nia’s running footsteps, coming from afar, halted her in her tracks.

‘This doesn’t feel good.’

I was just on my way back from dealing with that.

What Nia said next was enough to plunge Serenity back into a pit of dismay.

“The master has summoned you, miss!”

This damn urban legend.

It won’t leave me alone for even a moment.