Confined Together with the Horror Game’s Male Lead - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Translator: Yonnee

—

Dietrich’s eyes went wide open.

“You…”

In all my life as Charlotte, this had never happened before, so why?

I glanced over at the system window, trying to keep myself conscious.

[ New Authority ]

– Ability to control a few monsters. This is limited to monsters you can see with your eyes.

※ This authority can be used only once.

※ However, there will be side effects.

…Wait, I think I can see something there.

[ ※ However, there will be side effects. ]

This crazy—

What’s up with the miniscule font?

“Cough, cough!”

“…Are you going to be okay?”

“I’m n— coughcough!”

I wasn’t writhing in terrible pain, but the sight of blood bursting through my lips was shocking enough.

Watching as blood spilled down to my white apron, I fell unconscious.

It’s dark.

* * *

Reflexively, Dietrich caught the woman who had fainted.

He was so confused by the current series of events.

“Why, all of a sudden…”

The woman’s body was horrifyingly cold.

Before this, there had been far too many instances in which he had touched bodies that were equally cold.

Just this slight stimulus served as a trigger of the nightmares he had experienced long ago.

The looming darkness ate at the man’s composure.

Dietrich could no longer see the same woman in his arms.

Another image overlapped the woman’s figure, and it made him feel even more desperate.

“No, you can’t…”

He had only barely scraped up enough determination, but as he caught sight of a sword being driven into the woman’s neck, it all shattered.

Perhaps it was with foreboding premonition that Dietrich could now predict what’s to come.

If a sword would ever take aim at the woman’s neck, he would not be able to hold out at all. He would surely fall apart.

* * *

As the man crumbled away, rationality collapsing just as well, the past came back to haunt him.

His premonition proved to be right.

The man carried the woman in his arms, holding her as though she was the most precious thing in the world, and he then ran madly down the hallway.

And as he succumbed to a delusion of the past, Charlotte now became the most precious existence to Dietrich.

He must save her.

No matter what.

* * *

I had a dream.

This was a memory of the past—long, long ago when I had first been trapped in this mansion.

“Save me, please! Help!”

Thud, thud, thud!

I knocked on the door like a madwoman, and as the soft flesh of my hands were pounded against the door’s hard surface, each action shot a jolt of pain.

My hands became wounded and bruised.

However…

“It’s healed again…”

What the hell was this? It’s weird…

As I observed the abnormal changes in my body, chills ran down my spine.

This flesh is not mine.

“Please…”

I don’t care who it is, please, just let me out.

I hate this place so much.

It’s too dark in here.

I don’t like the dark.

“I don’t want to be alone.”

I’m scared.

Please, if someone’s out there—anyone at all—please listen to my voice.

I reached up and scratched the door with my nails.

“Let me out… Please, I want to go out…”

Scritch, scritch. I kept scratching at the door even though my nails had become bloody.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

In this empty place, I didn’t know who my apologies were directed to. However, no matter how many times I admitted my wrongdoings, the situation did not change.

Bang! This time, I banged on the door as though I wanted to break it down.

“I beg of you! Please, I beg of you!”

“……”

“You’ve done enough! Just stop it already and let me out of here!”

For a while, I expressed my anger and resentment, but… In time, I regretted it again.

“No… No, I didn’t mean…”

“……”

“I, I was wrong. I didn’t mean to do this. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry…”

I leaned back against the door and hugged myself. It wasn’t cold, but somehow, it was.

[ Steel mentality: OFF ]

I don’t want to feel this pain.

It’s awful.

I already know that no one will help me.

‘What if… I won’t be able to leave for the rest of my life.’

I recalled the room I had been renting, and the image kept flickering in my mind. Though it was practically palm-sized, it was warm.

As yearning seized me, it was impossible to let go.

I was so lonely that I even started to remember my verbally abusive family fondly. They called me pathetic and drove me out of the house, but still, I looked back fondly.

That’s when I came to a realization.

That it’s possible for a human being to die out of sheer loneliness.

If I’m to die in this place, it will be due to this unrelenting loneliness.

[ Steel Mentality: ON ]

After that day, I never turned ‘Steel Mentality’ off.

* * *

How long did I sleep?

It felt as if my consciousness had been sinking deep below the surface of water, but now, it slowly rose.

At that time, a familiar voice permeated through my hazy consciousness.

“Are you up?”

Recognizing whose voice that was, I winced.

“…Dietrich.”

Reflexively, I called his name.

Why was he here?

“Do you feel alright?”

“Ah, yes. My condition doesn’t seem all that bad.”

“That’s a relief.”

After confirming that I was fine, Dietrich nodded.

I was feeling perfectly fine. But then, Dietrich… He had to deal with the monsters back there, and I saw the new wound on his cheek.

“Is it because I forced you to control the monsters… that’s why you collapsed?”

Dietrich glanced up at me with a guilty expression.

Rather, I was the one who had to apologize, but I was met with the opposite situation.

I even blasted steak sauce at him.

“Seems like it.”

“…Then did you still do it even when you knew you’d cough up blood?”

No, that’s not it.

“Because of me…”

‘Is this guy good-natured or just plain stupid?’

Was that why he’s apparently less cautious of me now?

Was this the start to a better relationship?

Frankly, there wouldn’t be any special advantages even if this relationship were to be improved. But here, I watched as Dietrich’s disposition seemed to unravel.

“Huh?”

And then, I realized.

While turning so deathly pale, he looked so distressed right now.

What we had was an ill-fated relationship, so there should be no way for him to be so affected after seeing that I had gotten hurt.

Why was he acting as if I’d hit his fatal weak spot?

It was a near-abnormal reaction.

Looking back, it couldn’t even be considered normal that he saved me from a monster attack.

Wasn’t it a bit too excessive for him to extend a lick of kindness to me?

“I really must ask. You’ve trapped me here, but why is it that now, you’re helping me?”

Before this, Dietrich had his vigilance up to the maximum around me, but it didn’t feel like that anymore.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, Dietrich rose from his seat.

Feeling the intense pressure from his gaze, my eyes widened.