Hick.. Hick…
The quiet sound of the crying drifted into the air as I stared at the door, completely paralyzed.
Through the narrow gap of the door, a faint shadow slipped in, stretching across the floor, growing longer as the figure pushed the door open.
I stopped breathing.
My eyes alternated between the shop interface and the door.
But then—
“I’m hungry… Someone…”
The girl’s voice continued, and the door stopped moving.
“…I’m really hungry. Please…”
Her voice lingered in the air, drifting across from within the dining room and the place I was in.
I didn’t know exactly where, but I knew that I had to move.
I couldn’t stay here.
And so, pressing my lips into a thin line as I stared at the door leading to the dining room, I slipped off my shoes to muffle my steps and began moving toward it in silence.
I made sure to keep my steps as light as possible before stopping at the other end of the door.
’This should do.’
I held my breath while grasping my shirt.
At the same time, I stared at the door next to me.
’…If the door opens, it’ll just cover me up. This should be better.’
Looking down, my eyes fell on the shadow that still stretched across the floor. I knew that the figure was just beside me.
Right… on the other side of the door.
“Please…”
Hick. Hick.
The crying persisted, growing louder than before.
I listened to her crying while keeping my eyes on the shadow.
I was on high alert.
My entire body was tense whilst I tried to keep my breathing as shallow as possible.
I… couldn’t let it feel my presence.
Thankfully, the crying grew louder with each passing second.
“I’m hungry… Someone…”
It was loud, and the silhouette behind the door soon turned away from the door, the shadow growing smaller as it started to move away.
The sight made me feel more at ease.
However, I was still on high alert as I waited a couple of seconds before taking out my phone and slowly inching it towards the gap of the door from below.
I moved it slowly and carefully. Just enough to allow the camera to peek through.
’Yes, this should still be hidden enough. It should—’
But the moment I saw the screen, the air caught in my throat.
All faces were directed towards the door.
Staring straight at the narrow gap.
Seemingly waiting.
I felt chills run down every part of my body as I tried my best to keep my breathing even.
That…
Were they waiting for me?
I swallowed nervously before pulling the phone away and trying my best to keep my hand from trembling.
’Had I peeked directly with my head, I would’ve most likely have been seen…’
The thought made me shudder.
Still, thinking about them and hearing the crying that was still lingering in the air, I started to wonder why nobody was doing anything about it.
The servants were still roaming without care while the family just stared at the door.
’…This is problematic.’
If my guess was correct, I had to get to where the crying was coming from.
However, in order to do that, I needed to enter the room and move past the servants.
But how exactly could I even do that?
This mission felt impossible.
’No, it’s not impossible. There must be a way.’
I started to rack my brain over the matter.
’Room full of servants. Four people are eating at the dining table. Crying child…’
Biting my lips and thinking about the situation, my mind eventually settled on a specific item that I had found on the shop.
It was one of the items that I had previously seen, and one that seemed to be fitting for the current situation.
─────[Shop]─────
[Mr. Huggs]
: A dirty teddy bear that reduces aggression in a 5-meter radius. However, extended exposure causes severe dependency and emotional instability when separated.
Price : 2,178 SP
─────[Shop]─────
“…Ah.”
I felt hesitant while staring at the shop item.
There were many doubts in my mind as I stared at it.
Reduce aggression… For how long would it work? This was a first-order item, and the monsters inside were probably a lot stronger than that. For how long would it be able to keep them from being aggressive?
Would it even work on them?
There were so many doubts in my mind as I stared at the teddy bear image next to the item’s description.
With 10,450 SP available, I could easily afford it.
The issue was whether it would work or not.
If it didn’t work, then what would I do?
’Do I even have any other option? No, it might even come in handy later. I have to buy it.’
I looked through the other items available for me to see, and there was another item that caught my interest.
─────[Shop]─────
[Quickstitch Outfit]
: A magical set of clothing that can instantly transform into any outfit the wearer imagines. While it provides perfect style and comfort, overuse can lead to a loss of personal identity, as the wearer begins to forget their original appearance.
Price: 3,450 SP
─────[Shop]─────
It was an item I had previously dismissed as useless, but thinking about my current situation, this very item could turn things around for me.
’This, added with the teddy bear, and I might… just be able to pose myself as one of the servants.’
The problem was that this was a big ’might’.
Whether I could fool them or not was something that I wasn’t entirely sure of.
The knife was the next closest useful thing for this scenario, but I doubted I’d be able to do much to the servants. If my guesses weren’t wrong, they were much stronger than me.
The current situation made it impossible for me to fight them.
So then…
’I guess this is my only option.’
I didn’t hesitate any longer and purchased the two items in question.
*Poof*
A teddy bear and a plain white shirt fell from above as I reached out to grab them.
The balance also went from 10,450 to 4822.
I could feel the pinch, but I tried my best to ignore it as I stared at the two items in my hand.
Eventually, I put on the shirt while holding onto the teddy bear.
’How does this work?’
Moments after putting on the shirt, I pulled at it to see if there were any changes, but it was still a plain white shirt.
That was when I looked at the description again and smacked my face.
“Right…”
I closed my eyes and imagined the clothes the servants were wearing. A black blazer with a crisp white shirt that was neatly tucked within their creaseless black pants.
The moment the image formed in my mind, something shifted. And when I opened my eyes again, my clothes had changed.
’…It worked.’
I looked down at the blazer and shirt, identical in every detail to the servants’ uniforms.
Then…
Holding onto the teddy bear, I took a deep breath before turning my attention towards the door.
’This better work…’
Slowly extending my hand, I pressed it against the knob before pulling.
Creaaaaak…
Light spilled into the corridor.
And I stepped into the dining hall.