Chapter 23
“Huh? Noona, answer me.”
Wait a sec. I’m still choosing my dialogue option.
“You’re not even that strong, Noona.”
What did this brat just say?
“If you just kept your mouth shut, you’d actually be a decent kid.”
[You have responded outside the available choices.]
…I’m sorry.
[A penalty has been applied.]
Hey—seriously, I said I was sorry!
Before, I could talk back without any consequences, but now the system suddenly decided to enforce its rules. I was furious.
It was acting completely on its own moods.
Before the penalty kicked in, I hurriedly clicked Option 1.
No matter how I looked at it—from above, below, or sideways—Option 3 definitely seemed like the right answer.
But that kid wasn’t as precious as my own life.
This was my last shred of pride.
Surely I wouldn’t die over something like this… right?
Honestly, telling a kid I’d barely met, “You’re my heart,” would probably freak him out.
If he didn’t look at me with pure disgust, I’d call that a win.
“I just felt sorry for something so tiny running back and forth.”
The moment I said that, silence fell.
[Halloway’s mood has plummeted.]
Hey, mine too!
Halloway stared at me with narrowed eyes and asked in a low, serious tone,
“Noona, do you want to live or die?”
“Noona desperately wants to live.”
[Halloway is thinking.]
[Halloway is irritated, thinking: ‘If I showed my true form, the runt would be you.’]
What the hell—does he have mood swings?
I didn’t care if someone called me a midget or whatever.
As long as I could stay alive, who cared?
“Is being tall something to brag about?”
“Being short isn’t either.”
“……”
[Halloway is thinking: ‘Is she picking a fight?’]
I’m just trying to bond, geez.
“You act all scared but still say everything you want.”
“I’d hate to die without saying my piece.”
“…Well, that’s fair.”
He seemed to agree, but then his rebellious streak flared up again.
“Noona, you’d probably stab your killer in the gut even as you were dying.”
“Well, yeah.”
That wasn’t even wrong, so I didn’t bother denying it.
A moment later, another window appeared.
[Halloway sees your honesty and smiles faintly. His shitty mood improves a little!]
Excuse me, what mood?
I barely had time to react to the string of curses that popped up.
[Affection +1%]
[Attachment +1.5%]
Whoa!
Halloway likes honesty. Noted.
That was a better result than I’d hoped for.
At this rate, I was probably safe from getting killed.
[Possessiveness +2%]
[Affection: 6.5%
Attachment: 7%
Possessiveness: 7%]
My heart started pounding wildly every time that “possessiveness” stat went up.
Still, at least none of them were too far apart.
I silently prayed for a message saying “You’ve escaped the death flag.”
But before that happened, Halloway gently touched my cheek and murmured,
“Stop teasing me about being small. You’ll regret it someday.”
Just then, Alhulf—completely oblivious to the mood—scratched his head awkwardly.
“What’s wrong with being small? It’s cute! I-I get told I’m cute a lot too, you know.”
“Nobody asked.”
“……”
When I deadpanned that, Alhulf looked like he might cry.
Halloway watched the two of us, nodded lightly, and another message popped up.
[Halloway has decided to observe you for now!]
[You have escaped a death situation!]
A big grin spread across my face before I realized it.
[Penalty activated for speaking before making a choice.]
[You cough blood onto Halloway’s face.]
Wait—what!? I just escaped death!
How could I do something as heinous as spitting blood all over his face!?
But my desperate protest didn’t matter—my stomach lurched, and my body shook.
“Noona?”
“Ugh!”
I covered my mouth as the blood surged up, hastily setting Halloway down.
Then it burst out, splattering through the air.
“Pffft!”
“AAAH!”
Alhulf, standing right in front of me, got drenched instead.
“Cough! H-Hack!”
[You missed your target.]
It wasn’t on purpose!
What was this system’s deal—did it want to kill me or save me!?
“Noona, are you okay? What’s happening!?”
“Cough…”
I couldn’t answer, just kept weakly hacking.
“Noona.”
Sometimes, when Halloway looked so small and worried, I actually forgot he was the final boss.
Without thinking, I patted his back reassuringly and forced a faint smile.
His expression twisted.
I frowned, confused—just as Alhulf, still dripping red, whimpered.
“L-Lady Evelyn…”
“Stop whining.”
I cut him off coldly, and his lip quivered.
“You’re way nicer to Halloway than to me.”
That’s because I don’t like you.
No matter what, I hadn’t forgotten that Alhulf used Moran and Halloway as bait to save his own skin.
When I glared at him, he shut his mouth quickly.
[Another penalty has been activated.]
Another one?
A chill crept up my spine. I instinctively grabbed Halloway’s hand tighter—
and then noticed something behind the now-silent Alhulf.
I squinted.
Behind him… was a floating club?
“…?”
What the hell—was that thing in the air?
Before I could finish the thought, the club swung down toward Alhulf.
Acting on reflex, I yanked his collar and pulled him toward me.
We both tumbled to the ground.
“S-Sorry, Lady Evelyn!”
“If you’re sorry, move.”
Before I could shove him off, Halloway kicked him aside irritably.
“Ugh! That hurts!”
No time to worry about him—
the man wielding the club charged straight at Alhulf again.
“Die! Just die already!”
Wait—was this my penalty? Alhulf getting killed?
Honestly… I wasn’t too bothered.
“W-Wait! Hold on!”
While Alhulf scrambled around dodging, I studied the attacker closely.
Dark brown hair, piercing black eyes…
No way.
“…Lady Cynthia?”
The madman froze at her name. Slowly, she turned toward me.
Finally, I got a good look at her.
Her silky hair that once reached her waist was now hacked short above her shoulders.
Her dress was torn in several places, her body covered in small cuts and blood.
“You look…”
I trailed off, and she flinched again, lowering her weapon.
Her eyes darted nervously before she suddenly shouted, voice trembling with fury:
“Why—why are you just coming now! Where were you!?”
“Did… we have plans to meet?”
Were we even that close?
Wasn’t she the one who told me not to follow her because I was a bad influence?
Cynthia bit her lip, trembling all over, then dropped the club and lunged forward to hug me.
“I was so scared!”
“Huh?”
I blinked, stunned.
Was this really the same Cynthia I knew?
The one who stayed perfectly calm even when we were shipwrecked?
“Waaaah!”
She bawled like a child in my arms.
Instinctively, I patted her back as she sobbed out her words.
“Sniff… Evelyn! I—I’m being stalked!”
“…Stalked?”
Here? In this hotel? By who?
Could it be… Cletta?
Cynthia didn’t bother explaining further. Instead, she screamed through tears:
“Who else would it be!? There’s a crazy psycho bastard here!”
She wailed, saying he’d been stalking her and even ruined her hair.
I kept gently patting her back, thinking over her description.
Short hair… This all felt weirdly familiar.
Before I could place it, Cynthia shouted again:
“He’s wearing some idiotic-looking outfit and keeps following me around!”
Her eyes, filled with both fear and disgust, darted nervously.
“An idiotic outfit?” I asked.
That’s when we heard it—a voice approaching from the darkness, footsteps echoing steadily.
“Idiotic outfit? That’s a bit harsh.”
Step. Step.
Someone emerged from the shadows, voice smooth and unhurried.
A man—charming, with short sky-blue hair and light green eyes like new leaves.
Unlike Moran, his allure was sharp and dangerous.
Every step he took was languid, seductive.
His tight turtleneck clung to his lean frame—except it ended at his chest.
The cropped cut left his toned abs fully exposed.
So that’s what Cynthia meant by “idiotic outfit.”
Draped in a deep red gown, hands tucked casually in his pockets, he radiated confidence.
I couldn’t help but mutter under my breath,
“…You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“KYAAA! That crazy bastard again!” Cynthia screamed, clinging to me tighter.
Halloway reached over and tugged my hand.
“Noona, get away from her.”
“I’d love to, but…”
Krrrk! Cynthia only squeezed harder, terrified I’d push her off.
C-Can’t breathe…
“Evelyn! Do something! Please!”
“What’s she so freaked out about?”
The so-called stalker looked genuinely confused, resting his palm on his cheek as he stopped before us.
A seductive mole adorned the corner of his lips as he pouted.
“I just thought she was beautiful.”
At those words, a memory flashed in my mind—
of this same man, eyes wild with obsession, telling Moran:
“You’re so beautiful. Everything about you drives me mad!”
Right.
That pervert.
How could I forget?
Because that pervert was—
[‘The Demon of Temptation,’ Suriel, has appeared.]
Before I could even say it, the system beat me to it.
[Strive to meet his aesthetic standards.]
[If you don’t, you’ll be deemed unworthy of life.]
[ᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗᕕ( ՞ ᗜ ՞ )ᕗ]
Why is the system so damn cheerful!?
A shiver ran down my spine.
Wait—was this the new penalty? Another demon!?
You’ve got to be kidding me. I should’ve just stuck with the blood-spitting one!
Barely survived Dilaf and Halloway, and now this psycho?
I screamed internally.
As much as I hated to admit it, the system was right.
Suriel—the Demon of Temptation—was the prettiest demon of them all, aside from Halloway.
He knew how beautiful he was, too.
He believed beauty was the only measure of worth.
If you were beautiful, he’d adore you—then kill you later.
If not? Straight to hell.
Worse, he collected the hair of those who passed his “aesthetic test,”
and shaved the heads of those who failed.
God, how depressing. Just kill them outright instead!
And that wasn’t even the worst part—he’d play with you lovingly, then gouge out your eyes, rip off your nails, and keep your fingers as trophies.
A complete lunatic.
Cynthia wasn’t exaggerating when she called him a psycho.
In the game, Suriel had fallen for Moran’s pale-blue hair—
and ended up torturing her to death before the story even ended.
Suriel swept his hand through his hair, winked at me, and smiled.
“How do I look?”
“You look like you’d have chronic stomachaches.”
“…”
His lips twitched in irritation. Another pop-up appeared.
[Halloway thinks: ‘Good thing I didn’t kill this comedian.’]
Excuse me!? I’m not here for your entertainment!
Suriel turned his attention from me to Cynthia’s hair, eyes gleaming wistfully.
“I want more of that deep brown hair.”
“AAAH!”
Cynthia shrieked, covering her ears.
Suriel just kept smiling sweetly.
“Did I play too rough? What a shame—it’s ruined now.”
“Stop playing with me! Go play with him instead!” Cynthia screamed, pointing at Alhulf.
Suriel’s expression instantly soured.
“He’s ugly.”
“…”
Alhulf looked genuinely heartbroken.
