Chapter 4
Safety Rules of the Haunted Ducal Castle
Thump, thump, thump.
A sound that seemed to jam itself right into my ears.
Thump, thump, thump.
“!”
My eyes snapped open.
At some point, I must have fallen into a deep sleep… but what on earth was this sound?
Startled, I bolted upright.
Thump, thump, thump.
Thump.
Thump, thump, thump.
Thump, thump.
A repeated knocking sound.
It was almost rhythmic, but with a strangely unpleasant beat to it. Still, I quickly recalled the situation and nodded to myself.
‘Oh, right… I’m inside the game.’
My body felt heavy, like I’d just woken from a deep sleep, and that in itself was fascinating.
They’d even gone so far as to simulate the post-sleep sluggishness in detail.
Maybe signing up as a beta tester had been a good decision after all—broadening my range of experiences and all that.
“Hehehe.”
Sure, I’d gotten some dirty looks for taking five days of leave just to play a game, but…
I’d been buried in work at the office without a proper break for ages, so I had plenty to say in my defense.
If you don’t enjoy times like this to the fullest, it’s your loss.
I was lost in such idle thoughts when—
…BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Eek!”
The sudden increase in volume made me shriek reflexively.
The knocking grew louder and more aggressive, almost as if taking revenge on me for reacting.
If they had business with me, they could just come in directly—what was with this passive-aggressive pounding? Were they crazy?
‘Ugh.’
I wanted to storm out and yell at them, but I’d already been warned earlier by the game company (?).
They’d told me to follow the safety rules.
It was probably because this was the beta version and anything outside the predetermined story might not be programmed in.
But just as I was about to crawl back under the covers—
‘Wait.’
A curious thought crossed my mind.
A late-night intruder, visiting a woman alone in her bedroom…
Could this be foreshadowing for a meeting with the male lead?
What if I went out now and it led to some spicy, R-rated romantic situation…?
Before I knew it, I’d swung my legs down to the floor.
[Warning! It is recommended that you act according to the safety rules.]
But the system message immediately shut down that idea.
“Ugh.”
Fine, I get it—you want me to focus on adapting here first.
Still, I got up, shuffled to the wardrobe, and pulled out the safety rules from between my clothes.
Ⅱ. Between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., do not respond even if you hear signs of activity.
The staff of Belmond Ducal Castle operate only at set hours.
As expected, good games are built on solid internal logic.
The second hand of the clock—like a gear meshing perfectly—had just ticked past the top of the hour. It was exactly 3 a.m.
* * *
“Good morning, Miss Windsor.”
“Yes, good morning!”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
“Mm…”
Should I mention that strange noise that woke me in the middle of the night?
After a moment’s thought, I shook my head.
I needed to raise favorability right now—there was no point in coming across as a whiny fiancée.
“Yes, I slept very well.”
When I’m asleep, I could be carried off without noticing, but it takes me forever to actually fall asleep in the first place.
Especially when there’s continuous noise—it just keeps me awake.
So how did I manage to sleep so well?
That’s right… I spent money.
‘The effect was too good, honestly.’
Last night, lying in bed with the pounding on the door in the background, I’d bought just the right item from the cash shop:
[Sleep Mask & Earplugs for a Sweet Slumber — 800 Diamonds]
· Blocks all light and sound. Warning! Not for use by the infirm, pregnant women, or children.
Of course, I was neither a child, nor pregnant, nor in a weakened state—so I’d had a truly blissful night’s sleep.
There had probably been banging outside the whole time, but… not my problem.
“…I-I see. Nothing was uncomfortable for you?”
“Thanks to your care, Head Maid, the bed was wonderfully soft.”
At my casual compliment, the head maid tilted her head for a moment before giving an awkward nod.
At the same time, small text appeared above her head, then vanished:
[Favorability +3]
As I thought—no one dislikes a compliment! I was secretly thrilled.
Had she been worried the room was too old?
Well, maybe it was a little worn, but for someone like me—who’d lived in a cramped studio apartment of less than five pyeong, bathroom included—it was like a luxurious hotel suite.
Considering it was an older building, the condition was actually excellent.
Grrr…
Since I hadn’t eaten anything since entering the game, morning hunger pangs hit me hard.
“Ah, I’m hungry.”
“As it happens, breakfast is prepared. Please follow me.”
I followed the head maid to the dining room on the first floor.
The castle, which had seemed shabby when I first arrived yesterday, now looked different—maybe it was just my mood.
It felt like just dusting the furniture would reveal its true splendor.
Like a perfectly preserved piece of European cultural heritage, time-frozen—its age only adding to its charm.
It really did feel like stepping into a real palace.
‘In other games, this sort of thing is only described in text or graphics, so I never realized how nice it could feel in person…’
Yes, this was good.
Despite spotting various bugs, I bumped up my mental star rating for Doki Doki Fate☆Crush.
Lost in thought, I found myself passing under the archway that led into the dining room.
[You have entered a new area for the first time. Exploration reward granted: +300 Diamonds]
Oh, so this was a thing?
That probably meant there were locked areas like this all over Belmond Castle.
Another window popped up:
[New Area: Belmond Ducal Castle — Dining Room]
Once the favored dining spot of the members of the Belmond Ducal family.
The dining room reminded me of a massive hall I’d once seen in a museum.
A huge crystal chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, with statues and mirrors decorating the walls.
‘The environmental graphics are flawless.’
They’d said in-game time passed faster than in real life, but… at this level, just one week of playtime felt too short.
“Welcome, Miss Windsor.”
As I took my seat, an NPC appeared wearing a pristine white chef’s hat.
A new notification popped up at the edge of my vision:
[New Key Character Information Unlocked]
· Head Chef (new!)
The diligent head chef of Belmond Ducal Castle. Specially hired from abroad by the former duke, he takes great pride in his culinary skills.
(Favorability: 0/100)
That made two out of the three key characters unlocked so far.
Of course, just like the others—probably thanks to the bug—the spot where his face should be was just a gaping black hole.
Anyway, the chef approached with measured steps, removed his toque, and greeted me.
“I am the head chef of Belmond Ducal Castle, ■■■.”
“…Pardon?”
From the context, it sounded like he’d just said his name, but it came out as a muffled, incomprehensible noise.
What did he just say?
A translation or dubbing error?
“I am the head chef of Belmond Ducal Castle, ■■■.”
Even hearing it again didn’t help—it was completely unintelligible.
‘Bug report +1.’
Of course, all of this was just happening in my head—outwardly, I simply shrugged as if I hadn’t noticed.
Then, like an actor sticking to his blocking, the chef stepped back, puffed out his chest in an exaggerated manner, and cleared his throat.
‘Poor interaction. Overly scripted behavior. Bug +1.’
Regardless, the chef began his prepared lines.
“Today’s breakfast is a perfectly roasted dish. The skin is glazed with sugar, while the tender, juicy meat pairs exquisitely with vegetables for a truly superb flavor.”
With a flourish, he lifted the round cover from the plate.
“Ah, this is…”
I was just thinking of an appropriate reaction when loud applause broke out around me.
The head maid and the maids nearby began reacting enthusiastically.
