Chapter 6
Safety Regulations of the Haunted Duke’s Castle
The head maid of the Belmond Ducal Household, Mrs. ■■■, abruptly opened her eyes.
Ding— Ding— Ding— Ding—
The grandfather clock, wrapped in tattered cobwebs, rang exactly four times, announcing the hour.
Another new day had begun.
Slowly, she rose to her feet, her body creaking as though waking from a long slumber.
Though she felt a little tired, there was no time to rest. Mrs. ■■■ was more devoted than anyone else to serving the Belmond household with unwavering diligence.
The honor of working for the venerable Belmond family was almost her very reason for being.
If only “that incident” hadn’t happened…
“Hm?”
That incident? She paused mid-step and glanced at the wall.
In the fractured mirror, her face appeared—split into multiple fragments, crowding together like onlookers inside the glass.
Her appearance was the same as always today.
A neatly pressed navy dress, ribbon tied snugly under the chin, a spotless white apron, and a hair covering that allowed not a single strand to escape.
…And in place of eyes, nose, and mouth—empty, hollow voids.
Nothing wrong at all.
Turning naturally away from the mirror, Mrs. ■■■ began walking toward the castle’s main hall.
The corridor, scorched in places, was utterly devoid of light. But she moved forward without the slightest hesitation.
Thick ropes hung from the ceiling, curtains frayed and torn at the edges, and an ominous wind howled through the empty hallway.
Mrs. ■■■ noticed none of it, greeting the servants along the way.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning, Mrs. ■■■.”
The main hall was filled with neatly dressed castle staff.
As was custom, they gathered each morning to exchange greetings before beginning their duties.
Clap! Mrs. ■■■ clapped her hands to get their attention, then stood atop the stairs and raised her voice.
“Today is Miss ▲▲’s birthday. Let us all offer her our heartfelt congratulations.”
“Happy birthday, Miss ▲▲.”
Clap clap clap.
The applause was dry, the tone flat and without inflection.
Miss ▲▲ lowered her head shyly under the sudden attention.
“Thank you. I’m truly happy to receive such heartfelt congratulations from my colleagues.”
At that moment, Mrs. ■■■ felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Hadn’t they done this just a few days ago? Or was it yesterday? She could swear they had congratulated someone’s birthday recently.
She let her eyes sweep over the assembled servants.
Dozens of black, hollow voids stared back at her. But she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was strange.
Probably just her imagination. She swallowed her doubts.
“…Go on and see to your work. Have a good day, everyone.”
“Have a good day, Madam.”
Once the servants dispersed, Mrs. ■■■ also went on her way.
I must make sure to attend to Miss Windsor so she feels no discomfort today.
As she slowly climbed the spiral staircase, she recalled the face of the new “fiancée” who had arrived three days ago.
Perhaps it was the snow-white hair, but Miss Windsor gave off an oddly foreign air.
She was nothing like the many fiancées who had visited Belmond Castle before. Wait—no… How had the fiancée ended up being switched in the first place?
A fleeting, unfamiliar question crossed Mrs. ■■■’s mind, but she shook her head firmly, erasing it completely.
Miss Windsor will be the perfect mistress of our castle. I must serve her well.
In any case, Mrs. ■■■ liked Nadia Windsor.
To her, the duke’s fiancées were usually annoying people who made loud declarations of ambition or flailed about dramatically to show their “resolve.”
But Nadia Windsor? She was calm, cheerful, and composed. Surely the Duke himself would like her.
Suddenly, Mrs. ■■■ thought of the last fiancée who had visited.
That woman, determined to prove she would do anything for the castle, was found in the very room where Miss Windsor now stayed—hanging from a noose.
Regretting that excessive loyalty and affection had cost the young woman her chance, Mrs. ■■■ had removed every single rope or cord that could be used to hang oneself from that room.
Still, whether it took longer or shorter, every fiancée eventually screamed to assert her presence and, in the end, sacrificed her life for the castle.
It was never necessary, of course. But perhaps they all simply wanted to become part of the castle—no matter the cost.
I only hope Miss Windsor doesn’t die.
With that thought neatly tucked away, she arrived at Miss Windsor’s room right as the clock struck the hour.
But the door was ajar, and from inside came a strange sound.
“Huff… huff…”
What on earth was that?
She stepped closer.
“Mmh… ramen really goes best with a triangle kimbap.”
Ramen? Triangle kimbap?
These were terms she had never heard before.
Feeling something was amiss, the head maid knocked lightly and entered Nadia’s room.
“…!”
And there she saw—the fiancée shoveling into her mouth some yellow, curly, spaghetti-like strands of unknown origin, eating with desperate enthusiasm.
“Ugh… I’m starving…”
That’s where it all began.
To think I could feel hunger this intensely… At first, I thought since this was virtual reality, I could just bear it. But that foolish assumption didn’t last long.
After going all day yesterday without eating a thing, my energy had hit rock bottom.
It had only been two days, but at this rate I’d really starve to death.
Still, I couldn’t just eat anything. The rules clearly stated: “It is not recommended to consume any food that has been set out.”
Then… what was I supposed to eat? Muttering to myself wouldn’t bring an answer.
What, were they expecting me to starve forever? What kind of nonsense—
“Ah.”
That’s when it hit me.
…the cash shop.
Am I an idiot?
Why was I only thinking of this now?
I quickly pulled up the catalog and scrolled through the list.
But the scroll bar felt endless, the categories all jumbled together.
Finally, I typed “food” into the search bar, and a refined list began to appear.
[Ramen – 200 Diamonds]
· Ramen cooked to the buyer’s preferred level of doneness. Fully prepared and ready to eat immediately.
[Rice – 100 Diamonds]
· Freshly steamed hot rice. Cooked to perfection automatically. Container is disposed of after eating.
※ Additional refill: 50 Diamonds
“This is it!”
Looks like the world doesn’t want me dead just yet.
I checked the drinks section too, just in case, and quickly found exactly what I wanted.
[Premium Hand-Drip Coffee – 350 Diamonds]
· Premium coffee selected, roasted, and brewed by an award-winning master barista.
※ ICE option: additional 50 Diamonds
A working adult’s lifeblood—iced Americano.
Even in the dead of winter, I only ever drank cold drinks, so this was a godsend.
…But why does the iced version cost extra? This realism is a bit too faithful.
Anyway, there were plenty of other options too.
[Cola with a Slice of Lemon – 50 Diamonds]
※ Option to change to zero-calorie version available
[Premium Handmade Chocolate – 500 Diamonds]
[Kimchi (small plate) – 50 Diamonds]
[Triangle Kimbap – 50 Diamonds]
※ Choice of tuna mayo, chicken mayo, Jeonju bibimbap, or spicy pork
Since the food vanished after eating, the prices weren’t too outrageous compared to special-function items.
Of course, if I just kept eating without thinking, I’d burn through my funds fast.
Come to think of it, there’s a time ratio between the game and the real world.
One in-game day was about an hour in reality, which meant with weekends included, I could spend about six months in-game before my break ended.
In conclusion—
I have to ration it!
If I spent recklessly now, I’d end up starving for the rest of my stay.
Holding back tears, I carefully decided on ramen and a triangle kimbap.
[Purchase complete!
Remaining Diamonds — 9,250]
The cheerful-sounding message popped up, and with a pop! the smell of delicious food filled the air.
Piping-hot ramen, spicy and rich as if just cooked, and a warm triangle kimbap—
The classic Korean convenience store combo.
“At least they have some taste.”
They’d even put an egg in the ramen.
I went ahead and ordered some kimchi to round it out and managed to enjoy a satisfying meal.
But then—
“Mi–Miss Windsor?”
A startled voice came from right behind me without warning.
“Wh-what?”
