~Chapter 61~
The moment the maid screamed after seeing my face, a chill ran down my spine.
When I touched my mouth, something sticky came off on my fingers.
‘Ah.’
It was blood—bright red, smelling like iron.
“What’s going on?! Margaret, why are you screaming like that—”
The head maid appeared around the corner and locked eyes with me.
Her face instantly hardened.
“Head Maid, s-someone left a… a dead body at the Lady’s door…”
Just a step away from where the blood pooled at my feet was another puddle of blood.
And in the center of it was a bird’s body.
“…It’s a chicken.”
The head maid mumbled while looking down.
“Looks like one from our farm…”
Her sharp gaze focused on the blood.
The fact that a chicken from our estate’s livestock shed ended up here meant one thing: someone inside likely did this.
“Are you alright, my Lady?”
She prioritized checking on me, despite the chaos and the panicked maid beside me.
Covered in blood as I was, I responded calmly.
“I’m fine.”
I wiped my mouth with my elbow—but it only smeared more.
“Margaret, help the Lady wash up. I’ll take care of this mess.”
Margaret guided me to the bathroom in my room.
“My Lady, I’ll bring you fresh clothes. Maybe you should take a full bath?”
While she moved quickly, I stood still in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection.
‘Ah…’
Blood stained all around my mouth.
It looked like I had devoured a rat—my lips dyed bright red.
“My Lady, please come in.”
I silently undressed and stepped into the bath Margaret had drawn.
I stared down at the water, then at my own body beneath the surface.
‘I don’t remember anything from last night.’
I had gone to sleep like usual. I didn’t even dream.
No waking up in the middle of the night—nothing unusual.
So then… why?
“Is the water okay, my Lady? Please let me know if anything feels off.”
Margaret’s voice buzzed in my ears.
Did she see the bird’s body closely? I hoped not.
Because there were human bite marks on that chicken’s body.
Later that morning
“Ruby, are you alright? I heard there was a curse prank this morning.”
“Oh, that? I’m okay.”
At first, the maids suspected an inside job.
But there was no likely suspect.
Damien and the butler, once informed, decided this was probably a curse playing a prank.
If it was a curse, it made sense how the chicken got there.
“You know I actually enjoy creepy stuff like this. Whether it’s a threat by a human or a prank by a curse—it’s fun.”
“Sounds like a cliché horror story.”
I popped a roasted potato in my mouth.
It disappeared faster than usual.
So I put in more. And more.
[“Ru–hi!”]
Ruhi bounced next to me, chewing on a sugar cube—just barely shaving its edge.
I patted its head and went back to eating.
“Ruhi doesn’t seem to remember anything from last night. It’s acting the same today.”
“If it saw anything, it would be the only witness.”
Damien sliced his bacon casually.
“The curse that smeared blood on your lips had to enter your room. Ruhi might’ve noticed.”
“Exactly. But it doesn’t act like it did.”
[“Ru–hi?”]
Ruhi tilted its head, holding the sugar cube with its tiny hands.
Its bean-sized eyes looked purely innocent—as if it knew nothing.
I agreed. Ruhi didn’t seem to know anything about what happened.
I finished my potatoes and reached for the scrambled eggs.
Then I shoved in the bacon. Then pancakes. Then broccoli.
I kept eating. I had to keep eating. So I wouldn’t feel empty. So there wouldn’t be a void.
I had to keep filling my mouth.
“Urgh…!”
“Ruby!”
I choked and spit up the food.
The clean table was now a mess.
But Damien rushed to me without hesitation and handed me water.
“Are you okay? Here, drink this.”
“Th-thank you…”
My stomach felt sick, but I drank.
My belly was already full, but my mind kept whispering: keep eating.
“Eat slowly. You seemed a little rushed today.”
“Sorry… I was just so hungry…”
[“Ru–hi!”]
Ruhi dropped its sugar cube and ran over.
It grabbed my thumb with its tiny hands, crying with its tiny voice as if to say: Don’t be sick.
“Aw… sorry for worrying you. I’m okay.”
I patted its head with my finger.
Still, Ruhi kept crying.
“Sorry, Damien… You have to see me like this.”
“Don’t say that.”
Without flinching, Damien cleaned up my mess with his bare hands.
“It’s okay to have bad days. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Three months after our marriage, Damien’s words still felt so kind.
Which only made me feel worse.
Could I really deserve this peaceful life… while hiding such a big secret?
“Did I help Damien with the soul contract… only to make myself feel better?”
Maybe I wanted to repay him for saving me from that hellish life… but in the end, was it just selfishness?
“…Thank you.”
No, I couldn’t let this continue.
I had to protect this household.
No matter what it took.
“Damien, can I ask you a favor?”
“Of course. Anything.”
I held up Ruhi, who was still clinging to my hand.
“Could Ruhi sleep in your room for about a week?”
That night – 2 a.m.
Everyone was asleep.
Except me.
I couldn’t risk what might happen if I did.
I sat on my bed and stared into the mirror.
No, not the mirror. The reflection. Waiting for it to change.
[Heeheeheehee.]
That voice again.
Trying to provoke me.
“…You think I’ll fall for that?”
The laughter only grew louder.
[Heehee… Heeheehee…]
[KYAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH—KIIKKK—HUHUHUHAHAHA!]
Not human. Definitely not human laughter echoed in my ears.
‘It’ always tried to dominate me this way.
I scoffed.
“Not this time.”
And I picked up a rope.
