Chapter 54
“How should we do this? Sian, don’t you know the magic to fix the plates?”
“Your Highness! Max knows how to do the dishes. Shouldn’t we just rub the plates together?”
If they rub them together, they’ll just break, I thought.
In response to their banter, Yeniel calmly answered, “I will handle it. I have experience with household chores. Everyone, His Highness, Sir Max, Sir Isengrif, and Lady April, can stay still.”
It sounded like she was telling everyone to stay still because they were useless, and well, that was the truth, so there was no denying it.
A headless servant entered the dining hall. Strangely, there was a space labeled <Kitchen> on one side.
[The kitchen is this way.]
We continued to follow the servant ahead of us.
There were many survivors already in the hall, arranging flowers, adjusting tablecloths, or polishing candelabras.
Then, it happened.
Crash!
A sharp, breaking sound echoed through the dining hall.
From one side, a man had thrown a ceramic plate to the floor, shattering it. How did I know? Because he kept breaking more plates afterward.
Crash! Crash!
“Ahhh! I can’t do it! I can’t!”
The survivor man screamed, bloodshot eyes wide in terror.
“It’s made from human bones! These plates are made from human bones! There are even remains inside the plates!”
He was screaming in terror, losing his mind.
“Everyone! There’s tendons and eyeballs in the other decorations! All these decorations in the dining hall…! These monsters are eating humans!”
[Are they not working?]
[Don’t they want to work?]
[They are not working.]
A chilling judgment was heard. The man who had been breaking the plates turned around, his eyes wide with shock.
[Sorry…]
Headless servants with knives in their hands had appeared behind him.
At that moment, Sian suddenly covered my eyes.
“Please don’t look, Lady April.”
Thud! Thud! Crack! Crack!
The horrible sounds came through.
I couldn’t see because of the large hand covering my eyes, but I could hear the tearing sounds along with the smell of blood. The screams died with a choking sound.
While this was happening, I could feel Sian trembling, but I couldn’t tell if it was from fear or guilt.
I giggled lightly, as if feeling tickled.
“Sian, what’s going on? I can’t see in front of me.”
I felt a contrast between my innocent voice and the terrified voices of the other survivors.
“Sian?”
Even so, I smiled brightly, as if I thought Sian was just playing a prank.
The sounds of something heavy being dragged echoed through, accompanied by squelching sounds. It seemed that the headless servants were dragging the bodies of those who had been killed.
Sian murmured desperately, “You must not see this. Count the sheep, up to ten. Please, Lady April. Don’t ask why, just count the sheep.”
“Then I’ll count the sheep. One sheep, two sheep…”
My hand, which was innocently counting the sheep, was gently pulled by a cool, soft hand.
It was Yeniel.
“Keep walking while you count, Lady April.”
“It’s so dark, Yeniel, I can’t see! Five sheep…”
“It’s alright. His Highness, Sir Sian, Sir Max, and I are here with you. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I see. I’m so happy to be walking with my friends!”
I smiled brightly.
In the dark, I walked as they led me. Though I didn’t trust them, I let my body follow. I wondered if we were actually going the right way.
I considered what might happen and measured the position of the axe I was holding.
Finally, when we arrived at the kitchen, my vision cleared.
It was a large space. It almost felt open, as if I was imagining a sense of spaciousness.
As expected from a wizard’s mansion kitchen, things were moving on their own.
“Wow.”
I pretended to be in awe, my eyes sparkling innocently.
A large magical device that resembled a refrigerator opened by itself, with ingredients coming in and out. There were huge pieces of meat, vegetables, cheese, and wine. It was quite a spectacle.
Large knives floated above the countertops, slicing ingredients. The food and ingredients floated, separated.
A gas stove—or what they probably called a furnace—was in a place where flames were blazing. Floating frying pans and large pots were positioned in the air.
When the pot began to boil, a ladle automatically stirred it.
“There are no people… or rather, no cooks in sight,” Sian commented.
Indeed, that was the case.
There were many headless monsters carrying ingredients or collecting food, but there were no cooks preparing meals, a very strange sight.
On the wide countertops beside the sink, there were abundant ingredients.
On one side, there were fruits, though slightly ashy, and on the other, what seemed like meat.
“Eww… I don’t want to see this for a while. It’s awful, really awful.”
Max, pale, couldn’t take his eyes off the bloody meat.
[Come this way. We’re here.]
The headless servant in front of us pointed to a large sink filled with dishes.
[Wash them.]
The plates and forks, covered in blood and decaying flesh, emitted a chilling, putrid odor. When Yeniel spotted small bones rolling around in the sink, she seemed to recognize it and turned slightly pale.
“This is…”
“What’s wrong, Yeniel? You don’t look well.”
“…These are human bones. The small ones are finger bones, and the large ones below are leg bones. The dishes that were served here were probably made with…”
The large bones in the sink.
When His Highness heard Yeniel’s words, he recoiled, looking at the rotting flesh around the bones with a disgusted expression.
“Ugh!”
It seemed that Max had been carelessly touching the bones. He quickly covered his mouth in horror. Why was he touching them?
The others in our group looked at me in unison.
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
His Highness answered.
“Lady April, you truly are a well-bred daughter of a marquis. Full of curiosity, but you don’t act without grace.”
“Yes!”
Should I be happy for winning the competition with Max or feel disheartened for being compared to him?
“This is truly horrible! I just want to leave! This dreadful place!” Max shouted several times.
Yeniel hushed him.
“Shh.”
Thankfully, the headless monsters didn’t seem to react to the shouting.
They continued their work quietly, washing something or moving food and ingredients. The strange calm was unnerving.
“It seems that as long as you participate in the roleplay, they’re relatively lenient. As long as you don’t quit, of course. For now, it’s best to wash the dishes and contribute to the ‘meal preparation.'”
Yeniel, who had spoken, looked at the dishes in the sink.
