Chapter 94
You have entered a cooperative relationship with Strategist Sian! (Suspicion level 15%, not displayed)
Tip: Suspicion levels for “Cooperation” or “Accomplice” relationships are not included in the total suspicion score! Once the cooperative relationship ends, it will be displayed publicly.
Tip: You can check hidden suspicion levels of your allies through the “Suspicion Details Window.”
I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of cooperation this “relationship” referred to,
but it meant that Sian had made up his mind—to side with me.
In other words, he’d cover for me in front of Yeniel’s group.
That was good news.
“Get down! Lady April! Run this way!”
Evelyn shouted at me, glancing back through the chaos of people scattering in all directions.
“We’ll regroup with Yurel and Kyle from here!”
“Yes!”
She seemed to understand my lip movements and turned her head forward again, sprinting ahead.
The banquet hall was now engulfed in the storm conjured by the wraith.
Thunderclouds swirled, winds howled, and lightning split across the floor like divine punishment.
Bzzzt—! KRAAACK—!
The marble floor cracked apart.
As urgent as survival was right now, I was even more worried about the execution system that would appear after the banquet ended.
‘Suspicion Details Window.’
Running after Evelyn, I silently called up the menu.
Suspicion Details Window
▶ Strategist Sian (Cooperative): 15%
▷ (Empty Slot)
▷ (Empty Slot)
…
Just as I was about to close it, the screen suddenly scrolled downward—
as if someone was rapidly pressing the down key on a keyboard.
…
▷ (Empty Slot)
▷ Lee Seo-woo (Permanently Unusable)
▶ ?? (Observer)
There was something strange in the bottom slot.
I unconsciously held my breath—then forced myself to exhale, refocusing on the chaos around me.
Beside me, Evelyn was sprinting with ease, her movements agile and composed.
Unlike Yeniel, she must’ve had high stamina stats and excellent reflexes.
[We waited for the master of the mansion to return.]
Meanwhile, the Archmage’s wraith managed to seize a few survivors from the banquet hall.
Screams rang out all around.
“Head for the entrance!”
“It’s blocked!”
“KyAAAAH!”
Then the world flickered strangely.
For an instant, I saw the sepia-toned evening banquet—and overlaid on it, the empty hall I’d seen on the third floor.
It was like two films being projected on top of each other.
[That night, the master never appeared.]
The wraith’s smoky tendrils coiled around the captives and lifted them high into the air for all to see.
[Had he returned sooner—]
The smoke thickened and swallowed them whole.
Moments later, sand trickled down where they had been—
and the captives were gone.
A horrifying death.
CRASH!
The chandelier shattered into glittering shards.
Wailing filled the air.
Someone was murmuring something incomprehensible.
[All who enter my mansion shall die.]
The Archmage’s wraith solidified atop the long banquet table,
the swirling smoke forming the shape of a colossal human figure.
Then the world flickered again.
Flicker—sepia light.
Flicker—darkness.
Flicker—an empty banquet hall.
The two realities overlapped completely.
And at the end of the table sat a black, mud-like creature.
Across from it, in the seats of honor, sat the shadows of the first emperor and his four founding retainers.
The creature looked straight at me.
[Fill the special dish.]
Time inside the hall stopped.
No one moved—not even the Archmage’s wraith.
‘So this is where I’m supposed to get the heart?’
I stepped toward the shadow of the first emperor,
drawing the Heart-Extracting Dagger from my inventory.
Heart-Extracting Dagger: Can extract the heart of your enemy.
The blade pulsed crimson.
The closer I got, the redder it glowed.
[Do what we could not, and bring us the heart of Aquilium.]
The monster’s voice echoed with the sound of many overlapping tones—
as if several chefs were speaking in unison.
I instinctively realized: this monster was born from their combined resentment.
At last, I reached the first emperor’s shadow and pressed the blade against it.
Then, I pushed.
CRACK—!
Fwoooosh—
The shadow shattered and dissolved.
From the ashes, a red gem—pulsing like a real heart—was left behind.
I picked it up.
Item Acquired:
Heart of Aquilium (Hidden Item) – The heart of the usurper. Exists only within the monster’s dream.
A silver dish sat before the creature.
That’s where the heart must go.
I went on to stab each of the four retainers in turn.
One of them was probably my ancestor, the first Marquis of Sharon.
Heart of Jeneth (Rare Item): The heart of the traitor who lent wisdom to the usurper.
Heart of Sharon (Rare Item): The heart of the foolish one who pinned hope on the usurper.
Heart of Devkyle (Rare Item): The heart of two villains masquerading as one.
Heart of Harvon (Rare Item): The heart of the vile man who pledged loyalty to the usurper.
I had all five.
‘I might be wrong. Maybe there’s a specific order—or maybe I should only offer Aquilium’s heart.’
If I’m wrong?
Too bad.
I lifted the silver lid and placed all five hearts on the dish.
If it’s wrong, I’ll just kill whatever comes out.
Once all the monsters on the third floor are dead, a hidden passage should open anyway.
That part shouldn’t have changed, even in Hard Mode.
Thankfully, it seemed I’d chosen correctly.
The monster began crunching the hearts—chomp, crack, crunch.
The sound grew louder—then the sepia world around us shattered like glass.
[At last, the long, endless dream comes to an end.]
I woke up.
My head throbbed painfully. My ears still rang.
“What… what just happened?”
“Where are we? Hey, wake up!”
People all around the banquet hall were opening their eyes.
They’d collapsed as if asleep when time stopped.
“My head… Ugh. Yurel, fetch me some headache medicine.”
Evelyn was beside me, rubbing her temples.
When our eyes met—
“Well? Slept well, Lady April?”
She greeted me as if the long nightmare had finally passed and morning had come.
“Yes!”
I giggled, and Evelyn frowned, unsure how to react.
Then—
“Master. I’ve been here for some time, actually.”
Yurel appeared silently at Evelyn’s side.
Startled, she glared daggers at him.
“Yurel! Do you want to die?!”
“Actually, I was also—”
The Duke of Kyle tried to cut in, but Evelyn snapped at him.
“Don’t talk to me. You’re annoying.”
“Now, now. For someone who says that, you seem to be in quite a good mood.”
When Evelyn glared, the duke wisely shut up.
“Everyone, please calm down.”
From across the room, Yeniel’s group—with the Crown Prince—was regaining composure.
Yeniel stepped forward and addressed everyone.
“Please stay calm. It seems we were trapped inside the monster’s dream. If a spirit filled with strong emotions died and became a wraith of the reverse world, this is possible. What matters is—we all survived. There must be some change on the third floor.”
Her eyes briefly brushed past me, but her expression didn’t change.
Standing beside her, Sian looked perfectly composed—he must’ve done a good job explaining things to their group.
“That woman’s running her mouth again,” Evelyn muttered irritably. “Always has to act like she’s in charge.”
The Duke of Kyle smirked.
“Still, people need someone like Lady Jeneth to lead them in times like this.”
“…I know. That’s the only reason I’m letting that low-born girl live.”
Leaving behind the frantic fight for survival and ending up among those gossiping about Yeniel… what an upgrade.
“Lady April, you’re smiling,” Yurel observed calmly.
“What? She really is. Is she in a good mood?” the duke added.
“Lady April smiles often. She kept smiling around me even when I didn’t tell her to.”
Evelyn tilted her chin proudly, as though boasting about her first friend.
“Eve…”
The duke’s eyes softened slightly.
The Duke of Kyle’s affection has slightly increased!
Then—
CRAAASH!
A tremendous noise echoed from outside, toward the Sky Garden.
Glass shattered—stone broke apart.
I turned just in time to see Sian go pale as he shouted something to Yeniel’s group.
A bad feeling struck me.
“There’s a Mirror of Obsession out there! It detects the presence and location of others. Without it, we can’t escape from the third floor!”
Evelyn clenched her jaw.
“Let’s move. We’re checking that out—now.”
