Prologue
Life doesn’t just go to hell in an instant.
It happens gradually.
But now, I’ve realized that life can go to hell in a single moment.
I silently stared at Lucas, who had been pacing around the living room for who knows how many laps. After wandering restlessly for a while, Lucas seemed to finally grasp the situation, clutching his head with a tormented expression.
“So… you’re saying we have to find the murderer among us?”
“…First, try to stay calm.”
A middle-aged man spoke, his tone urging composure.
But despite his words, Lucas couldn’t seem to settle down, pacing a few more laps before abruptly halting. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, he turned to look at us.
“Wait, before that. So, right now, there’s a murderer among us?”
The man let out a small sigh before responding.
“…Yes. And they said if we find the culprit, they’ll let us go, so let’s not worry too much.”
At the man’s words, Lucas bit his lip, as if trying to hold back tears.
I glanced at the window, barred with iron.
“…”
How could someone’s life get so thoroughly messed up?
My name is ‘Vivian Lope.’
It’s not my real name. And this appearance of mine isn’t my real self either.
Vivian was a character from the game *Dear Mine*.
*Dear Mine* was a game that gained quite a bit of popularity among fans of horror mystery games.
Even without jump scares, it masterfully created a chilling atmosphere, and the story was pretty solid too.
On top of that, the game’s illustrations were all consistently high-quality.
But if there was one thing that felt lacking in this game…
Ariel, sitting on the sofa, let out an anxious murmur.
“A m-murderer…”
Startled by her words, Lucas hurriedly approached her.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, reassuring her not to worry.
…Yes, that’s exactly what I thought was the biggest problem with *Dear Mine*.
They sprinkled romance into a perfectly good mystery game.
Of course, the game’s story did require romance to progress. The issue was that it felt more like a “find the male lead” story with a side of mystery.
Watching Ariel, who was too busy romancing instead of solving the mystery, was beyond frustrating.
Before the murder case broke out, the protagonist, Ariel, was more focused on flirting with the male leads than unraveling the mansion’s secrets.
Of course, once the murder case happened, she did start investigating properly.
Anyway, the main gist of this game is that a horrific murder took place in the mansion where we’re currently trapped.
And we had to figure out the truth behind the murder and identify the culprit ourselves.
To that end, we were kidnapped by some unknown figure and locked in the Ernst Mansion.
I silently stared at the ornate invitation lying on the table.
**[From. Alberto]**
That’s the name of the one who trapped us here. It’s probably an alias.
At that moment, Cesare, leaning against the wall, spoke in a low voice.
“…Does anyone have a guess about who might be behind this?”
“…”
But no one answered Cesare’s question.
Or rather, no one *could* answer. The air in the living room was chillingly tense.
“Hic…”
Finally, Ariel burst into tears. Lucas sat beside her, quietly comforting her. But his own face was just as pale.
I understood that everyone was in a tough spot, but we couldn’t just sit here doing nothing.
Cautiously, I asked the others in the living room.
“…Has anyone explored the mansion yet?”
We had all woken up at different times after being kidnapped. From what I heard, Lucas was the first to regain consciousness.
But the order of waking didn’t matter much. We all came to around the same time.
“No, not yet.”
Lucas answered, his voice strained.
Hearing his response, I stood up from my seat.
“Then let’s start by exploring the mansion.”
The most noticeable area from the living room was the long corridor to the west.
I slowly made my way toward the west corridor. Cesare followed me.
Without thinking, I glanced at him, and sensing my gaze, Cesare turned to meet my eyes. But just as quickly, he looked away.
Feeling awkward, I, too, turned my gaze away from him.
But moments later, Cesare spoke.
“…What kind of mess did you get yourself into to end up trapped in a place like this?”
His tone suggested he found my situation pathetic.
He was in the exact same situation as me, yet his snide remark was absurd.
Unwilling to let it slide, I shot back.
“And what about you?”
But as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.
I needed to maintain a good relationship with him.
Trying to smooth things over, I added.
“…I didn’t mean it sarcastically.”
There was no response from Cesare.
‘Did I offend him?’ I knew he probably wouldn’t care about something like this, but I continued quietly.
“I sincerely hope you find the culprit and bring them to justice.”
“…I was going to do that even without you saying so.”
For the record, this man was the one I had to be most cautious of in this place.
His name was Cesare Cotton.
The most famous private detective in Tevburn City, and a man who was, frankly, quite hostile toward me.
Why should I be wary of a detective, you ask?
Because I, Vivian Lope, am the murderer behind the Ernst Mansion case.
♡♡♡
Note:
Dear readers,
I wanted to inform you that, despite my love for this novel, I may be significantly delayed in translating it. I don’t have access to the raw text, which makes it very challenging to obtain, and I’m struggling quite a bit because of this. I hope for your understanding, my dear readers.
With warmest regards,
Ophelia 🪄✨ ~
