A Monodrama for Carolyn August - Chapter 104

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 104.
Caroline gazed at the small, square ring set with a pressed flower sealed in platinum.
The familiarity of it struck her only for a moment. She folded Aiden’s outstretched hand closed and pushed it gently back.
“Give it to me later. Once I’ve gathered everything I need, just before I enter the Labyrinth. I’m afraid I’ll lose it before then.”
It was half a lie.
If she accepted the ring today, she sensed there would be no chance to see Aiden again.
‘It’s just a feeling.’
She wanted to see him one more time before leaving the Mansion. She owed him a proper goodbye.
Aiden watched her in silence, then nodded.
“Understood.”
“Can I enter the Labyrinth whenever I want?”
“Yes. The servants cannot enter it. You’re welcome to go in as soon as you’ve gathered everything you need. But Caroline—are you truly certain you won’t accept it now? Whenever you finish collecting, you’ll have me waiting until dawn.”
“It’s fine. I haven’t gathered everything yet…….”
She had obtained Friedman’s diary, but only his key and Ipros’s key remained.
Then, remembering what had just happened, Caroline’s face went pale.
“Caroline?”
“What do I do, Aiden? Ipros threw his key into the Lake today…….”
“Into the Lake?”
“He was standing by the shore, and when he realized I was interested in it, he said something about thinking of someone else, and just threw it. It was hanging from a long silver string…….”
“Stop. It’s all right. It’s all right—look at me.”
Gripped by sudden panic, Caroline was held firmly by Aiden. His large hands covered her shoulders, pressing with just enough force to ground her without causing pain.
Her blue eyes, already glistening with tears, met his deep forest-green gaze. In that gaze lay confidence and trust, something solid and unshakeable. In that moment, Caroline understood that she would believe anything this man told her.
He was that kind of person.
“It’s something I can resolve. So stop thinking about it now, and get some rest. You already know how to escape the Game.”
“……How will you resolve it?”
Caroline rose unsteadily, held by his hands, and asked.
“I will take care of it.”
The man answered thus, then led her out of the Basement Prison. The moment they stepped outside, her legs gave way beneath her.
“Oh!”
“There now.”
The man crouched to meet her at eye level, assessing her condition. It was the same posture he’d assumed when they’d first met while searching Will’s room—yet this time, there was no trace of aggression in him.
‘Strange.’
In the next instant, Aiden turned his back to her, then looked at her again. He let out an awkward-sounding creak, his expression oddly self-conscious, before pressing close.
“Forgive me.”
Then she was lifted.
Caroline found her arms encircling his neck of their own accord. The man, supporting her steadily with both arms, began to walk.
Only then did she realize he had adjusted his approach—he’d meant to carry her on his back, but had changed his method out of consideration for her skirt.
“I’ll take you to your room.”
“What if we run into the servants? You said you can’t do anything about them…….”
“It’s nearly six o’clock now, Caroline. They’ve gone to bed.”
“Oh.”
Caroline fell silent.
It had felt as though an eternity had passed in the Basement Prison, yet it was already six. She’d never been awake this late before.
Despite the labyrinthine corridors with their stairs, Aiden navigated them without difficulty while carrying her.
“Shall I come in? Or would you prefer I stop here?”
When they reached the Second Floor and he asked carefully, Caroline nodded and opened the door herself.
She was grateful she’d left her room tidy.
‘Though Aiden doesn’t seem to mind much.’
At three in the morning, Aiden laid Caroline gently on the bed—as tenderly as one would place a sleeping child. He drew the blanket up to her chin, switched off the room’s light, and stepped back. Despite the late hour approaching six, pale dawn light filtered through the window.
“Sleep well.”
With those gentle words, Caroline’s blurring eyes closed.
Unaware of the goodnight kiss that brushed her forehead, she fell into peaceful slumber.
“Good morning, Miss Caroline. Breakfast is ready.”
At the familiar greeting, Caroline jolted awake.
The clock before her bleary eyes showed nine o’clock. Without even a moment to distinguish whether yesterday’s many events had been a dream or reality, she mechanically washed and changed clothes, then descended.
The man waiting for her was dressed unusually heavily for the season.
‘But it’s summer?’
Aiden by daylight wore a pale, exhausted expression, wrapped in a winter-weight robe. Steam rose like flour from the soup before him, and the teacup gripped in his right hand looked uncomfortably hot.
“Good morning, Miss Caroline.”
‘That doesn’t seem like a good morning at all.’
Caroline could say it with certainty.
The man’s voice had dropped to a low rasp. To anyone’s eye, it was clear he had caught a cold—or the flu.
‘Is this because Aiden stayed awake far too late yesterday?’
If so, the fault lay with her. Aiden must have wandered through the cool night air until nearly six in the morning, searching for her while she lay trapped in the Basement Prison.
Now that she had resolved to end the Game, and with no information of real value left to extract from him—
Caroline asked with concern.
“Aiden, have you caught a cold? You don’t seem well today.”
“Yes, I kicked off my blanket last night and slept uncovered. It seems to have caught up with me.”
Just from that?
He seemed like someone who had lived all his life in a different season from everyone else. To fall ill simply from forgoing a blanket—was such a thing possible?
‘Come to think of it, given Aiden’s constitution, it does make sense.’
He slept late and rose early, living consumed by his work, so his immunity had to be worn to nothing. He was bound to be frailer than others.
“Rest well today. We can skip Tea Time.”
“No.”
Since she had already decided to end this, each conversation with him no longer felt precious. So when she finished suggesting they omit Tea Time, Aiden refused before she could even take a breath.
“Pardon?”
“I have a feeling the Tea Time that Miss Caroline and I enjoy together… won’t last much longer. I want to do my best until the very end.”
Caroline’s brow furrowed.
‘Why?’
Did he know of her plan to leave once she had collected all the Keys? Is that why he thought Tea Time had so little time left?
‘How?’
Could he vaguely recall the conversation she’d had with him at three in the morning? Yet she wasn’t even certain she would finish collecting all the Keys by today.
“Why do you think today might be the last Tea Time? I’ll be here for all thirty days.”
“That’s true. But… it’s just a feeling I have. A sense that from tomorrow on, I might be swallowed up by another version of myself. That sort of instinct.”
Swallowed by another self.
She couldn’t make sense of such cryptic words.
‘Will and Ipros appeared in broad daylight, and even with yesterday’s disguise, he was still daytime Aiden. Could this be connected to that?’
Seeing her troubled expression, Aiden grew embarrassed and waved his hand.
“I seem to have said something nonsensical. Don’t mind it, Miss Caroline. My thoughts might be mistaken. But I would like Tea Time to proceed as usual—will you help me?”
“Of course. If you’re sure, Aiden…”
With that uneasy feeling lingering, after she finished breakfast—
Caroline went upstairs to her room and checked the laundry box that had been delivered for her. Her freshly laundered clothes lay neatly folded inside. As she began putting them away in the wardrobe one by one—
‘Hm?’
A cool metal surface brushed against her fingertip.
The moment her eyes fell upon it, Caroline’s breath caught. Her chest sank as if something heavy had dropped inside it.
A radiant Key, set with a yellow gemstone.
“I’ll handle it.”
“Who solves things by going about it like this?”
Now she understood why Aiden’s condition had been so visibly poor earlier today. He must have been going in and out of cold water for less than three hours.
To find this. To give her reason to go outside.
“Fool.”
Such a kind person.
Even as warmth bloomed in the depths of her chest, she felt tears threatening to spill.
Caroline held the Key firmly in her hand, cradled it to her chest, and remained crouched there for a long while.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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