A Monodrama for Carolyn August - Chapter 107

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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 107.

The tea time came to an end.
Aiden and Caroline shared the Tart they had made together, while the one Caroline had made was given to someone else as a gift. After deliberating over whom to give that carefully wrapped confection—wrapped in ice and sawdust—Caroline ultimately chose Anna.
Though she had stepped away, Caroline had been able to endure in this Mansion for so long thanks to her.
Every Mission she had passed through, the fact that she still had two Hearts remaining—all of it was owed to the Cake and the Dollhouse that Anna had given her.
“Then, I’ll see you at dinner.”
After the conversation, Caroline left the Dining Room, leaving behind the man as he pulled on his fur coat again.
Now the only task remaining for her was to find Friedman’s Key. To leave this place as soon as possible.
But now Caroline had no leads whatsoever.
Ifros’s Key was hidden around his neck like a Necklace, Will kept his concealed inside his Tailcoat, and James’s was hidden in Robelian’s room in the form of a fine Fountain Pen—wasn’t it?
‘Friedman doesn’t seem like he’d carry it on him.’
His shirt hung open at the collar, so he wasn’t wearing it in the form of a Necklace. Beyond his trousers, there were no pockets where he could hide it.
That meant it existed somewhere in this sprawling Mansion, and thinking of that inevitably left Caroline at a loss.
‘But I have to find it.’
The moment tea time ended, Caroline hurried through the Mansion. She searched near the Lakeside, the Basement, Friedman’s room on the Third Floor, and the Second Floor room modeled after the set of The Oyster Man.
This place was modeled after the room of Regina, the opposite role—not the Character Personality that Aiden played—just as in The Quiet Graduation.
In the story, her room was modest yet complete with everything necessary, decorated with tasteful, delicate furnishings much like Regina herself, simple yet beautiful.
“But I met Friedman here before.”
In the early part of the play, there was a scene where Friedman discovers her existence—the woman who entered the neighborhood and built her home without his permission. Perhaps that was when he encountered Caroline, playing Regina’s role, while hollering out the scene.
And when he noticed the compassion in her eyes, he reacted so harshly that all the preceding content was forgotten.
Just thinking of that moment made Caroline’s legs tremble even now.
‘Searching Regina’s room is fine since it’s my room anyway.’
Friedman’s room on the Third Floor was cramped, and since its structure was similar to the other rooms, it didn’t take long to look around. Instead, Caroline thoroughly searched the room on the Second Floor.
She meticulously searched above and beneath the bed. She even bounced playfully on the mattress for no particular reason.
She felt along the underside of the rocking chair and fiddled with Regina’s tea set. She completely unraveled the yarn in the small dresser drawer, but found nothing inside. When she opened the drawer below it, Caroline discovered various snacks.
“What is all this.”
Thinking of when he had performed this play, the expiration dates would surely have long passed.
Caroline frowned as dust flew up, and rummaged through the contents.
Candied ginger cakes, sweetly-flavored fish jerky, bean-shaped jellies…
“Ah.”
Only upon closer inspection could she tell they were replicas. The craftsmanship was so remarkable that she nearly missed it.
“And…”
As Caroline rummaged through the other items, she found something that wasn’t a snack. It was a strip of paper wrapping that surrounded a box containing something.
‘Where have I seen this.’
Deep green background with white lettering.
Examining the ornately flowing script more closely, this was the paper band that wrapped around a tin of Peppermint Candy. Caroline pulled out the Peppermint Candy tin from her bag—the one that was originally whole.
As she slipped it into the band, it fit perfectly. The candies had been consumed so much that the rattling sound had diminished, and this appeared to be the only genuine item among Regina’s snack drawer—the rest being replicas.
There was no mystery to why.
The Peppermint Candy was an item that ran through the relationship of the two. A snack they had bought together as children and shared while playing. Even in Regina’s absence, Friedman would eat Peppermint Candy whenever his mouth felt idle.
“Don’t lie to me, Friedman. You loved Peppermint Candy even when I was gone.”
“Bah, nonsense!”
“When we first met after I returned, your breath reeked of mint. Are you doubting my nose?”
But that alone didn’t explain it.
Caroline remembered that when she first discovered the Peppermint Candy in the box Aiden had discarded, a Yellow Exclamation Mark had come to mind.
So there must be something special about it.
Click.
‘…Or not?’
She pressed it with suspicion, but only Peppermint Candy came out. Caroline scratched her cheek in embarrassment and put it back into her bag.
As she played detective while reminiscing about the play, time slipped away quickly.
“Miss Caroline, dinner has been prepared. Please come down to the First Floor.”
When she trudged back to the Dining Room—the third time just today—Caroline started in surprise and stepped backward. She had to doubt her own eyes.
A man in all black attire, his hair waxed, a scar affixed to his cheek.
He sat in the opposite chair in a slovenly posture.
“…You’re late, Regina.”
The daytime Aiden would never rest his elbows on the table and cup his chin in such a vulgar manner. The man who cared nothing for propriety opened his eyes languidly and looked at Caroline.
“…I was delayed baking some bread.”
“Are you handing those out to the beggars again?”
“If you count yourself among them, then yes.”
“You’re giving some to me too?”
Caroline mimicked Regina’s measured tone, and Friedman’s face brightened.
The man with the harsh features wagged like a puppy at even the smallest kindness she offered, then caught himself and pretended otherwise—exactly as he was doing now.
“Well. In any case, don’t be late next time. The food’s gone cold.”
Caroline gave a small nod and took her seat.
This time Friedman was right. He was different from the daytime Aiden who wore Ifros’s face. But why?
‘The character personalities are appearing earlier now. That’s for certain.’
Will had emerged early last time, and the personalities that came after sunset had been showing up with increasing regularity, each a little faster than before.
‘And it seems like the character personalities are starting to encroach on the daytime Aiden.’
“Focus, Isaha.”
“Damn, it’s scalding hot.”
“Here, try some. Say ah.”
It meant the character personalities were taking up more and more space in Aiden’s psyche. So much that the daytime Aiden was losing ground.
‘At this rate, he’ll vanish.’
If the daytime Aiden disappeared, what would happen to the three o’clock Aiden? Would the character personalities refuse to sleep even at three and want to exist as themselves?
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Caroline’s mood sank in an instant. But it was absurd, really.
Once she gave up the game, they would cease to exist entirely. Worrying about whose presence grew larger and who would disappear felt like hypocrisy.
Though it stung, she kept eating mechanically while Friedman before her dined with remarkable efficiency. His cutlery moved with grace, and unlike the daytime Aiden—who ate a little slowly—he looked like a starving dog in his hunger.
Still, perhaps because he was her actor, Caroline found something oddly satisfying about watching him eat so heartily.
‘The original Aiden barely eats. How can someone already so tired not even have a proper meal?’
But now, dining as Friedman, the man had consumed twice his usual amount in half the usual time.
After he finished early, Caroline set down her fork with him and watched as the dessert tray arrived on cue. Lemon sherbet was placed before them both, but Friedman waved it away.
“No sweets. Regina, just give me peppermint candies.”
Caroline pulled the peppermint candy box from her bag. She gave it a light shake and heard only a faint metallic rattle—the contents were nearly gone.
Hoping for at least one, she pressed the dispenser—click—but nothing came out.
‘Nothing left?’
In the moment she pressed several times in quick succession, growing flustered.
Finally, an oval peppermint tumbled out. And behind it came something that wasn’t candy at all.

Caroline stared blankly at the blue gemstone-set key that fell into her palm.

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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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