A Monodrama for Carolyn August - Chapter 84

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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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Episode 84.
“……How is that even possible? The Persona Personalities should only have their own memories. Yet James is doing something even daytime Aiden can’t do.”
“Exactly. Maybe it’s because James is the persona I’ve played the longest? He was special. But Aiden, should we tell James about your existence? It might help.”
“……I’m not sure. I don’t know if he’d be safe. When he learned he was a Persona Personality and found out about the Game, how did he react?”
Caroline thought it over carefully.
She hadn’t been able to talk with James for very long, and besides, she hadn’t quite figured out exactly what he thought of her.
“He believed he was James, but he also knew he was a Persona Personality. He separated himself from ‘Aiden’ in his thinking too. Since he was aware of the other Persona Personalities as well, I think it would be fine to tell him about the 3 AM version of you.”
Aiden fell into deep thought.
He seemed both pleased and troubled. Why? Since Aiden as an NPC also knew about the Game, he’d figured James would be somewhat happy to hear it.
“……What you sensed is probably right. Since I can’t meet him myself, I think it would be good to tell him if he seems stable enough.”
And he smiled softly.
“How was your day? I’m curious not just about what you discovered for clearing the Game, but how Caroline spent your time.”
“Well, at breakfast this morning I confirmed that the Basement is a relatively safe space away from the servants. And at tea time we went boating together on the Lake…….”
Caroline hesitated for a moment, then hurried to finish her sentence.
“For dinner I had chicken soup.”
“Daytime Aiden spends many moments with you together.”
Aiden let slip a small observation, and beneath it lay a trace of envy—though Caroline didn’t notice.
Her mind was elsewhere, caught in the memory of the Lake’s cold grip pulling at her.
‘I spoke with such confidence just two days ago. I can’t quit now.’
Eating with her parents, she’d understood how precious her life outside the Mansion was.
Nearly drowning in the Lake, she’d learned that if she died as a Player, there would be no next chance. She couldn’t tell him that.
The 3 AM Aiden would press her to stop.
‘But…….’
Caroline still carried fear. Her chest still fluttered with anxiety.
Yet she couldn’t bring herself to give up. These past two days had been dangerous, but hadn’t she also made enormous progress? She just needed one Diary and three Keys, and she could clear the second Quest.
‘I can do this.’
Caroline clenched her fist and steeled her resolve. Watching her, Aiden shifted to a different subject.
“……Are you comfortable handling Ipros? You said you held him while he slept.”
“Ah, not exactly comfortable……. Well. Actually it seems difficult. It’s hard for me to be cold to Ipros, so I keep ending up doing what he asks.”
“What he asks?”
As he tilted his head in inquiry, Caroline’s words caught.
Ipros had been so emotionally demanding, badgering her so much that she’d kissed him, held his hand, and held him today. If she told 3 AM Aiden this……what kind of expression would he make?
‘Would he think I’m a pervert?’
Regardless of his reaction, Caroline simply didn’t want to tell him about Physical Contact with another Persona in front of him.
“As you know, Ipros is a Character with strong obsession toward Isaha. He’ll make stubborn demands—asking to stay by his side, wanting his hand held, that sort of thing.”
“……I know.”
“It seems you’ve already given in to several things. What has Ipros asked for? If you’ve agreed to embrace him, you must have held his hand several times already.”
She couldn’t bring herself to mention the kiss.
Even under interrogation, Caroline felt something strange. Rather than reproach her conduct, Aiden seemed hurt.
The man standing before her, who had been Ipros just moments before, wore the same face yet felt entirely different—his lips pressed tight.
“I believe the Persona Personalities are very dangerous. They can’t perceive reality, and they’re so consumed by immersion that they can’t see the person right in front of them. I’m concerned you might be badly startled or hurt while dealing with them.”
His worry wasn’t excessive.
Caroline had been deeply threatened by Friedman, and hadn’t Ipros drained her energy? Will, too, could only create tension because he recognized her as Detective Jane.
“James and I can communicate, fortunately, but among the three—who should I be most careful around?”
“I’d like to say all three, but if I had to choose…….”
Aiden furrowed his brows and pressed his lips together again. He seemed troubled by the idea of Caroline dealing with the Personas at all.
“Friedman?”
Caroline cut off his answer.
A thug. Brutal temperament, quick with his fists toward anyone. Coarse speech, treating Regina carelessly on top of it all.
“No, actually I think he might be the safest of them.”
“What?”
Caroline tilted her head in confusion. It was completely unexpected.
Ipros, who followed Isaha around lavishing her with affection; Will, who chased and was chased by Jane before falling in love with her. Friedman was safer than both of them?
“……?”
“You look like you don’t understand.”
The 3 AM Aiden laughed at her, eyebrows drawn downward in a slightly sad expression.
“I think Ipros is the one you need to be most careful with.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
He laughed again, somewhat helplessly.
Caroline was equally bewildered. He was annoying, like a clingy child, but just now when she’d left Ipros, hadn’t there been no real problem? Unlike Will, he wasn’t a murderer.
Of course, his fondness for physical contact was a bit worrying, but… I could simply dodge the issue, couldn’t I? Wednesday would never come if I kept putting it off.
“Ipros’s affection for Isaha is far too intense. It goes beyond mere dependence and love into something almost obsessive. At least, that’s how I—Aiden—interpret Ipros. So be careful with him, Caroline. Though you’ll need to be cautious with the other characters too, of course.”
“If I sense that any of these persona personalities are dangerous, I’ll flee right away. But do they differ much from one another? In how dangerous they are, and so on…?”
“…They do differ. The way they treat you as their scene partner will be vastly different. And beyond that, there will be discrepancies in the details Aiden himself wove in while playing those roles. Some personas carry more detail than others.”
“I see.”
“And surprisingly, their ranges of activity also vary.”
“Ranges of activity?”
“I discovered this while covering their traces. Friedman cannot leave the Mansion. He cannot go to the Garden or the Lake. James, on the other hand, can go anywhere except the Lake.”
Caroline nodded, committing the information to memory.
“Ipros can go anywhere. And Will is a bit special. The Conductor State Will can only access the Basement and the Mansion, while the Jester State Will can only exist outdoors—the opposite. If the Jester State Will enters the Mansion, it’s always for the purpose of changing appearance to mine.”
Caroline let out a low whistle.
“Why does everyone have such different restrictions?”
“I’m not certain either. My best guess is that their activity ranges reflect the places I’ve actually visited while performing those roles.”
“Either way, thank you for telling me, Aiden. I’ll remember it well. If I find myself in danger, I’ll flee to somewhere they cannot reach, so don’t worry. I have quite a few useful items at my disposal.”
“Useful items?”
As Aiden repeated the question, Caroline began withdrawing her possessions one by one from her bag.

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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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