The Obsessive Maniac Is Trying To Confine Me - Chapter 170

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

Episode 170

Anri had been troubled lately.

Was it just his imagination?

Ever since Hanna entered his room, he had been overcome by a strange feeling.

A familiar scent that seemed to drift from her body like wind.

The sweet yet repulsive smell was very familiar. The Benefactor’s scent.

Have I finally gone mad?

Gone mad enough to recall that woman’s scent?

After a few days like this, he soon found the reason through Hanna’s casual remark.

【A new maid entered the estate recently.】

【A maid named Rose.】

At those words, he summoned the maid just in case. As expected, it was a woman with the exact same face as the Benefactor.

‘Come to think of it…’

Anri recalled something the Benefactor had said long ago.

Words he had heard with one ear and let pass through the other.

【I’ll tell you in advance since you’ll find out eventually. There’s a woman who goes around looking exactly like me. A woman who wants to steal everything from me.】

Emily had flared up in anger when she heard those words, but Anri had felt no particular interest.

However, now that he had seen the woman who looked exactly like the Benefactor, the story was different.

Unlike Emily, who nodded at everything the Benefactor said, Anri did not trust her.

‘Perhaps it’s the opposite.’

Contrary to the Benefactor’s claims, perhaps the Benefactor was the one who appeared to steal the woman’s place.

Above all, there was too much of a sense of alienation for the Benefactor to be that Roji he had met in Evantes long ago.

‘The one I met this time seemed more real.’

Who was the real one, indeed? Anri became increasingly lost in thought. Just then,

“Lord Anri, the weather is lovely.”

Hanna, who had been standing beside Anri as he held tea time in the garden, spoke to him.

【Rose fell badly on the stairs, so it seems she won’t be able to work for a while.】

Should I get rid of that one too, gradually?

Since I’ve been treating her kindly, she keeps trying to climb higher without end.

What Anri wanted was an obedient servant, not an impudent underling who made judgments and acted on her own.

Rustle. The wind blew.

The wind that stirred his hair and departed carried the scent of grass.

Anri, who had been peacefully enjoying his tea time, frowned.

Again.

From nearby, the scent of a woman with the same fragrance as the Benefactor drifted along the wind.

* * *

Roji, do you know this?

Ancient demons are said to have the ability to control people.

With that ability, they bewitched countless people and led them to ruin.

Isn’t that scary?

“Yes, I see.”

“An angel who couldn’t bear to watch such demons sent down their apostle to purify this land.”

That was a very famous story.

It was a legend passed down from mouth to mouth, well-known enough that even I, who wasn’t from this world, knew it.

Just as the demon bewitched people, the apostle also bewitched the demon with their own scent.

I watched Sian cutting roses to give to Anri with little interest.

“More importantly, hurry up and give me the flowers. I need to take them to Hanna.”

Hanna had asked me to get flowers from the gardener, saying she needed floral decorations for Anri’s room.

“You’re so cold, Roji.”

“Cold, my foot.”

“Oh, come to think of it, there’s been a disappearance in the village.”

“Really?”

Why have so many ominous things been happening lately?

“This missing person was someone who worked at the estate. You be careful too, Roji.”

“…”

There were quite a few people working at the estate, but as someone who also worked there, it was somewhat frightening to hear.

Who could the culprit be?

“I heard they’re offering a large reward to whoever finds the culprit.”

That was something I’d heard about quite a while ago. However, even with the increased reward, the culprit still hadn’t been caught.

I fell into thought while watching Sian cut the roses.

I thought he was just a woodcutter, but he’s good at gardening too. Where did he learn such skills?

Come to think of it, I knew almost nothing about Sian.

Suddenly curious about various things, I was about to ask Sian, but seeing him concentrating on his work, I didn’t want to disturb him.

Sitting in the corner became boring, so I quietly hummed a song.

Crawling into the swamp of despair.

I know that despair waits in that muddy, dark place.

But I’m going in.

It’s fine if I fall from a cliff.

It’s fine if I’m buried in thorns.

Even if my whole body is torn apart…

As I was humming alone, I felt a persistent gaze. For some reason, Sian was looking at me with surprised eyes.

Feeling embarrassed for no reason, I closed my mouth, and Sian’s black eyes darkened gloomily.

“…That’s a nice song.”

“…Oh, thanks.”

I answered reluctantly.

Though I couldn’t do justice to the original when I sang it, it was indeed a good song.

The song ‘Savior’ had dominated Korea’s popularity charts at number one for a long time.

“But Roji, do you know the end of that legend too?”

At the sudden change of topic, I couldn’t immediately understand what Sian was saying.

Was this a continuation of the demon story from earlier?

“Roughly that the apostle drove away the demon and brought peace to the world, something like that.”

“There’s one more story after that.”

Having learned about this world in a haphazard way just to survive, I didn’t have the ability to judge whether Sian’s story was true.

So I asked.

“What is it?”

“The demon, thoroughly bewitched by the apostle, ended up falling to the cursed land.”

That much was a story I knew too.

“But even after being treated like that, the demon missed the apostle so much.”

“…Really?”

“So the demon bled from his entire body, and even as his consciousness was crumbling away, he used his ability to create a ‘space.'”

Space?

When I looked confused, Sian quickly added.

“Demons have the ability to create ‘spaces.'”

The story was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.

“The demon created the world he had dreamed of in that space.”

“…The world the demon dreamed of? Did he wish for the world’s destruction or something?”

Then Sian shook his head.

“There was an apostle in that place.”

“….”

“An apostle with the scent the demon loved. In the space he created, in that world made entirely of lies, the demon indulged in the apostle until he was satisfied, then laughed with joy, cried with sadness…. Sometimes screaming from a thirst that would never be eternally quenched….”

Sian’s voice grew darker and darker, and I became frightened for no reason. Did it show on my face? Sian glossed over the story.

“Anyway, that’s what the story says.”

“Is that the end?”

“Yes.”

That’s a bit creepy.

Though it was an uninteresting story, I had been listening intently, so I got goosebumps for no reason.

I won’t be able to sleep alone tonight.

I’ll have to hug Rihardt while sleeping.

“Lord Anri! Where are you going!”

Then, along with Hanna’s surprised voice, I spotted a not-so-welcome face approaching this way.

…Anri?

“Hello, Rose. I heard you couldn’t work because you were sick, but you seem to have recovered?”

“…My lord.”

“No need to call me my lord. Just call me Anri comfortably.”

I could feel Hanna glaring at me upon hearing those words.

I remembered how Hanna had been emphasizing to people around her that she was special, having been given permission to use Lord Anri’s name.

“How could I dare to use your name….”

“It’s fine since I gave permission.”

Ah, really. This is really an unpleasant situation.

“…Yes, Lord Anri.”

However, as the subordinate, I had no choice but to answer obediently.

“Are you feeling better? I heard you accidentally fell down the stairs.”

“…Yes. I’m much better now.”

“Really? Then you should have no trouble serving. Follow me.”

Damn it.

I followed Anri with a death-like expression.

But why do I feel a sense of déjà vu?

As if this had happened once before….

Looking at Anri’s golden back of the head, something seemed about to come to mind.

【Count Evantes.】

What kind of memory is this?

I was blinking blankly when we had already arrived at the tea time room.

“Hanna, teach Rose how to do the work.”

“…Yes.”

Hanna reluctantly taught me how to serve.

Her gaze toward me was menacing.

I don’t want to serve either.

Why is Anri doing this to me anyway?

I looked at Anri with questioning eyes.

His unreadable green eyes curved artificially.

But his gaze toward me remained cold.

* * *

I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.

As soon as I finished my allotted time, I fled from the estate.

Why is everyone treating me like this?

The life at the estate I had imagined was quietly finishing my work alone and returning home.

Just when I thought about quitting, I remembered that it would be hard to find another place with such good pay.

I walked down the street listlessly.

‘Rihardt must be waiting.’

I should arrive home one step ahead of Rihardt, but I was too tired today to have the energy to run.

So I walked while looking around the street that I usually had no time to glance at while running.

A shop selling cute toys, a shop selling delicious desserts, a shop selling clothes… and a jewelry store.

I stopped in front of the jewelry store for a while.

Then, for some reason, I found myself entering as if enchanted.

There was an old man wearing thick glasses inside.

“Welcome.”

“Do you happen to know how to appraise jewelry?”

“Of course. I’ve been here for 20 years, but you must not know me, young lady. Show me the jewelry you want appraised.”

I took out the jewel I had tucked inside my clothes and untied the necklace string before handing it to the old man.

“This is….”

The old man pushed up his thick glasses several times, then looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Where did this come from?”

“…My master secretly ordered me to have it appraised.”

I handed money to the old man, pretending to be a mysterious client.

It was the appraisal fee.

“So… how is it?”

It shouldn’t be Pandora’s jewel. It should be cheap jewelry sold at the market.

If not, the world that had made up my existence would become a lie.

“Isn’t this Pandora’s jewel…!”

I realized then.

The fact that I might be being deceived by Rihardt.

No. Is he even my husband to begin with?

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