CDMGS 21🌻

Chapter 21

I staggered, barely keeping myself from falling. Somehow, I managed to stay upright.

But then…

My foot landed on something damp—disgustingly wet.

“No way.”

…It couldn’t be. That was impossible.

I froze, stiff as stone, unable to look down.

When I finally turned my head, I saw them. The three monsters’ eyes, as deep as an abyss, now glowed red.

Laughter echoed around me, cold and eerie.

“These bastards…!”

But suddenly, for some reason, my vision became bright.

“…Huh?”

The monsters at the back gate shoved me aside and then stared into the cave as if nothing had happened.

They stood at the same distance, in the same posture, expressionless. The sight was eerie.

Then, in flat, dry voices, they muttered:

“So the Master really does like the human maid.”

“I heard she’s good at cleaning.”

“Maybe he spared her because the mansion is too dirty to live in?”

At once, all three tilted their heads unnaturally toward the sky.

Their eyes rolled back. The blackness disappeared, leaving only whites.

“I see nothing. As if it fell from nowhere.”

The smallest tilted its head.

“Foolish, blind to the truth before you. Yet that blindness will guide you.”

The middle one nodded.

“Everything will be devoured by fire. Be prepared.”

The largest only shook its head.

After a long while, they returned to their senses, staring past the cave into the distance.

To my surprise, when I was shoved forward, I ended up outside the mansion.

I looked around, dazed. Behind me towered the Duke of Vermanion’s grand estate.

“What kind of nonsense is this?”

Just by stepping on the cave floor, I had been transported outside!

So the cave must have some kind of magic—enter it, and you end up outside the mansion grounds.

“So the cave really is a back door?”

It was cool, in theory. But I’d rather not experience it myself.

Was the Duke trying to make it obvious that this was a monster’s mansion?

No wonder human servants had fled so quickly. That probably explained why so few remained.

“I’ll suggest this to the Duke later.”

For the mansion’s future, someone had to speak up.

Just then, I lifted my hand to wipe my damp eyes—

Rustle—

“Huh?”

Something crinkled in my palm.

I opened my tightly clenched fist. Inside was a faded, crumpled note.

I tilted my head and unfolded it.

[When you wish to return, stand here and say, ‘Open Sesame.’]

The handwriting was unfamiliar.

I’d only ever seen the Duke’s neat and tidy script before.

I had never received this note. Unless one of those three monsters secretly slipped it to me, it made no sense.

“I didn’t even notice.”

Before I was transported, I had been standing at a distance.

The only thing I remembered clearly was their wide, eerie grins.

Maybe they came close without me realizing.

But more importantly—

“In two days, go to the back gate. Leave with those who wait there.”

That’s what the Duke had ordered. So surely those monsters would come along, right?

“….”

I scratched my neck, already imagining how awkward that would be.

We hadn’t even exchanged names, yet they had shoved me into a cave!

Were they trying to be friendly… or just cruel?

Either way, I decided I would have to dig deep, summon all my social courage, and talk with them.

I already had a shop in mind for teacups. But tea leaves? I had no idea where to buy them.

Their help would be essential.

So I waited.

And waited.

But the monsters never appeared.

The cold wind blew, tossing my hair and clothes.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t they here? The Duke said they’d come.”

I frowned and looked down at the note again.

At the very bottom, in tiny letters, something was written:

[Too troublesome.]

“…What?”

I gasped.

They had written that—openly, shamelessly.

They ignored the Duke’s direct order because it was “too troublesome”?

Meanwhile, I had even asked Myron for tips on “breaking the ice in awkward conversations”!

“This is hazing, isn’t it?”

Their laughter earlier had been genuine mockery.

They just dumped everything on me, leaving only this note.

Even the map to the back gate had disappeared.

I crushed the note in my hand, shaking with anger, then pointed furiously at the mansion.

“I don’t even know where to buy tea leaves!”

Couldn’t they at least tell me a shop name?

I glared at the Duke’s towering walls and punched the air in frustration.

Then I squinted and flipped the note over.

On the back was written:

[Buy tea leaves at ‘Cielia.’
The ones you want will be there.]

Attached was a business card for the store—like they had read my thoughts.

First, I went to the teacup shop.
I had noticed this place before, so it was the one I planned to visit.

I worried a little. What if I couldn’t find it? Or what if the shop had closed down?
But luckily, it was still where I remembered.

Only… it looked different.

‘Why does it look so old now?’

A few months ago, it had been bright, clean, and new.
Now, some letters on the sign had faded, and the walls were stained gray.

‘What happened in just a few months?’

Worried, I carefully pushed the door open.
Inside was clean, neat, and well-kept.

“Are you looking for teacups?”
The shop owner greeted me kindly.

“Yes, I’d like some for teatime.”

“Then these are good. This color is very popular these days…”

Thankfully, he was human—just like me.
The cups he showed matched my taste perfectly.
Before I knew it, I bought three sets.

When I walked to the counter, I suddenly remembered something.

The note.
It had told me: “Buy tea leaves from ‘Cielia.’”

But what if… this was just another prank from the monsters?
I couldn’t trust them completely.

So, before showing the Duke’s badge, I asked casually:

“Do you know a shop called ‘Cielia’? I need to buy tea leaves.”

If it wasn’t real, or if it was bad, the owner would suggest another shop.

“C-Cielia?”

His reaction was strange.
The smile he had been wearing since I entered—the smile that never faded even while I picked teacups—suddenly dropped.

He rubbed his face and avoided my eyes. His gaze shook nervously, as if he remembered something.

“You can buy every kind of tea leaf in the Empire—no, in the whole world—at Cielia.”

“…Uh, isn’t that a good thing?”

I tilted my head. But then he leaned close, lowering his voice.

“The owner of Cielia is an expert in tea leaves… but also a strange man. He grows plants no one has ever seen.”

“Strange plants?”

His voice grew stronger now, encouraged by my interest.

“Yes! Flowers that grow as big as a building! Flowers with teeth inside their petals!”

“…What?”

This time, I couldn’t even fake a sigh.
I had seen this before—in the book Myron gave me.

The shopkeeper swallowed nervously, waiting for my reaction.
When I said nothing, he grew restless and ran a hand through his hair.

Oops.

“Oh my, he sells things like that?”
I clapped my hands together, pretending to be shocked.

“Really, that sounds unbelievable!”

“R-right?”

He tilted his head a few times, unsure, then finally smiled awkwardly.
He had completely fallen for my act.

‘So, that flower isn’t well-known.’

Good.
If it was popular among people, that would’ve been too troublesome.

Myron’s book said it was very rare.
When I first saw the picture, I had almost fainted.

But I had already seen its stems and leaves in person.
Most of the mansion residents liked tea made from it—
including the Duke himself.

So if Cielia really sold tea leaves from that flower… it was actually great news for me.

‘So what if it’s a monster flower? I already eat with monsters and clean their mansion every day.’

“Thank you for telling me.”
I smiled.

Of course I would go.

“Will you pay now?”
The shopkeeper asked, calm again.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Duke’s badge.

“Put it on Duke Vermanion’s account—”

“Hiik!”

The shopkeeper let out a strange cry and stumbled back in fear.