ITIEUPCML 16

~Chapter 16~

“Uwaaaah… I don’t want to die!”

It was hard to believe this was the same Dice who had always been expressionless.
With his face twisted in desperation, he truly looked pitiful.
His clothes were rumpled, his hair a mess, and his face as pale as a sick man.

“What’s going on?” Astia asked in confusion.

Annie only smiled brightly, as if it was nothing.

“Miss, I think Dice just isn’t adjusting well. If he keeps this up, Butler Orland won’t let it slide. I’m sorry for showing you such a sight…”

“I-Is that so…?”

Astia found that explanation very suspicious.
Anyone could see Dice looked like he’d experienced something terrible overnight.

“Good morning, Miss! I’m so glad to see you looking healthy.”

The other servants didn’t even pay attention to Dice. They were too busy greeting Astia.

Astia felt strange seeing Dice in such a state.

“I-I was just following orders to find information!”

“What are you doing in front of the young lady?!”

From afar, Haron, who was on guard duty, shouted harshly, and all eyes turned to Dice.
Dice’s face turned even whiter.
He shook off Haron’s hand and continued to shout.

“L-Let go! I want to live! I want to live! I want to escape this monstrous place and… I want to live!”

He poured out his feelings, almost vomiting the words.

“Or am I just supposed to die here? Huh? Die! Right in front of the young lady…?”

Haron tried to knock Dice out by striking the back of his neck, but just then, a sharp, icy voice echoed down the hallway.

“What is that worm? Making such a racket in the morning.”

The frosty voice pierced Dice’s ears.
Eyes as cold and proud as if looking at an insect.

Dice hiccupped and trembled violently.
The murderous aura pouring over him made his knees go weak.
He was gripped by terror, certain his neck might be gone at any moment.

In that tense, icy atmosphere, a fresh and gentle voice suddenly broke through.

“Brother!”
“Ati? You’re here?”

All the tension vanished like melting snow.
Damian, wearing an angelic smile, embraced Astia.

“I’m so glad you look healthy. Are you really feeling better?”
“Yeah. I’m not sick anymore.”
“Thank goodness…”

Astia tugged Damian’s arm, urging him to leave, but stared silently at Dice, who looked dazed.

‘You must pay for your crimes.’

Astia mouthed silently, then turned her head as if she didn’t know anything.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance. Dice is a spy. Here, we have proof.”

At Ryan’s words, Damian looked back and forth between the note in Ryan’s hand and Dice.

“Find out who’s behind this. Take care of the rest as you see fit.”

“Understood.”

Haron nodded.

“Aaaah!”

Dice’s desperate scream echoed, and the servants grabbed hold of him.

“Master! Please save m—urk.”

“Enough noise.”

Haron knocked Dice out with a blow to the neck.
Finally, peace returned to the mansion.

In truth, no one had ever really cared about Dice.

While eating in the dining room, Astia carefully spoke up.

“Brother, um…”
“Yes, Ati? What is it?”

Astia tapped her fingers together, and after some hesitation, finally spoke.

“I want to go see the festival this time.”

“…You’re not fully recovered yet. I’m worried.”

As Astia expected, Damian was hesitant.
The biggest reason was that Astia was still not well.

But she was taking the medicine, so she’d be fine!
She knew Damian wouldn’t believe that, so she racked her brain for a way to convince him.

“Hmm. But I’ve never been, and I really want to go just once. I’ll stick with Annie the whole time, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Well, that’s true…”

“I want to look around the territory and greet the people! Show everyone I’m healthy.”

“Ati…”

Damian’s face darkened. He fell silent for a moment, then finally spoke in a reluctant voice.

“Don’t overdo it. Even if you go to the festival, you can’t stay long.”

“Okay! Thank you, brother.”

Luckily, Damian agreed more easily than expected.

There were conditions: a guard knight, Adel, Annie, and Emily would have to accompany her, but that was manageable.

“Master, excuse me.”

Just then, Orland approached, looking a bit flustered.

“Miss, you’re here too. Are you well?”
“Thanks to you, I’m doing well.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Hoho. Master, a letter has arrived. But…”

Damian gestured for him to continue, so Orland hesitated, then went on.

“For this festival, Viscount Castea says he’ll be staying for a week.”

“Send him away.”

“But… He did help the late Duke a lot… I think it might be hard to outright refuse him.”

“Tch.”

The Castea family—vassals of the Rovellito dukedom—had helped purchase the diamond mine during the previous Duke’s time.

‘They weren’t very important in the original story… I barely remember them.’

She recalled Damian didn’t care much about them, so there wasn’t much detail about them in the original.

“I’ll send a letter later. That’s all you need to know.”

“Yes, master. Then, Miss, enjoy your meal. I’ll take care of today’s commotion.”

“Go ahead.”

Damian sent Orland away, then said worriedly to Astia,

“Ati, you don’t need to worry about anything.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Since the viscount was only staying a week, there was nothing to worry about.

After hearing the news that the vassal was coming, peaceful days continued.

Astia drank her Hineloti flower tea, suffering its bitter taste, and found comfort hugging Ruby.

But in recent days, Astia had been tossing and turning before sleep, even having nightmares.

She almost never dreamed before—her body was so weak she would fall asleep instantly.

It was strange.

“Pyu…”

And every time she woke, Ruby would be looking at her with sad eyes.

He seemed uncomfortable and let out a gloomy cry.

Astia figured it was because he worried when she woke up startled.
She had started to wake up screaming or drenched in cold sweat, so it made sense.

So she hugged Ruby carefully, trying to help him feel at ease.

She must have fallen asleep with Ruby in her arms.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a space with nothing but darkness.

“Where… am I?”

Astia shivered.
The feeling of being alone, dropped into a void, was unsettling.

Fortunately, after a short time, the background changed to the Rovellito Duke’s garden.

‘The garden?’

Astia began to walk slowly along the garden path.

A round moon rose over the complete darkness, offering just enough light to see.

Strangely, even though it was a dream, everything felt vivid.

It was quiet, and in a way, peaceful—like a nighttime stroll by herself.

Step, step—
As she slowly walked, admiring the blooming flowers, a squelching sound suddenly made her uneasy.

It was a sound that could never exist in the Rovellito garden.

The sound got closer and closer.

Astia quickly turned around.

“W-What is that?!”

A grotesque creature was crawling toward her.

A monster with purple skin and countless tentacles.
Its bluish head looked like an octopus.

And its huge, rolling eyes darted around, staring at Astia.

‘A monster…? How did a monster get here?’

Just looking at the disgusting creature made her shudder as it drew nearer, making a bizarre noise.

Kuwaaaak!

Her heart pounded wildly.

In this dream world, which felt more real than reality, Astia was sure she must not let the monster catch her.

Fear overtook her, and, trembling, she started running instinctively.

‘Where do I run?’

Astia doubled back along the path, recalling the place where she once met Ian.

She thought maybe she could lose the monster there.

‘Huff… huff…’

Her lungs burned, but she ran for her life.

But the monster was even faster.

It waved its tentacles desperately, closing the gap.

‘Ah!’

Astia collapsed in terror as the monster drew near, certain of its victory.

Kyaak!

At last, a tentacle sharpened like a spike shot out at Astia.

She squeezed her eyes shut.