ITSM 26

Chapter 26

The dazzling lights reflected wildly, making it hard to focus.

“Where on earth did they even get something like this?”

Thanks to the multicolored lights, the library flashed white, red, and blue in a chaotic display.

When I absentmindedly turned my head, a chillingly eerie doll hung on the wall.

Of course, the fear was slightly softened thanks to the mirror ball lights scattering around…

“Softened, my foot.”

Every time the red light hit the doll with the knife stuck in it, I felt like fainting on the spot.

I stepped back hesitantly. My body hit the wall with a hollow thud.

Feeling like something was watching me, I creaked my neck like an ungreased door—and there was a painting staring right back at me.

“Huh.”

I gasped, and at the same moment, the painting seemed to greet me. It even folded its eyes in a friendly manner, waving its hand too.

“U-ugh, aah-!!!”

Without even thinking about hiding my shock, my fist shot out first. I couldn’t even close my eyes before hitting the painting, and the frenzied lights suddenly went out with a pop.

“Ugh… ugh.”

Damn Bael, damn demons.

Why would they leave an interior like this? This isn’t even a haunted house—I seriously felt like fainting.

Honestly, I began to suspect that I hadn’t been hired by the aristocratic family but by some house of horror. Clearly, I had been tricked into employment.

“Hah… hah.”

I grabbed my trembling hands and calmed my breathing.

As a timid form of revenge for the scare, I tapped the painting. Its eyes turned toward me.

Startled.

“Ah, haha. I should take a look inside.”

Carefully avoiding direct eye contact with the painting, I continued forward.

As I moved briskly, I glanced back—and the painting was still watching me.

‘I’m going to tear this cursed interior apart.’

I wiped away the tears gathering in my eyes and made a silent vow.

Luckily, Bael’s reach didn’t seem to extend to the inner parts of the library.

The books, fairly neatly arranged, looked like ones you could see even outside of Winsphere. Of course, most were books I hadn’t read.

After scanning through them once, I returned to the horrifying corner with the painting and lights. I muttered to myself without giving them too much attention.

“I’ll have to redo the library’s interior first.”

It was a selfish thought.

Looking back, the demons hadn’t made much use of the library, and it was almost like a neglected space. Yet the reason I wanted to fix it first was simple:

‘I should at least acknowledge this level of fun.’

I nodded to myself and patted my heart. Even now, it was still racing from earlier fright.

“If I keep staring at that insane lighting and painting, I might lose my mind. Better get rid of them first.”

From a safe distance, I confirmed the location of the painting and lights. Not because I was scared, but to gauge their size.

“Alright. I’m not foolish enough to get scared by the same thing twice…”

Startled.

“Ah, please… those eyes…”

A pair of huge, jet-black pupils was staring straight at me.

The doll with the knife, the half-decapitated statue, the maddening lights—they were all fine. But that moving painting was intolerable.

I had to keep passing by it, and every time I did, it felt like I’d be startled again. So I made a choice…

“Just a moment, I’ll cover your eyes for a bit.”

I muttered this while standing in front of the painting, then carefully stuck adhesive paper over both eyes of the painting.

“This is still a little scary… just a moment.”

Gently peeling off the paper, I drew on the eyes with a pen.

I drew a large circle and added sparkling pupils inside. It already looked much better.

“There, done.”

The eyes that had given me chills now looked bright and cute. The painting’s expression instantly changed.

It looked a little funny, but I didn’t think I’d flinch every time I saw it anymore.

Heh.

A satisfied laugh escaped me without my noticing.

“Now, let’s seriously think about what to put in here.”

The library had higher ceilings than other places. Even if I installed a large chandelier at the center, I’d still need lights throughout.

“Hmm, yellow lights would be good. Too bright might ruin the warm feeling of the library.”

Only the sound of my small footsteps echoed in the quiet library.

“The bookshelves are old but well-maintained, so no need to fix them.”

The smell of wood and paper relaxed me. Despite my earlier tension, I moved smoothly around the library.

“It’d be good to match the desk and chair colors too.”

I carefully wrote down all the necessary items on paper.

“I should replace these dull black curtains with airy, light ones.”

Passing the shelves, I reached the windows and checked everything meticulously.

“I need to ask Sion if there’s a spell to protect books from sunlight, too.”

By now, the paper Bael had given me in the morning was filling up with everything I’d organized.

Looking at the neatly arranged documents, I smiled. My legs ached from moving nonstop, but it felt like a productive use of time.

“Everything’s good, but seems like no one really uses this place.”

It was sad that such great books went unused and neglected here.

“While changing the interior, I might as well clean thoroughly. There’s so much dust on the windowsill.”

I walked along, checking the surroundings with my fingers. Eventually, I reached the far end of the large library.

Unlike other areas, a gentle breeze came through a slightly opened white curtain, fluttering in the wind.

I walked closer and brushed the windowsill—it was dust-free.

“Seems like someone comes here often.”

Pushing the slightly open window further, the setting sun poured in. I tried to adjust my eyes to the bright sunlight.

After a few blinks, I could see clearly. At the same time, the angel flowers in bloom came into view.

“Wow… it’s beautiful.”

It had been pretty from the field, but seeing it now from a distance gave a slightly different feeling.

The wind brushed my cheeks, and the gentle scent of the angel flowers tickled my nose. It was naturally uplifting.

“Whoever it was, they must have enjoyed this view often.”

I lingered for a moment, and the sun almost set.

“Ah, it’s already this late… I need to hurry and deliver this to Bael.”

I quickly pulled myself away from the windowsill. Closing the window and tidying up, I ran my fingers over the books on the shelves as I walked.

The texture of the books catching under my fingers felt pleasant.

As I scanned up and down, something slightly taller than me caught my eye—it didn’t look like a book.

“What’s that?”

A small curiosity.

Between the books was a very thin bundle of papers.

“Shall I take a look?”

I could reach it by standing on tiptoe—but unexpectedly, I still couldn’t grasp it safely.

I jumped a few times. At that moment, a shadow appeared behind me, and I heard Roan’s voice.

“What’s going on?”
“Gah!”

Caught firmly between the bookshelf and Roan, I froze, forgetting to even breathe.

“What do you mean, ‘what’s going on’?”

I barely managed to answer. Then Roan started rambling:

“I screamed… because of the scream.”
“The scream?”

Ah, maybe he heard me scream at the painting earlier?

Some time had passed, and Roan suddenly appeared. I slowly turned to explain what had happened.

“It’s nothing serious. I just have a small tolerance for fear.”

Looking back, it was funny. I had screamed just from being startled by a painting. No wonder Roan had jumped.

“I got scared by the painting I saw as soon as I entered the library. I’m a bit jumpy.”

At my answer, Roan let out a faint sigh.