Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 30

Episode 30

Kassel finished his meal elegantly, without dropping a single crumb.

There was certainly something different about his noble birth.

Even though he was in a ruined prison, wearing ragged clothes and eating a piece of bread, for a moment, I was under the illusion that this was a luxurious banquet hall.

Kassel, who had finished neatly wiping his mouth, suddenly asked me.

"...Did the Count happen to give you any indication of what happens if I fall asleep?"

"No."

I was the one who would be the most X-ed if he fell asleep, but I denied it nonchalantly.

He studied me as if trying to gauge the truth, even though he couldn't see me through the hood, and finally nodded.

"If you don't want to die, you'd better do your best."

"Yep."

"It seems to be time for a potion."

"Here you go."

I, who had gone back to the door and waited for Kassel to finish his meal, immediately walked over and handed it to him.

Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potions x6

"I'll go to the estate to get something to wipe with and some clothes, and I'll be back within one hour."

This time, I didn't give him extra, but calculated the time strictly.

'I gave too many to a guy with an obsession.'

A pang of guilt washed over me as I looked at the pile of potion bottles next to him.

Even if he was scheduled to return to the Imperial Palace for treatment, potion addiction wasn't cured in a short time.

I wanted to prevent him from getting potion addiction as much as possible.

Because it must not interfere with my speedrun.

"..."

I left the prison, leaving the bastard, who was silently taking and drinking the potion, behind.

As soon as I came down from the Tower, I opened the chat window.

Me: Are you eating?

Even if I was planning to catch the leader, I still had 70 Essences of Darkness to collect.

I had to move diligently to fill that quota.

Fortunately, a reply came back immediately.

GM Sera: Go to the estate's rear garden, hoobae.

Me: thx

'He's been strangely cooperative ever since I said I'd use the chandelier...'

I headed to the rear garden, satisfied with the instant reply.

"Why are you the only one who always gets to go to the greenhouse? The work distribution is unfair!"

"If you're jealous, why don't you try asking the Butler."

"You bastard...! You think I don't know you bribed him?!"

This time, the hosts were two gardeners in the garden.

When I arrived, they were already grappling with each other, so they were easy to spot.

You have defeated two Lv.2 Darkness-Eating Centipedes using Potion Containing Sunlight.

"Ugh!"

"Kiiieeeek!"

Thanks to them, I took care of it easily without any effort.

As I picked up the four Essences of Darkness, I mulled over the gardeners' conversation.

'Was the Butler a host too?'

I recalled the strict old Butler I'd had a run-in with earlier.

The Head Maid's comment about menopause, too.

It was suspicious, but he hadn't deviated too far from the category of a normal person, so I couldn't determine if he was a host.

'Well. It'll all be revealed today anyway.'

Just as I'd told Kassel, I stopped by the estate's supply room and received a few towels, water, and some shabby but clean clothes that a male servant might wear.

The maid in charge thankfully wasn't a host. She gave me what I requested and asked cautiously.

"...Um, who will be using these?"

"I will."

"Ah..."

I gave a vague answer. A flicker of doubt crossed her face, but thankfully, she didn't take them back.

As I'd promised Kassel, I returned to the Tower in less than an hour.

As I climbed the stairs with a light heart, I saw that the two bastards I'd left at the prison door were gone, having regained consciousness.

'I wonder if they went back naked.'

I let out a pfft of laughter.

It was because I remembered that before leaving, I had used the Annihilate skill to turn their pants, which had fallen in the bushes near the Tower, to ash.

I had wanted to go to Adam first, return the key, and explain, before they could report me.

But unfortunately, he had been out since lunch.

'He'll be back before this evening, right?'

He had to be.

Because I plan to kill the leader and finish the centipede massacre today.

Creeak.

"I'm back. It's Shari."

I opened the door and entered, giving a cursory greeting.

I immediately checked Kassel's condition. He gestured to the floor with his chin.

I could see two remaining potions, so he hadn't mindlessly scarfed them all down like yesterday.

"Thankfully, it seems the duration hasn't gotten any shorter."

Saying that, I approached him and handed him the things I'd brought.

"Towels and clothes."

"..."

But for some reason, Kassel didn't take them right away and just stared at them.

Just as I was feeling puzzled.

I witnessed the strong distrust and apprehension in his eyes.

"They're clean! I just got them new from the supply room!"

Only after I added that did the bastard reluctantly accept them with a prim face.

Although it was only pants because of his handcuffs, it was better than nothing.

I grumbled internally and took the waterskin out of my pocket as well.

"Here, water."

I'd brought it for washing, not drinking.

Anyway, he couldn't bathe, so wiping without water would just leave him feeling grimy...

'Such a damn picky bastard. If you're so suspicious, wipe yourself without water!'

This time, I didn't wait for him to take it, but just thudded the waterskin down nearby and returned to my designated spot (by the door).

He was a bastard who didn't know how good he had it.

Which of the users, frantic to complete quests, would be so relaxed and thoughtful as to take care of him like this!

Just as I was glaring at him with all my might from under my hood, fuming at his nerve.

I thought he wouldn't even touch it, suspecting it was poisoned, but for once, he picked up the waterskin without a word and wet the towel.

Then he began to silently wipe his body.

The dripping wet towel slowly swept over his black hair, his face, and his upper body.

I stared blankly at it, and for some reason, I felt myself getting hotter.

Watching a bare-chested young man wipe his body from this close was, I found, extremely embarrassing.

'Stop! This is too harmful for a 15+ game!'

My face grew hot. I tried hard to lower my gaze and not look that way.

And yet, jjoreureuk...

After wiping the soup off, Kassel suddenly dumped the remaining water in the waterskin over his head.

At the refreshing sound of water and his harsh breathing, my gaze, which I had desperately fixed on the floor, unconsciously drifted back to him.

Several streams of water trickled down his sharp jawline and thick neck.

Reaching his chest, they gradually thinned, and by the time they reached his chiseled upper abs, they finally...

'Gulp.'

Just as I swallowed, holding my breath, watching the birth of the water droplets.

The bastard suddenly grabbed the waistband of his pants, which were barely covering him.

And he snapped his head up, staring at me with his crimson eyes.

"Going to watch more?"

"...Ack!"

I'd never dreamed Kassel knew I was watching.

I screamed like a pervert caught secretly watching someone's private moment.

"I-I wasn't looking at anything!"

Startled, I denied it, and the bastard narrowed his eyes.

"...Is that so?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Then he started to pull down his pants.

"W-Wait, wait! What do you think you're doing?"

I yelled frantically.

Shamefully, his waistband stopped, precariously perched on his hip bones.

"As you can see, I'm changing."

"H-Here?"

"Where else?"

the bastard replied nonchalantly, his expression blank.

As if I, who was making a fuss and telling him to stop, was the strange one.

"Th-That's, I mean... You could change when I'm not here!"

"You said you weren't looking."

"..."

The bastard smirked, one corner of his mouth pulling up.

At the blatant exposure, I bit the inside of my cheek, barely holding back a scream.

Even so, my gaze was fixed on the drops falling from his hair.

Drip, drip. Water drops fall. From his obsidian-black hair, down his sharp nose, his red lips, and down.

Down...

'No! Evil things are always good at seducing people!'

When my gaze, as if mesmerized, finally reached the solid, flesh-colored feast again, I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I-I! I have business! I'll be back in an hour!"

I shot up from my spot as if having a seizure, ran to him as if charging, and threw the potions down.

Insomnia-Inducing Awakening Potions x6

When I straightened my back, Kassel was looking down on me with an arrogant face.

Still that one-sided smirk.

"I don't mind. Keep watching, why."

"N-No thanks!"

At his large hand, which was slithering back to his waistband, I covered my eyes and ran toward the door as if escaping.

The Lord of Nightmares feels a certain level of fun and interest in your reaction.

The moment I shot out of the prison like a flash of light.

I shuddered at the system window that popped up like a taunt, and slammed the door.

Slam!

'Crazy bastard, why is he suddenly taking off his pants... Ah!'

By the time I was halfway down the tower stairs, half out of my mind, I realized his behavior had been quite playful.

"Going to watch more?"

"I don't mind. Keep watching, why."

'Wait... was I just teased?'

Realizing too late that his face had been full of mockery, I let out a short scream. "Aack!"

It's just a game, but it was so obvious.

Obvious that I'd never met a handsome man.

'First kiss in a game, and now I'm being toyed with by a character...! Get a grip!'

I trembled for a moment, fists clenched, then weakly opened the chat window.

Me: Centipede.

But the mockery wasn't over.

GM Ari: That's so mean, Shari-nim!

GM Ari: ㅠ Why'd you come out? You should have just stayed quiet. I was watching. ㅠ

GM Sera: Hoobae, at times like this, you act quite like a maiden.

GM Sera: Ho ho, back in my day...

GM Jinu: You're given a gift and can't even take it, right?

"...Please, everyone, just shut up."