I’d assumed the laboratory must be quite far away if we were taking a carriage.

‘It’s closer than I thought.’

The carriage came to a stop in a dense forest on the estate grounds.

Ahead stood a three-story building of red brick.

‘That must have cost quite a bit.’

Delicate vines were carved into every single brick.

The double front doors were broad, and the tall arched windows gave the building an elegant appearance.

Fresh ivy climbed the outer walls, lending the place an old-world charm.

Even the window frames were individually decorated with white-painted rose-shaped castings.

What kind of research requires an entire building like this? If it were me, I’d have turned it into a library.

‘Still.. a bit eerie.’

From the outside, the building looked perfectly normal, yet something about it felt inexplicably unsettling.

Buildings were meant to have people coming and going. They only truly came alive when they were inhabited.

They did say the laboratory had been sealed off for years. That’s probably why.

“How far is it from here to the servants’ quarters?”

The butler hesitated for a moment before answering.

“The servants’ quarters occupy the first through third floors of this building, Master.”

Okay, that’s definitely not my fault. Who puts a private laboratory inside the servants’ quarters?

Besides, the place had such a damp, gloomy atmosphere that I’d honestly assumed it was an abandoned building.

I lifted my chin with a brazen face.

“Is that so? It must have slipped my mind. It was hardly important enough to remember.”

The butler nodded as if it were natural. As expected of a loyal subject, he never doubted his master.

[Level 2: (With a suspicious look) Butler, the laboratory has remained completely sealed for the past five years, correct?]

“Butler, has anyone entered the laboratory in the past five years?”

“Of course. No one can enter the area that you have sealed, Master.”

[Level 3: (Fixing the butler with a warning look) Wait here. Until I call you, absolutely do not enter.]

‘This is getting stranger and stranger…’

Why does it feel like she’s trying to hide the laboratory?It was enough to make me suspicious, even though I hadn’t thought much of it before.

‘Did Adrianne commit a series of murders in the laboratory or something?’

I suppressed a laugh before speaking.

“Wait here. Until I call you, absolutely do not enter.”

“As you wish, Master.”

The moment I stepped inside, a wave of cold air washed over me.

Shiver.

It was the height of summer outside, yet the interior was so chilly that goosebumps rose along my arms.

‘With that many windows, why is there so little natural light? The windows aren’t facing north, and they’re not blocked by trees either.’

No matter how perfectly a building was constructed, no one could comfortably live in a place like this.

After all, natural light and proper ventilation were the most fundamental and most important elements of any livable space.

The laboratory was in the basement.

As soon as I descended the stairs, I spotted a pitch-black iron door at the end of the long corridor.

It looked completely out of place in a building where even the window frames had been painted white.

Did Adrianne have this door specially commissioned?

‘…Why does it feel like I’m sensing demonic energy?’

The closer I drew to the iron door, the more certain I became.

Though incredibly faint, traces of demonic energy were seeping out from behind it.

‘That’s why Cecile and Luna were scared.’

It was natural for the servants to be afraid of the laboratory.

Even if they couldn’t identify demonic energy for what it was, their instincts would have filled them with an overwhelming sense of dread.

I unlocked the jet-black iron door and gave it a push.

Creeeeeak—

The heavy door slowly swung open, finally revealing the laboratory beyond.

“What? It looks perfectly normal.”

Then why had Adrianne gone to such lengths to keep it hidden?

Expensive-looking books and neatly rolled-up documents were arranged on elegant pieces of furniture.

If not for the demonic energy lingering in the room, it could easily have passed for the refined study of an archaeologist.

‘Is the demonic energy the problem?’

Tilting my head, I searched for its source.

However, no matter how much I looked around, there was nothing particularly suspicious.

Could one of these objects be possessed by a Dark Spirit?

‘If that’s the case, it’ll be a headache…’

Driving out a Dark Spirit meant first identifying the exact object it had hidden itself inside, which could take quite a while.

‘I’ll get Cecile out of here first, then have the spirits help me search..’

I walked over to Cecile, who was asleep on the sofa.

She looked even thinner than she had fifteen days ago.

Her cheeks were pale and hollow, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.

‘Tsk… She must’ve had a rough time.’

I patted Cecile’s cheek to wake her up.

“Cecile, Cecile?”

“…Mmm…”

“Cecile, wake up.”

“Ma… Master, Master?!”

Cecile’s eyes flew open as she shot upright. A moment later, dizziness seemed to hit her. She grabbed her forehead and swayed unsteadily.

I lightly caught hold of her thin arm to steady her.

“Why are you sleeping here?”

“Ah… while cleaning yesterday, I suddenly felt dizzy… I just wanted to sit for a moment…”

Her voice trailed off, as though she couldn’t quite remember.

It seemed she’d sat down to rest and simply fallen asleep.

[Level 1: (With a meaningful smile) You’re lucky.]

What kind of nonsense is that?

The poor girl’s practically wasting away, and it’s saying she’s lucky?

I ignored the Level 1 command.

“U-um, Master, how long have I been here?”

“One day.”

“Ah! I am truly sorry, Master. I didn’t realize so much time had passed.”

“Get up. And you don’t have to clean the laboratory anymore.”

Cecile covered her mouth as if she couldn’t believe it.

“B-but it hasn’t been fifteen days yet?”

[Level 2: Do you think I wouldn’t know that? That’s why I said you were lucky.]

Did she mean she’s lucky because she gets to stop cleaning the laboratory without completing the promised period?

“Do you think I wouldn’t know that?”

“T-thank you, Master! Truly, truly thank you!”

[Level 1: (As if annoyed) Wait outside. Stay by the carriage until I’ve finished here.]

You expect me to say something like that after seeing how exhausted she looks? Trash author… before becoming a writer, you should’ve learned how to be a decent human being.

“The butler will be outside. Return to the main castle with him. Send the carriage back before dinner.”

“Yes, Master!”

Just then, an command appeared.

[Level 3: (Narrowing eyes as if discovering something) Wait.]

“Wait.”

“Yes?”

[Level 2: (Tapping the carpeted floor with a foot) Did you lay this carpet?]

“Did you lay this carpet?”

Cecile hesitated before lowering her head.

“No matter how much I scrubbed the floor… the stain wouldn’t come out.”

“The floor?”

“There was a large stain… didn’t you know?”

“…Go on.”

“I brought a carpet from the main castle to cover it. I couldn’t ask Your Grace for permission, so I chose one on my own… If you don’t like it, I’ll replace it immediately.”

So that’s why the carpet looked new.

[Level 3: (Watching Cecile with a probing gaze) Is that all? You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?]

‘…..What’s going on?’

I followed the command for now.

“Is that all? You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

“Pardon? I don’t know what you mean…”

I couldn’t answer her. Because I didn’t know what it meant either.

“You may leave.”

“Yes, Master.”

Cecile’s footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

I waited until I could no longer sense anyone nearby before calling the spirits.

“Everyone, come out.”

• Sniff, guys, don’t you smell something foul?
• I can definitely sense a faint trace of demonic energy. I think a Dark Spirit is hiding somewhere in here.
• Those weak little shits always possess objects to make them hard to find. Right, Gnome?
• (Nods)

Before I’d even said anything, the spirits had already detected the demonic energy and begun releasing killing intent throughout the room.

The beings the spirits of nature hated most were demons.

Naturally, they were hostile toward Dark Spirits, the servants of demonkind.

“Guys, let’s find it quickly.”

• Whoever finds it first gets called Big Sister for the rest of the day! Even by Rianne!
• Heh, you all better get ready to call me ‘Big Sister.’
• Are you crazy? I hate being called ‘Big Sister.’ You too, right, Gnome?
• (Nods)
• If you win, you’re ‘Big Brother,’ you stupid fire lizard!
• Ah… alright, Gnome! From now on, we’re searching like crazy! Got it?
• (Nods vigorously!)

Gnome nodded twice. He seemed incredibly excited.

…I never agreed to any of this. Scratching my cheek, I walked over to the bookshelf.

Dark Spirits love old objects, so there was a high possibility it was hiding in the old books.

We tore through the entire laboratory.

We examined every object we could find, even checking the tiniest cracks in the walls.

Yet we couldn’t find so much as the shadow of a Dark Spirit.

Setting down the last book, I asked,

“You’re sure you searched every nook and cranny?”

The spirits nodded, looking thoroughly bored.

“Then why isn’t it here? Demonic energy doesn’t just appear for no reason… This is strange.”

It was a complete mystery. I waited for the trash author to give me another command, but nothing appeared.

‘Then again, this isn’t an important event. There’s no reason a prompt would show up.Maybe I should just leave it alone…’

As long as no one got their hands on the object, the Dark Spirit wouldn’t be able to harm anyone.

“I’m exhausted. Let’s just leave it here and let it keep living in the laboratory. Time to clean up.”

The spirits grumbled as they tidied up the cluttered items.

As I slid the books back onto the shelves, I suddenly tilted my head.

The strange prompts from earlier had unexpectedly come back to me.

“Did you lay the carpet?”

“Is that all? You’re not hiding anything from me, right?”

My gaze slowly swept over the now-tidy laboratory floor.

What was the trash author trying to make me notice with those commands?

“Sylph, please roll up the carpet.”

The moment the words left my mouth, the carpet rolled itself up and slid off into a corner.

One human and four spirits all stared at the same spot. On a complex geometric figure drawn on the floor.

There was a reason why Cecile couldn’t erase it no matter how hard she tried. This was something a human couldn’t erase.

“So that’s where the demonic energy was coming from…”

• Guys… that’s what I think it is, isn’t it? You know… that thing.
• You mean the thing that brings three days of bad luck if you even mention it.
• Fuck!
• …….

It was a demon summoning circle.

💝 Support the Team

strawberrymilk

✍️ Translator

🍵 Ko-fi