Surviving in the Cursed Mansion

Chapter 10: A Beast’s Happiness (1)

Just as I was about to explain my thoughts, Asche quickly stopped me.

“Wait!”

“What’s the matter?”

I glanced over my shoulder at Asche, who was still perched on my back.

Despite her tear-streaked and snot-covered face, she wore a smug expression, as if she’d figured out something profound.

It was the kind of look that scratched at one’s nerves, igniting irritation in the depths of the heart.

“Butler, you don’t need to say anything. Because I’ve already figured it out.”

“Is that so? In any case, I was about to discuss what might trigger the hunting dog’s hostility…”

“I said you don’t need to say it!”

Asche’s shrill voice rang out, a high-pitched shout characteristic of young girls that stabbed straight into my eardrums.

For a moment, I nearly dropped her out of sheer surprise.

It wouldn’t have been the worst outcome.

“Ahem, ahem… Butler, I’ve figured it out, you know.”

“And what is that?”

“That there’s almost nothing in this mansion without a purpose. For example, the hunting dog’s grotesque appearance—there’s bound to be a reason for it.”

I nodded silently. Though her theory lacked concrete evidence, I intuitively agreed.

“And during that chase just now, I became certain. The beast relies on its sense of smell.”

“I agree.”

“But here’s the thing—this time, it didn’t attack me immediately after we encountered each other.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Last time, it attacked me before I could even react, but this time, there was a noticeable delay—about 30 seconds, give or take.”

That was a significant observation. Asche’s irritatingly smug expression was almost warranted.

“In other words, it must have had a reason to pounce on me immediately during our first encounter, but that reason wasn’t as strong this time. And the reason is…”

“My scent, my body odor, right?”

“That’s probably correct. So, what was different this time? My clothes. I was wearing a servant’s uniform now, but before, it was a dress.”

“… Maid A’s dress, to be precise.”

“Exactly.”

Even so, she had been attacked.

This suggested that even after removing the dress, traces of Maid A’s scent lingered.

“It could be the smell of Maid A’s room… or perhaps the scent of her bath soap or perfume.”

“I was thinking the same. This means moving to another room to live would solve the problem, wouldn’t it? Easy, isn’t it?”

If only the solution were that simple.

Asche underestimated the malice of this mansion.

“That’s impossible.”

“What? What do you mean, impossible?”

The hunting dog, unlike me, could enter rooms freely. The fact that it had ambushed her from a room rather than the hallway proved this.

… Though how it opened doors remained a mystery.

However, the one room the hunting dog couldn’t enter was Maid A’s room.

Since the mansion had assigned that room to Asche, no one could enter without her permission. It functioned as a sort of safe zone.

After hearing my explanation, Asche smirked as if dismissing my concerns.

“That’s fine! I’ve got the best butler-shield, don’t I?”

“A butler-shield isn’t invincible. And I must say, that name is rather unpleasant.”

“What’s wrong with it? It worked just fine earlier.”

“It only blocks physical harm, not contact itself. If the beast tries to snatch you directly while keeping its distance, I’ll be powerless to stop it.”

Even now, carrying her on my back didn’t guarantee perfect safety. If the beast focused solely on taking Asche, there would be no way to prevent it.

While the hunting dog didn’t seem that intelligent, if we were dealing with a creature as cunning as a human, things would become much more complicated.

“Tsk… Tricks don’t work at all, do they?”

“Instead of wasting time thinking up shortcuts, you’d be better off finding what the hunting dog lost.”

To my remark, Asche replied nonchalantly.

“Huh? Oh, about that. I think I know.”

“You do?”

“Well… it’s just a guess for now.”

Still holding onto my neck with one arm, she rummaged through her leather pouch with the other.

After a moment, she pulled out the worn photograph of the hunting dog and Maid B.

“Look at this, Butler. Do you see it?”

“… You don’t mean.”

“The clues are too minor to dismiss as coincidence, aren’t they?”

The hunting dog in the photo and the monstrous creature we’d encountered couldn’t have been more different.

The sheer difference in their appearances was so stark that the disparity had slipped my mind.

But now, I noticed the missing detail that should have been obvious.

“… It can’t be.”

The words fell from my lips almost instinctively. And yet, the pieces fit together too well for me to refute it.

Something that had been present in the past but was now absent.

It was the blue scarf the dog had once worn in place of a collar.

***

Inside Maid A’s Room

Asche sat inside, mulling over the butler’s strange reaction.

‘He went quiet partway through.’

It started when she’d shown him the photograph, even going so far as to bring it right to his face.

The atmosphere had turned so heavy that even Asche, in all her arrogance, found it difficult to speak.

‘Did I go too far? Maybe calling him a butler-shield wasn’t such a good idea…’

Or perhaps it was her childish tantrums.

Considering how frail he was—frail enough to warrant the mansion’s protection—perhaps she’d drained his stamina by making him carry her.

And now, he was patrolling outside on top of that…

“Uh… uh-oh…”

The realization hit her.

“Am I… the worst?”

The heavy atmosphere made sense now.

In truth, the butler had every reason to complain, and she ought to be the one worrying about his well-being.

Yet, she had done nothing but demand things from him.

She couldn’t justify herself.

“Hmm, hmm… Maybe I should massage his shoulders later…”

Her late father, the emperor, would smile brightly whenever she gave him massages, often laughing uncontrollably in delight.

With skills like that, she thought, surely the butler would be satisfied.

Sometimes, rewards weren’t such a bad idea.

***

A Lonely Hallway

Who am I?

I wandered through the empty corridor, lost in thought.

The photograph Asche had shown me lingered in my mind, along with the inferences it brought to light.

‘I thought it was just a meaningless dream.’

Yet the memory of that dream returned vividly.

A woman with bright, wheat-colored hair gifting something to a golden dog.

The item she gave—a blue scarf—had been tied around its neck like a collar.

‘If that dream reflects Maid B and the hunting dog…’

A contradiction arose.

How could I dream of people I’d never seen or events I’d never experienced?

I was merely an entity possessing the butler’s body, existing in this mansion.

That understanding seemed infallible.

After all, my memories held clear images of another world—a modern era shaped by the advancements of science and civilization.

[Butler, you… You’re a clue, aren’t you?]

Asche’s words flashed through my mind.

Perhaps she was right.

Perhaps, like the hunting dog that had changed so drastically, something had happened to me as well.

But I couldn’t make sense of it all.

The mansion’s extreme protection of me, the mansion’s origins, the Arkaden Family’s erased history, and the peculiar circumstances that led Asche to be the only one to knock on this mansion’s door over countless years…

Was it all interconnected?

As I pondered these questions, Asche peeked her head through the door and called out to me.

“Butler! Come here, quick!”

“Have you summoned me for a task?”

“What!”

Asche seemed almost breathless for a moment, then suddenly let out a sharp yell.

“What do you take me for?! Do you think I only call you over to give orders?”

“…”

When I stayed silent, she faltered slightly, her tone shifting to a weak, half-hearted excuse.

“Hmph. That’s what a butler is there for anyway…”

“Of course. Feel free to say whatever you need.”

“Just come in here, hurry up.”

Surprisingly, Asche granted me permission to enter Maid A’s room. Puzzled but compliant, I stepped inside.

She then patted the bed, motioning for me to sit.

“Butler, sit here and listen.”

“Understood.”

I sat on the edge of the bed as directed.

Honestly, the situation felt entirely out of place, and the awkwardness only intensified when Asche placed her hands on my shoulders.

“… What are you doing?”

Her fingers began kneading my shoulders. If my guess was correct, this was what people referred to as a massage.

Unbelievable.

An act of altruism from Asche was so jarring that it felt almost grotesque.

“I’m afraid to ask what it is you want, performing such an uncharacteristic act. But if it’s within reason, I’ll do as you wish.”

“I-I don’t want anything! This is just a generous master rewarding her servant during a conversation, got it?”

“With all due respect, this is undeniably punishment.”

What kind of massage therapist presses down as though trying to break bones instead of relaxing muscles?

If she pressed any harder, the mansion’s Indestructible Object defense mechanism might have activated.

“You… You don’t even appreciate it…!”

Fortunately, this so-called massage, or more aptly described torture, didn’t last long.

Asche seemed somewhat hurt by my blunt critique.

Her cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish, a visible sign of her sulking, as she moved on to the main topic.

“Hah, forget it. Let me just get to the point.”

“I’m listening.”

“You’d better be. This plan I’ve come up with? You’re the main player.”

Whatever creative scheme she had concocted, it was intriguing enough to make me focus fully.

“Butler, butler. Oh, butler butler.”

“… Yes?”

Asche grinned suspiciously, her expression a mix of mischief and amusement.

In this increasingly ominous atmosphere, she asked,

“How about you put on a dress?”