TMKCBL 04

Chapter 04

The second magic bullet pierced through Eden Croydon’s body.

His body, vulnerable to magic, couldn’t withstand even such a weak shot. The bullet tore through him, and he collapsed in a pool of blood. His final breath came to a stop.

Soon after, the blood was drawn back into his body, and his wounds began to heal. Before long, Eden Croydon stood up again, completely unharmed.

His second resurrection was faster than the first. Both he and I were getting used to it quickly.

My heart was still pounding, but not as violently as when I saw him die the first time.

Having died and come back to life a second time, Eden Croydon grinned triumphantly.

“So I really do come back to life when I die.”

“…Looks like it.”

But something about this felt unfair.

If a quest window was going to appear, shouldn’t it show up for me instead of him? I’m the one who came from another world. Why would a native character get it? And more importantly… was that really even a quest window?

“Can you still see the text?”

“…No. It disappeared already.”

I fell into thought.

What did this situation even mean?

As Eden Croydon wiped the blood splattered on his cheek with a handkerchief, he asked:

“Then it’s your turn. What exactly are you? What does ‘an outsider from another world’ mean?”

“Exactly what it sounds like.”

“Did God send you?”

“Maybe.”

I didn’t know anything for sure either. But a strange excitement coursed through my veins—something close to pure anticipation.

There was someone who knew I was a soul from another world. And there was some being that had displayed a quest window before Eden Croydon.

I didn’t know if it was truly a god… but if it was, then maybe—just maybe—there was a way for me to return.

As I stood there thinking, Eden Croydon, who had been watching me closely, suddenly looked suspicious. Then, as if he had reached some realization, he nodded and said:

“So God really does exist.”

“…You believe in God?”

You believe in God, yet you want this world to be destroyed?

I muttered weakly, and Eden Croydon replied:

“Wouldn’t it be stranger not to, when magic exists?”

“Ah… that’s true.”

After all, people say magic is a blessing granted by God.

In most fantasy novels, power granted by God is called “divine power,” but in this world, it was simply called “magic.” There was no distinction between divine power and magic here.

As I recalled that setting and tried to piece things together, Eden Croydon, who had been muttering like a madman, suddenly lifted his head.

“Then God has finally acknowledged me.”

His face was filled with excitement.

Acknowledged?

Well… I suppose he was even promised a special reward.

“I mean… I guess you could see it that way—”

“God is supporting my plan.”

“…Your plan?”

I snapped my head up.

“God wants me to destroy this world. Otherwise, why would He give me this ability and even send you to me as a revelation?”

Our eyes met, and Eden Croydon smiled brightly. Once again, I had to admit—his smiling face looked like an angel from a painting.

“He sent you so I could realize my power. Isn’t that right?”

“……”

“So that I can bring this world to an end.”

My expression completely soured.

Why was Eden Croydon given the power of resurrection?

Of all people—a villain in a novel who prayed every single day for the world to end.

“If anything, shouldn’t that kind of ability go to the protagonist?”

Like the novel’s main character, Arthur Cameron. A righteous and upright hero who wants to save the world from the clutches of evil.

“Why him… and not Eden Croydon?”

Does God really want this world to be destroyed?

What does it mean to be an outsider from another world?

The questions I had when I first opened my eyes in this place resurfaced.

“What exactly is this world?”

“Luana, aren’t you done cleaning yet?”

“Ah, yes! I’m doing it now!”

Tch. I was just about to think things through.

My deepening thoughts were interrupted by the voice of my fellow maid, Karin.

I dipped the mop back into the water and started scrubbing the floor again.

“You’re still not finished?”

“Yes, there’s a big stain here…”

Dragging out my words, I half-heartedly scrubbed a spot I had already cleaned several times.

It had already been a week since I tried to rob Eden Croydon’s safe—and ended up killing him.

Perhaps the incident had shocked him so much that the master forgot to punish me. Instead, he had locked himself in his room for an entire week without coming out.

It wasn’t unusual for Marquis Croydon to isolate himself like that, so no one in the mansion found it strange.

Even Robert, who had rushed in when he heard the gunshot, seemed to think it was just some passing incident.

“Guess it’s because he’s such a lunatic.”

I was the only one who knew the truth of that day.

Unable to relax, I spent each day with the dread of awaiting punishment, slowly wasting away.

The last time I saw Eden Croydon, he firmly believed that his resurrection ability was a revelation from God—one that commanded him to destroy the world.

I didn’t even want to imagine what conclusions he had reached after being locked in his room for a whole week.

“He’s not about to suddenly carry out his world-destruction plan, right?”

Or worse… decide to punish me now for trying to rob his safe.

“Luana, are you done cleaning the drawing room?”

“Yes, I just finished!”

At Karin’s voice, I hurriedly finished wiping.

As I stepped out of the drawing room feeling refreshed, Karin, who had been waiting outside, took the rag from my hands and said:

“If you’re done cleaning, go to the kitchen and get the meal from Robert.”

“What? What meal?”

Why would I be receiving a meal from Robert? I could just grab food from the kitchen myself.

As I blinked in confusion, Karin gave me an incredulous look.

“Seriously. You were the one who begged to be assigned to serve the master’s meals, and now you’re pretending you don’t know? The master has come out of his room.”

Damn it.

That’s right.

I had been so busy that I forgot.

I had begged and begged to be put in charge of the master’s dinner.

Up until last week, that is!!

I thought I’d rob the master’s safe and say goodbye to this mansion forever—never having to worry about any of this again!

But things went wrong. I failed to rob the safe, and here I am, still working in this mansion.

And now the master, who had been living like a shut-in, had finally ended his isolation.

Which meant I was now stuck going to serve dinner… to the man I had killed.

“Um… can someone else do it today? I’m not feeling well…”

“Didn’t you just energetically scrub the floors? And besides, the master personally requested that the maid who served him last time—someone meticulous and competent—be brought again.”

Damn that master!!

Ten minutes later, I was in the kitchen receiving the master’s dinner from Robert.

Robert narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he looked down at me.

“Why did the master specifically call for you?”

“Maybe he likes me.”

“What about you?”

“My delicate hands that serve dinner without trembling?”

Robert’s gaze grew even more suspicious.

Ignoring him, I took the tray containing Eden Croydon’s meal and turned away. As I left the kitchen, I could feel Robert’s piercing stare on the back of my head.