I followed the system map’s directions to the kitchen located on the first floor.

"Wow! This place is amazing!"

The kitchen welcomed me with bright cuts of meat hanging from the ceiling, sorted by part, and baskets overflowing with fresh vegetables that looked freshly harvested.

Not only were there all kinds of cooking tools, but also an impressively wide range of spices.

"So I can use all of this however I want? Awesome!"

Honestly, I liked the kitchen better than the Countess’s bedroom. Feeling enthusiastic, I tied on an apron and rolled up my sleeves.

Rule #2: The Countess must prepare and serve meals for the guest with care.

"If there’s one thing I’m confident about, it’s this."

During the next 15 days of confinement, I was determined to feed Reid well.

✠

A room where darkness pooled even at midday. There, a handsome man sat motionless, like a still life.

His neat silver hair and sculpted cheeks looked like a decorative piece carved from the moon itself. His white appearance was so radiant, it seemed like he had just stepped out of a holy painting.

But it was an ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) illusion, distorted by the power of the dungeon. The shadows on the floor and the reflection in the wall mirror seemed to know the truth.

What the black silhouette and mirrored image portrayed was a man with long black hair, decadent and standing in stark contrast to holiness.

Reid only moved his eyes as he looked downward.

In his hand was a letter. It was just like the one Ayleth had found on her vanity, except the seal was blue.

[Six Rules the Guest Must Follow in the Heisenberg Mansion

The guest must always be gentlemanly toward the Countess.

The guest may invite the Countess to dine with him.

The guest may freely explore the mansion during the Countess’s afternoon management hours.

The guest cannot refuse the Countess’s requests.

The guest must remain in the bedroom from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.

There is a taboo the guest must not violate.]

"...How amusing."

At last, he rose from the chair, ending his imitation of a still object. Then he stepped closer to the window.

Through the gaps between tall garden trees and climbing ivy, a well-maintained rose garden could be seen.

Raising his gaze a little higher revealed the old-fashioned iron fence of the mansion, and beyond that, the surrounding ridgeline that encircled the estate like a folding screen.

A seemingly ordinary view. But Reid, being a transcendent being, could see through to the truth.

Outside the mansion’s iron fence, nothing existed. The distant mountains and sky were just hastily rendered placeholders filling in the void.

The outside world didn’t exist to begin with, which meant the concept of leaving the mansion didn’t apply. In other words, it was a perfect prison.

Just the two of them.

"...What now, Ayleth Rodeline?"

Feigning helplessness, he addressed her from afar.

"I don’t mind this, actually."

A faint smile spread across his lips, and for the first time in a while, his eyes gleamed dangerously.

They glowed red.

✠

A dining table filled with glossy, delicious-looking food. A bouquet of fresh roses served as the centerpiece.

Just as I was silently admiring my perfect setup, the guest entered the dining room.

"Welcome, Reid."

"Quite a lavish spread."

I guided him to the head seat at the table, then personally served each dish, attending to his meal.

I would never go this far for anyone else, but since it was Reid, it felt more like playing house than anything else—it wasn’t so bad.

Apparently, Reid was the one feeling uncomfortable.

"This level of service is a bit much."

"So what? Didn’t the original Countess also personally and meticulously serve the guest in the novel?"

["The Scales that Judge the Soul" grins slyly as they imagine the full scope of that ‘meticulous service’.]

"That’s true... but rather than being served alone, I’d prefer we dine together."

Reid gently refused my service and stood up from his chair. Then, from the lower shelf of the serving cart, he pulled out another set of tableware and set a place for me on the spot.

The way he pulled out the chair himself was the very image of a gentleman.

"I’d like us to eat together."

[ Notification. The guest invites you to dine together. Do you accept?]

Of course, there was no reason to refuse.

"Sure."

With the soft clinking of tableware, a warm, cheerful meal began.

"Your cooking is as amazing as ever, Ai."

"Thanks for the compliment. Feels like all that effort in the kitchen paid off."

"You made all of this just now in the mansion?"

"Yeah. It seems like the ingredients here replenish themselves endlessly. Just wait—I'll make sure you eat well and relax for the next 15 days."

If you treat this mansion like a luxury resort, even a confinement genre can become a vacation.

"Fifteen days, huh..."

Reid murmured softly, pausing with his utensil mid-air. There was a hint of a sigh in his voice.

For some reason, I felt awkward.

"Yeah... like it or not, it looks like we’ll be staying for that long."

I’d already failed the genre draw three times. Sure, I got rofan this time, but the ‘confinement’ and ‘possession’ keywords were the hidden landmines.

Thanks to the manipulations of the Possession Bureau, not only I but Reid was being dragged into this too. I straightened my back, feeling a heavy sense of responsibility.

"I’ll do better with the next donation."

"You still have money for donations?"

"Yeah. Enough for two more."

"I see."

"I swear, this time, I really, definitely will—"

"It’s fine. Don’t stress over it."

Reid looked at me with a gentle smile. Maybe because of his white appearance, he seemed even kinder somehow. I felt calm just looking at him.

Something came to mind.

"Oh, right. Reid—this was in my room."

I handed him the paper that listed the "Six Rules the Countess Must Follow." His ocean-blue eyes moved side to side as he carefully read the text.

"Interesting. So the Countess has rules like these."

"Which probably means the guest has a set of rules too, right?"

"Yeah. Want to see mine?"

"Of course."

He handed me his. Written in the same handwriting were the six rules for the guest. As expected, they were equally suspicious.

"Let’s see... The guest must act gentlemanly... can invite the Countess to dine... can roam freely during mansion maintenance hours... can’t refuse the Countess’s requests... has a curfew at 10 p.m.... Ah, you have a taboo too."

The Countess’s and guest’s rules had oddly matching categories. With a closer comparison, there might be clues or secrets hidden in their structure. Just as I thought that, Reid spoke up.

"Want to keep it?"

"Is that okay?"

"Sure. You can have mine too. Maybe if you look it over tonight, you’ll find something interesting."

Reid’s tone and smile were full of implication.

"So there really is something hidden, huh. But you’re not going to tell me yourself?"

"Wouldn’t it be more fun to have a mystery to solve during these fifteen days?"

"Hmm."

"Of course, if you don’t like mysteries, I could just tell you."

But the easy route was never an option.

[ Warning. The dungeon detects signs of a major spoiler! If you do not stop, a severe penalty will be applied to the ‘guest’!]

I couldn’t let that happen.

"It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me."

It wasn’t like I was dying to know right this second. Like Reid said, we had time. I could figure it out myself.

Just as our plates were nearly empty, Reid asked:

"Ai, what will you do now?"

"The Countess has a fixed schedule. After lunch, it’s always tea time and a stroll."

"Perfect. Then how about we use the walk to explore the mansion together?"

"Sounds good."

I freshened up and stood immediately.

"Let’s go now."

✠

Since the dining room was on the first floor, we decided to start there and work our way up floor by floor.

Reid didn’t walk side by side with me but kept half a step behind. This was in keeping with the original setting.

"I’m the guest, after all. My time to roam the mansion freely is limited. Usually, there are restrictions."

"So the mistress has to act as guide?"

"Exactly. Lead the way, madam."

"Yes, guest."