NCSHG CH 10

Chapter 10

“Are you really just going to keep listening to my nonsense, Nuna?”

I wished I could just keep listening… hiding my face in my hands, sniffling. But Moran scolded Halloway gently but firmly.

“Halloway. You’re still a child, so you might not fully understand. But no matter what, you must never take someone’s life lightly.”

Saying that to an irredeemable final boss probably wouldn’t have any effect.

I was momentarily disheartened when a blinking prompt told me it was time to make a choice.

Through tears, I decided to go with the first option—the least terrible one.

Choosing option 2 would probably make Halloway shove me into the monster’s lair and run off.

Option 3… I didn’t even want to imagine the kind of hit I’d get from him if I insulted him.

…Life really isn’t easy.

Reluctantly, I pressed option 1, pounding my chest as instructed, taking a deep, steadying breath.

“I… am that kind of person!”

The response came a while later, but we both knew exactly what it was for.

The surroundings went embarrassingly silent.

Moran let out a long, blatant sigh, as if seeing someone more childish than Halloway.

“…Evelyn, this isn’t a joke.”

“Moran, I don’t have the mental capacity to listen to your lecture right now.”

I pushed my embarrassment aside and stood up.

“I’ll go on alone.”

Moran looked at me with a troubled gaze, speaking almost regretfully.

“Evelyn… you’ve changed…”

“In such extreme situations, it can’t be helped.”

Before Halloway could follow me, I quickly opened the door.

Of course, he trailed after me as if it were expected.

Moran grabbed him to stop him.

“Let go!”

Halloway struggled, but Moran held on tighter, looking at me with what seemed like reproach.

“You’re leaving us both behind?”

Yes! I answered in my head, thrilled, but kept a straight face.

This time, Moran changed her approach, trying to reason with me.

“Evelyn, stubbornness like this won’t help. I won’t tell anyone, but you should stop.”

I didn’t particularly care if she told anyone. I wasn’t going to miss the chance to get away from Halloway.

“You’re much more stable than me, Moran. Protect Halloway yourself.”

I gave Halloway a tender glance and then shut the door.

The corridor was empty and quiet.

Finally, I had time to myself.

I didn’t waste a moment and ran down the hallway.

First, I had to find the exit and get the revolver!

Halloway tried to follow Evelyn, but Moran held him back.

She grabbed his shoulders and turned him toward herself.

Although her trembling betrayed her fear, Moran firmly lectured him.

“Halloway, since they’ve left us behind, isn’t it better not to chase them? I’ll never leave you behind.”

Her commanding presence was reassuring, but Halloway didn’t seem impressed.

It irked him slightly, as if Evelyn was saying she abandoned him.

Yet her gentle smile and tender touch softened the strangeness of it all.

…Any human other than him might not notice, but Halloway, who had lived hundreds of times longer than a human, surely did.

Moran, oblivious to any suspicion, continued holding him.

‘Annoying.’

Without Evelyn around, he figured it wouldn’t hurt to kill her first.

‘But first…’

Halloway snapped his fingers subtly.

Black smoke curled around his fingertip, and a loud crash echoed from nearby, as if something had fallen.

Then he drew a small circle with his finger.

The black smoke dissipated.

Just as he reached toward Moran with murderous intent, Evelyn burst into the room, pale as death.

“Ah… Huh…”

Moran’s lips twitched slightly.

Halloway lowered his hand, shook off Moran’s grip, and ran to Evelyn, embracing her.

“Nuna!”

It was earlier than expected, but Halloway was visibly relieved.

Catching his breath, Evelyn reflexively returned his embrace.

She ignored Moran’s complicated expression and silently cried inside.

She tried to escape, but the direction she wanted was blocked by the hunter.

The opposite direction was also blocked—the floor was suddenly hollowed out.

Even entering another room, all doors were locked, leaving Evelyn no choice but to return to this one.

“Why… why are all the guest room doors locked?!”

She cried out. Was this part of the game?

She had no way of knowing it was all part of Halloway’s plan.

“Evelyn, weren’t you leaving?”

Embarrassed, I didn’t have the luxury to answer.

I placed a finger on my lips.

“Shh. There’s a monster outside.”

“What?”

Moran questioned just as—

Boom!

The sound of walls breaking nearby, along with the hunter’s voice, reached us.

―They’re not here!

―Not here, not here!

The piercingly high voice almost sounded like a child’s.

Moran and I exchanged quiet glances.

Her voice trembled as she called out to me.

In the game, Moran was always more timid than me.

“Evelyn…”

She clung to me as I scouted the room.

I knew the nearby rooms were all locked.

Even if we opened the doors and tried to escape, we’d be caught immediately.

So we had to hide in this room.

There was no hiding spot in the bathroom, and under the bed was too risky.

The closet offered some cover, although likely not perfect.

I decided to hide there.

There were enough clothes to conceal us.

I wanted to put Halloway in first, but he held me tightly instead.

“I want to be next to you, Nuna.”

“Okay. Then Moran, you go in first. Quickly.”

“Yes, yes!”

Moran, despite her usual fear, was gentle and angelic when not dealing with life-or-death matters.

She listened well.

Even though Moran had faced deadly risks because of Eveline, she never abandoned anyone—an impressively strong trait.

Moran took a corner, Halloway next, and I entered the center.

We shut the closet door quickly.

The wall in the adjacent room crumbled with a loud vibration.

Moran, terrified by the nearby monster, clutched my sleeve desperately.

“E… Evelyn… if anything happens, will you leave me behind?”

“Yes.”

That’s who I am.

Seeing my precise, unwavering answer, Moran fell silent.

Then Halloway asked.

“And me?”

“No.”

Leaving him would have complicated consequences.

He had to stay with me—naturally.

“Why?”

Halloway’s voice carried an odd sense of amusement.

“Because it’s only natural to protect you.”

“You mean you’ll protect me? Not that person, just me?”

“Yes.”

Moran asked cautiously.

“…Evelyn, were you very upset earlier?”

“Yes.”

I was seriously annoyed.

I replied stubbornly.

♥♡

♡♥

♥♡

Suddenly, hearts appeared, floating above Halloway’s head as if in a hologram, overlapping.

[Halloway’s Affection 2% achieved! Congratulations!]

2%? Already? My eyes widened in surprise.

[Access granted: 22nd restricted room, Room 205, ‘This room is very safe!’]

Just 2%, and a new room unlocked.

That indicated how hard it was to raise Halloway’s affection.

I had nearly given up, yet a room was unlocked.

This wasn’t part of <The Child’s Secret> in the game.

If a room was locked, we ignored it; if unlocked, we investigated.

Now a room could hold the escape gate?

My goosebumps rose.

The hotel was massive, including a basement.

In the game, entering the basement always triggered [GAME OVER], no matter the character’s stats.

It didn’t even show how you died, only a blood-red screen.

Entering was strictly forbidden.

‘Could it be that only by raising Halloway’s affection could I safely access the basement?’

Failing to raise affection meant instant death in the basement?

Based on the game’s brutal difficulty, the escape gate had to be in the basement.

“If that’s true…”

I realized I had to fully charm the final boss, who was smiling innocently, to escape!