HH Chapter 18

I walked down the hallway with brisk steps. After passing several identical doors, I stood in front of Haylan’s room and knocked lightly.

There was no answer, but I know very well how to get someone who has locked themselves in their room to come out. Because there were times when I had to wake up the heavy sleepers in the mercenary group.

Knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock knock.

There was no special method. Just keep knocking until they come out. No matter how heavy sleeper they were, they could never beat my persistence.

Open the door!

[Haylan’s affection points have decreased. -1]

Finally, after a minute, the door burst open.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy?”

I couldn’t help but chuckle as soon as I saw Haylan fuming in the doorway. His light brown hair was tousled, as if he had just gotten out of bed.

“Good morning. What are your plans for breakfast?”

“I’m not eating.”

Haylan said firmly and slammed the door shut. Oh, no. This hard-won open door… if it closes now, who knows when it will open again.

In my haste, I reached out, and my hand got caught between the door and the frame, almost crushed. I thought I heard a cracking sound, but was it my imagination?

“…….”

“…….”

Creak… 

The door opened again. It wasn’t my imagination after all. My fingers were twisted at an odd angle.

And beyond the door, now open a bit wider than before, Haylan was staring at me with wide eyes.

I lightly braced the door with my toe to prevent it from closing again and said,

“Let’s eat together.”

“I let you go, and you have the nerve to crawl back in?”

He looked at me like I was a bug. No matter how threatening his expression, he just looked like a kid with a chuunibyou complex¹. 

“I understand you dislike me, but…”

“If you know, then get lost.”

“I’m getting paid for this job, so I’m not just going to kill time. Let’s eat.”

I had no intention of slacking off, especially since I was promised excessive compensation for this job. Odin might lack a sense of humor, but as a businessman, he was generous.

I tried to persuade Haylan to come out of his room by mentioning his only weakness, his younger sister.

“Christine wouldn’t want you to be like this.”

“…….”

His eyes turned icy cold. And then…

[Haylan’s affection points have decreased. -1]

Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have brought that up. I seem to have only fueled his anger.

Haylan stared at me and said warningly,

“You should know you’re only alive because of Christine. I’ll only mourn her for a month, so if you want to keep your life, within that time…”

“So it means you’ll tolerate me for a month.”

“…….”

[Haylan’s affection points have decreased. -1]

I finally understood why there was a one-month time limit for this quest. Within a month, I had to establish a reason for staying in this house.

“Mr. Haylan, thank you for giving me a chance.”

“When did I give you a chance?”

“Then I’ll prove to you that I can be of some help to you within a month!”

No matter what it takes. I declared boldy.

I actually was confident. At one point, Haylan was once my favorite NPC, and I knew his likes and dislikes like the back of my hand.

“There’s nothing to prove. Just stay out of sight and get lost.”

Haylan just scoffed, looking at me with disdain. Why would he say such mean things with such a cute, small mouth? I wanted to pinch those lips that only spoke hateful words with tongs.

“By the way, Haylan, can I send letters to my colleagues?”

“…So that was your real intention.”

“If you’re worried about revealing your address, you don’t have to be. I’ve arranged with Mr. Odin to deliver them for me. I have to send him friend reports anyway because of the request….”

“……?”

I could feel Haylan looking at me like I was a crazy person when I said “friend reports.” But I didn’t know what else to call them….

‘Can I raise Haylan’s affection to 100 within that time?’

I’ll do my best, but honestly, I wasn’t confident now.

I went ahead and explained the contract between Odin and me.

As per Christine’s will, I would stay by Haylan’s side and become close to him. And if I regularly sent friend reports, Odin would pay me for each one.

“You’re openly seeing me as a source of income.”

Haylan’s reaction to my explanation was blunt. I couldn’t deny his words. I had to be here for the game strategy anyway, and he’s even paying me….

“That’s right. Isn’t it a sweet deal?”

“…….”

“I heard he’s very rich.”

I cheerfully added that I liked rich people, and I liked Mr. Haylan, my source of income, so there was no reason for me to refuse the offer. Haylan’s eyes wavered.

“……What kind of person are you….?”

Haylan stared at me as if I was pathetic, then sighed deeply.

“Do whatever you want.”

“Thank you for your permission. I won’t badmouth you in my letters!”

“…….”

I tried to make a joke, but he didn’t laugh at all, which made me feel awkward.

“So, are you really not going to eat?”

“How many times are you going to ask? I said I’m not eating!”

“Even if you’re not eating, can’t you at least sit with us in the dining room?”

I started spouting random reasons, quoting the head butler. Something about conversations during meals being the driving force for starting the day.

But Haylan didn’t seem to be paying attention to my words at all. I thought maybe I wasn’t as persuasive as the head butler, but….

“…Are…Are you really in the right state of mind to be saying that?”

Haylan frowned and glanced at my hand.

‘Ah.’

I only then realized that my hand was covered in blood, dripping onto the floor. Actually, it had already pooled enough to form a small puddle.

Honestly, thanks to the transmigrator perk, a wound like this didn’t hurt, so I was fine.

I could have said that to reassure Haylan, but I was surprised that he was actually listening to me. Usually, he would have ignored whatever I said and gone back to his room.

[197 new bad endings are predicted in the near future.]

Why is this popping up again?

I was about to dismiss it without a thought, but then I paused. The number seemed to have decreased compared to yesterday.

‘No, I’m not mistaken. It definitely decreased by one.’

It was 198 yesterday.

[Bad Ending No. 124 ‘Window Guillotine’ has been eliminated.]

“…….”

I looked back and forth between the system window and Haylan, then frowned.

‘Don’t tell me…….’

“S-Stop spacing out and a-answer me.”

He definitely stuttered just now, didn’t he?

Now that I look closely, it seems like he’s looking at me with concern, not disdain?

‘No way.’

But with a sliver of hope, I blinked and plopped down on the floor. Entering full-on “kid begging for a toy at the supermarket” mode.

Haylan looked at me, aghast, sensing the incoming tantrum.

“I need to write something for the report.”

“What are you doing?!”

“If I go down alone, the head butler will give me an earful…. He specifically asked me to do this, and he’ll scold me for failing such a simple task.”

“Joe doesn’t scold people for things like that.”

“Anyway, I can’t go like this!”

Come down and have breakfast with me! 

While acting like a spoiled brat, I stealthily glanced up at him and saw…

‘Wait, is this actually working?’

To my surprise, I could feel Haylan fidgeting as he looked at me. Even with my unreasonable behavior, his affection points weren’t decreasing….

More than anything, his gaze, fixated on my hand, was wavering intensely. The suspicion in my mind was turning into certainty.

The reason Haylan is weak to Christine was because of guilt. And since Haylan was the one who caused my hand to be in this state, he must be feeling…

‘Guilty!’

The decrease in the number of bad endings was also related to his feelings. I couldn’t miss this opportunity. I had to press my advantage while Haylan was vulnerable!

Haylan, who had been looking at me pathetically, finally yelled at me irritably,

“Get up! Let’s just go!”

Wow, is this really working?

I was a little happy but also had a sudden realization and got embarrassed about acting like a baby in front of a child. I quickly wiped my tears and used my sleeve to wipe the blood off the floor.

“…Stop it. What are you doing? It’s dirty.”

“I spilled it, so I should clean it up.”

I showed responsibility. That’s the way of a true adult.

“Leave it!”

Anyway, I successfully managed to bring Haylan downstairs. It seemed the others hadn’t expected me to bring him down at all. As soon as they saw him, people started sputtering water and coughing everywhere.

‘To think they’d be this happy.’

I smiled with satisfaction, feeling a sense of accomplishment.