How a Nuisance Character Survives a Horror Game Chapter 30

Evelyn was deathly pale.

Half-collapsed on the floor, she clutched her chest and breathed harshly.

“Hah, hah……”

The floor of the drained space was covered in blood.

Body parts spilled from shattered glass jars lay scattered everywhere.

Evelyn looked at the scene in confusion.

‘This is different from the game. Is Suriel in this hotel even more brutal?’

She had thought she handled gore fairly well.

But even Evelyn couldn’t endure the clearly visible body parts and the stench rising from them.

“Ugh……!”

Nausea surged.

She hurriedly covered her mouth.

How many times do I have to do this?

How many more are left?

Even though she didn’t want to cry, her eyes burned and tears poured down.

Perhaps because she had exhausted every ounce of strength simply surviving—

Evelyn could no longer think properly.

Ignoring Evelyn’s despair, a quest completion notification appeared before her.

[9th ‘Set Me Free’ Story Complete!]

She had pretended otherwise.

But this time, she truly had nearly died.

The throbbing pain wrapped around her entire body and refused to disappear.

She could feel her life draining away together with the blood coating her body.

Fear.

Terror.

Severe blood loss.

Her body trembled pitifully from all three.

Someone began walking toward her.

The stench disappeared.

A pleasant fragrance replaced it.

Evelyn raised her head.

Before she could identify the person—

a white cloth covered her eyes.

Startled, Evelyn grabbed the hand and tried pulling it away.

It was useless.

“W-What?! W-Who……”

“Shh.”

She froze at the familiar male voice.

That low, sweet voice was impossible to forget even if she wanted to.

‘Holloway…….’

For some reason, her trembling eased slightly.

Holloway was clearly the most dangerous being in this hotel.

Yet Evelyn unconsciously felt relieved.

She reached blindly toward him.

Holloway stared at her small hand searching through empty air.

Then he slowly enclosed it in his own.

She didn’t even know what he truly was.

Yet she reached for him desperately.

The corners of her lips had risen in obvious relief.

The sight of her clinging to him as though he were the only one she had was deeply satisfying.

“How do you know who I am enough to be this defenseless?”

Despite those words, he gently stroked the back of Evelyn’s hand.

Remembering the system’s warnings, Evelyn pretended ignorance.

“You’re…… the person who saved me before, aren’t you?”

“…….”

Holloway didn’t answer.

He merely looked down at her.

Evelyn swallowed at the silence.

‘I can’t see anything, so I have no idea what he’s doing…….’

She didn’t even finish the thought.

His hand brushed across her thigh.

Evelyn flinched at the brief contact.

“…….”

Did I imagine that?

Apparently not.

This time, Holloway’s hand unmistakably brushed over her waist.

Her shoulders jerked upward.

His hand stopped.

For a moment.

Only a moment.

Then those long, cold fingers began moving again.

They traced her neck and shoulder line before stopping near her collarbone.

Perhaps because her eyes were covered, her sense of touch felt sharper than usual.

Her body trembled involuntarily from that single touch.

Holloway spoke softly.

“You’re sensitive.”

Her body had responded to merely being touched.

The soaked negligee clung tightly to Evelyn’s body, revealing the outline of her slender figure.

Holloway couldn’t tear his gaze away from the alluring sight.

Then Evelyn’s trembling voice reached him.

“……Um.”

Of course I’m sensitive.

How could I not be?

Even though she couldn’t argue aloud, his hand showed no intention of stopping.

He softly traced the line of Evelyn’s jaw.

“Why…… why are you……”

Unable to endure it, she asked tearfully.

Holloway’s calm voice entered her ears.

“Nothing in particular. Are you cold?”

“……What?”

“You’re trembling.”

Does this look like trembling from the cold?

Can’t you see the blood leaving my body?

‘And you keep……’

Unable to say the rest aloud, Evelyn bit her lip.

Holloway watched her full red lips crushed between her teeth.

He lightly touched her lower lip.

The softness beneath his index finger sent a strange sensation through Holloway, making his body heat rise.

[Possessiveness increased by 5%.]

“Or maybe you’re trembling because I’m touching you?”

“C-Could you at least tell me why you’re doing this……”

[Possessiveness increased by 2%.]

Even through the cloth over her eyes, Evelyn could clearly see the system window.

She immediately recognized the seriousness of the situation and pressed her lips shut.

Possessiveness was rising again.

“I don’t particularly dislike seeing your body tremble because of my touch.”

What kind of preference is that?

As the atmosphere drifted in a strange direction, Evelyn slowly raised her hands and caught his hand between both of hers.

Not being able to see his expression made it impossible to judge what he was thinking.

“Can’t you remove the cloth over my eyes?”

“No. You can’t. You’re still far too weak to look at me.”

Weak?

What does looking at you require, mental preparation?

‘Ah.’

Actually, yes.

It does.

Holloway’s enchantment wasn’t something he could control.

Anyone who saw his breathtaking true appearance became captivated.

Humans in particular couldn’t resist it.

They became obsessed and rushed toward him.

That was why, unless he was planning to kill someone, Holloway generally avoided showing humans his true form.

His child form was harmless.

His original appearance was the problem.

Whenever he absolutely had to appear before humans in that form, Holloway usually covered his own eyes with bandages or wore a veil.

Otherwise—

he covered the other person’s eyes.

Like Evelyn’s.

Although Evelyn was the first person he had ever done that to.

As the surroundings fell silent, Evelyn grew uncomfortable.

Adult Holloway was much harder to deal with than his child form.

She couldn’t explain it exactly.

The atmosphere he gave off was simply……

“You’re dying.”

“Ah……. Please save me.”

Evelyn immediately begged for her life.

Holloway laughed quietly.

“Of course. I’ll save you.”

Then his gentle voice instantly turned cold.

“On the condition that you answer my questions.”

‘……This feels bad.’

Fear wrapped around Evelyn.

She stammered.

“W-What questions……”

“How did you do it?”

“Do what?”

“Spatial transportation. You were definitely transported, weren’t you?”

“…….”

“How?”

She couldn’t answer.

Holloway stared at her slightly parted lips.

Then he lifted Evelyn and settled her on his thigh.

He could feel her body instantly stiffen from tension.

“Why did you destroy Suriel’s collection without caring how badly your body got damaged?”

At first, Holloway had assumed the hotel’s demonic energy accidentally transported her.

But the state of Suriel’s collection made that explanation suspicious.

Not only had she been transported to the fifth floor—

she somehow entered Suriel’s room and destroyed the entire collection?

Calling that coincidence seemed difficult.

He couldn’t explain exactly why.

But Holloway’s instincts insisted there was something more.

“If you can’t give me a convincing excuse, I recommend not answering at all.”

It was a threat.

Fortunately, Evelyn fundamentally had thick skin.

She had known this kind of suspicion would come eventually.

So she acted more skillfully than expected.

“I-I don’t know either! I suddenly got transported, and I only opened the drain because I was trying to survive!”

Evelyn sounded deeply wronged.

The fact that Suriel’s collection had shattered in the process had been completely unexpected.

“I didn’t even know those were Suriel’s belongings.”

After she repeated her defense several times, Holloway remained silent briefly before casually agreeing.

“That would normally be the case.”

Holloway didn’t completely believe Evelyn’s clumsy acting and excuses.

How could he make her tell the truth?

He naturally rested his face against the top of Evelyn’s head.

Even that tiny contact made Evelyn jump and curl in on herself.

“Then why are you so suspicious?”

[Holloway has begun to suspect you.]

[Holloway’s Danger Gauge increased by 20.]

The number rose sharply.

But Evelyn remained calm.

“Once you decide someone is suspicious, everything they do looks suspicious. Try having a kinder heart.”

Holloway went silent after suddenly being criticized for his personality.

No one had ever criticized his character before.

Without realizing it, Holloway changed the subject.

“You’re suspicious, but there’s no evidence……”

“Who are you to be suspicious of me?! We’ve only met twice!”

Evelyn had become genuinely irritated by his endless suspicion.

She merely swung her hand through empty air.

Slap!

It landed directly against Holloway’s chest.

“…….”

Holloway said nothing.

From that silence, Evelyn concluded she had hit somewhere she probably shouldn’t have.

“Hmm.”

“…….”

“I can’t see. I didn’t do it intentionally.”

“…….”

Hey.

I said it wasn’t intentional!

Are you sulking?!

Evelyn screamed internally while externally pretending to behave.

But Holloway could roughly guess what that tiny head was thinking.

He laughed silently.

[Holloway’s mood improves.]

[Danger Gauge will restart from zero!]

Even during such a brief conversation, Evelyn had somehow managed to exhilarate him.

Then perhaps he could let this slide for now.

Holloway decided to take his time.

He had plenty of it.

“Fine. It seems it’s still too early.”

Too early for what, you bastard?

Holloway ignored Evelyn’s muttering and focused entirely on her.

“Anyway, you were happy I came, weren’t you?”

“……What? I-I don’t know what you mean.”

She was trying hard to hide it.

But Holloway had clearly seen Evelyn’s expression brighten when she heard his voice.

He soothed her in a voice warmer than any he had used before.

“You were very scared, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

Because honestly—

I was terrified.

Holloway gently peeled wet strands of hair away from her face.

Unlike the quiet threats from moments before, he had become endlessly gentle.

His eyes curved enchantingly.

Within them, blood-red irises glowed with an unfathomable madness.

Evelyn couldn’t see them through the cloth covering her eyes.

But Holloway’s dense desire leaked outward as though it could no longer be contained, prickling against her skin.

Evelyn hesitated at the inexplicable sensation.

Holloway’s hand closed around the side of her neck.

‘Cold.’

The icy touch made her trembling return.

His hand hadn’t been this cold moments ago.

Holloway’s fingertips stroked Evelyn’s pale cheek.

When he tilted his head, long silver hair slipped downward.

A red tongue emerged between his lips and slowly swept across them.

As though thirsty.

As though that tongue might soon drag across Evelyn’s neck.

“You understand now, don’t you?”

[Possessiveness increased by 11%.]

‘……?’

Evelyn stared in disbelief at the outrageously rude increase.

Holloway’s lips brushed beside her ear.

His hot breath slowly surrounded her.

His quiet voice whispered temptingly.

“What happens when you leave my side.”

[Possessiveness suddenly explodes!]

[ヽ(ﾟ◇ﾟ )ﾉ Possessiveness +20%! ヽ(ﾟ◇ﾟ )ﾉ]

[Affection: 10.5%

Attachment: 11%

Possessiveness: 50.2%]

[The difference between Attachment and Possessiveness exceeds 20%!]

[Lower Possessiveness immediately!]

W-Wait.

Seeing the exploded Possessiveness value, Evelyn struggled to escape him.

Holloway released her without hesitation.

Thud!

With the support suddenly gone, Evelyn collapsed weakly onto the floor.

She was about to get up when her body froze solid.

Something cold and sharp was resting near her neck.

[If you fail to lower Possessiveness, ‘Beautiful Evelyn, Preserved Forever’ will begin.]

“Evelyn.”

Despite holding a sword against her neck, Holloway’s voice was as gentle as a lover calling her name.