My handsome, rich boyfriend is mute—and I’m sure he doesn’t love me. He won’t speak or kiss me properly, and when I tease him in bed, he still refuses. Worse, he locks me in the basement monthly like a dark secret. Everything clicked when I heard a woman’s scream from his room, followed by violent slamming. I cried, then decided to leave. But stepping outside, the manor turned horrifying. Then, live comments appeared: 【Newbie in an SSS-rank instance?!】 【Why’s Bloody Mary chasing you?!】 【Alistair, stop twisting your OWN head!】 【Main BOSS ahead—she’s dead.】 I called Silas’s name—he sprouted wings and fled. 【BOSS just ran from a newbie?】 【Time for bed.】 1 After pinning Silas to the bed yet again, I swore to myself that this time, I would finally have him. I’d superglued the lock. I’d nailed the windows shut. I’d even reinforced the floorboards. I couldn't imagine how he could possibly escape my grasp tonight. Silas propped himself up on his elbows, his usually immaculate black shirt now ripped open at the collar from my efforts. I impatiently bit down on his collarbone. His long lashes fluttered, and a deep blush crept across his face. “Please?” I whined, my voice syrupy sweet. “I promise I’ll be quick. Just once, I won’t be greedy!” Outside the door, the eavesdropping butler and head housekeeper let out a synchronized, thunderous cough. The sound jolted Silas from his haze of desire. Gently but firmly, he pushed me away, shaking his head to stop my advances. I was genuinely starting to get angry. “Silas, be honest with me,” I snapped. “Is it that you… you can’t?” He froze, a flicker of hurt and unspeakable grievance shimmering in his emerald-green eyes. With practiced ease, the butler burst through the door. “Miss Zoe, the staff have found signs of an intruder—an assassin. For your safety, would you mind spending the night in the safe room?” Again? This was the fifth time this month! Did these people think our home was some kind of tourist attraction? Alistair, the butler, had once explained that ever since Silas inherited his fortune and this manor from his scumbag father, his illegitimate half-brothers had been sending assassins every month to try and take him out. What was this, the Middle Ages? Well, obviously not. Silas was mixed-race, with sharp, sculpted features, porcelain skin, and a lean, powerful physique that was all muscle without being bulky. He’d captivated me from the very first glance. From what I could piece together, I’d been hiking, taken a fall, and they’d rescued me. The bad news: I had amnesia. The even worse news: after checking my phone, I discovered I was an orphan with no family to worry about me. And after a series of suspiciously convenient mishaps—my car breaking down, a sudden storm stranding my boat, a helicopter malfunction—I realized the universe was practically screaming at me to seize this opportunity. So, I stayed, my conscience perfectly clear. Silas couldn't speak, but he had an incredible way of remembering my every whim. One day, I was looking at an illustration in a book and sighed, “How wonderful would it be to wake up to a sea of flowers every day?” The next morning, I opened my bedroom window, and the sprawling green lawn had been transformed overnight into a breathtaking expanse of crimson roses. The butler and the head housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, always watched me with warm, kind eyes. “Miss Zoe,” Alistair would say, “it’s been a very long time since the Master has smiled so happily.” “How long?” I’d asked. “Oh, several centuries, at least—” he’d begun with a chuckle. Mrs. Gable had swiftly clapped a hand over his mouth. “A figure of speech, my dear. Pay him no mind.” Silas gave me everything I could ever ask for, yet we rarely touched. We’d been together for a year, and he still wouldn't take our relationship to the next level. Then again, I was the one who had relentlessly pursued him. Maybe he just didn't like me that much. 2 Frustrated, I followed Alistair down to the basement. Silas had converted it into a massive home theater, fully stocked with everything you could want for entertainment, food, and drink. As Alistair watched, I sullenly put on a pair of headphones. “Do I really have to wear these? I’m not as fragile as you think. I’m not scared.” He adjusted his glasses, his smile gentle. “It can be quite terrifying, miss. The Master’s orders were absolute: you are not to be frightened.” “Fine.” “Don’t you worry,” he added. “Midnight will keep you company.” Midnight was a sleek black cat with a glossy coat who was incredibly affectionate with me. He was so smart that sometimes I got the eerie feeling he could understand human speech. Once Alistair left, I put on a horror movie, just like I always did. Midnight, curled up on my lap, was purring and yawning, fighting to stay awake for me. “Go on, go to sleep,” I whispered, stroking him and moving him to the cushion beside me. “I’ll play with the feather wand with you later.” He seemed especially tired today. With a soft meow, he was fast asleep. I was munching on chips and watching the movie when I reached for my drink and knocked the glass over. As I scrambled to clean up the mess, my headphones snagged on the corner of the table and slipped off. That’s when I heard it. A violent slamming sound from directly above. I froze. That was Silas’s bedroom! Was the fight really that intense? A surge of worry was immediately cut short by a woman's high-pitched moan. Wait… do assassins make noises like that? It was followed by another round of rhythmic pounding, so forceful it felt like it was about to break through the thick floor. My mind instantly flooded with every cliché story about first loves and stand-in lovers. I cried for as long as the sounds from upstairs continued. I didn't even dare to make a sound myself, afraid of waking Midnight. The fact that he slept through such a racket meant he must be used to it. Maybe the whole “assassin attack” story was a lie. After all, I’d never seen a single one. No wonder Silas wouldn’t get close to me. No wonder he had to hide me away. I was just his secret lover, a substitute for someone else, not even worthy of his touch. Sob. 3 I decided to end it. Alistair had locked the door, but he never would have guessed that I had a hidden key to open it from the inside. Choking back sobs, I walked up the stairs and stopped dead, rubbing my tear-blurred eyes. The manor, usually bathed in warm light, was plunged into darkness. I fumbled my way to the utility closet and found a flashlight. When I switched it on, the lavish, exquisite decor was gone. In its place was a scene of dilapidated decay, thick with a sinister chill. The peeling walls were smeared with one horrifying, bloody handprint after another, as if someone had been dragged away screaming. So there were signs of a fight. Maybe Silas wasn't lying? Just as I was about to step forward, a series of glowing comments materialized in the air before me: 【Huh? A newbie? How is she still alive?】 【Hold on, did this new player break a cosmic law or something? How did she land in an SSS-rank instance on her first run?】 【It’s over, it’s over! The Head Housekeeper smelled her. This is too scary, I can’t watch!】 【She’s dead meat!】 The next second, the lights flickered on with a loud snap. Hiding behind a dusty shelf, I felt completely bewildered. The Head Housekeeper… did they mean the one I knew? “Hee hee, found you! Are you ready for me?” The voice had lost its usual steady tone, replaced by something… sleazy. But it was definitely her. I stepped out from my hiding spot. “Mrs. Gable, it’s me.” As the words left my mouth, we both froze. Her uniform was in tatters, she was holding a bloody axe, and her smile was literally stretched from ear to ear. I was horrified. “Who did this to you?” Mrs. Gable’s pupils constricted to pinpricks. Her hand trembled, and she dropped the axe with a clatter. “Miss Zoe, I… I…” Seeing her speechless, I started to walk toward her. But she let out a piercing shriek and, to my astonishment, turned and ran. 【???】 【Wait, Bloody Mary, the Head Housekeeper with the axe… why are you running from her?!】 【What happened to your ‘chop them in half’ power move? Who’s the real NPC here?!】 NPC? What was an NPC? I was about to follow her to get some answers when I heard another familiar voice from around the corner. “So, you managed to defeat the Head Housekeeper. You must have some fight in you. Your head will make a fine addition to my collection. Excited?” A dark shadow lunged toward me. I aimed the flashlight beam up from under my chin. “Alistair, it’s me.” He skidded to a halt right in front of me. His face, a ghastly shade of blue-black, turned pale with shock. I could even see beads of sweat on his forehead. My gaze dropped to his hand, where he was holding a freshly severed head. 【This is it! Go, Alistair, go!】 【She’s a goner now. The Butler doesn't show mercy, hahaha.】 【Aren't you the one who loves twisting people's heads off for your collection? Get her! Wait… not your own head!!】 【Where did this newbie come from? Is she hacking or something???】 He twisted his own head off. I was so stunned that I rubbed my eyes. In that brief moment, he vanished, running for his life. Seriously? All I wanted to know was where Silas was! 4 I made my way toward Silas’s room. Creeeak— The sound of an old wooden door being pushed open by the wind echoed down the hall. The corridor was deathly silent, shrouded in an invisible gloom. 【THE BOSS IS HERE!!!】 I stared at the back of the figure—a figure I knew better than my own—and pondered for a moment. Learning from my previous encounters, I decided to approach without saying a word, lest I scare him off too. I took one step after another. The live comments were baffled. 【This newbie has some serious guts, walking right up to her own death.】 【My cringe-o-meter is off the charts. Her ancestors could kowtow until their heads bleed and they still couldn't save her now.】 【I’m just here to see how she dies.】 【Hehe, this is gonna be good. Grab your popcorn, everyone!】 An aura of cold, ominous power radiated from Silas. I darted forward and grabbed his arm. “Silas, it’s me!” His body shuddered, turning as rigid as a statue. I lifted his hand. “Since when did you get your nails done?” WHOOSH— A pair of enormous black wings erupted from his back, the force of their unfurling making me shut my eyes. He used that moment to break free, stumbling as he launched himself out the window and into the night. The live comments froze for a second— 【Wow. Just… wow. Absolutely breathtaking.】 【Dude, what the…】 【LOL, the main BOSS just ran for his life from a new player. I think that’s my cue to go to bed.】 I stood there, dumbfounded. “Silas, you get back here!” Even an idiot would have figured out something was wrong by now. But I didn’t care! It wasn’t like he’d done anything morally bankrupt. He just wasn’t human. So what? I chased him down the stairs, only to be pulled into a room by a handsome man. He cupped my face in his hands, his expression ecstatic, as if gazing upon a long-lost treasure. “Zoe, it’s really you! Where have you been these past two years?” Uh, who are you? I tried to push his hands away, but he pulled me into a tight embrace. “As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters. I’ll never leave you again.” The moment he finished speaking, an icy chill crept up my spine. The very walls and floor began to frost over. 【Holy crap, this is the first time I’ve ever seen the main BOSS get angry!】 5 My eyes were covered as I was led back to Silas’s room. Candles and incense were lit, and the familiar scent of roses filled the air. But all I could see was darkness. He had blindfolded me with a silk ribbon. And chained my hands and feet. These were the props I had planned to use on him! I was not happy. “Silas, I begged you to play these games with me before, and you refused! Now, just because of some strange man, you do this to me? I’m angry!” I huffed. “Was he the one you were really in love with all along?!” That made sense. Who said your one true love had to be a woman? The air went dead silent. Even blindfolded, I could feel the profound silence from both Silas and the live comments. I struggled against my restraints, but a grape-flavored candy was suddenly popped into my mouth. My favorite. I chewed thoughtfully, decided to forgive him for now, and waited with sneaky anticipation for what would happen next. And then… Nothing happened. Because Silas had used the opportunity to run away. Again. “Hey!” “Silas, get back here!” “Alistair!!! Mrs. Gable!!!” … After what felt like an eternity of shouting, the door creaked open. The sound of light footsteps approached me. “Shh, Zoe, don’t make a sound. It’s me.” I fell silent. His voice was laced with deep anger and sorrow. “I’ve been looking for you for so long. I never imagined you’d be imprisoned here by this demon.” He vowed, “Don’t worry, I’ll kill him and get you out of here!” He removed the blindfold. When his eyes met my blank, unfamiliar gaze, his expression faltered. “Zoe… you don’t remember me?” I nodded. “I have amnesia. I’ve forgotten everything. Who are you?” Hearing about my memory loss, he seemed to relax. “My name is Leo. We grew up together in an orphanage, we were all each other had. If things hadn’t gone wrong, we’d be married by now.” Lies. My phone wasn’t broken. According to my chat history, Leo had latched onto some wealthy heiress. He had repeatedly told me he only saw me as a sister and had warned me multiple times to get rid of any other ideas, all for her sake. I lowered my eyes. “Really?” Leo’s gaze fell to a bruise on my knee. His pupils contracted, and he gritted his teeth, looking away. “I’ll make the demon who hurt you suffer a very painful death!” Hurt me? I looked down. Oh, that was from when I’d accidentally bumped into a table. Leo produced a dagger carved from bone. “This is the only weapon that can kill Silas, the BOSS of this manor instance.” He pleaded, “Zoe, I need your help.” The live comments erupted. 【Holy shit, this player got insanely lucky! He found the ‘Matriarch’s Fang’! Is someone finally going to clear this instance?!】 【Legend says it was forged from the bones of Silas's mother. Since Silas was born from pure malice, only this dagger can destroy him for good.】 【This Leo guy is insane. If he kills Silas, he’ll have enough points to top the player leaderboard!】 【The birth of a god-tier player! This is gonna be epic!!!】
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