Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 7
“Hmm?” Albert perked up right away. “What do you mean?”
“If I’m right, that woman is the type who craves control, and she gets uneasy whenever things slip out of her grasp, so she seizes any chance to take charge.”
“Earlier, she stirred up that tension between the men and women just to gauge our reactions, partly to see how much influence she could gain and whether anyone would back her up.”
“No way,” Albert said, pausing as he wiped the window. “Is that young lady really that scheming?”
“You’re older than me, Uncle Albert, and you’ve been out in the world longer, so why play dumb with me?”
“Heh heh,” Albert chuckled dryly before asking, “And what’s the other reason?”
“Secondly, she wanted to spot someone she could dominate quickly, by showing her aggressive side to check if the women were all pushovers she could manipulate.”
Ethan kept working without stopping, having already swept the entire room, and now he dipped the mop back into the bucket.
“In the end, two out of the three women opposed her, leaving Grace, who’s naturally introverted and lacks much real-world experience, which is why she got picked as a roommate.”
“You mean she wants a little sidekick?”
“More like a scapegoat.” Ethan mopped the floor with quick movements, as if he was used to this kind of work, and his stamina was impressive since he didn’t even break a sweat. “This castle is dangerous, and what she needs is someone she can control in a crisis, even use to draw away the threats.”
“If that’s the case, isn’t Grace in real trouble?” Albert drew in a sharp breath. Actually, once Ethan brought it up, he could see all the twisted motives behind it, since people are selfish by nature, and that selfishness multiplies in risky situations.
A chill ran down his back as he faced the issue he’d been avoiding, realizing for the first time that they weren’t just up against the castle’s dangers but also the scheming among their own group.
“Not necessarily,” Ethan said as he wrung out the dirty water from the mop and plunged it back in. “Sometimes, when you corner an introvert, they unleash more power than those who act tough all the time.”
“So you’re just going to let it slide?”
“Uncle Albert, I’m just an ordinary guy with limited abilities.”
“What if it were Serena instead?”
Ethan paused slightly, stopping what he was doing, and gave Albert a strangely unreadable look.
“I don’t know what misconception you have or what you’re trying to probe, but my answer stays the same: I’m just an ordinary person with limited abilities, and my rule is to help if I can. Does that satisfy you?”
“Heh heh, you’re straightforward, Ethan.” Hearing that, Albert actually relaxed a bit. “If you’d said you’d protect us no matter what, I’d feel even more uneasy.”
“Why? Worried I’m the type who talks big about righteousness but uses you as shields when it counts?”
“Not exactly.” Albert shook his head, lowering his voice. “It’s just that in this world these days, saints are too far out of reach.”
After that, they didn’t chat anymore and divided the tasks to clean the room thoroughly. Ethan inspected everything meticulously, not missing a single corner or crevice.
Soon, a knock came at the door.
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