Confined Together with the Horror Game’s Male Lead

“There was no food in the room you pointed me to. There were only traps.”

“It was a mistake on my part. I got confused about the rooms.”

“Mistake?”

What happened to him was too serious to be chalked up to a mere ‘mistake’.

I knew that this excuse wouldn’t have worked, but I had nothing else to say.

“You’ve succeeded in torturing me. You win.”

“……”

“So, will my death satisfy you?”

What are you saying?!

It was only a few minutes ago that I saved him from knocking on the door of death.

[ Darkness: 8% ]

He’s driving me nuts. Why was it going up so fast?

Reaching up to his cheek in a hurry, I lowered his head. I tried to make eye contact with him, but his gaze was still clouded.

Those purple, unfocused eyes could not see me.

“Don’t die, Dietrich. I don’t want to clean up any dead bodies.”

“I suppose so.”

“And really, you must live. You said that you have a reason for leaving this place.”

“……”

“Don’t you care what happens to ‘them’?”

“……”

[ Darkness: 9% ]

Though it was still rising, the darkness meter at least slowed down.

Hesitation flashed through Dietrich’s cold expression as I had mentioned his weakness. It was a sensitive matter that he cared about very much.

And it’s possible that he was still holding onto it because the darkness meter was still not high.

“…I can’t understand you at all. How can you say that to someone you had trapped here?”

“……”

“If I give up, you shall no longer see me suffer. Is that why? You’re trying to convince me for your entertainment?”

That’s not it. Not at all.

I felt wronged, but I couldn’t find the right words to resolve his misunderstanding.

“…I know what kind of person you are. I know your type all too well.”

“……”

“You’re one of those repugnant scoundrels who enjoy watching as others suffer.”

[ Darkness: 10% ]

His anger and resentment flowed out like a curse towards me.

[ Darkness: 11% ]

Observing him quietly for a moment, I carefully opened my lips to speak.

“It’s as you say.”

“……”

“There are quite a few scoundrels in this world, just as you say. Disgusting, repugnant scoundrels who enjoy watching others suffer.”

“……”

“And, inevitably, there are people who suffer under those scoundrels as well.”

Even though my ‘steel mentality’ hadn’t been activated, I managed to stay level headed on my own.

I pressed down slightly on Dietrich’s cheek, which I was still holding.

“Those people won’t know until they’re already suffering.”

“……”

“If you’re going to die anyway, make sure to leave this place first. Kill all those hateful scoundrels you spoke of first, then face death once again.”

Wasn’t there a saying like that? I can’t die alone. If I die, then you’re going down with me, or something like that.

It was just a waste of time to die alone.

“If you’re abandoning your own life anyway, you won’t be able to do anything just with that.”

“……”

“Don’t ever think of dying in this place.”

I, for one, don’t want to see anyone dying here, even if I had my ‘steel mentality’ in place.

“…Then, do you not feel it either?”

“Feel what?”

“What you said just now. About people not knowing until they’re already suffering.”

“……”

What’s this?

This anxious feeling.

“I don’t exactly want to suff—”

“Then, you must be suffering as well.”

What…?

[ ‘Dietrich’ has broken free from his despair. ]

[ Darkness: 13% ]

I stared blankly at the system window, then I looked at Dietrich.

At that moment, our eyes met.

He should still be blinded right now. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but… It’s as if he was looking straight at me.

“The moment I get out of here, I’ll lock you up in the same way.”

What did he just say?

I mulled over what Dietrich had said just now.

And, there was only one thought in my mind.

Dietrich must have gone completely insane.

[ Darkness: 13% ]

It’s fortunate that the darkness meter stopped there.

His darkness should never, at any cost, exceed 90%

I recalled a painful memory from when I had played 〈 Lindbergh’s Mansion 〉.

Once the darkness meter of Dietrich, as the main character of the game, would exceed 90%, he wouldn’t listen to my controls any longer.

For example, when an opportunity to decide would come up and I’d want to hit [Yes], there were times when he would ignore my choice completely. He’d act however he wanted.

It was ridiculous.

Under no circumstances should he be allowed to become a mad dog that wouldn’t even know where to run.

“Yes. Do as you please.”

The flickering darkness meter was ominous, but there was nothing else that popped up.

And, at that time, I never thought that I’d regret saying those words.