Mr Night

𝟕| 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦

-𝐇𝐄𝐑-

I stepped out of the room and went downstairs with the dog following me. I felt slightly more confident walking through the house with the dog by my side. He seemed to have been getting along with me well. I think I could trust a dog, right?

Frith, the butler was already waiting for me by the bottom of the stairs when I reached the landing. He looked at me indifferently this time as he led me to the dining room which was just adjacent to the kitchen.

Just like the rest of the house, it was plain. There was absolutely no decoration in any part of the house or the things that seemed to be in the house. The things which were there were only for practical use. Nothing more than that.

There was a long dining table. At least twenty people could sit on it which was quite surprising. I couldn't help but wonder why someone living in a place like this would have such a big dining table.

It didn't look like Mr. Night would often receive guests here. Or maybe he did receive guests like me whom he disposes of after the party is over. Suddenly, the thought of the stairs going down to the basement flickered into my head.

He must poison his guests here and then drag them to the basement to chop their bodies and...

I snapped out of that train of thought and took a place beside one of the host's chairs. The dog sat by my feet silently and didn't move from there until I did.

The food had been already laid out on the table. It was a simple supper— a savory soup, some rolls, pudding, and pork. I stared at the food for a second longer before glancing at the butler who was standing by the corner of the room. The same indifferent look hung from his face as he stared into the void.

Without tearing my eyes off him, I took the plate and started to raise it to my face slowly and grimly. Frith watched me indifferently but this time I saw some curiously flicker in his eyes. I kept raising the plate without tearing my eyes off him.

He narrowed his eyes at me before asking, "What are you doing?"

I answered his question by sniffing the food, my eyes still locked with his. I could now see him getting slightly uncomfortable. The food smelled delicious, making my stomach twist painfully. I was reminded at that moment how I hadn't had anything after breakfast. I was starving but I couldn't eat just yet.

"Is there poison in the food?" I question, still holding the plate to my face while the butler watched me with a combination of bewilderment and shock.

"Of course not," He answered.

"I don't trust you," I told him, "You have to taste my food before I could eat it," I declared. I could see irk slowly creeping onto his face.

Ha! I wasn't an easy victim, was I?

"I am afraid I cannot do that," He told me, somehow maintaining a straight face.

"I'm not going to eat then," I told him, crossing my arms on my chest. I looked around the table and inquired, "And where's Mr. Night? Isn't he going to have supper?"

"He has to excuse himself tonight due to important business. You must eat now," He answered. This time, he sounded a bit more commanding which I didn't like.

I didn't eat yet. I just stared at him with a black face while he stood in the corner, taller and stiffer. I took my time to study him closely for the first time. He looked somewhat younger than me, or maybe, same age. I was eighteen at that time.

He was a tall fellow, not as tall as Mr. Night though. He was taller than me by a few inches and had this paperwhite skin which talked a lot about his limited exposure to the sun. His hair was as colorless as his skin— pale blond and he had such a pair of uninterested cold eyes on that bony face that was now starting to show signs of annoyance.