Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 18: Resonating Souls

Daisuke's eyes narrowed shrewdly. I guess sending a slave to warm my bed is Reginald's idea of a housewarming gift, he thought with a hint of annoyance. He must really want me to stay of my own volition.

The girl looked everywhere except in Daisuke's direction, uncomfortably fiddling with her fingers. Her small lips were pursed in a prim manner, her cheeks flushed, eyes trembling.

"Come inside."

The girl did as she was told, scooting into the room barefooted. She hugged herself tightly, trying to soothe her anxiety. But it was simply replaced by dreadful anticipation.

"Get into bed and lie down."

"...."

Teary-eyed, the girl once more conceded to the command. Daisuke's face remained a perfectly cool mask as he approached her. With each confident step he took, the girl's heart pounded even louder.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his hand began reaching for her, and she held her breath, her eyes squeezed shut in anticipation. However, instead of facing assault and abuse, she felt the bedsheet being pulled up to her neck and her head being stroked tenderly.

"Don't worry," reassured the silver-haired boy with a soft smile. "I'm not going to hurt you."

At the same time, April mumbled in her sleep, shifted, and nestled closer to her newfound sleep buddy.

Daisuke's smile widened. "That's April. She's harmless."

Bewildered, and at a loss for words, the girl looked from April to the silver-haired boy. But she didn't dare speak out of turn. Instead, she keenly observed and waited.

"What's your name?" Daisuke inquired gently, his tone coaxing. "Do you remember it?"

"..."

"...Just so you know, Sylvia trusted me enough to tell me her name. I promise that you can do the same."

At this surprising revelation, the girl's ears perked up, a glimmer of curiosity in her eyes. "...Tina."

"Tina," Daisuke repeated with warmth, tenderly running his hand over April's hair and then hers. "You can stay here tonight. It'll give the impression that you've accomplished your task. Take care of April for me; I'll be stepping out for a little while."

Tina nodded meekly in agreement.

Meanwhile, Daisuke walked to the center of the room and began pacing back and forth, a hand beneath his chin as he deliberated his next move. His mind raced as he vividly recalled the filing cabinet in Reginald's study. If he aimed to devise the perfect escape plan, he needed access to the manor's blueprint. Yet, his search of the library had yielded no results. The filing cabinets remained the only other likely place where he might find what he was looking for.

But how do I get there? I'm sure the door is being watched considering my circumstances.

Daisuke glanced around the room, hoping the décor might spark an idea. To his delight, he spotted something even better. Tina peered out from under the sheets as he carefully stacked a few pieces of furniture to help him vanish into the upper layer of the ceiling.

***

After painstaking effort and the destruction of countless spiderwebs, Daisuke finally maneuvered through the musty and dimly lit space in the ceiling until he arrived at a familiar room. After confirming that the coast was clear by cautiously peering downward through the seams in the woodwork, he carefully made his way outside, utilizing the ceiling-high shelf as a foothold. Little did Daisuke know however, that by simply coming in physical contact with it, he had unwittingly activated a small transmutation circle etched into the floorboards of the ceiling.