Chapter 115: Beatrice in Self-Isolation Mode Visits

In the afternoon, Natsuki Subaru cooked a meal for Emilia.

[Both of their Satiety levels up↑]

Then time quickly came to night, and Natsuki Subaru proposed that Emilia accompany him on the first floor to judge the identities of visitors.

But Emilia said that after suffering mental contamination, anyone other than the house's owner found it difficult to distinguish between Imitation Humans and humans.

Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru frowned deeply, his heart filled with confusion.

Was the mental contamination really that severe? So that was how it was...

Natsuki Subaru thought of the rule that Imitation Humans killed at night. In that case, when the residents faced an Imitation Human, they likely had little room to resist—both literally and physically.

He kept this piece of information in mind, and after making his preparations, he headed to the first-floor hall.

Natsuki Subaru brought over a wooden stool, sat down before the front door, and waited silently.

According to what Emilia had said yesterday, Ram and Rem hadn't made it back because it had gotten too late, and instead found somewhere to hide.

So with as much daytime activity time as today, by all reason they should come knocking tonight.

He silently calculated in his mind, waiting for tonight's visitor to arrive.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Soon, a muffled knocking came from behind the manor's front door—no more, no less, exactly three times.

Natsuki Subaru cautiously waited quietly inside the manor's front door for a while, not making any sound.

Then he slowly leaned his body forward, soundlessly bringing himself to the peephole to observe the visitor outside the door—

A petite figure stood blankly before the door, holding in her arms a book whose cover bore a few scorch marks.

A young girl in a gorgeous frilled dress, with long pale hair near cream-colored, and her trademark spiraling twin-tails, was standing outside the door at this moment.

This was... Betty?

The moment he saw clearly who the visitor was, Natsuki Subaru's eyes went wide.

At first an expression of joyful surprise surfaced on his face, but as his hand gripped the doorknob, reason kicked in and he calmed down.

In that brief glance just now, he had noticed that Betty's complexion and state were very off.

Natsuki Subaru pursed his lips and once again brought himself to the peephole to carefully observe Betty outside.

After finishing knocking, she had gone still, holding that book that seemed to have been burned, her gaze gloomy and her expression wooden as she stared down at the ground.

Natsuki Subaru realized something was wrong. That tsundere yet adorable Beako—how could she possibly show such a world-weary expression?

No, no, no... Perhaps something had happened in the manor before, dealing Betty some blow that had made her like this?

Natsuki Subaru frowned tightly, trying in his mind to find a reason for the Betty before him who clearly seemed off.

But as for what had happened in the manor before, Natsuki Subaru really didn't know of anything.

When chatting with Emilia in the afternoon, she too had been vague and brushed it off.

Yet as his thoughts spread out, Natsuki Subaru didn't come up empty-handed either.

He remembered something he had overlooked ever since Betty's appearance—

That was, he had no information whatsoever about Betty!

Yesterday, before coming inside, Emilia had only mentioned the movements of Rem and Ram, and hadn't mentioned Betty in the slightest.

Did she not know? Or had she overlooked Betty for some reason, deliberately choosing not to mention her?

Natsuki Subaru felt a chill spread through his whole body, yet he had confirmed in the morning that Betty indeed wasn't in the manor, and she had probably been gone since the very moment he woke up.

In that case, the identity of this Betty before him right now was difficult to confirm.

Facing this Betty before him—dispirited, dazed in place, not saying a word—Natsuki Subaru needed to make a choice.

[Speak up to probe, ask about the situation]

[Ignore her, silently wait for her to leave]

Natsuki Subaru sighed; no matter what, he couldn't set his mind at ease about Betty.

So after composing his words in his mind, he spoke up and asked.

"Beako, since you knocked, that means you want to come in, right?"

"But before that, answer me a few questions—okay?"

Beako... that nickname?

Upon hearing Natsuki Subaru's words, the previously utterly lifeless Betty instinctively jolted and raised her head.

In her eyes, like a pool of stagnant water, a rare flicker of light was exposed as she stared intently at the peephole on the manor's front door, as if anticipating something.

But seeing that no further sound came from behind the door, which seemed to be silently awaiting her answer, Betty then disappointedly lowered her head once more.

What was that... She'd thought Subaru had acknowledged that he would become her "that person," which was why he'd called her so intimately.

But now it seemed it was merely a form of address; she had been flattering herself.

Betty returned to her expressionless look and slowly said, faintly, as though with a sigh.

"No, Betty doesn't want to come in... that's all."

Having said this, Betty closed her eyes and hugged the book in her arms a little tighter, as if she were going to curl up into a ball and rest at the doorway—neither leaving nor speaking again.

Wait... what did she mean she didn't want to come in?

Natsuki Subaru felt greatly shocked.

Could the knocking he had just heard have been an auditory hallucination? If she didn't want to enter the manor, then why knock?

She couldn't be saying this on purpose to make him let down his guard, could she...

Natsuki Subaru felt a headache coming on, but through the peephole he saw Betty outside the door, like an abandoned, grubby little kitten.

Although he wasn't sure whether she was the real Betty, this sight sent waves of heartache through him.

So after a moment of silence, he took the initiative to speak and explain his own situation.

"Beako, I don't know what happened before that made you like this, because I too have now suffered contamination and lost part of my memory."

"I'm really worried about you! My memory still remains from before all these changes happened—could you tell me about what you've been through?"

"Even if everything has already happened and can't be undone, at least we can face it together!"

Natsuki Subaru spoke sincerely; everything he said came straight from his heart, hoping it could pry open the defenses of the seemingly withdrawn Betty.

But on the other side, Betty's gaze didn't waver in the slightest and gave no reaction whatsoever, as if she hadn't heard Natsuki Subaru's words at all.

Yet the two were separated only by a door, so close—Natsuki Subaru was certain Betty had absolutely heard him, she just... didn't want to answer at all.

"What! Sincerity doesn't work either?!"

Natsuki Subaru staggered back a step and, as if afraid Betty outside wouldn't hear him, shouted exaggeratedly.

"Damn it, even though I know there's a reason for it, having Beako ignore me like this—my heart aches so much!"

"Ugh-aah!"

Natsuki Subaru wailed and howled inside the door, his voice rising and falling.

Anyone hearing these sounds would unconsciously picture Natsuki Subaru rolling back and forth on the floor on the other side of the door.

But in reality, Natsuki Subaru was pressed tightly against the peephole, staring without blinking at Betty's subtlest movements outside.

As for everything just now, it was all merely an act put on for Betty's ears, using his consummate vocal delivery and his shameless, off-the-wall persona.

Of course, this wasn't without meaning.

Soon, Natsuki Subaru saw that Betty, who had been standing as motionless as a cold stone statue, after hearing Natsuki Subaru's heartbroken cries from inside the door—

She unconsciously hugged the burned book in her arms a little tighter, while the small hand exposed outside had, at some unnoticed point, clenched into a fist.

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