A New Start (3)

"Hah~" Shadow wasn't impressed.

One could only expect so much from the abandoned mansion.

"This mansion was built by an extremely wealthy lord. He was a loner of the street and used to reign this small town, regularly donating to the undeveloped street and underprivileged kids. Unfortunately, the lord died one year prior, at the exact date she appeared." Amel explained.

She looked around silently.

"So it's true that place was a cemetery?" She thought of something else.

According to Amel, the place she was dumped was a one-man tombstone. The creepy dancing tree on top of her and the creepy statues were probably not real because the man firmly believed there's nothing but a single bench and a grave.

Which she didn't appreciate. She wanted to believe it was real, that her eyes didn't play tricks with her. Amel's honesty shattered that belief in seconds because the man also brought her on his bike to the place she was laid on, and surprise, surprise...

It was true.

She recognized the bench she was on, it was rusty and old, a wooden bench to be precise. And in front of it was the tombstone written RIP Lord Abraham and some information that her brain failed to examine. The panic rose inside her.

"Why… the bench and the tombstone facing each other? Are they having a meeting?" She spat dryly, her cold eyes quivered, a bit scared.

So… what happened that night was some kind of bullshit? A trick? Because not in hell she believed in ghosts. What fuckery is this?

Amel stretched a tight smile. "It's not like that, My Lord. We-"

"I don't care, let's go." She turned away her body from the creeping feeling.

It felt like someone was watching her from somewhere. Only if she put effort into her observation, she could get all the information she wanted.

But once again, only if she put the effort to do so which she didn't because she clearly wanted nothing from this dead man place.

Amel bowed to her in respect although a struggle whined escaped from his mouth. "I will heed to your order, My Lord."

"Enough with My Lord…" Shadow's breath turned shallow when she heard the title. She had enough living at the top of the world.

On earth, she was the Emperor of the Underworld. The savior for the broken and the mother hen of the middle-aged men, women, and kids.

She crawled to the top by scraping all the shits from the start. Kissing the boss's arse and barking like a freaking hound if she'd to.

She faced a tremendous trial to give a home to those bastards. But now, not only they tried to manipulate her - her boyfriend, her trusted man threw her here.

'This freaking unfair world. I will kill everyone.'

Dumping inside the novel with nothing but an injury, they expected her to attain such glory using the same method. The setting was pretty obvious. The level-up labels, the sorry arse town brink to collapse. Wan couldn't be more obvious than this, for god's sake.

And right now they were in front of the freaking massive garden located at the corner of the town, far from civilians like some social rejects. The garden could cover the whole football stadium and the lone mansion was the center of it.

Amel and Shadow ditched the bike near the parking lot and padded ahead, her boots scuffing over grass and loose stones. It took them a great few minutes before the said mansion appeared right under her nose.

"This mansion is... huge."

Nestled in the woodland, as humble as one could find, was an abandoned mansion. Its windows were as shy eyes, large to welcome any ray of sun. The sturdy rock walls belonged right where they belonged although she preferred a friendly-looking wall instead of a hideous once-upon-a-time mansion that was close to the castle.

"Are you sure this mansion is mine to take?" She turned around as both of them entered the mansion.

Inwardly, her jaw slacked wide, her breath caught in her throat.

The exterior design of the mansion didn't do the interior justice. If the mansion stood there surrounded by nature, the flora flowed around as much as around it, it looked abandoned and haunted.

However, the interior design of the mansion was just… chef kiss. Marvelous. At a glance, this place was brimming with light, happiness, and warmth. Something she failed to attain on earth.

Due to her personality, she constantly lived underground and only emerged when she wanted to. And boy, she liked her living style, but not until she learned about this mansion.

"How is it?" Amel came behind her.

Her breath hitched with her heart did a little jump. This was the first excitement she felt in the entire 16 hours she was in the novel. The simple thing, spark her interest, attract her intention and make her love this place.

"My Lord, follow me, let me show you the master room you will be using-"

But Shadow quickly snapped from her fantasy. She raised her hand to stop him from taking further action. "Bring me to the living room. Any tour will be after my curiosity is sated."

Amel looked confused, momentarily, but the understanding face appeared in a second. "Very well, My Lord. Please follow me."

Shadow towed behind Amel silently while looking around. The interior was almost the same as the western castle which she read a lot. She didn't expect such a style to appear in this novel but oh well.

'We are talking about Wan. He is a meticulous person to exist in the entire world.'

In fact, this out-of-touch mansion appeared to be the final piece of the puzzle.

This place was indeed his creation. He also dumped her here just to screw her over. The thing about Wan though, he was not a normal human so the chance she would face a few difficulties shortly was inevitable. She could smell it from the living room of the mansion.

'This world screams problematic.'

"Please find your seat, My Lord."

Shadow laughed in irony. Amel might invite her to sit but the arrangement was too obvious. She was forced to sit on the one-seat sofa and it was the softest yet. It looked expensive with fur armchairs.

"It is fake fur, My Lord. We are forbidden to hunt an animal for its fur." Amel explained as if he read her mind.

"Did you read my mind?" A foreign feeling engulfed her. Amel wasn't as dull as she thought.

"No, My Lord," Amel chuckled inward. "You have stared at the fur under your hand for quite some time." Explained him again.

"Ah," Shadow then reclined back and plopped her rear on the sofa. "This is good." She mumbled alone. "So? Tell me everything. What is this town, why did you give me this mansion and explain to me how this world works." She asked bluntly with a tired sigh escaping her lips.

Looking at the haggard face of Shadow, he snapped his fingers. Pity entered his heart although it wasn't supposed to be felt like that.

Yet, Shadow who was stumbling upon them, last night with nothing but blood and madness. Asking them to help her to find shelter.

And it was a perfect time for Amel to accept Shadow. He had learned the prophecy from the old Lord to find the next owner of the mansion this year on his death anniversary. He also specifically told him to look near his graveyard.

The meeting at the park was their fate.

Although the lord didn't specify the gender, the description of the lord was on point.

<A small figure, long wavy hair, an injured body, a smiley mask (although it was actually close to the creepy smiling with sharp teeth instead), and lastly black hoodie.>

She fit the description too well.

What made him take aback was how flawless the face was and how young she looked. Despite that, she was the strongest human he'd ever encountered. 16 experienced fighters were unconscious under those small hands.

Shadow didn't react when a group of maids lined up behind her nor did she react to the bow from them. She shut her eyes and waited for the explanation she was longing for. Her eyes twitched for some time whenever Amel thought of her inside his mind.

"Before that, these maids and butlers will serve you as long as you want them to." He beckoned the head butler and maid to march forward. "This is Elijah and this is Conan." He pointed precisely at the maid and the butler next to her. "They will serve you directly."

Shadow didn't even spare them a wink; instead, she tapped the armchair loudly and full of purpose.

"Very well," Amel surely a bright lad. He swiftly dismissed the maids and the butlers to their post. "Give our Lord the tea." He left the final message to the head maid right before they were dismissed.

"I understand, Sir Amel." The maid and the butler bowed yet again.

The tight face changed into a small smile when he glanced at Shadow, both legs were putting on the table. "I will explain everything to you, My Lord."

Shadow hummed lethargically.

"Firstly, this time was named Burning Town. We are a small town on the western side of the map."

'Map! Not a side of the world. It's a map. This means Wan focused on a certain continent instead.'

"This town was ruled by the lord of this mansion."

"So, I am the lord of this mansion?"

"Yes, My Lord." Amel looked pumped up.

"So suddenly?"

Amel nodded his head.

'What the fuck is going on here?'

"Feel free to request anything from me, My Lord."

'HUH~ This is annoying.'

"Are you okay, My Lord?"

Shadow hummed lethargically, "please provide me with the map later." She was too tired to deny her sudden role.

"I will heed to your order, My Lord."

"Continue your history lesson."

"I understand, My Lord."