The Attendant in the Horror Game Prologue

Prologue

The greatest hardship Jade faced after being possessed inside a horror game was not the occasional monsters, nor the eerie phenomena within the mansion, nor even the shortage of food.

“Jade.”

It was the small, young boy who trailed after him like a shadow from morning till night. That boy was currently Jade’s biggest source of concern.

Compared to other children his age, the boy’s frame was smaller, his features delicate and almost fairy-like. There was a sorrowful air about him that stirred an unbidden sense of pity. Yet, his temperament was so sharp and detached that he hardly felt like a child at all.

Jade considered that a relief. When the day came for him to leave the mansion, there would be no unnecessary emotional entanglements, nor would the boy suffer needlessly.

After all, Jade knew very well what kind of cruel person the angelic-looking child before him would grow up to become. Which was precisely why he had never once intended to grow so close to him.

“Can’t I sleep with you?”

But when had it started? When had he and Ian begun to spend so much time together like this?

At first, Ian had done nothing but reject his kindness. No matter how hard Jade thought, he couldn’t recall the exact moment that had changed.

“What kind of noble sleeps with his attendant? Absolutely not.”

Jade refused Ian’s request rather coldly. At that, the boy’s shoulders drooped as he rolled his round eyes with a crestfallen expression. His plump, rosy lips quivered as he nervously bit down on them.

“Then I’ll be an attendant too. I—I just want to roll around in bed with Jade….”

Ian pointed toward the bed with his small, pale hand. Every time he pouted, his soft white cheeks puffed out adorably.

Jade had been about to scold him for using such words carelessly, but the sight of that angelic little face stopped him. Recently, the once-cold, mature Ian had begun showing signs of genuine childishness.

“…Fine.”

When Jade finally gave a reluctant nod, Ian’s face lit up like a flower blooming, and he leapt onto the bed in delight. Then, lying beside Jade, he wrapped his small arms tightly around his waist.

“I want to sleep with Jade forever.”

Jade did not answer. His departure was approaching, and he saw no reason to offer false comfort.

Yet his young master, despite that lovely face, was far more tenacious than he appeared. When Jade didn’t reply, Ian whispered softly once more.

“…I want to sleep forever. Together.”

“Yes, yes. Whatever you wish.”

Irritated, Jade gave him the answer he wanted, if only to end the conversation. The boy’s eyes curved sweetly as he drifted off to sleep. At the time, Jade had no idea—no inkling—that those few careless words would one day return to him like a tidal wave.

He didn’t think leaving after lying to the boy was wrong. At the time, it had been the only choice he had. True, the thought of Ian being left alone had troubled him—but wasn’t life, after all, about surviving on one’s own?

But if he had known that, after more than ten years, Ian would reappear before him like this—perhaps he might have been a little less heartless.

“A disappearance overnight is something I can forgive, Jade.”

The Ian who stood before him again was still beautiful—still radiant like an angel. He had never smiled in childhood, yet now he smiled softly, his eyes crinkling with warmth.

“After all, that was the last chance you had to abandon me.”

Though still beautiful, the low whisper that followed carried a faint, bitter smile that felt unbearably unfamiliar.

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“Then open your mouth—at least then, I might believe you.”

Ian’s voice was gentle, his words almost tender. But the forceful grip that seized Jade’s jaw and forced it open was anything but. In those clear, blue eyes that gleamed like cut jewels, there was no trace of trust.

“Do you hate me that much? Just because I left you behind?”

“I don’t resent you for leaving me.”

The calm, lake-like eyes shimmered with feverish emotion. His voice, low and rough, was soaked with intensity. It was hard to find even a shadow of the mild, obedient boy he had once known.

“I don’t even know what it is you want from me anymore.”

“Please, pity me.”

Just last night, Ian had taunted and mocked him with obscene words as much as he pleased. Yet now, like a puppy on the verge of being abandoned, he pressed against Jade’s knee, tears falling thick and heavy.

“If that’s too hard, then at least… pretend to love me.”

Ian cupped Jade’s face in his large hands, forcing him to look at him. His neck ached from the unnatural angle.

“Who knows? Maybe someday, I’ll actually want to let you go.”

But despite the sweetness of his tone, his grip was iron-strong—as if he would never, ever let Jade go.