Chapter 4: Castle Adventure!

Phyllis turned her head, only to find that it wasn’t Carola who had returned. 

Instead, an expressionless, doll-like female servant entered carrying a tray. 

She stiffly placed the tray on the table. 

It held a perfectly seared fish fillet, fresh fruit, and a glass of plain water. Once finished, the doll-like servant exited without a word, never once glancing at Phyllis during the entire process.

[A doll?]

Phyllis cast a wary glance at the closed door. 

In that doll-like woman, she seemed to see the ultimate fate she would have met had she not been immune to the Master-Servant Contract. 

To become a puppet in this castle, devoid of free will.

*Grumble~*

However, Phyllis’s stomach was indeed hungry now. 

She walked to the table. *Sniff~ Sniff~* The food seemed normal; there were no strange odors, only the aroma of the meal. 

Phyllis hesitated for a moment, but ultimately picked up her knife and fork. [Even if I’m going to escape, I need to recover my strength first.]

"Mhm~ Mhm~ Meow~"

The fish fillet tasted surprisingly good. 

As she ate, Phyllis contemplated her next moves. 

First, she needed to show a certain degree of "obedience" and "adaptation" to lower Carola's guard. 

Second, she would use her permission to "move freely" to learn the castle's layout and find potential escape routes. 

Finally—and most importantly—she had to use her own cheat to gain power.

[But wait, how was I caught by Carola in the first place?]

Phyllis took a sip of water, reflecting on what had happened before. 

[Hmm... I can’t quite remember. Did I get amnesia?] 

Phyllis shook her head. If that was the case, she might as well finish her meal!

"Mhm~ Mhm~ Meow~"

Phyllis continued her feast...

After finishing the food, Phyllis felt her strength return. 

She stood up and stretched her waist, limbering up her muscles. 

While warming up, she kept a cautious eye on the two small bats perched on the bedposts. 

Those two bats usually remained motionless, but they reacted whenever Phyllis moved. After her warm-up, Phyllis padded toward the door with light, cat-like steps and tentatively gripped the handle.

*Click~*

With a gentle twist, the door opened. "Whew~" Phyllis took a deep breath and took her first step outside. The exploration of the castle had begun.

Outside the door was a wide, dim, stone-walled corridor. 

Braziers were set into the walls at regular intervals, burning some unknown fuel with a dark blue flame. 

The light wasn't particularly bright, barely dispelling the nearby darkness. 

The flickering firelight stretched Phyllis's shadow, making it waver. 

The two small bats flew out of the room, hovering to her left and right—neither too far nor too close—behind her. 

Their blood-red eyes glowed like tiny sparks in the gloom, firmly locked onto her silhouette.

The air was thick with the castle's unique scent: a mixture of stone, old fabrics, and dust. 

Beyond that, there was the ever-present scent of blood. 

Phyllis's cat ears twitched subtly, catching every minute sound in the surroundings. The crackling of the flames, the rhythmic dripping of water in the distance, and the sound of her own heartbeat. Aside from those, there was nothing.

Phyllis moved forward cautiously, doing her best not to make a sound that might attract attention. 

Although she knew it was nearly useless under the watch of the two bats, her predator instincts drove her to act this way. 

Many closed wooden doors lined the corridor, carved with intricate yet gloomy patterns—mostly thorns, bats, or twisted vines she didn't recognize. 

These doors were all tightly shut. Phyllis pressed her ear against several of them to listen. Behind them, it felt like a silent graveyard.

Phyllis didn't dare open them. 

Most of these doors likely didn't lead to the escape route she needed, but they surely held all sorts of strange and terrifying things. 

She didn't want to get "face-hugged"! Classic scenes from many movies kept flashing through Phyllis's mind. 

[Curiosity killed the cat... I’m a cat now, so I definitely shouldn't go looking for death.]

Suppressing her curiosity about those doors, Phyllis decided to look for more practical exits. Soon, she arrived at a spacious area. 

It appeared to be a grand hall. In the very center of the hall hung a massive portrait. 

Phyllis stared at the portrait for a moment. She realized the painting was the Portrait of Carola, depicting her dressed in a magnificent, dark red gown. 

Strangely, the version of her in the painting actually gave Phyllis a sense of... sanctity?

Phyllis frowned and took another look. 

There was definitely a sense of holiness, and it wasn't just due to the art style. Phyllis realized the cause: The Master-Servant Contract! Good grief, could this contract actually subtly alter one's consciousness? 

Phyllis once again felt grateful for the protection of the Cat God; thanks to it, her feelings would only escalate to a slight increase in favorability toward Carola, rather than falling into complete obsession.

How terrifying! She absolutely had to escape!

Phyllis noticed that the corridor on the other side of the hall wasn't a single path but split into two—left and right. 

[So, left or right?] Phyllis pondered for a moment before decisively choosing the left. It wasn't because of the "men to the left, women to the right" standard. 

It was because she felt the breath of a breeze coming from the left.

As she walked, Phyllis encountered the servant who had brought her food earlier. Right now, she was busy cleaning the castle. 

"Hi, Miss Servant? Meow?" Unfortunately, the servant acted as if she hadn't seen Phyllis at all. 

There was no reaction to the greeting. Like a pre-programmed robot, she simply continued with her tasks.

Phyllis shrugged; it seemed there was no breaking through to this servant. 

Phyllis stopped trying to communicate with the doll-like servant. She bypassed her and continued toward the source of the breeze. As Phyllis progressed, the scent of the wind became clearer, even carrying a hint of the fresh smell unique to plants. 

At the end of the corridor, a tall, double-winged wooden door appeared before her eyes. The door wasn't fully closed, leaving a narrow gap through which the cool breeze was trickling in. 

Phyllis placed her hand on the wooden door, and then she saw...

***

Meanwhile, in the deepest part of the castle, within a dimly lit yet exceptionally ornate hall, Carola leaned lazily against a high-backed chair upholstered in deep red velvet. 

On the dining table before her sat silver cutlery and a crystal goblet filled with a crimson liquid, but her attention was elsewhere.

To her right hovered an oval ice mirror with dark golden runes flowing along its edges. 

The surface of the mirror rippled like water, clearly displaying Phyllis at the end of the corridor—hand on the door, cautious yet expectant. 

Even the slight twitching of her cat ears was visible in vivid detail.

"How interesting..." Carola chuckled as she stood up and walked into her bedroom. 

A magnificent coffin sat within the room. 

She lay down gracefully inside, the corners of her mouth curling slightly before she closed her eyes. "See you tonight, little kitty~"

Dawn had broken; it was time for her to sleep.