Chapter 2: What Did You Put in the rice?!

The singing stopped, leaving only the sound of two people’s ragged breathing in the room.

Lynn felt his throat going dry; singing that lullaby — which only existed in the background lore — had exhausted nearly all of his mental energy.

He didn’t dare move, nor did he even dare look at Alicia’s expression.

He could only stare intently at the bright red **[Blackening Value: 80%]** in his field of vision.

This number was like a Sword of Damocles hanging over his head, liable to skyrocket again at any moment.

“…”

Alicia finally spoke, her voice thick with a nasally tone, like a kitten soaked by the rain.

“I fell asleep.”

She slowly raised her head.

Her beautiful blue eyes shimmered with tears, and her face still held a trace of the confusion and flush of someone who had just woken up.

She had actually fallen asleep while holding his hand and leaning against the edge of the bed.

Lynn only then noticed that there were faint dark circles under her eyes, and her originally flawless face showed a hint of exhaustion.

When she said she hadn’t closed her eyes for three days, she was telling the truth.

“It’s good to sleep for a bit.”

Lynn maintained his gentle persona, using his free right hand to tentatively stroke her golden hair.

Her hair was soft and felt wonderful to the touch.

Alicia’s body trembled slightly, but she didn’t pull away.

She even proactively leaned into Lynn’s palm, as if seeking warmth.

**[Blackening Value: 79%]**

It dropped a little more.

Lynn felt slightly relieved; it seemed this “soothing” physical contact was an effective maneuver.

But in the next second, his stomach let out an untimely growl.

Lynn’s movements froze.

Alicia heard it too.

She was stunned for a moment, and then a look of self-reproach appeared on her face.

“It’s all my fault,” she said, hurriedly standing up.

“You must be hungry. As your Exclusive Attendant, I have actually committed such a failure of duty.”

Her emotions shifted extremely quickly.

One moment she was a vulnerable lamb, and the next, she had switched back to fanatic believer mode.

**[Blackening Value: 81%]**

The number jumped back up.

Lynn’s scalp tightened, and he immediately tried to fix it.

“It’s not your fault. It’s just that I woke up too suddenly.”

“No, it is my fault.”

Alicia’s attitude was exceptionally firm.

“Please wait a moment. I will immediately prepare the purest meal for you.”

With that, she lifted her skirt and walked quickly out of the room.

Before leaving, she didn’t forget to lock the heavy door from the outside, resulting in a dull click.

Only when he heard the lock did Lynn completely relax, collapsing onto the bed and gasping for air.

“This was too hard.”

Staying with a yandere whose Blackening Value was at 80% was like playing a bomb disposal game with a nuclear warhead that could explode at any moment.

Every word and every action had to be calculated for its consequences.

He looked around.

This was an extremely luxurious room, even more exquisite than the CG scenes he had seen when playing the game.

Ceiling murals, velvet carpets, and gilded, carved furniture all showcased the owner’s nobility.

But no matter how magnificent it was, this was still a cage.

He tried to struggle against the chains on his wrists again.

The chains were forged from a mixture of Fine Gold and Mythril.

Let alone an ordinary person like him, even a high-ranking knight from the game might not be able to break them.

A forceful breakout was a dead end.

The only way out was to use the “information gap” he possessed as a developer to continue providing “psychological therapy” to Alicia, lowering her Blackening Value to a relatively safe range, and then finding an opportunity to… escape.

Lynn knew very well that a yandere’s love could not be cured, only temporarily suppressed.

He had to escape back to the Novice Village of the game — Saint Peral Academy.

That was where the plot officially began.

With so many people around, no matter how powerful Alicia was, she couldn’t possibly keep him imprisoned in plain sight.

Furthermore, there was another “insurance” he had arranged at the academy.

While he was thinking of a countermeasure, the sound of the door lock turning rang out again.

Alicia walked in carrying a silver tray, a holy smile on her face.

An exquisite breakfast was placed on the tray: a cup of steaming milk, several slices of golden-brown toast, and a small bowl of oatmeal garnished with blueberries.

The aroma of the food made Lynn’s stomach growl even louder.

Alicia placed the tray on the bedside table and then sat elegantly on the edge of the bed.

She had no intention of unlocking Lynn’s chains.

She picked up the bowl of oatmeal, scooped some up with a silver spoon, blew on it gently, and then held it to Lynn’s lips.

“Come, let me feed you.”

Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if this were a most sacred ritual.

Lynn looked at the spoon held to his mouth, and for a moment, his brain stalled.

‘What is this? The “open your mouth and be fed” segment of a confinement play?’

He glanced at Alicia’s expression. It was a look mixed with piety, joy, and satisfaction.

**[Blackening Value: 80%]**

The value dropped a little more.

Lynn understood.

The act of “feeding” satisfied her desire for “care” and “dominance.”

This was a relatively harmless interaction that could lower the Blackening Value.

‘Although it’s embarrassing, to stay alive, it’s not beneath me.’

Lynn opened his mouth and ate the spoonful of oatmeal.

The taste was surprisingly good — sweet but not cloying.

“Is it good?”

Alicia’s eyes were bright, like a child expecting praise.

“Yes, it’s delicious.”

Lynn nodded sincerely.

Alicia’s smile grew even more brilliant.

**[Blackening Value: 78%]**

‘It’s working!’

And so, with a submissive expression, Lynn was fed the entire breakfast by Alicia, one spoonful at a time.

He even drank all of the milk.

“Now that you’ve eaten your fill, I can rest easy.”

Alicia tidied up the tableware with satisfaction and used a handkerchief to carefully wipe a bit of milk from the corner of Lynn’s mouth.

Having done all this, she held Lynn’s hand again, seemingly planning to stay by his side forever.

Lynn knew his chance had come.

He couldn’t just sit and wait for death.

He had to take the initiative and secure a larger space for himself to move around.

“Alicia,” he spoke softly.

“Hmm?”

“I want to… go to the washroom,” Lynn said in a somewhat embarrassed tone.

Alicia’s smile froze.

The atmosphere in the room instantly became subtle.

**[Blackening Value: 85%]**

The number took a huge leap upward.

Lynn’s heart rose with it.

He knew he had touched a sensitive point.

In Alicia’s logic, a place like a “washroom” was full of “filth,” and letting him leave this “sacred” bed meant letting him out of her control.

“No.”

As expected, she refused, her tone icy.

“You cannot leave this place.”

“But…”

Lynn didn’t give up.

He had to twist Alicia’s logic and use her own spear to attack her shield.

“Alicia, you want me to remain pure forever, right?”

“Of course.”

“However, nature calls; it’s a physiological need. If I stay in bed all the time, my body will produce filth, and this bed will be defiled as well.”

Lynn’s tone was extremely sincere.

“At that time, I… will no longer be the perfect treasure in your eyes.”

These words were like a heavy blow, striking hard against Alicia’s heart.

A look of struggle appeared on her face.

**[Blackening Value: 88%]**

**[Blackening Value: 84%]**

**[Blackening Value: 89%]**

The Blackening Value fluctuated wildly like an EKG, showing the battle raging within her soul.

Having her most cherished treasure come into contact with a filthy place was something she could not endure.

However, she found it even more unacceptable to let the treasure itself become “unclean” because it couldn’t relieve itself.

It was a logical loop.

Lynn held his breath, waiting for her verdict.

After a long time, Alicia finally made up her mind.

“You are right.”

She stood up and pulled a small silver key from her bosom.

“I was inconsiderate. I should not let you be tainted by even a speck of filth.”

She walked to the head of the bed and used the key to unlock the chain on Lynn’s right wrist.

“Clatter.”

The chain fell onto the bed.

Lynn’s right hand was free.

He moved his somewhat numb wrist, a surge of wild joy rising in his heart.

‘It worked! This is the first step of the plan!’

However, before he could celebrate, he saw Alicia take that chain and walk toward his ankle.

“To prevent you from being attracted by other ‘things’ on your way to the washroom, I’ll have to trouble your foot for a moment.”

As she spoke, she revealed the same holy smile from before and firmly locked the cold chain around Lynn’s ankle.

The other end of the chain was still attached to the bedpost.

She had simply moved the lock from his hand to his foot.

The smile on Lynn’s face froze.