The Scream House’s Spectral Request

“Milady…”

“Hmm? What is it, Eileen?”

I turned my head. Eileen was staring at me with her large, watery eyes.

“Um… can we… can we not go in?”

“Ugh…”

Her sweet voice, combined with that pitiful expression, felt like a critical blow to my heart.

I instinctively clutched my chest.

“Milady? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine… for now.”

‘But another moment like that, and I might not be.’

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to appear calm.

“Ahem… as much as I’d love to agree with you, Eileen, if we don’t go in, we have no other choice.”

Turning back would only lead us to the mirror maze, and there was no exit there either.

Breaking through this glass corridor was also impossible; our path was already set in stone.

“Mmm…”

Eileen fell into a dilemma, clearly understanding that we had no retreat.

“Don’t worry, Eileen. I’m with you, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

I stroked her small head, comforting her just as she used to comfort me.

“Mm…”

Under my soothing touch, Eileen visibly calmed.

“What kind of amusement park is this, where there’s no fun to be had?”

She even had the leisure to grumble.

“It’s time. Let’s go in.”

“Eek!?”

Eileen suddenly shrieked, interrupting me.

“M-Milady, did that skull just turn its head to look at us?”

Hearing Eileen, I glanced at the pirate-like skeleton standing guard. It was indeed tilting its head, watching us.

For some reason, it was adorned with numerous gold and silver ornaments, giving it a rather imposing look.

‘But I hadn’t noticed it turn its head at all. Hadn’t it been looking our way the entire time?’

To confirm, I moved back a little, away from the skull’s direct line of sight, but it didn’t turn its head.

I looked at Eileen, wiping away the tears on her face.

Perhaps because she had turned into a child, Eileen’s tear ducts had become looser; large tears were already streaming down her face.

“Are you sure it wasn’t just your imagination, Eileen?”

“But I definitely saw it…”

“But… it isn’t moving now.”

“Mmm…”

“Don’t worry. Even if there are ghosts or monsters, I’ll chase them away for you.”

“Okay… then I guess I just scared myself…”

Eileen said nothing more, and we could finally enter.

However…

“Click-clack…”

At the very moment we stepped inside, I failed to notice the skull eerily turn its head, silently watching us enter the house.

The Scream House, I had to admit, was quite well-made.

The interior was pitch black, with only a few flickering blue flames providing light.

Despite being a sealed environment, chilling drafts constantly swept from behind us, and the ground was nothing but puddles. In the dimness, bizarre creatures would occasionally leap out.

“Aaaahhhhhh!!!”

Just then, a zombie-like figure suddenly sprang out beside us. Its body was gaunt, its face emaciated, and one eyeball even dangled from its face.

It stretched out a hand, attempting to touch Eileen. How could I possibly let it succeed?

‘Even a zombie is not permitted to casually touch my Eileen!’

Before it could reach Eileen, I seized its wrist.

Yet, before I could even shake it off, its wrist crumbled directly in my grasp.

‘But I hadn’t even used any force!’

With its wrist crushed, the zombie lost all vitality, collapsing to the ground and shattering into pieces upon impact.

‘Was it… a little too fragile?’

Well, despite their fragility, these props were certainly far more advanced than Margaret’s little trinkets.

Besides these zombies, there were also ghosts, skeletons, and the like along the way. No wonder Eileen was so scared.

Of course, all those ghoulish figures were ‘chased away’ by me (physically).

Perhaps my actions were deemed defensive, as my attacks on these entities were not blocked.

‘Honestly, I had genuinely held back, but they still crumbled at a touch.’

Since entering the Scream House, Eileen had been much the same, clinging to me the entire time, trembling like a newborn fawn.

She genuinely feared these spectral horrors.

And whenever she felt afraid, my soft, petite, and adorable Eileen would clutch me even tighter.

‘What an adorable little thing! I just want to gobble her up!’

‘Ah, pure bliss!’

Unlike the previous test of courage event, where Eileen possessed a mature beauty that constantly stirred one’s desires, in her current child-like state, she appeared even more pitiful and adorable. Her moist eyes constantly stirred my maternal instincts, making me instinctively want to hold and protect her. Yet, at the same time, she exuded a strange and forbidden allure.

In short, she was utterly adorable.

‘Ahem, but I’m getting sidetracked.’

Perhaps sensing Eileen’s fear, the ghouls of the Scream House always seemed to target her, terrifying her greatly, making her cling to me like a koala.

I, in turn, played the role of her chivalrous protector, helping Eileen chase away the demons and specters along the way.

We would likely continue in this manner until we reached the very end of the Scream House.

“Well hello there, young ladies!”

Just as I was thinking this, something addressed us.

“Waaahhhhhhh—!”

As we turned our gaze towards the source, Eileen immediately let out an unprecedented shriek.

The reason was simple.

The one who addressed us was a green spectral entity. Its entire body was translucent, and its face somewhat indistinct, yet it sported a bushy beard that covered the lower half of its face. But its most distinctive feature, without a doubt, was the captain’s hat perched on his head.

“Young ladies, please halt! I am Captain Roger, and I have a favor to ask.”

‘A request for help right off the bat?’

But before that…

“You scared Eileen. Apologize to her, now.”

“Uh… but I’m a ghost, you know? While I didn’t mean to scare you, isn’t this just force majeure…?”

“But you scared Eileen. Apologize, now.”

‘Oh, this…’

After scratching its head, it actually obediently bowed its head and apologized.

“My apologies, young lady, I frightened you.”

After its apology, Eileen was clearly less frightened.

“Alright… I’ll forgive you on Eileen’s behalf. Now, tell us, what do you need our help with?”

“Hmm… it’s nothing difficult. I just hope the two of you can help me recover a pendant.”

Saying this, it gazed into the air, seemingly lost in recollection.

“It was a gift from my deceased wife… but during a voyage, I encountered pirates, and they stole it. I hope you two can help me retrieve it. As for remuneration…”

It produced a smiley sticker. ‘Isn’t that a [Joyful Sticker]?’

“This is all the worldly possessions I have left. If the two of you don’t mind…”

It seemed the key to passing this stage was to help it retrieve the pendant.

“We can certainly help you. But… what does your pendant look like?”

“Uh…”

The ghost captain averted its gaze.

‘Could it be…?’

“You don’t remember what the pendant looks like?”

“Eheh~”

It stuck out its tongue, attempting to bluff its way through.

‘You’re a grown man, and a ghost at that! Stop acting like a fool!’