NOVPUBApril 1st, Saturday.
Due to the adjustment for Qingming Festival, classes were still being held at school today.
The incident that just occurred had such a strong impact on me that I woke up completely even before washing my face.
After finally managing to get Serena out of the bathroom, I let out a weary sigh and made sure to lock the door behind me.
From now on, whether I'm washing up or using the bathroom, I have to remember to lock the door... Hmm, better lock the bedroom door and windows too, just in case.
Just as I was about to wash my face, I noticed a few things that sent a chill down my spine.
The toothbrush was missing, the towel was wet, and the cup was filled with water, as if someone had already used my toiletries before me... Could it be that something unholy has latched onto me?
Serena said she didn’t climb into my bed last night, and I’m sure she wasn’t lying.
Honestly, we siblings are not the kind to lie. We tend to speak frankly, so it’s even less likely that Serena would lie to her brother.
However, I definitely fell asleep holding someone... or something, last night. It wasn’t just a dream!
The stain on the bed sheet is undeniable evidence!
I’m definitely being haunted—either by a ghost or some other malevolent entity.
What repels ghosts again? Salt, garlic, crucifixes? No, wait, that’s for vampires... How do you deal with regular ghosts?
It seems that Eastern and Western methods of exorcising ghosts differ. Some use talismans soaked in rooster blood, while others use "scientific" ghost-hunting gadgets, but I have no idea if any of that nonsense actually works, and I’m not willing to try blindly. As for asking for help... Instead of turning to unreliable Taoist priests or ghost hunters, I’d rather find someone I can actually trust.
After dumping the mysterious liquid from the cup and rinsing both the toothbrush and the cup several times, I started brushing my teeth while thinking of a solution.
Suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind—someone I hadn’t seen in a while.
Lily isn’t just any ordinary person—she’s a succubus. She might know how to deal with these supernatural phenomena.
If it’s something unscientific, it should be handled by something equally unscientific. I’m sure Teacher Lily would be willing to help me.
And if she doesn’t... I’ll just order her to. Heh heh...
No, no, wait, why did my thoughts suddenly turn so wicked?
How could someone as upright as me use coercion?
Tsk, I must really be possessed—my thoughts are even turning evil. This isn’t good...
Shaking my head, I spat out the water and left the bathroom. After changing my clothes, I headed downstairs.
Although it was only six in the morning, there were already four people gathered in the living room.
Besides Serena, whom I had just sent away, there was Cora, Ms. Shirley, and a man...
As I was about to [N O V E L I G H T] approach them, Cora noticed me first, and with a radiant, sunny smile, she dashed over and jumped into my arms.
“Good morning, brother! Did you sleep well last night?”
Catching Cora and spinning around to steady her, I put her down and replied, “Oh, Cora, you’re up early today.”
“Yep, all thanks to Shirley~”
Ms. Shirley walked over, bowed slightly, and greeted me, “Good morning, Young Master Ethan. What would you like for breakfast today?”
“Anything’s fine... Hmm, how about a sandwich?”
Ms. Shirley gave a graceful smile, bowed slightly again, and went to prepare breakfast.
It’s true, when she’s dressed as a maid, her whole aura is entirely different from yesterday.
But today, Ms. Shirley’s maid outfit seemed a bit shorter than usual.
Her previous skirts usually reached below the knee, but today’s maid dress barely covered half of her knees.
It gave off a more lively and light-hearted impression than before.
Did she change skirts because the weather’s getting warmer? But altering just the skirt length feels a bit odd...
With Cora clinging to my arm, I walked to the dining table and sat next to Serena. The man sitting opposite me—my dad—looked up at me.
A man who appeared to be around forty, with nearly white hair and a forehead etched with wrinkles from years of hardship. Though his expression seemed somewhat weary, his eyes remained sharp and vibrant. Even while seated, he maintained a straight posture.
I remember when I was little, he always read the newspaper at this time, the paper covering his face, giving him an inexplicable sense of authority.
Recently, he’s switched to reading news on his smartphone. The imposing aura is gone, and it’s only now that I truly realize—this is my dad...
[Surgical Maestro]
Kevin An
Wow, I hadn’t seen him in a while, so I didn’t know his title. Now that I see it... I guess it makes sense. Just like Mom’s profession-related title, and equally dramatic.
Heh, in that sense, they really do make a good match.
“Yo, Dad, good morning.”
Yesterday, Ms. Shirley mentioned she had Dad’s permission, so it wasn’t just an excuse. It seems his work has finally eased up, allowing him to come home and rest.
“Oh, Ethan, good morning.”
“It’s surprising to see you have time to come back... What about Mom? Is she home?”
“She’s still sleeping. She got back around three in the morning. I finally caught a break, but she still has a lot to handle. No idea when it’ll be over... The number of injured is decreasing, but the number of corpses is increasing.”
I frowned upon hearing that—more corpses? I wanted to ask what was going on, but Cora spoke up before I could, her tone tinged with unease.
“Um... Dad, what’s going on?”
“Have you been following the news lately? It’s all over the place. Even the provincial secretary personally issued a warrant, offering a reward for any useful information.”
Dad handed me his smartphone, and Cora and Serena leaned in to read the news with me.
The headline read: “Worse Than Jack the Ripper? Seventh Dismembered Victim Found—The Madness Continues!”
The report detailed a recent series of murders—a killer targeting people at midnight, dismembering each victim in a grotesque way.
As I read, I couldn’t help but think of Lillian... Could it be... No, it can’t be her. She told me she’s never killed anyone, and I don’t think she lied. Plus, Lillian’s a perfectionist—she didn’t use any weapons when chasing me, only her hands.
I kept finding reasons to clear Lillian’s name, though I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to do so. Even though she almost killed me, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her...
The gloom in my heart didn’t fade... What if it really was her? Would I be able to turn her in?
I glanced at Ms. Shirley, who looked back at me. Noticing my concern, she gently shook her head and placed a hand on her chest, offering me a reassuring smile.
That meant it had nothing to do with Lillian. I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Brother?” Cora looked at me, tilting her head in confusion.
"I'm fine. But Dad, could it be that Mom’s been working overtime every day lately just to stitch together those corpses that have been turned into chunks of meat?"
I had initially thought it was just that the number of dead people had increased, but now it seems like it’s not that simple...
"Yes, she's the best suture technician in the city. Not only do the families of the deceased want her to restore the bodies, but the police also hope that she can help confirm the identities of the victims."
"Confirm their identities?"
"Yes, because they have no idea whether those 'body parts' scattered at the crime scenes even belong to 'one person.'"
Dad let out a heavy sigh and added, "This random killing spree actually involves more than seven victims. To be precise, there are only seven bodies that have been 'pieced together' so far, but there are countless other severed limbs and body parts. No one knows exactly how many people this killer or killers have murdered. It’s even possible that it’s a group of maniacs."
"Oh my god... Why haven't they made this public?!"
Cora clung to my arm nervously, her voice trembling as she cried out.
"Just announcing that there were seven victims has already caused an extremely negative impact. If they were to reveal this as well, it would incite mass panic. The police are currently going all out to track down the killer, but they still don't have any leads."
"Not a single clue?"
Serena didn’t show the slightest sign of fear. She asked calmly.
"Not for now... But there is a breakthrough. A victim who narrowly escaped death recently woke up. However, after suffering such intense trauma, their mental state is already shattered. I've arranged for Dr. He Mengyu from our hospital's psychiatric department to treat them. Maybe they can provide the police with some leads."
"Oh..."
I doubt it. Someone who survived that kind of blood-soaked hell must have completely lost their mind by now.
"In any case, you all need to be careful. Your school is likely to issue a notice soon to temporarily cancel night self-study sessions. After class, don’t wander around and go straight home. Understood?"
The three of us siblings answered in unison.
"Got it." x3
Dad nodded and continued, "And, Ethan, how’s your injury?"
It's rare for Dad to talk this much today. It seems he’s genuinely worried about us.
Although Dad is always working overtime, he still thinks about his family.
"Oh, it’s much better. It doesn’t even hurt when I turn over. Will the stitches be ready to come out in a few days?"
"Yes. Come to the hospital the day after tomorrow. I'll remove the stitches and change the bandages for you."
"Okay."
Lately, the wound has been itching, and I've been wanting to scratch it but holding back. If I can get the stitches removed and the bandages changed sooner, that would be perfect.
"Ethan."
Dad took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, hesitated for a moment, then asked.
"Is there something else?"
I bit into my sandwich as I asked.
"Answer me honestly. Have you run into any trouble lately?"
"Uh... Huh? Trouble?"
"That injury isn’t from a fall, is it? It looks like a cut from something sharp. Be honest. How did you really get hurt?"
So, he figured it out. Well, it would be strange if Dad, a surgeon, didn’t notice.
Hmm... How should I explain this?
Although I wasn’t attacked by that maniac in the news, getting scratched by a zombie isn’t something I can say either... Let’s go with this.
"I got hurt in a fight. Got slashed with a sharp object."
"Who was it?!" x2
Serena and Cora yelled simultaneously from both sides, making my ears ring.
Ugh, why are you two so worked up...
"It was a fight... There were so many people throwing punches and kicks everywhere. How could I possibly know who did it?"
Technically, it’s not a lie. It really was a fight, except it was a fight against a horde of zombies attacking Lillian and me. And those zombies didn’t have names.
Dad’s frown deepened, and he said gravely, "Anyway, you must be careful. Do not get involved in anything dangerous. No matter what goes wrong, you can always start over, but you only have one life."
"I know, Dad. If there’s anyone who understands that, it’s me. Don’t worry, I’m all about self-preservation."
"Good."
The morning conversation ended there, and we quietly resumed eating breakfast.
Dad remained silent as always, but why were Cora and Serena so unusually quiet too?
And Cora... Something about her felt... a bit scary. A dangerous aura seemed to emanate from her.
Is this what she’s like after revealing her scheming nature?
As for Serena, there was no need to mention it. The chill from her was like being pressed against a block of ice.
Feeling suffocated by the heavy atmosphere, I hurriedly stuffed the rest of my breakfast into my mouth and headed out the door ahead of everyone.
At the entrance, while tying my shoelaces, I spoke to Ms. Shirley.
"Shirley, you don’t need to come pick me up today."
"Do you have something important to attend to, Young Master?"
"Yeah, I need to go to the library. I have some business with Ms. Yang. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, so don’t trouble yourself."
"This isn’t right, Young Master Ethan. You heard what the Master said just now. It’s dangerous to go out alone at night. What if you run into that random killer?"
"I’ll be fine. I can run pretty fast."
Ms. Shirley closed her eyes and seemed to ponder for a moment. Then she opened them and said, "Alright, Young Master Ethan, please stand up for a moment."
"Huh? What’s wrong?"
Ms. Shirley stepped closer to me and cupped my face with her hands.
"U-uh, Ms. Shirley?"
"You will be safe today. Absolutely safe."
Her words felt like they carried some kind of magical power, sinking deep into my mind and giving me a strange sensation.
After saying what sounded more like a spell than a blessing, Ms. Shirley leaned in and kissed my forehead.
Huh?!
She pressed down firmly, even sucking a little, as if trying to leave a mark.
"Hehehe. Though it’s improper for a maid to do such a thing, if it’s an older sister, it’s perfectly normal to kiss her younger brother, right?"
"Ugh... I-I’m leaving now, Shirley..."
Under Shirley’s expectant gaze, I finally managed to force out the two words I hadn’t been able to say before.
"Sister..."
"Yes, yes. Be careful on your way~"
I covered my forehead and turned away, rushing out the door, afraid that Ms. Shirley would see my flushed face.
Ugh, no wonder Serena never called me 'Brother' in front of me before. I think I understand her feelings a little now... Is calling someone 'Sister' always this embarrassing?!
But... A maid sister...
For some reason, I feel a little... excited.
