Damien is Dead
Remaining Life Span (1/9)
Player Life span has been reduced.
Warning: If more than 9 deaths occur after the 1st, the player dies permanently.
Misc: Eliminate the Killer.
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Eight more tries, I had. A little scared, I was.
The white screen vanished as my vision returned. The maid routinely opened the curtains and dressed me.
My thoughts went astray as I asked myself, pondering the logic behind it all.
Someone who knows the hidden doorway was near the food served to the family member. Who could it have been?
The people capable of such a thing, perhaps the cook? Of course, he is the one who prepares the food, but he wouldn't be so knowledgeable about the manor. It must be someone else. The servants who serve are in the same position; they were near the food, but there is no concrete evidence to implicate them...
I sighed in frustration.
In a single day, it was impossible to figure out who the killer was, let alone stop them.
Suddenly, my intuition spoke up.
What about the butler?
He hates me too, knows all about the manor, and controls the servants. He could easily poison me and pin the blame on someone else.
If the cook or servant tried to poison me, they'd definitely get caught, so it would be foolish for them to even consider it. An outsider disguised as a servant might have a better chance, but they are meticulously selected by the head butler himself.
Their background check is conducted, and even the father is informed about this. If not, the brother is also notified about the employees. If there were a suspicious individual, they wouldn't have been hired in the first place. This is clearly an insider job.
I am certain.
I stepped out of the room, walked down the familiar hall, and stood at the very spot where I had died yesterday, or so it seemed. The same day was repeating itself here.
Countless thoughts flooded my mind. Where was hope? I wondered. "I am lost," I whispered to myself.
But this wasn't the time for despair, I needed answers.
Slowly, I stood and made my way to my brother's study. He wasn't there; he was away. But it wasn't him I sought.
The head butler, who now took reports in my brother's absence, was also nowhere to be found. The room stood empty.
I began searching for clues, desperate to uncover the reason for his desire for murder.
After rummaging through the study, I finally stumbled upon something, a hint.
A book with a handwritten title: "Metrum Vesaniae."
The content was handwritten too, with some pages left blank, perhaps for future entries. As I flipped through its pages, I realized it was a diary. He had poured his days and inner thoughts into this book.
There were some pages mentioning my name, so I looked through them, curiously skimming through some.
23rd March 1894.
Martha Ferris came to seek my help. She wants me to help her call off her engagement with Damien Goldsworth. Why me, I wonder? I am just a humble butler.
......
31st March 1894.
I lost a game of poker in the den...
Angry and frustrated, I visited the opium den of Wester Borough to calm down.
2nd May, 1894.
The Ferris daughter came again, requesting my assistance. I humbly declined her...
Why does she think I can be of help? I am just a butler. I didn't even listen to her request; doing so might betray the family.
3rd May, 1894.
The Ferris daughter handed me the manor layout. To my surprise, there is a hidden doorway connecting the hallway from Master Damien's room to the garden balcony.
I asked how she obtained such a detailed manor layout.
She didn't answer, as I had predicted.
But what she said next scared me.
She wants me to kill Master Damien before the 10th of May.
She left without saying much after that. I questioned her, trying to understand her motive and hatred for Master Damien, but her answers were unsatisfactory.
But one thing bugs me the most...
Why does she think I will not report this to my master?
I can leave the matter for another day and see if there is some benefit or reason for this... For one, Damien is not that hard to kill.
Who knows what Ferris is planning...
6th May 1894.
I knew it, that damn woman is onto something...
She knows about the embezzlement. She is blackmailing me over it...
I have to visit the opium den again. I need to relieve myself.
8th May 1894.
Master Damien's maid caught me visiting a brothel.
She is blackmailing me, demanding a raise in her wages.
It's clear she won't keep this to herself; nothing stays secret among the maids. I need to figure something out. I cannot give in to her demands.
9th May 1894.
Tomorrow, I will fulfill Ferris's request. I have no other choice. If I don't, I risk imprisonment, and my family will be ruined, my son and I will never find work again.
Master Damien has lived a life of neglect. I feel sorry for him. I once hoped he would change as he grew older, but it seems that may never happen.
Sorry Master Damien.
...
---
So, it was the butler in the end. My guess was right, I thought to myself. Finally solving the mystery, I felt a glimmer of hope.
I started analyzing the past incident and the diary entries to develop a conclusive plan.
The ink looked fresh enough to have been written the previous night; the butler seems to write his diary at night.
The butler switched to poison at the last second, according to the diary monologue, he didn't prepare.
He knew my plans for the day, of course, but the murder was impulsive.
This will make it easy for me to set up a trap.
Even if I use the gunpowder, the smell won't matter. The plan is carried out without proper preparation or a thorough site check. He wouldn't even notice them, as his focus on executing me will consume enough of his attention to overlook everything else.
I felt relieved when I figured it out.
But was I right?