I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 84: Settling the Karma 2

“Red Riding Hood and Maria have returned, Mephisto.”

At Carol’s words, a man slowly emerged from the shadows.

He had the rough, intimidating look of a thug.

With a sly grin, he greeted Carol.

“...Hey, Carol. How have you been?”

“...”

Despite the casual familiarity in his greeting, Carol remained silent.

Her cold gaze made it obvious how she felt about him.

“Oh? Are you mad?”

When Mephisto asked that, Carol nodded honestly.

Yes, she was angry.

Mephistopheles' attitude toward Alice must have hurt her.

“A little. Why did you say such cruel things to Alice?”

“You’ve grown, Carol. To think you’d even question me like this.”

Instead of answering, Carol snapped at Mephistopheles, who was clearly mocking her.

“And if you were going to help, you should have done it properly. Saving her in a crisis isn’t enough. You just abandoned her afterward. If Alice hadn’t regained her strength...”

“Enough.”

Mephisto cut Carol off.

He shook his head, muttering something misogynistic about how she nagged more now that she was a woman.

Mephistopheles was not the kind of demon with enough patience to tolerate such complaints.

“First, cruel words? I simply stated the truth. If Alice can’t even take down a Dominator, she has no value.”

Carol frowned, snapping back.

“And yet, didn’t you use that precious power of Oz? That means Alice is important to you.”

The Machine God was one of the most powerful Dominators, capable of destroying entire worlds.

Transforming it into mere gears must have come at an unimaginable cost.

Pinocchio’s Scale was merely a tool—if the proper price wasn’t paid, it wouldn’t even activate.

Alice had been marked as the payment, but had she truly been used as compensation, she would have been, at best, permanently crippled.

At worst, she could have ceased to exist entirely.

Yet not even a single strand of Alice’s hair had been lost. The reason was simple—Mephistopheles had used the power of Oz, which he had been carefully preserving, to pay the price instead.

If used properly, the power of Oz could grant nearly any wish one could imagine.

To consume such a nearly omnipotent force was a significant loss for Mephisto.

And summoning Oz again would not be an easy task.

‘There is a loophole using Dorothy, but if I resort to that... the world will already be doomed by then.’

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“Of course she’s important. That’s why I used Oz’s power to give her another chance. But if Alice fails to fulfill her role, I’ll discard her without hesitation. Does that answer your question, Carol?”

“...”

“You don’t look satisfied.”

“Ugh?!”

With just a flick of Mephisto’s fingers, Carol clutched her chest, gasping.

Do all demons need a clear hierarchy before they can even have a conversation?

As Carol grimaced in pain, Mephisto continued.

“Alice had her power stolen and could have died.

But preventing that before it happens—that was your job.

I took in your wandering soul because I thought you would handle Alice better than anyone else.

But the way you’re speaking, it sounds like you think I am the only one responsible.”

“...”

“You seem very attached to her.

I suggest you rein it in.

I’m being tolerant for now.

But there are things that still bother me.

For example, Alice staying with those kids—that was never part of the plan.”

With those words, Mephisto released the pressure on Carol’s heart. She barely managed to steady herself before speaking.

“Because of that... Alice was able to regain her strength. She might even be stronger now.”

“Fantastic! That is, if we ignore the fact that she lost her power in the first place because of those kids.”

“...”

“‘Alice’ is just a stepping stone. Remember that.

Don’t you want to see the real Alice Liddell, not this fake?”

Carol reluctantly answered.

“...I understand.”

“Good! Keep up the hard work.

Seems like those idiot human higher-ups are scheming something.

If you end up facing disciplinary action, I might be willing to step in.”

“Yes.”

At Carol’s response, Mephistopheles strode out the door without hesitation.

By the time his figure completely disappeared, the agents sent by the Organization’s upper ranks arrived.

This was the price for summoning Peter Pan on her own authority.

Carol had already received multiple warnings before.

This time, she might not be able to avoid punishment.

Yet, even as she was taken away by the agents, her eyes weren’t filled with fear, but determination.

‘Mephistopheles... not everything will go as you planned.

That was true in the past, and it’s true now.

Without the power of Oz, you can’t control every variable.’

‘You think you understand me?

You believe you’ve seen through me and have trapped me with your temptations.

But you don’t understand my ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) love at all.

And you don’t realize that people can change.

That ignorance will be the crucial factor in unraveling this incomplete world you’ve created.’

-----

The day I agreed to grant Eun-jung’s request.

She told me what she wanted.

A one-day free Alice-use pass.

I swallowed nervously.

Eun-jung was, in many ways, the most ruthless of the kids.

She was definitely going to make me do something ridiculous.

“...”

Standing in front of Eun-jung’s house, I hesitated for a moment.

I recalled all the absurd things she had done to me before.

Back when I was still Ella, she had been a cute child who followed me around despite being scared of me.

But over time, she started revealing her true nature.

She had rubbed her face against my chest, tickled me, sniffed me, called me “Mom,” acted spoiled, treated me like a doll... fed me spicy food...

"Haah..."

I sighed and knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock...

Inside, I heard hurried footsteps running toward the door.

The door flew open.

It was Eun-jung.

Her eyes sparkled as she grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.

I followed her without much resistance.

She looked at me with excitement.

It was overwhelming, so I avoided her gaze.

Just what kind of ridiculous request was she planning to make?

“You’re here, Alice! Today is a very special day! My parents aren’t home! It’ll be just the two of us, all day long!”

...To me, it sounded like a death sentence.

I tried to keep my expression neutral.

“I-I see. Are you happy about that?”

“Normally, I’d be lonely when Mom and Dad are busy.

But since you’re here, I’m happy!”

So her parents both worked.

That explained a lot.

Eun-jung being an only child... of course she’d get lonely.

Maybe the reason she made so many friends outside of the club—unlike Ha-rim, who stuck to her small circle—was her own way of dealing with that loneliness.

“Well... what do you want to do first?”

“First—!”

A little while later.

I was wearing an apron.

And cooking.

The menu? A variety of simple meals, mostly the kind you’d make while living alone.

I wasn’t a skilled chef, so fancy dishes were out of the question.

“...”

—She asked me to cook for her...

Well. At least it was a normal request.

“Food~! I’m hungry!”

“I heard you...”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I set the food down in front of Eun-jung, who had been eagerly urging me to hurry.

Noticing a few bills tucked away at the corner of the table, I realized that if I hadn’t come, she would have had to order delivery for lunch.

Working parents and delivery food—an inseparable combination.

Yet, Eun-jung didn’t pick up her utensils.

For a moment, I worried that she didn’t like the food.

But instead of complaining, she simply opened her mouth wide.

“Feed me.”

“...Alright.”

“Ah~mm.”

Eun-jung happily accepted the bite I gave her.

She had always enjoyed being spoiled, but for her to take it this far...

I feared what else she might come up with.

Still, seeing the genuine happiness on her face made me feel unexpectedly good as well.

“You keep acting spoiled like this, and your real mother might get jealous.”

“But sometimes, I want to be spoiled by my pretty mom too.”

...If her mother heard that, she would be heartbroken.

“And besides, my mom is always busy. Even if she wants to, she doesn’t always have time to dote on me.”

“I see.”

“That’s why I like you, Alice! You spoil me and you’re fun! Even if you don’t use that weird third-person speech anymore, I always liked you.”

...Third-person speech? She just dug up my darkest past.

It wasn’t like I wanted to talk like that.

I knew it was cringy, but once I started, I couldn’t just stop mid-way.

All I could do was force a stiff smile as a cold sweat formed on my back.

“Fufufu...”

After finishing her meal, Eun-jung—surprisingly—insisted on washing the dishes herself.

But since it was faster and more enjoyable to do it together, I helped her.

For some reason, washing dishes side by side felt... calming.

I hadn’t had many experiences like this, but back when I worked part-time, even when I was stuck with a coworker who didn’t like me, doing dishes together made the atmosphere a little less tense.

It was like no matter what was said, it could pass peacefully in that moment.

Carefully, I asked,

“Eun-jung... aren’t you curious about why I look like this now?”

“Hmm...”

Eun-jung hesitated for a moment.

Then she gave me an unexpected answer.

“I don’t want to ask.”

“Why? Are you trying to be considerate?”

“Yeah. I kind of get how Alice must be feeling. You’re still confused, aren’t you?”

She’s sharp at reading emotions.

Or maybe... I was unconsciously giving it away.

“...You’re not wrong. I’ve gotten used to this body, but there are still moments where I feel uneasy. How did you know?”

At my question, Eun-jung paused in her dishwashing and turned to look at me.

Her brown eyes met my blue ones.

For some reason, I felt like she could see right through me.

I found myself speechless, overwhelmed by a strange sensation.

“When someone changes—whether it’s themselves or someone else—it’s always confusing.

I can’t say I understand everything you feel, Alice.

But this? This is just natural.

That’s why I can tell.”

She knows because it’s obvious.

How interesting.

Eun-jung could say some surprisingly profound things.

A thought that seemed small but carried great meaning.

I wondered what kind of experiences had led a young girl like her to such conclusions.

Half out of admiration, half out of curiosity, I asked,

“How did you come to think that way?”

Eun-jung started explaining, her tone calm and steady.

“Well... you know this already, but I like being spoiled.

I was even more clingy when I was little.

At first, my mom would always indulge me.

But then she started working, and one day, without thinking, I acted spoiled when she was really busy.

She ended up letting out a frustrated sigh—without meaning to.”

“...That must have been confusing.”

A small thing, but to a child, even small wounds can cut deep.

Children grow up by stepping over such tiny pains.

But hearing them one by one makes my heart feel heavy.

Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

“Yeah. I was confused by how my mom changed.

After that, I stopped clinging to my parents.

Then my mom got confused by my sudden change.

She didn’t understand that I was trying to be considerate.”

“...”

Eun-jung kept looking at me.

Her story was over.

But it didn’t seem like she had brought it up just to vent.

If that were the case, she could have brushed it off casually.

There was another message hidden in her words.

But I couldn’t figure it out.

“Alice, do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“...I think...”

When I struggled to answer, Eun-jung smiled gently.

“I might have felt a little lonely.

But I still love my mom.

Because I love her, I didn’t cling to her.

And my mom works because she wants to take care of me properly.

To raise a child, you need money, after all.

Change is always confusing.

But Alice—

There’s only one way to make sure you don’t hurt each other in that confusion.

You have to love and trust each other.

I trusted my mom, so I didn’t get hurt.”

“...Ah.”

I was amazed.

She had faced her mother’s changed attitude without resentment and found her answer in trust and love.

I listened, completely captivated by her words.

“The reason Alice changed.

The reason you erased our memories.

I believe you did it because you love us.

So I won’t ask.”

“...!”

Warmth filled my chest.

So this was why she had been telling me all of this.

Of course—it had been Eun-jung who came up with the idea of easing my guilt first.

For a moment, she looked so precious—so dear—that she truly felt like my own child.

For just an instant, I even imagined her glowing.

I smiled as warmly as I could, giving her my absolute reassurance.

“Yeah. I love you all.”

After finishing the dishes, Eun-jung eagerly dragged me to her room.

She started rummaging through her toy box.

“It’s playtime!”

Watching her enthusiastically dig through the box, I couldn’t help but smile again.

“Alright. What do you want to play? I’ll do anything you want.”

“...Then let’s play with this! I love playing house.”

However, as soon as I saw what she pulled out, my face went rigid.

Eun-jung was way too old to be playing with that.

“E-Eun-jung... why do you still have that at your age?”

“Because you always spoil me, Alice! So today, I’ll be the one to spoil you.”

She wasn’t listening to me at all.

A cold chill ran down my spine.

Eun-jung slowly approached, holding what she called a “toy.”

It was not a toy.

“Today, I’m the mommy!”

“Stay back. Please put down that bottle and pacifier! And—diapers?! That’s too much!”

“This is love, Alice. I’ll cleanse all your guilt.

You won’t feel guilty anymore!

Now—! Come to Mommy, Alice~!”

“AAAAAAAH!”

I had learned an important lesson.

Sins should never be left to pile up.

Crucifixion would have been mentally easier than this.

Never... never again do I want to go through something like this.