“Mary. So this world has been repeating endlessly?”

Summer posed a question. When Summer entered this world, the female and male protagonists were right at the beginning of the original story.

But if the god had abandoned the world due to completion and only recently started caring for it again.

There was a high possibility it had repeated. The beginning and end of the original work.

“No. It didn’t repeat.”

“Really? Then,”

“It stopped.”

“…What?”

It stopped, she said. Then this world might be more terrible than Summer thought. Doesn’t that mean it could stop at any time?

If the creator was the author who wrote this book, it meant that if the author lost interest, this world would just stop and slowly disappear.

“Literally, the world stopped. At that point. Then suddenly the world started moving again three months before you entered this world, miss.”

“Mary. You… How did you spend that long time?”

“Going mad. Like you are now, miss.”

Contrary to the content of her words, Mary’s tone was calm.

That time was too cruel for Mary. The world stopped and people turned to stone.

The flow of air, even the sky stopped.

Unfortunately, it happened in the middle of the night, so the world remained in darkness for a very long time.

And unluckily, Mary, who was aware of souls during that time, had to witness that world in its entirety.

She wanted to cry but couldn’t shed tears, wanted to move but her body wouldn’t move like stone. It felt like her body wasn’t her own.

When she had forgotten how much time had passed like that, suddenly the world became lively and started moving vigorously.

“Miss. Did I tell you before?”

“What?”

Summer’s eyes widened. Mary stared at Summer quietly with a faint smile.

Her body, moving against her will, worked all day cleaning and scrubbing the mansion like a puppet being controlled by someone.

That’s why Mary could never forget.

‘Hey. What’s your name?’

That moment when the beautiful black-haired miss spoke to her in front of the blooming garden.

The refreshing feeling that followed the sensation of someone distorting her body with burning pain.

Mary knew. That she had gained freedom. That’s why on that day, Mary smiled brightly and said to Summer.

‘Miss, my name is Mary.’

Of course, the miss was horrified. But for Mary, that day was the day she met God and the day she was saved.

It was the moment a warm ray of light seeped into a world of darkness.

“You are my savior, miss. So even if you find me horrible, I worship you.”

“…”

Summer was at a loss for words at that enormous emotion. Guilt and burden made Summer stiffen.

“I don’t want anything from you, miss. Just listen to my request.”

“I’m sorry, Mary. For… finding you unpleasant at first.”

“I’ve forgotten all about that.”

At Mary’s light response, Summer lowered her gaze.

Since falling into this world, Summer had been thinking only about Julian. Because he was the protagonist.

But just because someone was a minor character didn’t mean their life was simple.

Being a protagonist didn’t mean they had more extraordinary ups and downs in life than others. Everyone lives like that.

If she had paid attention to Mary and Daisy earlier, maybe she would have heard these stories a little sooner.

Then perhaps this bizarre Lindsey mansion would have changed into a somewhat better place earlier, who knows.

“Well then, miss. Let’s do it right away.”

Mary neatly packed up the items she had spread out for the picnic.

“Huh? Now?”

“Yes. We should strike while the iron is hot.”

As Summer instinctively pulled back, Daisy and Mary, after exchanging glances, grabbed Summer’s arms and lifted her up.

“A person’s resolve is strongest at the moment of decision. Come on.”

The picnic was over.

She had wanted to say a pleasant goodbye while eating delicious food in a pretty scenery, but how did things end up like this?

Clearly the plan had gone awry, but Summer felt strangely not bad about it.

Entering the mansion, Summer didn’t find the egg ghost-like appearance of the servants particularly unpleasant. A little burdensome, but still.

“By the way, Mary. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?”

“Because you were only thinking about leaving.”

There was no resentment in Mary’s voice. But Summer felt a prickling in her chest and quietly averted her gaze.

“If God doesn’t look after us, we have to look after ourselves. Miss, your face is so pale right now.”

“I’m, a bit nervous.”

Mary, who had been speaking, was startled and placed her hand on Summer’s forehead.

Her face was excessively cold. Beads of cold sweat could be seen trickling down Summer’s neck.

Summer answered in a shrinking voice and blinked her dizzy eyes.

“Then shall we rest a bit, have a meal, and try after that?”

Summer nodded slightly at Mary’s suggestion.

We. That included Summer too. A strange sense of solidarity enveloped them.

Summer first took a little rest to calm her pale complexion.

“Miss. I think autumn is coming! The sky is so clear.”

“You’re right.”

“Summer is hot, but I like that intense feeling of burning up, so it’s a shame.”

“Well. I don’t really like the heat.”

Daisy kept chattering cheerfully next to Summer, while Mary went down first, saying she would prepare the meal.

As the sun was setting, Summer went down to the dining room with Daisy.

Summer was quite excited.

She always had to eat alone in her room or with the Lindsey Count and Countess who only repeated the same words like parrots.

Today, only Mary, Daisy, and Summer were in the dining room.

It felt strange to have just the three of them in the huge dining room.

“Here you go.”

“Mary. How are you so good at cooking too?”

Mary was surprisingly good at cooking.

Summer exclaimed in admiration at the delicious-looking stew.

“You’ll probably be disgusted if I say this again, but I do my best every moment hoping that you’ll settle down and live in this world.”

“…That again.”

“I knew you’d say that.”

Mary retorted lightly as she pulled up a chair and sat down.

Summer let out a soft laugh and took a big spoonful of stew.

It was warm and delicious. Enough to forget everything for a moment.

As the sun began to set and the servants were busiest wrapping up their daily tasks.

Summer stood firmly in the middle of the corridor with a solemn face.

Faint and somewhat bizarre shapes passed by Summer’s side, clattering with cleaning tools or luggage.

“M-Mary. Don’t run away.”

“I’ll go with you even to hell, so don’t worry.”

Extremely tense, Summer tightly grasped Mary’s arm standing next to her. She couldn’t help feeling a little scared.

The faceless maids were still moving energetically and busily.

They all looked exactly the same, so it was impossible to tell who was who or what they looked like.

“Were there this many?”

“Miss. It will take quite some time to bring out all these people.”

“W-wait…”

Summer approached hesitantly. But they didn’t seem to recognize Summer, still moving like puppets.

“Um, you there.”

“…”

After hesitating for a long time, Summer finally approached a group of maids, pushed along by Mary.

“Hello.”

The maids didn’t even see Summer.

Of course not, since they had no eyes, nose, or mouth.

Summer tentatively took the hand of one of the maids.

It was as cold as a corpse, and she nearly screamed and threw the hand away.

Her mouth went dry and her hands were clammy with sweat. Summer trembled with an obviously nervous expression.

“What should I do. My mind is blank right now.”

Summer turned to Mary with a tearful face.

“Just try to imagine. What would she look like, what would her name be? What kind of personality would she have?”

Seeing Mary’s calm and composed face, some of the tension eased.

“Lia.”

Summer opened her mouth courageously.

“Lia.”

“…”

Is this not right? Summer closed her eyes and tried to imagine Lia’s face in her mind.

When the image of a thin, pretty, cheerful and diligent person came to mind, it happened.

“Miss?”

Summer’s eyes flew open at the unfamiliar voice.

The first thing she saw was Lia, exactly as she had imagined.

“Lia.”

Summer murmured as if in a dream. It was an indescribable feeling.

The person she had brought out. Summer felt like she had become Pygmalion, the sculptor who fell in love with his statue.

“Yes, miss. Do you need anything?”

“No, it’s alright.”

Belated excitement and joy rushed in.

With a flushed face, Summer quickly grabbed Mary’s arm and fled to her room.

As soon as she slammed the door shut, Summer turned and grabbed Mary’s shoulders, unable to contain her excitement.

“Did you see, Mary? I did it! I succeeded!”

“I saw.”

Unlike the bouncing Summer, Mary was calm. As if she had expected this.

“Oh my goodness. I, I brought her out!”

“Congratulations. It’s become harder for you to return to the original world now.”

“What do you mean? Why?”

“Because if you go back, we will cease to exist. And knowing your personality, miss, you won’t easily let us disappear.”

“Isn’t there another way? No matter what, I’m not really a god, so it’s strange that you would cease to exist just because I disappear.”

As if doused with cold water, Summer quickly calmed down.

Summer hadn’t been very interested in the world after her return. She just thought it would carry on somehow.

But if there were beings that would disappear along with her when she left this world.

The weight changes.

“I said I brought them out, didn’t I? Bringing out is also creation. Like a sculptor drawing out a soul from ivory. I want you to stay here longer, miss.”

“You’ll cease to exist without me. That’s too much… Are you trying to stop me to prevent your own disappearance?”

“No. Actually, I don’t mind ceasing to exist. Meeting you was fortunate, and I don’t wish for anything more.”

“What do you…”

“The reason I told you I want you to live in this world is different. Unlike the god who first created us, you are a being who can give a soul to each and every person.”

“That I have such meaning to you. But I’m just… a student studying for the civil service exam in a tiny room. I’m nothing.”

The hands that had been holding Mary’s shoulders slowly fell.

Summer retreated hesitantly from Mary. Mary just stared silently at Summer.

“Miss. Why do you think of yourself that way?”

“It’s not that I think that way, but the world thinks of me that way! That’s just the reality, what can I do about it? Don’t say such things when you don’t know anything about me!”

Summer shouted and lashed out at Mary’s words. You don’t know anything!

Even in this cursed world, Summer couldn’t approach the main events.

An invisible barrier existed as if to say that a minor character like her didn’t belong here.

Mary’s words evaluating her highly made Summer uncomfortable.

She wasn’t that kind of person at all. She got angry, wondering if Mary had false expectations of her.

In truth, she was scared. Scared of not living up to their expectations.

If you have false hope from empty praise and expectations, only to be disappointed, that hurts more.

“Miss.”

“Sob, I’m sure I’ll end up disappointing again… Then I’ll hate myself unbearably…”

Summer buried her face in her hands. I hate this. I hate myself like this.