Chapter 22

Fiona added book information to the activity report.

---

After heading to the commander's office and receiving her salary for the umpteenth time, Fiona returned to her room, sat on the sofa, and fell into deep thought.

She realized that even if she used this salary to thank Matthias, it wouldn't mean much because he usually gave her more than she could ever give back. After all, giving gifts or treating someone to a meal wouldn't be a significant thank you to someone who had much more money than her.

Still, she didn't want to do nothing. She wanted to thank him in a way that wasn't just through words or gifts. How could she make him happy?

"Is there anything I can do...?"

She thought about it for a while, but no good ideas came to mind. Since she wasn't getting anywhere, she decided to ask Muriel, who had known Matthias since they were children.

---

"– So, I'm trying to figure out what I can do to make him happy. Do you have any ideas?"

During lunch, Fiona explained her situation to Muriel, who was sitting next to her, and asked for advice.

"..."

Muriel, who had been listening while chewing her salad, swallowed and silently took another bite. She stared at Fiona while chewing.

(You don't need to think about it so much...)

If you just said "thank you" and hugged him, it would be enough. But if she said that, Fiona would either dismiss it or take it seriously, so Muriel didn't say anything.

What could make this dense girl happy and also make Matthias happy? Muriel kept chewing her salad while thinking.

"That's easy. Just say 'thank you' and hug him."

Luke, who was sitting in front of them, perked up and suggested, holding up his index finger. He seemed to have the same idea as Muriel.

"Luke, I'm seriously asking for advice, so please take it seriously."

"No, no, I'm being serious. He'll definitely be happy."

"I appreciate your concern, but that's not what I'm looking for."

"Why not?"

No matter how patiently Luke explained, Fiona wouldn't believe him.

(She's always so absent-minded, but why is she so stubborn about this...)

After much thought, Muriel had an idea.

"Okay, I'll tell you a special place that Matthias will love. It's –"

After making a suggestion and explaining the place, Fiona tilted her head in confusion.

"Will Matthias really be happy if I take him there?"

"Of course. He'll definitely love it! Absolutely!"

"Okay... If you say so, Muriel, it must be true. Okay..."

Fiona's expression was dark. She didn't really want to go, but if it would make Matthias happy, she was determined to push through her discomfort.

---

Two days later, after finishing dinner, Fiona and Matthias arrived at the outskirts of town in a shared carriage.

After getting off the carriage, they lit the lanterns they were carrying and walked into the dark forest.

There was no one else around. Ahead of them stood a solitary Western-style mansion, surrounded by graves. It had been abandoned for decades but was recently bought by an entrepreneur a year ago. Now, it was a popular dating spot known for its scary experiences.

"We should be there soon..."

Fiona had made a reservation at the town's ticket office, but this was her first time actually visiting. She was starting to worry if the place really existed.

"Where are we going, exactly?"

"It's a surprise. You'll definitely enjoy it, Matthias."

"I see?"

This must be a surprise. Fiona seemed determined to surprise him, so he decided not to push further.

"Want some candy?"

Matthias took out some candy from his pocket, which he had brought along for the trip. His pocket contained various other sweets, but of course, they were all for Fiona, not for himself.

"Wow, thank you."

Fiona smiled and took the candy, quickly putting it in her mouth.

When they reached the building, Fiona gasped. The cracked windows and ivy-covered walls of the mansion stood silently under the moonlight, surrounded by tombstones.

A tall, thin man in a black suit with a deep-brimmed hat stood next to the rusted metal-framed front door.

"Um... here..."

Fiona, trembling, handed the reservation ticket to the man. She had splurged on a private reservation, but she was already starting to regret it.

The man took the lantern from her, and the door creaked open on its own. After being ushered inside, the door slammed shut behind them, making Fiona jump.

They walked down a dimly lit corridor, guided only by the candles on the walls. The eerie silence was broken only by the sound of the wind. Fiona, holding onto Matthias's sleeve with her right hand, was already overwhelmed with fear.

Matthias, not understanding the situation, asked, "Fiona, why are we here? You seem to be afraid of such places."

"Well, I heard you wanted to come here..."

"??"

Matthias tilted his head, confused. He had never said or even thought about wanting to come here. But since she had brought him here to thank him, he decided to go along with it to avoid hurting her feelings.

"I appreciate it. But you don't have to push yourself. Let's turn back."

"It's... it's okay. I'm not scared at all because I'm with Matthias – ah!"

She tried to be brave, but a pale, ghostly figure appeared in front of her, and she clung tightly to Matthias's arm, trembling.

"Ugh... Actually, I am a bit scared, but I don't want to turn back. I want Matthias to have a lot of fun."

Despite being on the verge of tears, she was trying her best for him. Matthias was touched by her earnestness. The warmth of her body against his arm was comforting.

Feeling sorry for her, he found this moment of her clinging to him to be incredibly blissful. Even the dust floating in the eerie, dim corridor seemed to sparkle.

"Ah!"

A loud noise came from a room nearby. Fiona clung even tighter to Matthias.

"Whoa!"

A drop of water fell from above onto her neck, making her shiver. She could faintly hear a woman's laughter from behind.

"Ah, ah, ah..."

Various scary phenomena, all designed to frighten visitors, were happening. Fiona, of course, didn't realize they were all staged and was genuinely terrified.

As they climbed the stairs and walked down the second floor, Fiona reached her limit.

She sat down in the corridor, covering her ears. Seeing her tearful, huddled form, Matthias decided it was time to leave. He decided to carry her out through a nearby window.

"I'm already satisfied. Let's leave. I'm sorry for making you do this."

He squatted next to her and spoke, but at that moment, the eerie laughter that had been heard from the first floor came from her right.

"Aaaaah, it's chasing us!"

"Ugh!"

In a panic, Fiona hugged Matthias tightly. He almost fell backward but managed to catch himself at the last moment.

"It's... it's coming... something is crawling...!"

Fiona whispered in a trembling voice.

──It's okay. It's just a sound; nothing is actually coming.

He wanted to reassure her, but he couldn't speak because her soft, plump cheek was pressed against his face, blocking his mouth.

He could barely breathe through his nose, and his rationality was about to snap. He struggled to hold on.

---

The next day, Fiona ran into Luke on the stairs while heading to the dining hall.

"Hey, how was last night?"

"Good morning. I wanted him to have fun, but it was too scary, and I ended up being a bother."

Fiona looked downcast. Although Matthias had thanked her and said he had fun on the way back, she felt she had been in the way and hadn't let him enjoy it much.

Luke laughed brightly after hearing her story.

"No, no, he definitely had fun, I'm sure of it."

"I hope so... Thanks, Luke."

Fiona thought Luke was just trying to comfort her, as usual.

At the entrance to the dining hall, Matthias and Muriel were chatting, waiting for Fiona.

"How was it? I hope it went as I expected."

"Yeah... So, this was your idea, huh? I think it went mostly as you expected, but please don't suggest anything that will scare her again."

Muriel looked down, her eyebrows drooping.

"Okay, I'm sorry."

She had suggested the place thinking it would help their relationship, but she realized it was wrong to suggest something Fiona was clearly uncomfortable with.

(But... I think they should just get together already...)

Watching Fiona, who was blushing and running to Matthias, Muriel sighed, a habit that was becoming more frequent.