Semua Bab I Faked My Infection To Survive the Manor: Bab 1 - Bab 10

That evening, I stood outside Veronica Vanderhorn’s door with her dinner on a silver tray.I paused for a few seconds, taking a deep breath. Walking on eggshells around the young miss was nothing new, but ever since her father—the master of the estate—had confined her to the east tower for a failed investment, her moods had become a storm. The last maid, Mary, had already quit, supposedly unable to handle her temper.I knocked lightly. "Miss, your dinner."Silence.I knocked again, a little louder. "Miss Veronica?"That's when a sharp smell seeped out from under the door. It was the acrid sting of chemicals mixed with the foul stench of rot, like disinfectant poured over an open grave. I almost gagged, slapping a hand over my nose."Come in," her voice called from inside.I pushed open the heavy oak door and stepped into the room.Veronica stood with her back to me, facing the fireplace, her blonde hair a mess on her shoulders."Just leave it on the coffee table," she said without turn

Veronica had a plan."I know how to tell them apart," she said. "The hosts develop a dark, web-like pattern of filaments under their skin. It's usually most visible on the neck and chest.""The problem," she continued, "is that the marks are always hidden by their uniforms. We need a way to make them show some skin."An idea sparked in my mind. I quickly wrote it down on my notepad and handed it to her.She read it and a grim, satisfied smile spread across her face. "Good idea."A short while later, she had Mrs. Carson gather all the maids in the tower. There were eight of them, including Chloe. We all stood in our crisp black-and-white uniforms, heads bowed, looking perfectly normal.Veronica's eyes scanned the line of women. "I seem to have misplaced a diamond necklace," she announced, her voice dripping with her usual arrogance. "And I'm quite certain the thief is one of you."She pointed to a dressing room in the corner. "All of you, into the dressing room. I want you to strip to t

Veronica and I stared at each other, completely stunned."You... you knew?" Veronica's voice was filled with disbelief.Alistair stood and walked to the window, his back to us. "I noticed something was wrong three weeks ago. Small things at first—changes in the servants' routines, an unnatural increase in efficiency, a certain... uniformity."He turned, his eyes sharp. "I immediately had Ethan and a few other trusted guards begin a quiet investigation. We've already 'handled' a few of the infected. To avoid a panic, we've kept it secret.""Handled?" I whispered."Necessary disposals," Alistair said, his voice cold and clipped. "The infected are no longer human. We can't allow them to exist."Killed, I thought. He meant they were killed."But Father," Veronica said, her voice shaking, "all the maids in the tower are infected. Do you know what that means? The rate of spread...""Is faster than I anticipated," Alistair admitted. "That's what worries me. The contagion is accelerating."He

When we burst through the door to Eleanor's room, the scene inside made us all freeze.Two guards lay in pools of blood by the door, their faces twisted in agony. A grey, dust-like substance—spores—puffed from their mouths and noses, filling the air with the stench of rot.Inside, Alistair was being held from behind by a maid, while Eleanor, who was supposed to be weak and bedridden, had both hands wrapped around his throat. But the most terrifying part was the tongue. A long, thick tendril covered in pulsating suckers was extending from Eleanor's mouth, writhing as it tried to force its way into Alistair's.Alistair struggled, but the fungal appendage was getting closer and closer to his lips."Father!" Veronica screamed.In that split second, Ethan lunged into the room. His knife flashed, a silver arc that cleanly severed the disgusting tendril.Black fluid sprayed from the wound. Eleanor let out an inhuman shriek and released Alistair.Ethan quickly drew his pistol and fired at the

"The way he spoke to Eleanor today... it was so strange," Veronica said, a bitter smile on her lips. "All my life, I've seen him discard anything and anyone for the sake of profit. That tenderness he showed her... it's not him. It's an act."She came closer, lowering her voice. "Ava, I need you to help me. If things go wrong tomorrow night, we need a backup plan."She whispered her plan in my ear. A chill went down my spine, but I knew she was right. In this family of lies and betrayal, we could only rely on ourselves.The next day, we acted as if nothing was wrong, helping to prepare for the "extermination."On the surface, we were assisting Alistair in setting up the ballroom to destroy the incoming horde. But secretly, using the excuse of needing cleaning supplies, Veronica led me to one of the estate's storage sheds. There, we gathered several large canisters of highly flammable industrial alcohol and oil, hiding them in strategic corners of the ballroom."If Father really intends