"What's this?"
Staring at the silver object in his hand—car-key-sized, gleaming—Natsuki, driven by curiosity, pressed it without a second thought.
And then...
Natsuki felt his head go slightly dizzy. When his vision cleared, he looked at the ice queen in the cage with bewildered surprise. For some inexplicable reason, her pretty face had gone bright, burning red.
"Why is your face suddenly so red?"
Natsuki asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know." Kaguya shook her head instinctively. A flicker of confusion passed through her eyes. "Just now I felt like... I forgot something. I can't quite remember what it was."
[You have just been subjected to a special attack: Crimson King]
A prompt suddenly appeared before Natsuki's eyes.
[Your recent memories have been deleted]
[This attack originates from a higher-dimensional being known as the 'Reviewer.' It cannot be dodged, refused, or resisted]
"I think I have a rough idea of what happened..."
After reading the prompt, Natsuki was left with only one feeling: this was terrifying.
"What is it?"
Kaguya couldn't help but ask.
"In any case, it's something incredibly dangerous. I can't say, I can't say." Natsuki pocketed the key, his expression grave. "Just pretend nothing happened a moment ago."
"Oh right—did you shout 'don't press it' just now?" Natsuki asked.
The ice queen's gaze drifted, still clouded with confusion: "I think I did say that."
"Say it earlier next time." Natsuki said. "That was genuinely dangerous."
"Even though I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, I inexplicably feel... irritated."
"Funny. So do I."
"..."
The Crimson King!
"So then..." Natsuki held up the silver metallic remote and asked: "Do you know what this is?"
"...I don't."
Kaguya turned her face away, cheeks burning with shame.
"Be honest." Natsuki squinted at her. "Even if Fujiwara were here, she wouldn't fall for that."
"That's not necessarily true."
"In your eyes, is Fujiwara's intelligence on par with a chimpanzee at the zoo?!"
"..."
Kaguya drew in a long breath, forcing herself to calm down. "...I've simply seen something similar before. That's all."
To be precise, she'd seen it in a manga.
The manga Hasaka had given her. It contained content along those lines—a female manga artist who, in order to find inspiration, went on a research trip with her boyfriend... The manga and reality had collided in a way that felt uncomfortably close to home.
"So it really is a remote control?" Natsuki mused thoughtfully. "It controls the collar around your neck?"
"It should be."
Natsuki looked down at the remaining buttons on the key—several of unknown function. A certain mischievous impulse began stirring restlessly within him.
Kaguya half-closed her eyes and fixed him with an icy glare, her tone carrying an unmistakable warning: "Amamiya-kun. Please stop whatever dangerous thoughts you're currently having."
"What if I can't stop?"
"Then you'd better turn yourself in voluntarily."
"..."
Natsuki reluctantly reined in his inner impulse. With the ice queen's proud temperament, accidentally pressing it once was still within the realm of forgiveness—but if he kept toying with her, he really would have no choice but to turn himself in.
For a few minutes of amusement, sacrificing a lifetime of freedom? Only an idiot would do that.
He picked up the keys from the table, crouched before the iron cage, and began trying them one by one.
A moment later.
"None of them fit."
Natsuki frowned.
He'd tried every single key. Not one could open the cage.
"Are there any other keys?" Kaguya's dark brows drew together.
"No."
Natsuki shook his head.
The next moment.
The door was suddenly pushed open, and the wooden butler in its little suit came rolling in on its unicycle.
"Two esteemed guests, time is running short." The wooden butler rode up, wearing a pair of white gloves. It even pulled a handkerchief from its suit pocket, carefully wiping its hands before offering a slight bow. "Please allow me to escort you both to dine."
Natsuki didn't try to hide. The room was too small—apart from the cage and the table, there was simply nowhere to conceal himself. Besides, the wooden butler had clearly spotted them already.
Since communication was possible, talking came first.
"Butler, my companion is still inside the cage." Natsuki spoke evenly, neither submissive nor confrontational. "Would you mind letting her out first?"
The wooden butler straightened its necktie and turned its gaze toward the caged princess. Its wooden eyeballs rotated slightly:
"My sincerest apologies. As a butler, I am unable to offer any substantive assistance to our guests." Its voice was low and measured. "However, we could play a game."
You just suggested a game earlier too. Is your addiction to games a little on the excessive side?
"What kind of game?" Natsuki asked.
The wooden butler reached into its chest and produced a transparent glass bottle—nearly as tall as its own body, shaped something like a beer bottle.
"Esteemed guest, your childhood was not a happy one. Your parents were consumed by their work and never once attended any of your school events. You moved houses constantly as a child, so much so that you never made a single friend."
"In the year you turned eight, you caught a fever by chance. In the end, you survived alone in your room through sheer luck. From that point on, you came to believe that the feelings between people are nothing but falsehoods—that bonds of family and friendship are meaningless, and that loneliness is the true essence of life."
Natsuki watched the wooden butler. His expression betrayed nothing.
"But recently, it seems your life philosophy has begun to waver. You have started to develop feelings for a certain young woman. Friendship and companionship have reappeared in your dictionary once more." The wooden butler glanced toward the ice queen in the cage, and continued in its gravelly voice: "...Then, please make your choice."
Natsuki caught a glimpse of Kaguya in the corner of his eye and discovered that the ice queen's lips had actually curled up—ever so slightly.
Hey now, what are you smiling about?
The girl he has feelings for isn't necessarily you. It could also be your close friend, you know!
"The game is simple."
The wooden butler set the transparent glass bottle on the table. A semi-transparent liquid was visible inside, with a small wooden block floating on the surface.
"Please remove the wooden block from the bottle without touching the bottle." The wooden butler pulled out its handkerchief once more and wiped its hands again. "As long as you complete the game, I will tell our guests the correct way to open the iron cage."
Natsuki looked at the glass bottle on the table and couldn't help but say: "...Isn't this just the crow-and-the-pitcher puzzle? This game seems way too easy, doesn't it?"
The crow picks up stones and drops them into the bottle, raising the water level bit by bit until it can finally drink—even elementary schoolers knew how to solve this one.
"Then, please begin." The wooden butler spread its hands.
Natsuki turned his head and scanned the room. Apart from the table, the cage, and a string of useless keys, there wasn't even a speck of dust on the floor.
Throwing stones was clearly out of the question.
"There are no stones." Natsuki looked at the wooden butler and asked: "If I poured a different liquid into the bottle, wouldn't that raise the water level just the same?"
"Yes."
The wooden butler confirmed.
"Other liquids..."
Kaguya quickly furrowed her dark brows, already catching on to the wooden butler's sinister design.
The room was completely empty. If they needed to fill the bottle, the only option would have to be...
The next moment.
Kaguya's eyes flew wide open in shock as she watched Natsuki's gaze drop down toward... her pants. She couldn't help but cry out:
"What on earth are you thinking?!"