The guest just needs to keep trying to win the countess’s favor—inviting her to meals, granting her difficult requests, using his body at night, and so on. Eventually, he should be able to achieve his goal, right? It doesn’t seem like his obsession with the countess has faded to the point where he’d give up the bet and escape. After all, he visits the mansion again after some time, and the bet seems to restart from there. Why would he abandon the favor and affection he’s built up and start over from scratch? Why? What is the purpose of this escape route that seems unnecessary for his goal? Why is a restart needed?
As I pondered, my gaze fell on the platinum rose trapped in the glass dome. The mystical flower has been withering faster lately, and its significance feels ominous.
“Ah,” I thought, my face contorting as a conclusion naturally came to mind. “I hope it’s not…