“Woof.

Woof woof.

Woof woof woof woof.”

The “dog” inside the room was barking.

It sounded... cheerful.

But Muen’s heart, in that moment, turned to ice.

Why did the dog barely have any fur?

Why were its hind legs so long, the knees bending backward and dragging along the floor?

Why didn’t it have those long, sharp ears?

Why didn’t it have fangs?

Why—

Why did this dog...

look so much like a person?

No.

No, wait.

This motherfucker is a person!

A completely naked man, crawling on the floor with a collar and leash around his neck!

The room was dimly lit, and because of the angle, Muen couldn’t see the man’s face clearly.

But the man was barking—imitating a dog—and Muen could hear it. Joyful, even.

Seeing that scene, Muen’s heart dropped straight into his gut, frozen stiff.

No way—could that man-dog be the “husband” Ailuka kept talking about?

He hadn’t gone out on business or whatever.

He’d been kept here this whole time, like some beloved pet dog?

No wonder she wouldn’t let Muen see him.

Wait... If that’s the case...

Then Ailuka is a yandere too?!

Muen shuddered.

Shit, do I have some kind of yandere magnet physique or something? Isn’t having Anne already bad enough? What is this—collect-them-all mode?

“What do I do? Should I try to save him?”

“But what if he’s into it? I mean yeah, the kink is way out there, but I don’t exactly have the right to go around policing other people’s private freakshows.”

“If this is his thing and I just barged in, wouldn’t that make me the weirdo?”

The guy was barking that enthusiastically.

Even dog-lover Muen couldn’t tell it was fake. That wasn’t something your average Joe could pull off.

It had to have taken some serious training.

“Dear, you’re being a little disobedient again.”

Ailuka’s voice came from inside the room.

She was crouching in front of the man, gently stroking his jaw like she was doting on her beloved pup.

“It looks like you’re still not used to certain things... maybe the time was too short.”

“I’ll have to help you remember it more clearly... the love I have for you.”

Ailuka suddenly picked up a bag Muen recognized—the same one she’d been carrying the first time they met.

From inside, she began pulling out what appeared to be some brand-new... “toys.”

Sugar-mama’s Happy Whip.

Sugar-mama’s Happy Balls.

Sugar-mama’s Happy Candle.

Sugar-mama’s—

Watching her pull out a whole damn deluxe BDSM buffet that belonged in the filthiest corners of certain doujin anthologies, Muen’s eyelid started twitching uncontrollably.

Hhhssss—this is way too hardcore.

Playing it this rough—were they really going to be okay?

Letting out a silent sigh of admiration for the man’s sheer guts, Muen took advantage of Ailuka’s distraction and quietly, very quietly, eased the door shut.

Let’s just pretend this never happened.

Sorry, bro. I can’t save you.

You two are playing on a level I’m not ready for. I’m scared.

I’m out. I’m out.

“Thank god Anne didn’t know about this kind of stuff back then. Still kinda pure, at least. If she was like this too, I’d be so screwed.”

Muen let out a melancholy sigh, tiptoeing away, ready to pretend none of this had ever occurred.

“Grrruuughh—”

But right then, his useless stomach let out a low, protesting gurgle.

This time it wasn’t hunger—it was gas. From eating too much.

“Can you not be this on cue every damn time?! Are you doing this on purpose?!”

Muen mentally screamed at his own gut, then slapped a hand over his mouth and held his breath.

“Who’s there—?”

Ailuka’s low voice rang out from the room, sharp and alert.

“Is someone outside?”

She set down the “toys,” gave the man on the floor a look to stay quiet, then picked up her wand and began moving toward the door.

Step.

Step.

Step again.

“Mister Muen? Is that you?”

She called out cautiously.

No response.

Her eyes darkened. She grabbed the doorknob—and yanked it open with force.

With a creak from the strain, the door swung wide—and outside...

Nothing.

The hallway was dim and silent, only the wind chimes near the entrance clinking gently in the breeze.

“Did I mishear...?”

Ailuka glanced both ways, brows furrowed. After confirming no one was around, she turned to head back—

Then paused.

As if she’d remembered something, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» she turned sharply and walked across the hall.

To the guest room door.

Without hesitation, she opened it.

Creak.

The lake breeze swept in from the wide-open window, rustling a few strands of her long hair.

The curtains fluttered like ghostly shadows under moonlight.

The bed was empty.

“Ah... Mister Muen, really now. You left without even telling your host goodbye?”

Ailuka tucked back her wind-tossed hair, stepping into the room.

She swept her gaze around.

Then, without a word, approached the only place someone might’ve hidden: the wardrobe.

Through the tiny crack, something appeared to be moving inside.

“Did I offend him somehow? Did he think I was a bad host...? Did he hate me?”

Ailuka flung the doors open.

And inside the wardrobe—

Absolutely nothing.

She casually slapped a cockroach that scurried out, then checked the room again, scanning every corner.

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

She even glanced under the bed—which was only about a hand’s width high. No way a full-grown person, or even a baby, could fit there.

“Looks like he really left.”

Ailuka walked up to the window, gazing out over the quiet village and the still waters of the lake. After a long pause, she pulled the window shut and drew the curtains.

“Left in such a rush... he must’ve seen it, huh?”

Stepping back into the hallway, she gently closed the guest room door with a small sigh.

“What a shame. I really did want to share... my love with him. We were practically friends already. And it’s only natural to share love with your friends, just like I do with everyone else in the village.”

“But... if he wanted to leave, then there’s nothing I can do. I can’t exactly force him.”

“Still...”

She turned and looked toward another door—one at the very end of the hallway.

The one Muen had overlooked.

“He didn’t notice what was in that room.”

“If he had, I’d have had no choice but to keep him here... forever~”

“Fufufu.”

. . .

I love you.

. . .

“F*ck, that almost gave me a heart attack.”

Just beneath the window ledge outside the guest room, Muen had curled himself up tight, body pressed flush against the wall.

That was the only reason Ailuka hadn’t seen him while looking out from above.

“Yandere in this world are next-level terrifying...” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Every one of them had maxed out their observation stats or something. If he hadn’t been excluded from Ailuka’s love radar, he’d never have gotten away.

“Sorry, dude. You’re on your own. Your wife’s way too intense. I got nothing.”

Putting his palms together in prayer for the poor bastard inside, Muen made a swift and silent getaway, disappearing into the night.

What he didn’t know was—

Shortly after he left, a new guest arrived in the village.