My AI Girlfriend Thinks She Is Real!-Chapter 47 - : : Into the Lair!

Marcous turned to her, his handsome face illuminated by the dim lantern light. His smile was still perfect—too perfect—yet something in his eyes had shifted. The charm felt thinner now, stretched over something darker.

"What happened?" he asked softly, tilting his head. "You look worried, my dear."

Ai swallowed the lump in her throat and painted on a smile—small, shy, practiced. "It’s nothing... Just getting nervous."

Marcous chuckled, low and indulgent. "Nervous? Of me?" He shifted closer on the velvet seat until their thighs pressed together.

Slowly, deliberately, he draped his arm across her shoulders. His hand hovered just above the swell of her breasts—close enough that she could feel the heat of his palm, but not quite touching. Yet.

Ai’s skin crawled. She had to fight the urge to flinch away.

"Ohh... don’t worry," he murmured, pulling her gently against his side. "I won’t bite."

Ai let out a small, forced laugh—high and breathy, the kind she’d practiced in front of the mirror with Shiki’s teasing voice in her ear. "I-I know," she said, letting her voice waver just enough to sound convincingly flustered. "It’s just... I’ve never done something like this before."

Marcous’s fingers flexed slightly against her shoulder. "That’s what makes it exciting, isn’t it?" he whispered, lips brushing the shell of her ear. "The unknown."

Ai forced another giggle, even as her stomach twisted. *Shiki...* she thought desperately, hoping the mind-link was still active. *He’s... he’s touching me. I hate this.*

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The carriage rattled to a stop, the sudden silence outside almost deafening after the constant clatter of hooves and wheels.

Ai’s heart hammered against her ribs, her fingers digging into the edge of the seat cushion.

She forced her breathing to stay even, but the air inside the carriage felt thick, suffocating.

The door opened.

Marcous stood first, stepping down gracefully and turning to offer his hand. "Come, my star."

Ai hesitated for half a heartbeat—then placed her trembling fingers in his. His grip was firm, warm, possessive.

He helped her down, steadying her when her knees wobbled slightly.

The moment her boots touched the ground, Ai realized they were no longer in the city.

Trees loomed all around them—tall, gnarled pines that blocked out most of the moonlight.

The air was colder here, thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting leaves.

In front of them stood a dark, eerie cottage. Its wooden walls were blackened with age, windows dark and curtainless, roof sagging like it had carried too many secrets for too long.

A faint mist clung to the ground, curling around the foundation like ghostly fingers.

Ai’s pulse spiked. "Where... where are we?"

Marcous chuckled darkly, the sound sending ice down her spine. "A place I love," he said, stepping closer until his chest nearly brushed her back. "I always come here to... relieve stress."

He leaned in, lips grazing her ear as he whispered, "And you’re the first to know of this place."

Ai forced a smile, pretending excitement even as her stomach churned. "Really? I feel... lucky."

*He’s lying,* she thought bitterly. *And I’m going to make him pay for every girl he brought here.*

Marcous offered his hand again. Ai took it—nervously, with a fake smile plastered across her face.

They walked toward the cottage. Every step felt heavier, the sinister aura of the house pressing against her skin like damp fog.

The windows stared at her like empty eyes.

The door looked like it had been painted black long ago, the color peeling in long strips to reveal gray, rotting wood beneath.

Marcous reached the door and produced a heavy iron key from inside his coat.

He slid it into the lock with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the moment.

The lock clicked.

The door creaked open on rusted hinges.

Darkness waited inside.

Ai’s heart pounded so hard she thought it might bruise her ribs.

She squeezed Marcous’s hand—pretending nervousness, but really anchoring herself.

He stepped inside first, tugging her gently after him.

The door closed behind them with a heavy thud.

Darkness swallowed them whole.

Ai’s breath caught.

Then a match flared.

Marcous lit an oil lamp on a nearby table. Dim golden light spread across the room, revealing...

A single large bed with black silk sheets.

A vanity covered in bottles and jars—perfumes, oils, strange shimmering liquids.

And in the corner... a small wooden chair with ropes coiled neatly on the seat.

Ai’s stomach dropped.

Marcous turned to her, smiling that perfect, practiced smile.

"Welcome home, my star."

Ai forced herself to smile back, even as every instinct screamed at her to run.

Inside her mind, she whispered one last time into the silent link:

*Shiki... please... hurry.*

He turned to her, smile still perfectly in place. "Please, my radiant star," he said, voice smooth as silk, "feel at home. Make yourself comfortable."

Ai forced her lips into a shy curve. "Th-thank you..."

Marcous gestured toward the bed—the only real piece of furniture in the room besides the vanity and that ominous wooden chair in the corner. The sheets were black silk, gleaming faintly in the lamplight.

"Sit," he invited, eyes never leaving her. "You must be tired after the performance... and the journey."

Ai hesitated for half a heartbeat, then nodded. "Y-yes... a little."

She walked toward the bed slowly, every step measured, trying to keep her breathing even.

She could feel his gaze on her—hot, heavy, tracing the line of her neck, down the curve of her back, lingering on the sway of her hips. In his mind, the thoughts were louder than any words:

*Look at her... that body... so soft, so full of life. Those curves will look perfect when I drain them dry. I’ll keep her beauty forever... mine alone.*

Ai sat on the edge of the bed, knees pressed tightly together, hands folded in her lap. The silk was cool against her thighs, making her shiver.

Marcous watched her for a long moment, then smiled wider. "You look nervous, my dear. Would you like something to drink? To help you relax?"

Ai nodded quickly—too quickly. "Y-yes... please."

"Wait here," he purred. "I’ll bring you something special."

He disappeared through a narrow door at the back of the room, leaving her alone.

The moment the door clicked shut, Ai shot to her feet.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she scanned the room frantically. She moved silently.

She approached the vanity first. Bottles of perfume, jars of shimmering oils... and then she saw it.

A small wooden doll.

Paint chipped, one eye missing, but unmistakable.

The same doll the mother had described—hand-carved by the father for his seven-year-old daughter.

Ai’s stomach lurched.

She reached out with trembling fingers and touched it. The wood was cold.

*That monster...*

She moved to the dresser. A drawer was slightly ajar. She pulled it open carefully.

Ribbons. Hair ties. A child’s bracelet made of braided thread. A tiny silver locket with a faded portrait inside—a little girl smiling.

Ai’s vision blurred with sudden tears.

*He kept trophies...*

She clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

*I’m going to kill him.*

The door creaked open again.

Ai spun around, forcing her face into a nervous smile as Marcous returned carrying two crystal glasses filled with deep red wine.

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END OF Chapter : 47 : INTO THE LAIR

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