Chapter 10:Castle Past 10 Jealousy

The wall clock showed:

7:30

Still some time before breakfast.

“By the way, did you sleep well last night?” Xu Nian sat up, glancing at the figure by the window, asking casually.

“Me?” Fu Ruxue smiled. “I slept great.”

“Oh, come with me.”

Remembering something, Fu Ruxue hurriedly pulled a still-dazed Xu Nian, opened the door, checked for anything unusual, and stepped out.

Two figures with flowing hair crossed the second-floor corridor, stopping at the Duke’s door.

The “Death” character had solidified, vivid red, exuding an eerie aura, faintly smelling foul.

Too rushed yesterday, Fu Ruxue only now sensed something off.

How could dried blood be bright red?

She pressed the hardened mark, sniffed it, and the sharp smell of paint hit her.

“This… is paint?”

Realizing the truth, Fu Ruxue’s face darkened, brows knitting.

Who played this prank?

Xu Nian approached, understanding dawning. “So that’s it.”

“What do you mean?”

“The butler’s diary.”

“Diary?”

Fu Ruxue’s eyes widened, shifting from confusion to realization.

“You mean the diary entry, what was it, about paint at the Duke’s door?”

Xu Nian reminded her, “November 1.”

“The diary’s events are repeating?!”

Fu Ruxue nearly exclaimed, quickly lowering her voice.

Xu Nian nodded, unsurprised, as if she’d anticipated this.

“I learned from the maid she died on the Young Lady’s birthday, which the diary confirms. The ‘disappearance’ mentioned was likely the butler’s ignorance—after vanishing, the maid was probably already dead.”

October 31: the maid’s death, mirrored by the timid girl’s beheading the first night.

November 1: paint at the Duke’s door, mirrored by the “Death” mark yesterday.

Not a prank, but pure malice.

An invisible hand seemed to drag them into a dark abyss, helplessly watching as darkness swallowed them, destined to perish in this eerie land.

Fu Ruxue opened her mouth, feeling something stuck in her throat, unable to speak.

“Come with me.”

She pulled Xu Nian, opened the door, and entered the Duke’s room.

Even Xu Nian, usually composed, was slightly surprised.

The room was vast, with wooden tables in the center, neatly lined with specimens of insects, mice, and rabbits, spaced precisely. One wall held a bookshelf, books meticulously arranged by type and size, flawlessly aligned. The overly orderly room felt uncanny.

Even the pens on the desk were perfectly aligned, and a leather-bound notebook’s edges paralleled the desk’s, absurdly precise.

The Duke must have severe OCD.

“I didn’t touch anything, just guessed this is the Duke’s room from the notebook,” Fu Ruxue said, pointing to it.

In elegant, standard script, the bottom right read: Duke Caesar.

Xu Nian was speechless. “Haven’t you noticed a bug in this game?”

“What?”

“It’s set in the medieval era, but all the writing is in Chinese.”

Looking at the four characters again, Fu Ruxue felt a jarring dissonance.

It was like a horror game turning into a children’s show.

“We might find the maid’s head soon.”

Xu Nian’s gaze settled on the bookshelf, filled with dusty academic tomes.

“Borrowing a couple.”

“Won’t that cause trouble?” Fu Ruxue watched nervously as Xu Nian pulled two books from different shelves, wiping dust with a clean cloth.

“Scared? The Duke hasn’t been in this room for ages.”

Xu Nian flipped through the books, not looking up, reassuring her.

“How do you know?”

Xu Nian didn’t answer, just blew on the bookshelf and stepped back.

A cloud of thick dust rose, nearly coating Fu Ruxue.

“Cough, cough!” Fu Ruxue, slow to react, got dusted. “Xu Nian!”

“It’s time. Let’s go downstairs.” Xu Nian turned, holding the books.

“Hey! Don’t change the subject!”

Fu Ruxue hurried to her side, descending together.

“What subject change?” Xu Nian leaned close, whispering mysteriously, “By the way, the mark last night was real blood.”

“Don’t scare me…” Fu Ruxue, half-believing, felt chills.

Xu Nian met her eyes, her calm gaze sincere. “Fresh paint smells sharp. If it was paint last night, you’d have noticed.”

Fu Ruxue shivered, the realization chilling her.

Seeing her distracted, Xu Nian, unapologetic, kept walking until she spotted a blonde figure at the dining table.

Fu Ruxue followed anxiously, not noticing Xu Nian stop, bumping into her soft back.

Rubbing her nose, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

The blonde woman turned, still holding the creepy teddy bear, her lips curling faintly. Her blood-red eyes fixed on them, cold as a viper’s, devoid of warmth.

Fu Ruxue shivered, goosebumps rising.

Why did the Young Lady’s gaze feel so strange, like she was staring at a corpse?

She dismissed the thought.

She was overthinking. The Young Lady looked at everyone like meat on a slab; her gaze wasn’t colder for Fu Ruxue specifically.

Unnerved, she clung to Xu Nian’s arm.

The Young Lady’s eyes grew icier.

Terrifying.

Unaware of Fu Ruxue’s thoughts, Xu Nian stood, unsure whether to take a seat.

The other men were already seated, watching the latecomers, waiting for them to join.

The clock neared 7:58.

Tick, tick, tick…

Fu Ruxue quickly let go and sat down.

Xu Nian remained standing, motionless.

She was gambling.

Betting on something that seemed impossible yet highly likely.

Time ticked by.