Chapter 6: Castle Stories 6 Hunger

Just as their lips nearly met, Xu Nian headbutted the Young Lady, simultaneously stomping on her pristine shoes.

“Hiss—”

The Young Lady gasped, feigning pain.

In that moment of distraction, the sweet-faced girl broke free, slipping around the corner.

Her skirt vanished from sight, and the Young Lady’s eyes, framed by long, thick lashes, gleamed with amusement. She savored the memory of Xu Nian’s flushed, embarrassed face—so shy, it made her want to take a bite.

She’d finally found her; there was no way she’d let her go easily.

A sickly possessiveness flashed in her eyes, but sensing something, she instantly calmed, her expression turning icy, chilling the air around her.

“Something to report?”

A handsome man stood nearby, his face fixed in a smile, his presence unnoticed until now.

The butler bowed slightly. “As per your orders, I’ve killed all my pets.”

His smile never wavered, showing no resentment.

“Dispose of them,” came the cold command.

“Yes.”

Among the swaying red flowers, the girl who’d escaped the Young Lady hid, catching her breath, her cheeks still flushed, leaning against the wall to rest.

Imagining the Young Lady’s disheveled state brought a slight smile to Xu Nian’s lips, lifting her mood.

The Young Lady acted as if they’d known each other, clinging like a vine, impossible to shake off, stirring a faint sense of familiarity.

Her lovelorn demeanor suggested Xu Nian had wronged her somehow.

Had she unknowingly incurred some romantic debt?

A flicker of panic crossed Xu Nian’s eyes as she reviewed her life, finding no answers.

Realizing her thoughts, she nearly laughed. She’d never even left her country—how could she have met a blonde foreigner like the Young Lady in such an unfamiliar place?

After hiding for a while with no pursuit, Xu Nian stood, brushed off the dust, and met a pair of terrified eyes.

“Aaah! Ghost!”

A handless man gaped at her, pupils dilated, trembling as he clutched a watering can between his stumps, water spilling with his shakes.

Xu Nian looked at him, puzzled.

Shouldn’t she be the one afraid?

The gaunt man’s eyes bulged, his skeletal frame staring at her, arms like sticks with scant flesh.

“You’re the gardener?” Xu Nian guessed.

He nodded cautiously, sunken eyes shifting. “And you are…?”

“Guess what I am.”

The girl tilted her head, half her face in shadow, a sweet smile on her lips, eerie and terrifying in the silent garden.

Clang.

His trembling hands dropped the can, the sound sharp.

“I don’t know…”

He stepped back, then bolted.

Xu Nian’s face returned to its usual blankness, watching him flee.

Unlike the castle’s others, who didn’t fear her, this gardener was terrified, starkly different.

What made him so different?

No longer in the mood to hide, Xu Nian retraced her steps back to the castle.

Lightly crossing the steps, she ran into a pale-faced Fu Ruxue.

“Xu Nian!”

Fu Ruxue’s eyes welled up, reaching for her hand, which Xu Nian subtly dodged.

“What’s wrong?”

Fu Ruxue, visibly uneasy, whispered, “Look at my door…”

Xu Nian followed her gaze to Fu Ruxue’s room. A massive “Death” character was carved deeply into the door, glaringly visible in the dim light.

“When did it appear?” Xu Nian asked, leading her inside.

“I’m not sure. It was there when I left my room.”

Fu Ruxue clung close, gripping Xu Nian’s sleeve for comfort.

Xu Nian hadn’t seen it when she left, meaning the chilling “Death” mark appeared in the short time between her departure and Fu Ruxue’s exit.

Such supernatural occurrences weren’t unusual in the Rule-Based Strange World, but why would the Duke’s room bear a “Death” mark?

Xu Nian glanced at Fu Ruxue, offering, “If you’re scared, you can sleep in my room.”

She needed Fu Ruxue to test something while avoiding her judgment.

“Okay.”

Fu Ruxue agreed instantly.

Her quick acceptance made Xu Nian frown, suspecting she wasn’t that scared.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Xu Nian didn’t call her out, letting her achieve her goal.

Tonight, she’d learn if she was special to the Young Lady.

What will you choose, Young Lady?

The clock ticked, second by second, until a click signaled mealtime.

The five sat stiffly at the table, dazed, minds foggy. Having skipped multiple meals, they were growing numb.

At this rate, they’d starve before the seventh day.

The “lunch” was raw meat mixed with blood. The starving group swallowed hard, many thinking:

Just one bite wouldn’t hurt, right?

The burly man couldn’t resist. He speared the bloody meat, gagging but tearing into it.

Aside from him, no one else planned to eat, though they couldn’t help salivating, staring at the meat.

Xu Nian was unfazed. Her job often made her forget meals, so hunger was familiar.

Fu Ruxue asked the others, “Find anything in your rooms?”

Xu Nian remembered something, placing a forgotten item on the table.

A small bottle of medicine drew their eyes.

“What’s that?”

“Medicine.”

No one knew what it was; the label was cleanly removed, leaving no text.

Xu Nian reached for it, but a slender hand pressed down on it first.

Glossy blonde hair cascaded in waves over her shoulders. Her high nose and thick lashes caught everyone’s attention, her striking beauty captivating.

She held a tattered teddy bear, half its head missing, limbs crudely stitched, one eyeball dangling.