Gu Jiu nestled in the hall, catching up on some sleep, and gradually woke up.
Upon waking, she saw Lu Ji sitting nearby, keeping watch. She smiled gently, about to say something, but then noticed Wan Xingzhou sitting dumbly not far away.
Seeing her glance over, Wan Xingzhou quickly said, “Miss Gu, I found quite a bit of kerosene and combustible materials in the castle’s warehouse and brought it all over. What do you want to do with it?”
Gu Jiu replied, “Keep it aside for now; it’ll come in handy later.”
Wan Xingzhou responded with an “Oh,” and continued looking at her with wide, expectant eyes.
This kind of attention reminded Gu Jiu of having a little puppy, which she found amusing.
Because she was born with poor eyesight, her family worried that having a pet might accidentally collide with her, so she’d never raised one. She didn’t know what the experience was like, and as a young lady who didn’t even care much for her own well-being, she’d never had the thought to care for a pet.
Seeing Wan Xingzhou now, she suddenly felt a little tempted to try.
Around noon, the other players gathered in the main hall on the first floor.
Gu Jiu took out food she had packed from a five-star hotel in the real world, and when she unpacked it, it was still steaming. The players stared, wide-eyed.
Since arriving at the castle, while it had been providing them with lavish dinners, under life-threatening conditions, players didn’t really feel like enjoying a meal and only ate enough to keep their strength up. They barely paid attention to what they were consuming.
Seeing Gu Jiu now bring out food that looked and smelled wonderful—and far safer than the castle’s offerings—the players couldn’t help but drool a little.
Generously, Gu Jiu said, “Come on, join in. Eat up before we get to work.”
The players exchanged glances, then sat down without hesitation.
Although the five-star meal might seem costly to ordinary people, for players, who could easily amass wealth in the game world, it was hardly a concern.
In the game, players struggled, and in reality, they enjoyed the fruits of their labor—it was the norm.
After lunch, when the time seemed right, Gu Jiu and Wan Xingzhou headed to the fourth floor of the castle.
Lu Ji, in her role as a maid, and Ruan Yuan both followed them. Lu Ji’s task was to cover up Madam Herlan’s affair with her lover, while Ruan Yuan’s mission was to expose the affair to the master of the house. Both of them needed to go to the fourth floor, although other players like Lu Haidi were tasked to head elsewhere at first. Eventually, however, all players were to converge on the fourth floor.
The fourth floor was eerily quiet, devoid of anyone, including the mysterious butler.
Although the butler had warned them at the beginning not to disturb Madam Herlan on the fourth floor, it was now time for their missions. Besides, Madam Herlan hadn’t appeared thus far, so the players disregarded the warning and headed directly for her bedroom.
Yesterday, during Lu Ji’s appraiser task, they had scouted the fourth floor and even snuck into Madam Herlan’s room but had found nothing of interest.
Standing outside Madam Herlan’s bedroom, Wan Xingzhou asked worriedly, “Do you think Madam Herlan will be in her room today?”
Hearing this, Ruan Yuan grew concerned as well.
If Madam Herlan really was the game world’s boss, she would certainly be formidable. Without some sort of strategy, players wouldn’t stand a chance.
“We’ll know once we go in, won’t we?” Gu Jiu replied as she reached out, pushed open the bedroom door, and boldly stepped inside.
Lu Ji followed her in, her expression completely natural.
Wan Xingzhou and Ruan Yuan were both stunned, not expecting her to be so bold, not even attempting any disguise, as if she was practically inviting the master to discover them.
Luckily, the bedroom was empty.
Wan Xingzhou took in Madam Herlan’s room, which was a quintessential lady’s bedroom filled with personal belongings. Judging by the arrangement of items around the room, it was clear someone had been living here consistently. This dispelled the players’ theory that Madam Herlan might be some fictional presence.
This realization made Wan Xingzhou’s scalp tingle, and he couldn’t help but worry about the possibility of Madam Herlan suddenly appearing to tear them apart.
It was Ruan Yuan’s first time in the castle mistress’s bedroom, and she immediately started searching through the room.
There wasn’t anything particularly notable in the room, except for a nearly life-sized painting hanging on the wall.
The painting depicted a woman with golden curls, dressed in opulent court attire. She wore a charming smile, exuding the allure of a mature, captivating woman.
The painting was prominently displayed, easily visible the moment one entered the room.
Gu Jiu stood before the grand painting, gazing at the woman in it.
There was no need to guess the woman’s identity—any painting in the mistress’s bedroom would surely depict Madam Herlan herself.
Wan Xingzhou walked over, curiously examining the woman in the painting. “Isn’t this woman Madam Herlan?”
Gu Jiu murmured an affirmative, smiling as she asked, “Isn’t she enchanting?”
Wan Xingzhou nodded honestly. Based on appearance alone, Madam Herlan was indeed beautiful and mesmerizing, with a charm that radiated maturity. If she stood before him in person, few men would likely be able to resist.
Gu Jiu continued, “Wouldn’t you be thrilled to be the lover of such a beautiful woman?”
Wan Xingzhou was about to nod when he caught himself and shook his head furiously, nearly wrenching his neck. “No, no, no! I would never be someone’s third wheel. Ruining someone’s marriage would surely bring divine retribution!”
Ruan Yuan nearly burst out laughing.
When she first saw the painting, she had also thought that Madam Herlan was stunningly beautiful. If such a woman existed in reality, she would undoubtedly be a heartbreaker.
But, alas, she was a character in the game world. As enchanting as she was, she was just as dangerous.
After Gu Jiu finished admiring Madam Herlan’s beauty, she remarked, “When Ah Ji and I came here yesterday, this painting wasn’t here.”
Huh?!
Wan Xingzhou and Ruan Yuan immediately grasped the significance of the painting, their expressions turning serious.
Wan Xingzhou, in particular, felt a sudden, sinking premonition. Was he going to end up in a rendezvous with the woman in the painting? The thought made him wish he could just explode on the spot.
“I wonder if there’s a similar painting in the master’s bedroom. Let’s check.”
With that, Gu Jiu moved toward the other side of the bedroom, where there was a concealed door that led to the master’s bedroom.
Pushing open the hidden door in the wall, the four of them stepped into the master’s bedroom.
On the wall of the master’s bedroom, there was also a nearly life-sized painting. This one depicted a handsome man with slightly curly brown hair, dressed in a vintage knight’s outfit. His eyes held a melancholic gaze as he stared forward.
“He looks so sad… maybe he already knows his wife has a lover and that she even meets her lover here, in his own room?” Ruan Yuan couldn’t help but comment, casting a glance at Wan Xingzhou.
Wan Xingzhou almost bristled, “Why are you looking at me?”
Ruan Yuan shrugged. “I was just curious about what charm you, as ‘the lover,’ could possibly have to make Madam Herlan stray. Looking at you now, it seems Madam Herlan must be blind to have chosen you. Her husband has better looks, presence, and physique than you. Any woman with eyes wouldn’t abandon him for you.”
Wan Xingzhou: “…” He was furious but found himself strangely unable to argue.
It was obvious to anyone with eyes that the master was indeed exceptional: strikingly handsome, with a flawless physique and an air of nobility. None of the players could compare, especially not Wan Xingzhou, who, while endearingly puppy-like, lacked that commanding masculinity.
“Isn’t that right?” Ruan Yuan turned to Gu Jiu with a smirk.
Under the close scrutiny of Lu Ji and Wan Xingzhou, Gu Jiu nodded. “The master is certainly remarkable, but pets have their own charm too.”
Lu Ji’s mood turned somber again, secretly wondering if her ideal type leaned toward men like the master of the castle.
Wan Xingzhou, meanwhile, was left wondering—who was the “pet” she meant?
After checking the master’s and mistress’s bedrooms, Ruan Yuan and Lu Ji left, as it wasn’t their turn to appear yet in their maid roles.
Gu Jiu and Wan Xingzhou then opened the wardrobe and hid inside, leaving the door ajar so they could observe what unfolded outside.
At precisely 1:00 p.m., the hidden door between the two bedrooms slowly creaked open.
Although the sound was almost imperceptible, players with Class C-level hearing could catch even the faintest noises.
Gu Jiu, whose eyesight was poor, had sharper hearing than most players. She could hear soft footsteps on the carpet, identifying them as belonging to a slender woman around 1.65 meters tall. Her footsteps were graceful and unhurried, giving off an aura of calm as she walked through the hidden door into the master’s bedroom.
The two of them peered through the crack in the wardrobe door.
Soon, they saw the “person” who had entered the master’s bedroom.
Wan Xingzhou froze completely when he got a clear look at her.
This was nothing like the beautiful, alluring Madam Herlan they had expected. The figure before them was pitch black, though her outline, hairstyle, and clothing matched those of the woman in the painting, unmistakably indicating that this was indeed Madam Herlan—or, rather, a shadowy version of her.
It was as if all the vibrant colors on her body had been cloaked in darkness.
Just then, Madam Herlan’s voice filled the room. “Darling, are you here?”
Her voice was sweet and enchanting, matching the allure and beauty of the woman in the portrait. Without seeing her current appearance, it would have been easy to be entranced by her voice alone.
Gu Jiu nudged Wan Xingzhou, signaling that Madam Herlan was calling him and urging him to step out and “meet” her.
Wan Xingzhou’s face was a picture of pure refusal; he had no desire to rendezvous with this shadowy figure. But before he could resist, Gu Jiu firmly and unceremoniously pushed him out.
Wan Xingzhou stumbled forward, landing at Madam Herlan’s feet.
“Darling, what game are you playing?” Madam Herlan’s voice was filled with sweet joy as she bent down to help him up.
Wan Xingzhou felt her touch like a mass of chilling air—her grip was unnaturally strong, making him shiver. Madam Herlan looked at him with apparent concern.
“What’s wrong, dear?”
Wan Xingzhou stammered, “I… I’m a bit scared…”
“Scared of what?”
“H-Herlan… Lord Herlan…”
Madam Herlan let out a coquettish laugh, her tone playful but laced with something colder. “Isn’t this why you’re hiding here, hoping he’d find us? Darling, he’s already noticed.”
Wan Xingzhou’s eyes widened in horror.
To his utter terror, the man from the painting on the wall in the master’s bedroom began to step out of the canvas. As he emerged, all color drained from him, transforming him from a melancholic, handsome figure into a pitch-black shadow of a man.
Even the most charming person loses their allure when cloaked in blackness; there was nothing remotely appealing left to behold.
The horror intensified when Lord Herlan, having fully emerged from the painting, pointed directly at Wan Xingzhou, demanding to know where this “intruder” of a lover had come from.
Madam Herlan’s laughter continued, now tinged with icy disdain. She gestured toward the wardrobe, saying, “You have a lover of your own hiding there, so what right do you have to question me?”
Wan Xingzhou: “!!!!” Gu Jiu was in the wardrobe.
Under the intense scrutiny of both Mr. and Madam Herlan, Gu Jiu opened the wardrobe door and stepped out with perfect composure.
“Good afternoon, you two,” she greeted them with a pleasant smile. “Sorry to intrude.”
Wan Xingzhou was desperate to say: Now’s not the time for pleasantries—think of a way to get us out of here!
The two pitch-black figures were terrifying. Madam Herlan’s grip was unnaturally strong, and Lord Herlan looked as though he was ready to tear him to pieces.
Madam Herlan suddenly shrieked, “This is your lover? I thought you were devoted to Lady Naser! And here you are, doing something so disgraceful. So much for your supposed devotion…”
Lord Herlan shot back, “She’s not my lover; she came along with yours.”
“That’s impossible. My darling is an obedient little thing; he would never do something like that.”
“Then why don’t you ask him yourself?”
Caught in the middle of the couple’s accusatory glares, Wan Xingzhou was at a loss for words.