“No way…”
Mu’en’s face suddenly turned pale.
Without a moment to spare, he immediately pulled out the black book and meticulously reviewed everything he had experienced from yesterday until now.
“As expected, the only one who could possibly affect the current situation is that maid named Noel!”
“In the original book, she would never have a chance to rest because the original Mu’en Campbell was never this kind and forgiving!”
“Maybe she was severely punished by Mu’en Campbell, worsening her illness, which caused her to act so out of line at the banquet!”
“Which means, because of my kindness… I changed the course of the story?”
Clutching the black book tightly, Mu’en suddenly slumped down on the couch in despair.
“Then what was the point of everything I’ve done?”
Celicia was still peacefully asleep, like a princess in a fairy tale waiting for her prince to arrive and give her a true love’s kiss.
But looking at her, Mu’en only felt a deep sense of irony.
A princess who waits in vain for her prince is nothing more than a sleeping beauty hidden in a tower, and this story will never lead to a happy ending.
If Mu’en fails to perfectly achieve his own tragic end, what awaits him might be an even more miserable fate.
Just like the premonitory dream from the black book.
The words “Do not change” still echoed in his mind, followed by the chilling image of being dismembered a thousand times.
But Mu’en never expected that his carefully crafted plan would completely fall apart because of one small different action?
Isn’t this supposed to be the invincible protagonist? Can she really be stolen so easily?
“No, no, it’s not time to call it quits yet!”
“You have to remember, that’s the protagonist! The one who can get lost in the Duke’s Mansion and still stumble into the right room out of hundreds!”
“She’s the true chosen one! Even if the world’s trajectory has slightly deviated, she’ll definitely rely on her incredible luck to correct it back!”
“It’s not time to give up yet!”
Suddenly, a fierce light ignited in Mu’en’s eyes, and a burning flame rekindled in his chest.
Although everything seems incredibly dire, it’s not yet the moment of despair.
Have faith in the protagonist, have faith in her destiny.
Because in any normal story of a strong female protagonist, as long as the author isn’t completely brain-dead, they would never write the kind of disgusting plot where the heroine gets stolen by some random antagonist!
The protagonist might just be holding back, like in “Battle Through the Heavens” or “Martial World”, where they always enter at the last minute to give readers the ultimate thrill!
So, until Celicia truly wakes up, it’s not over yet!
That’s right, until she wakes up!
“Mmm…”
A soft moan suddenly echoed in the room.
“……”
No, no way.
This fast?
It’s an auditory hallucination! It has to be!
“It’s so hot…”
“……” It’s not an auditory hallucination.
It’s over.
The light, gone.
The fire, extinguished.
Mu’en felt a chilling cold spread throughout his body.
He turned stiffly to look at Celicia.
Sure enough, Celicia’s delicate brows were furrowed, and her body was unconsciously twisting.
She seemed uncomfortable, but no matter what, it looked like she was on the verge of waking up.
“This is really it.”
“The first thing Celicia will do when she wakes up is kill me.”
“There won’t even be a tragic ending. My life will end right here.”
“Wuwuwu…”
In utter despair, Mu’en faced the still-closed door, shedding two lines of desperate, pleading tears.
“Lady Ariel! Protagonist! Savior!
What the hell are you doing?! Hurry up and save me!”
……
“How could that clumsy Lia spill cake on my dress?”
At this very moment, the protagonist Ariel, whom Mu’en had been desperately calling for, was holding up a corner of her skirt, wandering aimlessly like a headless fly through the Duke’s Mansion’s complex corridors.
A clear stain could be seen on her skirt, caused by the cake Lia had accidentally spilled earlier.
So now Ariel was searching everywhere for a restroom, not realizing just how intricate the Duke’s Mansion was—and that she was a hopelessly clueless directionally challenged person.
As expected, she got lost.
But perhaps guided by some unseen force, or maybe due to her protagonist-level luck, Ariel was now just one corner away from the room where Mu’en was.
It’s predictable that if she continued wandering like this, she’d coincidentally push open the right door in just a few minutes—or even sooner.
However, fate, in its unpredictable way, took a different turn this time.
“Who’s there? Come out!”
Ariel suddenly looked towards the shadows in the corner, her eyes flashing with a cold glint.
Tap.
A crisp footstep echoed from the darkness.
A figure in black and white attire slowly emerged.
It was a maid.
“Pardon me, esteemed guest, but this area is off-limits in the Duke’s Mansion.”
The maid gave Ariel a polite bow and said respectfully:
“Please turn back and return the way you came.”
“Off-limits?”
Feeling relieved, Ariel couldn’t help but frown in confusion:
“What do you mean, off-limits?”
“It’s classified information from the Duke’s Mansion, I’m sorry I can’t disclose it.”
“Tsk, stingy.”
Ariel clicked her tongue, pretending not to care, but her black eyes darted around, clearly scheming something.
“Esteemed guest, it seems your dress is stained.”
Just then, the maid suddenly knelt down in front of Ariel.
She lifted the hem of Ariel’s skirt, her fingertips glowing faintly.
“[Cleanse].”
With a flash of light, Ariel’s skirt was as good as new.
“Wow, that’s amazing.”
Ariel blinked in surprise:
“Do all maids in the Duke’s Mansion use magic?”
“Just a little something I know, nothing worth mentioning.”
The maid stood up and smiled:
“Soon, the banquet will be serving a limited amount of Pachichi Cake. If you enjoy it, please don’t miss it.”
“Pachichi Cake!”
Ariel’s eyes instantly lit up.
That’s her favorite cake!
Unfortunately, it’s extremely expensive, and only a handful of pastry chefs in Bellland know how to make it, so she rarely gets to eat it.
“Thank you so much for your help!”
Ariel gave the maid a deep, 90-degree bow of gratitude, then turned and ran off.
Even her long, formal skirt couldn’t slow her down.
After all, Pachichi Cake is so rare that even the Duke’s Mansion can only serve it in limited quantities and for a limited time. If she’s late, it’ll be gone!
……
After running for a while, Ariel suddenly started talking.
But there was no one around her—it seemed she was just talking to herself.
“I know that maid was suspicious.”
“All that ‘off-limits’ talk in the Duke’s Mansion was definitely a lie.”
“She smelled of blood, and there was something off about the other person hiding in the shadows.”
“But—none of that has anything to do with me!”
“She’s causing trouble in the Duke’s Mansion anyway, so it won’t affect me.”
“Go find Princess Celicia? Ah, Her Highness is a grown woman, she won’t get lost.”
“Nothing is more important than my Pachichi Cake. Nothing!”
“Dear Pachichi, here I come!”
