Chapter 25
The players stood on the castle steps, facing the sea of roses, a sense of dread clinging to them like a shadow.
A female player trembled slightly and whispered:
“If we don’t go, will we anger the little monster?”
The veteran player, swallowing nervously, his voice slightly strained, wasn’t sure either.
“I don’t know about angering him, but I can guarantee that if we go down there, we’re dead for sure!”
The other players nodded vigorously, taking a step back from the rose garden.
In the garden, Xing Nuo bent down, mimicking his dad, and inspected the roses.
Under the crystal light, each flower bloomed brilliantly, their petals vibrant and captivating.
Xing Nuo, his hands behind his back, nodded in satisfaction.
“Very good. Flowers…growing well…today~”
Using the words his dad often used to praise him to praise the roses, Xing Nuo smiled, a few curls bouncing on his forehead.
The roses, as if appreciating the little master’s compliment, swayed gently, even without a breeze.
The rustling sound of petals against petals echoed through the garden, like a chorus of happy agreement.
Xing Nuo finished his inspection and turned his head, looking at the players who were still standing frozen on the steps, a puzzled look on his face.
“Brothers…sisters…no look…flowers?”
This was the most beautiful flower garden in the castle!
The monster butler, who had been looking at Xing Nuo with a doting expression, turned his cold, sinister gaze towards the players.
“The little master has invited you to view the flowers. As polite gentlemen, you should thank him for his generous consideration.”
Then, he snorted coldly.
“Instead of standing there like fools, angering the little master!”
The players’ palms were sweating. They were caught between a rock and a hard place, frozen in place, no one daring to speak.
They couldn’t possibly go near those eerie roses!
But the overprotective monster butler wouldn’t tolerate them refusing the little master’s invitation.
The players felt utterly helpless.
Just as they were in this dilemma, Xing Nuo, having finished inspecting the roses, walked over to them, his voice kind and considerate.
“Brothers…sisters…tired?”
He rubbed his small arms, his bright eyes curving into crescents.
“Zaizai…tired too…no look…flowers…okay…”
The players were overjoyed, practically weeping with relief.
The buzz-cut player almost wanted to hug the considerate little cub and give him a kiss!
Grateful for the way out, they quickly nodded in agreement.
“Yes, yes, we’ve been walking for too long, we’re quite tired today.”
“Haha, my legs are aching, I really can’t look at the roses now, such a pity!”
The butler, diligently wiping the dust from the little master’s face with a soft handkerchief, his stiff mask filled with indignation, muttered:
“Little Master, you shouldn’t be so considerate of them. They clearly just don’t like the roses Master planted!”
As if these words had violated some taboo, the roses in the garden swayed violently, their rustling like waves of anger, threatening to engulf the tiny humans.
How dare they dislike them!
The players felt the oppressive aura of the rose garden, the suffocating fragrance overwhelming them, paralyzing them.
Just as they were bracing themselves for the worst, Xing Nuo tilted his head and spoke:
“It’s okay…I like…flowers…Dad likes…too…but some…don’t like…Teacher said…respect…everyone…different.”
Xing Nuo looked at the rose garden illuminated by the crystal orbs, his eyes shining.
“Every flower…different too!”
This praise seemed to appease the roses.
The rustling gradually subsided, and the roses swayed gently, as if examining themselves for their unique qualities.
The players, realizing they had survived, breathed a sigh of relief, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
That was close!
What kind of adorable little creature was this little master?!
Being near him felt incredibly safe!
After visiting the garden, Xing Nuo, sleepy, rested his head on the butler’s shoulder, his eyes drooping.
The butler gently patted Xing Nuo’s back, coaxing him to sleep.
“Sleep, Little Master. I’ve prepared the softest bed for you. You’ll have sweet dreams tonight.”
A crystal lamp with a warm-colored shade emitted a soft glow in the small bedroom.
Xing Nuo, lying on the soft bed the butler had meticulously prepared, slept soundly.
In the middle of the night, Xing Nuo was suddenly awakened by a loud commotion outside.
His mind still foggy with sleep, he yawned, his head resting on the pillow, about to drift off again.
Just as he closed his eyes, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from outside:
“Help! Little Master, help!”
“Aaaaaah! Hurry!”
Xing Nuo’s sleepy eyes blinked slowly, his mind still dazed from being woken up. He sat on the bed for a while, the noise outside continuing unabated.
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he slowly climbed out of bed, put on his slippers, and went to see what was happening.
The living room on the first floor had a high ceiling, allowing a clear view from the second floor.
Xing Nuo, wearing a soft, light green robe, his hair a mess, opened the door, gripped the banister, and looked down.
Crystal lamps and mermaid pearls illuminated the luxurious living room, making it as bright as day.
The living room was clean and tidy, seemingly unchanged from the daytime.
Xing Nuo blinked his sleepy eyes, his voice barely above a whisper:
“You…not sleeping?”
He looked at the older people sitting on the living room floor and yawned.
“Zaizai…sleepy…you…quiet…”
Xing Nuo’s voice was soft, but, thankfully, the castle was quiet enough for the players to hear him, despite the distance.
The players, exhausted from being chased by monsters, lying scattered on the floor, nodded weakly.
“Okay, we’re going to sleep too.”
Relieved to have a moment’s respite, they wiped the sweat from their foreheads and watched as Xing Nuo’s small figure retreated into the bedroom.
The moment the bedroom door closed, all the crystal lamps on the first floor went out.
The soft glow of the mermaid pearls wasn’t enough to illuminate the entire hall, plunging the room into a dim, eerie darkness.
In the shadows, the monsters who had been chasing the players for hours, their red eyes gleaming, watched them intently.
“They woke the little master!”
“The little master is staying in the castle?!”
“Unforgivable! They disturbed the little master’s sleep!”
“Kill them! Kill them!”
The monster servants, who had appeared human-like during the day, now revealed their terrifying true forms, attacking the humans relentlessly.
The players had been dodging and fighting these monsters for hours.
One of the newcomers had almost broken his arm and had a bleeding wound on his leg.
Seeing that they were about to be overwhelmed, a veteran player gritted his teeth and came up with a plan.
“Let’s shout and wake up the little master upstairs! These monsters all revolve around him, maybe they’ll stop attacking us!”
Another veteran player disagreed, attacking the approaching monster with his ability and quickly dodging aside.
“Are you crazy?! What if Xing Nuo also turns into a monster at night?!”
That was the little master of the castle!
If he turned into a monster, they wouldn’t stand a chance!
As they spoke, another player was injured, a bloody hole appearing in his chest, his face pale.
“If we don’t wake him up, we’ll die here!”
“These monsters reveal their true forms at night, we can’t defeat them! And the most powerful monster, the butler, hasn’t even appeared yet!”
The dissenting voices were drowned out as the players started shouting, trying to wake up the little master upstairs.
It turned out to be the right decision.
When Xing Nuo woke up and opened the door, the rampaging monsters, as if terrified of something, instantly vanished from the living room.
The crystal lamps lit up for the little master, the traces of the fight and the blood quickly cleaned up by the monsters, the grand, elegant hall restored to its pristine state.
Except for the players, panting and unable to stand, it was as if nothing had happened.
The players, grateful for the reprieve, collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath.
Upstairs.
Xing Nuo, still half-asleep, climbed back into bed, didn’t even bother pulling up the covers, and instantly fell asleep.
But just ten minutes later, another bloodcurdling scream echoed from downstairs.
Xing Nuo’s heart skipped a beat, and he opened his eyes, his sleepy gaze filled with confusion.
What was going on downstairs?
He clutched his rapidly beating heart, took a deep breath, sat up, and frowned, slightly annoyed.
Why did they keep waking him up?
Hadn’t these guests attended kindergarten? Hadn’t their teachers taught them to be polite and well-behaved in other people’s homes?
Annoyed, Xing Nuo climbed out of bed, clenched his fists, put on his slippers, and went outside.
Leaning against the banister, he frowned and shouted down at the older people below:
“You…go to sleep!”
It was so late!
The players, hearing the little master’s weak, childish voice, their lips twitching, their expressions a mixture of numbness and helplessness.
“We’d love to!”
But there were a bunch of monsters in his castle, how could they possibly sleep?!
