Chapter 37
Shen Wen’s voice, gentle and melodious, drifted through the castle night as he read the story.
Meanwhile, the players, having activated their invisibility props, crept into the first-floor hallway.
They had memorized the hallway’s layout during the tour the little master had given them on their first day.
The buzz-cut player led the way, entering from the left corner, holding her breath as she took her first step.
Her high-quality invisibility prop allowed her to take a few steps without being noticed by the monsters.
Despite this, she remained vigilant.
She clutched her life-saving prop, a crystal pendant that could deflect a fatal blow.
Another brave male player followed her, keeping watch on the left side of the hallway, as planned.
He bumped into the buzz-cut player. “Why did you stop?” he whispered.
The buzz-cut player was staring at the paintings on the wall.
“Baldy, do you remember the paintings in the hallway from our first day?”
Baldy had an excellent memory and was in charge of gathering information about the castle.
Hearing her question, he stepped forward and carefully examined the paintings.
He scanned the wall from left to right and gasped.
“There’s an extra painting!”
It was impossible to miss!
A vibrant, colorful painting of sunflowers hung right in the center!
The castle master’s original paintings were now mere decorations around this new artwork.
Baldy quickly memorized the painting’s content and location, exchanged glances with the buzz-cut player, and they quickly retreated.
Back in their bedroom, the players started a new discussion.
“I think that painting is the key to this dungeon!”
“Sunflowers. What could they represent?”
“Maybe it’s not the content of the painting? The fact that it suddenly appeared there at night is suspicious enough!”
As they debated, the buzz-cut player, who had been silent, spoke.
“Last night, when you were all acting strange, I went out to look for clues and found a storybook about a knight’s adventure.”
The other players looked at her, puzzled.
“A storybook? What’s it about?”
The buzz-cut player briefly summarized the story.
“It’s about a brave knight who explores a dangerous place, discovers a secret, obtains a key, and escapes.”
The others were intrigued.
“That sounds similar to our situation. Does that mean we’re the knights in the story?”
“So we need to find a key. But who has it?”
The buzz-cut player licked her dry lips, thinking about their experiences in the castle, and offered a theory.
“Perhaps the knight isn’t any of us. Remember who we followed to the castle?”
There was only one brave little knight in the story!
The night passed peacefully.
Morning light flooded the bedroom, casting shadows on the pale bedsheets.
Dust motes danced in the light. The dungeon’s daylight wasn’t as bright as the real world’s, but it was still clear.
Xing Nuo lay on his stomach, his arms stretched above his head, his sleeping posture adorable, his breathing soft and even.
He had been disturbed by the noise from downstairs for the past two nights and hadn’t slept well.
Tonight, however, he slept soundly, without even dreaming.
The moment daylight arrived, Shen Wen, who had been waiting outside all night, opened the door.
His damp sleeves were mostly dry, wrinkled and loose around his pale wrists.
He sensed the warm breath in the room, the little one’s pale golden hair like a small sun, brightening the entire bedroom.
The bedroom, which had felt empty last night, now felt alive with the child’s presence.
Shen Wen loved flowers because he loved their vibrant blooms.
But even after all this time, the cold, lifeless flowers couldn’t bring this sense of vibrant life.
He sat on the edge of the bed, looked at the cold ginger soup, and gazed quietly at Xing Nuo’s sleeping face, flushed and peaceful.
Except for their first encounter in the castle, Shen Wen had never looked at Xing Nuo for so long.
The little one’s cheeks were fair and rosy, his eyelashes long and thick, his eyes, like his own, slightly deep-set, his nose slightly chubby and cute.
Shen Wen stared, but couldn’t see anything special about him.
He was just like any other human child, except perhaps more frail and clingy, constantly wanting to be near him.
Even though he had already realized that Shen Wen wasn’t his dad.
But he still kept calling him “Daddy.”
Shen Wen stood up, lost in thought, sighed, and returned to his own bedroom to change.
He also took the bowl of pungent ginger soup.
Since the little one was better, he wouldn’t need it.
Xing Nuo woke up feeling refreshed, the dark circles under his eyes gone, his skin fair and rosy.
He yawned, stretching his arms, and, remembering the promised treat, ran out of the room in his pajamas to find his dad and ask for his biscuit.
“Daddy!”
He ran down the hallway in his slippers and knocked on his dad’s bedroom door, trying to wake him up.
Shen Wen, who had just finished changing but hadn’t put on his accessories yet, opened the door.
“What is it?” he asked, looking down at the little one.
Xing Nuo huffed softly, lifted his chin, and nuzzled his dad’s leg.
Like a spoiled kitten, he mumbled:
“Daddy silly…where Zaizai’s biscuit and milk?”
He added:
“Lots of honey!”
Shen Wen’s leg tickled from Xing Nuo’s curls rubbing against it. He placed his finger on the little one’s forehead.
“Milk? Biscuit? You’re quite demanding.”
Xing Nuo, unable to nuzzle his dad’s leg anymore, stood on tiptoe, his mouth turned down in a pout.
“Daddy pwomised! Give Zaizai biscuit!”
Bad Daddy, forgot again after waking up!
“Yestewday…yestewday Zaizai sleepy…no eat!”
Xing Nuo frowned, his cheeks puffing out.
“Daddy forgot…so…give Zaizai two biscuits!”
He imitated his dad’s usual demeanor, crossing his arms and “reasoning” with him.
Shen Wen, about to cross his arms, twitched his lips and poked the little one’s cheek instead.
“Don’t push your luck.”
But despite his words, a smile played on his lips.
“Not two. One biscuit, at most.”
He turned and went back to his room to put on his accessories.
Xing Nuo continued to pout, following his dad, watching him put on his purple agate ring, and held out his own small finger.
“Zaizai want wear too.”
Daddy used to wear these pretty, cool little stones, and Xing Nuo, when he was teething, loved to chew on them.
After a while, Shen Wen, afraid of damaging Xing Nuo’s teeth, stopped wearing them.
Seeing the little one demanding a ring, Shen Wen tapped his head.
“Your fingers are too short. Maybe when you’re older.”
Xing Nuo mumbled “Oh,” withdrew his hand, and sat down, watching his dad, his chin resting on his hands.
“Biscuit…chocolate…cwunchy and sweet…and milk…”
Everything he said was about food.
Shen Wen chuckled, watching the little one.
“You never eat this much during meals. Why are you so obsessed with biscuits?”
Xing Nuo didn’t particularly like snacks.
He just liked being pampered by his dad, being bribed with snacks, having his back patted as he fell asleep.
And he liked going to the kitchen with his dad, drinking milk and eating biscuits together.
Xing Nuo huffed softly, too young to articulate his reasons.
“Daddy no eat…Zaizai eat.”
Shen Wen, exasperated by the little one’s persistence, shook his head.
“Alright, alright, let’s go downstairs and ask the cook to make some for you.”
Xing Nuo, holding his dad’s hand, corrected him in his sweet voice:
“Pastwy Chef make…Daddy, you wong!”
Shen Wen couldn’t remember the names of the castle servants.
Besides the castle, he also frequented his manors and other properties. There were too many monster servants, and he didn’t bother remembering such trivial details.
“I know.” He replied dismissively.
Xing Nuo, his head tilted up, mumbled about the pastry chef.
“Pastwy Chef…cwy a lot…Zaizai saw…many times.”
Most of the castle servants had unique personalities.
The cook was fiery, the pastry chef was fawning, the butler was rigid…
But they were all fiercely loyal and devoted to the little master of the castle.
Xing Nuo, knowing his dad had forgotten, reminded him.
He then shook his head and sighed softly.
What will this castle do without Zaizai?
