When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 427: Master Of The House

Chapter 427: Master Of The House

With none of them the wiser, Shen Nianzu could only play everything by ear and react accordingly to the subsequent circumstances.

He had initially intended to dig out more information regarding this Cycle from the library, but then he was dismayed to discover that this residence did not even own one! Furthermore, when he subtly probed the maids and servants about it, they all either gave him blank stares or switched the topic seamlessly as if they had heard nothing.

As an Elite player who had challenged the Cycle more than ten times, of course Shen Nianzu knew what this demeanor signified.

There were only two possibilities he could think of. First, all the information in this Cycle wouldn’t be easily obtained and he had to piece together the string of clues he obtained along the way.

Or second, he had approached the wrong NPCs and locations.

The maids and servants might not be able to answer him, but what about Madam Vivianne or Lady Eva, his supposedly ’mother’ and ’younger sister’?

As Shen Nianzu contemplated his plans, an unexpected opportunity presented itself when he was summoned to the dining hall.

The head of the family, Sir Richard, had returned home.

From the maid who led him along the way, Shen Nianzu learned that it had been almost half a year since the last time Richard had come home. He owned a business that required him to travel frequently, and every single time he would only return for a day or two before leaving again, handling the affairs of the residence to the capable hands of his second wife, Madam Vivianne.

Shen Nianzu acknowledged the information with a light hum. He was aware of this after learning multiple variations of Cinderella – the father would either be dead or absent for a long time, giving ample space and time for the mother and stepsisters to mistreat the poor protagonist.

It seemed like this time, the Cycle had chosen the ’absent father’ route. This was by no means a coincidence. There must be some kind of information only privy to the man, and Shen Nianzu was determined to find out.

Entering the dining hall, Shen Nianzu’s gaze fell upon a thin, middle-aged man seated on the head of the table – he must be Richard. On his right side was Madam Vivianne who exuded concern and gentleness as she inquired about his business trip, looking every inch like a lovable and gentle wife.

Shen Nianzu stepped forward, held his skirt and offered a small curtsy, his movement oozing with poise and elegance. There was not even a hint of awkwardness in his gait, one would really think that he was a lady of high society.

"Father, Mother," he greeted.

Richard’s face lit up with a smile. "My daughter Rosie, you have grown so beautiful since the last time I saw you! Come and take a seat!"

Nodding, Shen Nianzu took his place on Richard’s left, directly right across Madam Vivianne. Soon after, Eva made her entrance, acting cutesy and spoiled to Richard who was more than happy to indulge her.

As the servants began to serve dishes Richard noticed the absence of his youngest daughter and inquired, "Where is Cinderella? Why isn’t she here yet?"

Madam Vivianne shot a meaningful glance toward the maid, who stepped forward and replied conscientiously, "Master, Lady Cinderella mentioned that she is not feeling well, so she won’t be joining dinner tonight."

In fact, Madam Vivianne had locked Cinderella in her old and dirty room and strictly ordered her not to show her face around. If she still knew what’s best for her, then she wouldn’t choose to rebel. Satisfied with the current development, Madam Vivianne feigned a troubled expression and sighed, "I don’t know what’s going on with that girl lately. She’s been throwing random temper tantrums and behaving terribly. Everyone bore witness to it. I told her to learn more from her sister Rosie, but she got angry and didn’t want to leave her room. I even went out of my way to inform her of your return, but she simply wouldn’t listen to me."

Beside her, Eva nodded again and again with an aggrieved look. "Just today, she ruined my dress without any reason..."

Richard was taken aback, for the Cinderella in his memory was a lovely, quiet little girl. It was hard to believe that her personality had taken a turn for the worse, but there was no reason for Vivianne and Eva to lie to him.

"Is that so?" He couldn’t help but feel disappointed as he had been eagerly waiting to see his youngest daughter. Nonetheless, being a loving father, he still instructed the maid, "Bring the food to her later. Don’t let her go hungry."

"Yes, Master," the maid acknowledged.

Eva almost couldn’t contain her anger when she heard that. Even though they had blackened Cinderella’s image, she still received their father’s love and attention! How unfair! Was it because Cinderella was his one and only blood-related daughter, while she and her sister were born from their mother’s previous marriage?!

Eva’s spoiled temperament made her temper more explosive, but fortunately, Madam Vivianne noticed and discreetly pinched her beneath the table, shooting her a warning look. Gritting her teeth, Eva had no choice but to suppress her anger.

Hmph, she would definitely make Cinderella’s life more miserable after this!

Madam Vivianne shifted her attention to her eldest daughter with a smile, "What is it, Rosie? Why have you become so silent? Is the food not to your liking?"

"Ah..." Shen Nianzu exclaimed softly, though he still made no move to bring the food to his mouth. Under the trio’s inquisitive gazes, he could feel a droplet of sweat rolling down his back.

On the plate of the supposedly delicious and mouth-watering steak, he spotted a wiggling worm as he cut into the meat. A faint rancid smell wafted from it, but the others did not seem to notice anything as they chewed on the steak heartily.

Shen Nianzu felt mildly nauseous, and so as to not blow his cover, he moved his fork to the salad bowl. At least, this dish seemed normal.

"I’ve been putting on weight lately," the excuse rolled off smoothly from his lips. "So pardon me if I eat little."

There was nothing wrong with a lady watching over her figure, so the matter passed by uneventfully. Madam Vivianne even offered him a proud look and told Eva to learn more from him.

Halfway through the dinner, Richard suddenly exclaimed as if recalling something, "That’s right, have any of you heard the news? It seems like the Prince will be going around in a parade tomorrow!"

So this is his role, Shen Nianzu thought. Will there be more?

"The Prince?" He put on a curious look, as he couldn’t rule out the possibility that the royalty was the core NPC he was searching for.

Richard nodded and began to elaborate. Apparently, the King had been feeling ill as of late, so he was anxious to find a proper match for his one and only son. Coincidentally, the Prince was approaching his coming-of-age, so it was time for him to show himself more to the eye of the public.

Shen Nianzu speculated that the royal ball should come next.

"Sister, let’s go out and watch the parade tomorrow!" Eva invited him enthusiastically, and Shen Nianzu readily agreed,

"Sure."

Either way, this was a huge chance for him to learn about this Cycle and locate Xinxin.

.

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Mini theater

Eva: I will make Cinderella more miserable!

JJ: *sneeze* is Nian’er missing me?