When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 434: So Many!

Chapter 434: So Many!

Shen Nianzu’s breath hitched as he lunged forward to slap the small statue out of Jin Jiuchi’s grasp. "Don’t touch that!" He was so spooked that if he were a cat, all of his fur would have stood on its end.

Jin Jiuchi yelped, more from surprise than pain. Cradling his hand, he shot an aggrieved look at Shen Nianzu, "N–Nian’er?"

The small statue bounced on the soft bed before tumbling to the ground with a clear, crisp sound. It was a beautifully carved white marble statue, as small as a baby’s fist. The craftsmanship was so delicate and exquisite that Shen Nianzu would have taken the time to admire it under any normal circumstances. But after the unsettling information he had just learned, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the tiny statue exuded an inexplicable sinister aura, sending chills down his spine.

With sternness in his tone, Shen Nianzu demanded, "Where did you get it from?"

Albeit puzzled about his extreme reaction, Jin Jiuchi honestly pointed at the nightstand drawer beside the bed. "There are still a few in there, but Nian’er—"

Shen Nianzu sucked in a breath. He did not even register what Jin Jiuchi said next as he swiftly moved to open the nightstand drawer, and the sight that greeted him nearly almost caused him to break out into cold sweat.

The statues... there were so many of them!

They varied in size and material, starting from a charm as small as a thumb to a decoration around the size of an adult’s fist— some crafted from marble, while others shimmered with transparent gems or gleamed with obsidian. Shen Nianzu quickly counted with his eyes and found more than fifteen.

Not good...

All this time, he had been too focused on analyzing the surroundings and the NPCs around him that he neglected to check his own room. No, even if he discovered these statues early on, he wouldn’t have assumed that they were one of the death conditions. He would have chalked them up to the peculiar sight that aligned perfectly with the name of the town itself.

With a furrow between his brows, Shen Nianzu methodically combed through the room and found similar items on his – or to be exact Lady Rosie’s – earrings, and... holy fucking shit, she also had a pair of glass slippers neatly stored in a fancy shoe box in the bottom of her wardrobe! They looked new and sparkly, showing no signs of wear yet.

A tingling sensation swept across Shen Nianzu’s scalp as he stared at the glass slippers before him, dumbfounded. What in the world was this Eldest Lady thinking?! Were these not the murder weapon that had killed the Queen?!

No, that was a well-kept secret.

Shen Nianzu forced himself to calm down and analyzed the situation. The townsfolk were clearly oblivious to the curse, and they revered the glass slippers to an almost fanatical degree.

As the Eldest Young Lady of the household, Rosie wouldn’t have a shortage of suitors knocking on her door. But without a doubt, she would aim for the best, not only for herself, but also to elevate her family’s status.

And who would be more suitable than the Prince?

Perhaps she had been eyeing the position of the Princess for a long time, and to solidify her plans, she had these glass slippers prepared. Although Shen Nianzu had no idea what kind of plans she had in mind, he was certain that she intended to use these glass slippers... to become the Crown Princess, unaware of the curse they carried!

"Hello, Earth to Nian’er???" Jin Jiuchi’s face suddenly loomed in front of him, catching him off guard. "What are you thinking about? Your pretty little face is all scrunched up like a lemon."

Shen Nianzu shot him an exasperated glare. He briefly recounted everything he’d heard from the other players. "... That’s why, don’t ever touch these statues again, do you hear me?" He stressed out each word with heavy emphasis, wishing he could drill those words into this silly husky’s mind lest he attempted something funny again.

"Wow, how wicked," Jin Jiuchi clicked his tongue. "How is one supposed to know that these things will trigger the death condition? What’s next, Nian’er? Are you going to get rid of them all?"

"That would be the best, but..." Shen Nianzu frowned. "We must not get caught by anyone, not the maid or servants, especially the members of this family. Otherwise we will violate the first death condition."

The main problem here was: how could they get rid of these cursed items without leaving any trail behind? Destroy them into fine powder before burying them under the soil? That was indeed feasible, but how could he be sure that it wouldn’t exacerbate the situation?

In the first place, he had only heard Six and her teammates’ recount without seeing the evidence with his own eyes. What if... what if they were lying all along?

Amidst the doubt and speculation swirling in Shen Nianzu’s mind, he heard Jin Jiuchi suggest, pointing at his own nose, "Should I eat them?"

"You...!" Shen Nianzu grabbed his collar and shook him back and forth. "Did you even hear what I said? I told you not to touch them! And they’re not food, for God’s sake! How are you supposed to consume marble and gems? Do you want to end up with internal bleeding?!"

"Ah, ah, ah, mercy! I was just joking—!"

Knock knock knock.

The knocking on the door froze the two of them in a comical position, with Jin Jiuchi curled into a shrimp and Shen Nianzu poised to smack some sense into his head. The two of them exchanged a glance as the maid’s voice drifted in, tinged with a hint of nervousness, "Excuse me, Lady Rosie. Madam Vivianne sent me to check in on you. Is Lady Cinderella okay? Do you need anything?"

Although the words were veiled with warm concern, Shen Nianzu could immediately tell the maid’s purpose – monitor the situation and report back to Vivianne.

Releasing his grip on Jin Jiuchi, he straightened up and smoothed down his skirt and hair that had gotten slightly messy, then he gestured for Jin Jiuchi to stay silent. Upon receiving the man’s repeated nods and huge sincere eyes, Shen Nianzu moved toward the door, saying in a firm and composed voice, "Everything is fine. Cinderella has a minor injury and she has treated it herself. Tell Mother not to worry. I can handle things perfectly well."

A full two seconds of silence ensued from the other side of the door before the maid stammered out nervously, "... A–Actually, Madam Vivianne couldn’t rest well due to concern, and she insists on seeing you before retiring to her chamber. Please... please come with me, Lady Rosie."

Shen Nianzu resisted the urge to sneer. Of course, he couldn’t have expected the first night to pass by so peacefully, could he?

Making eye contact with Jin Jiuchi, Shen Nianzu responded, "Very well, give me some time to prepare."

The maid’s voice grew smaller and smaller as she added, "A–And also... Lady Cinderella. Madam Vivianne wants to see her too..."

Stunned, Jin Jiuchi pointed at his own nose. "Me???" he mouthed.