When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 455: In Trouble

Chapter 455: In Trouble

"They caught the mice?"

Upon hearing the news from the maid, Shen Nianzu swiftly picked up his skirt and rushed to the garden. He arrived just in time to hear Madam Vivianne instructing the servants to put the mice away and take care of them, all the while keeping her distance and wearing a look of disgust on her face.

"Wait!" Shen Nianzu intervened, striding toward the servant holding a cage draped in a cloth. From within, the frantic and terrified squeaks of mice could be heard. Tilting his chin high, Shen Nianzu coldly demanded, "Remove the cloth. I would like to inspect the mice."

"Rosie?" Madam Vivianne furrowed her brows in disapproval. "This is not something a lady such as yourself should touch. They’re dirty little creatures who will harm you if you’re not careful."

"Yet it is this creature which His Highness demands us to take along," Shen Nianzu retorted smoothly, rendering the middle-aged woman somewhat speechless.

Early this morning, a royal messenger had come bearing the news of the ball which would be held in two days’ time, as well as the additional stipulation requested by the Prince himself and approved by the King.

As a result, the whole town had been thrown into a frenzy with the task to capture mice.

While Shen Nianzu understood that Noir was doing this to locate Gu Luoxin, he couldn’t help but click his tongue at how impulsive and over-the-top the man was. Yes, this might be one way to ensure that Gu Luoxin would be present during the royal ball, but hadn’t Noir taken into account how the young man wouldn’t easily allow himself to be captured, thus increasing the risk of him getting harmed? As if it was not enough, Noir also emphasized that the mouse should be unharmed. What if Gu Luoxin was already injured to begin with, which jeopardized his chances of attending the palace?

In the first place, Shen Nianzu wasn’t even sure that his missing teammate had really turned into a mouse, as everything was simply a speculation on his part!

There were so many unforeseen variables at play; if it were Shen Nianzu, he wouldn’t have added such a burdensome stipulation.

But well... perhaps it was just him being overly cautious and overthinking as usual, because when Jin Jiuchi heard of the news, he had almost laughed his butt off while praising Noir for his genius idea.

To make matters worse, Shen Nianzu could no longer contact Noir after their last communication. Either the emerald-eyed man had accidentally broken the earpiece – which was highly unlikely – or he was currently embroiled in a predicament where he couldn’t act or speak as he pleased. Shen Nianzu would prefer either scenario at any time over the terrifying possibility that Noir had somehow triggered the death condition due to his rashness.

A royal prince, demanding the ladies of the town to bring a mouse along to the royal ball... it sounded like an OOC to him. But of course, he couldn’t predict how such behavior would be judged by the Cycle.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Nianzu pushed aside his messy thoughts and addressed Vivianne in a solemn tone, "Mother, I have been waiting for this opportunity for so long. These mice are my ticket to getting closer to His Highness, so forgive me if I seem too paranoid."

As soon as Vivianne heard those words, the displeasure in her features softened, replaced by a sense of helplessness and a hint of pride. "Of course, Rosie," she sighed, signaling the servant to comply with Shen Nianzu’s request. "This is an important event for all of us, so it’s understandable that you wish everything to be perfect. Forgive Mother for being so thoughtless, my dear."

The cloth covering the cage was drawn back, revealing three gray and dirty mice quivering in fear and trepidation.

"Hmm..." Shen Nianzu circled around them, scrutinizing each one from head to tail, yet he was dismayed to find that none of them was Gu Luoxin. Suppressing the disappointment within him, he stepped back and gestured, "Alright, they look fine to me. Take care of them well, and make sure they’re not harmed in any way. I won’t tolerate any mishaps."

"Yes, Lady Rosie!" The servants bowed respectfully before carrying the cage away.

"Mother! Sister Rosie!" From within the mansion, Eva rushed out, her entire person brimming with enthusiasm. "I’m ready now. Let’s go to the seamstress. We must have the finest gown for the royal ball!"

The waiting carriage stood outside the residence, and soon, Vivianne, Eva, and Shen Nianzu climbed onto it, heading to the most renowned seamstress in town.

Of course, Jin Jiuchi aka Cinderella was never included.

Left behind in his old shabby room, Jin Jiuchi lay sprawled on the bed, using one arm as a makeshift pillow. Knowing fully that no one would bother with him, he boldly wore the earpiece in broad daylight and tapped on it repeatedly, trying to contact the person on the other side.

"Hello? Moshi moshi? Earth to Noir~" But alas, no matter how many times he called, there was no response aside from silence.

Staring at the ceiling, Jin Jiuchi let out a contemplative hum, "Weird. What is he doing now?" He tossed around in bed, bored out of his wits, yet there was nothing to see except for the peeling walls. Kicking his legs, he groaned in frustration, "Augh, I’m so bored! Why can’t the royal ball come sooner?!"

Coincidentally, a certain brown mouse who was still hiding in the underground sewer was also entertaining the same thoughts.

Why can’t the royal ball come sooner?!

Throughout the night, Gu Luoxin had not caught a wink of sleep as he was too worried for Lucius, who had not come seeking for him.

With the town currently on a mouse hunt, the entire group opted to stay in the underground sewer where the humans couldn’t reach them. They sustained themselves by eating dead insects, while the more reckless ones dared to venture outside to scavenge through garbage heaps. Some of them returned, while some were captured, adding on to the grim atmosphere.

Gu Luoxin spent the entire morning on pins and needles, and it wasn’t until the sun was high up in the sky that Lucius showed himself again.

"Ahh, the black cat... it’s here again ciit!"

"Help— don’t eat me, I’m not tasty!"

Just like last time, while everyone scrambled away to secure their own lives, only Gu Luoxin rushed toward the black cat, overcome with relief. "Lucius—" however, all the words he was about to say froze in his throat when he caught sight of the black cat, whose body appeared slightly transparent under the bright rays of sunshine.

Gu Luoxin skidded to a halt, stunned. Despite the warmth of the day, he couldn’t help but tremble involuntarily from the chills that raced down his spine. "L–Lucius? What... what’s wrong with you ciit?"

Lucius looked utterly exhausted as he dropped a few slices of bread in front of Gu Luoxin, speaking in urgent tones, "I can’t stay with you anymore. Noir is in trouble meow."

"What?!" Gu Luoxin’s heart instantly sank with heavy dread. "W–What is—"

Unfortunately, before he could even inquire further, Lucius’ entire body faded away right in front of his eyes.