When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 464: Memory Candy

Chapter 464: Memory Candy

Half an hour ago.

In the royal ballroom, young ladies were dressed in their finest gowns, looking twice as beautiful and delicate as usual. However, no one could deny that the ones who stole the limelight tonight were the two sisters, Rosie and Eva.

The corner of Shen Nianzu’s lips were almost stiff from having to maintain a smile all the time. He could no longer count how many men had invited him to dance, but of course, he politely rejected them all. Eva, on the other hand, was joyously dancing with the second gentleman who caught her eye.

Standing near the corner, Shen Nianzu discreetly surveyed the ballroom and found the other players scattered all across the space, looking tense and jittery as they readied themselves for the battle ahead.

Just as Shen Nianzu thought he was about to turn into a mushroom out of sheer boredom, Noir finally made his presence. Clad in regal attire, he looked just like a real noble prince. He wore a tailored doublet of midnight blue velvet, adorned with intricate golden embroidery that shimmered in the soft glow of the chandeliers. Descending the grand staircase alongside the King, the two of them commanded the attention of everyone present as they bowed respectfully.

"Oh my God, I thought he looked so dashing during the parade last time, but tonight he looks even more handsome!" a lady exclaimed in excitement.

"I wonder who His Highness will choose for his first dance?" another pondered.

"Please, let it be me! I’ve dreamed of dancing with His Highness my whole life!"

All the ladies perked up and fixed their gazes on him, including Shen Nianzu, though the reason behind his heated gaze was wholly different. Scanning Noir from head to toe, he found that the emerald-eyed man appeared strangely just like usual. Not that it was a bad thing, but it made Shen Nianzu wonder why he had not answered the calls for two days straight – not even a word to confirm that he was safe and unharmed.

This behavior of causing unnecessary concern was very unlike Noir, but Shen Nianzu was certain that the man must have a reason behind it.

As for what it was... he would only know once he got into contact with Noir later.

"Thank you, everyone, for coming to this royal ball to celebrate my son’s coming-of-age..." The King began his speech, and at that moment, Shen Nianzu’s earpiece that was hidden beneath his hair buzzed. He discreetly tapped on it, only for Jin Jiuchi’s booming voice to pierce his ear, almost bursting his eardrum,

"Hello? Moshi moshi, Nian’er? Nian’er, can you guess what I’ve just gone through?!!"

This damned husky... Shen Nianzu cursed inwardly while rubbing his ear. Can’t he tone his volume down?!

Next, he listened intently as Jin Jiuchi recounted everything starting from his first encounter with the bizarre nightmare creature to the subsequent events at the bottom of the lake. All the while, Shen Nianzu’s heart felt like it was riding on an extreme rollercoaster; one minute he was amused, then the next minute, he almost broke out into cold sweat on behalf of Jin Jiuchi’s recklessness. If not for the NPCs around him, he would have cursed Jin Jiuchi out loud for his impulsivity and brazenness.

Why would he provoke a nightmare creature?! Oh well, he himself was one, but still! It did not give him any reason to be so carefree! Fortunately everything ended well, but what if something had gone wrong midway?!

But in retrospect, Jin Jiuchi had always been able to emerge unscathed regardless of what kind of predicament he threw himself in. Now Shen Nianzu felt a little silly for being such a worrywart...

Sighing in exasperation, he spoke in hushed murmurs, using the glass wine to conceal his lips. "Where are you now?"

"Oh, oh, you can’t possibly imagine this. I’m riding on a carpet made of legs HAHAHA! I’m flying through the sky! Woo-hoo!! Nian’er, it’s so fun— ack, stop tickling my legs, damn it! I will bite off your fingers if you drop me!"

Shen Nianzu’s mind subconsciously conjured up the image, only for goosebumps to ripple across his skin. It was only Jin Jiuchi who could have fun even in the most peculiar situations. Nonetheless, knowing that everything was going smoothly on the man’s side brought a wave of relief to Shen Nianzu’s heart.

Now he needed to do his part.

"...ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this night to your heart’s content." Finishing the speech, the King returned to the podium and settled on his throne, while Noir began to make his way to the hall, his robe billowing behind him.

In an instant, the ballroom fell into a hushed silence as all eyes converged on him. The ladies held their breath sharply in anticipation, only for it to turn into a sigh of disappointment when Noir walked past them without even so much as sparing them a glance. His stride was firm and purposeful, reflecting a man who knew exactly where he was headed.

Parting through the sea of NPCs, he made a beeline straight... toward Shen Nianzu on the corner. With a subtle bow, he extended an inviting hand.

"May I?" he asked in a voice that, albeit low, still reverberated loud and clear amidst the silence.

Shen Nianzu drained his wine glass with a graceful tilt of his head before placing it on the table beside him. He then offered an elegant curtsy and placed his hand on Noir’s, allowing the latter to lead him to the center of the ballroom.

The moment they reached their position and the music began to play, the entire ballroom erupted into a frenzy of whispers and murmurs.

"Ahhh, he chose Lady Rosie in the end!"

"Granted, Lady Rosie looked especially stunning tonight."

"Does it mean the rumors are true? That Lady Rosie’s handkerchief was the only one His Highness accepted during the parade last time? Was it love at first sight?!"

"Goodness, how I wish to be in her shoes!"

On the other side of the ballroom, Eva wore a proud expression as she boasted to the people around her, "That’s my sister for you!"

Meanwhile, Vivianne was receiving tons of compliments on her daughter’s beauty, poise and charm, to which she replied with a graceful smile that betrayed nothing of the arrogance she was feeling within. "Of course, Rosie has always received the best education since a young age. It’s only natural that she caught His Highness’ attention."

It was only the King, seated on the throne, who wore an inscrutable expression as he gazed at the spectacle unfolding before him.

More and more couples began to dance to the music, adding on to the dreamy and romantic atmosphere in the air. However, unbeknownst to anyone, the conversation in the center took a serious tone.

"What happened to you these past two days?" Shen Nianzu directly inquired without beating around the bush.

"Testing something," Noir replied curtly.

That unexpected answer caught Shen Nianzu utterly off guard. "...What?"

During a graceful turn, Noir discreetly slipped a small item into his palm. "Eat this," he instructed in lieu of an answer.

A closer inspection revealed that it was a square blue-colored candy. Shen Nianzu snapped his gaze to the man before him, a hint of confusion evident in his pale purple eyes, "This..."

"Memory candy," Noir explained with nary a fluctuation in his tone. "It’s too much of a hassle to explain everything to you, so just eat that."

With a lingering sense of suspicion, Shen Nianzu tossed the candy into his mouth and bit down on it with a crunch.

In an instant, a flood of images surged through his mind, causing his vision to turn black for a split second. He would have tripped on his feet and tumbled to the ground if not for Noir steadying him in the nick of the time.

What the hell? This was... too much information!

The true identity of the one-eyed mouse by Gu Luoxin’s side, the treachery of the evil Queen, and the mysterious tragedy surrounding them all...

Two days ago, Noir was held frozen by a spell cast by the fake King, becoming just like a defenseless puppet. However, this turned out to be a calculated ruse from Noir’s part, as it caused the fake King to unwittingly drop his guard and divulge quite a lot of critical information in front of his son— such as how he loathed this town filled with glass slipper statues, and how he wanted to deploy Noir’s help to destroy them all.

It didn’t seem like he could do it himself... but destroying the statue was considered a death condition for the players!

To counter this, Noir had his divine prop, Lucius, to bear the consequences on his behalf, causing the poor black cat to be temporarily unavailable at the moment...

Shen Nianzu was rendered speechless as he processed everything until the end.

To sum it up, Noir could have freed himself from the spell at any moment, but he just had to wait until the last moment to lower the fake King’s guard. So much for worrying about him!

Before Shen Nianzu could articulate his thoughts, however, a sudden commotion erupted from outside, disrupting the tranquil ambience of the ballroom. The sounds of frantic shouts from the guards pierced through the soft melodies of the music, and shortly after, the grand double doors burst open, revealing the imposing figure of Jin Jiuchi dressed in a black gown!

Cinderella had finally arrived at the royal ball!