Chapter 24: A Strange Night

‘But if it isn’t food, why would Xiaguang bring it to me?’

‘Maybe I should try it… or at least cut a piece off to see.’

Zhu Qiu certainly didn’t dare to eat it.

She carefully removed the knife and fork from the tail.

At that moment, the tail twitched violently as if it felt pain, and blood began to seep out even faster, eventually covering the entire tray.

Ugh.

‘How disgusting.’

Zhu Qiu was a little afraid; this thing was far too eerie and abnormal.

In all her years, this was the first time she had ever seen such revolting food.

She gripped the steel knife tightly in her right hand.

Once the tail’s twitching gradually subsided, she aimed at the tip and sliced down with all her might.

“Ah!”

The tail suddenly jumped into the air before falling back onto the tray, splashing blood all over the bedsheets.

The sudden movement gave Zhu Qiu quite a scare, causing her to fall backward and slump onto the floor.

She clutched her racing heart, breathing rapidly.

‘F… F…’

‘This… this tail can’t still be alive, right?’

Forget it.

She would stop researching this thing; it was better to just send it away as soon as possible.

Now that the bedsheets were stained with blood, Zhu Xiaxia would surely go crazy if she saw them.

Zhu Qiu scrambled up from the floor, placed the steel knife and fork back onto the tray, and carried the tail to the door with both hands.

Uh… how was she supposed to open the door?

A second later, the door opened on its own.

A pair of hands reached out from the darkness outside and took the tray from her.

“Xiaguang, is that you?”

Zhu Qiu called out.

Because it was so dark, she couldn’t clearly see who was standing there.

“It is I, Princess. Does the food not suit your appetite?”

Hearing Xiaguang’s voice, Zhu Qiu breathed a sigh of relief.

It was the middle of the night, she couldn’t see a thing, and then she was served such disgusting food—it was terrifying!

“Xiaguang, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just not used to eating this.”

“Very well. Since the Princess does not like Raw Tail Thick Slices, then I shall replace it with another dish.”

With that, Xiaguang took the tray away and slammed the door shut.

“Xiaguang, wait! Don’t go yet! Can you tell Zhu Xiaxia to fix the lights in the room?

I… I’m afraid of the dark…” Toward the end, Zhu Qiu’s voice grew smaller and smaller.

She looked back at the room.

The only place with any light was the bloodstain on the bed.

‘Maybe I should just leave the room first. This place is too scary.’

Zhu Qiu gripped the doorknob, only to find that the door wouldn’t open no matter what.

‘Huh? Why? I could open it just now?’

She tried several times, but each attempt ended in failure.

‘Don’t tell me the door is broken too?’

‘Please, no!’

Being stuck like this in the middle of the night was truly frightening!

Zhu Qiu trembled with fear, her hands curled into fists as she pounded on the door.

“Is anyone there? Xiaguang, are you there? Help me open the door! It seems to be broken!”

“Is Zhu Xiaxia there? Open the door! The door is broken!”

Her cries finally received a response, and the door opened from the outside.

*Whew…*

Zhu Qiu let out a long breath.

A pair of hands reached out from the darkness again, holding another tray.

On it was yet another indescribable object.

“My dear daughter, Zhu Qiu Gracia, I heard you didn’t like the Raw Tail Thick Slices Xiaguang made. Then, try Mother’s cooking instead.”

It was Zhu Xiaxia’s voice, but the outside remained pitch black, and nothing could be seen.

She forced the tray into Zhu Qiu’s hands and gently closed the door.

“Zhu Xiaxia, don’t close the door yet! I want to come out too!”

“Be a good girl, daughter. You must finish your meal before you can come out. Otherwise, this door will never open.”

What kind of game was Zhu Xiaxia playing now?

“Then at least fix the lights! How am I supposed to eat in the dark?”

No one responded.

There was no other choice but to play along.

Zhu Qiu did as Zhu Xiaxia said and prepared to finish the food.

She returned to the spot on the bed illuminated by the moonlight and set the tray down.

This time, it wasn’t a disgusting large tail, but two white, antler-like objects.

“What is this?”

Curious, Zhu Qiu picked one up and examined it closely in the moonlight.

It seemed fine—at least it wasn’t gross like the tail from before.

‘It should be edible, right?’

She tentatively put the object into her mouth and bit down slowly.

At first, it felt soft, but then she hit a rock-hard center.

She couldn’t bite through it.

Zhu Qiu tried biting down with more force, but it still wouldn’t break.

‘What’s going on?’

‘Why can’t I bite through it?’

“Ow!”

Today was truly strange.

The dark and eerie environment, the nonsensical behavior of Zhu Xiaxia and Xiaguang, and the indescribable food—all of it combined left Zhu Qiu with no appetite at all.

‘I’m not eating. I don’t care what Zhu Xiaxia does.’

Zhu Qiu walked to the door, leaned against it, and shouted.

“Zhu Xiaxia! Open the door! I’ve finished eating!”

“Really? That’s my wonderful daughter~” Zhu Xiaxia replied instantly. “Pass the tray over.”

“Fine.”

Zhu Qiu walked back to the bed and retrieved the tray.

As for the two objects, she just tossed them onto the bed; Zhu Xiaxia would deal with them later anyway since this was her room.

“Here.”

The door opened only a small crack.

After the hands outside took the tray, it slammed shut again.

“Zhu Xiaxia, open the door! I already finished everything!”

“Don’t be in such a hurry~ There is one last dish. You will definitely like this one.”

‘There’s more?’

‘Is she crazy?!’

Zhu Qiu was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

She really didn’t want to stay in this pitch-black room and deal with these bizarre things anymore.

“Zhu Xiaxia, I’m not eating! Open the door, I want to go out!”

“That won’t do~ If you don’t eat, you won’t have any strength. This dish will be served very soon. Don’t be impatient.”

Zhu Qiu tried once more to open the door, but it remained locked tight.

“Waaaah~ Let me out! I’m scared! Waaaah~”

The sounds outside ceased; Zhu Xiaxia must have walked away.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have been so greedy for a little bit of candy and come to Zhu Xiaxia’s room.

But what could she do now?

The door wouldn’t open. It was likely that Zhu Xiaxia and Xiaguang were intentionally playing a prank on her.

Just then, a deep, resonant voice of an adult male—one that clearly did not belong to the Dragon Race—came from outside the door.

“Is this Sorn Bernas?”!

“It’s me, it’s me!” Zhu Qiu quickly leaned against the door.

“Let me out!”

“This is the final dinner Her Majesty the Queen has prepared for you. Please, take your time and enjoy it.”

In an instant, the lights in the room flickered on.

A tray appeared on the floor by the door.

With the lights on, most of Zhu Qiu’s fear vanished, and her tense expression began to relax.

She figured she just had to dump the last dish, and then she could leave.

However, when she looked at the tray, there was nothing on it.

‘Huh?’

Zhu Qiu asked in confusion, “Why is there nothing on this?”

“Is that so, Sorn Bernas?”

“Yes, there’s nothing at all.”

Wait.

‘Did he just call me Sorn?’

And that voice… it was incredibly familiar.

The next second, the door was kicked open.

A tall figure emerged from the darkness, wielding a massive, heavy Greatsword.