Grab The Heroine and Run Away Ch. 59

The castle hall was resplendent in gold and jade, magnificent crystal chandeliers hung down, the scent of fresh flowers still lingered in the air, but the seven people standing in the hall were all inexplicably anxious.

“You’re not Rannyan at all. Rannyan has already left!” Ji Songyu pointed at the letter with cat paw prints.

“Does that mean all our reasoning was in vain?” the knight asked blankly. “Do we have to start over again?”

“Wait.”

Xin Nuo took a deep breath, raised her hand, and swatted away Xu Heran’s arm that was around her waist. She turned without leaving a trace and gave an innocent look to the girl with the expression, then walked up to Ji Songyu.

“Let me see the letter,” Xin Nuo whispered.

“Poor princess, you’ve got yourself a strange thing,” everyone looked at Xin Nuo with sympathetic expressions.

Xin Nuo’s expression remained calm. “I haven’t got it yet, so it doesn’t count.”

Xu Heran, standing two meters away from them, sneered. “Untrustworthy humans!”

After Xin Nuo read the letter, she sighed with relief, pointing at the words on the letter. “It says here, ‘Thanks to the prince who died, she has gained freedom. The prince died at 11:55, so she left at that time. It won’t disrupt our normal deduction, but…”

Everyone turned their heads again, looking at Xu Heran standing alone.

The girl crossed her arms, meeting the gazes of the crowd, raising an eyebrow lightly, smiling faintly. Suddenly, she raised her hand and took off the cat ear headband, her fingers flicking lightly.

The snow-white headband fell gently in front of them, mocking the simplicity of humans.

“I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll play with you,” Xu Heran’s tone was arrogant. “Lowly humans, I used to think you were just selfish and despicable, but I didn’t expect you to have a bit of cleverness.”

“I should thank you, though, for giving me a decent night.”

Xu Heran chuckled, straightened her body, and in an elegant manner, walked through the hall toward the voting room.

Everyone stared at her back in a daze.

“… Wait!” Ji Songyu rubbed her temples, pointing her index finger in the direction Xu Heran left, then pointing at the prince’s room. “Is it her? That, that person?”

“The one in the diary?” Yue Ji asked.

“The one who cast the curse?” Mona Lisa Li stared wide-eyed in astonishment.

Xin Nuo nodded. “The legend of the magic gem says it can summon a legendary dragon with treasure. The prince’s diary mentioned that their throne and treasures were taken from her. She cast the curse, so…”

“… A dragon?”

“She’s a dragon?”

Everyone looked at each other, then turned to Xin Nuo. “Did you summon her? Don’t you have a magic gem?”

“It wasn’t me. I used the gem a long time ago,” Xin Nuo shook her head. “From the time of the incident until 11:55, the original Rannyan was a true pearl cat, but after 11:55, the cat was switched.”

“Have we been solving the case together with the curse all this time?” the knight whispered.

Everyone: “…”

“Never mind! Don’t think too much about it. Let’s vote first, and after voting, let’s go home and eat!” Ji Songyu waved her hand grandly.

“Yes, yes, yes, let’s go!”

Excitement appeared on everyone’s faces as they pushed and pulled each other to cast their votes.

Fifteen minutes later, Xu Heran, who was the first to finish voting, stood in the hall, her hands folded in front of her chest, smiling as she watched Xin Nuo, who was holding a white skirt, approaching.

Xin Nuo looked at her coldly and walked straight towards her.

“What’s wrong?” Xu Heran chuckled, raising her hand to block Xin Nuo’s hand.

Someone’s about to bully Little Pearl again!

Can’t someone do something about this?!

“Deceiving me again, huh?” Xin Nuo grabbed her wrist, and the two of them slowly stepped back as they talked.

“Pearl Cat, huh?” Xin Nuo’s tone was unfriendly.

Xu Heran’s tone was lively and natural, “I did start out as a little kitty, but later I changed species. This isn’t considered lying, right?”

“At most, it’s withholding information,” Xu Heran said with a smile.

“Heh.”

Xin Nuo raised her hand to tug at the collar around her neck.

“I don’t like crawling creatures, give her back to me,” the princess said coldly.

“Don’t wanna.” Xu Heran used both hands, grabbing one of her wrists and holding it against her chest. They both looked up, one with raised chin and the other with lowered gaze, the blue-purple gem and the black pearl shining.

“A species as precious as me turns into a crawling creature in your mouth?” Xu Heran lowered her head and brushed against her face. “I’m easy to take care of, you know. Besides, a princess goes well with a dragon~”

“Is that so?”

“Go well together?”

“Pah!”

“Hehe…”

Ji Songyu and the guest playing the role of Yue Ji stood side by side, holding hands, smiling as they watched the two of them. Xin Nuo was pulling Xu Heran, apparently trying to lock her up.

“Look at those sisters, they get along so well,” Yue Ji’s real name was Chen Yue, she whispered to Ji Songyu, “When I was rushing through the itinerary these past few days, I caught a glimpse of Heran’s poster. I was even thinking, how can this little girl wear colored contact lenses everywhere, isn’t that tiring? Turns out, it’s really her natural eye color.”

Ji Songyu said, “That’s what they all say.”

“Youth is wonderful,” Chen Yue sighed. “And they’re in the same group, two young girls who are smart and beautiful. Their future looks promising.”

“We’re young too, you know?” Ji Songyu patted Chen Yue’s back, urging her to move forward. Once everyone was together, Ji Songyu turned around and shouted, “We’re back!”

Xu Heran’s face turned slightly red. She reached out and hugged Xin Nuo around the waist, lifting Xin Nuo up like she was holding a princess doll, placing her next to Ji Songyu.

“Voting is complete. Please announce the final results!” Ji Songyu said.

The atmosphere on the stage immediately became tense. Xu Heran held onto Xin Nuo, lightly licking her lips.

Outside the stage, the voice of a staff member rang out, “Players who received zero votes are—”

“Lone Knight!”

The Knight immediately sighed in relief. Xu Heran pointed to herself and then pointed to Xin Nuo.

“…”

The staff member smiled.

“Is that all?” The girl’s smile faded slowly, disbelief on her face. She turned to the person beside her and asked, “Who voted for me?”

Everyone shook their heads. At this moment, the detective slowly raised her hand.

“Sister Chen!” Xu Heran shook her head repeatedly.

Ji Songyu laughed and said, “The first vote, I hung it on you two.”

“Peng Ran and Xin Nuo.”

“Oh, and the ship name.” Chen Yue said. “It sounds better than our ChenYueJiSong.”

Ji Songyu immediately said, “I didn’t admit to that name!”

The staff continued, “With one vote each—”

Xu Heran and Xin Nuo took a step forward.

“Rannyan and Xin Nuo-ella, congratulations to both of you for being cleared of suspicion.”

Ji Songyu muttered, “Well, that’s not necessarily true. Maybe the killer is one of them. Escaping successfully doubles their points!”

Xu Heran immediately put her arm around Xin Nuo’s shoulder. “Yes, yes, that’s right. There’s no mistake, it’s exactly like that!”

Xin Nuo smiled.

Ji Songyu slowly widened her eyes, showing a surprised expression that seemed to say, “Could it really be like this?”

“Mont Li, Mona Li, and Butler Lu, Maid Yue Ji, the four suspects, received five and three votes respectively!”

Xu Heran crossed her arms, her eyes fixed tightly on the two groups of suspects.

“Siblings or father and daughter!” Ji Songyu couldn’t help but stomp her foot. “Ah, tell me quickly!”

Xin Nuo turned her head and looked at Xu Heran. The two of them locked eyes.

“Among these two groups of suspects, Butler Lu and Maid Yue Ji received a total of three votes! Mont Li and Mona Li, have been identified as the murderer of the prince!”

Xu Heran immediately sighed in relief, her eyes shining brightly.

“Great!”

“It really wasn’t me!” Mona Li shook her head repeatedly. “I really had no reason to kill the prince. I wanted to be the queen!”

“Who voted for us?” Mont Li said disappointedly. “You’ve really been fooled.”

“Look how happy our Miss Yue Ji is laughing,” Mont Li pointed to Yue Ji. “The real culprit.”

Chen Yue swatted his fingers away. “Stop lying, the real culprit!”

“So harsh.” Xu Heran shook her head repeatedly. “Kittens shouldn’t witness scenes like this.”

Xin Nuo immediately raised her hand and slapped her on the buttocks.

How dare she mention kittens!

The staff member lifted the microphone.

“I announce that in the case of the prince’s murder at the Dream Kingdom Christmas Ball, the accused suspects are—”

On the stage, everyone except the siblings stared intently at the staff member’s mouth, watching her lip movements.

“Success!”

“Yeah!”

Xu Heran burst into laughter and lifted Xin Nuo, spinning around.

The princess’s snowy white dress bloomed like flowers.

“Is it really you two?” Except for Mont Li and Mona Li, only the Knight had voted for the father and daughter pair. “How could it be you two? I thought it should be the father and daughter. Yue Ji was almost killed by the prince!”

Xu Heran hugged Xin Nuo and squeezed over, smiling playfully. “You said ‘almost,’ it doesn’t necessarily have to be tonight.”

Mona Li immediately asked her, “Then we don’t necessarily have to act tonight either.”

Ji Songyu said, “I found the crucial evidence!”

“I found the lid of the potion in the crevice of the prince’s room sofa! It’s the lid of the Black Rose Potion. One of you three who were in the prince’s room after eleven poisoned it.” Ji Songyu excitedly said.

Xin Nuo said, “You and the prince are both adults. As an elegant lady, meeting the prince late at night and having a drink for amusement is a normal thing. There’s a gap between Mont Li and the prince, and only you could have made the prince drink the poisoned wine without any defenses.”

Mona Li shook her head repeatedly, then looked at Xu Heran. “Then how did you determine it was me and my brother?”

Xu Heran said, “Butler Lu is Yue Ji’s father, and he loves her dearly. He wouldn’t let his daughter do such a thing on her own. I believe he tried to poison the wine but failed.”

“And from eleven o’clock to eleven-thirty, that’s too long. Are you really saying you only stayed in the prince’s room for five minutes?” Xu Heran tilted her head. “I find that suspicious. That time frame can be a lie.”

Mona Li sighed deeply.

“Damn it!”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Ji Songyu asked, “Is there anything else we’ve missed?”

Mont Li said, “I’m not sure who the murderer is, but I know the murderer is between Mona Lisa Li and Yue Ji. Tonight, I was planning to make a move on the prince. I brought two bottles of potion with me. One was the Fairy Flower Poison, and the other was the Black Rose. However, the prince and I had an unpleasant conversation. I took advantage of his lack of attention and poisoned him. At that time, he was impatient and irritated by my slow pouring.”

“I was really nervous at that moment. The Black Rose Potion fell out, and I instinctively shoved it into the crevice of the sofa.” Mont Li explained, making a downward pressing motion. “The sofa is soft, and it’s easy to slip a glass bottle inside.”

“Yes,” Mona Lisa Li said, “Ran Ran is right. I lied about the timeline. I went to see the prince from fifteen minutes to twenty-five minutes. I even brought my own wine. Originally, I intended to get the prince drunk and then kill him. But while I was chatting with the prince, I suddenly noticed a bottle of potion in the sofa’s crevice.”

Mona Lisa Li looked at Mont Li. “I’ve been saying that I couldn’t see any talent in you today because I knew it was you who brought the poison.”

“What?” Mont Li looked at his sister in shock.

“As siblings, we came to the castle together and spent a long time together. When I helped you with your coat today, I saw these two bottles of potion. I knew they were poisons.” Mona Lisa Li smiled faintly.

“In fact, I didn’t know the exact effects of the Black Rose Potion, but I wanted to try. So, I put the potion that fell into the sofa into the prince’s drink. He drank for twenty minutes, and after five minutes, I saw he didn’t die. I wanted to continue getting him drunk, but then the prince ordered me to leave.” Mona Lisa Li shook her head.

“You wanted to kill the prince?” the knight asked in confusion, “Don’t you like the prince?”

Mona Lisa Li smiled and touched her face.

Xin Nuo asked her softly, “Do you know about curses?”

Mona Lisa Li’s approving expression landed on Xin Nuo.

“That’s right, I know about curses. I also know that my mother’s death was because of the ruby the prince gave her! Unfortunately, I discovered it too late to save her life.” Mona Lisa Li patted Mont Li’s arm. “If our mother told you about the curse, how could she not tell me? She loved her children so much.”

“Ah…”

Everyone sighed with melancholy.

“Vengeance is fulfilled,” Mont Li embraced Mona Lisa Li, “We’ve avenged her.”

“Yes, vengeance is fulfilled!”

The siblings embraced each other, while the butler and Yue Ji exchanged a glance.

“Darling, you won’t have to worry about being deceived by the prince anymore. Let Daddy hold you,” the butler opened his arms.

Yue Ji exclaimed, “Dad!”

“From now on, the two of us will live a good life together!”

Xu Heran looked at the two embracing each other and immediately extended her arms.

“Hug!”

With a smile in her eyes, Xin Nuo raised her right hand and, under Xu Heran’s hopeful gaze, hooked her index finger onto the collar around her neck.

The golden bell jingled.

“Let’s go, head back and face the consequences.”

Xu Heran was pulled away by Xin Nuo, walking out while shouting with a laugh.

“Help me—”

“Save the kitty—”

The recording of the previous episode ended smoothly, and both the staff and the celebrity guests breathed a sigh of relief.

The guests left one after another, everyone putting on their clothes and preparing to return to the hotel to remove their makeup. While walking toward the exit, the female singer who played the role of the butler chuckled, “It was really nice. We should play together more often. Unfortunately, these two episodes are the final ones of this set.”

“Quick, thank me,” Ji Songyu said with a smile.

“Tell the director to give you a bonus!”

Everyone relaxed with smiles. Ji Songyu turned to Xu Heran and Xin Nuo and said, “I actually thought you two might be the culprits, especially your seamless coordination.”

“No way, we’re new here. The production team wouldn’t assign such a challenging task to us,” Xu Heran said with a playful smile. “Bye-bye, Sister Ji Ji. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow!”

Xu Heran and Xin Nuo got into the nanny car, both exhaling in relief.

“This outfit is a bit tiring. We have to keep holding it while walking,” Xin Nuo whispered.

Xu Heran’s gentle voice followed, “How about I give you a massage when we get back?”

Xin Nuo shot her a challenging look and huffed softly.

“I don’t want to talk to you right now.”

“Come on, let me give my sister a massage,” Xu Heran grabbed Xin Nuo’s arm and began kneading it inch by inch, following the direction of her fingers upward. “The production team made me keep it a secret. I’m an honest little pearl, right?”

Xin Nuo originally didn’t want to pay her any attention, but Xu Heran’s fingers somehow hit a sensitive spot on her arm, causing a sudden mix of pain, tingling, and swelling. Xin Nuo exclaimed in surprise, a burst of anger rushing to her head.

“I think you’re doing it on purpose!”

Combining the “new grudges” with the “old hatred” had been bearable, but Xin Nuo couldn’t endure it any longer!

When they arrived at the hotel and got out of the car, Xu Heran’s hair and clothes were disheveled, her ears and face were red, but her eyes were still shining and a smile hung on her lips.

“Aren’t you angry anymore?” Xu Heran leaned toward Xin Nuo, “Want me to give you a massage?”

Xin Nuo snorted.

Xu Heran understood that it was an agreement.

“Then I’ll come find you after I shower.”

That night, the freshly bathed white pearl knocked on Xin Nuo’s door, and bounced directly onto the soft bed.

“Come on, baby, I’m already impatient!”

Xin Nuo’s face turned slightly dark.

“You’re still saying these nonsensical words in front of me?”

“Ehe~” Xu Heran lifted the blanket to the side, patting it with her palm, “Come on!”

Xin Nuo was really tired. The princess dress looked beautiful, but it was heavy and tight to wear. To maintain her character, she had to keep her chest lifted and her head held high, maintaining an elegant posture.

Without hesitation, the girl lay on the soft bed with the lingering moisture from her shower. As soon as she settled, she couldn’t help but let out a comfortable sigh.

“I want to sleep until noon,” Xin Nuo lowered her long eyelashes and whispered softly.

Xu Heran crossed over Xin Nuo’s waist and half-knelt down, pinching Xin Nuo’s waist with both hands while pondering for a moment. “Isn’t the recording scheduled for tomorrow at 2 p.m.?”

“Yes.”

“Will you make it?”

“Hmmm.”

“Alright, alright, you sleep then,” Xu Heran coaxed gently, her fingers gently kneading Xin Nuo’s tense back.

The bedside lamp in the hotel emitted a dim yellow light, casting a shallow realm that could accommodate two people. The double bed was dimly lit, and Xin Nuo’s long eyelashes cast long shadows on her eyes.

Xu Heran’s fingers followed her waist, slowly climbing upward until they reached Xin Nuo’s shoulders and neck. The girl had already fallen asleep, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she made uncomfortable resistance sounds.

“Almost there,” Xu Heran’s voice was very low, holding her fair nape and finally carefully turning Xin Nuo over. Xin Nuo lifted her eyelashes slightly, glanced at Xu Heran, and then closed her eyes.

The sound of gentle breathing filled the air, and Xu Heran couldn’t help but lie down, gazing at Xin Nuo’s brows and eyes in a daze.

Her thoughts drifted away, without any particular idea, just quietly watching, until a gentle knocking sound echoed, and she realized that she had fallen asleep in Xin Nuo’s room.

“Hmm?” Xin Nuo’s voice was hoarse. “What time is it?”

Xu Heran rubbed her eyes and checked the time.

“Eight o’clock, still early, go back to sleep.”

Xin Nuo turned over, her snow-white legs resting on the blanket, her throat emitting a sound of frustration. Xu Heran smiled, patted her hair gently, got out of bed, and opened the door.

The assistant sister was outside, waving at Xu Heran.

Once the door closed, Xu Heran’s assistant said, “I saw that your room was empty, so I knew you were in Nuo Nuo’s room. Hurry, the staff is waiting for you. When you get there, you can continue sleeping.”

Xu Heran yawned and nodded.

At eleven o’clock noon, the guests who had been recording until midnight woke up one after another, ate, looked through the scripts newly provided by the production team, and then went for makeup, photos, and on-site observation.

Xin Nuo furrowed her brows. “Where’s Zhuzhu?”

“She went for makeup first,” Xin Nuo’s assistant said, putting Xin Nuo’s water cup into her bag.

Xin Nuo was even more puzzled. “If she’s going for makeup, she should’ve told me, right? I haven’t seen her since we woke up.”

“I don’t know,” the assistant said.

Xin Nuo asked the assistant for her phone and called Xu Heran, but no one answered.

“Sister Zhang has been with Zhuzhu all along. Nothing should be wrong. It’s possible that the production team has other arrangements and can’t inform everyone in advance,” the assistant comforted Xin Nuo. “Don’t worry, we’ll go over after we finish eating.”

“Okay,” Xin Nuo’s expression was very calm as she responded. The girl’s snow-white fingers pinched the wooden spoon, guiding a spoonful of porridge into her mouth. She chewed slowly and swallowed. After finishing the porridge, she let go of the spoon she had been holding.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Assistant: “…Hmm.”

At two in the afternoon, the final episode of 《Crazy Interpretation》 began recording.

In the castle garden, flowers were in full bloom, creating a lively scene with blossoms and butterflies fluttering around.

It was now ten in the morning, the time for the castle’s morning tea. Servants delivered exquisite food to the beautiful young ladies and handsome gentlemen. The garden was bustling with people coming and going, laughter filling the air.

“Prince was gone yesterday. Is it inappropriate for us to be so cheerful today?” Ji Songyu, dressed elegantly, asked. “And aren’t these flowers in the garden all fake? It’s December, and yet the garden is so colorful.”

“We’re in a fantasy kingdom,” the only gentleman among the two girls said.

Xin Nuo nodded. Unlike the previous day’s white princess gown, today she wore a deep purple robe, a pointed hat on her head. Her makeup was a bit heavy, her eyes deep and profound, her red lips vibrant. She looked very attractive, but also mysterious and unapproachable.

“Are you a witch?” the knight asked. “Did the princess switch professions?”

“I’m making a living selling potions now, unlike you guys. I have my own business,” Xin Nuo adjusted her hat.

“You look like a magician,” Mona Lisa Li, brought by a maid, said.

“The criminal has arrived!” the knight shouted. “Everyone, be careful!”

“Are you the only one?” Ji Songyu asked Mona Lisa Li. “Where is your brother?“

“He’s gone!” Mona Lisa Li sat down, shaking her head. “Both of us were locked in the dungeon yesterday. We were only released an hour ago to clean up and freshen up. We haven’t even had our meals.”

Xin Nuo pointed to the pastries on the table. “Please.”

“Your brother’s missing?” The knight nudged Mona Lisa Li’s sleeve. “He didn’t die, did he?”

“Yeah, I was such a tool yesterday, I thought I’d have to die today.” The knight scratched his head.

“Oh?”

Everyone immediately looked at the knight.

“By the sound of it, you’re quite important today,” Mona Lisa Li narrowed her eyes. “I’m voting for you!”

“Vote for me, and we’ll both end up in the dungeon together.” The knight leaned back in his chair, laughing.

“Why are there only four of us? Where are the others?” Ji Songyu looked around. “Has it started now?”

Xin Nuo shook her head.

The four of them sat around the elegant table, raising their delicate coffee cups, ready to clink them. At that moment, a cry came from the other side of the garden.

“Ah, dear heavens, Your Majesty!”

“You… Your Majesty, what happened to you?”

A girl’s anxious voice shouted, “Is anyone there? Someone come quickly, something’s happened!”

Ji Songyu set down her teacup, lifted her skirt, and stood up, smiling. “This voice sounds somewhat familiar.”

“This line is also quite familiar,” Mona Lisa Li said with a smile.

The four of them got into character, furrowing their brows and hurriedly rushing over. “What’s happened—hiss!”

In a flowerbed on one side of the garden, covered with roses, a handsome man lay flat on the ground, surrounded by flowers. His face was serene, a smile at the corner of his mouth. His hands were placed on his abdomen, eyes tightly closed, appearing as if he was peacefully asleep in the midst of flowers.

Except for the fact that there was a dagger plunged into his chest.

“Wow, this dagger…” Ji Songyu exclaimed in surprise. “Isn’t this the dagger that was stuck in the prince’s chest yesterday?”

The knight moved to pull out the dagger but was stopped by the girl who discovered the man’s body.

“Stop! Who are you? You can’t be disrespectful to His Majesty’s corpse!” the girl shouted.

“His Majesty?” the four of them said in confusion.

Xin Nuo asked, “Aren’t you Yue Ji?”

“Yue Ji?” The girl furrowed her brow, looking at this peculiar group. “Who’s Yue Ji? I’m Rose, a maid in the castle.”

She pointed towards the flowerbed. “This person is the master of the castle, the king of the Dream Kingdom.”

“????”

Four question marks popped up above the heads of the four individuals.

“What does that mean?”

“Can’t connect with yesterday.”

Rose looked at them with suspicion. “Who are you? Judging by your attire, you must be nobles. Why have you suddenly appeared here? Wait a moment, I’ll call others over.”

Before long, Rose led a lady dressed as a butler over.

The butler first mourned the king’s body, then introduced herself to everyone. “I am the castle’s butler. My last name is Lu, and I am a female butler.”

After the butler arrived, Mont Li emerged from the bushes, looking surprised at everyone. “Is everyone here?”

Xin Nuo raised her hand, counting heads.

“And what about the mysterious Miss Dragon from last night?”

“Dragon?” The butler and Rose were startled. “What dragon?”

“Isn’t that the legendary monster?” Rose trembled. “Respected guests, in this castle, the word ‘dragon’ absolutely cannot be mentioned. I don’t know why it can’t be mentioned, but it absolutely can’t be mentioned, because ‘dragon’ is a forbidden word set by His Majesty!”

Everyone: “Oh!”

At this point, Mona Lisa Li pulled out a detective handbook.

“Last night, my brother Mont Li and I were locked in the dungeon. We were released an hour ago. A maid has been with me all this time, and she can vouch for my innocence. Therefore, I am today’s detective.”

“Today, I will lead everyone in finding the real culprit!”

Everyone applauded enthusiastically.

A few people arrived at an open space in front of the garden.

Just as they settled in, Xin Nuo asked, “Why is ‘dragon’ a forbidden word?”

The butler and Rose shook their heads. “We don’t know.”

“His Majesty has a strong hatred for dragons. He ordered all books containing dragons to be burned throughout the country, and citizens are forbidden from mentioning them,” Rose said. “In legends, dragons are fierce and cruel, humans can hardly resist them, and they are known for kidnapping princesses, aren’t they?”

Ji Songyu glanced at Xin Nuo and asked with a smile, “So, does your kingdom have a princess?”

Rose shook her head.

“The old king only had one son, the king who died today. There’s no princess,” the butler suddenly sneered.

Everyone looked at the butler in confusion. The detective immediately said, “Could it be that there’s more to this story?”

“So, in your eyes, because dragons are vicious and cruel, the king fears them and therefore prohibits anyone from mentioning them,” the detective explained.

At that moment, a clear laughter reached everyone’s ears.

Instinctively, everyone turned their heads to see above the fountain, at the junction of the first and second tiers of steps, a person had appeared.

A person who was exceptionally beautiful and eye-catching.

She had long silver hair, with the hair on both sides braided neatly, holding back the stray strands and tied with ribbons at the back of her head. The smooth, straight hair flowed all the way down to her waist, adorned with small sparkling diamonds that reflected a brilliant light.

She had a tall and slender figure, dressed in a gold and white gown that accentuated her slim waist. Her long legs were straight, and her flowing cape draped gracefully behind her, obediently conforming to her knee-high boots.

“I was unaware that everyone had such an impression of me.”

Her voice was deep and languid, like filtered ice water—transparent and pure.

When she stood backlit, her face was obscured from the view below. It wasn’t until she leisurely descended the steps that the seven people who were originally seated rose in unison, looking at her in astonishment.

“You… silver?” Rose pointed at her hair.

“Her eyes…” the butler reminded.

Xu Heran squinted her eyes, gently moved her neck, and beneath her long silver eyelashes, a golden light seemed like unstoppable liquid gold. As she lifted her gaze, it surged forth with fervor.

Her visage had pale skin adorned with mysterious patterns traced in silver lines. Her gaze was icy and emotionless, sweeping coldly over the humans in front of her. Anyone she observed couldn’t help but hold their breath, afraid of being ensnared by her mesmerizing presence.

“You are…” Xin Nuo muttered softly.

“A dragon.”

Miss Silver Dragon spoke deliberately, taking a step. She selected a chair, crossed her legs, and her calf, encased in boots, dangled lightly. The Silver Dragon pointed to the seat.

“Sit.”

Everyone woke up as if from a dream and took their seats. Ji Songyu, who had lost her seat, sat in the last one.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am a dragon, a Pearl Dragon. My name is Pearl.” Miss Pearl Dragon leaned back slightly, her left hand gripping her right wrist. Both her hands were gloved, and her elegant dress was adorned with jewelry.

“I enjoy things that sparkle—pearls, gemstones, gold, silver, diamonds…” Pearl Dragon’s golden pupils turned to the side, the corner of her eye pressing down as she glanced at the girl beside her. The girl was dressed in a deep purple robe, which accentuated her fair skin, and her fingertips revealed a healthy pink hue.

“Originally, I wasn’t interested in princesses, but today… I could snatch one,” Pearl Dragon turned her head and looked at Xin Nuo. “Are you well taken care of?”

Xin Nuo responded calmly, “I have my own career, thank you. I can take care of myself.”

“Tsk.” Miss Dragon turned her expressionless face away. “Too bad.”

To Pearl Dragon’s right was the detective. The detective immediately raised her hand. “I can do it! Take care of me! I’m easy to take care of!”

“Oh?” Pearl Dragon looked at her and asked politely, “Do you like raw meat? If I forget to feed you, can you catch mice to eat on your own?”

The detective’s expression stiffened, and she snorted.

“Vote for you!”

Pearl Dragon shook her head. “Humans…”

Her tone was mocking and disdainful.

Everyone chuckled lightly. Xin Nuo smoothed the fabric on her leg with her fingers and spoke gently, “Since you look down on us humans, why did you choose to take on a human form?”

Everyone suddenly realized, “That’s right!”

“You’re even wearing human clothes!”

“And human jewelry!”

Pearl Dragon sneered, “I want to terrify you by revealing my true form!”

Everyone exclaimed together, “Just transform!”

“I won’t,” Pearl Dragon’s tone was arrogant. “Humans aren’t worthy of instructing me.”

“Tsk!”

From being initially impressed by Silver Dragon, everyone’s attitude shifted to one of tolerance towards Pearl Dragon.

Forgive her, she’s just a pretty little dragon after all.

“Now, let’s all introduce ourselves, starting from the non-humans on this end,” the detective said with a smile.

“?”

A question mark appeared above Dragon’s head. “Do you think I was just talking nonsense earlier, human?”

Detective: “… I’m sorry, then may I ask, how old are you, Pearl Dragon?”

Pearl crossed her arms and smirked, “No comment.”

Detective: “…”

“Those who turned into dragons are relatively old, so it’s impolite to ask, you know,” Ji Songyu said.

The detective nodded and squinted at Pearl Dragon.

Dragon huffed and looked at Xin Nuo.

“I’m Xin Nuo-ella, I work as a princess and also as an alchemist. I’m twenty years old.” Xin Nuo had a bag at her waist containing colorful glass vials. She raised her red lips and her gaze held a profound meaning.

“As for all of you, what’s your favorite color?”

“Perhaps, I can prepare a potion with your preferred flavor for your final moments~”

Everyone: “…”

“Ahem, I’m Knight, a knight, twenty-two years old.” The knight spoke softly, “I serve the prince, but I don’t know if I’ll be laid off now that the prince died yesterday.”

“Prince?” Both Rose and the steward looked puzzled. “In our country, there isn’t a prince yet!”

“That’s right, our king’s wedding with Miss Ti is tomorrow,” the steward and the maid looked at Ji Songyu, who was seated at the end.

“Ah?” The people who had just gathered around the dining table looked at Ji Songyu with confusion. “Do you know about this?”

Ji Songyu bit her lip, “… I didn’t know before yesterday.”

“But last night, I had a dream. In the dream, I arrived in another fantasy kingdom.” Ji Songyu said, “Everything inside felt so real. When I woke up, I realized it was already tea time, so I hurriedly came here to join everyone.”

“Dream?” The detective furrowed his brow in confusion.

The knight slowly raised his hand, “I had a dream too.”

Mont Li and Xin Nuo raised their hands together.

“… Well, it seems there’s something fishy about this.” The detective looked at Xu Heran, who had been gazing at the air with an expression of “These humans are so noisy.” “Did Dragon have a dream?”

Dragon glanced coldly at the detective, an expression that said, “Who gave you permission to talk to this dragon?”

“Later, search her thoroughly for me!” the detective said angrily, stabbing her pen into her notebook.

Xin Nuo chuckled, “Leave it to me.”

The detective gave Xin Nuo an encouraging look.

“I’m Rose, twenty years old. I’m a maid in this castle. This is my sister, she’s the castle’s steward.” Rose said.

“I’m twenty years old,” the steward said.

“I’m your brother, twenty years old,” Mont Li smiled, and next to him, Ji Songyu also said, “Everyone calls me Miss Ti. I’m a noble girl, and I’m twenty years old.”

“Huh??”

The detective felt something was off. “How old is the king?”

Rose said, “His Majesty is twenty-two years old.”

Everyone immediately looked at the knight, who was also twenty-two years old, with an innocent expression.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ji Songyu whispered.

“Considering that some of us had dreams last night while others didn’t, and this fantasy castle is different from our fantasy castle, I suggest we gather evidence first, and then have a focused discussion about our respective timelines.” The detective clapped her hands. “Please search for evidence carefully, and let’s catch the real culprit!”

“Then you can join me in the dungeon,” Ji Songyu laughed heartily, “Help, a criminal turned detective.”

“I’ll arrest you!” the detective pointed at the former detective who had sent her to the dungeon.

This time, all eight of them searched for evidence simultaneously.

“Dragon, take it easy. You’re the oldest here, watch your step,” Xin Nuo teased.

Dragon’s finger hooked onto Xin Nuo’s arm. “Need this dragon to carry you in?”

“Are you going to carry her like a pack animal?” Ji Songyu joked.

Xin Nuo said, “She’s a dragon who can’t shift into her true form.”

As she finished speaking, the girl next to her smirked, but quickly suppressed it due to her character setting. Suddenly, Miss Pearl Dragon bent over and hugged Xin Nuo’s thigh.

Xin Nuo froze, realizing what was happening.

“Xu Heran, you’re not allowed—ah!”

The witch’s pointed hat fell to the ground and was picked up by Ji Songyu. She looked surprised and lifted her head to see Xu Heran carrying Xin Nuo, passing through the hall turned garden scenery, and heading straight to the second floor.

“… Abduction, there’s an abduction happening!”

“The dragon is abducting a princess!”

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Translator: Glariosa
Editor: Sinensis

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