In the gloomy hall with swaying candlelight, a shadow in a black robe sits lazily on the dark throne.
A generous, plump chef appeared at the end of the corridor wearing an apron and a wild boar head with tusks. He entered the hall and sat in the slightly larger seat in the two rows of chairs on the left and right under the throne;
The breeze disturbed the silence of the hall, the candlelight became dim, and the bandaged head maid fell from the stained window of the dome and sat in the smallest chair;
Dragging a twisted body that was more bloated than the head chef, the gardener crawled along the corridor into the hall, trying hard to shrink his body before it could squeeze into the largest stone seat;
The farthest farmer arrived last. He was dark and skinny, like a section of tree that had been swallowed up by flames and turned into charcoal. He sat down in a chair wearing dirty overalls stained with soil.
The viscount and the four lords under his command have already gathered together, and their eyes fall on the outsiders, the earth dwellers standing on the red carpet.
"The earth dweller presents a book."
The gloomy empty hall echoed the viscount's unintelligible whisper: "The book says that the head maid and I were once humans named Chris and Claire. Soon or already, the exorcist will disguise himself as a black cat to deceive the maid.
Long trust will kill you and me."
"Maid maid, has this already happened?"
Lu Li's guess came true. The Earthly Resident Trading Company and the forces behind it would not let what happened in the illusion happen again, especially when it only took one book to expose it.
"Yes, a black cat disguised as Remy once appeared in my manor." As for how to respond, Lu Li and Claire had already thought of an answer before setting off: Claire would expose Lu Li's lies and kill him.
But there is a loophole in this. The gardener has seen Lu Li, and his existence cannot be concealed, so he can only temporarily hide it. Lu Li has something to rely on: as long as he wants, no one can find him. The almost omnipotent power of the person in the dream can make him go deep into the unknown.
Deep underground, a gap is created to survive among the rock formations.
"But he doesn't know that I have read this book, and he can't fool me."
"He was killed by me."
The gardener interrupted the head maid.
The head maid could barely maintain the breeze around her.
"Where is the body?" the local man asked the gardener anxiously.
"belch"
The gardener let out a thunderous burp.
"Why should the gardener help us?"
At the desk in the bedroom, Lu Li tilted his head as he listened to Claire's narration.
"I don't know. In order to avoid being discovered, I came back directly without contacting the gardener." Claire stretched out her hand to tease Lu Li's chin: "I thought you did something behind your back."
"I won't hide it from you."
Lu Li turned his head to avoid it, but failed to avoid Claire's hug: "I shouldn't doubt you, my little Leimi~"
Lu Li raised his beard and turned his head: "Keep talking."
"Do you like hearing these disgusting words? My little Lemi is so cute, let me kiss you."
"……That's not it."
Claire, who just couldn't help but want to tease Lu Li, certainly knew it and hugged him and continued to talk.
The suspicion of the locals turned into hesitation. The maid would join forces with Lu Li, but what about the gardener? Its death in the illusion of Midnight City was led by Claire and Lu Li, and the maid killed it herself.
It seems that there is no possibility of their union.
The Earth dweller's mood became gloomy, whether because of his disbelief or because Lu Li was eaten. It must have been the latter, because he then negotiated trade with the Viscount on behalf of the trading company.
"They are like a bunch of idiots who forgot the purpose of coming to the castle for some benefits. Mother rejected it and drove it out by saying that we can be self-sufficient without the outside world. But mother still believed some of their words, such as secret passages
It has been discovered, and my mother asked the farmer to send servants to bury it."
"Xiao Leimi, what do you think Dijuren Trading Company will do next?"
Lu Li recalled the style of Diju Ren Trading Company: "Although they are stupid and short-sighted, they will not be willing to compensate for the toad's strange losses. Next, they may lead the conflict to you, and may contact the farmer to test."
"Toad weird? I don't understand..."
So Lu Li told Claire about his experiences before entering Midnight City, how the earth dwellers laid traps, how they caught him at Midnight City Terminal, and how they auctioned him off as a lot.
The wind that becomes biting represents Claire's emotion: "Next time they come again I will use the wind to chop them up."
"Remember to find a valid reason."
"Little Lei Mi, you are too reckless. You know the trap is waiting for you but you still rush in." The cold wind gradually calmed down. Claire put her palms under her armpits and lifted Lu Li up, staring at the black gem cat eyes: "
There is plenty of time, you don’t have to be in such a hurry.”
Lu Li did not explain the reason.
The gardener who helped Claire in the castle hall didn't keep them waiting for long. Towards the afternoon, the lizard maid knocked on the door and told the head maid that the gardener was visiting.
"Will the Lizard Maid betray us?" Lu Li suddenly asked.
"They call me master, the lord of the castle." The head maid didn't think this would happen: "But if you need, I can replace them..."
"No."
Because there is no way of knowing whether these lizard maids are also some of the undead in Midnight City.
"Wait for me here first." Claire put down Lu Li and came to the living room downstairs.
The gardener's deformed body blocked the door, with only his head squeezed into the living room, staring at Claire floating down the steps: "I'm not...looking for you...little Remy...where is the exorcist...come out...come out!"
The roar shook the chandelier and was soothed by the breeze.
"What are you doing with Remy?"
Claire stared at the gardener indifferently, her disgust fading a lot after he helped cover up Lu Li's presence in the castle hall.
The gardener said dullly: "Find...mother for me...or else...eat him..."
"You want to die again?"
The biting cold wind howled in the living room, and Claire stared at the gardener indifferently.
"Tell...me...where...Lu Li...is!"
The gardener seemed to lose control, shaking his huge head and squeezing into the living room. Cracks spread in the fragile door frame and wall, and gravel fell.
"Are you looking for me?"
A calm voice sounded at this moment, Lu Li stepped around the corner, sat down on the steps, and looked down at the gardener.
The door frame no longer cracked, and the gardener gasped: "Help me... find... mother..."
"Who is the mother?"
"I don't... know... but... mom... is important..."
"Why are you looking for me?"
The flesh and blood on the gardener's neck squirmed in disgust, and he spat out the book "The Sunken Place": "You...kill...I...know...the secret..."
A far-fetched connection, but in keeping with the gardener's style.
"I will help you, but I need one thing from you."
"What……."
The purpose of Lu Li's complaint: "The things in the treasure box."
"I will...bring...wait for me..."
The gardener who left the words got out of the door frame, hated the body and left the manor.
"...Fix the door frame." Claire ordered the lizard maid and picked up Lu Li: "Will the gardener betray us?"