The Count trembled as he pointed at the red marks. “What are these?”
The Countess said aggrievedly, “These marks are just scratches from the bedpost.”
The Count: “Then why are you holding your stomach? Could it be that you’re pregnant? We haven’t been intimate for the past six months. How could you be pregnant?”
The Countess’s face suddenly turned pale. “Heavens, how could I be pregnant? The circus performance yesterday scared me, I didn’t sleep well all night, and on top of that, I ate something bad yesterday. It’s just a stomachache.”
The Count looked at the Countess’s flat stomach suspiciously. “Are you telling the truth?”
The Countess replied with annoyance, “Instead of doubting me, why don’t you just call the doctor?”
The Count finally softened his tone. “I’m sorry, darling. I shouldn’t have let my mind run wild. Don’t be angry.”
The Countess’s eyes filled with tears as she gazed softly at the Count, her voice carrying a hint of appeasement, “Count, ever since we boarded this ‘Dream Star’, you’ve been acting strange. Are you alright?”
The Count let go of the Countess and rubbed his temples, his expression pained. “I’m sorry, Madam, I was being rash. I’m fine, there’s no need to worry.”
The Countess hurried to support the Count, her eyes filled with concern. “You say you’re fine, but has your headache come back? I’ll take you back to the room to rest right now.”
The Count did not refuse, and with the Countess’s help, he slowly made his way to their quarters on the third floor.
Ji Nansheng followed at a reasonable distance, faintly hearing the conversation between the two in front.
The Countess: “My dear, what’s been going on with you lately? Please tell me. I’m your wife, I want to share your burden. Don’t bear the pain alone.”
The Count: “Honestly, I haven’t slept well these past few days. I’ve been having the same nightmare over and over.”
The Countess: “You’ve been having nightmares? What kind of nightmare?”
The Count: “I’ve been dreaming of Jacob.”
“My fiancé who disappeared mysteriously? Why would you dream of him?”
“Maybe it’s because of you. In the dream, he was dead and crawling towards me covered in blood. He blamed me for taking you away. He hates me and tortures me in my dreams every night.”
“Count, don’t scare yourself. Dreams aren’t real. Jacob’s disappearance doesn’t necessarily mean he’s dead. If he were dead, why hasn’t his body ever been found? Next time you dream of Jacob, just tell him frankly, I married you of my own accord, you didn’t take me from him. You did nothing wrong. If he holds a grudge, let him come to me.”
The Count tightly gripped the Countess’s hand. “How could I let you bear that pain? If Jacob has to hate someone, let it be me!”
“Count, you’re being foolish.”
“Let’s not talk about it anymore. Tonight is your birthday banquet. I’ve already ordered your dress to be prepared. Go see if you like it.”
“The clothes you prepare for me are always the best and the most fitting. I’m not worried about that at all. What I’m most concerned about right now is your health.”
The two lovers, despite their age difference, slowly walked into their bedroom, leaving Ji Nansheng outside.
Perhaps in their haste, the door was not fully closed, leaving a small crack.
Through the gap, Ji Nansheng could see the Countess helping the Count to the bed, laying him down on the velvet bed to rest.
The Countess turned her back to the Count and poured a glass of water.
Just as Ji Nansheng thought the Countess was about to hand the water to the Count, he saw her put something into the glass.
She waited a moment before turning to give the water to the Count, perhaps to let what she added dissolve.
“Drink some water to soothe your throat before resting. Your voice is hoarse,” the Countess’s voice was as gentle as the surface of a lake in March.
The Count, suspecting nothing, took the glass and drank a few sips before lying down again.
The Countess gently patted the Count’s back as she hummed a soothing melody.
Soon, the sound of the Count’s steady breathing filled the room.
The Countess stopped singing and gently called out, “Count?”
Only steady breathing answered her.
Suddenly, the Countess’s gentle demeanor changed, her gaze becoming cold and indifferent.
She stood by the bed, looking down at the Count as if he were a lifeless object.
Then, Ji Nansheng saw the Countess slowly extend her hands toward the Count’s neck, her fingers interlocking as though preparing to strangle him.
But soon, she withdrew her hands, her expression returning to one of deep affection.
She picked up the glass, walked to the potted plant, and emptied the water inside. After rinsing the cup twice, she placed it back where it belonged.
After finishing, she drew the curtains, enveloping the room in darkness.
At that moment, the Count on the bed suddenly let out a scream.
The Countess merely tilted her head to glance at him, then sat indifferently by the tea table.
“Don’t come closer! Don’t come closer!” The Count suddenly reached into the air. His eyes were shut tight and he muttered in fear, “Bastard, what are you? How dare you try to take the woman I desire.”
“She is mine, she is mine now.”
“Ah!!! Don’t come any closer!”
The Countess watched coldly, her eyes gentle, but her expression remained indifferent.
The Count’s screams lasted a long time, so long that Ji Nansheng’s legs went numb from squatting outside.
So numb that when the Countess opened the door, he could only stand there dumbfounded, frozen in place.
When the Countess saw the four of them, a fleeting moment of surprise crossed her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. She glanced at them, then at the Count inside, and spoke calmly, “What did you see?”
Before Ji Nansheng could respond, the muscular man blurted out, “Did you drug the Count?”
“…” The Countess remained silent for two seconds. “It was a sedative. The Count has an old headache problem. Whenever his headaches flare up, the pain keeps him from sleeping. At those times, he needs a sedative to relieve the pain so he can sleep. But this time, he doesn’t seem to be doing well even though he’s asleep. I need to get a doctor.”
It sounded flawless, without a single loophole.
The Countess continued, “You should leave quickly. When the Count has a headache, he becomes aggressive and bloodthirsty. If he finds out you were outside spying, he’ll kill you.”
The Count inside let out another pained murmur, and the Countess said in a solemn voice, “I’ll pretend I didn’t see you today. The Count’s condition is dangerous, so I need to find a doctor.”
With that, she gracefully closed the door and went toward the stairs on the third floor.
The girl volunteered to follow the Countess, while Ji Nansheng and the others stayed on the second floor instead of leaving completely.
Half an hour later, the girl returned, panting. “The Countess didn’t call for a doctor at all!”
“She went back to the hall and wandered around, dancing leisurely.”
Muscular man: “As I thought, the relationship between the Count and the Countess isn’t as simple as it seems!”
Blonde player: “The Countess must have found out the Count killed her fiancé Jacob, and now she’s taking revenge on the Count. The drug the Count drank probably wasn’t a sedative, but something hallucinogenic, which is why he’s been having nightmares every night.”
He clenched his right fist and smacked his left hand. “I’ve figured it out! Half a year ago, the Countess must have learned the truth. The Count said they haven’t been intimate in six months. The Countess must have been avoiding him since she found out.”
The other three were silent.
It seemed like the most reasonable explanation.
“Now the question is,” Ji Nansheng said solemnly, “how did the Countess find out the truth?”
Muscular Man: “Could it be the Count talked in his sleep, and the Countess overheard?”
Ji Nansheng: “That’s possible.”
Blonde player: “I’ll make a bolder guess—what if it was the siren who told the Countess?”
Ji Nansheng: “That’s possible too.”
The girl: “So can we rule out the Countess as the siren? If she were the siren, she could’ve killed the Count long ago. There’s no need to go through all this trouble.”
Ji Nansheng: “Not necessarily. What if the siren wants to keep the Count alive to torment him?”
The girl was surprised. “You still suspect the Countess is the siren?”
Ji Nansheng: “I’m not just suspicious of the Countess. I think everyone is suspicious.”
The girl: “Then who do you think is most likely to be the siren?”
Ji Nansheng thought for a moment. “I think Dijia seems suspicious.”
How could an ordinary player have such an imposing presence that even the King of the savannah bowed to him?
“But I also think the Countess seems suspicious. Don’t you think…” Ji Nansheng paused slightly, “the relationship between Dijia and the Countess is a bit strange?”
The girl: “Huh?”
The muscular man: “Huh?”
The blonde player: “Huh!”
Three pairs of eyes turned to the blonde player.
The blonde player tucked his hair behind his ear. “I thought it was just my imagination, but you’re saying you also think there’s something romantic between the two?”
Ji Nansheng: “…” ‘Is that romance?’
The blonde player: “Even though they hide it well, who am I? I’m a romantic poet! What kind of love could escape my keen eyes? Even though it was just a few brief moments, the way their eyes met in the air was full of tension. Tsk tsk tsk, so sweet.”
Three bewildered faces: ???
Tension? Really?
Where was the tension?
The girl felt a slight headache. “So, what now?”
Ji Nansheng: “On one hand, the two of them are having an affair, and on the other hand, they are accusing each other of being the siren. Isn’t that strange?”
The girl tilted her head. “Does that mean they’re in some kind of twisted love-hate relationship? Both wanting to kill each other?”
The blonde player: “I actually think neither of them is the siren. They’re just putting themselves in opposition to throw off suspicion about their affair.”
“But…” The girl’s head buzzed. “Isn’t Dijia a player? A player and an NPC? When did they get together? I’m not trying to say anything, but can a player and an NPC really have an affair? And with the Count’s woman? Cheating?”
‘Oh my god, what is this nonsense?’
“Isn’t it obvious?” the muscular man declared confidently. “Dijia isn’t a player at all, he’s the siren! If he’s the siren, doesn’t everything make sense?”
The three: “…”
It seemed, up until now, everything did make sense.
…
In the dance hall, the man tightly wrapped his arms around the Countess’s waist, pressing her firmly into his embrace.
