DLMSWSHH Chapter 22

TL: Hua

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Chapter 22: Storybook

No, that’s not right.

The Duke does leave the study, Zhong Ming said to himself.

He had seen the Duke in the chapel. Zhong Ming lowered his eyes; this proved that the Duke could appear in places other than the study.

From Jack’s words, Zhong Ming had confirmed that most people in this mansion knew absolutely nothing about the Duke. Perhaps other than himself, no one had ever seen the Duke anywhere besides the study. In fact, it was likely most people hadn’t seen the Duke’s face at all.

Zhong Ming felt the man’s scorching breath spraying against the side of his neck and tilted his head slightly. Facing a man threatening to rape him, Zhong Ming’s heart remained as cold as ice; he felt as if he had detached himself from this tense atmosphere, preoccupied with his own thoughts about the mystery of the Duke.

However, his demeanor was interpreted differently by Jack. Seeing him remain silent, Jack curled his lip, a smug light flashing through his pale eyes: “You know he won’t save you either, don’t you?”

Jack’s anger softened slightly under the other’s cowardly silence, turning into a sort of condescending pity laced with mockery: “Those monsters are different from humans. You’ve been tricked by them.”

As he spoke, he reached out, attempting to wrap his arm around the youth’s slender lower back. It was only then that Zhong Ming snapped back to reality. His vision blurred for a split second before refocusing on Jack’s face.

Seeing the youth’s eyelashes trembling like butterfly wings, Jack’s breathing grew heavy. His gaze lingered on Zhong Ming’s pink lips. “Fine,” he said, his voice low and husky, as if coaxing a child. “Just give me a kiss of your own accord, and I’ll take you back to your room—”

Right then, a low, raspy cough sounded behind them.

Zhong Ming blinked. Looking past Jack, he saw a figure standing under the light not far away.

It was the blonde mercenary.

He was still wearing his military uniform, a cigarette held between his fingers. Seeing Zhong Ming look over, he raised his eyes from behind the smoke.

“It seems there’s a bit of a disagreement between you two?”

The blonde mercenary smiled, reached up to stub out his cigarette, and walked toward them. He extended a hand, seemingly wanting to pull Zhong Ming out from under Jack’s restraint.

But before his hand was halfway there, Jack spun around, shielding Zhong Ming with his own body. His hideous, rugged face was clouded with malice. “Who the fuck are you? A player?”

His massive, bear-like frame blocked the path between the mercenary and Zhong Ming like a wall. He even reached back to push Zhong Ming further away, spat on the floor, and stared at the blonde mercenary with a cruel smile on his lips. “You really aren’t afraid to die, are you?”

Standing behind Jack, Zhong Ming’s view was mostly obstructed. He saw the blonde mercenary withdraw his hand, but instead of putting it back in his pocket, he let it hang by his side. His gaze suddenly shifted; his entire posture took on a subtle, coiled tension.

“It’s not certain yet who’s going to die, is it?”

A smile hung on his pale face, but his deep blue eyes bypassed Jack to look at Zhong Ming: “If you don’t want him bothering you anymore, I can help.”

The blonde mercenary winked at Zhong Ming and said with a smile, “As long as you trade some information with me.”

Zhong Ming blinked, understanding immediately. This player wanted to make a deal. These mercenaries were different from the other independent guests; they were sent by a major financial conglomerate. Having found no clues these past few days, they were likely starting to get anxious.

The fact that the blonde mercenary spoke directly to Zhong Ming, bypassing him, clearly enraged Jack.

The white man’s pale skin quickly turned pink under the tension. Jack’s expression became grotesque and terrifying, frightening veins bulging on his thick neck: “You think I’m fucking dead?”

He took a step toward the mercenary, his hairy hands bunching into fists at his sides, assuming the stance of a wild beast about to attack: “Damn it, I’ll kill you once to satisfy my craving.”

Seeing this, the blonde mercenary shifted his gaze from Zhong Ming back to Jack. A cold glint flashed in his right hand as a dagger appeared out of nowhere. He was equally tall, and though his features weren’t as rugged as Jack’s, his sapphire eyes turned pale as his expression went cold.

Zhong Ming’s gaze swept over the two men in the standoff, and he suddenly noticed something, his eyes widening slightly.

These two were very similar.

Zhong Ming suddenly realized it. That sudden sense of familiarity he’d felt when he first saw the mercenaries at the mansion gates was because of this.

The resemblance wasn’t in their looks, but in that cold, dangerous aura.

The vibe these mercenaries gave off was identical to the feeling Zhong Ming got when he first saw Jack and the others in the lower-level servants’ dining hall.

Zhong Ming watched the two men facing off, his breathing hitching for a moment.

Over there, Jack’s gaze quickly scanned several vital points on the blonde mercenary’s body, like a predator deciding where to bite. A sharp light gleamed in his eyes.

However, just as he was about to move, a childish voice rang out: “What are you doing?”

The voice was ice-cold. Zhong Ming instantly recognized it as Albert’s. He instinctively looked over, but his view was blocked by Jack, so he couldn’t see where Albert was.

Almost simultaneously, Jack and the blonde mercenary also turned their heads toward the source of the sound.

Then, Zhong Ming saw an expression of extreme terror appear on both their faces at the same time.

Clang.

With a sharp ring, the mercenary accidentally dropped his dagger on the floor.

Zhong Ming’s eyes widened in surprise. He saw the blonde mercenary turn as white as a sheet. The man stumbled back two steps, eventually hitting the staircase railing, clutching it tightly with one hand just to keep his legs from giving out.

Even his right hand, gripping the banister, was shaking uncontrollably.

Zhong Ming frowned. He looked over Jack’s shoulder to see his profile; sure enough, Jack was staring at the corner of the corridor, his face deathly pale and his expression filled with dread. However, he was slightly better off than the player, barely managing to keep his composure.

What was going on?

Frowning deeply, Zhong Ming took the opportunity to push past Jack. Turning around, he saw Albert standing in the shadows of the corner, looking like a ghost.

The boy was wearing blue-and-white silk pajamas, looking as though he had just climbed out of bed, with his brown hair falling slightly messily over his brow.

A cold expression sat on his small, pale face, softening only slightly when his eyes fell on Zhong Ming.

“Zhong Ming.”

The boy called his name flatly and raised both arms toward him: “Carry me.”

Only then did Zhong Ming notice that Albert wasn’t wearing shoes; he was standing barefoot on the floor. He hurried over to scoop Albert up: “Young Master Albert, why aren’t you wearing shoes?”

Zhong Ming frowned. Since it was autumn, the temperature in the valley stayed very low: “What if you get sick?”

Albert sat in the crook of his arm, listening to Zhong Ming’s words. He lowered his head and leaned softly against Zhong Ming’s neck. Zhong Ming looked down at the boy resting obediently in his arms. His gaze lingered for a moment on the boy’s exquisite, cute profile before he turned back to look at Jack and the mercenary.

The mercenary was leaning against the stairs, his pupils constricted, still panting heavily.

What on earth had scared them like that? Zhong Ming was bewildered. He glanced at Albert in his arms again; while a child appearing out of nowhere was a bit startling, surely it wasn’t enough to warrant this level of terror?

“Zhong Ming.”

Just then, Albert whispered in his ear, “I’m sleepy. Carry me back to my bedroom.” Zhong Ming had no choice but to withdraw his gaze and say, “Alright.” He was looking for a chance to leave anyway, so he carried the boy downstairs. Until they reached the first floor, Zhong Ming felt two gazes pinned to their backs.

After he carried Albert back to the nursery, wiped the boy’s face and hands with warm water, and finally managed to coax him into bed, Albert reached out and grabbed his hand, refusing to let him go.

“Zhong Ming, read me a storybook.”

Albert stared at Zhong Ming with his emerald eyes, refusing to let go.

Zhong Ming was on the verge of a breakdown. He didn’t understand why this young master wasn’t sleeping in the middle of the night, and he didn’t seem sleepy at all.

Why do children have so much energy?!

Left with no choice, Zhong Ming took the storybook. When he opened it, he found it was the very one he had compiled. Looking at his own handwriting, Zhong Ming felt a bit odd, but he cleared his throat and began to read:

“In a principality within the Eastern Forest, a child was born with skin as white as snow, yet flushed with the red of fresh blood, and hair as black and lustrous as ebony—”

Zhong Ming read the story in a gentle voice. Albert lay under the covers, staring at him without blinking. When Zhong Ming was halfway through the story, the boy suddenly reached out.

Zhong Ming felt the boy’s small hand brush against his cheek. “Your skin is white.”

Zhong Ming froze and looked up. In the next heartbeat, Albert touched his slightly parted lips: “Your lips are red.”

Albert looked up, his eyes filled with a child’s innocent naivety as he said to him: “Zhong Ming, are you Princess Snow White?”

Zhong Ming was stunned. Then he looked down and saw that although the protagonist of the story was a boy, the title of this chapter was still written in large characters: “Princess Snow White.”

Zhong Ming: …???! This is going to give the kid the wrong idea.

He tilted his head to meet Albert’s eyes, slightly worried about the child’s gender perception. He explained softly: “Young Master Albert, ‘Princess’ is a title for girls. I am a man, so I cannot be a princess.”

Hearing this, Albert tilted his head slightly, his gaze still glued to Zhong Ming’s face. “…Is that so?”

He then seemed somewhat disappointed, lowering his eyes as his thick lashes cast shadows on his cheeks. Zhong Ming remained silent at the sight, feeling as though this child had already been led astray.

He had to pretend not to notice Albert’s disappointed gaze, continuing to read faster in hopes of finishing the story quickly.

Albert watched him the entire time, listening to the story. No trace of sleepiness appeared on his cold face. Just as Zhong Ming was about to finish the story, he suddenly spoke: “What were you doing just now?”

Zhong Ming paused and looked up. Seeing Albert staring straight at him, his expression stiffened: “…What?”

Albert stared at him, his eyes like cold, emerald-green gems, and patiently repeated: “I am asking.”

He said: “What did those words that servant named Jack just said to you mean?”

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