Chapter 462: Hints, the Maiden and Beauty
Chapter 462 -460: Hints, the Maiden and Beauty
Looking up, she saw a huge plaque bearing the name Shepherd Manor.
Beneath the eaves hung enormous red lanterns.
The tall compound walls, with their green bricks, white plaster, and dark tiles, made it impossible to see the entire estate at a glance.
She turned and looked around. Besides the grand manor gate before her, everything else was shrouded in gray-black fog.
Seeing the double happiness characters pasted on the gate, Faye Yardley thought for a moment. She took a bottle of Centennial Happiness Wine from her backpack—a reward from a previous loot box—and a box of Veridian pastries made by Willow.
Only then did she step forward, grab the door knocker, and rap on the door.
[Friendly Reminder 1: The player is about to enter Shepherd Manor, which is hosting a wedding celebration. As a guest at the banquet, the player must not start any conflicts with the masters of Shepherd Manor. Remember, you are here to offer congratulations, not to crash the party.]
[Friendly Reminder 2: Mr. Shepherd is in love with the seventh concubine his father, Master Shepherd, is taking today. If the player encounters him, please offer him some help, but be careful not to be discovered by others.]
[Friendly Reminder 3: Miss Shepherd is very jealous of the new concubine’s beauty and wants to peel off her face to claim it as her own. If the player encounters her, please provide her with some assistance.]
[Clear Condition 1: Successfully attend the wedding banquet and earn the praise of three masters of Shepherd Manor.]
[Clear Condition 2: Help today’s bride escape from Shepherd Manor.]
[Clear Condition 3: Fulfill Mrs. Shepherd’s wish.]
[Finally, we wish you an enjoyable game. Please do not violate the survival rules of Shepherd Manor, or the consequences will not be what you wish to see.]
After the system prompts ended, the scene around her changed. Although she was still standing at the main gate of Shepherd Manor, the surroundings suddenly filled with the clamor of voices. The large red lanterns by the door now glowed brightly, and the manor’s main doors were wide open. A man stood at the entrance, bowing to arriving guests with a beaming smile, directing servants and maids to escort them inside.
When she had entered the Dungeon, it was clearly early morning, not even 5 a.m. But now, it was obviously not morning, but dusk.
Perhaps seeing her standing right in the entrance without moving forward, someone found her to be in the way and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hey, young lady, are you here for the wedding banquet? If you are, hurry on in and get yourself a drink. If not, don’t just stand there blocking the main gate.”
Faye came back to her senses. “Oh, yes. I’ve brought a gift to celebrate the wedding.”
She then followed the stream of people through the main gate of Shepherd Manor. The steward at the entrance glanced at her, clearly not recognizing her, but still invited her in with a pleasant smile.
Today was their master’s big day, and most of the townspeople had come.
So, it was normal to see one or two unfamiliar faces.
Besides, she was such a beautiful young lady. What if she ended up becoming the eighth concubine? It made sense to be polite.
A plain-looking serving girl led her toward the main hall where the banquet was being held. Faye thought for a moment, took out two copper coins, and discreetly slipped them into the girl’s hand.
As expected, the serving girl was surprised but offered a friendly smile. “Miss, you should leave quickly after you’ve had a celebratory drink.”
“Thank you. I brought a gift for today’s bride. Would it be possible to give it to her in person?”
For the sake of those two copper coins, the serving girl offered another piece of advice. “Concubines don’t receive gifts directly. Any gift you bring, Miss, should just be registered with the steward.”
Faye thought the serving girl was incredibly kind. This time, she slipped five copper coins to her and said, as if casually, “I heard the new mistress is devastatingly beautiful and captivating. I just wanted to see her for myself.”
After making sure no one else was around, the serving girl leaned close to Faye and whispered, “Don’t say such things. Be careful, or you’ll displease Miss Shepherd.”
“Thank you for the warning, miss. May I ask your name?”
“I’m just a serving girl, miss. No need to be so formal. You can just call me Ruby.” The girl led her to the entrance of the main hall and said, “Miss, we’re here. Please, go on in.”
With that, she turned and hurried away.
She was so fast that Faye didn’t even have time to ask another question.
The hall was already filled with people. Faye entered and chose a seat in a corner.
Then she realized that the people here weren’t just NPCs from the Dungeon; there were also many others from the outside, just like her.
It couldn’t be helped. The Otherkin were just too easy to spot.
And they spoke without any inhibitions.
“Man, this ‘dungeon’ seems a bit boring. Is it just about giving gifts and attending a wedding feast?”
“Easy for you to say. The wedding hasn’t even started. If the bride hangs herself when it begins, get ready for an all-out battle royale.”
“Sounds like you’ve been here before?”
“It’s a party-wipe dungeon. Of course I haven’t been here. I got royally screwed over and dragged into this.”
“Is it okay to talk like this? Won’t we attract the attention of the NPCs here?”
“Tch, coward. So what if they notice? I’ll just cut down anyone who comes at me.”
Faye really wanted to get far away from these people. ‘No wonder these Otherkin can’t even transform properly and still retain obvious non-human features. They’re clearly not very bright.’
‘Is it really a good idea to talk trash about the hosts on their own turf?’
‘I’m not going to get dragged into this, am I?’
Just as Faye was about to stand up, two newcomers flanked her on both sides, forcing her to sit back down. They were overly familiar. “Hi there! Are you here just for the wedding feast, or did you come to see how beautiful the bride is?”
“Me? I just saw a wedding was happening and came in to soak up some of the happy atmosphere.” Faye smiled gently, but inwardly she was fuming. ‘The malice from these two is so obvious! I really want to just knock them both out with one punch each.’
“Really? You don’t know that the bride is very beautiful?”
‘So concerned about the bride’s looks?’
An idea flashed through Faye’s mind. A smile bloomed on her face as she said to the girl in front of her, “I think you yourself are quite beautiful, miss. Your face is like a peach blossom, your brows like fine willow leaves, you have lips like cherries, and your skin is as smooth as cream. For a beauty like you to call someone else beautiful, just how gorgeous must the bride be? I wasn’t curious before, but now you’ve piqued my interest.”
Hearing this, the girl who had asked the question cupped her cheeks with both hands. Her eyes filled with anticipation, and with a bashful expression, she stared at Faye without blinking. “Really? Am I really as beautiful as you say?”
Faye replied immediately, her voice dripping with sincerity, “Of course! If you don’t believe me, ask anyone else. Anyone with eyes can see how beautiful you are.”
Her words immediately drew the attention of the others at the table. Their conversation stopped as they all turned to look at the girl. Then, someone immediately made a retching sound.
“What the hell? You dare call her a beauty with that huge black spot on her face? If all beauties look like that, I’d rather gouge my own eyes out!”
The girl’s eyes instantly turned icy, and her expression darkened.
Faye looked even more furious than the girl. “Are you blind? You can’t recognize a beauty when you see one, and you dare spew such filth? Sitting at the same table as someone like you is the greatest insult to me!”