There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game-Chapter 455 - 395: Puppet
Prague Manor specialized in winemaking, and it was currently the bustling harvest season, with the estate’s workers busily scurrying about.
In the sunlight, the verdant vines, deep purple grapes, and fiery red roses reflected each other, creating a stunning sight.
Several people who wanted to ask for directions to leave failed to do so, under Steward Armand Ray’s gleeful gaze and in the midst of his chillingly indifferent spoken words, they eventually all entered the manor together.
"Wild beasts often roam the mountains, especially at night they are extremely dangerous. Please, have a seat, guests, I’ll have the castle’s doctor come and tend to your wounds," he said.
In fact, the steward was quite hospitable.
Upon discovering that one of the travelers was injured, he immediately offered to treat them and strongly invited everyone to stay at the manor for the time being.
If they truly wished to leave, for their safety, the manor would send someone to the town to request the lord dispatch the Knight Order to escort them out, lest they be attacked by wild beasts again on the way.
A few travelers, who had never seen such a world, were dumbfounded and could only agree under the watchful eyes of a group of workers wielding sticks.
The Romanesque silver castle was immensely vast, covering a full two hectares, with several flying buttresses crisscrossing between the structures, and the tallest part was a Tall Tower piercing the clouds at its center.
Its castle gate was also dozens of meters tall, open wide like a giant mouth silently waiting to devour its prey.
The group entered in single file and were immediately dazzled by the luxurious opulence inside the castle.
The gilded, resplendent great hall and sparklingly ornate furniture, every bit of it showcased the castle owner’s noble status and the brilliant, extravagant luxury that came with it.
The owner of the manor seemed to have a fondness for roses; just in the great hall of the castle one could see trellises entwined with branches everywhere, rose bas-reliefs carved into the domed ceiling, and the black carpet on the floor was also spread with rings of floral patterns.
Many servants were scattered throughout the castle, and when they saw the guests, they all bowed and smiled warmly at them.
Every person here seemed to brim with a happy and beautiful smile.
Steward Armand Ray arranged for the travelers to rest in the castle’s great hall and then sent a servant to fetch the doctor.
The man lingering behind was silent, looking up and quietly surveying the castle, when suddenly he saw a figure pausing on the third-floor corridor.
The girl wore a luxurious Rococo-style burgundy dress, her exposed arms pale and translucent, with a delicacy that hinted at a prolonged absence of sunlight.
Their gazes met unobstructed.
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The girl stood silently against the wall, like a blooming rose.
Her brows slightly furrowed, the complex expression in her dark eyes was unfathomable. The girl glanced at him with ambiguous meaning, then turned and disappeared behind the wall.
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The man instinctively followed her trail but saw only servants passing through the corridor.
The castle was broad and immense, with a complex network of supporting buttresses, and he couldn’t quite discern where the girl had gone.
"Who is the owner of this Prague Castle?" he asked after a moment of silence.
Steward Armand Ray’s expression paused, and then with apparent chagrin he said, "I am truly remiss for not having introduced our esteemed castle owner to the guests—Margaret Green!"
As he spoke, his expression became one of supreme devotion, gazing into the void as if beholding his deity.
The man proceeded to say, "I am extremely grateful for her hospitality, may we meet with her?"
However, the steward shook his head in regret, "I apologize, respected guest, my master is not currently in the castle, but I will convey your request."
—So how exactly does your master expect you to invite us in as guests?!
Hidden among the travelers, the hearts of all players were filled with silent complaints!
Yet, they also knew that entering the castle seemed to be an obligatory part of the plot, much like a required transition scene in a game, which they could not choose to skip.
Nine people ran out of the Dark Forest, six men and three women, among whom six individuals were clearly acquainted with each other.
They were part of an archaeology group from a university, led by two teachers and four students on an educational excursion, but they had not expected to get lost in the unfamiliar mountains. One of the teachers had even accidentally broken his leg—although the wounds on his leg did not look like they were caused by a fall.
The other three were a male climber wearing mountaineering gear, a male hunter with a shotgun and blood on his body, and a man in a hoodie and long pants who was silent and claimed to be a Traveling Poet.
Two of them were injured, the hunter and the male teacher who had accidentally broken his leg, while the others just looked disheveled.
The players had memories from inside the Dark Forest, but ordinary NPCs had no recollection of their encounters and didn’t even find the castle, at odds with the current era, strange.
They quickly integrated into the new environment.
The castle’s doctor arrived with a medical kit to treat the two injured parties.
The hunter merely had some superficial scratches on his arm which looked scary but were simple to treat.
As for the male teacher, although he claimed to have fallen into a ravine and broken his leg, the torn wound on his calf was black and oozing pus, emitting an indescribable stench of decay.
"Your injury is quite severe, it would be better to rest in a room as soon as possible. A good night’s sleep can help you recover faster," the doctor said calmly after bandaging him and showed genuine concern.
"The castle has many guest rooms, I’ll arrange rooms for you," Steward Armand Ray said immediately afterward.
"Thank you, I will rest well!" the male teacher expressed his deep gratitude.
The players watching silently: "..."
Can’t you see your leg is almost useless?!
That’s not an injury from a fall, you were clearly bitten by a monster, weren’t you?!
But no matter how much the players internally complained, their expressions did not reveal any flaws.
Then, another archaeologist stood up and said, "I’ll help him to his room, please lead the way."
She was dressed in a simple and functional short jacket, long pants, and combat boots, looking the cleanest member of the archaeology group, with no traces of disarray on her.
The steward called a servant to lead the way, and then the two of them helped the unfortunate male teacher upstairs.
The rooms prepared for guests were mostly on the second floor, still lavishly decorated, with windows flung open and roses entwining the balustrades.
The archaeologist glanced around subtly, dumped the unlucky male teacher onto the bed and then said to the servant, "Could you take me to my room? I’d like to change my clothes."
The maid smiled perfectly: "Of course, follow me, please."
Her room was arranged next door. Even the guest rooms had wardrobes filled with several complex and opulent gowns.
The archaeologist looked at these dresses with a crawling sensation on her scalp, but the maid very enthusiastically offered to help her change.
"Margaret Green, the generosity of the hostess of Prague Manor is admirable, can you tell me about her exploits?" she asked nonchalantly while the maid fussed with her clothes.
With a beaming smile, the maid replied, "Certainly, to Miss Green, guests from afar can all become her friends, so I can tell you anything you’d like to know."
The archaeologist looked down slightly, observing the maid who was cinching her waist.
The smile on the maid’s face was consistently measured, unchanging, and although she was smiling, it was as cold as a doll’s.
Even her responses were filled with a programmatic set of protocols.
This beautiful castle, full of mysteries.
...
