Chapter 325
Chapter 325: What the Hell—Is This Place Haunted?
Upon hearing Count Laurien's words, Gwen's expression remained blank.
Yet it was still plainly evident from her continuous nodding.
She was thoroughly satisfied with Count Laurien's arrangements.
Auréliane, meanwhile, stood to one side, blinking in a somewhat dumbfounded daze.
Wait—what just happened?
Professor Viktor and Professor Gwen were going to sleep in the same room!?
And what was the deal with the larger bathtub!?
Auréliane desperately wanted to ask for a thorough explanation, but no one gave her the chance.
Because Viktor had already given a nod and politely responded to Count Laurien:
"Then I thank the Count for his arrangements."
Before the stunned Auréliane could say a word, a servant had already stepped up to her.
"Honored guests, please allow me to escort you to your rooms."
Auréliane blinked, and in the end could only nod, her mind in a mild state of confusion as the servant led her into the castle.
Xiangyilan followed steadily behind Auréliane.
At that moment, Count Laurien also raised his head again, looking toward Viktor.
More precisely—toward the orderly rows of Demi-human guards.
The sight of so many Demi-humans gave him a moment of difficulty.
The Knights were simple enough—stable the horses, find them a shared billet, and they could rest.
But these Demi-humans—where was he supposed to put them?
Prepare rooms for them?
He would have to be out of his mind to prepare rooms for Demi-humans.
But before he could act on any of it, the masked Demi-humans swiftly dispersed of their own accord.
In the blink of an eye, they melted into dark shadows and scattered in every direction, vanishing without a trace.
The cat-eared guards flew up into the trees to roost, while the dog-eared guards slipped deep into the forest and fields, concealing their forms and presence.
These Demi-humans possessed habits and physical constitutions akin to those of animals, which meant they never complained about the conditions of their environment.
Watching them disperse so quickly drew exclamations of surprise from the assembled nobles.
Even Count Laurien's gaze sharpened slightly, somewhat astonished by the speed of these Demi-humans.
When they vanished, they hadn't made so much as a sound.
Had one not been watching carefully, no one would have noticed that beneath the cover of night, a cat-eared Demi-human was lurking somewhere nearby.
If this agility and silence were applied to assassination, these Demi-humans would perform far better than any human.
Count Laurien grew all the more curious as to why they had dispersed so suddenly.
Just as he was wondering, he heard Viktor say calmly:
"I had them find their own places to rest."
"They will regroup here first thing tomorrow morning. The Count need not worry."
Count Laurien, witnessing this, was surprised once more.
The discipline of these Demi-humans—even their capacity for self-management—was stricter than that of ordinary Kingdom soldiers.
Was this truly something Demi-humans were capable of?
Though impressed, Count Laurien still felt a faint pang of regret.
A pity.
No matter how exceptional.
They were still Demi-humans in the end.
Beasts, in the end, were beasts.
Incomparable to humans.
Not having to arrange rooms for the Demi-humans left Laurien breathing a quiet sigh of relief.
He put the matter of the Demi-humans out of his mind, smiled at the assembled guests, and extended one hand toward the towering castle:
"Everyone, please."
***
Auréliane was led by the servant through the vast interior of the castle.
The enormous castle was magnificently grand—not quite as luxurious as an imperial palace, but extravagant by any standard.
Gold-threaded red carpet covered the entire corridor, and the white light spilling down from above was crystal-clear and bright.
Vases stood in rows along the corridor's edges, each stuffed with an assortment of wild, clashing blooms.
This environment struck Auréliane as rather pleasant—testament to the considerable care Count Laurien had put into receiving them.
Though in all likelihood it was meant as a display for the benefit of her grandfather.
Auréliane understood perfectly well how these nobles thought.
As she passed by one particular room, Auréliane paused.
It was as though she had sensed something, and she found herself drawn toward the room.
A soft light seeped through the crack beneath the door, but hanging on the door itself was a notice.
Overcome by intense curiosity, she stepped forward and flipped it over.
What met her eyes was a line of vivid scarlet writing that struck her like a warning:
'Do Not Enter—Leave Immediately!'
Auréliane stared at the notice on the door and felt a chill run through her.
Curious, she asked:
"This room—is there something inside?"
The maidservant observed Auréliane's reaction and replied with perfect composure:
"This is the Madam's chambers. She has been resting here the entire time."
The Madam? Count Laurien's wife?
Why would Count Laurien's wife be staying in a room with a notice forbidding entry?
The servant seemed to read Auréliane's confusion and offered another explanation:
"The Madam prefers quiet, so she specifically hung that sign to avoid being disturbed while she rests."
The explanation was reasonable enough. Though Auréliane still found it somewhat strange, she reined in her curiosity.
After all, this was someone else's home—she'd do well not to be quite so curious.
Just as she turned the notice back over and replaced it on the door—
Suddenly, from beside her, the servant let out a sound of profound surprise:
"Young Mistress, however did you come out……"
At the sound, Auréliane turned to look in the servant's direction.
At some point, a girl about her own age had appeared from around a bend in the corridor.
The girl had a head of long silver hair identical in color to Auréliane's own, but hers carried the unmistakable pallor of poor health.
Her face was equally pale, giving the impression of fragility, and her crimson pupils—illuminated by the lamplight—gleamed with an unsettling allure.
Refined features that hinted at a deep, lingering sorrow.
It was the middle of the night, yet she wore an elegant black evening gown, a red shawl draped languidly down her figure.
On her feet were a pair of small black leather boots.
Auréliane's gaze drifted downward, and a fleeting sense of inadequacy stirred within her.
Because the black evening gown gathered precisely and flatteringly at all the right curves.
And when Auréliane looked back up at the girl's exquisite face, she caught something in her expression—
Fear?
Their eyes met.
The next instant, the girl suddenly turned and ran in the direction Auréliane had come from, moving quickly.
Auréliane spun around at once, but in the blink of an eye, the girl's silhouette had already vanished from the corridor.
This left Auréliane even more bewildered.
How could a living person disappear from right before her eyes like that!?
At this moment, the servant who had been so composed just moments ago now appeared visibly flustered.
She hurriedly explained to Auréliane:
"Honored guest, please pay no mind to what just occurred."
"That was the Young Mistress—the Count's daughter."
With that, she closed her mouth.
The look on her face made it clear she had no intention of telling Auréliane anything more.
Auréliane naturally noticed the irregularity, but she simply waved a hand to signal she didn't mind, then continued following the servant forward.
After all, this was someone else's home.
Even if she was curious, Auréliane couldn't let it show too plainly.
The servant led Auréliane and Xiangyilan to a spacious, bright, and generously appointed room, bowing respectfully to both of them:
"Should either of you require anything, please do not hesitate to let me know."
Having said so, the maidservant turned and left without lingering.
Only then did Auréliane have the chance to take in her surroundings.
The entire room was lavishly grand and brilliantly lit, the radiance turning the whole space into something resembling a garden of delights.
The opulent furnishings exuded an air of noble refinement at every turn—even the vase beside the bed was painted with intricate oil paintings.
One could only imagine how wealthy Count Laurien must be.
Not surprising, really—he held such an expansive territory with so many farmlands.
Add to that the Goddess of Abundance's blessing, and the Count would have harvested a fortune year after year.
Auréliane sat down on the soft, springy bed, fell back into the cushioning, bounced twice in the plushness, and lay there with her mind running in circles—
Who exactly was that girl just now?
Why had Count Laurien prepared a larger bathtub for Professor Viktor? Surely Professor Viktor and Professor Gwen weren't going to bathe together!
That thought brought her shooting upright, 2 trains of thought crashing against each other inside her head.
So what was the deal with that girl? And why was that room off-limits?
Ahh! It was simply too much to comprehend—Professor Viktor and Professor Gwen were spending the night together! Absolutely unbearable!
Auréliane's tangled thoughts drove her into an involuntary roll across the bed.
Xiangyilan, meanwhile, stood in a corner of the spacious room, a deep emerald glow stirring in her eyes.
Within Xiangyilan's field of vision, the surroundings were gradually swallowed by thick darkness, viscous black closing in on everything, Auréliane's face growing indistinct within it.
All that remained were the traces of Magic Power flowing off her, softly tracing the shapes of nearby objects—everything blurred, reduced to dim, faint outlines.
Aside from Auréliane, she could detect no other living presence.
When her vision cleared again, Xiangyilan inclined her head in a respectful bow toward Auréliane:
"Your Highness."
"I can confirm—this place is safe."
Auréliane gave a light nod, the concern still lingering on her face, a slight weight between her brows.
At that moment, Xiangyilan drew close, her voice dropping low as she spoke quietly:
"Your Highness, I have confirmed certain things just now—things I believe you ought to know."
Auréliane slowly raised her head, her gaze filled with confusion as she looked at Xiangyilan.
Xiangyilan drew a slow breath and said gravely:
"The Count's daughter we saw just now……"
"She is not human."