Lucian had a dream that was difficult to talk about.
In the dream, he was still lying on his bed at home, but a dark shadow covered his mouth and used some things to play with him. He was drowsy and unable to resist in this dream that he could not get rid of. This feeling was like sinking into hell. Compared with pleasure, there was more fear of impending death and torture of being played with.
This dream lasted for a long time. He was tossed and turned until the Red Moon period was finally coming to an end. He woke up from the bed in a cold sweat, and found that both his body and the bed/mattress under him were soaked.
The bright morning light shone into the room. Lucian realized that the Red Moon Tide had finally passed. He felt numb all over, as if the shadow was still lurking in his body, and his calf muscles were twitching and shaking.
His face was flushed, his breathing was rapid, and he covered his eyes with his hands as he continued to collapse on the bed, still trapped by the afterglow of the hot flashes.
When he was finally able to put on his clothes, leave the cabin, and take the letter out of the mailbox, he discovered that it was the sixth day since he entered his hot flashes.
In the past, the hot spell lasted only three or four days, but this time it lasted for five full days.
Lucian returned to the room. He checked the incense ashes and hair he had left there to prevent anyone from entering. All of these things were in their proper places. The furnishings in the room had not been changed, which meant that no one had entered the room while he was asleep.
"Did you find any traces in the house?" Lucian asked the system.
The system said: "There should be nothing abnormal."
This nightmare still lingers in every corner of my mind and body, but maybe it’s just a nightmare, Lucian thought.
He returned to his room to read the newspaper, using some lace scents to soothe his trembling breath. What he knew was that while he was reading the newspaper, a dark crow was perched on the lush shade outside the beautiful garden. Its blood-red eyes were watching the unconscious black-haired beauty in the room, and speaking a lot.
…
Two days later, Lucian went to the dance at Miss Emma's house with Dylan, who came to pick him up enthusiastically. Dylan thought Lucian would be shy at the dance, but to his surprise, Lucian seemed to be very good at dealing with such occasions. He behaved very elegantly and was able to politely and courteously respond to everyone who came to talk to him.
The black-haired music teacher soon became the focus of the whole party. Many beautiful girls invited him to dance with them. After the third dance, Lucian used the excuse of being exhausted to blend into the crowd with a cocktail in hand. Dylan also stood beside him.
Lucian's words about having a lot of strength were indeed a lie. After a terrible nightmare during the heat wave, he felt weak and had difficulty controlling himself. This heat wave seemed to have not completely gone away. The dream was terrifying, yet joyful, like being thrown into lava, and it always immersed his body. This made him occasionally recall fragments of it these days, even when no one was around, and shudder suddenly.
"Hey." A young man came over and greeted Lucian, "Good luck to you, man."
"What?" Dylan was more excited than Lucian.
"Miss Emma is the only daughter of Mr. Selman. If you marry her, you will own this large piece of land of her family. Recently, her family has held so many social dances, just to find a suitable young man as a fiancé for the young lady who is about to reach marriageable age. So I say, you are lucky. Just now, when Miss Emma was looking at you, she moved the fan that was covering her mouth away. She seemed to like you very much. And Miss Emma's mother,"
“Stop talking nonsense!” Dylan jumped up first compared to Lucian. Soon, he realized that he was too emotional, so he blushed and said, “No, no, I mean, you are damaging Miss Emma’s reputation.”
"Oh, I forgot. Dylan, your parents are old friends of the Selman family. You will know Miss Emma..."
"How could it be Emma..."
Lucian was very interested in these undercurrents. He held a cocktail and saw Mr. and Mrs. Selman (Emma's parents) seemed to be discussing something. Miss Emma seemed very anxious and had been negotiating with her parents.
"… We are the hosts, isn't it natural for us to take the guests back?"
"Emma, I'm telling you, you're a girl, it's so late..."
Mrs. Dora tried to smooth things over with the Selmans, whispering a few words in their ears. Finally, Mrs. Selman showed a helpless look, and Mr. Selman walked towards Lucian and Dylan.
"I'm sorry to bother you two. But now something has gone wrong," Mr. Selman said regretfully. "Emma's cousin Lydia set out from the next town this morning and was supposed to arrive this evening. Unfortunately, her carriage overturned on the way here, and she was also injured."
“Oh my god,” Dylan said.
"Fortunately, Lord Viscount Oliver—you should have mentioned him—just happened to pass by and rescued her. Now she is recuperating in Lord Viscount's manor. Lord Viscount sent a messenger and Lydia's less injured coachman to report. It takes about an hour to ride there from here. I'm sorry to disturb your ball, but Emma insisted on going to pick up Lydia. So..."
"Please rest assured, Uncle Selman. We will protect Miss Emma's safety." Dylan said, "I can drive, let me go!"
Lucian also smiled with the intention of avoiding dancing and took on the job.
The three of them quickly set off from the Selmans' house. Emma and her maid sat in the carriage, while Dylan and Lucian followed the social distance between gentlemen and ladies and sat outside the carriage. It took an hour to get from the Selmans' house in the city to the Oliver Manor on the mountain. It was misty in the evening, and there was no sound of people in the woods.
Lucian sat there absent-mindedly. When he left Selman's house for Oliver Manor, his skin seemed to be stimulated by the cold air and began to tremble slightly.
It was as if when he left the Selmans' house he had a vague feeling that he was being watched - but it was only a momentary illusion.
After several failed attempts to strike up a conversation with Lucian, Dylan began to concentrate on driving. Lucian leaned against the car with his eyes closed and fell asleep before he knew it.
In his dream, another dark figure pressed down on him. His mind seemed to be floating in the sea, unable to respond reliably to external forces. The shadow's weight imprisoned his body, pushing it straight down.
It was as if he was not dreaming in his sleepiness, but was dragged into a different dimension by a dark shadow in a state of artificial unconsciousness, and was being doomed to do whatever it wanted.
Everything is still going on.
…
Lucian woke up from his dream. He tried to control his trembling, his cheeks flushed, and his legs went numb. He noticed that his breath was filled with water.
He could hardly remember what he had dreamed about, and was horrified to think that he had dreamed about his fever again and had a fever reaction. Dylan saw that he had suddenly woken up and asked him, "Lucien?"
"I'm fine. Leave me alone."
Lucian's voice was very hoarse. He tried his best to suppress the abnormality in his body. After looking up and seeing the carved iron gate in the distance, he said softly: "Are we... finished?"
"Yeah. Here we go."
Oliver Manor is behind the iron gate. In the moonlight, its buildings look like monsters lurking in the shadows. Miss Emma's maid drew aside the curtains and exclaimed after seeing everything in front of her: "Oliver Manor is so big and beautiful..."
She was referring to the vast, moonlit garden.
The guards at the door saw them coming. Miss Emma expressed her purpose in words. After a short wait, the butler of the manor came out. The butler ordered the coachman of the manor to park the carriage in the shed and invited several people in.
"Miss Lydia is waiting for you at the manor." He said to Miss Emma and asked the names of the other two.
Lucian gave his pseudonym. He followed the butler and walked forward. Somehow, as he approached the manor, he felt a chill and uneasiness growing stronger and stronger, even though the garden was extremely beautiful under the moonlight. The flowers in the garden were mainly white, purple, and blue, with occasional pink or orange flowers. Emma was amazed by the beauty of the garden and asked the butler, "I can see almost all the flowers here, but why do you plant white roses instead of red roses?"
"The master likes red flowers very much." The housekeeper said with a smile.
The butler explained his master's experience of fighting with others to explain his red joy. Emma's eyes became brighter as she listened to the story of joining the army. She said from the bottom of her heart: "Viscount Oliver is really a hero."
The butler smiled slightly.
The butler wore a pair of metal-framed glasses and had an ordinary face without any distinctive features. While smiling at Miss Emma, he turned around and smiled at Lucien and Dylan.
The moment their eyes met, Lucian could smell the rich fragrance of flowers in the garden, which was like a veil, wrapping him up layer by layer.
At this moment, he somehow recalled the entanglement with the black shadow in his dream a few days ago.
“Hmm!”
"Lu Sien, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling better?"
Dylan hurriedly tried to support Lucian's body. When his hands touched Lucian's arms, he felt that Lucian seemed to be getting weak and hot all over.
“… I’m fine.” Lucian seemed to be enduring something and said, “Don’t worry about me.”
"Lu Sien..."
"This mountain road is very bumpy, it's normal to feel more comfortable." The housekeeper's voice was very considerate, "Wait until we get into the room and sit for a while, it will be much better."
Even though the housekeeper said this, Dylan was still worried. The three of them went into the room together. There was a fireplace in the room, and a girl in a dark blue dress was sitting on the sofa.
Emma only saw her profile. In fact, Emma and her cousin had not seen each other for more than seven years. She hesitated and said, "Lydia?"
Lydia turned around, blinked her beautiful eyes, and said in a surprised voice: "Emma?"
Everyone admitted that Lydia was a beautiful girl. Her beauty was pure yet charming, and her navy dress made her look like a mermaid from the sea. After confirming their identities, Emma happily went up to hug her. The two girls sat together and whispered, while Lucian sat on the sofa on the other side because she was more comfortable.
Dylan looked at his cheeks, which were flushed in an unusual way, and felt a little anxious. He then asked the butler gratefully, "Excuse me, Mr. Viscount Oliver... ? We want to thank him in person."
The butler ordered the servant to go find him. After a while, the servant said, "The Viscount is upstairs. He is dealing with some matters and is away for the time being. He said that if you want to thank him in person, you can come to his study to find him."
"Oh, more than my friend he..." Dylan looked at Lucian with a hint of apology in his eyes.
"It's okay. The master is a very generous person." The housekeeper smiled and said, "You can go up with Miss Emma and Miss Lydia."
“But…” Dylan thought that he could leave Lucian, who was in a bad state, alone here.
"Lydia and I will go up," Emma said.
The two girls went upstairs together. One of them was wearing a yellow dress, and the other was wearing a blue dress, which looked very pleasing to the eye. Dylan sat on the sofa next to Lucian and looked at him with some worry.
Lucian's current state was extremely strange. He grabbed the trousers on his thighs and seemed to be breathing slightly.
At this moment, Dylan heard a voice from the other side: "Mr. Dylan, these are Miss Lydia's luggage, do you need to come over to check it?"
In addition to the viscount's servants, there was also Lydia's maid. The luggage was on the other side of the hall, so Dylan got up to check. The butler nodded and said, "Don't worry, if anything happens to Mr. Lusien, I will find you as soon as possible."
"thank you."
After Dylan disappeared, the housekeeper raised the corners of his lips slightly. Lucian, who was originally on the sofa, seemed to fall into a deeper nightmare. He twitched his head and tried to control himself to feel dizzy.
Lucian had always had a very strange feeling since he entered the manor. Perhaps it was because the fragrance of the flowers was too strong, perhaps it was because the road was too bumpy, or perhaps it was because of some confusing fragments and memories from the past few days... He felt dizzy, weak, and in poor health.
"You may have caught a cold." The butler whispered in his ear, "I'll ask someone to prepare a cup of ginger tea."
He clapped his hands, and the servant brought a cup of ginger tea. The cup of ginger tea was a reddish amber color, and the smell was extremely tempting. The servant handed it to Lucian's lips. Lucian sat on the sofa and said in a daze: "... I must drink it."
"Why? But you look like you're about to catch a cold."
One hand supported Lucian's head from behind, and the other hand stroked his forehead. Lucian was trembling, and the butler who made the gesture said in a low voice: "Mr. Lu Sien, forgive me for being so presumptuous, but your forehead is very hot."
“What a use!” Lucian suddenly stood up.
"Okay," said the butler, "Put down the ginger tea."
The servant placed the ginger tea on the coffee table and left as quietly as he had come.
"It's so cold, but you're wearing so little when you go up the mountain. Mr. Lusen, you'll catch a cold." The butler said worriedly.
Lucian turned around and stared at him coldly. The butler still had an innocent look on his face. He shrugged and said, "I'm sorry for offending you just now..."
"Lu Sien, let's go!"
Dylan's voice was interrupting the scene. Miss Emma and Miss Lydia, who had returned from thanking him, were also behind him. Dylan ran in from outside, shivering, "It's too cold outside, I forgot to wear a coat..."
As he said this, he picked up the cup of tea and drank it. Before Lucian could stop him, he drank the cup of ginger tea as if it were his own tea cow.
"It's actually ginger tea? When is it ginger tea... cough cough cough..." Dylan coughed for a long time. Emma said dissatisfiedly from behind: "Don't be a joke, if you go back any more, it will be more suitable for you to go home."
"Okay, let's go," Dylan said.
Lucian kept staring at Dylan. But the cup of ginger tea seemed to be just an ordinary cup of ginger tea, and Dylan did not have any abnormality. Dylan drove the carriage, and the four girls sat in the carriage. Lucian followed and sat next to Dylan, and saw the butler bowing and smiling at them at the door.
"I wish you a safe journey." He said with a smile.
There was nothing strange about his smile.
The carriage left the Oliver Manor, and also left the dull fragrance that swept the entire garden. Lucian leaned against the carriage and fell into a daze, and only woke up from his dream with a start when he returned to the Selmans' house.
The Selmans hugged them tightly and thanked them for their help. Lydia and Emma threw themselves into Mrs. Selman's arms. Lucian smiled and entertained them, sitting on the sofa, but felt his eyelids gradually getting heavy.
His head was dizzy. Finally, he saw Lydia walking towards him. The girl in the blue skirt was pure and beautiful. She leaned down and put her back against Lucian's forehead.
Her back was icy cold, but Lucian seemed to feel something delicate on it at that moment.
"Lu Sien." She lowered her head and said softly, "You... are sick."
…
Lucian developed a high fever after returning from the dance.
The Selmans felt guilty for causing Lucian's illness, so they found the best doctor in town and sent him a lot of comfort supplies. Even so, Lucian was in a coma for a whole week because of the fever. He woke up sometimes and fell asleep sometimes. The doctor said he caught a cold on the bumpy road.
During this period, he asked the system, but the system's answer was also illness.
Just sick.
"What about this manor?" Lucian asked, "This Oliver Manor, I always feel that there is something strange about it. Have you scanned it?"
"There's nothing strange about it, Lucian." The system said, "I scanned it all over, and the people you met were all ordinary people without magic power - oh, and there's one place, that is, some flowers have a mixture of the fragrance of two flowers, which may have a stimulating effect on the physique of the succubus. But this may be a coincidence. It just happened that you just had a hot/hot period, danced vigorously at the ball, and then caught a cold in the carriage, and drank too much hot water..."
Lucian: …
But is this really a coincidence? he wondered.
Everything seems to be as perfect as fate, and full of coincidences.
Finally, on the seventh day, Lucien's fever gradually subsided. After regaining some strength, he drank the potion, went out to water the flowers, and felt the freshness of nature under the warm sunshine. When he put away the kettle and went back, he heard an ecstatic voice outside the door: "Lucien... are you finally well?"
Lucian turned around and saw Dylan. He smiled at him and said, "There are still many mistakes."
"Oh..." Dylan smiled at him, "That's really nice."
Dylan happened to pass by here and ran into Lucian who had just recovered from a serious illness. This time he was as talkative as usual, always telling Lucian some random interesting stories about the small town. He looked very troubled. Lucian frowned slightly and said, "What happened, Dylan?"
"I… "
"You look like you're upset about something."
Dylan finally sighed and said, "Several girls have disappeared in the city recently, including Annie and Betty... Their families, parents and friends are very anxious, but most of them know where they went."
Lucian felt a chill down his spine for some reason. Dylan shook his head and said, "Okay, I'll tell you all these happy things. Have a good rest!"
In the evening, Lucian went out and passed by Bob's bakery. Bob was still standing in front of the door. Seeing Lucian coming, he greeted him happily: "Good afternoon, Mr. Lucian, the weather is very good today. Did you just come back from out of town? Or did you come back from a student's home?"
"Good afternoon, Master Bob," said Lucian.
Somehow, he suddenly felt that this scene was a little strange, but he couldn't tell why. Then, he saw Bob happily said, "Would you like some toast? Fresh from the oven?"
"I think more..."
Lucian remembered it!
This conversation... seemed to have happened two weeks ago. This was the last conversation he had with Master Bob, and not a single word was correct.
At that moment Lucian turned back in horror and saw Master Bob looking at him, grinning and staring at him with his dark eyes.
"Would you like some toast? Fresh from the oven?"
He said.
He repeated it once more.
When the bread is baked, there is always a pleasant, soft, warm and rich aroma in the bakery... But when Lucian looked towards the bakery, he only saw a quiet shop without any aroma.
No toasted bread.
"I want to use it more." Lucian said quietly, he turned around and continued walking.
Behind him, Master Bob was still standing at the door with a naive look on his face, smiling with his eyes curved, watching his back as he left.
Lucian walked faster and faster. On the way, he met Mrs. Dora who greeted him enthusiastically. Mrs. Dora asked him, "How was the muffin last time? Do you like chocolate or plum flavor?"
“Everything is fine.” Lucian said.
The beautiful wisteria flowers are still blooming in the neighborhood.
He returned home and closed the door. At that moment, all the noise and weirdness were isolated outside the room. Lucian closed his eyes and breathed hard.
"System." Lucian said, "What was that thing Bob just said?"
"What is that?" The system's voice was confused. "I observed him... He is a human? A living person, Lucian, what's wrong with you? Why are you so excited all of a sudden?"
“…Nothing.” Lucian said.
He blinked hard and looked around the room. The furnishings in the room remained unchanged. He walked slowly into the living room, following the wall. When he saw the empty sofa, Lucian finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He sat back on the sofa, thinking about Master Bob whom he met today.
He tried to figure it out, but he felt it was pointing in the wrong direction.
He sat here until the evening and couldn't help falling asleep. Finally, on the morning of the next day, Lucian woke up from the sofa and heard someone knocking on the door.
"Lu Si'en! Lu Si'en!" Dylan's panicked voice came from outside the door, "How wonderful! How wonderful!"
"Emma... is missing too!!"