Being added to the assassination blacklist for no apparent reason, no matter how calm Luo Xiao was, she couldn't suppress a trace of anger.
She was unwilling to admit that this was a fear from her subconscious mind. She was afraid of a new person, and everything had been gradually out of her control since E Xiu's death.
Fear can make people lose their composure. Luo Xiao closed her eyes tightly and tried her best to adjust her mentality.
The atmosphere dropped to freezing point.
The three of them walked towards the basement studio.
On the way, Peng Lu wanted to mention things about the hospital several times. Most players, even if they have other identities, would not stray too far from the main map. Peng Lu thought this was very abnormal, but every time he opened his mouth, he was interrupted by Wen Shi.
The number of candles on the first floor of the basement was twice as much as that of the blood pool. The ceiling was very low, and a damp and dark smell constantly filled the nose. The walls on both sides were very thick, and at the end of the narrow corridor in the middle was a semicircular archway covered with a large area of mold.
No lock.
Wen Shi raised his eyebrows. Isn't this just like putting up a sign at the door saying "stealing is welcome"
The owner of the castle really implemented the principle of leaving doors open day or night in every corner.
Cans of dirty paint were placed carelessly next to the easel, and the wind blowing in the cracks in the wall made the drawing paper squeak. Peng Lu checked and confirmed that it was just ordinary paint.
Wen Shi walked to the paint cabinet mentioned by the housekeeper. The cabinet was bigger than he had imagined, about two meters high, and still unlocked. There was a faint creaking sound from inside. Wen Shi turned sideways to open the cabinet door, and a dark shadow rushed out. He had been prepared for this and successfully dodged it.
The palm-sized mouse fell heavily to the ground, half of its fur rotted and smelled bad. There were several more mice in the cabinet. There was not a single piece of good meat on its body, and the fur around its mouth was stained with scarlet paint.
The mouse's body was completely frozen. Wen Shi judged that Yin energy had entered his body. He had drunk red wine mixed with paint, so he was diagnosed with Yin energy entering his body.
Rats are much more ferocious. When they are extremely hungry, they will just chew on the pure pigment.
Wen Shi suddenly thought of four words: fishing enforcement.
The owner of the castle is very powerful, but he is restricted in many ways, and he cannot kill people just because he wants to.
The identity of [thief] was enough for him to take action.
If the Blood Bride wasn't stupid, she would have known the consequences of stealing paint, and she probably couldn't resist the temptation of the paint. But she was smart and only took a small amount, not enough for the castle owner to take direct action, so she asked the butler to issue the task.
Now that it was confirmed that the Blood Bride would come here to steal the paint, it was natural to make arrangements in advance.
Peng Lu asked Luo Xiao to fetch a bowl of clean water to make the talisman water and prepare to inject it into the pigment. As long as the Blood Bride used the pigment, her power would be weakened.
Luo Xiao came back quickly. Peng Lu had completed the initial work and everything was ready. He needed to complete a huge demon-subduing formation. Luo Xiao followed behind him and carefully sprinkled medicinal powder along the patterns. After the medicinal powder was absorbed, the patterns of the formation flashed and immediately sank into the ground.
The methods used by the veteran players are jaw-dropping.
Wen Shi watched quietly from the side.
"When doing the same task, the game will settle the score based on the individual's contribution." Drawing the formation was too energy-consuming, and Peng Lu was seriously injured by the bearded man. His face was as white as a piece of paper. He then lit the talisman paper, mixed the burning ashes with water, and further mixed it with the pigment.
The implication is that even if Wen Shi received the task again, it would be of no use.
This was Peng Lu's last chance to save face. If Wen Shi could explain the ins and outs of the assassination list, he could hand over part of the work to him.
Wen Shi leaned against the wall and raised his eyebrows: "What if I don't join and just focus on causing trouble?"
"Try it." Peng Lu encouraged, seemingly not worried at all.
Wen Shi looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled and left the studio. The water was not enough, so Luo Xiao came out with him. Since they had already fallen out, no one paid any attention to the other.
Both parties' destination was the kitchen. Wen Shi patiently asked the chef if he needed any help. Luo Xiao, who was observing secretly, lost interest, knowing that this was an attempt to obtain the death rules related to food.
After Luo Xiao left, Wen Shi couldn't help but curl up the corners of his mouth.
He was happy, really happy.
Wen Shi could vaguely smell a strange fragrance on his body, a kind that was almost imperceptible. Players and ordinary NPCs seemed unable to sense it, but from the attitude of the castle owner and the bearded man who kept their distance from him, it could be seen that NPCs were more sensitive to this fragrance, and the Blood Bride would be no exception.
If I hide near the studio, I will definitely be discovered.
"There is more than one blood bride."
No matter how powerful Luo Xiao and the others' methods are, they cannot solve all the problems.
Because it became a multiplayer mission, the difficulty of the mission also increased. Otherwise, the mission information would not prompt them to cooperate. The best solution is undoubtedly for one person to lead away most of the blood brides.
The male player was good at output and could draw formations, so he was suitable to stay. Luo Xiao was good at calculations and would not be willing to take the risk of attracting monsters. Most importantly, both of them were seriously injured by the bearded man.
In this situation, they will undoubtedly think of shifting the blame elsewhere, such as taking on the "heavy responsibility" themselves.
"Come on," Wen Shi silently cheered them on, "You must succeed."
As long as the Blood Bride can come to him on her own initiative, things will be much easier afterwards.
While Wen Shi was busy in the kitchen, a little white mouse was moving quietly.
If Wen Shi was present, he would definitely recognize this simulated white mouse. Luo Xiao had used it to find the book "Beauty and the Beast" in the study.
The little white mouse successfully climbed into Wen Shi's room through the window. Like a small police dog, it lay on the ground and carefully searched every corner. Finally, it found a strand of hair near the bed.
The little white mouse rolled up the hair with its tail and ran back to report.
Luo Xiao was still helping to hide the formation underground, and the little white mouse climbed all the way to her shoulder, showing off its success.
Luo Xiao took out a small rag doll and at night all she had to do was stuff her hair into the doll's mouth.
Her skill is [Fabric Art]. As long as she gathers all the consumables, she has a certain chance to successfully make a [Fire Doll]. As the name suggests, it is a prop that attracts the monster's hatred. [Fire Doll] is only for specific scenarios. For example, if both parties are accidentally chased by monsters at the same time without breaking the rules, or accept the same task, the other party will become the monster's priority attack target.
Peng Lu said coldly: "This should not be your highest level of fabric art."
Luo Xiao's skills were revealed a long time ago and are no longer a secret among players.
Luo Xiao: "That's enough."
Peng Lu shook his head: "You forgot one thing. The owner of the castle will re-appoint the person to find the real bride tonight."
Luo Xiao's hand holding the doll froze. Assuming Pei Wenwei could survive the hunt and there was no funeral, the designated person would most likely be doomed.
She has a doll that attracts hatred indiscriminately. There are no restrictions on its use, but it is a life-saving talisman.
Luo Xiao frowned: "First of all, a newlywed cannot escape the pursuit of the Blood Bride; secondly, after completing the special mission, there will be feedback on the main mission, and it should not be difficult to find the real bride. This one in ten thousand probability is not worth wasting two [Fire Dolls]."
Peng Lu: "It's up to you."
Anyway, his luck value is one level higher than the other party. Even if the owner of the castle wants to designate, the probability of it being his turn is much lower than that of Luo Xiao.
Luo Xiao hesitated for a moment, and said with some struggle: "Let's take a step back. It is very likely that the owner of the castle will appoint Pei Wenwei tonight."
Peng Lu: “Did you get kicked in the head by a donkey?”
"… "
"Pei Wenwei is a doctor. If you don't use some special means, it's unlikely that the owner of the castle will call him in until the end."
This is the best protection for newcomers in the endgame.
If he had had a choice, Peng Lu would not want to get involved with Luo Xiao at all. This person is very clever, for example, he can think of intercepting missions, but he lacks strong judgment on major issues.
Luo Xiao gritted her teeth and suppressed her hope in time, and finally took out the advanced [Fire Collecting Doll].
The owner of the castle will be present for breakfast and dinner, which is a dangerous occasion that players cannot avoid during the day.
Especially dinner.
There was still a battle to be fought tonight, and the delicious food on the long table did not arouse any appetite at all. Luo Xiao's eyes occasionally passed by the door, wondering why Wen Shi had not come yet.
Peng Lu also frowned.
There was no way the new guy would be stupid enough to miss dinner.
Boom boom boom.
Boom boom boom boom.
what sound
When I turned my head, I found a face pressed against the window. No matter how handsome the face was, it couldn't withstand being almost pressed against the window under the dim moonlight.
"The door, the door is locked." The window was not open, and the clear voice could barely come in.
Not long ago, Wen Shi went out to hide some things, and when he came back, he found that he could not get in.
"Doctor Aaron."
Oh shit!
The butler's voice suddenly came from behind him. Wen Shi was startled and almost swung his fist at him.
A small dining table had been set up on the lawn, with a few dishes on it. The housekeeper said, "The master said that you will have a dinner tonight..."
The last two words were too quiet for Wen Shi to hear clearly: "What?"
The butler raised his voice: "Picnic tonight!"
"?"
As the butler was speaking, the curtains in the dining room were drawn, sealing the only window.
Wen Shi also wanted to specifically let the Earl go through the process of producing seeds to avenge the heart-wrenching pain he had suffered in the past, but he didn't expect that the other party had no intention of joining him at all.
After giving instructions to the housekeeper, he left. He was feeling particularly unwell today and wanted to go back and rest early.
"Can you please let me in?" Wen Shi knocked on the window unwillingly.
No one paid any attention to him.
Wen Shi glanced at the dining table in the distance. Apart from the night breeze, the entire area was empty.
“Is there no one to supervise me while I eat?”
The rules of death are hidden in food.
"No one?"
The voice floated in the air, the moonlight shone on his shoulders, and there was indeed no one there.
Wen Shi resigned himself to walking onto the lawn and finally sat down at the lonely little dining table.
The joys and sorrows inside and outside the dining room are not the same.
Luo Xiao and Peng Lu were still carefully selecting edible food. Luo Xiao couldn't concentrate at all. The owner of the castle clearly didn't like Pei Wenwei, but he didn't ask him to choose a real bride. Instead, he drove him out, as if it was some disgusting virus.
She didn't know that even if the owner of the castle hated Wen Shi, he would never designate him.
It's simple. Who would let the bride they like get close to a 'walking pollinator'
"Stranger, I'll ask for your help in finding the most perfect bride." The owner of the castle spoke calmly, like a snake spitting out its tongue, every word was poisonous.
He designated Luo Xiao.
"Also, please sit further away."
The owner of the castle pointed to the end of the long table.
These two people had come into contact with Dr. Aaron during the day and were no longer clean in his eyes.
Luo Xiao and Peng Lu looked puzzled, but they had no choice but to sit over there.
Luo Xiao was uneasy throughout the whole process.
Once some things are out of control, everything will change.
Peng Lu had to steady her and whispered, "Now that things have come to this, the mission tonight is important. If we're lucky, maybe we can get the clue and welcome the funeral at the same time."
Luo Xiao took a deep breath. That's right, if the plan went well, they could delay for another day. The clues tonight were crucial.
After dinner, the door of the castle opened again. Wen Shi was not in a hurry to leave. He sat alone at the dining table, fiddling with the tableware.
After a moment, he murmured softly, "That's fine."
Wen Shi originally thought that if Luo Xiao and the others hadn't led the blood bride to him, he would have to resort to roundabout tactics. Now, the person who was assigned to find the bride would definitely do whatever it took to make the castle a funeral.
It was midnight when we sat there.
The night wind was getting colder and colder. Wen Shi took out the things hidden in the bushes and continued to make preparations.
Not far from the underground entrance of the castle.
Peng Lu and Luo Xiao had already been waiting here in advance.
Except for the players who have to complete the mission, no one is willing to come out at this time. Everything in the castle is turned on at night, and the graininess on the wallpaper looks like the pores through which monsters breathe.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, a sharp scream suddenly came from underground.
The screams were accompanied by other strange noises. After they gradually died down, Peng Lu made a gesture, indicating that they could go down.
The long and narrow corridor was even colder and damper at night. Occasionally, a drop of condensed water would drip from the low wall above. One drop fell on Peng Lu's neck, making him shiver with cold.
The door of the studio was ajar. Through the gap, Peng Lu looked inside with the help of candlelight from the corridor.
The formation worked.
A skinny hand was placed on the door of the paint cabinet. Half of the Blood Bride's body was trapped in the demon-subduing formation. Her neck was infinitely stretched, trying to get out of the formation.
Feeling the breath of a living person, the Blood Bride turned her neck with great effort. Peng Lu met her eyes directly and saw that horrifying face. The corners of the other person's mouth were stained with red paint, and the magic water had corroded half of his lips, leaving pits and marks.
Peng Lu took out his weapon, a banner with a black background and incomprehensible ancient characters printed on it, which was used to guide the dead. Just as he was about to wave the banner, a gust of wind blew over, and the candles in the corridor were extinguished one by one.
However, this strange wind was pervasive, and Luo Xiao's clothes were blown up. She could only watch the last bit of fire blocked by her body go out.
The entire underground suddenly fell into darkness.
In the darkness, the space inside became crowded.
The thick smell of blood clogged my nasal cavity.
Luo Xiao had a strong feeling that something appeared around them and was staring at them, and there was more than one person.
The strange sound of "chuckle" echoed in the studio. She subconsciously took a few steps back. There was also laughter behind her, and it was getting closer and closer. The source of the sound came from at least two different directions.
The two knew that this meant the remaining blood brides had arrived.
Luo Xiao took out the advanced version of the [Fire Collecting Doll] that she had prepared long ago and stuffed half a strand of Wen Shi’s hair into it.
The temperature in the studio immediately rose, and the suffocating feeling of oppression also subsided. Luo Xiao felt a stream of air passing by her but not stopping, and was sure that the props had worked successfully. All the evil eyes in the darkness gathered in another place, and the malice was so strong that it could not be ignored.
[Fire Doll] made the Blood Bride's rage reach its peak.
They floated out of the gate silently, looking for the owner of that breath.
The distance between the two sides was not too far. Wen Shi was sitting at a small dining table in the distance, gazing at the moon and sighing.
The moment he saw the Blood Bride, his eyes lit up.
There are two blood brides in total, so this number is not too difficult to deal with.
The housekeeper was a very considerate person and the picnic was well prepared. Considering the impoliteness of locking the guests outside for dinner, a long red carpet was laid from the main entrance to the ground, and the tableware was also the most high-end, which was considered as an alternative compensation.
The bodies of the two blood brides were pieced together, and their limbs were not very coordinated. They did not float over in a hurry, but stood quietly at the end of the red carpet, with the same amplitude of movements.
The blood lines between the fingers were like the suction cups on the toes of a gecko, firmly fixed on both ends of the red carpet.
Under the dim moonlight, the blood brides simultaneously raised their thin arms and pulled hard. The blood line instantly pulled the carpet backwards, the dining table fell over, and Wen Shi stumbled and fell awkwardly on the red carpet.
The blood line quickly pulled the red carpet over.
When they were about seven or eight meters away, they all stopped moving. The Blood Bride's perception was far inferior to that of the castle owner and the bearded man, and it was not until this distance that she finally realized something was wrong.
Wen Shi was like a docile lamb, and said solemnly: "Don't stop, keep going."
fragrance.
Floral scent.
They smelled the smell for the first time. After only a few wisps of it were inhaled into their mouths and noses, an extraordinary substance immediately precipitated out. The most vulnerable part of the monster made up of the painting was the head, and all these substances had penetrated deep into the brain.
The bloody bride ran away.
Speed was not their advantage, and it took them a few seconds to remember that they could float.
"Wait for me!" Wen Shi picked up a bunch of things that had been prepared on the carpet and chased after him.
The Blood Bride retreated against the wind as if running for her life. Some unspeakable fear had suppressed the resentment brought by the [Fire Doll].
While running, the things in Wen Shi's hands collided and made a tinkling sound, which sounded a bit like bells.
“It feels like I’m chasing after corpses.”
Am I that awesome
It’s a pity that my phone was gone when I came in, otherwise I would have at least taken a photo and posted it on WeChat Moments.
"Don't run, look back at me." The night breeze was blowing, and Wen Shi sang excitedly: "I'm chasing you~The wind is blowing gently~"
Thinking back to the night not long ago, he was being chased by the Blood Bride and screaming. Events have finally turned to his side!
High emotions make the fragrance of flowers more intense, and pollen condenses into new seeds deep in the brain.
There is an extra brain nucleus in the brain, and a feeling of dizziness comes over me like a tidal wave.
They can no longer float because they don't know where they will float to.
Before it lost control further, the Blood Bride forced the thing out. The blood that turned into pigment ripened the seeds of the mutant pomegranate flower. In the next few seconds, the dry lips moved, and a half-opened flower appeared between the lips and teeth.
The skinny bride in blood-stained white veil is spitting out flower buds under the moonlight, with a strange and sad beauty.
Wen Shi took advantage of this period of time to narrow the distance between the two sides in order to kill him while he was sick.
Another whiff of floral scent was carried over with the night breeze.
Not long after, another flower bud came out of the Blood Bride's mouth.
You run and I chase, you can't escape even if you have wings, and flower buds are constantly being spit out.
Finally, Wen Shi walked around to them, squatted down and held his face: "Look at my little flower!"
There were no flowers on the ground, only a young man who was pretending to be a flower, even crazier than a monster.
He had two silver plates polished to a shiny finish, one in his left hand and one in his right hand, and he had a layer of them around his neck. Wen Shi also installed eight silver plates on himself to serve as abdominal muscles. From a distance, it looked like a large silver armor.
It was a very funny scene to see an adult covered with cutlery.
But the funny scenes are very effective for certain things.
The reflective tableware caused the two blood brides to pause.
The burning sensation attacked their eyeballs without any warning. The blood veins flew wildly in the pain of the Blood Bride, attacking indiscriminately in all directions. The blood veins broke like dried in the wind, and the Blood Bride was fixed in place like a sculpture. They tried desperately to turn their heads, but their eyeballs were stuck in their eye sockets and refused to move.
After being seriously injured, the Blood Bride's white veil turned into black veil.
Just like the woman in black veil that Wen Shi met on the first night.
When doing the skill mission, his ankle was clearly pierced by the blood line at the beginning, but he used brute force to chase the woman later. Before that, only one incident happened. Wen Shi used a silver spoon to try to see what was behind him. In connection with all the rooms on the second floor where players live, there are dressing tables but no mirrors, and everything gradually becomes clear.
Perhaps it was the moment when he picked up the silver spoon that the reflected image caused the bloody bride lying behind him to get hurt.
The Blood Bride's behavior further confirmed Wen Shi's idea.
They like to walk with their bodies hunched and their heads down, and never look other people in the eye. This is a self-protection measure to prevent others from seeing their true selves.
[Blood Bride Illustrated Update
Type: Blood Bride
Introduction: They are dangerous, a little slow in action, and always think they are the most beautiful people in the world. Blood is their best weapon of attack.
Oh, by the way, don’t let her see my true self, or she will collapse.]
It's very frustrating.
In that dim environment, a reflection can be so lethal, let alone now.
Wen Shi suddenly remembered that the owner of the castle had no shadow, but could eat normally. Could this be the difference between high-level monsters and ordinary NPCs
The Blood Bride covered her eyes, and the movement of spitting flower buds from her mouth became faster and faster, and finally she almost made a strange "Aba Aba" sound.
Just when Wen Shi thought that everything was about to settle down, one of the blood brides suddenly changed her attack target, and her blood line sank into her companion's body, absorbing the blood with a gurgling sound.
Wen Shi's eyes widened: "It's a foul."
How can we fight him when he comes out to fight with a blood bag
There was more than one foul.
The Blood Bride evenly distributed some of her blood, which formed a blood barrier around her, blocking the air from entering. This method was also extremely harmful to her, but the enraged Blood Bride no longer cared about that.
Wen Shi: “!”
He turned around immediately, and the positions of the attacker and defender were exchanged in an instant.
"do not come!"
Things keep changing, and every turn is a death turn. Wen Shibian ran and shouted wildly: "You will regret it if you come here, really!"
The moon was blocked by floating clouds for a moment, and the only light in the castle went out, as if there was a power outage.
Dog games.
How could there be such a coincidence in the world that two things happen to happen at the same time
Despite the scolding, Wen Shi never stopped running.
He rushed out of the castle directly. The silver plates on his body greatly affected his speed. He only kept one and threw the rest behind him.
Wen Shi: "Do you still remember that you had a companion? If there is an afterlife, she will definitely not want to be my enemy. I'm serious, you still have a chance to turn back."
The Blood Bride chased even more ferociously.
Wen Shi's eyes turned fierce and he rushed towards the path.
The Blood Bride's attack power was weakened by half, and the blood line looked soft in comparison. Unfortunately, no matter how weak the monster's power was, it was still a monster. She liked to locate the ankles and the back of the head. Wen looked back from time to time. When the blood line was about to pierce the back of the head, he held his head and rolled on the ground. The blood line aimed at his head pierced his arms and ankles, and a steady stream of fresh blood began to flow.
"Your health is decreasing."
"Your health has dropped by more than one tenth."
"I know this without being reminded." Wen Shi gritted his teeth and insisted on rolling to the street lamp.
He grabbed the two blood lines with his backhand and pulled them forward with force. There was a large pool of water near the street lamp, which reflected a hideous and distorted image. In an instant, purple spots appeared around the blood bride's eyes.
When Wen passed by in a carriage during the day, he took a special look to make sure that the puddle he saw on the first day was still there.
There was a power outage in the castle, but the street lights were still on. Wen Shi was not surprised at all. This street light was equivalent to a perfect critical point.
Blood kept flowing from the blood bride's eyes.
Wen Shi could feel the volcanic rage gathering beneath her thin body. He did not provoke her at this critical juncture. He held his breath, waiting for the Blood Bride to weaken further.
The blood-coagulated barrier was removed and returned to the Blood Bride's body, and her vision was partially restored.
Wen Shi: "...Are you polite?"
Is secondary blood supply excessive
The Blood Bride no longer cared about producing seeds. The second round of damage made her lose the ability to control her blood line. Her skinny fingers grabbed towards Wen Shi and quickly appeared behind Wen Shi the next second.
The slender arms wrapped around the fragile neck, and the Bloody Bride applied force little by little while completely avoiding eye contact, like a python strangling its food.
Wen Shi discovered that these NPCs all liked to torture their prey and enjoyed the feeling of killing them bit by bit.
He appreciated that very much.
The longer the night, the more dreams one has, the more changes will happen. This is a truth that monsters will never learn.
Wen Shi likes this posture very much.
The Blood Bride will avoid eye contact, so she will prefer to attack from behind.
Wen Shi closed his eyes and leaned back hard.
The game has very strict limits, and if you go beyond the limit even a little bit, you will be punished. The street light is the boundary line, and when he first came to the game, he almost got killed by the hand bone when he crossed this line.
Wen Shi was already on the edge of the safety zone. If he was just a hair's breadth away, he would be judged as trying to escape from the game.
As long as he could fall on the Blood Bride, the mysterious hand bones underground would capture the Blood Bride first.
"Let go." The Blood Bride was a little furious. How could there be such a despicable person
The moment her body fell, she already felt the coolness behind her. In the darkness, there was a monster hidden that was no weaker than herself.
Wen Shi tightly grasped the hand wrapped around his neck and squeezed out a few words from his throat: "Live together, die together."
His tone was filled with reminiscence of the past: "Looking back, I did the same thing, hugging one of your companions tightly, but the story didn't end well, and was almost made into a skewer by the Count."
"Why-"
Wen Shi sighed heavily.
The Blood Bride wanted to bite off Wen Shi's throat in one bite, but the latter held on to his arms wrapped around her neck tightly, as if he was holding on to the last scarf that could keep him warm in winter, leaving the Blood Bride with no place to bite.
Of course there is another reason. When she opens her mouth, flower buds will come out.
The coagulation of seeds requires a process, but the Blood Bride cannot tolerate it and keeps ripening it. The mutated pomegranate flower will curse everyone who treats the seeds badly, and coupled with her constant inhalation of pollen, a vicious cycle is formed.
Wen Shi's head touched the petals and he began to sing hoarsely: "I have already planted nine hundred and ninety-nine roses for you..."
The Blood Bride immediately exploded: "Ahh! Shut up!"
While he was cursing, another flower bud appeared in his mouth.
Wen Shi: "From the day we broke up, nine hundred and ninety-nine roses..."
"Go to hell!"
Wen Shi: "When the flowers wither, people become haggard..."
"Shut up, are you a human being?"
The Blood Bride finally couldn't hold on any longer, and they both fell backwards at the same time.
Wen Shi kept his face up and saw the moon in the sky. The bright moon was hanging high in the sky, and suddenly there was something more in his vision. Wen Shi was startled at first, and then his lips slightly lifted.
The short laugh reached the Blood Bride's ears, making her feel cold all over for some reason.
(End of this chapter)