I'll also work hard to conquer the dungeon today.

Chapter 28, December 8: The Secret Mansion and Miss Lily's Toy House

There's a rumor about midnight at the Secret Mansion.

As midnight falls and the heavy chimes strike twelve, the people in the secret mansion will lose all consciousness, becoming like mindless puppets, carrying out commands etched into their very bones.

"...My god, Mr. Adele, has abandoned me, so you may all die with me." Mu Yegui finished reading the last sentence of the book and slowly closed it.

She remained silent for a long time before murmuring, "It's Mr. Adele again."

Who exactly is Mr. Adele? Why does the lady of the secret mansion seem to adore him like a fanatical believer, even wishing everyone to die if she can't have him?

She found the book in the study last night. The handwriting was exactly the same as the first paragraph of the letter of entrustment, but the entire book was filled with her unrequited love and regret for Mr. Adele, and her pleas for his forgiveness. At the same time, she also learned that she and Mr. Adele were childhood sweethearts who grew up together, but in the end, she had to obey her family's orders and marry another man.

That period coincided with Mr. Adele's absence on a business trip, and upon his return, he found her married.

The entire book reveals the heroine's fervent love for Mr. Adele, praising him with incredibly ornate language and even deifying him.

If such feelings truly existed, then the female protagonist should have rebelled against her family even more fiercely. After all, she later went so far as to slaughter everyone in the secret mansion because she couldn't have Mr. Adele. So why did she only resist slightly before accepting the engagement to the male protagonist?

This is clearly illogical. Such fanatical, almost devout love cannot exist rationally. It wouldn't be surprising if the mistress went on a hunger strike or even killed someone in her resistance, but in reality, she did nothing. She only said it a few times, but eventually agreed.

Whether Mr. Adele was merely a figment of the mistress's imagination, or even a real person, is unknown. However, the mistress undoubtedly harbored a one-sided love for him, deceiving herself with lies. Ultimately, she lived in a fantasy, believing she could have been with Mr. Adele, only to have her life ruined by the man.

If that's really the case, then how did the male head of the household die? He certainly wasn't killed by the Duke.

Because the woman's words were full of lies, not a single one could be believed.

Aside from praising Mr. Adele and cursing others with negative emotions, the book makes no other mention of her. Even her own daughter, Miss Lily, is only mentioned briefly and in an abusive tone, as if she wished Miss Lily had never been born.

Mu Ye came to this conclusion: "He's seriously mentally ill."

However, the book did contain some information; at least it told her that the mistress had slaughtered everyone in the secret mansion before her death, with only Miss Lily escaping unharmed. So, the servants in this mansion must have been hired after the mistress's passing. And what about the request made to her by one of the maids yesterday?

She was brought in after the mistress's death. She felt very sorry for Miss Lily and couldn't help but plead with her. But who was the old butler she was talking about? If everyone else died, the old butler couldn't possibly continue to live either.

The two deceased servants were turned into dolls to continue living on in another form, which explains the existence of the old butler. But how were they turned into dolls? And who turned them into dolls? Did this person know more about the Secret Mansion?
Whether it's one or two, we must test the waters first to determine the truth. However, she doesn't yet know Ifa's purpose, so it's best not to act rashly before confirming it.

The Secret Mansion is located in the Doll Town in the southern part of the Fairy Tale Kingdom. This town is famous for its doll craftsmanship, and all the residents take pride in creating excellent dolls. It seems that some events are held regularly, but there is one family that never participates, and no one seems willing to mention it.

She learned this information when she came to the Doll Town, since the town didn't seem normal at all, especially since it was a necessary stop on the way to the capital of the Fairy Tale Kingdom.

As Mu Yegui walked towards the restaurant, he heard Miss Lily whining to the young butler, "Ifa, I only have four dolls left. One disappeared yesterday, and another one broke off its head while I was playing a game yesterday because I was unhappy, and I can't put it back together."

“Miss Lily, since you have so much energy, then our class should begin. You skipped yesterday, which was understandable since it was our first meeting, and both of us needed some free time to calm down. But shouldn’t you be ready by now?” Mu Yegui walked up to the two of them and said slowly with a calm face.

“No!” Miss Lily’s expression changed, and she said as if she was being stubborn.

"When will you calm down?" he asked seriously, seemingly genuinely believing that the little girl in front of him was still acting out.

“Never in this lifetime!” Miss Lily walked to the dining table and sat down without turning her head.

A hint of darkness flashed in Mu Yegui's cool silver eyes as he sat down next to her and said calmly, "Miss Lily, I hope you can remember one thing: I am here on your mother's behalf to teach you how to be a proper master of the Secret Mansion. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept it. Of course, I will not tolerate your bad habits. If necessary, I will personally help you correct them, but the degree of correction is beyond my control."

"Are you threatening me?!" Miss Lily was furious with this person, but she was still shaken by what happened yesterday, and in the end she couldn't bring herself to throw the soup in Mu Yegui's face.

"How could that be? After all, I'm not some kind of devil." Completely oblivious to his own limitations, Mu Yegui paused for a few seconds, then continued, "Or is it that you actually want to see him more than me?"

"Who?" A bad feeling crept in.

"The person whose face you splashed with red tea yesterday, I think he would be very happy to have a friendly chat with you." Her attitude was very serious and sincere, without the slightest intention of teasing Miss Lily. She was genuinely considering this matter very seriously, and even thought the plan was credible.

Miss Lily: "..."

She felt that this person was even more terrifying than the person who tried to kill her yesterday. Yesterday's person only caused her psychological and physical harm, but this person directly caused her psychological trauma, the kind that would never heal in this lifetime.

I'm experiencing writer's block. I'll post one more chapter later tonight.

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(End of this chapter)