Chapter 196 Naught Vivian 10

Chapter 196 Naught Vivian 10

In this brief moment, the first dance had already concluded.

Taking advantage of the NPCs in the dance floor bowing to each other and exchanging pleasantries, Qin Fei and Brown entered the dance floor hand in hand, like a truly loving couple.

Brown was terrified throughout, but fortunately, the composed demeanor of the person beside him gave him some confidence.

Brown: "Your acting is really good."

He could portray anything convincingly.

Earlier, he looked pitifully charming in a maid’s dress, and now, dressed as an aristocratic lady, his entire demeanor appeared elegant.

Qin Fei smiled: "Likewise."

"Shall we leave after two dances?" Brown confirmed their plan once more.

Qin Fei nodded.

The short intermission soon ended, and new music began to play.

Neither Qin Fei nor Brown knew how to dance the specific ballroom dance of this fairy tale world. Fortunately, the ghost story seemed not to require any particular dancing skills. Qin Fei’s eyes darted around, trying hard to peek at others' movements.

The steps weren’t difficult; although learning on the spot was a bit strenuous, it could pass for the real thing.

Brown was stepped on several times by Qin Fei but managed to maintain his composure without revealing anything.

"It’s not that complicated..."

The fake Duke had just smiled when suddenly, the band’s rhythm changed abruptly.

In the dance floor, all the dancing NPCs’ movements also changed accordingly.

The male dancers released their partners, and the ladies’ exquisite skirts spread out like umbrellas, swirling into the arms of other partners.

This turned out to be a dance that required changing partners!

Qin Fei & Brown: ??

The dance had established rules, and everyone switched partners to the left.

Qin Fei and Brown were a step slower than the NPCs, still holding hands. Nearby, the NPCs waiting to take over looked over.

The male NPC’s eyes lit up like stars in the sky the moment he saw Qin Fei’s face.

What a beautiful face!

More dazzling than all the princesses he had ever seen combined.

The NPC, who had been waiting quite gentlemanly, couldn’t wait any longer and snatched Qin Fei from Brown.

In the process, he pushed Brown towards his new partner.

—Now, no one could disturb him and this beautiful lady anymore.

Qin Fei: "..."

The player looked at the uninvited new partner with mixed feelings.

"The most noble Prince in the palace: Affection 50% (Astonished by your beauty, the Prince has fallen in love at first sight!! What? You ask which country’s prince he is? If he’s in this palace, what country do you think he’s from~)"

The system’s affection notification floated in the air, and Qin Fei glanced at it, making his smile genuinely warm.

The Prince’s heart pounded wildly, staring straight at the face opposite him, his ears turning abnormally red:

"...Hello, Miss, may I ask your name?"

Qin Fei blinked, his fluttering eyelashes almost blinding the Prince.

To play the role of “Duchess of Bluebeard,” Qin Fei spent a lot of effort packaging himself before leaving Bluebeard’s Villa.

No longer was he the beautiful yet poor short-haired maid; he now had a head of hair more radiant than gold—of course, it was fake, but no one could tell.

His skin was snow-white, his cheeks rosy, and his light-colored eyes brimming with captivating tenderness.

Facing such a beauty, the Prince became increasingly enchanted every second.

The beauty’s cherry lips parted, asking a question: "I heard that after tonight’s ball, there will be a special night exhibition in the palace?"

The Prince nodded eagerly: "Yes, you must know the content of the exhibition, right?"

Qin Fei’s smile deepened: "Yes. I read the newspaper and am very much looking forward to tonight’s exhibition."

"By the way," he continued seemingly casually, "does the exhibit need to be kept in water? Where is it now?"

The Prince answered without reservation: "In the fountain pool in the back garden. You can get there by crossing the blue rose sea."

According to the castle’s rules provided by the system, one should not believe the words of named fairy tale characters.

Qin Fei originally thought that this ball for selecting a princess for the Prince was part of the "Cinderella" story.

But the ball had been going on for a long time, and Cinderella hadn’t appeared in the castle.

Moreover, the Prince had already—cough cough.

So, this was probably just an ordinary prince with no presence in the storybook.

Qin Fei pressed on: "It’s intriguing. Can I go see the fountain pool?"

The prince shook his head. "Oh, the back garden won't be open to the public until after the fourth dance."

"Moreover, that sea of roses is a maze. Anyone who doesn't know the way will definitely get lost on their first visit."

The prince continued.

"If you want to go there, it's best to go to the second floor of the castle and find an old lady draped in black. She has a golden bird that can sing; that bird can guide you."

"However, just like the rose sea, the second floor is also filled with danger and isn't suitable for someone as delicate and beautiful as you to enter."

"There is a better way."

"After the fourth dance, I can take you there. I grew up in this castle, and no one knows the rose sea better than I do." The prince volunteered.

Despite the casual conversation between them, every time the prince spoke to Qin Fei, his affection level increased slightly.

It had now risen to 84%.

If Qin Fei were facing any other NPC, he would have been more than willing to boost the affection level to 100%.

But this prince seemed to be a hopeless romantic.

Qin Fei was somewhat worried that if the prince fell deeper, he might end up doing something crazy.

"Cough." Qin Fei covered his mouth with his fist.

He wanted to go to the fountain to steal the prince's exhibit and naturally couldn't agree to the prince's offer.

Having obtained the information he needed, it was time to stop.

"It's been an honor dancing with you, Your Highness." Qin Fei bowed to the prince following the music.

In those brief seconds of dancing together, the prince had been stepped on multiple times, but he still felt blissful:

"No, it's my honor, beautiful lady. You haven't answered my question yet. May I ask what your name is?"

Qin Fei wore an expression that concealed his true intentions: "I'm sorry, Your Highness. In fact, I am not a beautiful lady. You should call me..."

"Duchess of Bluebeard."

Qin Fei enunciated each word clearly, completely disregarding the impact his words were having on the young man before him.

His beloved was already married! And to the notorious Duke of Bluebeard!

Struck by the revelation, the prince stood there, stunned like a charred log.

The camera captured his heartbroken expression, causing the spirit audience to nearly burst out laughing.

"F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, how pitiful the prince is. I really feel (mock) sympathy (laughter)."

"I didn't expect the streamer to extract information this way?!"

"So efficient, I've learned something!"

"? What good does learning do you? The threshold is high, do you even look capable?"

"Wife, don't smile at others like that anymore; it makes me so jealous 1551—"

The live-stream hall buzzed with various comments.

Amidst the lively and powerful music, the prince's lips moved.

He tried to find the man from earlier, but he had already vanished into the crowd.

After a long while.

Just as Qin Fei was about to lose patience, the prince finally seemed to make a decision. He firmly grasped Qin Fei's hand and said earnestly:

"It doesn't matter! Even if you're already married, I'm still willing to wait for you!"

Qin Fei: ?

The second dance was almost over, and the prince, fearing they wouldn't have enough time, spoke rapidly, like a machine gun:

"I know the Duke of Bluebeard holds great power, but as long as our hearts are together, we can face any difficulty. I'll handle the king and queen, and I can help deal with your husband. Would you be willing to be my wife?"

Qin Fei: ...

Who’s with you?

Qin Fei released the ghost infant to search for Brown among the crowd.

In a flash, the player had formulated his entire subsequent plan.

Once the second dance ended, he would shake off the prince and find Brown, then try to blend into the crowd to finish the third dance—their second dance—to complete the basic task.

Then, he would go to the second floor to find the old lady the prince mentioned.

But.

Rule six of the castle ball stated that the purpose of this ball was to select a consort for the prince. As the core figure of the ball, no one could defy the prince's wishes.

Since the prince had invited Qin Fei, Qin Fei couldn't easily refuse.

Fortunately, this wasn't a big problem for Qin Fei.

There were many ways to refuse someone besides clear and direct language. There were plenty of methods that could leave room for imagination and self-interpretation.

The duchess's delicate brows furrowed, her tears on the verge of falling but not quite. She looked at the prince as if desperately resisting an irresistible temptation, shaking her head in pain.

Not far away, Brown had already been guided by the ghost infant and was circling back into Qin Fei's line of sight.

Although he hadn't communicated with Qin Fei, Brown surprisingly performed admirably in this segment. The moment the accompaniment ended, he released his dance partner's hand and forcefully pulled Qin Fei into his arms, disappearing into the crowded crowd as if fleeing.

The prince's hand was left empty, feeling a sense of loss.

He stared blankly at their retreating figures, involuntarily conjuring up a flood of associations.

It was said that the duke had already gone through more than ten wives, none of whom lived longer than half a year.

Such a man must beat his wife at home, right?

The duchess refusing him must not be because she dislikes him, but because she is afraid to agree.

The prince wasn't worried about finding someone else. Before the ball ended, no one could leave the castle, especially since Bluebeard the Duke was notorious.

He would definitely snatch the lady from her husband's hands!

The prince was filled with determination!