When the cool breeze brushed across his cheeks again, Luo Wei suddenly opened his eyes.
Like a drowning man, he gasped for air, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"Mr. Luo Wei?" The black-suited man beside him, who was leading the way, looked at him questioningly.
Luo Wei didn't answer, but immediately looked around.
Endless wheat fields, mills, and windmills stretched before him, with the manor bathed in a golden light under the setting sun.
Back again...
[
[Save Point: Ophelia's Manor]
[Available Loads: 4/5]
Although he had survived again, his heart couldn't calm down at all, because this time the situation was very different from before.
The reason for the regression wasn't death, but rather...
In the game, sanity was equivalent to another form of health bar. If you saw things that drove you mad, your sanity would take a heavy hit, and when it reached zero, the player would fall into irreversible madness.
To the point where the game couldn't continue, forcing you to reload from a save point...
This time was exactly like that.
But...
Luo Wei kept wiping away cold sweat, he couldn't remember what had just happened, only knowing it was an extremely terrifying scene.
He walked stiffly behind the black-suited man, watching the manor's gate drawing closer, trying hard to recall the last scene before falling into madness...
What exactly did he see...
Writhing...
Flesh...
Alive...
In an instant, that familiar, unprecedented negative emotion enveloped him again, and Luo Wei's head felt like it was about to split open.
[Sanity -10]
He couldn't continue remembering!
Luo Wei immediately suppressed all wandering thoughts. He was absolutely certain that in the last moment, he had seen some kind of indescribable thing, which was the truth behind this bizarre manor!
But now, he needed to forget, to forget...
He just needed to remember that what Ophelia said was true, and the "rules" about not being able to leave the manor...
Now, he needed some... time to lay low.
Thinking this, Luo Wei quietly pulled off his checkered cravat and stuffed it into his pocket.
Rule 2: Don't make her angry.
Although he didn't know what would happen when her corruption level maxed out, since it was on the same level as the punishment for trying to escape the manor, it would be better to just go along with her...
After being led into the dining room, the manor's mistress, Ophelia, who was hiding some unspeakable conspiracy, turned around with a smile.
"Luo Wei."
Luo Wei also smiled, "Ophelia, long time no see."
Like old friends who hadn't met for years, they opened their arms and embraced gently.
Luo Wei held her slender waist, his heart far from as calm as his exterior suggested.
Since learning the truth behind this manor, an even more puzzling emotion had arisen.
How could such an indescribable horror exist in the southern suburbs of Saint Callen City? How could it appear less than twenty kilometers from the city?
This was Saint Callen City, after all.
This was the imperial capital, where the Special Affairs Department, the Church, and all imaginable supernatural forces had their headquarters...
Even the Second Prince's army was stationed outside the city.
Although the lower city's security had deteriorated considerably after the city's rise through magical industry, it was limited to murders, arson, bombings, and cultist gatherings. How could such a horrifying entity secretly infiltrate here?
How did Ophelia manage this?
Luo Wei gently released his hands, his gaze meeting those light blue eyes.
"It's been four years, did you miss me?"
A rare mischievous smile appeared on her cool face.
Luo Wei looked at her without answering.
Instead, he embraced her tightly, firmly.
"Luo Wei!" Ophelia let out a small cry of surprise.
The black-suited man and the maid quickly excused themselves.
Luo Wei felt the slight struggle of the young woman in his arms but refused to let go, answering her this way.
Joking aside, when facing a woman who could easily read his emotions, going straight for it worked better than anything else.
After Luo Wei's long embrace, Ophelia's soft body finally stopped struggling, and she lowered her head somewhat shyly.
"Did you miss me that much? This enthusiasm isn't like you at all..."
Luo Wei loosened his grip slightly, and Ophelia, like a playful deer, laughed as she slipped out of his embrace.
Looking back again, she said with a smile: "Don't think that just because you hugged me like that, I'll forget about your four-year absence."
Luo Wei also smiled, clutching his stomach with feigned innocence, "After such a long journey, I'm starving."
This wasn't a lie; he really was hungry.
Scared hungry...
"Then let's eat quickly." She smiled and clapped her hands, and a line of expressionless maids brought in a sumptuous meal.
"These are all your favorites, try them."
After they sat down, Ophelia, just like last time, recommended the foie gras to him.
Luo Wei ate heartily.
"This is my favorite dish too, how is it?"
Ophelia rested her chin on her hand, looking at Luo Wei with anticipation.
Luo Wei chewed for a moment, then frowned.
"What is it?" she asked, "Not good?"
Luo Wei thought for a moment, "How should I put it... it's average."
Just as Ophelia's expression began to change.
Luo Wei gave her a gentle smile, "Not as good as what I make. Tomorrow I'll cook for you myself, and you can try it."
Ophelia was momentarily stunned, not expecting Luo Wei to say this.
Soon, a gentle smile appeared on her face.
"It's rare to see you cook... What? Did you leave for four years just to secretly practice cooking?"
She teased.
"I'm very good at cooking, you know~" Luo Wei smiled and winked, then made an exaggerated courtly bow.
"I've devoted myself to studying culinary arts for a long time, my beautiful and respected Lady Ophelia, you have the honor of being my first guest."
Ophelia couldn't help but laugh, blooming like a rose.
"Really? Still so glib! Do you sweet-talk other girls like this too?"
Luo Wei immediately shook his head with a serious face, "You can doubt my character, but you can't doubt my cooking skills."
Come to think of it, he really was quite good at cooking, though only Chinese cuisine.
But considering this world's culinary arts couldn't be that advanced, mostly limited to roasting, frying, stewing, and plating... when even upside-down pie and fish and chips could be considered haute cuisine...
Thinking this way, his confidence suddenly increased.
It was time to give this world a little shock with Chinese cuisine.
Of course, Luo Wei said this just to change the subject.
And Ophelia, after being embraced so intimately at the start, indeed showed a much more familiar expression than last time, and after his string of jokes, she didn't pursue the matter further.
Afterward, they chatted casually while eating.
Ophelia finally revealed the three "rules" about this manor.