"Ah?"
Ophelia's eyes widened slightly, as if she hadn't expected Luo Wei to make such an impolite request.
Luo Wei crossed his arms and smirked at her, curious to see how she would react.
Ophelia quickly glanced at the other maids, who were all busy catching birds, except for the head maid, who was glaring at the two of them as if they were thieves.
The young girl seemed to hesitate for only a moment in her mind before stuttering out, "Y-you... you better keep your word, okay!"
With that, she pulled Luo Wei down toward her.
A gentle kiss landed on his cheek.
The kiss from the girl felt cool and slightly ticklish.
After the kiss, Ophelia nervously lowered her head, her cheeks tinged with red.
Luo Wei was a bit surprised that Ophelia had agreed so easily.
"You..." She looked up, her voice soft and slightly accusing. "Why are you looking at me like that? You're mine, and I can do whatever I want with you! Are you really that surprised?"
Luo Wei shook his head. What really surprised him was how young Ophelia was already showing traits of a "female CEO."
The head maid, who had been standing nearby specifically to "guard against thieves," was nearly bursting with shock.
No matter how much she had anticipated, she never expected this wild man to be so shameless, nor did she expect her young mistress to agree so readily.
The head maid, her face full of murderous intent, walked over, her muscles bulging under her maid uniform.
Luo Wei knew how formidable the maids in Ophelia's household were, so he grinned and quickly hid behind Ophelia.
Ophelia's small frame stood in front of him, and her previously shy face suddenly turned expressionless.
She stared at the head maid and said, "You didn't see anything."
"Your Highness!?" The head maid exclaimed in surprise.
Her pale eyes gradually gleamed with a cold light as Ophelia slowly said, "Your father works in my stables, doesn't he?"
Although Ophelia was much shorter than the head maid, she still exuded an aura of authority, as if she were a superior ruler.
"You wouldn't want your father to suddenly retire or encounter some other unforeseeable danger, would you?"
The head maid trembled and stared at her young princess in disbelief.
Ophelia slowly curved her lips into a smile, half-mocking, half-amused.
The head maid slumped in defeat and finally fell silent.
Turning back, Ophelia winked at Luo Wei. "Go ahead!"
Luo Wei shook his head and chuckled. This was probably the first time the young Ophelia had truly exercised her power.
Much earlier than in reality.
Luo Wei turned around, took a net from one of the maids, and looked up at the frightened bird fluttering around the ceiling.
This scene had also occurred in reality, but just moments ago, the timeline had shifted slightly.
Yes, he had intentionally guided Ophelia toward this unknown timeline.
Because this was the chaotic and time-disordered Dreamlands, Ophelia's true self wouldn't care about this small detail. She was too confident, believing that this was her controlled world and that everything would unfold according to her will.
After several attempts, amidst the maids' bursts of exclamation, Luo Wei finally caught the bird for Ophelia.
Staring at the bird flapping wildly in the exquisite cage, Ophelia's smile grew increasingly joyful.
"This is my first time keeping a pet~"
"What a lively little bird, always flying around. I wish I could fly too..."
"Is it hungry? You guys, hurry and get some food for it!"
Ophelia immediately instructed the maids, and soon, the exquisite cage was filled with water and fine grains.
However, the bird refused to eat, constantly crashing into the cage, trying to escape.
"Why won't it eat... doesn't it like these things?"
Ophelia looked at Luo Wei with some worry.
"You scared it," Luo Wei reassured her. "It just needs some time to adjust. It'll come to like it here."
"Right..." Ophelia nodded, though she didn't fully understand. "I have so many good things here, and it's warm. It won't have to worry about being cold or hungry anymore. It'll definitely like it here!"
Luo Wei looked at Ophelia, whose attention was completely captivated by her "new toy."
His smile deepened.
"Our investigation for today is over. See you tomorrow."
"Okay~"
...
The next day, Luo Wei arrived as promised at Ophelia's room.
He found Ophelia sitting by the cage, her small face drooping, looking quite unhappy.
Luo Wei glanced into the cage.
The bird was dead.
"How... how could this happen..."
"What did I do wrong? Why did it die?"
The young Ophelia was at a loss, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked at Luo Wei.
It seemed she was about to cry.
This was probably her first attempt at keeping a pet, and the bird had only survived for less than a day.
In just one day, the bird certainly hadn't starved to death. Luo Wei crouched down and noticed the bird's face was covered in blood, its feathers disheveled, and even its beak was broken.
It had died from crashing.
The bird had collided against the cage all night, crashing itself to death, striking until its last breath.
"Luo Wei..."
"Luo Wei?"
Seeing Luo Wei's solemn expression, Ophelia tugged at his sleeve.
"Why... why did this happen? Talk to me..."
Luo Wei sighed and stroked her head.
"It's about freedom..."
"Freedom?" Ophelia paused, looking at him with confusion.
Luo Wei's gaze rested on her. Suddenly, he thought of a line from a movie in his past life.
Some birds are meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.
He looked at the young Ophelia, his expression serious and stern. "Such birds can't be caged. The dangerous yet vast sky is their world."
"If you truly want to do what's best for it, you must set it free. Otherwise, one day when you open the cage to feed it, it will find a way to escape, no matter how luxurious its life may be. To it, all your offerings are worthless."
"Is that so..." Ophelia's small face fell.
She muttered to herself, still trying to grasp the deeper meaning of his words.
At her age, she found it hard to understand "true freedom."
Perhaps, without Luo Wei's guidance, she might not have reflected on this incident for a very long time, and it could have had a profound impact on her values.
Luo Wei had quietly planted a seed in the depths of her subconscious.
Now, all that remained was to wait for it to bloom.
...
Time flowed silently in the Dreamlands.
One morning, amidst a sea of blooming flowers.
The beautiful young girl, dressed in a white dress and wearing a sun hat, pushed open the door and slowly gazed at the figure sitting on the bench.
He had been like this lately, sometimes gazing at the sea of flowers, sometimes at the blue sky, silent, sitting there for a long, long time.
Although they had been childhood friends for many years, playing together in this rural area far from the city's hustle and bustle, teasing each other, lying on the grass under the starry sky, chatting endlessly...
In the past, his face had always been filled with smiles, but since moving into her manor, those smiles had rarely appeared.
Aren't you going to eat? Just sitting here daydreaming again!
Ophelia sat down beside him, her gaze filled with concern.
Luo Wei glanced at her and smiled.
"Maybe I didn't sleep well..."
Though he was smiling, the smile seemed forced, tinged with fatigue, giving her the impression that it was all an act.
Ophelia thought to herself that although he had adapted to the new memories she had created, the cost was significant.
Caroline's hypnosis was becoming less effective, and Luo Wei's body was developing resistance, so they had to start using medication to aid sleep. However, overuse of that medication... could indeed cause physical discomfort.
But as she looked into his slightly depressed gaze, Ophelia felt that it might not be just about that.
Even in his dreams, Luo Wei had been so downcast. Ever since he moved into this manor, he had stopped smiling as much, and no matter what he did, he seemed uninterested.
Like a walking corpse without a soul.
"Let's go, we'll have dinner," Luo Wei said, taking her hand as he always did.
Ophelia, however, did not stand up right away.
A hint of confusion appeared on Luo Wei's expressionless face.
Ophelia looked at him, forcing a bitter smile, and asked,
"You don't like it here?"
"No, I don't dislike it," Luo Wei shook his head, "It's so beautiful here, the scenery is lovely, the manor is luxurious, we don't worry about food or clothing, and most importantly..."
He smiled at Ophelia and pulled her up.
"You're here."
Such sweet words cleared away the gloom in Ophelia's heart, and she smiled happily.
"Is it too boring living here? You can't go anywhere. If that's the case, I'll take you out for a walk."
Luo Wei's eyes flickered for a moment, like a spark, but it quickly died out.
"That... would be nice."
He muttered to himself, "Though for me, it's all the same..."
Hearing this, Ophelia immediately became alert.
Why would he say that? Could it be that he knows?
But she quickly dismissed the thought, believing it impossible. After countless memory reshapings, like slowly boiling a frog, Luo Wei had gradually adapted to his new memories. The "new" Luo Wei, except for being a bit down lately, had been acting perfectly normal.
If it were all fake, if he were deliberately performing for her, it would be terrifying. No one could maintain such a flawless act for so long without leaving any traces.
So that was absolutely impossible.
Ophelia was very confident, for in her domain, she was the creator of this dreamscape, the ruler of everything.
Of course, that included Luo Wei.
So...
Ophelia silently observed Luo Wei's subtle expressions, thinking that at most, he was just resistant.
After all, for a man like him, who was deeply imprinted with the desire for exploration, being forever confined to a seemingly beautiful manor, always living a monotonous life, would inevitably lead to some dissatisfaction...
Perhaps she should find him some cases? Or other miscellaneous strange things to occupy him? Maybe that would make him happier...
As she thought this, Ophelia also felt a bit hesitant.
After all, if she made the dreamscape more complex, it would inevitably create some flaws. Luo Wei, being so sharp, would definitely notice something was off...
With her current abilities, she could only maintain a small dream world, not a true, otherworldly dreamscape.
With these thoughts weighing on her mind, Ophelia returned to the manor with Luo Wei, her worries growing.
Another exquisite breakfast, but Luo Wei showed no interest in eating.
He just ate a few bites casually, then smiled and excused himself, returning to his room.
Ophelia watched his lonely back, and the unease in her heart became more pronounced.
She had a feeling that something bad might happen...
This Luo Wei was too worrying for her.
"Your Highness, today's horseback riding activity, and afternoon tea..."
The fake Caroline approached.
Ophelia waved her hand, "Put it on hold for now."
All the maids withdrew, and Ophelia looked at the empty long dining table set with exquisite food, her eyes flickering.
...