DLMSWSHH Chapter 31

TL: Hua

Chapter 32: Gray lake

A group of menservants crowded into the room, staring at each other with Ye Qing’s corpse in the middle, looking for all the world like they were performing some sort of cult ritual.

Zhong Ming had left in anger, and the person among them who was most familiar with him didn’t have the guts to give chase. The group stood there, exchanging glances with the corpse on the floor, the atmosphere tinged with a faint, lingering awkwardness.

As time ticked by, the sun crossed its zenith and began its westward slant. Sunlight filtered through the window, catching the glossy black of Ye Qing’s hair.

The sitting clock in the room marched on dutifully, the rhythmic tick-tock of the second hand echoing through the quiet air.

Archie checked the time, cleared his throat, and said, “It’s about that time, isn’t it?”

In ten minutes, Young Master Albert’s lessons would be over. If that troublemaker can’t find Zhong Ming, he’ll start yelling and searching for him again. Archie turned to look at the others: “Who’s going to go see how Zhong Ming is doing?”

Silence followed.

Archie looked toward Li Yizhi, who immediately whipped his head away. With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he whistled and crouched down, intently studying how Zhong Ming had used needle and thread to sew Ye Qing’s head back on.

“Hmm, yeah. These stitches are really something.”

Archie: “…”

He looked at the others. Jack had been called out to work, and the remaining men just looked back and forth at each other. Finally, Sun Qian raised his hand tentatively. “Should… should I go?”

Archie nodded. “Right. Go find out where he is.”

Sun Qian gave a grunt of affirmation and headed for the door. Just as he reached it, Li Yizhi, still crouching on the floor, suddenly spoke up: “Check the rose garden. He’s likely there.”

Sun Qian: “Oh… okay. Got it.”

He pushed the door open and left, missing the moment right after the door closed when Archie walked over to Li Yizhi and kicked him flat onto the floor.

Another half hour passed before Sun Qian returned. He pushed the door open, looking at Archie and Li Yizhi with a face full of confusion.

“I couldn’t find Zhong Ming. That’s strange. Where did he go?”

Archie frowned. “He’s not in the rose garden?”

Sun Qian shook his head. “No,” he said puzzledly. “I looked everywhere. I can’t find him.”

Hearing this, Archie fell into confusion as well. Right then, Li Yizhi, who had been crouching on the floor pretending to be a mushroom, stiffened. He suddenly jumped up, smacked his own forehead, and cried out, “Shit! We’re in trouble!”

By then, over an hour had passed since Zhong Ming’s departure.

On the other side of the estate, Zhong Ming was making his way through the small woods to the west of the mansion.

He followed the direction from which the players had appeared that day, found the small dirt path Madam Sharon had used when she left, and followed it into the thickets. Thirty minutes later, he pushed aside a branch and finally broke through the underbrush, stepping into a clearing beyond the woods.

He looked up, squinting slightly against the intense 1:00 PM sun.

Zhong Ming looked back. The mansion at the foot of the distant mountain now appeared quite small.

He withdrew his gaze and looked straight ahead. Beyond the brush was the black forest that was visible from the second-floor windows of the mansion.

From a distance, the forest looked black; only up close did Zhong Ming realize the canopy was actually a deep green so dark it bordered on black. The trees were much larger than they appeared from afar, trunks thick and straight, reaching incredible heights.

Zhong Ming craned his neck, realizing these trees were at least fifty or sixty meters tall; looking up from the base, he could hardly see the tops. Moreover, the trunks were exceptionally thick. It would likely take five adults standing in a circle to fully embrace one.

It didn’t seem like much from a distance, but up close, the height of these trees was almost terrifying.

Zhong Ming felt a tremor of something akin to “megalophobia.” He narrowed his eyes, peering into the bottomless depths of the forest, and thought he saw a glimmer of faint light filtering in from the very end of the tree line.

He had no idea how long he would have to walk.

Zhong Ming took a deep breath. No matter how long it took, he had to go. He stepped into the forest.

Zhong Ming had always wanted to know what lay outside this black forest, or rather, just how large the map for the “Haunted House” dungeon actually was.

Several people in the mansion had been “outside” before. Tao, for instance, had brought him chocolate as a gift from the outside. Then there were Matthew and that Feng Tang person he hadn’t met, who were both out on missions. Even Albert’s former nanny, Madam Sharon, had walked into the forest in the same direction the players appeared after she was dismissed. The mansion received fresh food supplies every day, including vegetables, meat, and wheat flour. Yet, there were no gardens or farms surrounding the haunted house. This food was brought to the mansion’s kitchen every day by a horse-drawn carriage from the outside.

Every sign pointed to the fact that there should be a town in the vicinity of the haunted house.

If there was a town, there should be other people, along with corresponding means of transportation and communication.

Zhong Ming raised a hand to shield his eyes from the piercing sun, his feet making a rustling sound as he stepped over the carpet of dead leaves.

The weather in the valley was beautiful today. The sky was a brilliant blue with few clouds. The sunlight spilled generously through the dense canopy. Overall, the scenery in the forest was lovely and pleasant, reminiscent of a secluded village in the Central European Alps, full of natural beauty.

A dry breeze drifted through the forest. The blood on Zhong Ming’s shirt gradually began to clot, the fabric becoming stiff and clinging to his skin with a damp coldness.

Zhong Ming couldn’t quite name his own mood.

Most of the time, he was a very peaceful person who disliked conflict. But his calm and softness weren’t entirely without edges; rather, they were full of a hidden aggression.

This aggression manifested whenever Zhong Ming encountered something that broke his peace; if he couldn’t avoid it, he would choose to resolve it efficiently.

Naturally, this applied to people as well.

For example, today, he had felt unpleasantness over the mercenary killing Ye Qing. So, he had found a way to kill the man.

He who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. Zhong Ming figured the man wouldn’t have much to complain about.

As the mercenary died, the small spark of anger in Zhong Ming’s chest vanished with him. However, if that man were resurrected as an NPC, seeing that face again might cause his anger to flare up once more, or perhaps it wouldn’t.

I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, Zhong Ming thought.

For now, he focused all his energy on walking out of this forest.

The afternoon sun beat down on him. Fine beads of sweat broke out on Zhong Ming’s forehead, and his face grew slightly flushed. He paused, took off his suit jacket, draped it over his arm, and continued forward.

It wasn’t until the sun began to dip and the light grew ambiguous that Zhong Ming finally reached the edge of the forest.

Near the end, the towering trees gave way again to low shrubs. Faint light shimmered through the gaps in the leaves. Zhong Ming’s heart quickened as he reached out to pull back the foliage.

However, upon seeing the view before him, Zhong Ming froze.

Ahead of him was a lake.

A massive, gray lake.

The only road leading from the haunted house to the outside world came to an abrupt halt at the edge of this gray water.

Zhong Ming panted slightly, resting his hand on a nearby tree. He turned his head, his gaze following the shoreline into the distance; the gray surface stretched further than he could see.

Mist rose from the wide expanse of the lake, blurring the view of the far shore.

This gray lake was as vast as a sea; clearly, one could not reach the other side by swimming alone.

Zhong Ming looked dazed.

Did the players all arrive by diving?

As he breathed, Zhong Ming caught the slightly earthy, fishy scent of the lake water. Unsure of what to do, he looked down at the dirt road that simply vanished at the shore; there was no path forward.

Having walked for so long, Zhong Ming was tired. He crouched by the lake, sitting on the pebble beach with his arms around his knees. He let out a soft sigh, staring at the boundless water, when a fairy tale he had once read to Albert suddenly popped into his mind:

Ludwig walked to the edge of the gray lake. In order to retrieve the pearl bracelet dropped by Princess Fancy, he waded into the water and was never seen again.

Zhong Ming gazed vacantly at the water when he suddenly noticed something—

There wasn’t a single ripple on the surface.

He frowned. Logically, whether there was wind or not, there should be some movement on the water. Yet, the gray lake before him was as still as dead water.

It was as if time itself had frozen over this lake.

Zhong Ming stared at the gray surface. After watching it for a long time, he suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. Then, quite by chance, an image flashed through his mind.

He was leaning on someone’s back. In his ear was the sound of a man’s heavy breathing, accompanied by the sound of lake water lapping against the shore. That person was carrying him, walking out of the lake onto the land, seemingly cursing about something under his breath.

In that memory, Zhong Ming smelled the exact same scent. That slightly earthy smell of an inland lake.

Who was that person?

Zhong Ming fell into an even deeper state of confusion.

However, in that moment, his eyes flickered as he caught something in his peripheral vision. He turned his head to the right.

A tall figure was standing by the lake.

The figure wore a black suit, his upper body concealed in the shadows cast by the forest. A cold glint sparked from the emerald ring on his right hand.

Zhong Ming didn’t know how long the man had been standing there, watching him in silence without making a sound.

Zhong Ming froze.

He didn’t react immediately, dazed for several seconds before abruptly scrambling to his feet. He bowed slightly toward the figure.

“Your Grace.”

Zhong Ming addressed him by his title.

He initially wanted to ask, Why are you here? But since he didn’t particularly want to explain his own presence, Zhong Ming fell silent for a moment before finally squeezing out, “Good afternoon, Your Grace.”

Zhong Ming kept his head lowered, staring at the tips of his own shoes. He was a little nervous.

He knew someone would eventually come looking for him, but he hadn’t expected it to be the Duke himself. He had assumed it would be Jack or Li Yizhi, or at the very least, Tao.

A long silence followed. Zhong Ming cautiously lifted his gaze.

The Duke stood beneath the trees, his face lost in the shadows. Zhong Ming couldn’t discern his expression; he could only see the man lower his head and lift his hand, seemingly checking the watch on his right wrist.

“It is nearly time for dinner,” the Duke said.

Upon hearing this, Zhong Ming was taken aback. He then looked up at the sky and discovered that the sun had already partially sunk behind the mountains, with orange-yellow twilight peeking through the clouds and sprinkling onto the dark forest.

He had unknowingly spent hours by the lake.

Zhong Ming felt a touch of unease. Before he could dwell on it, the Duke’s voice reached him again: “Are you not returning?”

His voice was steady and low as he added, “Albert misses you dearly.”

Right, Albert.

Zhong Ming remembered that he usually took Albert for a walk every afternoon. Having disappeared for the entire day, the young master was likely frantic. This was a failure in his duty as a manservant.

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes. “I am sorry.”

Silence fell between them once more.

Across the short distance, the Duke fixed his gaze on the youth standing quietly nearby.

Zhong Ming’s head was bowed, the skin of his forehead slightly damp with sweat and appearing exceptionally pale. In the sunlight, he almost seemed to shimmer. Combined with his trembling lashes and the slight furrow of his brow from confusion, he looked like a precious gem on the verge of shattering.

The way he had been sitting by the lake just moments ago was as beautiful as a painting.

After a while, the Duke spoke again: “Why did you come so far?”

Zhong Ming felt a prickle of apprehension. He lowered his eyes, turning his head slightly as he said softly, “…I just wanted to clear my head.” He paused, sounding perplexed. “I lost track of time while walking. I didn’t realize I had come this far.”

His expression was dejected, his brow pinched in a look of bewildered innocence that made one want to sweep away all his troubles immediately.

The Duke was silent for a moment.

Then he spoke, his voice sounding perhaps a fraction softer: “Are you unhappy?” He inquired with great politeness. “Can you tell me what happened?”

Zhong Ming looked up, surprised by the man’s unexpectedly gentle demeanor.

The Duke’s attitude was calm and courteous. In reality, as the master of this house, he had every right to order Zhong Ming back to work or even punish him for neglect of duty. But he hadn’t.

Zhong Ming bit his lip. The Duke’s kindness actually made him feel as though he were being willful.

And yet—

A subtle suspicion rose in Zhong Ming’s mind. Did the Duke really not know what had happened?

If he truly didn’t know, why would he appear outside the estate and know exactly where to find him by the lake?

It was as if the man had appeared at the exact moment he realized there was no way forward.

Zhong Ming felt he should remain on guard. He said, “Your Grace, I don’t believe our relationship is one where we can exchange personal confidences.”

He looked up, carefully trying to read the Duke’s expression, though he could see nothing. Zhong Ming continued to explain his actions with cautious language.

“I simply happened to be in a bad mood today and wanted to walk. I apologize for delaying today’s work. I will go and apologize to Madam Mary and the young master. It won’t happen again.”

His words were laced with distance, shutting the conversation down firmly.

Upon hearing this, the Duke fell silent.

After a long pause, he repeated Zhong Ming’s words: “You feel… our relationship is not one where we can exchange confidences?”

His tone sounded genuinely puzzled.

Huh?

Was that the takeaway?

Zhong Ming was momentarily confused but quickly collected himself. He looked up at the Duke.

Not being able to see the man’s face really hindered his judgment. But going by the tone, the Duke didn’t sound angry. Zhong Ming hesitated, then decided to seize the opportunity. He bit his lip and said softly: “Yes… for instance, I don’t know your name, and I don’t even know what you look like.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhong Ming realized he sounded like he was complaining. He quickly added: “I understand you have reasons for secrecy… it’s just that we don’t exactly seem to be friends.”

The Duke went completely silent at this answer.

Zhong Ming waited for a moment, then lowered his lashes, feeling the conversation should end there.

This was just a minor walk prompted by a bad mood. Once back at the mansion, he would apologize to Madam Mary. If there was a punishment, it likely wouldn’t be too severe.

However, in the next heartbeat, the sound of rustling dead leaves echoed.

Zhong Ming heard the voice, frowned, looked up in confusion, and then suddenly his eyes widened.

The Duke stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

Sunlight hit his face as the man stepped over the fallen leaves, stopping at a moderate distance from Zhong Ming. He looked down at him.

“I have already forgotten my name.”

He said slowly: “If you wish, you may choose one for me.”

The calm composure on Zhong Ming’s face finally broke, replaced by an irrepressible look of shock.

He caught the faint scent of tobacco from the man before him, mingled with the scent of the lake.

Zhong Ming held his breath as he looked at the tall, pale man.

The man seemed unaccustomed to the sunlight; he blinked uncomfortably, his thick lashes casting shadows over high cheekbones. His dark brows were slightly knit, a small crease forming between them.

Zhong Ming saw traces of Albert in the man’s features. But the man’s face was more mature, his eyes a deep, intense black. The prominent brow ridge cast shadows, and the lines from his eyes to the bridge of his nose were as sharp as a Greek statue.

Having seemingly adjusted to the light, he lowered his gaze to Zhong Ming.

“Is our relationship one where we can exchange confidences now?”

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