Chapter 5

Before I could even react, a strong gust of wind swept by.

With a *boom*, Asher was sent flying dozens of yards away.

If he hadn't had a protective item on him, he'd likely be dead.

Mrs. Maxwell's hair flew wildly, and terrifying black energy emanated from her.

"Asher! What you just said, *you! Say! It! Again!*"

Asher was stunned, lying on the ground, twitching and spitting blood.

"Mother, I didn't, I, I was telling Sister to happily marry him."

Mrs. Maxwell instantly teleported to Asher's side.

She raised her foot, ready to stomp down.

It carried immense power; Asher's protective items probably wouldn't last against it.

I recalled my character's description.

Sharp-tongued but secretly soft-hearted.

Judging by Mrs. Maxwell's attitude, her relationship with Asher, even in character, shouldn't be that bad.

At that critical moment, I slowly rose, my red lips parting.

"Mother, let it go. Brother didn't mean it."

"Today is my wedding day; we should be happy."

Mrs. Maxwell snorted, then turned back, her face instantly resuming its gentle, loving appearance.

"Asher, there won't be a next time."

"Yes, yes, Mother."

Asher scrambled away, tripping over his own feet.

A few minutes later, a clear, tinkling sound of bells resonated in the air.

Accompanied by a floral scent, Prince Julian's figure subtly appeared.

A carriage of darkest black, etched with intricate, antique gold patterns, floated silently behind him.

He had come, with his carriage, to fetch his bride.

He slowly extended his hand to me, his eyes deep.

"My Lady, I have come for you."

The moment I stepped into the carriage, the system issued a new quest.

【Since it's role-playing, you must commit to it entirely~】

【Of course, that means sharing a wonderful night with your partner~】

No, wait?

Share a wonderful night? Hold on, does that mean *what I think it means*?

I swallowed hard.

Of course, it wasn't that I was eyeing his body; I was just… a little thirsty.

He's so handsome, would it be a waste to sleep with him?

Not only would it *not* be a waste, but afterwards, I could brag that I'd slept with a horror game entity.

Have *you*?

Hehe.

While I was lost in my giddy thoughts,

the system continued to issue the quest.

【Players, please note~ This act of role-playing is extremely important, it's a matter of life or death.】

【Shhh, don't let Julian discover you're impersonating Alice.】

【PS: Sharing a wonderful night doesn't necessarily mean making love. Please choose the method that best fits your character's persona~ (Though it might be making love too, you never know~)】

Huh? Wait!

Didn't they say my character would be fine as long as I didn't actively seek trouble?

What's with this life-or-death choice now?!

I pulled up the Earl's daughter's profile and read it again and again.

Aside from the info unlocked in Act One, there was nothing else!

If you don't give me any details about their daily interactions, how the hell am I supposed to choose?!

System, are you messing with me?!

All my romantic fantasies vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sigh, I just hoped this act would give me more hints when it was over.

About fifteen minutes later, the carriage stopped.

Julian reached out and helped me disembark.

I held my feather fan, my steps elegant, every movement and word exuding grace and composure.

But strangely, the courtyard, which had been bustling with activity just moments before,

suddenly fell silent the moment I stepped in.

A chilling aura seemed to surge towards me from all directions.

Unable to resist my curiosity, I secretly peeked out from behind my feather fan.

That one glance nearly sent me to an early grave!

The figures seated at the tables were not people; they were paper figures…

No, more like human-sized puppets.

They all stared at me, and with every step I took, their heads stretched forward a fraction.

The closest puppet was almost touching my face!

But its body was still firmly seated on the bench!

My vision blurred, my legs turned to jelly.

A low chuckle reached my ears, and then I stumbled into a warm embrace.

Immediately after, the puppet was instantly ripped to shreds with a tearing sound.

"Anyone else want to die, continue."

The next second, the courtyard returned to its lively state.

Looking again, there were no puppets or paper figures; they were all living people.

"Congratulations, Prince, on marrying your beloved!"