Chapter 107: Complete World (Nine)
[It's those dolls.]
Since everyone had turned to face Qi An, their bodies were all oriented toward where he stood. Therefore, the dolls perched on the nobles' shoulders were also facing Qi An.
This gaze that seemed to conceal some intense emotion was very familiar to Qi An—it was the same sensation he'd experienced when he first entered the capital of the Nuomi Kingdom, when countless dolls had stared at him.
However, the fervor in those gazes was much more intense now.
It was as if... they could no longer suppress these emotions. Things long buried in their hearts had begun to slowly surface. The dolls that had disguised themselves with cute appearances were now exposing their evil nature without any pretense. They had cute faces, their bodies appeared fragile and easily broken, but at this moment, what should have been empty eyeballs were now overflowing with some obscure emotion.
Something had caused the lurking dolls to erupt once more. Qi An's fingers gently twitched.
The girl continued to look at him, her translucent white cheeks seemingly flushed with a hint of shyness—a sight that would be considered absolutely beautiful scenery by many. Everyone else gazed at her in a daze, hearing this beautiful girl speak in an especially gentle voice: "I hope Princess's answer won't... disappoint me."
Her eyebrows curved as she spoke, as if she had mustered all her courage for these words. The next second, she lowered her head, completely hiding her face in the darkness. Watching the girl's retreating figure as she walked toward another direction, Qi An gently frowned.
The dolls' burning gazes vanished the instant the girl turned away.
[An'an, why would she act like that? If she really is Gao Lijun, shouldn't she hate you?] the system murmured in his mind. [How could she look like... someone who's been secretly in love with you for ages.]
The banquet restored its lively atmosphere once more. The nobles gathered together, appearing to converse elegantly. However, compared to before, their movements were noticeably more refined. After Gao Lijun went to stand at another spot, many handsome young men rushed to her side, politely performing gentlemanly bows and inviting her to dance together, but the girl refused them all.
She simply stood there quietly, like an exquisitely beautiful and unreal painting.
"This is delicious."
The originally cold voice had become extremely gentle. The people of Nuomi Kingdom stared in shock at their own prince. Prince Tommy preferred solitude and was cold by nature, disliking social gatherings—this was well known throughout the kingdom. Their prince, for most of the time, kept himself shut inside his room, and even the guards serving him rarely had the chance to see his true face.
But today he had not only attended the banquet for the first time without being invited, but his purpose for attending wasn't anything earth-shattering—merely to see one person.
Watching the expressionless prince stand quietly at his fiancée's side, adopting an air of protection that prevented anyone from approaching her, the nobles of Nuomi Kingdom felt very conflicted. If it weren't for their prince's overwhelming strength making possession completely impossible, they would have suspected their prince was a completely different person.
"Thank you." Qi An took the plate of pastries from Tommy's hand. When he clearly saw what the pastries looked like, Qi An glanced up at the expressionless Tommy.
—These were pastries he liked to eat again.
Tommy had brought him quite a lot of food, and without exception, all of it was the type Qi An loved to eat.
Qi An could be certain—he had never shown any signs of liking these foods in front of Zhang Zhaoqi. Yet Tommy's movements in bringing these items were extremely natural, as if... he could simply rely on instinct to obtain the things Qi An liked.
Placing the pastry in his mouth, Qi An surveyed his surroundings, his gaze lingering for a moment on the pitch-black scenery outside the window.
[An'an, do you have any ideas now?]
[...I need to have a talk with Lu Wuyu.] The sky outside the window seemed to have grown even darker, this oppressive blackness forming a stark contrast with the warm golden lamplight inside the hall.
From what could be seen so far, Zhang Zhaoqi had lost his memories in this world.
He just wasn't sure if this situation was occurring in only Zhang Zhaoqi alone. Moreover, both Zhang Zhaoqi and Lu Wuyu had descended into this world earlier than he had—he needed to observe the other transmigrators' situations before making a judgment.
As for... that girl who looked very similar to Gao Lijun, from what she had just said, she would come find him on her own.
[This is a special mode...]
The sound of tapping footsteps rang out from the nearby staircase—quality leather shoes striking the floor, as if two people were descending from upstairs. While Qi An turned to look toward the staircase, he conversed with the system.
This was the Death Run mode.
The person who activated the Death Run mode held absolute authority within this world. They could not only choose whom to pull into this world but could also set the conditions that would allow everyone to leave.
Therefore, in a sense, this world served the one who activated the mode.
They had the authority to arrange when each person descended into this world, and could set certain parameters for some people—for instance, causing memory loss.
And the reason he made these arrangements and settings was to accomplish his objective.
[Tongtong, what do you think—is the person who activated this Death Run mode actually trying to make the transmigrators who came to this world kill each other, or... to achieve the goal they've set?] Qi An, like everyone else, gazed at the two people descending the stairs, a thoughtful glint flickering across his眼底.
He had looked through books documenting events from recent years. Apart from the emergence of some outstanding individuals and the sudden awakening of that wizard, things from the past few years could be considered normal compared to before.
There was no sign of the fierce killing spree that should exist in Death Run mode. The transmigrators who had already arrived in this world seemed quite content to maintain this temporary peace.
And the person who had activated this mode seemed not to have done anything to push the progression forward either.
It was as if...
They had been waiting for his arrival.
"It is my great honor to see all of you attend my son's banquet—I feel deeply honored by this." The two people whose footsteps had made sounds had descended from the stairs, their faces now fully exposed to everyone's eyes.
Qi An's train of thought paused for an instant. Among them was a young man also wearing prince's attire.
[An'an, this Crown Prince is actually... Zhile.]
Almost instantly, many people in the hall fell to their knees in fear: "We pay homage to Your Majesty."
The speaker was an elderly man whose hair and beard had already turned hoary white: "The reason I invited everyone here today is actually for a purpose. I wish to select a consort for my eldest son."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of those princesses all changed slightly. But the old king paid no attention to this, his voice continuing to echo through the hall: "Just now, while coming here, my incompetent son happened to fall in love at first sight with a princess. Therefore, I wish to ask that princess for her own thoughts. If possible, I hope that princess can give my son a chance."
Although the king's words could be considered diplomatic, all the princesses present knew they had absolutely no reason to refuse this marriage.
As the number one great nation, Nuomi Kingdom possessed a profound historical heritage and powerful military forces that no other country could rival. Forming this marriage alliance would be absolutely beneficial and harmless to their nations.
Moreover, many of the princesses present had come with the goal of forming political marriages—the only thing that had changed was the intended partner. Remembering the descriptions of this Crown Prince that circulated in rumors, many could only quietly step back several paces, praying that the one being targeted wasn't themselves.
"My son, which princess would you like to have as your consort?" The old king stroked his beard, speaking to the Crown Prince with a kindly expression.
"My son wishes to propose marriage to that princess... Lu An."