Chapter 106: Ophelia: Cheating Cat! 7
In the present world, at the Arcane Tower.
"Why do I feel… like I’m watching a dating variety show?"
The Dean Silver used its big fluffy tail as a sofa, sinking deeply into it in a lazy, fish-like slump.
While slowly chewing on a dried fish snack, it pointed at the scene displayed on the light screen.
As a true shut-in ferret, the Dean Silver had watched almost every entertainment work available on the modern world’s internet, ranging from anime, novels, games, and TV dramas to variety shows.
And at this very moment, the scene shown on the light screen looked exactly like one of those romance variety shows featuring celebrity dating themes.
"Interesting, you’ve got this white-furred, red-eyed ferret dean who loves grilled fish cake, laughing at this."
"Watching that kid and Little Shaia pulling and tugging at each other like that… it almost makes me feel like I’m young again, as if I’ve returned to those innocent, youthful days… oh, maybe even a few hundred years ago."
Although its true age might have surpassed the founding history of Starfall University, the Dean Silver’s gossip-loving heart hadn’t faded one bit; in fact, it had only grown stronger with its long years of being a shut-in.
So, it was now enjoying the live broadcast from the Nightworld with great enthusiasm, completely unaware that danger was gradually closing in.
"It’s just… I feel like there’s a bit of green growing on top of Little Tina’s head…"
"Huh… why does the air suddenly feel so cold?"
"Logically speaking, since it’s meant to preserve archives and evidence for long periods, shouldn’t the Arcane Tower maintain a constant temperature?"
By the time the Dean Silver finally snapped out of its entertainment-watching, gossiping mindset and suddenly remembered that there was still a victim’s relative right next to it—
It had already been grabbed once again by the Mercury Hand and placed back into Ophelia’s arms.
The little princess curled her lips into a slight smile, sweet and innocent on the surface, but in the Dean Silver’s eyes, it sent chills down its spine.
"So, you’re saying that this excellent student of yours, my potential future brother-in-law, is actually a complete scumbag and player?"
"Back in the modern world, he at least knew to put on an act… but the moment he stepped into the Nightworld where no one knew him, he immediately gave in to temptation and made a move on Miss Akxia?"
"And it’s only been a few days, yet he’s already completely tossed my sister to the back of his mind."
Ophelia’s hand gently stroked the Dean Silver’s fur, with elegance and grace fitting her status as a royal princess.
But the Dean Silver, while being petted, felt every single hair on its body standing on end.
"So it really is true… men can’t be trusted, and hearts can’t withstand temptation…"
"With just a little vigilance, his true nature was completely exposed in the Nightworld."
Though Ophelia’s voice sounded sweet, there was a barely noticeable chill hidden beneath it, and even the undead metal swirling behind her seemed to be tainted by frost.
"However, with my sister’s stubborn and awkward nature, I fear she still hasn’t truly seen through her own feelings…"
"Even if I were to show her this projection crystal recording right now, knowing her, she definitely wouldn’t let go."
"After all, once she decides on something, not even ten pure-blooded giant dragons could drag her back."
"Looks like, in order to keep my sister from actually being cheated on, I’ll have to take matters into my own hands."
Ophelia swirled the dyed grape juice in her red wine glass.
"Rast himself can’t be touched… he holds too much weight in my sister’s heart."
"If she found out, she’d definitely turn against me, and I don’t want my sister to hate me."
She whispered softly, her words nearly inaudible: "Since that’s the case, I can only find a way to deal with the homewrecker and the vixen."
"Although I do feel a bit sorry for Miss Akxia, since I was the one who asked her to enter the Nightworld in the first place…"
"But there’s no helping it."
"After all, you’re the one who became the third party in my sister’s relationship—"
"That ‘cheating cat’."
Ophelia stared intently at the silhouette on the light screen, that graceful figure with long ice-blue hair, her wine-red eyes reflecting a layer of frost.
"Fifth Tier of the God of Death Sequence, wielder of the forbidden night blade ‘Death Herald Angel’, and likely to advance to Sixth Tier once she returns from the Nightworld. I should at least consider her as a Sixth Tier threat for now."
"Plus, Akxia is the top student of Starfall University, adopted by the old headmaster himself, meaning I’ll have to factor in Starfall University’s combat power as well…"
"Kate’s combat ability, under the blessing of her relic, is already among the best in Sixth Tier, but compared to the foundation of Starfall University, she’s still far behind… I do have some cards to play in the military and among the imperial capital’s noble families, but going head-to-head with Starfall University might be too risky…"
"Wait, stop, I said stop."
The Dean Silver grew more and more drenched in cold sweat as it listened, hurriedly interrupting Ophelia’s rapid divine monologue.
It felt that if it let Ophelia keep extrapolating like this…
The next step would probably be this Second Princess fast-forwarding to silencing the ferret to prevent her plan from leaking.
Being sister-obsessed wasn’t the scary part.
What was terrifying was that this little princess not only obsessed over her sister but also possessed shocking decisiveness and action.
The Dean Silver struggled free from Ophelia’s embrace.
"I can’t guarantee much, but there is one thing I can say for certain."
"Lust, beauty, and power… none of these things hold any attraction to that guy Rast."
There was a depth in the Dean Silver’s tone.
"I even start to doubt… whether he can still understand what love really is."
"Is that so?"
Ophelia glanced at the Dean Silver in front of her, then refocused her gaze on the light screen.
In the Nightworld’s projection, outside the palace, the night sky was filled with dazzling fireworks.
The lights rained down like falling stars streaking across the sky.
Inside the palace at the bottom of the screen, the girl with long ice-blue hair tightly held the boy’s wrist, writing something in his palm.
Their view was blocked, so neither the Dean Silver nor Ophelia could see what they were communicating about…
But the scene of stars falling like rain was so stunningly beautiful that no one could deny the beauty of this moment.
"Yet hasn’t my future brother-in-law already fallen for Her Majesty the Queen?"
Ophelia stared at the falling fireworks.
"This scene… looks exactly like the moment when the male and female leads in a love story secretly pledge their lives to each other."
"It really is a love story, no doubt…"
"A stage play performed in the guise of a love story."
At this moment, the Dean Silver actually grew calm.
"Little Tina’s little sister, haven’t you noticed yet?"
"That rising firework… was actually a pre-arranged special effect, just like the lighting in a stage performance."
Ophelia was slightly taken aback.
Earlier, because she was so worried about her sister getting cheated on, her mind had been in disarray, and she had subconsciously overlooked certain seemingly insignificant details.
But now that she thought it over carefully, with her analytical skills as a genius mechanist, she easily detected the irregularities.
The laws of the Paradise prohibited residents from making noise after nightfall…
Even if there really were some refugees outside the capital who set off fireworks, how could they have timed it so perfectly with this emotionally charged moment?
Everything seemed so perfectly staged.
As if——
It had all been scripted in advance.
"That kid Rast… is a born actor."
"And this time, he’s not only playing the male lead, but also serving as the director and scriptwriter of this stage play… every detail of the performance is under his control."
"That’s why this love story appears so moving, drawing people in and making them immerse themselves, lingering in their hearts long after."
"But in the end, it’s nothing more than an illusory performance."
The Dean Silver’s voice turned somewhat wistful as it raised its head to gaze at the scenery on the light screen.
It had never once worried about Rast.
Because the Dean Silver knew very well that this guy was not only the best actor but also the best director and scriptwriter… and a person who never wasted any effort, cold and calculating like a machine.
Since Rast had chosen to resort to such extremes as cross-dressing to infiltrate the Nightworld, even selling his own allure, and going through all the trouble to stage such a performance…
Then he was bound to recover his costs, and with interest.
What the Dean Silver truly worried about, in fact, was Akxia in the Nightworld.
This was a performance that had been meticulously crafted, but the female lead of this stage play… had no awareness of it at all.
And since it was a performance, it would inevitably come to an end one day…
When all the splendor faded, leaving only loneliness behind…
Would the people in that story be able to wake up from the illusion?