The maid didn't finish her sentence. Wang Xi's eyes flickered, but he deliberately controlled his expression, maintaining a dazed and absent look.
"...Also, I heard the Priest say that Lord Gai is having a flare-up of the Ice Heart Curse."
The maid who was speaking lowered her voice.
"Whether he can wake up depends on luck. Even if he does, his body will only get worse, and his emotions will grow more and more indifferent. I'm afraid he won't live for much longer."
"What?!"
The maid on the left froze and gasped quietly.
"So Lord Gai is one of the Ice Heart People! No wonder he hasn't won any more tournament championships in recent years. Master Bato has been getting more and more disappointed."
'Ice Heart People?'
'What's that now?'
Doubt grew in Wang Xi's mind.
"Then what about Miss Sela?"
The maid on the left was silent for a few seconds before adding:
"Now that the Count's Domain is in peace talks with the Northern People and Master Bato is back, the marriage between the young miss and Lord Gai..."
"Not a chance." The maid on the right shook her head regretfully. "Lord Gai has been defiled by Wendy, and on top of that, he's one of the Ice Heart People. How could Master Bato possibly let him become Miss Sela's husband?"
"But I heard the marriage alliance isn't canceled. They're just swapping someone out."
"Swapping someone out?"
"Yes, it's Miss Leina."
"What?!"
The maid on the left looked utterly shocked.
Wang Xi remained expressionless, but inwardly, he was cursing.
'Lena Crawford...'
Unlike Wendy, who was a distant cousin, Lena was Sierra's actual, honest-to-goodness younger cousin.
But somewhere along the genetic line, something must have gone wrong, because Lena and Sierra were polar opposites. Wang Xi had the good fortune of seeing her once in the dungeons, and it was a truly unforgettable scene.
Four or five elite soldiers struggled to escort a giant meatball down the corridor as its deafening squeals, like a pig being slaughtered, almost scared Wang Xi to death on the spot.
At the time, he had thought it was some subspecies of troll.
Only later did he learn that the obese girl being escorted was Sierra's cousin, Lena Crawford...
"A marriage alliance between the two families is a tradition in Randall. Although the Farrell Clan has declined, with Lord Gai as its only remaining legitimate heir, they were, after all, the former masters of this land."
The maid on the right sighed.
Now, Wang Xi finally understood completely.
From beginning to end, his only value was to serve as a stud pig for a marriage alliance with a woman from the Crawford Clan. This would help Count Bato consolidate his control over the domain.
He was once engaged to Sierra because he was handsome and talented, with an immense gift for Swordsmanship. Now that his halo had faded, he was naturally no longer worthy of the Count's beloved daughter, Sierra.
So, as the next best thing, they decided to make use of this piece of trash and simply arrange for him to marry Lena.
'From genius to trash, with a broken engagement to kick things off.'
'Hmm, what a familiar plot... '
'No, that's not right. It's not a broken engagement, they just swapped out the bride.'
'But I'm no reincarnated super-soldier! I'm not equipped to handle a tank!'
Wang Xi secretly rolled his eyes.
'No way, I can't stay in this godforsaken place any longer.'
'I should get out of here as soon as possible!'
…
…
After his bath, the two maids carefully dressed Wang Xi in a set of luxurious clothes.
A white linen shirt, with a black and gold silk tunic.
They silently looked at Lord Gai before them. The young man was handsome, with a noble air, but his pale face was expressionless, and his eyes were empty.
The maids glanced at each other, a flicker of pity on both their faces.
Then, one on each side, they supported Wang Xi and escorted him to a room on an upper floor of the castle.
THUD.
The door closed, leaving Wang Xi alone on the bed.
He waited a moment, and after making sure no one was outside the door, he flipped over and sat up, dropping the foolish, dazed act.
'What exactly are the "Ice Heart People"?'
Wang Xi thought for a moment.
He felt it was essential to figure this out. After all, this projection was his capital for exploring the Otherworld.
Glancing around, Wang Xi noticed a simple bookcase on one side of the room, holding several large tomes.
If even the maids knew about it, it couldn't be some secret information. Perhaps he could find the answer in a book.
So he walked over to the bookcase and began to browse.
The writing of this Otherworld was unfamiliar, but—perhaps because of Kaos—Wang Xi could read it with ease.
But after flipping through several books, he hadn't found a single mention of "Ice Heart People" or the "curse."
Wang Xi's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Suddenly, he heard a commotion from downstairs, along with the dense clatter of hooves and the rumbling of carriage wheels.
'That must be the Count or Sierra returning to the castle,' Wang Xi thought.
He immediately sped up his search.
Finally.
In a church scripture titled the *Gospel of Eilos*, he found the answer he was looking for.
The information was hidden on the title page of this Bible—
"The Devil once had a mirror that could turn good men into bad, girls into crones, and Heroes into cowards..."
"The Devil took his mirror and shone it everywhere, throwing the world into chaos. He was immensely pleased as he watched the pandemonium on earth and finally decided to shine the mirror on God, to turn God into a comical clown as well."
"The Devil flew ever upward toward the heavens but was stopped before the gates of Heaven by the Angel An Qi'Er, and the two engaged in a great battle."
"In the end, the Devil was defeated, and the mirror in his hand was shattered by An Qi'Er's sword. Countless shards rained down upon the mortal world, freezing as they passed through the clouds. When they fell upon people, they froze their hearts."
"These unlucky souls struck by the shards found their bodies growing weaker and their personalities colder, and before long, they would pass away."
"Of course, there were a few 'lucky ones' who were only temporarily parasitized by the shards. Their hearts would only begin to slowly freeze after a few years, or even a decade or more."
"According to legend, this is a trial from God. If they pass the trial, they will be worthy to walk the pilgrim's road to Heaven."
"..."
Wang Xi closed the Bible.
The contents of the title page read more like a fable from a book of Fairy Tales.
He silently pulled up his shirt and looked down at his chest. Soon, his pupils contracted.
Over his heart, an azure light had appeared at some unknown time, faintly visible.
It seemed to flicker with the beat of his heart.
'So, in a way, this story is actually true?'
Wang Xi was lost in thought.
He hadn't forgotten the name of this Otherworld: "Fairy Tales." Perhaps nothing, no matter how absurd or outrageous, was surprising here.
But the thought that this projection's life was short gave him a headache.
Because Wang Xi had no idea if Kaos could create another projection if this one died. Even more unclear was whether this would mean he would forever lose the right to walk in the Otherworld.
Facing a Main World shrouded in natural disasters, he saw this ability as both a support and an opportunity, one he had to seize firmly.
'I have to find a way to break this curse!'
Wang Xi took a deep breath.
'But the most urgent thing right now is to get out of here.'
Just then, he heard footsteps outside the door, growing closer.
SWOOSH—
Wang Xi shoved the Bible back onto the bookshelf and quickly lay back down on the bed.
In just a second, he had adjusted his state. Expressionless, eyes empty.
CREAK—
The door opened.
A beautiful figure walked in gracefully.
With her blonde hair tied up, Sierra, in a long blue velvet dress, looked haggard as she walked straight to the bedside and sat down.
She silently watched the young man on the bed, her expression complex.
Wang Xi caught a glimpse of her from the corner of his eye and was stunned.
'How does this Miss Sela have a Kaleidoscope Sharingan?'
A closer look revealed it wasn't a Kaleidoscope Sharingan at all, but an expression that was clearly three parts nostalgia, three parts pity, and three parts indifference! And one part hidden disgust!
"...Wendy loved you more than I did, Gai."
At this moment, Sierra spoke to herself, facing the bed.
"In the end, she couldn't bear to hurt you. Even when she left with the Northern People, she warned my father to treat you well."
"I don't know why, but after this nightmarish experience, I don't seem to admire or adore you like I used to... Perhaps it's just as Father said. In these chaotic times, if you aren't strong enough yourself, you should find someone strong to protect you."
"So I agreed to my father's arrangement to marry the Duke of the Northern People."
Saying this, Sierra took a deep breath.
It was as if she had found release, or perhaps firmed up some conviction in her heart. When she looked at the young man again, her gaze had become completely cold.
"Rest assured, although you've become a dumb, useless invalid, you are still the heir to the Farrell Clan. After you marry my younger cousin Lena, Father will allow you to live out the rest of your short life with dignity."
After speaking, Sierra silently stood up.
Then she left without a single look back.
"Sierra."
Just then, a hoarse voice called out from the bed.
The girl in the blue dress trembled and stopped at the door.
She turned her head and saw the young man struggling to sit up, a look of confusion on his face.
"Where am I?" Wang Xi asked weakly. "And... my chest hurts so much..."
Sierra was silent for a few seconds before asking softly:
"You're awake?"
"Yeah. I saw you as soon as I opened my eyes. This isn't a dream, is it?"
Wang Xi forced a smile.
Sierra studied him for a moment and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's not a dream," she said. "But you're still very weak. You should lie down for a while... Also, someone will be here later to explain what happened."
"I'm sure my body is fine!"
Wang Xi scrambled out of bed, but nearly fell.
Sierra took a few steps forward and caught him.
Watching the young man so eager to prove himself, Sierra, for some reason, just found him ridiculous and laughable.
Gai was still the same as before—competitive, refusing to admit defeat, like a child who would never grow up.
"I want to go for a walk, Sierra."
Wang Xi smiled at the girl.
"Moving around will help me recover faster."
"As you wish," Sierra said indifferently. "But don't go far, in case there's an accident."
Wang Xi naturally agreed.
「A moment later.」
He walked alone along a street inside the castle. The surrounding walls and some wooden fences were heavily damaged, apparently from the previous battle with the Northern People. Artisans, grooms, and maids bustled about, all looking very busy.
Wang Xi noticed that some armored guards, leaning against a wall and chatting, would occasionally glance his way.
And not far behind him, a few people were always following.
His heart sank.
Under these circumstances, leaving Randall probably wouldn't be so simple. Count Bato would definitely not let him go easily.
'How am I going to escape?'
Wang Xi narrowed his eyes in thought, and soon, an idea came to him.