Lying in bed, Tianmiao held Lou Sha’s hand under the covers and whispered, "Don’t worry, my dear little Lou Sha, I will protect you."
"Haha, with you looking so fragile, maybe I should be the one to protect you." Lou Sha held Tianmiao’s hand, musing in her heart, such a small, soft hand.
On the fourth day, the senior maid came to wake them up again, but this time she didn’t rush them. Instead, she let them slowly get dressed and eat breakfast. Back in the room, the senior maid said hauntingly, "There’s still some time for you to choose clothes. It’s best to pick something easy to run in. This time, be quick about it; the Duke is waiting for you."
In front of the wardrobe, Tianmiao looked and picked out a set of sharp hunting clothes for Lou Sha. "Wear this, you’ll look very handsome."
Upon hearing this, Lou Sha took it happily and changed into the clothes.
Tianmiao also chose a simple outfit to wear.
After gathering, among all the girls, only Tianmiao and Lou Sha were dressed incongruously. Although the maid had advised them to choose outfits suitable for running, no one else heeded her words.
The senior maid said nothing and led the group of girls to the rear castle. That castle was the largest, rumored to be where Duke Andophin resided.
At the castle entrance, the senior maid handed the girls over to a fully-armored knight before turning and quickly departing.
"Keep up!" the armored knight commanded sternly.
The group followed the knight into the castle.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, but entering the castle brought a gust of cold wind. Soon after, the creaking sound signaled the closing of the castle’s main door. Instinctively, everyone glanced back, only to see the tightly shut door. Turning forward again, they saw torches hanging around the castle, casting flickering and eerie shadows, instilling a sense of dread.
"Come this way," the knight called impatiently.
When someone hesitated in the back, the knight walked over, grabbing her hair and dragging her forward, ignoring her struggles and cries.
By this time, everyone knew something was wrong.
Finally, they were led into a dim and damp room inside the castle. Lou Sha frowned as the smell of blood assaulted her senses within the room.
In the dark room, only a faintly glowing oil lamp hung from the ceiling. Most of the girls huddled under the lamp, all wearing previously chosen elegant long dresses. However, none now cared about their beautiful outfits, their eyes filled only with fear, most engaged in constant discussions about the place, accompanied by cries and curses.
At this moment, the iron door of the room swung open, and a group of Silver Armored Knights entered, led by a tall and fat balding man. He adjusted the bow tie on his chest, cleared his throat, and shouted, "Quiet, ladies!"
"Where is this place? What do you want?" A blonde girl mustered the courage to ask loudly.
"This place, of course, is heaven, a paradise of enjoyment," the balding man laughed heartily, then his face turned cold, "However, it is not your heaven, nor your paradise. On the contrary, it could be your hell. Welcome here, please enjoy the journey ahead."
"What are you talking about? What hell? What do you intend to do?" The blonde girl’s voice was tinged with sobs.
"Ladies, welcome to this game. It’s simple, all you have to do is survive. But unfortunately, among so many of you, only two will make it to the end," the balding man chuckled, his smile filled with malice.