43: Chapter 43 Dinner and Intentions

The collection hall was built behind the main mansion, a standalone circular stone structure that was even larger than the main building.

The Noble Lady personally pushed open the heavy iron door, and a scent mixed with formalin and tanning agents rushed out to meet them.

There were no windows inside the collection hall; all the lighting came from magic lamps hanging from the ceiling.

The light was deliberately adjusted to a cold white, illuminating the texture of every exhibit clearly.

Directly facing the entrance was a full specimen of an adult Chimera.

The goat head, lion head, and dragon head were all roaring in different directions, but their eyes were fake, made of glass beads.

Beside the Chimera was a crouching Manticore specimen, its scorpion tail arched high, with dried venom crystals still preserved on the stinger.

The walls were covered with monster heads of various sizes.

From fist-sized goblin heads to adult giant skulls that couldn't even fit on a single wall.

Glass cases displayed various organ specimens in formalin jars, with labels neatly written in Common, detailing the species name, collection date, and preservation method.

In the corner stood a cabinet covered by a black cloth; the contents were temporarily unclear, but the corner peeking out from beneath the cloth looked like a glass container taller than a person.

The Noble Lady led them on a tour, stopping from time to time to explain the origins of certain collection pieces, her tone excited and engaged, much like a collector showing off her treasures to friends.

When she walked up to Richard, she reached out and lightly scraped her fingernail against the scale patterns on his shoulder armor, nodding in confirmation.

"The scales are coarser than the female's, and the armor layer is thicker. I guess the set you're wearing uses the hide of a male."

Richard bared his teeth in a smile that didn't reach his eyes, acknowledging her professional judgment.

After the tour, The Noble Lady led them back to the reception room.

A fresh pot of tea had been brought out, and the pastries had been replenished.

She sat back down in her high-backed armchair and took a cup of fresh tea, while the others took the opportunity to ask about the wealthy merchant's daughter and the partner she had eloped with.

The Noblewoman's attitude was pleasant, showing no intention of evasion:

"Oh, those two youngsters? Of course, they've been here."

"What a lovely couple. The girl sold me a pearl necklace made from a sea demon clam. The quality of the pearls was truly excellent; I still keep it on my bedroom vanity."

"Her boyfriend was quite handsome, just not very talkative."

"I gave them a good price and advised them to go home early and not run around outside."

"They took the money and left, and I haven't seen them since."

When she said this, her eyes didn't flicker, and her tone didn't falter; every detail was impeccably natural.

Afterward, she kept Richard and the others for dinner.

The dinner was of a high standard: roast suckling pig, buttered lobster, several local dishes seasoned with tropical spices, accompanied by premium white wine.

The servants silently refilled drinks and served dishes, their pacing impeccable.

After drinking two glasses of wine, a light flush appeared on The Noble Lady's face, and she became more talkative, starting to chat about her experiences collecting treasures on the sea when she was young.

She talked about the distant islands she had visited and an old story about a prince who had once proposed to her for a Heart of the Ocean gemstone, only to be rejected.

The entire dinner seemed harmonious, like a group of friends attending a banquet carefully prepared by a hospitable hostess.

Richard only drank a few sips of water and ate half a small piece of bread; he didn't even touch the meat or wine.

He was still quite cautious.

When they returned to the reception room after dinner, the servants brought out a new round of tea and desserts.

The Noble Lady sat in her armchair with the cashmere shawl draped over her knees, smiling at everyone, her gaze as kind as a mother's.

But before long, Richard suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness.

It wasn't just ordinary drowsiness, but a feeling of paralysis, as if all his strength had been drained away.

The candlelight before his eyes began to blur, the walls of the reception room twisted and warped at the edges of his vision, and The Noblewoman's smile turned grotesque.

He tried to use his hand to brace against the sofa armrest to stand up, but he couldn't muster any strength in his entire body.

He turned his head to look beside him; Jinbao had already slumped onto the sofa, snoring with his mouth slightly open.

The black cat was curled up in a chair with its head hanging low, a dagger slipping from its loosened fingers onto the carpet.

Morpheus was sitting against the corner wall, his head hanging limply onto his chest, his staff having rolled onto the floor a few steps away.

Only Cecilia remained standing.

But her posture was unnaturally stiff, her hands hanging at her sides, sharp claws growing from her fingertips, her helmet facing forward, motionless.

Her blood-red eyes beneath her veil were wide open, pupils frantically contracting and dilating, yet she couldn't even lift a finger.

She couldn't speak or move, just like a living statue nailed to the spot.

"What beautiful works of art." The Noblewoman's voice came from the direction of the armchair, her tone completely changed.

It was no longer the tone of the hospitable hostess from before, but one of fanatical greed.

She stood up from her chair, and the cashmere shawl slid from her knees onto the carpet; she didn't even glance at it.

Her eyes were fixed on Morpheus, who was sleeping against the corner wall, her gaze slowly scanning his entire body from top to bottom.

Then, she reached out and gently lifted Morpheus's chin with her fingertips, turning his face toward the candlelight.

Morpheus's purple eyes were half-open, his pupils unfocused, the candlelight casting two faint spots of light in the depths of his eyes.

She stared into his eyes for a long time, her breathing slowing down, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"These beautiful eyes, what a rare color, what a pure purple… It's not the purple eyes of a Dark Elf, but something I have never seen before."

"Paired with this white hair and this smooth, delicate skin, you are simply a perfect work of art!"

Her hand moved from Morpheus's chin to his cheekbone, her fingertips slowly tracing a circle along his eye socket.

The movement was as gentle as a caress, yet it was hair-raising, as if she were feeling the contours of the bone beneath the flesh.

"If I were to peel it off completely and make it into a perfect, whole-skin specimen to keep in my collection hall… No, in my bedroom."

"And if I gouged out these two 'jewels,' I could see these purple eyes every single night. How beautiful."

She let go of Morpheus's face, letting it hang down again, then turned to look at Richard.

"As for you, to be honest, you are quite handsome, but you don't qualify for my collection."

"However, your willpower surprises me… The amount of drug I used just now was enough to knock out four grown men, yet you've managed to stay sitting until now. It makes me very curious about how your brain is wired."

She walked up to Richard, looking down at him as he still braced himself against the sofa armrest in an attempt to stand, a pleased smile curling the corners of her mouth.

She reached out and tapped Richard's temple lightly with the tip of her fingernail.

"So, I've decided to open up your skull in a while and take a look for myself."