FVN Chapter 79 Duke's Daughter
Chapter 79 Duke's Daughter
The four of them stopped before a set of grand, closed gates. The Duke shot a brief, almost hesitant glance at Ashok before he stepped forward, unlocked the gates, and walked inside.
Ashok followed closely behind, his presence commanding, while Cassius and the Head Butler trailed in after him.
The room they entered was vast—at least twice the size of the cabin they had been in earlier. The room's interior was designed to resemble the night sky, an intricate tapestry highlighting the stars.
The ceiling was a work of art, with a massive light fixture at its center to resemble the moon. Magic had been expertly woven into the design of the ceiling beside the moon, creating a starburst pattern that stretched across the dark expanse, glowing softly against the black backdrop.
The walls were adorned with murals, their deep purple clouds swirling seamlessly into shades of blue, creating an atmosphere of vastness and serenity.
The colors seemed to shift with the light, giving the impression of a living night sky that stretched on forever.
'In the game, by the time the player arrives, this room, instead of resembling a starry night, resembles a black coffin—which also gets destroyed by the end of the year,' Ashok thought as he made his way toward the bed at the far end of the room, sticking to the wall opposite the door.
The contrast between what was and what would be was striking—what had once been a symbol of beauty and peace was destined to become a ruin, and Ashok had come here to change that destiny.
The room itself was a mix of opulence and strange, clinical order. Glass-door cabinets lined the walls, reflecting the dim, magical light from the ceiling.
A few bookshelves stood nearby, though they were secondary to the countless cabinets filled with various accessory-type artifacts.
Inside every single cabinet, innumerable accessory-type artifacts shimmered. The sheer volume of these items was overwhelming, far exceeding even Robert's impressive collection.
"Did your daughter want to become a shopkeeper?" asked Ashok jokingly, but there was no response from the Duke or his two aides.
Aside from the sea of accessories, there were only three or four bookshelves scattered around the room, each one crammed with romance novels.
Ashok glanced at the spines of a few, his eyes skimming over titles like The Princess and the Knight, The Werewolf and the Princess, Where to Find the Hidden Prince and others.
The overwhelming theme was clear—most of the books were centered around princes and princesses, fantastical tales of love.
"Tch! Not a single fantasy book. Waste of life," said Ashok as he clicked his tongue again, his words dripping with disappointment. He couldn't help it—he was an avid reader of the fantasy genre, always seeking out tales of adventure, magic, and mythical creatures.
Romance Novels never held much appeal to someone like him.
The Duke turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he shot a glare at Ashok but Ashok met the Duke's gaze without flinching, "What? Any objections?".
The Duke turned around again, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation with Ashok on that topic.
'If this girl were on earth, she would have been introduced to the twisted side of romance, the kind that should stay confined to the pages of books but somehow leaks into reality.
Her arms rested limply over her chest, the skeletal limbs almost resembling the pose of a corpse.
Ashok was not much surprised seeing her condition and he asked, "Why are you feeding her brews of life when she is in this state?"
"A Great Healer recommended the brew twice a week together with other potions that would replace the need for food," said the Duke. He slowly sat beside his daughter, his hand trembling ever so slightly as he reached out to gently brush her sky-blue hair.
"Was that Healer an Elf?" asked Ashok.
"Yes," said the Head Butler.
"As expected," Ashok replied, letting out a little laugh.
"How will you cure her; the witch is dead? So now there should be no one fighting for her body," the Duke's tone was devoid of patience, the frustration clear. He had no interest in Ashok's idle musings or laughter; his only focus was on his daughter, on finding a way to save her.
Ashok settled onto the edge of the bed, his weight shifting the blanket slightly as he glanced at the Duke and the others with an amused smirk. "After hearing about the witch's power, did you think that she was the one trying to possess your daughter's body?"
The Duke, Cassius, and the Head Butler all turned toward him, their faces a blend of confusion and incredulity. The unspoken question in their eyes was clear: What do you mean?
"HAHAHA! How naïve." Said Ashok as he laughed shaking his head in amusement.
BANG!
The Duke slammed his fist onto the bedside, the force sending a few flasks tumbling to the floor with a sharp clatter.
"SPEAK CLEARLY! STOP TALKING IN RIDDLES!" he shouted.
His eyes, red-rimmed and clouded with emotion, locked onto Ashok. Small droplets of tears glistened as they traced down his cheeks, the evidence of his grief and desperation now impossible to ignore.
The Duke couldn't fathom how Ashok could laugh in the face of such dire circumstances. His daughter lay on the brink of death, her body now looking like an empty shell, and here was Ashok, chuckling as if it were some sort of joke.
If it weren't for Ashok's vast knowledge, he would have surely killed him over a thousand times by now and removed this seed of unbearable arrogance from the world.
"First, calm down! There is no point shouting at me. Shouting at me will not cure your daughter," Ashok said in his usual commanding tone.
The Head Butler slowly approached the Duke and rubbed his shoulder while handing him a glass of water, hoping to calm him.
Though his movements were gentle, his eyes showed what he was truly feeling on the inside. He was glaring at Ashok, his gaze sharp and filled with an unmistakable grudge.
Cassius stood nearby, equally disturbed by Ashok's behavior in situations like these.