Chapter 196

Chapter 196

A few days later, as a familiar notification chimed, Tu Nan entered a Strange Tales Instance once more.

[Welcome back to Fairy Tale Strange Tales. The theme of this Strange Tales is-Beauty and the Beast.

Your father promised to bring you back a rose, but after returning, he has been troubled and anxious ever since.

When you wake from sleep, you find yourself in a strange dungeon…

Instance missions:

1. Survive until the Instance ends.

2. Win over the Prince who has become a Beast and obtain his unchanging love.]

Tu Nan was very familiar with the story of Beauty and the Beast. Belle and the Beast’s love was moving, too-but only within the bounds of a fairy tale.

After a wave of dizziness, Tu Nan was transported into the Strange Tales Instance.

So cold…

That was her first impression.

Tu Nan couldn’t help curling in on herself. She slowly opened her eyes, and the scene before her left her dazed.

She was lying on a stone bed, damp straw beneath her. The straw carried a faint musty smell.

The temperature was very low, and all she had on was a filthy, tattered dress.

She rubbed her arms, got up from the stone bed, and looked around.

It was obvious that this place was a dungeon.

High up on the wall was a vent-like window. Through it, she could tell it was currently night; outside was pitch-black.

On the wooden table nearby sat a Candle that had burned halfway down, its flame swaying faintly.

Tu Nan walked over to the table, picked up the Candle, and inspected the small cell. Aside from her, the only living things left were Mouse and cockroaches.

She met the eyes of a Mouse that was a full two fists large, then silently looked away.

Wasn’t this Beauty and the Beast? Why was she in a dungeon?

Did she have to find a way to escape before the plot could begin?

Tu Nan sat on the edge of the stone bed, glanced at the enormous iron Lock on the door, and began thinking about how she could get out.

Before she could worry over it for long, sounds came from the corridor outside the dungeon.

Tu Nan’s gaze sharpened. She immediately rolled over and lay back down, pretending she hadn’t woken up yet.

The footsteps outside grew louder bit by bit. From the sound of it, there were at least two people.

“Move faster. Master isn’t known for his patience,” one of them urged.

Master? Did he mean the Prince?

The Lock at the door was opened, and Tu Nan sensed the footsteps drawing closer to her.

“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” a man’s voice asked in surprise.

“How would I know?” another snapped. “Just wake her up.”

Tu Nan sensed the other party approaching and immediately stirred. She opened her eyes, acting as though she had just woken up.

“Who are you?” Her face was pale, and she shrank back in fear.

“You’re awake?”

The one closer to the stone bed was a middle-aged man with golden curls and two little mustache tufts. He looked like a thin bamboo pole-tall and skinny.

Thin Bamboo Pole smiled as he announced to her, “You now belong to Your Highness, Prince.”

“What do you mean?” Tu Nan put on a terrified expression. “I was clearly at home… Why am I here?!”

The man standing farther away was much fatter than Thin Bamboo Pole. The flesh of his belly looked as though it were about to burst out from between the buttons of his uniform, making one worry about the quality of the uniform he was wearing.

He narrowed his eyes and shouted, “Don’t be nervous. Let me explain the situation to you.”
“Your father angered my master by stealing from him, so now he has sent you here as an apology.”

Tu Nan blinked in panic, her eyes instantly reddening. “Father sent me as an apology? No… I don’t believe it…”

“I know this is hard to accept.” Thin Bamboo Pole gave her a sympathetic look. “But you have to accept it.”

“Oh-she is far too filthy. The master will be angry. Moore, we need to take her to wash up and change her into something clean.”

Thin Bamboo Pole-Moore-nodded. Ignoring Tu Nan’s alarm, he reached out and grabbed her, dragging her outside as he said, “You have to take a bath-William, come help.”

“I can do it myself,” Tu Nan said in a low voice. “I’m sorry, I’m just scared… Are you taking me to see the Prince?”

“Of course.” William watched as she climbed down from the stone bed. “The Prince isn’t known for his patience. We need to move quickly.”

Moore and William flanked her on either side and led her out.

Beyond the dungeon was a dim corridor. After they walked down it for a while and then climbed a flight of stairs, her view finally opened up.

The two of them led her through a winding series of turns, then found a Maid and ordered the Maid to watch her bathe.

Tu Nan was held down and scrubbed clean from head to toe. Only after she had changed into a clean, plain white dress did the Maid finally let out a breath of relief and push her out the door.

“Go on, child.” The Maid glanced at her. “Good luck.”

Tu Nan felt as if she saw pity in her eyes.

She immediately grew wary.

If this were a real fairy tale, she should be getting a hearty meal right about now. But as things stood, she touched her ravenously empty stomach and felt it would be good enough if she could simply stay alive.

The first mission of this Instance was survival, which showed just how dangerous it was.

Moore and William were waiting for her at the door. When they saw her come out, they looked her up and down before finally nodding in satisfaction.

“Now that’s more like it.”

“The Prince should be satisfied.”

Their conversation left Tu Nan uneasy. She tried to sound them out about what sort of person this “Prince” really was.

“Why does the Prince want to see me so late at night?” she asked, confused. “What exactly did my father steal? I can save up money and pay him back.”

“Pay him back?” A derisive laugh burst from William’s throat. “He actually stole the Prince’s most precious rose. The Prince is furious. He swore he would-”

He stopped abruptly.

“God, you really should say less.” Moore rolled his eyes.

“What is the Prince going to do?” Tu Nan couldn’t help pressing.

“You’ll know soon enough,” Moore said coldly.

They led the way ahead, and Tu Nan followed behind them. She only felt that the farther they went, the faster they walked, until she could barely keep up.

A bell began to toll inside the Castle.

The long, deep peals echoed around them, one after another.

From the moment the bell rang, Moore and William grew visibly anxious. Each of them grabbed one of Tu Nan’s arms and charged forward. In the last few steps, they were practically running.

Only when they entered a hall did the two finally stop. Panting, they wiped the sweat from their faces, and their expressions relaxed.

As the final bell toll faded, Tu Nan counted in her heart. The bell had rung eleven times in total.