Chapter 199

Chapter 199

The Beast lunged at her, bringing with it a terrifying, foul wind.

The next second, a huge black hole suddenly opened beneath their feet and swallowed them both.

Tu Nan was no stranger to that sensation of weightlessness. She closed her eyes and only opened them again when she felt solid ground beneath her feet once more.

The bell had just struck its final chime.

She turned her head and glanced at Moore and William, who were both letting out relieved breaths now that they had made it in time.

A Beast’s roar came from the doorway. The doors were shoved open with tremendous force and slammed hard against the wall.

Tu Nan touched the Bracelet on her wrist and exhaled softly.

From the moment the Beast entered, she had activated Sleeping Beauty’s Bracelet. Everything that happened afterward, to them, had all been a dream.

She lowered her head and looked at the Bracelet on her wrist, gently rubbing it with her fingers.

Sleeping Beauty’s Bracelet could sense intense emotions and pull people into a dream. In dreams created that way, even the Bracelet’s owner could not tell dream from reality. But when she actively opened the dream herself, the master of the dream could freely control whether the dream shattered.

Based on her experience last time, for safety’s sake, she had to leave the dream after four attempts at most.

For an Instance like this, where death could come right up to your face, the usefulness of this item went without saying.

Before the dream ended, she could gather as much information as possible and give herself more leverage.

From the looks of it, the moment midnight arrived, Andrew would completely lose his sanity and turn into the Beast. She had to find a way to leave this place within the hour and locate somewhere safe.

Tu Nan raised her eyes toward the door. Andrew, with a human body and a Beast’s face, appeared in the entrance.

Beside him, Moore and William knelt on the ground, trembling as they recited the familiar lines.

Andrew walked up to her and asked, “What is your name?”

“My name is Belle.” She dipped into a slight curtsy. Based on what she had deduced during the last round of the dream, Andrew preferred people with manners. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

A trace of surprise flashed through Andrew’s eyes. “You are not afraid of me?”

Tu Nan looked up at him, her gaze flickering away for a moment. She tried to act as though she did not care at all, but there was still a faint tremor in her voice.

“Only a little. But since you let me take a hot bath and gave me a clean dress, I thought you couldn’t be that bad of a person.” She revealed a somewhat innocent smile.

[Target’s Favorability toward you: 0]

Tu Nan lowered her head, hiding the barely perceptible amusement in her eyes.

What Andrew needed most right now was someone who could treat him like an ordinary person.

He was already used to the fear people showed when they saw him. But deep down, he still saw himself as a normal person. In the depths of his heart, he still had the pride of a Prince, which was precisely why he grew so terrified after failing again and again.

He wrapped his fear in anger. He swore he would eat every girl who saw him, but that was only because he was afraid of failing yet again.

She needed to pretend she was different and gradually win his Favorability.

“You are far too naive.” Andrew gave a cold snort of laughter and deliberately frightened her in a vicious tone. “They only washed you clean because I do not eat filthy food.”

Tu Nan believed that this was indeed the real reason William and Moore had made her bathe.
She let just the right amount of panic show on her face, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at Andrew as though she had been scared senseless.

Looking at her expression, Andrew felt a surge of bitter hatred rise from the depths of his heart.

Everyone feared him. Everyone was terrified of him. Without exception!

But the young woman before him bit her lower lip and asked cautiously, “Why are you trying to scare me on purpose? I don’t believe you’d eat people. You may look a little frightening, but your eyes tell me you’re not a bad person.”

Andrew froze.

It had been far too long since he had received any kindness from others. So long that when it finally came, he hardly knew how to react.

“You’re truly not afraid of me?” he asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

“I am afraid.” Tu Nan took a deep breath. “But my father told me that fear is useless.”

“Your father?” Andrew scoffed, his tone dripping with contempt. “He is nothing but a coward through and through. He tried to steal my rose, then sent you here to pay for his crime.”

“I was the one who asked him to bring me a rose when he came home,” Tu Nan said calmly. “If he is guilty, then it began with me. I am willing to stay here and repay the debt until the day you believe it has been settled.”

Andrew stared fixedly at her, his thoughts unreadable.

He was hesitating over whether to try once more. But he had already had enough torment. He had long since stopped expecting anyone to fall in love with him as he was.

Still, considering this young woman had not screamed the moment she saw him, he decided to give her a chance.

“My name is Andrew,” he said. “Do you want to know why I became like this?”

Few people could restrain their curiosity.

In his heart, he made up his mind. If she said “yes,” he would eat her. If she said “no,” he would let her stay.

But she gave neither answer.

Tu Nan said, “I believe that must be a very unpleasant matter for you. I don’t wish for you to recall such unhappy memories.”

[Target’s Favorability toward you: 20]

Tu Nan smiled with genuine sincerity.

For the first time since Andrew had become the Beast, he felt somewhat at a loss. He cleared his throat, deliberately looking away as he pretended not to care. “Very well. In that case, you may stay here for the time being.”

“Thank you for your mercy,” Tu Nan said. “Could you give me a room to stay in? The dungeon is a little too damp and cold for me.”

With 20 Favorability toward her, Andrew was quite easy to talk to. He casually ordered Moore to arrange a room for her, then told William to prepare food.

“You haven’t eaten anything all day. You can rest after you have a meal,” Andrew said.

Tu Nan paused, not having expected him to actually keep her for dinner.

Roughly half of the hour had already passed. She had too little time left.

“That would be too much trouble,” Tu Nan said gently. “I can endure it. Eating tomorrow morning would be the same.”

“It’s fine.” Andrew had already walked over to the dining table and sat down. In passing, he pulled out the chair beside him. Who it was for went without saying.

“I have a habit of eating a late-night snack. They prepared it long ago.”