Mutual Redemption with the Villainous Boss [Infinite] - Chapter 19

The corridor was narrow and long, and it took a considerable amount of effort to return to her room. Zhu Ci felt her way along the uneven walls as she moved forward. The candle wax had long since run out, so she didn’t light it; the pitch-black passage was deathly silent.

She had just seen that notice and spent some time scattering about to look for clues, but she hadn’t found anything particularly special. As evening approached, Yu Jiayi suggested they return to their respective rooms. Not knowing what might happen during the night, it was better to take precautions early and wait for tomorrow.

The corridor was empty, but the sound of dripping water seemed to follow her, surrounding her from behind.

It was said there were no wandering-type RMs (Restricted Monsters) in this instance. She shuddered, pulling her shoulders in slightly.

Yet, that dripping sound grew closer and closer, as if it had pressed against her back, then looped over her head to arrive right in front of her face.

The wall her right hand was touching gradually became damp, as if soaked with the humid air following a summer day. She slowed her pace, not daring to walk further.

The dripping sound came—drip, drip—seeping out from the cracks in the wall and from beneath the picture frames. Originally, there was only a hint of moisture on her hand, but now it was completely drenched, dripping and viscous.

Blood? Zhu Ci thought, but there was no metallic scent of gore in the corridor.

It was very likely a hallucination.

Things were different now compared to her first instance. She no longer crouched on the ground in fear or hid in a corner of the bed whenever she encountered something unimaginable.

In fact, she wasn’t even that frightened this time. She merely scanned the darkness, not letting go of the wall with her drenched right hand. She summoned her gun into her left hand and fired a single bullet forward.

The bullet passed through the water without the sound of hitting a heavy object, nor even the sound of striking the wall.

However, the sound of dripping began to weaken.

After this brief test, she confirmed it was indeed an RM. However, not only did it lack the ability to forge a human appearance, it was also susceptible to damage from her combat weapons.

She switched to her knife and slashed through the water-drenched wall. The water hissed outward, desperate to shrink back immediately.

The water flowed upward, retreating toward the picture frame of the Robin. Zhu Ci’s right hand felt it, and she immediately swung her knife, intending to stop it.

In the darkness, the sound of snapping was crisp and loud.

The picture frame had broken, split in two by the blade.

The water was gone, and the dripping sound had vanished, replaced only by two soft chuckles.

It seemed to be mocking her, or perhaps like a scheme had successfully come to fruition.

After waiting for a moment and finding no further movement, Zhu Ci continued to lean against the wall as she returned to her room.

Back in the illuminated room, she looked down at her right hand. It was perfectly clean, without even a single drop of water on it.

Although she was puzzled by that final laugh, she couldn’t figure it out for the time being. She could only change into her pajamas and fall into a deep sleep on the bed.

The next day, the clock hanging on the dark green wall showed 9:00. Nine chimes rang outside the window, startling Zhu Ci awake from her dreams.

She sat up halfway, propping herself up, only to feel a strange, smooth sensation against her skin.

Looking down, her clothes were completely gone!

She had gone to sleep last night wearing the pajamas she bought from the Mall, but this morning, she was naked!

Zhu Ci hurriedly got out of bed and opened the carved wardrobe. Inside, there were only five sets of Victorian-era evening gowns, floor-length and grand. Her own clothes were nowhere to be found.

She picked one up and held it against herself, finding it perfectly fitted—including the corset, which was exactly her size.

The Wren appeared silently at the doorway: “Do you need help?”

Zhu Ci jumped, turning around defensively and staring at the Wren’s movements.

The maid did not move. She kept her head slightly bowed, hands clasped in front of her, and simply repeated: “Do you need help?”

After staring at her for a while and seeing nothing amiss, Zhu Ci asked, “Where are my clothes?”

“Guests must wear guests’ clothes,” the Wren replied, maintaining her posture.

Role-playing, it seemed, had to be done from the outside in.

“Help me then. I’ve never worn this kind before.”

Hearing this, the Wren obediently stepped forward, handing her the items one by one. Finally, she wrapped the corset around her and gave a violent tug.

“Ah!” Caught off guard, Zhu Ci cried out and looked back at her. “Why did you pull so hard all of a sudden?”

“This is how it must be worn,” the Wren said. Her tone was flat, yet there was a trace of grievance within it.

With wide lace cuffs, a skirt trailing to the floor, ribbons wrapped around the neck, and a tightly constricted waist—once the outfit was finally complete, the layers upon layers of fabric severely restricted Zhu Ci’s movement, sparking a sense of irritation in her heart.

The Wren bowed, adjusted the hem of the skirt for her, and then slipped away from the doorway as silently as she had arrived.

Holding up her skirt and carrying the oil lamp with a fresh candle, Zhu Ci walked down the corridor with slow, measured steps.

Within ten paces, her frustration reached its limit.

Wearing such clothes in a horror instance was utterly impractical. It was impossible to move freely, and even turning around was difficult.

Summoning her knife, she went to work directly.

She slashed the lower hem of the skirt, revealing a section of her calves, and ripped out the petticoat. Her lower body instantly felt much lighter.

She raised the lamp again, reached behind her back, sliced the corset strings, and shed the restrictive garment.

She let out a long sigh of relief. It felt as though her lungs had been cleared, allowing her to breathe in more fresh air.

Leaving the strips of clothing in the hallway, she continued forward with her lamp.

After passing through that corridor, she reached the massive drawing room. Several people were sitting at the long table, all dressed in evening gowns. The table was laden with breakfast. He Fanghui was feasting ravenously; her clothes hung loosely on her body, the long hem dragging on the floor and the collar nearly falling off her chest, but she didn’t care in the least.

Zhu Ci walked over and pulled the neckline up for her.

He Fanghui looked up and, seeing a familiar face, simply greeted: “Sit, eat something.”

“No thanks, I don’t want to eat Western food again.” Zhu Ci rubbed her stomach. She had eaten too much greasy food last night; this morning, she actually craved some steamed buns and a bowl of tofu pudding, but those certainly wouldn’t be found here.

“Still being picky even after entering an instance? Here, every meal could be your last,” He Fanghui said elegantly as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. Her voice was loud, causing everyone to look at her.

The Wren appeared by the green door again at some unknown moment. She asked softly, “Is there anything the guest would like to eat?”

“…Never mind, no need.” This person always appeared so suddenly that it gave Zhu Ci a fright.

“I have something I want to eat,” He Fanghui said, her mischievous side surfacing. “I want to eat roasted small birds. Ideally, tender Wrens. Do you have any of those here?”

The Wren looked up, a flash of confusion in her eyes, before shaking her head: “It seems we do not.”

“Tsk, boring.” Not getting the reaction she wanted, He Fanghui poked at her food with a fork, displeased.

The Wren stood by the green door, head bowed, without saying a word.

About twenty minutes later, everyone had arrived. The mysterious man from yesterday also showed up, though he remained as unapproachable as ever.

As the clock neared 10:00, the Skylark emerged from the green door, performed a gentleman’s bow, and said, “Dear guests, the trial will begin at 10:30. Please enter through the white door. We hope everyone arrives on time.”

The Wren followed with a bow. This time, the two did not return to the green door but stood aside to wait.

Chen Jian leaned in and asked, “What exactly is being tried? Trying the Sparrow? And who is the Sparrow?”

Yu Jiayi scooped some mashed potatoes, swirling her spoon. “The answers to those questions won’t be known until 10:30. It’s unclear for now.”

“What about you, Zhu Ci? Have you thought of anything?” Chen Jian was still unwilling to give up.

“Do you treat her like a search engine?” He Fanghui glanced over, stealing a spoonful of Yu Jiayi’s mashed potatoes. “The time is almost here, stop annoying her.”

Zhu Ci actually had something to say. She began, “Actually, last night when I went back to my room, in the corridor…”

She paused, then changed her phrasing: “Did any of you encounter anything strange last night?”

the three of them indicated they had not.

“What happened in the corridor?” Yu Jiayi asked.

“Nothing much, just a water-type RM. I dealt with it.” As she spoke, she withheld the specific detail from the very end of the encounter.

For some reason, she didn’t want to mention it.

The long hand of the clock pointed straight down—10:30. The silence in the drawing room was unnervingly eerie.

The Skylark and the Wren, one on each side, pulled open the white door.

A figure darted out from within, hopping and skipping until he reached the long table.

“Hello, guests! I am the Cuckoo, and I shall lead you to the trial. Judge Raven has already arrived ahead of time.” The man grinned, biting his lower lip, his eyes curving into crescents. He stood on the floor, leaning on the table, unable to contain his excitement as he bounced in place.

Ye Qingqing stood up, her hand brushing her short hair. “Lead the way.”

Beyond the white door lay another narrow corridor, but this time, at the end of it, there was an old-fashioned manual elevator. Everyone stepped inside; eighteen people in total, yet it didn’t feel crowded.

The elevator descended slowly.

With a thud, it stopped. The Skylark pulled back the lattice gate.

Before them was a place that resembled a cathedral. A tall cross hung in the hall, and at the head of the chamber sat a person.

A majestic, elderly woman.

She picked up the gavel, and the sound reverberated through the court.

“Silence.”

The Skylark and the Wren guided them to the jury box, then took their positions on either side of the judge, while the Cuckoo waved happily and went to stand guard at the door.

Judge Raven surveyed the hall, her eyes looking straight ahead as she spoke: “Will the plaintiff, the Kite, please take his seat.”

Hearing this, the Cuckoo opened the door.

The man called the Kite walked in with his chest out and head held high, not looking anyone in the eye as he went straight to the plaintiff’s seat and sat down.

Judge Raven nodded and continued: “Will the defendant, the Sparrow, please take his seat.”

Everyone looked toward the door. The door did not open. They glanced at one another in silence, wondering why the Sparrow had not yet arrived.

He Fanghui leaned over and whispered to Zhu Ci, “The Sparrow is just like you, loves to be late.”

Zhu Ci didn’t respond. An answer was starting to form in her mind, but she didn’t dare show it.

Judge Raven waited for a moment, sighed, and struck the loud gavel once more. “Skylark, Wren, Cuckoo—go and invite the defendant to take their seat.”

The three moved immediately.

They did not go outside. Instead, they walked toward the jury box.

The Cuckoo and the Wren stood before Chen Liangyi and Ye Qingqing respectively, while the Skylark came to a halt beside Zhu Ci.

The three of them bowed simultaneously: “Will the Sparrow please enter the defendant’s dock.”

All the players were shocked. The companions of the other two teams immediately shielded them. Yu Jiayi also reached out, her left hand holding a blade to block the path to Zhu Ci, while He Fanghui narrowed her eyes dangerously: “Say that again.”

Zhu Ci remained calm. She pressed down on Yu Jiayi’s arm and asked, “Why are we the Sparrow? And why have we become the defendants? May I ask what crime we have committed?”

“Hmph!” The Kite suddenly stood up, slamming the table. “What crime? I saw it with my own eyes last night—the Sparrow killed the Cock Robin!”

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