How Should I Repay Someone for Stealing My Prey?

Through Annie's introduction, everyone gained a general understanding of the Caster family.

In short, because of their congenital hereditary disease, the family rarely appeared in public. The last to appear before outsiders was probably Baron Wood Caster, thirty years ago—the man who sold weapons and then led his family into seclusion.

Annie had learned of the family's existence by chance while conducting research in country Y. The family was mysterious, after all, making them ideal material for her novels.

"Hmm... then this baron was most likely the previous head of the Caster family? He took his wife and two children into seclusion on this little island, where they lived cut off from the world?"

Bailey stroked his chin as he analyzed the information they had.

"Thirty years ago? If that woman was right, and none of the Casters live past forty, then his two children should indeed have died long ago."

The wealthy businessman sat to one side and made the casual remark after hearing Bailey.

When they arrived, they had only seen Mrs. Caster, and the butler had also told them that the other masters had all passed away, so there was nothing really wrong with what the businessman said.

His tone, however, was unpleasant to hear. Standing nearby, Song Nan frowned deeply, feeling great disdain for him.

"But Mrs. Caster looks very young to me. She doesn't even seem to be thirty yet..."

It was the first time the blond woman had spoken since entering the villa, but upon hearing her, Phil couldn't help glaring at her in disgust.

"Sofina, behave yourself. You don't get a say here."

At Phil's words, the blond woman, Sofina, trembled and hurriedly buried her head in Brussels's arms.

Brussels held her tighter. Although he was very unhappy with Phil's attitude, he feared his family's influence and could only try to speak calmly.

"Phil, I know you brought Sofina onto the ship, and it bothers you that she's clinging to me now, but you're a man. How can you keep swearing at a woman?"

"Heh! Do you have no brains? Have you forgotten what she did before? Fine, defend her all you want. Let's see how you end up."

With that, Phil drained his glass of red wine in one gulp. Paying no attention to what anyone else thought, he went upstairs on his own.

The people left downstairs looked at one another.

The atmosphere had grown tense. Only Brussels paid it no mind, continuing to comfort Sofina in a low voice.

They had originally intended to discuss searching the villa, but Phil had ended up disrupting everything.

Fortunately, their discussion hadn't been entirely fruitless. They had learned that the Caster family wasn't anything supernatural, but a real family, and that at least eased some of their wariness.

They still couldn't reach a consensus. Ever since Phil had brought up that matter, the others had also grown restless.

Soon, they returned to their rooms one after another.

Time passed quickly on the island, and before they knew it, evening had arrived.

Through the windows sealed with iron bars, they could see that the moon had already set. Darkness surged once more, threatening to swallow everything.

Xie Qi had long been waiting in the kitchen, wiping a cleaver half an arm's length with a piece of pristine white cloth.

The knife was worthy of being a system product. Not only was it smooth as a mirror, but even when blood got on it, he only had to flick the blade and the droplets would slide off like rain, sparing him the trouble of cleaning it.

He hadn't made Nikalos work overtime again tonight. His resentment during the day had already been a bit much for Xie Qi to bear. If he made him come again tonight, Nikalos might disregard his status and rise up to kill him instead.

As a former capitalist, Xie Qi understood the carrot-and-stick approach well. He couldn't push a worker too hard, or he might very well end up hanging from a streetlight.

Xie Qi hummed a tune as he wiped the knife, but by ten o'clock, the wealthy businessman still hadn't shown up.

He put down the knife and turned around, his hand brushing against the cutting board. A soft sensation reached his palm.

He unconsciously stroked it a few times and murmured, "What a pity. I wanted to treat you to one last meal."

With that, he went to put the meat on the table back where it belonged, only to notice a bundle on the serving cart by the kitchen entrance.

Xie Qi hadn't turned on the lights when he came into the kitchen. Everything he did was in the dark.

He first put the meat away, then turned to look. It was the set of clothes Lina had taken away to wash the night before.

The black shirt and suit had both been ironed, and when he leaned close, he could smell a faint, fresh fragrance.

Xie Qi was somewhat speechless. The little maid came and went like a ghost, and she was always doing these things when he wasn't paying attention.

Since she'd been here just now, she could have given him the clothes in person. Was he going to eat her or something?

Xie Qi shook his head, picked up the clothes and the knife, and prepared to return to his room first.

When he reached the second floor, the long, narrow corridor resembled a monster's mouth. Guided by the scarlet tongue of a carpet, travelers were led toward an abyss of death.

With one step onto it, a person seemed to be dyed blood-red, reflecting the dim yellow candlelight.

Holding the knife casually with its back toward him, he dragged it along the carpet, leaving a dark trail.

The doors along the corridor stood in neat rows like a beast's enormous teeth, keeping the prey it raised behind them.

Xie Qi had only intended to pass through on his way back to his room, but a sound unexpectedly stopped him.

The wealthy businessman lived behind this door. Xie Qi hadn't expected the man to jump out on his own before he even went looking for him.

Knife in hand, Xie Qi approached and pressed his ear to the door. Unfortunately, apart from the sound just now, everything was silent.

A strange premonition came over him. Xie Qi couldn't help stroking his chin, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Could it be...

Someone had stolen his prey?

A surge of hostility rose in his heart. He pulled a key ring from his waist, with more than a dozen keys hanging from it.

He casually picked one and inserted it straight into the keyhole before him.

The moment the door opened, the familiar stench of blood rushed at him.

His premonition had come true. The fat businessman lay on the floor, his eyes wide and his face full of disbelief. A chair lay toppled beside him.

The sound Xie Qi had just heard was the chair's back giving way under the man's weight and tipping backward, bringing the already dead businessman down with it.

There was a wound on the businessman's neck. Blood had flowed from it, covering his body and staining the floor beneath him red.

Xie Qi surveyed the scene from the doorway and gave an inscrutable chuckle.

Then he circled the businessman step by step, examining him.

[Oh my god! Who would've thought there was another killer hiding in this villa besides the head chef?]

[They even killed this fatty before the head chef could. It's the first time the head chef has failed~ (watching the show)]

[Judging by the way his throat was cut, this wasn't a beginner. Looks like the head chef has a rival.]

[The head chef's still pretending to be calm, but he's actually panicking inside, right? (doge)]

Just as the bullet comments suggested, Xie Qi was also considering how the person who had stolen his prey didn't seem to have acted on a whim. Their technique was clean, and their timing precise. If they had been a step later, he would have caught them.

As for panicking?

Xie Qi grinned, his eyes darkening like a bottomless, icy pool.

How naughty, daring to steal my prey...

Are you ready to make it up to me?

My lamb?

(My lamb)