New favorite

The Duke's pompous speech had just ended. At his signal, the servants brought out one platter of delicious food after another in a steady stream.

"Please, don't stand on ceremony. Make yourselves at home and enjoy!" The Duke raised both arms in an inviting gesture.

Everyone exchanged glances, then stopped holding back.

With swift, precise movements, Zhao Xun tore both legs off the roast chicken and started eating before anyone else could react.

Although the others were somewhat displeased, they could hardly snatch the food from Zhao Xun's mouth.

They could only shoot him a few dirty looks and find something else to eat.

The townspeople enjoyed the lavish food, while the Duke enjoyed their flattery. Everyone got what they wanted, and the meal proved satisfying for host and guests alike.

In high spirits, the Duke even opened a bottle of fine wine from his private collection and shared half a glass with everyone.

Zhao Xun took one sip and drank no more, giving the rest to a guard standing nearby.

To protect the Duke in case any of the commoners harbored ill intentions, guards had been stationed all around the banquet hall's perimeter.

Of course, there were also a few guards inside the hall.

The guard looked at the wineglass being offered to him, a little surprised.

"I don't like drinking, but this really is good wine. It would be such a waste to throw it away." Looking regretful, Zhao Xun said to the guard, "You've been working hard, my friend. Why not treat yourself?"

The guard was tempted, but still hesitated.

Zhao Xun knew exactly why. He smiled and said, "It's only a little under half a glass. Surely your tolerance isn't so low that this would get you drunk? It definitely won't affect your work."

"That's true." The guard took the glass and drained it in one gulp.

After handing the glass back to Zhao Xun, the guard smacked his lips, still savoring the taste.

"By the way, do you know who that girl is?" Zhao Xun indicated the young female player sitting on the Duke's lap with a glance. "She seems pretty close to the Duke."

"Her?" The wine had relaxed the guard, and his tone was no longer so stern. "She's the Duke's new favorite."

"New favorite?" Zhao Xun raised his eyebrows slightly.

Although the relationship between the young female player and the Duke was practically plain for all to see, calling her his "new favorite" was certainly blunt.

She was a player, after all. Even if she was timid and cowardly, there was no need for her to be so submissive to an NPC.

Surely her main quest couldn't be to become the Duke's new favorite?

Hmm... if that really was the case, it would be pretty absurd. I'd feel like we weren't even playing the same game.

"Yes, she suddenly showed up last night." The guard thought back for a moment, then continued, "I don't know exactly who she is. All I know is that the Duke likes her quite a bit."

Zhao Xun considered this and asked, "As far as you remember, was she already in the Duke's Manor when you first noticed her?"

"Well..." The guard struggled to recall for quite a while. "Now that you mention it, I think she was. Maybe she happened to arrive while I was on a break."

Zhao Xun murmured in acknowledgment and changed the subject. "Judging by the Duke's attitude, does he intend to make her his wife?"

"That I really couldn't tell you." The guard gave a suggestive smile. "The Duke likes young girls, but taking a wife... he's never actually done that."

"Oh, I see." Zhao Xun smiled along with him. "I just wonder whether the girl is willing."

"Why wouldn't she be?" the guard said disdainfully. "With the Duke's status and position, countless women want his favor. She's been given that honor. How could she possibly be unwilling?"

"So the girl and the Duke must be getting along quite happily, then?" As he spoke, Zhao Xun glanced at the young female player in the distance.

She kept her head lowered, staring at her fingers, and rarely spoke. Only when the Duke touched her did her shoulders tremble slightly.

No matter how he looked at her, she didn't seem willing.

Much less happy.

"I suppose they are." As though something had just occurred to him, the guard looked Zhao Xun up and down and gave an inscrutable smile. "You haven't taken a fancy to that girl, have you?"

"No, no, no." Zhao Xun quickly waved his hands. "I wouldn't dare compete with the Duke over a woman."

"Good to see you know your place." The guard patted Zhao Xun on the shoulder. "Still, you're not entirely without a chance. Once the Duke gets tired of her, he won't mind another man asking for the girl."

"Hahaha, then I'll just have to wait patiently." Zhao Xun played along with a laugh.

After a little more idle conversation, the banquet was nearly over, and the Duke had already left with his new favorite in tow. Zhao Xun quickly wrapped up his conversation with the guard, picked up a brown paper bag he had spotted earlier, and stuffed it with some bread, a few bottles of milk, and several packets of desserts.

Although he wasn't sure whether he could take food out of the game, this would be enough to keep him fed for his remaining two days in the game without using the supplies in his suitcase or going hungry.

The guard watched in astonishment as Zhao Xun left the banquet hall carrying a large bag of food.

The Duke had never actually forbidden anyone from packing food to take away, but no one had ever done anything like this before.

Zhao Xun paid no attention to anyone's stares and simply continued outside.

A few of the bolder guests followed his example, finding some brown paper on the dining table and wrapping up a few things to take with them.

Most lacked the courage and could only watch enviously, muttering a few jealous remarks.

Zhao Xun walked some distance outside. Taking advantage of the crowded confusion and the fact that most of the guards had gone to the gates of the Duke's Manor to maintain order, he quickly slipped into the Bamboo Grove in the garden.

As he headed deeper into the Bamboo Grove, he recalled his conversation with the guard.

He had asked those questions to figure out what role the underage female player was playing here and sound out what her main quest might be.

Instead, he had learned about the Duke's private life.

The Duke's behavior had already made it obvious that he was a dirty old lecher, but judging by the guard's few remarks, his private life was far more sordid than that.

Ruby had grown up under a master like this. If she had even a little beauty, she had probably been unable to escape being defiled by him.

And Sculpture had said earlier that Ruby worried Xiao Ai would suffer the same fate as her...

To be honest, Xiao Ai was quite pretty.

This led him to suspect that the "fate" Ruby feared was that Xiao Ai would also be defiled by the Duke, just as she had been.

Taking that speculation further, the deaths of Xiao Ai's parents might also have been connected to the Duke, and he might have been the one who made Ruby take the blame.

The Duke had killed Xiao Ai's parents so that he could have Xiao Ai without anything standing in his way.