Chapter 164: Touring the Ancient Castle

Chapter 164: Touring the Ancient Castle

"So," Sophia frowned as she finished listening to Thalia, her voice turning a few degrees colder, "you've been tracking and investigating us?"

Thalia gave an awkward smile, stuffing her hands into her pockets with a casual expression. "I used to be a mafia boss, so I know people in many cities. Finding someone isn't hard for me."

She paused, then looked up to remind them, "Besides, I'm not the only one tracking you. But don't worry, those other people pose no threat to you."

Sophia turned to glance at Victoria, lowering her voice. "You didn't lead Jack here too, did you?"

Victoria quickly raised both hands, waving them repeatedly. "I would never! I didn't tell him I was coming to Silvermoon City!"

Sophia looked at her briefly, said nothing more, and turned her gaze back to Thalia, looking thoughtful.

Thalia stood there, pressed her lips together, suddenly remembering something. Her expression changed slightly as she took half a step back and cleared her throat softly.

Then her body began to slide downward. "Sophia, I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me."

As she spoke, her knees were already starting to bend.

Sophia reacted quickly, reaching out to support her. "What are you doing?"

Thalia froze in a half-crouching position, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Sophia glanced to the side. A few scattered tourists were passing through the corridor, looking their way briefly before moving on.

She pulled Thalia upright, let go, and looked at her. After a few seconds of silence, she said, "I've already heard from Noah about what happened to you over there."

Thalia looked up.

"Since you've already been punished," Sophia continued in a calm voice, "there's no need for this."

"I don't like you, but what's done is done. Everyone's fine, and that's enough. Anyway, whether you're sincere or not, I appreciate the gesture."

Thalia was stunned.

She hadn't expected Sophia to say this. In her mind, she'd imagined Sophia either coldly telling her to leave or brushing her off with a few casual words. She'd prepared herself for all kinds of responses, but now she suddenly didn't know what to say.

She turned her face away, pushing down that inexplicable feeling of being moved, acting as if nothing had happened.

Victoria stepped forward, looking at Thalia with much less hostility, and shrugged. "Well, since you're already here, why not hang out with us? You'd be pretty bored on your own anyway."

Thalia turned her head, looking at Victoria, then glanced at Emily, who had been quiet the whole time.

Emily met her gaze and nodded gently, showing her welcome.

Thalia curved her lips into a smile, the weight finally lifting from her heart. "Okay."

They walked deeper into the castle and soon saw a notice board with today's afternoon special event:

[Dark Castle's Vampire Legend] Role-playing Experience Activity, Limited Time, All Visitors Welcome!

"Sophia, this one!" Emily's eyes lit up as she tugged on Sophia's sleeve. "I want to try it!"

Sophia smiled indulgently. Ever since Emily's health had improved, she'd been interested in all kinds of new things, which made Sophia happy. "Alright, let's do this one. Ask Victoria what she thinks."

Victoria was already reading the description. She turned around with bright eyes. "This is role-playing with scripts and costumes, and you can draw lots for roles. Sounds pretty fun."

All three of them looked at Thalia, who naturally had no objections. She nodded and followed along.

The staff member who received them said they were still two people short of the minimum number for today's session, so they could wait a bit.

As they hesitated, Sophia caught sight of two people standing in the corridor.

Both men were wearing decorative masks from the castle's rental collection—one silver, covering the upper half of his face, the other dark brown, covering his entire face except his chin and mouth.

Their builds, their postures, that casual way of leaning against the stone wall.

Sophia narrowed her eyes, studying those two figures, then tilted her head slightly toward the disappointed Emily. "Don't worry, I'll go ask if they want to play."

She walked over and addressed the two men. "We need two more people for our activity. Want to join?"

The one in the silver mask glanced at her and said in a low voice, "Sure."

The one in the dark brown mask didn't speak, just lifted his chin slightly in agreement.

Sophia gave them a polite smile, looked at them for two seconds, then said, "Follow me."

Victoria saw the two strange men behind Sophia and quietly moved closer, asking in a low voice, "Who are they?"

"No idea. Just filling the spots."

"They look kind of weird. Should be okay though, right?"

"Don't worry, I'm here. Plus there's Thalia—she's really good at fighting."

Sophia gently patted Victoria's back. Victoria relaxed and said nothing more.

The six of them entered the experience room. The staff distributed scripts, explained the rules, then had everyone draw lots to assign roles.

The story was set in a medieval castle where a vampire family's lord had invited several human guests for the evening, but as night fell, things started going wrong. Someone discovered the lord's secret, someone got caught up in an ancient curse, and ultimately everyone had to find a way to break the curse before dawn, or they'd all be trapped in the castle forever.

Sophia drew the identity of "Lost Traveler"—an ordinary person who had wandered into the castle with no special abilities, but holding a mysterious ancient map. Emily got "Witch's Apprentice," and seeing the character description, she smiled happily.

Victoria, who drew "Duchess," made a face at the elaborate evening gown she had to wear. The staff said this role required maintaining elegance throughout, so she could only nod in agreement.

Thalia quite liked her "Vampire Hunter" card—it suited her perfectly.

The man in the dark brown mask drew "Castle Lord," the core vampire of the evening. The staff handed him a black cloak. He took it and, in front of everyone, unhurriedly shook it open, draped it over his shoulders, fastened it, and turned around. His movements were smooth and natural, and the innate sense of pressure made even the nearby tourists pause and stare.

Victoria watched him for two seconds, then quietly nudged Sophia's arm, mouthing: Doesn't he look just like Alexander?

Sophia frowned and stopped her with a look.

The man in the silver mask also changed into a coat, playing the "Mysterious Visitor"—a character with unclear origins and ambiguous identity.

The experience officially began. The lights suddenly dimmed, leaving only a few flickering candelabras casting dancing shadows on the stone walls.

"Welcome to my castle." The man in the dark brown mask stepped forward, his black cloak sweeping in an arc, looking especially imposing in the candlelight.

He walked toward the prepared long table and surveyed everyone present.

He raised his hand in a gesture of invitation. "Tonight, you are all my guests. Please, dine with me."