A Psychiatrist's Bizarre Game Journey / Dream of the Mist

Completely contrary to the allure created by wearing less clothing, and unlike the noblewoman's temperament revealed by others wearing such conservative ball gowns, Zhou Ke'er did not appear dignified and elegant at all, but rather extremely seductive and charming.

Despite the dress being so conservative and even somewhat ascetic, Zhou Ke'er exuded a completely opposite aura. This sense of conflict, however, seemed perfectly natural, as if it were meant to be that way.

"Please, Miss Memoiride."

Nosa looked at Zhou Ke'er with admiration and without making a sound. Then, he made a "please" gesture in front of the Duke's mansion and led Zhou Ke'er into the mansion.

Although he was a nobleman and had seen all kinds of women, someone of Zhou Ke'er's caliber was indeed very rare.

Zhou Ke'er covered her mouth and chuckled softly as she walked slowly forward under the watchful eyes of everyone around her.

Before long, Nosa led Zhou Ke'er to stand in the banquet hall of the Duke's mansion. However, since Duke Timius had not yet arrived and the ball had not yet started, Zhou Ke'er simply stood there quietly, holding a wine glass in her hand and pouring herself a drink.

Just then, a man dressed equally elegantly, who looked quite young, walked over hesitantly. He was also holding a wine glass in his hand, but he seemed a little nervous, as his hand was trembling slightly.

The man's cheeks flushed slightly, and he seemed a little shy. He stammered, "You...hello, may I have the honor of knowing your name and sharing a drink with you?"

Zhou Ke'er raised an eyebrow, a charming smile playing on her lips, but she didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned her head to glance at Nuosha.

Nossa shrugged helplessly, though it seemed to be just for Zhou Ke'er's benefit. He then coughed lightly and said to the man, "I'm sorry, Viscount Lannister, it might not be possible now—Miss Memoride is here at the invitation of your father, Duke Timius, and will be meeting with him later. Perhaps you'll have a chance to invite her to dance after that, but it might not be possible now—after all, the banquet is about to begin, and your father will be making his appearance soon, won't he?"

"I see... Well... okay then."

Lannister's face showed visible disappointment, but he still said to Zhou Ke'er, "Let me introduce myself. I am Lannister, the second son of Duke Timius. I hope to dance with you at the banquet, Miss Memoride."

Zhou Ke'er smiled, not answering directly, but simply nodding slightly. Then she gently tapped her wine glass against the one in Lannister's hand, producing a crisp sound, and then winked at him.

Lannister's cheeks immediately flushed, even redder than when he arrived, as if he were excited and overjoyed. He was about to turn around and leave when he almost bumped into someone in his excitement. Fortunately, Zhou Ke'er reached out and helped him up from behind, preventing an embarrassing situation from happening.

Lannister realized what was happening and quickly blushed as he looked at Zhou Ke'er with grateful eyes. He seemed to be about to say something when he heard a voice in front of him.

“Brother, you’re still so clumsy. You need to be careful about your words and actions at the ball, and don’t embarrass our family. I’ve reminded you of these things before, have you forgotten them?”

Suddenly, a tall, imposing man, whose height Zhou Ke'er found repulsive at first glance, appeared in front of her and looked down at Lannister, speaking with a lecturing tone.

Lannister blushed upon hearing this and lowered his head, seemingly wanting to admit his mistake. However, for some reason, he glanced at Zhou Ke'er behind him and immediately retorted, "Brother, you were the one who forgot the etiquette of the banquet and stood silently so close behind others. Now you're criticizing me instead. Isn't that a bit unreasonable?"

When you're behind someone, you need to maintain a distance that allows both of you to react. Even if you're only briefly standing behind someone, you should quietly remind them and ask for their permission. Have you forgotten these basic etiquette rules?

The newcomer showed a hint of surprise, as if he hadn't expected Lannister to give such an answer, but he wasn't angry at all. Instead, he looked Zhou Ke'er over with interest, and then said to Lannister, "I've never seen you like this before. Is this the first time you've contradicted me? Is it because of this woman?"

Lannister's eyes widened immediately. He straightened up, stood in front of Zhou Ke'er, and glared at her angrily: "What...what do you want to do?!"

"I just wanted to see who this person was, that they had such magic that they could make you feel courageous."

The man, whose face had been stern the moment before, suddenly smiled and reached out to ruffle Lannister's hair. "If you want to protect the people you care about, remember how you felt just now. As the second son of House Timius, being weak like before won't protect anything. This time, I'll just say you barely passed."

After saying this, before the Lannister, who looked surprised and confused, could say anything, the man waved his hand, picked up his wine glass, and turned to leave.

Nosa whispered in Zhou Ke'er's ear, "That was Duke Timius's eldest son, Isaac Timius. There are rumors that he and his brother don't get along, but that's not actually the case."

Zhou Ke'er gently fiddled with the ends of her hair and nodded thoughtfully.

Just then, the surrounding noise gradually subsided, and it was clear that the host of the banquet, Duke Timius, had made his appearance.

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652. You nobles are really interesting.

In the reception room, a weak flame flickered in the fireplace, making a soft crackling sound.

After Duke Timius finished his brief opening remarks at the banquet, Zhou Ke'er was brought here by Nosa.

While Nosa was still standing aside waiting for Duke Timius to arrive, Zhou Ke'er sat on the sofa as if it were her own business, crossed her legs, leaned back, rested her hands on the armrests, loosely clenched her fists, propped her head up, and looked very comfortable.

However, Norsa didn't say anything.

A short while later, with a soft "thump-thump" sound, Duke Timius finally arrived late.

A middle-aged man with slightly graying hair, but still quite energetic, walked slowly into the reception room, leaning on a cane. He had a serious expression on his face, and the deep nasolabial folds made him seem rather unapproachable.

He glanced at the scene inside the room but didn't say anything. He simply walked slowly to the sofa opposite Zhou Ke'er and sat down, gesturing for her to sit down. "I have a general understanding of the situation, but the time was too short and it's not complete. So please tell me everything from the beginning."

Seemingly accustomed to his superior role, Duke Timius spoke in a commanding tone from the moment he spoke.

Zhou Ke'er curled her lips into a smile, snapped her fingers, and said in a matter-of-fact manner, "Since His Excellency the Duke wishes to hear it again, then so be it. Come, please let Lord Norza repeat it for His Excellency the Duke."

Duke Timius frowned slightly, glanced at Nosa, and then looked at Zhou Ke'er: "Miss Memoride, you don't seem to want to answer my question?"

"Who said this? How could they slander me like this?"

Zhou Ke'er shrugged, putting on an innocent expression. "I just don't want to repeat what I've already said, so I'm asking Lord Nuosha to do it for me. As for the rest of the information, I'll tell you after we've discussed what benefits I should get."

Duke Timius narrowed his eyes. "Are you asking me for something?"

"Don't use the word 'beg,' it makes it sound like I'm begging. We're clearly having a fair trade, aren't we?"

Zhou Ke'er tilted her head and retorted matter-of-factly, "Besides... why can't I ask you for some benefits? The information you want is something only I can give you right now, isn't it?"

“I thought that a mere refugee would maintain a certain degree of respect in front of nobles. It seems that you have now lost your sense of hierarchy. Perhaps I may need to remind you personally—although this may dirty my hands, it is necessary.”

Duke Timius stood up, slowly walked to Zhou Ke'er, looked down at her, and casually flicked his cane, which flew off to reveal its sharp blade.

Zhou Ke'er also stood up, but did not dodge.

"Shh!"

The sword blade stabbed fiercely towards Zhou Ke'er, making a sharp whistling sound.

Zhou Ke'er could tell at a glance that the guy stopped the moment the sword tip touched him, purely to bluff him with his precise control.

As expected, the sword stopped just as it touched Zhou Ke'er. Duke Timius glanced at Zhou Ke'er, seemingly about to say something.

But Zhou Ke'er curled the corners of her mouth and took a step forward.