Boundless darkness instantly swallowed Shen Luolin’s consciousness.
Following that, a cold, emotionless, synthesized mechanical voice echoed in the depths of his mind.
[**HOST HAS ENTERED THE SIMULATION WORLD**]
[**Simulation Instance: Thorns and Masks**]
[**Host Identity: Luolin Frostwolf, fallen Grand Duke, current head of the Frostwolf Family, debtor**]
[**Mission Background: The great world tree, Yggdrasil, is withering, and the barriers of the Kingdom of Elf are growing thinner by the day. The current ruler of the Kingdom of Elf, Sylvia Singyu, has served as Regent for three years but has yet to receive the recognition of the world tree’s royal selection.
In the eyes of the outside world, she is a “tyrant” who suppresses dissent with an iron fist;
In the eyes of the Senate, she is an illegitimate “usurper.”
There are even rumors that the Queen, in order to keep her throne, is willing to use her own younger sister, Princess Lumina, as a political bargaining chip…**]
[**The Senate has teamed up with the new nobility to initiate impeachment against Sylvia. If the Queen cannot find a partner to prove the legitimacy of her rule before the Founding Day banquet in one month, the Senate will initiate removal procedures.**]
[**Main Quest (Phase One): The False Duet**]
[**Quest Objective: Accept and complete Sylvia’s secret commission**]
The cold, drizzling rain tapped against the windowsill.
Shen Luolin dragged his lead-filled legs until he finally reached the carved iron gates of the Frostwolf Mansion.
The relief of a lone wolf on the gate had half of its face hidden in shadows. As the rain washed over it, the wolf looked as though it were mourning.
The grandeur was still as it had been 100 years ago.
Unfortunately, the garden behind the gate had long since been overtaken by weeds. Only a few half-dead Night Queens peeked through the overgrowth with a pathetic hint of purple.
The old formal suit he wore was clean, however, without a single wrinkle.
‘Tsk, this Luolin Frostwolf in the Simulation World is just like me — a refined but unlucky fellow.’
After assessing his current situation, Shen Luolin pushed open the heavy iron gate with an expressionless face.
In the empty hall, only the sound of his own footsteps echoed, sounding eerily desolate.
Just as he was about to head upstairs in the dark, a small, weak flicker of candlelight at the end of the hallway caught his attention.
Under the candlelight, a small figure was curled up in a wheelchair, her head nodding periodically. She had clearly fallen asleep while waiting.
In her small hands, she held a cup of water that had long since turned cold.
Before entering the instance, Shen Luolin had naturally been provided with the necessary knowledge. He recognized the girl in the wheelchair at a glance as his younger sister and his only relative in this world, Cosette Frostwolf.
She was a “medicine jar.”
Her life had to be sustained every month by expensive potions.
Shen Luolin’s brow furrowed instinctively.
‘In this ghostly weather, instead of lying properly in bed, she’s out here in the hallway catching the draft?’
‘Is she looking for an early death, rushing to give the Grim Reaper more work?’
‘What a reckless little troublemaker.’
Adhering to the principle that less trouble was better, he lightened his footsteps, intending to slip directly upstairs.
But just as he prepared to go up, Cosette’s long eyelashes fluttered, and she suddenly jolted awake.
When she saw clearly that it was him, her sleepy eyes instantly lit up like stars ignited in the dark night.
“Brother! You’re back!”
She tried to sit up straight in a panic, but her movements were too rushed, and the cup in her hand almost went flying.
She offered the cup of water like a precious treasure, her voice soft and sweet, carrying a hint of cautious flattery.
“You’re back. Quickly, drink some hot water to warm up… I—I’ve been holding it with my hands the whole time. It should… it shouldn’t be cold yet…”
Shen Luolin took the cup.
The water was cold.
Not only was the water cold, but Cosette’s small hands, which had tried to keep the cup warm, were as icy as two blocks of ice freshly taken from a cellar.
To save that tiny bit of Fire Magic Stone used for heating, she had actually sat foolishly in the cold wind for so long.
How stupid.
“How many times have I told you not to wait for me?” he said irritably.
“I wasn’t waiting,” Cosette argued in a small voice, but her eyes darted around guiltily, staring at her own knees. “It’s just that… I couldn’t sleep.”
This lie was so transparent that the word “guilty” was practically written on her face.
Shen Luolin didn’t bother to expose her. He took off his outer coat, which carried the chill of the night rain, and draped it over her, wrapping her small body completely.
“Go to your room and sleep.”
He pushed the wheelchair, taking Cosette back to her bedroom and tucking in the corners of her blanket.
The moment he turned to leave, his hem was gently caught by a faint force.
“…Brother, if it’s not too much trouble… could you give me a hug?”
the girl’s voice, thin as a mosquito’s buzz, came from behind him.
Cosette seemed to have gathered immense courage to make this request.
Her small head was buried deep, not daring to look at him.
Before Shen Luolin could answer, she hurriedly tried to take it back.
“I—I know this request is very selfish! You must be exhausted after running around all day!”
“I was just saying it! It’s okay if you don’t hug me, really! Go get some rest, Brother. Goodnight!”
As she spoke, she shrunk back into the blankets like a frightened bird, trying to hide herself under the thin covers.
A muffled voice came from under the blanket.
“It’s just that Mom said when she was alive… that when a family member returns, we should give them a hug immediately so they know they aren’t alone…”
“Brother, how long has it been since we’ve hugged…”
Shen Luolin’s footsteps were nailed to the spot.
Ever since he transmigrated, the string of his reason had never loosened.
The Monster Tide, the 100,000 Imperial Guards, the malice of the entire world… he had to shoulder it all alone.
Family…
To him, this word had long since crossed time and space, life and death, becoming a distant and blurry symbol of warmth.
Dad, Mom, and his younger sister who used to fight him for snacks… he wondered how they were doing now.
In a daze, Cosette’s face before him overlapped with the younger sister in his memory.
As if possessed, Shen Luolin actually leaned down as if by some strange twist of fate.
He allowed those two excessively thin arms to cautiously wrap around his neck.
“Thank you for your hard work, Brother.”
A warm breath, mixed with a faint, bitter scent of medicine, bloomed against his ear.
The small body in his arms was as light as a feather, and her bony shoulder blades felt prominent through the thin fabric, making his heart ache with a steady rhythm.
He could feel the fabric on his shoulder being gradually soaked by a warm dampness.
This little girl was crying.
In that moment, many images flashed through Shen Luolin’s mind.
He thought of Moyin, the girl who had entrusted him with her final bit of trust in the Extreme Cold Mine;
He thought of Aila, who always followed behind him, looking at him with eyes full of adoration;
He even thought of the maid, Lia, who was always subservient and took care of his every need.
All that care was sincere and warm.
But it was different.
Before them, he was the leader, the savior, the “Shen Luolin” who had to remain powerful at all times and never fail in his calculations.
He was used to responding to those expectations with a hardened shell, used to calculating how to repay kindness the moment he received it.
But the child in his arms was different.
She didn’t know how powerful he was, and she didn’t care if he could save the world.
She only saw his shoulders soaked by the rain and the fatigue hidden beneath his coat.
Her own life was nearly burnt out, yet she still thought of staying up half the night in the cold wind, just to share the tiny bit of lingering warmth she had with this “hard-working” brother.
Before her, he didn’t need to play the hero; he only needed to be a flesh-and-blood human being again.
At this moment, it felt as though he wasn’t in some deadly Simulation Instance. Instead, he had laid down his burdens and returned to that real-world home he could never go back to.
‘If my sister saw me like this now, she’d probably be secretly tearing up too, wouldn’t she?’
‘This child… honestly.’
In the end, Shen Luolin raised his hand and, somewhat stiffly, gently patted his sister’s back.
“Sleep, Cosette.”
***
Returning to his own bedroom, Shen Luolin’s feet stopped right at the doorway. From the crack of the door, an aggressive, cold fragrance seeped out—one that did not belong in this impoverished home.
Someone was in the room.
He pushed the door open calmly.
A woman sat quietly on his only armchair.
It was a perfect body confined within a tight formal dress.
Her legs were crossed, and the hem of the dress was stretched into a tight, dangerous curve.
Moonlight flowed in, casting a snow-white silhouette over her perfect figure.
Her platinum blonde hair was pinned high, revealing a neck that was dazzlingly white.
Though she was undoubtedly a top-tier beauty by any worldly standard, the problem was—
‘What is the difference between this person’s behavior and a home invasion?’
Shen Luolin rolled his eyes internally and closed the door behind him.
“Duke Luolin Frostwolf.”
The woman finally spoke, her voice as cold and hard as her demeanor.
“I am Sylvia Singyu, the current ruler of the Kingdom of Elf.”
She gave Shen Luolin no time to react and cut straight to the point.
“I need a fiancé.”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.