Chapter 111: The Arts Festival

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The princess’s words truly frightened them.

After all, the three of them were undoubtedly included among everyone present.

No one wanted to die, and even fewer would be indifferent to their own lives.

Thus, the three Wesford brothers turned back. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know my father intends to kill me, don’t you?”

The three brothers exchanged glances before looking back at the princess. “We do.”

“Then what method do you think my father will use to kill me? And why would he insist on doing it here, in front of so many people? Besides, if you already know about his vile plan, why are you still alive?”

The three brothers were rendered speechless.

Indeed, they had come here only because Zasifei had promised them that, if they guarded the princess here, their family would be spared from purging.

Later, when they had asked how long they were expected to watch her, Zasifei had simply replied, “Until the princess is dead.”

That was how they had learned that Zasifei intended to kill his own daughter.

They loathed such a course of action, but for the sake of their family, what did it matter?

Yet after hearing the princess’s words, uncertainty began to gnaw at them. They started wondering exactly how Zasifei intended to kill her.

And why insist on killing her here?

Before they could figure it out, the princess spoke again.

“Do not cling to the hope that my father will spare you. The reason he wants to kill me is that I learned his secret.”

After saying this, the princess began shaking her head repeatedly. “You three… Hmph.”

She let out several cold laughs. It was impossible to tell whether she was mocking the Wesford brothers or herself.

“Let me tell you this: Based on what I know of him, the only reason he would choose to kill me here is that he has committed some other shameful deed and needs my death to cover it up.”

“What shameful deed?” the eldest Wesford brother asked instinctively.

“What kind of shameful deed do you think would require him to use my life as a cover?”

“We don’t know.”

All three men shook their heads in unison.

“No. You do know. He would need my death as a cover only if he intended to kill someone—many people. Just as I said before, everyone here, without exception, will have to die. And their deaths will be called an ‘accident’!”

After hearing the princess, cold sweat broke out across the backs of the three brothers. Her reasoning was entirely plausible, leaving them unable to find a single flaw in it.

“But even if that’s true, only the three of us will die. Our family will still—”

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“Give it a rest!” The eldest Wesford brother had not even finished speaking when the princess interrupted him with a mocking sneer. “That bastard my father clearly intends to reshuffle the entire Sunset Kingdom—even the surrounding vassal states. Do you really think he would preserve your family over something like this?

“Do not forget that the three of you roughly dragged me here just now, and quite a few people saw it. Do you think my father might not accuse you of kidnapping a princess and plotting rebellion?”

“Damn it!”

The three Wesford brothers were utterly stunned. They had never imagined that Zasifei could be so treacherous, willing to resort to any means necessary to achieve his ends.

“What secret of the king’s did you discover?” the eldest Wesford brother asked, forcing down his anger.

To his surprise, the princess merely lifted the corners of her lips.

“I discovered the secret of my mother’s body.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she swept both hands outward. The water surrounding her instantly began drifting toward her.

That single display astonished not only the three Wesford brothers but also many of the onlookers who had been sneaking glances in their direction.

“Good heavens, members of the royal family really can use magic?”

“Could it be that the three Wesford brothers showed disrespect to the princess, and now she is going to punish them?”

While everyone was lost in wild speculation, the eldest Wesford brother spoke.

“You… You can control water too?”

Of course the three brothers were shocked. More than a decade ago, the mother of the Third Princess—their younger sister—had been chosen by the current king precisely because of this extraordinary ability and had become his consort.

“Naturally. I am one chosen by the sea. Unfortunately, the sea is currently sealed, so I cannot draw upon its full power.”

As she said this, the princess’s eyes deepened to an even darker blue.

“If anything unusual happens later, we leave immediately.”

The three Wesford brothers exchanged a glance, then nodded together.

However, the princess’s display had attracted more than the attention of those nearby. It had also caught Xiao Zi’s notice.

“That woman is very interesting.”

Xiao Zi stared fixedly at the princess, his voice cold and sinister.

Wang Hui had not taken his eyes off the princess from beginning to end. Hearing Xiao Zi’s remark, he let out a strange laugh.

“Right, boss? I think she’s interesting too. She’s incredibly beautiful.”

Xiao Zi fell silent.

“There is an extremely faint aura around her. She should be a human representative of a deity, like you. But the aura is so weak that even I could sense it only after she used her ability.

“When we make our move, you will be responsible for abducting her. I suspect she has something to do with the Deep Sea that is about to awaken.”

The aura emanating from the princess was unmistakably divine. The presence of such an aura could only mean that she was a deity’s representative in the human world.

Combined with her ability to control water, it was difficult for Xiao Zi not to suspect that she might be connected to the system’s mission.

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In truth, Xiao Zi’s plan was brutally simple. His goal was to spread his own terror as widely as possible.

First, he would create a rumor about a terrifying painting here, then associate that painting with himself.

Afterward, he would have the girl named Lokaz paint terrifying pictures obsessively and scatter them throughout the world. That way, whenever someone saw one of her paintings, it would provide him with an endless supply of fear points.

Watching Taishang, Xiao Zi began adjusting his aura and instructed Wang Hui and the Clown:

“Remember our plan. The girl named Lokaz must not die. Neither can that beautiful blonde girl. The rest are of no concern…”

Just then, it was finally time for the painters to take the stage.

The art world held considerable influence throughout the Sunset cultural sphere, and Saint Mildo Academy was renowned across the world. As a result, everyone present turned their attention toward the academy’s representative—Lokaz.

Lokaz had deliberately dressed in a black evening gown that day. It was luxurious, yet carried an unsettling air, and an inscrutable smile remained on her face.

How could that smile be described?

At first glance, it seemed perfectly ordinary. But the longer one looked at it, the more it evoked an inexplicable sense of dread.

Every person present was deeply puzzled.

“Why did Saint Mildo Academy send such an obscure student to perform? What happened to Fenanda, the one who represented them before?”

“What about Fenanda? You mean you haven’t heard?”

“What happened?”

“Hmph. The story has spread throughout the Painting Kingdom. Fenanda was cursed to death by a painting.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know the details either. All I know is that it was a terrifying painting. Anyone who saw it was cursed and eventually committed suicide. Several people have already died because of it.”

“That horrifying?”

“What did you expect? Several of the Painting Kingdom’s most respected old painters have expressly forbidden the creation of horror paintings. Tsk, tsk… It truly is a bizarre affair.”

As the two people continued their conversation, an incongruous voice suddenly rang out.

“Look! What is the representative from Saint Mildo Academy painting?”