Chapter 7: Treading on Thin Ice

How magnificent is the princess's birthday feast? Compared to the grand Saint's Night celebration at the end of every year, which one is truly more spectacular?

Perhaps it's better to say this: the Saint's Night festival, marking the close of the old year and the dawn of the new, sees the entire Stag Empire go on holiday for seven days. So, how many days of holiday does the princess's birthday merit?

The fool, on his way to the castle, had once pondered this very question.

Inevitably, the day of Walnut's birthday feast arrived. The bustling scene created by this celebration made the fool, who had always concealed himself in shadows and silence, deeply understand what it truly meant to be engulfed by a sea of people.

Since three days ago, the skies over the Windswept Sand City had been filled with excitement. By day, the air rang with the sound of cannons. By night, brilliant fireworks transformed the city into a realm without darkness. The streets teemed with the sounds of laughter, and banners declaring wishes for the princess's beauty and health hung high along the avenues. Colorful floats and parades traversed the main roads of Windswept Sand City, with jubilant music and the dance of crowds echoing from every corner.

The fool, head lowered, held onto the little bread with his left hand as he walked along the road leading to the royal district of Windswept Sand City. The city was divided into the commoners' area, the wealthy district, the noble district, and the royal district. Normally, soldiers would block the noble and royal districts, preventing anyone from entering easily. But today was different—the soldiers guarding the gates were smiling, opening the doors wide, and allowing the public to pass freely.

Around him, the sounds of laughter from countless people filled the air. The common folk, rarely able to enter the noble and royal districts, marveled at everything around them. Naturally, they were overjoyed. After all, it was the princess's birthday, and the entire city had been invited to the castle for the grand feast. Perhaps they couldn't enter the royal palace itself, but the experience of enjoying delicious food in the castle's garden while watching performances arranged by the royal family was a rare opportunity.

But… the fool didn't think like that.

He quietly walked along the edge of the street, his habitual motion of leaning against the corners of buildings offering him the only shadow on this otherwise lively day. The towering structures blocked the sunlight, leaving the faintest shadow of the day for him alone.

"Ah woo~ ah woo~"

The little bread, stepping with little feet, occasionally looked up at the fool. She seemed uneasy in the midst of the excitement, clutching his clothes in fear as unfamiliar faces passed by. She trembled, pulling at him to move forward...

"...Don't be afraid."

The scared little bread suddenly looked up to see a hand gently brushing through her hair.

"With me here, there's nothing to fear."

The cold, emotionless words lacked tenderness, but feeling the hand on her head and hearing those words, little bread's fear slowly began to fade. She clung to the fool's arm and walked with him.

The fool reassured her, telling her not to be afraid… but deep inside, it was he who was truly afraid.

The commotion around him only made him more acutely aware of the hidden danger. After thinking for half a month, he still couldn't understand why the "princess" insisted on having him attend the feast. No—more accurately, he couldn't fathom any reason other than to harm him.

Reluctantly, he walked toward the towering castle surrounded by four massive weightless orbs, fully aware that his own survival chances would dwindle once inside. His rational mind told him that entering meant he might never come out alive. This was the enemy's lair, under their full control. What chance did he, with nothing, have of surviving?

Look at the bustling crowd around him. The fool could wager that among this throng, countless experts lay in wait, monitoring his every move. Any sudden action on his part, and both he and little bread would vanish from this world in an instant. Murderers didn't need an empty space to work—crowded places provided the perfect shield for their deadly work.

What should he do? How was Walnut planning to torment and kill him?

She was the "princess." And not just any princess—she was the one who, at just eleven years old, had clawed her way from the lowest depths of society to the royal throne, even infiltrating the royal family. Her past alone spoke of her cunning, her malice, and her deep, scheming nature. She appeared innocent enough, smiling and laughing, but the moment one dropped their guard, death would strike before one even realized it.

The fool thought and thought, but no matter how he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out what kind of trap Walnut had set for him. After all, there were countless ways she could kill him, and she had even bound him with a rule: "Today, you must obey me, trust the words of others without suspicion." It seemed she was intent on playing with him before ending his life in a most brutal way.

…Ah, yes!

For example, she might order him to cut off his own fingers one by one before the entire assembly. Or perhaps to carve a piece of his own flesh, toss it into a frying pan, and then eat it once it was cooked!

Such cruelty… Walnut, this woman… she was truly vicious beyond compare!

As he walked, his palms grew clammy with sweat. He wanted to slow his pace, to take more time to plan for the impending trials, to prepare more emergency measures. But sometimes, the world was cold and heartless—the more he tried to walk slowly, the faster the castle seemed to loom before him!

"…"

"Hey, hurry up! Don't block the way."

Shoved from behind, the fool involuntarily stepped into the castle's protective wall. Before him stood a vast garden surrounding the white castle.

Once inside the garden, the crowd dispersed. Looking around, there were two paths: one led to a leisure garden with a grand fountain, sculptures of women, and labyrinthine hedges, where tables laden with food awaited the guests. The other led toward a lake, at the center of which stood a floating stage. Many were boating on the lake, some waiting by the stage in anticipation of the next grand opera performance.

As the crowd split in two, the fool saw his chance and immediately slipped away from the throng, now possibly hiding a hundred assassins, and took shelter behind a small cluster of trees facing the palace. He clutched little bread and observed his surroundings warily, his right hand already on the hilt of his concealed blade. If anyone dared approach, the dark blade would not hesitate to strike.

He waited, watched. After a while, he noticed that the common folk were crowding to either side, while soldiers formed a barrier in front of the castle's main entrance. When a lavish carriage arrived and the coachman presented an invitation, the soldiers would part, allowing the waiting servants to assist the noble passengers into the castle.

"Meow~ meow?"

Little bread had been waiting here too long. She looked up, puzzled, at the fool. Upon hearing her call, the fool murmured to himself.

He couldn't remain hidden forever. While he wished to stay out of sight until the day was over, he knew that if he did not show himself, the consequences would be even more devastating.

But here lay the problem. How could he enter the castle?

The soldiers were rigorously screening those entering, and there was no way they would let him through. Wait—was this the first test? Had Walnut intentionally called him here only to set up this military blockade at the gate? If he tried to break through, they could easily label him an assassin and kill him on the spot.

How cunning… Such a vicious plan could only have been conceived by a "princess"!

His icy gaze darkened, and he shrank further into the trees. Despite the branches scratching little bread's face, he dared not emerge.

At that moment, another carriage passed before him. The door swung open, and stepping down was none other than Dailao Goodse, dressed in the regalia of a noble soldier, a magnificent sword at his waist.

Today, Dailao appeared even more striking than usual, his youthful beauty causing the surrounding young girls to gasp in awe. Every time he turned, his gaze swept over the peasant girls, causing their faces to flush, and many seemed on the verge of fainting. The noble young ladies, though more composed, still opened their fans to cover their flushed faces, peering out from behind to steal glances at the brilliant genius before them.

Would he… also be involved in the plan to assassinate him today?

The fool's right hand tightened around the hilt of his blade. If it was this genius sent to deal with him, he would stand no chance in a fight. The difference in strength and talent was insurmountable. Dailao, the shining star of tomorrow, was someone the fool, like mud beneath his feet, could never hope to match.