# Chapter 709: The Wretched Rich
Angel was not a player; she was just an ordinary person who had taken an evolution agent. Her physical fitness was on par with an Evolver, but it wasn't really useful for much. Given that she could still trip while walking, she clearly hadn't done any physical training.
Angel ran until she was gasping like an ox, but the maze had no end. Eventually, her running speed gradually slowed, and she finally collapsed onto the steps.
The night rain was cold, but it couldn't compare to the chill in her heart. Before she could catch her breath while lying flat, footsteps sounded again from behind.
The "click-clack" of shoes striking the steps was more terrifying than death-knell notes. Angel had no choice but to grit her teeth and climb back up to keep running, but no matter how she ran, the sound followed her like a shadow, always lagging one step behind. Every time she looked back, she couldn't see who it was...
Of course, she didn't dare turn around to see what was following her either. After running blindly for a while, she was startled to realize the steps beneath her were getting deeper and deeper, making it even harder to run with the uneven heights.
But there was still no end in sight ahead!
She had tried darting around randomly and climbing over patterned walls, but this maze seemed to have multiplied infinitely. No matter what she did, she couldn't find her direction. Looking out from above, everything around was pitch black—she couldn't even tell which direction the castle was in!
"Click-clack! Click-clack! Click-clack!"
The footsteps came again. Angel couldn't bear it anymore and screamed for help at the top of her lungs, "Mr. Xu! Butler Dong! I'm lost in the maze!"
Under the thick fog, there was no response at all, only the footsteps behind her speeding up.
Angel's heart pounded like a drum. She screamed, covered her face, and charged straight ahead. After stumbling for a few minutes, light actually appeared at the end of the corridor ahead!
"Help!" She hurriedly rushed over, and then saw a pale-faced woman in white standing in the rain, holding the lamp she had dropped!
"Ah!!!" A high-pitched wail spread throughout the entire castle grounds. Xu Huo frowned and tapped the headboard.
Angel, who had already been scared half to death, broke free from the "female ghost" behind her and blindly charged back into the castle. Seeing the dark, gaping building ahead, she almost despairingly lay flat on the ground, closed her eyes, and completely gave up resisting.
"Click-clack, click-clack." Accompanied by footsteps, a bit of light gradually shone on her face. Angel gritted her teeth so hard they made a grinding sound, and then she heard Butler Dong say, "Miss Angel, what are you doing lying here?"
Angel's eyes snapped open. Seeing the person standing before her clearly, she immediately sat up and subconsciously said, "There's..."
But before she could finish, she realized the castle before her had returned to normal. The night lights were all on. Though not enough to illuminate every corner, she could see clearly. The paintings were hanging properly on the walls, nothing was crawling out of them, and the eerie, terrifying atmosphere from before had completely vanished.
Meeting Butler Dong's eyes, she swallowed her words and changed her tune, "I was a bit thirsty and wanted to find some water to drink. I didn't expect to get lost once I came out."
Butler Dong didn't expose her clumsy lie. "You're completely soaked. Please return to your room first. I'll prepare new clothes for you."
Angel wasn't just wet—her hands, feet, and face were covered in tiny scratches, and her knees and calves had multiple swollen bruises, as if she had been severely beaten.
Declining Butler Dong's offer to help her up, she supported herself on the railing and went upstairs, feeling somewhat angry.
With the fear fading and reason returning, she would be an idiot if she couldn't tell she had been toyed with by the people in the castle!
Holding a belly full of anger, she reached the second floor and immediately saw the Painting Woman standing ahead. Her figure was cast diagonally behind her, and within her black shadow, a face seemed to be struggling to emerge. At that moment, the corridor suddenly went completely dark. Angel turned to look for Butler Dong, only to find that what stood behind her was a hideous, inhuman thing. It opened a bloody maw and said to her, "Why aren't you walking? Seeing things? Old castles like this are like that—sometimes you see something strange. It's all just your eyes playing tricks on you."
Angel no longer had the strength to confirm whether she was seeing things. Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed stiffly to the ground.
Xu Huo took off the pumpkin headpiece and signaled Butler Dong to throw her back into her room. "Coming here to steal things—she's got some nerve."
Butler Dong stepped out from behind. "People have been lurking outside the castle for the past few days. Word must have spread that the castle has a new owner, and some want to cash in."
"Is this common?" Xu Huo asked.
"Places like castles often attract thieves," Butler Dong said. "Though no noble lady has ever used this method to case the place before."
Xu Huo nodded. Angel's family was in dire straits, struggling to maintain high expenses on ordinary income. It wasn't surprising that she would target him as a newcomer to high society.
"See if she's still willing to be my dance partner when she wakes up. If not, send her back." He didn't intend to make things difficult for Angel, since she had helped him confirm that the pumpkin headpiece was indeed quite terrifying.
Angel didn't give up on being his dance partner. She used makeup to cover the wounds on her face and, looking tired, shared breakfast with him.
Xu Huo could tell she was a bit scared—her eyes couldn't help darting around as she walked and sat. So he said, "If you're not feeling well, I'll have someone take you back. Don't worry about other issues—I'll prepare a generous gift."
Angel looked at the elegantly dining man across from her, her expression complicated for a moment. "I can't go back just yet. I'm sure you're aware of my family's situation. If I don't take this opportunity to find a suitable marriage prospect, I'll soon become a complete commoner, forever stuck at the bottom of society."
"I heard you're a player?" she asked tentatively, her expression serious, completely devoid of yesterday's pretentiousness.
Xu Huo didn't spare her a second glance, just nodded.
Angel took a deep breath. "Last night, I was out of line and disturbed your rest. Please don't send me back. I can make amends to you. You can name any condition, as long as I can fulfill it."
"No need." Xu Huo said flatly. "I won't force you to leave. After tonight's banquet ends, you can go back with your family."
The heavy stone lifted from Angel's heart. Seeing Xu Huo about to leave, she quickly stood up and watched him go upstairs before slumping back down in defeat.
Just then, the Painting Woman suddenly poked her head out from the side, blinked, and stared at her.
The distance was too close. Angel instinctively leaned back and had just mustered the energy to greet her when the Painting Woman had already sat down at the table. Butler Dong brought breakfast and also handed over a menu.
"Most of tonight's banquet dishes won't suit the young lady's taste. This is a specially prepared menu for you. The master said you may dine in your room."
The Painting Woman marked items on the menu while eating breakfast. After finishing, she opened her communicator to shop—ordering not just formal gowns but all kinds of casual clothes, without even blinking.
"Do you want some?" the Painting Woman asked Angel in a spare moment.
Before Angel could refuse, the Painting Woman smiled and typed: "Not giving you any!"
Angel: ...
The wretched rich!
(Chapter End)