Circus of Horrors (5)
Unlike everyone else who called him “Young Master Rum,” the beast tamer simply addressed him as “Young Master.” Somehow, that made it sound more intimate. He didn’t use honorifics either—bit by bit, he was showing his assertiveness.
He was telling this naive young noble: What you see before you isn’t a docile pup—it’s a wild wolf yet to be tamed.
Chen Li trembled slightly, his voice as soft as a rain-drenched kitten’s: “Don’t.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized they were too quiet. So he mustered his courage and said it again: “I don’t want to!”
He tried his best to look spoiled and fierce, but to the man, it was still just a kitten swiping its paw.
A pitiful little lamb.
The mysterious and powerful beast tamer let out a low chuckle. “Young Master, don’t be willful.”
The deep voice made Chen Li’s face flush red.
He sounded so calm and composed, as if in his eyes, Chen Li really was just being petulant and unreasonable.
Those ink-black eyes locked onto him.
They looked like they belonged to the night, but in that brief moment of eye contact, a flash of cold silver crossed Chen Li’s mind.
They didn’t look anything alike.
Lost in thought for just a moment, Chen Li didn’t even notice when the beast tamer—kneeling on one knee—slipped off his shiny little leather shoe.
His pale foot was exposed, and the man’s rough hand gently brushed against his delicate ankle.
“Mm!” Chen Li’s eyes flew wide open in shock, and he quickly pulled his foot back.
Then he was lifted up entirely.
In a damned princess carry.
Being carried like this a second time, Chen Li gave up resisting. Like a little ostrich, he simply turned his head and buried it in the man’s chest.
He called out to System 001, trying to find some mental comfort: [System, I’m just an NPC to him, right?]
System 001 didn’t respond.
Gone again?
A flicker of suspicion crossed Chen Li’s heart. He felt like he was on the verge of figuring something out.
But before he could think more, the beast tamer had already stepped into the bathroom.
Chen Li, tense all over, instinctively gripped the fabric beneath his hands.
The beast tamer didn’t mind the wrinkles in his clothes. He gently set Chen Li down and silently began to help him undress.
Chen Li panicked, “I’ll do it myself!”
But noble outfits were always complicated—especially since the young master had only the best of everything.
So after fumbling for a while, he still couldn’t get the outer coat off.
The beast tamer stepped in to help again. This time, he made quick work of it until only the inner layer remained.
His hand paused, suspiciously, for a second.
Chen Li kept telling himself over and over again: We’re both guys. It’s fine.
There was no need to feel shy at all!
Just imagine it like a public bathhouse—everyone’s naked.
Although, being from the south, he’d never experienced the charm of a real bathhouse before.
Chen Li quickly realized he was wrong—because while the beast tamer remained fully clothed, he was stripped down to nothing but his underwear. The sense of shame that brought was entirely different.
Thankfully, the beast tamer suddenly stopped, his eyes glued to Chen Li, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.
That gave Chen Li just enough time to keep his last piece of clothing on and quickly dive into the huge bath.
The enormous, open bathroom was connected to the room, and the water seemed to be luxuriously mixed with milk or some kind of essence, turning it milky white. He only removed his underwear once he was submerged, hiding from the man’s gaze beneath the surface.
The beast tamer hadn’t said a word, but Chen Li just knew he was laughing at him.
Furious, he blew bubbles under the water.
What is wrong with this guy?!
In reality, Chen Li had completely misunderstood the beast tamer. His mind was utterly consumed by the stunning sight he had just witnessed.
Despite looking so slender, Chen Li had curves exactly where they should be. His waist was slim and pale, with perfect dimples on either side.
The little lamb was far more tempting than he had ever imagined.
The beast tamer’s ears slowly turned red.
But now he couldn’t see anything anymore.
Behind the mask, his expression turned to one of regret.
Even though the bath was incredibly relaxing, being so intensely watched made it hard to enjoy. So Chen Li hurriedly finished washing and gave a command: “Go get the pajamas.”
The beast tamer turned and left immediately. By the time he returned, Chen Li had already wrapped himself tightly in a fluffy white towel.
The soft towel made his skin look even rosier.
“Please, allow me to help you dress,” the beast tamer said, eyes full of determination.
By the time everything was finally settled, it was late at night.
In the end, Chen Li let the man help him into a white dress shirt—he absolutely refused to wear that revealing, flimsy nightgown.
But in his straight-guy way of thinking, he didn’t realize—
The long white shirt barely reached the tops of his thighs, giving a teasing glimpse that was even more seductive.
After all the fuss, he finally collapsed onto the soft bed. Chen Li was too tired to think anymore—he was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
Just as he was drifting off, he saw the beast tamer closing the door, and only then did he relax completely and surrender to sleep.
System 001 was frantic inside his head: Wake up! Come on! He didn’t actually leave the room—he just blew out the candle and is standing there in the dark!!!
But it didn’t dare speak out loud. It could only watch helplessly as that shameless ghost lifted the covers and climbed into bed, pulling the boy into his arms.
. . . . .
The morning sunlight fell across Chen Li’s face and finally woke him up.
He had expected to have trouble sleeping on the first night in a strange castle, but surprisingly, he’d slept deeply. His dreams had been warm and comforting, filled with a sense of safety.
Chen Li yawned softly and opened his eyes—only to be startled wide awake.
The beast tamer was standing right next to the bed.
He had changed out of his usual outfit and was now dressed in a black and white butler uniform.
Even though it was still a tailcoat, when worn by him, it somehow exuded a touch of refined elegance.
The newly appointed butler dutifully spoke up, “Allow me to dress you.”
Chen Li had already given up on arguing over meaningless things. He followed the motions obediently—raising his arms, tilting his chin, lifting his feet.
Finally, he was dressed in the intricately detailed noble attire.
Chen Li blinked, and suddenly thought of a way to “get back at” him.
Who told him he could treat him like that yesterday?
So, the proud young master finally revealed the petty side of a noble’s nature. With a deliberately difficult tone, he commanded:
“I order you to…”
System 001, in his mind, perked up in anticipation.
“…make my bed.”
System 001: …I was a fool to expect anything from this host.
The beast tamer looked like he was about to laugh, but managed to hold it in at the last second and gave a soft cough instead. “Ahem. Yes, sir.”
So adorable—his little lamb.
The tall man quietly and patiently tidied up the room, doing the work of a real servant, which actually lifted Chen Li’s mood a lot.
But that wasn’t nearly enough. More and more demands began to pile on.
Chen Li didn’t even wring out his towel himself—he made the good-natured new butler do it for him.
‘I’m such a terrible person,’ he thought to himself, skipping down the stairs with a bounce in his step.
The butler watched his brisk, unhesitating steps with a bit of regret—he couldn’t carry him like a princess anymore.
By the time he entered the grand hall, he was once again the last to arrive. But this time, Chen Li was used to it. His natural personality was already quite similar to that of an aristocratic young master—minus the cruelty.
He sat down calmly under everyone’s gaze and said, “Enjoy your breakfast.”
Joker let out a strange, twisted laugh. “Better enjoy it while you can. You’ll be performing for Young Master Rum this afternoon.”
The implication was clear, as if he were saying: this might be your last meal.
The expressions around the table changed instantly.
The female dancer was so frightened she dropped her fork. The clang as it hit the table was especially jarring.
Her boyfriend quickly stepped in to apologize, “I’m sorry, she didn’t mean to.”
According to his role, the spoiled young master should punish them for the disruption—but Chen Li didn’t want to.
Thankfully, the newly appointed butler had excellent intuition. Just as Chen Li was about to show a flicker of anger, he stepped forward and presented a plate of French pastries.
Chen Li paused and gave him a secret glance.
How did he know I like sweets?
With the interruption, his “anger” fizzled out, giving him a reasonable excuse to stay in character without overreacting.
The dancer couple looked at the beast tamer with gratitude.
Naturally, not everyone appreciated his performance. Someone whispered under their breath, “Even as a butler, he’s still trying to act superior, like he doesn’t need to perform like the rest of us.”
Especially since they all got to sit and eat, while he had to stand and serve an NPC.
No one expected him to actually “enjoy” it.
Emily had appeared out of nowhere, swiftly replacing the fallen fork with a new one before vanishing again just as quickly.
She didn’t exchange a single word with the players.
Now that was how a proper NPC should behave—unless spoken to, they weren’t allowed to give away any clues. Chen Li decided to follow her example. After finishing his meal, he promptly stood up and announced he was going for a walk in the garden.
The players’ faces immediately brightened. That meant more time to explore the castle—like the fifth floor they hadn’t gotten a chance to check out yesterday.
But one player stood out as odd—without hesitation, the butler followed right after Chen Li.
The remaining players looked at each other in disbelief.
“Is he crazy?”
“Forget him. He didn’t even talk to us during introductions. People like that are the first to die.”
“He pissed off Joker yesterday. Joker probably going to single him out for the performance this afternoon. Does he really think sucking up to an NPC will help?”
With no NPCs in the hall—not even the Joker—players freely gossiped without restraint.
. . . . .
Outside the castle, the thunderstorm had passed. The garden, fresh after the rain, was especially serene.
Raindrops still clung to the flowers, making them glisten with delicate beauty.
The young master of the castle had a fondness for roses—so the entire garden was filled with bold, passionate red blooms.
Chen Li stood in the middle of it all, gently inhaling the fragrance of one flower.
A beauty not even a painting could capture.
The butler’s gaze trespassed boundaries, falling brazenly on the young master—as if his eyes could pierce through the layers of clothing and see what lay beneath.
The scenes from yesterday—bathing, dressing—played over and over in his mind.
Chen Li wasn’t an idiot. That gaze was so intense it was impossible to ignore. Unable to stand it anymore, he turned around and snapped, “Can’t you not follow me?”
The beast tamer feigned confusion. “But I’m your butler.”
Oh, now he remembers to speak politely.
Chen Li imagined the expression behind that mask must be absolutely awful. He lowered his gaze for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, “Since you’re my butler, you can’t refuse any of my orders, right?”
“Yes.” A faint smile tugged at the beast tamer’s lips beneath the mask.
Chen Li’s voice turned smug. “Then go peel a hundred oranges for me. By hand. Then juice them.”
He looked just like a cat basking in the sun, flaunting its power.
The beast tamer froze.
It wasn’t that the order was difficult—but it would mean he had to leave.
For once, he looked genuinely helpless. This was the first time he realized what it felt like to fall into a trap of his own making.
Chen Li pressed, “Well? Hurry up!”
“…Yes,” the beast tamer replied.
Just one word, but even with no expression visible, Chen Li could feel how reluctant he was.
That made Chen Li’s mood instantly improve.
Wearing a victorious expression, he watched the beast tamer walk off into the distance—only to turn around and almost bump straight into a chest.
Why is everyone so tall?!
He was 1.75 meters himself, yet these 1.88-meter guys made him feel like he was barely 1.60.
Annoyed, Chen Li took half a step back and saw it was Joker.
Startled like a little cat, his tone came out irritated: “Do you need something?”
Joker looked heartbroken. “Can’t I come see you even if I don’t?”
Since when were the ringleader and the noble young master supposed to be that close?
Chen Li didn’t have much more info than the other players, so instead of risking a misstep, he kept silent—less said, fewer mistakes.
Joker obviously wasn’t about to let him off so easily. His gaze slithered over the young master’s face like a venomous snake, inch by inch.
For once, his voice wasn’t that odd, nasal drawl—instead, serious and, unexpectedly, even a bit charming as he asked, “Are you the new guide NPC?”
“What?” Chen Li nearly thought he’d misheard.
It wasn’t until Joker repeated his question that Chen Li truly began to panic.
[System! Isn’t the core NPC supposed to know this is a game!?]
Why on earth would Joker have independent thoughts!?
Even System 001 panicked. At that moment, it abandoned its act of playing dead and frantically rifled through its data: [Wait a minute, let me check.] Then it went silent.
Perhaps Chen Li’s pitiful fear had struck a chord in Joker’s heart—he squinted and murmured, “You’re so cute.” It was a sincere, heartfelt exclamation.
Had anyone else said it, Chen Li might have responded with a “thank you,” but coming from this lunatic NPC, he was completely at a loss for words—too terrified to move even a muscle, half-expecting the next thing to be, “Come be my collectible.”
Undeterred by Chen Li’s lack of response, Joker cheerfully whistled, plucked a perfectly blooming rose, and offered it to him.
Chen Li, trembling, couldn’t possibly accept it. He nervously shook his head.
Without waiting, Joker reached out, removed Chen Li’s jeweled bow tie, and pinned the rose right in its place. The bright red flower lent an almost bewitching allure to the young master’s normally innocent, refined look—it suited him perfectly.
In high spirits and pleased with his own bold display, Joker’s hand began its unseemly ascent. Just as it was about to graze the young man’s cheek, his expression suddenly shifted. He jerked his head to the side, but not quickly enough—a flowering branch swung out, scraping his face and drawing a thin line of fresh blood.
The beast tamer withdrew his hand, his masked face revealed no emotion. He strode over, grabbed the visibly shaken Chen Li, and turned to leave—completely disregarding the circus ringleader’s antics.
Joker stood rooted to the spot, his gaze darkening as he watched the pair vanish into the garden.
. . . . .
Chen Li had initially assumed the man was there to save him, but he departed too hastily—still gripping his hand with unyielding force. Unable to keep up, the young master began to stagger and, at last, lost his temper. He stopped in his tracks and protested, “You hurt me!” His wide, pleading eyes made him look so irresistibly adorable that one would just want to scoop him up and comfort him.
But the man remained unmoved. Instead, he pushed Chen Li into a nearby room and, in a deep, steady tone, asked, “Did you let him touch you?”
No, something’s wrong…
Chen Li was afraid. He was supposed to stay in character and slap the man right now, but instead, a wave of grievance welled up in his chest for some unknown reason: “I didn’t.”
The beast tamer’s tone softened. “Young Master, you need to be obedient.”
He suddenly reached out and crushed the rose in his hand. The thorns on the stem pierced straight into his skin.
But he didn’t seem to care, letting his blood mix with the flower’s juice.
A madman—he’s a madman too.
They all like bullying me.
Chen Li felt even more wronged. “Why should I listen to you? You’re just a bu—mmph!”
Before he could finish, he was stunned into silence by what the man pulled out.
He actually took a whip from his waist—a beast tamer’s whip.
The man’s tone turned strange, low and whispering like a siren’s call. “I don’t want to treat you like this… but the little lamb just won’t behave. And naughty little lambs need to be punished…”
Then, as Chen Li stared in disbelief and struggled in resistance, the man tied both of his hands high above his head, binding them to a bedpost.
Author’s note:
The story will enter VIP tomorrow—expect a long, juicy chapter! Thank you, sweet angels, for supporting the official release. And just a little spoiler… someone’s about to get exposed. 😉
Wild