Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 67

“Your Majesty, please hear this concubine.”

A Chosen Player seated to Xie Nuange’s left near the entrance rose.

“This concubine is allergic to peanuts…”

The hall abruptly fell silent.

The rustle of fabric—even the crackle of flames inside the lantern covers—ceased in an instant.

The consorts who had been smiling and talking all fell quiet. Every gaze turned toward the entrance.

Xie Nuange, Ye Wan, and the others looked at the Chosen Player standing in the center of the hall.

“Allergic?”

The Empress’s smile vanished. “If you are allergic, why did you enter the palace?”

With every word, the temperature in the hall dropped another degree.

Xie Nuange saw her breath turn white. Her fingers slowly went cold around the bowl.

She lowered her head and stared at the glutinous rice balls as the rustle of clothing sounded again…

The Empress’s feet entered the edge of her vision, followed by the hem of her skirt.

Hundreds of birds paying homage to the phoenix were embroidered across the phoenix robe. The eyes of every phoenix turned red at once.

Their gazes slowly swept across everyone in the hall.

The instant Xie Nuange met one phoenix’s eyes, her entire body seemed to freeze.

She lowered her gaze and watched the Chosen Player from the corner of her eye.

Chen Chen trembled all over. As the Empress approached step by step, her expression grew increasingly desperate.

“Your Majesty… I can eat it…”

The Empress did not stop.

She reached out, red-polished fingernails darting toward Chen Chen.

Blue light flashed across the Chosen Player’s body.

The Empress’s fingertips stopped less than an inch from her eyes.

The cold began to recede. Flames crackled again.

The red eyes embroidered on the Empress’s phoenix robe faded back into ordinary thread.

The consorts on both sides resumed their quiet conversations.

The Empress blinked. Her eyes changed from red to black. Looking at Noble Lady Chen before her, she tilted her head slightly as though trying to recognize her.

“Noble Lady Chen?” the Empress asked. “What is it?”

Noble Lady Chen’s lips moved. Her face was white as paper.

Blood showed at the corner of her mouth, and fine sweat covered her forehead.

“Your Majesty, this concubine thanks Your Majesty for the sweet soup. This concubine will savor it properly and prove worthy of Your Majesty’s favor.”

The Empress smiled. “Good child.”

She turned, returned to the phoenix throne, and rested her hand on the armrest.

Noble Lady Chen sat. She lifted the bowl, scooped up one glutinous rice ball, and put it into her mouth.

Xie Nuange withdrew her gaze and looked down at her own sweet soup again.

She wavered between using Datafication and leaving it alone.

If she knew what these were, would she still be able to eat them?

If she did not know, she could at least pretend they were glutinous rice balls.

Xie Nuange looked at the Twelve Links Bracelet around her wrist.

To hell with it.

She gripped the spoon, scooped up one rice ball, opened her mouth, and put it in.

Without chewing, she swallowed it whole.

It was slick and sweet, nothing like its frightening appearance.

For once, Xie Nuange was grateful she had not activated her skill.

At least ignorance allowed her to keep pretending.

Ye Wan had been watching Xie Nuange. When she saw her eat, she lowered her gaze to her own bowl.

Unhurriedly, she swallowed one as well.

Liu Feng held her bowl, her face slightly pale.

After both Ye Wan and Xie Nuange ate, she lowered her spoon into the bowl, though her hand trembled.

The hall was silent.

Only the occasional tap of spoon against porcelain sounded, one after another.

No one spoke. No one urged them.

The consorts simply watched, smiling with anticipation as they waited for the newcomers to empty their bowls.

Xie Nuange swallowed two in succession, then stopped.

The system panel had changed.

[Assimilation Level: 5.]

Her gaze rested on the number for an instant.

She looked at the four remaining rice balls, scooped up a third, and swallowed.

[Assimilation Level: 5.]

No change. It did not increase with quantity.

By the time only a little osmanthus syrup remained at the bottom of the bowl, the number had not moved again.

Her Assimilation Level remained fixed at five.

Xie Nuange set down the bowl, pressed a handkerchief to the corner of her mouth, and quietly burped. Her throat felt uncomfortably blocked.

To be honest, they tasted good. Swallowing them whole was simply unpleasant.

Only after every newcomer had finished did palace maids file in and remove the empty bowls.

“That will be all for today.”

The Empress’s voice drifted down from the phoenix throne, gentle and slow again, as though nothing had happened.

“The new sisters have only just arrived. Walk around and learn the paths so you don’t become lost, but don’t go too far forward. You might offend His Majesty or Her Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

Everyone rose and withdrew in order after offering the proper salute.

Xie Nuange kept her knees bent and head lowered until every higher-ranking consort had left. Only then did she turn toward the doors.

Morning light washed over her as she stepped from the main hall of the Palace of Phoenix Grace. She narrowed her eyes.

When Ye Wan reached her side, she whispered, “Your place.”

The two walked together toward the Palace of Eternal Spring.

Xiao Yunzi led the way. Su Ye and Zhang San followed behind.

Once inside the eastern side hall, Xie Nuange looked at the two maids.

“Go to the imperial kitchen and collect breakfast. Zhang San can show you the way.”

The consorts had their own difficulties to manage. Naturally, palace maids had dangers of their own.

Su Ye glanced at Xie Nuange. Only after Xie Nuange nodded did she leave with Zhang San.

Xie Nuange sat on a stool and breathed out, gently patting her chest to soothe her blocked throat.

Ye Wan sat across from her, braced an elbow on the round table, and pushed the celadon tea set aside to clear some space.

“When I entered yesterday, the Empress didn’t give me any glutinous rice balls.”

She sighed at Xie Nuange. “How did you dare eat them just now?”

“When Noble Lady Chen stood, I thought blood was about to spray across the Palace of Phoenix Grace.”

“Maybe there were too few of you who entered earlier, so the kitchen couldn’t be bothered making any.”

Xie Nuange glanced at Ye Wan. “Besides, the Empress bestowed them. Who would dare refuse? Refusing meant waiting to die.”

Ye Wan looked at her. “You didn’t chew.”

“I didn’t dare.”

Xie Nuange was perfectly honest. “I was afraid I’d bite one open and discover it wasn’t a rice ball.”

The corner of Ye Wan’s mouth twitched.

“Is your clear condition also attending the birthday banquet?”

Xie Nuange looked at Ye Wan. “You entered the palace before me. Have you learned anything?”

“The birthday banquet is one month from now. Aside from those personally chosen by the Emperor or Empress, the principal mistress of a palace can bring someone in.”

Ye Wan shared everything she knew. “My palace has a principal mistress. I can build favor with her and make a bid for a place when the time comes. You…”

She paused and glanced toward the main hall of the Palace of Eternal Spring. “You need to find a solution soon too.”

Xie Nuange nodded, considering whose coattails she ought to ride.

“By the way, what does this Assimilation Level mean?”

Assimilation.

What was she assimilating with?

The scenario?

Or this identity?