Translator: SumTLMan
The familiar coarse voice reached Angel’s ears.
“Mad?” Angel looked at the thick-shelled book in front of him with confusion. Having previously noticed its round eyes and unusually large mouth, he had his suspicions. Now, hearing its tone, it sounded exactly like Mad on the statue outside.
“Respected Highness Shava, I didn’t expect you to remember my name,” the thick-shelled book’s eyes filled with moisture, touched.
Angel: “… We last met three minutes ago.”
Seemingly afraid of being misunderstood by Angel, the thick-shelled book opened up, revealing two slender hands extending from the pages, frantically waving at Angel: “Please don’t misunderstand, I am not saying Highness Shava has a poor memory; rather, for someone as humble as me to be remembered by Highness Shava is a great honor.”
Angel fell silent for a moment, unsure of how to continue the conversation, and changed the subject: “Why have you turned into this book again?”
“I am a spirit and can attach myself to any object. However, this book is actually my true form. You see the title, —The Nurture Diary of Mad Woody—, I use the prefix of the person named in the book as my name…”
“Ah, Mademoiselle Goldilocks once warned me not to reveal my true form to others, as they might burn me with fire, and then I would be completely annihilated.”
“Yes, fire is my weakness, and being burned by it would destroy me. However, I’m sure it’s safe to tell Highness Shava.”
Mad, pointing at the ‘Mad’ in the title, started to explain incessantly, even delving into its true form and weakness, causing Angel to frown deeply.
Angel had no intention of dealing with Mad, at least not for now. His frown was simply because he found the creature somewhat noisy.
In the moments outside the castle, Angel felt that it seemed a bit talkative, but now it’s basically confirmed, not only talkative but also very nagging.
However, this kind of love to nag and love to extend the topic character can be used, maybe you can get some useful news.
“What does this book talk about?” Angel took the opportunity to interrupt when Mad was speaking.
When Angel asked this question, there was actually some apprehension in his heart, fearing that this book is actually very famous in the Nightmare Plane, which would leave a flaw in his disguise as Shava. However, compared to asking about the Silver Night Castle and Mademoiselle Goldilocks with Shava’s identity, this question is relatively less likely to reveal any slip-ups.
Luckily, Mad didn’t seem to have any suspicions and continued talking enthusiastically.
Mad inherited the way of speaking that loves to extend the topic, and narrated the whole story of this book. With Mad’s narration, Angel also roughly understood the content of this book.
This is actually a diary recording the cultivation of mushrooms, and the author is “Mad Woody.” Many mushrooms in the Doreen Flower Garden today are passed down from this book.
However, there are also some special mushrooms that are cultivated by others. For example, Mystlight was created by Nooka.
Angel originally wanted to ask who “Mad Woody” was, but Mad seemed to not know either. This was quite surprising to Angel. In his view, Mad is actually a book spirit, and as a book spirit not knowing the author was unheard of before.
Angel didn’t know if Mad was lying or really didn’t know. But since the conversation had reached this point, Angel couldn’t keep asking and had to continue listening to his rambling.
Mad became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, even mentioning that the Queen had browsed through this book, but Mad’s angle of conversation was somewhat unique.
“… When the Queen’s fingers touched me, I felt a burst of white light in my mind, and my whole body was weak and powerless… I felt that it was worth it in this lifetime.”
“Besides the Queen flipping through me, Minister Nooka also flipped through me. Although I am also happy, Minister Nooka’s nails are too sharp, scratching me a bit painfully, unlike when Mademoiselle Goldilocks flipped through me so gently…”
Mad’s eyes were misty, completely immersed in memories. However, just as it mentioned Mademoiselle Goldilocks, a strange wave suddenly came through.
This wave did not target Angel but enveloped Mad, making it instantly shut its mouth.
Angel turned his head, looking towards the back wall of the long table’s main seat. The previous wave came from this direction.
On the slightly reddish wall, besides a wall lamp burning with a faint flame, there was only a painting frame with golden wavy edges. The frame contained a half-body portrait oil painting.
After entering this great hall, Angel actually noticed this oil painting. The painting used very deep tones, depicting a dignified girl in luxurious attire.
However, this girl’s eyes were closed, as if she did not want to see this world.
In traditional noble castles’ great halls, it’s common to have some oil paintings, so seeing this painting, Angel didn’t think much of it. Now, sensing the strange wave that made Mad shut its mouth, Angel couldn’t help but pay attention.
The source of the strange wave was this painting.
Although the girl in the painting had her eyes closed and was motionless, Angel remembered that previously, the girl’s hands were in a relaxed state, elegantly placed at her waist. But now, the girl’s hands were clenched into fists, and Angel could even see the veins popping on the back of her hands.
If it was just the girl’s hands in the painting moving, Angel wouldn’t have been surprised, because this place is a half-plane of the Nightmare Plane. The rich aura of the Nightmare Plane breeds a large number of weird creatures and phenomena of the Nightmare Plane.
The reason Angel was staring at this painting was not only because of the strange wave but also because of the feeling emanating from deep within his heart towards the Girl in the Painting was… familiar.
The shape of the hand is very familiar, and that head of hair, although coiled up, is pitch black, making Angel think of the woman he had seen before, standing in front of the third-floor window of the castle, gazing at him.
“Mademoiselle Goldilocks?” Angel muttered this name softly.
Just as this name was spoken, the girl in the painting seemed unable to hold herself together any longer and turned into a spirit. With a leap, she emerged from the painting.
At the moment of her emergence, her coiled-up hair automatically fell, covering her face, and her fancy dress turned into a white robe, which was exactly how the woman he had seen before was dressed!
Moreover, since she was in spirit mode, her body emitted a soft, glowing light.
This not-so-intense light cast her hands long and fair.
Angel remembered, not long ago, the hands that had embraced him, emitting a faint glow, had pulled him from the entrance of the passage to the Doreen Flower Garden.
By now, Angel was almost certain that this girl was Mademoiselle Goldilocks!
After all, it was Mademoiselle Goldilocks who had brought him here, and she was the master of the Doreen Flower Garden, so her strength was undoubtedly not weak. Angel did not know whether Mademoiselle Goldilocks harbored any malice towards him, so after confirming her identity, his heart was actually very uneasy, unsure of how to deal with this unknown intelligent being.
However, to Angel’s surprise, while he was feeling uneasy, Mademoiselle Goldilocks seemed… even more uneasy than him?