Chapter 71: Manor in a Dream

The sound of conversation rang in my ears, accompanied by the clatter of carriage wheels.

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself sitting in a luxurious carriage.

The carriage was lavishly decorated, with exquisite patterns carved into the gold-inlaid and jade-embellished wall panels.

On the soft velvet seats, several unfamiliar passengers were talking to each other.

These people were both men and women, and they also seemed to have just woken from a dream, their faces still holding a trace of confusion.

“Ah, she's awake.”

Someone suddenly said, and then everyone's gaze focused on me.

I slowly stood up and looked around, noticing the scenery flashing past the window:

Lush forests, rolling hills, and the faint outline of a castle in the distance, all indicated that this was a vast manor.

“Did you also come because of an invitation?”

The woman closest to me gently patted my shoulder and asked softly.

I subconsciously turned to the lady and studied her carefully.

She was a woman of about thirty, wearing a pair of glasses, and looked rather scholarly.

“Mm....”

I nodded and replied softly, “Are you all here for the same reason?”

“I didn't expect there to be such a young child,” another lady in the carriage spoke, looking at me with some suspicion.

“It seems our purposes are all the same, so there's no need to hide anything.”

A long-haired man said softly, then glanced out the window.

“It seems we still have some time before we reach our destination. How about we introduce ourselves first?”

He said, then pointed to himself.

“My name is Sebastian, a Shepherd of the Red Moon.”

As his words fell, the atmosphere in the carriage suddenly became a bit heavy.

I noticed that the woman with the glasses frowned for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.

“My name is Isabella,” she said, adjusting her glasses, “a Shepherd of Knowledge.”

Hearing her introduction, Sebastian also frowned.

However, despite this, neither of them showed too much disgust.

“I'm Victoria, a Shepherd of Order.”

Next, another woman spoke, and just as she finished, the man opposite her spoke first, cutting me off as I was about to speak.

“Graham, a Shepherd of Chaos.”

He said, then grinned at Victoria.

Seeing this, Victoria's brows furrowed slightly, “What are you smiling at?”

“Nothing,” Graham's smile carried a hint of provocation.

“Just a little surprised, that's all. I didn't expect Shepherds of Chaos and Order to appear in the same dream. What will this dream become, I wonder? It's truly intriguing....”

His gaze lingered on Victoria for a moment, then turned to me: “So, little girl, what about you? Whose Shepherd are you?”

I felt everyone's eyes on me and couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

I took a deep breath, trying my best to remain calm, and then spoke: “I... my name is Melantha.”

After a pause, she added: “I am.... a Shepherd of Knowledge.”

As soon as this was said, everyone present seemed a little surprised.

Victoria's and Isabella's gazes towards me instantly softened a lot.

“Such a young Shepherd is rare indeed.”

Isabella said softly.

“Melantha, what did the person who gave you the invitation look like, do you remember?”

“Um.... a very old count,” I thought for a moment, then replied.

“He seemed to call himself Count Charles Michel.”

“Charles Michel”

Everyone subconsciously repeated the name, then looked at each other.

“The person who sent me the invitation was a young man. He called himself William Michel.”

Isabella said.

“He was about 175 centimeters tall, looked a bit thin, as if from long-term drug injections.”

“Mine was named Edward Michel, about 185 centimeters tall, wore a monocle, and carried a cane.”

Victoria said, “He claimed to be the eldest son of the Michel family.”

“I was approached by a young lady, who seemed rather arrogant and domineering,” Graham spoke up after Victoria.

“She called herself Emily Michel and paid me a sum of money to help her—what about you?”

“I was approached by a raven.”

Sebastian said.

“The raven came to me with a letter and an invitation. The person in the letter called herself Helena Michel. She said her legs were inconvenient, so it was not easy for her to come in person, and asked her pet raven to send me the invitation.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell upon me.

“In that case, it seems that among us, only you, Miss Melantha, were directly invited by Count Charles Michel.”

As his words fell, everyone's gaze once again fell on me.

“Two Shepherds of Knowledge, one Shepherd of Order, plus Mr. Sebastian and myself. Tsk tsk, this lineup is truly interesting.”

Graham looked me over with great interest, his gaze sweeping around the carriage.

“I'm starting to wonder what that Count Michel is planning.”

“Where did you meet Mr. Charles Michel, Melantha?”

Isabella asked.

“I met him at the entrance of Cixin Hospital,” I answered truthfully.

“Cixin Hospital....”

Isabella frowned, “Did you have any contact?”

“No.”

I shook my head, “As I was about to leave, he suddenly sent his butler to stop me and then invited me into his carriage. Then, that Mr. Count Michel promised me a bunch of things, and I agreed.”

As I said this, I tried my best to make my expression look innocent, projecting an air of inexperience.

Seeing this, Victoria sighed softly.

“You....”

“Melantha, you are still too young,” Isabella shook her head, her tone carrying a hint of concern:

“In this world, no one gives promises for no reason. Especially large families like the Michels, every move they make has a deep meaning behind it.”

“But I still can't figure out why the head of the family would invite you directly. It seems the Michel family is very interested in you, little girl.”

Graham showed a meaningful smile.

“I'm starting to get curious about what's so special about you.”

Seeing this, Victoria frowned, “Could you please not look at a young girl with that kind of gaze, Mr. Graham?”

“Hmm?”

Hearing Victoria's words, Graham sneered.

“This little girl hasn't said anything, Miss Victoria. Are you being a bit too sensitive? Oh, that's right, you are a Shepherd of Order, after all.”

Hearing this, Victoria's face darkened.

Just as she was about to speak, the carriage suddenly slowed down and then came to a stop.

The people in the carriage instantly fell silent, all looking out the window.

A magnificent manor appeared in their view.

The tall iron gates slowly opened, and the carriage drove down a long, tree-lined avenue.

When the carriage finally stopped, I saw a magnificent Gothic building standing before me.

The gray-white stone walls were covered with ivy, and the pointed towers pierced the sky, giving a sense of solemnity and mystery.

At the entrance of the manor, a butler in a tailcoat was standing there, respectfully welcoming everyone.

“Creaak—”

The carriage door was opened, and everyone got out one by one.

I was the last.

When my feet touched the manor grounds, a strange feeling welled up in my heart.

Everything here seemed so real, yet it carried a dreamlike sense of unreality.

She cautiously surveyed the surroundings: the manor gate was majestic and grand, flanked by tall stone pillars carved with intricate family crests.

The stone path in front of the gate was lined with neatly trimmed bushes, and in the distance was a vast lawn where a few peacocks leisurely strolled.

“Dear honored guests, welcome to Michel Manor. I am the butler of this manor—Bond.”

The butler, Bond, bowed slightly.

“Please follow me, the young masters and misses of the Michel family are waiting for you in the main hall.”

Everyone followed Bond along the stone path towards the main building.

Along the way, I noticed that Isabella and Victoria were talking in low voices, asking each other about their backgrounds and origins.

Sebastian and Graham were no exception.

Only I remained silent, not saying a word.

“Clack, clack—”

The sound of leather boots on the stone path broke the quiet atmosphere.

Unconsciously, everyone had arrived in front of the main building.

The huge oak door slowly opened, revealing a brightly lit hall.

“Welcome to Michel Manor,” Butler Bond said with a smile, “From now on, please make yourselves at home.”

I followed the others into the hall and couldn't help but be shocked by the sight before me.

The interior of the hall was magnificent and spectacular.

The high dome was painted with exquisite murals, and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the entire hall in splendid gold.

The walls were hung with portraits of past members of the Michel family, their eyes seeming to watch everyone who entered.

Suddenly, in my peripheral vision, I noticed Isabella, who was walking on my right, quietly waving at me.

Puzzled, I looked in her direction and found that Isabella and Victoria were now walking on the right side of the aisle.

Meanwhile, Sebastian and Graham were walking on the left side of the aisle.

Only I was still foolishly following behind Butler Bond, walking right in the middle.

Invisibly, the group had already divided into their respective factions.

To be precise, from the moment they revealed their identities in the carriage, their respective enemies and allies had already been confirmed.

I hesitated for a moment, then moved towards the right, joining Isabella and Victoria's group.

The reason was simple.

I was currently posing as a Shepherd of Knowledge, so Isabella, also a Shepherd of Knowledge, was undoubtedly the best choice.

And Victoria was a Shepherd of Order.

Oliver had said that Order was also hostile to the Red Moon to a certain extent.

Although my movement was small, it did not escape the eyes of the others.

Sebastian frowned slightly, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he casually looked away.

Graham, on the other hand, showed a meaningful smile, a dangerous glint flashing in his eyes.

Just then, the butler suddenly stopped, then pushed open the large door in front of him.

As the door slowly opened, several figures came into our view.

Their appearances varied, but they all carried an innate noble temperament.

But everyone noticed something was wrong.

Why were there only four people in total?