The women exchanged glances with one another, and no one dared respond carelessly.

The dining room was utterly silent.

The Duke’s gaze swept over each of their faces in turn, and finally — came to rest on Cheng Qian.

Cheng Qian’s already trembling body shook even more violently. Her eyes went wide, and not a trace of color remained in her face. She was so tightly wound she looked as if she might faint at any moment.

The Duke narrowed his eyes at her and asked, his words emerging at an extremely slow pace: “Have any of you… defied my instructions, and entered a locked room?”

Cheng Qian shook her head in terror.

She wanted to say no, wanted to deny it! But her throat had seized shut! With her body in such extreme tension, she simply couldn’t produce a single sound!

“Why is it always like this…” The Duke sighed and set down his knife and fork.

The crisp sound of metal meeting porcelain made every heart in the room clench.

They stared with rigid intensity at this beast in human form. The hands hidden beneath the tabletop quietly tightened around their weapons, readying themselves to fight back.

“Why?…Why are women always like this? No matter how many precious jewels I give you, no matter how many beautiful gowns, you never know how to be satisfied. You always want more. Why?!”

The Duke suddenly roared!

He shoved back from his seat and bore down on Cheng Qian in great strides!

Cheng Qian trembled like a leaf in a sieve, staring in absolute terror as the Duke came ever closer step by step!

Her entire body seemed to lock in place. Aside from the shaking, her limbs couldn’t produce any other response. She couldn’t even run!

“What is this?!” The Duke seized her hand and wrenched it upward!

“Ahhh — !”

Cheng Qian was hoisted half off the ground! Like a punctured balloon, her silenced throat finally produced a reaction — a razor-thin, piercing shriek burst out of her!

“You dared to go into that locked room!” The Duke crushed her wrist in his grip and demanded, “You wretched woman! You stand there lying to my face and think you can deceive me?!!”

Her wrist, crushed to a deformed angle. The red cloth wrapped around her hand loosened and fell away, revealing the wound on the back of her hand.

Cheng Qian screamed in agony: “Ahhh!!! … No! I didn’t — it was them—”

“You still won’t confess?!” The Duke’s face contorted with fury. He dragged her toward the dining room exit. “Brides who disobey must be punished! Only by paying in blood will you ever learn how to be a proper bride!”

Bones cracked and ground. Blood ran down her arm in rivulets, staining her skin, staining her bridal gown, and that arm — it was nearly crushed to nothing.

Cheng Qian was dragged across the floor like a bloody, dying fish.

Every person present felt a chill crawl over them.

Su Man caught Bai Youwei’s eye and understood — the moment had come. She seized the iron sword and charged forward without hesitation!

Zhu Shu immediately followed.

Yu Yaqing started in surprise, then understood at once — they hadn’t lied to her!

They truly hadn’t found a key! Because if Su Man and Zhu Shu had a key, they could simply use it to leave. There would be no reason at all for them to risk attacking the Duke!

The moment that realization clicked into place, the layers of dark suspicion pressing down on Yu Yaqing’s chest vanished in an instant, and her whole body felt lighter.

Even with a fierce battle imminent right before her eyes — at least her heart no longer had to be tormented!

She gripped her sword hilt and sprinted out of the dining room after them. She saw Su Man drive her sword toward the Duke’s chest, and moved in coordination — raising her own blade and thrusting at his back!

Bluebeard was attacked from both sides, and erupted in violent rage!

Yet just as before, no matter how fierce the assault, he refused to release Cheng Qian from his grip! He fended off both Su Man and Yu Yaqing with only one hand, and showed not the slightest sign of weakness!

With one hand he seized Yu Yaqing’s iron sword as it came at him, and hurled it away with terrifying force!

Even though Yu Yaqing had been prepared, releasing the sword and throwing herself aside — she was still half a second too slow! The savage, overwhelming force sent her flying through the air, and she crashed hard into the staircase!

The instant she hit the ground she shielded her chest and lungs, and struggled to push herself upright. She looked up to see that Su Man ahead of her had also been wounded, her weapon long since snapped in half by the Duke’s furious strength.

“This isn’t working!” Yu Yaqing shouted to Su Man. “We can’t hurt him!”

—