Is She Changing

The thick clouds dispersed, making way for a sun-filled afternoon.

Luo Wei gazed at the mirror-like azure lake before him, lounging comfortably in a rocking chair under the sun.

Such beautiful weather wasn't an everyday occurrence.

As he basked in the sunlight, soft footsteps approached from behind.

Just as Luo Wei was about to lift his head, a thick overcoat was draped over his shoulders.

Ophelia looked at him with a hint of reproach.

"The weather's so unpredictable lately, how could you come out wearing so little?"

Luo Wei looked into her light-colored eyes, which were filled with deep concern.

He replied helplessly, "I've been sunbathing all day, look, I'm covered in sweat. Do I look cold at all?"

He moved to remove the thick coat.

"That won't do!"

Ophelia firmly tucked the coat back around Luo Wei, wrapping him up so thoroughly he nearly resembled a ball.

"We'll be taking the carriage back later, and the wind is quite chilly. You'll catch a cold."

Though her tone was gentle, her eyes held an unmistakable determination.

Luo Wei could only smile wryly as he resigned himself to being covered by the thick coat.

She had been like this lately, fussing over him like a mother.

Every day she anxiously monitored both his physical and mental health, worried that he might become despondent in reality and attempt to "hang himself from the southeastern branch."

Luo Wei hadn't entered the dream realm for several days now, as she had stopped Caroline's daily hypnosis sessions.

Moreover, she had unusually allowed him to sleep in naturally, no longer strictly regulating his schedule, and even suspended those nearly harsh nobility etiquette lessons.

Thus, Luo Wei's daily life now consisted of eating, taking walks, sunbathing... and sleeping.

Although everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction...

Her controlling nature hadn't disappeared; it had merely shifted to other aspects.

Like just now with the coat incident, or forcing him to eat more vegetables and drink more hot water...

While it was indeed for his own good, it still felt uncomfortable, and the key was that Luo Wei couldn't find fault with her reasoning.

A classic case of — "It's all for your own good!"

...

Luo Wei continued gazing at the azure lake.

This spot was about seven or eight kilometers east of the estate, where a tributary of the great river had formed a beautiful lake in this low-lying area. The surrounding scenery was quite pleasant, making it a popular vacation spot for the city's wealthy.

However, at this moment, the usually bustling lakeside had only a few people: Luo Wei, Ophelia, and several maids, as if they had reserved the entire scenic spot.

Without a doubt, Ophelia must have cleared the area for him.

As they chatted while sunbathing, Luo Wei's gaze would casually sweep across their surroundings, pretending to admire the scenery.

But in reality, he was observing their current environment.

The moment he saw this lake, Luo Wei immediately knew where they were – the southeastern corner of Saint Callen, formerly a large forest that had served as royal hunting grounds, now dotted with villas built by wealthy people seeking to escape the city's smog.

Knowing the location, Luo Wei had at least three or four escape routes in mind, such as how to return to the city or how to flee to other cities...

But these remained mere thoughts, as several persistent men in black continued to lurk around the area.

They were Ophelia's shadow guards, each possessing formidable abilities that made escaping from under their watch nearly impossible.

Unless... external help arrived.

Thinking of this, Luo Wei, having nothing better to do, casually "reminded" Evelyn several times.

[Release Restriction]

[Punishment Command]

[Release Restriction]

[Punishment Command]

...

He wondered how she was feeling...

But without much thought, she must be fuming right now, like a cat with bristled fur, probably shouting things like "Luo Wei, I'm going to kill you!"

"What are you smiling so happily about?"

Ophelia inquired curiously from beside him.

Luo Wei's lips curled up, "Just thinking about some pleasant things..."

Seeing his apparently good mood, Ophelia asked with concern:

"These past few days... how are you feeling? Are you better?"

Luo Wei looked at her.

She was probably referring to the side effects from the previous hypnosis and medication, such as increasing difficulty sleeping, migraines, loss of appetite, and so on...

"I was fine until you mentioned it..." Luo Wei timely clutched his forehead, letting out a hiss.

"I keep getting these random headaches, feeling dizzy and heavy-headed... it's strange."

Luo Wei did occasionally feel unwell, but not as severely as he described.

The previous Ophelia hadn't cared much about these things; during the last save point, she had even increased the dosage out of fear he might recover his memories, nearly frying his brain.

However this time...

Ophelia's expression darkened, and she stood up abruptly.

Her soft hand touched Luo Wei's forehead, gently caressing it as her gaze filled with worry.

"Are you alright? How can you still have headaches after resting for days? Should I find another doctor to examine you?"

"That probably won't be necessary," Luo Wei smiled wryly.

"No, no!" Ophelia's voice suddenly became sharp, "This won't do, this won't do..."

Her eyes were bloodshot as she kept muttering to herself, the repetitive behavior appearing somewhat terrifying.

"Ophelia?" Luo Wei questioned, "What's wrong?"

Between the two of them, she seemed to be the one more in need of treatment now.

Ophelia paused, also realizing her current state was somewhat abnormal.

But she was truly afraid, unable to control her emotions.

That day, the scene of Luo Wei's death in her dream haunted her like an inescapable nightmare for many days and nights...

It was all because of her... all because of her...

Her obsession and desires had led to Luo Wei's death...

She was the murderer...

"Ophelia?"

Luo Wei raised his voice, finally bringing Ophelia back to her senses.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, I'm fine..."

Ophelia instinctively avoided Luo Wei's gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

She lowered her head, her voice growing increasingly quiet.

"Let's... go back, I don't like it here..."

Seeing her increasingly dejected mood, Luo Wei could only nod.

"Alright, let's go back."

"Yes, let's go back..."

The black carriage sped quickly along the small road back to the estate, splashing large patches of mud.

In the dim carriage, Luo Wei contemplated Ophelia's silent expression thoughtfully.

Was she feeling guilty?

From earlier until now, she had consistently avoided eye contact with him, seemingly full of remorse and sadness.

It reminded Luo Wei of that morning when she had thrown herself onto him, sobbing uncontrollably, exhibiting the same emotions.

Being capable of remorse was a good thing; it was an emotion all normal humans possessed.

Appearing in someone as obsessive as her, it was an even better sign...

Silently watching Ophelia in this state.

Luo Wei had briefly believed she had truly changed.

However...

The following evening, when Luo Wei came to her office under the pretense of checking on her.

His heart sank once again.

The atmosphere in the room was gloomy and oppressive.

Seeing him appear, the pale and haggard Ophelia said with mild reproach:

"It's so late, why aren't you in bed?"

Still the same gentle tone as usual.

However, her character information betrayed her current state.

[Ophelia]

[Affection: 100]

[Corruption Level: 59↑]

[Danger Level: Three Stars (Dangerous!)]

Though surprised internally, Luo Wei maintained his smile.

"What are you busy with? Why aren't you sleeping either?"

These past few days, she had been living in seclusion, shutting herself in her room researching something unknown.

Luo Wei casually glanced at her desk.

The desk was in disarray, covered with countless white draft papers filled with dense writings and drawings.

"Nothing, nothing..." she hurriedly began organizing the papers, clearly not wanting Luo Wei to see their contents.

Ophelia looked at Luo Wei again, smiling helplessly, "I'm handling official business. Don't worry about me, go to sleep quickly! Otherwise, you'll get a headache again!"

Luo Wei nodded, offering gentle words of concern.

"Mm, you should rest early too. Don't stay up so late."

Ophelia responded with a gentle smile and a nod.

Luo Wei left the room.

The moment he softly closed the door behind him, the smile vanished from his face.

In the dead of night.

Lying in bed, Luo Wei, pretending to be asleep, heard his door being quietly opened.

Then came a series of light footsteps, which silently stopped at his bedside.

Such a familiar scene - without much thought, the visitor must be Caroline.

So, Ophelia still hadn't given up on that idea...

Luo Wei's heart was filled with nothing but disappointment.

What followed was the long-absent dark magic hypnosis. Luo Wei, who had opened his eyes, quickly fell into a drowsy state.

In his heart, he continuously gave himself psychological suggestions, trying to maintain lucidity within the dream...

Unconsciously, Ophelia's increasingly haggard appearance from earlier also surfaced in his mind.

Creating dream realms came at a price, especially these supernatural abilities involving ancient god powers, which would surely bring stronger contamination and backlash.

However, this time he felt no sympathy, only coldness in his heart.

This was your choice, Ophelia.

Now, don't blame me for deliberately tormenting you...

...