After leaving the main hall, Ethan began wandering around the castle.
In his previous life, he had visited this place several times, so he was somewhat familiar with the layout.
However, he had no idea where the treasure vault was located.
All he knew was that it was underground, but he didn't have a specific route in mind.
As a result, Ethan wandered aimlessly while doing his best to avoid the guards.
After what felt like hours of circling the castle, the performance in the main hall was almost over, and he still hadn't found the vault.
"Damn it, am I really going to fail like this?"
Ethan rubbed his temples, growing more anxious by the minute.
"Who are you?"
Suddenly, a woman's voice called out from behind him.
"Shit, I've been discovered," Ethan thought, preparing to Blink away.
"You're the magician, aren't you? I really liked your performance."
The woman spoke again, this time revealing that she knew who he was.
Hearing this, Ethan was more relieved than worried.
She hadn't scolded him for wandering around; instead, she complimented his magic tricks.
Maybe he could use this opportunity to gather information about the vault.
With that thought in mind, Ethan relaxed a little and turned around with a smile.
But as soon as he saw who it was, his face fell.
"Oh no, not her!"
Standing before him was an extremely overweight woman—Isabella Furman, the daughter of the castle's lord, Grand Duke Furman, and the birthday girl of tonight's party.
"Why isn't she in the main hall watching the performance? What's she doing out here?"
Ethan cursed internally while maintaining his polite demeanor, bowing slightly.
"Good evening, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you."
Ethan greeted her as smoothly as possible.
"Good evening to you too, Mister Magician."
Isabella lifted the hem of her dress in a curtsey before locking her blue eyes onto Ethan's.
"Mister Magician, I really liked your performance. Would you show me one of your tricks again?"
"Of course, Your Highness. You are the star of tonight's festivities, and it would be my honor."
Ethan smiled and replied politely.
"Wonderful! Then... would you come to my room?"
Isabella asked, her voice carrying a strange, suggestive tone.
"Uh..."
Ethan was stunned. Her room? What was she implying?
Suddenly, a thought crossed Ethan's mind.
"Could it be... she's interested in me?"
This princess was notorious for her indulgent lifestyle, taking full advantage of her father's favoritism.
Her overweight figure was proof of her excess.
Not only that, but she had a notorious reputation for promiscuity, even among the player community.
Word had spread far and wide, with tales of her amorous escapades involving both NPCs and players.
There was even an entire thread on the official forums about it.
"What's the matter, Mister Magician? Are you unwilling? I truly enjoyed your magic... especially your fingers."
Isabella stared at Ethan with an intense gaze, her thick lips quivering as she bit her finger in a seductive manner.
"Damn it! She's really after me!"
Ethan was disgusted, his stomach churning at the thought.
He struggled internally, weighing his options. After a long pause, he forced himself to say:
"Your Highness, this is not appropriate. What if Grand Duke Furman were to find out—"
"He won't know unless you refuse. But if you do... well, then he might just find out."
Isabella smirked, her words laced with veiled threats.
"Shit, she's blackmailing me!"
Ethan's mind raced. He wanted nothing more than to punch this woman in the face, but he also needed to figure out where the treasure vault was.
For the sake of his mission, he had no choice.
"Alright, Your Highness. Please, lead the way."
With no other option, Ethan agreed to follow her.
Isabella beamed with delight and led him through a series of twists and turns until they arrived at her massive bedroom.
As soon as they entered, Ethan's eyes were drawn to the enormous bed in the center of the room.
It was adorned with whips, candles, and... something that looked suspiciously like a plug.
"What the hell... this woman's into some seriously twisted stuff!"
Ethan was horrified by the sight.
*Bang!*
Before he could react, Isabella slammed the door shut behind them.
Licking her lips, she slowly approached Ethan, her eyes gleaming with desire.
"W-What are you doing?"
Ethan took a step back, genuine fear creeping into his voice.
This wasn't a joke—he was truly terrified.
If this woman threw her weight on him, she could easily crush him to death.
"Mister Magician, come on. Use those magical fingers of yours on me..."
Isabella's voice was filled with lust.
*Ugh!*
Ethan couldn't hold it in any longer and retched at the thought.
*Hahaha!*
Suddenly, a loud, mocking laugh echoed from the window.
"Who's there?"
Startled, Ethan quickly turned to look.
"Wait... you?"
To his surprise, standing by the window was none other than Golden Hand, the notorious thief he had encountered earlier.
This guy had already sneaked into the castle?
But what was he doing in Isabella's bedroom?
"Hahaha! Dude, you're something else! I can't believe you're actually going through with this!"
Golden Hand clutched his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
"Who are you? How dare you break into my room! I'll have my father punish you!"
Isabella finally noticed Golden Hand and screamed in fury, her face twisting in anger.
Just as she finished shouting, Golden Hand swiftly moved behind her, his hand raised.
With a swift strike, he knocked her unconscious.
"Be careful! Don't hurt her!"
Ethan panicked, rushing forward to stop him.
If anything happened to Isabella, Grand Duke Furman would fly into a rage, and Winterhold would become a dangerous place for them.
"Relax, she's just asleep."
Golden Hand assured him, gently placing Isabella onto the bed.
He then turned to Ethan with an amused look, trying to suppress another round of laughter.
"What are you laughing at?"
Ethan glared at him in frustration.
Golden Hand had the worst timing. Just when he was about to extract the information he needed, everything was ruined.
"Sorry, man. I couldn't help it. But seriously, how could you stomach someone like her?"
"You don't get it. I was trying to get information about the treasure vault from her."
Since things had already spiraled out of control, Ethan decided to be honest.
Maybe Golden Hand had some clue about the vault's location.
"You're after the treasure vault too?"
Golden Hand raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"And what about you? You're not?" Ethan retorted.
"Of course I am. I've been searching for it, but I haven't had any luck. I followed you here, thinking you were up to something, but it turns out you were about to... well, you know."
Golden Hand snickered.
"Screw you. I was just trying to get her to spill the location of the vault, and now you've gone and ruined it!"
Ethan shot him a frustrated look.
"Her?"
Golden Hand glanced at the unconscious Isabella on the bed, puzzled.
"Why would she know where the vault is?"
"She's the daughter of the Grand Duke and practically the co-owner of this castle. You think she wouldn't know?"
"Oh, I see!"
Golden Hand slapped his thigh, finally understanding the situation.
"Feeling regret now? Maybe you should've kept your hands to yourself."
Ethan shook his head, feeling like strangling this guy.
"No worries!"
Golden Hand suddenly grinned, his eyes gleaming with mischief.
"We'll just wake her up again."
"It's not that simple. She's already seen you."
"Then just tell her you fought me off, and carry on as planned."
"Uh..."
Ethan scratched his head. It seemed like a hasty plan, but there wasn't much else he could do.
"Don't overthink it. Just go for it. Oh, and here's a little something to help."
Golden Hand tossed Ethan a small vial of red liquid.
"What's this?" Ethan asked, frowning.
"It's a potion that enhances desire and slightly clouds the mind. It won't last long, so you'll need to act quickly."
"You bastard!"
Ethan's face darkened. This guy was treating him like a gigolo.
"Quit stalling! I'm waking her up now."
Golden Hand ignored him and slapped Isabella's cheek lightly.
*Hmm...*
Isabella moaned softly as she slowly regained consciousness.
Ethan quickly loosened his collar, took a deep breath, and steeled himself.
Then, without hesitating, he pounced onto the bed.