Chapter 296: Chapter 296

A girl holding a black cat?

Mr. Andersen spoke softly, "It was the same last time. Because of fear, we couldn’t bring ourselves to finish the photo shoot, and our wedding had to be postponed. Detectives, you must take care of this matter for us!"

Nyx nodded, not making any promises, only saying, "Of course, we’ll do our best."

Hermes asked quietly, "Where exactly did you see that thing now? I need the exact location."

Mrs. Andersen, trembling with fear, confirmed the spot once more. Hermes immediately instructed Austin to stand there.

With a serious expression, Hermes said, "Let’s hope this will help somehow."

Mrs. Andersen pressed her lips together, wiped away her tears, and stood up. They continued the photo shoot.

Nyx and Finn kept their eyes on the Andersens, while the others scanned the surroundings, and Hermes fixed his gaze on Austin.

At that moment, Alice suddenly muttered, "How strange... Mrs. Andersen’s bridal bouquet is made of black dahlias..."

Hermes turned toward the bouquet in Mrs. Andersen’s hands, his brows knitting tightly. He raised his hand—but it was already too late. Mrs. Andersen and Mr. Andersen suddenly collapsed, their bodies stiffening rapidly. Their lips turned black, and foam began to bubble from their mouths.

It all happened so fast that no one even had time to react before the Andersens died on the spot.

Then, in the blink of an eye, everything seemed to reset. They were standing exactly where they had been when they first arrived. Mr. and Mrs. Andersen were once again posing for their wedding photos.

The only difference was the new pop-up window that appeared before them.

Help Mr. and Mrs. Andersen complete their photo shoot successfully. (Reward: Receive a warm welcome from the Andersens and gain entry into Andersen Mansion.)Sabotage the Andersens’ photo shoot. (Reward: Gain the attention of the black cat.)

Before anyone else could hesitate, Hermes immediately made his choice. "Option 1. The Andersens just died because a snake crawled out of the bouquet and bit them. Austin and Liam patrol the area. Everyone else—make sure nothing happens to the Andersens this time!"

As soon as Hermes finished speaking, he stepped forward, the perfect gentleman, and bowed slightly to Mrs. Andersen before saying, "Mrs. Andersen, may I have your permission to replace this bouquet? I sense something unusual about it."

Mrs. Andersen looked at him suspiciously and asked, "Is something wrong with my bouquet?"

Hermes nodded. "It could kill you."

At that, Mrs. Andersen’s face turned pale with terror. She hurriedly handed the bouquet over to Hermes. Nyx stepped forward as well—her fingernail sliced through her own flesh, and each drop of blood transformed into a beautiful dark-blue rose. She handed the new bouquet to Mrs. Andersen. "Consider this our best blessing for the two of you."

A faint blush colored Mrs. Andersen’s lovely face as she accepted the bouquet from Nyx and softly said, "Thank you."

By then, Hermes had already moved to the back. In his hands, the bouquet of black dahlias exuded a deadly fragrance. Suddenly, a snake shot out from within the flowers—but before it could do anything, it was instantly cut into countless pieces. In the air, something invisible seemed to twist and coil, too faint to be seen.

Hermes released his grip. The bouquet fell to the ground, its petals scattering to dust.

[Is there anyone in this entire program more charming than Hermes?]

[Our elegant gentleman always radiates that refined beauty!]

[And Nyx is with him today too—double the perfection, mlem mlem!]

[Smart choice, protecting the Andersens! Though it might also be the path with no hope, haha.]

[Playing through from the very first stage is always fun.]

[Didn’t so many people say they’d quit this show last time? Why are they all back as soon as it airs again?]

[The viewer count hasn’t dropped—it’s actually gone up, hahaha!]

[I’m just here to see which gods appear this time...]

[So, will the deities make their entrance again after all?]

[Of course they will—otherwise it wouldn’t be exciting!]

[None of this makes any sense!]

[Aaaaaa what the hell is that?!]

The flood of comments abruptly stopped, then erupted in a chorus of screams.

Because right then—from the viewers’ perspective—a strange, monstrous creature appeared on the church ceiling.

It looked like a massive slab of meat had been hacked apart but not completely severed, hanging from above. Flesh, blood, bone, and hair tangled together in chaos. The skull had been flattened, turning the entire body almost into a crimson carpet. Fresh blood and brain matter oozed through the eyes, dripping down to the ground, falling straight onto Mr. Andersen’s forehead before running down his face.

Mr. Andersen froze, a chill running through his entire body. Mrs. Andersen trembled as she looked up. Hermes, who had been closely observing the Andersens’ move, immediately sensed something was wrong. He suddenly shouted, "Mrs. Andersen!" to grab their attention.

But the Andersens seemed utterly oblivious to any sound from outside. Suddenly, a piece of clothing shot toward them, precise in its trajectory, covering their heads, draping down, and completely blocking their view.

It was almost as if they were sharing a veil—romantic, if only the veil weren’t made of rough, gray fabric.

Annoyed, Mr. Andersen yanked the garment off their heads, frowning. "What is this? We invited you here to protect us, not to ruin our photo shoot!"

Finn grinned sheepishly and scratched his head as if embarrassed. At this moment, his upper body was bare, without a single piece of clothing covering him.

Mrs. Andersen screamed when she saw him, covering her face and turning away.

Mr. Andersen was so furious that the two tufts of whiskers on either side of his mouth trembled uncontrollably. His eyes glared at Finn as if they were about to pop out.

Meanwhile, the crimson carpet on the ceiling had vanished as if it had never existed. Only the detectives’ mischief remained real.

Seeing the Andersens’ anger, Hermes stepped forward, took the garment from Mr. Andersen’s hand, and said slowly, "This is a local custom of ours. Throwing the garment at you is meant as a blessing."

Mr. Andersen was still angry, but since Hermes had explained, he said nothing further, only raising his voice: "Carry on with the photos!"

The photographer snapped a few more shots and said, "That’s done here. Next, the two of you will recite your vows before the priest."

The group quickly moved inside the church to the prayer area.

Inside, the space was empty—not a soul in sight. On the large altar lay a single Bible, motionless.

Mr. Andersen frowned. "Where’s the priest? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?"

At that moment, a figure entered from outside. Seeing the priest, Mr. Andersen immediately fell silent and smiled, about to say something, but he walked past him, speaking coldly: "Do not make noise inside the church." Fınd the newest release on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⟡𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚⟡𝘯𝘦𝘵

Mr. Andersen closed his mouth, his cheeks tinged with red from embarrassment—but mostly, he was still angry.

Yet what made him angrier was behind him. After taking the Bible, the priest showed no intention of stopping here. He walked directly between the Andersens, like a blade separating them, his unmistakable voice carrying to everyone present: "The Lord will never accept or bless your love!"