How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 3 - Should she believe those words? (1)
"Poli?" The boy called out again, but with a bit of impatience this time. "You're spacing out again."
"Sorry." Bo Li focused and calmly put the gold pocket watch back in her clothing. "I'm… too sleepy."
The boy shrugged. "You're never clear-headed. What's wrong? Is Erik still following you?"
This was a key piece of information.
Bo Li cautiously asked, "... What do you think?"
"What do I think?" The boy took out a piece of tobacco from his pants pocket and started chewing on it. "I think… There's no way he could be following you. You're just imagining it."
He turned his head and spat to the side. "Honey, if Erik has the ability to follow you, sneak into your tent in the middle of the night instead of sleeping, and lurk behind you to scare you, how could he have been so badly beaten by Mike?"
"That's all. I'm leaving." The boy waved at her. "Such a big thing happened today. I'm sure we'll get a beating tomorrow. It's all Erik's fault. I hope his wounds rot and maggots grow in his rotting flesh!"
After sending the boy away, Bo Li lowered the tent curtain and was about to carefully examine the gold pocket watch in her chest binder.
However, just then, she noticed that the tent's canvas was covered in writing. The black capital letters were crammed together like a mass of flies. She felt creeped out just looking at it.
The moment she read those words, she felt her scalp tingling. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her.
"He'll follow you." "He'll spy on you." Followed by a long repeating trail of "He'll kill you."
Some of the words were obscured by grease.
Bo Li held her breath and carefully read the words.
"He's watching you from behind. Right now."
She had goosebumps and abruptly turned around. There was no one there.
What the hell? Who wrote this? Who was that "he" referring to?
Bo Li thought of the boy's words, and her heart skipped a beat.
Was it… Erik? But, how could that be possible?
When she was talking with the boy, she had been quickly analyzing her situation.
She was in a circus. In this place, the manager served the role of judge. He maintained order and their lives were in his hands.
Mike was the manager's relative. He was worth a princely sum of 5,000 francs, so the manager tacitly allowed him to bully Erik as long as he didn't cripple Erik.
Erik was the circus's cash cow. He was capable of magic tricks, ventriloquism, and singing.
And thus, this created a contradiction. If Erik was as terrible as the writing on the canvas said he was, how could the manager and Mike dare to mistreat him?
Bo Li's mind was a mess. She turned around and began to rummage through the tent. Her tent was small. One side was a covered wagon, and the rest was covered in canvas. It was covered in mildew.
There was a blanket on the floor. Its color had long become unrecognizable. Her sleeping bag was cleaner than the blanket, but it had the sickening odor of sweat.
After searching for a long time, Bo Li didn't find any useful information.
For example, what was the identity of this body? Why did she crossdress? Why did she steal Mike's gold pocket watch?
What was the relationship between the original owner and Erik?
She took a deep breath and looked at the sleeping bag.
There was an opening in the sleeping bag as if someone was about to enter to go to sleep. A name was embroidered on the side: Poli Clermont.
Very good, she found out her full name. This was a good start.
Bo Li closed her eyes and reached into the sleeping bag. She found a notebook.
When she took it out to look, she saw that it was a thin booklet sewn with coarse linen thread. The paper was rough and yellowed. She could see slightly raised fibers in the paper.
She turned to the first page.
September 3rd, 1888
My journal is gone. Perhaps Mike and his friends threw it away? They can't read, and they don't like people that can read. They also dislike Erik, but they don't dare to provoke him.
I don't want to be beaten again. Why don't they go beat Erik?
September 8th, 1888
That old woman beat me many times, many many times. She said my hands aren't quick enough and told me to watch Erik in action.
He stole that man's wallet without even touching him. How is that possible?
It must be witchcraft. Otherwise, why would he always wear a mask? He's the only one that wears a mask here.
September 9th, 1888
I was beaten again. Why is it always me?
September 10th, 1888
Again, again, and again. I'm always the one beaten. I can't take it anymore. Why is it always me? Why?
That old woman is praising Erik again. Although Mike dislikes him, he rarely bullies him. I hate him. I hate Erik.
September 20th, 1888
Mike's watch is missing. Erik is the only one that could have stolen it without him noticing. We hope that Erik will hand over the gold pocket watch, but Erik didn't speak.
Is it my imagination? It felt like he looked at me when we were eating.
What's he looking at me for? He's the best thief here.
October 5th, 1888
Why does he keep looking at me?
October 8th, 1888
Why? Why did it appear in my bed even though I had buried it? Why?! Why?!
I'm going crazy.
He's still looking at me. He's always looking at me. His eyes glow. He's a monster.
October 9th, 1888
He wants to kill me.
He'll definitely kill me. Those are murderous eyes.
What should I do? I want to resist, but how should I resist?
Mike? The manager? That old woman?
No, no, none of them.
October 11th, 1888
How long had he been standing behind me? A minute? Two minutes? Half an hour?
Or had he always been there?
He's a lunatic! A lunatic!
October 12th, 1888
I clearly threw it into the swamp. There were crocodiles everywhere. Why did it come back to me?
What does he want to do? What?!
That was the last page. The handwriting had gradually become messy and heavy, and the ink soaked through several pages.
Bo Li felt a chill in her heart.
The original owner's educational level was obviously not high, and her wording and sentence structure was relatively simple.
But, it was this simple and straightforward description that made her shiver. She felt a tightness from her back to her head as if there really was someone standing behind her.
Should she believe those words?
T/N: Next part will be posted August 9th at 9:15 PM EST.