How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 9 - Remember how the female protagonist subdued him in the original work? (1)
After she finished moving the last box, the boy appeared and apologized with a smile.
Bo Li was preoccupied, so she didn't argue with him about his slacking.
Lunch was unappetizing stew and potatoes. The stew didn't have enough salt and smelled oily. Only the potatoes were easy to eat, but there were still bits of potato skin left on them. Bo Li almost cried while eating.
The lunch wasn't completely without any gain. At the very least, she found out that the boy's name was John. If he slacked off again, she could loudly yell his name next time.
Just like in the morning, Erik didn't appear.
Bo Li started to worry. Did something happen to him? What if last night was just terminal lucidity? If he died, how would she escape from here?
After lunch, the men went to the side to smoke and chat while the women cleaned up the dishes and mended clothes. There were also a few people gathered around her backpack and trying to figure out how to open it.
The manager also went over to look, but he wasn't that interested in the backpack. He said a few words to the others and left.
The afternoon sun dispelled the thick mist, and she could see further away.
It was only then that Bo Li remembered the circus was camping near a swamp. The air was as humid as a soaked towel. There was a river nearby. Its surface was murky and had a frightening green color. There were swarms of buzzing mosquitoes around the river.
Bo Li knew how to swim, but jumping into a river like this one was tantamount to suicide. Besides, the original owner's journal had mentioned there were crocodiles nearby.
In addition, there are only two exits to the camp. They were both guarded by armed men. One of the exits had a horse trough.
Bo Li had never come into contact with horses before. She didn't know until now that they were skittish. Just smelling an unfamiliar scent would cause them to raise their hooves and loudly neigh.
So, she only had two options. Either become an expert horse handler in a short period of time or leave through the other exit. Both options were too difficult.
Bo Li had considered giving the manager modern-day songs like what other protagonists did in transmigration novels to improve her status in the circus. However, for that to end well, it required that the manager wasn't someone that would make specimens of human fetuses. Plus, there was a tradition of burning witches here.
Abortion was illegal in the 19th century, and yet the manager dared to risk life imprisonment by exhibiting an unborn fetus.
It was hard for Bo Li to not think of the worst. Was he guilty of something even more serious… like murder?
Take a step back, even if her negotiations with the manager went well, it would only make him keener to keep her in the circus.
She didn't know how old the original owner was, but she couldn't be older than 16 years old.
Would the manager respect a minor and give her a reasonable share of the profits and treat her accordingly to her value? Of course not.
After thinking it over, Bo Li looked towards Erik's tent again. Apart from him, she seemed to have no other options. Take a gamble then?
But soon, a new problem arose.
When the party started in the evening, Erik still hadn't appeared. His tent remained dark without any light coming out.
Bo Li was anxious, but she didn't dare to show it.
Compared to lunch, the food at the party was quite rich; there was beer, cider, pies, smoked ham, roasted potatoes, blood sausages, and meat puddings.
Bo Li wanted to try the meat pudding, but before she even got close to the pudding, she smelled rancid butter and lamb kidneys. She instinctively took a big step back. In contrast, the others were eating the food with gusto.
There wasn't any benefit to being a picky eater.
Bo Li forced herself to take a piece of pie and some roasted potatoes. She held her breath and swallowed the food with the help of the cider.
After drinking a cup of cider, her stagnant mind became much more active.
She was too wary. She didn't dare to speak or look someone in the eye. Even though she knew there was something wrong with Emily's brother, she didn't dare to ask around to find out information.
She looked extremely calm, but in reality, she was terrified. She was scared that if she acted differently from the original owner, the surrounding people would interrogate and judge her. This couldn't go on.
She had to do things that the original owner wouldn't do. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to change her situation.
Suddenly, there was a burst of enthusiastic clapping from the front.
The manager came towards the bonfire while pushing Emily's wheelchair. He waved at everyone, and his smile was conspicuous. "Emily is about to leave soon. She wants to sing a song for everyone one last time. Does anyone want to sing with her?"
Several people raised their hands, and the band played a cheerful tune. People sang and danced around the bonfire. Bo Li hadn't heard of this song before. It was probably a local folk song.
While everyone's attention was on Emily, Bo Li turned around and headed towards Erik's tent.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she turned around, she saw his skinny figure. In the darkness, his white mask was especially conspicuous. His eyes were blank and empty like the eyes of a wax doll. He looked apathetic about the nearby revelry.
She saw him silently staring at the crowd and couldn't guess what he was thinking.
The next second, he looked straight at her as if he had noticed her gaze.
It felt like a basin of ice water was poured over her head. Bo Li flinched and felt coldness from head to toe. She instinctively wanted to take a step back, but she resisted the urge to flee and only clenched the cup in her hand.
She had to make the first move and do things that the original owner wouldn't do. So what if Erik would become a theater phantom?
He didn't know that she was no longer Poli Clermont, but she knew his life experience and his pain. No one appreciated his talents or wanted to get close to him.
He didn't even receive love and care from his mother. That was why he was as wild and ill-mannered as an unenlightened beast.
Remember how the female protagonist subdued him in the original work? A single kiss.
A mere kiss was enough to make him surrender everything that was under his control.
A bold idea began to take shape in her mind.
Even if he was the horror movie version of the phantom and wouldn't be as easy to win over, she still wanted to see what would happen if she kissed him.
She had to try things that the original owner wouldn't do.
Bo Li looked right at him as she took a step forward.
T/N: Next part will be posted at 10:15 PM EST.