How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 26 - Why did he burn Trique's business card then? (2)
Besides, Erik was so powerful and almost omnipotent. Everyone wanted him to work for them. Since that was true, why would she hand him over?
Although..
Bo Li looked at Trique's carriage. It was undoubtedly an expensive personal carriage. The carriage was painted and hung with silk curtains. The body of the carriage was even painted with beautiful paintings. The wheels looked well-cared for, sturdy, and easy to turn.
Trique was a rich person, and he offended Erik. She was sure that Erik hadn't gone far. He might even be listening to them nearby.
Bo Li maliciously thought; could she convince Erik to rob Trique?
That way, she wouldn't have to "be soaked in mud for the rest of [her] life".
Not getting a reply, Trique seemed to realize his tone was rather harsh. He stiffly changed back to a gentle and humble tone.
"I don't have bad intentions in looking for him, really. I just want to discuss business with him. You don't know how incredible his magic tricks are. He can conjure a ball of fire out of thin air! It's like magic! I haven't been this astounded since seeing Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin's show!"
In the original work, Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin was also used to describe how Erik's magic tricks had reached a superb artistic achievement.
If it wasn't for Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdi, magic tricks might still only be a sideshow street act instead of being elevated to performance art that was enjoyed by the elite and the masses.
She hadn't seen Erik performing any magic tricks. She couldn't help being curious. Was he really that amazing?
She thought it over and decided to play out her jealous character to the end. "What's so impressive about that? There's an Indian in the circus who can breathe fire."
"How can that be the same? You just need a mouthful of alcohol and a torch in your hand to do that. Even a three-year-old child can breathe fire." Trique was so angered by her that he stood up. He exerted all of his self-control to restrain himself.
He took a deep breath and offered Bo Li a business card.
"This is my business card. My address is on it. I'll be holding a party at that location next week. All the upper class gentlemans and ladies will be there. If you have news about Erik, let me know the day before the party or the day of. I guarantee I'll make it worth your while."
Trique's business card had a faint fragrance. It was the smell of his cologne, which smelled somewhat nice.
Bo Li brought it to her nose to sniff.
Although this man had ulterior motives, he could solve her biggest dilemma at the moment. She didn't have money or connections.
The timing was perfect. It was like being handed a pillow when she was feeling sleepy.
If she wanted to establish a foothold in this era, relying just on the manager's wallet wasn't enough.
It wouldn't be a good idea to go back to the circus to look for valuables. Not everyone participated in capturing them. There must be people left in the camp.
When those people saw that the manager didn't come back, they would have either gone out to look for him or scattered with the valuables.
If she could convince Erik to let her go to Trique's party, she could come into contact with potential new friends. If her luck was good, she could even attract investment for her circus.
Mainly, she needed to make new friends. She really wanted to talk to someone. She didn't see herself as a sociable person. She was even a bit introverted. Apart from attending necessary social activities, she usually stayed at home to play games.
Her friends had forced her to go hiking with them. They had teased her for a long time for stuffing those 1,500 gram canned hot pot in her backpack.
After transmigrating, she didn't dare to look people in the eye or talk to anyone. She had no one to confide her feelings. This feeling was too horrible. It felt like she was isolated from the world.
That was why she would feel comforted hugging a person that might kill her at any time.
Erik was so dangerous. They weren't friends. They were a predator and a prey. Even so, hugging him felt better than facing the cold and lonely reality.
She was craving social contact. Even if there was no social interaction, just being around other people at a social event would also do.
Just like Erik, she wanted to be hugged. Any hug would do, just so that she would know that she was still alive.
By the time she came out of her thoughts, Trique had already gotten back onto his carriage and left.
She heard the sound of footsteps behind her. Erik came back.
His tall shadow loomed over her. Standing behind her, he took the business card from her hand.
She didn't know why, but his head was slightly lowered. The position of his nose behind the mask was right in front of the business card… It looked like he was sniffing the business card.
Why? Was it because she had sniffed it?
Bo Li felt a bit baffled. She didn't think too much about it. She raised her spirits and said, "I want to go to this party."
Erik glanced at her and didn't say anything.
"I said I want to set up a circus. That wasn't empty talk," Bo Li said, "Trique was connected to the manager. The gentry at his party might be interested in a circus. If I'm lucky enough, I might be able to get a lot of investments from there."
Erik held the business card. He looked at her with an unfathomable expression.
Bo Li had become very conscientious. As soon as she met his eyes, she knew that she should hug him.
"Don't worry. I won't trade you for anything."
As she put her arms around his waist, she silently added: But it would be even nicer if you can steal Trique's stuff for me.
Of course, she only thought that. She didn't think she had the ability to order Erik to do anything.
Erik didn't say anything from start to finish, but after she hugged him, he returned Trique's business card.
Bo Li sighed in relief. He believed her.
The crisis was over. Just as that thought flashed through her mind, the business card in her hand caught on fire without any warning.
The flames appeared out of nowhere. She was sure that the business card wasn't coated with oil, alcohol, or any other flammable materials. And yet, it caught on fire!
Startled, she dropped the business card into the mud. And yet, it continued burning. The flames were unusually large. Soon, the card was reduced to a pile of ash.
Her heart was frantically beating. It took her a long time to recover from her shock.
She knew that the essence of magic tricks was sleight of hand. Or to put in other words, it was a performance art. Magicians manipulated the audience's psychology and misled their vision to trick their senses.
And yet, seeing that scene was too shocking.
If her phone could connect to the internet, she would have probably searched for a video that explained how this magic trick was done.
Bo Li stared at the ashes. Still somewhat dazed, she asked, "... So then, can I go to the party?"
To her surprise, Erik nodded.
Bo Li felt surprised and confused. Why did he burn Trique's business card then?
Suddenly, a strange idea popped into her mind. It couldn't be that he heard what she said to Trique - "What's so impressive about that? There's an Indian in the circus who can breathe fire." - and was proving her wrong. Right?
(Author's Note: Yes, yes he is.)