How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 43 - [B]ut he covered her eyes (1)
The carriage stopped in front of a white house.
The location of this house was thought-provoking. The backyard bordered a swamp, and the property was encompassed by a green lake as far as the eye can see. At first glance, it was almost impossible to distinguish the boundaries between the lake, the swamp, and the rest of the greenery. It was like a cage with a beautiful view.
When Boyd turned around to get off the carriage, Bo Li quickly checked the holster on her back and felt a bit more at ease.
As they walked towards the house, a sturdy male servant saw them and came over to welcome them. He was wearing a vest and shirt with a holster fastened to his belt. The holster's open leather cover exposed a revolver's nickel-plated handle.
Bo Li's expression didn't change as she looked at the male servant's holster, but her heart skipped a beat.
Boyd noticed her gaze and softly comforted, "Don't be afraid. They won't shoot us."
At this time, a woman came over. She looked to be about 50 years old. Her face was stern, and she wore a plain dress. She reached out to take Bo Li's black cloak.
Bo Li hastily took a step back. "No need, I'm afraid of the cold."
The woman looked at Boyd.
Boyd said, "This is Mrs. Merlin. She won't harm you. She just wants to check if you have anything on you that might affect the psychics' performance."
He leaned over, got close to Bo Li's ear, and said with a smile, "Sharp objects such as needles, hairpins, brooches, scissors… can't be brought inside. Although ghosts are afraid of psychics, they'll still try to harm the living if given the chance. Just to be on the safe side, let Mrs. Merlin check to make sure you didn't forget to take off any sharp objects."
Dozens of ideas flashed through Bo Li's minds. For example, step forward, draw her gun, and press it against Boyd's back, and demand that he let her leave.
However, that male servant was behind them. She didn't have professional training. It was impossible for her to draw the gun, cock the hammer, aim, and pull the trigger faster than the male servant.
What about lying?
Bo Li couldn't think of any lie to stop Mrs. Merlin from searching her body.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Rather than being forced to hand over the gun, it was better to take the initiative to give the gun to them, so that they didn't know if she had tricks up her sleeve.
Thinking of this, Bo Li suddenly smiled, raised her hand, untied the black cloak, and revealed the shirt and pants underneath.
The male servant and Mrs. Merlin were taken aback. They had seen short-haired beautiful women crossdressing as men, but it was their first time seeing a woman with long hair wearing men's clothing.
Bo Li's appearance was beautiful and elegant. She was wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a fake white camellia, but she was dressed in a form-fitting men's shirt and pants. The outline of her neck, her shoulders, and legs appeared without warning.
Boyd was also taken aback.
He had seen many short-haired female performers dressed as men, but they either acted like tomboys and even stuffed a handkerchief in their pants, or they looked very uncomfortable wearing pants.
Polly gave him a different sort of feeling. She was born to wear pants. Her attitude was open and natural. The gaze of others wouldn't affect her in the slightest.
Her attitude was so calm and relaxed that Boyd didn't dare to look straight at her.
Bo Li took off the holster. "I don't have sharp objects on me, only this. Do you want it?"
Just as she thought, the calmer she looked, the fewer the chances that Boyd could use her uneasy to direct the conversation in the direction he wanted. He only waved his hand and had Mrs. Merlin take the gun.
"Don't worry. She'll return it to you later," Boyd said.
They continued walking forward and passed through the house's front doors to a beautifully decorated hallway with oval portraits hanging on both sides.
"This is Mrs. Ciri, the owner of the house."
Boyd stopped in front of a portrait. The lady in the portrait was wearing a hat with an ostrich feather. She looked dignified and poised.
"She's a kind lady who is very supportive of the work that psychics do and allows us to use her house to entertain distinguished guests."
Ah, so they got access to the house through lies.
Soon, they entered the parlor. There was an old-fashioned fireplace. The coals made the flames burn to a degree that made the room almost feel stuffy.
There were over ten women sitting on the sofas in the parlor, and they all turned to look at her.
These women were of varying ages. Some of them were dressed well, and others were dressed poorly. Some of them were smiling, some looked curious, and one looked cold and solemn.
Finally, the cold and solemn psychic stood up and walked towards Bo Li. She looked to be around 30 years old. Her appearance was ordinary, and she was wearing a velvet dress.
She circled Bo Li, and then she suddenly came closer and sniffed her collar. She sighed. "I smell something… very wicked on you! Miss Clermont, you're haunted by a ghost, and your spirit is so frightened that it has forgotten on the way home. That's why you can't go home!"
It was getting dark. There were no lamps in the parlor, only the flickering flames in the fireplace. The shadows on the walls surged and undulated like the tide on the shore.
Bo Li felt that this was simply a game for bored people. It was so absurd that she couldn't even feel a sense of danger. She wanted to see how they would keep making stuff up.
"What ghost?" Bo Li asked, "What does it have to do with me going home?"
"We can speak to your spirit." Another female psychic stood up. The person next to her handed her a piece of paper. She spread the paper flat on the table and motioned for Bo Li to hold a pen with her.
"Now, close your eyes, imagine what your home looks like, and then use your heart to feel the aura in the air… You'll enter the spirit world with us so we can speak to your spirit. It'll tell us the name of the ghost that's haunting you."
Bo Li wanted to laugh. They really treated her like a fool.
Wasn't this the Pen Fairy game? A group of people would hold a pen and ask a question for fun. Under the spooky atmosphere, some people would inevitably feel uneasy and begin to move the pen and traces of the "ghost" would appear on the paper.
Bo Li shrugged, walked forward, and held the pen with the female psychic.
Her heart skipped a beat, but it wasn't because the female psychic was moving the pen. She could feel Erik's gaze again.
She didn't know where he was hiding, but she could feel his gaze pressing down on the spot where she and the female psychic's hand were touching the pen.
At the same time, the parlor's windows opened without warning. The cold winter wind invaded the room, and the room's temperature plummeted.
The psychics thought their companions were responsible for this. They nodded at each other with expressions of admiration.
Bo Li didn't have time to observe the psychics' every move. She was trying to guess where Erik was hiding.
Translator Ramblings: Oh Erik, so ludicrously petty, getting jealous when Bo Li touches another girl's hand. Bo Li probably wouldn't have even needed to enter the house if she had let Mrs. Merlin searched her body.