Chapter 14: Sheep in Tiger’s Den
Night Star strolled down the street, looking this way and that.
Whenever she stumbled upon something interesting, she bought it on the spot.
After all, she wasn’t short on cash at the moment.
And if she ever ran low, she could always double her chips with a little “fair game,” no sweat!
Finally, Night Star understood why Hilo was so eager about trading.
It turned out that strong-arming deals was quite the exhilarating affair.
Absolutely addictive!
Fortuitously, Night Star’s moral compass was pretty sturdy. She only “took” a little from the wealthy merchants—just enough to get by.
Several hours later, Night Lan finally wore herself out from all the wandering.
“Ugh, my luck tonight might not be great. It seems fortune-telling isn’t reliable after all; better try again tomorrow.”
After all, after wandering for so long, she hadn’t spotted any sign of the Fraudster.
Night Star was already dreaming of her cozy bed.
As for Night Lan, after chatting with Sharon for a bit, she decided to stay over at her place.
Sharon seemed really curious about her identity, always trying to pry a little.
Night Lan could see through it, but she didn’t reject the offer and followed Sharon home.
This lady was quite perceptive and could pick up on some of Night Lan’s quirks.
Plus, Night Lan had her own reasons for wanting to get close to Hughes, so it made sense to get to the bottom of Sharon’s curiosity.
Night Lan thought Sharon had no ill intentions.
With a bit of self-protection power and getting closer to the tragic protagonist—Hughes—was enough to convince Night Lan to go for it.
Surely Miss Sharon wasn’t looking to eat her alive, right?
It was a perfect opportunity to boost her presence and learn more.
Night Star pushed aside her wild thoughts and prepared to head back to her little cabin for some rest.
Finding the Fraudster was not a race—just a matter of fate.
No worries!
A girl who loves to slack off will never have bad luck!
Just as Night Star turned back, a familiar voice called out to her.
“Excuse me, ma’am, would you be interested in getting to know me?”
Upon hearing this, Night Star’s eyes sparkled; that voice sounded incredibly familiar!
Having spent ages as an Audience Performer in the theater, she quickly recognized it!
Feigning calm, Night Star turned around to see a masked man before her.
This was the theater’s Fraudster!
Not just any Fraudster, but one from the human era, and she didn’t even know his name.
What luck to have run into him tonight!
She was really on a roll!
What was that saying again? “Easy come, easy go!”
No matter what, Night Star was determined to cling to the human-era Fraudster, figuring out a way to stick by him.
If all else failed, she could follow him around like a ghost, keeping an eye on what the Fraudster was up to while still achieving her own goals.
But she absolutely couldn’t let the Fraudster notice anything unusual about her.
He didn’t know her yet; she’d have to pretend to be a normal person!
“Excuse me, is there something you need, sir?” Night Star smiled.
The masked man sized up the silver-haired girl before him, and after a moment of silence, he said, “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else. Goodbye.”
With that, the masked man turned to leave, without a hint of hesitation.
Night Star’s expression froze for a second.
This development was off!
Could it be her disguise was too shabby?
Cursed luck.
It was maddening! Back in the theater, her acting had earned her accolades from the other troupe members.
So why was she flopping here?
On Night Lan’s side, Sharon saw through her, and Hughes might have caught on too.
And now the Fraudster might have sensed something was off, leading to his hasty retreat.
How terribly frustrating!
But it made sense.
Night Lan’s attempts at mimicking behaviors were laughably shabby for someone in the know.
And as for Night Star…
The reason the Fraudster was a fraudster wasn’t just his unique powers.
His language, micro-expressions, and movements could all play a part.
In this, he was practically a professional!
Night Star couldn’t perfectly disguise herself, making it easy for him to pick up on her little discrepancies.
The masked man could even feel that the silver-haired girl was after him, hitting the jackpot and then decisively leaving.
One had to admit, that was a wise decision.
But unfortunately for him, he crossed paths with Night Star.
Once she’s on your tail, there’s no escaping!
“Don’t go! I have something to discuss with you!”
But the Fraudster quickened his pace, clearly trying to shake her off.
Night Star sensed that the Fraudster was utilizing the power of the stars; he could probably just vanish into thin air.
With his strange abilities, he might just pull it off without a sound.
But Night Star had plenty of countermeasures up her sleeve.
Forget whether the Fraudster’s powers could work on her; even if he was intent on fleeing, she could still track him down.
Her skills like Blink and Speedy Bee weren’t just for show.
Once she caught up, she’d tie him up with Doll City and see how he planned to escape!
A bit later, the masked man finally made his way through the crowd and into an empty area, letting out a sigh of relief.
At the same time, he felt a twinge of confusion.
“Who is she exactly? It seems like I’m her target. Does she want to capture me?”
The masked man had quite a few enemies.
He had scammed hundreds, possibly thousands of people, including some very influential individuals.
Liars eventually have their lies uncovered.
So when they realize the truth, it’s only natural they’d send someone after him.
But unfortunately for them, capturing him wouldn’t be such a walk in the park.
Over the past period, he had played every would-be captor like a fiddle; there wasn’t a single exception.
And this time would be no different.
“Still… why a little girl? She shows so many flaws! She seems harmless, just a little odd, and poses no threat at all. Are those guys trying to tempt me with her?”
Sending such a little thing after him was quite an insult.
He had no strange preferences, after all.
If anyone spread such rumors, he’d definitely find a way to teach the rumor-monger a lesson.
The masked man shook his head slightly, realizing it was getting late.
Having just returned from a noble’s territory, it was time to get some rest.
He turned to leave, planning to take a shortcut home.
Just then, a sudden voice made him stop in his tracks.
“Wait!”
The masked man froze, feeling something unbelievable.
He recognized that voice; it was the silver-haired girl from before.
But the question was…
How did she find him here?
He thought he’d shaken her off easily.
The masked man turned around to confront the silver-haired girl.
He scrutinized her, trying to figure out what made her special.
Unfortunately, apart from a mysterious allure, he couldn’t sense anything else.
This girl might possess some unique powers of her own.
Knowing how wondrous those powers could be, the masked man wasn’t keen on associating with someone “similar.”
That would be highly dangerous, no doubt putting him in a potentially deadly situation at any moment.
“May I ask what you want from me, dear little lady?”
