Chapter 43: The Majestic Butler
“Is it really that scary?”
Night Star looked in confusion at Ghost Girl Eypar, who had darted behind her for cover, feeling a wave of exasperation wash over her.
Although Lianhua had transformed into a Star Eclipse, her appearance hadn’t changed at all—only her aura and demeanor had shifted drastically.
Yet, she was still super cute! (shock sound)!
But to Eypar, it was like she had encountered a terrifying monster, and her reaction was way too exaggerated.
“But…!”
Eypar wore an innocent and wronged expression, her tuft of hair seemingly fainted from fear.
“She was already terrifying, I didn’t dare to get close.”
“Well… maybe it’s because you’re a Star Eclipse?”
Night Star could only understand it that way.
There seemed to be a hierarchical pressure from higher Star Eclipses to the lower ones. Eypar being terrified by Lianhua, who was now a Supernova Star Eclipse, appeared completely normal.
“Then you just stay back and watch from a distance.”
“Uh, what about you?”
“I’ll give it another shot.”
Night Star knew that the petite figure standing not too far away wasn’t really Lianhua, but who cares?
She was feeling super brave!
She was going to sprint over, scoop her up, and take her back to the Night Watcher Base in no time.
Then, she and Mo Tu would figure out how to handle her.
Perfect plan!
Oh right, and Lianhua’s beloved puppet—maybe seeing it would jog her memory.
That was key.
Too bad Night Star hadn’t brought Little Lian with her.
She left it with Night Lan for safekeeping, afraid of losing it.
Now, looking back, she felt a twinge of regret.
But, what’s done is done—a decision to bring Lianhua back was made, and nobody could stop that.
“Why resist?” The Puppet Master sounded rather down, her mood deflated like a sad balloon.
That was because Night Star had resisted her control.
If only Night Star became her puppet, she could receive most of the Puppet Master’s affection.
Since she wanted to nurture a leading role, she needed to spend more time with her, to bond.
So cute! So wanted! So desired!
A glimmer passed through the Puppet Master’s eyes, and an eerie power exploded from within her, dark threads swarming the air as they seemed to gather in this direction.
Eypar quickly took to the skies and spotted a swarm of people heading their way.
They were under the Puppet Master’s control, seeming intent on capturing Night Star, the speedy little darling.
“Night Star, a lot of people are coming, run!”
“Huh?”
Night Star blinked, her eyes wide with amazement at the Puppet Master.
“cr*p! Lianhua, this is no game! You called for help? Just wait, I’ll get backup too!”
The thought of being surrounded by a dense mob made Night Star immediately lose her nerve.
She wasn’t scared of the Puppet Master, but those citizens turned puppets gave off a massively oppressive vibe.
Faced with their pursuit, Night Star felt no courage to confront them—only the instinct to flee.
And flee she did.
“……”
The Puppet Master stood there for a while, then turned to leave.
Of course, she wouldn’t give up such excellent puppet material; her puppets would help her catch them.
…
After leaving that spot, Night Star and Eypar quickly hid in a corner, successfully avoiding the mob chase.
The moment they encountered the Puppet Master, Night Lan had already notified Mo Tu about their location.
Now, it seemed that quite a few Night Watchers were rushing this way.
“Uh… Can I really save Lianhua?”
Night Star squatted in the corner feeling dismal, drawing circles in the dirt with a twig she picked up, looking about ready to hit rock bottom.
All her confidence shattered the instant she ran away.
The chilling indifference in the Puppet Master’s eyes had truly saddened her.
Though she had said she liked her, was that really liking?
It felt more like lustful intent rather than genuine affection.
If it were the real Lianhua, she definitely wouldn’t have said something like that.
Even if expressing fondness, Lianhua would blush adorably, not bluntly tell her to be a puppet like the Puppet Master did.
Perhaps… Lianhua was really gone.
And along with her, all their memories?
Including the bond they shared.
“Ugh…”
Night Star curled up, sitting in the dim corner, hugging her knees and burying her face in her arms, looking incredibly dejected and pitiful.
Eypar watched her worriedly from the side.
She didn’t want to see Night Star look like this, so she began to encourage her.
“Cheer up, Night Star! It’s just forgetting, right? Maybe giving her a punch will help her remember!”
Night Star lifted her head, looking at Eypar with a decidedly odd expression.
“Punch her… isn’t that a bit much? She’s a girl!”
Eypar fell into deep thought and then clapped her hands together.
“Then just give her a good smack on the bottom!”
“That doesn’t seem quite right either…”
“Then… then…” Eypar tilted her head, scratching it, and finally had an epiphany.
“Just rush over and hug her tight! A hug is such a nice gesture, so warm—it has to work!”
Night Star’s expression faltered slightly, a flicker of light shining in her crimson eyes.
“A hug, huh?” Night Star pondered, finally making up her mind, “Well, I guess I’ll give it a try…”
But she had to first find the Puppet Master for that idea to pan out—what if she had already skedaddled?
Now, she could only wait for news from the Night Watchers.
Night Star relaxed and nestled in the corner, planning to rest for a bit before continuing her search; surely, she would find the Puppet Master again.
This place seemed safe, quiet, and the foot traffic was minimal, so she didn’t have to worry about anyone else showing up.
It was said that those turned into puppets acted according to the personalities they were given.
That was a banal puppet mode—there couldn’t possibly be any peculiar individuals wandering around this desolate corner, right?
That was impossible!
So for now, Night Star felt incredibly at ease.
However, unbeknownst to her, as she relaxed her body and mind, a strange figure was watching her intently from above, a weird glint in their eyes.
Just then, Night Star suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and instinctively looked up, locking eyes with someone.
“Ji!”
The figure jumped, blocking Night Star’s path.
At that moment, there was a wall behind her—no escape.
“Waaahhh!”
Night Star pressed against the wall, trembling with fear as she took in the figure before her.
She noticed that this guy was different from those citizens who had become mimic puppets.
The citizens merely moved like puppets; their other parts looked normal without any other transformation.
But this guy before her was a whole different story!
His face had pronounced puppet features, with sharp seams and joints, as if he were a life-sized marionette.
He wore a black butler’s outfit, looking like a middle-aged, stern-faced house steward.
As she processed this, a picture emerged in Night Star’s mind.
It was from when she had visited Lianhua’s house, seeing one of those exquisite puppets!
The butler!
