Eldritch Horror Theatre

A textbook excuse, as expected.

In most situations involving accountability, subjective intent was a major factor.

Under the circumstances, regardless of her actual motive, throwing out the claim of being lost was a flawless move.

Especially since she genuinely looked the part.

During this brief exchange, Fu Qian scrutinized the lady on camera three.

Although her face was hidden, her attire hardly belonged to a petty thief.

She didn’t even look like a staff member.

Perhaps it couldn’t compare to the Punished Consort’s attire earlier, but it was still a magnificent gown, and she was dripping with jewels.

An honored guest invited to the banquet?

That persona suited her look much better, to the point that Fu Qian even thought of the group of headless court ladies he had seen inside the Bronze Madam.But if that were the case, it raised a problem similar to the previous scene.

The tone of their conversation wasn’t quite right, was it?

Maybe on this joyous day, some people were just a little too fond of wandering around.

Still, an invited guest accidentally losing her way was a plausible enough scenario.

In comparison, the man opposite her, His Excellency Hu Ba, clearly looked much more like staff.

Under those circumstances, even if he discovered suspicious behavior, he shouldn’t have been so overbearing as to hold a trial on the spot, right?

And he didn’t seem to buy the honored guest’s explanation, either.

”Are you crazy? Shouldn’t you be helping to guide me out?”

Sure enough, driven by fear, the woman had quickly realized this as well, her voice rising in pitch.

”You can’t possibly think I’m stealing something, can you? Or are you going to search me?”

...

Was this the legendary rebound from rock bottom?

Under the man’s aggressive questioning, the lady on camera three seemingly underwent a process of hitting absolute rock bottom and springing back up, realizing she actually had no reason to feel guilty.

Even from Fu Qian’s perspective, the likelihood of her stealing anything was slim.

Although she wore an exquisite and intricate gown, everyone knew this kind of formal wear was never designed with much storage space.

Considering her hands were empty as well, even if the man lost his mind and patted her down completely, he most likely wouldn’t find a thing.

Meanwhile, the risks involved in doing so would be immense. During such a highly anticipated event, anyone would have to weigh the consequences.

One could only say that she had adjusted very quickly, knowing how to leverage her own advantages to swiftly turn the tables—

”Sure.”

Unfortunately, the man weighed the consequences for less than a second before gladly agreeing.

...

Not bad. In this joyous and peaceful atmosphere, it seemed the group was getting a little worked up.

His Excellency Hu Ba’s reply was truly astonishing. Even Fu Qian, acting purely as a spectator, was momentarily amazed by his casual compliance.

From the words of the lady on camera three, the previous guess was almost confirmed: the person blocking her way really was local staff.

Yet this individual, who by all logic shouldn’t have dared to mess around, didn’t even blink before answering the call, fully prepared to mess around.

One could only say there was a faint hint of madness to it, which perfectly echoed the lady’s earlier question.

”You...”

The woman had apparently realized this as well. In that moment, she subconsciously retreated, her words stuck in her throat like thick phlegm, unable to be spat out.

”Do you know where this is?”

However, His Excellency Hu Ba smoothly broke the tension, maintaining his smile as he took two steps forward and posed the question.

”No—otherwise, how would I have gotten lost?”

The sense of pressure was truly immense. The lady subconsciously shook her head, though her logical faculties were still intact.

”Then you’re in luck. I know... I even know that no one will come to this place.”

His Excellency Hu Ba actually stroked his mustache. Besides being tricky, his tone was faintly suggestive.

”What do you want to do?”

Seeming particularly sensitive to this, the lady’s voice suddenly sharpened into a piercing shriek. Disregarding her composure, she frantically retreated into a corner.

”Do you know why no one will come?”

His Excellency Hu Ba, however, remained very insistent on the continuity of his questions, letting her reaction play out as it would.

”...Why?”

Under the repeated back-and-forth, the lady’s emotional defenses seemed on the verge of collapse as she subconsciously followed his lead.

”Because there was never a path here to begin with. That door was sealed a long time ago.”

His Excellency Hu Ba gestured to the side.

”The only way is to leap the height of three people and jump in through this small window.”

...

Sure enough, there were Transcendent Tier elements.

The height wasn’t exceptionally tall, but for an ordinary person, it was already far beyond their limits—let alone this noblewoman who looked like she was lacking the strength to truss a chicken.

With those words from His Excellency Hu Ba, the plot could be said to have instantly shifted from a third-rate adult style to incorporating quite a few fantasy elements.

”Are you trying to say you jumped in here by yourself? Or will you tell me where the other person is?”

Not letting the silent lady off the hook, His Excellency Hu Ba pressed aggressively, directly puncturing her disguise and signaling for her to give up her accomplice.

”B-but I really don’t know...”

It was a pity that she looked to be stubbornly incorrigible; after a slight hesitation, she actually shook her head again.

”By the time I realized what was happening, I was already here. I don’t know how I got here either.”

However, it was somewhat of an improvement that she admitted her circumstances were a bit fishy.

”You really don’t know?”

Even His Excellency Hu Ba, although he didn’t look like he believed it, seemed to be carefully considering the possibility.

”It’s true, I really don’t know...”

The lady’s voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

”So that’s how it is—”

Muttering to himself, the man finally looked somewhat convinced.

”Then it really is exactly as I said before. You’re in luck, because I know where the other person is.”

But the twist happened in an instant. The next moment, His Excellency Hu Ba’s tone shifted, once again saying something astonishing.

”What—where?”

The lady sounded like she was about to be tormented out of her wits, subconsciously asking the question with a shudder.

”Right here.”

His Excellency Hu Ba actually turned his finger around to point at himself, his smile even broader than it was at the beginning.

”I brought you here. Did you forget?”

Sure enough, it was another thrilling twist. The awe-inspiring, righteous law enforcer directly transformed into the mastermind behind the scenes.

”Mhm... of course it’s you! How could I forget?”

The twists weren’t even over yet. In the very next moment, the lady’s voice also suddenly turned languid, to the point that a hint of a smile could be heard in it.

...

So they were rehearsing lines this whole time? Wasn’t this a bit too romantic?

As a spectator, Fu Qian’s capacity for acceptance was undoubtedly strong, though he felt for a moment that the plot had leaned a few degrees back toward vulgarity.

So the whole time it was just the two of you putting on an act? Are you guys really that playful?

Most importantly, who was this self-directed performance meant for?

It couldn’t be that a spectator like himself from several hundred years later was also a part of their play, right?