Eldritch Horror Theatre

To think the little girl who seemed the most cautious was actually the most abnormal!

As Bella stared at Margaret in shock, Fu Qian sighed inwardly.

The Scarecrow's purpose was to point the way to the fairytale's exit, which was undoubtedly unnecessary in this world.

Yet Margaret had spoken of finding the Scarecrow with complete seriousness.

It seemed the little girl could no longer distinguish the boundary between the two worlds.

In a sense, her condition was no better than Violetta's.

Being older and having just searched for the Scarecrow herself, Bella realized the problem almost instantly, her expression turning utterly stiff.

"Souffle went out to look for us? We didn't run into her!"

Hani was naturally a bit scatterbrained and didn't think much of it, simply asking the question on reflex.

Margaret nodded, explaining in a quiet voice.

"You didn't run into any danger on the way, did you?"

"...No."

Hani nearly let the truth slip, but thankfully, she remembered Bella's instructions and quickly changed her tune.

To keep Margaret from noticing the bloodstains on her clothes, she didn't say anything more and hurried off to change.

"Margaret."

Bella was clearly unsettled as well. She carefully sat down across from her sister.

"Don't worry, we're fine. When did Souffle leave?"

"She left a while ago. When none of you came back, I was worried sick sitting here at home."

Margaret sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"It's all right, aren't we back now? And there's even less reason to worry about Souffle. She's smarter than all of us."

Bella hesitated, ultimately choosing not to correct Margaret about the Scarecrow. Instead, she took her hands and gently comforted her.

"Go rest in your room for a bit. I'll make dinner later."

"Okay."

Margaret gave a soft sound of agreement and nodded obediently.

...

After Margaret returned to her bedroom, silence fell over the living room once more.

"You stay here and rest. I'll go out and look for Souffle."

After sitting across from Fu Qian for a moment, Bella stood up with a conflicted expression.

"I should go. With the state you're in, Souffle will notice something is wrong."

Fu Qian replied calmly, offering a reason Bella couldn't refute.

"No, it's too dangerous."

Bella bit her lip but ultimately shook her head.

"Don't worry, it can't possibly be more dangerous than it was earlier. Besides, Souffle needs to know about Margaret as soon as possible."

Hmm?

Fu Qian's last remark undeniably startled Bella.

Realizing that he had also noticed Margaret's abnormality, Bella couldn't help but stare, looking at him as if he were a complete stranger.

Ever since waking up this time, her youngest sister had given off an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.

"Yes, I noticed. Margaret seems to be having trouble distinguishing between the two sides."

Fu Qian didn't avoid her gaze, lowering his voice as he spoke.

"And it's obvious we don't have a solution. We need to let Souffle know about this immediately."

"But..."

If she ignored the fact that the person speaking was her youngest sister, the logic was flawless.

However, driven by her instinct as an older sister, Bella subconsciously didn't want Violetta to go out alone.

"I'm heading out. Get some rest."

Unfortunately, Fu Qian didn't give her the chance to argue. He walked straight over and opened the door.

"Why is Violetta heading out again?"

Hani, having just finished changing her clothes, caught sight of this and looked confused.

"She's going to find Souffle."

Bella watched Fu Qian leave. Seeing that Hani was still trying to process the situation, she didn't bother elaborating.

"Oh!"

...

By the time Fu Qian stepped outside, it was nearing evening. The streets remained sparse with pedestrians.

After glancing both ways, he decisively chose the opposite direction from which they had returned.

Margaret's situation was certainly one reason he insisted on coming out to find Souffle.

But in all honesty, Fu Qian didn't think Souffle would have any solution for Margaret's condition either.

He was mostly just curious about what Souffle was up to.

Since he still hadn't found any clues regarding the cage, staying cooped up in the house would definitely lead nowhere.

From what he had observed, all the sisters seemed a bit abnormal. Beneath their seemingly peaceful life, hidden dangers lurked everywhere.

He wondered if this seemingly most reliable eldest sister could provide him with some inspiration.

Reality, however, was nowhere near as mysterious as he imagined. Not long after following the main road, Fu Qian spotted Souffle.

The eldest sister actually bore a strong resemblance to Bella. She was sitting on a roadside bench, casually observing her surroundings.

Contrary to Margaret's description, she didn't look hurried in the slightest. In fact, she appeared completely at ease.

If she'd had a slice of cake beside her, the picture would have been downright absurd.

Fu Qian couldn't help but silently critique the scene. He didn't rush forward, opting instead to lay low in the distance and observe her secretly.

Very soon, Fu Qian noticed something unusual about Souffle.

Though she appeared to be resting, she wasn't enjoying the scenery. Her attention seemed entirely focused on the passing pedestrians.

Every time someone walked by, not only did her focus sharpen instantly, but she also tried desperately to conceal the fact.

He drew a sharp breath. 'Why does it feel like there's something off about her too?'

He was planning to observe for a while longer when Souffle suddenly stood up in the distance.

Just as he wondered what she was doing, Souffle looked in his direction without a shred of hesitation.

She spotted him already?

Their eyes met, giving Fu Qian a fright.

His current spot might not be a total blind spot, but it was an absolutely perfect place to lay low. And he was still noticed?

'Are you using hacks?!'

This wasn't good. No matter the excuse, there seemed to be no way to explain why he was hiding and observing from the shadows.

Seeing Souffle steadily approaching, Fu Qian's mind raced.

...

"Violetta! Why are you out here all alone?"

Souffle soon stood before him, her gaze sharper than ever.

"Where's Hani?"

"I... I don't know."

The voice that answered her was Violetta's, filled with confusion.

That was right. Using the time it took for Souffle to walk over, Fu Qian had relinquished control of the body, returning to his state as a possessing spirit.

Since he couldn't explain it, he simply wouldn't.

Nothing could withstand an interrogation better than a genuinely innocent soul.

Fortunately, Violetta's consciousness quickly recovered, and it seemed she knew absolutely nothing about what had happened during this brief window.

"You don't know..."

Souffle's frown deepened as she tried to find any clues on Violetta's face.

Unfortunately, Violetta's confusion was one hundred percent pure, revealing no flaws whatsoever.

"Did you fall asleep again?"

After a few seconds of silence, Souffle's gaze finally softened.

She crouched down, holding Violetta's shoulders, and wiped her sister's face.

"It's getting dark. Let's head home first."

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