Chapter 31: Chapter 31 ~ A Scheme Bound to Fail

"What was that?" Ciel asked.

"A 'correction', though I don't know where such a term came from. Well, let's not care about that too much since I have a hunch that it would be answered in due time."

She nodded.

"So, where should we go now?" I asked.

"Take a look around the stalls? We could have some fun competing in getting prizes, like back in the day." she grinned.

"Alright then, let's go. I won't lose this time!"

We went outside the tent using the 'back door', though a circular tent wouldn't have a 'back door' per se. So, we took the path where the people are a little bit more sparse since most of them were occupied with watching the circus troupe's daily training. From there, we went towards the stalls near the circus, trying to grab a meal and also have some fun at the same time.

"Eat first or play first?" she asked.

"Both. Both sounds good."

"Oh, you!" she bumped her shoulders to mine, not too harshly, but enough to make me stumble a bit.

She added, "though that sounds kinda good." acknowledging my train of thought.

"What did I say before?" I bumped my shoulders to hers.

"When in doubt about having fun, ask Laincelot." she recited.

"And who's Laincelot?"

"You."

"Good. Now let us go get our freshly grilled chicken skewers, from that stall over there; and also a bit of that new thing that just came from Turkhej, what was it again?"

"Kebab?"

"Yes! Kebab. Let's get that too from the stall across the chicken skewers."

"Alright then. I'll get the kebab, and you'll get the chicken skewers." she decided.

As per her decision, we went our separate ways and bought both kebab and chicken skewers enough for two people or more. We waited around for our orders, nothing in mind, free from doubt and shackles. And even if the mystery of the 'correction' from before eluded us, we lived fine and well. I looked at her, as she looked at me. Both of us were thankful for each other's presence, for being the only survivor in this new age of men, truly seemed lonely and cold. I affirmed my vows, to not only make her my priority but also to live together till the end of days.

Her orders were finished a bit faster than mine. Thus it was only right, that she waited alongside me in front of the stall. Eyeing the succulent bits of chicken, skewered and char-grilled to near perfection, she became giddy; unable to wait for just a bit more time.

Amused by the glutton beside me, I chuckled.

After waiting for at most two or three minutes, though according to her it was more than twenty, the chicken skewers she waited for so long has finally finished.

"We got our food, now we play?" the cute little gremlin asked.

"Yes, now we can play while snacking," I said matter-of-factly.

"What should we play though?"

"Let's go with darts first. The stalls won't be away for a week or two."

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Thus, following my advice, we went towards quite a sizeable stall with quite a sizeable crowd, crowding over it. Jeers and shouts could be heard, saying things along the lines of why the darts landed nowhere near the target. Though of course the proprietor immediately said his darts had not been tampered with after he was accused of cheating his customers, with the debacle finishing after he threw one of the darts he picked randomly, a straight bullseye towards the target he had chosen.

"Should we try this one?" I asked.

"This one seems challenging enough, let's do this one."

As if on cue, the proprietor locked eyes with me. He took a deep breath, before shouting loudly at us with such power in his voice.

"That gentleman over there! Yeah, you with the decorated deep-blue vest and black tailcoat! You, yes you, the one with his silver-haired wifey!"

Quite a description of us, I thought. Hence my short, yet polite, reply to the proprietor.

"What is it, sir?!" I asked.

"I see that you're interested in this game of darts? How about I give you a freebie today?"

"Well, sir; the one to play won't be me though! It's my wifey."

"Miss wifey will get the free darts experience then. Everyone, please make way! Make way!"

The quite sizable crowd in front of the quite sizable stall parted.

Ciel, amused by what they called her, decided it was high time to tease me. She smirked, and nudged my sides with her elbow, though her red ears betrayed her embarrassment.

"Wifey, huh?" she asked quietly, so that none may hear but me.

"Wifey, yes," I stated righteously.

Before she went forward, to take on the challenge of darts, she left me with a statement.

"Your ears are red," she said smugly.

I coughed lightly, clearing my throat.

Right as we quietly talked to each other, the proprietor nefariously thought. He would give this new player a freebie, and upped the ante. Still, a freebie would he give. Another upping of the ante, and he would cash in on their sorry wallets. Truly, the reason he picked on this couple was simple jealousy. He was jealous of the man's handsome looks, his stylish way of dressing, and the air of superiority he gave off. He was also jealous of that man's wife. Her wheat-coloured skin, along with her silver hair, and her flame-tinted eyes, truly made her a wildflower. Beautiful, though not in the standard sense. That small banter the couple had before she walked forward, made him, who was left behind by his partner for another man, hurt.

"Now then, just for this lucky young wife, I shall choose for her a dart that will always stay true to its targets, only if her heart was full of love for her man."

Ciel, whose mood was quite happy at first after teasing her beloved, now turned sour. Though she won't explode into an outburst, her opinions of the proprietor fell harshly. The fun game she had imagined now turned into a trap that tried to embarrass herself and her beloved. After years of adventuring, these kinds of traps lost their meaning to her. She could easily dismiss them without causing any conflicts, but as she was about to do so, a voice called out to her.

"Ciel! Go and have the best of fun!" I said.

That low blow by the proprietor angered me a bit, but it also made me curious as to why he decided to do so. Hearing what I said, Ciel nodded giddily. Taking the dart presented to her, she threw it uncaringly. Lo, and behold a bullseye. As if waiting for that bullseye, the proprietor quickly commented.

"Right between the eyes! This lady right here brought home 100 Guld!"

It seems this stall worked with the scheme of a gambling den. They gave customers a big win, before taking it all away in a double or nothing. The customer, already considered prey by the time he or she decided to play such a game, would most likely take the double or nothing challenge. They might be given another win, to increase their confidence, before their dream was crushed to smithereens with harrowing debts after they lose. I don't know how these kinds of stalls managed to pass by the festival committee's filters, and I don't want to know.

I was proven right, as the proprietor called for a double or nothing. Still, I was not alarmed. I'm confident that her prowess would trump any tricks and schemes.

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