Kai opened his eyes to the familiar sight of the colorful circus tents and the dim evening sky.

He did not scream, and he did not punch the wooden fence post. His burning rage had burned out during the last decapitation.

The panic was gone, replaced by a deadly focus that settled deep in his chest. He stood perfectly still while he reached up to touch his neck.

A tall man stepped out from the shadows of the largest striped tent, wearing a sharp crimson coat.

"Welcome to the wandering stage, tired travelers," the ringmaster called out smoothly.

[System Event: Neutral Zone Discovered]

[Location: The Wandering Circus]

Kai stared at the text for a long moment, and the real puzzle finally clicked together in his mind.

He had been looking at the answer all night long without actually seeing it.

The system protected the wandering camp because it was designated as a neutral area.

If Kai drew his dagger and attacked Ariane first, the system rules would either block his damage entirely or flag him as a hostile threat to the entire camp.

He could not just assassinate her in the dark. He needed to trick her into throwing the first strike. If she attacked him with lethal intent in broad daylight, she would break her own invulnerability rules.

’I just need to make her so angry she forgets to play it safe,’ Kai thought to himself.

He turned around and grabbed Eliza and Sera by their hands. He did not bother explaining the complex rules of the time loop or his multiple gruesome deaths, and just pulled them down the main dirt path toward the performance stage.

"I need you two to listen to me very carefully," Kai instructed them. He kept his voice low and completely steady.

"We are walking into a trap, but I know how to break it. Sera, please go rig three of those empty merchant wagons near the edge of the camp. Make sure they are ready to catch fire and create a huge distraction the second I give the signal."

Sera raised an eyebrow, but she nodded quickly. She slipped away into the crowd without asking a single question.

Kai stopped right in front of the stage where Vesper was preparing her iron chains. He grabbed the fire dancer’s wrist and pulled her close. Eliza stood right beside them and waited for her own instructions.

"Eliza, I want you to prepare the strongest delayed holy spell you have," Kai told the blonde cleric.

"Hold the magic tight and stay close to the central stage. When the fighting starts, I need you to blind the woman in the white dress."

"I am ready," Eliza promised, gripping her crossbow tight.

Kai turned his attention fully to Vesper.

"I know about your secret, but we are in a difficult situation, and I want your help."

Vesper can’t say why, but she nodded.

"I need you to act like you are obsessed with me right now. Hang on my arm, kiss my neck, and pretend I am the best thing you have ever had in your entire life. We are going to bait the camp boss out of hiding."

Vesper smirked and leaned her soft body right against his chest.

"That doesn’t sound like a very difficult acting job for me."

They walked back toward the center of the camp together. Vesper wrapped her arms tightly around Kai’s waist and rested her chin on his shoulder.

She pressed her warm curves against him and laughed loudly at everything he said. They made a highly public spectacle of themselves near the food stalls.

It did not take long for the bait to work.

A soft voice called out from the shadows between the tents. Ariane stepped into the lantern light, wearing her flowing white silk dress.

She wore her perfect motherly smile, but her eyes were fixed on Vesper’s hands wrapping around Kai’s waist.

"You look like you carry the weight of the world on those broad shoulders, my poor lost lamb," Ariane said gently.

She walked over and reached out to touch his arm.

"Come with me to my private carriage. I will brew some hot tea to calm your tired nerves."

"That sounds perfect," Kai agreed with a wide grin. He patted Vesper on the hip and told her to wait by the stage.

He followed Ariane into her large carriage parked at the back of the camp. The inside smelled strongly of dried lavender, and the air felt suffocating.

Ariane poured him a delicate cup of hot tea and sat down on the cushion directly across from him.

She smoothed her long dress over her lap and offered him a sweet look.

"Tell me what is troubling your heart," Ariane urged softly.

"You belong here with our family, child. I can protect you from the cruel women of the outside world who only want to use your body."

Kai took a slow sip of the hot tea. He set the delicate cup down on the small wooden table, leaned back in his seat, and started laughing like a maniac.

"I am actually not troubled at all," Kai said. He made sure his voice dripped with unfiltered arrogance.

"I just finalized my plans for the evening. I am taking that fire dancer out of this camp tomorrow morning, and I am never bringing her back."

Ariane froze completely. Her sweet smile twitched just a fraction of an inch.

"Vesper is a circus performer. She belongs to the stage, and you are a growing boy who needs proper guidance."

"I don’t need a mother," Kai replied, leaning forward so he could look right into her eyes.

"I need a sexy body in my bed every single night. And Vesper has the best ass I have ever seen. She knows exactly how to move it, too. I plan on keeping her on her knees for the entire journey to Thornwatch."

The air inside the carriage dropped a few degrees in temperature.

Ariane gripped the edges of her velvet seat so hard her pale knuckles turned completely white.

"You should not speak about such filthy things," Ariane whispered. Her voice was tight and strained.

"You are pure. I am trying to keep you clean."

’It’s working.’

"There is nothing pure about what I am going to do to her tonight," Kai continued, pushing his luck as far as it would go. He let a dirty smirk spread across his face because he wanted her to see exactly how much he did not care about her stupid rules.

"We are going to fuck in every single town from here to the coast. I am going to ruin her pussy so bad. She practically begged me to take her away from this boring, pathetic little camp, and I am more than happy to oblige."

Ariane let out a sharp gasp. The motherly illusion shattered into a million tiny pieces right in front of him.

"You ungrateful little bastard," Ariane screamed, her voice twisting into a demonic growl.

She raised her pale hand, and the heavy rattle of an iron chain echoed loudly inside the small carriage. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Kai kept his smirk perfectly in place because he knew he had finally won the waiting game.

He had pushed every single jealous button she possessed, and she was finally going to strike first.