The Masked Fools are notorious throughout the galaxy.
Although they aren't quite on the same level as the universally reviled Antimatter Legion or the Denizens of Abundance, their knack for getting on people's nerves makes them a unique presence among the many Pathstrider factions.
To be able to jest their way across the sea of stars, stirring up fun everywhere without getting beaten to death, relies not only on strength but also on transcendent acting skills!
And Sparkle, a renowned name in the 'Tavern', is the queen of actresses!
Sparkle found and locked onto the Astral Express's tracks without much effort, thanks to a favor from a very talented hacker friend she met while playing video games.
Sparkle could have found the Express and Caelus herself with a little time, but she was just too impatient~!
The first time meeting someone who dared to impersonate her, the first time being treated as the punchline—two joys converging into one. The mere thought of it sent shivers down Sparkle's delicate frame.
The anticipation was killing her!
In exchange for a small favor, the great Sparkle got the Astral Express's next destination directly from her hacker friend.
Upon receiving the destination, Miss Sparkle skipped and bounced her way to the Xianzhou Luofu to lie in wait for Caelus.
To her surprise, there was an extra bonus—the Luofu was actually fascinating! Sparkle could sense the undercurrents moving in the shadows. This trip would be worthwhile no matter what!
Too sleepy to get up in the morning, gazing at the cosmos at noon and night, just waiting and waiting. Oh, poor Sparkle!
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait too long. After just over a week, the Astral Express arrived on the Luofu.
Sparkle spotted the little gray-haired boy immediately. She didn't just jump out and confront him; of course, she had to choose a much better way to say hello!
Caelus had used her identity to deceive Sampo on Belobog, so she had to deceive him back in the same way.
That's the proper way for a Fool to make friends, after all~!
However, even if Sparkle possessed the Thousand-Faced Mask, capable of taking on countless appearances and changing numerous factors including her voice, with her performance skills honed to perfection...
It still wasn't enough to perfectly portray a stranger.
She needed to do some preliminary research on the character's personality and familiarize herself with her target's habits.
Caelus had many companions around him, so the great Sparkle needed to pick one lucky winner from the bunch.
After a brief observation period—one system hour—Sparkle had a general understanding of everyone's personality and temperament.
She quickly decided on the target she would observe and impersonate.
The other little gray-haired one!
She was probably Caelus's older or younger sister, right?
The reason was simple: Stelle's personality was more suitable for teasing Caelus, which would make things easier and more interesting later on!
With her target locked, Sparkle began to observe Stelle specifically.
She was careful to maintain her distance from Caelus. A guy who could pull off such a brilliant play on Belobog was certainly no ordinary person; it wouldn't do to startle him.
Sparkle discovered that this other little gray-haired one also had the potential to be a Masked Fool!
Mad!
Fun!
Nuts!
As for Caelus, there was even less to say.
Whether it was mixing a bunch of random ingredients into milk tea and making someone drink it, or the grand drama of recognizing Kafka as his mother at Divergent Star Port, or making the Mara-struck and a little Foxian girl tap dance...
The way the short, pink-haired Master Diviner nearly tripped when she landed, that bewildered and dazed expression on her face was just too funny!
It made Sparkle laugh so hard she was in tears.
Brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant!
Watching it all, Sparkle applauded and cheered, eager to play a game with Caelus!
Her observation of Stelle and collection of personality fragments was complete. By integrating them with the power of the Thousand-Faced Mask, she could impersonate Stelle almost perfectly.
Originally, Sparkle was still pondering how to separate the group that was always stuck together, or how to lure Stelle away so she could make her entrance.
Unexpectedly, they split up after returning. It was the perfect opportunity!
Sparkle was very patient. She didn't rush onto the stage. She continued to follow Stelle and March 7th to understand what they were up to.
So far, the only thing that still confused Sparkle was, what exactly were the crystals?
Based on the available information, Sparkle analyzed that it might be something only Caelus and Stelle could see. Of course, she couldn't rule out the possibility that the two little gray-hairs were genuinely insane.
It was a bit of a risk, but she just had to avoid the topic of the unidentified crystals.
Sparkle was very confident in her acting and her ability to improvise!
She would win!
The confident Miss Sparkle used her Thousand-Faced Mask to become Stelle, waited at a crossroad she knew he'd pass, and successfully reeled Caelus in.
Even the story she told Caelus was based on the real encounter she had witnessed while tailing Stelle and March 7th.
She proactively asked how many crystals he had found to start a conversation.
According to Sparkle's understanding of their dynamic, what should have followed was a childish, elementary-school-level argument, ending with both of them shutting up and dropping the topic of crystals altogether.
This would have shielded at least half of the conversation about crystals, reducing the risk of exposure.
But the plot took a turn that Sparkle didn't expect. She never thought this little gray-haired boy would actually reach for her chest and even grope it a couple of times without hesitation.
Even for Sparkle, her train of thought stuttered for 0.1 seconds before she reacted in character as Stelle.
But she felt a bit strange.
Seriously, dude? Is this how you treat your twin sister?
During her observation of Stelle, Sparkle had noticed that neither of them minded close physical contact with the other, but this was crossing a line, wasn't it?
The fact that Caelus and Stelle were essentially one person was not public knowledge; only their close friends knew.
Sampo was not among them.
Nor would Silver Wolf proactively post such things online.
Their daily interactions didn't resemble a couple in love at all, but rather incredibly close twins. It was normal for Sparkle to misunderstand their relationship.
Then came the second development that made Sparkle's thoughts screech to a halt.
Caelus actually dropped a bombshell in public—a marriage proposal!
In such a short time, after just a few sentences, Sparkle didn't think her acting could have been seen through, especially considering Caelus's usual crazy antics.
Such an unorthodox move, proposing to his sister, wasn't exactly shocking to Sparkle, who was a master of Elation herself, but it was a little surprising.
And then, Miss Sparkle quickly considered how she should react.
But when Caelus knelt on one knee and presented his proposal gift, Miss Sparkle's mind froze for a third time.
In his hands, Caelus held a small, silver trash can. The outside was wiped clean, but when he lifted the lid, the contents made Sparkle's heart skip a beat.
Rotten banana peels mixed with soggy wads of toilet paper and something that looked like a dead fish. Dry waste, wet waste, kitchen scraps, and unknown liquids, all fermenting together to produce a gas that was like a physical skull.
The smell couldn't be described as merely sour or foul. A single whiff nearly knocked Sparkle out cold.
In that second, Sparkle recalled herself laughing her head off as Tingyun drank the spiked milk tea. She never thought it would be her turn next.
Was I exposed?
No way!
Although Sparkle knew her performance this time was far from perfect, there was no reason she should have been exposed!
The crowd of onlookers, who had formed a human wall three layers deep, scattered like birds the moment Caelus presented the trash can.
'Blech!'
'What is that!'
'It stinks!'
A man who had just taken the last bite of a vegetable bun suddenly clutched his mouth, spraying bits of seaweed from between his fingers.
The dentures of an elderly outworlder lady walking her dog clattered into the dog's bowl, and a little girl holding cotton candy retched the sugary fluff all over her mother's back.
A Foxian woman livestreaming with her Jade Abacus didn't forget to adjust her filter even as she gagged.
'Bullshit, man! Are you proposing with a trash can?!'
'What kind of demonic planet culture is this?!'
'There's no way a planet like that exists!'
A chorus of complaints rose from the surroundings, and the crowd that had been tightly encircling them retreated more than ten meters.
Nobody left. Everyone wanted to see how this ridiculous drama would unfold.
A brother proposing to his sister!
A forbidden love!
Xianzhou natives didn't suffer from any debuffs for procreating with close relatives, but the moral issue of siblings marrying was not to be ignored. Generally speaking, it was taken less seriously than on Earth, but it was still very rare.
More importantly, he was proposing with a freaking trash can!
Everyone took out their Jade Abacuses and phones to record. This was guaranteed to dominate the trending topics and headlines of every short-video platform on the Luofu tomorrow!
In the center of the stage, only Caelus, kneeling on one knee and holding a trash can, and the dazed and confused gray-haired girl remained.
'These are the crystals I've been saving up recently.'
No matter what outsiders saw or how bad the garbage smelled, to Caelus, he was holding a trash can treasure chest, and what it held were genuinely crystals.
Absolutely clean, with no odor whatsoever.
Caelus had been saving this thing specifically for Stelle, but he hadn't found the right opportunity. Since Sparkle had walked right into it, he wasn't going to hold back.
'They're all for you!'
The unease of breaking a taboo was written all over Caelus's face, but his gaze then turned resolute.
Crystals...
Sparkle's eye twitched, but that wasn't the main issue.
Does this little gray-haired boy really love his sister?
A proposal?
How should she respond?
'Stelle!'
Caelus's voice was frayed with emotion.
'I don't know when I fell in love with you. When I look back, maybe it's because I love you that every moment feels like I love you!'
Caelus's expression turned serious. He grabbed one of the gray-haired girl's hands and his voice rose with passion:
'I love you with no regard for reservation or ethics! I love you setting aside the gazes of others and the morals of the world! Even if my life were placed on a scale, I would not hesitate in my choice, for that itself is proof of how deeply I love you!'
Caelus's golden eyes burned with pure, intense emotion, carrying a wild, almost bestial fervor.
'I toss and turn at night for you, my heart aches for you, I offer you all my joys and sorrows!'
Caelus once again offered the trash can with sincere ardor:
'Please marry me! Marry someone who loves you this deeply!'
Caelus's words silenced the entire world.
For the first time in a long while, a drop of cold sweat trickled down Sparkle's forehead.
At that moment, she felt a sense of pressure she hadn't experienced in ages.
It was like two actors sharing a stage, where one couldn't keep up with the other's performance.
With Sparkle's acting prowess, she could have continued the act if she had to, but she wasn't sure: had Caelus seen through her disguise, or was he genuinely proposing to his 'sister, Stelle'?
That was a very important question.
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