boyutpedia Page 161
Page 161
No matter how many times you look at it, you can always come back to the original conclusion.
only--
For Pado, at this moment she was not at all captivated by that beauty, nor was she happy because of that reward; all she felt was... a suffocating feeling, as if a python were coiling around her.
"You...you...you...."
Although he was determined to return the crystal flower to its owner, before he could even take any action, the owner came to his door.
At this moment, Pado was practically running away with her soul in front and her body chasing behind; she was so scared she almost flew away.
They've come knocking on our door!
As a petty thief with his own sense of self-awareness, the cat instinctively wanted to run away in this situation.
However, she didn't seem to pay much attention to the road when she came, and the place she chose just happened to be a dead end that was difficult to escape from, and Mr. Jiang, the owner of the lost property, just happened to be blocking the entrance of the alley.
At this moment, Pado was completely helpless, with only two words filling her mind—"Oh no, I'm doomed!"
"I...I'm so sorry...Please...Please forgive me! I...I...I really won't do it again! This is your crystal flower, I didn't damage it at all...Here you go...Please forgive me...I'm just an ordinary little thief..."
As the girl slowly approached her, Pado, who had instinctively pressed herself against the wall, even forgot why the other girl knew her name. She immediately knelt down and kowtowed, her face pale and covered in sweat, holding up the crystal flower and begging for mercy.
We're all drenched in sweat, family!
Then, there was no response.
Oh no, we're really doomed.
She wouldn't hand me over to the police, would she?
The cat, head bowed and too ashamed to look up, let out a mournful cry.
Because she often robbed the rich to help the poor, her bounty was quite high among the rich people on Twilight Street, at least by Pado's standards.
Then, none of what I imagined happened.
The cat, with its eyes tightly closed, didn't feel the chasing, yelling, and beatings that it used to feel—which are now rarer—but only felt a warm, gentle touch on its head.
She cautiously looked up and saw a pink-clad girl crouching down close to her, stroking her with her delicate hands.
...It's actually quite comfortable.
Feeling that rare sensation, Pado, though still filled with fear, subconsciously narrowed her eyes, revealing an expression like a cat being petted.
For some reason, I felt quite comfortable all over.
Spending years in places like Twilight Street, even with her skills becoming increasingly agile, inevitably leaves her with many scars—of course, Pado has long been accustomed to enduring the pain.
But now, she feels that the pain that used to make her wince when touched seems to be gradually disappearing.
"Okay~ all done."
"A girl's face is very important. It won't look good if you have scars on your face."
Her cheeks were lifted up, and the fairy-like girl looked her over with a satisfied expression. Then she smiled and said, "Get up, the ground is still dirty."
"..."
Paddy was pulled up in a daze, and it took her a long time to come back to her senses.
"Well then, let me introduce myself first."
"Alicia—as you can see, I am a beautiful girl as dazzling as a falling flower. Of course, you can also call me Jiang Qiao, whichever you prefer." Supporting her slender waist, the pink-clad girl casually introduced herself.
Hearing that sweet voice, Pado, who finally learned the name of the Crystal Flower's owner, came back to her senses and was somewhat surprised:
"...Aren't you going to hit me or yell at me?"
"Hmm~ Do I look like the bad boy type?"
"I stole your things."
"Hmm, that's certainly not commendable behavior, but it's okay, I forgive you."
"As for this crystal flower... do you like it?"
"..."
Pado gazed at the crystal flower in her hand, finding it difficult to describe her feelings at that moment.
She really likes this thing.
If it weren't for the pressure of life, the cat would probably prefer to keep this thing in its own hands and preserve it as a 'treasure'.
Seeing the girl's reluctance, [Alicia] smiled:
"In that case, I'll give it to you."
"Eh!?"
"Is it really possible?"
Pado's eyes widened, feeling both immense surprise and disbelief.
This crystal flower looks like something very precious, doesn't it?
Even without identifying the material, she knew it was definitely not a glass product.
Did they just give it to me directly?
"of course."
"However, from now on you'll have to work for me."
Jiang revealed his true intentions directly.
Upon hearing this, the cat instantly realized—why is your map of Yan so short? So it turns out you were looking for me!
Hmph, if that's the case, then you're going to be disappointed.
For a crystal flower, I, the cat, would sell myself? I'm not that cheap!
You must know, I, Pado, was born a member of Twilight Street, and I will die a ghost of Twilight Street! My loyalty to Twilight Street is unwavering and will never waver, therefore—
"You don't want to? What a pity, I was originally going to take this crystal flower..." The girl, with a regretful expression, held another crystal flower, her face full of disappointment.
But the next moment, a black shadow as nimble as a cat flashed by, and the crystal flower vanished without a trace.
The chestnut-haired girl carefully tucked both crystal flowers into her bosom, as if afraid of breaking them. She moved closer to Alicia, revealing a very servile and ingratiating expression, and said quite eagerly:
"Hehehe, no problem, no problem... Why would I refuse?"
"Sister Aili, whatever you say goes. We'll follow you from now on."
At this moment, Pado looks just like a dog... well, I should say a cat's lackey!
This woman named Alicia is clearly beautiful and sweet-hearted, and she's also very generous. If she didn't take advantage of such a wealthy man, wouldn't she be very foolish?
Since they've taken the initiative to invite her, Pado wouldn't mind being Alice's cat at all.
Maybe she can really live her dream life for the rest of her life—a dream life where she can eat her fill every day and take a nice afternoon nap?
And unlike those awful rich people, they are both girls, so they don't need to worry about their virginity at all!
...Hmm, I shouldn't worry, right?
—Not knowing what the cat was thinking, Jiang Qiao was in a very good mood.
This trip to Twilight Street has accomplished half of my goal.
Although the cat wasn't the person he was talking about who could help, with the cat's current abilities, she could only be considered a handyman in the Fire Moth.
But just because she's a cat, Jiang Qiao, as [Alice], wouldn't leave Pado in Twilight Street any longer.
After all, the environment here is really not good. Cat is basically risking her life to survive here – she can see Pado's wanted posters on the street.
Under the influence of the new Lawrence, this situation will only become more severe over time.
Being able to catch the cat before finding Aponia is a pretty good sign.
Jiang Qiao, with her cat by her side, returned to Smailo's hardware store.
It seems they've finished talking.
"Little Paddo?"
Smailo recognized the girl behind Jiang Qiao, whose face was obscured by a cloak, at a glance, and sighed in understanding:
"That's right, this kid is the most notorious pickpocket on this Dusk Street."
"Young lady, can you let her go?"
"Although Little Pado is a pickpocket, she is a rare good child on Twilight Street."
Known as the "righteous thief" among the lower-class residents, many of the Twilight Street residents who had been helped by her had a good impression of this little girl. Although Smailo was not the type to have received assistance, as one of the few positive figures in Twilight Street, he also quite liked this little girl.
After learning that it was Pado who stole Jiang Qiao's things, he wanted to plead for her.
Pado was clearly familiar with this hardware store owner who frequented the twilight street, and said cheerfully:
"Hey, Uncle Smiley, don't worry about it. Sister Ellie is so good to me. I'm working for her now!"
"That's right, that's great."
"Twilight Street has become increasingly chaotic lately, so leaving this place sooner rather than later is a good thing."
Smailo nodded with some relief, then sighed, "Vilvie has already told me."