Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 809

"Are you awake?"

It was Chalty's voice.

When Lucifer regained consciousness, she found herself inside a tent. The air was filled with the smell of soil and grass, and in one corner of the tent were a few pieces of men's clothing.

Lucifer quickly deduced that this tent belonged to the lumberjack she had seen before losing consciousness-and it wasn't difficult to figure out how Chalty ended up here.

Given her state after rolling down the hill and getting injured, she couldn't have walked far. It was not surprising that Chalty had searched for her and finally found her.

At least she had encountered a good person; Lucifer couldn't help but scoff at herself-after all, as a nun of the convent, if she wasn't considered a good person, the coffin of the Virgin Mary wouldn't be able to cover it.

After waking up, Lucifer remained silent, simply turning her head to observe Chalty-undoubtedly, in her current condition, it was difficult to do anything.

Even the idea of sending a message to Charlotte so she could send someone to meet her felt a bit dangerous. If those demons who had succumbed to her power learned that the formidable queen of hell had been reduced to this state...

They would probably be very eager to discuss how to devour her.

Even if she had Charlotte's protection to shield her from the threats of demons that would instinctively follow their desires, Lucifer still wouldn't choose to return at this moment-her pride wouldn't allow her to appear in such a state."I heard from uncle Am that your name is Lucy, right? He said your family lives in the village ahead?" Chalty asked, looking at Lucifer with a puzzled expression.

Am must be the name of the lumberjack.

Lucifer instinctively nodded, just as she was about to speak when a sudden pain struck her head as if it were about to split open-she quickly shook her head.

She couldn't lie, and she definitely couldn't admit to a lie. But that didn't mean she couldn't escape from this predicament-by simply denying the lie she had already told and then remaining silent, she could handle the 'punishment' that felt like a curse imposed on her.

Or perhaps, using ambiguous language could also effectively avoid triggering the 'punishment.'

After nearly nodding her head, she hurriedly shook it instead-she intended to remain silent about all of Charlotte's questions. As for how to communicate, she would leave that to this young nun to worry about.

After all, this pure-hearted nun would have enough patience and tolerance to endure a non-cooperative child... or so Lucifer thought.

"Is that not the case? Then what is your real name? Where do you live?" Charlotte asked again, curious.

Lucifer shook her head once more, considering whether to pretend to be an amnesiac child, which would be much easier-but then her head started to throb painfully again.

How could this happen... In response to questions, not answering shouldn't be considered lying.

But why was the 'punishment' still triggered?

Could it be that... Lucifer suddenly widened her eyes, showing a mix of shock and anger-as she recalled something very frightening.

The curse of the "Punishment for Lies" might be more complicated than just punishing for falsehoods. It likely involves a specific condition, like "you must answer the other person's questions truthfully." So, it's not just about avoiding lies; it's about directly responding with the truth.

"Damn it, such harsh terms!" Lucifer gritted her teeth. "I didn't even take part in the attack a hundred years ago! This isn't fair!"

"The attack? Fair? What are you talking about?" Chalty was puzzled. "What did you just say?"

"Don't ask. Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand." Lucifer stared coldly at Chalty, though she was sweating nervously, unsure if her assumptions about the curse were entirely accurate or if there were other conditions at play.

Luckily, her response didn't seem to trigger the punishment this time.

Lucifer let out a sigh of relief... Or so she thought! A sudden wave of pain hit her head again, making her want to smash her own skull.

"You must truthfully and directly answer the other person's questions!"

"What's wrong? Are you okay, child?"

Chalty, noticing Lucifer's pain, panicked and hugged her tightly. Mother DeLan had always said that a hug could offer hope and strength.

"Listen... I'll say this just once..." Lucifer weakly replied, "I am the Queen of Hell, Lucifer. That attack a hundred years ago was an assault on a mysterious shop, led mostly by descendants of Western European gods!"

"Huh?" Chalty blinked in confusion.

She let Lucifer go and placed her forehead against Lucifer's, mumbling, "No fever..."

Lucifer suddenly had the urge to destroy something, but given her current state, the most she could do was trample a few weeds outside the tent.

"So, your name is Lucifer, right?" Chalty asked.

Lucifer nodded, feeling utterly hopeless.

"How did you end up at the convent?" Chalty continued.

"I fell from the sky. I didn't expect to land at the convent."

"And the collar around your neck?" Charlotte blinked again.

"This is probably what's sealing my power. I encountered an opponent far stronger than me and couldn't defeat them."

Charlotte sighed, looking at Lucifer with concern, then said, "Rest for now. I'll bring you something to eat."

"Wait, I'm telling the truth..." Lucifer started, but by the time she spoke, Chalty had already left the tent. Defeated, she swallowed her words, feeling hopeless once again.

...

"Is the child awake?"

Outside the tent, the lumberjack, Am, had started a fire and was using his simple cookware to prepare a pot of meat soup. It's not unusual for lumberjacks like Arm to carry cooking utensils since they often spend several days in the forest after cutting trees.

"She has woken up," Chalty sighed. "But I don't know if it's because she hit her head, I just feel something is off about the child."

Chalty briefly recounted what she had heard in the tent. After listening, Am opened his mouth in surprise, then burst into laughter. "My kids sometimes say they are superheroes; children at that age tend to have wild imaginations."

"That's true, but if we can't find out where she lives, it will be hard to deal with," Chalty said with concern.

Am, who appeared to be in his forties, seemed to have some understanding of children due to having his own. He reassured Charlotte, "It's okay. From what you said about how you found the child, it sounds like she might have encountered something terrifying before. Otherwise, she wouldn't have ended up wearing that collar. Oh, I can't imagine what that poor child has been through... Perhaps the things she says are just her way of protecting herself."

"Let's hope so," Chalty nodded.

"But if you want to send her to the village, it might not be possible in the short term," Am said.

Chalty was taken aback. "Why not?"

"Didn't a fierce storm blow through yesterday? The road out of the village has been blocked by a landslide; it's impassable now."

"How could that be..." Chalty was stunned.

At that moment, Am suddenly looked behind Chalty, surprised. "Child, child!"

Chalty quickly turned around to see Lucifer's small figure darting toward the woods, the sky was darkening, and she quickly disappeared from sight.

"Oh no! Wild animals come out in the woods at night!" Am exclaimed in panic.

Without a second thought, he grabbed an axe and ran after her, while Chalty hurriedly lifted her skirt and followed.

---

Cata Club

The city-wide power outage also affected this haven for the rich, making the security guard at the club look somewhat lethargic.

When Arnold and Caroline arrived at the entrance of the Cata Club, they could see a bit of light inside, but the surrounding area was primarily dark, likely due to a small generator powering the club.

"How are we going to get in?" Arnold asked, stopping Caroline at the entrance, fearing she might rush in like she did earlier at the "White Hell" bar.

Clearly, places like the Cata Club, meant for the indulgence of the wealthy, were entirely different from those low-class bars, and he worried that Caroline might get kicked out.

But Caroline suddenly looked at Arnold and asked, "Can't you go in?"

Arnold was taken aback, then shook his head. "How could I possibly go into a place like this? The prices are too high."

Caroline also shook her head. "Who said you have to spend money? I meant for you to walk in confidently. Did you forget that back at the bar, that guy mistook you for Hailey?"

As she spoke, Caroline took Arnold's glasses off and playfully ruffled his bookish hair. "Hmm, looking like this, you do have a bit of potential to be a decoy."

"But I..." Arnold hurriedly tried to say something.

Caroline had already pushed his shoulder and was walking toward the entrance of the Cata Club. "If Haley has a job inside, then the people here must know him. Maybe we can find out where he is. He might even be inside the club right now."

"But I... I really can't!" Arnold protested in a panic.

At that moment, the security guard at the entrance of the Cata Club had clearly noticed two sneaky figures approaching and walked over with a flashlight. "You two, what are you doing? The club is closed today, no business. You need to leave... Oh, it's Hailey."

Backlit, they couldn't see the guard's face clearly, but it was obvious that he recognized them. Hearing the guard speak, Arnold sighed and shot a glare at Caroline before mumbling, "Uh... it's me."

The guard quickly approached, pressing the flashlight button. "Hailey, where have you been for a month? You didn't come to work. The manager told me if you don't show up next week, I'll have to clear out your locker."

"I... had some things to deal with and went back to my hometown." Arnold tried to turn his face away, seemingly unable to meet the guard's gaze.

The guard paused for a moment and then looked at Caroline with curiosity. "Who is this young lady?"

"She... she is..."

Caroline calmly replied, "I'm his employer. I heard this place is quite fun, so I asked him to bring me here. I didn't expect... it really is closed?"

Upon hearing this, the guard gave Arnold a knowing smile and politely said, "Yes, ma'am, there's a power outage today, so we can't open. The air conditioning in the security booth isn't working, and I'm sweating like crazy."

"That's such a pity," Caroline shook her head, looking disdainful. "Looks like this place isn't all that great."

The security guard didn't say anything-after all, it was their principle not to offend customers.

In fact, this bright-looking girl didn't compare to some of the older, bitter middle-aged women at the club at all.

"Sorry about that," the guard chuckled sheepishly.

Suddenly, Caroline said, "Hailey, since it's closed, you should quickly go inside and get your things. Later, we can drive and catch some fresh air; I want to run a lap around Bread Mountain."

"Get... get my things?" Arnold almost whispered in her ear, "I don't have anything to get!"

"Just go get it... see what's in the locker; maybe we can find some clues!" Caroline lowered her voice.

To the security guard, their whispering looked like a couple engaged in a playful game, so he didn't pay it any mind-in fact, the pretty boys inside the Cata Club were quite skilled at winning women's hearts.

"But... but I don't have the key. How can I get in..." Arno looked worried.

Unexpectedly, Caroline suddenly shouted, "What! You forgot the key? Are you an idiot? I came all this way with you, and we didn't even have fun, and you didn't bring the key? I spend so much money on you; I might as well have kept a pet dog!"

Seeing this woman swing her bag at Arnold, the guard secretly sighed... Although these gigolos enjoyed good food and clothing, they were still essentially there for women, and it was hard to say how different they were from pet dogs.

"It's okay, the security room has a spare key; I'll let you in," the guard quickly said. "No need to let a small matter ruin our good mood."

"Then hurry up! What are you standing there like a wooden log for?" Caroline continued to hit Arnold's shoulder with her bag, acting like a spoiled rich girl.

"Hailey, let's go. Don't waste your time," the guard said, grabbing Arnldo's arm and leading him into the Cata Club.

"You go ahead; I'll wait for you here. Hurry back out!"

Caroline's voice came from behind.

The guard gave Arnold a sympathetic glance, sighing, "Bro, you were right; this job of yours is really tough."

"Ha... is it?" Arnold awkwardly smiled and glanced back at Caroline.

This woman, meanwhile, had secretly made an "OK" gesture to him, looking quite pleased with herself.