I Became the Leader of the Monster Circus Troupe

Ella’s concerns were notwithstanding, Wonderstein’s lecture proceeded smoothly without major disruptions.

The notion of a “Monster Circus” not only failed to provoke resistance but instead captured the interest of the students.

As is typical of elites in the art world, they initially seemed to find nothing noteworthy in conformity but became more lenient towards deviations.

They were more tolerant of radicalism than the general public.

Wonderstein used excerpts from the script he wrote as examples, proving that their performance was not about exhibiting and ridiculing victims of curses and epidemics, as commonly believed.

Thanks to this, some of the prejudices students held against the Monster Circus were alleviated.

Above all, Wonderstein’s personal charm played a significant role in the smooth progress of the lecture.

Every time he glanced or smiled, screams of admiration erupted among the students.

“He’s insane, I think I’m in love with him… I think I drank too much tonight.”

“If I were to summarize this lecture in one sentence… Director Wonderstein is handsome.”

Female students gazed at him with admiration.

Some of them threw questions hoping he would look at them, while others eagerly answered the questions he posed in hopes he would mention their names.

Of course, not everyone felt favorably towards Wonderstein.

Male students followed their initial plan.

“How did you draft contracts?”

“I heard the condition was 20kg of human flesh per day.”

“Is it true that there are monsters created through surgery?”

Nevertheless, no matter how much they grumbled, Wonderstein’s smile never faltered.

He calmly responded to their questions as prepared by Ella.

Their attempts to distract him with cards, coins, rubber balls, and the like aimed at his back all failed.

Wonderstein effortlessly continued his lecture, using only two fingers to catch everything thrown at him.

It was due to his Skill Book, innate visual acuity, and enhanced muscle strength using the debulroots.

“Does that make sense?”

“It took me six months to catch flying cards!”

His skill was comparable to last week’s Lord Fantastic.

He put the items he caught into a prepared “lost and found box.”

“Please retrieve any dropped items after the lecture.”

His words were more mocking than the jeers thrown at him.

Even the male students couldn’t help but admire him by the end of the lecture.

His skill was impressive, but his distribution was even more remarkable.

As Lord Fantastic progressed, he became increasingly impatient and nervous, but Wonderstein calmly responded with laughter to any attacks.

Maya checked the clock and sighed softly.

It was a lecture by her respected master.

Although it was not about magic but about a circus, just seeing him at the lectern made her heart race.

As the lecture was coming to an end, her mind was filled with one question.

When should she present him with the invitation?

All sorts of statistical data and predictable variables were used.

After much deliberation, she finally found the optimal timing.

After the afternoon dagger throwing practice.

After finishing the acrobatics.

Presenting him with the invitation, addressing him as a master, in front of everyone.

It was a dramatic and perfect moment.

It couldn’t be any cooler than this.

After the prepared lecture, during the remaining time, students freely asked him questions.

Simple Q&A ensued, then one female student raised her hand.

“Excuse me, Director, do you have a significant other?”

The daring question silenced the room.

Wonderstein smiled slightly.

“I don’t have a partner.”

It wasn’t on the question list prepared by Ella, but he handled it skilfully.

Compared to the trolls on the internet during his YouTuber days, the mischief of these teenagers seemed innocent and cute.

“Are you virgin then?”

…Not quite to that extent.

A commotion erupted.

The friends of the student who asked the question patted her back and waist in support, some students blushed with embarrassment, while most found the situation amusing.

Wonderstein nodded as if he couldn’t disagree.

“Yes. I haven’t slept with anyone yet.”

His answer amplified the buzz in the classroom.

Some were surprised, some suspicious, some looked at him with mischievous eyes.

‘Liar.’

Even though he had more experience with women than anyone else.

Maya murmured to herself as she watched his brazen smile.

But she couldn’t continue her thoughts about him.

The next question exceeded her imagination.

“Do you happen to have any romantic interest in me? I can teach you a lot!”

“I’ll volunteer!”

“I, too!”

Wonderstein remained silent.

His smile persisted, but his gaze wandered aimlessly.

Laughter erupted from all directions.

Professor Elpara, who had been quietly observing from the back, couldn’t hold back and screamed.

“Please maintain decorum in front of the quest! If you ask such questions again, penalties will be imposed!”

Her stern warning quickly silenced the laughter in the room.

Jokes or excuses wouldn’t work with her.

Wonderstein gave an awkward smile.

“Well, well. Any other questions?”

The female student who had just fired a barrage of questions raised her hand again.

Despite Professor Elpara’s stern look, she persisted and said, “Um, then, could you be my partner for the freshman welcoming party?”

Ironically, her face was even redder than when she asked the previous questions.

It was a clear distinction between a question made in jest and one filled with sincerity.

Maya nervously fidgeted her hands at the unexpected ambush.

What were they?

Those were worse than Ella.

He should refuse. He should refuse.

Would her wish be granted?

Wonderstein shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

Maya clenched her fist with a sense of victory.

However, his next words were enough to crush her spirits.

“I’ve already been invited by my Assistant Director.”

He pulled out the invitation from his pocket to show.

Ella, sitting at the front, chuckled with her arms crossed.

She had sent the invitation to him through a “hat Magic” as soon as she received it in the morning.

Sighs of disappointment echoed around.

The questioning student had vanished from her seat.

The bell signaling the end of the class rang.

Students began to rise and leave the classroom one by one.

But just as disappointed female students were about to approach Wonderstein, Ella rushed to him unexpectedly, embraced him tightly, and pecked him on the cheek.

“Hehe, see you after class! Let’s meet at the gate, Director!”

With a wave, she left.

Her actions conveyed a clear message: Stay away from what’s mine.

With their relationship so firm, there was no room for interference.

The disappointed female students stepped back with regret and left the classroom.

“Are you okay?”

Karen, still seated like a statue, observed Maya’s expression as she stared blankly at the stage.

Her gaze was fixed on Ella leaving the classroom.

‘Disappointed.’

After finding such an opportune moment.

Ella acted while Maya was still contemplating.

“Maya, you are in the same circus. Please ask the Director that you want to go with him this time!”

“But the Director has already officially announced that he’s going with the Assistant Director. And if he goes with her, I have no chance.”

They said at the freshman welcoming party, there would be sections where couples could solve circus-related quizzes or perform simple joint acrobatics.

There was no reason for the Director to choose her over Ella.

“What’s the point of not taking the chance! Just ask him!”

“No.”

It’s okay. As long as she is recognized as his ‘student,’ that’s enough for her.

She shouldn’t let herself get tangled up in Papiflux again.

This is where she should draw the line.

She stood up abruptly.

And murmured blankly, staring into empty space.

“I have to buy a gift.”

“What?”

“It’s the Director’s birthday today. I need to buy a present.”

For her, being recognized as his disciple was sufficient.

There was no need to explore any other relationship.

Not with Ella, not with Yurakne, not with Reyna, nor with Vergsong.

Whatever tangled relationships he had were none of her concern.

“Where are you going? Hey, it’s time for the next class.”

“We’re in the back row anyway. I’ll be back soon.”

“Maya! Maya!”

She left the classroom like that.

Leaving all her belongings behind.

“Ugh, she’s something.”

Karen cautiously picked up Maya’s abandoned belongings.

While she had seen Maya acting dazed like this before, today was the first time she had seen her completely lose her composure.

Karen glanced back at the stage.

Wonderstein was packing up his materials and leaving.

There were no female students approaching him as Ella was nowhere to be seen.

Karen smiled quietly.

Perhaps this was her chance.

***

They had stores scattered throughout Yeterinpuurl, including one right in front of Lekachep School.

Maya bought a gift set of cookies from there.

Drawing the line at being nothing more than a teacher and disciple, she felt that her previous efforts to restrain the Director had become meaningless.

So, as an apology for this morning’s incident, she bought a gift today.

This should do.

This should suffice.

But as she was about to leave after buying the gift, something bothered her.

“Giving a gift to Ella? She’s an adversary! How humiliating… Wait a minute! Why are you giving gifts to adversaries while not giving one to me! That’s so unfair! You can’t let your friend end up so miserable!”

Maya let out a small sigh.

She knew Karen would make a fuss if she saw this.

What an interloper.

Why meddle in other people’s affairs?

Finally, the nerve.

Why give a gift to Ella, of all people?

Maya returned to the store counter with a heavy heart.

Being considered a friend is another matter altogether.

Friend.

That was a word too unfamiliar to her.

Even after months of working together, she still saw her fellow Director as just a colleague from the circus, not a friend.

Was there ever such a thing in her life?

Her dullness in expressing emotions left her wondering where to even begin, often leaving her treated like an oddity.

She was often referred to as a doll, a machine devoid of emotions, and subjected to many derogatory remarks.

To her, someone claiming to be a friend for the first time appeared.

She didn’t know what exactly earned her favour.

She still wasn’t sure if she truly believed that she was a friend.

But she decided to at least reciprocate what she received.

“I’ll take one of those too.”

What she pointed at was a small snack called ‘Friendship Chocolate.’

Karen had been quite helpful to her over the past two weeks.

It was worth giving something in return.

Above all, she knew from the past two weeks’ experience that eating was the most effective way to shut her up.

As she moved to her practice location, she remembered the luggage she had left behind.

Karen was likely to have taken it, but considering the chaos earlier, she might have forgotten too.

When she entered the practice room, it was empty as if the earlier chaos had never happened.

Her luggage was nowhere to be seen in the seat she had been sitting in.

It seemed that Karen had taken it.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard voices coming from behind the stage.

They were coming from the waiting room for instructors.

Two voices she knew were there.

Wonderstein and Karen.

What are they doing?

She cautiously approached the door.

Then she leaned her ear closer to it.

“Did you approach Maya with that intention? You’ve been deceiving her all along. A friend.”

“I-I know it’s not right… but when it comes to liking someone, people definitely become cowardly in front of their feelings…”

Approaching intentionally?

Karen deceived me?

Likes me? Who?

Maya couldn’t understand what they were talking about.

But the words she heard were definitely not friendly.

Maya felt a foreboding as she focused on the next conversation.

“So, about the invitation… will you accept it?”

“Karen.”

“Aren’t I better than Ella?”

What are they talking about now…?

Maya stepped back slightly from the door.

It wasn’t her who couldn’t understand what Karen was saying.

That’s ridiculous.

Why would she give an invitation to the Director…?

But why would she…?

She…?

There was no change in Maya’s expression.

But inside, all sorts of negative emotions swirled.

‘Maya, could you tell me more about the Director?’

‘You respect him so much, so of course, I’m curious.’

‘I saw him on that street just before meeting you. He was really handsome.’

The reason for approaching her with deception.

Could it be…?

Then, a word that drove her suspicions home was heard.

“To be honest… I like men like the Director. As a woman.”

A black ink spread across Maya’s canvas.

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Chapter 185: Demon in the Bottle – 24

Chapter 187: Demon in the Bottle – 26