I Married the Beautiful Female Protagonist In Order To Survive

68. Your acting skills are insufficient to compete on our stage?

“Insight,” the power to expose all the thoughts and intentions of the scrutinized.

Such a terrifying force, such a flawless ability… or so one might think. Even “Order,” as mighty as it is, possesses weaknesses. The lunar fae, with her power of insight, cannot escape the existence of loopholes.

For instance…she cannot simultaneously observe one person while attending to another. And for another… the second point I’ve only recently discerned: even if she “sees” it, what matters if the lunar fae’s mind isn’t some 天河-1 (Tianhe-1) supercomputer, instantly transmuting observed thoughts into corresponding counter-measures?

So long as, in that fleeting instant, I make it so that she “cannot resist, even if she understands,” then her power becomes meaningless!

Just like… now!

“Run, Queen! We’ve been discovered by the Moon Fairy!”

I grabbed the arm of the fairy before me, ready to flee this corridor that seemed narrow, yet felt exceedingly long as we tried to escape. As for who was by my side? Need you even ask?

Of course, I intended to run away with Louise! This thought, I’ve never wavered from it, not once!

And just now, we encountered the Moon. Fairy. Encountered, and were we supposed to just stand here like trees? Of course we had to run!

Do you understand?

Do *you* understand?

My dear Queen, as expected, did not disappoint. Lacking any “mind-reading” powers, her natural reactions were all the more honed – she was even faster than some old hag coming to her senses!

Thus, in that very instant, the Queen, or rather, the “Moon Fairy,” had already roared at us.

“Stop! Euclid! You actually dare try to escape with her!?”

Having not missed even the slightest loophole in the real Moon Fairy’s smug words just moments ago, the Queen continued shouting, while simultaneously dispersing magic as a warning, “Where are you all!? Get out here and stop Euclid and this good-for-nothing Louise!”

The two fairies were originally of the same source, so… their magic was identical!

Then, of course, there could only be one outcome.

[Hidden Strongmen of the Great Ying Empire Appear!]

[Euclid Killed by Hidden Strongman A of the Great Ying Empire!]

[Euclid Killed by…]

The next moment, accompanied by a jolt within me and a flood of “death scenarios” pouring in like water, my eyes… were suddenly met with a mass of figures… The very *presence* they exuded was enough to block my path.

Icy gazes, bone-chilling threats, scripts detailing the moment my head would separate from my body…

These were clearly the “trump cards” of the Great Ying Empire, just like the Moon Fairy, plunged into “chaos.” I understood now: If my sole aim was to escape with Louise, with my current strength and the extent of my script usage, success was impossible!

Therefore, what I was doing now was my plan! To shoot the man, shoot his horse; to catch the thief, catch the king. To dismantle the “chaos” within the Great Ying Empire, I had to start with the Moon Fairy.

I had never given up, and never forgotten.

Come now, let us begin, Queen. Haven’t you always enjoyed our “disguises”? Then tonight, this very moment, is the time to test our understanding and deception. Let us stake our lives and join Lady Iris, the Moon Fairy, in performing a perfect “play.”

The spotlight is already shining, and the “audience” is assembled! Though you’re a “last-minute addition,” you won’t let me down, will you, Queen Louise, or rather… the “Moon Fairy” actress. I hope among your many faces, there is also the face of the Moon Fairy.

“What… Moon Fairy, you were lying in wait!?”

I tightened my grip on the wrist of “Louise” beside me, turning my head to question the “Moon Fairy” not far away, my brow furrowed, my voice trembling.

“Ha…haha…why are you starting to act so foolish, Euclid? I told you, I already knew your thoughts. How could I not have prepared for this moment?”

The “Moon Fairy’s” demeanor already carried the arrogance of a victor, her every gesture, every smile, flawless.

“Even if I didn’t step in to stop you, you wouldn’t be able to leave this place with my foolish child. Accept your fate, you’ve already lost.”

“!”

My expression gradually became bitter, and at this moment… the actor playing “Louise” beside me finally seemed to have snapped to her senses.

She scrambled, desperate to wrest her hand from mine. Unbelief flickered across her face, followed by an unbridled fury: “Euclid, you…”

But merely venting at me wouldn’t do, so in the next instant “Louise” spun towards the cluster of “old monsters” behind us.

“Wait, all of you! Don’t be fooled by these two! *I’m* the real Elise! They’re trying to switch Louise and me!”

One moment she was her, I was me. The next, she was me, I was her. This back-and-forth was making even *me* dizzy, let alone those “old monsters” who had just arrived. For a heartbeat they were stunned, then bewildered, then wavered indecisively.

And me…

I, of course, stared dumbly at the “Louise” beside me, feigning shock and bewilderment at her sudden outburst!

This only fueled “Louise’s” ire.

“Euclid, what are you playing at!?”

Why do you think I’m feigning ignorance?!

What makes you think that *I*, Euclid, a fugitive for years, wouldn’t possess a “mask” worthy of the Queen?

If I didn’t have the acting chops, would I dare share a stage with her? Unlike some people, what… what tricks do you have left to “act” with us on the stage now? When “insight into the human heart” fails to change people’s preconceived notions, you…

are merely a faerie! A faerie… utterly outmatched by Louise!

Just watch and see!

Then came the “Moon Faerie’s” disdainful laughter: “Hmph… Louise, oh Louise, you’ve really made me laugh. Pulling out a scheme like this to absolve yourself, I’ll admit you’re quite resourceful. But… what does it matter? You don’t actually think our Great British Empire’s ‘trump cards’ are a bunch of gullible fools, do you!?”

Her voice hardened. The “Moon Faerie” immediately summoned two others. “Zerola, Moriarty! Come forth and tell everyone which one is the imposter!”

Uncle Zerola and Professor Moriarty stepped forward in response.

Seeing the uncle, my own reply becomes even more bitter.

“Uncle…”

“Euclid! You… *sigh*! I warned you, told you to behave, and you actually dared to run off with the Queen!? Just look at the pathetic state you’re in, truly… shameful!”

Professor Moriarty beside the uncle gave a cold laugh, unsure whether she was laughing at whom, or rather…

admiring whom.

All I knew was that she spoke the following moment.

Uttering words, of course, that wouldn’t disappoint me.

“What should we do, Elise?”

The professor’s gaze fell upon me… and onto the faerie behind me.

Settling upon the “Moon Faerie”.

I did not know that Professor, you were a veteran actor, it must cost you no less than a pretty penny, right?

“If push comes to shove, let’s just ‘resolve’ the matter, to avoid any future troubles.”

Ah, finally finished writing it. I’ve been struggling a bit with this section recently, since I had to max out all the operations and foreshadowing. I dare you to go back and take a look.

After all, with fairy abilities and the like, if you nerf them too much, it becomes intellectually insulting. That makes it really difficult to manage, especially since the ability ranges of everyone in a story millions of words long are pretty well established.

In short, it was a narrow escape, at least it didn’t fall apart.

My new book will be released on the 23rd. Please feel free to subscribe.

By the way, I’ve already started preparing a new xuanhuan novel, because, you know how it is with new books, the sales usually aren’t great.

But its release might have to wait until next spring. I need to polish it, and this time I’m aiming for something that won’t flop, something with better sales, a successful genre transition.