Chapter 313: Tickets, Bargains, and the Scam That Backfired
Chapter 313: Tickets, Bargains, and the Scam That Backfired
Elyn’s POV
We started making our way towards the crowd, but just as we reached it, a demon blocked our path.
He was tall and slender, his skin pale and translucent, like he had been carved from ice or snow or both. His eyes were white — completely white, with no pupils or irises — and they stared at me with an expression that was somewhere between professional and predatory. His hair was white too, falling in jagged shards around his face like frozen waterfalls, and his clothes were dark, a sharp contrast to his pale complexion. His fingers were long and thin, and he held a small leather pouch in one hand, like he was ready to collect payment at any moment.
"Excuse me," he said, and I’m not kidding, but there was ice pouring from his mouth as he spoke. They were little and barely distracting... at least to the children. It was distracting to me.
How did he do it?
"Do you have a ticket?" he asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I frowned at that.
I had not known that tickets were required for this. The play had been happening in a public square, with demons gathered freely around the stage. I had assumed it was open to anyone who wanted to watch.
"No," I said slowly. "I didn’t realize I needed one. How much are they?"
"Five gabin each," he said.
I nodded, doing the mental math. There were seven children plus myself — eight tickets total. Forty gabin. It was more than I had expected, but it wasn’t unreasonable. I reached for my pocket, already counting out the coins in my head.
But the demon wasn’t finished.
"If you want VIP seats, though," he continued, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone, "you can pay more. You’ll be able to sit down with your children. Comfortably. At the front. With the best view."
I paused.
I placed Aziren down on the ground, his small feet finding the cobblestones, and I looked at the demon with a raised eyebrow.
"How much is VIP?" I asked.
"Ten gabin each," he said.
I made a face at that. Was this what they meant by nighttime robbery?
"Are the VIP seats made with gold?" I asked.
The demon shook his head, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.
"No," he said. "They’re made with soft cushions. Very comfortable. You’ll be able to sit and enjoy the show without any discomfort."
"And will I be seated in front, where I can see everything?"
He nodded.
"From the best angle," he assured me. "You won’t miss a single moment."
"And will there be a roof over my head?"
He made a face, his white eyes flickering with something that might have been confusion.
"There’s no roof over anyone’s head while they watch the show," he said. "It’s an open-air performance."
"And the other demons who don’t pay VIP — will I be able to hear their voices? Will they be talking and shouting and distracting me from the performance?"
He hesitated.
"Some of them may make noise," he admitted. "But the VIP section is separated from the crowd. You’ll have a better experience."
I nodded slowly.
"So the only difference between VIP and regular," I said, "is that I get a chair to sit on, and I get to be closer to the stage. And you want me to pay double for that."
He opened his mouth to respond, but I wasn’t finished.
"I’m not paying ten gabin for seats alone," I said flatly. "I would have paid the regular price, but it’s obvious that you’re just trying to get more money from me. You’re scamming people."
The demon’s white eyes blinked rapidly.
"Eight," he said quickly. "I’ll take eight gabin each. That’s a fair price."
I shook my head.
"Six."
The demon stared at me.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of genuine concern.
I stared back at him.
"Are you?" I asked. "The only difference between me and those who don’t pay VIP is the chair, which costs one gabin more, at most. But I also know you’re lying about the regular price."
The demon’s expression flickered. Something shifted in his white eyes — a flash of uncertainty that he tried to hide.
"Regular tickets are five gabin," he said.
I leaned forward slightly.
"I know regular tickets are two gabin," I said. "At most. And you’re trying to scam me."
His eyes widened.
"Keep your voice down," he hissed, his gaze darting around the crowd.
I blinked in shock.
Well, what do you know? Perhaps I was more of a demon than I thought.
I hadn’t known how much the tickets cost. I had lied — completely made up the number — hoping to catch him off guard. And it had worked. His reaction had confirmed everything.
I leaned closer to him, lowering my voice to match his.
"I’ll pay you three gabin each," I said. "For VIP seats. And if you don’t take the deal, I’ll let everyone here know that you’re a scam. I’ll tell them all exactly what you’re doing. And you and I know that even though it’s legal to scam, it’s not when you get caught."
He stared at me.
And I stared back.
For a long moment, neither of us moved.
Then he sighed. It was long and defeated, and I felt a chill from him.
"Fine," he said. "Three gabin each."
I smiled at him.
"Good choice," I said. "And if the seats aren’t comfortable, I’ll be taking my money back. Every single coin."
"They’re comfortable," he said quickly. "The most comfortable chairs in the square. You won’t regret this."
I counted out the money — three gabin each for eight people, twenty-four gabin total — and placed it in his open palm.
He pocketed it immediately, his expression shifting from defeated to professional in the space of a single breath. The leather pouch disappeared into his coat, and he straightened his shoulders like nothing had happened.
Then he led us through the crowd.
True to his word, the chairs were soft. They were arranged at the very front of the square, directly in front of the stage, with an unobstructed view of everything that was about to happen. The cushions were deep and plush, covered in rich fabric that felt expensive to the touch.
The children settled into their seats around me, their eyes bright, their bodies practically vibrating with excitement. Aziren perched on my lap, refusing to sit down... I was going to collect my money back from that demon.