If it only turned inanimate objects into trash, they wouldn't hate Stelle for it—in fact, they'd probably pity her deeply. After all, she'd clearly be the greatest victim of that black curio's curse.
But with just one sentence, Stelle had raised the danger of the situation to a level it was never meant to reach.
The three of them gasped sharply, their gazes toward her now tinged with alarm.
If she really could turn people into trash, that wasn't just dying—it was dying badly, dying as a joke!
March 7th's imagination immediately ran wild as she started mentally designing her own funeral.
Aunt Himeko, Uncle Yang, Teacher Dan Heng, and Conductor Pom-Pom were all sobbing uncontrollably in front of her memorial portrait.
Against a backdrop of colorful flowers and a mourning banner that read "Forever in our hearts", her portrait wasn't that of a cute girl—it was a broken camera!
Below it lay a few chewed fruit cores and fish bones… and a scattered pile of random garbage.
And that wasn't even the worst part.
Conductor Pom-Pom was crying as they swept her "remains" into a coffin piece by piece. "Passenger March 7th, you died so tragically, pom! You're too shattered, pom! Cleaning this up is such a pain, pom!"
Then, turning around, Pom-Pom wailed at Stelle, "Might as well throw the real trash can in too, pom! We'll burn them together later, pom!"
After all that, the cremation would still have to happen. Other people's bodies went to proper funeral homes—hers could be sent straight to a recycling station!
March 7th clutched her little head, nearly fainting from the horror of her own thoughts.
What kind of funeral is that supposed to be?! This beautiful maiden cannot accept such a fate!
Yanqing's expression was equally grim. Though his imagination wasn't as vivid as March 7th's, he still shuddered from the thought.
For a moment, even the idea of performing that bizarre Ayanami-style dance didn't seem so unbearable.
He was really tempted to learn it now—if Stelle ever lost her mind, maybe that move could help him dodge death!
Sure, dancing like a woman wasn't exactly dignified… but turning into garbage was both fatal and humiliating. At least the former kept you alive!
Yunli, meanwhile, thought of her own trusty companion. If it got turned into trash, it might actually end up looking better than she did.
"Shopkeeper Sylvester!"
All three shouted in unison, desperation and pleading glimmering in their eyes.
They silently begged him to deny it, to say it wasn't as bad as they feared.
Yanqing even gave Sylvester a subtle wink, hoping he'd just lie for once—say something like "That's impossible," and crush Stelle's terrifying curiosity.
Sylvester immediately understood what they wanted.
He looked at Stelle in amusement. To be that obsessed with trash—it was truly… extraordinary.
That way of thinking, so bizarrely close to that of an ordinary carbon-based lifeform, actually left him a little awed.
He liked to think of himself as a normal man—but her logic? It was almost brushing up against normalcy in the most dangerous way possible.
Still, he didn't choose to lie. Instead, he gave her the real answer.
Sylvester said calmly, "They'd turn into a Lordly Trashcan."
"Oh?!"
Stelle's expression shifted instantly—from curious to ecstatic.
A spark of wild enthusiasm lit up her eyes.
She looked at her own hands, murmuring softly, "So that means… I've already become the Queen of Trash Cans? That I could create an entire race of Lordly Trashcans whenever I wish?"
In Penacony, Lordly Trashcans didn't truly exist—they were only found in dreams. Even when she'd interacted with them before, they were intangible, fleeting.
But now… she could bring her dream into reality?
After months—no, years—of longing, her dream was finally within reach!
The sheer excitement flooded her mind so violently that she froze in place for three whole seconds, expression blank. Then suddenly she let out a deafening roar and began jumping around wildly. "Woohoo! I am the woman who has become the Queen of Trash Cans!"
"Nooo! I don't want to become the Queen of Trash Cans—or, or a trashcan woman!"
Just imagining herself round and bulky, all metal and muscle, was enough to make March 7th's brain nearly short-circuit.
"This beautiful maiden is way too pretty for that! If I turned into a Lordly Trashcan, I'd… I'd…"
"You'd become a beautiful Lordly Trashcan," Sylvester replied evenly and sincerely, as if answering a perfectly normal question. "A soft blend of pink and blue hues—graceful, distinct from the ordinary, exuding pure elegance."
Finally, he added with a serious expression, "Truly, an exquisite work of art."
"Cough—!" March 7th nearly spat blood.
She smacked her forehead and looked away, utterly exasperated. Her voice was dry as she said, "Shopkeeper Sylvester, can this curse be removed?"
She glanced toward Stelle, who was now hugging a curio trash can and dancing with it like a partner at some deranged festival, and worried she might actually put her words into action.
Yanqing's tone was tight with urgency, his meaning clear: "Shopkeeper Sylvester, for the peace of the Luofu, please tell us the truth!"
"Yeah, exactly!" Yunli stomped her foot, full of anxious energy. "You don't want a cute girl like me turning into a big, hard iron can, do you?"
They all figured—if Aventurine's [Resentment of the Hapless Ones] could be lifted, then surely this curse could be undone too, right?
Sylvester gazed at the three who were now leaning on his counter with pleading eyes—well, one of them was slightly taller than the others.
He understood their fear perfectly. If Stelle were living under the same roof as him, he'd be panicking too.
Unless, of course, someone liked that kind of thing—getting turned into trash and finding it exciting. In that case, they'd be a perfect match for Stelle. If they both turned into trash, no harm done.
Still, the more nervous they looked, the more he wanted to tease them.
As soon as Sylvester heard their questions, his expression turned grave.
"It can be lifted, of course it can. However…"
He glanced toward the shelf of trash cans, and the corners of his lips curled into a strange smile.
The sudden eerie grin sent chills down the three's spines.
Leaning halfway over the counter, eyes wide with mock madness, he whispered darkly, "Tell me… where do you think all the trash cans in my shop come from?"
"Wha—?!"
The three gasped audibly, goosebumps breaking out all over their bodies.
They turned toward the shelf, suddenly seeing every can as though it were drenched in blood.
And if they knew the truth about this…
"C-c-could it be that they're all—" March 7th stammered, her teeth chattering, unable to finish the thought.
"Exactly." Sylvester's expression twisted into a sinister smile. "In fact, all of these cans…"
Then his face relaxed completely. Leaning back in his chair, he chuckled lightly. "...have absolutely nothing to do with the curse. They're just ordinary alchemical constructs. The reason they disappear after being opened is simple—they're automatically recycled and repackaged."
"Ugh, you scared me half to death! I thought you were about to silence us!" March 7th clutched her pounding chest and shouted in protest.
Yunli puffed her cheeks in annoyance, hands on hips. "Hmph! I didn't think you'd be so mean!"
"Shopkeeper Sylvester, this isn't the time for jokes," Yanqing said, rubbing his forehead with a weary sigh.
But they didn't have time to keep arguing—
Because Stelle, having overheard them, suddenly shouted, "No! You can't remove it! I haven't even used it once yet!"
The three turned toward her, eyes wide with horror.
Sister… you're actually planning to use it?!