Category: The Delicate Female Lead Only Wants to be Loved by the Villainous Young Ladies

Chapter 326: Seraph’s Warning

“The magic you used just now doesn’t need to be restricted by formulas, you just need to…” Victoria began to teach Adele hands-on. Adele also learned seriously. Since she had taken over First Snow’s job, First Snow was naturally free. But she didn’t slack off. Instead, she flew to the school’s beverage shop and bought fruit tea according to Adele’s taste. Winona liked coffee, so she bought coffee too. Two cups, because she thought that since Victoria was Xiao Wei’s friend, she should also like coffee. First Snow had only tried this adult beverage once. She bought herself ice cream. Finally, that little girl called “Xiao Ai”…well…she looked so much like Adele, she must also like fruit tea. So First Snow bought another cup of fruit tea. Now everyone had something to drink. She carried the heavy bag of drinks and flew back to the magic training ground, flapping her wings.

When she returned, Adele could already skillfully manipulate wind magic. And it was a kind of epiphany-like improvement. She no longer needed to memorize formulas. She could shape the wind into whatever form she wanted. Although the range and power were still small and weak, it was enough to excite Adele. Victoria was undoubtedly an excellent magic teacher.

Seeing this scene, First Snow was sincerely happy for Adele. She wasn’t the type of kitten who got jealous, so it didn’t matter if her tutoring job was taken away. Or rather, it was great that it was taken away, meow! After all, First Snow wasn’t cut out to be a teacher.

But Winona didn’t think so. It was the first time First Snow had seen Xiao Wei jealous, and the little cat in her heart was secretly giggling with delight.

As for Xiao Ai, her image as the silent “Little Red Riding Hood” was deeply ingrained. The little girl had been quietly watching from the side. Or was she learning? Her talent seemed to be far greater than Adele’s. The same moves, in her hands, would be magnified many times. Or was this not learning or imitation, but a reawakening? Like an amnesiac mage gradually recalling how to use magic through other people’s magic.

No one knew how long Xiao Ai had existed. Even Xiao Ai herself had no memories of the past, only a vague dislike for the Vampire True Ancestors, feeling that they had stolen something.

“Drinks are here, meow~” First Snow, like a cat-girl maid, handed each drink to its rightful owner. Then she wagged her tail to the front and held the ice cream that hadn’t melted because it was winter. That’s right, she had been holding the ice cream with her tail all along. And she was actually eating ice cream in winter!

This was like eating hot pot in summer. Well, it didn’t matter when you ate what you wanted. The point of life was to be free and happy—and that applied to cats too!

Victoria wasn’t good with bitter coffee. Cocoa beans didn’t exist in her era. But because it was offered to her with good intentions, she kept sipping the coffee with a smile until she finished it. But the bitterness in her mouth needed something sweet to neutralize it. So she set her sights on the fruit tea in Adele’s hand. Beautiful women always had a disarming effect when they approached you.

“Can I have a taste of your drink, Adele?” She asked so politely.

How could the generous Adele refuse? She smiled and put her hands on her hips.

“Of course!” But Victoria’s next action made everyone present dumbfounded. Adele thought she would use her coffee straw to drink her fruit tea. But unexpectedly, she directly pressed her lips against the straw! Creating the fact of…an indirect kiss! The girl’s cheeks instantly flushed.

Although Adele was a harem king, she was actually quite innocent. She was at a loss for what to do with Victoria’s overly familiar and intimate gesture. In the end, she could only comfort herself by thinking, She’s from a thousand years ago, they probably didn’t have the concept of “indirect kisses” back then.

Winona’s coffee slipped from her hand. But just as it was about to hit the ground, the coffee froze in mid-air. Gravity magic made it hover, and it eventually returned to Winona’s trembling hand.

Xiao Ai stood up abruptly, her eyes blazing with pink flames. This woman…what is she doing to Mama! If it was a girl Mama liked, it would be fine. Xiao Ai naturally acknowledged that Mama was the best girl in the world, and it was only natural for other girls to like her, and the women Mama liked shouldn’t reject her! But Victoria clearly didn’t have that kind of intimate relationship with Adele. Her presumptuous act naturally aroused Xiao Ai’s rejection.

Victoria was good at reading expressions, so she looked at Adele with innocent eyes and asked softly, “…Did I offend you? I’m sorry, Adele.”

“N-No, it’s fine!” Adele blinked rapidly. She was still as gentle as ever, handing her fruit tea to Victoria and giving her a way out, “If you like it, here, take it.”

“There probably wasn’t this kind of drink in the past, right?” Adele thoughtfully steered the conversation towards “female curiosity.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes and nodded. “Yes, there wasn’t this kind of drink before.”

“But…” There were gentle and kind girls like you. Victoria’s smile suddenly became mysterious.

This time, she obediently used her own straw instead of Adele’s. The others finally calmed down. It was just a small incident. And Adele hadn’t lost anything, just a little embarrassed. And she felt that Victoria’s gaze was strange, but it didn’t seem like lust, just…strange.

After that, Adele, while she was still in the mood, continued practicing magic. Victoria continued to be her mentor, but this time, the restless Headmistress Winona also joined in. Adele became nervous and was constantly being corrected during practice. She suspected that the Headmistress was targeting her! Damn it, is it really necessary to be like this just because I’m dating First Snow…

Then everyone stayed in the magic training ground until dinner time. The cafeteria wasn’t open during the holidays, so Headmistress Winona treated them to dinner at a hotel. Adele went with Xiao Ai and First Snow, and after a satisfying meal, they returned home. A fulfilling day of the holiday had passed, and the rest was time for relaxing and staying at home.

Adele played games, and First Snow and Xiao Ai played together, whether it was Gomoku or something else. As expected, children of this age wouldn’t be lonely as long as they had playmates. Although First Snow had already passed childhood and entered puberty, that was clearly because Adele had accelerated her growth. In terms of mental age, she was similar to Xiao Ai.

Of course, Adele wouldn’t hog the computer all the time. She also picked some two-player games suitable for First Snow and Xiao Ai. Then, Adele witnessed the birth of two talented e-sports girls. Once they got started, they were incredibly strong! She hadn’t expected that after playing games for so many years, she would become the one holding them back…

First Snow’s gaming talent went without saying. She was a Cat-Bird, and her reflexes were undoubtedly superior to humans. This was evident from the last time she carried Adele through that roguelike game. And Xiao Ai demonstrated a super learning ability and focus. This made Adele feel both depressed and helpless. She felt that being with these two little ones could easily erode her will, turning her into the kind of girl who thought, Since others can do it better, why don’t I just be a kept woman?

Damn it, I can’t let them mess with my mind! I’ll eat both soft rice and hard rice. That’s what being well-rounded means!

“See you tomorrow, meow, Sister Adele, Little Sister Xiao Ai!” First Snow reluctantly said goodbye as midnight approached, kneeling by the window.

“See you tomorrow, sleep early~”

“See you tomorrow, Sister First Snow.” Xiao Ai’s voice was childish, but not deliberately cute or coquettish. It carried a calmness and indifference that shouldn’t belong to someone her age. But from her reluctant gaze, one could see that she was also a playful little girl, and First Snow was already one of her best playmates!

In this atmosphere, First Snow felt a sense of happiness, even having the thought of not returning to Xiao Wei’s home and just staying in Sister Adele’s dorm. But Headmistress Winona’s authority was still strong. Almost the moment First Snow had this thought, she dismissed it, jumped out the window, and spread her wings, soaring into the sky above the academy. The air was a little cold, but the cat was covered in warm fur, so she wasn’t afraid.

Adele didn’t retract her gaze until First Snow disappeared into the distant sky. But when she turned around, the scene before her startled her. Xiao Ai was sitting next to the angel girl, who was kneeling on the floor, wearing her usual thin, silver-white dress, looking delicate and beautiful, fragile and dreamlike.

“Seraph! Why are you here again today…” Her feelings towards Seraph were quite complicated. On the one hand, she felt that the seemingly emotionless angel actually had a delicate and gentle heart. On the other hand, she was worried that Seraph would do something harmful to Xiao Ai. After all, the command from that god was to eliminate the false god and its creations, to eradicate heresy. Although thousands of years had passed since this command was issued, it was still valid, imprinted in Seraph’s heart. If that “Lord” truly returned someday, Seraph would be even less able to disobey this command.

From this perspective, Adele was undoubtedly in conflict with that “Lord.” If possible, Adele certainly didn’t want to get into such big trouble. But in the current situation, she could only try to stabilize Seraph and take things one step at a time.

Seraph heard the girl’s call and blinked, her innocent appearance making one want to… do things to her right then and there. But with Xiao Ai present, it wouldn’t be a good influence. Ugh, Adele now understood how middle-aged couples with children felt. Everything had to be considered for the child first, and even if they wanted to…do that, they could only do it secretly, like thieves.

“My purpose today has nothing to do with her,” Seraph replied.

“Then why?” Adele asked, puzzled, sitting cross-legged in front of Seraph. Seraph stared blankly at the scenery revealed by Adele’s improper sitting posture. After a while, the angel girl blushed slightly and looked away.

“…Victoria.”

“Are you sure the person who came out of the chaotic space is really her?”

Chapter 325: The Unwilling Headmistress

Winona stood before Adele, looking down…well, not quite down on her. She was only slightly taller than Adele, but Victoria was truly tall, with long, light blue hair and a graceful figure, like a princess from a sea kingdom. And this woman was practically the heroine of the magical world in that era, flirting with girls and building a harem everywhere.

Her presence immediately caught Adele’s attention until the Headmistress’s disapproving gaze snapped her back to reality.

“H-Headmistress…” Adele held Xiao Ai, pretending to be obedient. If she hadn’t used that Wind Slash, and if Xiao Ai hadn’t gotten carried away and used a seventh-rank tornado, then she would indeed have been obedient. Obediently practicing magic here, even during the holidays. She could be considered a good student. But now…

“Who is she, Adele?”

“Sh-She…she’s my distant cousin!”

“She’s Adele’s little sister, meow.” This was their pre-arranged answer, regardless of whether Winona would believe it. Adele believed it herself, and First Snow chimed in.

Winona’s expression could be summed up as “Are you kidding me?” She had never seen a distant cousin who looked almost exactly like the person, as if they were carved from the same mold. This usually only happened between mothers and daughters…right? But Winona glanced at Adele and couldn’t imagine this girl being so young yet having such a big daughter. That would mean Adele was…taken advantage of when she just started menstruating…

No, wait, did Adele look like someone who had experienced physical and mental trauma in the past!? It would be more likely for her to traumatize others. So Winona guessed that the girl before her must have a questionable background. However, Adele already had enough secrets, being her student and the girl First Snow liked… Sigh, in short, even if Winona sensed something, she would choose to turn a blind eye.

So she snorted, reluctantly accepting Adele’s answer. Then Adele took the initiative, trying to divert Winona’s attention from Xiao Ai. So she asked, “This…lady beside the Headmistress, who is she? Such a beautiful big sister!”

“What a sweet-talking little sister~” Victoria’s gaze remained fixed on Adele’s face, almost never leaving. Even the somewhat thick-skinned Adele couldn’t help but blush. Being stared at by a beautiful girl was like that.

Winona glanced back at Victoria, her expression complicated. She didn’t know whether she should keep Victoria’s identity a secret. At least, she wanted to. But Winona cared more about Victoria’s opinion.

Victoria, however, had already introduced herself with a smile, “My name is Victoria. And you are, little sister?”

“Victoria?” Such a familiar name… Adele touched her chin with her finger and thought for a moment. Wasn’t that the protagonist of the novel Victoria’s Secret she had been reading recently!? The naturally sociable Adele immediately said with a smile, “That’s a nice name, the same as the protagonist in a novel I’m reading!”

“Is it Victoria’s Secret?”

“Eh, you’ve read it too!?”

“Not really, but I saw it on Winona’s bookshelf…”

The Headmistress suddenly interrupted, her voice panicked, “Ahhh! Th-That’s a book I confiscated from a student!”

“V-Victoria, please believe me, I haven’t read it!” Winona hadn’t expected to overlook this. Although she hadn’t let Victoria discover the room full of Victoria-related collectibles she had accumulated over the years, she had forgotten to check the bookshelf in her office. She didn’t know when that book had gotten mixed in there!

Victoria didn’t really care about such things. She was quite open-minded, evident from the fact that she had been pursuing lesbian relationships in the homophobic, feudal magical era. So she tacitly didn’t expose Winona’s lie. And she said to Adele with a rather proud tone, “Is there a possibility~ that I’m the Victoria described in the book?”

Adele burst out laughing, “Pfft! You? You’re Victoria!?”

“Haha, how is that possible? Victoria lived so long ago.”

“If you were her, I would…” Adele suddenly stopped. The girl was smart and quickly noticed something wrong with Winona’s expression. And Victoria asked curiously, “You would what~?”

“I-I would immediately call you Teacher Victoria!” Adele was adaptable, a true heroine. Even though she was shocked, not understanding how a character from a book like Victoria could be alive in the modern era! Or was she not alive until now, but resurrected in the modern era? Anyway, judging by Winona’s expression, it seemed to be true.

Even First Snow meowed in surprise, “Meow! Then aren’t you the one Xiao Wei likes…mmmph!”

Winona cast a silencing spell on her. First Snow felt like her mouth was glued shut, unable to open, and could only let out muffled sounds. The cat-girl looked at Headmistress Winona resentfully. And the Headmistress’s cheeks were flushed an indescribable shade of red.

Adele pulled Xiao Ai, or rather, Little Red Riding Hood Xiao Ai, behind her. Although the Headmistress didn’t seem to suspect anything about Xiao Ai, it was better to hide her for now. And Adele answered Victoria’s question, “M-My name is Adele. I’m Headmistress Winona’s student, currently in my first year.”

“I’m here today to practice magic…please excuse my poor skills.” Adele acted very humble because she knew that the little bit she had practiced was definitely child’s play in the eyes of Winona and Victoria. However, Xiao Ai was different. She could learn and even enhance the magic Adele used just by watching. Adele had planned to work hard and become a powerful mage to protect Xiao Ai in the future. But now it seemed like Xiao Ai could easily become a powerful mage and protect her instead!?

Damn it, I said I didn’t want to be a kept woman, but why is this being shoved down my throat! But when Xiao Ai truly became a powerful mage, she should still listen to her, right? She shouldn’t have a rebellious phase. She wouldn’t rely on her power to disobey Mama and do those things to her, right? Definitely not! Adele thought confidently.

Unaware that Xiao Ai, still in “mind-reading” mode, suddenly lowered her head, blushing guiltily.

“Adele is such a diligent and studious student. I heard from Winona that it’s the student holidays now.”

“Even using your holiday time to study magic.”

“Ehehe, it’s nothing~” Adele looked happy to be praised.

Winona’s lips twitched. Didn’t she know what Adele was usually like? And today, of all days, she let Teacher Victoria see her reformed side. But she was her student, and the girl First Snow liked, so Winona couldn’t expose her, could she? So she just said, “You’ve improved a little,” and didn’t say anything more.

She also lifted the silencing spell on First Snow. The cat-girl still looked at her with puffed cheeks. I haven’t settled the score with you for stealing my key, Winona thought. Adele doesn’t even come home after returning. A married cat is like spilled water.

Victoria quickly became familiar with Adele and the others. As described in the book, the woman had a strong affinity. But Winona felt a bit uncomfortable watching from the side. She had been meticulously arranging and taking care of Teacher Victoria’s daily life these past few days, but the total amount of words they exchanged was less than what Adele had just chatted about!

I’m so unwilling!

Chapter 323: Where’s My Key?

Victoria didn’t specify what felt familiar. Winona didn’t press further, simply accompanying the mage, strolling amongst artifacts that were, ironically, younger than Victoria herself. It felt surreal, even for someone like Winona, a member of the magical world. Victoria looked at the artifacts, some hundreds, even thousands of years old, with the wide-eyed wonder of someone seeing something new. It was truly a magical experience.

Finally, she stopped before a vase, gazing at it for a long time. This was a product of her era. If they were in a shop, Winona might have considered buying it for Teacher Victoria, a small gesture of hospitality. It wasn’t about gaining Victoria’s favor, just…well, being a good host. If someone liked something, she would buy it for them. But unfortunately, the vase was in a museum. Buying and selling national artifacts was illegal…So Winona couldn’t say, “How about I buy it for you?” She could only silently accompany Teacher Victoria, appreciating and observing the vase.

After a while, Victoria smiled and said, “It’s so beautiful. It feels like the kind of thing one of my former girlfriends would have liked.”

“One of your girlfriends…” Winona’s lips twitched. Although she knew Teacher Victoria was the same type of girl as that mischievous Adele, possessing an unimaginable allure and charm that could make many girls fall head over heels for them, she still didn’t want to associate Victoria with Adele in her heart. Teacher Victoria wasn’t as…flippant as Adele.

So, the reason Victoria stopped was that she remembered the past and an old friend, thinking that it would be nice to buy this vase and give it to her…was that it? So it wasn’t something she liked herself. Winona’s feelings were complicated.

Moreover, Victoria didn’t make any unreasonable requests. She knew what a museum was. She also knew that the person she wanted to give the gift to might have already… After collecting her thoughts, Victoria still smiled. Her personality could be described as optimistic. Otherwise, if an ordinary person suddenly arrived hundreds or thousands of years in the future, realizing that they were all alone in the world, that the person they loved had long since turned to dust, and everything was unfamiliar, feeling like an outsider, an outcast, most people would become depressed and despairing, perhaps even giving up their hard-won new life.

Next, Victoria left the porcelain exhibit and went to other areas. Winona bought her a milk tea and some desserts. After tasting them, Victoria showed a surprised expression. Presumably, these were delicacies she couldn’t have tasted in her time.

“Is there magic added to this!?” she asked with a smile.

Winona thought, No magic…but probably a lot of food additives. But so what? Many people cared about this, and many others thought that as long as it tasted good, it was enough. They could sacrifice some health for deliciousness. Moreover, some additives weren’t actually harmful to human health.

“If you like it, I’ll often buy it for you, Teacher Victoria.”

“Then~ how should I repay you?” Teacher Victoria seemed to lack a sense of propriety. Or maybe this was her charm. She actually took Winona’s hands and stared into her eyes in public. Winona blushed, her heart racing. The gazes of the people around her made her want to bury her head in the sand like an ostrich.

“N-No need, it’s just a small token of my appreciation for Teacher Victoria!” Winona hurriedly pulled her hands away from Victoria’s. But after pulling away, facing the cold air, she suddenly regretted it, wishing she could have stayed in that warmth a little longer.

Victoria didn’t give up after Winona’s refusal. She thought for a moment. Winona was a talented mage, but the current magic system had changed over time and was vastly different from the magic of her era. This change had its advantages, but some aspects were inferior to the magic of Victoria’s time. This was the conclusion Victoria reached after observing the magical world for a while. So she thought that for a genius, the best gift was improvement in magic.

Therefore, Victoria proposed, “How about this, let’s have a magic spar~”. It was called a spar, but it was actually a private lesson. Using a spar as a practical exercise, analyzing and imparting experience. In today’s world, perhaps only Victoria was qualified to offer a “lesson” to a legendary mage.

Winona understood Victoria’s implication. And she had her own pride. Her eyes lit up. “Really…is that okay, Teacher Victoria!?”

“Why not? You even call me Teacher~”

“Is there a place nearby where we can use magic?”

“This world is ruled by too many muggles, there’s nowhere to use magic.” Victoria said with a wry smile. She certainly wasn’t one of those who believed that mages were superior and should rule the world. But it wasn’t good that ordinary people occupied the entire world, squeezing the living space of mages and preventing them from using magic freely.

Winona hurriedly replied, “Of course there is, Teacher Victoria!”

“There’s a magic training ground at the school where I’m the Headmistress.”

“Oh, Winona is a Headmistress? Hello, Headmistress~”.

“Don’t tease me, Teacher Victoria…” Winona lowered her head shyly.

Then, the two prepared to leave the museum and head to Cromwell Academy. It was worth mentioning that they didn’t use magic to teleport away, but took a taxi. It was Victoria’s first time in a taxi, and she felt it was quite novel, praising its comfort, much better than a carriage, with almost no bumps.

During the ride, Winona introduced Cromwell Academy to Victoria. When she mentioned that the majority of the students were vampires, Victoria’s expression could be described as exaggerated. Winona didn’t know what the reputation of vampires was like in Victoria’s time. But the fact that the “dark day” was caused by a Vampire True Ancestor sacrificing himself to summon an evil god from another world was enough to make the entire magical world, including Victoria, dislike vampires.

But after teaching for so long, Winona had let go of her prejudice. Because she had met many wonderful vampire children who respected their teachers, excelled in their studies, were elegant, and helpful. She had also met some terrible ones, like Adele. So she was really worried about First Snow being bewitched by that “bad woman” Adele~ Perhaps her relationship with First Snow was that of “best friends” with a significant age gap? So as a best friend, she was naturally unhappy about her good friend being infatuated with a woman.

Speaking of the age gap, there were actually two meanings. In terms of actual age, First Snow was much older than Winona. But in terms of mental age, Winona was naturally more mature.

The taxi stopped at the school gate. Cromwell Academy was a famous private aristocratic academy that prohibited outsiders from entering. Therefore, the security guard, who was also an ability user, was in a dilemma. He knew Headmistress Winona, but who was the lady with light blue hair? But then he thought, rules were dead, people were alive. It was best not to offend the Headmistress. So he didn’t stop them, watching as Winona and Victoria entered the academy.

Winona excused herself to go to her office to get the key to the magic training ground. Actually, mages of their level didn’t need a key. Keys were for students. They could directly teleport inside, even that lazy cat First Snow could easily do it. Winona did this to create a private space for herself and Victoria. So that she could…return Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” to her!

Although it was Winona’s prized possession, now that its owner had returned, Winona had to reluctantly part with it, even though she cherished it dearly. It wasn’t that Winona was being forced. She was happy to see Teacher Victoria reclaim her staff. However, returning the staff should be done in the guest room. Winona didn’t dare let Victoria see the room full of her Victoria-related collections, books, figures…

That’s right, Victoria even had figures… But considering that in many human anime and novel works, ancestors and gods were often depicted in a moe style, it wasn’t too outrageous for the magical world to do this.

But before Winona could return the staff, she discovered a big problem in her office.

—Where’s my key!?

Chapter 324: Xiao Ai’s Move

Winona’s face alternated between pale and flushed. Victoria was at her desk, tasting the tea of this era, when she smelled an unusual aura and asked softly, “What’s wrong, Winona?”

“N-Nothing…” She couldn’t tell Teacher Victoria that…a thief had broken into her house! And it was an inside job! Because the magic array Winona had set up for the manor hadn’t been triggered. That meant that only those recognized by the magic array could enter recently. And besides Winona, the only one recognized by the magic array was…

First Snow, oh First Snow! You’ve really been taught to be a bad kitty! Steal a needle when you’re young, steal gold when you’re older. One takes on the qualities of one’s company. She really shouldn’t have allowed First Snow to interact with that bad girl Adele. Sigh, it was too late now. First Snow had completely become Adele-fied…

Winona’s heart was filled with regret and annoyance. Oh well, she had a spare key. Winona was going to see what those little ones were up to. The Headmistress was fuming.

But just then, Victoria called out to her, “Winona, look at this.” Saying this, Victoria handed Winona a note with scribbled handwriting that she had just found on the desk. Winona was stunned, then took it. She was all too familiar with this “cat-scrawled” handwriting. It was clearly from First Snow’s paw!

—Xiao Wei! I’m going to the training ground to teach Xiao Ai magic, meow! To prove it was her, First Snow had even dipped her paw in red ink used for seals, leaving a cute paw print above the writing.

Winona couldn’t help but chuckle, her anger instantly dissipating. What she blamed was always “taking without asking,” that is, the act of “stealing.” But if a note was left, then it was “borrowing.” And borrowing the key was to teach Adele magic. This definitely wasn’t something the lazy kitten First Snow would think of doing. Therefore, there was only one possibility. It was Adele, she had started to work hard! And during the holidays, the magic training ground wasn’t open to ordinary students. So she thought of asking First Snow to borrow the key. How surprising.

But her actions were commendable. She just hoped it wasn’t a fleeting whim. Adele’s magical talent was quite strong. Once she truly grew up, Winona could safely entrust First Snow to her. In the past, it was she who protected the naive First Snow. In the future, it might be Adele’s turn. As a vampire, her lifespan wasn’t short. Perhaps she could accompany First Snow through a long and happy life.

Thinking of this, Winona’s mood gradually improved. She found her spare key, then instead of leaving the manor directly, she opened the door and walked into a secret room. Victoria politely stayed where she was, tasting the good tea of the modern era, waiting for Winona to return.

Soon, Winona returned to Victoria’s side, clutching a staff tightly in her hand. With just one glance, Victoria froze, her eyes trembling.

“Teacher Victoria, you’re back, and this ‘Moon Sprout’ should be returned to its rightful owner.” Winona’s eyes were filled with reluctance, but more with the joy that it could finally return to its owner’s hands.

“…But I’ve been away for so long, it already belongs to you, Winona.” Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” held a significant past for her. But she still insisted that the staff should belong to Winona. The life crystal at the top of the staff was emitting a warm glow.

Winona didn’t argue, and handed “Moon Sprout” to Victoria, who caught it in a fluster. Then Winona said, “As expected, this staff suits Teacher Victoria better.”

“It just so happens that I have a student practicing magic in the magic training ground.”

“Why don’t you give her some guidance, Teacher Victoria!” It would be better to use the staff for guidance, as she could teach the student how to use her own staff. In this way, Winona gave Victoria a reason to keep the staff.

After speaking, Winona opened the door, and the “Arbitrary Staircase” appeared. It was a type of magic that allowed the stairs to move and assemble freely. Whether you were in the basement or the attic, you could reach any room in the house through the “Arbitrary Staircase,” saving a lot of trouble and providing mages with a convenient life.

Victoria looked at her staff with deep emotion. Finally, she nodded silently and followed Winona.

Meanwhile, in the magic training ground, Adele was learning elemental magic under First Snow’s guidance, starting with the basics. There was no need to mention basic spells like Water Ball and Fireball. First Snow was teaching Adele how to construct magic formulas. These formulas were the key to the diverse forms of elemental magic. In a sense, as long as the practitioner had enough magic power, she could memorize all the magic formulas recorded in the elemental magic books and construct them when needed.

It was worth mentioning that the stronger the elemental vampire, the less they needed this rote memorization method. A genius could manipulate elements freely. That’s why Hermione could easily make it snow around her, or create frost blades and blizzards. It was truly unfair.

Adele only wanted to learn enough to be useful. Her true reliance was probably still her witch identity. As for what type of magic Adele wanted to learn, she felt that “wind” was more suitable for her. Because it sounded very…carefree. And fun!

“Hasaki!” The girl imitated the formula First Snow had just taught her, trying to create a small tornado on the ground. Then came the most important part, to push the tornado out forcefully! And sweep up everything and everyone in its path.

Adele’s magical talent was indeed strong. She quickly created a small tornado in front of her, which would dissipate with the overflow of magic power after a short while. This wouldn’t do, so she practiced again and again, with First Snow guiding her from the side.

Finally, she succeeded! A tornado about her height formed in front of her, and with Adele’s continuous infusion of magic power, it could last for a long time. Small objects that could be attracted, like dust, leaves, branches, etc., were all sucked into the tornado.

Next, she would forcefully push it towards the target in the training ground to see its effects and power! The girl took a deep breath, focusing her energy.

“…Hasaki!” She shouted joyfully.

The result was, unsurprisingly…it went off course! If this were in the game, it would definitely attract a string of yellow question marks. And going off course wasn’t the worst part. The key was where it went off course…

Why are there people there, meow!? Adele watched as the ground-level tornado swept towards Headmistress Winona and an elegant lady with light blue hair! It was too late to retract it. The formula had its own duration. To stop it, she would have to use an opposing formula to deconstruct it.

Crap, I messed up! But not too badly, because in front of Headmistress Winona, this level of magic was child’s play. As expected, Winona frowned, waved her hand, and a wind wall appeared, blocking the tornado. Is this an enemy Yasuo!? She even, to teach Adele a lesson, separated a similar wind from the wind wall and sent it towards Adele.

Victoria smiled slightly, thinking it was the first time she had seen Winona show such a cute side. The power of this tornado certainly wouldn’t be enough to lift Adele. But her skirt would probably fly up. Then Adele would be “Marilyn Adele Monroe.”

But at this critical moment, no one expected that Xiao Ai, wrapped in a red hooded coat like Little Red Riding Hood, would suddenly speak.

—”Hasaki!” Her eyes lit up with fire. Trying to hurt my Mama…I won’t let you succeed!

She hadn’t practiced magic at all, just quietly watching from the side as First Snow taught Mama Adele. Could it be…that she learned just by watching!? She even learned Adele’s strange verbal tic!

What was even more terrifying was yet to come. The magic created by Xiao Ai easily reached the seventh rank! A tornado three stories high, mixed with lightning, formed before everyone. It collided with the small tornado Winona used as punishment, shattering it effortlessly and even absorbing its magic power! Then it continued relentlessly towards Winona and Victoria.

What is this…a nightmare bot game!? Adele was so surprised that she could barely close her mouth.

What was even more ridiculous was that Xiao Ai felt it wasn’t enough, and was about to chant another childish “Hasaki…” Just how much magic power did she have!?

Fortunately, Adele hugged Xiao Ai in time.

“Yamete! Don’t fight the fountain turret, Xiao Ai!” That’s an invincible enemy, meow!

And it was indeed as Adele said. Seventh-rank magic was child’s play for both Winona and Victoria. However, this time it was Victoria who took action. She used her staff, and a complex formula unfolded in the air. In an instant, the tornado froze in place, and the attached dust fell to the ground as ice shards.

Before Adele could marvel at how Xiao Ai had surpassed her, Headmistress Winona frowned and walked towards her. The unfamiliar lady kept smiling. Her gaze fell on Adele’s face, and there seemed to be a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.

Chapter 322: Teacher Victoria

In the Eastern Capital, a museum welcomed a special guest. Special because she had no ID, no ticket, wore ancient, elaborate, and gorgeous clothing, and…appeared out of thin air.

She was a woman with long, light blue hair, a tall figure, and a dignified expression. Some people rubbed their eyes, thinking they were mistaken, perhaps this elegant lady had been there all along. But then they realized that was impossible. Because the lady’s beauty was breathtaking, and her whole being exuded a classical aura. It was impossible to ignore, impossible not to be captivated by her. With her appearance, all the art in the museum seemed to dim.

Some people started taking pictures, some recording videos. Some called the police. Some anime fans thought she was a cosplayer, but couldn’t figure out which character she was portraying. Just ask for a photo! Met a lolita lady with blue hair at the museum today, absolutely amazing!

The lady wasn’t exactly bothered by these human actions. Perhaps she was more surprised and curious. But even so, the elegant lady didn’t refuse their requests.

“A photo? I’ve heard of it, like a photo-taking spell.”

“This era is amazing.”

“Make a V-sign? Sounds strange, but…” She still gently responded to the request of the lively young girl, raising her hand and making a gesture with a doting expression.

It was worth mentioning that when faced with the advances of male tourists, this lady didn’t even spare them a glance. Truly blatant preferential treatment…

Soon, someone rushed over. It was a petite woman in a simple, professional ladies’ suit, with slightly curly, flaxen hair. If it weren’t tied up, it would probably reach the ground. It was a pity that there were no students from Cromwell Academy in the museum today. Otherwise, they would have been surprised to find that this woman, disguised as a professional, was none other than their Headmistress Winona.

Accompanying Headmistress Winona were members of the Enforcement Bureau disguised as police officers. They were all nervous, not daring to breathe loudly. After all, this was a significant event in their careers. Facing a legend from history, one of the founders of the magical world.

“Teacher Victoria!” Winona called out the lady’s name.

Yes, Victoria. One of the most prestigious legendary mages in the history of the magical world. The story based on her, Victoria’s Secret, was still a bestseller in the magical world. It was because of her efforts and her influence on later generations that the magical world transformed from a lesbian taboo to the…beautiful landscape it was today, filled with affectionate displays. Although not as prevalent as within the Vampire Clan, the close relationships in the magical world were still quite famous. Including Victoria herself, who became a pioneer and great teacher in the hearts of later generations of affectionate mages.

So it was perfectly normal for Winona to call Victoria “Teacher.” Even though she had remained single for so many years, without a girl she liked, and the only cat she raised was “stolen” by Adele…being able to meet Teacher Victoria in the same era was already the happiest thing in Winona’s life, making up for all past losses and regrets.

That’s right, this woman was Victoria’s ultimate fan. She might even be considered a fanatic. But due to her age and status, Winona couldn’t express her enthusiasm and admiration as passionately as young girls.

“Winona, you’re here.” Victoria turned around and smiled gently at the woman. This smile alone made Winona’s heart race. Thump, thump… It wasn’t easy to experience the feeling of a racing heart at her age. Winona: What do you mean, ‘at my age’! ￥%#%

The Headmistress was the youngest legendary mage in history. Compared to the students at school…it might be a bit depressing. But compared to the old geezers and grannies in the upper echelons of the magical world, she was the key figure who drastically lowered the average age.

Winona came to Victoria’s side, her heart racing but not forgetting her responsibilities. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, either because she had rushed over too quickly, or for some other reason.

“Teacher Victoria! Why did you sneak out again…”

“If you want to visit the museum, you just need to tell me, and I’ll be your guide.” Winona’s words were a bit evasive. Victoria didn’t just sneak out. She used a long-distance teleportation spell! That’s why she suddenly appeared in the museum, causing a commotion among ordinary people.

The Enforcement Bureau agents on the side had already begun to mitigate the impact of Victoria’s appearance. Using their authority as disguised police officers, they guided the incident towards a more acceptable narrative. For example, saying that Victoria was a famous foreign cosplayer visiting the Eastern Capital for tourism. And an agent with the ability to modify memories altered the memories of the ordinary people who had close contact with Victoria.

After a flurry of activity, the commotion caused by Victoria gradually subsided. The “police” also left, leaving only Winona and Victoria alone. Now, they could finally visit the museum in peace. Victoria sighed with emotion.

“So many beautiful girls, what a wonderful era~”

“Winona is also very cute, and so talented, much better than me.”

Winona blushed at the compliment. “N-No…Teacher Victoria is…v-very beautiful!” Winona was so nervous that she stuttered. Was this the legendary mage Winona, who had faced countless grand occasions and met high-ranking officials without changing her expression? Why did she act like a lovestruck girl in front of Victoria?

She took a deep breath and secretly cast a calming spell on herself without chanting, which eased her nervousness and shyness.

“But why did Teacher Victoria insist on coming to this museum?” Winona asked her question. She didn’t think Victoria would be the kind of woman who acted on a whim. However…it was also possible that she was. After all, both in history and in storybooks, Victoria was a proper harem king of that era, a multi-winged archangel. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be the protagonist. It was just that no one expected her to “revive” in this era.

It was mentioned before that the day Victoria fell was a dark day for the entire magical world. Now that she mentioned it, that “dark day” was related to one of the Twelve True Ancestors of the Vampire Clan. That True Ancestor sacrificed himself to summon an evil god from another world. That evil god greedily plundered the knowledge of this world, but to the people of this world, its actions were destruction.

The largest library in the magical world was destroyed by it, reduced to ruins. An entire generation of powerful mages fought against it with all their might, fearing no death. Even the powerful evil god couldn’t face so many united mages. So it chose mutual destruction. The final result was a chaotic space formed on the ruins of the original library. To this day, it was a forbidden zone in the magical world. Those who entered would be completely lost, never to escape.

That was the darkest day in the magical world. Countless people held the now-dimmed fragments of life crystals and wept. Including Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” left in the outside world. The huge life crystal on the staff no longer flickered, completely extinguished. Because it meant that the mages who perished with the evil god, trapped in that chaotic, torn space, could never return.

Everyone could only restrain their grief, inherit their will, and salvage the remaining magic books as much as possible. Then time passed, over a thousand years…

One day in the peaceful modern era, the life crystal on Victoria’s staff, “Moon Sprout,” suddenly flickered. At that moment, Victoria walked out of the chaotic space at the ruins of the Grand Magic Library. Her appearance shocked the entire magical world. And Winona couldn’t believe it. Because the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Winona’s last business trip, entrusting First Snow to Adele, was precisely to verify this matter.

Fortunately, fate favored her, and the entire magical world. That lady was indeed the Victoria from history! She proved herself with her superb magic and memories of that era. After that, Victoria told the twelve legendary mages of the present age everything that had happened back then, including the crucial information that the concept of time was stagnant within the space created by the evil god. This meant that there was still hope for the people trapped in the chaotic space, whether during or after the tragedy, to return alive.

But overall, the hope wasn’t great. Because everything in the chaotic space was chaotic, the trapped mages might encounter some extremely terrifying, indescribable monsters or situations. And it wasn’t impossible for their legs to be severed by the turbulent spatial currents with a single step forward. One could imagine what kind of hellish place it was. Only a mage as powerful as Victoria could find a way back from that desperate situation.

A single moment, a thousand years.

Victoria was still unfamiliar with many things in this world. She wanted to go to the most prosperous human city. So Winona was entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of her. But clearly, Victoria wasn’t a mage who readily obeyed management. Or rather, in the entire magical world today…no one was qualified to manage her. All Winona could do was ask, ask her to be slightly considerate of ordinary people’s feelings.

Perhaps because magic was commonplace in Victoria’s time, she couldn’t understand that “ordinary people without magic occupied more than ninety-nine percent of the world’s land and ruled this planet.” But she was learning to change. Except for today, when she suddenly teleported herself into the museum. No one knew why. And this was what Winona was most concerned about.

Victoria smiled slightly, without any concealment. “It just feels familiar.”

“…” Familiar? Were there any artifacts from Victoria’s time in this museum?

Chapter 320: Blue Pill Magic

The poor eggs had cracked…boiling them on high heat for too long would cause this. The correct way to boil eggs was to bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for eight to ten minutes. If you didn’t boil them for that long, you would get so-called “soft-boiled eggs.” But Adele didn’t like the texture of soft-boiled eggs, so she would try to boil them longer to solidify the yolk. But not this long!

Adele looked at the pot, the water almost completely boiled away, and felt dizzy, as if there were mosquitoes buzzing around her head.

“A-Anyway…let’s just take them out.” Adele muttered to herself, scooping the eggs out with a slotted spoon and putting them in the sink to cool down, while also washing away the solidified egg white that had leaked out from the cracks. Although they looked a bit sad, they were still edible.

After peeling them, Adele gave one to First Snow and one to Xiao Ai. One of them was originally meant for herself, but now she gave it to First Snow. When spoiling children, it was important to be fair. So Adele treated them equally. Of course, Xiao Ai couldn’t eat First Snow’s cat food. Correspondingly, Adele would buy some snacks to compensate her.

Cats could eat eggs, so First Snow ate hers with relish. As for Xiao Ai, everything about humans was new to her. Even cracked boiled eggs wouldn’t change in taste fundamentally. So the little one’s eyes instantly lit up. Then she opened her mouth and kept saying “Ah…ah…”

First Snow stared at Xiao Ai with a “silly little girl” expression. She thought that Sister Adele’s new goddaughter seemed a little foolish, not very smart. The complete opposite of Sister Adele. In First Snow’s heart, Sister Adele was always intelligent, cunning, and lewd… Adele thought, I would appreciate it if you didn’t add that last word…

First Snow probably didn’t understand what was happening, but the quick-witted Adele immediately understood. She thought of the words “delicious” and silently recited them. The next moment, Xiao Ai blinked her beautiful pink eyes and shouted, “Delicious!”

“Yes! Very good, Xiao Ai!” Adele didn’t skimp on her praise. Although this seemed strange to First Snow, who was watching from the side. Why was saying “delicious” so great? The cat-girl tilted her head, her fluffy ears twitching.

“Delicious!” She imitated Xiao Ai and gave her own evaluation.

Adele saw right through what the little cat was thinking. So she smiled gently and reached out to pat the girl’s hair and fluffy ears. As expected, First Snow became happy and purred.

The scene before her was so heartwarming that Adele truly felt the joy of raising daughters. And not just one, but two. First Snow had the potential of an older child, obedient but with her own thoughts. Xiao Ai was the pampered younger daughter. However, when the two little ones were arguing and playing in a language she couldn’t understand, Adele couldn’t help but feel a little troubled.

Although it was during the holidays, and Adele was lazy—the kind of person who, if no one urged her to do anything, would procrastinate until the last minute and then rely on a burst of speed to finish it—she had decided to finish her tasks early so she could relax and play games or do whatever she liked. But when faced with the same situation again, Adele would probably repeat her mistakes.

No, I can’t go on like this. A mysterious force made Adele firmly resolve in her heart. She had to give up the game in front of her and do something serious and meaningful. It wasn’t because she had been on a losing streak! Even if it was…it was only a small part of the reason.

Adele suddenly pushed the table in front of her, and her wheeled gaming chair rolled back as expected. Using her toes on the ground, Adele controlled its direction and accurately turned it to face First Snow and Xiao Ai, who were playing Gomoku. Looking at the scene before her, the girl sincerely thought, It’s so nice to have company, to do fun things together. And neither First Snow nor Xiao Ai would be lonely like before. She didn’t need to watch them all the time. Because one might not be able to take care of herself, but two together could naturally support each other. First Snow, who had awakened her “big sister” consciousness, might gradually mature and take care of the younger Xiao Ai.

Besides, Gomoku was also very interesting. Although with First Snow and Xiao Ai’s intelligence and talent, they would probably soon discover the great offensive advantage of the “first move,” and for some, getting the “first move” meant certain victory, before that, they would still feel genuine joy and excitement from the strategic battle on the board.

“Mama?” Xiao Ai, having just placed her piece, was the first to notice Adele. First Snow, deep in thought, even though her fluffy ears twitched and she clearly heard the sound of Adele turning her chair, didn’t immediately turn around to look at her.

“It’s…here!”

“Xiao Ai, you lose!”

“Huh!?” Xiao Ai turned around in a panic. She began searching the board for First Snow’s winning move, and of course, for any loopholes to make a final counterattack. Currently, First Snow had created a situation where one piece was the endpoint, extending three pieces in two directions. It was a classic tactic where the opponent couldn’t block both sides at the same time and would lose.

The clever Xiao Ai realized this, clenched her small hands tightly, and began searching for other weaknesses on the board. Because that was her only way to win. To force First Snow to block her with one four-piece line after another, and in the process, find a glimmer of hope that she hadn’t noticed before.

Adele wasn’t in a hurry and watched with interest. First Snow was initially smug. But soon, the girl’s expression turned serious. Because she found that there were too many places where Xiao Ai could form a four-piece line, meow! She kept blocking, but more and more kept appearing…

Fortunately, First Snow persevered until the end. No miracle happened, she still won against the younger Xiao Ai. That was because Adele didn’t give any hints. Otherwise, Xiao Ai could have easily won against First Snow. But it was also fortunate that she didn’t, otherwise the game between the children would have lost its meaning.

“Yay! I won, meow!”

“The winner has the right to use Sister Adele for a day, meow~”

“???”

“Are your stakes already this high!?”

“No, the point is, you didn’t even ask for my consent for this bet!”

First Snow smiled playfully. Xiao Ai blinked and looked at Mama in confusion. Now Adele realized that she had been tricked by First Snow. There was no such bet; First Snow was just joking. She smiled helplessly and pulled First Snow into a hug. Although there was no “right to use her for a day,” Adele was still willing to give First Snow a winner’s hug.

But wait…didn’t that “right to use her for a day” sound a bit wrong? Well, whatever, both First Snow and Xiao Ai were so innocent, how could they have thought of that?

“What is it, Sister Adele, meow?”

“Nothing, I’ve just had enough of playing!” It’s definitely not because I’m losing my mind.

“So I was thinking of learning some magic from you. The Kitty Paw Strike you taught me last time was quite useful~”

“Hmph, that’s a secret technique I created after a long time, meow~”

“So what magic do you want to learn, Sister Adele, meow?”

Hearing this, Xiao Ai also came closer, seemingly curious about magic. As for how she understood the meaning of “magic,” she learned it by reading Adele’s mind.

Adele pondered for a moment, gently touching her chin with her finger.

“Is there a kind of…”

“Like…where you can reach into the screen.”

“And then slap someone far, far away!?”

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Chapter 321: The Little Thief Cat

“How could there be such a thing, meow!” First Snow exclaimed. She was just a talented kitty, not a kitty who could create portals with her bare hands! Even Xiao Wei might not be able to do such a thing. Maybe she could, but it would take a lot of effort, and the portal would be unstable and risky. A screen wasn’t a portal; it was a combination of matter, not magic, so it was even more impossible. Only a god could do such a thing. But why would a god do such a boring thing, reaching out from a screen just to slap someone? Unless Sister Adele became a god, then she might do such a nonsensical thing, meow.

Adele playfully stuck out her pink tongue, trying to cover up her silly question with cuteness. But what she didn’t expect was that her cute act made both First Snow and Xiao Ai gulp. They wanted…to kiss her. Such a cute Sister Adele/Mama.

“I’m just kidding!”

“First Snow, just teach me any magic you know.”

Xiao Ai blinked and suddenly spoke, “Magic! Teach me!” She was also interested in magic!

“Ugh, you’re so bossy, meow…” First Snow complained. But she was already somewhat familiar with Xiao Ai’s temperament. She was just a human child, nothing special. At least, she hadn’t found anything special about her yet. At most, a little smart, a little cunning?

“Does Xiao Ai want to learn too?”

“Then I’ll leave it to First Snow. I’ll pay you with tuna cans as a reward!”

“Okay, meow!” Although First Snow would get those cans even if she did nothing, just lazing around on the windowsill, wagging her tail and basking in the sun, being able to do something for the person she liked was a happy thing in itself.

“Maybe we should change locations,” Adele said.

First Snow blinked. “The magic training ground, meow?”

“That’s right.” Otherwise, using magic at home would probably result in some damage. Then Adele would have to compensate the school.

“But it’s vacation, it’s not open, meow.”

Adele suddenly leaned closer to the cute kitten’s face, narrowing her eyes like a mischievous older sister, making First Snow’s ears turn red. They said bad boys attracted girls, but First Snow felt that Sister Adele was most attractive when she was being mischievous.

“First Snow, who do you think has the key to the magic training ground~?”

“Xiao…Xiao Wei?”

“That’s right, the Headmistress definitely has it, and it’s in her office.”

“Sister Adele, you mean…you want me to steal it!? Meow!” First Snow cried pitifully. Clearly, she was a good kitty, a law-abiding kitty. So stealing was a no-no.

“How can it be stealing!?”

“A scholar’s actions can’t be called stealing…it’s called being eager to learn, understand?”

“I’m just saving Headmistress Winona the trouble. Otherwise, if I formally asked to borrow it, saying I wanted to practice magic, guess what kind of expression she would have?”

“She would definitely be surprised and say, ‘You’ve finally seen the light! Here’s the key, return it when you’re done practicing,’ or something like that!” Adele imitated Winona’s tone quite accurately.

First Snow thought about it carefully. It seemed…that was indeed the case. Xiao Wei liked diligent students. She wouldn’t hesitate to lend the magic training ground to them. Sister Adele’s idea was to avoid troubling Xiao Wei, just go to her office and “take” it.

“…Okay, if Xiao Wei isn’t there, let’s do that, meow.” First Snow agreed to Adele’s request.

Xiao Ai nervously shrugged her shoulders. She stared at Adele with wide eyes, blinking. Perhaps she wanted to say something, but found she didn’t have the necessary vocabulary. So she hoped “Mama” could understand her meaning.

Adele was stunned for a moment before realizing, “Xiao Ai, are you worried…about being seen by others!?”

“!” Xiao Ai nodded vigorously. Because she realized that her existence seemed to be a bit troublesome for “Mama.” Except for the girls close to Adele, Adele didn’t want anyone else to discover Xiao Ai’s existence. But if Xiao Ai also wanted to learn magic, she couldn’t transform into the “blood jade” form. She had to appear in broad daylight in her current state.

“It’s okay, there’s no one in the training ground now.”

“And silly, you just have to call me ‘Sister’ in front of others.”

“I’m so clever, you have to learn more from me, don’t be so honest!”

Adele was right. If Xiao Ai called her “Sister,” no one would suspect their relationship. And although Adele had gained some fame, her low Sequence still limited her future. So most people would pay some attention to her, but not too much. And even less attention to Xiao Ai beside her.

Xiao Ai nodded as if she understood. Then she called out in a crisp, sweet voice, “Sister~”. It made Adele’s heart melt. Great, whether she’s my “daughter” or “sister,” she’s great, meow!

As for Xiao Ai, her feelings were a bit complicated. So besides “Mama,” there was also “Sister.” It felt…Xiao Ai couldn’t describe the feeling. But if it were Adele, she could express it. In layman’s terms: Interesting gameplay added!

However, Adele was completely unaware of what was hidden in Xiao Ai’s heart. She asked the two little ones to wait in the dining room while she cooked the remaining noodles. One big bowl and two small bowls of noodles. All eaten clean. First Snow didn’t mind human noodles. As for Xiao Ai, she instantly fell in love with this delicious food!

Happiness was finding joy and satisfaction in the small fragments of daily life. And the happiness that food could bring was undoubtedly the most direct and intense. Adele was originally lazy and didn’t like cooking. But if she could see Xiao Ai’s surprised and cute expression every time they ate, she might fall in love with cooking and baking.

After breakfast, the three of them left the dorm and headed towards Headmistress Winona’s residence. If the Headmistress was there, Adele would honestly ask her for the key to the magic training ground. If Winona wasn’t there, hehe, then it was time for the little “thief” cat, First Snow, to make her appearance.

Xiao Ai was wrapped in a red coat with a hood. From afar, she looked like Little Red Riding Hood with black hair, pink eyes, and fair skin. Extremely cute. If there was a comic convention nearby, she would definitely be the center of attention.

There were still some students on campus during the holidays, but not many, and they were busy. So few people noticed the trio. They arrived smoothly outside the castle where Headmistress Winona and First Snow lived. First Snow was like at home here. She easily flew inside, unaffected by the defensive magic array Winona had set up against intruders. She arrived at a window on the second floor and, with a flash of golden light, teleported inside.

“Xiao Wei really isn’t here, meow, then let me think…where is the key to the training ground?”

Headmistress Winona had been quite busy recently. It seemed that something big had happened in the magical world.

Chapter 318: Two Little Crybabies

Because Xiao Ai was covering her mouth, Adele could only kiss her smooth, white forehead.

“Mmm…I’m being eaten!” Now it was Xiao Ai’s turn to cover her forehead. Adele couldn’t help but laugh. She patted the little one’s head and said with a smile, “Mama’s not a monster, how could I eat you?”

“Silly, Mama’s going to make you breakfast, stay in the room and be good.”

Because of her mind-reading ability, Xiao Ai could understand every word Adele said. At the same time, she memorized the meaning of the “words” in Mama’s speech. For example, the word “breakfast.” Xiao Ai learned both its pronunciation and its meaning: “food eaten in the morning.”

The little one had a good memory, perhaps just a little short of photographic memory. She could remember after just two glances. Therefore, as long as Adele spent time chatting with her, introducing everything she saw to her, Xiao Ai would quickly become proficient in human language. Calling her a prodigy wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

This made Adele think, as long as she was around, if Xiao Ai went to school in the future, no matter what difficulties she encountered, as long as she, as a parent, worked hard to understand them, wouldn’t that mean Xiao Ai understood them too? Wouldn’t she be Xiao Ai’s human cheat code?

It was just a bit painful to relearn all that old knowledge. But for her child, no matter how hard it was, it was worth…Wait! Why was her thinking already shifting to that of a parent!? Even Adele herself was still a student!

“Mm! Xiao Ai, good!” Xiao Ai responded to Adele’s instructions. She would stay in the room and wait for “Mama” to return.

Adele then left the room with peace of mind, her footsteps light as she padded down the stairs. She hadn’t even changed out of her nightgown, and unless something unexpected happened, like having to go out, Adele would stay in her pajamas at home.

If only I could wear nightgowns and pajamas forever! she thought. They were a hundred times more comfortable than regular clothes, especially uniforms!

Adele arrived in the kitchen. She planned to make noodles for her little Xiao Ai! Adele’s noodles were super delicious, meow! Especially instant noodles! Ahem, just kidding. How could Adele give Xiao Ai instant noodles? Of course, it had to be her own special plain noodles. They looked simple, but the taste was complex and addictive. Add two soft-boiled eggs, the kind where the yolk would run when poked with chopsticks. Simply divine~

Meanwhile, as Adele happily prepared breakfast in the kitchen, an unexpected “guest” arrived at her window. It was, of course, First Snow, the kitten, who hadn’t even had time to eat the breakfast prepared by Headmistress Winona.

After yesterday’s reunion, the kitten’s relationship with Adele had returned to its former harmony, or rather, it had become even closer. And so, early in the morning, she came to Adele’s house to freeload. Actually, it didn’t matter whether she ate canned food or not, the important thing was to be with Adele. Then, during the holidays, they could do comfortable things together~ or play games in front of the computer, which could bring a lot of happiness to both human and cat.

“Meow~ Little First Snow is here, meow!” First Snow, without a word, used short-range teleportation magic to pass through the tightly closed glass window and into Adele’s room.

This startled Xiao Ai, who was obediently staying in the room. How could a fluffy, flying thing suddenly appear!? Was it a bug!? It seemed not…not only was it not a bug, it was also quite cute.

Xiao Ai knew about griffins because there were griffins among the mist monsters she could control. But this was the first time she had seen a Cat-Bird. Since First Snow was currently in her cat form, the two little ones just stared at each other, one floating in the air, the other kneeling on the bed. Both received a mental shock.

First Snow’s reaction was particularly strong. She meowed and, flapping her small golden wings, flew to Xiao Ai’s side, circling her continuously. At the same time, she let out a series of rapid meows! She even forgot to transform into her human form. So no one could understand her.

But in fact, translated from cat language, First Snow was asking Xiao Ai, “Ade-Ade-Adele! Why have you become so small, meow!? Although you’re still very cute like this…but if we want to do comfortable things, it would be a crime, a crime, right!? I don’t want to become a criminal kitty, meow…Or do human laws not apply to cats? Meow…then I can only do it, meow!”

First Snow, quickly changing her train of thought, even thought that Adele in this form might be easier to bully. Therefore, after circling several times, she suddenly pounced into Xiao Ai’s arms, knocking her onto the bed. At the same time, First Snow transformed into her human form, a teenage cat-girl with fluffy ears and a tail.

Xiao Ai, who had just arrived in the human world, had never experienced this before and was completely flustered. No matter how cute First Snow looked, it was difficult to dispel the child’s instinctive fear of the unknown. So First Snow could see that “little Adele’s” lips were pursed so tightly that her smooth skin wrinkled, and her pupils trembled continuously. This was clearly…

“Waaah!!!” A sign of crying!!

First Snow panicked, and she finally smelled Xiao Ai’s scent as she got closer, realizing…that this girl might indeed be related to Sister Adele…but definitely not Sister Adele herself! As expected, she was a fool to believe that Sister Adele could become smaller, meow!

But what should she do in this situation, meow!? First Snow herself was still a child who had just grown up a little. To have her deal with Xiao Ai, who was younger than her in both appearance and mental age… Maybe she should just shave her head! This is a joke, not a serious suggestion.

First Snow, at a loss, sat on Xiao Ai and came up with a brilliant solution. That was…

You cry, I cry! It was childish, indeed, like a solution from kindergarten. One child cried, and then the whole kindergarten cried. Don’t ask why, just cry!

“Meowww! Meow!”

“…” First Snow cried with genuine emotion, confusing Xiao Ai.

So when Adele heard the crying and rushed upstairs, taking five steps at a time, and pushed open the door, the scene she saw…was First Snow, who had pushed Xiao Ai down, crying…on top of Xiao Ai? And Xiao Ai looked at her with pleading eyes. Then, Xiao Ai seemed to feel that it was unfair that she wasn’t crying in front of Mama. So she also wailed loudly, crying again. This made Adele, who had just opened the door and hadn’t figured out the situation yet, even more confused.

“Eh…”

“Eh?!?” Something wasn’t right. Who was the victim here!? Should she cry too??

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Chapter 319: A Friendly Pawshake

True to Adele’s nature, even in this situation, she came up with a unique solution. However, she didn’t actually cry. There were two little ones waiting for her comfort. Of course, she was also curious about what happened between First Snow and Xiao Ai while she was downstairs preparing breakfast. Xiao Ai was pushed down on the bed, and First Snow was on top of her, looking bewildered.

But now First Snow had come to her senses. The big Adele at the door was the real Adele! As for the “little Adele” in front of her, she wasn’t Adele, meow!

Startled, First Snow bounced up like a spring and flew around the small room, the flapping of her wings rustling the pages of the books Adele had left on the table. It reminded Adele of a poem she had read: “The breeze doesn’t know how to read, so why does it ruffle the pages?”

But now wasn’t the time for literacy. First Snow went from shock to fear.

“Ade-Ade-Adele! Meow meow meow!”

Adele probably understood. She was asking, “Who is she!?” First Snow finally landed and ran to Adele, who was still wearing her apron, hiding behind her in a panic and looking at Xiao Ai, who was sitting up on the bed, rubbing her eyes pitifully.

It had to be said that even though everything she saw was beyond First Snow’s comprehension and made her panic, she couldn’t bring herself to dislike the little girl who looked almost exactly like a younger Sister Adele. Instead, she felt like comforting her. Perhaps this was what it meant to love someone so much that you loved everything associated with them.

“Alright, alright, quiet down!”

“I’ll explain everything to you separately.” Adele stepped forward in time to take control of the situation.

First Snow clutched her clothes and nodded obediently. Xiao Ai also cutely covered her small mouth. It was so red that it made one want to taste it, to see if it tasted like cherries or red berries. So tempting…

“Then I’ll start by introducing Xiao Ai.”

“This is my ‘daughter’ whom I brought back from the Vampire territory after…certain events!”

“What do you mean by ‘certain events,’ meow!?”

“And what’s a ‘daughter,’ meow!?” This explanation was as good as no explanation! It only made the cat more curious.

“How could Sister Adele have a daughter…That’s not right, meow!” Because having a daughter meant that either Sister Adele was pregnant, or another girl was pregnant. Either way, it was difficult for First Snow to accept.

Although First Snow was naive and just entering puberty, she had lived for a long time and knew exactly what pregnancy was. She couldn’t imagine how Sister Adele had secretly raised such a little daughter! Who took advantage of Sister Adele when she was young, meow!? Damn, so enviable…no, wait!

Or…given Sister Adele’s personality, was it more likely that she, at a young age, had won over an innocent girl, had a child with her, and raised her in the vampire territory? It sounded like something Sister Adele would do…

Fortunately, Adele didn’t know what First Snow was thinking. Otherwise, she would definitely vomit blood. Was she really that much of a scumbag!? And a scumbag from a young age? This was slander!

“She’s not…born in the usual way!”

“Anyway, it’s a long story. I met Xiao Ai, found out she looked exactly like me, and then I treated her like my daughter.”

“We…shouldn’t be blood-related.” Adele said “shouldn’t.” She wasn’t entirely sure. Because what if this was one of the author’s abandoned plot points, a setting that wasn’t written out? For example, Xiao Ai’s true identity was the child of Adele’s parents, or the child of one of Adele’s relatives, etc. Anything was possible. But Seraph also said she was the “creation of a false god.” It was giving Adele a headache.

Fortunately, she wasn’t someone who liked to get to the bottom of things. And she couldn’t just ignore Xiao Ai, who looked exactly like her younger self. So she brought her back to raise her. It was also a way to gain experience for raising a daughter in the future.

Seeing First Snow’s dumbfounded look, Adele continued to introduce First Snow to Xiao Ai, regardless of whether she had fully accepted it.

“And this is First Snow, my little kitty!”

“Meow…” This kind of thing couldn’t be said in front of Headmistress Winona. Otherwise, the Headmistress would really lose it. I’ve been feeding you since you were a kitten, until now. You’ve only eaten a few cans of Adele’s food, and now you’re her kitty!? That’s too much. Is there such a thing as a ‘poached’ cat!?

“Little…kitty?” Xiao Ai wiped her tears, looked at Mama’s face, and murmured pitifully. She could understand a kitten. But she couldn’t understand a kitten with wings that could transform into a silver-haired loli with cat ears and a tail.

However, Adele didn’t want to explain too much. They would get along eventually. Or rather, because First Snow came to cling to Adele every day, she would probably become one of the beings Xiao Ai was most familiar with.

“Now that everyone knows each other, let’s shake paws and make up~”

“…”

“…” Clearly, both First Snow and Xiao Ai were still a little confused. But since Adele had said so, they wouldn’t continue making a fuss. Besides, First Snow was indeed curious about Xiao Ai. Loving the house and its crow, First Snow couldn’t dislike Xiao Ai. Or rather, looking at Xiao Ai reminded her of Sister Adele when she was little, making her instinctively want to take care of her, protect her, bully her… Uh, scratch that last one.

But loving someone meant loving every aspect of them, whether they were laughing or crying. As for Xiao Ai’s thoughts on First Snow, it was probably just: white, fluffy, and wanting to touch. A cat’s affinity was undeniable.

The two little ones stared at each other for a long time. Finally, First Snow, who looked older, pursed her lips and bravely walked towards Xiao Ai. Since Sister Adele had said so…let’s shake paws, meow.

Xiao Ai also sensed the urge to befriend Sister First Snow from Adele’s heart. After hesitating for a moment, she extended her small, tender hand. The historic handshake between First Snow and Xiao Ai was born at this moment! Truly a joyous occasion.

“M-My name is First Snow, meow!”

“…First Snow, meow?”

“It’s First Snow, meow! Not First Snow, meow!” Who could understand that!?

But the clever Xiao Ai quickly understood. That “meow” seemed to be Sister First Snow’s verbal tic. So she repeated it in a murmur, “First…Snow.”

“Yes, that’s right, meow!” First Snow patted Xiao Ai’s hair. This felt new to Xiao Ai.

Adele smiled at the harmonious scene before her. Until—she remembered the two eggs she had left boiling in the pot! The smile instantly vanished from her face! At the same time, Adele uttered words that could be easily misinterpreted: “My eggs!” Then she rushed downstairs to the kitchen.

Chapter 317: Marshmallow

Xiao Ai wasn’t a mischievous child. Or rather, she was definitely well-behaved in front of Adele. But even the most well-behaved child would have moments of “mischief,” right? Moreover, it couldn’t be considered entirely “mischief.” At least, Adele didn’t think it was mischief when she was being lovey-dovey with other girls. But if the object were Xiao Ai, then Adele would probably have to start considering whether she should be imprisoned for three years or five.

However, Adele forgot that even if she could control herself, Xiao Ai couldn’t control herself! And according to the law, it seemed that regardless of whether Adele took the initiative, as long as a certain fact was established…even if it was the little girl who did that, the responsibility would lie with Adele. However, this verdict was only given when an adult had the ability to resist but didn’t. If Adele could prove that she was sleeping like a log and couldn’t resist Xiao Ai at all…could she be exonerated?

Unfortunately, agonizing over this was meaningless because Adele was indeed sleeping like a log! And Xiao Ai, as an elf-like girl, didn’t need sleep. Or rather, she obediently acted as a pillow for Adele, purely out of closeness and dependence. But it was precisely for this reason that, during the long night, to pass the time and unable to resist Mama’s charm, Xiao Ai easily extended her sinful little claws towards Adele.

Don’t misunderstand Xiao Ai as a girl with impure thoughts. Her thoughts were pure, wanting to hug Adele, get close to her, and smell the fragrance of her body. So for a long time, Xiao Ai acted like a clingy kitten, rubbing her nose and cheek against the girl’s arms and shoulders.

But soon, such simple acts of affection couldn’t satisfy Xiao Ai’s uneasy yet excited heart. She no longer cared whether Adele would wake up. A small figure emerged from under the covers, panting. Jet-black hair cascaded down her slender body, making Xiao Ai look even more dreamlike under the hazy moonlight. Like an angel who had fallen to the mortal world, or an elf from a fantasy.

But perhaps such a description wasn’t appropriate, because both angels and elves were creatures that existed in this world. So, one could only say that Xiao Ai’s beauty surpassed these two races. Like the offspring of a deity, innately pure and flawless. But it was this pure and flawless little girl who was heading down the path of a rebellious daughter, never to return!

The air conditioner was always on in the bedroom, so there was no need to worry about the cold winter temperature. Xiao Ai lifted the thin blanket covering Adele, revealing the girl’s slightly unladylike sleeping posture. Her head tilted, legs apart, hand lifting a corner of her pure white nightgown, revealing her smooth, flat stomach, rising and falling slightly with each breath.

The skin around the girl’s navel had a faint pink glow. Just seeing this scene made one’s heart race. Xiao Ai was no exception. She pressed her flushed cheek against Adele’s stomach, like a curious child observing something interesting. She could clearly see the fine, downy, snow-white sheen on Mama’s belly under the moonlight. She could smell a warm fragrance, like rich milk and blooming flowers. But even more eye-catching was Adele’s… that which throbbed gently with each breath.

Xiao Ai instinctively felt the urge to be closer to her mother like this. Just looking wasn’t enough. So she pressed her cheek against Adele’s stomach… She could hear some strange gurgling sounds, very interesting. And, of course, the heartbeat.

Thump! Thump!

Was this Mama’s heartbeat just for her? It seemed like a rather self-centered thought. But that’s exactly what Xiao Ai thought and hoped for.

The next moment, she did something surprising. Xiao Ai turned her face and moved closer and closer to the girl’s stomach. Closer and closer… She actually kissed a certain spot on the girl’s stomach. Although separated by skin and flesh, Xiao Ai felt that it was the place where life could be nurtured.

“Mmm~” Even Adele, stimulated by this, couldn’t help but moan in her sleep. Her toes wiggled, as if trying to resist the rising excitement. But even so, the girl still didn’t wake up. Just how deeply asleep was she? And she had absolutely no defenses against Xiao Ai…

After her initial success, Xiao Ai not only didn’t stop but became even bolder. This was in line with Adele’s personality…Could it be that she really had some kind of inextricable connection with Adele?

Adele’s nightgown had buttons, but she never buttoned or unbuttoned it properly. She just pulled it over her head from the hem. It didn’t matter if it was tight or not, brute force always worked. In the end, she managed to put it on. It could be said that the buttons were merely decorations for her. But for some people…it wasn’t the case.

For example, Xiao Ai, whose eyes now clearly showed excitement. She extended her sinful little hands, swallowed, and slowly reached for the first button on Adele’s nightgown. Finally touching it, the cool, smooth texture and gem-like luster were impressive. Then, she slipped her finger through the gap and undid the button. It was a simple task, even for a child.

Soon, one button after another was undone. The area of the girl’s exposed skin continued to expand, like spreading milk, her snow-white body entering Xiao Ai’s view.

“Mama…beautiful.”

“So…pretty.” Xiao Ai’s vocabulary was limited, but she used all the words she knew to praise her “mother.”

The sleeping Adele finally reacted. Her body unconsciously twisted, and her breathing became rapid. Xiao Ai froze, her hand stopping in mid-air. The little girl didn’t have any memories related to punishment yet. But she wasn’t foolish enough to think this was allowed. So Xiao Ai naturally didn’t want to be discovered. But it was a pity to stop just like this. She clearly…wanted to see more.

After a complex internal struggle, Xiao Ai buttoned Adele’s nightgown back up. But the resulting regret became something that Xiao Ai felt she had to make up for from elsewhere.

So, she did something bold. Something she guessed Mama had done with that sister named Seraph while her eyes were covered. Xiao Ai climbed onto the girl, using her knees to support herself on the bed so as not to put pressure on Adele. Or rather, even if Xiao Ai really lay on Adele, she would probably just feel like a light, soft pillow. After all, Adele had endured First Snow’s cat-like weight many times.

Speaking of which, why did cats like to sleep on people’s stomachs so much? Was it because it was the warmest place…or was it the closest place to the person they liked?

Whatever First Snow’s reason, Xiao Ai now vaguely understood her feelings. She nestled her cheek against Adele’s chest. Although not very ample, it still felt wonderful. But if Xiao Ai knew that a kitten had occupied this spot in Mama’s heart before her, would she be jealous?

That remained to be seen. Xiao Ai was already eager to try Adele’s lips, those alluring, cherry-pink “berries.” In Xiao Ai’s heart, she didn’t really understand what a kiss meant. She just wanted to try it. She wanted to taste Mama~

Perhaps in human ethics, this wasn’t allowed. But who could say for sure what Xiao Ai’s true nature was? Her apparent age was meaningless to her. No one knew how long she had existed, or whether she had just been born. She seemed to be the thirteenth drop of blood of the god who created the True Ancestor. But Seraph called her the “creation of a false god.” Even her calling Adele “Mama” was just her wishful thinking, coupled with Adele’s accepting embrace out of concern.

So, not to mention human ethics, even vampire ethics couldn’t bind her. A mere kiss was completely irrelevant. And Xiao Ai wasn’t a girl who would care about such things.

So, under the cover of the quiet night, Xiao Ai clutched her heart and, blushing and heart pounding, planted a kiss on Adele’s sleeping face, imitating Seraph. It was the softest, sweetest thing she had ever experienced. Addictive. Just touching it felt like she had become a marshmallow, gently melting under Adele’s touch. Xiao Ai didn’t know the art of kissing. She thought that just this touch of lips was already the happiest thing.

But the little one never expected that Adele’s lewd instincts would react even in her sleep. The next moment, Xiao Ai’s eyes widened, her pupils trembling and flickering with a strange light. Because…something soft and wet pried open her mouth.

“Mmm!” Adele was a natural “first kiss” thief. How could she even react like this while sleeping!? Originally, Xiao Ai was the one taking the initiative. But after being forcefully invaded…not only her mouth and tongue, but also her heart and body were completely captured.

W-What was this!? So powerful… She was going to…break!

Long after the deep kiss ended, Xiao Ai lay on Adele, limp and unable to escape, nor willing to leave. The end of the kiss had nothing to do with Xiao Ai’s will, but with Adele’s stopping. When she finally regained some strength, Xiao Ai quickly retreated to her own side of the bed and tucked Mama in. She spent the rest of the night blushing, reminiscing about the deep kiss that had shattered her worldview.

Until morning, when Adele was about to wake up, Xiao Ai pretended to wake up at the same time.

“Good morning, my little Xiao Ai~”

“…Good morning, Mama.”

“Your face is so red, are you feeling a little hot?” Adele innocently moved closer to Xiao Ai’s face.

Xiao Ai involuntarily covered her mouth, her eyes spinning like pinwheels.

“Eh! What’s with that reaction?” Adele asked curiously. Why did Xiao Ai look like she was afraid Adele would do something to her cherry lips? Really, how could that be? How could she possibly do anything to Xiao Ai’s soft, cherry-like lips…

But even as she said this, Adele suddenly wondered why the memory of last night’s dream suddenly surfaced in her mind. In the dream, Adele was tasting a sweet marshmallow…or rather, “devouring” it would be more appropriate. But what did marshmallows have to do with Xiao Ai?

Still, that dream felt so real. The only regret was that the “marshmallow” was a bit too delicate~

Chapter 316: That Was Close

Seraph suddenly felt Adele’s gaze upon her. She couldn’t say what she read in it, but it was obvious that Adele looked somewhat pitiful. A wronged expression, the kind where nothing had actually happened, yet the girl felt aggrieved and wanted to be coaxed. Such a spoiled brat. Many people would probably think that.

But what Seraph wanted to tell Adele was that when she made this expression, her pursed lips shimmered with a cool, delicate, downy light under the moonlight, making one want to kiss them, to suck on them. Like savoring a marshmallow, slowly enjoying its sweetness, letting it melt away.

But Seraph would only think, not speak. She was clumsy with words, and her eyes lacked the girl’s vibrancy, as if they could speak and sing.

“Even if that time comes, you can slack off, you can pretend you didn’t see anything.”

“Don’t hurt Xiao Ai…okay?” Adele was referring to Seraph considering Xiao Ai a heretic. And the “that time” she mentioned probably referred to the day the “Lord” returned to this world.

Seraph, a rather rigid and serious angel, heard such a request for the first time. But it felt unexpectedly good. At least much better than the outcome of “falling.” Seraph was still worried about how to balance the relationship between the God she worshipped and Adele. But with Adele’s words, she suddenly realized that she could indeed…in human terms, it should be called “outwardly compliant but inwardly opposed.” A clever way to offend neither side.

Seraph didn’t know whether there would be a day of exposure, nor did she want to think about it. She nodded to Adele.

“Okay.”

An angel who once didn’t even know how to lie was now going to deceive her God for the girl before her. Although it hadn’t happened yet, some people with a strong moral compass would believe that even thinking about it was a betrayal. Seraph hadn’t found any clues in her memories about whether God had such a moral compass. But she knew that the “Lord” abhorred fallen angels and would mercilessly obliterate them. However, angels were the “Lord’s” creations, so He could naturally obliterate them as He pleased.

What Seraph truly remembered all these years was her confusion about those fallen angels. She was puzzled as to why they didn’t flee, but instead turned their blades against the invincible God. What made them not even fear death? Over the long years, Seraph couldn’t understand. But after spending time with Adele, she vaguely grasped that feeling.

Hearing Seraph’s reply, Adele finally relaxed and smiled happily. Then, she suddenly covered Xiao Ai’s eyes, very gently. Xiao Ai tilted her head in confusion, not understanding why her mother did this, what was happening. But then, a slender shadow passed over Xiao Ai’s head. At the same time, Xiao Ai smelled a faint fragrance, fresh and natural, as if from the soaring heavens.

Above Xiao Ai, where she couldn’t see, Adele touched her lips, her smile blooming like a flower. It was a very ordinary gesture, but it made Seraph’s cheeks flush slightly. Then, she kissed the girl’s lips.

It was a pure kiss, without any other desire. Angels were inherently pure beings. As for Adele…she could also be pure and flawless occasionally. Only Xiao Ai, unable to read minds, was kept in the dark. But the precocious little girl vaguely sensed something. So her soft, pink lips drooped slightly.

However, when she was allowed to open her eyes and her mother’s hand moved away, Xiao Ai was surprised to find that the dangerous…silent angel sister had disappeared.

“Mama, my Mama!” She immediately murmured, as if declaring ownership. Adele just smiled. At this moment, she still had no idea what kind of little mama-con daughter she would unknowingly raise.

“Mama’s here~” Adele rubbed Xiao Ai’s cheek, which was almost identical to her own. It was just an affectionate gesture, not painful.

Just then, Adele couldn’t help but yawn. “It’s so late already.”

“Xiao Ai, sorry Mama can’t play with you anymore.”

“Mama needs to rest so she’ll have enough energy to do other things tomorrow.”

According to the rules Adele set for Xiao Ai, she could only read minds when they were alone. Otherwise, if other girls were present, Adele didn’t want Xiao Ai to read her active, inappropriate thoughts.

Xiao Ai readily agreed and obediently followed the rules. A child without a rebellious phase was so nice~ Or rather, even if Xiao Ai did have a rebellious phase, it probably wouldn’t be for a long time. By that time, it was uncertain whether Adele would still have the energy for flirting. Perhaps she would already be living happily with her entire harem.

Through mind-reading, although Xiao Ai hadn’t fully mastered human language, she could understand the meaning of every word Mama said. Therefore, her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Sleep…Xiao Ai, Mama, sleep!”

“Xiao Ai likes sleeping too, so let’s rest together.”

“Yay!”

“What’s ‘Yay’? Are you starting to make up your own words now? Giggle.”

“Since it’s vacation, I’ll be in charge of tutoring you in human language.”

“Xiao Ai is so smart, you’ll definitely learn quickly.”

“Mm! Xiao Ai, big smart!” She wanted to express that she possessed “big” smartness, the opposite of “small.” Meaning she was very smart and wouldn’t disappoint her mother. But the combination sounded rather amusing.

However, after laughing, Adele gently told Xiao Ai, “Big smart doesn’t mean what you think it means.”

“It’s actually the opposite~”

“Big smart means ‘silly’!”

“!” Xiao Ai’s eyes widened as if she had heard something unbelievable. Human language…was so strange! And she had just called herself silly in front of her mother…

Xiao Ai shyly burrowed into Adele’s arms, refusing to let the girl see her blushing cheeks. Until she felt her body suddenly lift into the air.

“Eep!” She let out a very cute, childish sound. Xiao Ai then realized that Mama had scooped her up and was walking up the stairs. This was a posture called a “princess carry.”

Xiao Ai, you’re my little princess~ Adele thought silently. Being read by the mind-reading Xiao Ai, the effect was no less than secretly eating an incredibly sweet candy, the aftertaste lingering sweetly.

High EQ flirting! Sweeten her up all night!

However, Adele really didn’t have any intention of deliberately flirting with her “daughter.” All she was thinking about now was getting into her soft, comfortable bed and having a good sleep. Tomorrow’s matters could wait until tomorrow.

Besides…was it an illusion? Why did Adele always feel like she had forgotten something? Something related to Seraph. This feeling even startled her awake in the middle of the night.

Adele finally remembered! The secret! No, not that the thing Adele remembered was a secret. But according to their agreement, Adele had told Seraph about Xiao Ai’s existence. So Seraph should also tell her a secret in return. That would be a fair exchange. But after a kiss, Seraph had fled in embarrassment, disappearing right in front of Adele. She didn’t remember…angels being so thin-skinned.

“Sigh…”

“I’ll have to settle this with Seraph another day!”

With that, Adele closed her eyes and went back to sleep. She always slept well. Even if there was an earthquake, Adele suspected she could sleep through it. There was no need to run from a small earthquake, and you couldn’t outrun a big one. In short, just give up! This is a fatalistic approach to earthquakes. Do not follow this advice.

But the moment the girl closed her eyes, she never imagined that Xiao Ai, “sleeping” soundly beside her, would suddenly open her eyes. The little girl’s breathing was slightly rapid. She was thinking, That was close…I thought Mama found out…

Chapter 315: Against the Deity

Seraph’s sudden loss of control frightened Adele greatly. Fortunately, it ended without incident. Not only was Xiao Ai unharmed, but Seraph’s consciousness also gradually returned. She also promised Adele that she wouldn’t lose control again.

“…I believe you.” The tear stains at the corners of Adele’s eyes hadn’t completely disappeared. She pouted her lips pitifully, looking very kissable. The next moment, she leaned against Seraph’s shoulder and gently bit the angel’s shoulder. The vampire girl’s fangs pierced Seraph’s skin. But Seraph only trembled slightly, neither struggling nor resisting.

If this was Adele’s way of venting, it was too light. Leaving only a pair of bite marks. But Adele really didn’t know how to punish the angel girl. So she could only instinctively vent her sadness by “biting.” Not that kind of biting!

As for Xiao Ai, at this moment, filled with concern for her mother, she slowly approached Adele, completely disregarding the fact that the angel Seraph before her might be a dangerous being.

“Mama…” she called softly, her teary-eyed appearance arousing pity. It had to be said that even Seraph, who had just felt the urge to eliminate the heretic, sincerely felt Xiao Ai’s cuteness at this moment. After all, she was a girl identical to Adele’s younger self. As long as one had some affection for Adele, no one could refuse Xiao Ai’s appearance, right?

It even made one fantasize, if she also conquered Xiao Ai, could she exclusively enjoy both Adele’s girl and…loli sentence? No, absolutely not! Stop those thoughts right now!

Their eyes met, and Xiao Ai was the first to shyly look away. It was understandable. Although Xiao Ai was very powerful in the Secret Realm, able to control the elements within, in the outside world, she was just a little fool with powerful magic she didn’t know how to use.

“Xiao Ai? It’s okay…”

“Don’t be afraid, Mama avenged you and bit sister hard!” Adele wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, then revealed her small canine teeth, looking rather proud.

“…” Sister… A very common and ordinary term for humans, but for Seraph, it was a strange and intriguing title. So, she…could also be a sister? Just this title alone caused Seraph’s heart to waver.

Xiao Ai understood Adele’s words, or rather, she read Adele’s heart. So she gratefully threw herself into the girl’s arms. As for Seraph, she took this opportunity to change from her fallen position to sitting on the ground, expressionlessly watching the “mother and daughter.”

Then, she also apologized to Xiao Ai and introduced herself for the first time, no longer as impolite as before.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Ai, my name is Seraph.”

Xiao Ai glanced at Adele, hesitant and uneasy. She didn’t understand why Seraph suddenly felt such deep hostility towards her. She was just very afraid of Seraph at that time. But the girl before her was also Mama’s good friend… The little girl didn’t seem to fully understand the complex relationships like “lover,” “loved one,” “partner,” and so on. So everyone was a “friend.”

Adele gently stroked Xiao Ai’s head, encouraging her telepathically. Encouraged, Xiao Ai bit her lip and nervously called out the angel’s name.

“…Sara-hu?” Her language acquisition was now very fast, with only some pronunciation issues. Perhaps this was related to Xiao Ai not having completely passed her teething stage. Yes, Xiao Ai still had “teething.” If Adele noticed this, she could probably deduce that Xiao Ai hadn’t been born for long. Or another possibility: that within the Secret Realm, she had no concept of time and naturally wouldn’t age. Because she was created as a little girl, she remained that way. But after coming to the real world, her body naturally entered the realm of time and began to grow.

“Ph,” Seraph corrected softly. It seemed she couldn’t appreciate the cuteness of the little girl’s unclear pronunciation.

After calming down, Adele glanced at Seraph with slight coquettishness. Xiao Ai clutched her mother’s skirt tightly.

“Sa…Seraph.”

“Call her ‘Sister.’” Adele, seeing the possibility of Seraph and Xiao Ai getting along harmoniously, naturally spared no effort to bring them closer.

Xiao Ai blinked her pink eyes, identical to Adele’s but with less cunning and more innocence. Then she called out, “Sister…”

“…” Seraph couldn’t describe the feeling in her heart at that moment. But it certainly wasn’t bad. Just by looking at Seraph’s expression, Adele understood her current feelings. It was the tacit understanding that came with long-term companionship. Otherwise, if someone else looked at Seraph, they would probably think, Why does this person always have the same expression?

But even the same expression had subtle differences. Only those very familiar with her could discern them.

“It’s so great that you two can get along so peacefully.”

“But Seraph, can you explain to me…”

“Why did you lose control against Xiao Ai just now?” Adele wasn’t someone who liked to pry, but it concerned Xiao Ai’s safety. She felt she should find a way to get Seraph to explain clearly.

Seraph remained silent for a while. Finally, under Adele’s concerned gaze, she nodded. The girl breathed a sigh of relief, listening to the angel girl’s explanation. And the first sentence made her stunned.

“Xiao Ai…might be the creation of a false god.”

“To me, that’s a heresy that needs to be eliminated.” Seraph’s calm tone was laced with gravity, even carrying a faint scent of blood from ancient times.

Faith was a terrifying thing. Many massacres in human history could prove this. But that wasn’t the scariest part. The scariest thing was when the god of faith truly existed…

Thinking of this, Adele’s heart trembled. According to Seraph, it seemed that to protect her daughter, she might have to become enemies with Seraph’s so-called “Lord” in the future.

—For my daughter, I might even kill a god??

That was too much! She just wanted to raise a cute daughter normally!

More importantly, Adele suddenly became curious. If that time really came, would Seraph side with her, or with the “God” she worshipped?

Chapter 313: Exchanging Secrets

“Fine, don’t show me then, stingy!” Adele clutched her head, looking indignant. The “Profiling” ability, when used on people, was more like a mental connection. Seraph’s sudden disconnection reminded Adele of forcibly shutting down her computer when it froze. Although the computer seemed fine and could restart normally, who knew what was going on inside?

So Adele had reason to suspect that Seraph had damaged her precious brain. Therefore, she couldn’t care less and tearfully questioned the angel girl, “Seraph, you have to compensate me!”

“Waaah, if I become stupid, you’ll have to take care of me!”

“I’m easy to take care of…I don’t eat much, I’m just a bit of a homebody, I love buying games…N-No, why am I saying this!”

“Am I really becoming stupid!?”

“…” Seraph silently stared at the girl before her, thinking that she must have been overthinking. No matter how she looked at it, Adele was carefree. Such complicated matters couldn’t possibly be related to her.

But undeniably, Adele’s act of peeking into Seraph’s memories also made Seraph recall those ancient events that even she now found moving. Among them, one girl was almost the most crucial key figure. She was the strongest witch in history…or perhaps the first witch. She single-handedly orchestrated many falls, including the fall of the Archangel Lucifer, said to be created by the “Lord” in his own image. Lucifer was also the first angel to fall. Afterward, many angels had the idea of approaching that girl, and all of them fell without exception, becoming traitors to the heavenly kingdom.

Chacoco was one of them. Her real name was Maiyami. Angels far stronger than her died in the great war that marked the end of the Mythical Era. Lucifer was also taken back to the kingdom of God by the “Lord” as a sinner. What happened to Lucifer afterward wasn’t something Seraph could know. Lucifer never appeared again, so Seraph guessed she had been killed by the “Lord.”

Unexpectedly, Maiyami survived. She didn’t seal herself away like Seraph and other angels in the ancient temples built by humans to worship God, waiting for the “Lord’s” return after his departure. Instead, she used her long lifespan to play in the human world. Chacoco should be Maiyami’s most recent identity, a retired idol singer.

When she met her, Seraph was surprised to find that her first reaction wasn’t anger or concern for the endless feud between them, but rather a sense of melancholy and emotion. But the angel Seraph hid this well, not letting Maiyami discover it.

As for that girl’s ending, she and her city were destroyed by divine punishment. That marked the end of an entire mythical era. Actually, Seraph didn’t understand her, never understood her, only watching from afar, listening to other angels tell her stories and legends. But for some reason, Seraph vaguely saw her shadow in Adele.

It must be…an illusion. Because thinking of that girl, Seraph only felt a sense of unattainability. But looking at Adele before her, she only felt the urge to get closer to her.

“…Okay, I’ll take care of you.” Seraph promised the pouting Adele. Money meant nothing to an angel. Because it was originally something that didn’t exist, a consensus. Only when people truly believed a banknote could buy something, and the seller also believed it had the value to exchange for their goods, did it become money. Otherwise, it was just waste paper.

Seraph couldn’t create real money, but if it was waste paper, or older currencies like gold and silver…Seraph could give Adele as much as she wanted. She could easily search her memories and find the royal treasures buried underground after the destruction of many ancient kingdoms.

As for the time it would take to care for Adele, Seraph also had plenty of that. Although she wasn’t sure how long her lifespan was, taking care of a human, whose lifespan ranked as medium among various races, shouldn’t be a problem. No, Adele was also a half-blood vampire, so add a few more decades.

But that was insignificant, only a few dozen days for Seraph. In the past, angels had no fear of death itself. As for now, Seraph thought carefully and found that she didn’t want the thought of parting with Adele, of being separated by life and death, to enter her mind.

So Adele saw the angel suddenly shake her head vigorously. It was more strange than cute.

“What’s wrong, Seraph?”

“…Nothing.”

Despite saying nothing, Adele saw a trace of panic on Seraph’s face. She didn’t know if it was an illusion or something. But if it wasn’t, it would be quite interesting. Because it was on Seraph’s face. What happened? What surprised her so much?

But soon, Adele would tell the angel girl something even more surprising. The reason she told her was because, in Adele’s heart, Seraph was already someone she deeply trusted. She was always so unguarded with the girls she trusted.

“How about this, I’ll tell you one of my secrets!”

“But in return, Seraph has to tell me one of your secrets!” Adele proposed a trade.

Seraph tilted her head, seeming puzzled. But after a while, she agreed to the girl’s request. Because a strange emotion, a desire to understand Adele, was at work in her heart. Not just because Adele could peek into her distant memories with her “Profiling” ability, but also because the girl herself was worth caring about.

“Okay…I agree.”

---

Chapter 314: Seraph’s Loss of Control

The secret Adele wanted to tell Seraph couldn’t really be hidden. As long as Seraph continued to observe Adele, she would eventually discover it. So, as a “secret,” it was rather unworthy of the name. It was practically a cunning trap laid by the girl to trick Seraph into revealing one of her secrets. But Seraph didn’t have the ability to read minds, so how could she see through Adele’s true intentions? Even if she did, with Seraph’s personality, she probably wouldn’t be angered. She would indifferently accept it and still fall into Adele’s trap.

“Then I’ll tell you!”

“This incredibly precious secret!” Adele said dramatically. Even Seraph, the emotionless angel girl whose face usually lacked expression, showed interest, her eyes flickering like faint stars in the silent night sky. Having stars was better than the previous boundless, deep blue.

Then, Adele took out the jade-like blood droplet, Xiao Ai’s transformed state, from her spatial ring. Although Xiao Ai herself couldn’t enter the spatial ring, she could be stored inside when transformed into a blood droplet. It was undeniably magical, reminding Adele of Schrödinger’s cat. You couldn’t be sure whether the cat was alive or dead, meaning it was in a superposition of both states. Just like Xiao Ai, she seemed to be in a certain superposition.

“Ta-da! This is the most powerful treasure of the Vampire Clan, and also my precious daughter!” Adele showed it to the angel girl.

“…Daughter? Does it refer to the human concept of a girl born with a spouse or lover?” Seraph was too rigid and serious! What was with this textbook definition!?

However, after blinking, Adele hesitantly nodded, then shook her head vigorously. Meaning, “daughter” did indeed have the meaning Seraph described, but “Xiao Ai” was special, not belonging to any of the aforementioned situations. Adele didn’t want to explain further, so she silently called Xiao Ai back to her usual form.

As expected, Xiao Ai complied, revealing her true form as a young girl before Seraph. Even more surprisingly, this little girl’s facial features were almost identical to Adele’s! Perhaps not as clever and cunning as Adele, but if you said she was Adele’s daughter, no one would doubt it!

“…” After seeing Xiao Ai, Seraph fell into an unprecedentedly long silence. She and Xiao Ai looked at each other, their eyes filled with appraisal. Gradually, Xiao Ai began to avoid Seraph’s seemingly emotionless gaze. She whimpered and hid behind her “mother” Adele, clutching her mother’s skirt tightly with her small hands. Her tiny body trembled slightly, as if Seraph before her was some terrifying monster…

“Seraph! You scared the child!” Adele expressed her displeasure angrily. Xiao Ai had been wronged in front of Seraph. She wouldn’t consider the complex possibilities, only feeling that Seraph’s silent staring could easily frighten a child.

“I don’t understand.” Seraph murmured in a daze. It was unclear whether she didn’t understand why Xiao Ai was scared of her, or…she didn’t understand Xiao Ai’s existence. Didn’t understand why “she” existed. Didn’t understand what “she” was. Like herself, a…”creation”?

Because Seraph felt a similar aura to her own on Xiao Ai. Not a scent, but a vague feeling. If asked for proof, Seraph couldn’t provide any. Seraph instinctively sensed that Xiao Ai might not exist in this known world, but was born from the unknown. Just like herself and all the angels. But logically, only the “Lord” whom Seraph worshipped, that once real God, could do this. But why would the “Lord” create Xiao Ai in Adele’s image? It was completely illogical.

But if it wasn’t the “Lord,” then who could have done such a thing? Another “God”? With Seraph’s faith, she couldn’t acknowledge the existence of another God. That could only be a “false god”!

Thinking of this, Seraph’s gaze towards Xiao Ai suddenly turned hostile. Because she felt that the creation of a false god should be eliminated. Memories and combat instincts from the ancient times, loyal to God, began to resurface in Seraph’s soul.

Adele watched as Seraph’s eyes gradually filled with hostility. And that hostility…was completely directed at her “daughter” Xiao Ai, whom she had sworn to protect and cherish. Even knowing the power gap between herself and Seraph, even knowing that she might not be able to stop the angel’s desire to “cleanse,” that it might lead to a terrible outcome, or even… Adele still called out Seraph’s name, trying to wake her up, and then threw herself at her without hesitation.

She pushed Seraph to the ground, gripping her wrists tightly, nose to nose, forehead to forehead.

“Don’t be like this…Seraph!”

“Please! Wake up, Seraph!”

“Please…”

The girl’s voice was weak and helpless, filled with sincere pleading. Her whole body trembled, her instincts triggering a defense mechanism against the intense, aggressive aura emanating from the angel. Her witch form manifested, a pair of pink membranous wings almost enveloping both her and Seraph, forming a nearly transparent cocoon. At the same time, Adele’s thin tail tightly wrapped around Seraph’s legs.

This couldn’t be called an attack. It was more like a moral defense. But there was no other way. The power disparity between Adele and Seraph was too great. Besides gambling on Seraph’s unwillingness to hurt her…what else could she stake everything on?

Xiao Ai’s eyes reddened, tears welling up. Although innocent and naive, unfamiliar with this world, and even with limited human language, she could only helplessly call out, “Mama…Mama…” Xiao Ai didn’t even know what she could do for her mother. This wasn’t the Secret Realm; she couldn’t control even a single speck of dust here. Perhaps, like First Snow, she possessed astonishingly powerful magic within her body, but the little girl couldn’t use it through magic. She could only watch helplessly as her mother struggled to protect her, standing there crying.

Fortunately, Adele’s luck was excellent…or perhaps it was the bond between her and Seraph that moved the nearly out-of-control angel girl. Seraph actually calmed down gradually in Adele’s embrace, abandoning the destructive desires from the ancient mythical era. Her eyes became unprecedentedly clear, like the night sky after a rain.

“…I’m sorry, Adele.”

“I worried you.”

Seraph was clumsy with words and couldn’t offer any explanation. But it allowed Adele to finally lower her worried heart.

“Waaah, Seraph!”

“You scared me to death!” The girl’s tears fell onto Seraph’s face one after another. The wet sensation made Seraph’s chest tighten. She didn’t understand why she felt this way. But according to human terms…could this be called “sadness”? Was she feeling “sad” because Adele was crying? Was she feeling distressed for her?

For an angel who shouldn’t have emotions, this was truly the most surprising thing, even more so than Xiao Ai’s existence.

“…I’m sorry.” She apologized sincerely again, thinking she must have lost her mind. The final battle of the Mythical Era had ended so many years ago. How could she still have that desire to kill heretics…?

But Seraph then sensitively realized, could this be a sign of the “Lord’s” imminent return? So, even after thousands of years, the “Lord’s” command still bound her, and its power was increasing?

But until the day the “Lord” truly returned, Seraph probably wouldn’t want to harm Xiao Ai. Because it would make Adele sad. But then, another problem was starkly presented before Seraph, leaving the angel’s brain, or rather her “processor,” almost unable to find an answer. That was…

If, at that time, the one who truly clashed with the “Lord” was Adele…what should she do?

The image of Lucifer resolutely falling from the sky, becoming a “Fallen Angel,” replayed continuously in Seraph’s mind…