Chapter 18: The Little Witch Was Stolen a Kiss

Night fell, inside the dim study.

“Bang!”

The study door was violently shoved open with brute force.

Kaixi stumbled in, nearly falling flat on his face.

His once dashing face was now smeared with mud and blood, his hair a mess with dead leaves and twigs stuck in it from who knows where.

The armor on his body was completely battered, covered in scratches and dents, making him look like a beggar who had just crawled out of a pile of corpses.

“M-Master! Bad news! It’s all over!”

Kaixi practically scrambled and crawled to Direk, dropping to his knees with a heavy thud.

He gasped heavily, his chest heaving.

As soon as he caught his breath, he hurriedly yelled at Direk, his voice filled with unmistakable fear and despair.

Direk was sitting in a high-backed leather chair, gently swirling the wine in his glass with his fingertips.

Seeing Kaixi in such a disheveled state, the motion of his hand faltered.

He frowned slightly, a flicker of displeasure in his eyes.

“Judging by your state, I assume the plan… must have failed.”

His tone was terrifyingly calm, like the suffocating stillness before a storm.

“Master… I… we…”

Kaixi’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

He lowered his head even further, nearly touching the ground, not daring to look at his face.

The air in the study instantly turned low-pressure, heavy and suffocating.

Direk didn’t get angry immediately.

He just quietly stared at Kaixi, his gaze almost tangible, making Kaixi feel extremely uncomfortable.

His face darkened.

He placed the wine glass on the table and slowly spoke, his voice cold without a trace of emotion.

“Tell me, what happened?”

The expected outburst didn’t come.

Kaixi was taken aback, then quickly snapped out of it, lifting his head with fear in his eyes.

“Master, those… those two are definitely witches! I saw it with my own eyes. The little one just waved her hand, and vines instantly pierced through Balun’s chest.”

As Kaixi spoke, his face gradually turned pale.

Just thinking about those vines swinging like the scythe of death made his heart shudder with lingering fear.

“I… I barely escaped with my life. As for the townspeople I brought, they’re all… dead or wounded.”

Hearing Kaixi’s description, Direk’s brows furrowed tightly.

He stroked the rim of the wine glass, pondering with his head down.

“Master… what… what should we do now?”

Kaixi’s voice carried a hint of tears.

“What if that witch attacks again? We might…”

“Shut up! You idiot!”

Direk’s roar exploded like a thunderclap in the study, scaring Kaixi into swallowing the rest of his words.

He dared not say another word, standing there quietly, trembling uncontrollably.

After a long moment, Direk slowly lifted his head.

A resolute look flashed in his eyes, and his tone carried a hint of reluctance.

“If what you said is true, and that witch really has that kind of power, then this might be beyond what we can handle.”

“Then… Master, do you have any other way?”

Kaixi cautiously stepped closer and asked.

“Sigh, at this point, we have no choice but to send someone to the Imperial Palace for help.”

Direk sighed softly, downing the wine in his glass.

The once mellow and delicious liquor was now so bitter that it was hard to swallow.

Feeling gloomy, he threw the empty glass hard onto the ground.

With a crash, glass shards scattered everywhere.

“Go, have someone clean this up. Then, as I said, send someone to the Imperial Palace to request the Royal Mages.”

Direk waved his hand, signaling Kaixi to leave.

His voice carried a hint of fatigue and the disappointment of having to compromise.

“Yes! I understand.”

After the door clicked shut, the entire study returned to calm, leaving only the crackling of the fireplace.

Direk looked at the gold ring set with a ruby on his finger.

Under the candlelight, the ruby reflected a bewitching blood-red, like the eyes of a demon.

“Hmph! Barrier, fireball, vines… any one of these magics is not something an ordinary person can withstand.”

Direk gritted his teeth and let out a cold snort.

“Only magic is absolute power.”

He turned around, his gaze falling on an open ancient book on the table.

His fingers tapped lightly on the desk, producing a rhythmic sound.

“I will obtain power, no matter the cost.”

He murmured softly, gently closed the book, and carefully placed it into a drawer.

—

Morning sunlight streamed through the cabin window, casting dappled shadows across the room.

Luo Xiaosu woke up to a light but persistent tickling sensation.

She frowned, her consciousness still immersed in sleep, her eyelids twitching slightly.

“Mm… stop it, let big sister sleep a little longer.”

Her voice was muffled.

Subconsciously, she reached out to push away the annoying tickle, her fingertips brushing against a strand of soft hair.

“Mm… big sister?”

A nasal murmur came from her chest area.

Then, Luo Xiaosu felt a moist sensation on her cheek.

This sudden intimacy instantly jolted her hazy mind into full alertness.

She snapped her eyes open, and the first thing she saw was a magnified face.

The girl’s lips were still pressed against her cheek.

Aiweila stared at her with big, innocent eyes.

“Big sister, you’re awake?”

Seeing Luo Xiaosu open her eyes, Aiweila immediately sat up, like a cat caught doing something bad, shrinking her shoulders and speaking timidly.

“Aiweila, what are you doing?”

Luo Xiaosu’s face instantly burned red, from her cheeks to the tips of her ears.

She never would have imagined that this little girl would sneak a kiss while she was asleep.

The warm, moist sensation still lingered on her skin, carrying the girl’s unique milky scent, making her heart race.

Her mind even recalled the scene of kissing her yesterday.

Aiweila tilted her head, as if not understanding why Luo Xiaosu suddenly blushed.

She reached out her little hand, gently touching Luo Xiaosu’s hot cheek, her voice tinged with confusion.

“Big sister, your face is so hot. Are you sick?”

Luo Xiaosu became even more flustered by her question, unable to tell if she was genuinely innocent or just pretending.

She quickly sat up, putting some distance between herself and Aiweila.

After calming her shy heart a little, she turned to Aiweila again.

“Aiweila, what were you just doing? Why did you suddenly kiss big sister?”

Aiweila put her index finger to her lips, looking puzzled.

“Hmm? Because last night I dreamed of a really, really fragrant little cake that smelled just like big sister, so I couldn’t help it…”