Aijie’s house was a two-story building, relatively luxurious compared to the other houses in the village.
Outside the house stood a few trees with yellowing leaves, and whenever a gentle breeze blew, a few dead leaves would drift away, making the trees look even more desolate.
Not far from the house was a small patch of Flower Field, which appeared to have been planted by her own hands.
The rich aroma of coffee wafted in the air as Hilxi sat on a soft sofa, lifting the cup and taking a small sip.
“Bitter…”
“Want some sugar?”
Aijie, sitting very close beside her, asked with a hint of helplessness in her voice.
Hilxi shook her head and exhaled a breath of warm air.
“You might as well just tell me—the Commission, the monster—better explain everything clearly.”
“Your tone is so scary. More importantly, can you let go of my hand?”
Miss Aijie raised her left hand, and Hilxi’s right hand was lifted along with it.
“No. You startled me out of nowhere, making the monster run off. This is a little punishment for you.” Hilxi gripped Aijie’s cold palm tightly, refusing to loosen her hold.
“Sigh, fine, fine. Actually, I have my reasons.”
“Spit it out.”
Under Hilxi’s urging, Aijie sighed and fixed her gaze on the steaming coffee, then slowly began:
“About a month ago…”
“Please get to the point.”
“Alright, alright. About a month ago, I bought a book from a certain Stray Merchant that recorded a magic allowing animals and humans to communicate…”
“You actually trust something from those kinds of shady merchants?”
“Ahem, I was a bit naive back then…”
Naive? Just a month ago. She sure knows how to pick excuses that sound believable.
“In short, I was tricked. After learning that magic, I carelessly used it on Xiaohui without testing it first, and this is what happened…”
Aijie sighed deeply, her head drooping slightly in dejection. “That’s the situation. Not only did Xiaohui turn into a monster, but now everyone dislikes me.”
“Xiaohui is that giant wolf?”
“Yeah, he’s my pet and my friend. He’s been with me for several years…”
So that’s how it is.
Hilxi nodded, roughly understanding the situation.
She turned her gaze to Miss Aijie’s pale green eyes and casually waved her free left hand.
“So that’s why you stopped me when I wanted to deal with Xiaohui?”
Aijie smiled apologetically. “Yes, I’m sorry for scaring you like that.”
“…I’m not scared by such little tricks.” Hilxi’s expression revealed disdain.
“Ah, but you—” Miss Aijie was about to call her out, but Hilxi cleared her throat, cutting her off.
“Don’t waste time on useless words. So? Are we going to get rid of Xiaohui or not?”
Hilxi’s gaze turned cold and merciless.
“…No.”
Miss Aijie shook her head repeatedly, a little flustered inside.
“You’re so ruthless.”
“Ah? Then what do we do?” Hilxi raised her voice in displeasure, gripping Aijie’s hand even tighter.
“Well… um, I have a plan. Actually, this magic can be undone, but I need to touch Xiaohui for about half an hour. The problem is, Xiaohui’s emotions are very unstable right now…”
“So just knock Xiaohui out, then?” Hilxi said bluntly.
“…You’re so violent. But that’s basically it.”
Miss Aijie took a sip of coffee and calmed her mood.
Though the coffee was really bitter—ugh.
Hilxi slightly tilted her head, a proud, condescending look crossing her face as she spoke lightly:
“Even so, I’m not obliged to help you.”
“…But didn’t you accept the Commission?”
“The Commission was just to drive away the beast. I’m under no obligation to help you.” Hilxi sneered.
“…” Miss Aijie was speechless, her hard-earned composure faltering again.
Not helping?
Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t pull this off alone…
She pressed her lips together, sighed softly, and then looked at Hilxi, her voice hoarse and almost pleading:
“I’m sorry to Xiaohui. I don’t want to see him like that anymore, so… please, help me just this once. Even if it fails, it’s okay…”
But Hilxi remained unmoved. She didn’t look at the desperate Aijie but calmly sipped her coffee.
So bitter.
Then she spoke, her tone full of the flavor of a wicked woman, even laced with a trace of mockery:
“Poor thing, but what does it have to do with me? Why didn’t you publish a Commission for capture instead of just driving it away? Now you trick me and still expect help? Hmph.”
“…”
Aijie said nothing, her black hair shading her expression as a gentle breeze barely stirred it.
Seeing her sour face was about done, Hilxi tilted her head and smiled, her orange-white blonde hair tilting with the motion.
She narrowed her clear blue eyes and said:
“Besides, Xiaohui is huge. I’m not confident I can knock him out, even with you helping. We might get hurt or worse, so there’ll be an extra fee.”
“…?”
Aijie suddenly looked up at Hilxi, her eyes filled with complex emotions. She hadn’t expected money to be the issue.
“What are you staring at? How about ten Gold Coins? If you agree, I’ll help you.” Hilxi’s lips curled up, feeling relaxed and happy inside.
You deceived me. Feeling heartbroken and desperate must be bad, huh? Ahaha, I’m so wicked—first I demand money, then I reward you. Wonderful, wonderful.
“You… did that on purpose?” Aijie sounded annoyed.
Oh? Still angry?
Hilxi’s expression returned to cold indifference as she shook her head slightly.
“No, I’m serious.”
“…”
Aijie didn’t know what to say. Like trying to avoid Hilxi’s gaze, she lifted the coffee cup and took a small sip.
Ah, so bitter.
Two taps sounded as Aijie set the cup down, then suddenly she slammed the table with a bang, her eyes incredibly serious.
“Fine! I agree! As long as you help me subdue Xiaohui, I’ll give you ten Gold Coins!”
“You startled me. Don’t just bang the table like that!” Hilxi touched her startled heart, pretending to be upset.
“Ah, sorry.”
“Then let’s calmly go over the plan.”
Hilxi nodded and pretended to be serious as she lifted the coffee cup, about to take a sip but then put it down again.
“…Before that, I have an uncomfortable request.” Aijie’s face flushed slightly, and her eyes darted away.
“Oh? You want to charge me extra?”
“No. Can you let go of my hand?”
“Oh dear, my hand accidentally stuck. No matter how I try, I can’t let go. Sorry about that.”
“…”
6 PM.
The stifling sky grew darker and gloomier, as if announcing the arrival of a new storm.
A faint chill permeated the air, covering everything with a cold aura.
The wind howled continuously, and the wild grass swayed like waves, creating an apocalyptic scene.
The village was even quieter, occasionally a scrap of paper or trash was swept away, while branches and leaves rustled near the ears, and fallen leaves danced faintly before the eyes.
Under the dim sky, Hilxi’s orange-white blonde hair remained striking.
The fierce wind pressed her Black Robe tightly against her body, the hem swirling wildly, giving her a delicate impression as if the girl might be blown away by the gale.
“Today’s wind is quite noisy.”
Her calm voice was quickly scattered by the gusts, and Hilxi tilted her head slightly, glancing at the red-dressed girl beside her.
“Ah, such a refreshing autumn breeze~”
Aijie in the red dress smiled, though it was a tight-lipped smile—she didn’t want to drink the northwest wind.
“More like cold,” Hilxi said, wrapping the water-deprived Black Robe tighter.
“Oh well, that’s how peaceful days feel.”
“…Are you picking a fight?” Hilxi pouted.
Aijie smiled but didn’t press further.
She lifted her eyes toward the distant Forest. Her pale green gaze seemed to merge with the lush greenery, revealing a mix of hope and sorrow.
“You won’t have to suffer anymore…”