Night.
The evening wind set the wind chimes ringing with a tinkling sound.
Inside the “Feywonder · Witch’s Nap” café, warm yellow light gently spilled over every table and chair.
Elliana stood behind the counter, holding a quill pen, focused on writing and drawing in the ledger. Her silver-white hair shimmered softly under the light, and her violet-brown eyes carefully scanned each line of numbers, occasionally frowning slightly, then nodding.
Leya, on the other hand, was a completely different story.
Her dog ears drooped as she dragged a broom behind her, moving listlessly between the tables and chairs. Every two sweeps, she would stop and sigh, her tail dragging on the floor like a lifeless furry rope.
“Elliana~” she drawled, complaining while quietly moving closer to the counter. “Do you think Witch and little Yiruo will come back today? They’ve been gone for two days now, and there’s no news~”
She got closer and closer, her arms open, aiming directly for the other person.
Elliana didn’t look up, continuing to write the bill.
Just as Leya was about to pounce, she reached out and precisely pressed her hand against Leya’s forehead. Leya lunged forward but was firmly stopped by that hand, her arms flailing in the air, unable to touch even a strand of Elliana’s hair.
“Oh, Elliana~” Leya didn’t give up, pushing her head forward, trying to rub against the hand holding her back. “I’m so tired~ Let me absorb some beautiful girl energy, okay~”
As she spoke, she kept rubbing against Elliana’s palm like a dog asking for pets.
Elliana’s pen paused. She looked up at the face pressed against her hand, slightly deformed by the force, and the sparkling eyes that clearly said “please hug me.”
“…Why are you getting less and less serious?”
She sighed helplessly, unable to resist Leya’s persistent pestering. The hand pressing on Leya’s forehead eventually slowly lowered.
Leya’s eyes lit up, and she immediately pounced to hug Elliana, burying her face in her shoulder and rubbing vigorously.
“Wah~ Elliana is the best~”
Elliana staggered back slightly from the pounce but quickly steadied herself. She reached out and gently patted Leya’s back.
“Alright, alright, stop messing around.”
“No~ Just a little longer~”
“The shop’s accounts aren’t finished yet.”
“Just a little bit~”
Elliana sighed, feeling her face being vigorously rubbed. Her violet-brown eyes held a trace of subtle tenderness.
Leya, buried in Elliana’s shoulder, finally perked up her tail and wagged it happily.
Just then—
“Jingle—!”
The wind chimes on the door rang.
Leya immediately bounced off Elliana and turned to look at the door.
“Witch, you’re finally back—”
Halfway through, Leya noticed something.
At the door stood Yilena. Her pink hair was a bit messy from two days of travel without upkeep, and the black robe she had been wearing was put away, leaving the dress she had prepared for the date. However, the dress was now stained with dust, showing she had traveled a long way. But at this moment, she raised a finger to her lips.
“Shh—”
She blinked, her sky-blue eyes curving.
Leya was stunned for a moment, then followed her gaze downward—
Yilena was holding a sleeping girl in her arms.
It was Yiruo.
She was curled up in Yilena’s arms, her face buried deep in her chest, only revealing half of her profile. Her deep blue hair was casually draped over Yilena’s body, mingling with the other’s pink strands.
The girl’s breathing rose and fell gently. Those bright, sapphire-like eyes were tightly shut, with long lashes casting a small shadow under the light. Her body was curled into a ball, her small hands loosely clutching Yilena’s lapels.
Yilena supported her back with one hand and held her legs with the other, cradling her securely in her arms.
Like holding a sleeping kitten.
Leya’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Wow…” she whispered, leaning in to look. “Little Yiruo fell asleep?”
Yilena nodded, looked down at the little one in her arms, with her usual smile on her face but a hint of concern in her voice:
“The cute little one must be exhausted now~ She’s sleeping so soundly♫”
Elliana also came out from behind the counter and stood beside Leya. She looked at the quiet, defenseless sleeping face in Yilena’s arms and couldn’t help but smile.
When she first met this child, her face was full of distrust and vigilance, but now she had completely relaxed, leaving only pure, childlike peace.
“…I’ll go get the hot water ready,” Elliana said softly. “You two go upstairs and rest.”
Yilena nodded and carried Yiruo toward the stairs.
***
In the room.
Yilena carefully placed Yiruo on the bed.
The pink bed was so soft that Yiruo sank into it as soon as she lay down, making her look even smaller. She turned over, buried her face in the pillow, and let out an unconscious “mm” sound.
Yilena watched her and couldn’t help laughing.
She reached out and took out two familiar pink nightgowns from the side.
After changing into a nightgown herself, Yilena looked at the defenseless girl and smirked slightly.
Then she began changing Yiruo’s clothes.
She gently unbuttoned the girl’s dress. After taking off her dress, exposing her petite figure, Yilena mischievously touched her a bit. Then she slipped the nightgown over her head from the top.
She adjusted the hem a little.
Yilena prepared to fasten the buttons at the back.
One.
Two.
Just as she reached the fourth button, Yilena’s hand suddenly stopped.
She looked down at the still “sleeping” little face.
The breathing rhythm… had changed.
The originally steady, long breaths had become somewhat rapid.
And those tightly shut eyes had trembling lashes.
Also—
The pointed ears were now red as if stained with blood.
Yilena felt a sense of understanding.
She leaned down, slowly approaching the reddened ear, and spoke in a tone of teasing, with a volume only the two of them could hear:
“Little dummy~”
Her breath brushed the ear, and Yiruo trembled slightly.
“A child who pretends to sleep… wouldn’t be shy, you know~♫”
The next second.
The girl’s eyes snapped open!
Yiruo’s face turned bright red. She glared at the delighted face in front of her, her lips trembling, and finally stammered out a sentence:
“You… your hands are dishonest!”
Yilena tilted her head and started to play dumb:
“Hmm~ The witch doesn’t know what you’re talking about~”
“You—!” Yiruo’s voice changed pitch in urgency. “When you were changing my clothes just now, you pinched my… pinched my…”
The girl was too embarrassed to speak.
Because Yilena was looking at her with a “what can you do about it” expression.
“…butt!”
“…butt!”
Yiruo mustered her courage and finally shouted it out.
But the witch remained unfazed.
She blinked and said in an innocent tone:
“Eh~ Really? The witch was just helping little Yiruo put on a cute pink dress~”
“You’re lying!”
“Really~ If you don’t believe me, ask little Elliana~”
“But she’s not here!”
“Then~” Yilena leaned in closer, her sky-blue eyes carrying a hint of teasing. “How will little Yiruo prove that the witch touched you?”
Yiruo glared at her, speechless.
She simply turned her head away, deciding to ignore her.
Hmph.
Pervert witch, never changing her ways, always taking advantage of her.
Just then—
“Knock, knock, knock.”
A knock came at the door.
Yiruo and Yilena almost simultaneously turned to look at the door.
Elliana stood outside the door, holding a towel in her hand.
Her gaze fell on the somewhat ambiguous positions of the two on the bed. Yilena was half-bent over like a big villain about to attack, while Yiruo lay on the bed with her head turned away, having given up struggling.
Elliana blinked.
Her expression was completely calm, as if she was used to this scene.
“The water is ready,” she said flatly. “You two hurry up and bathe.”
After a pause, she added:
“Don’t let the water get cold…”
Yiruo’s face reddened even more.
Elliana turned to leave.
But just as she turned, she bumped into the wall.
The air suddenly became a bit awkward.
Elliana didn’t say a word. She opened the door and walked out on her own, but unlike her calm exterior, her heart was pounding inside.
***
In the room, Yilena stood up and then made an exaggerated inviting gesture.
“So~, beautiful maiden, would you like to join the witch in a bath together?”
She slightly bowed, one hand behind her back, the other extended to Yiruo, her movements elegant as if inviting a dance partner.
Yiruo looked down and muttered quietly:
“…I don’t want to bathe with a pervert.”
“Eh~” Yilena immediately put on a wronged expression, covering her chest with both hands. “Don’t refuse the witch’s invitation~ I’ll cry, you know~”
She blinked, and actually, tears welled up in her sky-blue eyes.
Yiruo looked at that expression that said “if you don’t agree, I’ll cry,” and twitched her lips.
“I…”
The girl couldn’t bear it.
“…I didn’t say I wasn’t going.”
The last words came out of Yiruo’s mouth like a mosquito’s buzz.
Yilena’s eyes instantly lit up.
“Really?!”
“…But you can’t be mischievous with me anymore.”
“Okay~”
“Don’t say weird things.”
“Okay~”
“Don’t…”
“Alright, alright~” Yilena stepped forward and scooped up the little one still making demands on the bed. “If we delay any longer, the water will get cold~”
“Hey—! I can walk by myself!”
“But it feels so nice holding you~♫”
“Pervert witch!”
“Mm-hmm~”
Their voices gradually faded away.
The room fell silent.
Only the set of changed clothes remained, quietly draped over the chair.
In the air lingered the residual warmth of the two people, carrying the heartbeat from their date not long ago.
Outside the window, the night was deep.
And this night was still long.