Demon King Castle.
Xing Yue rubbed her eyes. She had already withdrawn most of her consciousness from the Black Cliff Territory. In her hands, she was flipping through the ancient tome titled “Abyss Contract Theory,” which felt like trying to read advanced calculus problems.
The content inside was packed with too much substance, most of it profoundly esoteric, somewhat hypnotic.
On top of that, the exhaustion and fatigue from the other side were almost simultaneously transmitted to her main body here. The deep weariness of mana depletion made every muscle in her body protest silently, and her eyelids felt as heavy as lead.
“No… no way…”
“Can’t sleep yet…”
Xing Yue shook her head vigorously, then slapped her own cheeks with both hands, forcing herself to stay awake.
But before long…
“The essence of a contract… is the equal exchange… of both parties’ wills… blah blah blah…”
She mechanically recited the words on the page. She recognized every single character, but when strung together, they turned into some unfathomable hypnotic spell.
Her eyelids grew heavier. Her head grew heavier. Her willpower was visibly crumbling.
Xing Yue pinched her thigh hard, once again forcing her eyelids open.
Then she continued reading.
“…The binding force of a contract comes from the authority voluntarily granted by both parties. If one party violates the spirit of the contract, then…” ‘Then what?’
Xing Yue blinked and found that the line of text before her eyes had become a blurry double image.
She rubbed her eyes vigorously and looked again.
Still a double image.
‘Great, I’ve read myself stupid.’
Xing Yue slumped onto the desk in despair, her forehead pressed against the cold pages, feeling as if her soul was slowly floating out of her body.
‘This book… Why is it written so hypnotically!’
Just as her consciousness was about to sink completely into darkness—
A faint fragrance drifted from beside her.
The scent was very light, yet incredibly distinct, like some unknown flower blooming in the moonlight, carrying a hint of elusive sweetness.
Xing Yue snapped awake with a jolt and instinctively looked up.
Then she saw that Phyllis had already been standing beside her at some point, her breathtakingly beautiful face slightly lowered, crimson eyes brimming with a faint smile.
“Yue Yue~”
Her voice was as light as a feather and as soft as cotton candy, carrying that familiar playful and teasing tone.
“What are you still reading at this hour~”
Xing Yue blinked, not yet fully recovered from drowsiness and surprise.
“Ah… I-I’m reading a book about contracts…”
“Mhm~”
Phyllis’s gaze swept over the thick tome The Abyss Contract Theory on the desk, which was heavy enough to kill someone, and then landed on Xing Yue’s eyelids that were clearly about to give out.
Then she smiled.
That smile was beautiful and gentle, yet carried a hint that made Xing Yue inexplicably uneasy.
“Yue Yue~”
Phyllis reached out, her cool fingertips gently brushing Xing Yue’s cheek, her movements as tender as petting a kitten.
“If you’re tired, you should rest well~”
“Don’t keep pushing yourself so hard~”
Xing Yue opened her mouth to say, ‘I’m not tired, I can read a bit longer,’ but before she could speak, that hand gently pressed against the back of her neck.
The touch was cool and soft, carrying an irresistible soothing power.
Xing Yue felt her eyelids grow heavier and her consciousness grow fainter.
“Mom… Mom…”
She called out dazedly, then everything went black as she completely lost consciousness.
Phyllis withdrew her hand, looked at Xing Yue slumped over the desk in a deep sleep, and a satisfied smile curved at the corner of her mouth.
“Good girl~”
She bent down and gently lifted Xing Yue from the chair.
That slender figure looked especially petite in her arms, silver hair cascading down and swaying gently with her movements.
Phyllis carried Xing Yue, turned around, and sat on the Black Throne to leave the Treasure Room.
She crossed the corridor and pushed open the familiar door.
In the room, on the only bed, a pink-haired girl was sleeping quietly, like a sleeping beauty.
Phyllis placed Xing Yue on the bed as well, then glanced at Emily beside her.
Ever since she had entrusted Emily to Xing Yue, the other girl’s vital signs had stabilized again, but she still hadn’t woken up.
“Her complexion looks good. Seems like Yue Yue has taken very good care of her~”
Phyllis nodded in satisfaction.
She watched the two girls lying side by side, one with silver hair, one with pink hair, one curled up, one lying flat, both breathing steadily and evenly.
Phyllis stood by the bed, tilted her head, and studied them for a while.
Then a glint of light flickered in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth lifted into a subtle curve.
“Since they’re both asleep…”
She murmured to herself, her tone carrying that small mischievous streak only she understood.
The next second, Phyllis decisively joined in.
She gently stepped onto the bed, lay down between them, and with one arm pulled Xing Yue close and the other arm pulled Emily close, hugging both girls into her embrace at the same time.
Arms full on both sides.
Perfect.
Phyllis closed her eyes in contentment, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, falling over the three of them like a layer of soft gauze.
This night was very quiet.
—
The next day.
The moment Xing Yue opened her eyes, she felt something was wrong.
First, the light.
It wasn’t the bright light of the Treasure Room, but the soft daylight filtered through the curtains.
Second, the sensation.
The bed beneath her was absurdly soft, and she was covered with that familiar yet unfamiliar thin silk quilt.
Finally—
It was breathing.
There was the sound of breathing, right next to her ear.
Very close. Extremely close.
Xing Yue stiffly lowered her head.
Then she saw a head of pink hair, a fair face, a pair of closed eyes, and the steady rise and fall of breath.
Emily was pressed tightly against her, half of her body lying on top of Xing Yue, sleeping soundly.
The corner of Xing Yue’s mouth twitched slightly.
‘Wait, how did she end up sleeping with Emily again?’
She quickly recalled last night’s memory, but only remembered sitting in the Treasure Room reading, then catching a whiff of fragrance, then seeing Phyllis, then…
And then nothing after that.
She couldn’t remember what happened later last night.
But she didn’t need to think hard to know that it must have been Phyllis’s doing.
Xing Yue gently extricated herself from Emily’s embrace, turned her head to survey the room, and still saw no sign of Phyllis today.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, she tidied her messy hair and took a few deep breaths before barely suppressing the speechless feeling in her heart.
Shaking her head, Xing Yue stopped thinking about Phyllis, got up, and went to wash up.
The moment the cold water splashed on her face, she finally woke up completely.
Meanwhile, Xing Yue directed part of her consciousness to the Black Cliff Territory.
In the basement, Daibi was still curled up on the straw pile, breathing steadily, her sleeping face peaceful. Only occasionally would her brows furrow, perhaps having a bad dream.
Jiefulun still lay in the corner like a dead pig, a rag stuffed in his mouth, his hands and feet tied tightly.
His face was a bit pale, his brows knitted, and occasionally he let out a muffled groan, probably the lingering aftereffects of the critical blow to his groin not having fully passed.
Xing Yue silently added a mental stab: ‘Serves him right.’
After confirming that everything was fine on both sides, Xing Yue let out a long breath of relief.
All is well.
A new day. Her energy and spirit had fully recovered, even better than ever. Xing Yue waved her pink fist, full of fighting spirit.
“I’ll keep working hard today and aim to resolve all the trouble with the contract!”