Chapter 36: Witch’s Heart, Please Say Something
“What is it?”
Victoria had just picked up her books and was about to leave when she heard Lisa call out from behind.
“The map, what kind of mess did you draw?”
“A map that only smart people can understand. Lisa, don’t tell me you’re admitting you’re stupid?”
You…
Lisa slumped down on the spot, suddenly losing all ability to argue back.
Was driving Peiya away really a mistake?
But Lisa didn’t think she had done anything wrong. She had clearly given Peiya a chance to come back, it was Peiya who didn’t take it.
That’s right, she didn’t do anything wrong!
Lisa pulled herself together again.
She decided to take the map back and show it to Anna. Their Dawn Guild was still the strongest, just like before.
……………………………
Peiya walked out of the bathroom.
Her hair was still wet, with a bit of steam around her. As she stepped on the tiles, the floor felt cool under her feet, making her want to jump straight onto the big bed.
Thinking about it, this was her first time taking a bath like this.
She didn’t expect it to feel so comfortable.
The feeling of her whole body being surrounded by warm water was quite special. It even made her wonder what it would feel like to be completely submerged.
While she was thinking, the water turned cold.
Then she had to heat it up again. For some reason, she now cared much more about water temperature than before.
Back when she was still a boy, even cold showers were fine sometimes.
But now, if she tried that again. It would basically be asking for trouble!
She might also eventually experience the thing that happens every month.
Peiya knew a little about these things. Did that mean she would have to rest for a few days every time?
That would be so… so annoying!
She wondered if turning into a witch could ease things like this. It couldn’t be that witches also had to deal with this kind of problem, right?
Would she have to “take days off” because of it?
As she kept thinking, Peiya’s attention drifted back to what happened with Elise in the afternoon.
She rubbed her sore temples. After taking the potion, she really felt like she had changed a lot.
Before, she would never act so shy. She should have just admitted things openly.
So what was she afraid of?
They had agreed to be good friends, but she was the one who hesitated.
Or… was she just lacking courage?
After all, it’s not like she disliked Elise.
She couldn’t dislike her at all. In fact, she even liked her quite a bit.
But didn’t that mean she was getting attached too quickly?
And later, when they went to fight the boss, they would be teaming up.
Then…
When they set up camp, would they have to sleep together?
Peiya suddenly thought of this and looked around in confusion.
Maybe they would sleep separately, but what if Elise just came into her tent?
After all, she couldn’t exactly push her away.
But if that happened… what if Elise saw how she slept?
She had no idea what her sleeping habits were like. She could only hope they were normal.
If it turned out to be something embarrassing, wouldn’t that become a dark memory?
That would be terrible!
Peiya hugged her blanket, suddenly wide awake.
What should she do? This wasn’t something she could find answers to just by reading books.
Books may contain all kinds of knowledge.
But they don’t teach you what to do when the “beautiful girl” is right beside you.
If by chance it happened on a full moon night, and she really turned into some kind of witch… that would be even worse.
Oh right… a witch.
She almost forgot about that!
The Witch’s Heart had eaten so many crystal cores, it should give something back.
“Witch’s Heart, say something! You don’t want your identity to be exposed, right?”
But everything around her was completely silent.
She still didn’t know what would happen on a full moon night. She could only pray that she wouldn’t turn into something strange, like a werewolf or anything weird!
“It’s not hopeless yet. It’s better to rely on myself. For example, I can practice my sleeping posture first. Then I won’t panic later.”
Once she had an idea, Peiya immediately started acting on it. She tried her best to control herself and not move.
In the end, she even tried tying herself up, only to find that she couldn’t fall asleep at all.
With no other choice, she started counting… cream cakes…
This time, she finally fell asleep.
The room became quiet, with only her soft sleep talk left.
It sounded something like…
“Elise, don’t move… let me have one more bite… just one more… hehe…”
……………………………
At the same time, back at the estate, Elise had changed her clothes and walked out of the bathroom, holding a cup of hot tea.
The tea was still warm, and its gentle fragrance could be smelled even from a distance, with a faint floral scent.
“Miss, we’ve already sent someone to check. Miss Peiya’s lights are off, so she’s probably asleep. There are no suspicious people nearby.”
Elise turned her head and saw a few maids bowing respectfully. The small smile on her lips appeared for a moment, then faded.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The maids slowly left. Elise walked alone to the fountain in the estate. The air there was fresh, with a faint smell of grass.
In the past, she liked watching the water flow from the fountain.
But now, she didn’t feel much interest in it anymore.
Maybe it was because the estate used to be too quiet. Without decorations, there was almost no sound in the house.
In her past world, silence was almost everything.
People praised her as an “ice princess,” but she never liked that title.
She clearly had a name.
But whenever she walked past others, she would still hear those flattering words.
As if she was supposed to stay distant from everyone and maintain that image.
If she suddenly tried to greet someone, those noble ladies wouldn’t truly value her as a friend.
Instead, they would treat her openness as something to show off.
It felt terrible, like her sincere effort to connect became something others used for gossip.
Little by little, the words she wanted to say would stop at her lips.
In the end, thousands of thoughts would turn into just two words.
“Forget it…”
And so, even among crowds, Elise walked alone.
She took a sip of tea and slowly came back from her gloomy thoughts.
But things were different now.
Elise took out the small bag Peiya had given her.
Inside, the little rabbit doll couldn’t compare to the expensive ones she had at home. Even the material was not as good.
But it had become her favorite.
Every time she held it, she felt like she was back to the day they first met.
Elise returned to her room and sat on the bed.
Looking at the bright moon outside the window, the cold moonlight felt a bit lonely.
She remembered how, as a child, she was actually afraid of sleeping alone.
Even though others saw her as a cold and elegant princess. She was the one most afraid of loneliness.
Elise pulled the blanket over herself. The cold feeling of the bed reminded her of unpleasant memories, making her frown slightly.
But when she saw the rabbit doll, her expression slowly softened.
A gentle warmth spread through her body, chasing away the cold.
Elise quietly turned the doll to face her.
In a daze, she seemed to see a slightly greedy figure, and the tension in her heart slowly faded.
Her pale fingers held the bedsheet as her past slowly drifted away.
She hugged the doll in her arms, and her heart finally found real peace.
Loneliness is scary.
But with Peiya around, it’s not anymore.
Her world didn’t need many people.
Just Peiya alone… was enough.