Hate me, Miss Witch!
Chapter 70 - 58: Frowning Like a Kitten

Chapter 70: Chapter 58: Frowning Like a Kitten

The Astral Realm communication ended, and Shiayar withdrew his spiritual power.

He opened his eyes and saw Dyres standing obediently by his bed, quietly folding blankets and cleaning the room.

The Dyres before him had reverted to the image of the dignified and diligent Student Council President.

"Actually, I am somewhat curious. Which one is the real you? The kind and upright Student Council President, or the Succubus Queen from before?"

Shiayar looked at the graceful girl before him, an involuntary sigh escaping him.

"How should I put it?"

Dyres tilted her head slightly, blinking her soft, beautiful eyes. "A bit of both, I suppose."

"If I had to say... I think the image in the human world is closer to my true heart."

"Although at first it was merely a disguise to infiltrate St. Roland Academy, a false mask."

"But when a mask is worn for a long time, I gradually became the image of that mask."

She pondered for a moment before speaking again.

"Conversely, the succubus persona was entirely a role I played, an imagined ideal of what my kin should be."

"To be honest, maintaining that so-called allure of Bewitchment, speaking with such an affected tone..."

"Every sentence had to end with certain... vocal affectations. It was rather exhausting."

"Speaking of which, what did Her Royal Highness discuss with you?"

"Nothing much."

Shiayar silently summoned Silver and embraced the little white ferret in his arms, using it as a pillow.

"We just made a trade. I offered my loyalty to the future Empress of the Empire."

"And she said she would fulfill my dream within the dreamscape and help me complete the true ’Evaluation Guide to Customs of Exotic Tribes,’ starting with you, you wicked succubus."

Dyres smiled faintly, gazing at the waning Silver Moon outside the window. "Actually, if it really came to that, I wouldn’t mind."

In her eyes, the unique rose-red hue of a succubus sparkled, intermingling with their original light brown.

"Student Shiayar, your dreams are quite delectable, very delicious."

"Moreover, Her Royal Highness has shown me great favor. If being your exclusive OOO could repay this kindness, then I certainly wouldn’t refuse."

"Great favor?"

Dyres’s gaze drifted as she spoke softly, "The laws and statutes of human kingdoms mean nothing in the Abyss Plane."

"If Her Royal Highness hadn’t provided us refuge, perhaps my kin and I would have already been reduced to embers in the depths of the Abyss."

Shiayar nodded, not pressing the matter.

The last of the Succubus Royal Family, the Abyss Plane, their kin, having lost a place to call home... Any combination of these keywords hinted at a long, evocative story. It just goes to show, every family has its own troubles... He was like that, Ennie was like that, and Dyres was too. Perhaps kindred spirits, or those in similar straits, truly are drawn to one another.

Too many of those who had gathered around Shiayar shared pasts of displacement and loss.

...

"Then, please allow me to take my leave, Student Shiayar."

Dyres lifted the hem of her pristine white dress and gave Shiayar a proper noble’s curtsy.

Her form began to fade, and she quickly vanished into the pre-dawn twilight.

Shiayar roused himself and opened the wardrobe beside him.

Then, reflected in the silver mirror of the wardrobe, a blood moon, shaped like a comma, slowly emerged.

Remember. After returning to my bedroom, I spent about ten minutes freshening up, then went to bed. I didn’t wake up until dawn.

After completing the self-hypnosis, Shiayar changed into a fresh formal suit, then reopened the door and went downstairs.

Dawn was now breaking.

The golden-haired girl knelt in the pale morning light.

She wore simple, white, furry pajamas and long stockings of black silk mesh. Her shoulder-length golden hair was tied into twin ponytails with simple ties.

This was different from her previously sharp and aggressive aura.

Now, Enola seemed much softer and more natural to Shiayar.

Like a sheathed longsword, its edge was concealed, yet the underlying threat it posed was even greater than before.

This signified she had completely mastered her 3-Ring powers.

Noticing Shiayar’s arrival, Enola rose and placed two cups of freshly brewed coffee on the table.

She handed one cup to Shiayar while holding the other herself. "Has President Dyres left already?"

This time, Shiayar chose to forgo any resistance. "So, what is this? Some new mind game or tactic?"

"It’s simple."

Enola sipped her coffee.

Unlike the blatant displeasure usually written all over her face, her voice was normal this time, even carrying a hint of cheerfulness.

"If President Dyres hadn’t come, Shiayar, you would probably have whistled..."

"...and then said, ’Ah, Ennie, you truly get me! Twin-tail pajamas with black stockings today? I love it~’"

"..."

Shiayar sighed deeply. "But you seem quite happy about it?"

"I am, a little."

Enola held her coffee mug—part of a matching set with Shiayar’s—and gazed at the identical design on the surface of the coffee. "After all, President Dyres spent the entire night alone with you, and yet nothing happened."

"If something *had* happened, Shiayar, you’d probably still be in bed pretending to be asleep, too scared to come downstairs and face me."

"This means President Dyres probably isn’t much of a threat to me. My previous vigilance was a bit of an overreaction."

Shiayar sighed again.

It just proved that when someone in your inner circle knew your ’database’ well enough, seeing through your deceptions was child’s play.

"President Dyres came because the Second Princess wants to recruit me to her side."

"The Second Princess... Princess Isadella?"

"Yes," Shiayar didn’t hide it. "I made a deal with her. In exchange for some resources, I agreed to become her Swordbearer and support her at the King Selection Ceremony."

Enola fell silent for a moment.

After a long pause, she spoke again. "You have something very important to do soon, don’t you? And you’re preparing for it?"

Otherwise, knowing Shiayar as she did, he wouldn’t have chosen to make such a deal.

"Something like that."

"And it’s something I can’t help you with? That matter, or rather, that battle?"

Shiayar nodded.

The golden-haired girl asked no more questions.

But the earlier spark of cheerfulness on Enola’s fair face vanished, replaced by a distinct pout. Unhappiness was written plainly across her features.

She was Shiayar’s sharpest sword and his sturdiest shield. But now, as Shiayar was about to face a daunting challenge, she was utterly unable to help, forced to stand by helplessly. This was something Enola found completely unacceptable.