Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 92: Leisurely Day

Vol 2 Chapter 92 Leisurely Day

“—Enough!

It’s New Year’s, a time that’s supposed to be joyful and festive, and here you are squabbling over a few red envelopes. How shameful!

We’re family, gathered here together, and instead of enjoying each other’s company, we’re making a scene over some petty cash. Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

Inside the living room of the Fangting City Magical Girl Base, the television was playing the melodious Spring Festival Overture. Alongside the music, the exaggerated voices of skit performers could be heard reciting their lines with gusto.

Seated right in the center of the sofa across from the TV, Veronica sat upright and expressionless. The glow of the screen flickered in her clear, sapphire-blue eyes.

This was the annual New Year Gala organized by Tiandu City for the Donghua Province, inviting renowned performers from Donghua and even other provinces to celebrate together. It was usually pre-recorded in December of the previous year and distributed to various cities for simultaneous nationwide broadcast on New Year’s Eve.

Ever since televisions became widespread in Donghua, this celebration had become a tradition, now almost a hundred years old. For many families, the gala was an inseparable part of the New Year holiday.

Magical Girls born in Donghua didn’t deny this; even Asou Madoka from Toyo Province had gotten used to it. The plan for New Year's night was to have hotpot together, then watch the gala. But everything was disrupted by the sudden Ravager attack. In the end, they didn’t get to do anything they’d planned.

As for Veronica, she hadn’t even expected to catch the premiere of the gala. The first few days of the holiday had been so hectic that she only now, on the morning of the fifth day, found a moment to sit on the couch and check out what this year’s program had to offer.

But she’d only made it halfway before completely losing interest in whatever the TV comedians were trying to say.

It wasn’t just that this year’s content was bland—aside from a few dance and song performances, most of the skits were painfully dull, and some were so predictable you could guess the punchline from the first line. What made it worse was that she just wasn’t feeling well enough to focus on the screen.

She had to sit perfectly upright. On her left was Lin Xiaolu, sound asleep and leaning against her shoulder; on her right, Bai Jingxuan was half-asleep with her head resting on Veronica’s lap.

Lin Xiaolu had forced herself out of bed that morning just to have breakfast—an act of pure willpower that quickly backfired. The moment those boring TV segments started, what little energy she had left evaporated with the canned laughter from the show. She’d only meant to cuddle up with Veronica and watch the program together but ended up using her shoulder as a pillow.

Bai Jingxuan wasn’t exactly lacking sleep. She simply saw Lin Xiaolu snuggling up to Veronica and wanted to copy her. But Veronica’s frame was rather slim, and her shoulders were too firm to be comfortable. Lin Xiaolu had only managed to fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion. For Bai Jingxuan, the discomfort meant her head kept shifting positions—until Veronica finally gave in and let her lie on her lap.

And so the scene became what it was now: two sleeping girls and one utterly trapped Magical Girl.

“Big sis, you’re totally right. I was overthinking it. All this fussing—how about we make dumplings together instead?”

“Hey, did you forget something? We’re not the only ones celebrating here!”

“Oh, silly me. Everyone in front of their TVs is waiting for our New Year’s greetings too!”

“What do you mean?”

“We want to wish everyone watching: smooth sailing, perfection in everything, endless good fortune, and all your wishes come true. Let’s all say it together—Happy New Year!”

“…Pretty meaningless… but at least it’s festive,” Veronica murmured her verdict from the couch.

The dull segment ended, but the gala replay rolled on. After a short round of canned applause, the next skit began. Veronica remained frozen in place, seriously considering using her Magical Armor to create a duplicate body so she could get up without disturbing the two kids.

It wasn’t hard. Using her Magic Threads, she could weave a decoy with the same shape as herself, and it wouldn’t be noticeably different in look or feel. Even if it was just a hollow shell, unable to move precisely or talk, it was more than enough for this situation.

But the thought vanished when her eyes fell on Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan’s peaceful faces.

Lin Xiaolu was breathing gently, mouth slightly ajar, a thin line of drool slipping from the corner—clearly in deep sleep. Bai Jingxuan was as quiet as a little puppy, her eyes closed, a smile of contentment on her face.

At least the kids were happy.

That’s what Veronica thought.

And it was still the holidays. She had nothing urgent to do. Spending this quiet time with the kids like this—it was rare and precious in its own way.

With that, she gave up on escaping, adjusted her posture to keep Lin Xiaolu from sliding off, and quietly resumed watching the TV.

Time passed quickly, and before long, it was nearly noon.

The winter sun climbed high, and the girls—who’d overslept from staying up too late the night before—started emerging from their rooms one by one, each of them drowsy and sluggish thanks to the holiday mood.

Asou Madoka, as usual, was the most laid-back. She didn’t even bother brushing her hair, stumbling into the dining room in slippers with a tangled mop of bedhead. On her way through the living room, she glanced toward the couch at the sound of the TV and couldn’t help but snort when she saw Veronica being used as a pillow by two peacefully sleeping girls.

Veronica could only shoot her a silent death glare.

Incidentally, during last night’s board game session, Bai Jingxuan had been dragged off to bed early, and Asou Madoka had filled in her spot. But this woman had zero “play-nice-with-the-kids” spirit. She threw tantrums when she lost and gloated obnoxiously when she won. Eventually, even her own teammates among the juniors teamed up to take her down, making her the biggest loser of the night.

As for Veronica, she and Hong Siyu had stayed in the study, working overtime while treating the living room noise as background ambiance.

Because it happened to be Hong Siyu’s turn for duty at the Countermeasure Bureau that morning, she had taken over breakfast duty too. Realistically, she only got one or two hours more sleep than the others.

No wonder Veronica didn’t have the patience for Madoka’s nonsense.

A little while later, Xia Liang also strolled out of her room. Her hair had grown out recently, and she’d braided a single side ponytail that draped over her shoulder. Stretching as she passed through the living room, she too noticed the sofa situation because of the TV volume. Her gaze narrowed slightly.

“What’s going on?” she mouthed silently.

“They woke up too early. Fell asleep again,” Veronica also replied with just her lips.

That answer made Xia Liang pause for a moment. Then, without another word or even heading for the dining room, she walked straight into the living room.

She looked at Lin Xiaolu, who was drooling on Veronica’s shoulder, then at Bai Jingxuan, who’d somehow dozed off on Veronica’s thigh. She couldn’t help but smirk wryly.

“What about me?” she mouthed, pointing to herself.

“Go eat first,” Veronica mouthed back helplessly.

But then she saw Xia Liang flash a sly, fox-like grin.

Before Veronica could react, Xia Liang plopped down cross-legged on the floor, leaned back, and rested her entire upper body against Veronica’s lower legs.

Now Veronica had no room to move at all.

Naturally, such a bizarre scene didn’t escape the eyes of the other team members. Moments later, Asou Madoka came strolling out of the kitchen, one hand holding a cup of warm water, the other clutching half a boiled egg. Spotting the new addition by Veronica’s feet, she let out a mischievous whistle.

“Wow, such a tight-knit group,” she teased with a big grin.

Veronica, completely immobilized, could only respond with an even fiercer glare.

---

The lazy morning drifted by peacefully.

By lunchtime, the task of cooking had inevitably fallen to Asou Madoka, who’d slept away half the day.

Since most people got up late, lunch was rather informal—just three or four people sitting at the table. Others, like Mimosa, who was the last to wake up, basically combined her breakfast and lunch into one and didn’t need another meal. At that moment, she sat sulking in a corner of the living room, silently scrolling through her phone after Wood Lily had stolen the TV remote.

Veronica stretched her slightly sore shoulders, picked up some greens from the table, and chewed slowly.

But before she could really taste anything, she noticed Madoka across the table, resting her cheek on one hand and staring at her intently.

“Well?” Madoka asked.

“…It’s not bad.” Veronica swallowed and gave an honest reply after a pause.

“This seasoning is way too basic. Blame Hong Siyu—her pantry’s so boring I couldn’t unleash my full potential.”

Madoka lifted her rice bowl. “If you buy me some proper ingredients, I’ll cook you all the most authentic Toyo-style cuisine.”

Veronica didn’t respond, but the girls around them immediately perked up and turned toward Madoka.

“Toyo-style food…” Lin Xiaolu’s grip on her bowl tightened slightly.

“Never had it before…” Bai Jingxuan’s eyes sparkled.

“My mentor’s never made that for me…” Qiu Yun’s eyes widened.

“You wouldn’t even step foot in the kitchen unless forced,” Veronica remarked flatly, unaffected by food lust. “Usually you’re just lying on the sofa, bossing Hong Siyu around.”

“She likes doing housework, you know.”

Madoka seemed proud rather than ashamed. “So I graciously let her have that privilege.”

“Not just because you’re lazy?”

“Sis, come on. I’ve been pampered like royalty by agents and assistants for ten years. The fact that I still remember how to cook proves I haven’t been completely corrupted by the industry.”

Veronica rolled her eyes and couldn’t be bothered to argue.

“…That said, if you really want me to keep cooking for you…”

Madoka changed tone midway and smirked suggestively. “I could even put my singing career on hold for it. You know what I mean, right?”

Her smile was teasing, and under the table, her slipper lightly brushed against Veronica’s toe—very much on purpose.

Lin Xiaolu, for some reason, looked up warily, glancing between the two. Veronica understood Madoka’s implication but didn’t answer. She simply grunted in acknowledgment and lowered her head to grab more food.

Truth be told, Madoka’s cooking was pretty decent, even if she pretended to dislike housework.

Having grown up in Donghua Province as a Toyo native, she had both the domestic skills common to Toyo women and the warmth and openness typical of Donghua. Add to that her radiant appearance, honed from over a decade in the entertainment industry and preserved thanks to the Magic Kingdom, and she was, by any measure, a very desirable woman.

Veronica never doubted Madoka had many suitors.

As her friend of twenty years, Veronica also hoped she’d find happiness—despite that vague "confession" Madoka had made to Lin Yun over a decade ago. She never felt Madoka needed to stay single because of it.

Yet here they were. Despite her glamorous lifestyle, surrounded by celebrities, Madoka had never married.

Veronica wasn’t clueless. This strange situation clearly had an internal reason. And from all of Madoka’s subtle hints, she’d come to understand at least part of it.

Madoka was someone who valued her freedom. She didn’t want to be tied down by a relationship. And also—because the one person she’d once seriously considered taking things further with… was no longer a viable option.

It was just like her relationship with Hong Siyu. Veronica could treat Madoka as a close and important friend, but "friend" was the most that relationship could be.

Madoka knew that, too. So she’d only tease Veronica now and then, never pushing things too far or bringing it up seriously.

That was their unspoken understanding.

The shared silence smoothly brushed aside the tension. Aside from Bai Jingxuan still daydreaming about “authentic Toyo cuisine,” everyone else quietly resumed eating.

Even Lin Xiaolu, who had been suspicious of their exchange, gradually relaxed as the conversation died down. She shifted slightly closer to Veronica without a word.

Veronica noticed but pretended not to.

Since she’d already agreed to be someone Lin Xiaolu could rely on more, she wouldn’t back out now. Small acts of affection like this—she was willing to reciprocate in kind.

Still, the situation made her think of a conversation she’d had earlier with Emerald.

Back then, she had chosen to accept Lin Xiaolu’s request and grow closer to her. But that decision would inevitably cause more complications between the identities of Lin Yun and Veronica in the future.

It wasn’t just that “Veronica” could no longer act as cold and aloof as she used to. Whenever Lin Xiaolu questioned her whereabouts, she would now have to provide more detailed explanations. More importantly, their current relationship—in the traditional context of Donghua Province—already resembled that of a formal adoptive mother and daughter. And something like that wasn’t just up to the two of them to decide.

There was no doubt: this would require a formal “discussion” between Veronica and Lin Yun.

While Lin Xiaolu hadn’t noticed anything odd yet, if this process wasn’t handled properly, she might start picking up on inconsistencies as she grew older.

The problem was, with Veronica’s current Magical Armor, it was simply impossible to use her existing decoy abilities to stage a believable conversation between “Veronica” and “Lin Yun” in front of Lin Xiaolu.

That was why she had gone to consult Emerald—to ask if there was a magical item that could help.

Emerald’s answer had been simple: No.

Despite being widely known for her one-of-a-kind mastery in decoy control, crafting a flawless human-like stand-in—one that could convincingly hold a conversation—required astronomical resources. As Emerald had put it herself, “Even if you killed me right now, I still wouldn’t have enough secret savings to make that happen.”

Improving Veronica’s Magical Armor to increase its precision? That was at least theoretically possible—but that ran into the same issue as always: her True Form was still injured, and messing around with her armor now could worsen the damage.

So in the end, Veronica had come back empty-handed.

Or almost.

Because before they parted, Emerald did hand her something:

—A completely brand-new counterfeit Heartstone.

This fake Heartstone couldn’t do anything a real one could. It couldn’t enable transformations, nor could it serve as a magic source. However, it could simulate magic fluctuations, allowing Veronica to disguise her magical signature.

And magic fluctuations were a key monitoring metric at the Kingdom’s border checkpoints for Magical Girls.

“I’ve already arranged your fake identity,” Emerald explained. “Coincidentally, one of the retired Magical Girl aliases was recently restored in the system. A friend of mine spotted it in the records and held it for me. That alias is now yours.”

“The alias is Gentian. I’ll have someone prepare all the relevant documentation. If anyone from the Court of Magic looks into it, they’ll see that after the last Gentian retired, a new Magical Girl from Fangting City inherited the name.”

“So when I go to the Kingdom, I’ll use Gentian to pass the checkpoint?” Veronica asked, holding the Heartstone in her hand. “And I’ll be just like the others—‘a Magical Girl from Fangting City coming to take the Certification Test.’”

“Exactly. I’ll help you with a simple disguise, just enough so no one will recognize you right away.”

Emerald nodded. “Your face can’t be changed though—appearance alteration rituals are highly flagged. Trying to hide your face would just attract more scrutiny. Better to leave it alone.”

“Then how do I disguise myself?” Veronica found that a bit odd.

“Hmph, with your hairstyle and outfit, of course.”

The Fairy Doll sitting on the chair puffed out her belly. “As they say—clothes make the girl. Change your fashion and the vibe changes with it. Then simulate a different magic signature using that fake Heartstone. Easy. The magic fluctuation in the gem has already been registered under Gentian’s profile. It’ll be seamless.”

“Sounds solid enough...” Veronica mused. “But if what you’re saying is true, doesn’t that mean the Gentian alias isn’t currently in use at all? What if a new Magical Girl is born and receives that alias?”

“No worries, no worries. Another friend of mine already stepped in. The Court of Research launched a project last month to study the relationship between alias names and magic properties. They pulled a batch of unused aliases for the experiment.”

Emerald wagged her claws. “So all those aliases—including Gentian—are officially frozen. They won’t be assigned to anyone else for now.”

Veronica narrowed her eyes. “So you’re telling me Gentian was quietly tucked into that research project...”

“Watch your tone, young lady.”

Emerald knocked on the table. “Let’s be clear: Gentian isn’t even on the list of aliases we borrowed. After all, Fangting City already has a new Gentian. How could we possibly use an occupied alias for research?”

“...Alias names are critical magical resources. There’s no way this project lasts long,” Veronica muttered.

“True. That’s why we’ve only got one year. We’ll need to conclude the study before Her Majesty seals the Rose Palace again,” Emerald said seriously. “Of course, just between you and me—because I’m a once-in-a-millennium genius—the results were already 90% complete decades ago.”

“And what happens after a year?” Veronica pressed.

“After a year? We wrap up the project, submit our findings, and return all the temporarily borrowed aliases.”

Emerald stood up and raised her voice dramatically, trying (and failing) to sound like a grand orator:

“As for our poor new Magical Girl Gentian—she will, sadly, fall in a glorious battle against a Ravager not long after the project ends. The Court of Magic, in its grief, reclaims the alias. I, the lead researcher, express my deepest condolences.”

Veronica had no more questions.

That’s the Gem Scepter for you.

She didn’t say it out loud. She knew that if she did, Emerald would just flash her a smug grin and reply—

“Much obliged.”