Hate Me, Witch!

The air froze in an instant.

Beside them, the blonde girl blinked, still not quite understanding the real meaning behind Sylvia’s words.

Mental energy splitting, familiar conversion rituals, tactile sharing…

All those were concepts rooted in mysticism—too complex and abstract for Ailora to fully grasp.

But Xia Ya’s expression… gradually grew more and more weird.

The hints were all there.

If he still couldn’t figure out what it meant, he’d honestly start doubting his own intelligence.

Xia Ya gave Sylvia a very, very deep look.

Oh, damn.

Even when her real body was around, the cat didn’t bother with its “master”—

Instead, it kept sticking to him like a loyal little simp.

Not even a “future husband pleaser” would be this eager.

I didn’t expect you to be that kind of kitty!

And now that he thought about it,

Every time he petted the cat, it always acted like it didn’t want it, but clearly enjoyed it—

Eventually even coming up to beg for head pats and cuddles.

He never would’ve guessed his dignified main wife had this kind of closet freak side to her.

Her real body didn’t dare get too close to him with Ailora around,

So she deployed her mental incarnation to sneak in some forbidden snuggles at night—

right under Little Ai’s nose.

But you know what?

Totally worth it.

Felt great.

——

Meanwhile, the Knowledge Grail finally seemed satisfied with Sylvia’s answer.

A new line of glowing text shimmered across its surface:

“Exchange complete.”

Almost as soon as the words appeared, a ripple of twilight surged.

Sylvia’s slender figure flashed and vanished, instantly retreating from Xia Ya and Ailora’s room—back next door.

The entire time, she never once lifted her gaze to meet Xia Ya’s eyes.

Too. Socially. Dead.

At first, it had just been a spontaneous idea—create a familiar to keep watch over Brother Xia Ya.

She never meant to spiral this far.

But she just couldn’t help herself.

She’d fallen headfirst into the warmth of being petted and coddled by Xia Ya…

Became addicted to it. Completely unable to stop.

Total breakdown.

And yet, the Knowledge Grail didn’t even spare her a glance as she fled.

It rolled forward—

Two curved arrows popped out like cartoon eyes, locking directly onto Ailora.

“Next up, it’s your turn.”

The blonde girl’s body tensed immediately.

She grabbed Xia Ya’s sleeve and hid tightly behind him.

Feeling the soft, warm presence pressing against his back, Xia Ya couldn’t help but grin to himself.

Maybe because of witnessing all the death in Ceylan growing up,

Little Ailora had always been afraid of ghosts.

But Xia Ya, being the fearless quest-completing archaeologist he was, had no choice but to run all over the continent exploring ruins.

And in a world of magic, with Beastmasters specializing in mental energy, grave-robb—ahem, ruin exploration always meant running into undead: spirits, zombies, cursed souls, and skeletons.

Little Ai would turn pale the moment she saw one,

But she was too worried to let Xia Ya dive into tombs alone, so she’d always tag along—totally conflicted the whole time.

So Xia Ya decided to “fight fear with fear.”

He cured her ghost phobia by telling her tales of unspeakable cosmic horror instead—

Stories from things like Containment Failure, The Foundation, and other existential nightmares.

It worked instantly.

Soon she was blowing up skeletons like a pro with Xia Ya in every kind of haunted ruin.

But the side effect was…

She became even more terrified of the things in Xia Ya’s stories.

Whenever he told her those tales, she’d end up curled in his arms for protection.

Naturally, Xia Ya was more than happy to keep feeding her scary bedtime stories.

Now, the weird and ominous aura of the Knowledge Grail reminded her of all those childhood nights being ruled by the terror of “Containment Protocols” and “anomalies.”

She couldn’t sleep without Xia Ya back then.

And somehow, that “sharing a bed” habit… just never stopped.

Perfectly according to plan.

“This one’s high value too.”

“Tower at the End, Storm Anchor, the Grail-bound Lance that upholds the stars—”

“A guest no less important than the young Throne from before.”

The Knowledge Grail shook slightly and posed its next question:

“Please tell us… What were you doing on Sacred Calendar Year 902, Month of Plenty, 7th day, between 9:00 and 10:00 AM?”

That date…

Was there something important about it?

Xia Ya thought back—

It had been several months ago, but his current rank gave him sharp mental recall.

That was around the time they’d moved into their new place in the Black Lily District.

He remembered going out to the potion shop to buy training elixirs for Crimson.

Nothing special, really.

But behind him, Ailora’s body had also gone stiff.

Still, after witnessing what happened to Sylvia, she didn’t bother trying to trade hidden knowledge.

She was the intuitive type—not the kind to memorize esoteric lore.

Even the White Tower’s Tower Master couldn’t cough up a worthy secret, so why bother embarrassing herself?

Ailora cleared her throat softly, her pale porcelain-like cheeks utterly composed:

“I was training in the meditation room at our manor.”

The grail flared violently, bursting with brilliant light:

“Correct location, incorrect activity.”

“Starrealm broadcast warning: Strike one!”

The blonde girl’s long lashes trembled. Her fingers tightened reflexively.

“I was… missing Xia Ya, in the meditation room.”

“Too vague. Be specific—how exactly did you miss him?”

“I looked at his belongings while missing him.”

“Which belongings?”

Ailora’s voice dropped, icy as frost:

“A memory crystal that captured Xia Ya’s sleeping face and dream mumblings…

His pajamas and sleepwear, still unwashed from the night before… and his blanket and bedsheet.”

The grail jumped like a fish out of water—

Full resurrection mode activated.

“You just looked at them?”

Ailora’s eyes shifted from cold to furious.

She took a long breath—

Even the holy glow of her spear began to dim.

“That morning, while Xia Ya was out at the potion shop…”

“I listened to a recording of his delirious sleep-talk… hugging the pajamas he had just taken off.”

“And using… a certain motion unique to women, I quietly resolved a physiological need common to girls in their development phase.”

She’d tried to put it as indirectly and euphemistically as possible.

But let’s be real—whether she was agility-type or strength-type, she was definitely not a high-INT character.

To Xia Ya, whose practical experience was low but theoretical knowledge was extensive,

Her words were crystal clear.

“This quiet, expressionless girl actually has this side too?”

Xia Ya was stunned.

Not just his main wife—

Even his little wife had this kind of streak?!

Why would you do that alone? Why not just come to me? I’m right here!

“Xia Ya, you’re a boy. You don’t understand that girls have… special physiological habits sometimes…”

Little Ai tugged on his sleeve, her icy blue eyes peeking up at him cautiously.

That’s when Xia Ya instantly realized—

She was testing him. Trying to see if he’d picked up on what she meant.

“Right, right. Girls and their mysterious special needs. Boys and girls should maintain proper distance, so I’ve never really understood.”

Xia Ya promptly pulled out the perfect mix of confusion, cluelessness, and “please explain.”

He knew his little wife had thin skin.

If he didn’t cover for her pride, and she got all tsundere and revoked his bedtime benefits, he’d be the real loser.

Sure enough, Ailora gently patted her flat chest and let out a small breath of relief.

Looks like Xia Ya really didn’t catch on.