She pulled open the bottom drawer of the wardrobe. Sure enough, everyone liked to stash socks and underwear in there.
They were folded meticulously and stacked neatly, separated by cardboard dividers in a grid pattern.
Heh heh…
Amber’s stockings…
The Blue-Haired Loli’s eyes widened like a cat at midnight. She spotted some socks with holes that had been mended with exquisite needlework, leaving only faint traces. Some panties were washed to the point of fading, the patterns barely discernible.
Heh heh…
Amber was such a thrifty good girl…
She had meant to grab a pair of loose elephant socks but accidentally flipped open a small tin box. The paint had peeled off, revealing a faint children’s drawing on the lid.
“Hey!”
Amber, who had been letting her rummage freely until now, let out a startled cry. She hurried over in her slippers, shouting, “Don’t touch that!”
“Tch tch tch, Amber’s little secret!”
This only piqued Ashley’s curiosity even more. She tugged hard at it, but it wouldn’t open. Flipping the tin box over, she discovered a three-digit combination lock.
“Give it back!” Amber lunged to snatch it away.
“Let me guess… your birthday?”
Ashley twisted her body to dodge while fiddling with the combination.
Amber grabbed the tin box and tried to yank it back, but the lock clicked open. With a clatter, the contents spilled all over the floor!
“Wow, Amber’s baby teeth! So cute!”
Along with a few baby teeth, there were little medals, glass marbles, gold-plated pins, volunteer badges, expired coupons… and even an old pacifier!
Squelch, squelch…
The detestable Blue-Haired Loli immediately popped it into her mouth and started sucking.
Suddenly, she noticed Amber’s shoulders shaking violently, her mouth puckered like a duck’s. Then her little face scrunched up, and she burst into tears with a wail.
Her cherished mementos from childhood were being toyed with carelessly, her precious memories trampled upon. Amber broke down completely. She knelt on the floor, clenching her fists in resentment as she wiped away tears with the back of her hand.
“Alright, alright, no more crying. Here’s your pacifier back.”
She pulled it out with a pop, dragging a long string of saliva.
“You jerk! You absolute jerk!”
Amber lunged forward and shoved the detestable girl down, straddling her waist. She gripped her shoulders with both hands and glared furiously, but the little face right in front of her clearly showed no fear.
Squelch, squelch. Ashley popped the pacifier back into her own mouth.
Amber trembled all over, breathing heavily, but she forced herself to stop crying. She got up, walked back to the desk, and resumed studying while wiping her tears.
Ashley realized she had gone too far. She walked over to the desk, bent down, and observed Amber’s expression.
Though her face was expressionless, the knuckles gripping the pen had turned white. Ashley knew it was serious. She hurriedly picked up the scattered trinkets, blew off the dust, and carefully put them back into the box before placing it on Amber’s desk.
“Sorry, Amber. I’m a jerk. I admit it…”
But apologies lost their value when overused, and Amber showed no reaction.
…
She finished her homework with complete focus, closed her books, and let out a long breath, feeling utterly fulfilled.
She glanced at the Blue-Haired Loli, who was propping her little head up nearby, watching her.
“I’ve figured out Teacher’s intentions,” Amber said.
“Huh?” Ashley blinked in surprise.
“This is a trial!”
The black-haired loli’s face was serene and solemn. She slipped her slender fingers behind her neck, lightly tossing her hair, and continued:
“Teacher arranged for you to be by my side for a reason. It’s to temper me under pressure, to help me grow. You’re my whetstone, honing my mind and sharpening my eyes.”
“Emmm… whetstone.” Ashley cupped her cheek with her little hand, her eyes narrowing into crescents as she smirked slyly. “Yeah, you do need a good grinding to grow~”
Amber’s parents were naturally displeased with the Blue-Haired Loli barging in uninvited, but after she ‘passed on an order from above’ claiming it was the Trial Judge’s request, they tolerated it.
“Auntie’s cooking is so delicious. If I stay too long, I’ll get fat! Uncle’s new clinic is so pretty. Oh, by the way, have you heard of the Scripps Family’s Secret Medical Technique? I happen to have some photocopies…”
Ashley was already an excessively pretty little girl, and her beauty only grew with time. Plus, her little mouth was as sweet as honey, livening up the dinner table.
After dinner, her parents’ impression of her didn’t just improve—it skyrocketed. They treated her like their own daughter.
Mom and Dad couldn’t see the wicked nature hidden behind Ashley’s obedient facade. Amber felt frustrated inside, but reminding herself this was Teacher’s trial steadied her resolve. She took a few deep breaths, regained her composure, and ignored whatever Ashley said to her, merely sipping water from her cup to brush her off.
…
Night fell, bedtime arrived. Amber glanced at Ashley lying quietly beside her.
A tiny hand poked out from under the covers, gently tugging at the corner of the pillow. Her delicate lips were slightly pouted from being pressed against it. Long, curly lashes rested like black butterflies over her large, watery eyes. Strands of blue hair veiled her fair cheeks. She was so beautiful it almost didn’t seem real.
Amber froze stiff, her heart pounding. Any slight movement from Ashley made it race even faster, nearly leaping out of her throat.
This… this was a trial…
Even with her eyes squeezed shut, whiffs of faint fragrance drifted past her nose.
Soon, a thin, reedy voice whispered into her ear.
“Hey, wanna hear a ghost story…?”
Amber’s heart clenched instantly.
She was terrified of ghost stories. Once, she spent 1 New Franc on a cheaply printed story pamphlet from a street stall. A tale about a ghost clawing a bloody red apple in front of a mirror at midnight scared her so much she didn’t dare walk home at night or use the bathroom in the dark for days—and she even wet the bed.
Wahhh…
This was a trial…
She had to survive Ashley’s torment until the end…
Amber lay rigid like a mummy, arms crossed over her chest.
In her ear, the Blue-Haired Loli began vividly recounting James Wan’s The Conjuring series…
Amber thought cold treatment would bore Ashley into shutting her hateful little mouth, but she only got more enthusiastic!
What Amber didn’t know was that eyeballs moved under closed lids, especially when emotions shifted…
Ashley watched Amber’s eye movements and read her feelings like an open book.
Past midnight, the story cut off abruptly.
Amber waited patiently a bit, then secretly cracked her eyes open. Seeing Ashley asleep with a satisfied smile on her lips, she finally exhaled in relief.
This girl got tired too? Her sleeping face was surprisingly cute—way cuter than when she was awake.
But as she lay there exhausted, wanting to sleep, she found she couldn’t drift off at all!
For some reason, the tree shadows outside the window writhed eerily. The warm, soft bedding felt cold and hard as iron. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
She curled up tightly, rubbing her little feet together for warmth. After a while, a bloating sensation swelled in her belly. At dinner, to ignore Ashley, she’d gulped down water silently—now it was payback time.
She poked her head out from under the covers and glanced toward the bathroom. The door was half-open, emanating a dark blue chill like a morgue.
Darkness swirled and squirmed. Something fast seemed to flash by…
Wah…
Help…
What should she do…
Amber gritted her teeth, mustered courage several times but chickened out each time. She held it as long as she could, reaching her limit. Helplessly, she reached out and tugged at the soundly sleeping Ashley beside her—but no matter how she pulled, she wouldn’t wake.
Amber tensed up completely, on the verge of tears from anxiety.
“Mmm…”
Suddenly, Ashley rubbed her eyes and woke, murmuring sleepily:
“What’s up?”
“Accompany… accompany me to the bathroom…” Amber’s little face burned with embarrassment, her voice barely audible.
“You… you’re not scared, are you?” Ashley’s eyes gleamed oddly.
Amber bit her lip hard, her face red as a persimmon, mortified beyond words. She protested vehemently:
“I-I’m not scared at all! I… I… cough cough… This young lady just wants to boss you around!”
