Chapter 418: Look at Me Again
Inside the high-end restaurant, Chacoco expertly ordered dishes from the waiter, displaying the demeanor of a connoisseur. Naturally, she included the little Cat-Bird’s favorite fish. And regardless of whether one preferred salty, bland, spicy, or sweet flavors, the dishes she ordered could satisfy everyone.
First Snow and Xiao Ai sat on either side of Adele, while Chacoco sat opposite them, smiling at the still-young girl. Adele became self-conscious under her gaze, unsure why she was being stared at. Not to mention, Chacoco was a stunning beauty.
Fortunately, the mermaid lady, who had just finished her performance and gotten off work, arrived, successfully diverting Chacoco’s attention. She politely waved, her smile still as radiant as ever. “Long time no see, Ariel.”
“Pfft!” Hearing this name, Adele, who had just taken a sip of the complimentary lemon water, couldn’t help but spit it out.
Ariel… wasn’t that the protagonist of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen in her original world! Also a red-haired mermaid. But the red-haired woman in front of her didn’t have that youthful innocence; instead, she exuded a mature and charming aura.
And Adele quickly realized that she shouldn’t be surprised. Because this was a world within a book, many character images in the book referenced classic figures from history and literature in the original world. For example, Dorothy’s Kin, Azathoth, referenced the supreme deity in the Cthulhu Mythos – the blind idiot god. And this dictated that Dorothy’s Kin, Azathoth, possessed immense power.
Similarly, the mermaid in front of her might also be a character originally designed in the book, directly copying the mermaid from the fairy tale, imitating her image with long, red, curly hair and distinctly Western features.
“S-Sorry!” Adele quickly apologized.
She received simultaneous responses from Chacoco and Ariel.
“It’s okay.”
“No problem.”
Then, the two exchanged glances, their smiles full of rivalry. Ariel deliberately chose the seat farthest from Chacoco before gracefully sitting down.
It’s worth mentioning that although Ariel’s race was mermaid, she had the ability to maintain a human form. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to mingle among humans like this and accept Chacoco’s invitation to meet after so long.
This reminded Adele of the original fairy tale story of the Little Mermaid Princess, Ariel. Simply put, Ariel fell in love with a human prince and made a deal with the sea witch to gain human legs.
The details can be omitted, but in short, the Little Mermaid’s ending was tragic; she eventually turned into foam and vanished on the sea surface under the sunlight. That was Ariel’s story in the fairy tale.
So, in this world, how did Ariel, in front of her, gain the ability to transform into a human? Adele was inexplicably curious. But she wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to ask such a bold question to a woman she had just met!
Ariel ignored Chacoco and introduced herself to Adele and the others. Adele, First Snow, and Xiao Ai responded respectively.
Chacoco then whispered, “Remember Seraph, Ariel?”
“She used to chase us relentlessly~”
Ariel frowned slightly. “Hmph, how could I forget that rigid fellow.” Ariel looked pained.
“Then what would you think if I told you that the girl in front of you is the object of Seraph’s fall?”
“Really!?” Ariel’s eyes widened, and her blue eyes filled with surprise.
“Why would I lie to you?”
Hearing Chacoco’s words, Ariel couldn’t help but look at Adele again, with a very serious gaze. The latter became a little shy under her scrutiny and couldn’t help but ask, “Miss Ariel, is there… something wrong with me?”
Ariel smiled gently and shook her head. “Of course not. I just think your aura is very similar to someone I once knew.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Ariel nodded. Mm, just as promiscuous as her. The mermaid lady, well-versed in human interaction, kept this thought to herself.
At this moment, the waiter pushed a cart into the private room and began to serve one exquisite dish after another.
Everyone enjoyed the meal immensely. The atmosphere was also good, but they all chatted separately. After all, they belonged to different circles. The only reason Adele had invited Chacoco and Ariel to dinner was to thank Chacoco for her help.
After the feast, everyone was satisfied, and they parted ways, marking a perfect end to this unexpected encounter.
On the way home, Adele also chose to take a taxi. First Snow and Xiao Ai seemed tired from playing all afternoon and, having eaten their fill, leaned against Adele’s shoulders, left and right, and fell asleep as soon as the car started moving smoothly.
Xiao Ai’s sleeping face was serene and beautiful. Honestly, she had the potential to give Adele’s face a cold and aloof label. After all, although Xiao Ai and Adele looked identical, like a miniature version of Adele, they had distinct personality differences. But this was a good thing; otherwise, Adele would be at a loss facing a “little devil, little green tea” version of “Xiao Ai” with a similar personality to her own.
First Snow’s sleeping face was, needless to say, slumped over, very unladylike, her cherry-like mouth slightly open with her breathing, revealing her moist, rosy mouth, tempting one to kiss her. After all, kittens were born to be kissed! But Adele didn’t intend to correct her. Because that’s how cats were.
They could have many forms. Most of the time, they were called “a cat,” but sometimes they could also be “a string, a ball, a lump, a pile, a puddle… of cat.” Now, First Snow was probably displaying a puddle of cat. If it weren’t for the presence of the human driver, Adele suspected she would have turned into her cat form and curled up in her arms, sleeping comfortably and contentedly. When she woke up, they would be back at the academy dormitory.
Adele gently indulged the two little ones, tilting her head slightly, looking at the scenery speeding by outside the window, her expression calm, her thoughts unknown.
But the next moment, the girl raised her hand and placed it on her chest, at the place where the white angel feather was hidden. And she murmured in her heart, “When… will you look at me again?”
“Seraph…”
Chapter 419: Plan Successful
Cromwell Academy, student dormitory.
Adele, unusually, wasn’t in the mood to play games. Instead, she lay on her bed, propped up on her arms, browsing messages on her phone, her bare legs and feet dangling. She was completely unaware of how alluring she looked at that moment.
As for First Snow and Xiao Ai, they were playing an interesting exploration, monster-slaying, and loot-collecting game on the computer using controllers. The former was now pretty much living in Adele’s home, only occasionally returning to Winona’s castle to rest.
Aside from making Winona’s gaze towards Adele even more “scornful”—like, “She even goes after cats, having sex all night while there are children in the house”—this had no real impact. Winona was still Adele’s headmistress and one of her superiors at the Enforcement Bureau.
First Snow was controlling a fire mage, and she kept complaining that this character’s damage was too low. While Xiao Ai played a necromancer, a special character who relied mainly on passively summoned minions for damage output. And… her damage output was much higher than First Snow’s, despite the latter’s frantic efforts at casting spells!
Thus, Adele could constantly hear the little cat-girl’s mournful meows. “It’s not fair meow!!”
After meowing sadly, they still teamed up to fight the BOSS. However, Xiao Ai could slack off, relying solely on summoned necromancers for combat, occasionally glancing at her “mother,” Adele. Seeing her alluring posture and the cute sight of her carelessly revealing her small chest on the bed made her heart race.
“Run meow! The BOSS’s ultimate attack is coming meow!”
Only when First Snow hastily reminded her did Xiao Ai snap back to reality, controlling her character to move, successfully dodging the BOSS’s ultimate attack. Then, she pressed the RB button, a buff skill that granted her summoned necromancers increased attack speed. The necromancers then wildly slashed, and Xiao Ai’s character stood still, easily defeating the skeleton-like BOSS.
As for First Snow, she frantically pressed the buttons on the controller, nearly exhausting herself. But when the damage statistics came out…
“Why do I only have thirty percent meow!?”
Adele couldn’t help but laugh. So the girl slowly said, “This proves that sometimes, choice is more important than effort~”
This wasn’t some toxic positivity. It was a truth verified through countless experiences.
First Snow pouted her cherry-like mouth. “Then… then I’ll change my character meow!”
“I’ll wait for Sister First Snow~”
The two little ones discussed and exited the game together, reaching the character selection screen, and then frantically discussed which character was stronger.
Although Adele clearly knew that there were “guides” for this game, after careful consideration, she decided not to tell First Snow and Xiao Ai. She wanted them to maintain the joy of exploring the game, instead of rigidly following someone else’s standard answers. Hundreds or thousands of people having the exact same gaming experience, how boring would that be?
And Adele wasn’t criticizing this trend. She understood that the current pace of life was too fast, and young people were becoming unwilling to invest time and effort in trial and error in games. So, they just followed the strongest path for a quick thrill. But if they had time, Adele still recommended exploring the game without following guides, unless they got stuck, to experience the joy of discovery.
“I’ve chosen! This time, I’m an invincible warrior meow!”
“I’m still a necromancer meow~”
“Ah! Xiao Ai, you’re copying me! Meow!”
First Snow and Xiao Ai playfully bickered, their clear and innocent laughter echoing around them. Just being in their presence, Adele felt her fluctuating emotions stabilize, her slightly melancholic mood gradually brightening.
At this moment, she went to her “cuddle group,” the group created by a bunch of people who called themselves the “Adele Party,” and sent a message.
Adele: Everyone! How were your classes today meow!
Unexpectedly, even she had joined the “learn from First Snow game.” No, it should be easily expected! Because Adele was that kind of girl.
Kaiser: Who is this? A new face, I’ve never seen her speak. Let’s kick her~
Kaiser, who always liked to be a contrarian, joked. Because Adele, this “bad woman,” always lurked and didn’t speak in the group, making everyone feel lonely. The fact that they called her “bad” was also because they loved her too much.
Celeste: Good evening, Master! Cute cat emoji.jpg
There were many cute cat emojis online. Even though Celeste was actually a big dog, she also liked to use cat emojis to act cute.
Adele: Cat tongue-out emoji.jpg
Adele: Stinky Kaiser, I’m the group owner. Believe it or not, I’ll gag you (mute you)!
Kaiser: Then come on, I won’t resist~
This obviously wasn’t about being muted online!
Dorothy: Adele, don’t pay attention to this one. But she’s right about one thing.
Dorothy: It would be great if Adele could be more active and talk more in the group, because I miss you very much.
Hermione: Me too, I miss Adele very much.
Sharon: Mm-hmm!
Because of Adele’s arrival, this already active group became even more active, instantly going from a few sporadic messages to 99+. If First Snow and Xiao Ai weren’t playing games, the messages would have been even faster.
Everyone chatted about their classes and what had happened today. Of course, the girls also asked about Adele’s whereabouts. Or rather, that was what everyone cared about the most.
Adele felt like she couldn’t even get a word in, because the grudges and grievances within the group, every sentence could trigger new entanglements. Some were normal and friendly communication, while others were just girls bickering.
But when Adele finished typing and sent her message, unexpectedly, the messages in the group instantly stopped. Clearly, this was because everyone was paying attention to Adele’s message.
Adele: In the morning, I went to the Eastern Capital Enforcement Bureau and visited Teacher Victoria.
Adele: In the afternoon, I took First Snow and Xiao Ai to the “Sea Mystery Aquarium” to see the marine animals and the mermaid performance.
Although it was a straightforward description, after reading it, one couldn’t help but feel envious.
Dorothy: I also want to escape from this prison called the academy early and elope with Adele…
Kaiser: Indeed… Should I and Wofoo just drop out?
Wofoo: … (doesn’t dare to speak)
Adele: Don’t say such strange things, Kaiser!
Adele: And don’t think I’m just playing every day.
Adele: I’m in a free elective state now! I’ll naturally go to class when I want to!
Adele: I know you all miss me very much, because I also miss you all very much.
Adele: So I’ve decided, tomorrow I’ll go to Headmistress Winona and apply for the right to audit any course in any grade!
This might sound a bit convoluted, but it basically meant that with Adele’s current strength, Cromwell Academy had nothing left to teach her. Plus, since she was already a mid-level operative of the Enforcement Bureau, the academy granted her the right to choose courses and freely decide her class schedule, but only within her original classes.
But now, Adele planned to apply for this right to be further expanded, allowing her to audit any course in any grade and any class at Cromwell Academy. In other words, she could go to whichever class she wanted to cuddle with her harem!
Adele: Plan successful.jpg!
