The younger sister was physically whole but thin and frail, clearly suffering from malnutrition. She was carrying her older sister on her back. As she tried to step up into the carriage, her weight shifted onto one thin leg. She gritted her teeth and strained, but she couldn’t make the climb.
“Why not just throw that little cripple away? Even if she becomes a witch, what use will she be?” someone suddenly mocked.
The speaker was also from Room 204—a girl with hair that reached her waist. She was slender and hauntingly beautiful, with a sharp face and skin like soft snow. Her deep burgundy eyes flashed with a cold light, and her golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall.
The younger sister froze, her face contorting with rage. “Don’t you talk about my sister like that!”
“She probably thinks so too, doesn’t she? A cripple who’s nothing but a burden to her family… she’d be better off dead.” The blonde girl’s words were cold and devoid of emotion.
“What do you know? What do you know?!” the younger sister’s voice shook. “Without my sister, I wouldn’t even have the chance to go to school…”
The older sister bit her lip until it bled, trying to hide from the stares of the others. The younger sister tried again to board, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t get up. She was forced to endure the blonde girl’s sneers.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of hands support her waist. A surge of strength pushed her upward.
Without stopping to give thanks, she used the momentum to climb into the carriage. She placed her sister on the velvet cushion, kissed her forehead, and spun around to see who had helped her.
“Do you just enjoy meddling in other people’s business?” The blonde girl fixed her gaze on Wang Yue, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
“If you find them so distasteful, I’d be happy to add two more beds to Room 202,” Wang Yue said clearly.
The blonde girl ground her white teeth, her irritation growing. Standing before her was a girl whose beauty rivaled her own, standing tall with an air of cold defiance.
The blonde girl stepped forward until they were face to face. She reached out, her cold fingers stroking Wang Yue’s cheek. Leaning in, she whispered, “You will kneel beneath my skirt and kiss the tips of my toes.”
Wang Yue slapped her hand away. “Look all you want, but don’t touch.”
“And what if you do it willingly?”
The moment she spoke, Wang Yue’s body moved against her will. She began to sink slowly to her knees!
What’s happening to me?
Wang Yue was horrified. She had lost all control over her limbs. Her knees hit the hard ground, but it didn’t stop there. She found herself reaching out, taking hold of the blonde girl’s slender leg, and starting to slide off her black velvet slipper…
“Lilith!” a voice barked.
Professor Sabrina appeared beside them, her expression grim. “The use of Mystic Arts against fellow students is strictly forbidden!”
The girl named Lilith merely smirked, looking entirely unbothered.
The control snapped. Wang Yue scrambled to his feet, letting out a long breath of relief. That had been a close call. She had been seconds away from a total social death. Even if they were both “girls” here, kissing someone’s feet in broad daylight was a level of perversion she couldn’t accept.
“If there is a next time, you will be expelled!” Sabrina warned, casting a sharp look at Lilith.
Wang Yue brushed the dust off her knees and turned to leave. The younger sister jumped down from the carriage and bowed deeply to her.
“Thank you!”
“It was nothing,” Wang Yue said, waving it off.
After a brief exchange, she learned that the younger sister was named Mapeel and the older was Prima. They only had each other.
Wang Yue returned to her carriage and sat by the window next to Dorothy.
“Master,” the little maid whispered, tucking her feet under the seat. “Was that the ‘strange behavior’ you were talking about?”
“Huh?”
“I saw it… you took off her shoe and opened your mouth, like you wanted to…” Dorothy stammered, her eyes darting around in discomfort.
“I was being controlled!” Wang Yue snapped. “She has some kind of mind-control Mystic Art. It’s dangerous.”
“Really?” Dorothy clearly didn’t believe her.
“It’s a terrifying art. It took over my body in an instant without any warning. I couldn’t even react.”
“That sounds like something you just made up…”
“Believe what you want,” Wang Yue huffed.
The carriage lurched into motion. The chassis had an excellent suspension system that absorbed most of the bumps; sitting on the cushions, there was hardly any swaying. It was clear the long journey wouldn’t be as tiring as expected.
Dina pulled back the damp cloth, revealing the pastries in her basket. “Is anyone hungry?” she asked.
“Yes!” Dorothy chirped, her neck stretching out like a hungry chick.
“Didn’t you just eat three big bowls of oatmeal?” Wang Yue pointed out.
“That didn’t stick to my ribs.”
“Keep telling yourself that. That porridge was loaded with sugar, butter, and milk. You’re going to turn into a ball.”
“I… I’m still growing!”
“You’re going to grow into a sphere.”
However, Wang Yue’s warnings couldn’t stop Dorothy’s greedy hands from reaching for the basket.
“Master, watch this! I can swallow a croissant in one go!”
Awoo! Dorothy stuffed a palm-sized croissant into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged as she chewed vigorously before swallowing hard.
Seeing it up close was actually quite impressive in a theatrical sort of way.
“Nice work,” Wang Yue said, lightly clapping her hands.
Dorothy let out a satisfied breath that smelled faintly of milk. “So delicious! Where did you buy these?”
“I made them myself,” Dina said, a shy but proud smile spreading across her round face.
“Wow! You’re amazing!” Dorothy cheered.
“It’s nothing special. I learned at home. My parents are both bakers; they make them even better than I do.”
