“And then?” Chengzhong Dino let out a cold huff. “I told Elder Brother: ‘Elder Brother’s mother is my mother. But in my house, I don’t want to see any more mothers appearing.’ I gave Elder Brother a thorough scolding and then sliced that redundant Succubus into one thousand, three hundred and fourteen pieces.”
“Oh, by the way, I wasn’t eavesdropping on Elder Brother,” Chengzhong Dino added.
Kaila didn’t respond.
“So, Miss Knight. You should understand your role now, shouldn’t you?” Dino tilted her head slightly, her gaze scrutinizing Kaila from the corner of her eye. “You must keep a tight watch on him. Don’t let him get tangled up with those questionable, filthy things outside.”
Kaila keenly caught the hidden message in those words.
It wasn’t just about Succubi.
“Does that include... other Witches?” Kaila’s gaze was like a torch.
The destructive exchange of Forbidden Spells in the wilderness today, along with Sophie’s strange attitude when facing the New Moon Witch, all indicated that Sophie had deep connections with those sources of calamity.
Chengzhong Dino’s hand, which had been stroking Sophie, paused for a brief moment.
But quickly, she regained her perfect smile.
“That is Elder Brother’s own secret.” Dino’s tone became airtight. “If he is unwilling to speak of it, then as a sensible younger sister, I will absolutely not overstep my bounds and speak for him.”
Finding her attempt to gather intelligence softly deflected, Kaila was not ready to give up.
“Since you keep calling her ‘Elder Brother,’” Kaila’s gaze met the Puppet Witch’s without backing down, “then what about you? Setting everything else aside, what is your attitude toward her? And what is your attitude toward me, and the other Witches?”
Perhaps the Puppet Witch could be recruited to attack the other Witches together, Kaila thought.
If she had the help of Sophie and the Puppet Witch, killing the other Witches would be much easier than doing it alone.
Hearing this question, Chengzhong Dino finally stood up slowly.
She turned around, looking down at Kaila, who sat on the other side of the bed.
“You want to know my view?”
Dino paced in the narrow space, her skirt brushing against the ornate coffins.
“The lost Little Yue, the confused Little Snow, the uncomprehending Little Shi... they are all very useful, just as useful as you.”
“You, Miss Knight, as the sword-bearing guard responsible for ‘escorting Elder Brother home,’ are also very useful and competent.”
“Everyone,” Chengzhong Dino chuckled softly, “is merely a ‘passerby who accidentally had a misunderstanding with Elder Brother during his journey.’”
“Elder Brother himself is just a playful child who has temporarily ‘run away from home.’”
“I am very grateful that you all are willing to play along with Elder Brother and keep him safe in this crisis-ridden world.”
“But I suggest that you, Miss Knight, and those guests I have yet to meet, best not harbor any unrealistic misunderstandings.”
“Elder Brother is going home.”
“And you, Miss Knight, Little Yue, and the others, are merely scenery that he must inevitably pass on his way back.”
Chengzhong Dino maintained her radiant smile.
A radiant and dangerous smile.
A radiant and manic smile.
Kaila listened to these words in silence.
She felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
The way the other woman unilaterally assigned roles to everyone—Kaila hated it.
“If that is the case,” Kaila said, “since you think everything outside is just scenery, then from the very beginning, shouldn’t you have just locked your Elder Brother in Ming City and never let him out the door?”
“As long as Elder Brother’s personal safety is protected, why would I, as his family, ever restrict him?”
Chengzhong Dino wasn’t provoked; she simply toyed with her fingers and let out a light laugh.
It was a laugh mixed with helplessness, doting, and absolute confidence.
“Besides, Miss Knight, you don’t understand.”
“Elder Brother... just as I know him well, he knows me well too. He knows exactly where my bottom line is.”
“Since he’s coming home eventually anyway, until then, just consider it as him going out to practice his skills.”
“With Elder Brother working so hard, of course his sister should encourage him.”
Kaila: “...”
She decided to end this suffocating conversation.
“Witches should not linger in human cities. Please leave.”
“True. I’ve been out for a while, and there are some unstable factors back home that need handling.”
Chengzhong Dino nodded, going along with the suggestion.
She turned and looked at the three heavy wooden coffins she had placed in the center of the room.
The one in the very middle, crafted from thousand-year agarwood and lined with dark red velvet—a high-grade vampire coffin—had its lid sitting open.
“However, before I go, I must ensure Elder Brother gets a proper rest.”
As she spoke, Dino swept her hands through the air.
Several invisible threads of mana quietly entangled the sleeping Sophie on the bed.
“Rise.”
Under Kaila’s bewildered gaze, Sophie’s body rose steadily from the covers as if under a Levitation Charm. Guided by Dino’s fingers, she floated all the way over to the top of that most luxurious agarwood coffin.
“Sleeping in a coffin is the most authentic way for a vampire to rest. Elder Brother is always so careless with his body, just piling up with people outside. Not only is it an ugly way to sleep, but he’ll wake up with a stiff neck.”
Dino rambled on gently while commanding the threads to slowly lower Sophie’s petite frame into the coffin.
The moment Sophie’s back touched the soft velvet lining...
A sudden change occurred.
Vwoom—!
An extremely powerful law of repulsion erupted violently from within Sophie’s body.
【Log: Passive skill [Trapped in Grave Soil (Reversed)] is active! System has detected you are attempting to sleep in a coffin; initiating Forced Escape】
There was absolutely no time to react.
There was only a muffled bang.
It was as if a high-pressure steam jet had been installed at the bottom of the coffin, or an off-track ejection seat had been instantly activated.
Within 0.01 seconds of touching the bottom of the coffin, Sophie’s sleeping body was launched straight upward at a speed the naked eye could not follow.
Thud!!!
A loud crash exploded against the ceiling of the inn room.
Sophie’s silver-haired head smashed through the wooden ceiling partition with total finality, and half her body was even embedded directly into the wooden rafters.
Fine wood splinters fell like snow, scattering into the coffin below.
Chengzhong Dino’s face, which had been wearing a perfect smile, was now frozen.
Dust settled on her exquisite dress.
Her brilliant mind, capable of manipulating laws and even attempting to halt time, stalled for a moment.
She turned her head slightly, avoiding Kaila’s gaze, which was now filled with questioning and wariness.
Then, the Puppet Witch who struck terror into the hearts of nations reached out a hand, tapped her own head lightly, and playfully stuck out a small part of her tongue.
“Ehehe~☆ Prank success!”
With that sound of a desperate attempt to act cute and brush it off...
Swish.
Chengzhong Dino’s figure vanished.
She had fled in embarrassment.
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