Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 121 — Suren’s Complete Victory

Chapter 121 — Suren’s Complete Victory

In the lounge hall.

Amid the ebb and flow of the crowd, Ailora sat quietly on a bench, hands folded neatly atop her knight’s lance resting across her knees.

Her pale golden hair draped over her shoulders, the ends swaying gently in the air. The soft glow of a magitech lamp illuminated her flawless, delicate features—she looked like a figure from an anime, a collectible figurine come to life.

Several Mechanists passed by, each casting awed glances her way. A few bold ones even considered approaching her… only to be warded off by the aloof, icy aura she exuded.

She sat there patiently, waiting for someone—as if unaware that time was passing at all.

Who knows how long had passed when, in the distance, the soft creak of a door echoed.

And following it—was the sound of slow, familiar footsteps.

Amid the bustling crowd and the cacophony of voices, that single rhythm was so faint—yet Ailora immediately recognized it.

“All done?”

As the boy stepped in front of her, a flicker of life finally returned to Ailora’s glacier-blue eyes.

“Mm, all settled,” Xia Ya replied calmly with a nod.

“Suren went in earlier. She didn’t do anything to you, right?”

As she spoke, Ailora leaned in and sniffed around Xia Ya’s collar.

No trace of perfume.

She then carefully examined him from head to toe.

No strands of black hair on his collar—only a few wisps of her own pale golden hair clung to his clothes.

“Let’s go. Since the original trio is finally back together, let’s go grab some grilled meat like the old days.”

“Oh.”

Ailora nodded in satisfaction and obediently followed behind Xia Ya.

Her gaze also fell upon Suren, who stood nearby looking calm, quiet, and completely covered up. Her expression softened slightly.

So… Suren really didn’t do anything, even when the opportunity was wide open.

Looks like I truly misjudged my dear best friend.

As long as she doesn't sneak around… we’re still good sisters.

……

Sorry, Xiao Ai.

At the same time, Suren felt a faint twinge of guilt in her heart.

Well—just a little.

What she felt more… was joy. And satisfaction.

This round—was Suren-chan’s complete victory.

To this day, Suren had long forgotten exactly when she’d fallen for Xia Ya.

Was it that moment he brought her out of the slums and offered her creamy soup and grilled bread at a clean wooden table?

Or was it all those late nights, when he worked by dim candlelight, piecing together discarded mechanical parts to help her with her mechanist training?

It didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Suren knew—her feelings for Xia Ya were no less intense than anyone else’s.

But when she was first accepted by Xia Ya and Ailora, joining that humble little family…

That was when she realized just how massive her disadvantage truly was.

She’d grown up in Lokiah. She knew nothing about what had happened in the Ceylan disaster.

But Xia Ya and Ailora… had survived it together.

Their bond was something nothing could shake.

Childhood memories, promises made in the Ceylan inferno, an unspoken mutual understanding—

All things exclusive to the two of them, with no room for a third.

Suren could only watch, envious. Even jealous.

Of course, Xia Ya was the kind to share his warmth freely…

And his dream of writing the Exotic Species Cultural Evaluation Guide was no secret between the three of them.

Still—Suren wasn’t content.

She didn’t want to forever be second to the golden-haired girl.

She wanted to be the first in Xia Ya’s heart.

Unquestionably, irrefutably first.

And so, one day… Suren chose to step back in order to leap forward.

Suppressing her longing, she left Xia Ya’s side.

Because she knew—if she stayed close and followed the plan, she would never have a chance to surpass Ailora.

She journeyed alone to an unfamiliar land, joined the Holy Theocracy, even bore the misunderstanding of her best friend.

It was a harsh, lonely path—

To love Xia Ya meant paying ten times, even a hundred times more than anyone else.

But it was her only path.

Ailora’s head start was just too big.

Without a bold move, she’d never overtake her.

Still, it was a gamble.

Six years of leaving Xia Ya and Ailora alone together…

If during that time the two had already crossed the line, cooked the rice, and sealed the deal…

Then Suren would be nothing but a joke.

Her bet—was on Xiao Ai’s tsundere and reserved personality.

Even with a massive lead, she’d fail to turn it into a win.

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Like taking all four dragons, the Dragon Soul, and Baron Nashor, even demolishing all the enemy’s towers—

Yet refusing to push the Nexus, only to get reverse-swept after the enemy sneaks the Elder Dragon.

During those six years, every magitech call with Xia Ya was nerve-wracking for Suren.

She feared seeing a wedding ring on his left hand—

Or worse, seeing that golden-haired girl’s belly bulging slightly, dressed in maternity wear, smiling from the other side of the screen.

If that had happened… she would’ve had no choice but to cry in defeat, waving her little tail as a certified loser.

But to her relief—

She had won the bet.

In six years, Suren had gone from the abandoned little girl Xia Ya once took in—

To a dazzling, radiant Saintess of Dawn.

From ugly duckling to shining white swan.

And now, reuniting after six long years—

Using the stark contrast of her current identity and the freshness of a long-awaited reunion,

She’d successfully snuck in some intimate time with Xia Ya, right under Xiao Ai’s nose.

Six years of stagnation—pushed forward seventy percent in one go, thanks to her long-game setup.

Once the affairs at the Holy Court settled, and they met again…

She’d launch a full-scale assault.

Storm the fortress, claim the victory, take the top spot.

A hundred knights raid Ailora’s camp. Their victory shakes the realm!

A complete and total triumph.

With that thought, the black-haired Saintess walked with a little extra spring in her step,

Unintentionally passing ahead of Ailora.

And so, Ailora noticed—

The snow-white skin of Suren’s nape, peeking out beneath her dark hair.

And more importantly—

The faint, red kiss marks scattered across the back of her neck.

“Suren, what’s with the red marks on your neck?”

Ailora spoke up, her voice tinged with confusion.

The moment the words left her lips, Suren’s steps subtly faltered.

Crap.

She'd been caught.

It wasn’t like she didn’t know how to use alchemical potions to erase kiss marks…

The thing was, she hadn’t wanted to.

She still wanted to savor the lingering sensation of Xia Ya’s… intensity. So she’d left them on purpose.

Under the cover of her long hair, they weren’t that noticeable.

But in her moment of smugness, she’d accidentally walked ahead of Ailora—and just like that, she’d exposed everything.

Still… judging by Xiao Ai’s reaction, did she not recognize what they were?

Makes sense. With that tsundere personality of hers, even if she wanted to offer Xia Ya a little something, it’d probably be limited to lap pillows or a shy kiss at most. No way would she imagine something this… spicy.

Mind racing, Suren kept her expression calm as she replied smoothly,

“Mosquito bites.”

“We’re already well into spring, and the mosquitoes are starting to come out… Plus, with the forge in the Mechanist Workshop generating heat, they’re all gathering in the warmer spots.”

“What can I do? Mechanical-type beasts only feed back mental energy through the Soul Pact. They don’t enhance physical attributes, so I’m still just a regular girl. My skin's not immune to mosquito bites.”

“Is that so…”

Ailora tilted her head, still a bit puzzled.

She wasn’t a Mechanist, so it made sense that she wasn’t clear on how they differed physically from others.

Only Xia Ya’s shoulder—where a lazy-looking white cat was curled up, pretending to nap—shifted slightly.

Sylvia secretly extended her spiritual sense to check behind them, feeling utterly defeated.

Mosquito bites, my a**.

Even though she herself was still a complete innocent, she could see the truth loud and clear from a third-party perspective.

She’d only slacked off for a bit—just a bit!

And now the Saintess of Dawn was covered in Xia Ya’s strawberries?

Back when they’d gotten close in the Spirit Realm, he hadn’t been that intense with her at all!

But what could she even do?

She was just a tiny little kitty now.

The white cat’s tail drooped and flicked against Xia Ya’s neck with a soft, furry thwap.

She was mad.

The kind of mad that could only be cured by Xia Ya petting and cuddling her for half an hour straight.