Chapter 2015: Chapter 1022: Stepping into the Inner Circle

Watching the duck that was about to be in her mouth—ugh, I mean the teacher beside her suddenly chickening out, Dorothy naturally couldn’t stand it.

Spider Teacher, I told you, I’d take care of you in your old age, what are you hesitating for?

The Homebody Witch stepped forward, her tall Dragon Witch frame looming like a wall over the ordinarily sized Noelle Rose, forcing the Spider Witch to look up to glimpse her student’s face.

The sense of oppression was full blast.

For a moment, Noelle Rose couldn’t help reminiscing about the time when she first met Senior Ya during her student days. Back then, she was in her rebellious phase, dressed like a delinquent girl, coupled with the competitive and oppressive personality she inherited from the Envy Family—she was the quintessential villain role.

And then one day, she was caught bullying other junior students when Senior Ya happened by, and then.....

Then there’s really no need to say more.

Back then, Senior Ya, with an overwhelming sense of oppression, stepped forward repeatedly, cornered her, and with one hand delivered a suffocating wall slam.

It really was suffocating. Given that the Witch Academy’s buildings were built to meet witches’ dwelling standards, even a Great Witch would rarely manage to break a wall with a single strike. However, back then, Senior Ya’s wall slam shattered the entire wall.

Yes, shattered into bits—it was really terrifying.

Plus, at the time, she was being suppressed by Senior Ya’s Dragon’s Might. To her shame, she was almost scared into wetting herself back then.

Yet, Senior Ya didn’t really do much to her then other than issue a warning: if she ever saw her bullying other students again, she’d beat her up each time she saw her.

Anyway, Noelle Rose was truly a bit scared at the time, but how could a Jealous Witch like her give up so easily in such a situation? The Arachne Family’s Black Widow tradition is that if you can’t beat them temporarily, then quietly approach the prey, try to get along with them, trick them into trust, and parasitize, ultimately subtly consuming them completely and casting them aside.

So, the Spider Witch really followed this tradition, pretending to have a change of heart and approached Senior Ya saying she was mesmerized by her heroic demeanor, really admired her, and wanted to be her tag-along.

Basically, adopting the Arachne’s old tradition: first approach, then use beauty tactics, and ultimately control the other, turning them into her Puppet.

The only problem was the young, naïve herself back then completely failed to see how truly direct Senior Ya was.

Laughable, beauty tactics? The moment she tried to act coy in front of Senior Ya, she’d get a righteous fist or slapping sanction.

Pity her? In Euphilia’s career-driven dictionary, those words don’t exist. Her guidelines toward everyone simply have two words: fairness, fairness, still damn fairness.

Therefore, forget controlling Senior Ya, Noelle Rose’s entire student life was dominated by this tyrant of a dictator Senior Ya, unable to get anything past her within her sight.

Plus, the Spider Witch never truly recognized the family’s traditions, so when she saw it was hopeless later on, she simply went lax.

After all, she found tagging along with Senior Ya was quite beneficial. Senior Ya was skillful, always managed to land highly rewarding tasks she could tag along with, and she’d been content with merely tasting some of the soup, until fairness-minded Senior Ya truly shared the ’meat’.

Honestly, I cried.

Anyway, that schooling period at Witch Academy counted as the most carefree time in Noelle Rose’s life—no need for the scheming in comparisons, no fear for so-called friends’ backstabbing, no futile internal consumption. All she had to do was carry out the task Senior Ya assigned, and naturally, she’d receive rewards corresponding to her contributions.

Fair trade, equivalent exchange, as if it’s Heavenly Reason itself.

Thus, Noelle Rose ultimately didn’t achieve her ambition to control Senior Ya, instead she was inversely influenced by her. After graduation, she dared to defy her family and detach herself from it. This courage partly stemmed from the independence and confidence she learned from Senior Ya.

Though she managed just halfway, the burst of sporadic self-reliance was satisfying—but being continually independent and confident, having to shoulder everything alone, that’s truly exhausting; she lacked the steadfast career-enthusiasm of Senior Ya.

She still held on to the notion that she’s not particularly ambitious, just wanting to drift along carefree with her Puppets. Previously, she craved freedom from family’s controls, now realizing the bitterness of freedom, felt a bit foolish, considering perhaps someone taking care of her might also be good.

Yes, overall, waiting for a home-invading kind of love.

The pity is maybe the fortress of her lair built too solidly, her Puppets’ security levels too high. Anyway, after waiting over a hundred years, she still hasn’t encountered the anticipated home invasion.

Sigh, it’s a shame Euphilia’s career-focus is too intense, personality too forceful, genuinely not suitable for the laid-back her, otherwise, Noelle Rose felt sticking around Senior Ya perhaps wouldn’t be a bad choice.

As for that third member of their trio, snake-like Yae Miko....

Forget it, that venomous fellow’s too gloomy. Spider and snake both being toxic, repel each other, clash inevitable upon meeting.