The Witch snickered. "As if anyone would care about your 'like'! Honestly, do you think you're picking a bride? How ridiculous... and utterly shameless!"

"Weren't you the one who brought up the topic in the first place..." Ashe mumbled, glancing down at Lys, still unconscious. "You heard her talking to me just now, right?"

"Mmhmm," the Witch nodded, crossing her legs on the bed once more. "She's a pitiful child, but terrifying at the same time."

"Pitiful, but also terrifying?"

"You noticed it too, didn't you? Her scheming is real, her amnesia is real, and yet so is her innocence. She deliberately plays the part of a cunning child, easy for adults to see through, probably as a form of self-preservation. Compared to children who are either too sharp or too dull, a clever little trickster like her is far more likely to gain an adult's favor."

Ashe recalled Lys's behavior in the underground hall. Iger and Harvey saw through her little schemes right then and there... Couldn't Annan have seen it too?

In truth, it was precisely because Annan had seen it that she had decided to keep Lys. If Lys had been a child who only cried or one who was too clever, Annan might have handed her over to the Red Hats. The Purple Moth needed a bug who could immediately fit into her grand plan while remaining controllable.

Lys had sensed this and shaped her behavior to suit Annan's needs.

This kid... she might actually be skilled at playing the system.

The question remained why, at such a young age, she already knew which masks to wear for which occasion, just as Ashe had learned the hard way from society.

Ashe whispered, "Was it memory alteration? Did someone twist her memories and turn her into a bug designed to exploit the Woven Festival?"

The Witch squinted. "Altering memories alone isn't enough to fool a Divine Lord. Wait... are you feeling sympathy for her? Could it be that you're actually planning to go along with her manipulations, rally your companions, betray your boss, and hand the rewards over to this little girl?"

Ashe glared at the Witch. "You're just like her."

The Witch's heart skipped a beat. She quickly scanned her thoughts for any slip but kept her face calm. "Just as cute?"

"You think, just like her, that as long as I want to, as long as I try, I can break the contract, earn the highest hidden points, and claim the final victory," Ashe said with a smile. "We only met today, yet both of you somehow have so much confidence in me. Am I really the kind of dazzling figure who can do anything if I set my mind to it?"

The Witch scoffed. "Save your arrogance. She trusts you because you are the only choice she has for now."

Ashe shrugged. "I don't mind people with clear goals. Goals make the journey. As for me? I'm just here for the fun of it.

"I don't see that far into the future. All I can know is what's for lunch tomorrow. Deciding 101 days from now whether to sever ties, conspire, or betray... how could the present me make that choice? How could I even decide where I'll eat lunch 101 days from now?

"And I've just arrived in this new kingdom. I don't know the cities, the culture, the history, or the system. I don't know the true power of the Gospel, nor the might of the Omniscient Weaver. Sure, I was forced into an ambitious organization with grand, evil plans for the future, but right now, I just... can't get motivated.

"Only after seeing enough scenery will I know whether I prefer sunsets or sunrises."

"That sounds complicated," the Witch teased, swaying slightly. "Why not put it more simply?"

Ashe responded, "Go with the flow. Maybe by then, I'll have a new idea."

He went on to glance at the still-unconscious Lys. "As for her... I don't know why she insists on sticking around me, but if it doesn't harm my interests... or only hurts a little... well, she's currently, at least nominally, the only member of my work team. I might as well take care of her."

Truthfully, Ashe was simply soft-hearted. He wasn't a purely rational being. Hearing Lys call him daddy made him think of his nephew back home. His nephew wasn't as cute as Lys, but he was far more mischievous. Thinking of that, Ashe regretted not having spanked him a few more times back then, now that the chance was gone forever.

In any case, Lys was now bound to him. He would wait and see what she planned before making any moves. As for expecting him to ruthlessly handle a human child who could knock herself out by running into a door? At this stage, he was absolutely incapable of it.

The Witch scoffed. "Sounds noble, but really, you're just passing the decision on to your future self."

Ashe picked up Lys. "No. I am me, and future Ashe is future Ashe. I never make promises to myself lightly, nor will I impose restraints on my future self. Any decision made too early either becomes a mistake or a meaningless obsession. Only choices made after careful thought can truly excite the soul. I'm not about to deprive myself of a joyful 101 days of figuring things out."

Ah... yes... that's it. That's how it feels. Not madness. Not coldness, but something deeper... like a quiet sense of superiority... as if the whole world is just a clumsy play, staged for your amusement. And you simply sit there, watching, waiting... for fate to do something interesting. How arrogant... And that's exactly why I like you so much, Watcher.

The Witch narrowed her eyes and glanced at the white-haired girl in Ashe's arms. "Ah... am I interrupting your colorful nightlife? I'll take my lea—"

Ashe quickly cut her off. "No, no. I'm just taking her back to her room so she doesn't end up drooling on the floor. You can come along if you want. Keep an eye on me, make sure I don't do anything inappropriate for a child's channel."

"I'm not interested. I really am leaving," the Witch said, her mood already fading. "Remember the three principles. From now on, we only meet in the Virtual World."

Ashe did not press further. He carried Lys out of the room.

The Witch remained where she was, sitting cross-legged on the bed, lost in thought.

Then a voice, edged with anger, broke the silence. "Witch. You've crossed the line."

The Witch did not deny it. Instead, she asked, "Aren't you curious what the Watcher thinks of the current Swordswoman? It's none of my business, but hearing that he holds her in such high regard irritates me for some reason. Especially when I'm clearly prettier."

Smack.

She was shoved onto the bed. The Swordswoman pinned her down in an instant, straddling her waist, locking her wrists in place. There was no room for her to move.

Facing those eyes that seemed ready to swallow her whole, the Witch hesitated for a brief moment. "What are you doing? If you keep this up, I'll scream."

"Firstly, he is not the Watcher. He is Ashe Heth. And she is not the Swordswoman. She is Sonya Servey. Secondly, you have crossed the line," the Swordswoman said, her tone steady and each word deliberate. She clearly wasn't joking around.

"Observing or attempting to manipulate their thoughts is forbidden. If I report this, you will lose the right to observe. Permanently."

The Witch whimpered. "Wah... I haven't even said anything yet..."

The Swordswoman demanded, "Why did you bring up the Swordswoman in front of him? You risk giving them conflicting information."

"But I really don't know that slightly scheming, adorable, hot-headed yet kind-hearted Swordswoman who admires herself in the mirror," the Witch said, blinking innocently. "And I'm not fond of lying."

The Swordswoman's voice turned cold. "Of all your lies, that one is the worst."

The Witch's tone shifted at once. "Why are you so tense? If the Watcher caught me, I would accept it. He's the one in charge. But you joined this plan out of necessity, didn't you? So why are you so concerned about Ashe and Sonya's... romantic life?"

She studied her with a mischievous glint. "You're not quite the same as I remember, Swordswoman. Could it be..."

"You're also speaking for Lys," the Swordswoman said calmly. "It's only natural to care for your past self."

They held each other's gaze for a moment. Then the Witch looked away with a soft snort. "Hmph. Believe whatever you like."

She tilted her head again. "But Swordswoman... aren't you being a little arrogant?"

In the next instant, the Witch moved. Her legs wrapped around the Swordswoman's, her hands twisted free, and their positions reversed in one fluid motion. Now she pinned the Swordswoman beneath her, locking her wrists and pressing her down, their black and red hair tangled together. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Swordswoman," she whispered, her voice soft yet layered, almost like many voices speaking at once, "do you really think you can beat me in close combat?"

"Let go."

The Witch's smile turned wild. "However long you pinned me, I'll pin you for just as long."

The Swordswoman's expression did not change. But at her waist, the sword shifted ever so slightly, adjusting, searching for an opening.

The Witch noticed but did not stop. The curve of her lips sharpened, as if she were anticipating a violent clash, until a noise from outside broke the tension. It sounded like Ashe entering Lys's room. He had likely been seen by others, landing himself in an awkward situation.

The Witch paused, listening. The madness in her eyes receded like a tide pulling back. Then she laughed softly. "Honestly, when you first described Ashe's personality, I didn't believe it. No one did."

She tilted her head, voice quieter now. "A Sonya who blushes. An Ashe with a conscience and a genuine human heart, able to feel loneliness and fear... It's beyond imagination. That he could even feel pity for Lys... it sounds ridiculous."

The Swordswoman replied coldly, "But now you've seen it."

"Yes... I have," the Witch's voice softened further. "Beneath everything he hides, he really is a bright, easygoing person. Even without the Heart-Bewitching Girl, people still choose to stand by him."

She lowered her gaze slightly. "An Ashe Heth bathed in sunlight... it makes me..."

Her lips curled into a faint smile. "Want to destroy him immediately."