Chapter 19: Sticker Contract

Annabell couldn’t help but glance back at Rosalind in the ice pit.

There, the Saintess, covered in blood, was now tightly gripping the potion that had been smashed against her face.

Her body trembled slightly from the pain and extreme cold, but in those cold, clear eyes flickered an unprecedented, spine-chilling, blazing light.

Rosalind watched Annabell’s retreating back, her breath rapid, a strange flush even creeping across her cheeks.

’…So this is true absolute power? This arrogance that looks down on everything, tramples everything underfoot… This dismissive charity…’

’Annabell… You really didn’t let me down! You are the only one in this world worthy of humiliating me!’

Seeing Rosalind’s fanatical expression as if she wanted to devour someone, Annabell shuddered violently.

’Confirmed by sight, a pure masochist freak.’

’Can’t provoke, can’t provoke. Time to get out of here!’

Annabell quickened her pace, fleeing the scene without looking back, and hurried toward the twin bond tree.

Charlotte, hiding in the shadows, took in the entire scene.

She, of course, had no idea about the perverted thoughts inside Rosalind’s mind. She only saw Annabell’s overwhelming strength and the final act that seemed cold but was actually “soft-hearted.”

’Miss Annabell… is actually very gentle, isn’t she?’

Charlotte thought silently to herself. ’She could have directly killed Rosalind to eliminate future trouble, but she still spared her life and even gave her such a precious recovery potion.’

At the same time, this shocking battle deeply stung Charlotte’s heart.

Annabell was fighting and bleeding on the front lines, while she could only hide behind a rock, trembling.

That feeling of powerlessness brought Charlotte immense pain.

’I can’t go on like this. Once I leave the ruins, I must find a way to restore my magic power. Even if it costs me my life, I have to earn the right to stand by her side!’ Charlotte silently resolved.

“Charlotte, come out. The trouble’s been taken care of.” Annabell’s voice cut through Charlotte’s thoughts.

Charlotte quickly wiped the corner of her eye and trotted over to Annabell.

“Miss Annabell, are you hurt?” Charlotte looked her up and down with concern.

“What could hurt me?” Annabell waved her hand and pointed at the twin bond tree in front of them. “Hurry up, time’s almost up. Let’s get this thing bound first.”

Charlotte looked at the divine tree shimmering with golden magic runes, and her heartbeat quickened again.

She took a deep breath, suppressed the shyness in her heart, and said softly, “Miss Annabell, please extend your hand.”

Annabell held out her right hand as instructed.

Charlotte extended her own fair, slender left hand, gently covered Annabell’s hand, then slowly slid down until their fingers were tightly interlaced.

With palms pressed together, Charlotte could clearly feel the slightly cool temperature from Annabell’s fingertips.

“And then?”

Annabell thought it was a bit weird for two girls to have their fingers interlocked, but for the sake of the divine tree’s treasure, she held back from pulling her hand away.

“Then… close your eyes, and together touch the center of the trunk.” Charlotte’s voice trembled slightly, her face already thoroughly flushed.

They both stepped forward at the same time and gently pressed their intertwined hands against the center of the twin bond tree’s crossing trunks.

At the moment of contact, a vast, warm magical power surged through the trunk into both of their bodies.

In an instant, the entire valley erupted with a brilliant pink-golden light.

Vaguely, it seemed as if countless spirits were chanting ancient and holy celestial music in their ears.

Rings of golden runes swirled and danced around them, eventually turning into two streams of light that drilled into the wrists of their clasped hands.

The light gradually faded.

Annabell opened her eyes and was astonished to find that the once lively twin bond tree had completely vanished.

In its place, on both her and Charlotte’s wrists, an extremely intricate red magic rune mark appeared.

This mark was like a red thread, connecting their souls in some mysterious way.

[Ding! Detected that the host has formed a ‘Soul Twin Contract’ with key character Charlotte!]

[Contract Effect: When the two are within one hundred meters of each other, mana recovery speed increases by 500%! The two can sense each other’s emotional fluctuations. Cannot be unbound for ten thousand years!]

Annabell glanced at the system notification and was completely dumbfounded.

’Soul Twin Contract? Cannot be unbound for ten thousand years?!’

’What kind of damn setting is this! I just wanted to dig up the tree to sell for money—how did I end up binding myself?!’

’And what’s with this yuri-pink skill effect? System, don’t add extra drama, okay?!’

Annabell instinctively turned her head to look at Charlotte.

Charlotte was currently looking down at the red mark on her wrist, a sweet smile she couldn’t hide curling at the corners of her mouth.

To make matters worse, because of the contract, Annabell could now clearly sense Charlotte’s inner emotions.

It was something as intense and burning as a volcanic eruption…

Love!

That love came crashing down like a tidal wave, directly stunning Annabell.

’Wait… This little girl has feelings for me…?’

Annabell finally realized what was happening, and cold sweat instantly broke out.

’Damn, I pulled up the wrong flag and ended up romancing the female lead!’

’If the original male lead finds out, he’ll probably pick up a sword and cross half the continent to kill me!’

Feeling the pink and flirty atmosphere between them, Annabell, the Villainess Young Lady who dominated games, fought gods, and defied the heavens, for the first time felt a touch of embarrassment and panic.

“Ahem… Well…”

Annabell pulled her hand back as if electrocuted, her eyes darting everywhere. “Time… Time’s almost up! We need to get back to the altar to regroup! Right, back to the altar!”

With that, Annabell didn’t bother maintaining her cold persona anymore. She grabbed Charlotte by the arm and, face red, fled like a coward toward the exit of the ruins.

Charlotte, pulled along by Annabell, felt the warmth from the wrist and watched Annabell’s slightly flustered back.

Her heart beat even faster.

’Miss Annabell blushing… is so cute.’

***

The altar.

White light flashed repeatedly.

With a slight distortion of space, the first layer trial officially ended. The surviving trialists were teleported back to the Central Altar one after another.

Most people were dirty, with torn robes. A few even bore grievous bloodstains and were gasping for air, as if they had just crawled out of hell.

Only Annabell and Charlotte had a completely mismatched vibe.

Annabell’s gorgeous robe didn’t have a single wrinkle, and she was idly twirling her staff with her fingertips.

Charlotte’s cheeks were slightly flushed with excellent complexion, not a single strand of hair out of place. Anyone would think the two had just finished afternoon tea in the secret realm.

As soon as Annabell stood steady, her red-and-blue dual-pupil eyes swept across the crowd, instantly locking onto the gloomy-faced First Prince Charles, who was gritting his teeth.

Without hesitation, she walked up, casually extended her right hand, palm up.

“I’m here to collect the money we agreed on.”