Aurora showed no intention of doing anything to please her. Beatrice’s smile faded, and with a cold snort, she flew on ahead.
They passed over layered mountain ridges, and beyond those mountains unfolded a sight Aurora had never seen before.
A floating academy suspended in the sky appeared before her eyes.
Beneath the academy lay a massive magic circle. Tiny white lights rose continuously from it toward the academy above.
Surrounding the circle were four enormous violet crystals, seemingly channeling magical energy into the array. It was likely this formation that kept the academy aloft.
The academy’s size was staggering, occupying nearly a quarter of the entire forest—it was so vast it seemed to stretch beyond the horizon. Within its grounds stood two towering clocktowers that caught the eye immediately.
One was golden, adorned with the symbol of the sun. The other was black, bearing the emblem of the moon.
The two towers stood at opposite ends of the academy in perfect symmetry—gold and black, sun and moon—what could they represent?
There didn’t seem to be a main gate. A wall enclosed the entire structure tightly, and even in the sky, faint translucent barriers shimmered in and out of sight.
Some witches riding brooms could only fly within the space enclosed by these barriers. Even so, the vast scale of the dome allowed them to soar freely without constraint.
Beatrice brought Aurora up to the sky above the academy. When they came in contact with the barrier, it reacted like a soft bubble, enclosing both of them gently inside.
Inside the bubble, Aurora curiously reached out a finger to poke the odd membrane that seemed both like a barrier and a soap bubble.
Zzzzt.
“Ow!”
The instant her finger touched the surface, a faint crackle of lightning snapped at her skin, making her instinctively jerk her hand back.
She was amazed. Such a massive barrier even had an embedded lightning enchantment?
Just how complex must the underlying magic circle be to produce something like this?
“Idiot.”
A faint voice came from behind.
It had been a while since Beatrice called her that. Aurora turned slightly and caught a rare hint of a smile at the corner of Beatrice’s lips.
“…Sorry.”
Beatrice ignored the barrier entirely and continued flying forward. As they neared what seemed like a second layer of shielding inside, Aurora saw the outer barrier merge into the inner one, which then gently released the pair into the innermost zone.
Only then were they truly inside the academy.
Passing over the golden clocktower, Beatrice headed directly for a mansion-like estate at the center.
Along the way, students dressed in witch robes or black magician’s attire continuously bowed in greeting.
Some stared at Aurora, who was nestled in Beatrice’s arms—some eyes filled with jealousy, but more with curiosity.
Seeing that Aurora didn’t seem inclined to please her, Beatrice put away her smile. She gave a cold snort and continued flying forward.
They flew past layered mountain ranges, and beyond the mountains, a scene unfolded that Aurora had never seen before.
A floating academy suspended in the sky appeared before her eyes.
Beneath the academy was a massive magic circle, from which countless white light particles drifted upward toward the academy.
Around the magic circle were four enormous purple crystals, seemingly channeling magic power into the circle. It was likely this magic circle that allowed the academy to float.
The academy’s area nearly covered a quarter of the entire forest—so vast that one could barely see its edge. Within the grounds stood two tall clock towers, one gold and one black.
The golden tower bore a sun emblem, while the black tower bore the symbol of the moon. The twin towers were symmetrically placed on opposite sides of the academy, their gold and black colors hinting at some unknown symbolism.
The academy seemed to lack a formal main gate. A wall encircled the entire complex tightly, and a faint, transparent barrier shimmered in the sky above.
Some witches flew on broomsticks but only within the confines of this aerial barrier.
Despite the restriction, the sheer size of the barrier allowed them to fly freely without feeling confined.
Beatrice carried Aurora to the skies above the academy. When they touched the barrier, it was like a soft bubble that enveloped them both.
Curious, Aurora reached out and poked at the strange membrane that resembled both a bubble and a magical shield.
Zzzzt.
“Ow!”
A faint electric spark flickered the moment her finger touched the surface, and she reflexively pulled back her hand.
That such a vast barrier also carried lightning elemental magic surprised her.
Just how complex must the magic circle be to create such a unique barrier?
“Idiot.”
A faint voice came from behind.
Beatrice, who hadn’t said that in a long time, actually called her an idiot again. Tilting her head slightly, Aurora saw a rare smile playing at the corner of Beatrice’s mouth.
“…Sorry.”
Ignoring the surrounding barrier, Beatrice continued flying forward. Aurora vaguely noticed—was there another barrier inside this one?
As they neared the second layer, the outer bubble merged with it and released them into the innermost area. Only now had they truly entered the academy.
Flying past the golden clock tower, Beatrice headed straight for a manor up ahead.
Along the way, students dressed in witch garb and black magic-user uniforms bowed respectfully to her.
Many of them glanced curiously at Aurora, who sat nestled in Beatrice’s arms—some with envy in their eyes, but more with intrigue.
Beatrice ignored all of them and flew directly toward the manor without so much as a glance.
As they neared the manor, her flight speed increased significantly, and in no time, they had arrived.
Outside the manor gates, wild weeds grew thick, and rust covered the iron gates, now overrun with creeping vines. The hedges on either side had gone untrimmed for so long they looked like a chaotic mess.
Upon entering the grounds, they first passed through the courtyard.
The courtyard was just as dilapidated. The garden beds on either side were overgrown with weeds, and the fountain had long since dried up, filled with nothing but dust.
Two white stone pillars flanked the entrance, entwined by thick vines. Through the dense foliage, one could just barely make out delicate carvings hidden beneath.
Yet amid all this ruin, one spot stood out as unusually clean and beautiful.
In one corner of the courtyard, dozens of silver-gradient flowers were blooming quietly.
They were thriving. No weeds surrounded them, and their silvery petals were immaculate—clearly, someone had been caring for them.
In the midst of this greyness and decay, the silver-gradient flowers appeared radiant and resilient.
Looking down from above, one might even think this manor had been built solely for them…
The old redwood doors opened, and Aurora was brought inside.
The interior was equally decayed, equally broken.
The red carpet was thick with dust, the walls webbed with cobwebs, the grandfather clock long stopped, and the luxurious-looking redwood armchair had likely seen little use.
The oil lamps were long spent and now made for the perfect nest of damp little bugs…
Aurora was taken into a bedroom. Unlike the rest of the manor, this room was somewhat cleaner.
There was only one luxurious bed, a large wardrobe, and a desk piled high with books.
Near the bed, a single silver-gradient flower lay quietly.
“This is…”
Aurora had barely begun to speak when she was suddenly thrown onto the bed.
Just as she tried to sit up, Beatrice pressed her down.
“Now comes the interrogation.”
Beatrice knelt on top of Aurora, straddling her. She stripped off her oversized witch’s robe, tossing her hat and cloak to the side of the bed.
Beneath the robe, she wore a pure white knitted sweater. Her firm and beautiful figure was accentuated by the tight fit. The two soft mounds on her chest were pressed tightly by the sweater, almost as if they were about to burst free.
This sweater… Aurora had knitted it for Beatrice herself. Just like the black witch’s robe, every extra garment Beatrice wore was handmade by Aurora.
She just hadn’t expected that even after all these years, Beatrice’s body had continued developing—especially those two soft mounds.
Back then, they’d only been about the size of her fists, but now, they looked like they might tear the sweater apart…
There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, and a few glistening beads trailed down her neck. As she leaned in close to Aurora, an alluring fragrance—mixed with the faint scent of sweat—wafted into Aurora’s nose.
After all that travel, she could finally take her time to admire this silver-gradient flower.
“I heard from Avila that you’re a maid.”
“Whose maid did you become?”
Her voice came out cold, with warm breath brushing against Aurora’s slightly flushed cheeks.
Aurora didn’t want to tell Beatrice which duke’s household she served.
Knowing Beatrice’s temperament, she feared the woman might do something unspeakable to the duke’s family.
“I… I didn’t.”
“Heh.”
Her eyes suddenly sharpened, and a red chain appeared in her hand out of thin air, linking directly to Aurora’s neck.
With a sharp tug, the crimson chain emitted an unsettling glow. Aurora’s entire body ached under the sting of that light, and she was yanked upright.
Beatrice grabbed her face with both hands and forcefully pushed her back against the headboard.
The chain was yanked again, sending a sharper wave of pain through her body, enough to draw a cry from her lips.
“Please don’t do this, Beatrice…”
“Then beg me. Please me.”
A cold voice, laced with a faint thrill, reached her ears. The chain was pulled once more.
Aurora bit her lip, trembling, and finally gave the answer Beatrice wanted: “Please release me… Master.”
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