On a muddy path through the forest.
A sudden drizzle shrouded the woods in a hazy veil, as if draping everything in a blurry, indistinct curtain.
The breeze carried with it the raw scent of fresh grass and soil.
Insects sang unceasingly, but there was a jarring sound that stood out, making the elves in the forest peek out carefully at the shadowy figure—“Ugh, hurry up, stupid horse!”
After traveling for a whole day and night, the horse finally collapsed from exhaustion.
The cart wheels sank into the mud, and the horse lay on the ground panting, refusing to get up no matter how much Mo Zhi pushed.
Her purple Lolita dress was soaked by the fine rain, and the once airy skirt now hung limp and heavy.
In this forest, Mo Zhi now looked like a rain-drenched purple flower, though her wild, energetic movements seemed quite out of place with such a ladylike outfit.
“I already gave you all the food I had! Come on, at least try a little harder!”
Mo Zhi, annoyed, raised her leg to kick the horse a couple of times, but a gust of wind blew up her skirt.
Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly retracted her foot, using both hands to hold down the hem tightly.
Now, all she wore was the Lolita dress.
If she so much as lifted her leg, the wind and the rain would mercilessly invade her delicate flower.
“Damn it…”
Up ahead should be the Human Territory.
After that, it was still a stretch to reach the Royal Capital.
If she stopped here, she’d definitely miss the day the wedding started.
There’s no way she could run the rest of the way—well, maybe she could?
If she gave it her all, she’d be faster than riding, after all, the Cat-demon Clan was known for their speed.
But the Cat Demon Clan had one glaring weakness: quick to burst out, but just as quick to tire.
She’d given all her food to the horse.
If she tried to run without enough food, she might collapse of hunger before even reaching the Royal Capital.
She didn’t want her clansmen to find nothing left of her but a dried-up cat jerky.
The rain grew heavier.
Mo Zhi knew she couldn’t afford to linger.
Who knew how long the horse would need to rest?
She took out a piece of clothing from her bundle to cover her head, then started trudging forward on foot.
“Oi!”
Just as Mo Zhi was about to lose her way in the downpour, a voice—sounding oddly familiar—came from overhead.
Squinting through the sheets of rain, she looked up and saw a blurred silhouette.
A flash of blue-green hovered in the sky above.
The rain was coming down too hard for Mo Zhi to see clearly, but judging by the way she was flying, she guessed this person was a witch.
The witch swooped down toward Mo Zhi on her Broom, and as she drew nearer, Mo Zhi finally recognized her face—it was the witch who had eaten her Doudou Cake before!
Strangely, the witch’s body wasn’t touched by the rain at all.
If one looked closely, they’d see the raindrops seemed to have a will of their own, dodging her as they fell. Mo Zhi could only think of one explanation for such a phenomenon: Magic.
The witch gripped the wide brim of her hat with one hand and controlled the Broom with the other.
Her long, teal hair was braided over one shoulder, and even her eyes and lashes matched that same unique blue-green—her entire being seemed as if she’d been soaked in azure dye, even her lips tinted faintly with it.
Only her fair, pink-tinged skin and the billowing black witch robe stood out in contrast, giving her a bright, lively look that was hard not to like.
“What are you doing here? A bit farther ahead and you’ll be in Human Territory, you know.”
She tilted her head, eyes fixed on Mo Zhi without blinking.
There seemed to be a crumb of bread left at the corner of her mouth.
Gulp.
Mo Zhi quietly swallowed, her stomach rumbling twice in response.
“I… I’m just heading to the humans’ side to watch the Princess’s wedding.”
She made up a random excuse.
After all, she couldn’t exactly tell the witch she was going to catch an assassin, could she?
“You too? But you’re from the Demon Race. If you get caught, you’ll be arrested for sure.”
“That’s true, but I really want to go! I’ve lived in the clan for a hundred years and have never seen such a grand event!”
Liar—she’d not only seen it, she’d lived through it herself.
When she got married back then, the Priest, Sacrificer, and Saintess all had to come up and give their blessings, or else they’d have been in for trouble.
Although Mo Zhi hadn’t enjoyed herself much that day, she did get her fill of that kind of spectacle.
“I see… well, that’s pretty unfortunate.”
As she spoke, the witch descended from the sky and landed on the ground.
“Consider this repaying you for that Doudou Cake. Let the great Qinglan Witch take you along!”
“Really?!”
“A witch never lies!”
Mo Zhi was overjoyed, but as she glanced at the Broom in the witch’s hand, her excitement dampened a little.
She squeezed her legs together awkwardly, blushing.
“So… how do two people ride this thing together?”
“That’s easy! Just straddle it!”
“…Can’t I sit sideways?”
“Nope, you’d lose your balance sitting sideways.”
The witch mounted the Broom and looked back at Mo Zhi, who was still hesitant.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get on!”
“Oh…”
Mo Zhi swallowed again.
She couldn’t let her shyness keep her from such a good opportunity—Wensha was probably waiting anxiously for her now!
All right, she would do it!
Her expression turned resolute, like a warrior headed to battle, and she edged slowly closer to the witch.
Eh? What’s with this mood?
It’s just a Broom, why did she suddenly look so fierce?
The witch was puzzled, but figured it was just some Cat Demon Clan ritual and didn’t think much of it.
Mo Zhi lifted her leg, tucked some of her skirt under her hips, and finally dared to sit down.
Hmm…
It wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined.
“Ready? I’m about to take off.”
“R-ready.”
Seeing how scared she looked, the witch couldn’t help but cover her mouth and stifle a laugh.
So even Cat Demons could be afraid of heights?
Her toes lifted off the ground, and as her feet fully left the earth, Mo Zhi’s legs clamped even tighter around the Broom.
The witch drew out a pale red magical wand from her wide sleeve, murmured a few words, and tapped the top of Mo Zhi’s head.
Instantly, the rain seemed to part of its own accord around Mo Zhi.
Even the moisture that had soaked into her clothes began to seep out, dripping off behind them.
“There, now you won’t get drenched like a drowned rat.”
“Magic really is amazing.”
“That’s nothing, you’ll see even more amazing things soon.”
The witch said no more, gripping the handle of the Broom tightly and flying forward.
Inside the Demon King’s bedchamber.
Randis Eberhart’s eyes were dark with anger brewing within.
Watching the Space Magic she had meticulously prepared begin to crack, and even the Barrier get destroyed, her unruly Queen Consort had now vanished without a trace.
More than anger, what she felt was shock and disbelief.
Whether it was Space Magic or Barrier magic, she had set the highest level spells for her.
How could someone who hadn’t even learned Magic break them?
She must be hiding something from me…
The window had been opened, and a piece of clothing from the wardrobe was missing.
But it didn’t matter—she knew exactly where her beloved consort would go.
“My dear consort, disobedient little pet… must be punished.”
She would strip her of her clothing one by one, strip away her dignity, her warmth, and all the secrets wrapped within.