“Alright?”
Enya first glanced at the colorful-winged moth, then looked toward Antiros.
“Did you come over just to update this thing?”
“……”
Antiros lifted her eyes to meet Enya’s gaze.
Enya quickly lowered her head, focusing on the colorful-winged moth, and reached out to grab it.
However, Antiros withdrew her open hand.
Enya didn’t get to take it.
She awkwardly pulled her hand back and looked at Antiros with a puzzled expression.
“You’re not going to charge me, are you?”
“……”
The witch Miss Antiros, with her black hair and dark eyes, couldn’t help but let her thick black lashes flutter.
She immediately reached out and pinched Enya’s waist.
“Ow, that hurts!”
Enya jumped back half a step, rubbing the spot where Antiros had pinched her.
It didn’t really hurt—she was just pretending.
After receiving a rare eye-roll from Antiros, she laughed and leaned closer, grabbing the witch’s delicate little hand.
“Master~ Teach me how to use it~”
“Go away…”
Antiros turned her head, pouting slightly.
It seemed she still held a bit of resentment toward Enya, though it was faint and not very obvious.
Enya truly left.
She sat back down on the same stone as before, quietly watching Antiros.
Antiros waved her hand casually, and a mirror about the size of a door panel appeared before Enya.
The reflection showed Enya in her Dragon Princess form.
If anyone knowledgeable saw this, they’d think she was a member of the Dragon race.
Ordinary people might mistake her for some humanoid monster.
Or perhaps a wandering demon…
But she looked good enough that she wasn’t frightening.
In fact, she might even inspire some daydreams.
Enya sighed lightly as she looked at this version of herself.
After summoning the mirror, Antiros released the colorful-winged moth from her hand.
The moth flapped its crystal-stone wings and darted into the mirror, causing ripples to ripple across its surface.
Enya had been propping her head up with both hands, but when she saw the changes in the mirror, she froze—because the moth had transformed into Lady Phil Croque!
Lady Phil stepped out of the mirror and locked eyes with Enya.
Both showed a flicker of surprise, then simultaneously glanced toward Antiros, who was standing nearby.
“What’s going on, Antiros?”
“What’s going on, Antiros?”
They spoke almost in unison. Antiros glanced at Enya, then at Phil, hesitated, and finally focused on the space between them.
“I separated the identity that ‘Lies’ created from you, turning her into a human ‘avatar.’ That way, she won’t affect you anymore.”
“Huh?”
Enya stood and examined the Phil in front of her.
A white blouse, black long skirt, small heels, long silver hair, a gentle and soft face with a subtle mature charm, those pale golden eyes, the poised and elegant demeanor…
They blinked simultaneously and exchanged a phrase.
“So this is how you look from other people’s perspectives?”
Enya noticed Phil seemed a bit older than herself… Why did so many people think Lady Phil was that much older? Well, it was understandable—Phil, though young, was already a mother.
Antiros interrupted Enya’s self-admiration.
“Do you realize you’re almost a saint of Goddess Milaya?”
“……”
Enya fell silent.
She obviously didn’t know.
So Antiros began to explain.
The gist was that Phil was a cocoon created by ‘Lies.’ Other people’s perceptions served as nourishment for the cocoon.
Once recognition reached a certain threshold, the cocoon would hatch into a moth.
People saw Phil as a mother.
Goddess Milaya is a great compassionate deity, spreading kindness and love to the world, often appearing in the form of a mother.
If ‘Lies’ connected Phil with Milaya…
Then it was very likely to meet the conditions for divine possession, causing Phil to resonate with the goddess and possess her body first, breaking free from the cocoon before Enya.
If that happened, Enya would be stuck as a puppet without her own will for life.
After hearing the danger from Antiros, Enya was shocked.
She embraced Phil, but suddenly Phil turned into a swarm of colorful-winged moths and merged back into Enya’s body.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
“Version update.”
Antiros slightly lifted her chin, looking a bit proud.
Though her face showed little expression, those calm, watery eyes still revealed a trace of something else.
Enya blinked and asked,
“Master~ What’s going on? Please tell me~”
“Hmph hmph~”
Antiros raised her head even higher.
Enya put on a look of eager curiosity, waiting for Antiros to explain.
Enya knew best how to coax her.
If anyone knew who Enya had spent the most time with, it would be Antiros.
Back in that underground ruin, it was thanks to Antiros that Enya had the chance to get out.
Antiros gave her the opportunity to attend the Talrond Academy, and time and again helped her, providing many useful things without charge.
Enya’s own parents hadn’t been as good to her as Antiros.
Because of this, Enya felt especially close to Antiros.
If Antiros weren’t so tiny, Enya might have said—
“Alas, drifting half a lifetime without a worthy master!”
Antiros cleared her throat and introduced formally.
“The first function: Exchange.”
“If you say the incantation in front of the mirror and walk in, you can exchange into the avatar’s body.”
“The second function: Separation.”
“Also say the incantation in front of the mirror, and the avatar in the mirror will step out. The way to recall her is simple—you already did it once just now, by hugging her.”
Enya thought it over and found it quite convenient.
She turned to the mirror and approached it, looking at her Dragon Princess self inside.
She spoke the incantation Antiros had taught her.
Then she stepped into the mirror, and in an instant, the world seemed to invert.
Looking down, Enya realized she had switched back into Phil’s black-and-white skirt outfit.
Her arms looked normal, the dragon tail behind her was gone, and when she touched her head, the dragon horns were hidden as well.
She turned to look at the mirror, which reflected Phil’s image.
This wasn’t just a change in appearance—it truly hid her true form, only moving around as the avatar.
A very handy trick for “hiding the tiger under the pig’s disguise.”
Antiros added,“As long as there’s something reflective, you can transform. You’ve wanted this ability since you were little, always nagging me to make it for you, right? How does it feel now? Pretty great, isn’t it?”
The witch said as she walked over to Enya, tiptoeing to reach up and touch Enya’s head.
Enya bent her knees to make it easier for Antiros to reach.
Antiros’ favorite thing was to show Enya strange little trinkets, waiting for Enya’s curious questions about their use.
Then Antiros would explain and eventually give them to her.
Seeing Enya’s excited expression always made Antiros quietly happy.
Enya bit her lower lip, then hugged the tiny witch tightly, holding her close and pressing her face against the soft softness of Antiros’ chest.
She rested her face on Antiros’ head and softly said,
“I’m sorry for making you worry…”
“Umm umm umm!!!” Antiros struggled in her arms.