The world through the crack of the door swayed with flickering light and shadow.
Two figures sat closely on the edge of the bed, tightly embracing each other.
The smaller figure was naturally Wendy, and the other was Astreia…
Laxana’s heart pounded wildly, her rational mind telling her to turn away immediately or just kick the door open.
But her body refused to obey.
Dark and twisted desire wrapped tightly around her limbs, dragging her step by step deeper into the world inside the room.
Her childhood was supposed to be carefree.
As the eldest daughter of the Ke Cain Family, Laxana possessed a prestigious lineage and unparalleled magical talent, with the princess as her best playmate.
The turning point came during her development years.
While girls her age still maintained slender, delicate figures, her body seemed excessively blessed by the gods, growing wildly.
The flat figure once praised by her mother overnight became synonymous with “bulky” and “fat” in the eyes of her peers.
Scorn, mockery, and alienation shattered her proud world.
The only one who didn’t abandon her was Astreia.
Because the Princess was also, like her, an “outlier.”
They used to hide together in deserted corners, sharing their grievances.
Laxana still remembered that her favorite thing to do was to bury her face into Astreia’s warm embrace, rubbing against that softness as if that was the only way to draw courage to resist the malice of the whole world.
She had once naively thought it was because she and Astreia were just too ugly.
But as her magical skills deepened, Laxana’s thoughts grew more independent.
She began to question this world, scrutinizing those standards that praised “flatness” and “slenderness” as beauty.
No, it wasn’t us who were wrong.
It was this world that was wrong!
She had thought she was alone—until today, until Wendy appeared.
That prince openly admired Astreia’s figure.
The way he looked at Astreia was the same as how she looked at her.
He… was one of them.
But precisely because he was one of them, it was even more unforgivable!
Laxana’s breath grew scorching as her gaze shifted toward Astreia’s figure.
Her dazzling pale golden hair was casually pinned up at the back of her head, revealing a graceful neck and smooth, beautiful back.
The lines of her back were fluid and full of strength, every inch of her skin shimmering with a seductive honey glow under the candlelight.
And Wendy, buried his head in the princess’s embrace, his deep blue hair happily rubbing against that sacred place like a cat that had found a warm nest.
That posture…
Was exactly the same as when she was a child!
Damn it!
An indescribable bitterness and jealousy surged up in Laxana’s heart.
That place was clearly meant for her!
At that moment, voices from inside the room became clear.
“Astreia,” Wendy’s voice carried a trace of satisfied sigh, “you’re truly beautiful. No matter how many times I look, I never get enough.”
His hand was wrapped around the princess’s waist.
Astreia seemed to tremble slightly and said joyfully, “You… you really don’t think I’m ugly? They all say I’m too sturdy…”
“Ugly?”
Wendy chuckled softly, the laugh full of affection, “How could that be? I love your full figure the most. Holding you feels like owning the whole world. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful, the one and only.”
“Giggling…”
Astreia’s laughter was like silver bells, filled with shyness and satisfaction Laxana had never heard before.
She saw Astreia slightly turn her head, stick out her tongue, and gently lick Wendy’s earlobe.
“Mmm…”
Wendy let out a suppressed moan, his body seemingly tensing.
“All right, I… I’m ready now. Can… can we start the Purification?”
Purification?
Laxana’s heart sank.
So that was it…
She immediately thought of Astreia’s terrifying Witch State.
Could it be that every time she entered the Witch State, this kind of intimate act was necessary to purify the residual corrupted magic inside her?
Yes!
That must be it! No wonder her mother was deceived, and no wonder Wendy could spin that whole “Love and Guardianship” nonsense!
So in truth, he was the “Scabbard of Guardianship,” and this burning desire was the “Blade” that purified the corruption!
This revelation doused the fire of anger that had just ignited inside Laxana.
If this was the necessary method to heal Astreia, then what right did she have to stop or tear them apart?
While her mind was in turmoil, the two on the bed began the real “Purification.”
Their figures danced in the flickering candlelight.
At first, it was just a tentative touch, but as the atmosphere grew hotter, their breathing became heavier, and their positions grew increasingly forbidden…
Wait!
Laxana’s heart skipped a beat as she stared intently at the figures on the bed.
That posture… and that…
Why did it look so familiar?!
Wasn’t that exactly the position drawn in those picture books she had secretly gifted to Astreia?!
Boom!
Laxana’s mind exploded.
She never expected that her dearest friend would use the “knowledge” she had taught her to do this with another man…
Good student, Astreia!
Such an excellent student, grasping concepts quickly!
Humiliation, betrayal, and a strange curious excitement mingled into a violent storm, nearly tearing apart her rationality.
Laxana bit down hard on her robe sleeve to suppress the sob that threatened to escape.
The sounds inside grew louder.
Those suppressed gasps and the rustling of fabric felt like burning needles stabbing sharply into Laxana’s eardrums, igniting the blood coursing through her body.
Her cheeks suddenly burned hot, and her breath grew shallow…
“Damn it… these two… are really shameless…”
Time passed without her knowing how long.
With a long, satisfied sigh, the two figures finally quieted, panting as they collapsed into each other on the bed.
It was all over…
Just as Laxana prepared to flee this place that tortured her soul, Wendy’s voice rang out again.
“Astreia, what exactly do you feel for Laxana?”
That question froze the girl outside the door in place.
Astreia was silent for a moment, then softly asked, “Why do you suddenly ask that?”
“I feel… the way she looks at you is extraordinary,” Wendy’s voice sounded sincere.
“It’s not an ordinary friendship. It feels more like… love between a man and a woman.”
Laxana’s heart immediately tightened in her throat. She unconsciously held her breath and pressed her ear even closer.
Inside, there was a long silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Each second stretched out like a century.
Long enough for Laxana to think Astreia wouldn’t answer—until she finally heard a soft, drawn-out sigh.
That sigh carried resignation, relief, and a complicated emotion Laxana couldn’t understand.
“Actually… I’ve sensed it for a long time…”