The night deepened, and most of the bottles on the table were nearly empty.
The plate of cookies, now bare, lay scattered to the side.
Liangcai felt her head spinning a bit, as if stuffed with a ball of warm cotton.
Everything she saw was wrapped in a gentle, hazy glow.
Propping up her chin, she looked at the children gathered around the table, a silly smile hanging on her lips.
Motifiel was the first to collapse.
After downing half a glass of mead, she’d still been energetic.
But as she unknowingly drank several more, she finally hit her limit.
First, she hugged her empty glass, giggling foolishly and mumbling, “So yummy, hehe… Mama, mama! Mama, you’re the best.” Then, her head suddenly dropped with a thud onto the table, and she fell asleep right there, even emitting soft little snores.
Illucy had the weakest tolerance of them all; her little face had long since turned as red as a ripe apple.
She tried to hold out, not wanting to dampen the mood, but her gaze was already unfocused, and her body began to sway.
Not long after Motifiel went down, she too couldn’t hang on any longer.
She slumped softly against her chair, curling up like a sleeping kitten, and mumbled unconsciously, “Mama, love… Illucy loves Mama the most, you know…”
Watching these two silly little ones, Liang Lai couldn’t help but laugh.
She reached out to adjust their positions, making sure they wouldn’t be uncomfortable while they slept.
Morgana had drunk quite a bit as well.
Her cheeks were flushed, but she seemed to have a naturally high tolerance—or perhaps it was because she’d drunk before.
She was more excitable than usual, chatting away animatedly, dragging a still-sober Asterys and Delucia into her endless tales about her past as a Witch.
Dolosa, on the other hand, didn’t drink much.
She always kept herself in check, but a faint blush still colored her pale cheeks, and her icy blue eyes, softened by the lamplight, lingered on Liang Lai from time to time, filled with a fierce possessiveness.
Yet whenever Liang Lai looked her way, she would quickly avert her gaze and quietly lower her head.
As for Dexilensi…
She looked the most composed on the surface: her posture still graceful, her expression proud, even letting out the occasional disdainful snort at Morgana’s nonsense.
But if one looked closely, they’d see her fingers tightening around her wineglass, trembling ever so slightly, her eyes unfocused and her breathing just a bit more hurried than usual.
She absolutely could not lose to Dolosa! Especially not in front of Mama Liang Lai! That thought alone kept her upright.
But the roiling in her stomach was growing stronger, the aftertaste of mead surging in waves like a tide.
The room seemed to spin before her eyes; Dolosa’s annoying face even began to double.
Damn it, there are more of her now! The more there are, the more nauseous I feel—this is going to make me sick. Damn! Shouldn’t have looked at Dolosa!
No, she couldn’t stay any longer…
Dexilensi suddenly stood up, her movements stiff and abrupt from the alcohol.
“I… I need to use the bathroom.” She tried to keep her voice cool and even, but the last syllable trembled, barely noticeable.
With that, she all but staggered out of the Dining Room, still struggling to maintain her dignity.
As soon as the door closed, sounds of her stifled retching and hurried footsteps racing toward the Bathroom echoed from the Corridor.
Dolosa watched Dexilensi’s almost panicked retreat, the corners of her lips lifting in the faintest, victorious curve. Heh, this fool! Just a bit of wine and she’s done for? She really can’t compare!
Keep trying, will you? Had enough yet?
That annoying one finally left.
Her gaze drifted back to Liang Lai, who was already slumping and unsteady.
Liang Lai was grinning foolishly, trying to pick up a cookie crumb that had fallen onto the table.
Her attempts were clumsy yet endearing…
She missed the crumb several times, then huffed and smacked her own hand in frustration, even scolding her own fingers.
Yep, definitely drunk.
Now’s my chance.
Dolosa rose and walked over to Liangcai, her voice gentler than usual: “Liang Lai, you’ve had too much. Let me help you back to your room to rest.”
Liangcai looked up, her dazed eyes focusing on Dolosa, and she let out a delayed “Mm.”
“No, I’m not drunk! I can’t possibly be drunk—I’m the grown-up here! I can still… still drink… more, you know!”
As she spoke, she reached for her glass, but her hand grasped only air—a rather comical sight.
Without further ado, Dolosa lifted Liang Lai’s arm and draped it over her own slender but strong shoulder.
“All right, Liang Lai, time to rest. Didn’t I say I’d tell you a story tonight to help you sleep? Come on, let’s go back to your room. I’ll tell you a story and help you drift off.”
Liang Lai nearly collapsed entirely against Dolosa, her warm, mead-laced breath wafting against Dolosa’s neck as she mumbled, “Nana, Motifiel, don’t be naughty… Illucy, good girl, you’re such a good little one… don’t keep making trouble for Mama!”
Dolosa’s heart skipped a beat. Half carrying, half supporting Liangcai, she looked over at the others still at the table and said calmly,
“I’m taking Liang Lai to rest. You all should sleep soon too—don’t make her worry.”
Asterys and Delucia nodded in perfect sync, their matching pale green eyes twinkling with curiosity and mischief.
Dolosa said no more, steadying the wobbly Liang Lai as she left the Dining Room and headed for her own room.
No sooner had they left than Illucy and Motifiel, still at the table, were completely forgotten.
Asterys and Delucia exchanged glances, sharing a silent understanding. In perfect harmony, they quickly slipped off after Dolosa.
Morgana, who had just paused to gulp some water for her dry mouth, caught a glimpse of the twins’ sneaky departure.
She blinked her slightly hazy violet eyes.
“Huh? What are those two up to? Sneaking around… Don’t tell me they’re up to something bad?” Curiosity instantly overpowered her dizziness.
She put down her cup and tiptoed after them.
Though her stealth wasn’t as polished as the Shadowborn twins, every step was eerily silent—that was the power of a Witch.
Even the ever-alert Asterys and Delucia didn’t notice her presence.
Dolosa’s room wasn’t far from the Dining Room.
She carefully supported Liang Lai up to the second floor, opened the door, guided her inside, and closed the door softly behind them.
From the far end of the Corridor, faint retching and muttered curses could still be heard coming from the Bathroom—Dexilensi’s voice, stubborn as ever despite her discomfort.
In the shadows outside Dolosa’s door, two little silver-haired heads slowly rose out of the darkness—it was Asterys and Delucia.
They held their breath and pressed their ears close, trying to eavesdrop on what was happening inside the room.
Just then—
“Smack!”
Two hands came down hard on the twins’ shoulders.
“Hey! What are you two doing here? Eavesdropping, huh?”
Morgana’s boisterous voice echoed down the quiet Corridor, even though she was trying her best to keep it low.
Asterys and Delucia jumped as if struck by lightning, letting out a short but very soft cry like startled rabbits. Delucia almost dove back into the shadows on reflex.
They turned around in terror to see Morgana’s beaming face, full of curiosity and mischief—caught red-handed!
“Shhh—!!!”
Asterys and Delucia paled, urgently pressing their fingers to their lips in a desperate plea for silence.
“Keep your voice down!” Asterys whispered, stomping her foot in agitation.
“We’ll get caught!” Delucia added, her voice hushed but frantic.
Morgana, even more intrigued by their nervousness, lowered her voice to match theirs.
“What’s going on? What are you watching? What are Big Sister Dolosa and Mama Liangcai doing in there? Why can’t we listen?”
The twins were on the verge of tears.
They only wanted to see if Dolosa would do anything “special” to their drunken Mama Liangcai—this was valuable intelligence! And now this dumb Witch had ruined it.
“It’s nothing,” Asterys tried to cover.
“We’re just worried about Mama,” Delucia added quickly.
At that moment, the half-closed door in front of them suddenly creaked open from the inside.
Dolosa stood in the doorway, face expressionless, her icy blue eyes colder than frost, the air around her dropping several degrees.
Her gaze, as sharp as a blade, swept over the terrified twins before fixing on Morgana’s clueless but eager face.
The temperature in the hallway plummeted instantly.
Asterys, Delucia, Morgana: “!!!”
We’re doomed!
But Dolosa wasn’t the only one alerted.
Inside the room, Liangcai, who’d been placed on the edge of the bed, seemed to be disturbed by the commotion.
She muttered groggily, “So noisy… what’s going on…?”
On the other end of the Corridor, the Bathroom door opened as well.
Dexilensi, pale and unsteady, stepped out just in time to witness the strange scene at Dolosa’s door.
She frowned.
Though she was still feeling sick, her instinct to watch the drama held her in place.
As soon as she saw Dexilensi, Dolosa’s irritation grew. She already felt that the sudden arrival of Asterys, Delucia, and Morgana had messed up her plans…
Just a moment ago, her hand had already slipped onto Liangcai’s waist.
She’d planned to use the excuse of “taking care of Liangcai” to get a little physical, then use it as a pretext the next day if needed…
But now, she’d been caught in the act.
No, she had to find a reason to get rid of these people.