The Sloth Witch’s Embrace and a Brewing Storm

“No coffee, but would you like some black tea?”

“Oh, thank you.”

Inside the cozy bedroom, Reyn accepted a cup of steaming black tea from Victoria. He took small sips, sitting rather stiffly on the sofa, his gaze unsure where to settle.

Victoria watched Reyn with a gentle smile, slowly leaning closer to him. “Young Master, the black tea tastes quite good, doesn’t it?”

“Ah… it’s good.”

Reyn gradually shifted towards the edge of the sofa, trying to maintain some distance from Victoria. However, the sofa was only so large, and he soon found himself cornered with nowhere left to retreat.

Seeing Victoria almost pressing against him, Reyn firmly pursed his lips. “I’m sorry, Victoria. I still can’t—”

A pale, slender finger quickly pressed against his lips, silencing him. A pair of sapphire eyes gazed at him with intense heat, and her red lips, as if stained with blood, parted slightly. “Young Master, I am the one who should be apologizing.”

Reyn’s expression froze. As he tried to comprehend her words, his mind suddenly grew hazy, and his consciousness began to dissipate.

“Victoria…”

Victoria gently embraced Reyn as he murmured her name and slowly drifted into unconsciousness. A look of extreme greed slowly crept onto her face. ‘I really… can’t hold back any longer.’

She hugged Reyn tightly, frantically inhaling his scent. Her lips, no longer needing to be suppressed, curved into a mad smile, and two cracks began to spread from the corners of her mouth, reaching all the way to her earlobes. The usurping magníficent blue flames burst forth from within these fissures, dancing with her ecstatic heart.

‘No, not yet.’ She restrained the greatest desire within her, simply holding Reyn in her arms without making any further moves. ‘This body… it is not enough.’

“If you’re not going to continue, could you spare a moment to hear my request?”

A third, unexpected voice echoed in the room. Victoria’s head snapped up, her eyes icy as she stared at Arthur Haim, who had appeared in the bedroom. Her attention then shifted to Helen Sibeka, who had entered behind him. Upon seeing the Holy Church’s white robes, Victoria’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she spoke in a frosty tone. “Knight, you’ve brought an unnecessary person.”

Arthur Haim casually “glanced” toward the unconscious Reyn before returning his focus to Victoria. He spoke softly, “We’ve found a clue concerning the SSS-rank Heretic [Fairy Tale]; it resides within a child’s dreams. I wonder if the authority wielded by the Sloth Witch might allow entry into its world?”

Victoria stared at Arthur Haim for a moment before slowly replying, “With the authority you possess, you should also be able to enter. However, what exactly did you do to become so weakened?”

Arthur Haim twitched his lips, chuckling softly. “I’m not quite as formidable as Miss Victoria.”

Victoria snorted. “Sloth says she can do it, but she needs coordinates.”

“Coordinates?”

“The dream world isn’t a single entity; it’s a collection of independent worlds. Without coordinates, one cannot enter another’s dream.”

Arthur Haim’s expression flickered as he reached for the picture book he carried. “Can this fairy tale book serve as the coordinates?”

Victoria raised an eyebrow slightly. “A medium? Yes, wait a moment.”

A scorching flame ignited in the air, and three figures stepped out from it. Immediately, all three turned their gazes towards Reyn, who was asleep on the sofa.

Anna, wearing her phoenix mask, narrowed her eyes slightly, scrutinizing the calm-faced Victoria. “You just let the Young Master sleep on the sofa?”

Victoria sidestepped Anna’s question, her eyes coldly fixed on Arthur Haim. “Only the two of you are going into the dream world, right?”

Arthur Haim’s lips twitched slightly. Knowing he had interrupted their evening, he cleared his throat. “That’s right, just the two of us.”

The blonde girl wearing a white snake mask—the Sloth Witch—silently took the picture book from Arthur Haim’s hand. As she began to reverse-engineer the coordinates, she suddenly spoke softly, “It’s locked.”

Arthur Haim’s expression stiffened. “Does that mean we can’t get in?”

The Sloth Witch shook her head, her voice quiet. “We can, but it will startle the other party. You will be sealed, and she will die.”

Arthur’s brow furrowed instantly. “It will take me a long time to recover, and we don’t have that much time to wait. Is there no other way?”

“There is. The lock doesn’t impede children; they can enter.”

“Then it’ll be Gluttony and me,” Anna suddenly interjected, casting a provocative glance at Victoria. “A certain old woman won’t be much help to the Young Master right now.”

Victoria’s expression stiffened, and she stared at Anna with a forced smile. “Indeed. It’s my fault for not being a child.”

Helen Sibeka watched everything unfolding before her, her expression growing incredibly complex. The Witches, whose fearsome reputations echoed throughout the world, were actually like this in private?

‘Damn it! Could Arthur Haim’s absurd claims actually be true?’

Arthur Haim suddenly spoke. “In that case, I’ll leave the dream realm to you. Helen, can you initiate an investigation into the Michelle family for Heresy, in your capacity as a Bishop?”

“What? Arthur Haim, are you insane? Do you know what kind of upheaval that would cause? Besides, right now, we can only prove the existence of an unknown Heretic; it doesn’t necessarily link them to the Michelle family. Even if there is a connection, the Holy Land will simply deal with it quietly.”

Arthur Haim met Helen Sibeka’s gaze calmly, stating plainly, “Only a select few within the Holy Church know about my demotion. To the outside world, I am still a Holy Knight. If you won’t do it, I will do it myself.”

Helen Sibeka’s face instantly darkened, and she stared at Arthur with icy eyes. “At most, I can arrange an interview with Grand Duke Texas Michelle. If you insist on going your own way, I’ll have no choice but to deal with you right here!”

Arthur Haim chuckled. “Here? In front of them? You’re the one surrounded right now.”

Victoria suddenly smiled faintly, her voice soft. “If you need to deal with him, I can lend a hand.”

Anna and Vivian remained silent, simply returning to the ship with the Sloth Witch. The coordinates were in hand; they could enter the [Fairy Tale]’s world at any moment.

Helen Sibeka coldly eyed Arthur Haim’s slightly stiff expression, scoffing, “Surrounded? Where? Are you referring to yourself?”

Arthur Haim sighed, shrugging with a hint of helplessness. “Alright, though it’s only this much, it should be enough to get Grand Duke Texas Michelle to leave this estate temporarily.”

Helen Sibeka’s pupils constricted slightly as she scrutinized Arthur. “You… you intended to do this all along?”

“How could I? I would much prefer to directly expose the true face hidden by the Michelle family. Although it might take a few more detours now, it’s merely a bit more troublesome.”

“Arthur Haim… you had better not make an irreparable mistake!”