“Welcome home, Master~”
Big White emerged from the kitchen, an apron draped over her.
It was fortunate that the apron had been purchased when Big White was still a small, fluffy ball; otherwise, given her current majestic stature, the little apron would be enduring an unbearable strain.
“Mmm, I’m back,” Aya Tone murmured, carrying Aya Jiu as he settled onto the sofa.
‘It truly feels good to be home, free from the need to put on a facade outside.’
‘Ah… when will I earn enough to retire early?’
‘Today’s work lasted less than eight hours, yet I feel more exhausted than if I’d cleared eight dungeons.’
‘This exhaustion is primarily mental. While activating the power of the heart felt exhilarating, that rush is always followed by a strange emptiness, coupled with a touch of weariness, leaving me uninterested in anything.’
‘And to top it off, I was caught red-handed by my superior, which only compounded my mental fatigue…’
‘Indeed, earning money is never easy.’
“Boo-hoo-hoo, Aya Jiu, a kiss for Daddy~” His fractured spirit could only be mended by showering Aya Jiu with kisses and hugs.
Smooch, smooch, smooch……
“Eek~ Bad Daddy~” Little Aya Jiu raised her tiny hands, attempting to fend off the ‘villain’.
But how could her meager strength possibly contend with such an aggressor?
She quickly surrendered, dissolving into peals of laughter.
After a long bout of playful wrestling, the father and daughter finally paused. Little Aya Jiu’s face was flushed with the rosy glow of their antics, making her utterly adorable.
Just then,
Big White approached with unhurried steps, leaning in to whisper softly into Aya Tone’s ear.
“Master, dinner will be ready in a moment. Would you like to bathe first, or perhaps…”
“Stop!”
Before Big White could finish, Aya Tone cut her off with a wave of his hand.
“Big White, please stop watching those silly clips all day at home, alright? They’ll make you stupid.”
“What are you talking about, Master?” Big White tilted her head innocently, bewildered by the interruption.
“I merely wanted to suggest you take a bath first. You appear quite tired, and bathing can wash away the fatigue.”
‘What is Master saying? She doesn’t understand.’
“Really?” Aya Tone’s eyes narrowed, a scrutinizing glint within them.
Though he had been rather preoccupied with games lately and had neglected anime, that didn’t mean he hadn’t seen this particular trope before.
‘Big White has gone bad.’
Aya Tone thought to himself.
Since acquiring a human form, Big White’s behavior had become increasingly human-like.
In the past, she would never have leaned in so close to speak; instead, she would have stood respectfully at a distance, dutifully like a robot.
But now…
Aya Tone glanced at the silver strands near his head.
“Alright, I’ll go take a bath first. Aya Jiu, do you want to join Daddy?”
“Aya Jiu does not!” The latter huffed, wriggling free from Aya Tone’s embrace.
Aya Tone wasn’t disheartened by this; a knowing smile played on his lips.
‘It seems the gender education has yielded significant results.’
‘Although, perhaps it’s been a bit too effective, indiscriminately including me, her own father, in the “no boys allowed” rule.’
‘Sigh…’
‘Everything truly has a flip side.’
‘Never mind…’
In the end, Aya Tone could only walk off to wash himself, feigning tears.
Seeing her master wipe away a tear at his little master’s refusal, Big White pursued him. “Master, actually, I could also…”
“Scram!”
“Oh…”
Big White pouted, her fair face puffing out slightly, as if vexed that Aya Tone hadn’t allowed her to finish speaking.
‘Mean Master, always interrupting me.’
She stamped her foot in a fit of pique.
Then, she turned and walked back into the kitchen, resuming the preparations for the unfinished meal.
The warm water cascaded over him, washing away the day’s weariness.
Aya Tone narrowed his eyes, quietly savoring the feel of the water gliding across his skin, while his mind drifted into thought.
‘The longer I remain transformed, the more I sense the female body subtly influencing my soul.’
‘If I continue to let this go unchecked, perhaps one day I’ll no longer distinguish which self is the true me.’
‘Especially recently.’
‘The matters in the Imperial City, the academy affairs…’
‘Each of these requires maintaining the transformed state for extended periods. Only upon returning to Yan’an City can I safely revert…’
‘Perhaps the plan to have Big White substitute teach needs to be implemented sooner rather than later.’
‘Ahem!’
‘This is all to allow Big White to better integrate into society. It’s certainly not because someone is lazy and wants to retire early.’
****
Emerging from the bathroom, Aya Tone found dinner already served on the table, awaiting his presence.
Big White, having shed her apron, was now engrossed in play with Aya Jiu.
‘It seems my bath took an exorbitant amount of time.’
Aya Tone stroked his chin. ‘Next time, it’s absolutely essential to get a bathtub. Lying in one would surely be incredibly comfortable.’
‘As for speeding things up?’
‘No, no, no! That’s simply out of the question.’
‘Bathing is a most sacred act; it cannot be rushed, nor should it be.’
“Dinner time, dinner time!”
“Ooh-ooh-ooh!” Aya Jiu enthusiastically cooperated, raising her tiny hands and shouting.
“Wash your hands!”
“Aww~” Aya Jiu scampered on her bare feet to her designated little stool in the kitchen.
Aya Tone chuckled, shaking his head.
‘Truthfully, having a Big White who can cook is one of life’s greatest blessings.’
‘Coming home to a ready meal, boo-hoo-hoo.’
Tears of joy streamed from Aya Tone’s lips; it was simply too delicious.
‘If Big White were female, he’d consider marrying her on the spot.’
‘Alas…’
****
The next day.
After seeing Aya Jiu off, Aya Tone returned home without delay for another nap.
‘His initial thought had been to go to the guild and discuss reducing his workload with Fire Finch, but a glance at the clock showed it was barely eight.’
‘Knowing his Guild Master, she would undoubtedly still be sleeping in.’
‘Going to the guild so early would surely be a wasted trip.’
‘Better to go later; it wouldn’t make much difference.’
‘Yes, that was the original plan.’
At the Fated Apartment.
“Wait, no, Guild Master, have you been possessed or something? Why are you here to see me so early?”
Aya Tone, having just returned home, was alerted by Big White’s gaze to Fire Finch, who had pushed open the door and come looking for him bright and early.
‘He muttered inwardly.’
‘This isn’t right.’
‘It’s only a little past eight; the Guild Master shouldn’t even be awake by now, and it doesn’t seem like she’s here for Aya Jiu.’
‘And she’s smiling at me, tsk tsk tsk, something’s definitely off.’
“Can’t you speak properly? What do you mean, ‘possessed’? Can’t I have one day where I wake up early and come to find you?” Fire Finch glared at the insensitive man before her, her phoenix eyes blazing.
Her good mood for the day instantly vanished.
‘She probably came here just to get annoyed…’
“Oh, come on, I was just concerned about you. Calm down, alright?”
Fire Finch was his boss. Seeing her anger, Aya Tone hastily poured tea and apologized.
“And you have the nerve to say that? On your very first day of teaching, you nearly rendered the academy’s training grounds unusable! If Principal Deng hadn’t stepped in for you, you’d be off to the Imperial City for an investigation right now.”
In this age of information, Dragon Court Academy had recently become a trending topic.
The news that a single lecture had nearly destroyed the training grounds had long since spread across the internet.
After all, anyone with eyes could see that crimson magic.
Some even speculated that the Witch had unleashed all the grievances she suffered during her university days.
To put it simply, the Witch had retaliated by blowing up the school.
Instantly, countless followers flocked to this comment.
Many were contemplating emulating her, planning to return to their alma mater on the day they achieved fame and fortune, to finally accomplish what they couldn’t back then.
‘It would be absolutely exhilarating!’
What a bas example.