Inside the hotel room, Aya Jiu sat demurely on the bedding, clutching her milk bottle and blinking her large eyes.
“Papa, did you sleep with Sister Li Jia last night?”
Waking in the middle of the night to find her papa gone, her little mind had independently drawn this startling conclusion.
Aya Tone was utterly mortified by his daughter’s shocking words. Memories he had painstakingly suppressed instantly flared back to life.
He weakly waved his hand. “No, I was dragged to work overtime by this uncle last night. Right, big brother?”
He subtly nudged Ao Yu’s shoulder, a silent warning not to let the truth slip in front of Aya Jiu.
Ao Yu, initially startled, belatedly nodded in agreement. “Yes, your papa was with me the entire night.”
Even more adorable than she appeared in photographs, the little girl before him was captivating. Her features bore a striking resemblance to Aya Tone’s, her round face plump and rosy like a ripe peach, inviting a playful pinch. Her petite nose tilted upwards slightly, and her large, bright eyes, like two glimmering black gemstones, darted about with lively curiosity. She was currently tilting her head, a puzzled expression on her face, gazing up at him.
Ao Yu, unwilling to undermine his junior, could only suppress his conscience and force a strained smile.
“Really?” Aya Jiu arched her adorable brows, her eyes brimming with disappointment.
Pouting defiantly, she lifted the milk bottle to her lips and took a furious gulp.
‘She had thought Papa had finally wised up, but it was still the same as ever… So silly!!’
“Truly, truly,” Aya Tone interjected quickly, oblivious to the subtle pouting on his daughter’s face. He gestured for Ao Yu to continue. Any more, and they would surely be exposed.
Ao Yu shot him a sidelong glance, then turned his gaze to Big White, who was silently tying Aya Jiu’s hair behind her. He stroked his chin, pondering.
‘It seems my junior is quite sensitive about a certain part of himself. Otherwise, why would he make his clone so…ample?’
In Ao Yu’s estimation, Big White was a clone created by Aya Tone, tasked with childcare. And a remarkably advanced one at that. He had witnessed magic-users employ mirror magic to replicate identical clones, yet none possessed the same vivacity as the entity before him; every movement, every gesture, seemed imbued with a soul. Moreover, even as Aya Tone spoke to him, Big White’s hands never paused in their task. Too perfect. Like an independent person…
“Hello, may I help you?” Noticing Ao Yu’s gaze, Big White looked back quizzically. There was no information about this individual in her memory. Given the master’s familiarity with him, he must be a friend. She hadn’t expected the master to have a male friend residing in the Magic City, apart from those two young ladies. No wonder such a figure was never seen by the master’s side on ordinary days.
Ao Yu: “!!!”
In that instant, disregarding all decorum, he seized Aya Tone and pulled him to a secluded corner.
“That clone… it’s conscious!?” he whispered urgently.
Aya Tone lifted his head, glancing at the bewildered Big White, who was clearly wondering if she had said something amiss.
“What clone? That’s Big White, a magical creature I created. Don’t even think about trying to claim her; I only succeeded once.”
Big White’s existence was a pure miracle; not only was replication impossible, but even her creator himself didn’t fully understand how it happened. It just… happened. And Big White came to be.
“And don’t tell anyone from higher up; I don’t want Big White to be taken for experiments.”
“Heh, do I look like that kind of person?”
“No, you don’t.”
“Big brother, there’s something I need to ask of you…”
****
Magic City, within a certain commercial plaza.
Aya Tone, carrying Aya Jiu in his arms, finally located the figurine specialty store he had been longing to visit. Each shelf was meticulously categorized. Figurines of various ‘wives’, clad in diverse outfits, stood silently gazing forward. Aya Tone gazed upon them with palpable excitement. ‘He wished he could take one of each home.’
“Papa, why didn’t Sister Li Jia come out with us?”
Aya Jiu lifted her small head, utterly perplexed as to why that uncle had said he was taking Sister Li Jia somewhere when they left. She had wanted to go too, but had been refused. ‘Hmph, I’m not happy.’ Her little mouth pouted slightly.
“Your Sister Li Jia has something urgent to attend to with Uncle Ao; it’s a very, very important matter.”
Li Jia’s ascent to S-rank upon consuming the fruit was almost guaranteed. However, with Ao Yu’s guidance, her spatial abilities could be explored and developed even further. Ao Yu, being an entity capable of traversing the void itself, possessed a far deeper comprehension of space than Li Jia. To neglect such a resource would surely invite divine retribution.
‘A very important matter?’ Aya Jiu tilted her head, unable to grasp it. ‘Well, then she wouldn’t think about it!’
“Big White~”
She placed her tiny foot in her father’s palm, pushing off gently until her head was level with Aya Tone’s. She looked behind them, calling out softly.
Suddenly!
“Papa! Oh no, Big White’s surrounded by so many big sisters!” Aya Jiu’s eyes widened in disbelief as she grabbed Aya Tone’s head and twisted it vigorously, as if by doing so, Aya Tone could magically turn his head to look behind him.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh.” With his head encased in those tiny hands, Aya Tone was in agony. He was simultaneously bearing Aya Jiu’s weight and being forcefully compelled to turn his head. At this rate, he felt he might soon be able to replicate the head-spinning, 180-degree turn performed by the impish spirits in the ghost realm.
Struggling to free himself from her grip, Aya Tone finally managed to discern the situation behind him. Indeed, it was precisely as Aya Jiu had described.
Big White was currently encircled by a throng of girls, all holding up their phones and taking selfies incessantly.
“Teacher, your cosplay of the Silver-Haired Witch is incredibly accurate! Could I get a photo with you?”
“Your hair is amazing; it looks completely real.”
Big White observed the girls crowding around her, sensing no malice from any of them. She spoke gently, “Photos are fine, but please don’t disturb others. And my hair is real.”
“What?! Teacher, you actually dyed your hair silver specifically for this?!” The girl gasped in shock. ‘Usually, cosplayers wear wigs, don’t they? This cosplay teacher actually dyed her hair silver directly. Is this true dedication?’
As for why everyone mistook Big White for a cosplayer rather than her true self, the reason was simple. Firstly, this was a figurine specialty convention, a popular spot for many cosplayers to check in and take photos. Secondly, it was widely known that the Silver-Haired Witch was a flat-chested character, and the person before them was definitively not!
Aya Tone: ‘I feel personally offended.’
“Big White looks happy, so let’s go play by ourselves and come back for her after we’ve finished browsing.”
“Yay~”
And so, the father and daughter duo wandered aimlessly, each grabbing a box whenever they spotted a character they liked. It wasn’t long before they attracted considerable attention. After all, tiny Aya Jiu, constantly carrying figurines in her arms, was undeniably acting like a little heiress. How could she not draw all eyes?