A Witch’s Lingering Scent and Shadowy Warnings

“It’s getting late. I really must head home. My sister will likely be furious if I stay out much longer.”

Chloe, feeling a touch of weariness herself, prepared to rise and depart. She certainly wasn’t accustomed to pulling all-nighters, especially not in a place like this.

“Oh, but it’s so late, and it could be dangerous. Why don’t you stay over at my place tonight? My house is quite close by~”

Anna seized the opportunity to suggest, her gaze fixed on the girl’s face, filled with anticipation.

Alas, the other girl shook her head, tilting it slightly as she smiled. “How could you forget? I’m a magical girl! What danger could there possibly be? The biggest danger is my sister! I’ll have to sneak back into my room when I get home! I absolutely can’t let her find out.”

As Chloe spoke, she even put on a gravely cautious expression, which made Anna burst into laughter.

“Alright, but you still need to be careful. You can’t let your guard down just because you’re a magical girl. Monsters are active at night, too, and Little Chloe is only a first-tier. Even a random monster would be difficult for you to handle.”

Anna cautioned the girl with heartfelt earnestness, cradling the Zhitang that Chloe had entrusted to her, idly fiddling with its dangling eye.

“I know…”

Chloe responded dismissively, only to suddenly snap back to attention the next second, her large eyes widening. “What did you call me?”

“Little Chloe? Isn’t that your name?” Anna maintained her cheerful smile. “You already know my name, so how could I not know yours? We’re equal friends, aren’t we~”

That’s true…

Chloe mused, feeling a sense of relief upon remembering Anna’s identity as an informant.

It was just a name, nothing significant, and besides, after spending this time together, she could tell Anna wasn’t a bad person, merely one with a few more tricks up her sleeve.

Alright, so coming to this strange bar was just to ‘look around’? Chloe didn’t believe it for a second. There had to be some hidden agenda, something Chloe found detestable and couldn’t accept, even if being good friends wasn’t an issue.

“Well then, goodbye. I truly enjoyed spending time with you. I’ll leave Zhitang in your care, Anna. Please take good care of it~”

Chloe’s sincere smile bloomed unreservedly, her docile face resembling that of a gentle kitten. Her luminous golden pupils were exceptionally striking, their amber hue distinct from any other eye color, imbuing them with a warm, almost sacred quality that seemed to brighten even the dim light at the bar’s entrance.

“Everything about Little Chloe, I will treat with utmost seriousness.”

Ugh, suddenly saying such strange things…

Chloe thought, disdainfully sticking out her small, pink tongue before turning to leave. With a flick of her smooth, golden hair, a charming, sweet fragrance wafted out—the unique body scent of an adorable young girl.

Catching a whiff of it, Anna felt a tingling sensation ripple through her nerves.

It seemed she was beginning to understand the minds of certain perverts…

She yearned, she yearned to grab her hair, pull her close, press tightly against her chest, and revel in that inexhaustible allure. Then, holding the back of her head, to do things that were forbidden amidst her useless moans…

Lost in a daze at the doorway for a long while, her mind wandering to unknown realms, she only snapped back to reality when a cold night breeze swept past.

She glanced down at the girl’s doll.

Zhitang? She must have meant this ugly doll. Giving a doll a name is truly something only a child would do.

Still, Anna liked it.

After a moment of contemplation, Anna, with a hazy look in her eyes, lifted the doll to her face and buried her nose into its soft surface, drawing in the faint, lingering scent from within the fabric and stuffing.

“Hiss, hah~ hiss, hah~”

“Uh… Anna, are you alright?”

A female customer, who recognized Anna, emerged from the hotel, and on her way home, happened to witness this scene. She hesitated before interrupting Anna’s peculiar moment of tenderness with a doll.

“Ah! I’m fine! I… it’s a bit cold, haha…”

Anna quickly tucked the doll away, her face flushing crimson as she explained, awkwardly scratching her head.

“Haha… Yes, it is a bit chilly… I’m heading home now.”

“Mm-hm, take care.”

I almost got mistaken for a pervert!

Anna peeked at the button eye dangling in the air. From her witch’s aesthetic, it looked quite interesting as it was, though for a normal human, it was indeed a bit jarring.

She reached out, pinching the button and pressing it into the eye socket. Utilizing dark energy, she manipulated the broken threads, reweaving them into a knot.

Within seconds, the doll was repaired.

Still not entirely satisfied, she then imbued the eye with more dark energy, performing a subtle modification. Once the dark energy dissipated, the originally black button eye had transformed into a striking red.

If Chloe ever asked, she’d simply say she’d replaced the button~

She had to leave some kind of mark; it wouldn’t be in a witch’s nature to work for nothing.

“Hmph, I say we might as well go a step further. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to use this doll to monitor those two magical girls?”

The air twisted and flowed unnaturally, and tendrils of dark energy materialized from nothing.

Another girl suddenly emerged from the shadows, attempting to snatch the doll from Anna’s hand, but Anna deftly dodged her.

“Are you spying on me, Illusion?”

“How can you call it spying? It should be called ensuring the survival of our magical girls~ As your partner, isn’t it perfectly normal for me to show a little concern?”

“You saw all that?”

“Oh, it was nothing. Just a normal interaction between a gentle big sister and a cute little sister, truly touching!”

Illusion, the witch, floated through the air like a piece of paper, circling Anna a few times. Her icy fingertips continuously brushed against Anna’s neck, feeling like a cold, sharp blade.

Anna’s surrounding magic vibrated, knocking the cheerfully smiling Illusion witch to the ground.

Her expression darkening, Anna stated, “I will complete the mission properly and ensure she joins the witches. You don’t need to interfere when I don’t require your help, and you shouldn’t do anything superfluous, understand?”

“Hmph, let me remind you: complete the mission as quickly as possible. The tea party plan has already moved to the next stage, and the Watchtower will also be taking action. If we can’t win Chloe over before then, we’ll have no choice but to forcibly transform her into a witch. You wouldn’t want to see that outcome, would you?”

Illusion, the witch, glumly patted the dust and dry leaves from her skirt, her face no longer bearing its usual cheerful grin.

“Thank you for the reminder, Verona.”

“Ugh! Just call me Illusion.”

I think Verona sounds a bit nicer, don’t you agree?

“Whatever you say…”

A rare blush crept across Miss Illusion’s pale face.

“Oh, so you can blush, too.”

“Shut up!”