“Guh…”
Anis sat in a W-position on the soft bed.
Just a moment ago, Sybil had used a technique Anis couldn’t even follow to undress and dress her in an instant.
Then, she had tossed Anis onto the bed like a ball.
By the time Anis reacted, the only person left in the room was the half-grown girl in front of her, looking at her with eyes full of greed.
“Wow, Anis, your underwear is surprisingly bold.”
“Ugh!”
Hearing that, Anis quickly crossed her arms into a seven-shape, trying to cover the last shred of her dignity.
“I think you need this more.”
Sherry grinned and handed a pillow to Anis.
Anis didn’t bother being polite; she snatched it away and held it in front of her body, glaring at the girl with a flushed face.
“Sybil, is the cart ready?”
“Awaiting your instructions.”
“Push it in.”
The sound of wheels rolling across the floor was exceptionally clear in the dead of night. The maid pushed a dining cart filled with desserts and black tea to the bedside.
The maid bowed gracefully to the two of them. “I will come to clean up tomorrow morning. I wish you both a pleasant night.”
As she pushed the cart out and closed the door, Anis clearly heard the sound of a chain!
‘Do I have to spend the night here?!’
‘No!’
The door was locked, but there were still windows!
As a witch, could a window on the second floor really stop her?
Anis glanced toward the window, calculating when to make her escape. But as if anticipating her move, Sherry walked over to the windows and locked every single one of them!
‘This has become a complete locked-room situation!’
“Well then, let the pajama party begin!”
After successfully sealing the room, Sherry pulled a low table from the corner and took two thick wool cushions from the wardrobe. She arranged all the desserts from the cart with practiced, skillful movements.
“Alright, come sit.”
Sherry patted the cushion a few times and sat opposite Anis, waiting for her to join.
Anis didn’t move. She continued to observe Sherry, trying to guess what her true motive was.
But the next sentence made her spring right off the bed!
“If Anis wants to have the pajama party on the bed, I don’t mind. However, what should we use as snacks then?”
“Just you wait!”
Forced into submission, Anis had no choice but to obey. As she sat down, she immediately grabbed the cream cake in front of her and began to eat voraciously!
‘The foods that are most likely to become her little toys must be eliminated!’
Even though eating sweets late at night wasn’t great for her figure, she was going all out!
“Oh? It turns out you like cream cake that much? I’ll have Sybil make more and send it over next time.”
“There won’t be a next time with you!” Anis drained the tea in her cup and wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief. “Are you going to talk business or not?”
“Getting straight to the point so soon? Usually, people do a bit of a warm-up first, and then…”
Seeing Anis’s fist gradually tightening, Sherry gave a giggling smile and didn’t finish the second half of her sentence.
‘She’s so easy to read. Wonderful.’
Sherry also ate a piece of cream cake, finished her tea, and poured fresh cups for both of them.
Once that was done, the playful look on her face vanished. She looked at Anis with a look of utmost seriousness. “The Frost Lily is in our hands. With that, all the ingredients for the potion have been gathered. Anis, I have a request for you.”
“Refining that potion?”
“Yes.”
Sherry slowly closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly.
When she opened her eyes again, there was a flash of determination in her gaze. “At the same time, I want to tell you a few things.”
Anis sat up straight, “pretending” to be serious and curious.
In reality, she knew exactly what Sherry was about to say.
Sherry took another sip of tea, swirled her cup, and spoke after a moment of contemplation. “How much do you know about the situation in this country?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been imprisoned by this family and know nothing of the outside world.”
Anis’s answer was logically perfect, but Sherry only let her lips curl into a slight smile while shaking her head gently.
She didn’t expose the lie, however. Instead, she followed along with Anis’s words. “That’s true. You were very young when you were adopted, and you’ve never left the house. It’s normal for you not to know much about the outside.”
Sherry took another sip of tea. “Sybil should have approached you with that necklace a while ago, right?”
“Yes. I was quite curious—you were actually willing to give such a precious necklace to me?”
“Precious? In what way?”
Sherry set down her teacup, looking nonchalant, but Anis could clearly tell she was faking it to bait her.
“The materials and craftsmanship of that ruby alone would cost enough for the people of this territory to live for one month, wouldn’t it? Is that not precious enough?”
“So you noticed.”
Sherry continued to mask her probing with a look of indifference, coughing lightly before continuing. “Actually, that is only one reason why that necklace is so valuable.”
“Its true function is the ability to forcibly control a target’s body for your own use. Anything from a dragon down to a cat or dog is susceptible.”
Anis feigned shock. “If it possesses such formidable power, why were you willing to give it to me?”
“I thought it would demonstrate my sincerity.”
“Sincerity?”
“Yes. I want to make a deal with you, Anis. I need you to continuously provide me with high-purity mana potions.”
“Since it’s a deal, I should be getting something out of it too, right?”
“Of course. As compensation, how about I introduce you to her?”
“Who is she?” Anis continued to play dumb.
“The Second Princess of the Kingdom, Rubia Isabella.”
Anis’s brow furrowed slightly. ‘I remember Rubia’s surname in the book wasn’t this, though?’
“The Princess’s biological mother, Queen Isabella, passed away from illness when Her Highness was a 7-year-old. To honor her mother, the Second Princess changed her surname to her mother’s maiden name.”
Anis listened to Sherry’s explanation while comparing it to the memories of the original book in her mind.
The Second Princess, Rubia, had been brilliant since childhood and was once favored to become the next monarch of the kingdom.
However, when she was 7 years old, Rubia chose to change her surname after her mother’s death. This immediately gave the other royals an opening!
Foremost among them was the First Prince. He publicly questioned the renamed Rubia, asking what she meant by changing her surname when she was meant to be the next ruler.
Rubia gave only one answer: her mother was more important than a surname.
In truth, she wasn’t interested in the throne at all. Compared to those heavy, restrictive rules, she preferred acting like a spoiled child in her mother’s embrace.
But at only 7 years old, she suffered from a severe lack of experience. She soon paid a heavy price for changing her name.
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