Chapter 61(1/3): The End

The night was already deep.

Outside the mansion, the wind and snow were kept at bay by thick brick walls, leaving only the slight crackling of the hearth as the fire burned slowly in the room.

Sherry extinguished the crystal chandelier overhead and changed into her nightgown in the darkness.

She pressed her hand against her flat chest; the sound of her heartbeat was exceptionally clear.

They had shared a bed for many nights now, but every time this moment arrived, she still could not suppress her excitement.

Enise sat on the edge of the bed wearing a thin dress. She was holding the cat, her head bowed in silence as if she were lost in thought.

“Enise, it is late. We should rest; there are more important things to do tomorrow.”

Sherry climbed onto the bed from the other side, lifted a corner of the quilt, and lay down.

Enise did not reply. She simply looked back, and the two shared a moment of silent eye contact.

Silence returned to the room, with only the sound of their breathing echoing in the air.

Sherry closed her eyes. The moment Enise lay down, Sherry quietly shifted a few inches closer to her side.

Neither of them spoke.

Ultimately, Sherry could not stand the eerie silence and spoke first. “What is wrong? You seem strange tonight.”

“It is nothing. I was just thinking about something trivial.”

Enise’s voice sounded somewhat hesitant, completely different from how she had been in recent days.

Sherry’s heart raced once more as she recalled what had been said earlier that day.

‘Could it be…’

She moved forward another few inches, reaching the edge of Enise’s pillow.

In the past, when she got this close, the other girl would have driven her away with kicks and punches.

But not today.

Sherry pressed her hand against her pounding chest, forcing her voice not to waver. She tentatively asked Enise, “Are you tired today?”

“Mhm,” Enise murmured softly. “More tired than I am after subjugating Magic Creatures.”

“That makes sense.” Sherry laughed softly. “This is mental exhaustion. But you never used to be like this.”

Enise was silent for a moment. “In the past, I never felt this exhausted when doing these things. But now it is different. It feels like everything is finally over, and all that previous fatigue is rushing back at once.”

Sherry paused before speaking. “I originally thought it was enough to just stand in front of you and shield you. Later, I realized I had to push away the things blocking your path first.”

Enise did not answer immediately. She moved a bit closer to Sherry.

Sherry’s heart fluttered for a second because her arms, folded in front of her, brushed against something soft and forbidden.

Even though there was still a small distance between them.

“Do you not regret it?” Enise looked at her in the dark.

“Regret what?”

“Choosing to act. Choosing to defy your father.”

“Choosing… to fundamentally change this Kingdom.”

Sherry looked at her for a long time before shaking her head. “I do not regret it.”

“I am just…”

She paused, and images of her death in her previous life flashed through her mind.

Then, she spoke in a very soft voice. “I am more afraid of losing you than I imagined.”

Enise’s breathing hitched for a moment. She did not say, ‘I will not leave.’

She did not say, ‘You can definitely protect me.’

She simply reached out, very slowly, and held Sherry’s clenched fists.

She did not use force; she simply rested her hands there.

“There will be many more nights for us to sleep together in the future. If we do not say everything now, it will be troublesome later.”

The words were spoken softly, yet they felt like a confirmation.

Enise was stunned for a moment.

Then, she reached out with her other hand and enveloped Sherry’s small hands within her own.

“Actually, I wanted to say something to you as well.”

“What is it?”

“Thank you.”

Enise’s words were also very light. “Without your persistence, it would have been impossible for me to sleep in such a soft bed and live a life that truly belongs to a noble.”

Beyond that, there was so much more—so much that Enise did not know where to begin.

They had previously been enemies, but since Sherry had taken a step back and given her the Ruby Necklace that could control people, everything had changed.

The quilt rose in a small arc between them. Sherry hesitated for a moment before pressing her forehead against Enise’s shoulder.

It was a bit difficult because she had to be careful not to bump into Enise’s protruding, large melons.

“Huhu.”

Enise laughed softly. “When did you become so reserved? I remember when I first moved in, did you not want to help me change my clothes?”

“That… That was…”

“Being so timid is not like you, Sherry.”

With that, Enise took the initiative to move forward, pressing her softness against Sherry.

“!!!”

Sherry felt a rush of blood to her head, making her consciousness flicker for a moment.

“You do not dislike me for being so improper, do you?”

“N-No! On the contrary, I am very happy…”

Once Enise took the lead, Sherry’s tense nerves gradually relaxed.

She lay against that soft warmth, doing nothing more.

This was enough.

*Meow!*

At that moment, a sudden meow startled Sherry!

‘Oh no, there is still a cat in this room!’

The soft warmth against her chest vanished, replaced by Enise’s chiding voice.

“Xiao Mi, you cannot scream this late at night.”

*Meow!*

But the kitten continued to meow loudly, as if trying to say something. However, without consuming Magic Crystal Ore with natural energy, she could not utter a single word.

“Ugh…”

Sherry buried her head in the quilt, becoming more annoyed the more she thought about it.

They were so close.

Tonight, Enise might have agreed to some of her requests.

But this cat!

Anger translated into action. She suddenly threw back the covers and said firmly to Enise, “Lend me the cat!”

“Oh, okay…”

Because Sherry spoke with such authority and conviction, Enise instinctively agreed.

Sherry grabbed the cat and walked quickly toward the door.

*Meow!*

The kitten struggled desperately in her arms, but she was just a cat.

*Swoosh!*

*Thud!*

She opened the door, tossed the cat out, and closed it in one fluid motion.

Next came the sound of the anxious cat meowing outside and the sound of claws scratching the door.

“Will she be okay?” Now it was Enise’s turn to worry.

“She cannot escape the mansion anyway. Do not worry!”

Sherry said petulantly, flipping over to lie back on her pillow. “Let’s sleep.”

Enise looked at Sherry, who was lying on the bed with her back turned, and listened to the worried meowing of the cat outside. Ultimately, she did not move.

“Miss Xia Mi? Why are you meowing here so late?”

Rubia’s voice sounded outside the door, followed by the kitten’s aggrieved meowing.

“There, there. Big sister will sleep with you tonight.”

The footsteps faded, and the meowing ceased.

Rubia seemed to have taken the cat back to her bedroom.

The room fell silent once more. One sat, while the other lay with her back turned.

After the cat’s intrusion, the romantic atmosphere had instantly turned into awkwardness.

‘What do I do?’

Enise fell into a panic.

She had intended to use tonight to resolve the final knot in her heart, but now…

On the other side, Sherry was also spiraling into frustration.

‘Why did I lie back down!’

‘I should have just pounced on her, hugged Enise, and continued!’

‘It’s all that damn cat’s fault!’

Once she became her maid, she would definitely make things difficult for that little creature!

‘Phew…’

‘Calm down. Think about what to do now.’

If things did not work out tonight, it would be difficult to get this chance again.

‘Aha!’

‘Got it!’

Sherry propped her left hand in front of her and quietly shifted her body backward a tiny bit.

There was no response. ‘Great, she didn’t notice.’

After a while, the sound of someone lying back down came from behind her.

The opportunity had arrived.

Sherry shifted another inch backward, but the soft sensation against her back startled her.

“Enise?” she called out tentatively.

“Do not speak. Just stay like this.”

Enise reached out an arm, and Sherry instinctively intertwined their fingers.

It was like borrowing a bit of warmth.

“Is it really okay like this?” Sherry felt a bit guilty.

“It is okay.”

Enise answered quickly this time. “I am used to the sound of breathing nearby.”

“Before it was the cat.”

“Now it is you.”

“Should it not be ‘us’?” Sherry tried to correct her.

“I suppose so… mine.”

Sherry snorted softly. “Then between Xia Mi and me, who is more important in your heart?”

Enise remained silent for a moment before smiling bitterly. “Is this not a trap question?”

“Then can you not give an answer that makes me happy?”

Sherry turned over and lay back in Enise’s embrace. At the same time, she pulled the quilt tighter between them to prevent any draft.

The room was filled only with the sound of breathing. After another moment of silence, Sherry spoke again. “Are you asleep?”

“Not yet.”

“I have a premonition that tonight might be the only night I can lie like this.”

“Why do you say that?”

“That cat. Once you turn her into a Cat-girl, she will definitely squeeze between us to sleep. So…”

“So you want to do something memorable with me?”

“May I?”

As soon as those words were uttered, time seemed to freeze.

For a moment, a cinematic montage of Sherry’s life flashed through her mind.

From the vast ocean to a single ant, from the boundless starry sky to a few drops of dew.

She regretted it. ‘What on earth am I saying!’

But before she could think of an explanation, a strong hand tilted her chin up in the next second.

“You rascal, have you finally revealed your true intentions?”

“No, I haven’t! I’m sorry, ugh…”

Sherry hurriedly apologized, but in the next second, Enise’s response caused her to stop breathing again.

“We can reach a compromise.”

“Eh?”

“Close your eyes.”

Sherry could swear this was the most comfortable thirty seconds of her two lives.

Enise’s lips were soft and moist, making her chest feel tingly and warm.

Sherry gradually relaxed.

Her shoulders were no longer tense, and her hands moved slowly from her sides.

She hugged Enise back, melting into her embrace.

“Did you like it?”

“Mhm.”

“Then, please look after me from now on, Sherry.”

“Please look after me, Enise.”

After a moment, Sherry called Enise’s name again. “Enise.”

“Yes?”

“Do you… still feel like you are in a cage?”

Enise thought about it. “I do, but not the locked kind. It feels more like… the door is not fully open yet.”

Sherry said softly, “Then I will keep pushing until you no longer need to count the locks on the door.”

Enise did not answer. She simply closed her eyes, her breathing becoming steady.