Anis slowly woke up from a hazy drowsiness. As she lifted her head, the thin blanket draped over her shoulders slid to the floor.
A wave of coldness cleared her mind further. Looking around, the luxurious decor told her that this was not her prison-like bedroom.
Sherry was gone from her embrace, but the lingering fragrance in her nostrils told her that everything that happened last night was not a dream.
‘I actually wore this translucent nightgown and held Sherry while sitting here the whole night…’
Anis placed her hands on her chest, forcing herself to ignore the uncomfortable, sticky sensation of the damp fabric clinging to the valley of her chest as she felt her heart beating wildly.
But just then, a serious problem occurred to her.
‘It’s so wet. That person didn’t do anything to me, did they?!’
She turned her head to look around. After confirming no one was there, her face flushed red as she quickly pulled the thin blanket over herself, covering up tightly.
Ten fingers, moving with practiced skill, carefully explored her body. Fortunately, everything was intact.
She knew this was a girl’s most precious treasure, so she usually protected it carefully while studying alone.
‘That person really wasn’t joking.’
Anis reached out and picked up a cookie from the table. It was the same bear-patterned cookie Sherry had held in her palm last night, looking very cute.
She bit off the head—*crunch*—it was sweet and crispy.
“Hwah, meow…”
She stretched, stood up, and folded the blanket neatly on the bed. She picked up the potion-brewing magic book Sherry had left for her, put on her own robe that someone had placed on the chair at some point, and prepared to leave.
“Good morning, Lady Anis.”
The moment she opened the door, Cybil standing there gave her a fright!
“Breakfast is ready. Please proceed to the dining hall.”
“Um.”
Anis was stunned for a second after hearing the news before she realized that after last night, she had gained a higher level of freedom. This was clearly one of the perks.
A faint smile touched the corners of her mouth. She really wasn’t used to this yet.
Sherry did not eat breakfast with her. According to Cybil, she had gone to inspect the territory early in the morning.
So, after Anis ate her fill, she went back to her bedroom. She planned to study those two ancient magic books.
“Meow~~~”
The moment she pushed open the door, a long cat-alarm sounded!
After seeing Anis, Mimi circled her incessantly, her front paws reaching up in an anxious manner.
“Alright, alright.”
In a cat’s mind, her going out like this was probably seen as hunting. As long as she brought back a little food, the cat would look at her with new respect.
She didn’t know if this rule applied to a cat that could speak human words.
“Oh, speaking of which, Mimi hasn’t had anything to eat.”
Usually, she asked for extra vegetables in her meals to share with the cat.
However, from today on, she would probably eat in the dining hall.
What would happen to the cat?
An idea appeared in her mind, but she soon felt it was absurd.
But thinking about it carefully, maybe it was worth a try?
Anis cleared her throat, pushed the door open slightly, and called out softly to the empty corridor, “Cybil?”
“I am here, Lady Anis.”
Cybil’s voice suddenly came from behind the door, giving Anis another fright.
“Why are you actually here?!”
“Lady Sherry specifically instructed me to fulfill Lady Anis’s requests as much as possible from now on.”
“Oh, so it was her…”
“Do you have a request?” Cybil’s maid posture was perfect, standing ready for orders.
“Can you get me some fresh vegetable leaves?”
“Understood. I will see to it immediately.”
Cybil perfectly demonstrated the capability of a maid. Soon, a plate of vegetable leaves with water droplets still on them was placed in Anis’s hands.
“No need for the plate. This is for the cat. Just bring some over every day from now on.”
“Understood.”
Cybil took the plate back, bowed to Anis again, and left.
Squatting on the floor to feed the cat, Anis couldn’t help but feel emotional. So it felt this good to have a maid at her beck and call.
“Alright, let’s look at those two books.”
Anis picked up the cat, which was yawning and preparing to sleep after eating and drinking, and took out the black magic book again.
“Phew…”
Finally, it was time to officially start.
Anis sat at the table, took a deep breath, and opened the book.
First was the ancient magic book given by the mysterious witch. After comparing it carefully with an ancient dictionary, she confirmed there was no knowledge about brewing potions in it.
She set it aside for now.
She then opened the ancient magic book Sherry had given her and read the translation carefully.
What first caught her eye were the words she was already familiar with—curses, taboos, and the like. The structure was rigorous and the logic cold, like a shortcut for people who would use any means to obtain power.
She suppressed the excitement in her heart, remained patient, and turned page by page.
She skipped the common potion-brewing knowledge she already knew by heart and focused on the sections labeled “Appendix,” “Marginalia,” and “Incomplete Records.”
Until she reached a certain page, and her movement stopped.
It wasn’t a prominent chapter title; in fact, it was hidden very deeply.
In the corner of the page, a line of small characters that could almost be ignored was written in very light ink—
*Witch Potion Brewing: Black Magic*
Anis’s heart leaped.
It matched! It matched the black magic book from that mysterious witch!
She immediately flipped back and forth several pages to confirm it wasn’t some stray fragment. But whether it was the paper texture, ink style, or the logic of the rune arrangement, it was completely consistent with the rest of the book.
It was intentionally hidden—not deleted, but deliberately kept low-profile, like a hidden thread that would only be found by someone who truly needed it.
Anis took out a quill and carefully pointed at the hidden text, her fingertips tightening slightly as she read on.
“In addition to mana, there is another substance in the world that can also be called ‘mana.’ It is generally called natural energy.”
“This natural energy can also be stored in crystals like mana. They usually appear as green, elongated crystals that are primarily polygonal.”
There were even colored illustrations below.
This green wasn’t the comfortable green of nature that symbolized vitality; instead, it was a bit like…
Oh, right, it was just like the green nuclear wastewater she had seen in her previous life, filled with ominous dread and horror.
“Wait…”
Anis’s finger brushed over the illustration. Why did this thing look so familiar?