The room was silent.
Even Xiao Mi stared intently at Sherry with her glassy, feline eyes.
“Surveillance?”
“Yes. Starting today, the monitoring of your actions will increase even further.”
Sherry raised her hand and rested it on Enise’s shoulder, leaning in close to her.
The latter trembled slightly, but seeing Sherry’s serious expression, she didn’t say anything more. She simply leaned her head against Sherry as the two beautiful girls huddled together intimately.
Sherry leaned her head on Enise’s shoulder and whispered, “I’ve been ordered to take away all the books in your room and any remaining alchemy equipment. See what you can hand over to me.”
“Understood.”
Enise naturally understood the meaning behind her words. The girl quickly walked to the bookshelf and began taking down every Magic Book one by one.
Sherry skillfully tied them into bundles on the floor. Looking at these books, she felt a pang of heartache for Enise.
Enise loved books more than anything!
“Aren’t you sad?”
“No, because I believe these will return to my hands sooner or later.”
Enise looked perfectly calm. After a slight nod, Sherry only said one thing: “Be careful. I’m leaving.”
Enise watched the empty room without showing a hint of sadness.
She held the cat in her arms, gently scratching the top of its head. “You should go back too. It isn’t safe here. I’ll be relying on you for outside communication from now on.”
“Meow~”
The little cat rubbed against Enise’s chin a few times before jumping into the wardrobe reluctantly.
After a flash of green light, the room fell completely silent.
Enise looked at the room, which was now nothing more than four bare walls, with only one thought in her mind.
The two had a mutual understanding and had not removed the books regarding potion research. Enise pulled out the bottom drawer of her desk; the materials inside were perfectly preserved.
Sherry had not even ‘discovered’ the Black Magic Book.
“Phew, let’s continue…”
Enise yawned and stretched her limbs before returning to her research.
—
On the other side, having completed the confiscation, Sherry stepped onto the third floor once more to report back.
“Everything is finished, Father. There is no longer any possible research equipment in Enise’s room.”
Baron Fronst looked at her, his gaze seemingly tinged with a hint of suspicion.
After a long silence, he spoke tentatively, “Have you stood on the same path as her?”
Sherry’s brow furrowed slightly. With a trace of unease in her heart, she asked, “What do you mean by that?”
“I’ve been thinking about one thing. During the time I was away, she was able to obtain such a high degree of freedom. How exactly did she do it?”
Sherry heard the subtext in his words. He was implying that her supervision had been inadequate.
“I simply gave her some rewards after she completed an outdoor subjugation mission.”
“Even if those rewards might touch upon the foundation of the nobility—or perhaps, the Kingdom’s system?”
In Sherry’s eyes, her deep gaze gained a bit more uneasy confusion.
“Are you saying that Enise intends to interfere with the Kingdom’s system?”
“I’m not sure about the Kingdom, but she is definitely interfering with the foundations of the Noble System.”
“How can you tell?”
“The potion she is brewing—the High-Purity Magic Stability Potion.”
Sherry’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that name.
She had never mentioned Enise’s potion brewing to anyone. How did this old man know?
“As far as I know, the potion she is researching isn’t something one can buy on the general market. And that potion, to my knowledge, is only needed by one person.”
Sherry forced herself to remain calm. This old man definitely knew about the Second Princess. Clearly, he already suspected that Enise had joined the Second Princess’s camp during her period of relative freedom.
But what he didn’t know was that she was on that side too!
“She isn’t rebelling against the system,” Sherry attempted to defend her. “She is just solving a problem.”
“But the way she solves problems will change the distribution of power,” the Baron said.
“That is exactly why witches are dangerous. They possess a powerful strength that can change a nation, so they must be strictly managed.”
“And a Witch who isn’t strictly managed will very easily develop a stance,” Baron Fronst added. “That is not a good thing for the Kingdom.”
Sherry’s fingers slowly tightened. “So no matter how well she does, she won’t be allowed?”
“She will be allowed to exist,” the Baron said. “But she will not be allowed to stand at the front of the stage.”
Those words made Sherry feel a true chill for the first time.
“You want to deny her—deny a future that could possibly change the family.”
“I am choosing a controllable future,” the head of House Frozenster answered calmly. “If a changed future is uncontrollable, then not changing at all is a good thing.”
The air between them became tense.
“Is power really that important?”
“It’s not power. it’s stability. Stability is more important than anything.”
Baron Fronst’s tone seemed steady, but Sherry could already hear a hint of displeasure. “Have you ever thought about what this country we live in would become if she really managed to save the Second Princess?”
“Wouldn’t it become better? I remember the Second Princess was also a very capable heir.”
Sherry deliberately used the word “also” to confuse the old man, making him think she was on his side.
“No, our existence would become a mistake of history in the future,” the Baron said. “Which nobleman would want to carry a bad reputation in the future?”
Sherry looked at him. In that moment, she suddenly realized that what they were arguing about was no longer Enise.
It was about the nobility and the future of the nation.
One side wanted to crush future possibilities in the name of stability.
The other was a world that allowed those possibilities to change that stability.
She stood with the latter.
And her father stood with the former.
“From now on, Enise’s contact with the outside world must be completely and thoroughly severed. If necessary, find any means of communication she might have with the Second Princess.”
Sherry’s heart clenched. “Is it really necessary to go that far?”
“Yes,” the Baron said. “It is a duty. And I have decided to entrust this task to you.”
Sherry remained silent for a long time. “What if one day, she proves that everything she did was right?”
“Then she will become a dangerous righteous person,” Baron Fronst replied.
Those words were like a cold blade.
Sherry suddenly understood. In his world, being right was never the primary standard.
Stability and control were what he pursued.
She slowly stood up. “Father, do you really think I will accept this way of doing things?”
Baron Fronst looked at her. “You will,” he said. “Because you belong to this side—to the world of the nobility.”
Sherry didn’t immediately argue. She turned and walked toward the door.
At the moment the door was about to close, she stopped her pace.
‘The old man will always be an old man,’ she thought. ‘Disregarding the future and blindly pursuing stability and control.’
‘Can’t a correct future coexist with stability and safety?’
No one answered, and no one could.
The corridor was very quiet. Standing there, she suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of clarity.
She had finally confirmed one thing: the gap between her and her father wasn’t a misunderstanding, but rather two irreconcilable orders.
On one side was a world called “Stability.”
On the other was the new possibility being created by Enise.
And she knew—she belonged to the latter.
If that day truly came and she had to declare her stance, how far would things go?
Meanwhile, Enise was currently leaning quietly over her desk, continuing to immerse herself in her theoretical research.
She didn’t know that her theories had already become the key to this nation, nor did she know that a true conflict had already begun to take shape.
***
2 days later.
Using the excuse of “confirming the target isn’t performing dangerous behavior,” Sherry tricked the guards standing at the door and entered Enise’s bedroom prison once again.
“I’ve already asked Cybelle to transfer those books of yours to the Mountain Alchemy Hut.”
“Thank you.”
Enise poured a cup of warm water for Sherry. In this life of imprisonment, it was all she had.
“How is the research progressing?”
“I’ve already found a formula that might allow for 100% purity, but the amount of Frost Lily of the Valley required has grown exponentially.”
“Don’t worry. Leave the materials to me. You just need to focus on brewing the potion.”
She paused and then continued, “But you still need to be careful. That old man definitely has a way of monitoring you, and he already suspects you have a connection with Lady Rubia.”
Enise pursed her lips. After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m fine, but what about you? If you’re discovered…”
“He hasn’t noticed me for now. He even thinks I’m on his side. At least I can remain undercover for a while.”
“I see. That’s good.”
“One more thing. The Princess’s condition is unstable again.”
“Do you need me to brew the potion?”
“Yes. I know your situation is difficult right now, but…”
“The Princess’s life is more important. Can you help me get to the Snowy Mountain without the old man finding out?”
“I understand. I’ll find a way to come for you tonight.”
After they parted, Enise continued her theoretical research, while Sherry returned to her own bedroom upstairs.
“Lady Sherry, the head of the house requires you to finish learning all of these by the day after tomorrow.”
On the desk was a stack of books that had been flipped through many times.
“I understand.”
Sherry took the black tea brought by Cybelle and drained it in one gulp before sitting down to study.
However, she seemed distracted, her gaze glancing behind her from time to time.
“Lady Sherry, is there something you wish to discuss with me?”
As her personal maid, Cybelle could naturally see her master’s unease. She took a step forward. “If it is something I can solve…”
“Of course. You are the only one who can solve this.”
Sherry closed her book and stood up. “Tonight at midnight, after the guards at Enise’s door have changed shifts, I need you to do something…”
—
At midnight, Enise turned off the lights, creating the illusion that she had already gone to bed.
In reality, she had already changed into her Witch robe and was sitting on the edge of the bed, listening carefully to the sounds outside.
*Tap, tap, tap…*
It was the sound of the guards changing shifts.
Afterward, the outside fell into silence again. About 20 minutes later, another sound came from the hallway.
*Thud!*
*Thump!*
“Ugh…”
the guard only made half a sound before his mouth was covered by someone.
The door was pushed open gently, and a small head with white twin-tails poked inside.
“Enise, move!”
Sherry’s voice acted like a switch. Enise stood up from the bed, lowered her Witch Hat, and prepared to set off with Sherry.
Outside the door, Cybelle, dressed in all black, shared a brief look with them before stepping into Enise’s room.
This was Sherry’s plan. If Enise couldn’t make it back in time, Cybelle would disguise herself as Enise to buy a little more time.
The guards at the mansion entrance had also been silently taken down. The two of them sprinted into the courtyard, entered the Glass Greenhouse, and headed toward the Snowy Mountain through the hidden passage.
*Meow!*
The moment they pushed open the door to the Mountain Alchemy Hut, they were greeted by a cat’s cry.
“Xiao Mi, don’t be troublesome. My time is very tight.”
Enise refused the cat that wanted to pounce up for a hug and walked quickly to the cauldron, lighting the fire and adding water.
“I’ll go look after Lady Rubia first. No one has been guarding that side for a while.”
After giving Enise a brief greeting, Sherry left the hut first.
“Time is short and the task is heavy. I won’t have many chances to start over.”
Enise looked around the hut. During the time she had been away, the hut hadn’t gathered much dust; Cybelle must have been cleaning it for her.
The confiscated books and some of the still-useful brewing equipment had all been packed and organized by Sherry, piled in a small corner.
‘Most of the luggage has already been moved here. It’s time to move into a new home.’
It was decided.
Once this crisis passed, she would move here.
After the water in the pot boiled, Enise took a deep breath and took out her Magic Wand.
“Alright, focus…”
She distilled the water and then added each medicinal ingredient strictly according to the weight and order.
At the same time, she continuously used Purification Magic to ensure there wasn’t a single impurity in the pot.
She crushed the Frost Lily of the Valley into powder and slowly added it along the edge of the pot in a clockwise direction, stirring at a constant speed. Once the color in the pot turned light purple, Enise dropped several Natural Energy Shards into the mixture.
Looking at the light purple, translucent solution in the pot, Enise was delighted.
Success on the first try.
“Though it’s still a tiny bit away from a 100% purity potion, I can already see the dawn of hope.”
She firmly believed that in the near future, she would be able to brew a potion with 100% mana stability. After curing Lady Rubia, her goal could enter its second stage.
She bottled the potion and brought it to the small hut where Rubia was hidden.
The Second Princess’s complexion was very poor, but she still had a bit of spirit.
She was currently lying in bed with Sherry taking care of her.
“You’re here.”
Upon seeing Enise’s visit, Rubia tried to sit up, but Enise and Sherry hurried forward to hold her down and gently helped her lie back down.
“Your Highness, your health comes first!”
“Thank you.”
Rubia didn’t insist. Even the simple action of getting up had left her panting.
“How are you feeling, Your Highness?”
Enise held the potion to Rubia’s lips and slowly fed it to her.
“I’m a bit weak. I spend most of the day sleeping, but Cybelle makes time to come by during the day, so you don’t need to worry.”
“I heard about what happened at the mansion. Once my health improves a bit more, I will personally go and speak with Baron Fronst face-to-face.”
“That would be a great help, Your Highness.”
Sherry took over the conversation smoothly. Of course, she wouldn’t allow Rubia to do that. Rubia was the future of the Kingdom and absolutely could not be allowed to come to harm.
*Cough, cough…*
However, after taking the higher-purity Mana Stability Potion, Rubia’s condition didn’t show any obvious signs of improvement. Instead, her brow furrowed, and she looked even worse!
“What’s happening?”
The sudden turn of events made Enise’s nerves tighten instantly. She hurried to diagnose Rubia, and the conclusion she reached made her hands begin to tremble.
“Wh-what’s wrong?”
Sherry couldn’t help but panic as she saw Enise’s nervous expression.
“Lady Rubia’s body is reaching its limit.”
Enise lowered her gaze. “This method of patching things up is about to stop working. If I can’t brew a potion with 100% purity…”
She didn’t say the second half of the sentence, but Sherry already knew.
At this rate, she could only hold on for one spring at most.
“Thank you. It’s already enough.”
Rubia smiled tragically. “Lady Enise has already done enough for me.”
“Don’t say such discouraging things. You’ll be fine. Once I…”
Before Enise could finish, Sherry’s hand rested on hers, stopping her.
“Enise, they seem to have discovered that you escaped. We have to go back immediately!”