Hate Me, Witch!

Meow~

The white cat, hidden within the Twilight, rushed toward the palace in a hurry. But the moment it got close, it heard Isadella’s voice echoing through the hall.

Its body immediately faltered, nearly tumbling right out of the Twilight.

Did I... come at the wrong time?

That thought had barely formed.

The next second, the white cat heard Xia Ya’s gentle, pleasant chuckle.

“No, Sylvia,” he said.

“You came at just the right time.”

He gave a casual wave of his hand.

And then, the elegant white cat suddenly felt weightless.

It actually fell straight out of the Twilight’s glow.

When it regained its senses, it found itself nestled in a firm, secure embrace.

A hand—not particularly burly, but with long, defined fingers—was gently stroking its fur.

The faint warmth flowing from those fingertips made the cat momentarily dazed.

But in the next moment, a vague sense of wrongness jolted the cat back to clarity.

Even though it was only a Mental Incarnation—a split-off fragment of Sylvia’s spiritual power—it still carried the power of a Throne-tier being, imbued with Twilight Divinity.

Judging by rank alone, this cat-form incarnation was Legendary-tier, and if it drew upon its authority, it could unleash combat strength approaching that of a Throne-tier being.

If not for that, Sylvia would never have felt safe leaving this Mental Incarnation to watch over Xia Ya, while her true self returned to the White Chalk Tower to handle official matters.

Yet just now, even if part of her guard had dropped in Xia Ya’s presence, and she’d momentarily slipped upon hearing the conversation between Isadella and Xia Ya—

The fact that he had so effortlessly pulled this incarnation out of the Twilight Domain and straight into his arms was astonishing.

But more importantly—

She’d only just had a fleeting thought, hadn’t even voiced it, yet Xia Ya had responded as if he’d read her mind.

This...

Yes, she was just a spiritual projection, without a physical body, and thus her connection to the Spirit Realm was more direct—making her mental fluctuations easier to perceive. Plus, she always lowered her guard around Xia Ya, never bothering with mental barriers or defensive screens.

But still, even a normal Demigod or Throne-tier being shouldn’t be able to read her thoughts so easily.

“At the very least, you’ve been soaking in the ashes of the Imaginary Zone for quite some time now,” he said.

“Even if you were just a blockhead, you should’ve picked up something by now, right?”

“Besides, your brother Xia Ya was never some worthless deadweight. He’s the real deal—he passed the Branstat Family’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony and formed a Soul Pact with your family’s guardian beast, the Silver Spirit. A genuine prodigy.”

That warm, teasing voice brushed past the white cat’s ears again.

Words that seemed to pierce right through to her soul.

Xia Ya looked down at the dazed, slowly softening white cat in his arms.

“Sylvia, do you remember what I wrote in the letter the last time we parted at the hotel in Lokiah?”

He smiled slightly.

“I said I wanted to experience the passage of time inside that Imaginary Zone.”

“Because I’ve always carried a sense of guilt toward you. I couldn’t accept that a single carefree choice I made while playing around inside a Historical Echo… ended up becoming the burden you carried for five hundred years, sealed away by a memory, bound by a promise.”

“If I didn’t go through something similar myself, I could never forgive the person I was back then.”

“And now—”

“I’m back.”

He paused for a moment.

“Just like I promised.”

“This time, I can embrace you with no lingering doubts, no hesitation, and no guilt.”

He lifted the white cat in his arms, his calm voice gently echoing in her ears.

“Sylvia, I’m looking forward to seeing your true self again.”

“And then, announcing to the world—openly and proudly—that you are my lover… my fiancée.”

Meow~

That open, unfiltered confession—

In an instant, it stripped away every ounce of her defenses.

A flood of love and joy surged through her core, shaking her spiritual power so intensely that the white cat’s form grew translucent, almost on the verge of dissolving.

“Meow meow meow~ (Xia Ya, I’m gonna let this incarnation return first!)”

A faint Twilight glow surged forth.

The white cat wriggled free from Xia Ya’s embrace, then stumbled away and vanished into the Twilight.

At Xia Ya’s current strength, she could feel that if this incarnation stayed a minute longer, all those messy, shameless thoughts she had about him would get completely exposed.

Too embarrassing to survive.

Golden Plains, White Chalk Tower.

Plane of Eternal Slumber.

This was once the burial ground where the Pale Silver Witch Sylvia, founder of the White Chalk Tower, had laid herself to rest.

But after the ancient witch awoke from her slumber and returned to the world once more, this place—once intended as her final resting ground—had taken on a new life. Under her instruction, the mages of the White Tower had repurposed and transformed it.

The ruined palace, once withered and frozen in the light of dusk, had been restored and rebuilt, now brimming with vitality once again.

Officially, according to what was shared with Iswida and other high-ranking members of the White Tower, this was Sylvia’s private residence within the Tower.

A residence befitting a Throne-tier powerhouse being a bit grand and ornate was nothing out of place.

But then... why was it that even though it was clearly meant for her alone, the furniture and tableware were all prepared for two? Even the bedroom had a full set of men’s wardrobe and a dressing mirror specifically designed for male use...

Only the Tower Master of the White Chalk Tower herself knew the answer to that.

In the vast hall, the silver-haired witch leaned against her silver throne.

Faint, hazy golden wings shimmered and layered behind her, while she lightly swirled a delicate glass of red wine in her hand.

Her argent eyes stared blankly at the swirling crimson liquid, lost in thought.

Below her, the Vice Tower Master, “Silent Songstress” Iswida, stood respectfully at her side, reporting the White Tower’s latest actions following its true entry into the Western Continent’s affairs.

“According to your command, Your Excellency, the White Tower has established branches not only in the Imperial Capital, but also in major cities across the Empire.”

“Recently, heretical cults from the Lost Domain have been unusually active within the Empire. Our White Tower has been assisting the local Order Bureau and Military Department in cracking down on their operations.”

“However, such extensive expansion of branch towers has consumed a large amount of the White Tower’s reserve resources...”

“That’s his hometown.”

Soft golden script appeared mid-air, cutting off any further comments from Iswida.

“Understood,” she nodded, just about to speak again.

The next moment—

Crack.

The sound of shattering glass echoed.

Iswida looked up, puzzled.

She saw the silver-haired witch had crushed the wineglass in her hand into sparkling shards, the crimson wine spilling all over the floor.

And in those once languid, argent-blue eyes—suddenly, light began to stir.

Who in the world could make Her Excellency the Tower Master so visibly shaken...

Oh, screw it.

As someone who had personally witnessed the Pale Silver Witch’s resurrection from the Plane of Eternal Slumber—

Sure, at first, Iswida had been surprised when her aloof, untouchable Tower Master showed such moments of emotional vulnerability.

But after a few similar episodes, she’d come to understand Sylvia’s personality well enough.

Don’t be fooled by her cold, regal appearance.

Deep down, this high-and-mighty witch harbored the tender little heart of a girl in love.

And the one person capable of making Sylvia lose her composure like this—

In the entire Western Continent, there was only one.

“Got it. So he came back.”

“And Your Excellency is about to ditch the White Tower again and dump all the work on me, right?”

Iswida sighed helplessly.

The graceful figure on the throne turned toward her in surprise.

“How did you know?”

Given Your Excellency’s usual habits, this was the kind of thing even a toe could guess.

Suppressing the urge to let her sarcasm fly, Iswida just sighed again and said, “Tower Master, just go find him.”

“I’ll take care of the Tower.”

With that, she gracefully exited the Plane of Eternal Slumber, returning to the Material Plane and the White Tower.

What could she do? She was used to it by now.

Though Sylvia came from five hundred years ago, Iswida honestly felt that in terms of emotional maturity, she herself was the older one.

And as someone from Sylvia’s "maternal family," naturally, she had to worry about their Tower Master’s lifelong happiness.

After all, their Tower Master was over five hundred years old and still single. Even with the entire White Tower as a dowry, what if no one wanted to marry her?

In the now-empty palace hall, only Sylvia remained, seated on her silver throne.

She blinked in slight surprise at where Iswida had vanished.

But soon, a ripple of emotion, impossible to conceal, stirred within those argent-blue eyes.

Her slender pale fingers lifted gently, summoning an old, weathered diary that appeared quietly and flipped to a blank page.

“After three months, Xia Ya is finally back.”

“Though his appearance hasn’t changed, I can clearly feel that something about him is different now.”

“I’m so jealous of Little Ai. To us, it’s only been three months, but she got to stay by his side for ten whole years, watching him grow step by step.”

“And… I can feel it.”

“This Xia Ya… feels even more familiar to me now…”

Sylvia gazed at the dusky sky in the distance, its twilight glow mirrored in her silver eyes.

Back during the Historical Echo, to Sylvia, Xia Ya had been her savior—pulling her from a pit of darkness and despair.

Though they only spent a year together in the Cangting Ancient Kingdom, to Sylvia, Xia Ya had always been a hero who could do anything. Wherever he went was fun, and adventure seemed to follow him everywhere.

But five hundred years later, when they reunited at that fateful banquet—

Even though the feelings hadn’t changed...

The gap between them had.

A Throne-tier witch and a Fourth-Ring student of St. Roland Academy.

Power, identity, status… they were worlds apart. And it was clear that the relationship they had once shared could never go back to the way it was.

But in this moment—feeling everything relayed from her white cat incarnation—she realized that familiar feeling had returned.

When Xia Ya touched her—

Sylvia felt herself transported back to that cold winter night on the raging Grandet Sea.

Back then, too, it had been those long, slender fingers that pulled her out from the icy waters, granting her another chance at life.

That time… and this one—

It was exactly the same.

It felt like everything had returned to the beginning. She was no longer the Pale Silver Witch seated upon a throne—but just the unpopular only daughter of a Grand Duke’s family, trailing behind that boy, calling him “Xia Ya Brother” every day.

Simple. Ordinary. But deeply fulfilling.

“Honestly... all I ever wanted was to stay by your side, just like back then.”

Delicate golden handwriting came to a pause.

Sylvia took a long time to calm the turbulent emotions surging in her heart before continuing to read the next batch of memories passed back from her Mental Incarnation.

Then, a blush rapidly spread across her fair, delicate face.

Once again, graceful golden script appeared across the page of the diary.

“Brother Xia Ya... has already reached that level? He can even sense the slight mental ripples of my incarnation?”

“Thank goodness she ran off fast enough.”

Sylvia couldn’t help but cover her face.

If she’d hesitated a moment longer, and Xia Ya had discovered that she had—in the privacy of her mind, and not just once—fantasized about trapping him in a little black room with spell restraints, personally jumping him to take his first time and live out a life of nonstop carnal bliss...

Then the life of the dignified Tower Master of the White Chalk Tower might as well be over.

“But still...”

After a long silence, words began to reappear across the diary’s page.

“This version of Brother Xia Ya—”

“So dominant.”

—Excerpt from The Pale Silver Witch’s Diary, Page 705, Sacred Calendar Year 903, 30th of the Month of Summer Blossoms.

Snap.

The ancient-looking diary abruptly slammed shut.

Twilight’s glow flickered.

When the light faded, the Plane of Eternal Slumber once again returned to its silence.

And the graceful figure seated atop the throne had vanished into a cascade of glimmering spatial rifts.

---

“You’re the first man bold enough to flirt with another woman right in front of me.”

In a side hall, Isadella stood with her arms crossed, calmly watching Xia Ya’s interaction with the white cat.

“Of course.”

Xia Ya nodded, watching the white cat flee in a flustered blur back into the Twilight’s glow.

“I’m Your Majesty’s first man… and I’ll be the last.”

“Your f***boy lines are just as polished as ever,” Isadella said with a faint smile, “exactly like when we first met.”

She recalled the scene from their first meeting—via Magitech Communication, no less.

It had been just as bold, just as direct. She still remembered that line clearly: “White hair and red eyes—that’s my ideal type.”

She’d once thought it was all just a front, some script Xia Ya used to protect himself.

But now, it seemed… quite a bit of it had been genuine.

Thinking back, that was less than a year ago in the Material Plane.

Yet to both Xia Ya and Isadella, it already felt like a lifetime ago.

“That was sincere praise,” Xia Ya said, his tone warm.

“Your Majesty’s every trait—white hair, red eyes, the military uniform, the Empress aura—they all strike right in my sweet spot.”

There was a flicker of nostalgia in Xia Ya’s eyes as well. After all, for him, it had been eleven years.

He reached out and pulled the silver-haired empress into his arms.

“Back then, all I could do was fantasize about the ultimate dream woman in Diresse’s dreams.”

“But now, I get to live the dream in reality—and indulge in beastly pleasures whenever I want.”

Isadella didn’t resist.

She merely tilted her head slightly, gazing up at the boy’s profile.

“Miss Ailora is one thing. She’s the last remnant of the Winter Flower Family, and the Empire owes her a great debt. I know... if she had to choose between leaving you or dying, she’d probably pick the latter.”

“But with the others—especially Sylvia—you need to draw a line.”

“I can have Diresse bring all her abyssal kin and weave you dreams every night. Succubus dreams can satisfy every last desire and fantasy you have. Far more thrilling than anything real.”

A beat.

From the sidelines, Diresse the Third Wheel: “???”

“Let’s not,” Xia Ya replied, shaking his head. “Diresse is fine, but I don’t really know the rest of the succubus girls.”

“If I accidentally trigger the ‘Pretty Boy EX’ passive again and ruin their lives, that’d be a problem.”

He smiled faintly.

“Besides, I don’t think being a playboy and being responsible are mutually exclusive.”

“I made a promise to Sylvia. Once I returned, she would be my fiancée. That’s a man’s vow. It’s not just responsibility—it’s a duty.”

“If I didn’t mean it, I would’ve just let Your Majesty perish with the Imaginary Zone back then.”

Isadella sighed. “I figured.”

But after hesitating a moment, she still allowed herself to be held by him without struggling.

“As the perfect monarch of a nation, I shouldn’t have weaknesses or soft spots. A ruler with vulnerabilities inevitably makes one compromise after another.”

“But I can’t help it. My weakness already exists. And apparently, it’s not going away.”

Xia Ya chuckled.

“But maybe that’s exactly what makes us human.”

“If we didn’t have soft spots, we’d be gods, not people.”

“To be honest, compared to the cold, serious imperial princess I first met, I prefer Your Majesty now.”

“Because now… you’re more human. Not just a flawless political machine with no feelings.”

He paused a moment, then added softly:

“To be your weakness... is my greatest honor.”

“Yeah. Time changes so many things.”

“A year ago, I never would’ve imagined things would turn out like this.”

Isadella didn’t disagree.

“Since the moment I was born, I’ve lived to meet others’ expectations.”

“My father wanted me to be the heir to the imperial throne. The one who would bring our declining Empire into a new era.”

“As for the ministers and the high nobility... some shared my father’s vision.”

“But others hoped I’d fall, become corrupt—so they could keep their power and wealth intact.”

< p184" data-end="359"> “To meet the expectations of the world, I wore the mask of the ‘Second Imperial Princess,’ learned to be flawless, and molded myself into the image the masses longed for.”

< p361" data-end="766"> “No matter what I did, I had to think it through from every angle. I gave up idle pleasures like chasing butterflies or admiring flowers, wasn’t allowed to form close bonds with anyone my age, and even developing emotional attachment to my contracted Summoned Beast was forbidden... because all of it could become my weakness—something my enemies, who studied me in great detail, would use to strike.” < p768" data-end="879"> A gentle breeze swept through the palace, stirring the lingering Ashen Flames as they scattered in the air. < p881" data-end="1052"> Isadella looked out toward the night sky beyond the palace walls.

“In the past, that’s how I lived—like a mirror, reflecting the perfect image everyone expected to see.” < p1054" data-end="1205"> “The citizens of the Empire and all the court ministers cheered, saying the Empire had finally produced a ruler who would usher in its resurgence.”

< p1207" data-end="1337"> “The brilliance reflected in that mirror was so blinding, no one ever cared to look beneath it—at the little girl named Isadella.” < p1339" data-end="1497"> “I lived for my father, for the ministers, for the people. I got so used to answering the world’s expectations, I never allowed myself to have any of my own.” < p1499" data-end="1598"> “Not because I didn’t want to... but because I didn’t know how. Or maybe, I simply didn’t dare to.” < p1600" data-end="1634"> She turned her head toward Xia Ya. < p1636" data-end="1768"> “That mindset only changed when you appeared, Xia Ya. I started to look forward to something, even if I didn’t realize it at first.” < p1770" data-end="1801"> “What were you hoping for?” < p1803" data-end="2013"> “I’m not sure.” Isadella’s gaze drifted to the Imperial Capital, glowing beneath the night sky.

“This feeling is hard to define. If I had to describe it... it’s like what you once said about witch hunts.” < p2015" data-end="2146"> “If I were ever deemed a witch and tied to the stake, I wouldn’t expect anyone to save me. And I wouldn’t care if they did or not.”

< p2148" data-end="2338"> “Because to be burned alive on the stake as the embodiment of all this world’s evil, to be sacrificed in exchange for the gods’ forgiveness—that’s what the world expects of someone like me.” < p2340" data-end="2521"> “But—” Isadella paused for a moment.

“If you didn’t charge through the crowd on a white horse and slice through that execution post with a sword... I think I’d be very angry.” < p2523" data-end="2632"> Xia Ya chuckled.

“Shouldn’t I be piloting the Black Knight mech, nuking the place off the map instead?” < p2634" data-end="3004"> “If you did that, I’d get nuked too, wouldn’t I?” The silver-haired Empress laughed back.

“That kind of expectation... I was never supposed to have it. Just like the time when I was little and adopted a stray dog—only for the ministers to convince my father that it might be cursed by enemy mages. So, they smashed it to death in front of me without a second thought.” < p3006" data-end="3064"> “But now… I want to try placing my hopes in someone else.”

< p3066" data-end="3209"> “Just like in that twisted strand of history, where someone—despite the tide of fate—dragged me back from the Imaginary Zone into reality.” < p3211" data-end="3260"> “Speaking of which, you haven’t answered me yet.” < p3262" data-end="3346"> Isadella fixed her crimson eyes on Xia Ya’s.

“When are you going to marry me?” < p3348" data-end="3522"> “I thought Your Majesty asked that earlier just to see if it’d be fun to publicly c*ckblock Sylvia...” Xia Ya smirked, then gave it some thought.

“One year from today.” < p3524" data-end="3545"> “That long? Why?”

< p3547" data-end="3622"> Isadella hesitated.

“If possible, I’d prefer we hold the wedding sooner.” < p3624" data-end="3761"> “Because I believe... if you give me one more year, I’ll be able to eliminate every last hidden threat across the Western Continent.”

< p3763" data-end="3832"> “And when that happens, the Fifth Era should finally begin—at peace.” < p3834" data-end="3896"> Hearing Xia Ya’s response, Isadella raised her brows slightly. < p3898" data-end="4075"> “I can tell you’re strong now... but during the transition between the Third and Fourth Eras, even stabilizing just the Aisgania region took us more than ten years.” < p4077" data-end="4117"> “Let alone ushering in the Fifth Era...” < p4119" data-end="4172"> Her refined brows furrowed for a moment—then relaxed. < p4174" data-end="4197"> “But I believe in you.” < p4199" data-end="4487"> She leaned in closer to Xia Ya.

“Around the Imperial Capital, there are still several heretical cult presences at Legendary-tier and above. They’re probably not full Divine Descents like the Lord of Ashes, but they’ve definitely reached the level of Half-Body Descents.” < p4489" data-end="4508"> “What’s your plan?”

< p4510" data-end="4647"> “If we stop the rituals early... even if we kill the cultists, the divine power and belief they’ve gathered will still linger, won’t it?” < p4649" data-end="4767"> Xia Ya thought for a moment.

“In that case, we might as well let them complete their Half-Body Descent Rituals.” < p4769" data-end="4915"> “The age of the gods walking upon the earth is inevitable. Instead of avoiding it, we should strike first—preemptively weaken their divine might.”

< p4917" data-end="4979"> As he spoke, a cold sweat formed on Diresse’s forehead nearby. < p4981" data-end="5088"> Though Xia Ya spoke calmly, to anyone else, this idea was no different from dancing on the edge of a blade. < p5090" data-end="5215"> Even a Half-Body Descent—not yet a full god—was already beyond Legendary-tier, approaching the realm of Demigods. < p5217" data-end="5242"> And this wasn’t just one. < p5244" data-end="5325"> There were six such presences erupting around the Imperial Capital right now. < p5327" data-end="5507"> Even if Xia Ya now wielded Throne-tier power, for just him and Isadella to face six Demigod-class beings, even with the support of a Holy Sword, was all but impossible. < p5509" data-end="5545"> That thought had barely taken shape. < p5547" data-end="5631"> And then Xia Ya spoke again:

“As for Your Majesty... just watch me from here.” < p5633" data-end="5709"> His gaze swept toward the converging forces of divine power in the distance.

< p5711" data-end="5855"> He could feel a vast, ancient force descending from the Starrealm, infusing into the faith-forged vessels forming in the Material Plane. < p5857" data-end="5926"> Each of those divine presences was swelling—rapidly growing stronger. < p5928" data-end="5972"> From Legendary-tier to Demigod-tier. < p5974" data-end="6039"> “I want my return to the world to have a stage worthy of it.” < p6041" data-end="6098"> “Someone like Taric just doesn’t cut it anymore.” < p6100" data-end="6174"> His words weren’t loud, but every person present heard them crystal clear. < p6176" data-end="6314"> If this had been the Isadella of the past, there was no chance she would have agreed to such a plan—she would’ve gone into battle herself. < p6316" data-end="6448"> After all, the only thing she’d ever trusted was her own power. That was the iron principle drilled into her since birth as a royal. < p6450" data-end="6458"> But now— < p6460" data-end="6562"> The silver-haired Empress suddenly smiled, a smile that melted ice and snow, radiant and breathtaking. < p6564" data-end="6580"> “All right.”