Hate me, Miss Witch!

She was like a girl in love.

But upon closer thought, it was indeed so. Excluding the period of her self-induced slumber, Silvia's experiences and mindset were, after all, that of a girl in her early twenties.

Considering this, Isveytan and Fioran themselves were the true "old aunts."

Meanwhile, Silvia paid no attention to Isveytan's wild thoughts.

"Let's talk about it later."

The Gray-Silver Witch's figure began to fade, soon vanishing into the dusk's shimmering light.

The next moment, she appeared in her room.

She still gazed at the distant sky, staring blankly in the direction of the Empire Capital.

On the desk, the thick journal lay open once again, neat yet messy handwriting rapidly appearing on its pages.

And in Silvia's mind, she repeatedly savored the feelings she had just experienced.

Even if in Brother Shiayar's eyes I'm just a white cat... but that's just too... too...

Even though she'd said she was leaving a Pet Beast to guard the house, given her feelings for Shiayar, how could she possibly feel at ease leaving only a Pet Beast?

That white cat was, in fact, the manifestation of her spiritual power in reality.

Or, to be more precise, the spiritual power contained within that white cat was actually greater than that in her body at the White Tower.

Speaking of which, Shiayar hadn't really done much to the little white cat Silvia had left behind.

All he did was hold it, stroke it, pet it, and rub his face against it...

Shiayar used to do the same when he used Silver as a pillow.

But when those sensations were synchronized and sent back to her...

Just the slight recollection made Silvia's fair cheeks flush, the color spreading all the way to the roots of her ears.

Indeed, relying on the love she had amassed over five hundred years of yearning, Silvia had successfully masqueraded as an aggressive and desire-filled experienced seductress.

But in essence, Silvia was just an innocent fledgling at heart.

She had absolutely no experience in such matters.

Conversely, while Shiayar was also pretending to be an experienced lothario, he at least had Ennie, who regularly provided him with "perks." Except for the final step, he wasn't lacking in other experiences.

Thus, Silvia's facade as a dominant, experienced seductress crumbled instantaneously.

Of course, if necessary, she could completely cut off such perceptions, retaining only the information she needed.

But for an obvious reason, Silvia certainly hadn't done so.

If she hadn't wanted to get closer to Shiayar in the guise of a cat, she wouldn't have lied, claiming she was leaving a Pet Beast behind, instead of directly clarifying that it was her spiritual projection.

And then there was... what Brother Shiayar said to me.

Ride...

Riding position, also facial O, morning O, and so on...

Actually, it would be fine if he just told me directly... I really wouldn't mind.

Just then, the scribbling in the diary abruptly stopped.

A new wave of the Echo of History...

Silvia's lovely brows furrowed slightly on her pale face.

Although Shiayar had rescued her through the Echo of History, giving her life new meaning...

But precisely because she had been caught in the rain herself, she felt she had to tear apart anyone else's umbrella and kick it viciously into a ditch.

Since she had already crossed the river, the bridge no longer needed to exist; it had to be dismantled.

After all, Ennie was there first... After witnessing everything at the banquet and experiencing Shiayar's unwavering affection for Enola firsthand in the Spirit Realm, Silvia's heart had actually come to accept Enola's presence.

But if another woman were to try and emulate her, pulling off the same thing, Silvia would never tolerate it.

This matter had to be thoroughly investigated!

...

「Empire Capital, Camelot.」

In a unique mansion nestled in the suburban hills.

Isadella pored over proposals and intelligence reports by the light of a magictech lamp. Iron-willed and cold commands issued from her lips, swiftly relayed through the Military Department's special channels to all corners of the Empire.

She methodically reclaimed the authority that belonged to the Royal Family but had been encroached upon by the old nobility—even territories and properties whose leadership had been lost—bringing them back under Royal control.

As the Second Princess, Isadella was keenly aware that she couldn't afford any soft-heartedness now.

With Guderian Borgia's sudden death, the emergence of the White Tower, and the old nobility now headless, it was the perfect time for a major offensive. This was the best chance to re-consolidate the crumbling and perilously fragmented Empire through a complete reshuffle.

If she didn't seize this moment to press the attack, once the old nobility caught their breath, they would be dragged back into a protracted tug-of-war.

But just then, Isadella paused in her perusal of the reports.

She made a subtle gesture with her hand.

The next instant, several shadowy figures quickly withdrew.

After dismissing the attendants and guards nearby, Isadella focused her attention on the source of the anomaly.

Her thoughts stirred.

The next moment, the splendid Golden Sword manifested, its clear and sparkling starlight illuminating the distant, darkened sky.

For the past two years, she had been trying to fully revive the Sacred Sword, wanting to unleash its full power.

By doing so, Isadella also hoped to leverage the feedback from the 7th Soul Pact and, in one fell swoop, break through the limits of the Throne.