Hate me, Miss Witch!

Consciousness resembled bubbles flickering in and out of existence, rising and falling in a sea of nothingness. At a certain moment, a bubble burst. Shiayar felt himself soaking in warm water, a gentle current stirring beside him, nourishing his entire body.

The next moment, Shiayar opened his eyes.

A pungent smell of medicinal solution filled the air.

He found himself in a large bathtub.

The bathtub was filled with an emerald-green alchemical liquid that suffused the entire bathroom with a rich life force.

On the ground not far from the bathtub lay many scrolls inscribed with Magic Runes. However, at this moment, those valuable Spell Scrolls had all been torn open. The Magic Runes imprinted on the scrolls had dimmed, losing their Magic Power and Spirituality, becoming mere ordinary text.

Shiayar was familiar with these items. Healing alchemy serums and scrolls were among the most expensive Extraordinary Items of the same rank; after all, in critical moments, such things could save lives. To be prepared for any eventuality, Shiayar had always kept many healing items on hand since acquiring the Spatial Pocket. However, he had emptied his stock in the Echo of History to save Silvia's life.

Such luxury...

I'd recover just by lying around for a few days, and now this has cost another few thousand.

Shiayar also noticed a light purple potion vial. It contained a special potion capable of directly restoring spiritual power and even healing Soul injuries to some extent, costing several times more than ordinary ones.

He tentatively moved his limbs and discovered that his condition was better than he had anticipated. The weakness that had previously seemed to emerge from deep within his Soul, spreading throughout his body, had disappeared.

The side effects of the perfect proficiency 'Blood Incineration' would last for an entire day.

Does that mean I've been unconscious for more than a whole day?

Shiayar looked up, wanting to find a clock to confirm the time, and then he felt an itch on his arm and heard faint breathing.

The blonde girl was sitting on a small stool beside the bathtub, her hands resting on her knees. Light golden hair cascaded over the edge of the bathtub, with a few strands brushing against Shiayar's hand. Enola's fair face was tranquil and gentle, her beautiful eyes lightly closed as she slept quietly.

Perhaps sensing Shiayar's movements, Enola's long eyelashes trembled slightly. The next moment, she opened her eyes, revealing beautiful blue eyes.

The two of them looked at each other silently.

Ultimately, it was Shiayar who couldn't withstand her gaze. He looked away first and took the initiative to speak.

"Good morning, Ennie..."

"Oh, wait, maybe it's good night?"

Leaning on the marble edge of the bathtub, Shiayar stood up with a splash of water. Of course, he knew he was naked after rising from the bathtub, but Shiayar naturally felt no embarrassment. After all, she was the wife he had raised since childhood, someone he would inevitably 'devour.' Besides, having lived together for so long, they had seen everything there was to see of each other. Moreover, it must have been Ennie who had brought him to the bathtub earlier.

Watching Shiayar rise from the water, the blonde girl expressionlessly turned her head and handed him a towel and clean clothes.

"Thanks."

Shiayar took the towel, dried the residue of the alchemical liquid from his body, then put on the clothes Enola had handed him. While dressing, he asked, "By the way, Ennie, how long was I out this time?"

"Three days and three nights."

Enola's voice was as cool as ever, yet it seemed as if she were suppressing something.

"As soon as I got home, I couldn't find you anywhere. I couldn't even sense your presence."

"I searched for a long time, only to find you in the locked washroom."

"At that time, not only were you covered in Ashes and dust, but your Magic Power was almost nonexistent, and your spiritual power was nearly undetectable… Shiayar, where had you gone? Were you hurt?"

Shiayar put on clean clothes, wiped his wet hair with a towel, and was somewhat at a loss for words for a moment. He knew Enola was always a woman of few words, and tough. Generally, she preferred to see herself as Shiayar's sword, striking wherever he directed, without overthinking or probing too deeply into matters. However, if her stubborn streak flared up, not even ten pureblood giant dragons could hold her back. And Shiayar was worst at dealing with precisely this kind of situation.

Since ancient times, "mindlessness" has been the bane of "unhappiness."

Although I'd love to quip 'tis but a scratch,' the atmosphere doesn't seem right for joking around.

Shiayar hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

"I wasn't hurt, but I did use an overdraft-type Skill. You could understand it as something that severely depletes the body. My body was indeed drained, but with a few days' rest, there should be no major problem."

"Can't you see I'm full of vim and vigor again?"

Enola listened in silence, her deep blue eyes still locked on Shiayar's face. Having been by Shiayar's side and influenced by him for so many years, Enola had no problem understanding the jokes and catchphrases from the Western Continent that ordinary people there found strange; she even used them herself occasionally.

Shiayar patted the creases in his new clothes from folding, saying, "As for where I went…"

"If I said I went to another time and space, hundreds of years ago, you probably wouldn't believe me, would you?"

The blonde girl nodded coolly, "I believe."

"Right… I almost forgot it was you," Shiayar said, slapping his forehead in resignation.

Given Enola's personality, even if Shiayar told her the world would end tomorrow, she'd probably just nod calmly and then begin to pack her and Shiayar's belongings for their escape.

Shiayar stood up, straightened his collar, and reached out to pat Enola's head. Unlike Silvia's slightly curly long hair, Enola's blonde hair was soft and sleek. Though their styles were entirely different, both felt equally pleasant to the touch.

"So, I'm telling you, I'm perfectly fine."

"Look, haven't I woken up all right?"

"I haven't eaten anything for three days and nights; my stomach is about to cave in."

"Come on, let's go have a big meal."

Reluctantly removing his hand from Enola's hair, Shiayar beckoned to her and turned to leave the bathroom.

But then, he felt a tug on the hem of his clothes.

"Don't…"

The girl's usually cool voice now carried an unmistakable tremble.

"Don't…"

"Don't leave me alone."