When Kurose Akira pushed the door open, the first thing his eyes landed on was Princess Vivian, seated at the edge of a jade bed.
Her feet swayed lightly in midair, pure and beautiful like snow atop an iceberg. Her face still carried the innocent sweetness of a young girl, yet within those bright eyes shimmered faint traces of expectation.
"Your Highness, did you summon me for something?" Akira asked.
"Mr. Akira, I have a commission I'd like to entrust to you," Princess Vivian replied.
As soon as Akira entered, she rose lightly from the jade bed. Those snow-white, jade-like feet stepped gently onto the floor, picking up a thin layer of dust.
Dirty!
"Could you first tell me what the commission is?" Akira asked calmly, though confusion churned in his heart. Why would Princess Vivian choose to seek him out?
With a princess's wealth and authority, he couldn't imagine any reason she would need his help. Ordinarily, a commission of this level would require at least a C-rank guild to handle.
Vivian smiled as she walked toward Akira, stopping gracefully about a meter in front of him.
Akira's gaze flickered as he examined her carefully. She wasn't tall—at most around 155 centimeters—and her weight probably didn't exceed forty kilograms. If he wanted to, he could easily lift the petite Princess Vivian with just one hand.
"Tomorrow is Roxia's birthday," Princess Vivian said softly. "I hope you can ensure her safety, and make sure that nothing ruins the beauty of that day."
"That's it?" Akira asked, surprised.
"Yes. Just that," Vivian replied.
"Even without your commission, I would protect Roxia. She's my friend," Akira said flatly.
After all, Roxia was Loserine's niece—family, one way or another.
Hearing this, Princess Vivian let out a soft laugh. "You don't need to explain your motives to me. You only need to answer whether you're willing to accept this commission. If you are, then this jade pendant will be your reward."
As she spoke, she presented a star-patterned jade pendant in her palm. A mysterious radiance flowed across its surface.
Akira's eyes swept over it.
[Stellar Jade Pendant (Elite): A jade pendant condensed with the power of the stars. Can release one powerful stellar magic.]
Akira didn't move.
The value of this Stellar Jade Pendant was obvious—its contained stellar power alone marked it as extraordinarily precious. Yet Princess Vivian was offering it to him without hesitation.
Something was wrong.
Combined with the high likelihood that Princess Vivian was a witch, there was no way he could fall for this.
Seeing Akira remain silent, Vivian's lips curved into a mysterious smile. At that moment, her golden pupils shimmered with faint golden light, as if invisible threads of magic were wrapping around Akira, probing deep into his heart.
"Take it… this is my reward to you…"
Her ethereal voice seemed to descend from the heavens, like a star falling through the night, sinking straight into Akira's soul.
His body moved against his will—his hand reaching out toward the Stellar Jade Pendant in her palm.
No!
A powerful surge of will stopped him, leaving his hand suspended in midair. At the same time, the Mind Pendant Natasha had given him began to glow brightly against his chest!
"Mind magic?" Akira wondered.
No—this went far beyond ordinary mind magic.
Those golden eyes shone like a sky full of stars, radiating terrifying magical power!
Princess Vivian truly was a witch!
Rampaging magic echoed within Akira's mind. His thoughts churned like an ocean battered by a storm, unable to settle. Fragments of memory flashed wildly through his consciousness, and for a moment, he felt as though he could no longer control his own thoughts.
Yet when Princess Vivian saw that Akira remained standing, unmoving and unresponsive to her command, a hint of confusion crossed her face.
By all rights, her Magic Eyes should have already taken control of him.
Akira was just an ordinary person, with very limited magic. He shouldn't have been able to resist the power of her Magic Eyes.
Those controlled by her gaze would obey her commands, utterly submissive—like victims under perfect hypnosis.
Of course, such power was not without cost. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't use her Magic Eyes lightly.
But now, she needed to dominate Akira and ask him certain questions.
So she had no choice but to activate them again.
Princess Vivian spoke softly, "You'll be willing~ won't you?"
"Submit to me~"
Her voice was gentle and alluring, like an invitation no one could refuse.
As her words fell, the golden glow in her pupils flared even brighter.
The power of the Magic Eyes surged like a tsunami, crashing violently into Akira's soul.
Akira clenched his teeth, resisting with everything he had.
He could feel the Mind Pendant on his chest burning hot, as if on the verge of shattering!
But—
Now was when the counterattack truly began!
Since Princess Vivian was a witch, then the strand of Night Witch origin magic would definitely work on her!
Otherwise, how could he dare come to meet her alone?!
Night Witch—
Let me see what you can do!
With a shift of thought, Akira immediately activated the strand of Night Witch origin magic buried deep within his soul.
The instant that power awakened, the gears of fate began to turn.
The Night Witch's magic surged like a tide of darkness, instantly enveloping Akira's soul and plunging him into a void of pure blackness.
Princess Vivian had intended to erode Akira's soul with her Magic Eyes and seize control of his consciousness—
—but at that very moment, her attempt was met with violent backlash.
Intense pain flooded her mind, causing her beautiful golden pupils to dilate sharply. At the same time, a strange force began violently stirring her memories, dragging chaotic scenes back into her consciousness.
"What is this?"
"What are these things?!"
"No—!"
"Bastard!"
"Wait—!"
"Ah~ Master~!"
"Mother… please save me…"
"Why? Why is this happening?!"
"Don't do this—please—!"
"..."
Princess Vivian's legs suddenly trembled as she collapsed to her knees. Her delicate body shuddered like a withering flower. Crystal-clear tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, while a blush spread across her snow-white skin, as though she were suffering an indescribable torment.
This…
At that moment, Akira's consciousness gradually returned. When he saw Princess Vivian kneeling on the floor, eyes rolled back, wearing a vacant, pitiful expression, he froze in place.
What the hell just happened?
Confusion surged through him.
Was the Night Witch's origin magic really that powerful?
So powerful that it made Princess Vivian end up like this?
He had no idea what exact effect the Night Witch's origin magic had inflicted on her—but one thing was certain.
Her Highness was definitely enjoying it.
Otherwise, why would the golden halo in her eyes keep flickering on and off?
So you were pretending to be Ivsha, huh?