Chapter 56: Is It Sweet?
The inability to create things that do not exist or that one has no recognition of in their mind is the only flaw in the abilities of the Witch Miss.
In other words, without reading Shaya’s memories, everything about this strangely styled building and the objects and furnishings inside is non-existent to her; she has no cognition of them.
However, as long as these two points are satisfied, she can create.
Naturally, Shaya’s memories from over twenty years in his previous life cannot be false; for him, Earth is a plane that truly exists.
Thus, in the sea of consciousness where he can do anything, he replicated the small two-story duplex he lived in during his previous life in proportion and filled in the details generally.
These specific recognitions and details are things only Shaya knows.
Then, through the Witch Miss, he materialized it into reality.
For Shaya, this is a small miracle from a parallel world.
“……”
The Witch Miss glanced at him, then looked at the uniquely shaped house before her.
After a while, she softly said, “Some internal details are lacking, so it can only exist temporarily in a semi-finished state.”
“However, you can rely on your memories to complete it later.”
“Please, go inside.” Upon hearing this, Shaya smiled and stepped forward, pushing open the door and stepping into the garden. “Although this is created by you, allow me to presumptuously refer to myself as the master.”
“You are a guest; it is my duty to host you.”
The Witch Miss met Shaya’s gaze, gently lifted her small face, as if trying to imprint this dual-level building in her mind.
This was her first exposure to the outside world in thousands of years.
The memories in her mind had long been manifested countless times, even to the point of being indelibly etched.
Thus, that slight sense of novelty could not be erased.
After a moment, the Witch Miss lightly nodded, stepping delicately in her strappy high heels into the garden, her footsteps crisp and pleasant to hear.
“This is a swing. I often sat on it and swung back and forth when I was a little girl.”
As they passed the garden, Shaya pointed to the swing next to the round table, which was overgrown with ivy and faintly rusted.
“I know,” said the Witch Miss, glancing at him calmly. “I have sat on it.”
That gaze seemed to say, don’t think of her as an unworldly little girl.
“Sorry, my lady, I got a bit too excited.”
Shaya shook his head with a bitter smile.
Upon seeing a familiar scene with traces of his previous life, he positioned himself as an Earthling, subconsciously carrying a hint of superiority.
However, the Witch Miss did not rebuke him for it.
But has the Witch Miss also sat on a swing?
It’s hard to imagine.
Shaya looked at the coldly beautiful woman in the black dress, picturing her sitting on the swing.
It seemed a bit cute.
Noticing Shaya’s gaze, the Witch Miss’s voice turned slightly colder: “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing, cough cough……”
Shaya shook his head and moved to a corner of the garden, bringing over something.
It was a cluster of freshly bloomed flowers in a pot, their delicate white petals glistening with dew, faintly fragrant.
Since he happened to have a garden at home, whenever he had free time in his previous life, Shaya liked to dabble with flowers and plants.
However, these kinds are not found in the Land of Rand.
After all, the future techniques for growing flowers are far advanced—what grafting, cuttings, division, layering; the superior varieties cultivated far surpass the gardeners of this world.
If Shaya could manifest these abilities, he would surely open the largest flower shop in the royal capital.
By then, he would likely be pursued by countless ladies and noblewomen.
“This is a rose, which only blooms in my hometown. Its flower language represents respect and purity… Do you think it’s beautiful?”
Shaya pointed to the flower pot, proactively introducing it.
This was the best variety he had raised before crossing over.
To Shaya’s surprise, the Witch Miss’s gaze lingered for a brief moment before she gently shook her head.
She scanned the courtyard for a while, then raised her hand to point out a few plants in the farthest corner.
“What is that kind of flower called?”
As she spoke, a ripple faintly appeared in her hand.
The next second, that flower appeared in the Witch Miss’s hand.
It was a somewhat strange-looking blood-red plant with incredibly slender petals, appearing far less pure and grand than the rose, but certainly very distinctive.
Shaya’s expression turned a bit odd.
“This is called Lycoris.”
He tried to translate it into the language of this world, but evidently, it didn’t convey the essence.
“……”
The Witch Miss looked up, her cold gaze fixed on him, saying nothing.
After being stared at for a while, Shaya couldn’t help but chuckle, “Of course, it has two other names.”
“Bihua, or, Manjushage.”
Gazing at the flower in her hand, the Witch Miss lightly chewed on that slightly Zen-like name: “Manju…shage.”
“What does it symbolize?”
After a moment of silence, the Witch Miss spoke again.
“It represents endless love, sad memories, eternal separation, and death.” Shaya looked at the Witch Miss’s stunning profile and softly said, “The Bihua blooms for a thousand years and falls for a thousand years, the flowers and leaves never meet, passions are unbound by causes, and fates are destined for life and death.”
“Of course, it has a lesser-known meaning as well.”
“Redemption.”
The Witch Miss’s pupils slowly dilated.
Her gaze, while on the flower in her hand, seemed to drift elsewhere, and her delicate little hand trembled slightly, causing the petals of the Manjushage to quiver faintly.
Shaya watched the Witch Miss’s slightly dazed look and felt unsurprised.
Is there any woman who doesn’t love flowers?
After a moment of silence, the Witch Miss gently tucked the Manjushage away in her hand, then softly said, “Continue.”
Seeing her regain her composure, Shaya nodded.
Actually, he was not fully prepared either.
He wasn’t ready to see the places from his past life again after having fully integrated into this world.
Perhaps, this was a kind of alternative homesickness.
There was half a meter separating him from the Witch, both walking towards the front door.
Taking a deep breath, he turned the doorknob.
“I’m back.”
In an instant, the familiar sight and atmosphere of life welled up before his eyes.
Entrance hall, wooden floor, chandelier, living room, television, coffee table, kitchen, bathroom, stairs… a house brimming with the imprints of 21st-century life on Earth reappeared before Shaya.
The Witch Miss lifted her head, studying the scenes in the room intently.
In a place Shaya didn’t notice, she clenched her fist lightly.
Clearly, inside the house are all things completely unfamiliar to the Witch Miss, with not even the most basic recognition, making this powerful being who holds a divine status experience an unprecedented shock.
This was the impact brought by technology and change.
“Please come in, Lady Agnes.”
Shaya was the first to remove his shoes and took out a pair of cotton slippers from the shoe cabinet, slipping them on.
Watching his actions, the Witch Miss paused, standing still and looking down at her delicate little feet wrapped in high heels under the black sheer dress.
“Oh, sorry, this is a custom from my hometown; you need to change into slippers when entering.” Seeing the hesitation in the Witch Miss, Shaya said, “However, you are a guest, so please do as you prefer. You can come in wearing your shoes if you’d like.”
Agnes silently gazed at Shaya, trying to discern if this was a jest at her expense.
After all, Shaya had done similar things before.
For instance, pausing mid-story to wait for her to ask for the conclusion before leisurely finishing the tale.
Or when he introduced the flower name earlier; clearly, he could directly name the one she would like, but went with the “Lycoris” operation instead.
The Witch Miss didn’t speak much, but it didn’t mean she was unaware.
However, she didn’t hold Shaya’s actions against him; in fact, she seemed to indulge him slightly.
If those familiar with her saw these moments, they would probably be shocked speechless.
When did the once-world-destroying powerful witch become this way?
“……”
Confirming this was not mockery, the Witch Miss fell silent for a moment, then gently bent down.
To Shaya’s surprise, she undid the straps of her high heels, revealing her pale, delicate toes curling slightly, then raised her foot from the shoe, stepping barefoot onto the slightly cool wooden floor.
Then she repeated the action.
Seeing her adopting local customs like this, Shaya hurriedly opened the shoe cabinet and found a pair of pink slippers, placing them before the Witch Miss.
“……”
Seemingly displeased with the color of the slippers, the Witch Miss looked at the cute little rabbit printed on the shoe’s surface, but still, she wore them just like Shaya did.
Her originally cold aura was instantly disrupted by the cute style of the slippers.
But, because of that, she appeared less like a deity and more like an ordinary woman basking in homely life.
“Is this your home?”
Following Shaya into the living room, the Witch Miss’s gaze kept shifting to various objects as she spoke.
The house was divided into two stories.
The first floor consisted of a living room, balcony, kitchen, cloakroom, and bathroom, and the arrangement and state of every item were kept as Shaya last saw them before crossing over.
On the wall in the center of the living room, the LCD TV was on, playing a product advertisement, which first caught the Witch Miss’s attention.
Watching the salesperson in the advertisement present a certain food, her gaze remained fixed for some time.
After a while, her expression turned somewhat sympathetic as she spoke, “Is she also trapped in such a small place, doing the same thing day after day?”
“What… did she do wrong?”
Hearing this, Shaya returned to his senses from nostalgia.
Looking at the salesperson on the television, Shaya smiled and said, “This isn’t imprisonment; rather, it’s a pre-recorded image played back through this… similar to a magical device, allowing people to watch at different times.”
This explanation was more straightforward and easier to understand.
The Witch Miss let out a sigh of relief and gently nodded.
She then turned her gaze to the coffee table.
On the coffee table, there were some items placed haphazardly, like cigarettes, lighters, a phone, and tissues; but what caught the Witch Miss’s attention was the large bear plush toy sitting at the edge of the table.
The toy was packed in a transparent bag and not yet opened.
Recalling the origins of this item, Shaya chuckled, saying, “This is called a Hugging Bear. I bought it to pursue a girl, but after months of effort, I ultimately failed to give it to her.”
“I always mock others as simps, but if I think about it, how much better could I be?”
Shaya said in a self-deprecating tone.
“What’s a simp?” The Witch Miss glanced at Shaya.
Shaya thought for a moment and explained, “It’s someone who sincerely wants to do things for the one they like, but ends up being neglected and humiliated.”
After understanding what he meant, the Witch Miss gently shook her head.
“You should be more confident,” she said softly, as if comforting Shaya, “you aren’t a simp.”
“At least in my eyes, you are a good person.”
“Cough cough cough……”
Witch Miss, that’s not something you should say!
Shaya thought with a bitter smile.
He didn’t expect to receive a good person card from the Witch Miss, even though that was not her intention.
Clearly, for Agnes, who is not an Earthling, her words were meant as praise and comfort for Shaya.
To shift the topic, Shaya walked towards the refrigerator.
“By the way, are you hungry? Do you want to try some food from my hometown?”
The Witch Miss did not respond to this question.
How could a deity possess the physiological needs of an ordinary human?
Opening the refrigerator, Shaya rummaged around in the frozen section and found a box of strawberry-flavored ice cream.
He got a clean metal spoon, opened the ice cream box, and handed it to the Witch Miss.
The Witch Miss looked at the pink, cake-like substance in the box, reached out to take it, and did not refuse.
For her, these were all incredibly novel things.
Memories are precious, especially for the Witch Miss sealed in the Abyss Palace; every memory deserves to be reproduced repeatedly.
Moreover, human life is very short; although Shaya is somewhat special, in her heart, he is still human.
Since he is human, he will eventually die, making these memories even more valuable.
Thus, the Witch Miss did not reject Shaya’s suggestion.
Ever since the last time he actively helped her out of her shoes, Agnes had come to understand many things.
“……”
To her surprise, upon holding it, a burst of icy coolness came through.
Gently scraping a bit with the spoon, the Witch Miss observed for a moment, then under Shaya’s slightly nervous gaze, placed it in her mouth.
It was icy and delicate, quickly melting into a thick liquid that spread in her mouth.
After savoring it for a while, the Witch Miss slowly said, “The texture is somewhat peculiar, but it doesn’t have any special flavor.”
“?”
Shaya felt as if he had been provoked.
Lady Witch, you have angered a member of the strawberry brigade!
So he took another spoon, scooped a sizeable piece of the ice cream, and put it in his mouth.
Then, Shaya’s expression froze.
As the Witch Miss had said, it was icy and delicate, but it didn’t have any flavor at all.
Ah, where’s my strawberry ice cream?
Watching Shaya’s expression, the Witch Miss pondered for a moment and explained, “It’s probably because you missed some details while constructing this scene, so the restoration is not adequate.”
“Can it be completed?”
With thoughts lingering on strawberry ice cream, Shaya asked.
After a moment of silence, the Witch Miss replied, “Yes.”
“What do I need to do?”
Shaya’s eyes brightened slightly.
“Give me your hand,” the Witch Miss gently raised her hand, “then recall the specifics, and I will fill in the details.”
“Uh, is that okay?”
Looking at her flawless, pale hand, Shaya asked.
The Witch Miss shot him a glance but did not speak.
In the outside world, Shaya acted like a playboy, daring to tease Angelica, eat the maid’s ice cream, kiss Selly, and carry off Lady Violet. Yet, in front of the Witch Miss, he surprisingly felt a bit shy.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly extended his hand, intertwining it with her delicate hand.
Cold, smooth, and soft.
Then, as he recalled the specific details of the strawberry flavor, a soft glow flickered, and the initially flavorless ice cream became much more vibrant in color.
Under Shaya’s somewhat tense gaze, the Witch Miss picked up the spoon again, scooped a bit, and sent it to her mouth, delicately licking it with her pink tongue.
“Is it sweet?”
“…… Mmh.”
