Chapter 69: The Witch Miss Whose Scent Is Everywhere
“Do you… really like women’s feet?”
Agnes brought her slender long legs together and gently placed them on Shaya’s lap, her two delicate feet overlapping, the long, white toes painted in a cherry blossom color.
Against her fair skin, they appeared particularly bright and captivating.
“How could that be?” Shaya let out a dry laugh reflexively and retorted, “Aside from you, I haven’t touched the feet of any other woman.”
Hmm, Selly is still a girl, so that doesn’t count.
As for Novella and Maid Miss… cough, he basically had no awareness of the former and was simply kidnapped by the fierce Maid Miss.
Speaking of which, he hadn’t seen Deyora for several days and missed her a bit.
He would check when he got home after going out.
Thinking of this, Shaya released Agnes’s small feet and twisted the cap of the nail polish bottle.
While twisting the cap, he inadvertently brought his hand close to his nose to take a whiff.
It surprisingly carried a faint floral fragrance, very similar to the scent of Witch Miss, refreshing and delightful.
Incredible.
As expected of a deity, even this place smelled good.
He originally thought only two-dimensional beauties could be like this.
Shaya thought to himself.
This unintentional action caught the attention of Witch Miss, who gently furrowed her brows, opened her mouth as if to say something.
But recalling what she had read in a book titled “Evil and Desire,” for many men, appreciating women’s feet in terms of smell, touch, and contours seemed to be a mainstream fetish, she thought better of scolding him.
She merely sighed silently.
Then, she softly said, “Once you reach the status of a deity, the normal metabolism and physiological needs that belong to humans will pretty much disappear, so in every aspect… it becomes more refined.”
“But human women won’t be like this.”
The implication of this sentence was that if one did this to an ordinary woman, watch out for pulmonary fungal infection!
But Shaya looked confused and could only nod blankly.
“And… what should we do next?”
After painting her nails, Witch Miss continued to ask.
Shaya handed her the small box containing lip gloss and said, “Just lightly dip your finger, dot it on your lips, and then gently press them together.”
Upon hearing this, Agnes nodded and followed suit.
Her already pink lips, adorned with the translucent, light pink lip gloss, appeared moist and glistening, just like fruit-flavored jelly, making one want to lean in and take a bite.
After doing all this, Agnes placed her feet down from Shaya’s lap, put on her shoes, and gently stood up.
“Is it okay now?”
Agnes looked at Shaya, slightly turned, and stood in front of the mirror, speaking.
“Of course.”
Shaya said in an appreciative tone.
Witch Miss, now dressed differently, looked just like an urban beauty, embodying the vibrancy of youth with no sense of incongruity whatsoever.
“Then… let’s go.”
Feeling they had lingered too long in the clothing store, Witch Miss spoke.
The flow of time within the Sea of Consciousness differs from that of the outside world, which Shaya had noticed before.
It’s like dreaming; one feels as though only a small moment has passed, yet upon waking, it’s already bright outside.
At that moment, their bodies were in the Abyss Palace, which also had a different flow of time compared to the outside world.
In other words, although only a little time had passed in the consciousness space, perhaps a week had already gone by in the real world.
So the time left for Shaya and Agnes was limited.
Shaya nodded and left the clothing store with Witch Miss.
He didn’t pay, as everything here was pieced together with fragments of memories he had retained from his previous life, lacking intelligent behavior patterns and logic, so some common sense from his previous life didn’t apply here.
It was like the house that Shaya had asked Agnes to materialize before; it contained many electrical appliances that seemed to function normally.
But in reality, those devices merely maintained an appearance and, due to Shaya’s lack of clear understanding of their internal structure, even if dismantled, there would be no complex circuitry visible.
Walking back onto the street, Shaya looked up at the sky.
“It’s still morning; shall we grab a drink?”
……
Cat Cafe, short for Cat Cafe, is an emerging dining model of the 21st century.
In a cat cafe, everyone can lay down their burdens and happily pet cats to alleviate the pressures and loneliness they accumulate in daily life, making drinking coffee secondary.
At this moment, Shaya and Witch Miss stood at the entrance of a cafe named “Cat’s Tea.”
Through the glass, they could vaguely see various cats inside, some gracefully licking their fur, some lazily lying on the ground showing their bellies, and others playfully chasing and frolicking.
Since it was still early, there were no customers in the cat cafe.
Of course, we cannot know how much of this was due to Miss Jincan’s assistance.
“Why are there so many beasts in a restaurant? And why is no one managing them?”
Frowning at the scene inside the cat cafe, Agnes said.
Cats do not exist in the realm of Rand Continent, so Witch Miss was unfamiliar with these small animals.
Beasts?
Shaya had a strange expression as he looked at a plump orange cat curled up in the corner yawning, thinking to himself that he, the Devourer Beast, wouldn’t agree.
As they entered the cat cafe, the female shopkeeper’s eyes lit up, and she greeted them.
“Welcome to Cat’s Tea Cafe. What can I get for you two?”
Shaya glanced at Witch Miss.
Witch Miss couldn’t read the Chinese characters on the menu and had never tried these drinks, so she appeared somewhat at a loss.
She hesitated for a moment and then said to Shaya, “I’ll just have what you have.”
“Are you sure?”
Shaya raised an eyebrow.
Witch Miss nodded.
If Shaya could drink it, why couldn’t she?
So Shaya smiled at the shop assistant and said, “Two iced Americanos, three cat treats, and 200 grams of cat food.”
“Okay, please wait a moment.”
After saying that, the shop assistant busying herself at the coffee bar.
While this was going on, Witch Miss found a seat further inside and quietly surveyed the interior decor of the cafe.
Just then, a Ragdoll cat walked over from the other side of the table, taking elegant little steps, head held high.
It glanced at Agnes as if saying, “Human, hurry and give me food!”
Witch Miss frowned subtly.
For some reason, this little princess-like demeanor involuntarily reminded her of a certain goddess who prided herself on being the most beautiful in the world.
Although this little animal looked quite fluffy and should feel nice to hold, she found it somewhat distasteful.
So Agnes coldly shot it a glare.
In an instant, the Ragdoll cat looked as if it were facing a great enemy, its fur standing on end, then leaped off the table in a startled manner and ran away.
Halfway, it swiped at a nearby tiny black cat.
The little black cat appeared to be only a few months old, a tiny ball resembling a piece of black coal, with some semblance of long-haired cat lineage, likely similar to a Napoleon cat.
After being batted by the big cat, it didn’t yelp but quietly rolled on the ground for a few moments before stumbling to its feet.
As if sensing a chilling gaze, the little black cat looked up, meeting the gaze of the pretty big sister at the table, softly mewing once, and then slowly made its way over.
“……”
Agnes was momentarily stunned.
She looked up at the counter and saw Shaya was busy getting the cat food, and there were no other customers around.
So after hesitating for a moment, Witch Miss shifted slightly to the side.
Compared to the haughty Ragdoll cat from earlier, this little black cat seemed particularly cute, with round eyes and fur that matched its hue, full of curiosity about the woman in front of it.
Upon seeing Witch Miss moving slightly aside, the little black cat meowed again, thinking the other was playing some game with it.
So it stood up and assessed the height of the chair, then leaped with all its power!
“Thud!”
Unfortunately, the height was still too difficult for it.
The little black cat fell to the ground, rolling a bit, feeling some pain, and after grimacing for a moment, it displayed a tearful expression like a crying kitten.
But soon it adjusted, refocusing on the empty space next to Witch Miss.
It seemed determined not to rest until it could jump up today.
What should I do?
Witch Miss felt a bit helpless about the situation.
She glanced at Shaya and found that he was still chatting with the shop assistant, so she shifted her gaze back to the ground.
Once decisive in battle, Agnes was now stumped by a small cat.
She looked down and locked eyes with the little black cat for a moment.
Then, she softly asked, “Do you want to come up?”
The little black cat tilted its head and rolled on the ground, exposing its tiny belly.
Witch Miss lightly sighed.
She glanced at Shaya once more, confirming he wasn’t paying attention, then slightly bent down, gently poking the little black cat’s belly with her fingertip.
It was fluffy and felt very nice.
A look of surprise appeared on Witch Miss’s face.
She had never imagined that this little beast would feel so good.
Taking a deep breath, she hesitantly scooped up the little black cat by its waist, trying to lift it.
But perhaps due to the awkward position, the little black cat rolled and jumped out of her hands.
Just as Witch Miss prepared to reach out again, another hand suddenly rushed in first, gently grabbing the little cat by its front legs and lifting it up.
“……”
Witch Miss stood up nonchalantly, tidying her long black hair that had fallen to one side, and looked at Shaya.
To her surprise, he held the innocent-looking little cat in front of his face and said, “Big sister, do you want to cuddle me?”
“Has our drink arrived yet?”
Witch Miss calmly asked without acknowledging Shaya.
Shaya placed the little cat on the table in front of Agnes and turned to head back toward the coffee bar.
Only then did Witch Miss refocus her gaze on the obediently squatting little cat in front of her.
Looking at the fluffy little creature staring innocently up at her, her heart fluttered slightly.
Agnes suddenly began to understand the purpose of this cafe.
She gently reached out, scratching under the little cat’s chin.
It seemed to enjoy it, narrowing its eyes as a purring sound rumbled in its throat.
“Meow…”
At the moment Agnes unconsciously made that sound, she was suddenly jolted awake.
What am I doing?
Witch Miss looked up dazedly and met the gaze of Shaya, who approached her carrying two cups of coffee.
His expression also bore a trace of surprise.
“You…”
“Would you like to try the coffee?”
To mask her shock and disarray, Shaya took the initiative to speak.
But he quickly regretted it.
……
“I’m sorry.”
After leaving the cat cafe, Shaya voluntarily admitted defeat.
Not only had he witnessed Witch Miss mimicking a cat, but he had also made her drink iced Americano.
One should know that this drink is simply a shot of espresso with some water and ice, with no added sweetness, and it tastes both sour and bitter—a flavor difficult for anyone but seasoned coffee lovers to appreciate.
“……”
Witch Miss maintained a somewhat cold expression, not replying to Shaya.
Her tongue lightly flicked out, feeling quite sour and uncomfortable.
Ever since tasting the strawberry ice cream from Shaya’s home, Agnes had assumed that drinks from his hometown would be predominantly sweet, so she hadn’t given it much thought.
Who knew, after trying the iced Americano, Witch Miss began to question her existence.
Does anyone really like drinking this?
She cast a chilly glance at Shaya, seriously suspecting that this guy was trying to tease her.
After a moment, she coldly asked, “Do you actually like drinking this?”
Shaya chuckled awkwardly, remained silent for a moment, and then replied, “Perhaps, it’s not so much about liking the taste of this drink, but rather pursuing a certain refined culture that it represents.”
“To put it simply, I used to be a bit pretentious, thinking that ordering an expensive-looking drink in a cafe gave a feeling of being part of the elite class.”
It was indeed something Shaya often did during his university years.
Looking back, it felt somewhat ridiculous.
Witch Miss said nothing.
The two walked quietly down the street, letting the breeze ruffle their black hair.
……
After Agnes calmed down, for the rest of the day, Shaya took her to try local cuisine, went to a shooting range, and then watched a movie.
The movie was a remastered version of “Titanic.”
After all was said and done, the sky was already darkening.
So at Shaya’s suggestion, they found a park and rented a boat, leisurely rowing across the calm lake.
The surroundings were incredibly quiet, with nothing to disturb the serene atmosphere except the occasional birds skimming above the water and schools of goldfish displaying vibrant colors beneath the surface.
Witch Miss sat with her legs crossed at the bow of the boat, gazing at the water’s surface, seemingly lost in thought.
Though she wore modern attire at that moment, she exuded a tranquil aura, filled with the depth and silence peculiar to a deity.
That stunning silhouette seemed to be silently conveying something.
“Was today quite enjoyable, Miss Agnes?”
While rowing the boat, Shaya initiated the conversation.
Agnes did not answer, softly asking, “And you?”
“It feels like some things, or pressures, in your heart have been released quite a bit.”
Upon hearing this, Shaya was taken aback.
In the end, the motive for returning to these old places was not just for Witch Miss but for many reasons related to Shaya himself.
The pressures faced in reality were heavy, and after crossing over for more than a decade, Shaya found himself missing aspects of his past life to some extent.
Although for him, it was already impossible to go back.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, Agnes suddenly said, “If I could break the seal and return to reality, while you continue to perfect this city in the Sea of Consciousness until it’s flawless, perhaps I could materialize everything here completely.”
“All the people and things inside.”
Shaya gasped.
Witch Miss… can even do this?
He had thought that her previous actions in the palace were already miraculous, but it seemed that to her, it was simply effortless.
However, Shaya smiled wryly and shook his head: “Even if materialized, it would only be a replica.”
The familiar people and things were long gone, so what would it mean?
Shaya felt a bit melancholic.
Witch Miss remained silent for a while.
Then, she gently stood up, turning to face Shaya as he rowed.
Wearing a white shirt against the backdrop of the sunset and twilight, her long black hair was lightly brushed by the evening breeze, making her look extremely beautiful.
Was it just his imagination, or did Shaya feel like the corners of her mouth curled ever so slightly, seemingly carrying a hint of a smile?
“Actually, when I first met you, I sensed that although you appear humble, there is a pride within you that looks down on everyone. Although I don’t know what this pride is based on.”
“Even I, even beings like deities, you don’t seem to regard with any fear.”
“I…”
Just as Shaya was about to explain, he was interrupted by Witch Miss.
She gently shook her head: “It’s not that you’re bad; in fact, you are the first human to treat me this way since my birth.”
“There’s no fear or disgust, and your gaze is very clear.”
“I… don’t dislike this feeling.”
Shaya was taken aback.
“Actually, I wasn’t always like this before meeting you.”
“I used to have no friends and no close ones, always believing that as long as a person was strong enough, they could live well and gracefully in this world.”
“But actually, I have weaknesses too,” Witch Miss said in a tone of revelation, lowering her head, “For instance, I’m afraid of water, afraid of darkness, and afraid of that despairing feeling of sinking into the depths after being submerged.”
As she spoke, Witch Miss slightly bent down, gently removing her shoes and standing barefoot at the very front of the boat.
“The movie we watched earlier… was called ‘Titanic,’ right?”
It was unclear whether she was asking Shaya or merely thinking aloud; Witch Miss stood at the bow, surveying the calm lake.
Seemingly realizing that her behavior was a bit out of place, she lightly waved her hand.
Then, to Shaya’s astonished gaze, the center of the lake was suddenly swept as if by a sea monster, stirring up massive waves and whirlpools.
The pervasive black mist arrived quietly, dyeing the lake water into a chilling, despairing tone that felt overwhelmingly oppressive, as if a giant monster was lurking beneath the water, ready to swallow anyone who fell in!
Simultaneously, red flowers resembling blood began to rise slowly from around the whirlpool’s surface, blooming beautifully.
Those were the red spider lilies.
At this moment, under Witch Miss’s power, the lake water seemed to transform into the River of the Underworld, and the small boat instantly began to wobble perilously, looking as if it would capsize at any moment.
“You…”
Seemingly shocked by the scene before him, Shaya spoke instinctively.
This was his consciousness space; how did Witch Miss take control?
Shaya tried to use his powers to alter the surroundings but found that the abilities he was usually free to wield felt completely stripped away.
Is this the means of a deity?
After a moment, Agnes looked back and softly said, “Let’s play a game.”
Saying this, she shot a peculiar glance at Shaya.
“Right now, I am merely a tiny fragment of consciousness, but the black mist in the lake is real. If you fall into the water and are in contact with it for too long, this version of me before you will disappear completely.”
“If you choose to save me, although I know you won’t die, the curse of the black mist acting directly on your consciousness and spirit will bring pain far exceeding physical suffering—polluting your psyche and affecting your thoughts.”
“In fact, whether you save me or not makes no difference to me, as I am merely a small fragment of consciousness and won’t affect reality.”
“If I had to give a reason, it could just be seen as a mischievous prank I, as a witch, embarked upon out of boredom.”
“So… what will you choose?”
Agnes spoke softly.
She quietly regarded him for a moment before turning away.
Accompanied by the fluttering of her black hair, and to Shaya’s astonished eyes, Witch Miss gently rose on tiptoe, spread her arms, and fell into the water.
“Hiss, hiss, hiss—”
The inky black mist in the water seemed to sense the presence of its master, morphing into twisted black snakes and lines, rushing towards Witch Miss with a roar!
“!!”
Shaya’s pupils constricted as he instinctively tossed aside the boat paddle and without thinking, jumped into the water after her.
A cold sensation completely enveloped him.
It was a feeling of despair as murky as mud, as if myriad hands from the underworld were gradually pulling him down, until he could no longer surface.
“……”
In a daze, Shaya vaguely felt a pair of delicate, icy hands gently caressing his cheek, tenderly like a lover’s touch.
He seemed to see a beautiful yet pale little face.
That face bore a faint smile.
……
When Shaya awoke, he found himself still inside the Abyss Palace.
He quickly stood up, glancing around to find Witch Miss comfortably sitting on the steps.
Her expression was peaceful, as if nothing had just happened.
“You… deceived me?” Shaya hesitated for a moment and then spoke.
Just now after Witch Miss fell into the water, Shaya had jumped in right after, fully prepared to endure suffering.
However, he discovered that he seemed to have experienced none of the pain Agnes had described.
As he sat nearby, Octave was about to say something upon seeing the two suddenly awake but saw Witch Miss lightly raise her hand, and then she transformed into water ripples, disappearing from the spot.
She had been transferred to another space within the palace.
After doing this, Agnes finally stood up, walking down the steps gracefully in her high heels.
“Yes, I deceived you,” Agnes said softly in her melodious voice, “After all, that is your Sea of Consciousness; even if I can exert some degree of control, I cannot materialize an existence like ‘black mist.'”
“But you still jumped in.”
Without any hesitation.
Agnes pondered over this statement, her black hair slightly obscuring her face, revealing no emotions.
An awkward silence enveloped them.
After a long while, Agnes suddenly spoke softly, “Let’s make a promise.”
“Regardless of when, regardless of how much time passes, when you need me, I will definitely be by your side to help you; this is compensation for that little prank just now.”
Just as I am very clear that you would jump into the water to save me without hesitation.
……
Has Witch Miss been reading too many books and is now suffering from literary sickness?
Shaya sighed, finding Agnes’s earlier behavior puzzling; the jumping into the river and making promises made it feel like youth literary angst.
But in the end, he agreed to that promise.
After all, it didn’t have a significant impact on him, and he could even gain a commitment from an evil god, which was a no-lose deal.
Moreover, just before leaving, she had given him something.
“This is the [Core of Great Light]; I will integrate it into your body. With this, even in reality, Beatrice won’t trouble you.”
“That is an item belonging to the Goddess of Light, and she greatly fears the Goddess of Light.”
These were Witch Miss’s exact words.
It seemed she also remembered that the last time Shaya departed, he had severely humiliated the Goddess of the Bright Moon and had been marked by her.
He felt as though he had inadvertently learned some divine secrets.
With this in mind, Shaya was about to pull out his space wand again to teleport back to Witch Miss’s side to level up or something.
But just then, he suddenly realized that he seemed to be inside a cave.
Shaya paused for a moment and then came to a sudden understanding.
When heading to the Divine Country of Fertility, he had been killed once by the Mysterious Man in Black Robe, and his respawn point was set in this cave, so after leaving Witch Miss, he was teleported here.
“Who is it?!”
A voice of reprimand suddenly echoed.
Shaya looked up to see a fully armed team of knights standing at the entrance of the cave.
It seemed they had come to investigate after discovering the remains of the Fertility Mother Tree.
Evidently, the scene here had been well secured, so Shaya’s sudden appearance naturally seemed a bit suspicious.
He took out his inspector badge and showed it to them, saying, “I am Shaya Adelaide, a junior inspector from the Judgment Tower.”
To his surprise, upon hearing this name, they exchanged glances, revealing a look of deep apprehension.
This puzzled Shaya.
The name of the Judgment Tower was not having its usual effect for the first time.
Just as he was about to repeat himself, one of them suddenly shouted, “Seize him!”
In an instant, the knights surged into the cave, directing glinting weapons at him, surrounding him.
“Empire’s Most Wanted Shaya Adelaide, this is the Heretic Tribunal’s ‘Nightingale’ team. I announce your arrest here!”
“Please drop your weapons and surrender immediately!”
