Chapter 44: Chapter 44: Confrontation on the Candy Carriage

"Ah, so you are Miss Bev."

Wang Xi smiled elegantly and offered his hand.

"It is my honor to know your real name."

"You have a way with words, Mr. Jai."

Bev said in a languid tone, extending her own hand. But instead of shaking his, she gently placed her hand on the young man’s palm.

Wang Xi froze for a second.

He reacted quickly, rising from the cotton candy cushion. He then bowed his head and kissed his own thumb in a gesture of respect.

"Don’t be so formal."

Just then, Bev’s teasing voice sounded.

Wang Xi lifted his gaze to meet hers.

The Witch toyed with a lock of her curly hair, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"I permit you to kiss my knuckles and the back of my hand."

"..."

Wang Xi remained silent, simply following the Witch’s wishes. He kissed her second knuckle and then the back of her hand, each touch brief and light.

The smile on the Witch’s lips deepened.

She withdrew her hand, using the motion to brush the young man’s dark hair from his forehead to the side of his cheek. Then, she gently tapped his lips with her index finger, wiping away a tiny speck of chocolate.

Bev smiled as she put the finger in her mouth, her eyes narrowing.

"I may not like sweets, but when it’s from your lips, Gai, it has a completely different flavor..."

Even with all his Experience, Wang Xi found it difficult to Parry such a fierce advance from the Witch.

His heart couldn’t help but race.

Fortunately, Wang Xi took action just in time.

’Divine Second!’

Amidst the angry admonitions of the little voice in his head, he instantly calmed down.

Wang Xi was very clear on one point.

’In a high-stakes dance with a master player, even the slightest mistake can cause you to lose control of the situation and get completely steamrolled.’

"For Miss Bev, the renowned Sugar Witch, to dislike sweets is truly surprising to me."

Wang Xi smiled elegantly and sat back down on his cushion.

"Then what, may I ask, does Miss Bev like?"

’When facing a strong offensive, it’s best to sidestep the main thrust. At the same time, I must adhere to the principle of reciprocity, making her the center of the conversation and being an excellent listener.’

’In short, I had to maintain my footwork and Body Technique in this duel of wits, making sure not to make a single mistake while evading her control Skills. Then I’d have to carefully choose my words to praise her and provide emotional validation.’

A hundred thoughts raced through Wang Xi’s mind, but his expression remained unchanged.

Sure enough, when the topic quietly shifted back to the Witch herself, Bev’s interest was piqued. She smiled and said:

"I like wine."

As she spoke, she stared intently into Wang Xi’s eyes and added:

"Bitter wine. The bitterer, the better."

"In that case, I suggest we change our afternoon tea to wine. I would be delighted to drink with you, Miss Bev."

Wang Xi said with a smile.

The Witch raised a delicate eyebrow.

Although she had only just met this young man, conversing with him was remarkably easy and pleasant.

As one of the Three Witches of the Magic Forest, the only beings Bev had interacted with over her long life were stupid Demons and her two uninteresting sisters.

Gai’s appearance was like a small, unexpected stone tossed into the placid lake of her heart. Though insignificant, it sent ripples spreading across the calm, silent surface.

"Alright." The Witch’s smiling eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Miss Bev, want to try mine?"

Just then, after listening to their conversation, Pinocchio turned his head and spoke to the Sugar Witch. Although he found the Witch annoying, he had eaten her candy, after all, so he felt he should be polite.

He pointed to his own messy mouth, covered in frosting and cream, and looked at her with sincere eyes.

"..."

Bev glanced at the boy, her smile vanishing.

She said in a cold tone:

"I am not in the habit of using tin plates as utensils."

"Fine, don’t try it. You think I wanted you to?"

Pinocchio scoffed.

He turned back to his good friend Gai and said:

"Gai, you try it then."

"..."

Wang Xi noticed Pinocchio lifting his chin and casting a hopeful gaze his way, and was suddenly at a loss for words.

’All my cringey, over-thought attempts are nothing compared to this sweet simpleton’s flash of brilliance...’

’Sigh!’

He let out a long sigh in his heart.

Then, he silently took out a handkerchief and wiped Pinocchio’s messy little face clean.

Bev saw this, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. For some reason, it reminded her of a gentle older brother wiping his foolish little brother’s face.

"Gai, you’re the best."

Pinocchio giggled, and as he spoke, he started to lift the hem of his clothes.

"You didn’t get to see Medusa’s eyes just now, and you seemed really disappointed. So how about you look at mine..."

SMACK!

Wang Xi grabbed Pinocchio’s hand, stopping the boy’s absurd action, and said with a look of utter helplessness:

"That won’t be necessary. I’m more interested in women."

"Oh." Pinocchio nodded, only half-understanding, and didn’t insist. "Then next time I go back to the Clockwork Kingdom, I’ll have Father change my body into a woman’s."

"..."

Wang Xi’s expression stiffened.

He found it both funny and a little touching.

’This guy is so naive it’s just plain silly.’

"Pinocchio."

Wang Xi’s expression turned serious, his tone stern.

The boy looked puzzled.

"If you want to make your father proud of you, simply imitating so-called Heroes isn’t enough."

Wang Xi didn’t want the kid to go down the wrong path.

He sighed inwardly and began to earnestly instruct him:

"You should become a noble person."

"A noble person?"

Pinocchio was still confused.

"Yes." Wang Xi nodded. "Their personalities may vary, but they mostly share one thing in common: they stay true to themselves."

"Don’t change yourself just to please others. If you do that, you won’t be you anymore."

"Stay true to myself..."

Pinocchio nodded, as if he partly understood.

"Not even for you, Gai?"

"No." Wang Xi shook his head.

The Sugar Witch across from them listened with great interest, her gaze frequently landing on the dark-haired young man.

’An interesting man...’

「The candy carriage traveled on for some time.」

RUSTLE.

Bev set down the parchment, rolled it back up, tied it, and handed it back.

"Mr. Jai, so your purpose in looking for the Petrifying Lizard is to complete this Demon Hunting commission and get close to that Minister Ando?"

"Yes." Wang Xi took the parchment scroll and put it away. "I want to seek help from the Ice and Snow Queen, but the snowy mountains are sealed off and impassable. I have to find another way."

"But you should know, this Coinage Officer Dick who posted the commission, and Minister Ando, they’re not good people..."

Bev sneered.

"The Stag Kingdom has been logging rampantly on the outskirts of the Magic Forest, polluting the environment. I’ve captured several Stewards from the Silver Refining Workshops and used Magic to learn many of their secrets."

"On one hand, they shout slogans about creating wealth for Queen Xianna. On the other, they’re corrupt to the core, stuffing countless Silver Coins into their own pockets."

"If you want to get to Queen Xianna through those two vermin, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy."

Hearing this, Wang Xi’s brow furrowed slightly.

It was a surprise to get intelligence on the Coinage Officer and the Minister from the Sugar Witch. At the same time, he realized that, just as the Witch said, things might not go so smoothly.

...

...

「The candy carriage finally came to a stop.」

The lollipop wheels ceased to turn. The heart-shaped chocolate door opened, and Wang Xi and Pinocchio followed the Witch out of the carriage.

"Whoa! It’s so pretty!"

Pinocchio’s dark, round eyes lit up as he exclaimed in wonder.

Wang Xi looked around. Before him was a clearing in the forest. Bushes made of multicolored syrup were scattered all around, along with cake-mushrooms as tall as a person, their chocolate-ganache caps dotted with star-like bits of chopped nuts.

A small cottage constructed from candy and desserts stood silently before them. Gingerbread walls, rock candy windows, spun-sugar tapestries, candy cane pillars, a chocolate roof...

The air was filled with a rich and complex fragrance of fruit and sweetness, yet it wasn’t nauseating. Instead, it was pleasant and uplifting.

Everything felt like a dream.

"The Lady Witch is back!"

Just then, small doors opened at the base of the giant mushrooms, and a dozen or so "mushroom people" ran out.

Their caps were multicolored, like conical hats perched on their heads, and their round, plump bodies had short little limbs. They came running over, bobbing their heads, and crowded around Bev.

[Sugar Mushroom Girl (Green/One Star)]

A data entry appeared in Wang Xi’s line of sight.

These were Demons that Bev had personally created with her Candy Magic. Their voices were high-pitched and childlike, like little girls.

"Zanni, lead these two guests into the house."

The Sugar Witch ordered languidly.

The leader, a Sugar Mushroom Girl with a dark blue cap, chirped a cheerful agreement. She and a few other mushroom people ran to Wang Xi’s side, enthusiastically tugging his pant leg to lead him toward the Candy House.

"Honored guest, please come in."

The Sugar Mushroom Girl named Zanni said in a singsong voice.

"Alright." Wang Xi smiled and followed their guidance.

At the same time, he glanced at Pinocchio nearby. He was also being enthusiastically swarmed, scratching his head with an embarrassed look on his face.

Wang Xi really wanted to ask him, ’Were you really surrounded by these little things, spat on, cursed, and humiliated by them?’

Although he was curious how Pinocchio would react, he held back... lest the Mechanical Puppet Boy get tilted and have a meltdown on the spot.

Inside the house, Wang Xi was seated at a cake table. The Sugar Mushroom Girls thoughtfully pushed a high-backed chair made of a sandwich cookie over for him.

Bev glided over, with a Sugar Mushroom Girl on her left and right, each holding up the hem of her skirt.

"Please, make yourself at home, Mr. Jai."

The Witch also sat down slowly and said with a smile.

With a wave of her hand, an assortment of desserts instantly appeared on the table, served on gleaming, transparent rock-candy plates.

Next, Bev had Zanni bring over a bottle of red wine with a long neck and a potbelly.

GLUG GLUG...

The Witch poured Wang Xi a glass of wine and handed the rock-candy goblet to him.

"My personally brewed ’Bitter Sugar Wine’."

"Thank you."

Wang Xi took it and took a sip.

Instantly, a blend of dark chocolate, coffee, absinthe, pomelo, and citrus peel spread across his palate, followed by a rich, alcoholic rush.

"A very unique bitter wine. Miss Bev has excellent taste."

Wang Xi commented with a smile.

The blonde Witch had just taken a sip. Hearing his words, she covered her mouth and chuckled, clearly pleased.

’Her two sisters would never drink this kind of wine. Drinking alone and admiring one’s own handiwork could never compare to sharing this moment with someone.’

"If you like it, then let’s have some more."

A faint blush appeared on Bev’s cheeks, whether from the wine or the sweet words, it was hard to say.

"Of course." Wang Xi gently clinked glasses with her.

Their gazes met. As the complex flavors of the wine spread across their taste buds, the atmosphere itself seemed to grow equally complex.

"Wh... Where’s my wine?"

Pinocchio, off to the side, was a bit dumbfounded.

A Sugar Mushroom Girl’s small hand appeared over the edge of the table, placing a glass of milk in front of the boy.

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