“Little Moon, you know my old job at the Rangers Lodge was chasing criminals, right?” Her smile curved like moonlight on fresh snow.

“Mm... mm!” Her nod pecked fast like a sparrow at rice.

“But even among criminals, there are all kinds of stories.” Her tone drifted like willow leaves on a slow river.

“Eh?” Her surprise popped like a fish breaking the lake’s skin.

In the silver-haired girl’s lilting voice, the tale unfurled like silk in a spring breeze.

Her pause stretched, soft as mist rolling over a dawn marsh.

“Please, save me!” The office door of the Rangers Lodge banged open like thunder splitting dry bamboo.

The girl stood barely one and a half meters, in a crimson ornate dress, blood-red petals blooming across it like scattered camellias against her pale skin.

Yue Dier was on her phone—hard at “work”—and recognition flashed through her like lightning across a night sea.

“Eh? Isn’t this the A‑rank wanted witch Red Rose? What brings you to the Rangers Lodge?” Her eyes gleamed like frost-bright stars.

“Is—is that Thousand Night Snow? G-great! I’m finally saved!” Her relief spilled like rain after a long drought.

Even recognized, the red-haired little witch showed no fear, clinging to hope like a drowning cat to driftwood.

“Wait! Let me tweak this.” Dixue flicked her game to auto-battle, then rose like a blade lifted from its sheath.

“Miss Red Rose, if you want to commission the Rangers Lodge, it can’t be anything unlawful.” Her voice rang like a bell in a temple hall.

“It’s proper business! Absolutely nothing illegal!” She thumped her chest like a drum at festival.

“Oh... law-abiding, then? Please state your commission, Miss Red Rose.” Her fingers tapped the desk like rain on bamboo.

“Thanks. What I’m about to say... please don’t be scared.” Her breath shivered like a leaf in cold wind.

“I’m Yue Dier. I don’t scare. Please, speak.” Her calm lay flat as a lake under moon.

“I—I just... was hunted down by a Little Dessert!” Her words tumbled like marbles across a stone floor.

Red Rose squeezed her eyes shut, fear paling her like chalk after a storm.

“Little dessert... which kind of dessert?” Dixue tilted her head like a curious cat.

“Not which kind! She’s half angel, half demon—Little Dessert!” Her hands sliced the air like wings.

“Mm... Sephiroth?” Her guess fell light as snowflakes.

“Not a boy, a beautiful girl!” Her protest cracked like firewood.

“Oh... the kind you can eat, a World Tree Maiden?” Her mischief glimmered like foxfire.

“You can’t eat her!” She exploded like a kettle whistling off the hob.

She shook her head madly, memories swarming like startled starlings: “You’ve watched anime, right? She’s that super cute, super moe kind! Understand?”

“Oh, got it. Go on.” Dixue steepled her hands on the desk like a little pagoda.

“She chased me like crazy! Said I was adorable... I mean, who doesn’t know the Red Rose witch is adorable!” Pride sparkled like lacquer.

“I only—only treated Little Dessert as a robbery partner!” Her voice hiccuped like a cart on cobbles.

“But after that, Little Dessert tailed me day and night! Breakfast, changing clothes, even on the toilet—she hid in corners watching me!” The words rattled like beads on a prayer string.

“In the end, she even stole my panties to wear...” Her shame flushed like sunset on snow.

“Pfft—” Dixue snorted, laughter fizzing like soda.

“What are you laughing at!?” Her glare flared like a struck match.

“I remembered something happy.” Her smile unfolded like a fan.

“What could be happy about that?!” Her brows knotted like storm clouds piling.

“The fortune-teller told me on next month’s trip I’d meet a cute girl... pfft! lmao.” Her giggle skipped like water over stones.

“Is it that funny?!” Her temper slammed like a door in wind.

“Mm... because the fortune-teller also said she’d be so adorably dense she couldn’t even wear a skirt right.” Her eyes shone like mischievous stars.

“There can’t be such a dumb girl! I’ll say it again—I’m not joking!!! I’m truly cornered!!!” Her frustration flipped like a table in a tavern.

“Mm-hmm—lmao.” The silver-haired girl clapped a hand over her mouth like a sleeve over a lantern.

“Waaa!” Her cry rose like a gull over waves.

“Miss Red Rose, back to business... that Little Dessert you mentioned, is she cute?” Dixue’s tone fluttered like a teasing breeze.

“It’s not about cute or not! She’s really that... that rare kind...” Her gaze went glassy, memory drifting like pollen.

“When it’s just us, she’s quiet and sweet, like a little angel.” Her voice softened like down.

“And when we rob together, she’s reliable and brave, like a hawk stooping on prey.” Her hands sliced down like talons.

“Sadly, if she sees me with another girl... Little Dessert grabs a kitchen knife and sends it straight at that girl.” The image thudded like steel on chopping block.

“lmao.” Dixue’s laugh chimed like wind-bells.

“Wah! Thousand Night Snow, even you’re laughing?!” Her outrage crackled like dry straw.

“Miss Red Rose, we’re professionally trained; when we play games—cough—when we take commissions, no matter how funny, we don’t laugh... lmao.” Her composure wavered like a reed in current.

“But you’re clearly laughing!” Her voice wobbled like jelly.

“That’s to keep the mood lively.” Her wink flicked like a firefly. “How about this, Miss Red Rose—stay in the Rangers Lodge cells for now, so she can’t tail you.”

“Eh? That’s a great idea! Where are the cells? Quick, take me!” Hope leapt like a carp up a waterfall.

“Mm, the keys are here. Please follow me.” The metal chimed like ice against glass.

“Wow, I’m saved!” Her joy burst like spring plum blossoms.

Trailing behind Yue Dier, the red-haired little witch skipped into the Rangers Lodge jail like a sparrow into safe eaves.