“Witch’s Night is Contained Artifact No. 5. Even by the containment standards built by humans, it belongs to the highest-risk first tier, the kind most likely to spiral out of control.”

“So then, what is it really? And what am I supposed to do to save Pandora?”

“Its true form is a dream.”

“A dream?”

“Mhm. A dream that broke free from its owner’s control and developed a certain degree of self-awareness. After humans captured it and brought it under control, it became a prison used to confine anomalies.”

“Then its original owner was...?”

“No one knows. From the moment it appeared in this world, it already existed independently. Of course, there are conspiracy theories saying it came from that first Witch... but there’s no evidence to prove it.”

“So basically, I don’t actually need to care what it is. I just need to think about how to get Pandora out, right?”

“Mhm, you could put it that way.”

“Then how do I save Pandora?”

“Three steps. Like putting an elephant in a fridge. Enter Witch’s Night, find Pandora, bring her out of Witch’s Night.”

“It’s that simple?”

“Mhm. Witch’s Night has a certain degree of self-awareness. Once you enter it, you’ll understand what to do.”

“I see...”

The maid slowly nodded as she opened the box of tea-time desserts she had just bought.

There were two mousse cakes. One was matcha, the other dark chocolate. The former was Lilith’s favorite flavor. The latter was for the maid herself... though of course, both had been bought with Lilith’s money.

Witches were actually a lot like the dragons of myth. They both liked glittering gems and precious metals scarce in nature, so Lilith was very rich.

Though to a witch, money was only a pale string of numbers.

The maid pushed the matcha mousse toward Lilith, then took out her Enchanted Wand and drew an arc in front of herself with practiced flair.

Magic stirred the rules themselves, like a saint whose words became law. A teapot shot out from Witch’s Haven behind the fireplace and floated to the bar. The water inside seemed freshly boiled, and steam still curled from the spout.

Then the tea bags and the fresh milk from the magic fridge flew over as well. As if guided by invisible hands, they automatically brewed a cup of milk tea.

The maid pushed an elegant brass cup filled with milk tea toward Lilith, lowered her eyes, and said respectfully,

“Master, your milk tea.”

Lilith frowned, seeming a little unhappy, but she still nodded and took the cup. She casually cast a freezing spell to cool it down a little, then took a sip.

“It tastes good.”

She praised it.

“My honor.”

The maid smiled.

“...”

Lilith’s brows, which had just relaxed because of the good milk tea, tightened again.

She felt like something was off about the maid’s attitude toward her, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.

Was it because of Witch’s Night?

She picked up a piece of cake with her little fork and thought while tasting it.

So after swallowing that bite, she simply asked,

“You don’t want to go?”

“No.”

“You’re not sulking?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“People who are sulking never admit they’re sulking. Jiang Jiu, you told me that before.”

“So you’re determined to make me admit I’m sulking?”

“That’s not impossible.”

The maid’s expression turned slightly helpless. She lifted her own cup of milk tea, took a sip, and asked calmly,

“...Then did I ever tell you that women love being unreasonable?”

“But you’re a woman now too.”

“...”

At last, the maid fell silent.

It was rare for her to come out worse in a verbal clash with Lilith. Even if it was only a small loss, did that seem like some kind of omen?

Was Lilith about to sound the horn for a counterattack?

The maid didn’t know... and she didn’t care.

She only cared about herself.

So it wasn’t until she finished that dark chocolate mousse that she finally took out the handkerchief she carried in her apron pocket, elegantly wiped her mouth, looked up at Lilith, and asked,

“You want me to save Pandora. Fine, no problem... but aren’t you afraid Pandora might end up liking me too, just like An Ning did?”

Lilith glanced at the maid in slight surprise, then shook her head.

“She won’t. Pandora isn’t like ordinary people.”

“An Ning wasn’t ordinary either. She was the eldest daughter of the An Group, and she was an anomaly too.”

“Pandora’s situation is different from An Ning’s too. She’s a witch.”

“But Lilith, you’re a witch too.”

The maid smiled and lightly tapped the cake plate with her little fork, producing a string of crisp, rhythmic clinks.

“Didn’t you say something similar back then?” she asked. “You said you were just curious about me, that there was no way you’d fall for me. But in the end, you still became my girlfriend... oh, ex-girlfriend.”

She even stressed the word “ex” on purpose.

Lilith took a deep breath, as if suppressing her anger.

“I’m not the same as Pandora,” she explained in a low voice. “Her situation is rather special. She should...”

But for some reason, Lady Witch didn’t finish the sentence. It even stopped at a very awkward point.

It was as if she had thought of something. Her confidence faded, and she even began to doubt the conclusion she herself had just made.

So Jiang Jiu smiled.

“Looks like you don’t even believe your own argument. But whatever. Whether Pandora likes me or not has nothing to do with me. My task is just to bring her out.”

Lady Witch remained silent.

After a long while, she finally seemed to have figured something out. Then she looked at Jiang Jiu expressionlessly.

She took out her Enchanted Wand.

“In my capacity as your master, I order you—Jiang Jiu, while inside Witch’s Night, you are forbidden from doing anything to Pandora that carries the subjective intent of winning her favor, whether actively or passively... and put away your usual bad-woman routine.”

Lady Witch’s tone was very serious. She had probably truly started to fear that Jiang Jiu would stir up trouble with Pandora.

Jiang Jiu couldn’t help laughing.

“So you are scared after all. Relax, I’m not interested in Pandora. I’m just afraid she’ll get interested in me, like An Ning did... getting moved on her own, falling for me on her own, then ending up disappointed and breaking down on her own. Honestly, I find it pretty troublesome too.”

“Back then, all I wanted was to give her a simple helping hand.”

The way she said it made people want to punch her. Lady Witch even felt her grip on the wand harden again.

But what she said was the truth.

Because even Lady Witch herself had approached her for that exact reason in the beginning.

Whether in her past life as a man or in this life as a bad woman, Jiang Jiu seemed to carry some inexplicable charm. Like a lone candle burning in a pitch-black wilderness, she would naturally draw countless moths willing to fly into the flame.

Lady Witch stared at Jiang Jiu in silence for a moment. In the end, she lowered her head and nudged her cake with her fork as she said softly,

“In any case, no matter what, you’re not allowed to provoke Pandora. She... is actually pretty pitiful.”

Jiang Jiu nodded obediently and gave a soft mm.

“Got it, my master. Don’t worry. If I can help it, I’m not going to go out of my way to mess with other women... I’m not interested in other women.”

“That sounds like a human saying they’re not interested in money.”

“When someone starts saying things that sound obviously ridiculous, it usually means there’s business behind it. So if you think me saying I’m not interested in other women sounds ridiculous, then what’s the business behind it?”

Jiang Jiu asked softly, then tilted her head with a smile and answered herself,

“Why, obviously I’m trying to win your favor, my light of life, fire of my desire, my sin, my soul, my Lady Witch—I so want to be your dog, Lilith. For you, I’ll go save Pandora.”

“...”

Lady Witch said nothing.

She simply stood up. A faint glow began to rise, scatter, and in an instant slip behind the bar, where it reconstructed the form of the girl in the black dress.

Then Lady Witch turned around, took several bottles of base liquor from the wine cabinet, and set them on the bar. She bent down and took out a shaker and a jigger.

“I’ll make you a drink.”

She waved her Enchanted Wand and spoke to Jiang Jiu.

Tiny glimmers drilled out of the void and bloomed into little winged sprites. At first they chattered noisily among themselves in hushed voices, but soon they obediently bowed to Lady Witch. Then they split into clear roles and flew busily around the bar.

They lifted the bottles, shook the shaker, mixed many kinds of liquor together, and sprinkled in a phosphorescent glow like luminous powder. At once, a fragrant aroma of alcohol surged out and filled the entire bar.

“Fine wine! Fine wine! Fine wine!”

Jiang Jiu heard them cry in tiny voices.

These little things, from who knew where, used astonishing strength and speed to quickly finish a cocktail. Then together, working in perfect unity, they poured it into the prepared glass.

Brilliant. Multicolored. Tiny points of light floated over a pitch-black base, making it impossible not to think of the galaxy.

Judging by appearance alone, it could only be called a very beautiful cocktail.

But what about the taste?

Jiang Jiu looked at Lady Witch. Lady Witch lowered her head and pushed the cocktail toward her across the table.

“It’s called Dream,” she said softly. “Every wrong turn begins here. It is the beginning and the end, above all things and beneath all things... It is the entrance to Witch’s Night. Drink it, and you’ll enter Witch’s Night.”

“...”

Jiang Jiu lowered her head and carefully examined the cocktail in front of her once more.

Then she seemed to remember something. She reached up and tugged at the cat ears on top of her head. That had been the punishment she got after asking Lady Witch for more pay. Together with the collar around her neck, it made her look like a pitiful little kitten abused by her owner, miserable and yet strangely seductive.

So she couldn’t help sighing, then asked Lady Witch,

“As payment, when I come back, help me turn the cat ears back... and the collar too.”

Without waiting for Lady Witch to answer, she picked up the glass of [Dream], tilted her head back, and drank the brilliant liquid down in one go.

Drowsiness surged up like a tide.

Jiang Jiu gradually lost her strength. Unable to hold herself up, she slumped over the bar and slowly closed her eyes.

Only vaguely, she seemed to hear someone lean close to her ear and whisper in a voice warm and damp with breath,

“Good night.”

Night has fallen. Please close your eyes.

[To be continued]