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1.

No one could ever stand on the rainbow.

Even if they had the power to create and destroy worlds...

Even if they had all the strength to cleanse all the Criminal Exiles disrupting the order, it didn’t mean their power was perfect.

Everyone carried their own contradictions deep inside.

And she, Lilith, understood this better than anyone and knew how to use it to her advantage.

She’d find the hidden threads of these contradictions, then carefully, she’d pull them free.

Then, like spinning a slingshot, she’d whirl them around with precision.

The only things she needed to control were the length of the string and the timing of its release.

Everything that unraveled from that point on, she’d leave it to the roll of the dice of fate.

Every time the spinning string buzzed past her ears like a bee’s wings, she always paused to think:

Is it time now?

When’s the perfect time to let go? The time when the most spectacular effect would be created?

Just like watching a line of dominoes someone painstakingly stacked came crashing down...

Thinking about the impending chaos always brought a smile to her face.

“Keter.”

The title ‘Duchess Keter’ does indeed sound grand, doesn’t it?

Lilith muttered the name of her twisted reflection with a smirk.

The arrogant spirit of order who had discarded her, tossed her aside like an old rag, and abandoned her.

Yet you still failed, huh, Keter?

The thought sent a wicked thrill through Lilith, along with a bitter chuckle.

“So, even you couldn’t stand on the rainbow.”

Lilith seized one of the cards Keter had meticulously prepared.

The heart of the ‘order’ she had built, Gehenna, the City of Witches.

If all her carefully laid plans come back as an explosive disaster, how bitter would she feel?

Lilith—no, now, she was Clara, suppressed a chuckle as she walked toward Amelia.

Now wasn’t the time to let her expression slip.

While Amelia might trust her now, even the smallest signs could sow seeds of doubt.

“Have you made up your mind?”

“...Yes.”

“Great! You made the right call! Staying cooped up will only drag you down.”

Today was the Harvest Festival.

So, Clara had encouraged Amelia to step outside.

Since her reunion with Siwoo, the latter had been in a daze for days.

Lost in gloomy thoughts and regret, in the despair of dashed hopes she had held onto until now, she shut out everything around her, as if she had withdrawn into a shell.

Everything, except Clara.

This was why Clara had played the role of her supportive ally; all for this very moment.

She kept just enough distance and demeanor so as not to make her feel uncomfortable, and eventually, she disabled Amelia’s body’s autonomous defense and infused her self-essence magic, disguised as mana, into Amelia’s brand.

Amelia’s world was small.

Her immature sense of self and distant personality, masked by cold words, made it hard for her to truly connect with others.

For Lilith, someone who managed to manipulate even the deranged Cowardly Witch and the cunning Witch of Desire, Amelia was an overwhelmingly easy target.

“...”

“What’s wrong? Are you having second thoughts?”

Noticing Amelia being all quiet, Clara asked with a little more higher pitch than usual.

If her offer had simply been to tour around for the Harvest Festival, Amelia probably wouldn’t have hesitated so much.

But the way she wrapped her arms around herself, reluctant to embark on this outing, made it clear that the outing was merely a pretext.

“You’re the one who said you wanted to see for yourself.”

“Yes... I did...”

Indeed, the real purpose of this outing was for Amelia to meet her long-time crush, Shin Siwoo.

She wanted to hear his true feelings and have an open, honest conversation.

To effectively use her ‘Whispers’, Lilith had to connect with her target more than anyone else.

She needed to understand Amelia thoroughly; her psychological patterns, her journey from past to present, every step that brought her to this point.

Right now, Clara already had a deep understanding of how Amelia’s mind worked.

She could even foresee the ebb and flow of her thoughts and feelings, swaying between conscious choices and subconscious impulses.

If Lilith ever dropped Clara’s appearance and imitated Amelia, her mimicry would be flawless. No one would notice that she wasn’t Amelia, given how well she understood her.

And yet, oftentimes, Clara had to stifle her laughter whenever she looked at Amelia.

Even she didn’t expect that Amelia’s tendency to avoid things would run so deep.

Amelia hadn’t even bothered to read Siwoo’s farewell note or her master’s will.

That just showed how childish and baffling her self-defense mechanism was.

“If there’s a misunderstanding, you’ve got to face it head-on. Things won’t change if you stay passive.”

“I know, Clara. You’ve said that so many times.”

But just hearing it wasn’t enough to change anything.

True change usually needs an external push.

Clara spent a lot of time persuading Amelia.

Disguising her manipulation as heartfelt advice, she subtly influenced Amelia’s subconscious.

She planted a seed of hope in the barren depths of Amelia’s mind.

And she guided her to seek out Siwoo on her own, preventing her from retreating into isolation again.

After all, hope was important.

Because the higher one’s hope was, the harder the fall would be.

Still, Clara never intended for Amelia to actually meet and talk to Shin Siwoo.

She gently wrapped an arm around Amelia, who was trembling like a bird stepping out of its cage for the first time.

“It’ll be alright. You don’t need to be so stressed!”

“You always say that...but thanks...”

“And as I always say, that’s what friends are for.”

In the end, Amelia mustered the courage to meet Siwoo again.

Unfortunately, their reunion was bound to end in a disaster.

Because Clara wouldn’t accept it otherwise.

2.

“Ugh, I’m screwed! I’m totally screwed! Why is the world out to get me like this...?”

Sharon pouted, her face gloomy.

The council had assigned her to the second day of the Harvest Festival.

A special day or date didn’t necessarily call for special sex, but she still knew exactly how to please Siwoo, who had a bit of a kinky side.

While the twins were busy prepping their Love-Love Jenga, Sharon got a little competitive and began brainstorming her own ideas.

She even helped Duchess Tiphereth, who was aimlessly wandering, unsure of what to do alone.

Since the duchess had prepared a bunny-girl outfit, Sharon took the chance to order something special for herself, too.

A 13-piece adult toy package, a product of the Modern World.

The problem was that the smuggling ship that was supposed to arrive that morning had gotten caught in a maritime accident and sunk to the bottom of the ocean in the modern world.

Her dildos and handcuffs, among other items, became hidden treasures under the sea without ever meeting their intended owner.

“You’ve got to be kidding me...”

Though the schedule had been tight, she had hoped it’d make it in time.

Never did she imagine that such a huge mishap, like the ship capsizing, would ruin everything.

Sharon let out a bitter laugh at her unfortunate streak.

“Damn... I was really looking forward to this....”

Some items in the catalog had looked intimidating, but they had sparked her curiosity.

They said trying out new things could help keep a relationship exciting, so she braced herself and just did it.

Even for someone like Sharon, to aim to secure a spot next to Siwoo, who was considered the most popular man in the Witch Society, she felt that mediocre preparations and readiness wouldn’t be enough.

But no matter how much she lamented, there was no time to prepare anything else.

In Gehenna, where many conservative witches lived, it wasn’t easy to get adult toys, and even if she could, the scandal she’d have to deal with would be mortifying. Her master’s name might get dragged into it, and she didn’t want that.

In the end, she decided to just put on her best makeup, dressed up as prettily as she could, and sat on a bench in Tarot Town, waiting for Siwoo.

3.

When Siwoo thought about the Harvest Festival, the first thing that popped into his mind was the lively, festive atmosphere of Tarot Town’s plaza.

Trinity Academy didn’t change much even during the Harvest Festival, while the luxurious Malkuth Gallery wasn’t a place where a slave could freely enter.

So, naturally, he and Takasho often found themselves at the White Whale Bar, enjoying some dry jerky and draft beer.

“This isn’t bad at all.”

He’d once heard that a measure of one’s success was ‘How great of a day are you having on holidays or special days’.

Looking at it that way, his life had certainly taken a turn for the better.

Just yesterday, he spent a wonderful day with his master—one of the three duchesses of Gehenna—and tomorrow, he planned to relax with the Gemini twins—apprentice witches of Countess Gemini.

And today, he had a date with Sharon, someone he would never have dreamed of approaching if he were the old Siwoo.

Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel like his happiness was a bit too much, even if he were to think of it objectively.

Like all festivals, the real fun didn’t start until evening.

Since it was just past noon, Tarot Town’s plaza was still pretty quiet.

Everyone seemed to be still recovering from last night’s revelry, holed up at home with their loved ones, battling their hangovers.

But, of course, by nightfall, the town would come alive again as if nothing had happened.

After wandering for a while, he spotted Sharon sitting on a bench near their meeting spot.

He slowed his footsteps, moving in while making sure not to make any noise.

He was planning on giving her a little scare, like he used to do back in the day.

“That’s not gonna work on me anymore, you know?”

Just as he was about to surprise her, Sharon turned her head and locked eyes with him.

She seemed lost in thought a moment ago, but somehow, she had sensed him coming.

“Do you think I’m that easy to fool? You always do the same thing!”

“How did you figure it out?”

When she pouted slightly, Siwoo leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

With Sharon, greetings always seemed to start with a kiss.

“You can’t hide your scent. I’ve smelled it so many times.”

“Funny, considering you still fall for it sometimes.”

Their playful banter flowed naturally, light and effortless.

Sharon just had a way of putting people at ease.

She might have seemed like a feisty stray cat at first, but in truth, she was far from it.

“Tada! How do I look? I put some effort in today.”

She stood up, showing off her outfit.

Her hair, usually left loose, was now swept up in an elegant bun fit for a princess.

The butterfly pin and earrings, which seemed to be crafted by a master artisan, sparkled in the quiet afternoon sunlight, while her warm winter coat and scarf made her look so graceful that she could easily pass for a princess on a rare public outing.

Moreover, the way her thick clothes were subtly puffed up by the influence of her bosom...

Even though he saw her almost every day, Sharon’s beauty never failed to captivate him.

She was stunningly, ridiculously beautiful.

“Did you apply some makeup?”

“What the heck?! What’s with that lifeless response?!”

“I just don’t know what to say because you’re too beautiful.”

“This outfit wasn’t cheap, you know? Praise me more! Praise me!!”

Even when she pretended to be upset, her cheerful smile made it impossible to think that she was actually upset.

Then she skipped over and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a close hug.

A comforting warmth spread, along with the soft scent of her skin.

Playfully, Sharon rubbed her head against him, as if trying to leave her scent on him.

“Today, this big sister will cover all the date expenses. So, you could relax and leave it all to me!”

“Really? Are you sure about that?”

“Of course~ Think of it as me repaying you for all your help back when we were living together. Also, I just got paid, so let’s go shopping at the gallery~”

With an endearing puppy-like energy, Sharon clung to him even closer.

Though she was usually one for physical affection, today she seemed in an especially good mood.

If she had a tail, he imagined it would be wagging furiously as they headed toward Malkuth Gallery.