dark witch

Chapter12

Merlin raised an eyebrow, "So tender and pink, looks quite sweet," gently pinching the little one's neck, his fingers feeling the delicate softness beneath, "But such a short neck could easily be bitten through," lifting his hand, he gave her a noogie, "Am I lacking food or clothing to the point of needing you as bait?"

"Ha-ha," Xiya poked Haiyin's nape with a finger: "Tell your aunt, how did you come up with this lucrative idea?"

Haiyin hugged her head, pouting, "I just thought it's better than you all randomly bumping into businesses out there," their family's reputation was already in tatters, who would dare to provoke the DeXi witch?

"Not a bad idea," Xiya glanced at her angrily puffing older sister, cleared her throat and said, "But your aunt needs to clarify some things. The Androsi you encountered today must have been newly transformed, still in a weaker state, that's why you managed to strike."

"Such a minor victory has made you lose your senses," Merlin calmed his anger, coldly stating, "Androsi's population doesn't reach ten million, merely a fraction of the human race, yet why do they continue to tread on humanity?"

Haiyin sniffled, replying softly, "Because they are strong enough," she realized her mistake, she shouldn't have thought of provoking Androsi.

"So you understand," Merlin took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "Androsi's speed, physical strength are incomparable to ordinary humans, they also possess extraordinary healing abilities, you should feel lucky that the one you encountered tonight wasn't an old ghost who has transformed long ago."

But then again, she was more angry at Alexander Sterling, if not for his misleading, her obedient little Haiyin wouldn't have thought of stretching her neck to tempt Androsi. Humph...

"My dear," Xiya hugged Haiyin into her arms, "If you want to bare your neck, then we must diligently practice witchcraft," kissing the top of her head, she loved this little one too much, "Do you know, the witch ancestor of the West Sea, after turning eighteen, roamed the continent alone with her neck exposed."

Haiyin lowered her small head, "I understand," it turned out to be a family heritage, she voluntarily flipped out the collar tucked inside her clothes.

"Androsi isn't something to provoke," seeing her gesture, Merlin's tone softened, "But my dear, mother hopes you carefully weigh your own strengths before doing anything. The transformer you dealt with was easy to handle, but tonight you also saw Alexander Sterling."

"He's quite reasonable," it was because of his reasonableness that she harbored crooked thoughts.

Xiya chuckled lightly, "Do you know why that bearded guy was willing to exchange such a precious thing for the Blood Rose Glazed Card?"

Haiyin looked up, "The Blood Rose symbolizes the Sterling family."

"Right," Xiya tapped the little one's forehead, "Ordinary Androsi would feel somewhat intimidated by the Blood Rose Glazed Card, do you know why?"

Haiyin stared silently at her aunt's calm yet slightly cold eyes, but she was very clear in her heart.

Because of the Sterling family's ancestral bloodline and ruthlessness, Xiya curved her lips, the Blood Rose represents the Sterling family. Luo Zong people holding that glazed card, ordinary Androsi would not invade them.

Because invading them is to look down upon the Sterling family, and the looked-down-upon Sterling family would not consider kinship. However, Alexander probably didn't expect the little one to take out that glazed card as payment.

This source of wealth was thus cut off, Haiyin recalled the bits and pieces of meeting Alexander Sterling, realizing he was a wolf in sheep's clothing: "Using a glazed card to ruin a witch with exceptional talents, what a high tactic."

"It's your own shortsightedness," Merlin sighed, she needed to supplement her little Haiyin's knowledge well.

"Alexander Sterling is the only son of Duke Alexandra Sterling and Duchess Lirriadna Sterling, apart from him, the other eighteen viscounts of the Sterling family, although bearing the Sterling surname, are not born of the ancestor Lirrisandra Sterling."

So what does this mean? Haiyin looked at her biological mother, her young heart deeply hurt.

"With Alexander Sterling's identity, he probably wouldn't stoop to using a glazed card to..."

"Sister, we should be nearing the lord's mansion by now," Xiya timely interrupted her, one arm around little Haiyin's plump waist, the other pushing open the carriage window, looking towards the majestic castle bathed in moonlight not far away: "Wonder if Loki Anastasia will welcome us?"

Haiyin glanced at her aunt, "You're asking knowingly."

Xiya liftedher blood-red lips, "Sister, you can continue the conversation," squeezing the little girl's chubby belly, "This dress seems a bit tight."

"I'm only ten years old," Haiyin tried to push away the large hand pinching her tender flesh, but her strength was no match.

Merlin frowned at the harmonious scene of the two playing, a vein throbbing on her forehead, "Xiya, you should remember your status."

"What status," Xiya turned to look at her sister, puzzled, "Did the Andrei Kingdom confer me with something without my knowledge?"

But a child knows her own mother best, Haiyin replied, "Mother means that you're my aunt."

"What kind of status is that?" Xiya laughed.

Seeing her like this, Haiyin couldn't help but sigh deeply, setting her little face sternly, she raised her small chubby hand and patted her aunt's shoulder, "For your sake, I've decided to set a small goal for myself, to have my portrait printed on a glazed card before the age of a hundred," without glazed material, she could make glass herself, the difference wasn't too big anyway.

Xiya was taken aback for a moment, staring at the still plump little Haiyin for a while before suddenly smiling and responding, "Alright, auntie will wait, and when the time comes, I'll personally draw your portrait."

Merlin, looking at the little one's straight back, felt her eyes soften considerably, and the three of them didn't notice the black crow standing quietly on the treasure chest, flashing a figure in its black bean eyes as the carriage approached the lord's mansion.

Clip-clop, clip-clop...

Two Androsi guards outside the mansion, wearing large-lapel knight uniforms, stopped the carriage, one of them, a bearded Androsi, demanded, "Please show your invitation."

"We don't have one," Merlin tapped lightly on the carriage wall, "Just look at the family crest."

The two Androsi frowned upon hearing this but didn't make a big deal, checking the carriage as instructed, barely finding a nearly faded pattern in a corner. What emblem is this?

"Make way," Merlin didn't care whether they recognized it or not, as she had already explained their origin.

The two Androsi exchanged looks, then spoke again, "Without an invitation, please state your surname."

"West Sea Forest," Xiya leaned out of the window, "Can we pass now?"

West Sea Forest? Hearing this origin, the two Androsi looked as if they had been force-fed a large bottle of mares tail juice, their faces turned ashen, immediately clearing the way.

The two old horses proudly pulled the carriage forward, watching them enter the manor, one of the Androsi guards vanished towards the castle, Merlin simply shrugged, unconcerned.

Haiyin, leaning in her aunt's embrace, examined the ivory-constructed pristine white castle, "Mother, later we should make the mandrake mark on the carriage more conspicuous."

"It's fine as it is," Xiya's eyes gleamed with cunning, "So as not to scare others," extending her hand out of the window, her fingers began to dance, and with the movement of her fingers, silver snow cotton flowers fell from the sky, instantly turning the entire manor into a dreamlike scene, "Forgot to bring a gift, this can be my present to little Anastasia."

"Thank you," a tall man dressed in a large-lapel black tailcoat and wearing a high top hat approached from the castle, his crimson eyes indicating his status among the Androsi, his black boots stepping on the silver snow cotton flowers without leaving any trace.

Merlin stepped down from the carriage, Xiya followed with Haiyin, who was tucking a black crow under her arm.

"We apologize for the intrusion."

"It's Anastasia City that should apologize," the man raised his right hand to his chest, slightly bowing to Merlin, "Mrs. Merlin has not ventured out of the West Sea Forest for ten years, and Loki dares not bother you over trivial matters, I'm sorry."

Merlin chuckled, "So you're welcoming us?"

"Of course," the man, Loki Anastasia, the lord of Anastasia City, wore an appropriately measured smile, "It's an honor for Anastasia City to have the West Sea Forest attend Ad·Anastasia's birth celebration."

Haiyin was a bit dazed, Loki Anastasia's demeanor almost made her believe she was born into a great family. Was Androsi's hypocrisy, or her misunderstanding of her own family?

"Since that's the case, then we're reassured," Merlin flipped her right hand, a gold coin bearing a black mandrake resting in her palm, "This is a gift from the West Sea Forest for Ad·Anastasia, congratulations on his birth into the Sterling family."

Loki Anast

asia's eyes lit up with surprise at the sight of the coin, "Thank you, Mrs. Merlin," he personally accepted the coin, "I will have Ad wear it always," gesturing for the three to enter the castle.

Haiyin frowned slightly, glancing at Loki Anastasia. Her mother actually made a moonlight for his son, knowing that vampires wearing moonlight could counteract the harm of sunlight, but as far as she knew, only a handful in the dark witch clan could make moonlight, including her grandmother.

Entering the castle, a sweet scent hit them, Haiyin had only eaten in the morning, and although witchcraft could resist hunger, she was still young, and her stomach immediately began to churn.

"Please prepare some pasta to be sent to the room," Merlin, as if accustomed to the sight, led Xiya and Haiyin past Loki Anastasia, through the dining hall, indifferent to the surrounding gazes, and upstairs, "The room should be ready, right?"

"Ready, the three of you go straight upstairs, Mr. Donna will lead you to your rooms."

Haiyin's face turned a bit pale, there were many Luo Zong people in the dining hall, and what they were holding was also blood, with numb pride on their faces, chilling her heart.

Entering the room, Merlin closed the door, crouched down in front of Haiyin to meet her eye level, "Don't despise, this is the world outside the West Sea Forest, blood-sucking Androsi are not necessarily evil, and Luo Zong people do not represent weakness and kindness."

She understood, but the visual conflict made it hard for her to accept some things momentarily.

The hospitality of the lord's mansion was decent, and within ten minutes, exquisite pastries were delivered. Haiyin ate a bit tastelessly, then returned to her room, sitting on the windowsill watching the bright moon, inadvertently touching the ring she was wearing, suddenly remembering something she had yet to do.

Taking a silver needle from her skirt, she extended a finger, closed one eye, and pricked it, inhaling sharply, "Sss," a bead of blood emerged, quickly smearing it on the ring.