Hate Me, Witch!-Chapter 45: Small Can Be Cute Too

"It seems that President Diris is far more of a threat than I imagined."

Ailora was reviewing the quarterly reports submitted by various shops across the imperial capital. The fountain pen danced between her fair and slender fingers, occasionally sketching a few strokes on the paper.

Thanks to a certain someone’s lazy and hands-off attitude toward his own businesses, this golden-haired girl had not only developed overwhelming combat prowess but had also been forcibly shaped into the role of a domineering CEO.

"I always thought my looks weren’t any worse than that student council president, but judging from this… perhaps Xia Ya prefers the gentle and delicate type?"

"Or could it be that Xia Ya-kun has a certain… weakness for big oppai?"

The soft glow of the magic-powered chandelier illuminated Ailora’s pristine, delicate face, but it did little to dispel the strange tension in the air.

Xia Ya's gaze briefly swept over Ailora’s chest, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh.

His childhood friend was perfect in almost every way—beautiful, strong, and not one to waste words. But if there was one flaw to be found…

It would be her figure.

And if he had to use the most fitting word to describe it—

It would be "flat."

"Actually… I think small can be pretty cute too…"

The sudden chill in the air made Xia Ya swiftly change the topic.

He sat down on the sofa beside Ailora.

"What I mean is—I'm completely innocent this time. President Diris and I have nothing more than a pure student-president relationship. Absolutely nothing happened between us."

"Nothing has happened yet. But that doesn't mean nothing will happen, does it?"

Ailora capped her pen, neatly stacked the finished documents, then knelt on the sofa, facing Xia Ya. Her long, pale-golden hair cascaded onto the floor.

"Why are you so nervous, Xia Ya-kun? After all, you were the one who personally saved President Diris from those cultists."

"Just like in the books you write… The hero rescues the damsel in distress, and in return, she falls in love and devotes herself to him. Isn't that a perfectly reasonable outcome?"

She pointed at the pink envelope.

"See? She’s already written you a love letter to confess her feelings."

"And since it's a confession letter, shouldn’t I step out for a moment? After all, a girl’s little secret emotions… she probably wouldn’t want another girl to see them, right?"

"You’re making it sound like I’m some kind of beast, Little Ai."

Xia Ya sighed and picked up the envelope.

"Yes, President Diris is indeed… well-endowed. Compared to you, she’s on a completely different level. But I’m not that shallow."

"A confession without a foundation of feelings is nothing more than a fleeting impulse. It won’t last. I’ll make sure to reject her properly."

As he spoke, he opened the envelope and pulled out the letter inside.

The pink letter paper was completely blank.

Xia Ya flipped it over, frowning slightly.

"A blank letter?"

…

Ailora’s cold expression softened slightly at Xia Ya’s words.

She took the blank letter and envelope from his hands, tilted her head as she examined them for a moment, then handed them back.

"Maybe President Diris gave you some kind of hidden message—"

"Like you need to soak the paper in a special solution, or heat it over a fire to reveal the writing."

"I knew I shouldn’t have let you review my draft of Sherlock Holmes before sending it to the Royal Publishing House."

Xia Ya sighed and collapsed onto the sofa, closing his eyes.

He extended his spiritual sense slightly, scanning every inch of the letter.

A long moment passed before he finally opened his eyes again.

"If I’m not mistaken, this letter is actually an 'ritual catalyst.'"

"Ritual catalyst?"

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Ailora sounded puzzled.

Her pet beast, Lóngominyád, followed a pure physical enhancement route, so she didn’t have much knowledge of magic or the mystic arts.

"Simply put, it’s an object used in occult rituals to trigger or enhance effects. That’s just the narrow definition—its actual applications are much broader."

Xia Ya thought for a moment, then found an easy example for Ailora to understand.

"Remember that story I told you about Gu sorcery?"

"A Gu master would take a strand of hair from their target, place it inside a straw doll, and write the person’s name on it. Then, they’d stab the doll’s heart with a knife—causing the real person’s heart to rupture at the same time. In this case, the hair acts as the ritual catalyst."

Before Xia Ya could even finish speaking, he felt an intense killing intent surge into the air.

"So what you’re saying is… Diris is actually a spy sent by a secret organization, and she’s secretly plotting against you?"

Ailora’s gaze turned icy, her sapphire-blue eyes flashing with a burning silver light. Ethereal particles gathered in her hands, slowly taking the shape of a long spear.

"Wait, wait—don’t wreck the house! We just finished renovating, and I’d like to live in it for more than a few days!"

Xia Ya quickly grabbed Ailora’s arm as her razor-sharp aura carved thin, fine scratches into the wooden table.

Her power after breaking through was far beyond expectations. Even just a subtle release of her aura carried the force of a seasoned master.

If he had reacted even a second later, the furniture in the living room would have been beyond saving.

"That was an extreme example—not all ritual catalysts are used for harm. As far as I know, there’s no such ability in this world as the ‘Seven Arrows Curse.’ Even if it did exist, it’s not something Diris could possibly control."

Xia Ya spoke urgently. He could already envision tomorrow’s Camelot Morning News headline:

"St. Roland Academy’s Two Most Beautiful Girls Battle Over a Man—Is This a Tragic Love Triangle or a Collapse of Morality?"

"Besides, if she dared to openly send a blank letter as a catalyst, it means she has no ill intentions. If she wanted to harm me, she could’ve done it secretly."

Ailora let out a soft "Oh," and the silver light in her eyes gradually faded.

She sat back down beside Xia Ya, this time more obediently.

"Even so, I still feel like there’s something off about President Diris. Maybe she’s hiding something."

"There’s definitely something off. A student from a commoner background shouldn’t have access to such advanced knowledge of the occult."

Xia Ya stood up from the sofa and headed toward the kitchen.

"But whatever happens, we’ll deal with it when the time comes."

"For now, there’s nothing more important than eating. Little Ai, you must be hungry too, right?"

The golden-haired girl, still kneeling on the sofa, was about to refute him—

But the adorable growl from her stomach cut her off.

Since entering secluded training in the meditation room, she hadn’t eaten anything for an entire week. Aside from some occasional sips of water, she had completely fasted. Now, she was truly starving.

Ailora blinked, then spoke in a cool, composed voice:

"Then I want hot pot."

"You got it."