Under the moonlit sky, Winona’s residence.

A beautiful estate allocated exclusively to her by the academy.

From afar, one could see the castle-like villa within the estate.

Winona herself preferred a more modern style.

But the humans seemed to think that mages should have a mage’s aura, so they made it so solemn.

In addition to serving as Principal Winona’s living quarters, this villa also functioned as an alchemy lab, a treasure vault, an observatory, and more.

It was one of the forbidden areas of the entire academy. Principal Winona had set up multiple magic circles to prevent disturbances.

 

These circles could sense the identity of intruders and choose to allow passage or attack.

Of course, it wasn’t as mysterious as others imagined.

Actually, these magic circles could only sense Winona herself and First Snow, the Cat-Bird.

Anyone other than Winona and the Cat-Bird would be judged as an intruder and attacked indiscriminately by the circles.

The deeper into the estate, the more layers of magic circles were activated, and the stronger the attacks the intruder would suffer.

No one would dare to risk facing a legendary mage and try to steal from Winona’s residence.

It was even more impossible to sneak in and take the treasures inside without anyone noticing.

 

However, in the dead of night, Winona looked at the display cabinet containing all the staffs she had used from the past to the present, staring at the empty space on the top shelf, lost in thought.

If Winona remembered correctly, there should be a third-grade staff displayed there, one that had accompanied her through her youth until she received a new staff from her mentor at the magic academy.

Perhaps in terms of value, it was far inferior to the later collections.

But in terms of sentimental value, for the nostalgic Winona, it clearly held an extraordinary significance.

Moreover, it was in Winona’s hands that it was successfully transformed from a third-grade rare staff to a fourth-grade legacy staff by engraving magic patterns on it.

Yet, such a valuable item was stolen from within.

At the same time, a certain Cat-Bird who should have been sleeping soundly at home was also “missing.”

 

And the magic circles weren’t triggered by any intruders.

So the answer was obvious.

After a long silence, Winona murmured, with a calm but somewhat helpless tone,

“At least find a replacement and put it there.”

“Such blatant theft from under my own roof makes things difficult for me.”

What should she do about her cat being so brazenly disloyal?

Shaking her head slightly, Principal Winona didn’t say anything more, her emotions didn’t fluctuate much, and she turned to leave.

 

But the moment she left, a similar staff in another storage room suddenly levitated and flew over, finally landing steadily on the empty space on the top shelf of the display cabinet.

Everything seemed as before, nothing had happened except for the dust in the air changing position.

………………

The whole city was asleep, but there was still a lonely soul drinking alone in the dead of night.

She looked up at the sky bathed in cold moonlight, a huge full moon hanging high in the sky.

A silhouette shaped like a cat, but with wings on its back, flew across the middle of the moon.

The woman was startled awake from her drunken stupor and hurriedly rubbed her eyes.

 

Looking at the sky again, the moon was as before, everything seemed like just an illusion.

At the same time, First Snow soared through the cold wind. Feeling shy, she didn’t return home through the main entrance of the villa, but “whooshed” into the chimney on the attic, then fell with a thud, covered in soot.

“Cough… cough!”

First Snow, who landed on her butt on the soft carpet in the attic, couldn’t help but cough.

The little white cat had now become a little gray cat.

Then she used cleaning magic, thoroughly cleaning the chimney that would even make Santa Claus frown.

All the dust disappeared instantly, everything was clean and new.

 

This satisfied the slightly germaphobic cat-girl.

But come to think of it, even though she had a cleanliness obsession, she still chose to enter the room through the chimney.

She was really shy about what happened tonight… so shy that she definitely didn’t want Winona to know!

It was worth mentioning that the Santa Claus First Snow mentioned did exist. He was an old mage with a unique hobby who lived in the Arctic Circle.

A long, long time ago, he was keen on riding his magic reindeer on the night of December 24th every year, delivering gifts to good children who were recognized by the benevolent staff.

Later, he stopped doing it, obviously, tossing and turning all night wasn’t good for an old man’s health.

But thanks to this, the legend of Santa Claus remained in the mundane world.

 

In fact, behind many ancient legends were actually the creations of old mages from the magic world, and a considerable part also came from foreign races.

First Snow tiptoed out of the attic, relieved that her return hadn’t been discovered by Xiao Wei.

Next, as long as she returned to her room, she would have succeeded.

Everything that happened tonight wouldn’t be known by Xiao Wei, and she wouldn’t have to listen to her lectures, meow!

Adele was right, how could a kitten of her age sleep, meow!

Not wasting a beautiful night, going out to play and have fun with Adele was the most natural way of life for a pubescent kitten, meow!

Adele, you’re a bad influence on kittens, you’re a terrible person!

 

However, just as First Snow thought everything was foolproof and was about to enter her room with silent cat steps,

“Ahem.”

A sudden cough and the inexplicably lit chandelier above her head made First Snow freeze.

Then she turned around, and as expected, Principal Winona in her mage robes was standing there.

“X-Xiao Wei!?”

“Why are you still awake so late, meow!”

First Snow put her paws on her hips. She was the one who got caught, but she turned around and questioned Winona righteously.

 

What a bold little bad cat.

“Compared to whether I’m asleep or not, it’s more important where First Snow went tonight, isn’t it?”

Seeing that Winona wasn’t fooled, First Snow’s气势immediately weakened.

Her pupils started to dart around.

Winona knew in her heart that this was a sign that the little cat-girl was about to lie.

But she chuckled inwardly and didn’t expose it.

As expected, First Snow came up with the best excuse her little brain could think of in the shortest amount of time,

 

“Meow… I went… I went fishing by the lake, meow!”

“Is it really that simple?”

“It’s that simple, meow!”

First Snow puffed up her cheeks, acting like “if Xiao Wei didn’t believe her, she would be angry.”

She thought this excuse was perfect. Could Winona really go and ask the fish in the lake?

But Winona could actually use magic to make the fish in the lake tell her the truth to a certain extent.

But if she was that serious, First Snow would definitely be unhappy.

 

Helplessly, Winona could only sigh softly in her heart, then said,

“I’ll believe you this time, go to bed early.”

As for the missing staff, First Snow didn’t want to talk about it, and Winona didn’t want to get to the bottom of it and make First Snow feel ashamed and sad.

Although their relationship was that of friends who grew up together and had a deep bond, First Snow was childish, while Winona was mature.

First Snow was willful, while Winona was rational.

Therefore, Winona’s current mood was actually more like a “mother” facing a willful daughter.

Her willful daughter had grown up and started to have her own social circle, her own little secrets.

 

She wouldn’t tell her “mother” everything like she used to.

At this time, as a “mature adult,” Winona looked at First Snow, who was starting to grow up mentally, with a happy and supportive attitude, accepting her growth.

But on the other hand, she was worried about whether First Snow would be deceived by bad girls, whether she would be exposed to bad things and behaviors.

The current “staying out all night” and “missing staff incident” all proved that First Snow might have made “bad friends.”

But she couldn’t jump to conclusions, at least Winona hadn’t met the “friend” First Snow knew.

At the same time, she also knew very well that facing First Snow, who was in her Cat-Bird adolescence, her discipline and questioning might only intensify First Snow’s rebelliousness.

Making the distance between them grow wider and wider.

 

So facing First Snow, who didn’t know she was wrong and wanted to cover it up with lies, Winona’s choice was still to believe her clumsy lies.

She turned and left, not wanting First Snow to feel uneasy.

First Snow’s hanging heart did gradually relax with Winona’s departure.

The naive little cat-girl was still secretly proud of her cleverness.

She even came up with such a good excuse as going fishing by the lake!

But First Snow didn’t know how to fish, meow.

She only knew how to steal fish from the buckets of those bald uncles in the academy.

 

First Snow thought that these teachers and professors hadn’t noticed her actions.

Actually, they just didn’t care because First Snow was the principal’s Cat-Bird.

Fishing was also about social etiquette.

“Xiao Wei, you should go to bed early too, meow!”

First Snow shouted caringly, looking at Winona leaving downstairs.

“I know, I will.”

“Don’t drink coffee, meow!”

 

“…”

After a moment of silence, Winona smiled helplessly.

“I know, I won’t.”

Even though she said that, First Snow knew that Xiao Wei was the best liar.

She always lied to her, saying that she would play with her when she had time, play with her when she had time…

But many, many times, she didn’t have time…

The lonely First Snow could only go out and play on her own, make friends on her own.

 

In a way, the reason why First Snow became this “rebellious girl” who stayed out all night and even stole a staff for someone else was because Winona was too busy and didn’t have time to care for her.

Wasn’t this even more like a “busy working mother” and a “teenage daughter who lacked companionship and went astray”!

With a “bang,” First Snow gently closed the door.

Exhausted from playing with Adele, she could finally get a good night’s sleep.

But the comfort of being with Adele was still alluring, meow.

Curled up in bed, First Snow couldn’t help but think of Adele, gradually falling asleep.

At the same time, Winona returned to her office and continued to work as the principal.

 

After sunrise, it was time to assign internship tasks to the first-year students.

As the principal, Winona would naturally participate.

At that time, she would carefully look for that potential child who might be a bad influence on First Snow.

Since that person needed a staff, they were most likely a student in the academy.

She just didn’t know if First Snow had given the staff to her as a gift on her own initiative.

Or was it that First Snow had actually been instigated by her to commit theft and become a little thief cat?

If it was the former, Winona didn’t mind First Snow giving away her belongings as gifts to express friendship.

But if it was the latter, Winona wouldn’t let that person off easily.

The consequences of corrupting First Snow were far greater than losing a bit of wealth or treasure.

But that person should know that First Snow was her Cat-Bird.

Therefore, she should know very well that the staff might be related to Winona.

So if that person was smart, she shouldn’t be so brazen as to carry the staff around with her.

But it didn’t matter, Winona could sense who had touched her staff, who had been tainted by the aura of her staff.

At that time, she would carefully observe what kind of person they were.

At this moment, in Adele’s bedroom.

The girl was hugging the “legacy” level staff, sleeping soundly.

Although she had tried to persuade First Snow to stay, saying that she could help her “climb the ranks”~, she was rejected by the blushing First Snow.

• “I-I can’t anymore, meow!”

It seemed that she had been mistaken for a bad sister who wanted to do something more to her.

But Adele could guarantee, that wasn’t a misunderstanding~

………………

Early in the morning, thanks to the alarm clock fulfilling its duty, otherwise, according to Adele’s habit, she would probably have slept in until the sun was shining on her butt, thinking she was still on vacation.

Ring ring~ ring ring~

With a precise karate chop, Adele swatted the alarm clock away.

With a “thud,” the alarm clock gloriously fulfilled its mission and died.

The beautiful girl with stunning features got out of bed sleepily, her delicate body bathed in the faint golden light of dawn, looking ethereal and beautiful.

“Ah woo~”

After a simple stretch, Adele finally came back to life, her consciousness becoming clear.

She raised her hand and wiped away the tear that had formed in the corner of her eye from yawning.

Then she got out of bed to wash up. Looking at herself in the mirror, wearing only a shirt with her lower body bare, the girl couldn’t help but blush.

Another day of being amazed by her own beauty.

She didn’t know which girl would be lucky enough to enjoy it~

If she wasn’t living alone, but with someone else, at this moment, she would probably be hugged from behind by someone, and then they would start cuddling and doing some strange things, right?

Adele’s mind wandered as she brushed her teeth, imagining a voluptuous woman with long golden hair hugging her slender waist from behind, resting her chin on her delicate shoulder, rubbing her cheek with her nose and lips, seductively calling out “Master~,” shamelessly acting spoiled.

If it was Celeste, she would definitely do that.

A spoiled puppy.

“Gurgle gurgle, pfft!”

After rinsing her mouth, Adele spat the foamy water into the sink.

Perhaps the reason she had such a fantasy was because she missed her puppy a little.

It had been a while, and she missed her dearly.

Although this “while” was actually less than two or three days.

She and Winona were completely different types of women.

If it was Principal Winona, she would value responsibility more, her focus was on the public good.

That’s why she always seemed busy and tired, as the “Stargazer,” she strived to be the guiding star for humanity.

She didn’t even have time to play with her cat.

But for Adele, she wouldn’t let First Snow be lonely, wouldn’t make her puppy wait.

Her focus was on private matters, on the people and things she loved.

But it couldn’t be said who was right or wrong, it was just a difference in values and life experiences.

Adele finished washing up, went back to her bedroom to change into her school uniform, and was ready to head to class.

Of course, she could also buy a sandwich from the canteen on the way as breakfast.

She didn’t bring the staff that First Snow had given her.

Firstly, she didn’t want to be too flashy.

Secondly, it wasn’t impossible that First Snow had done something bad, she didn’t give her the staff as a gift, but “stole” it for her.

The staff originally belonged to the principal.

If that was the case, wouldn’t Adele be walking into a trap by bringing the staff to school?

But even though Adele understood this in her heart, she was still willing to be First Snow’s accomplice.

She was a greedy girl after all.

………………

“G-good morning, Adele!”

The female voice coming from behind, filled with both nervousness and surprise, made Adele, who was munching on a piece of bread, turn around involuntarily.

She saw Tang Linlang, her eyes shining brightly, and she always gave people a feeling of hard work.

But unlike usual, there was an additional air of “nobility” about her.

It wasn’t just because the girl’s bag and shoes had all been upgraded.

Her originally youthful and lively twintails had also been untied and styled into the sleek, straight hair of a wealthy young lady. Her long sideburns framed her face, and her thin bangs were parted to the sides, revealing her smooth forehead.

To put it simply, she had a bit of a “Kaguya-sama” vibe.

Tang Linlang, Adele’s classmate.

And also a descendant of a vampire hunter.

The newly rich “demolition money recipient”~

Adele’s eyes widened, looking at Tang Linlang’s current appearance in surprise.

Tang Linlang, noticing Adele’s gaze, was very shy, but also a little expectant of Adele’s reaction, so she asked,

“H-how is it… does it look bad?”

Adele pulled the bread out of her mouth.

“It looks great! Which Tony teacher did your hair? Introduce me to them next time~”

“Mmm… okay!”

Shopping, buying clothes, and getting a perm, were these the legendary best friends?

Tang Linlang’s hanging heart finally relaxed.

The change in her appearance was accepted by Adele… that was great.

The girl’s thoughts were simple, she just wanted to change her past frumpiness, to become a girl worthy of Adele.

So during Adele’s sick leave, she tried to make a change, going to beauty salons, taking classes to learn the etiquette of a young lady.

Doing many, many… clumsy but heartfelt things.

Oh right, she had also prepared a gift for Adele!

She was going to give it to Adele personally when Adele returned to school.

Fortunately, she was lucky enough to run into Adele on her way to class.