[Note: Read up to Chapter - 165 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]
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"Well, we really ought to get together for a game of mahjong…"
Aris glanced at the two little witches on the bed and let out a sigh, a mix of amusement and helplessness tugging at him.
Hermione had somehow already dozed off, the book she'd been reading now lying forgotten beside her arm. Her delicate white arms peeked out from under the quilt, small and dainty, and her even breathing made it clear she was fast asleep.
Aris then turned his attention to Cho on the other side of the bed.
The little witch was buried under the quilt, utterly still, giving the impression she had also fallen asleep. Yet, from time to time, the quilt would twitch slightly, and Aris realised she was very much awake, lifting it just enough to get a breath of fresh air.
He didn't move closer—he knew better than to disturb her while she was feeling that bashful.
Just as he passed by, Aris gently tugged at the quilt, just enough to let Cho's head peek out.
He suspected that if he didn't, the little witch might be so shy that she'd suffocate herself.
"Alright, now off to sleep," he murmured softly.
His voice reached Cho, making her cheeks flush even redder.
But this time, Cho didn't stubbornly hide under the quilt. She simply turned around and faced Aris' desk, her back to him.
Returning to his spot by the desk, Aris glanced out the window.
"Where's Luna, then? Why hasn't she come back yet…"
He shook his head, half amused, half exasperated. Those two were probably going mad.
Ever since Luna had discovered that Iris could transform into a giant dragon, she'd been pestering the little dragon to take her for a ride.
Just tonight, Luna had managed to sway Iris with a generous gift—a huge roasted lamb leg. Aris had roasted it himself. Normally, each of them had one, but Luna didn't eat hers and gave it straight to Iris.
The reward? A golden opportunity to finally become a dragon knight.
When the others saw what she'd done, regret hit them straight away.
Trouble was, they'd already polished off the lamb shanks.
As a well-bred dragon, Iris had no habit of tucking into other people's leftovers and promptly refused any requests to become a dragon knight.
"Good job this bed's big, else there'd be no room for the lot of us," Aris muttered under his breath as he gave the sprawling bed another glance.
Luna and Iris had been resting in this room for the past couple of days.
He wondered what would happen when the man and the dragon returned and discovered their bed had been claimed by someone else. Would they be angry? Probably.
Still, they were all little girls—surely they could understand each other, right?
This castle was massive. It was perfectly normal for an eleven-year-old witch to feel a bit jittery, living alone in such a vast, empty room.
Even Aris had felt a bit uneasy on his first day in the castle.
He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the place always gave him the sense that something mysterious was lurking in the shadows. Perhaps some ghost hiding in a forgotten corner, unwilling to reveal itself.
Hermione and Cho had probably sensed it too, which explained why they'd come to his room today. He'd have to ask Henry about it tomorrow.
"Master, I made some tea for you. Shall I bring it in?"
The soft, hesitant voice came from outside.
"Come in, Shirley," Aris said casually, opening the door.
Standing there was the maid Shirley, clad in her uniform. Her face was magnificently childlike, and she trembled slightly.
"You're still awake this late?" Aris asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Master… you haven't rested yet, so Shirley doesn't dare either…" Shirley murmured weakly, then shyly lowered her head.
This little maid had only been in the castle a few days, yet she always blushed the moment she saw Aris. He didn't know why and, frankly, could only pretend not to notice.
"Thanks for your hard work. If it gets too late next time, don't wait for me—go rest first," he said casually.
"Yes, thank you, Master!" Shirley replied, her voice polite but a little shaky.
After setting down the cup of black tea, her eyes wandered subconsciously to the big bed. Seeing Hermione and Cho there made her blush even harder. Then, the look she shot Aris… well, it was a bit odd.
"Anything else?" Aris asked, noticing her strange expression.
"…!" Shirley's eyes dropped to the floor, then briefly flicked toward her chest, as if gathering courage. Finally, she spoke, her voice almost a whisper:
"Master… if you need anything… Shirley can help. Miss Granger and Miss Cho Zhang are too young… could you… control them a little…"
"What?" Aris nearly spat out the black tea he'd just drunk.
"Do you… have some kind of misunderstanding?"
Aris stared at the beautiful maid before him, utterly dumbfounded. She seemed to have completely the wrong idea…
"Actually… I meant to say this when Miss Luna was asleep in your room…" Shirley's cheeks deepened into a crimson flush, yet some strange sense of duty seemed to push her to keep going.
"Even if you… like them, you should wait until they're a bit older…"
"And, Master, you're still young yourself—you've got to take care of your health!"
"Stop, stop!" Aris shook his head in disbelief, his expression somewhere between astonishment and exasperation. "I never imagined you were this kind of Shirley!"
Shirley's eyes widened. "Perhaps Uncle Henry and the others were wrong. You… you're the strongest witch in the Barton family!"
"Eh?" Shirley blinked, stunned. Then excitement suddenly lit her face. "Master, what did you just say? I… I'm a witch? Could it really be true? But Uncle Henry and the others… they all said I'm a squib…"
"Though, I always suspected they might be wrong!" she added, a spark of hope in her voice.
"Well, you're definitely a proper cheeky little minx!" Aris said flatly, nodding without a hint of expression.
"Then… can I learn magic from the young master too?" Shirley's eyes sparkled with excitement, practically glowing.
…Aris pressed a hand to his forehead, utterly speechless.
"Master?" Shirley tilted her head, unsure.
"Did you just… say that? Are you taking the mick?" Aris asked incredulously.
"Master? You really don't need my help…" Shirley hurried to clarify.
"My grandmother taught me this stuff, and I've had a bit of training…" she added earnestly. "I promise, I'll give you a top-notch experience!"
…Aris couldn't take it anymore. With a wave of his hand, before Shirley could even react, she felt herself lifted by some unseen force. A gust of wind whipped past her ears.
When she steadied herself and looked around, she realised she'd been unceremoniously booted out of the young master's bedroom.
Staring at the door, firmly shut, Shirley pinched her cheeks anxiously.
"What am I to do now? The young master looks proper ticked off!"
"As expected… the young master is still so green at fifty-four. No wonder he's a bit shy. Shouldn't he have been more straightforward? I've really mucked this up…"
"But… Master, this is seriously wrong! Miss Hermione and the others are far too young…"
"Should I tell Uncle Henry? Nah… if he knew the young master had kicked me out, he'd be furious!"
The cheeky little maid lingered in the corridor for a while, muttering to herself, before finally scuttling out of the East Tower, her nerves all aflutter.
She had no idea that Aris's face had already gone stone-grey.
He swore that if his body's limits weren't in place, he'd give Shirley a proper hiding tonight.
That little brat was far too bold. Constantly poking at him. Not a hint of respect for him as a man!
Making filthy jokes so openly, and all the time…
Too much! Absolutely too much!!!
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Drop Power Stonessssssssss!
[Note: Read up to Chapter - 165 on P patron at: p-atreon.com/Knockturn_Alley]