After hastily dealing with the student council matters, Mirexia still needed to go back, take a shower, change clothes, and rest. Although her uniform was in much better condition compared to Winnie’s, which had long been destroyed and lost, wearing it like this continuously still felt rather undignified.

Earlier, the campus had been bustling and lively. But after that incident, the academy suddenly became eerily quiet.

At least that was true in the lower-grade district. The streets were nearly empty, with few people walking around. Lowerclassmen naturally couldn’t handle stress as well as upperclassmen. Right now, most were either curled up at dorms feeling distressed, or hadn’t returned yet, lying somewhere waiting to be picked up.

Although saying it like that sounds a bit harsh, it really was the truth.

Walking along, Winnie suddenly stopped in his tracks, without even knowing why he’d halted. As he instinctively glanced sideways at a building, finding it somewhat familiar, he finally recalled: this mansion was the dormitory of that Silver-haired nutball.

That girl.

Winnie stood frozen before Aesphyra’s estate, gazing upward. Through the gate, he looked into the courtyard and at the tall villa within.

Everything was quiet, only the wind and the rustling of leaves audible.

Arriving here, for some unknown reason, Winnie was suddenly reminded of his first encounter with Aesphyra.

But if he had to pick the most unforgettable first meeting, it would probably be back in his previous life on Earth, when he saw Aesphyra for the first time, the breathtaking impression made by her animated character model.

Come to think of it, it was because of Aesphyra’s character model and design that he’d initially gotten hooked on the game. And now, playing that very game had somehow caused him to get transmigrated. In a certain sense, his entire transmigration incident was all because of Aesphyra.

Who could’ve imagined that, from the very moment he laid eyes on that idiot Aesphyra’s character model, their fates would become so tightly entwined?

Truly, that idiot was nothing but a jinx, born to clash with his fate. Even when she existed only as a 2D waifu in the Earth plane, she managed to screw him across dimensions. What could he even say anymore??~

“That idiot,” Winnie murmured. “I wonder how she’s doing now.”

He stepped forward, staring at the gate for a long while, as if about to do something. He raised his hand as if to knock, then lowered it again, giving a self-mocking smile.

Seriously, what was he even doing?

Besides, she wasn’t even back. What was the point of doing this now??”

So, Winnie decided to give up.

“Ding-dong~” A clear, melodious doorbell chimed.

Winnie was started. He hadn’t pressed the doorbell, why did it ring on its own??

Only a moment later did he realize something was off. That doorbell tone sounded oddly playful, and the voice was strangely familiar.

“Ding-dong ding-dong~ Sorry, the master isn’t home right now. Please come back later, meow~”

“Uh, huh?!”

Winnie jumped, started led by a voice filled with amusement from behind him. He whirled around, and sure enough, there stood that familiar white silhouette.

‘Virtue + 80.’

Current Virtue: 7624.

At that moment, that dreamlike face, so perfect it seemed to belong only in fairy tales, wore a teasing, mischievous smile. The Silver-haired, purple-eyed beauty stood before him exactly as Winnie had always perceived her: flawless, supremely confident and radiant, as if nothing in this world could ever trouble her.

Wherever she went, she’d naturally become the center of attention and conversation.

Aesphyra was truly special. Her aura holds a unique kind of magnetism. Just standing near her, others seemed to catch her confidence, their moods lifted.

It was said that confident people, regardless of gender, were always the most dazzling and attractive. That kind of confidence stemmed from inner strength and deep self-awareness, not arrogance or blind self-assurance.

Being a beauty was one thing; radiant confidence was another. When these two qualities intertwine, they create a chemical reaction, producing a fatal allure.

Although Winnie always acted tough, deep down he sometimes thought: in his past life, it wasn’t mere coincidence that all the fated heroines fell for Aesphyra. With a face that could charm both men and women, and such confidence rooted in formidable strength, rich experience, and cultivating elegance, how could any man possibly compete with her?

It took Winnie a moment to snap out of his daze, realizing he’d been tricked. That damn Silver-haired nutball had just witnessed his entire awkward hesitation, the hand raised to knock, lowered again, then the decision to leave.

He felt an inexplicable sense of shame, as if his toes could dig out a three-bedroom apartment.

Had she quietly suppressed her presence just to mess with him?!

And again, why did this always happen? Why did Aesphyra always catch him in the most embarrassing moments, doing things he absolutely didn’t want her to see? Was it written in his fate to be humiliated like this??

This Silver-haired nutball was truly his nemesis!

He wasn’t sure what emotion drove it, but in Winnie’s mind, being seen by Aesphyra while showing any sign of wanting to find her or meet her felt deeply shameful and unpleasant.

Embarrassed or angry, he lowered his head and tried to storm off. But Aesphyra spun lightly, blocking his path.

“What do you want??” Winnie said irritably.

“Weren’t you looking for me, Winnie? Just a moment ago, you were thinking about knocking on my courtyard gate. Why are you turning away now that you’ve seen me?” Aesphyra teased.

“You have the nerve to ask?! Is making fun of me really that entertaining??” Winnie shot her a glare, but as he did, he quickly scanned her condition.

Tch, he’d worry about nothing. This Silver-haired nutball was tough as nails, what trouble could possibly happen to her??

As expected, she looked even better than Mirexia. She’d left in perfect condition, and returned exactly the same, her clothes intact, tie, sash, skirt, thigh-high black stockings, and loafers all perfectly in place, not a single hair out of order.

Inside that cube space, Aesphyra seemed to have handled things with remarkable ease, unlike him, who’d nearly lost his life.

“Pftt, no~ I only made a cat sound. How is that teasing Winnie~?” Aesphyra smiled sweetly.

Naturally, her keen eyes didn’t miss Winnie’s subtle inspection of her state.

‘Virtue + 80.’

Current Virtue: 7704.

Tch.

Why was she suddenly handing out Virtue so generously? Why did he get such a huge boost just from seeing her after her return? Such rare generosity.

Winnie couldn’t help but think.

“Fine, whatever you say,” Winnie scoffed. He didn’t want to argue with Aesphyra any longer, inevitably, he’d lose, end up flustered, and have his Virtue backfire.

“Just got back?”

“Mm, looks like you returned before me, Winnie.”

Winnie revised at Aesphyra, feigning indifference. “Even after being dragged into that strange cube space, you are completely unharmed, acting like nothing happened.”

“So, Winnie wanted me to get hurt?~” Aesphyra asked with a sweet smile, her signature expression that made one’s bones melt.

“Tch! Who cares about you? You annoying brat, I hope you got crushed into nut crumbs in there! I’ll never remember you again!” Winnie huffed, turning his head away, determined to look at Aesphyra.

Who else but she had just tricked him??

“….” Aesphyra fell silent.

“W-what’s wrong??” Winnie suddenly felt uneasy, realizing she’d gone quiet. Who knew what she’d experienced in that cube? If it hadn’t been easy for her, if it was a painful memory, then his words would’ve been truly hurtful.

So Winnie turned his head back, about to say something, maybe even apologize, only to see Aesphyra wearing a look of ‘I knew you’d feel guilty and turn back,’ her smile unchanged but now laced with even more teasing, clearly saying, ‘You fell for it again~.’

“You, ! You tricked me again!” Winnie completely lost his cool. “You damn pocket-sized bread roll, your entire body’s just one big brain full of schemes! I’m ignoring you from now on!”

With that, Winnie firmly decided he wouldn’t acknowledge Aesphyra this time, and turned to leave.

Then, he felt a warm, soft hand gently wrap around him.

“W-what are you doing??” Winnie, surprised and startled by Aesphyra grabbing his hand, tried to pull away. “Let go! I’m allergic to nuts right now, I don’t want to touch any nut-based food!”

“Oh my, really that serious? Are you also allergic to cake and ice cream?” Aesphyra lightly asked.

“…..What do you mean? You think a measly ice cream cake can make me surrender??” Winnie frowned.

“Cantoro brand~?” Aesphyra continued. “I’ve got lots stored in my freezer at home.”

“?! “

“Cough! Well, I guess I could take a look!” Winnie shook off Aesphyra’s hand, wiped his mouth, and turned his head away, adopting a tone like ‘I dare you to try anything.’

But in truth, he turned away because he felt Aesphyra’s warmth, which made his cheeks flush slightly.

“Hehe, should I say, thank you for the honor of your visit, Winnie~?” Aesphyra chuckled softly.

“Tch, no need to thank me. Who knows if your black-hearted nut core is sincere?” Winnie huffed.

“If it’s sincere or not, won’t you find out when you try?” Aesphyra’s lips curled into a meaningful smile, her beautiful eyes twinkling with a seductive glint.

“Get lost! Now you’re even learning to flirt with bedroom eyes, you pocket-sized bread roll? Do you even have the physical assets for that??” Winnie scoffed, then glanced at Aesphyra’s hands.

Not wearing her usual disposable gloves, she must’ve taken them off at some point.

“Why aren’t you wearing gloves? Don’t you have a phobia of touching boys? Aren’t you afraid I’ll dirty your hands? Don’t come crying to me for compensation later,” Winnie argued.

“Oh~ Since it’s dirty now, can Winnie take responsibility and help clean it for me?” Aesphyra turned back with a playful glance.

“? How exactly do you want me to clean it?” Winnie hesitated.

Aesphyra said nothing. She just smiled sweetly and softly stuck out her delicate little tongue, as if hinting at something.

“……??” It took Winnie a moment to grasp her meaning, and then his entire face burst into flames.

“Y-you, ! How shameless can you be??”

“What’s wrong? Did I say anything? Winnie’s overreacting so much,” Aesphyra laughed. “I’m a girl and I’m not this flustered. You’re acting more like a girl than I am.”

“W-who’s acting like a girl??” Winnie stubbornly kept his composure.

“Really? Sometimes I feel Winnie is even more like a girl than I am,” Aesphyra teased.

“Shut up! Making fun of me again?? Can’t you see? I’m a real man, standing tall and proud. Anyone on the street would call me a stud. How dare you say I look like a girl??” Winnie flushed red again.

“Winnie is special, so you don’t need to be.”

“What’s so special??” Winnie was confused.

“Weren’t you asking why I’m not wearing gloves?~” Aesphyra shot Winnie a meaningful look.

“?!” To be honest, Aesphyra was really good at stroking Winnie’s ego, whenever she made him flustered, she’d say something that instantly replaced the heat in his head with another kind.

“W-what nonsense are you spouting now?!” Clearly, this direct approach was highly effective on Winnie, after just a few hits, he was completely flustered and incoherent.

Calm down, calm down, this Silver-haired nutball is just teasing and provoking him again! If he falls for it, he loses!

Winnie reminded himself sternly.

This wasn’t the first time he’d come to Aesphyra’s house. But like Winnie, it was indeed his first time stepping inside.

He followed Aesphyra as she swiped her student ID card to unlock the door. After entering, Aesphyra used the heel of one foot to slide off her loafer, revealing her stocking-clad feet stepping lightly onto the clean floor. She slipped into her own slippers, then took another pair and handed them to Winnie.

“Here you go, Winnie. These are for you.”

Winnie took the slippers and glanced at them, a cute pair, indeed. Cartoonish blue octopus slippers.

“Huh. Didn’t expect you to buy slippers like these,” Winnie remarked, glancing at Aesphyra’s usual pair, white cat slippers.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep