The bathtub in the bathroom was steaming.
Vendy smeared the wet soap all over the little girl's body, including behind her ears, under her armpits, and between her fingers. Seeing the stains slide off along with the bubbles, revealing the delicate skin underneath, she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
She hadn't experienced this feeling for a long time. When the Witch Cooperation Association was on the run, every new witch who was in a panic or had fallen into despair was under her care. She was the one who restored their calm and rekindled their hope for a better life. Leaf was like this, Lily was like this, and Nightingale was also like this … But since coming to Border Town, the witches' lives had undergone earth-shaking changes, and everyone no longer had to worry about survival – she wasn't saying that this wasn't good, and she was very grateful for what Roland had done for her sisters. However, without the witches who needed to be taken care of, even Mystery Moon had become more cheerful, which made Vendy feel a little lost.
Now, she finally felt the joy of being a big sister again.
"Close your eyes, I'm going to shower."
"Yes," the other party's voice was light and soft, just like the water droplets sliding down the grass.
She had to say, His Highness' decision was really great.
The water streaked through the girl's hair, flowed down her back, and carried away the greyish-brown foam. It wasn't until she rinsed three times that the color of the water returned to normal.
Without the cover of clothes, her thin and weak body was completely reflected in Vendy's eyes. "What a thin and weak child," Vendy couldn't help but think. Her spine was protruding from her back, her arms were so thin that one could hold them with one hand, and her skin wasn't white, but had a pale yellow color caused by long-term starvation, which was completely inconsistent with the name Paper.
Fortunately, she was a witch, and as long as she took good care of herself, it wouldn't take long for her to return to normal.
After her body was washed clean, the next step was to enjoy the bath. Vendy tested the temperature of the water and carried her into the bathtub. The slightly scalding hot water immediately engulfed the two of them, but as long as they endured the initial discomfort, they would soon feel the happiness of being surrounded by warmth.
Paper couldn't help but let out a low moan. It had probably been a long time since she'd had a hot bath. Her arms, which were tightly hugging Vendy, gradually relaxed. Vendy spun the girl around in a half circle, letting her sit in her arms. She then carefully parted her hair, which had been bunched up into a ball.
"When did you discover that you were a witch?"
"Two … years ago," Paper said in a low voice, "I think it was also winter."
"That's not surprising," Vendy said with a smile, "Most witches will awaken during the Months of the Demons, because rumor has it that magic is the most abundant during this time."
"Isn't it the power of demons?"
"Of course," she patted the other's head, "Becoming a witch is a very, very normal thing. In addition to being able to display incredible abilities, we are not much different from ordinary people. You should know that hundreds of years ago, witches were regarded as the favored children of the gods. "
"Really?"
"It's absolutely true." In fact, there was still quite a big difference between the two, such as the overall improvement in appearance and body, as well as the inability to bear children, Vendy thought. However, she could slowly teach her about these things in the future.
"Then … what is magic power?" Paper asked timidly.
"It's a naturally occurring power, like the radiance of the sun, which is everywhere." Vendy thought for a moment, "That's not right. The sun still sets, but magic power doesn't. In short, you just have to treat it as a part of your body, a part that will continuously grow. "
"Continuously grow?"
"That's right, it will become stronger as you grow older. In order to accommodate it, you must also increase your body's endurance, otherwise you will suffer a backlash." She explained carefully, "The church used this to their advantage, falsely claiming that witches were devoured by the power of demons. In fact, they were completely wrong. As long as you continue to practice your ability, you can increase the capacity of your magic power without worrying about it affecting your body. If you had awakened as a witch two years ago, you would have already passed your first Day of Awakening. It must have been very painful … at that time. "
The girl nodded twice.
"Don't worry, now that you're in Border Town, everything will be fine," Vendy comforted her softly, "If you practice hard, you should be able to pass this year's Day of Awakening easily."
As they were talking, the bathroom door was suddenly pushed open, and Lily ran in with a towel. "I heard there's a new sister? Where, where? Mystery Moon said she wanted to see her! "
"It's obviously you who wants to see her!" Mystery Moon, who had been dragged in behind them, rolled her eyes. "If you take a bath now, what if you still have to practice your ability in the afternoon?"
"Don't worry, it's okay to rest for a day. His Highness won't trouble you with anything. You're not Miss Anna."
"… You traitor!"
Seeing the two intruding, Paper immediately shrunk her head, half submerging herself in the water.
"Oh, this is the new witch?" Lily lay on the edge of the bath, looking at her with great interest. "She seems to be about the same age as me, but you can still call me sister."
"Why should I call you sister when I'm about the same age as you?" Mystery Moon shouted. "I've never seen you call me that."
"They're both witches from Border Town." Vendy smiled and introduced them. "Don't be fooled by their current appearance. When they first arrived here, they were basically the same as you … Especially Mystery Moon, she's not much bolder than you, and she always speaks in a soft voice."
"Ahem, I'm just worried that His Highness will dislike my ability," Mystery Moon muttered.
"His Highness has told me many times that your ability has great potential." Vendy shook her head. "As long as you finish learning Elementary Physics, you may evolve into an unimaginable ability."
"Don't mention those books, she can't even read all the words, and she barely passed the last test." Lily shrugged. "She even asked me to tutor her at night. By the time she learns those strange theorems and formulas in the books, His Highness Roland may have already unified Graycastle and won't need the help of witches anymore. " Ignoring Mystery Moon, who was frowning, Lily looked at the girl in Vendy's arms. "By the way, what's Paper's ability?"
"… Melting snow," Paper said after a moment of hesitation.
"What else?" Lily asked curiously. "Can you turn melted water back into ice?"
"No," Paper said in a low voice. "And … and she can quickly turn hot water into cold water."
"Is that temperature control?" Vendy pondered. "But melting snow is warming up, and cooling hot water is cooling down. The two can't be achieved in reverse, and it doesn't feel like it. Have you only tried to use your ability on water? "
"Other things, there aren't many changes."
"Try this," Lily said, holding up a basin of soapy water that had been washed.
The girl carefully put her hand into the basin, and soon, the steaming water cooled down. Then, under everyone's gaze, the muddy soapy water underwent a strange change. The floating bubbles gradually disappeared, and the surging white particles also disappeared. The basin of water became clear and transparent again.
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