Xiao Ai knew these were called “tears,” welling up in her eyes. But she had never cried before, and now she was shedding tears because of someone other than Mama Adele... It wasn’t because she was being bullied, but because she felt “touched,” a word she didn’t quite understand. Actually, there were many words Xiao Ai couldn’t understand while learning. There weren’t many beings she could empathize with. At first, it was only Mama Adele. Later, there was also Sister First Snow.

First Snow: I’m happy you remember me, but do you have to be so specific with the quantifier, meow! Why “one” cat, meow!

Xiao Ai didn’t dislike First Snow, but rather felt close to her. It wasn’t just because she was a cute cat. In fact, Xiao Ai had seen stray cats on campus, but she didn’t feel anything towards them. On the contrary, when facing Sister First Snow, she wanted to pet her and play with her. So it wasn’t cats, but First Snow, or rather...Cat-Birds?

But now, the people Xiao Ai felt close to weren’t just Adele and First Snow anymore. Even Hermione and Celeste, whom she had only met once or twice...because of their care and concern, Xiao Ai couldn’t help but feel close to them and “touched.”

Was this proof that she was gradually integrating into this world? Xiao Ai didn’t know, but Adele was clearly surprised by this. Even in such a tense and worrying situation, the girl’s growth shouldn’t be ignored. She reached out and gently wiped away the tears from Xiao Ai’s eyes.

“Silly, we want to see your smile.”

“You don’t have to worry too much.”

“The adults will handle these things. You just need to play, eat, drink, and pet the cat as usual!”

“Meow!” Even First Snow agreed, happy that she was listed alongside “playing, eating, drinking” as a source of Xiao Ai’s happiness.

“Come on, thank your sisters,” Adele said gently, not neglecting the little one’s etiquette education.

Xiao Ai blushed, raised her head, and moved her pink lips, as if trying to speak, but couldn’t due to nervousness and shyness. But everyone, including Adele, just looked at her with a smile, waiting patiently. Finally, the first syllable escaped from the little girl’s lips.

“Tha...thank you, sisters.”

“Sister First Snow.”

“Sister Hermione.”

“Sister Celeste.”

“And...Mama, whom I love the most!” After finishing, Xiao Ai was too embarrassed to face anyone. She turned around and buried her face in Adele’s chest. Although Mama’s chest wasn’t big, it was still enough to bury her face in.

Fortunately, Adele couldn’t hear Xiao Ai’s inner voice. Otherwise, she would definitely grit her teeth and call her a “rebellious daughter.” I’m still developing, okay! There’s still a lot of room for growth! Also, Xiao Ai’s nuzzling felt a bit...dangerous. She was rubbing against...a strange place! But Adele endured it, knowing that Xiao Ai was a pure and innocent child. Her actions were definitely unintentional. It was Adele herself...who should reflect on her overly sensitive body... What if Xiao Ai, when she grows up, discovers that Mama is actually a promiscuous woman... No, wait, she’s bound to find out! After all, Adele couldn’t abandon any of her “wings”! And how could this be called “promiscuous”? It was a matter of mutual affection... So, for now, let’s just try to maintain my perfect image in Xiao Ai’s heart for a while longer...

While Xiao Ai was still immersed in secretly cuddling with her mother, Dorothy hurriedly returned to Adele’s dorm from school. It wasn’t that she deliberately came home late. Although this “home” was still temporary, Dorothy was confident that one day, it would become permanent. It was just that after school, she was asked by Headmistress Winona to go to her office for a talk. Actually, it wasn’t just the Headmistress. Dorothy also met Lady Chen Xi.

If True Ancestor Daphne and True Ancestor Ron were both staunch hawks, then Lady Chen Xi, also a True Ancestor, was the most prominent dove. She hoped that the current peace between the two races could be maintained. So she came here as a counterbalance to True Ancestor Ron. As for Dorothy’s escape and reinstatement, although she didn’t openly express her approval, her warm and spring-like smile towards the girl showed that she admired Dorothy for daring to defy the decaying feudal forces.

Dorothy: Although I’m happy to be seen this way, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) I seem to be the head of the feudal forces...?

But in any case, she received good news from Lady Chen Xi. That is, Lady Chen Xi expressed her willingness to help. So now, there were four True Ancestor-level figures openly or secretly protecting Adele and Dorothy: Lady Chen Xi, Victoria, the angel Seraph, and Headmistress Winona!

It was just that Adele didn’t know about this. Otherwise, her tail would be sticking up to the sky. She wouldn’t be so worried, discussing how to overcome this crisis with everyone.

Dorothy originally wanted to use Blood Shadow Teleportation to enter Adele’s dorm, but she was blocked by a frost barrier. This made Dorothy frown slightly. Clearly, she had anticipated something. An uninvited guest has arrived...Hermione, that girl...

So she knocked on the door obediently and heard Adele’s approaching footsteps, which sounded adorable even just by the sound.

The door clicked open. Before Dorothy could react, Adele grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the dorm.

“Eh...” Dorothy was a bit surprised, but still followed the girl’s lead.

After pulling Dorothy inside, Adele immediately closed the door, looking secretive and cautious. Dorothy couldn’t help but complain, “Is it necessary to be so nervous? We’re not having a secret affair, okay, okay, I’ll shut up.” She saw Adele frowning and immediately gave in.

But soon, she realized why Adele was so nervous.

“Xiao Ai might become True Ancestor Ron’s target!?” After hearing Adele’s explanation, Dorothy’s expression also turned serious. “What should we do now?”

“Let’s talk in the room!”

Dorothy nodded. Then, in the girl’s bedroom, she saw Hermione and Celeste. Such a small single dorm was really...crowded...especially when they all gathered around Adele, the pressure was even stronger. It reminded Adele of a classic image she saw in her past life:

Black Black Black Black Black

White

I-It’s not that I’m the “white” one! But Adele couldn’t deny that if Xiao Ai weren’t there, if she were somewhere else, then perhaps a so-called “orgy” might happen in this room, and Adele...would definitely be the center of attention!

Dorothy simply greeted them. As members of Adele’s harem, even though she was of noble status, she still had to give up some of her pride for Adele.

Hermione nodded coldly, which was annoying. Celeste’s response was more respectful and polite. As for First Snow, she wagged her tail as a greeting.

Xiao Ai chose to sweetly call out, “Sister Dorothy.” Dorothy instantly felt pleased, and her affection for Xiao Ai increased. In this situation, she wouldn’t let True Ancestor Ron succeed, discover, or harm Xiao Ai. But brute force definitely wouldn’t work. With True Ancestor Ron’s power, these talented vampire girls who hadn’t fully matured yet were definitely unreliable. And before Ron did anything outrageous, Headmistress Winona and the others couldn’t act rashly. So the situation was at a stalemate.

That’s why, after a brief moment of thought, Dorothy sighed, “I think we can only use soft tactics and delay for now.”

“If we can delay until True Ancestor Ron loses patience and leaves the Eastern Capital, then we win.”

“Or, there’s another way...” The girl’s eyes flickered, as if she had something difficult to say.

Adele, worried and distracted, her attention focused on Xiao Ai, didn’t notice and asked foolishly, “What way!?”

Dorothy smiled helplessly and had no choice but to say it. Actually, if Adele thought about it carefully, she should understand. Who was True Ancestor Ron’s apparent target? Wasn’t it Dorothy, the current Vampire Queen?

So the solution Dorothy came up with was undoubtedly...

“I’ll go with True Ancestor Ron, back to Twilight City.”

“This way, all the trouble will be solved.” As soon as Dorothy finished speaking, the entire dorm fell silent. Adele’s expression was one of bewilderment. After she reacted, the first emotion she felt was regret. Adele, usually sharp-tongued, didn’t know what to say at this moment.

It was the sensible Xiao Ai who suddenly reached out and tugged Dorothy’s sleeve, saying in a sweet, childish voice, “Sister Dorothy, don’t go~.”

“Don’t leave Mama, Mama will be sad.”

“...” Dorothy looked surprised. She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t that sensitive and fragile. She was just proposing a viable solution. And this solution was indeed unfair to her and would make her sad, but that would be after the solution was implemented, not now.

To Dorothy’s surprise, her words made the atmosphere in the dorm gloomy. This made her a bit at a loss as to how to comfort them. Fortunately, Xiao Ai’s actions successfully resolved this. Should she be called intelligent, or emotionally intelligent? Perhaps both! Anyway, Dorothy, her sleeve being tugged by Xiao Ai, felt her heart soften, as if a fawn had gently nudged her with its antlers. Dorothy’s assimilation into the “Xiao Ai Party” is at 30%!

Hearing Xiao Ai’s words, Adele blushed. But she knew this wasn’t the time to be shy. So she quickly followed Xiao Ai’s lead, “I...I don’t want Dorothy to leave me.”

“If you’re talking about being sad...”

“Okay, I’ll be sad!”

“Whether it’s Dorothy, Hermione, Celeste, First Snow...everyone I like!”

“If you leave me, I’ll feel lonely and sad!”

“So, don’t go...”

“The second solution is absolutely vetoed!” With Xiao Ai’s assist, Adele also became honest. Truly a joyous occasion. And everyone who heard these words, which were almost a confession, had sweet and satisfied expressions on their faces.

But the crisis wasn’t over yet. This wasn’t the time for a happy family reunion. Anyway, after another round of discussion, Adele and the others decided to let Xiao Ai hide first, then the Sequence One vampire girls would use their family’s influence to sway public opinion. As for Edith, she could mobilize the vampire students in Cromwell Academy with the Black Feather Society to form a support group.

As for the Student Council, the largest organization in the academy, it was a pity that Tang Linlang was just an ordinary member without any official position. But it didn’t matter, Adele could ask their president for help! Wen Weiran, the Student Council President, owed Adele a favor for helping Li Lige escape from the Eastern Capital last time. Now was the time to repay it.

“Let’s do this then.”

“Okay!”

“Operation Protect Xiao Ai, officially launched, meow!” First Snow cheered.

Dorothy immediately complained, “Shouldn’t it be Operation Protect Me!?”

Hermione smiled slightly. “You’re just a decoy. The most important one is Xiao Ai.”

“If there’s no other way, I’m willing to throw you out at any time to attract fire for Xiao Ai.”

“You want me to be the scapegoat!?” Dorothy and Hermione started bickering. Adele could only smile helplessly and watch them argue happily. It was worth mentioning that “scapegoat” was a term from Werewolf, meaning sacrificing yourself for the victory of the game. There were similar games in this world. Also, a Werewolf-like game called “Goose Goose Duck” was recently popular in the Eastern Capital. If it weren’t for the crisis brought by True Ancestor Ron, Adele would have liked to organize a game and play it with everyone to enhance their relationship~ But could this kind of game, full of deception and betrayal, really enhance relationships...? It was doubtful.

After the discussion, Adele asked Hermione and Celeste to stay for dinner. Cooking was impossible, so they could only order takeout. The two agreed, and they discussed what to eat, naturally with Adele paying. The girl was becoming increasingly addicted to the joy of paying, even though it would be difficult to find girls poorer than her among those she treated. After thinking about it, it seemed that only Wofoo was relatively poor. First Snow seemed to have no money, but Headmistress Winona’s money was her money, which must be a terrifying amount.

While waiting for the takeout, they chatted and played around. Hermione and Dorothy bickered, which was rare for Hermione, who usually didn’t talk much. Adele and Celeste whispered to each other, and occasionally, Adele would show a doting side, reaching out to stroke the “golden retriever’s” hair. First Snow was comforting Xiao Ai in her arms. It was hard to imagine First Snow acting so mature. Was it because after Xiao Ai came to Sister Adele’s home, she was no longer the youngest and most deserving of pampering and care? Well, whatever, it’s all good.

The takeout arrived soon, and the doorbell rang. Adele was about to go downstairs to get the food without hesitation, but Hermione suddenly stopped her. “Wait!”

“Eh, what’s wrong?” Adele asked, puzzled.

Hermione explained, “I just feel something’s strange.”

“Strange?”

“Yes, because I set up an ice elemental magic barrier. It not only blocks the sound inside the room, but also detects the approach of strangers.”

“According to the academy’s rules, there’s dedicated personnel to receive takeout at the school gate and then deliver it to the students.”

“But my elemental barrier didn’t detect anything.”

“Yet the doorbell rang, which means someone is approaching and waiting for us to get the food.”

“I don’t understand...why is this happening?”

“Either the person has no magic power fluctuations at all.”

“Or...” Hermione hesitated, but the doorbell rang again.

“Maybe the academy hired outsourced personnel?” Adele said. “They don’t know about our academy’s situation and think it’s just an ordinary aristocratic academy with ordinary people without magic.”

“And outside the door...it clearly smells like takeout.” Adele murmured, walking towards the door step by step. Although she had some hesitation in her heart, before experiencing any setbacks, everyone had a bit of wishful thinking.

So she put her hand on the doorknob, took a deep breath, and slowly turned it. When she saw who was outside the door, Adele’s pupils constricted, and she exclaimed in surprise, not fear, “T-Teacher Victoria?” The worst-case scenario she could imagine was True Ancestor Ron appearing at the door with a gun pointed at her head. That would definitely be a heart-stopping moment! But she never thought it would be Teacher Victoria.

The elegant lady smiled, her hands clasped before her abdomen, looking calm and gentle. As for the excessive amount of takeout, she levitated it with magic. The moment the door opened, the food flew past Adele’s head and into the room under the influence of a mysterious force, landing neatly on the dining table. The tied knots untied themselves one by one, and the takeout boxes opened, revealing the delicious food inside, its aroma filling the air.

“I just happened to be passing by and saw it was your takeout, so I brought it over.” Although this reason sounded far-fetched, Adele was willing to believe it. And she blushed and said frankly, “Thank you, Teacher Victoria...I’m flattered.”

“It’s nothing, you’re my most promising student.” The woman’s straightforward praise made Adele’s heart race even faster.

“But there’s one thing I have to mention.”

“...What is it, Teacher?”

“That frost barrier you set up is more for self-comfort.”

“Or rather, it might even attract attention and arouse curiosity, making people want to pry.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to hide...”

“Anyway, if that happens, you’ll be in trouble.”

“A barrier should be set up like this.” As Victoria spoke, she looked up at the blue sky, her gaze deep and unfathomable. The next moment, Adele could clearly feel the magic power converging towards the woman before her, like fish swimming or sand forming a tower. Several girls, including Adele, had to focus on controlling the restless magic power in their magic circuits to prevent it from being drawn out by Teacher Victoria’s terrifying attraction.

Fortunately, this phenomenon only lasted for a short while. And an incredibly complex magic array had already been formed above Adele’s dorm, emitting a boundless glow and slowly rotating. Victoria looked at this perfect creation, one of the strongest barrier spells, and uttered a single word, “Close.”

The magic array instantly descended, as if performing a sacred baptism on the entire building, the entire area. A faint green light appeared on all objects and people, then vanished instantly, as if nothing had happened. But it definitely happened, right before Adele’s eyes.

The girl was speechless. After a moment of silence, she bowed deeply to Teacher Victoria.

Looking at this scene, Victoria couldn’t help but recall the past. Someone, like Adele, also bowed to her cutely and seriously. She said, “I want to be Teacher Victoria’s student!”

“Please, Teacher!”

So what was her response back then? Victoria thought carefully, a smile gradually appearing on her beautiful face. Then she reached out and flicked Adele’s forehead with her fingertip, not too hard, but just enough to leave a small red mark.

“Ouch!” Silly, aren’t you already my student? The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Victoria didn’t say them.