Although Dorothy was still a bit unsatisfied, since Adele said “that’s enough,” she stopped. Besides, it was getting late, time to sleep. Adele and Dorothy agreed to go downstairs to the bathroom together and call Xiao Ai and First Snow up to bed. Unfortunately, Adele’s bed wasn’t big enough for more than three people. After all, they were all petite. Adele was a young girl, First Snow a loli, and Xiao Ai...well, you get the idea. So if Dorothy stayed over, she could only sleep in the other room or make a bed on the floor. Dorothy chose the latter, wanting to be closer to Adele!

Adele sighed softly, then agreed with a smile, “Alright, bring the blanket from the next room later.”

“Mm!”

Then, as planned, they went to the ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) bathroom downstairs to wash up and told First Snow and Xiao Ai, who were playing Gomoku in the living room, to go back to the bedroom.

It was worth mentioning that First Snow was no longer as dominant in Gomoku as she was when she first taught Xiao Ai. Xiao Ai learned quickly, and First Snow’s years of experience were soon mastered by her. Now, whoever made the first move had an almost eighty percent chance of winning. After all, Gomoku was a game with a huge first-mover advantage. The required computational power wasn’t that high, and children could easily reach its limits, then its appeal would greatly decrease. It was almost time for Xiao Ai and First Snow to switch to a new game. Adele planned to order some two-player or board games online so that First Snow and Xiao Ai could entertain themselves, or perhaps play with her and the other sisters.

“Xiao Ai, First Snow, go back to the room after this game,” Adele said, her arm linked with Dorothy’s, looking demure and clinging to her. And there was still a faint blush on her cheeks and the tips of her ears. First Snow noticed it, and her tail puffed up slightly. Meow!

Xiao Ai pretended not to understand. But actually...sigh, whatever. After recent events, Xiao Ai’s possessiveness had weakened, or rather, it was still strong, but she was willing to suppress it for Adele and the sisters who loved Mama, so it wouldn’t cause any trouble! And then, when the time and place were right, she would confess her feelings to Mama. Xiao Ai thought, Before that, I’ll make Mama’s body unable to leave me~ That way, even if Mama can’t accept my love at first, she will gradually be moved and completely become mine!

No one would have thought what was going on in the seemingly innocent Xiao Ai’s mind. But it wasn’t strange. No one knew when Xiao Ai was born, it was just that she developed self-awareness relatively late. And as for why she looked like Adele, a younger Adele...honestly, even Xiao Ai herself couldn’t explain. So, it was best not to treat Xiao Ai as a truly innocent little girl. She learned quickly, and her mental maturity far surpassed her outward appearance.

“Okay, Mama.”

“Meow...Sister Adele,” Xiao Ai and First Snow replied.

Then, this game of Gomoku came to an end, with First Snow, distracted, losing. First Snow accepted her defeat and closed her eyes, waiting for Xiao Ai to draw a line on her nose. After that, Xiao Ai giggled and put away the Gomoku board and pieces, then went back to the bedroom with Sister First Snow.

In the bathroom, Adele and Dorothy tidied themselves up, washing away the...evidence, then prepared to go back to the bedroom to rest. The crisis had passed, and everyone would return to their normal lives, no longer trapped in those unsettling emotions, which affected not only their own moods but also others’. But the lessons learned from this crisis wouldn’t disappear.

Before leaving the bathroom, Adele looked at herself in the mirror, lost in thought. She wondered, What if I encounter a True Ancestor-level expert again, targeting me or my loved ones...? Will I still be as helpless as today, passively waiting for a deus ex machina or someone to sacrifice for me? No, I won’t! Instead of relying on others, Adele also wanted to become someone...that everyone could rely on. She also wanted to protect her girls! So, becoming stronger was the only way. Adele made up her mind. She would become a true “dominant” partner!

..................

Back in the bedroom, Xiao Ai and First Snow had already occupied their respective advantageous positions. Xiao Ai liked to sleep on the side closer to the wall, perhaps because she felt insecure, so she wanted her back against the wall and Mama in front of her to protect her. As for First Snow, although she was now obediently sleeping near the head of the bed, she was actually very restless at night. After falling asleep, she had no fixed shape, and sometimes even transformed into a cat, nestling in Adele’s arms, between her legs, or even on her stomach or chest. Don’t ask, it was a cat’s instinct. Cats were afraid of the cold and liked warm places, so many pet cats would get into their owners’ beds in winter. You think they’re being affectionate? You’re wrong! But First Snow was truly close to Adele. If she were afraid of the cold, with her magic power, it would be easy for her to stay warm.

After the two settled down, they both patted the bed beside them, a “come quickly” gesture that made Adele chuckle.

“You two little fools~ I’ll change into my nightgown first.”

“Mm~”.

“Meow!”

So Adele took out a thin and soft nightgown from her wardrobe and, not caring about the two little ones watching, took off her clothes, down to her underwear, then put on the nightgown. Why? Because First Snow was part of her harem and had already seen everything, so it didn’t matter. And Xiao Ai was young and didn’t understand the concept of propriety between girls. But when she grew older and reached puberty, Adele would teach her properly. She didn’t want Xiao Ai to go astray.

Xiao Ai’s magical talent was outstanding, evident from how easily she could use newly learned magic with great power in the magic training ground. So the little one should become a great mage in the future. With great power comes great responsibility, not the right to do whatever you want. Adele believed this, and she would teach Xiao Ai this way, and her future children. But the girl didn’t expect that Xiao Ai might not have to wait for the future. The current her already showed signs of precociousness. Just like now, she was staring at Mama’s exposed fair skin, her throat feeling a bit dry.

“Bang!” Dorothy suddenly barged in, carrying her blanket.

“I’m here,” she said, completely unaware of her recklessness.

Adele tied the sash of her nightgown and glared at her, “Idiot! Be gentler, you almost scared me.”

“Ah, I’ll be careful next time,” Dorothy immediately apologized. She was very obedient towards Adele now, completely different from before. But this was the power of love, changing a person from the inside out, making them change, strive, and improve for the other person.

After Adele put on her nightgown, Dorothy started spreading her blanket on the not-so-large bedroom floor. First, the not-so-thin, but not-so-thick sheet. Adele didn’t go to bed immediately, but helped Dorothy spread it out. Then came the blanket and pillow. Very simple. Dorothy then took off her clothes and got under the covers. Adele originally wanted to criticize her habit of sleeping half-naked, but seeing that Dorothy was already under the covers, her body completely hidden, she let it go.

The so-called “half-naked sleeping” was Adele’s own concept, referring to taking off all clothes except for underwear before getting into bed. Adele thought it was almost the same as sleeping naked. But undeniably, this was probably the most comfortable way to sleep, when the weather wasn’t cold and the blanket was warm.

“Good night, Adele~.”

“...Good night, silly.” Although she didn’t know why Adele called her silly, Dorothy’s happy smile lingered on her lips. Even though the future was uncertain, at least at this moment, Dorothy felt happy, sleeping in the same room with Adele, breathing the same air, the air filled with Adele’s fragrance, the most reassuring scent in the world.

So Dorothy almost fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. So much had happened today, especially for Dorothy, so perhaps both her body and mind had reached their limit. And perhaps Dorothy wouldn’t have such a peaceful sleep again in the future. Whether in her own residence or her family’s home, she would always be wary of everyone around her, even her relatives. As for the True Ancestors, there was no need to mention them. Even Lady Chen Xi, the most benevolent and peace-loving True Ancestor, Dorothy no longer trusted her. Because it was well known that the Black Emperor was the complete opposite of Lady Chen Xi. He was a fervent vampire nationalist, prioritizing the interests of the Vampire Clan, dreaming of ruling the world, turning other races into their sustenance. And it was because of this that the Black Emperor, with his charisma and influence, established the only empire in vampire history. And Lady Chen Xi was the opposite. She hated war, hated warmongers, and advocated peace. She believed in equality for all, but only in spirit. Intelligent beings could achieve equality of thought. As for material equality...anyone who believed in that was a fool.

So even if Lady Chen Xi, who stood on the opposite side of her ancestor, acted righteous, Dorothy couldn’t help but suspect that she played an important, even crucial, role in the Black Emperor’s fall. And she, as the Queen who inherited her ancestor’s will, would definitely face the pressure from Lady Chen Xi in the future, their fundamental ideologies clashing. So Dorothy also silently added Lady Chen Xi to the list of True Ancestors she needed to be wary of.

Of course, the True Ancestors she needed to be most wary of were True Ancestor Daphne and Kaiser’s ancestor, the old man who practiced martial arts. Because they, along with True Ancestor Ron, were the key figures who supported her ascension and ensured her position as Queen. But True Ancestor Ron had already exposed his “traitorous” identity. At least in Dorothy’s eyes, he, who possessed her ancestor’s remains, was undoubtedly a traitor to the Black Emperor. So was he the only one with a problem? Were Daphne and the other True Ancestors so innocent?

Although Dorothy fell into a deep sleep, she had nightmares. In her dream, just as she was about to fulfill her ancestor’s wish, she was suddenly attacked by arrows from behind, not from one direction, but from all directions. True Ancestors with blood-red eyes emerged from the shadows, each holding a golden bow, coldly and repeatedly shooting arrows. Among them were not only True Ancestor Daphne and Kaiser’s ancestor, but also True Ancestor Snyder and even Lady Chen Xi... Everyone betrayed her at the same time, piercing her heart with countless arrows. Finally, they swarmed her, like wolves devouring a lion, or like ghouls, consuming everything about Dorothy.

The next moment, Dorothy’s eyes snapped open, and she woke up from her nightmare, covered in sweat and panting. She was still in Adele’s room, surrounded by familiar comfort. And in her arms...

“Eh...” Dorothy’s gaze was blank for a moment. Why...is Adele in my arms? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Just as Dorothy’s mind went blank, Adele let out a pitiful whimper and woke up, rubbing her eyes. And the first thing she did wasn’t to complain about being woken up, but to ask with concern, “Dorothy, is your nightmare...over!?”

“I thought it would be better if I hugged you, so I came over.”

“I have to say, the floor is really hard...” Adele blinked her soft, big eyes and nuzzled Dorothy’s chest.

At that moment, tears welled up in Dorothy’s eyes. Then, she hugged Adele tightly, remaining silent for a long time.