Early in the morning, Veronica instinctively reached out toward the pillow beside her as she woke up. But just as quickly, she realized sothing and stopped herself.
Because she rembered—this wasn’t her room. And the person next to her was Xia Liang.
Bathed in the soft morning light, Xia Liang lay on the bed, breathing evenly, clearly still fast asleep.
mories of the previous night resurfaced. Thinking back on what she had gone through, Veronica let out a long sigh.
She was never sleeping with Xia Liang again.
Forget about how she had been tightly hugged even before falling asleep—what was worse was that even after Xia Liang had drifted off, it had taken her a ridiculous amount of effort to wriggle free. She had tried, little by little, to pry Xia Liang’s arms away without waking her, only to be suddenly pulled back in by a half-asleep Xia Liang several tis, ruining all her progress.
It wasn’t until nearly dawn that she finally managed to escape, breaking free from that suffocating grip and getting so proper rest.
Now, as morning arrived, Veronica carefully slipped out of bed. She shed her sleepwear, and in an instant, streams of blue magic threads surged from beneath her feet, wrapping around her body in smooth, looping motions. As the light faded, her usual navy-blue dress took shape once more.
After tidying up the blanket on the bed, she glanced at the still-sleeping Xia Liang, confirming that she hadn’t disturbed her. Satisfied, she turned and headed toward the balcony.
—It wasn’t that she wanted to sneak away without saying goodbye; she simply had to go to work.
For a middle schooler like Xia Liang, it was sumr break. She could sleep in as much as she wanted without worrying about being late. But Veronica didn’t have that luxury—adults didn’t get sumr vacations.
If anything, because she had stayed out last night, she now had to swing by ho before work to grab her briefcase and other office supplies.
At Xia Liang’s balcony, Veronica rested her hands on the railing and lightly leaped into the air. Magic surged within her, lifting her higher as she soared into the sky, well beyond the sight of ordinary people.
To avoid attracting attention while flying, she always controlled the flow of her magic and took higher-altitude routes whenever possible. It was the best way to stay unnoticed.
That strategy worked fine most of the ti, but sumr was a different story. With the sun rising earlier and shining longer, flying at this hour ant she had to face the scorching morning sun head-on.
Squinting against the blinding sumr light, she periodically glanced down to check her trajectory. Before long, she spotted her ho and swiftly descended.
Since the windows of her high-rise apartnt only opened slightly, she opted for her usual trick—slipping in through her balcony.
But this ti, there was a problem.
When she tried to slide open the glass door, it didn’t budge. The lock was latched from the inside.
Frowning at the glare reflecting off the glass, she peered through the door and spotted the lock.
Great security awareness.
Too bad it’s keeping out too.
She had to admit—it made sense. With her father away on a business trip, it was only natural for a minor staying ho alone to lock up properly.
Of course, a simple lock might stop a burglar, but it was useless against a Magical Girl.
Veronica extended her hand, channeling her magic through the gap between the door and the fra. With a subtle motion, she used her Magical Armor to weave magic threads inside, nudging the lock open from within.
She hesitated briefly, debating whether to change back into her usual form, but quickly decided against it. Better to check the situation first.
Dismissing her Magical Armor, she stepped inside as quietly as possible, making her way toward her bedroom.
She had barely made it past the living room when a voice made her heart skip a beat.
—“Inspector?”
Veronica turned sharply.
Moko.
The little creature was sprawled out on the sofa, groggily lifting its head to look at her in surprise.
Its wings rested against its back, its expression drowsy and unfocused, clearly just waking up from deep sleep.
Normally, Moko slept in Lin Xiaolu’s room. And since the spell Veronica had placed on it only gave her a general sense of its presence in the house, she had never considered the possibility that it might be in the living room at this hour.
aning—Moko had just witnessed her sneaking into her own ho.
A wave of unease washed over her.
Calming her rapid heartbeat, Veronica felt relieved that she hadn’t decided to transform back on the balcony.
But now, there was no ti to dwell on that. She had to react quickly.
Suppressing her nerves, she maintained a casual tone and asked, “You’re here?”
“Uh… yeah?” Moko, still half-asleep, seed confused.
“Well, that’s perfect. I was just looking for you.”
Nodding as if everything was completely normal, Veronica continued, “I ntioned last night that I’d be training White Rose and Little Viola over the break.”
“Training…? Oh, for their certification test, right?” Understanding dawned in Moko’s eyes as it flapped its wings and sat up. “Got it. What do you need to do, Inspector?”
Normally, Moko was mischievous and self-centered, but when it ca to Veronica—or more accurately, to the title of “Inspector”—it showed an almost absurd level of obedience and respect.
It was sothing that had always puzzled Veronica, but now wasn’t the ti to ask questions.
“I want you to supervise their training during the day.”
She crossed her arms and gazed at Moko calmly. “Can you do that?”
Truthfully, she hadn’t intended to leave this task to Moko. A scatterbrained Seeder like it hardly seed capable of keeping two rookie Magical Girls in line.
Her original plan had been to write out a detailed training regin and send it to Lin Xiaolu via ssage, letting the two girls follow it on their own while she checked their progress in the evenings.
But now, she needed a quick excuse to throw Moko off, so she went with this instead.
“Eh? Supervise Xiaolu and Xia Liang’s training?”
Moko’s ears perked up imdiately, its interest obvious—but it still hesitated. “Wouldn’t it be better for you to handle sothing this important? I an, if they’re taking the test next year, it’d be safer if—”
“I have my own job to do during the day,” Veronica interrupted smoothly. “I can’t be here in person.”
Then, with an air of indifference, she added, “Besides, isn’t this part of your job? You’re their Seeder. Supervising them is your responsibility.”
“But—”
“I believe in your abilities.”
She t its gaze seriously. “No one is born perfect. You may have beco a Seeder by accident, but the fact that you were chosen ans you have potential.”
“Inspector…!”
Moko’s face lit up with shock and admiration.
“I do think highly of you,” Veronica continued, pressing the advantage. “But whether your potential turns into actual strength depends on your performance.”
“If that’s the case…”
Moko’s wings fluttered in excitent as it leaped off the couch, practically shouting, “Yes, leave it to ! I’ll make sure the job gets done!”
With that, their conversation ended.
Veronica quickly laid out the training plan, spending about ten minutes ensuring Moko understood its duties.
Her reasoning was sound, her story airtight—Moko completely bought it and took its task seriously.
Although she had successfully bluffed her way through, Veronica knew she couldn’t just march straight into her bedroom now. If she did, Moko might start asking more questions.
And if Moko started questioning things, then Lin Xiaolu would, too.
That was the last thing she wanted.
So, maintaining the poised and aloof deanor of a superior, she turned and left her own ho—expression unreadable, but internally sighing in exasperation.
That day, Lin Yun went to work without her briefcase.
And ended up making three apology calls because of it.
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