Chapter 21: Squeeze Your Little Face

In my memories, Mother once told me the story of the Scarlet Witch—Glashiala Rapos, the big sister who dragged the world into a sea of blood and hell…

According to Mother, she was once the eldest princess of the Crimson Moon Star’s Blood Clan Kingdom.
Born into a noble yet sparsely populated bloodline family, she outwardly lived a glamorous, wealthy, and carefree life as aristocracy.
From an early age, she displayed incredible talent for soul magic.
At only 13 years old, she inherited the headship of her family and became the Star Lord of Crimson Moon Star.
That meant big sister was already a god-level powerhouse even before becoming Mother’s daughter.

Moreover, big sister’s appearance was breathtaking—peerless beauty, delicate and pure, like a doll crafted by the gods.
Because of this, she was always surrounded by numerous admirers.
It was said that even a neighboring kingdom’s princess, after a chance encounter in a forest, blushed and secretly handed over a love letter.

Yet behind her facade, she was a terrifying serial killer who committed atrocities across multiple star sectors.
The poor princess didn’t even get a rose-scented reply before having her heart extracted during a blood-soaked wedding…

Perhaps that was why big sister was so rebellious, and why Mother loved her so much.

“Ling’er, Gelra is my pride, but Mother wishes for you to become an even more precious gem in my heart.
Your appearance is simply…
Mother is a bit naggy, always telling the same old stories repeatedly.
Ling’er, my sweet daughter won’t mind that, right…”

“Mother loves bellflowers so much,
so she named you after her favorite flower…”

Mother placed such lofty expectations on me…
Proving I was different from the other sisters.
That I could offer Mother the most perfect, pure performance as her dearest daughter.

The past no longer matters.
What matters is Mother’s future.
Mother is the meaning of life, the entirety of life…

“Ling’er… Ling’er?”
An earnest voice dragged Lingling Lan back from the depths of childhood memories.
Was it Mother’s embrace calling me…?

“Hehe… The hypnosis worked.”
My head spun, my body started feeling weightless…
But I’m a witch—why am I…
So uncomfortable…

“What a child.
A simple lollipop trick was enough to fool you~
Still as dumb and adorable as before, not a bit has changed.”

Gelra effortlessly lifted tiny Lingling Lan in a princess carry, resting her head on her shoulder.
Her long, pale-white hair draped over Lingling Lan like a soft blanket.

Lingling Lan’s eyes became perfect pink circles.
She tightly hugged Gelra’s body, rubbing her cheeks against the princess dress, emitting soft purring noises like a satisfied kitten.

Gelra felt exceptionally comfortable.
Why had she never noticed how cute little sister was before?
Even a worthless thing had its charm.

Next… it was probably time to report back to Nyara…
That old hag always ruined my mood.
Finally got to play with the freaks from the Monster Association, and she had to butt in mid-fun.

She wanted me to bring her little daughter home, but didn’t say by when.
Oh, right.
I heard from Nyara that the useless one had been getting along quite well with that stupid Sword Immortal I’d crushed like a bug.
So I’d better go have some fun.

“Sis smells so good… I want to hug you tightly…”

Gelra’s gaze shifted toward Lingling Lan in her arms.
“Tell big sister… where that Sword Immortal Xinghui is…
Ling’er, do you know where to find her?”

“Sis… squish my little face and I’ll tell you… hehe, hehe~”

Oh, such an adorable request.
Unable to resist the impulse, Gelra grabbed Lingling Lan’s fair cheeks and playfully squeezed them.
Like fiddling with a fumo doll, she toyed with her face until her expression slowly twisted into something disturbingly broken.

So much softer than second sister…
Her whole body was soft.
Oh no, she’s starting to whimper.
Definitely uncomfortable~

“Wuwu, Sis is too rough… it hurts… let go…”

The more uncomfortable she seemed, the more I wanted to bully her.
Such a cute child shouldn’t go untrained…
It would be a crime to waste her adorableness…

Hahaha, this is too much fun, hahaha.

Alright, enough teasing.
Don’t want Nyara giving me trouble later.
Time to inquire about the Sword Immortal’s whereabouts.

So many years passed…
I wonder what she became after reincarnation…

***

At the plaza, the endlessly bored Xinghui had already started counting fingers toward midnight.
Wilf’s appearance slightly eased her sour mood.

“Senior Xinghui, I-I got lost and it took some time to find you…”

Wilf lifted her sleeve and wiped the translucent sweat from her forehead.
On her back was a travel bag.
A small flag was stuck between the zipper, making her easy to spot amidst the bustling crowd.

“Eh, where’s Sister Ling?”

“She… she’s mad at me.”

Xinghui closed her eyes and sighed, her tone full of helplessness.
Seeing Wilf look a bit worried, she tried to perk up, smiling lightly, though a bit dumb, yet radiant as ever.

“It’s fine.
Sister Ling will come soon.
If she doesn’t show up, Little Fu, you stay here.
I’ll go find her myself.”

“How could this happen…
Senior Xinghui and Sister Ling seemed so close…”

“Haha, indeed,
but even biological sisters sometimes quarrel.”

“Sisters…
Are Senior Xinghui and Sister Ling really sisters?”

“Not quite to the point of calling each other sisters yet.”

“I see…
But having a big sister around must feel so safe.
Sister Ling is reliable, understanding, and kind…
Having such a sister…
That must be really happy.”

Wilf sat quietly in the stands, gazing at the boundless starry sky.
Specks of light converged in her sky-blue eyes and then fell like raindrops onto the cold marble stand.
She reached out to grab the first shooting star blazing across the sky, but never quite managed to catch even a trace of its tail.

“Missing sister?”
Xinghui gently stroked Wilf’s soft braid and sat beside her.

“Mm… wuwu…”

“I already asked the Association to investigate farther planets.
We’ll find your sister soon.
She probably just forgot to leave you a message.”

“Th-thank you, Senior.
I’ve just been wondering…
Where did my sister go…”

“When I was little, every time Dad scolded me, I would cry alone in bed.
Sister would sit by my side, telling me stories and comforting me until I fell asleep…”

“She told me to grow up strong like the heroes in those tales,
never to be defeated by setbacks…”

“She promised that once I grew up, we’d travel the universe together…
Why hasn’t she come back…”

Memories of my sister, always muddy and carefree,
her eternally bright, confident smile…
When did she turn into a shooting star I could never hold in my hand…

“Ah, sorry for rambling, Senior.
Thank you for listening to my complaints.”
Wilf blushed apologetically.

“No worries.
A senior’s duty is to patiently guide juniors!
My heart is broader than this galaxy!”

Senior really felt like my sister…
Forever confident, a little clumsy, yet so warm…

“Well, Senior,”

“Yes? Little Fu?”

“While Sister hasn’t returned yet…
Could you come…
Be my sister?
It’s a selfish request, and if Senior Xinghui is too busy…
Even just for a day or two…”

“Of course!
As long as you want, I’ll be your sister for as long as you like!”

“Eh, really?”

“From now on, call me Sister Xinghui!”