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Odilia glared at Chaine on the screen, clearly displeased.

However, the truth was that the female celebrity Chaine didn’t come off as all that unlikable. Sure, her appearances were on the low side—perhaps due to having rubbed the PD the wrong way—but that was understandable since the main character was Park Jinseong, a shaman.

She occasionally appeared to lighten the mood, conducting interviews with those accompanying her. There were also shots of her mingling with groups of soldiers and staff.

Nothing about it seemed particularly odd.

Agnes sighed softly as she watched her master.

“Master, is it because of her hair color?”

Glancing at Odilia, who seemed stung by the remark, Agnes let out another sigh.

“No matter how bad your relationship is with her, don’t you think it’s a bit much to snub another woman just because her hair color is similar?”

“It’s not that. It’s the overall vibe…”

“And can’t you try to make amends with her? It’s been thirty years, after all! How many years are you going to keep fighting over that old spat…?”

Agnes said, still staring at the screen.

On the screen, Chaine was sporting midnight blue hair. That color, which was called by that name abroad, created a mysterious atmosphere as sunlight broke through the leaves of the mountains.

It was a beautiful hue, even if it was dyed.

But Odilia, Agnes’s master, utterly detested that shade.

The hair color belonged to her rival, Gabriella, the great witch from Spain, known as the “Great Witch of Alchemy.” They had once been close friends running a company together, but after a significant fallout over some incident, they had become sworn enemies. Gabriella had similarly established her own cosmetics company after parting ways with Odilia, and she had ceaselessly sabotaged Odilia ever since. The tenacity of her interference had nearly sent Odilia’s company into chaos more than once, and she had thwarted multiple devious attempts to swallow the company whole.

Thanks to that, the executives of the company had become battle-hardened veterans, experiencing the bitter taste of capitalism, but the resentment towards Gabriella only grew deeper.

Odilia was no different. Initially, she held a tinge of regret and even pondered whether she should apologize first, but that feeling had since faded amidst Gabriella’s persistent attacks. Instead, venomous thoughts of wanting to ruin that detestable witch’s company had taken root.

For Odilia, Gabriella was someone she could not coexist with; their relationship was such that one of them had to claim victory for this wretched feud to end.

“Looks like she seems a bit twisted, yet still wants to make up….”

However, Agnes had a different perspective. Stepping back as a passive observer of their conflict given she wasn’t directly involved, she recognized that the animosity between the two wasn’t purely filled with hatred.

Odilia had a long-standing stubborn streak, and Gabriella had her own twisted temperament. It simply appeared that due to the odd personalities fitting their title as “great witches,” they were ineffectively squabbling away precious time. Agnes believed that if they could both give a little, they could return to their amicable relationship as before.

Yet the positions of the parties involved were a whole other matter.

“No way! That woman has done things to me!”

Even facing her beloved disciple, Odilia stubbornly refused to budge. She declared that there would never be a chance for an apology, contemplating whether to even accept an apology should Gabriella bow her head to her.

That was how resolute she was.

She then shut her mouth tight, signaling that she didn’t want to talk anymore, her obstinate expression glued to the TV screen.

Now, it was a clear signal that she wouldn’t care what anyone said, so not to bother her.

Seeing this, Agnes decided to keep her mouth shut.

She knew from experience that if she kept talking after such a display, it could lead to a sulk.

Thus, a thick silence enveloped the hotel room.

Odilia, who had been pouring out her unreasonable complaints, shut her mouth completely, and Agnes did the same to avoid disturbing Odilia’s mood. Ella and Anastasia, who had been quietly observing the situation, also remained silent.

Gradually, the air in the room began to settle.

But then, a sound pierced the heavy atmosphere.

Tweet.

It was the chirp of a bird.

The small sound broke the silence in the room, vibrating like a short ripple. From Ella’s embrace, the proud bird spread its wings wide to form a V, as if claiming to have shattered this dreadful atmosphere, or perhaps declaring that it would take charge of the quiet.

The victorious bird shone with resplendent light.

It emitted blinding brilliance, continuously shifting colors.

From red to orange, yellow to green, green to blue, and blue to white.

The bird, roughly the size of a human head, radiated light just like the item dubbed ‘Gaming Owl,’ wriggling its plump body free from Ella’s grasp. With short flaps of its wings, it lifted itself into the air and landed snugly on top of Ella’s head.

Squee!

The Gaming Owl settled atop Ella’s head as if it had found a nest, clinging on as if it belonged there from the start.

Even when Ella reached up to pry it off, it wouldn’t budge, cheekily flicking Ella’s hand away with a wing, blocking her attempts.

And so, the Gaming Owl perched atop Ella’s head emitted an overwhelming glow.

As if it were the lighting of a club!

That dazzling, magnificent rainbow light!

Even the two people immersed in chilly tension found it instinctively impossible to ignore the brilliance.

Agnes and Odilia couldn’t help but turn their heads toward the source of the vibrant lighting filling the room.

“Heh.”

There, they found Ella sporting an awkward smile, with the Gaming Owl on her head.

Gone was the usual facade of a noble lady; instead, she wore a bewildered expression, like a squirrel that had just been hit on the head by a falling acorn while mindlessly wandering past a tree.

Agnes couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Ella’s rare, cute display.

“Hey, what’s with that look? Heh heh.”

Her gaze was filled not so much with the respect for a lady but rather the tenderness reserved for an angelic child of about six. Her look carried warmth and affection for her disciple.

Of course, from the recipient’s standpoint, having someone look at her like that wasn’t especially pleasant.

“Um, this Gaming Owl, well… I’m not sure why it’s acting this way…”

Perhaps it was trying to emphasize Ella’s unusual cuteness?

Suddenly, Anastasia sprang up beside Ella.

The small girl, who claimed to be her older sister, was wearing a suit she had apparently found somewhere and sported glasses, perhaps to look smart. On one ear, she had an in-ear headphone, and a tiny microphone covered in fluffy fuzz was brought to her mouth.

“Wait! Let me handle this! I shall be the specialized interpreter for the Owl from now on!”

Standing upright, Anastasia promptly clamped Ella’s mouth shut, making eye contact with the Gaming Owl.

And thus, the interpretation began.

Tweet.

The Gaming Owl chirped again from atop Ella’s head.

Anastasia, as if she had been waiting for this cue, translated the owl’s words.

“To the mortals bound by flesh, I convey only a desire to appreciate the medium that conveys knowledge through the shaping of light! Thus, I must reluctantly exert a modicum of my power, for thou should feel gratitude!”

Tweet?

Hearing Anastasia’s translation, the Gaming Owl tilted its head in confusion.

“My voice, akin to the song of the stars, cannot reach you! As mere mortals, thine comprehension fails to grasp my intent; thus, the divide only grows!”

Screee!

The Gaming Owl, still tilting its head, flapped its wings in exasperation as the transcendent translation continued, adopting a demeanor typically seen when one gets irked. It turned to Anastasia, looking for a better interpretation.

“Alright, alright!”

Anastasia chuckled playfully as she responded to the Gaming Owl’s protest.

“To put it simply, the Gaming Owl wants to watch TV!”

She didn’t provide a transcendent translation this time but accurately conveyed the owl’s intent.

Agnes, unable to suppress her smile, remarked, “Okay then, let’s watch TV together!” while Odilia nodded silently, focusing her gaze back on the TV.

And so, peace returned to the hotel once more.

It was an extraordinarily heartwarming atmosphere.

 

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