Chapter 54: The Cursed Beauty

Time returned to morning; the sleeping girl was awakened by the alarm clock beside her bed, its recording of the harsh cries of a flock of devil crows unbearable to any chronic oversleeper.

Thus, unable to endure the noise, the girl reluctantly climbed out of bed and raised her hand to turn off the alarm.

Pulling back the curtain beside her bed, the morning’s faint light streamed into the room, bathing the girl in warmth that made her squint contentedly and smile.

From among her golden hair, brighter than the dawn, two fluffy fox ears emerged, and behind her, nine bushy tails unfurled like a peacock’s display, both basking in the warm sunrise.

At that moment, a small bird flew past the window; it tilted its head to glance at the witch by the window, and when its eyes met the girl’s long, sultry fox eyes—those violet irises—its gaze wavered, and suddenly, the bird froze. An absolute charm that bewitched all life turned its mind white; it forgot how to fly, flapping its wings wildly but inevitably beginning to plummet.

Fortunately, invisible magic gently lifted the poor bird; once it regained its senses, it flew again and looked back at the windowsill—only to see the closed window and the girl’s retreating back.

“Time to get up, Audrey. You have an exam today.”

A knock came at the door, followed by her sister Madeline’s voice.

“I know.”

The girl Audrey responded, then quickly got ready.

First, she changed clothes: raising her arms, her nightdress slipped off automatically, revealing her fully developed, curvaceous figure.

Naked, the girl walked to the wardrobe, which opened automatically; its interior, expanded by a space-extending spell, held countless exquisite garments—so many and varied they could easily run a clothing store. Audrey often suffered from decision paralysis, but today she needn’t worry: a simple school uniform would do.

First, pure white undergarments floated out and dressed themselves.

Then, a white shirt and black witch’s robe flew out; the girl merely extended her arms, and the clothes slipped on by themselves.

Finally, the choice for the lower half: the school uniform allowed free selection.

Typically, witches with more masculine personalities chose long pants, but Audrey, inclined toward traditional femininity, chose lantern shorts paired with white knee-high stockings.

Thus, the pristine little lantern shorts climbed upward along the girl’s straight, slender thighs, finally vanishing into the darkness beneath the robe.

Afterwards, Audrey sat back on the edge of the bed, lifted her legs, and her tiny, porcelain-white feet stretched taut; the two rolls of stockings moved forward, and with a deft flick of her adorable toes, she opened the tops.

The white silk then spread like milk upward, wrapping her slender, smooth calves—but still unsatisfied, it greedily climbed higher, surging past her knees until it halted just before her rounded, plump thighs, leaving a distinct indentation in the soft, full flesh.

Thus, dressing was completed with the aid of the “Witch’s Dressing Spell.”

After checking her reflection in the mirror and confirming everything was in order, the girl entered the bathroom.

Gurgling, gurgling…

After being thoroughly attended to by the “Witch’s Toiletry Spell”—toothbrush and water dancing autonomously—Audrey swiftly finished her morning routine.

“Witch-themed life magic really is convenient. I wonder what the real-life Forest Witch is like.”

As Audrey approached the door to open it, she couldn’t help wondering inwardly.

Opening the door and stepping out, she was greeted by a warmly arranged home layout.

Though this was merely a dormitory, her sister Madeline was a witch who loved life and paid close attention to interior decoration—something that delighted Audrey, who had just moved in, easing her discomfort after leaving home for the first time.

Yet this comfort was thanks entirely to Madeline’s excellence; securing such a large, high-quality living space in the Witch Academy was no easy feat.

This was the second-highest floor of the Shining Tower, the academy’s center, and the private room belonging to Madeline, the Disciplinary Committee Chair.

To Witch Academy students, the Disciplinary Committee—responsible for enforcing rules and maintaining order—was a formidable organization, feared by all; especially its Chair, who was practically the school’s Demon King.

Audrey partially agreed with this view: her sister was indeed a demon, and both she and Madeline inherited part of their paternal mother’s succubus talent.

Upon entering the dining area, Audrey immediately saw her sister seated at the table, eating bread and drinking milk.

Unlike Audrey, who inherited more of her maternal mother’s nine-tailed fox heritage and thus looked more like a fox girl, Madeline inherited only her paternal mother’s succubus talent, making her appear even more succubus-like.

Her explosive figure, long purple hair, curved ram horns, sultry face, dual wings, and signature heart-shaped tail—save for the lack of actual succubus reverse-jointed hooves—made her the very embodiment of a succubus.

Yet any fantasy or lustful thought shattered upon meeting her icy, piercing gaze, frozen and withered by her chilling aura.

Though Madeline possessed succubus power, her personality was anything but seductive; she was a thoroughly orthodox armed witch, adhering to the rule: if you can fight, don’t talk. No wonder she earned the reputation of the school’s Demon King.

Fortunately, for her younger sister, Madeline had always been gentle.

“You’re up? Eat. The school food isn’t as good as home, and I don’t like hiring servants—this is just something I threw together. Audrey, make do for now. If you don’t like it, I’ll get a chef later.”

The succubus sister smiled upon seeing her little sister, her smile radiant and captivating, stirring the heart.

This infamous Demon King revealed only a hint of her succubus charm when facing family—not the cold-faced rakshasa or bloodthirsty demon of legend.

“No need, sister. This is enough. These are the Witch’s Cooking Spells I recommended to you—I love these witch dishes.”

Audrey sat across from her sister and spoke.

“Hmm, these spells are indeed excellent—very practical. But that Forest Witch is a bit irresponsible; such talent, yet she only studies life magic. If she focused more on combat spells, it’d be better.”

Madeline sighed about her sister’s idol.

“You have the nerve to call someone irresponsible? You, a succubus witch, became an armed witch—you’re the one who’s irresponsible. Mother’s been scolding you daily for years; they always hoped to groom you as their successor. You could’ve been the hottest star in the entertainment industry.”

Hearing anyone speak ill of her idol, Audrey grew unhappy and stabbed her own sister in the back.

This left the succubus witch across from her embarrassed.

“You know I’ve never cared for etiquette or dressing up. A witch like me should fight on the battlefield. I simply can’t learn those boring music and dance routines. Besides, don’t you take over for them? You’re the one they truly want as successor.”

Madeline looked up at the family portrait hanging on the living room wall: four enchanting witches, each possessing breathtaking beauty.

The two young witches in front were her and her sister; the two adult witches behind were their mothers—the two most famous witch stars of the era: the Heart-Dancer and the Nine-Tailed Songstress.

Though the entire family were rare beauties, the most beautiful was undoubtedly Audrey. Unlike Madeline, who inherited only the succubus talent, Audrey inherited the full strengths of both parents, combining the allure of both succubus and fox-girl lineages.

She was born the embodiment of beauty and desire; without any background or power, merely by her own charm, Audrey possessed the legendary potential rivaling even the most perfected peak witches. If she later became a peak witch herself, how beautiful she would become—Madeline, her own sister, could not imagine.

This beauty was the lifelong pursuit of her two mothers, the ultimate talent on their path to artistic beauty. They had married specifically to conceive such a breathtaking beauty—and now they had succeeded.

Before Audrey’s birth, as the eldest daughter, Madeline had suffered greatly; but after Audrey was born, she was finally free—and this was one reason she doted on her sister so much.

Yet…

“Audrey, are you sure you want to enroll in mechanical civil engineering?”

Recalling Audrey’s secret admission about her major, Madeline’s expression grew increasingly strange.

“Didn’t you always want to pursue art? Mother’s counting on you to inherit their legacy. If they find out you’re studying architecture and getting your hands dirty with mud and concrete, they’ll go mad.”

Looking at this delicate, heartbreakingly beautiful sister, imagining her soon laboring on construction sites, even Madeline, the rebellious succubus, felt her composure cracking.

“It’s automated mechanical civil engineering.”

Audrey corrected her sister seriously.

“And I’m not studying architecture—I’m following my second aunt, who teaches there. I want to learn automated puppetry to perfect my puppet theater. But learning a bit of architecture helps too—it’ll help me build better stage sets for my art.”

The fox-eared witch extended her hand; a tiny puppet slid from her sleeve, moving like a living being, its exquisite form speaking precisely to the succubus giant across from her.

“I don’t want people to like me just because of my face. My art doesn’t need me to show up—I want audiences to appreciate the art itself, not the performer’s looks. These puppets will earn recognition in my place.”

Audrey spoke passionately about her dream.

Yet…

“Come on, Audrey. Your social anxiety hasn’t been cured, has it? My sister who freezes up and can’t speak to strangers.”

Madeline ruthlessly shattered her sister’s lie, pinching her cheek with a weary sigh.

This sister, who could’ve been the most popular witch star in history, had everything—except her beauty, which was both her gift and her curse. Such extraordinary beauty was a burden, especially for a child; the greedy, covetous stares of strangers could drive a child into silence.

Audrey was exactly like that.

Ever since her mothers first brought her onstage as a child and she was terrified by the audience’s frenzied gazes, she became dreadfully afraid of people. Naturally, someone who couldn’t even speak to strangers could never perform on stage under the spotlight.

Yet she inherited her mothers’ deep love for music, dance, and the stage. The one suffering most wasn’t the parents—it was Audrey herself.

This child, blessed by beauty, also bore its curse.

Such beauty demands a price.

Her choice of puppet theater now was merely a compromise—lifeless puppets could never match the artistry of living performers.

This was clear from her modest popularity.

Otherwise, how could the daughter of a reigning superstar still be just a minor web celebrity, with fans mostly underage witch girls who liked puppet shows?

Ah, fate…