Chapter 55

Time returns to the present.

Audrey stood quietly in the courtyard of the Automated Mechanical Civil Engineering major, waiting for the admission exam to begin.

The girl’s posture was elegant and captivating, as if the dusty, concrete ground beneath her feet were not dirt-strewn earth but a red-carpeted grand stage; her legendary beauty and graceful figure made her, even while standing utterly still, draw every eye—as if an invisible spotlight shone solely upon her, making her the undisputed center of attention wherever she went.

“Ah, this older sister is truly beautiful.”

“Her demeanor is so refined—clearly trained professionally. I’m so envious.”

“But this older sister is so cold—she won’t even look at me. She’s so arrogant.”

“Get real—you’re not even a toad, let alone one worth her attention.”

“Waaah, don’t scold me, don’t scold me—but now that I think about it, being ignored by her feels kind of nice. I like her even more now. I wish she’d scold me again—she’s so beautiful, her voice must be lovely too.”

“Sis, you’re seriously amazing. My family runs a hospital—psychiatric ward. Here, take my card.”

Around her, faint whispers drifted in, and Audrey listened, her heart tight with anxiety—truly, she had no one to turn to.

Her seemingly flawless cold beauty was all a lie.

Every gesture, every movement that stirred hearts was merely instinct, honed since childhood through lessons in etiquette and dance with her two mothers; elegance had been etched into her bones—so deeply that even if she fainted right now, her body would instinctively collapse in the most beautiful pose possible.

This was the basic discipline of an artist devoted to beauty.

As for the descriptions of nobility, holiness, and icy allure? Merely the students’ illusions. In truth, she was panicking.

Arrogant (×)

Afraid to look anyone in the eye (√)

Her ultimate social anxiety had already pushed her to the brink—just being stared at by so many people made her body tremble uncontrollably, and she was barely holding it together. How could she dare look at anyone else? If she accidentally met someone’s gaze, Audrey feared she might faint on the spot.

For someone who couldn’t even look at strangers, conversation was out of the question.

“Waaah, Mom, Sister, it’s terrifying—come save me! Auntie Two, aren’t you a professor here? Why aren’t you starting the exam yet?”

The fox witch wept inwardly, praying desperately.

She was terrified—especially with all those classmates secretly watching her.

Even though Audrey knew these classmates meant no harm—merely drawn to her charm, wanting to steal a few glances—

And she wasn’t some frail, helpless girl. With her strength, even if every other student here teamed up, they wouldn’t stand a chance against one of her hands.

But no matter how much logic reassured her, her emotions still screamed in fear—this lack of trusted family nearby left her feeling utterly unsafe.

She felt as if she walked alone in pitch-black darkness, where countless pairs of blood-red eyes, brimming with desire, had opened in the shadows, greedily fixed upon her. Those scorching gazes felt like invisible hands caressing every inch of her body, eager to devour her whole.

The beautiful girl involuntarily clenched her thighs—but the moment she moved, she felt dozens of eyes snap toward her legs, sending goosebumps racing across her skin.

Please, don’t look at me! The exam’s about to start—can’t you all just think about the test?

Audrey’s heart was screaming to cry, but years of disciplined facial control kept her expression perfectly still—a standard, star-like smile, neither too warm nor too distant, flawlessly balanced.

Sometimes, even Audrey hated her own beauty. She believed her shy, reclusive nature was a curse born of it—once, as a child, she’d even entertained extreme thoughts of self-harm to disfigure herself.

Thankfully, she had a happy home. Her family’s encouragement and companionship helped her gradually accept herself; her two mothers’ devotion to the art of beauty taught her to let go of her prejudice against her appearance, to stop resisting, to slowly embrace it, and now, to take pride in it.

This beauty was a gift from fate. Beauty itself is innocent—it’s only her timid, cowardly nature that can’t bear such a lavish gift.

She shouldn’t try to hide or destroy this gift from fate. Running away would only make her weaker, more ordinary, and drive her farther from the dazzling stage she’d always dreamed of, longed for, and loved.

She must find a way to forge herself—to strengthen her heart until it matched this astonishing beauty, until she could face others’ gazes without fear, and step onto the very stage her mothers once stood upon, freely showcasing her passion and understanding of art to those who loved her.

Yet...

Waaah, I understand all that—but it’s just too hard. I can’t do it. The outside world is still terrifying.

The social anxiety-ridden fox witch was already crying inside.

Fortunately, as the exam began, a figure stepped out from the building—a purple-haired beauty with half-lidded eyes and gentle features, her face breathtakingly beautiful, yet radiating the soft, maternal aura of a kind older sister. Especially her broad, nurturing chest, which instantly inspired warmth and affection.

The moment this beautiful witch appeared, Audrey felt a wave of relief.

It wasn’t just that this woman, though slightly less stunning than Audrey, was still a rare beauty who drew some of the attention away from her—it was that she had finally seen a family member.

This professor wasn’t anyone else—she was Audrey’s beloved second aunt, the famed doll master, the great witch Noe Luo.

Within the entire family, aside from her two mothers and older sister, Audrey was closest to this aunt. During her most desperate childhood years, this distant paternal relative—visiting their home—had made her laugh with a tiny doll, guiding her onto the path of puppet theater she now followed.

Audrey had chosen the obscure major of Automated Mechanical Civil Engineering precisely because she’d heard this aunt had come to teach here—she hoped to learn more techniques of self-controlled puppets from this gentle aunt.

After all, her weakness made her social anxiety incurable; her only hope of realizing her dream lay in puppet theater, where she didn’t need to stand on stage herself.

...The little witch cheered inwardly...

On the other side, Professor Noe Luo first spotted her adorable niece and smiled warmly at her.

Knowing her niece’s personality, she understood the girl was terrified—and as her gaze shifted to the culprits causing her niece’s distress, her initial warmth vanished instantly.

Her exquisite face bore strange markings: four dots aligned with her eyes on her forehead, two more below her cheeks, connected by intricate, otherworldly lines.

The markings were eerie, yet due to her beauty, they didn’t appear ugly—instead, they added a sinister charm.

But now...

The six dots split open, revealing six cold, murderous eyes. The professor’s half-lidded eyes opened fully, exposing her true, utterly disdainful purple irises.

“Shut up, trash. What do you think this place is? Do you think I run a garbage dump? Who let you all in here?”

The once-soft woman was now an eight-eyed demon witch, her gaze sweeping the entire courtyard—cold, terrifying.

Her voice remained gentle, like a sister whispering softly into the ear—but it sent icy chills down every spine.

“I’ll give you five seconds to decide whether you’ll take the next exam. Let me be clear: those who pass become my students. Those who fail face punishment. Make your choice now.”

In that instant, everyone present except Audrey felt trapped in a vast spiderweb, its monstrous owner—a venomous spider—creeping closer. Invisible dread settled over their hearts.

Everyone panicked. They knew this professor wasn’t joking—she was a demon witch.

Within five seconds, every single person in the courtyard had fled.

Noe Luo looked on, sneering, and closed the terrifying eyes on her face. She became the gentle older sister once more.

Just as the spider witch turned to comfort her precious niece, a voice came from behind her.

“Teacher, may we begin the exam?”

Huh...?

The spider witch turned in shock—and saw a heavily made-up Black girl blinking up at her with starry eyes.