Ripples flowed across the dressing mirror, and a figure in a black court gown swiftly appeared within it. She extended a slender arm and knocked on the doorway between reality and the Mirror World, then stepped into the bedroom.
The woman, her long black hair pinned behind her head and sorrow hidden in her dark gray eyes, looked at Sevillea's back, the corners of her red lips lifting slightly.
Sevillea rolled over on the bed and stretched out her limbs. Only when she turned toward the dressing mirror did she notice another person in the room. Her expression abruptly froze.
"Mother, what brings you here...?"
Only then did Sevillea realize that her mother had witnessed all her indolent behavior. She hurriedly climbed off the bed, straightened her nightdress, and spoke with some embarrassment.
"To see what a disgrace you've become, with no ambition whatsoever."
The woman Sevillea called Mother was Clarice, the Black Witch who oversaw the Demoness Sect's affairs in Trier. She slowly walked from the dressing mirror to the bedside and settled into a rocking chair fitted with soft cushions and a back pillow, letting out a somewhat seductive moan.
"You certainly know how to enjoy yourself," she remarked pointedly.
"Thank you for the compliment, but didn't you already know that? I thought you'd been busy training Brownie... Browns lately."
Sevillea answered with an unconcerned smile, then stood beside the rocking chair, seemingly determined to pretend nothing had happened, no matter how her mother mocked her.
Clarice glanced at her daughter. Her softly contoured chin shifted as she spoke with the hint of a smile:
"Intis has already declared war on Loen. Soon, the entire world will be engulfed in war. This is an excellent opportunity for you to create affliction and digest your potion. If things go