Moprati curled his lip and muttered under his breath, "You're talking nonsense. The reason I can't earn Heartfire's approval is obviously because my spiritual power is too weak. What does that have to do with my studying the power of bewitchment?"
"Besides, didn't I study the power of bewitchment precisely to strengthen my spiritual power? It's a mutually reinforcing relationship, not a mutually exclusive one."
Veronica was not deaf, either.
"You still dare talk back!" Upon hearing Moprati's muttering, her willow-leaf brows shot upright. With a sharp shout, the floating Heartfire transformed into a pair of bright flaming hands, grabbing both of Moprati's ears and forcibly lifting him into the air.
"Ah, it hurts, it hurts..."
Moprati let out a string of miserable cries, but he did not dare resist... or rather, even if he did, he could not.
As a mixed-blood, his power of bewitchment was lacking, and his spiritual power was weak as well. Before Veronica, who had awakened Heartfire years ago, he was utterly no match.
He could only let her drag him in a circle through the air before tossing him back down.
By then, Moprati's ears had swollen as large as palm-leaf fans, red enough to drip blood—not from embarrassment, but from pain.
Moprati covered his burning, swollen ears with both hands, his face full of grievance.
Veronica merely sneered. "If you dare talk back again, I'll throw you down from the sky and make you land face-first in the dirt."
Moprati fell silent at once, because he knew his sister's ways all too well. If she said it, she would definitely do it.
For the sake of his dignity, he had better keep his mouth shut...
"I'm sorry you had to witness that, Mr. Angel. My little brother is a bit naughty and needs