Zheng Qing watched Jiang Yu's figure disappear at the end of the dining table and let out a soft breath.
Then he turned around.
And was immediately startled.
What met his eyes were magnificent hats, one after another, right in front of him.
The tilted hats worn by the witches were adorned with flowers, endlessly repeating the cycle of "sprouting—budding—blooming" in the hazy light. A few witches even had orioles, larks, or thrushes perched on their brims, stretching their necks and singing sweet, melodious songs.
"Hi~!"
"Good evening, Zheng Qing... or would you prefer being called Professor?"
Two somewhat unfamiliar witches, one on each side, greeted him almost at the same time. The witch on the left had slightly darker skin, hair somewhere between gold and white, and a fiery gaze. The witch on the right had a head of glossy black hair and a heroic, assertive appearance, though her words carried a hint of teasing.
"Oh... hello, hello... good evening."
Zheng Qing's gaze swept from left to right across the six or seven witches. Surprised that they had greeted him, he struggled to keep his eyes from wandering anywhere impolite. "No need to call me Professor... Zheng Qing is fine."
Then he uneasily glanced in the direction Jiang Yu had disappeared, silently praying that she would return soon.
"Good evening, Vivian."
The black-haired witch seemed not to notice the young wizard's awkwardness, nor did she seem inclined to introduce herself. Instead, she directly greeted the pink-robed witch standing on Zheng Qing's other side.
Zheng Qing noticed that Vivian looked as though she had just eaten shit.
"Good evening, Betasy."
Knowing exactly what sort of person stood across from her, the pink-robed witch forced out a smile, raised her fruit wine, and looked toward the red-haired witch beside Betasy, arching