After familiarizing himself with the situation on-site, Grin finally returned to his room, exhausted.
It was already midnight; they would be setting off at sunrise.
Click.
He pushed the door open gently; Rem was already asleep inside.
Betty was nowhere to be seen; she must be busy with that matter.
Thud, thud, thud.
A series of knocks rang out.
But they didn't come from the room's main door; they came from the wardrobe in the corner.
With a creak, Grin opened the wardrobe, and an intense hurricane of yin-attribute mana surged out from within.
Betty's figure slowly emerged from inside the wardrobe.
"Grin, as you requested, all the magic circles have been engraved. I'm just waiting for you to inject a large amount of mana to open the passage between both sides."
Having said that, Betty leapt up lightly, throwing herself into Grin's embrace like willow catkins.
"Thank you for your hard work, Betty."
Grin's voice was kept very low, his gaze falling on Betty's face, which was filled with hope.
"Then what reward should you give Betty?"
Betty's voice carried a hint of imperceptible joy as she reached out to grab the corner of Grin's clothes.
Grin gave a gentle smile, cupped Betty's head, and gave her small face a firm kiss.
A flash of panic appeared in Betty's eyes, but she didn't struggle or resist.
Only when Grin lifted his head did she tsundere-ly wipe the saliva off her face.
"Aren't you just punishing Betty?"
Grin chuckled, his fingertips lightly brushing against Betty's reddened cheeks, his eyes full of affection.
"I'm giving you a stamp to reinforce our contract."
Betty leaned dependently in Grin's arms and pressed a small hand against the wardrobe door.
"Are you ready, Grin? I'm going to start draining the mana from your body."
Grin looked down at Betty in his arms and reached out to ruffle her hair:
"Let's begin!"
Hum!
Grin felt the mana inside him like floodwaters from an opened gate, surging continuously toward Betty's palm, flowing along the lines of the magic circles that glowed with a faint blue luster.
He gritted his teeth to steady himself, looking down at the girl in his arms, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible trembling: "Holy crap, Betty, this is too brutal."
A thin layer of sweat also appeared on Betty's small face. The strands of hair on her forehead were dampened by sweat, sticking to her smooth forehead.
She bit her lower lip, her small palm pressed tightly against the wardrobe door. To reduce Grin's burden, she slowed down the speed of the mana injection.
"Betty is being as gentle as possible."
The Yin wind inside the wardrobe was still howling and swirling, carrying the remnants of the magic circle and weaving a thin net in the room.
The moment her words fell, the magic patterns on the wardrobe door suddenly erupted with a blinding purple light.
The yin-attribute mana hurricane surged wildly inside the wardrobe, letting out a deafening roar.
Grin could even feel a familiar aura belonging to the Roswaal Mansion slowly seeping through the magic passage.
"The passage... it's about to open!"
Betty's voice trembled with excitement as she suddenly looked up at Grin, her amber eyes sparkling.
"Grin, just a little more effort!"
"Alright!"
Grin took a deep breath, mobilizing all the mana in his body.
The pale purple mana light intertwined with the blue light of the magic circle, casting a dreamy halo in the room.
Boom—
A low rumble sounded, and the hurricane inside the wardrobe suddenly subsided.
Grin looked down and saw that the originally plain wooden wardrobe door was now shrouded in mana mist, with magic patterns flickering from time to time.
Creak—
Grin pulled open the wardrobe again.
The other side of the door connected to another room, which seemed to match the decor of the Roswaal Mansion.
They had constructed a new gate of opportunity, connecting the wardrobe door in Crusch's house to the one in Roswaal's house.
Betty breathed a sigh of relief and leaned softly in Grin's arms. Her voice sounded a bit weary, yet it carried an irrepressible joy: "Success... Grin, we did it."
Grin reached out and held her tightly, his fingertips gently brushing the messy strands of hair on her forehead, his eyes full of tenderness: "Yeah, as expected of my cute and powerful Bebe."
Betty's cheeks flushed slightly. She turned her face away but still quietly snuggled closer into Grin's arms.
"Hmph... Of course. Who do you think Betty is?"
Just then, a faint sound of footsteps suddenly came from the room inside the wardrobe.
Grin's gaze instantly became alert. He looked down at Betty in his arms and silently mouthed two words: Be quiet.
Betty understood immediately and obediently shut her mouth, though a hint of curiosity flashed in her amber eyes.
The footsteps grew closer and finally stopped at the door.
Grin left the wardrobe door slightly ajar, leaving only a small crack.
On the other side of the door was a maid with short, peach-colored hair.
Ram had finished her daily work and was currently changing her clothes!
The shoulder straps of her chemise hung loosely on her shoulders. As she raised her hand to untie her hair ribbon, the fabric over her chest swayed gently, tracing a soft curve.
That slight tremor reached Grin's eyes through the moonlight, like a feather lightly brushing against his heart, making him feel tight with itchiness.
Like snow-capped peaks softened by moonlight, they were nestled just above her narrow waist.
Seemingly noticing the strap slipping, the girl turned slightly and raised her hand to pull it tight. The curve receded a bit, leaving only the shallow folds where the fabric met her skin.
"She's already started dressing? Dammit, I'm a few seconds too late; I missed the good part!"
"What on earth, Grin? Let Betty see too."
"It's a female ghost. Shh—keep your voice down."
Ram's fingertips had just touched the clean clothes she was about to change into when her movements suddenly paused.
She slowly turned around, her gaze landing precisely on the seemingly closed wardrobe door.
That bit of coolness mixed with yin-attribute mana pricked her perception like a fine needle.
The tips of her ears turned beet red instantly. Her rose-colored eyes narrowed, and her previously somewhat lazy expression was suddenly covered by a thin layer of ice.
"Who's there?"
Ram's voice was soft, but it held an indescribable tension, full of shame and indignation.
She had already faintly guessed who was "playing tricks."
Ram clenched her small hand in the air, a faint green light appearing at her fingertips as the aura of wind magic spread silently.
"Wait, wait!"
He hurriedly pushed the wardrobe door fully open, forcing a flattering smile onto his face. "Hehehe, Ram, I'm back!"
"As expected, it's you, you smelly rat."
Ram's face darkened instantly, but the crimson on her ears grew even more vivid.
A wind blade instantly condensed in her palm and was thrown out with a sharp whistling sound.
The force looked intimidating, but it was deliberately aimed slightly off; she clearly didn't intend to actually hurt him.
"You dare attack Grin in front of Betty?"
Betty was prepared. She raised her hands, and a purple shield appeared in response.
The wind blade hit the shield with a soft thud and was easily deflected, dissipating into a few wisps of breeze in the air.
Unnoticed by anyone, fine cracks actually appeared on the shield Betty had condensed.
Ram glared at Grin, grabbed the pajamas next to her, and threw them on in a few quick motions. Her movements were so fast they carried a hint of panic; she didn't even bother to smooth out the wrinkles in the hem.
She tightened her collar. The shame and annoyance from before faded slightly, and her tone gradually calmed down.
"Lady Beatrice is being too indulgent with Grin. He's thick-skinned; a little hit won't hurt him."
"Hmph, no one can bully Grin when Betty is around."
The Great Spirit crossed her small arms and stood proudly between the two.