<strong><b>Chapter 35</b></strong><strong><b></b></strong><strong><b>The Taste of the Witch</b></strong>


    Cindere tightly grabbed her hair, and the tears in her eyes gradually ran dry.


    The darkness in her gaze grew increasingly intense.


    The hidden yandere traits began to take over.


    <em><i>[character who fits the archetype of being genuinely kind, loving, or gentle, but suddenly switching to being aggressive or deranged</i></em><em><i>].</i></em>


    <em><i>Leave?</i></em>


    <em><i>No! I won’t leave!</i></em>


    <em><i>If fate toys with me like this, I will bring this world down with me!</i></em>


    Just when Cindere was on the brink of despair, Richard suddenly received a system notification.


    [Emergency! Cindere’s awakening isplete, and a psychological crisis has urred! Please handle it immediately!].


    [Please handle it immediately!].


    Richard’s expression changed instantly as he looked at the panel. He saw that the three words “Awakening” on Cindere’s panel had already changed to “Awakened”!


    However, these three words were glowing red and shing continuously.


    Richard immediately sensed that Cindere was just outside the door and that her emotions were in turmoil.


    He quickly opened the door, rushed to Cindere, and held her tightly in his arms.


    The system had synchronized Cindere’s psychological changes to him when it alerted him earlier, so he had a rough idea of what was happening.


    Thus, he decided to help her dispel her inner demons in the most direct way.


    “Don’t! Master, let go of me! You’re in danger!”


    Cindere screamed in panic, forgetting her tone for Richard’s safety.


    She hid her hands behind her back, fearing that if she touched him, she would turn him into crystal.


    So, even though Richard did not turn into crystal, she felt that perhaps her hands were the ones cursed!


    She even thought about whether she should sever her hands.


    <em><i>As long as it wouldn’t harm Richard, it would be fine.</i></em>


    If Richard didn’t mind that she had no hands afterward.


    For a moment, various thoughts raced through Cindere’s mind, and she struggled with her body, wanting to escape Richard’s embrace.


    But Richard would not let her have her way.


    “Cindere, tell me what happened?” Richard held her firmly.


    Cindere looked at Richard, who was holding her tightly, and although he hadn’t turned into crystal, she was still deeply worried.


    She didn’t want to deceive Richard, so with a determination to die, she said:


    “Master, I discovered I’m cursed!”


    “Cursed?” Richard was taken aback, unable toprehend Cindere’s thought process. He asked, “What curse?”


    “When I woke up this morning and drank water, the deer bone cup you gave me turned into a crystal cup! You have to let go of me! I’m afraid you’ll turn into crystal too; I don’t want to lose you!”


    Saying this, she began to cry again.


    Richard was a bit dazed.


    <em><i>Is this what she called being cursed?</i></em>


    He ignored Cindere’s objections and instead hugged her even tighter, whispering in her ear:


    “Congrattions! You’ve awakened your witch abilities! This isn’t a curse; it’s your special constitution beginning to manifest!”


    After saying that, he kissed her on the cheek.


    Cindere was stunned.


    She never expected her master to react this way.


    <em><i>Awakened? Witch abilities?</i></em>


    <em><i>Her mind went nk; so it wasn’t a curse?</i></em>


    <em><i>But would she really not identally lose control?</i></em>


    <em><i>Should she be more careful, and once she could master these abilities, would she also have the power to help her master?</i></em>


    <em><i>If so, wouldn’t no one be able to separate her from her master in the future?</i></em>


    <em><i>Hehehe!</i></em>


    <em><i>Not even the master himself!</i></em>


    <em><i>That’s great!</i></em>


    <em><i>I want to be with my master forever!</i></em>


    <em><i>Wait, since her master wouldn’t be turned into crystal by her, perhaps it was because her master was so powerful, surpassing her abilities?</i></em>


    <em><i>That’s wonderful; she wouldn’t have to worry about harming her master. In the future, Cindere would only interact with her master, and besides him, no one would dare approach her!</i></em>


    <em><i>Cindere! Rise up!</i></em>


    …


    Richard didn’t know about Cindere’s yandere fantasies. He had already opened Cindere’s system panel:


    [Cindere:].


    [Alias: Cindere.].


    [Title: Witch (Awakened).].


    [Ability: Change matter (inanimate), spatial abilities.].


    [Loyalty: 100.].


    <em><i>Wow, these are all incredibly powerful abilities.</i></em>


    <em><i>So, the situation with the drinking cup changing in the morning must be because the newly awakened witch couldn’t yet control her new powers.</i></em>


    As for whether he would turn into crystal, he wasn’t worried at all.


    Moreover, spatial abilities were a bit outrageous.


    Previously, he often demonstrated the system’s spatial abilities in front of the knight attendants, startling them.


    But that was never his own control over spatial power; it was just a system function.


    Even so, it still shocked them.


    Richard also thought this world wouldn’t have any spatial abilities, or if there were, they would be extremely rare powers mastered only by top hidden masters.


    He never expected that Cindere, who was close to him, actually possessed spatial abilities.


    <em><i>Wouldn’t that mean she could take him anywhere at a distance?</i></em>


    <em><i>If her powers grew to a certain level, traveling thousands of miles to a duke’s territory would only take an instant?</i></em>


    <em><i>Exciting!</i></em>


    <em><i>Moreover, this was a superb ability for assassination!</i></em>


    <em><i>In an era where everyone believed spatial abilities didn’t exist, who would guard against an ambush from a spatial witch?</i></em>


    <em><i>Even if besieged by arge army, one could leave whenever they wanted, moving freely.</i></em>


    Richard picked up the witch and walked toward his desk, saying:


    “Don’t worry, I’ve checked you. Your abilities won’t turn me into crystal; or rather, right now, your abilities can only turn inanimate objects into crystal, and living things won’t be affected.”


    Cindere wrapped her arms around Richard’s neck, staring nkly as she said, “But Cindere wants to be a little stronger. Won’t this ability help my master?”


    Richard smiled, “Don’t worry; this ability is strong. One day, when I attack a city, your ability will be able to change the material of a city wall.”


    “Doesn’t that mean as long as you’re here, all obstacles are meaningless to me?”


    Cindere was stunned, and her eyes lit up instantly:


    “When will I have such powerful abilities? Will I have to train my abilities every day in the future?”


    Richard chuckled, “Besides this ability, you may have other powers as well. You’ll have to experience them yourself slowly.”


    Seeing Cindere still in a daze, Richard smiled, closed the door, and ced her on his desk.


    “Cindere, don’t think about those things for now; let’s get down to business!”


    “Ah? What business?” Cindere’s face turned red, probably guessing what was about to happen next.


    Richardughed heartily and began his actions directly.


    Today, he wanted to taste the true vor of a witch!