Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Aozaki Aoko wrinkled her delicate nose, couldn't help but look up and snort softly, her gaze disdainful.

"An accident, an accident, it was an accident!"

Samael chuckled awkwardly, muttering a weak argument, while secretly cursing Zhou Se Ritsuka for being such a dim-witted idiot.

The girl was skeptical, but she stepped forward and carefully examined the man in front of her, her gaze somewhat doubtful.

"Teacher, speaking of which, you seem a little different from before."

"Ahem, people always change..."

Samael's heart tightened, and he raised his hand to rub his slightly itchy nose, giving an awkward smile.

Seeing that Aozaki Aoko seemed to have doubts about his identity, Kosuke quickly coughed and changed the subject to avoid the girl, who might discover something amiss, from digging deeper.

Which one do you like?

"like it all!"

Aozaki Aoko thought for a moment, then answered without hesitation, her pretty face beaming with a bright smile.

Under that seemingly scorching gaze, Samael felt guilty and muttered to himself.

It seems I got a little too into the role and went a bit overboard...

However, before the ancient snake could calm down and figure out how to escape this awkward atmosphere, Aozaki Aoko, opposite her, bit her cherry lips, hesitated for a moment, and looked up at the man in front of her with unprecedented seriousness.

"If, and I mean if, you hadn't told me the truth, and my sister and I were to fight each other to the death, would you choose to help me or her?"

She was serious...

Faced with such a deadly question, Samael sighed, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was solemn as he answered thoughtfully.

"I will help Orange..."

Although the man felt reluctant, his face remained calm.

The identities of teacher and first love were ultimately just a beautiful illusion, destined to be shattered one day.

While he admired Aoko's bold and passionate personality, there was actually no serendipitous encounter or deep understanding between them, let alone any emotional foundation of mutual attraction.

Some things can be done spontaneously, while others require adhering to bottom lines.

Although he likes eroticism, he is not a scumbag.

Aozaki Aoko was stunned for a moment, her eyes dimmed for a moment, then filled with resentment. She clenched her teeth, leaving a trace of blood on her cherry lips, and murmured a question.

Can you tell me why?

"Aoko, do you know how lucky you are? At home, you have your parents' love and your grandfather's doting affection; at school, you have good friends like Kumari Kinshika and Tsuki Tsubasa to confide in; even Ayumi, who met Touko earlier, will stand by your side in times of crisis; and even the Fifth Law that she has always longed for has fallen into your hands..."

Samael paused for a moment in his slow, deliberate tone, then a warm smile bloomed on his face as he looked earnestly at the bewildered girl before him, his gaze clear and bright.

"You have far more than she does, and the only person she can trust is me."

Hearing this heartfelt confession, Aozaki Aoko stood there stunned, her emotions churning.

The girl's gaze seemed to pierce through the twilight, seeing a lonely figure hesitating alone, and an older sister she had never truly understood.

I felt so lucky and happy, and naturally assumed that my sister was the same.

However, the loneliness of being far from parents and confined to the deep mountains; the frustration of being isolated from the world after leaving school and peers; the sorrow of not being recognized despite hard work in learning magic, and the unfulfilled desire for the fifth strike...

These are things I have never experienced firsthand.

Even so, he still took away her friends, her hope, and wouldn't even let go of what she had left.

I was really too willful and selfish.

Aozaki Aoko's mind was in turmoil, and she fell silent, her eyes filled with a trace of regret.

"Actually, I already guessed the answer when you abandoned me to chase after my sister outside the Kuonji residence."

After a long while, the girl rubbed her stiff cheeks to calm herself down, then raised her head again and hummed nonchalantly.

"So, you came to persuade me this time because of her, right?"

Samael, his hidden thoughts exposed, gave an awkward smile, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Fortunately, Aozaki Aoko possessed a natural optimism and cheerfulness. Her gloom lasted only a moment before dissipating. She then looked at Samael seriously and began to convey her message.

"Never mind, if you see my sister, remember to tell her that no matter what happens, Misaki City is still her home, and I will wait for her to come back!"

"it is good!"

Having passed the test smoothly, Samael breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly. Then, glancing at the approaching time, he didn't forget to give Aoko a few reminders before parting.

"Misaki City might be a bit unsettled lately. Just to be safe, you should take a few days off and stay home."

"Okay, okay, let's go, let's go. I knew you were eager to see my sister! Honestly, you're not even my brother-in-law yet, and you're already so eager to tell me what to do!"

Aozaki Aoko complained to her "future brother-in-law" with a mixture of impatience and sarcasm.

"Your sister and I are just friends..."

Samael coughed to reiterate, declaring that the two had a purely platonic relationship.

However, the precocious Aozaki Aoko rolled her eyes and looked disdainful.

The matter was resolved satisfactorily, and just as Gu She was about to retire and head to the coffee shop for his appointment, he was stopped once again by the girl behind him.

"and many more!"

Aozaki Aoko seemed to have thought of something. After hesitating for a moment, she took out a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and rudely stuffed it into Samael's hand.

"Here you go. Don't give me these boring riddles again. Honestly, they're not challenging at all!"

A riddle? What riddle?

Just as Samael was completely bewildered, Aozaki Aoko casually waved her hand and turned away with a flourish.

At this moment, the girl, who had blended into the crowd, walked through the bustling shopping street. Her quick steps gradually slowed down until she finally stopped in front of a telephone booth.

Aozaki Aoko pursed her cherry lips, buried her head and went inside. She dialed a few numbers at random, then picked up the phone and gave a fierce snort to her friends on the other end.

"Kin-shiki, Iris, I want to drink!"

"What's wrong, Aoko?"

"Why bring this up all of a sudden? We're still minors, who would dare sell us alcohol?"

Two friends from school inquired about it one after another, which surprised me.

"I don't care, I just want to drink! Are you guys coming or not? If not, that's fine too!"

Aozaki Aoko frowned and huffed softly.

"Uh, okay, I'll take care of the liquor. I know where my dad hides it."

"Neither home nor outside is safe. School is on holiday, and I have a key to the student council office, so I'll just stay there. I'll tell my parents later that there's a school event and we need to stay overnight."

"Since we're already here, why don't we prepare some more food and play all night long!"

"Great idea! Why didn't we think of that before? Now no one can hear us talking about it!"

Soon, the student council members colluded and reached a consensus, assigned tasks, and headed to the school together, ready to have a blast.

Listening to the chattering on the microphone and the friends who were willing to go crazy with her, Aozaki Aoko felt a warm feeling welling up inside her, and her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Immediately, the figure squatting in the pavilion hung up the phone, rubbed his stiff cheeks, and tried to cheer himself up.

However, the forced smile could never conceal the disappointment and gloom deep in his eyes.

She's heartbroken...

Forget it, it's no big deal!

How could you get so angry over something like this? You're so useless!

The proud girl cursed herself for being so useless, then suddenly stood up and cheered herself up.

However, due to the excessive movement, a pair of black-rimmed glasses that were in his pocket slipped out and fell to the ground.

Tsk, my sister's glasses, I completely forgot to give them to her!

Aozaki Aoko looked at the black-rimmed glasses on the ground, slapped her forehead, and felt somewhat annoyed.

However, due to the many things that have happened, both sisters need some time to calm down. With no other choice, Aozaki Aoko bent down and picked up the glasses for the time being, intending to return them to their rightful owner later when their relationship improved.

However, the moment her fingers touched the glasses, a strange heat and rhythm entered Aoko's palm.

The girl was slightly taken aback. She flipped the glasses over and examined them closely. She noticed several runes the size of rice grains on the sides of the frames.

These orderly arranged inscriptions, with the [?] as the base point, flicker and pulsate rhythmically, seemingly conveying some kind of message to an unknown distance.

Aozaki Aoko, who had just come into contact with magic, was unaware that the symbol [?] in runes actually has the meaning and function of "speech", "communication", and "transmission of knowledge".

Meanwhile, in a dimly lit alleyway in the shopping street, a tall figure in a black trench coat, with an orange-red ponytail tied behind her head, lowered her fingers close to her ear, gazing intently at the shimmering talisman in her hand, a bright smile playing on her lips.

"Ah!"

At that moment, Samael, standing in front of the church square, felt a chill run down his spine for some reason and sneezed violently.

Strange, who's talking about me again? I have a bad feeling about this.

The ancient snake rubbed its itchy nose and muttered to itself.

Wait, a puzzle, yes, a puzzle!

After a moment, Samael, who had been somewhat distracted, slapped his forehead, regained his composure, and looked down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hand.

The top line is a neat line of Japanese text: “月が绮丽ですね”, and the bottom line asks you to translate the meaning of this sentence.

Samael was stunned, his eyes wide with surprise.

The answer is so simple that anyone with even a little knowledge of Japanese literature can arrive at the conclusion.

This is an interesting anecdote from the Japanese translation community.

Legend has it that when Natsume Soseki, Japan's national author, was teaching English at a school, he assigned his students a short essay to translate. They were asked to translate the line "I love you" that the male protagonist couldn't help but say while the male and female protagonists were taking a walk under the moon into Japanese. The translations were varied, but most were literal translations.

Natsume Soseki was not satisfied. He later told his students that, given the Japanese character, the translation should be subtle rather than literal. He said that "月が绮丽ですね" (meaning "The moon is beautiful") would be sufficient.

Therefore, the answer to this simple, even clumsy, puzzle is obvious.

Sure enough, Samael saw a line of English written on the back of the note: "I love you".

Upon seeing the answer, Samael's blood pressure spiked, and his face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Damn, this isn't just a hint, it's an open flirtation! He was so busy and stressed during that time, when did he ever give Qingzi such a pointless riddle?

Which bastard framed me?!

Wait a minute! Aoko thinks it was given by "me"?

At this thought, Samael's mind was immediately filled with images of Aozaki Aoko nestled in his arms on the road, showing her closeness and affection; and "Aozaki Touko" suddenly appearing and disappearing in front of the Kuonji residence; plus someone's reaction when they first saw him, and that guy's signature talent skill...

In an instant, lightning flashed through the ancient snake's mind, and it suddenly understood the key to the matter.

"Phew, finally done. That brat Wei Jia was so insistent on dragging me to clean the church. The church doesn't even pay her, what's the point of being so enthusiastic? Ugh, I'm exhausted. I need coffee! I need beer! I have to treat myself properly when I get back!"

Just then, a conscripted laborer finally escaped his younger sister's clutches and leisurely walked past Samael.

"Snapped!"

In an instant, accompanied by a crisp sound, a slender hand rested on Ritsuka Shuse's shoulder, while the other hand held a crumpled piece of paper and presented it to her, accompanied by a whispered reminder in her ear.

Did you drop something?

The moment his eyes fell on the note, Ritsuka Shuse's expression changed drastically, and he instinctively ducked and fled.

However, as the fingers and palms that had been resting on her shoulder turned around and gripped her hand, half of her body went numb and stiffened, and she involuntarily collapsed to the spot.

Immediately afterwards, a face with a forced smile approached from the side, its dark eyes looking at the stiff-faced association spy with a sly smile, and it spoke in a low voice.

"Why are you running?"

"Since I helped you, let's call it even, okay?"

Seeing that he had been caught red-handed, Zhou Se Ritsu shivered under the aggrieved gaze of his victim and shrank back, pleading softly.

"No way! You'd better explain what you did to Qingzi yourself! I'm not taking the blame for you!"

Samael, who had been unintentionally tricked, snorted coldly. Holding the perpetrator in one hand and the evidence in the other, he frowned and snorted coldly. He then made a move to take Suise Ritsuka to another victim to turn himself in.

"No! Don't tell Aoko, she'll kill me if she knows the truth!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Seiyuka recalled the terrifying destructive power of Aozaki Aoko's punch that shattered rocks when she accidentally witnessed it. She swallowed hard, then immediately put on a mournful face, hugged Samael, and rubbed against him, pleading for help with a tearful expression.