In front of the gates of Nevermore Academy.
Pugsley looked up at the building before him, which had a Gothic atmosphere even heavier than their castle at home, and muttered softly:
"Will I make any friends here?"
Gomez's large hand slapped heavily onto his son's shoulder, letting out a booming laugh.
"Of course you will! Look! How wonderful! The students here are all Outcasts like us! You'll be like a fish in water!"
Lady Morticia leaned down elegantly and adjusted Wednesday's already meticulous black collar, her deep eyes carrying a hint of imperceptible tenderness:
"dear, promise me, while at school... take good care of your brother."
Wednesday's pitch-black eyes were calm and waveless, her tone stating a fact: "I have always been taking care of him."
To the side, Pugsley took the opportunity to quietly tug on Victor's sleeve, standing on tiptoe to share his "warm" childhood memories in a whisper:
"Big sister really knows how to take care of people! When I was little and would cry, she'd nail me into a small coffin to coax me to sleep."
A hint of nostalgia even appeared on his face.
"She even thoughtfully dug a matching little pit in the garden for me beforehand, saying it would provide a greater sense of security."
Victor's eyes lit up as he listened, and he praised her sincerely, his voice not loud but clear enough:
"Wow! She'll definitely be a virtuous wife and a good mother in the future!"
Swoosh—
A cold gaze stabbed into Victor's face like a dagger.
Wednesday slowly turned her head, her pale face showing no ripple of emotion, but the chill in her eyes could almost freeze the air.
Ignoring Victor, she directly reached out with a pale, slender, yet exceptionally strong hand, grabbed Pugsley by his back collar, and lifted him to eye level.
"Listen, these are the rules."
Wednesday's voice was cold and clear. "First, no eye contact without permission."
Pugsley nodded obediently.
"Second, if you encounter inefficient or unartistic bullying, all requests for assistance must be submitted in writing, detailing the time, location, participants, and a creativity score for the bullying methods. Verbal complaints are invalid."
Pugsley continued to nod, his small face full of an "I know the rules" expression.
"Finally, and most importantly, Thing stays with me, understood?"
"Understood! Big sister!"
Pugsley answered crisply and neatly, clearly accustomed to this procedure.
Victor watched this scene of "sisterly love and brotherly piety" from the side, his mouth twitching.
As soon as Wednesday let go, he immediately leaned in sneakily to Pugsley's ear and said quickly in an even lower voice:
"Don't worry, I've stuffed a few 'interesting guys' into your shadow."
Victor winked.
"If you run into trouble you really can't handle, just shout 'Brother-in-law, save me' at the shadow, and I promise you, heaven and earth will answer your call."
He was referring to several elite Shadowkhan Ninjas, who were currently lurking at Pugsley's feet like liquid shadows.
Pugsley's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had received the coolest toy.
After speaking, Victor straightened up, took Enid's hand, and caught up with Wednesday, who had already turned toward the school gate.
Gomez watched the backs of the three young people, especially Victor's slightly hurried but energetic pace, and wrapped his arm around Morticia's waist with satisfaction:
"See that, dear? I told you this kid is one of us at heart!"
Lady Morticia's red lips curled slightly as her gaze swept over Victor's back and then fell on her two children, her tone carrying a lazy approval:
"Indeed... his thoughtfulness in 'making arrangements behind the scenes' does have a bit of your style from back then."
On the other side, Victor caught up with Wednesday and tentatively tried to take her hand hanging by her side.
Wednesday didn't dodge, but her fingertips were icy.
She looked straight ahead, her voice drifting over flatly: "How many ghost shadow soldiers did you stuff into my brother's shadow?"
"Uh... a few... well... a dozen or so?"
Victor spoke vaguely, trying to act cute to get away with it.
Wednesday finally turned her head and gave him a look as if to say "I'll settle the score with you later," but in the end, she didn't shake off his hand.
Enid smiled and hooked her other arm around Victor's, her azure eyes curving: "It seems our new semester is starting with 'internal family management,' huh?"
The three of them stepped side-by-side through the gates of Nevermore Academy, where light and shadow intertwined, destined for anything but peace.
Victor looked back and secretly gave an "OK" gesture to Pugsley, who was still watching him from the gate.
Pugsley nodded vigorously, his small hand secretly making the same gesture at his side, his face wearing a smile that mixed apprehension of the unknown with the excitement of having a "secret weapon."
Stepping into the Quad of Nevermore Academy, Victor, Wednesday, and Enid immediately became the center of attention.
The long, slanted shadows cast by the ancient buildings seemed to tremble slightly at their return.
"Look, they're back."
"It's Wednesday!"
Whispers spread through the courtyard like a tide, carrying ill-concealed excitement and curiosity.
The young Outcasts focused their burning gazes on the trio.
A few bolder girls, clutching notebooks and quills tightly in their hands, were pushing and shoving each other.
Finally, led by a red-haired girl with the same hairstyle as Wednesday—straight bangs and twin braids—they timidly but expectantly approached Wednesday.
"W-Wednesday."
The red-haired girl had a fawning smile on her face, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.
"Could... could you give us an autograph?"
The girls behind her also cast longing looks.
Wednesday's brow furrowed imperceptibly, and the temperature around her dropped several more degrees instantly.
Her pitch-black eyes swept over the group of fanatical "admirers," her tone as cold as a tombstone: "
I only sign in blood."
To everyone's surprise, the red-haired girl was not deterred; instead, an unnatural flush appeared on her face, her breathing quickened, and a gleam of near-ecstasy shone in her eyes:
"Then... then that's exactly what I want!"
She even subconsciously licked her lips.
"I never said it would be my blood."
Wednesday's voice grew even colder, carrying a hint of imperceptible annoyance.
She didn't like being stared at, and she especially disliked such superficial adulation.
"Oh~"
The flush on the red-haired girl's face became even more obvious, her eyes glassy as if lost in some sort of reverie.
Seeing the atmosphere sliding in a strange direction, Victor stepped in at the right time, naturally resting a hand on Wednesday's tense shoulder, his face wearing his trademark, somewhat cynical, bright smile.
"Autograph? I can do that too!"
He playfully winked his peach blossom eyes.
"I know twenty-one different styles of artistic signatures; I guarantee they're more elegant than the flight path of a Vampire Bat!"
However, the moment the red-haired girl's gaze met Victor's, the temperature plummeted, the flush on her face vanished rapidly, replaced by an icy indifference identical to Wednesday's.
Her gaze was locked onto Victor's hand on Wednesday's shoulder, her eyes as sharp as poisoned blades, as if she would rush forward the next second to chop off the "claw" that had "profaned" her idol.
"No!"
Her voice was categorical, carrying ill-concealed rejection.
"We don't need your autograph."
Victor was taken aback by this sudden hostility, and his hand on Wednesday's shoulder subconsciously loosened.
Wednesday turned her head slightly, glancing at Victor out of the corner of her eye; a very faint hint of... "serves you right" seemed to flash through her gaze?
Enid watched this dramatic scene from the side and couldn't help but burst into a "pfft" laugh, her eyes curving into crescents.
She leaned into Victor's ear and teased in a low voice:
"It seems your charm is ineffective in front of Wednesday's'solo fans,' Victor~"
Victor rubbed his nose, somewhat awkwardly withdrawing his hand, but he wouldn't admit defeat:
"Tsk, young people these days, their aesthetic is really... too narrow!"
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right nobut who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/TripleCrown
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"