Chapter 344
Chapter 344
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 344
Chapter Title: Pride and Prejudice (3)
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Thus, the match between Diana and the twins unfolded rather abruptly.
Sudden as it was, Diana didn't panic.
She had more years under her belt as an apprentice witch learning magic, and she was confident in her Wizboard skills to boot.
"Your courage in challenging us to a game is commendable, but..."
"I can already picture you running out in tears."
Ignoring the twins' taunts and their sly smirks, Diana made the first move.
No need to let that kind of mental jab get to her.
She just wanted to boot the twins out quickly and get back to her game in peace.
-Clack!
A solid opening move from Odil, claiming the center of the board without fanfare.
Diana still didn't know the twins' true skill level.
She'd planned a probing skirmish by sliding a piece up next to it, but an unexpected turn left her flustered.
-Clack!
Odet had jumped in right after Odil, not even giving Diana a chance to respond.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Diana's eyebrow twitched as she demanded an answer, only to get a perfectly innocent reply.
"What do you mean? We're in the middle of a game."
"That's a rules violation! Since when do you play two moves at once?"
"We're the Jemernai twins—two bodies, one mind. So of course we play as two."
"......"
The twins wore utterly shameless expressions.
No hint of guilt over cheating or pulling some trick—just a cool, "Why are you even asking?" vibe.
"Wizboard is a turn-based game. One move per player."
"Huh? Don't tell me you're chickening out."
"Chicken or not, this is cheating!"
"Wizboard tests magical thinking, right? If you ever face us in a real magic duel someday, we'll still fight as a pair. You gonna cry 'cheating' then too?"
No need to spell it out—it was pure sophistry.
Sure, Wizboard was an abstracted strategy game mimicking magical combat.
But even between witches of vastly different ranks—or apprentice witches—the rules ensured fairness: one move per player, alternating turns.
That core rule defined the game.
Denying it outright? If they played by the twins' logic, no witch in the world could beat the Jemernai family.
"Whatever. If you're too scared, you can always run away."
"Yeah, we saw you playing kinda weird earlier anyway."
"You could say something came up and bail right now."
"We'll understand."
Diana let out a deep sigh.
They hadn't even started properly, and she already felt drained.
If not for their grating taunts... if not for the male witch waiting afterward...
She'd have just gone home, washed up, and crashed.
"Fine, then I'll play two moves too. When we're full witches dueling later, your combined brainpower should match mine anyway. Same rank and all."
"Works for us."
And just like that, the irregular rule was in play.
Double the speed, double the complexity.
Diana furrowed her brow, laser-focused on the twins' moves.
As daughters of a noble countess house, trained in orthodox magic, both twins' mana source layouts were nearly identical.
They weren't bluffing about their confidence—their small central skirmish held firm.
But while Diana methodically stacked advantages like building blocks,
the twins' style was pure wild horse—roaming the board wide, flanking aggressively, bouncing like a rugby ball.
With the two-move rule on top? Total chaos.
And worse...
"Hmm, here... like this?"
"Nah, sis, check this. (whisper whisper whisper) Wouldn't that be better?"
"Odet, but if we do that... (whisper whisper whisper)"
"No way! Trust me!"
"Odet! You're seeing it wrong!"
Constant mental jabs slipped in between.
Their opponent was clearly Diana, yet they bickered like they were fighting each other.
Already on edge, Diana couldn't ignore the interference anymore.
"Could you two keep it down? You said you're one mind—why so much chit-chat?"
Even as she tried to stay dignified amid their dirty tactics, Diana finally snapped.
The twins, who'd been whispering ear-to-ear, turned to stare blankly at her.
Something about it sent a chill down her spine, making her flinch.
Then matching smiles crept across their blank faces.
"Aha~ Our strategy session bothering you?"
"Makes sense. Game's not going your way."
"Good to know your limits."
"Not a total airhead after all."
"Hoo..."
Shouldn't have said anything.
She'd just handed those idiots an opening.
"Forget it. I won't complain anymore. Just play."
2.
30 minutes later.
"Argh, seriously, sis. I told you to play somewhere else..."
"You blew that rune capture earlier 'cause you got stubborn!"
"Heh."
Diana wore a faintly relieved smile, her chest feeling lighter.
She'd just crushed the twins' smugness after their nonstop yapping.
Even accounting for the rushed rule change, they weren't that tough.
True to their noble apprentice roots, they had solid fundamentals and steady play...
But that was it.
Their moves were pure emotion.
They fell for taunts, took losses, got cocky on a slight edge, charged in, and tripped over themselves.
With that gap, plus their constant bickering over this spot or that? No chance of beating Diana.
Buoyed by triumph, she demanded they leave.
"Losers, out you go. Don't forget our bet."
"Ugh, your tone is so annoying."
"Stuck-up bitch."
Their loser taunts didn't faze her a bit.
If anything, their grumpy muttering felt like a cool breeze on her heart.
Siu soothed the pouting twins.
"Starting tomorrow, my host bar shifts end, so I'll have more time. Let's hang out lots then."
"Got it, assistant. Don't forget our dinner date tonight. I'll play piano for you."
"We'll be good and wait like assistant says."
The twins casually planted kisses on both Siu's cheeks.
Diana's eyes went wide as saucers.
Her victory smile froze into a perfect O.
"Wh-wh-wh-what... the hell was that?!"
Did I see that wrong?
"What? Just goodbye kisses."
"Wh-wh-what do you mean, kisses?!"
"You saw it plain as day."
Sure, a light peck on the cheek was a sign of affection.
Diana got them from the countess before bed, and close witches did the same after reuniting.
She knew that.
But the recipient was a man.
And Odil and Odet were countess-house apprentices.
A man whose mere fingertip could ruin a witch—and they kissed his cheek?
Diana's worldview shattered with an audible crash.
"Y-y-you... vulgar sluts...! A n-n-noble's decorum..."
Like a glitching radio, Diana started stuttering hard.
The twins tilted their heads at her freakout, then smirked knowingly—like creepy uncles.
They'd figured out why she was reacting that way.
They'd been clueless greenhouse flowers about sex once too.
Witch apprentices treated guy-girl stuff as taboo, after all.
But Diana? She was an incubator flower—ignorant beyond basics.
"Aha~ Acting all grown-up, but you know nothing."
"Totally, sis. Frogs in a well think the sky's square!"
"You do know how babies are made, right?"
Diana snapped out of it amid the barrage.
"Who're you calling clueless?! Witches can't make babies!"
"Not that."
"She really doesn't know...?"
Diana gaped at their dumbfounded faces.
The Jemernai apprentices seemed oblivious to how dangerous that was.
Hating them was one thing—she didn't want healthy apprentices ruined.
If ignorance was leading to disaster, she had to set them straight.
"Listen up."
Diana fixed them with a serious stare.
"Apprentice witches can't touch men carelessly."
"We know."
"Yeah, we do."
"Knowing and doing that?! A cheek kiss gone wrong hits lips... you could lose your vessel!"
Question marks popped over the twins' heads.
"What're you even saying?"
"What's wrong with lip-kissing?"
"...Lip-kissing can make babies... and lewd acts with men ruin the vessel anyway... idiots?"
Diana glared, as if to say, "Do I really have to spell out this embarrassing crap?"
Then it clicked for the twins.
They'd had their naive phase too.
But Diana was next-level sheltered.
"Hey, check this."
"Kyaa!!! What the hell?!"
Odil grabbed Siu's cheek demonstratively and pecked his lips.
Diana shot up, screaming.
Not because it was lewd.
It was like watching someone jump into traffic.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, unable to look.
Peeking, she saw Odil shrugging.
"See? Nothing happened."
"Sis, that's cheating! Sneaking a solo smooch?!"
Odet followed suit, pecking Siu's lips.
Diana went ghost-white, nearly hyperventilating.
"Huh?"
But nothing happened.
No mana reaction if the vessel was damaged—yet everything stayed quiet.
"And who said lip-kisses damage your vessel?"
"You gotta have sex for that. Sex."
Diana bolted upright.
The shock rivaled learning the Earth was flat—plus nausea from the lewd display.
"Y-y-you're all perverts...! How can you do that in front of people...!"
Diana stumbled out of the host bar like she was fleeing.
Odil and Odet just stared blankly at her retreating back.