Miss Witch, even if we're poor, we can't sell ourselves!

Mi Ye worked until midnight and finally got everything done.

She stretched, her spine cracking a few times, then leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

There were seven or eight sheets of sketch paper spread out on the table, each filled with different angles and expressions of the same figure.

Frontal, side, half-body, magnified close-up of facial expressions.

Pencil dust smeared all over her fingertips, and there was also some on the tip of her nose for no apparent reason, but she was completely unaware of it. She was just staring at the character illustration file that had just been imported on the screen, her eyes shining like two little stars.

The Live2D model was already rigged. She had just run it once, and the chibi maid on the screen blinked, then tilted her head, her light golden short hair swaying gently with the movement, and her bow trembling twice.

She programmed more than a dozen emoji variations into keyboard shortcuts.

Pouting corresponds to number 1, panic corresponds to 2, starry eyes correspond to 3, and there is also a special drunken blushing expression that she hesitated for a long time before finally adding.

Since the live stream recording from last night has already gone viral online, why not turn this embarrassing past into part of your public persona?

The model was fine, but she still felt something was missing.

Miya rested her chin on her hand and stared at the screen for a long time, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was missing.

The girl in the picture is already very cute. Her facial features are like hers, her hairstyle is like hers, and even the small detail that the left corner of her mouth is slightly higher than the right corner is exactly the same.

But overall it looks a little flat.

A Vtuber who is about to face the camera and bullet comments needs more than just being cute; she also needs to make people feel at first glance that she is energetic, warm, and that they want to talk to her.

She was frowning and pondering when there was a knock on the door.

Three knocks.

"Miya? Still awake?"

It was Flores' voice, as languid and gentle as ever, even through the door.

Miya ran over to open the door, her slippers clattering.

Outside the door, Flores had changed out of her burgundy fishtail gown that she wore for work and was now wearing a loose, dark blue nightgown.

A belt was casually tied around her waist, and her long, black hair, instead of being carefully tied up as usual, was loosely draped over her shoulders, with water droplets still dripping from the ends, probably because she had just taken a shower.

She was holding a steaming cup of milk. When she saw Mi Ye open the door, her gaze lingered for a moment on the pencil ash on the tip of Mi Ye's nose, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

"Manager!"

Miya tilted her head back, unaware of the pencil marks on her face, and simply shoved a tired but extremely excited smile at Flores.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"It'll be this late after we close up shop and pack up."

Flores handed her the glass of milk.

"But you, Zimi Lu said you haven't come downstairs since this evening. What have you been up to?"

"I'm busy with this!"

Miya took the milk cup, then grabbed Flores' sleeve and pulled her into the room.

She was stunned for a moment after making the move. She wasn't usually this proactive, but she was just too excited today, so excited that she didn't have time to think about the things she had been considering before.

She pressed Flores into the chair in front of the desk, then stood beside her and turned the laptop screen toward Flores.

The screen shows that chibi-style little maid.

The default pose is facing forward, with hands folded in front of the apron, head tilted, big eyes looking straight ahead, and a slight smile on the corners of the mouth.

"My redrawn Vtuber suit!"

Miya's voice was filled with an undisguised joy, as if she were holding up her perfect test paper to her parents.

"Look, look, this is how I usually look when I'm spacing out, this is how I look when I'm scared, and this—"

She leaned over the edge of the table, her fingers flying across the keyboard, typing several shortcut keys.

The little maid on the screen immediately switched to a panicked expression, her eyes turned into two X's, and a tangled mess of lines appeared above her head.

Then it switched to starry eyes, with its pupils filled with glowing little stars.

Then she switched to a tipsy, flushed look, with two red blushes rising on her cheeks and her eyes glazed over, just like she was the night before she licked Mebius's ear.

"How is it? How is it?"

Miya turned to look at Flores, her eyes screaming, "Praise me!"

Flores did not answer immediately.

She placed the milk glass on the corner of the table, leaned forward slightly, and looked intently at the screen.

My gaze swept from the ends of her hair to the bow, from the shape of her eyes to the curve of her lips, from the overall proportions to the subtle changes in every expression.

Miya stood beside him, barely daring to breathe, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her nightgown.

"……great."

Flores finally spoke, her voice softer than usual.

"It looks a lot like you overall, and the expressions are very vivid, but there's one spot where you could add something."

"Where?"

Miya immediately leaned her head closer.

Flores extended a finger and gently tapped the little maid's cheek on the screen.

"Here, add a touch of blush to both cheeks."

"Blush?"

"Um."

Flores turned her head to look at her, her deep purple eyes gleaming softly in the lamplight.

"The features you drew are very accurate, and the expression is also on point, but the skin color is too even and the face is too clean, which makes it look a bit cold."

"Add a touch of blush, not too heavy, just a light pink will do, to make her look warmer and more vibrant."

Miya tilted her head and looked at the screen.

She mentally filled in the placement and color of the blush, and then realized...

Yes, this is it!

I've been thinking about this for a while now and it feels like something's missing, but I just can't quite put my finger on it.

"Okay! I'll add it now!"

She reached for the pencil on the table, but Flores was faster.

Those slender, long hands took the pencil from her and gently placed it on the clean top sheet of paper in the sketchbook.

Flores used the side of a pencil to sweep a light layer of hatching lines on each of the little maid's cheeks in the picture.

There were two rustling sounds, almost no trace of which could be seen, but when Mi Ye leaned closer to take a look, she was completely stunned.

With just two strokes, a faint layer of light pink on the upper center of the cheek, the entire character's aura instantly changed.

Previously, she had a delicate but somewhat static cuteness, but now she looks like she's just been amused by someone, her cheeks are slightly flushed, and even the light in her eyes has become lively.

"See, isn't this better?"

Flores put the pencil back on the table.

Miya stared at the screen for several seconds, then nodded rapidly, so fast her head almost fell off.

"This is so much better! This is exactly how it feels! Manager, how can you do everything? You can run a hotel, and your baking is so delicious I want to swallow my tongue. You can even draw—are you some kind of person who has lived for a very, very long time—"

"Um?"

Flores narrowed her eyes slightly, the curve of her lips remained unchanged, but a hint of amusement appeared in her eyes.

Miya immediately swallowed back what she was about to say and changed the subject with a very deliberate silly smile.

She held the sketchbook close to her chest, looking down at herself in the drawing, where Flores had added two strokes of blush, and liked it more and more.

"Thank you, store manager."

Her voice suddenly became much softer.

Flores glanced at her, then reached out and gently placed her palm on Miya's head.

Her short, light golden hair was fluffy and soft, like the fur of a small animal that had just finished sunbathing.

"You were great today."

"Flos said."

"Not just the painting, I mean everything. Last night, when you were facing Möbius, you were so nervous you were about to explode, but you did a great job."

"You deserve the most credit for the three A's in the evaluation. You've only been here a few days, but you're already an indispensable member of this family."

Miya opened her mouth, wanting to say something witty to change the subject of the overly serious compliment, but nothing came out after she opened her mouth.

She recalled her past life when she was working overtime and sitting alone in front of a convenience store eating instant noodles. The streetlights shone on the plastic bowl, and a layer of cooled oil floated on the soup.

Back then, no one would come up to her and say, "You were great today." No one would knock on her door at one in the morning and add a couple of strokes of blush to her painting of herself.

"Okay, go to sleep early."

Flores withdrew her hand, stood up, picked up the glass of milk on the table that was no longer very hot, and put it back into Miya's hand.

"After you finish your milk, I'll give you the day off tomorrow. You were exhausted last night, so have a good rest."

"……Um."

Miya held the milk cup in her hand and took a sip.

The warm liquid slid down my throat, leaving my stomach feeling warm.

Flores walked to the door and glanced back at her.

"Miye".

"Um?"

"Remember to send me the live stream link after your new suit is released."

Miya paused for a moment, then couldn't help but curl up her lips into a smile that even she found a bit exaggerated.

"Would you like to be my first fan, store manager?"

Flores didn't answer, but simply smiled and gently closed the door.

The room fell silent again.

Miya sat on the edge of the bed, drank the rest of her milk sip by sip, then closed her sketchbook and carefully placed it next to her pillow.

She turned off the table lamp, wrapped herself in the blanket, and the magical streetlight outside the window cast dappled light on the ceiling through the gaps in the curtains, like scattered fragments of stars across the night sky.

She suddenly felt like sending Mebius a private message to apologize, but after checking her phone, she realized she hadn't added him as a friend at all.

Forget it, let's wait until the 30-day ban period is over before we talk about it.

Miya yawned and shrank further into the blankets.

I don't need to go to work tomorrow; Flores personally approved my leave.

She can sleep until she naturally wakes up, then finish completing the remaining expression variations and record the opening video.

If there's enough time, she can go to the department store again to collect more star fragments. She didn't get enough of her attributes yesterday; her goal is to break 100 in all attributes. When she runs, even Reminal probably can't catch up with her.

With these jumbled thoughts in mind, Mi Ye's breathing gradually calmed down, and her consciousness slowly sank into the darkness.

Outside the window, the night in Bellavita is quiet and gentle.

Glowing vines breathed slowly along the building's walls, and the last tram jingled past in the distance.

The magic streetlights automatically dimmed, leaving the streets to the moonlight and starlight.

In a room on the third floor of Nightingale's Nest, a blonde little witch curled up in bed, a smile that hadn't yet faded from the corner of her mouth.