Whose youth romance story begins with a witch's trial?!

She's just a wild Baosheng Mag, watch me take her down— um?

"Hmm? It's Chang Rong... I didn't expect her to actually show up. Cough cough... Um, may I ask what brings you here...?"

Chang Rong, who had cruelly abandoned the guardian of the timeline, had just headed towards the flower field when he saw a blonde girl with twin ponytails, wearing a green lace floral dress, standing among the flowers—Hannah Tono.

Hannah was holding a bamboo basket in one hand and picking some flowers in the other. When she noticed Chang Rong's arrival, she immediately put the basket aside, put on her usual pose, took out a feather fan and raised it slightly to cover her slightly flushed cheeks.

"I'm just looking for someone... Is Miss Hannah picking flowers?"

Chang Rong was also a little curious. Although she often saw Tono Hanna doing things that were completely unrelated to a 'rich young lady', she had never seen Hanna strolling elegantly through the flower field like a real young lady, picking flowers.

"Um... well, the curtains always have a faint smell of laundry detergent after washing. Although I'm used to the smell, I still feel that I should try to cover it up a bit for other people. So I asked Meruru which flowers have a strong fragrance and wanted to come and pick some to use for the curtains."

Hannah Tono turned her eyes away slightly and responded shyly in a low voice.

"I see—as expected of Miss Hannah, this reason is so Hannah-esque!"

Chang Rong gave Tono Hannah a thumbs up. After hearing Hannah's reasoning, Chang Rong finally understood why the bamboo basket at her feet only contained the same type of flowers.

"What do you mean by my feelings...? Is it that I'm stingy and petty?" Hannah pouted and frowned unhappily, her toes pointing upwards, her body floating slightly in mid-air due to her excitement.

"No, I meant Hannah's down-to-earth and simple nature, which is considerate of everyone. This kind of thoughtfulness is a precious quality that even real rich girls and comic book protagonists can't have. But it is precisely because of Hannah's unique simplicity that she seems more elegant than so-called rich girls!"

"Is that so... Hehehe, that's right, this is the unique Desuwa style of the Tohno family's young lady!"

Hannah blushed even more after receiving Chang Rong's praise. If Chang Rong hadn't come close and held her wrist, this 100% suspect would probably have already floated into the air by now.

"Although Hannah's portrayal of those textbook-perfect 'aristocratic young lady mannerisms' was quite adorable, as expected, Miss Tono is now moving forward steadily at her own pace and rhythm, which makes her even more aristocratic."

Chang Rong held Tono Hannah's hand and said, "Although Tono Hannah, who always put on a rigid and strange 'aristocratic posture' at the beginning, was also cute, that cuteness was mixed with a sense of deliberately playing a 'clown'."

Now that she has shed the obsession with becoming a wealthy aristocrat, Hannah Tono's every move still appears simple, but this composure and innocence have given her the elegance and glamour truly befitting a manga heroine.

"It's really nice to hear my knight say such things, but... I won't deliberately pursue those things anymore now."

Tono Hannah put away the feather fan she always used to conceal her expression. She blinked her emerald green eyes at Chang Rong, a happy smile curving her lips. She placed her other free hand on the back of Chang Rong's hand, letting her scarred and calloused hand gently caress him without any attempt to hide it.

Tono Hannah approached Chang Rong almost floatingly. Even though she lived in a world filled with darkness and exhaustion with little room to breathe, the girl's face was as beautiful and lovely as a real young lady, as endearing as the dolls she had sewn herself.

"Me... I've always known very well that whether it's becoming the leading lady or wanting to become a rich heiress, it's all just a beautiful dream I've woven to escape reality and fantasize about finding happiness. Just like these rough and ugly hands, it's because I want to deny it that I've been desperately trying to cover them up."

"It is precisely for this reason that I have always harbored hostility towards Leia and Shiro... After all, no matter how much I pretend or how hard I try, I can never become a real young lady or a real heroine. But Shiro and Leia... from the moment we met, they were already undeniably the protagonists and noble ladies. This disparity is like a needle, constantly stuck in my heart, and I can't pull it out or get rid of it."

"Leaving aside Leia-sama for now, can that guy Shiro's previous behavior really be associated with the words 'noble heiress'?" Chang Rong frowned and asked seriously.

It wasn't until late in the third playthrough that Hannah learned that Hero was a yakuza heiress. Moreover, "Heiress Yamato Nadeshiko Hero" is an extremely rare fake card that is only seen a few times a year. How did Hannah manage to pinpoint her?

"..."

Upon hearing Chang Rong's earnest question, Tono Hannah gave him a speechless look, as if to say, "Really the Cabinet?"

"Don't ask these kinds of questions in the future, you stupid knight. I mean—asking these kinds of questions will easily get you into trouble with your fans."

"^q^ Huh!?"

Seeing Chang Rong, who was startled and had his hair standing on end, Tono Hannah shook her head helplessly. Was this the knight she admired so much and whom she believed she would protect for the rest of her life? He seemed like the kind of clueless idiot who would be led into an alleyway on the street and then cower in a corner, drooling and completely bewildered, not understanding why he had become her fan.

"Anyway—all of that is in the past, right, my silly knight? I used to envy Hiro for her elegance that I could never have, and I envied Rhea for her sunny and cheerful protagonist demeanor that made me feel inferior. But now I realize that what I want to pursue is not to become a rich lady or a heroine, but simply to seek happiness that I can touch."

Tono Hannah raised her rough hand and gently stroked Chang Rong, her emerald green eyes filled with undisguised happiness and love.

"And at this moment, the happiness I possess... is in no way inferior to anyone else's, whether it's Shiro, silly Sherry, Rhea, or Emma... I am no less than them, so I will no longer be jealous of anyone."

"Hannah..."

Chang Rong felt Hannah's touch and gazed into the girl's emerald-like eyes, unsure how to respond.

Hannah Tono was once an 'idealist'. Because of her childhood experiences and circumstances, she constantly fantasized about becoming a manga heroine and a rich young lady who didn't have to worry about food or clothing. She indulged in daydreams to escape the cruelty of reality.

Today, Hannah Tono remains an 'idealist'. She has finally reconciled with her past self, with the experiences she has had over the years, and with the unattainable fantasies she once held dear. But even so, it cannot stop her from taking steady steps to pursue her ideal of 'becoming happy'.

Chang Rong was happy for Tono Hannah's changes and growth, but at the same time... he didn't know how to tell Tono Hannah that there was indeed a thick barrier between her and Hilore and Emma.

To paraphrase Hero, "I'm too lazy to talk to Xiao Chunu, who has no experience in eating, it's a waste of time."

Love is indeed priceless and immeasurable, and happiness is indeed priceless and immeasurable, but what exactly is "love"? This thing can still be quantified in some way...

"...What's wrong, Chang Rong?"

The happiest person at this moment, the commoner heiress Hannah Tono, who is now the protagonist of her own story, noticed Chang Rong's unusual behavior. She tilted her head cutely, wondering why Chang Rong suddenly acted like she was out of sorts.

"Uh...it's nothing..." Chang Rong replied awkwardly. This should have been a wonderful moment filled with the atmosphere of youthful love, but the atmosphere was ruined by the strange thoughts in her mind.

"--Seriously, since your acting is so bad, you idiot knight, then I'm not going to pretend anymore!"

"Huh?" Chang Rong was taken aback. Acting skills? What acting skills? What kind of acting?

Before Chang Rong could even process what was happening, she saw the blonde girl with pigtails slowly lower her feet back to the ground. Blushing, she untied her lace shawl, revealing a pure white undergarment, and then reached out to try and pull down the hem of her dress—

"Waaaaah, what's going on!?"

Seeing that Tono Hanna was about to cosplay as a dress-up doll in front of him, Chang Rong quickly reached out to stop her. However, Tono Hanna blinked and looked at Chang Rong with a confused expression, not understanding why he was stopping her.

"Hmm... what's wrong, Chang Rong? Is it... is there some other foreplay...? I... I don't mind, desuwa...!"

Tono Hannah blushed, steam rose from her head, and she looked at Chang Rong with some anticipation.

"No... what is this... uh, what's going on?"

Chang Rong was completely dumbfounded. Although the Tono Hannah in his memory had also participated in that prehistoric silver party, the young lady herself was definitely not such a proactive person.

"Hmm...? Marg told me when she passed by the flower field, 'If you see Chang Rong passing by, be prepared! He seems to be planning a really big surprise for you~'"

"Huh?"

"And surprises... no, isn't it just... isn't it just like in shoujo manga, where the male and female leads get together...?"

Hannah Tono blushed and asked in a low voice while twisting her body.

"—"

Upon hearing Hannah Tono's explanation, Chang Rong froze on the spot.

Margot—it's you again!!!

-

Thanks to Chenguang Moxin for the helpful tip. Some people say sugar-free Sprite is tasteless, so I'll have sugar-free iced tea today.

Thanks to Admirer for the food!

Do not work on Labor Day!

I'm taking leave for the May Day holiday and going on vacation! Updates will resume as usual tomorrow.

Wishing everyone a happy May Day holiday, have a good rest and enjoy your trip, and please be careful!

That's what they say, but since there are always huge crowds wherever I go, I always feel it's better to just stay home and avoid peak travel times...

Anyway, happy holidays to everyone!

272. The sky belongs to!

Wild Hannah Tohno has appeared! Hannah Tohno used levitation! Hannah Tohno used striptease! Hannah Tohno has initiated a training request!

How would you like to deal with this?

[Murder] [Kissing] [Strong]

No, no, no, any of these options are absurd!!

Chang Rong shook her head violently, trying to clear away all the jumbled options in her mind.

However, Chang Rong didn't have Jia Hao's power. While his brain was overclocked due to Hannah's abnormal behavior, time didn't stop. The cute and petite blonde girl with twin ponytails in front of him, after a moment of waiting, blushed and seemed to have made up her mind to further remove her remaining clothes, using this method to express her current awareness and her belief in making it onto the must-eat list.

After Tono Hannah removed the slightly bulky, ornate lace-trimmed long dress, what was revealed to Chang Rong was a set of plain, simple white undergarments. At this moment, Tono Hannah had lost all the elements that could be called a 'young lady,' but this pure and innocent feeling, like Cinderella returning to her roots, combined with her slightly evasive blushing cheeks and eyes, made this disguised young lady even more alluring and innocent, possessing a complex sense of coexistence between girlish charm and purity.

Unlike the previous big silver party in the study, where everyone's heads were in a mess under the influence of the mysterious sweet water, and everyone was prepared to "shoo it in and die", there were no tricks or detours. They basically just took off their pants and started a chaotic brawl on the spot, without any so-called "preparation".

But this moment was different. A fair-skinned and slender girl, dressed in simple, close-fitting clothes, floated gently in the flower field. Even Chang Rong, who was in Sigma mode under Noah's influence, could feel her heart tremble and her breath quicken the moment she witnessed this scene.

After experiencing so much suffering, tragedy, and separation, the down-to-earth young lady has finally shed all the pretense she had been deliberately carrying. Her jealousy, her arrogance, her inferiority complex, her wounds—these shackles that bound her and prevented her from floating were removed one by one.

Standing before Chang Rong at this moment is the true heroine of the story, Tono Hannah, who has finally found and embraced happiness and belongs only to her.

"Wait a minute, Hannah—"

However, before Chang Rong could be completely captivated by the dreamlike scene before him, which resembled a true heroine descending to earth, he noticed Hannah's fingers preparing to untie her last remaining garment, the suspenders. He shook his head frantically, reached out and grabbed Tono Hannah's slender arm, stopping the heroine from taking any further action.

The scene was dreamlike and ethereal; even Noah's AI couldn't describe its beauty and otherworldly quality. But if left unattended and Hannah Tohno continued, the scene would, in less than 10 seconds, revert to a simple, saccharine depiction of silver light...

"Hmm...?"

Her actions, which she had undertaken with all her resolve, were interrupted by Chang Rong. Tono Hannah blinked her emerald green eyes and looked at the white-haired boy with some curiosity and confusion.

The moment his eyes met Hannah's, Chang Rong felt his heart pound again. Was he really going to reject the advances of such a cute and beautiful girl? Or rather, if he were to reject even such an advance in this situation, he would be no human being!

But... but no! What I, Chang Rong, want to do isn't some pointless harem anime where I collect all the CGs and give the main character a silly, cheesy look. What I want to do is truly eliminate all risks and, without wavering, bring everyone a happy ending that makes everyone smile!

“I’m sorry, Hannah… I didn’t mean to reject you, and I certainly didn’t think you were cute or outstanding enough. On the contrary, the young lady is so dazzling right now, even more radiant and beautiful than any real ‘rich girl’ or ‘protagonist’ I know.”

Chang Rong held Tono Hannah's arm, suppressing the heartache of wanting to reject Hannah, and said softly.

"but--"

"【However, I have more important things to do right now, so I promise you, we'll continue after everything is over】—Idiot Knight, is that what you're about to say?"

"But I have something more important right now...Way^q^!?"

Tono Hannah pointed her finger at Chang Rong in a gesture of objection, interrupting him a step ahead. Chang Rong then dutifully repeated Tono Hannah's words, only realizing halfway through that he was startled.

"As expected... as expected...!"

After saying, "He used all my words!", Tono Hannah clenched her fists, her expression extremely agitated.

"Um, that... Hannah, although I'm not quite sure what 'as expected' refers to, I really am right now—"

"As expected, Mag predicted it!"

"It's Margot again!?"

Chang Rong frantically tried to explain, but before he could finish speaking, the name that Tono Hannah uttered made his forehead veins bulge instantly.

“Marg told me before, ‘Although Brother Chang Rong came with a clear understanding, he’s too naive (trying not to laugh), so he might back out at the last minute. In that case, he’ll most likely make up an excuse, like he has some more important mission right now. You absolutely mustn’t believe him!’”

Hannah Tohno put her hands on her hips and smiled smugly. In previous playthroughs, Hannah had always been treated as a suspect and a fool during the witch trial. This time, she could finally indulge in the thrill of being a strategist and tactician.

"Then... in that case, did Mag say what you should do after you 'saw through' it...?" Listening to Tono Hannah's explanation, Chang Rong frantically suppressed the anger that made him want to rush in front of Mag and unleash Spartan Wrath on the spot, while swallowing his saliva and nervously asking Tono Hannah what her next plan was.