The Sorcerer's Handbook

Chapter 252: Scolded To Tears

Red Death Apostle said, "Thank you, I like it."

Black Butler looked surprised. "Hm? I have one too? We haven't really talked much... heh, it looks pretty good."

Secret Princess tried to ease the tension. "White Queen, let it go this time. We didn't explain things to her in advance."

Little Witch nodded eagerly. "Yeah! It's all the shopping channel's fault! There are so many good deals, like limited-time discounts, special sale days, and bonus gifts... Sister White, I really didn't mean to cause trouble."

Seeing Little Witch's pitiful expression, White Queen sighed. "Keep spoiling her. When something goes wrong, we're the ones who have to clean up the mess."

"We're used to it," Black Butler said. "Every time the Secret Princess causes trouble, we handle it. Herding one sheep or two makes no difference."

Red Death Apostle added, "We're experienced. We fulfill our duties."

Secret Princess protested, "How did this get dragged onto me? I haven't caused much trouble lately!"

Black Butler let out a cold laugh. "Really? Then who stayed behind with the Watcher last night for psychological counseling?"

Little Witch blinked in surprise. "What happened between you and the Watcher?"

White Queen replied quickly, "Nothing. Little Witch, we'll let this pass. We didn't explain how important that money was, so your mistake is understandable."

"Sister White, I know I was wrong!"

"I'm not asking you to admit fault. I want you to understand why. Right now, we're forced to follow Annan's orders, and our freedom is restricted. Those ten thousand copper coins are our most liquid asset. We could have used them for many things... for example, buying gifts. In that regard, you did well, Little Witch.

"But this isn't how you give gifts. Gift-giving has two parts: the gift and the giving. The act of giving is just as important as the gift itself. This time, you gave everyone a present. It looks good on the surface, but there are underlying problems.

"For instance, everyone sees each other's gifts. Once they compare them, it creates hierarchy, revealing closeness and distance. Someone like Iger would definitely check the prices in private. If his gift isn't the most valuable, his goodwill toward you drops back to zero. If it's the least valuable, he might even resent you."

Secret Princess blinked. "That's a thing?"

"But Iger doesn't have a bracelet connected to the Curtain, so we don't need to worry about that for now. Also, giving everyone a gift is far less effective than giving one privately. If you gave Ashe a gift alone, it would make him ten points happy. But since you gave gifts to everyone, it only makes him three points happy, even if the gift suits him perfectly."

Little Witch frowned. "Why? Isn't it the same?"

White Queen asked, "If Ashe made you a red velvet cream cake, would you be happy?"

"Yes!"

"But just as you're about to eat it, he cuts it into five portions and gives them to everyone. Would you still feel the same?"

Little Witch thought carefully. "Hmm... But I could still eat half the cake... and the cake was made especially for me, right?"

White Queen praised, "Very clever, Little Witch, you've grasped the key point. 'Made especially for me' is the essence of gift-giving. If a cake is meant for everyone, it doesn't feel like it was made just for you, and the happiness fades.

"It's the same with gifts. If everyone gets one, it just feels like an afterthought. It takes a private gift to make someone feel truly special."

Little Witch nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense... Then next time, I'll say, 'This is a special gift only for you, nobody else has one. I spent a lot of time choosing it just for you. Don't tell anyone, or I'll feel shy.'"

Black Butler remarked, "That sly Little Witch actually thinks like me. White, how about I teach her a few more tricks?"

White Queen replied calmly, "Black, don’t give me more trouble. One of you is already a handful. Little Witch, I won't say much more. I just want you to know that we are always here to offer guidance, and we will never reject your ideas. If you want to buy gifts, we'll agree and even help you figure out what to buy and when to give them.

"You're the one primarily responsible for taking on the identity of Lys. Most of the time, we won't interfere with your actions. But you cannot act on impulse without discussing things with us while we are all together in the Virtual World.

"To be honest, I'm upset. Not because you were naughty, but because you didn't trust me."

Lys shook her head quickly. "No! I didn't—"

"You bought everything before we returned. After we came back, you still didn't tell us. Only when the deliveries arrived could you no longer hide it and finally admit it."

White Queen spoke calmly, "You didn't trust us. You thought we would cancel the orders, so you waited until everything was settled before telling us, forcing us to accept the results. Isn't that right?"

"I... I didn't..."

"Were you not trying to hide it from us? Were you not trying to force us to accept the outcome? Were you not distrusting your sisters? Your actions have spoken for themselves. And even now, you're still trying to argue. I hate children who make excuses the most."

Tap.

Little Witch lowered her head, unable to meet the mirror's gaze. Large tears spilled onto the backs of her hands, one after another. Her shoulders shook, and her nose twitched as she struggled to hold back her sobs.

Black Butler remarked. "Wow. This scene feels so familiar. Back then, Secret Princess cried just like this after being scolded."

"I never cried because of White Queen!" Secret Princess protested.

Red Death Apostle interjected. "Oh? Then who was it that clung to me and cried after getting scolded?"

"Definitely not me!" Secret Princess shot back.

Black Butler chuckled. "Now that you mention it, Secret Princess does have her value. Thanks to her being the practice case, White has become so skilled at educating children."

"Aren't we all forever fifteen!? We're not children at all!" Secret Princess retorted.

Black Butler explained, "Our average is fifteen. Little Red is about twelve, I'm a normal fifteen, and White is as mature as someone in her late twenties... so that means your age is roughly—"

"I... I..." Little Witch choked on her sobs. She rubbed her eyes, but the more she tried, the more tears flowed. Her voice broke as she whispered, "I was just afraid of getting scolded... I didn't dare tell you... I wasn't distrusting you. I'm really not a bad child... please don't hate me..."

Sensing the moment was right, White Queen softened her tone. "Of course, we won't hate you. No matter what happens, we will always love you. Next time something like this happens, and we aren't around, do you know what to do?"

Lys sniffed. "Wait until you come back, then tell you."

"And if it's something urgent that requires an immediate decision?"

"Then I'll make the decision first and tell you right away when you come back."

White Queen smiled. "That's our good little sister. I forgive you this time. What about the rest of you?"

Secret Princess said, "Getting Ashe to apologize to me is already the best gift. I'm very satisfied."

Black Butler joked, "I enjoy watching my little sister cry. I choose to forgive her. This will only encourage her, so next time she makes a mistake, White can scold her into tears again."

Little Witch wiped her tears firmly. "I won't make the same mistake again!"

Red Death Apostle said, "Ignore her. Butler always speaks harshly, but she was just pulling the Queen aside to plead for you."

"I clearly meant for White not to stop..." Black Butler added with a smirk.

Secret Princess asked, "By the way, aside from the gifts for us, there are still quite a lot left. What are those?"

Little Witch's red eyes widened as she giggled. "I bought those for myself! I kept the best gifts for myself!"

A brief silence followed.

White Queen sighed. "Also, when you give gifts, don't let the recipient realize you bought better ones for yourself."

"Why?"

"Because even your sisters would start to dislike you for that."