My wife is a witch princess

Chapter 35 The Prince's Guide to Raising Children 1: Protecting Her Self-Esteem

Buses are cheap and convenient, but the only downside is that they get too crowded during rush hour. A sudden stop sends everyone lurching forward.

Xia Li gripped the handrail tightly, straining her entire body. She was somewhat confused: this metal box was completely different from the electric vehicles she had ridden before; it swayed erratically, and she couldn't find her footing at all.

"Stand sideways, it'll be more stable," Song Che whispered a reminder.

Xia Li struggled to adjust her position, turning to face him sideways, but gripping the handrail even tighter. In doing so, the distance between her and Song Che was inadvertently reduced to almost nothing.

"Xia Li, be gentle..."

"Um?"

You stepped on my foot.

Xia Li looked down and realized that one of her boots was firmly planted on Song Che's shoe. She tried to move it away, but there was no space under her feet—her back was almost pressed against a girl wearing headphones, and Song Che was in front of her.

dilemma.

Xia Li is a true social phobia.

Aside from necessary court banquets, she had never experienced such frequent and forced physical contact with others. In her understanding, anyone who got too close without permission was usually politely asked to leave by an instantaneous expulsion spell.

At this moment, the string of social distancing in her heart was stretched taut, and she had already begun to silently chant incantations.

click -

The bus slowed down as it made another turn, and Xia Li swayed, her other foot landing squarely on Song Che's shoe. She instinctively tried to pull back, but there wasn't an inch of space for her to move.

"Your Highness..." Song Che took a breath, "You're so heavy."

"Then lift your foot up." Xia Li's tone was very serious, with a sincere desire to solve the problem. "I'll go down, and you can come up and step on it."

Song Che was taken aback by her absurd yet sincere suggestion. In an instant, a comical image flashed through his mind: himself standing on one leg with the other foot on her boot, and the potential chain reaction of falling accidents that might result.

...I could crush you on top of me.

"Never mind..." Song Che forced a smile. "I'll take the padding."

As soon as he finished speaking, he clearly felt the weight on his feet increase, as Xia Li unconsciously exerted force to resist another jolt.

The two were extremely close at the moment, and the other's breathing could be clearly heard.

Xia Li's silver hair almost brushed against his chin. Her unique, refreshing fragrance wafted through the crowded carriage.

Song Che's body stiffened involuntarily. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was the witch princess, his heart still raced when that ethereal face was pressed against his chest.

He dared not move, because even the slightest adjustment in posture could lead to more contact.

"Why is your heart beating so fast?" Xia Li asked.

You're standing too close!

"I'm hot, mind your own business."

"……oh."

That strange tone again.

The car started shaking again, and Xia Li's head was pressed against Song Che's chest. He seemed to be frozen in place, completely immobilized.

...She smells so good.

...His expression was so serious; he must have read that book.

[We've arrived at the flower and bird market. Passengers, please disembark in an orderly manner.]

……

The market in winter is less bustling than usual. Pedestrians hurry along, their faces showing an eagerness to get home. The cold air makes them want nothing more than to crawl back into their warm beds.

Song Che looked at the top of the witch's head. Apart from the label "Witch Princess", Xia Li was no different from a seventeen-year-old girl. Song Che reached out to pull Xia Li, but suddenly paused. He didn't grab Xia Li's hand, but instead pulled her sleeve inside.

Xia Li obediently took two steps, then suddenly asked in confusion, "Why are you telling me to walk on the inside?"

"It's safer here because it's farther from the driveway," Song Che replied.

Upon hearing this, Xia Li remained silent for two seconds, then suddenly left, walking straight to his outer side and switching places with him.

"...I want to go on the outside, you go on the inside."

Song Che stopped in his tracks, intending to lecture her with principles such as it is only natural for boys to take care of girls and that it is dangerous outside, but when his gaze fell on her profile, all the words stuck in his throat.

Xia Li pursed her lips and frowned; these were the only two expressions she could show.

His Highness is angry again.

Song Che could understand. She was once a princess, capable of unleashing super-level magic with a wave of her hand and commanding the elements to submit with a single word. Nothing ordinary could harm her in the slightest, and no ordinary enemy could withstand even a single round of attacks. The pride of a witch was ingrained in her bones.

In the past few days, I've been lecturing her too much about safety.

In this unfamiliar world, she needs to learn from scratch how to safely use a kitchen knife and how to cross the street. His well-intentioned but misguided warnings about avoiding electric shocks, not opening the door to strangers, and following me when walking—in her proud heart, these warnings may be slowly eroding the last vestiges of the witch Lin Xia Li's existence.

Xia Li was probably thinking.

Those who are subconsciously taken care of... are considered weak, but the Witch Princess is not weak.

But the reality is... she has completely lost her magic.

"Then you can walk on the outside." Song Che obediently walked on the inside as the 'protected one' and said to Xia Li, "I'm terrified of cars. If a car comes, you can knock it away. Oh, and if a bad guy comes, you can take him down with a spell. I'm a coward."

"Um."

You're talking nonsense!

Song Che was speechless. This witch still couldn't accept the reality of losing all her magic and fantasized about going head-to-head with a car. There was only one outcome—death.

Running away isn't the solution. Song Che pondered for a moment, then spoke softly, "Your Highness, I've always remembered that during those years in Hitler, it was mostly you protecting me. Now that we're in a different place, it's my turn to protect you. I feel... it's fair, and it's what I should do."

"The contract," Xia Li suddenly interrupted him, her voice clear, "Do you remember our contract?"

Song Che was taken aback, and those unbearable memories surfaced in his mind. He replied, "The witch Lin Xia Li provides protection for Song Che. Song Che becomes her contractor, assisting in potion and magic research, and must not disobey any witch's contract-level orders."

God knows how many bizarre-tasting and terrifyingly effective experimental substances he drank to aid his research.

"The contract is unbreakable." Xia Li turned around, her blue eyes looking directly at him. "I will protect you. You will assist me. This is the agreement, and I will always remember it."

Her tone even carried a hint of stubborn urgency.

For her, the contract was not just a piece of paper, but one of the cornerstones that constituted the meaning of her existence and the world order.

"But Your Highness..." Song Che tried to reason with them, "There are no potions or magic to study here."

"Then we must abide by the contract!" Xia Li's voice suddenly rose a little.

A witch's memory is almost eternal, and she values ​​her vows more than life itself.

Looking at her tense little face and those eyes, all of Song Che's arguments vanished.

Having crossed over to this world and lost all her magic, facing only the unknown, and already unable to speak, she has become a primitive being here. Xia Li is actually... quite pitiful.

He sighed and raised his hands in surrender: "Fine, fine, I'll keep my word. If you really manage to research a magic potion here, I promise I'll drink it without hesitation."

After receiving his affirmative response, Xia Li's aura gradually subsided.

She turned her face away and added clearly, "Yes, I'll protect you."

"Yes, Her Highness the Witch is unparalleled in the world!"

Song Che could only coax her to play and prevent her from having any suicidal thoughts and competing with the car in strength. After all, he didn't believe that Xia Li could really develop a magic potion.

But her silly look... is kind of cute.