"You look surprised," Janice said, noting Ace's unguarded expression. She then added, "I take it Madam Dee3 will be living here for the foreseeable future."
It wasn't hard for Janice to guess this, given that Ace was making her transfer control of the estate's curse array formations to Dee3. It was, in fact, a wise decision, considering Dee3's curse partner, the Dungeon Curseling Hellbrick, possessed an ability that would not only enhance these arrays but also make them incredibly efficient.
"Yes, and I prefer to just be called Dee3. No need for the formalities," Dee3 confirmed Janice's guess, politely asking her to drop the politeness, as it made her uncomfortable.
"What do you mean by 'you would like to watch'?" Dee3 asked, not yet reaching for the curse array core. She found Janice's request odd.
"Sorry. I meant, can I observe you as you optimize the estate's curse arrays?" Janice apologized and clarified. She simply wanted to watch one of her role models in action.
Though the Aurelian Eyes currently held a stronger reputation in the curse community than Dee3, Janice believed no one could match Dee3 when it came to mixing multiple curse disciplines. Dee3 had explored all fields of curse energy and attained a high level of mastery over her long life. The dominance of Curse Gadgets in the mortal world was a testament to her skill.
Janice wanted to witness how Dee3 would further optimize the curse array formations—especially considering she herself had already refined them to what she believed was maximum efficiency. In a way, it felt like an indirect competition. She wanted to see if her role model had grown rusty—or if not, how much of a gap remained between them. Plus, it was a rare chance to see the dungeon curseling, Hellbrick, up close.
"If that's all, then fine," Dee3 agreed, finally taking the core from Janice. Ace had warned her that people could be strange, but to Dee3, Janice definitely was. The way Janice looked at her gave her the creeps.
"Thank you!" Janice said enthusiastically, prompting Dee3 to reply, "I'll call on you when I officially begin the optimization."
There were many geological and curse array factors Dee3 needed to consider before she could begin optimizing the estate's curse arrays. She had only been here for several minutes and still had no idea how far Ace's estate extended or what array formations were being used.
Moreover, from what she had observed so far, the formations covering the estate were already well optimized, with no obvious flaws standing out like a sore thumb. Further improvements would require a thorough study. In fact, she even thought the arrays might not need any more optimization at all. The odd little girl before her had done a remarkable job.
"I'll be waiting," Janice said with a patient nod, feeling a bit proud of herself. An impressed glance from her role model meant far more than the admiration of the old folks in her family or the praise of the mortal world's subpar curse-crafting community.
As the Aurelian Eyes, moments were incredibly rare for Janice. So, she intended to savor it—even at the risk of seeming vain. Just because someone was considered a genius didn't mean they didn't enjoy being praised. The only difference was who was praising them and why.
"Alright. With that out of the way, let's get to the main reason I'm here," Ace said, glancing at Delores, who was still sprawled across her lounge chair. With her eyes covered by sunglasses, it was hard to tell if she was truly asleep. Ace didn't think Delores was the type to sleep so soundly—especially considering she was supposed to be guarding the estate.
"She's practicing latent curse sensing arts," Janice explained, sensing Ace's confusion about Delores' current state.
"She's still trying to master the latent curse sensing arts?" Dee3 asked, surprised—though Janice was even more surprised that Dee3 seemed to know about the technique at all.
Ace asked skeptically, "And you practice it by... falling asleep?"
"No, she's not asleep. She's just focusing on the candlelight atop the hot air balloon two miles away," Janice explained, while Ace and Dee3 looked up into the sky to spot the balloon. Delores had apparently adapted her training to her new environment.
"How do you know about the latent curse sensing art?" Janice asked Dee3. When Delores had introduced it to her back at the lake house, she made it sound like one of her grandfather's secret techniques—something he rarely shared, even within the family. Janice couldn't believe Dee3 knew about it.
"Delores taught me. It was easy. I learned it on the first try—it came to me naturally, like breathing," Dee3 answered honestly, with nothing to hide. She went on, "But I can understand why she's still trying to master it. It's a miraculous technique. After learning it, I was able to perceive curse energy in a completely new way. I'm constantly aware of the curse energy around me."
"Is that how you found me hiding in the shadows?" Ace asked, still bitter that his shadow stealth had failed him twice that day. He could understand Elinor's hundred eyes seeing through it—but Dee3? She had been hungover and still managed to spot him.
"Yes," Dee3 replied with a nod.
Meanwhile, Janice silently resolved to learn the latent curse sensing art. Hearing Dee3 say it allowed her to perceive curse energy on a whole new level made Janice even more determined. As a curse crafter, she understood just how crucial one's perception and control over curse energy was in their craft.
Previously, she had hesitated, afraid she might end up like Delores—still failing to master the technique after a century of trying. But now, she believed it might be the key to pushing her curse crafting to the next level, just as it had done for Dee3.
Janice wasn't alone—Ace had the same idea. He believed that even if he didn't manage to learn the latent curse sensing art on his first try, one of his Toy Summons might. Considering how extraordinary the technique was, having even one of his summons master it would be a huge advantage. However, unlike Janice, he wasn't a McSuile. This was going to be tricky.