Kikrik,
" ...? "
While I was resting, I sensed a presence by the window. This room was on the second floor, so there was no way anyone could be outside.
Are you an assassin?
Sea pulled out a dagger. Then she carefully hid behind the curtain.
Suddenly -
The window opened, and I felt very cautious footsteps.
"What, where is it..."
"Are you looking for me?"
" ...!! "
Sea immediately walked behind the assassin and placed her sword against his neck. Then she asked him, "Who ordered you to do this?"
"Do you think I'm going to say that, witch?"
"I guess there are still people who call me that?"
"It doesn't change the fact that you're a witch, right?"
He had touched Sea's nerves, and her hand tightened. Blood trickled down the assassin's neck.
"Hey, why don't you just kill me?"
The assassin began to stalk Sea. From the very first day she entered the palace, assassins were coming. If a corpse were to be found, it would undoubtedly reach the Emperor's ears.
I think the assassin would not want to create a situation that would cause unnecessary commotion.
"Do you think I can't kill someone like you?"
"A witch? That's not even funny. From that cruel Karna family!"
Cruel... Yes, you could think of it that way. If there's only one grand duke in the empire, there are five dukes.
However, the Grand Duke's family brought about the downfall of three ducal families. Thanks to this, the Grand Duke's power grew even stronger, and the nobles made every effort to avoid making enemies of the Grand Duke's family.
"I guess someone who is dissatisfied with me being the head of the household did this?"
" ...! "
When the assassin looked flustered, Sea raised the corners of her mouth. Then she whispered in his ear.
"Did you know that witches eat human hearts?"
"...! That's a hypothesis..."
Pook -
"It must be a hypothesis."
Pfft-!
"Ugh..."
The dagger pierced the assassin's heart. As Sea twisted the sword away, blood poured out. The red blood soaked Sea's dress.
Thud -
"It's dirty."
Sea placed the dagger on the table and examined herself in the mirror. Blood splattered everywhere, making her appearance atrocious.
Tinkle tinkle -
I called the knight guarding the door to remove the body. He entered the room and was shocked by the sight of Sea and the corpse on the floor.
"He's an assassin. He's dead, so deal with him."
"...! N, yes!"
The knight glanced at Sea, then lifted the corpse. Then he sent a maid inside to clean up the blood-soaked room.
"Okay, I'll clean it up."
Sea didn't even glance at the maid. She dragged her tired body to the bathroom and washed.
Sea couldn't sleep deeply, not knowing when the assassin would strike. She was on edge, and closed her eyes.
Step by step -
Where am I?
A forest so dense with trees, I don't know why I'm walking without stopping or where I'm going.
I just kept walking, following my body's lead. As I got deeper and deeper, I heard a strange sound.
Giggle giggle
" ...? "
Is that him? Our last hope?
"Who are you!"
The surroundings suddenly became quiet. I walked forward steadily, and a shack came into view. The door opened of its own accord, and I stepped inside.
"There's no one..."
" hi? "
" ...!! "
Sea took a step back at the sudden appearance of a woman.
"We finally met."
"Who...are you?"
"What do you think my identity is?"
Sea felt the same power she felt from the woman as she felt herself. That meant...
"Witch...?"
"Correct answer~~"
"That's ridiculous..."
Wasn't I the only witch? How is the witch still alive? Did she escape? Do I have... kin?
"You must have been very embarrassed."
" ····· "
"Hmm... Let's take a seat. I have a lot to talk about."
Sea felt uneasy, but sat down anyway.
"Listen carefully. This is going to be a long story."
...nod
Although a tiny minority, the witches still survive. It's said they escaped the empire secretly. The surviving witches yearned for revenge, but their woefully inadequate strength agonized over it.
"Do you know why the war happened?"
"Because the witches have invaded the empire..."
"Huh! That Emperor! You've fooled the people of the empire so well!"
Witch blood possesses the power of regeneration. Sprinkling witch blood on a severed arm will cause it to regrow. Learning of this, the emperor and a small group of nobles launched a witch hunt.
The witches were captured, killed, and drained of their blood. Enraged, the witches decided to seek revenge. However, their revenge failed. This was due to the power of the wizards and the Karna family.
Strictly speaking, they were barely able to kill the witches because they knew their weaknesses.
" sorry. "
" hmm? "
"I've ruined your lives because of the dirty greed of humans. I'm sorry. I really am..."
"Honey, I don't know why you're apologizing."
"I am Karna, the one who killed you."
"...Yeah, your family was great. It was much harder for you to deal with them than dealing with a bunch of average wizards."
"But you see... you were barely born when that war broke out. What fault could you, so young and small, have? That's the adults' problem."
" but... "
"I know you didn't want it, but... you're one of our kind now, aren't you? I have no ill feelings toward you, who can become the Arch-Witch. If anything, I feel sorry."
"Why...?"
"I know. You almost died because you were a witch."
" ...! "
"It's our fault. You almost died at birth, but you survived thanks to your mother's sacrifice. However, you have witch blood mixed in with you, and you must live a life that is not human."
"You must have had a hard life because of that foolish witch who made you like this."
Sea bit her lower lip. Most of her past memories were painful and agonizing.
"I'm sorry. But we're going to protect you now. We promised we would."
"A promise?"
"I don't have time to tell you everything right now."
" ah... "
"But we'll be able to meet often now. Witches are connected to each other, after all."
"The reason I called you today is because I have something to say."
"What do you want to say...?"
"There are more people on your side than you think. So, don't be so harsh. Your mother wants to see you smile."
" ..... "
Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I missed you. I haven't been able to throw a tantrum. I want to hold your hand, and fall asleep in your arms. I can't even do those ordinary things... I lost my mother and my father.
In a way, it's my fault. If I hadn't existed in this world, my family wouldn't have died. Even Jungkook and Hoseok...
I felt so sorry that I decided to become a poison. I wanted to show people how to live bravely. But...
"...It's okay to cry. You don't have to hold it in."
Because I miss you... The empty space feels so big... My empty heart can't be filled.
"Baby... Hold on a little longer. If you help us, we will reward you greatly."
Until then, Sea had no idea. Later, the witch's reward would be so great... she would cry out of gratitude.
---
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