The witch wants to survive
W. Flower Seed
In the heavy silence between the two sitting side by side, J-Hope's eyes darted around. It was strange. The atmosphere had changed so drastically since their last encounter at the palace that he almost didn't recognize her. For a moment, he wondered if she was someone else disguised as a princess. J-Hope examined her eyes, nose, and mouth one by one, then bit his lip.
There is no doubt about this,Camilla EdenbergIt was.
“Your Majesty, please ask me first what you are curious about.”
J-Hope tapped his fingernail on the sofa handle. Where should he start? Where did this vast magical power come from? Or why was he there? His brow furrowed automatically. Camilla Edenberg was a greenhouse flower. Born the youngest daughter, she was showered with love by her parents. Everything was ironic. Why did the princess in the greenhouse change 180 degrees the moment her parents died? And where did that vast magical power come from? No matter how many possibilities were considered, they were all nonsense. The most absurd of all was the emergence of magical power that had never existed before. J-Hope stopped tapping the handle, slowly adjusted his posture, and asked.
“Princess Edenberg, what is your identity?”
“… …”
J-Hope, who decided to delve into the topic of magical power first, asked Camilla. Magic, with its obviously abnormal flow, was bound to consume the body. Furthermore, it could even rapidly diminish. But Camilla was different. J-Hope suspected that she possessed a vast, if abnormal, magical power, and skills that surpassed even his own, the owner of the Magic Tower. He approached Camilla, who didn't immediately respond, and placed his hand on the back of the sofa behind her face.
“Who are you?”
“… …”
"The Princess of Edenberg was nothing more than a greenhouse plant, unable to kill even a single ant, let alone possess magical power. And yet, suddenly, possessing vast magical powers, she appeared to me in a completely different form?"
“… …”
“Ha, are you treating me like some ignorant rat right now?”
I'd expected it to some extent, but it was surprising. Who would have guessed he'd notice this much? Camila looked up at J-Hope, who was blocking her path, and slowly settled into her position, crossing her arms on the back of the sofa. Even if she was a "half-demon" with demon blood, she was still half-human. It was J-Hope's mistake to take Camila, who had been flying and crawling for five hundred years, lightly.
“Why do you still think I’m a greenhouse plant?”
"what?."
"You're right. I grew up with lots of love from my parents, but was everything I saw really there?"
Her eyebrows furrowed. More absurd than understanding what she was trying to say was Camilla's posture. Crossing her legs and folding her arms in a showy manner was unbecoming of a noble daughter. Especially not if that was Camilla's true nature.
"I'm sorry, but I wasn't a greenhouse flower. I may have been loved outside, but was that true inside the mansion?"
J-Hope's eyes widened. Yeah, that was completely unexpected. Even Carcia was the same. Until she saw Camila's memories.
Camilla Edenbergh, a truly beautiful woman. Whether socializing or dancing, even embroidery was a mastery, she was the "Peony" of the high society. The ultimate bride, the most admired lady. However, the reality was even more brutal. The training she received throughout her life to marry into the royal family was harsh. She was not allowed to sleep or eat, and even in an environment where she had to stay up late studying embroidery, dancing, and socializing, the reason she never gave up was because of her "parents" who had created this environment for her. No matter how much they abused and starved her, her parents were her parents, and Camilla pushed herself even harder. Because outside, the Duke and Duchess loved her.
Even though it's just acting.
"I was just a substitute, created to marry into the palace. Matapju, the gentle and obedient Camilla you saw? Ha, that was all just an image my parents created for me."
“… …”
“Isn’t it funny? This is my true self, but people say that’s not my true self.”
J-Hope lowered his hand from the back of the sofa. His pride was hurt, but he hadn't said anything wrong. People tend to judge by appearances, after all. But even so, there was something strange. Everyone knew, even he didn't, that Princess Camilla had no magic powers. How could she suddenly have it? He wanted to ask, but his lips wouldn't part easily, and he hesitated. Camilla spoke first.
“I’ve been hiding my magic all this time.”
“…That’s ridiculous. No matter how much of a country you are, magic power is energy and you can’t hide it freely!”
“That’s you, and I’m me.”
“… …”
“Don’t measure everything up to your standards. I’m the only one stronger than you.”
J-Hope, who had turned around sharply, shook his head and sighed. Even so, to think of hiding his magical powers was beyond meticulous; he was a strategist, a master of utter forethought. He hadn't even realized it, and he'd treated her like a beloved princess, making his own behavior seem ridiculous.
Camilla forced a controlled expression as she watched J-Hope. It was a carefully crafted plot to keep Carcia from knowing that she had taken over Camilla's body, but it almost made Matapju laugh, who had readily believed her. He felt sorry for the dead Camilla, the "real" owner of this body, but he couldn't let her get caught just yet. At least for revenge. J-Hope, having sorted out his confusion, soon sat down on the sofa across from him, side by side, just like before. Camilla, leisurely bringing her tea to her lips, lifted the corners of her lips loosely.
“So, why did you call me?”
“It’s because of my magic.”
“…You are stronger than me, is there a problem?”
“Hmph, strength isn’t everything. You can see it with your own eyes, right? My magic power is abnormal.”
But there was no sign of her magical power waning, and Camilla's face didn't look any less painful. Even if the flow was abnormal, it wouldn't matter if there were no problems, right? As I thought, Camilla put down her teacup, uncrossed her legs, and slowly leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
“That’s not the problem.”
“Yes? Then…”
“The magic power has been sealed.”
J-Hope, who had brought the teacup to his lips to cool down, almost spit it out. "Magic power sealed?" I could clearly see the magic pulsing before my eyes, but what the hell was he talking about? Camilla spouted out lies without blinking this time either.
“I knew it from a young age. That, in addition to the magical power I can now freely use, there was something else sealed within me.”
“…So?”
“At first, when I hid my magical powers from my parents, I was curious about their abilities, but I avoided sealing them for fear of dying. I was their puppet. But now, things are different. My parents are dead, and now I…Duke of Edinburghof house ownerBecause it will be.”
“So, you want to break that seal?”
"that's right."
… Sealing, J-Hope suddenly had many thoughts. Seals are easy to detect. The stronger the opponent, the more likely it is. So, it seems that Camilla was sealed. This is almost certainly true. Isn’t this a bit of a special case? There are cases where magical power holders have a sense of entitlement to each other and seal each other, but that refers to ordinary magical power holders… Camilla was a complete exception. Her magical power was far stronger than the Magic Tower owner’s own, and more than anything, wasn’t this case special? This was a case that would never come up again even if you searched the entire empire, no, the entire world.
“You can try to investigate by looking through old books, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to break the seal.”
“Why?”
"You're a special case, aren't you, Princess? I've unsealed many magical power holders, but they were all weaker than me."
“…Is that so?”
"But, you never know what you might find in the Demon World. As you know, I'm a 'half-demon,' so I have free access to the Demon World. Let's check out the ancient books there."
Camilla felt a sense of relief at the slightest glimpse of hope. It was truly ironic. I hadn't realized how precious it was when I had the power, but now that it was gone, I desperately needed it... I felt like a double-crossing person, but I decided not to care. The only person who shed tears at the moment of her death was her father.Even if it's to protect Taehyung.
“Thank you. I’ll pay you back handsomely later.”
"That's good. I have more to research, so it's a good opportunity for me."
J-Hope, rising from the sofa to dive right into his research, decided to set a date for a mid-term review of his research. Since this was such a unique case, it wouldn't be easy to find, so he had to factor in the time it would take. Then, a thought occurred to him.
“How about the next royal ball?”
"…what?."
"It's a midterm inspection. There's plenty of time between now and then, and since all the nobles will be gathered, it won't be too noticeable."
… Imperial ball. Then, of course, since Heins was the emperor, he would also appear at the event. Just thinking about it made my heart beat faster. Because a heart stained with anger and hatred does not go away easily. A thin, white hand hovered over the hem of the skirt, wrinkling the dress. Wouldn't that be an opportunity, a chance to kill that bastard Hines?
“Your Majesty?”
“… …”
“Princess? Princess Edenberg!”
“Huh, huh?…”
“Aren’t we talking about something important?”
“Ah… Okay, let’s do it on the day of the royal ball.”
J-Hope, who had been having a hard time being around people since his parents' death, said jokingly, "If it's really hard, why don't I escort you intimately?" Camilla, who finally burst out laughing at his sly tone, put her hand to her mouth and laughed.
“Then V won’t leave you alone, right?”
“…V? Ah, I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while now. What is your relationship with Duke Prometheus?”
Camila, who had been raising her lips meaningfully, made J-Hope turn around with just one sentence.
“If you’re really curious, study hard until the Imperial Ball. Then I’ll tell you then.”
Truly heartless and without mercy,Like a pumpkinIt was a woman.