The witch wants to survive
W. Flower Seed
“Where did Lord Karcia go?”
Upon returning from a sudden summons to the palace, V immediately searched for Karcia as soon as he arrived at the mansion. He was concerned about the conversation he had with the Magic Tower Lord just before leaving, and the fact that he had left her alone. He wandered the hallways and reached the bedroom, but as he gazed upon the empty room, a sudden sense of unease began to wash over him. It was a never-ending chain of events, but he wondered if Karcia had left, and even the worst-case scenario, if the Emperor had recognized her. In a panic, V grabbed Karen and asked her. However, the answer he received was far too indifferent to his anxious state.
“Lady Camilla has returned to Edinburgh.”
"…what?."
"Lady Camilla lives for revenge. If you hang yourself like this, you'll only be a burden to her."
For a moment, my thought process felt halted. I could go back. Yes, she had to get revenge. I had prepared myself mentally, and since it wasn't that far away, I figured I'd see her often. Until I was summoned to the palace.
The Emperor, Heinz Ian Helios. He was a very meticulous man. He spared himself, even though he had tried to kill the Emperor after learning of Carcia's death. He wanted to ignore him, but he still needed to maintain his power to aid her in her vengeance, so he went. But the Emperor, as soon as he entered the drawing room, began to grate on V's nerves.
“Let me ask you one thing. What happened to Carcia’s body?”
“Ha!, are you qualified to ask now?”
In front of the excited V, the emperor calmly stirred his teacup with a teaspoon and slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
“Carcia is my woman.”
“……!”
“And I killed him.”
Seeing him talking about death so casually, V abruptly jumped up from the sofa. He didn't even want to see his face, but he was the emperor, and he thought revenge was Carcia's job, so he held back. Seeing him brazenly talking like that, he felt like vomiting.
He was already in a bad mood after hearing that nonsense, and now that Camilla had left, V was even more distraught. Going to Edenburg? It's fine. But why today of all days? And today, the day the Emperor asked about the source of her body.
“Karen, what happened to Karcia’s original body?”
"We had someone dress him up to make him look like he's still alive. And now he's in a basement that no one but the Duke can enter."
Relief washed over me when I heard they were safe, but the anxiety still lingered. Seeing V sigh and run his hand through his hair, I thought, "Ah, he's had a blast with the Emperor and Carcia—" Karen, who had been pondering the situation, stuttered in surprise at V's next words.
“The Emperor is looking for Carcia’s body.”
“H, yeah?. What are you going to do with the body?”
"I don't know that either. That madman killed Lord Carcia with the 'demon sword' he gave her as a token of his love. How could I know his true intentions?"
Karen pondered. No matter how rare a witch's body was, a dead body was still just a body. Even though Karen had read a lot of old books and books about witches, she had never encountered anything like the idea of "being able to do something with a witch's body." V was even more uneasy about Karen's reaction. If he knew her true intentions, he would have defended himself in advance, but since he couldn't figure out what she was after, he was left with no choice but to sit back and wait.
“So, you reacted sensitively when you heard that Camilla Edenberg was headed to the city.”
"Yes. No matter how much I respect and... like Carcia, I won't block his path. Rather, I wonder if I could help him..."
But if that were true, it was problematic. If the Emperor wanted Carcia's body, he'd quickly sense Camilla's mood. It was a near-miracle that the quick-witted Emperor didn't notice. "It would be good to go to Edenberg and inform him..." Hearing her unconsciously mutter, V clapped his hands, saying it was a good idea.
“Okay, I’ll go and tell Lord Karcia!”
“Yes? But Your Majesty, you have no contact with Camilla’s body, right?”
“Why do you think we’ll meet through the normal route? Why don’t you just go in through the window at dawn?”
No, that's true... Karen considered reminding V that she was blind in one eye, but kept her mouth shut. It occurred to her that her unconditional love for Karcia, willing to do anything, could sometimes be poisonous. She sighed. But she couldn't say no when he blushed so much and showed his affection... Karen nodded reluctantly and began to tell V the important facts.
"Now, you must remember this. First, you must never be caught. Second, the Duke is blind in one eye, so you mustn't overdo it. Third, you must only speak to the Emperor and then return immediately. If you stay and delay, the chances of being caught increase."
“…Nagging. Okay, just keep it all.”
“Keep in mind, also Keep in mindYou have to do it.”
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one side,
As soon as Camilla entered the mansion, heading to Edenberg, she sneered at the servants who stared at her as if she were a ghost. It was astonishing. To them, it was as if the dead had come back to life. However, she had never expected the ducal residence to be so chaotic. She had heard stories, but not to this extent...
“I guess you didn’t have time to take care of your own family because of the power struggles among the collateral branches?”
The servants were all concerned with the opinions of those around them. It was not enough to apologize for their mistakes, but they were only concerned with the opinions of others... This alone showed how Camilla was treated in this mansion.
"You're not even answering. Judging by the commotion, I don't think I died and became a ghost..."
“… …”
“Why, since I died and came back to life, you now have three lives?!”
She cringed. The princess, who hadn't screamed once in twenty years, suddenly came back from the brink of death, and the servants all murmured at her utterly different demeanor. Feeling as if she couldn't say anything, Camilla was about to pull out the small revolver hidden in her sleeve, intending to at least show an example. But a clear, booming sound from the middle of the mansion lobby stopped Camilla in her tracks.
“Oh, you’re a princess-!!!”
“…Wh, what is it?”
I was shocked and froze when I saw the little girl running towards me so fast that I couldn't even push her away and was caught in her arms.
“Ugh, I, really… I thought you were, like, dead…”
Let's just stay still... I think I saw a girl about this age in Camilla's memories. Rolling my eyes, I managed to gather my thoughts, and soon I recognized the identity of the child in my arms. Her name was Rihanna. She was a street child, raised by Camilla. Perhaps that's why, when everyone else in the mansion was ostracized, she was the only one who stayed by her side, her only trusted confidant.
“Accident, heuk, I was so surprised when I heard the news, haaaang-!!”
“Uh, uh, uh, wait a minute… First, don’t cry and listen to me first…”
Camilla, barely able to move her hand, began to pat Hannah's back and soothe her. The people she'd saved as Carcia were all mature children, so she struggled to find a way to soothe such a tearful child. As if she'd been waiting, Hannah held up her index finger and pointed toward the servants.
“Your Majesty, fire them all!”
“What happened?”
“Of course! As soon as they heard the news of the Princess’s death, they immediately lined up with the collateral nobles! What’s more, some of them even went into the Princess’s room and stole her dresses and accessories, so I stayed up all night guarding the front of the Princess’ room…!!”
As I noticed them avoiding eye contact one by one, a sneer escaped my lips. Judging by their avoidance, it seemed Hannah's words weren't entirely false. I suppose lining up with the collaterals was a matter of survival, but to touch the master's belongings... Camilla hugged Hanna in a show of force and cast a mocking look at the servants.
"I know it must have been hard for our Hannah. But don't worry, I'm here now."
"Ah, but… the collateral nobles are already discussing who will take the head of the family in the conference room. It's not too late, but Your Majesty…"
The vague words seemed to hold a lot of meaning. It was understandable, for Hannah's image of Camilla was that of a pitiful woman, tossed around and groaned in silence, but now she was different. Camilla might have been on the outside, but inside she was "Carcia, the witch," who played the battlefield like it was her playground.
"Don't worry, Hannah. They'll regret turning their backs on me today."
“Yes? How…”
“I came today to reclaim my place.”
When I thought of my position, I could only think of one thing: the "head of the household." Hannah, who was in my arms, fidgeted. I trusted my master, but the woman I'd watched over all this time had been incredibly vulnerable, so I couldn't help but worry. Of course, I wasn't doing it without thinking... but still, I was worried.
“…But, Princess,”
"Shh. Hannah, wouldn't you like to show me where the elders are? I'm sure you'll see some very interesting sights today."
“… …”
“So, won’t you trust me?”
The captivating smile that spread across her lips made Hannah's heart flutter and her heart race. But did she really know?
Hidden in that beautiful smile is a veryFierce nature.
“…I’ll tell you. Follow me.”
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