TWFLLYM Ch 115

If There Is a Lock

[Elona] "Eeeek......!"

She was incredibly excited. She had gone out earlier that day on an errand, and she reported that a massive rumor had gripped the capital.

[Elona] "Don't even get me started. Everyone is talking about it. This is definitely because Sir Hailey has been gossiping everywhere. I am sure of it."

The rumor concerned a blue diamond of monstrous size, set to arrive at Hailey's Jewelry Shop very soon. The client who ordered the gem was none other than the Imperial Family.

Because of this, people were wildly guessing its recipient. Most assumed it would go to Her Grace Martianan, the future Crown Princess. Some even whispered that since she already carried a child, a mere diamond was hardly a surprise.

[Roserikta] "Oh dear."

Roserikta could only think that Kalart had thrown his money away on something useless again. She remembered telling him once before that a witch had no use for diamonds. He must have let the words go in one ear and out the other.

[Elona] "What do you mean, 'Oh dear'? Don't you feel anything at all?"

Elona stopped drinking her tea, her expression turning completely serious.

[Elona] "They say it is breathtakingly beautiful! You should at least be curious."

[Roserikta] "Gems are quite useless to a witch."

To her, a single piece of the biscuit served with their afternoon tea held far more value.

Ah, well, maybe that isn't entirely true. A gem brings a lot of money if I sell it.

Roserikta nodded to herself, lost in thought as she crunched on her biscuit.

[Elona] "Ugh, I can't believe this. Didn't you look for a large sapphire once before?"

[Roserikta] "I needed that one for a specific purpose. Besides, gems vary. Moonstones, for instance, contain the moon's energy, which makes them highly useful."

[Elona] "So only diamonds are useless?"

[Roserikta] "Few gems possess real utility. High-purity sapphires, rubies, and crystals are rare. The deeper the color, the more they aid magical power. But diamonds are transparent. They offer no help at all. Among all gems, they are the most useless. It's even worse because they are the most expensive despite being so pointless."

Elona gasped in admiration.

[Elona] "I could never be a witch, even if someone forced me to. How can you remain so indifferent in front of a diamond?"

[Roserikta] "On the other hand, witches are incredibly greedy for rare mushrooms. I heard stories of witches fighting each other with magic for a hundred days just to claim who discovered one first."

[Elona] "Aha. So you simply value different kinds of items."

[Roserikta] "Exactly."

Roserikta continued to nibble on her biscuit.

How strange. It tastes especially good today, even though I don't usually care for biscuits. The cream inside is wonderful. It tastes like a blend of lemon, apricot, and cheese.

Kalart had once remarked that she tasted of lemon cream. She wondered if this was what he meant.

Ah, goodness. I am letting highly inappropriate thoughts slip in.

Thoughts of his wild, intense, and deep kisses.

I should stop eating this biscuit right now.

Seeing Roserikta quietly set the snack down, Elona spoke up.

[Elona] "Are you finished? If you don't like the biscuits, shall I bring you some pie instead?"

[Roserikta] "No, it isn't because I dislike them at all...... but please bring pie next time."

[Elona] "Yes, I will. Ah, should I give His Highness a hint about the jewelry beforehand? To choose something other than a diamond?"

[Roserikta] "Are you certain His Highness ordered it?"

[Elona] "The order came from the Imperial Family, so it must be him. I wonder if Sir Arad knows anything? Shall I ask him quietly later?"

[Roserikta] "Mmm...... what is done is done. He can't cancel it now anyway. But why did he suddenly buy jewelry again? He already gave me so much before."

[Elona] "But this is a special diamond! It's obviously for that."

She raised her voice, clearly baffled by her mistress' dense reaction.

[Elona] "The wedding ring!"

[Roserikta] "Ah......"

Right. She had completely forgotten.

I am supposed to marry him.

Come to think of it, all talk regarding the wedding date had vanished since the Black Witch's death. On the surface, because the Emperor's new lover had just passed away, discussing the Crown Prince's marriage immediately was a matter of terrible timing.

Following the fairy cat's advice, the Imperial Family decided to keep the true identity of Baroness Neira—the evil entity who sought to curse the palace—an absolute secret. Revealing it would damage the Emperor's image, and scandalous talk of curses would surely breed unrest among the people.

The palace announced that the Baroness died of a chronic illness, and the court entered a month-long period of mourning. During all this chaos, Roserikta entirely forgot her own wedding.

To be fair, sorting through the aftermath of the Black Witch's death left her with no room to think. She spent her days brewing medicine for the injured and erasing the witch's lingering traces.

Among her tasks was inventing a lie to cover up the blank spot on the library ceiling. Fortunately, because only Kalart and the Royal Guard witnessed the event, hiding the truth proved easy. They told everyone else that a leak in the roof had damaged the ceiling. A court painter would arrive soon to repaint the section.

[Elona] "How could you not think about it? Though the wedding is delayed, His Highness looks ready to hold the ceremony the very day the mourning period ends."

[Roserikta] "Well......"

Mmm. What is wrong with me?

Yes, we agreed to marry. I love him enough to want to spend the rest of my life by his side. I can't imagine anyone else in my future. But......

Her thoughts halted there.

What will happen to me?

Living here with him, choosing the path of a human. Was that truly what she desired for the rest of her life?

Perhaps she would have accepted it before, back when her entire world meant working as a faithful pharmacist and ensuring the Versaryl Pharmacy remained a beloved place.

But things were different now. She had become a proper witch. She could travel to the Witch's Kingdom and live as a real witch.

What kind of life would that be? She couldn't even tell if she wanted it, having never experienced it.

......I see.

This, too, was a change brought by the Black Witch's death. A new path had opened before her.

[Elona] "My Lady?"

Observing her deeply troubled expression, Elona called her name anxiously.

[Elona] "Why do you suddenly look so distant when we are talking about your wedding? Is something happening that I don't know about?"

[Roserikta] "It's just......"

She hesitated.

What should I do? I can't answer. I don't even know the answer myself.

[Roserikta] "I think I need some time to think."

[Elona] "What? What did you say?"

Crash!

Elona leaped up so violently that her chair threw itself backward onto the floor.

[Roserikta] "Oh dear. Are you alright?"

[Elona] "No! I am not alright at all! Why are you saying this all of a sudden? Do you no longer love His Highness?"

[Roserikta] "My feelings for him have not changed in the slightest. It's only......"

[Elona] "Only what?"

[Roserikta] "......I lack confidence."

Confidence that if she abandoned a path she had never walked without even trying it, she wouldn't regret it deeply later in life.

[Elona] "Ugh...... I don't understand what you mean. Does a marriage require such heavy resolve? Ah, of course it does. You are marrying the Crown Prince, after all. But seeing how His Highness treats you, I don't see why anything else matters. Furthermore, you have the baby to think about!"

[Roserikta] "I know that too."

Witches usually raised children alone. It was exceptionally rare for a witch to stay beside a human man and raise a child together, even briefly, as Roserikta's mother had done. To a witch, a child was never a reason to force a marriage.

[Roserikta] "I just...... want to think a bit more. We still have time. Right now is a period to mourn the death of the Black Witch, after all."

She offered a light joke, but Elona didn't smile.

[Elona] "Please consider His Highness, My Lady. If he realizes you are wavering, he will...... oh, I don't even want to imagine it."

Roserikta felt the same way. Her fingers traced her wrist, where the memory of the bandage Kalart used to tie them together still lingered. Watching him grow anxious over the thought of her leaving without a word was incredibly painful.

[Roserikta] "As I said, I only need time to think. That is all, so please don't take it so seriously."

[Elona] "Please, My Lady."

Elona began to watch her with constant anxiety, as if Roserikta might vanish into thin air at any moment. That reaction became another heavy burden.

Can I really cast all of this away? Really?

She had no answer.

---

Several days passed in deep conflict.

Though she didn't realize it, a shadow of worry began to settle between her brows. Anyone looking at her could tell at a single glance that something heavy weighed on her mind.

Kalart asked nothing during those days. Instead, he repeated the same action every single night. He came to her bed, tying one of his wrists to hers before he finally forced himself to sleep.

He didn't use a lock, and the fabric was something she could untie whenever she wished, yet the restraint felt heavier to Roserikta than an iron chain. Though they remained tender and devoted to one another, to outside eyes, they appeared to be wasting away from a shared, silent longing.

It was entirely beyond comprehension.

Why are they doing that? When they treasure each other so much.

Whenever the maids and servants caught sight of Kalart or Roserikta, the same thought crossed their minds.

Amidst this silent tension, an unexpected guest arrived at the Imperial Palace.

[Roserikta] "Who did you say it was?"

She asked again, failing to memorize the name on the first try. Beside her, the Head Maid, Elona, and two other maids worked furiously to dress her.

Her gown today was exceptionally lavish. Layers of sheer, ultra-thin blue silk created a dress so stunning it could make the most ordinary woman look like a snow fairy the moment she put it on.

[Elona] "My Lady Roserikta, please don't speak. Your makeup might smudge. But what did you ask? Ah, the guest is arriving today. She is Princess Pasha Nia Delroine Empoia de Kireaaika of the Grand Duchy of Iveton."

[Roserikta] "......"

She decided it was perfectly fine to give up on memorizing the name. She would simply call her the Princess.

Roserikta had received an invitation to the imperial welcome banquet as Kalart's fiancée. The current commotion was all preparation for the event.

[Roserikta] "For the Princess of Iveton to visit the palace......"

[Elona] "She comes to offer comfort to His Majesty. The Princess of Iveton is the step-sibling of the husband of the youngest daughter of Emperor Belto I's younger sister. Therefore, she shares a very close blood relation with the Imperial Family."

[Roserikta] "......"

How exactly is that a close relation?

Roserikta gave up on analyzing the imperial family tree as well. She resolved to sit quietly, eat her food, and return.

Though her hands moved rapidly, Elona caught her expression instantly.

[Elona] "When they were young, talks of an engagement between her and His Highness Kalart took place."

[Roserikta] "Ah, is that so?"

She hadn't known that. It felt like information she ought to remember.

[Elona] "Yes. Please keep that to yourself, though. At any rate, since His Highness showed absolutely no interest in marriage over the years, the engagement talks naturally faded away. Princess Aika spent time in the Empire during her childhood, so she and His Highness know each other well."

Oh dear. I see.

A strange sensation stirred within her. It felt as though she were stealing a secret glance at a side of Kalart she had never known.

[Elona] "Regardless, that is why we are putting extra effort into your appearance today. Isn't that right, Countess?"

The Head Maid seemed to grit her teeth slightly.

[Aldwin] "Indeed. Today, Your Grace must appear more beautiful than anyone else on this earth."

To Roserikta, the fierce competitive spirit made little sense.

[Roserikta] "Mmm...... that is an old story, and she is visiting for His Majesty's sake today."

She meant they shouldn't fuss over it so excessively, but the Head Maid fixed her with a sharp, burning glare.

[Aldwin] "Your Grace."

[Roserikta] "......Yes, Countess."

Why use my formal title so suddenly? It's a bit intimidating.

[Aldwin] "I rejoice more than anyone else that you became His Highness' partner. You must know this, correct?"

She didn't know when the woman's heart had softened, but she preferred it over the alternative.

[Elona] "I feel the same way, My Lady. I firmly believe that the only person meant to marry His Highness is you."

Why is everyone acting like this?

[Roserikta] "Is there something specific I should know? Concerning Princess Aika?"

The Head Maid pressed her lips together firmly, then shook her head once.

[Aldwin] "You will understand the moment you see her. You will see why I poured all my devotion into your appearance today."

Hearing those words only made her more anxious.

[Roserikta] "I understand. I appreciate your care."

She discovered the reason in the exact moment she stepped into the banquet hall.