TWFLLYM Ch 118

To Stay by Your Side (2)

She continued speaking in a calm, steady voice.

[Roserikta] "I've only just become a true witch. That is why…… I really want to master my craft. I was born a witch, so I want to live as one. Right by your side."

Kalart understood perfectly what becoming a true witch meant to her. Roserikta had grown up as a half-witch, missing so many things in her life. Becoming a proper witch was a complete goal, a way to fill that emptiness with her own strength. She had spent her entire life dreaming of the day she would become a true witch.

He couldn't crush her dream. Holding her back in that manner was not the kind of love he wanted to give her. He also wanted to create a solid, flawless affection that would never break under any circumstance.

He couldn't hold her back.

[Kalart] "Promise me. You will definitely…… return."

[Roserikta] "Of course."

She pressed her lips firmly against his.

[Roserikta] "I am simply going away for a short while so we can be happy when I return."

[Kalart] "Promise you won't stay there for too long either."

[Roserikta] "I won't. I will be the one who can't bear it. I will miss you too much."

[Kalart] "Promise me. You will remember me every single moment."

[Roserikta] "Yes. Just as you miss me, I will miss you too. I will count the days until I return, every single day."

[Kalart] "Promise. You won't forget a single thing."

[Roserikta] "I swear it by the moon."

[Kalart] "Promise me."

[Roserikta] "Yes, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "Promise."

[Roserikta] "I promise."

Only after making countless promises did Kalart finally let her go. Roserikta left just as many kisses on his skin to match every vow.

---

Kalart helped Roserikta dress in the pharmacist's clothes she had kept hidden away for so long. The process took a very long time because he stopped to kiss her endlessly between every single button.

By the time she finished dressing, grabbed her broom, and woke Clobellina, only a brief moment of moonlight remained in the sky.

[Roserikta] "We must leave now. The path disappears when dawn breaks."

She opened the window and stepped onto the frame, exactly as Grandmother Mazi had done before. Clobellina mumbled in a sleepy voice.

[Clobell] "Are we leaving? Is it really alright to just go like this? Did you tell Grandmother Mazi?"

[Roserikta] "No. But I am sure she already knows. ……Ah, look over there. Grandmother is waving her hand from her window. You see her too, right?"

[Clobell] "Wow, you're right! Grandmother Mazi! We are leaving now. Wait for us!"

Roserikta extended her hand toward Kalart. The human gripped the hand the witch offered.

[Roserikta] "I will be back soon."

It was not a farewell. It was a promise to return.

[Kalart] "All right."

He released her hand.

[Kalart] "I will watch the moon every single night, waiting for your return."

[Roserikta] "I will wave my hand toward you every day too. If you see something flickering slightly on the moon, that will be Clobellina and me."

It was time to leave. She mounted her broom.

[Roserikta] "Wait for me!"

The broom floated gently into the air. A path embroidered with countless stars twinkled playfully, as if welcoming the new witch.

Remaining in the human world, Kalart watched the invisible path through the window until dawn completely passed.

---

[Roserikta] "Then all that's left is two handfuls of dried bugs, three pieces of tree bark, and a single drop of dew gathered from a flower that blooms at dawn. And then……."

She opened a massive magic book, checking the recipe while boiling something in a furnace. The liquid glowed an incredibly bright, strange blue, making it obvious that it was completely inedible. She stirred the blue mixture evenly with a wide wooden spatula, preventing it from sticking to the bottom.

[Roserikta] "Mmm…… this looks about right. Now I just need to add the diamond I picked up yesterday…… huh?"

She rummaged through her apron pocket and clicked her tongue.

[Roserikta] "It's gone. I must have dropped it somewhere. Sigh, I keep doing things like this lately."

She set the spatula down and stepped away from the furnace. Her belly had grown quite round by now. The fact that the baby was growing safely brought her joy, but the pregnancy caused various small changes in her body. For one, her movements when sitting and standing grew incredibly slow, she slept much more, and she kept forgetting things constantly.

[Roserikta] "Where did I put it? Ah, I don't know. It would be quicker to just go pick up another one."

She tossed a couple of white stones into the furnace and left the laboratory.

A pleasant breeze greeted her outside. She looked up at the sky for a moment. Puffy pink clouds floated by, shaped exactly like butterflies if she looked closely.

[Roserikta] "Sigh, the river feels so far away today."

In truth, the river was right in front of her. Yet, as her body grew heavier, even that short distance felt massive.

[Roserikta] "I need to make shoes for pregnant women. Something comfortable that takes less effort when walking."

Another new project appeared today. Roserikta had been incredibly busy every single day since arriving in the Witch's Kingdom. She learned and mastered new magic, new medicines, and new ingredients constantly.

Her neighbors were all witches just like her, happily sharing magic and discussing recipes.

Grandmother Mazi, who always claimed she could never match her own sister's skills, was actually a walking magic book. To Roserikta, who had only recently become a true witch, Grandmother Mazi was the perfect teacher.

The days were so exciting and filled with joy that she could almost scream.

[Roserikta] "I will do that tomorrow. Today, I must handle this first."

After walking slowly for a short while, the river appeared. She sat down by the water, panting heavily.

[Roserikta] "I am already exhausted after walking this much. This is a bit miserable."

If Kalart were by her side, he would have carried her in his arms every single time.

Amidst these incredibly joyful days, Kalart remained her sole source of sadness. The knowledge that he was far away in the human world pained her. A wave of intense longing suddenly rushed over her, and she closed her eyes for a moment.

I miss him. Even though I look at him every night.

That was exactly why she decided to build a telescope, using the diamonds that rolled around like useless rocks here. Roserikta would be the very first witch to create a telescope capable of viewing another world at any time.

[Roserikta] "Brr…… my hands feel cold. I shouldn't touch cold water carelessly anymore."

She shifted to sit on her side due to her large stomach, searching the riverbed. The water felt exceptionally cold today. These kinds of small discomforts would continue until she gave birth.

[Roserikta] "Will these do?"

She picked up a few diamonds of decent size. Some lacked clarity, while others were far too rough and uneven.

[Roserikta] "These will work."

Selecting three or four stones, she slipped the diamonds into her apron pocket and pushed herself up with a heavy groan. The walk back to the house looked incredibly long.

[Roserikta] "Ugh…… I should have ridden my broom."

She complained, completely unlike her usual self, and began her slow walk back.

[Mazi] "So, what did you make?"

Grandmother Mazi visited that evening. Lately, Clobellina had developed a massive interest in learning magic from her. Unless Roserikta explicitly looked for her, the cat stuck to Grandmother Mazi's side almost the entire time.

[Roserikta] "A telescope."

She handed the unpolished telescope to Grandmother Mazi.

[Roserikta] "It expands the view so you can see the human world."

[Mazi] "Oh, that sounds incredibly convenient."

[Roserikta] "It's still a bit rough. I need to smooth the shape so it fits comfortably in the hand, and I still need to adjust the focus distance."

[Mazi] "Let me see."

She held the telescope to her eye, twisting the dial back and forth to focus.

[Mazi] "Hmm…… I don't see anything in particular."

[Roserikta] "Ah, that's because I set the distance to the imperial palace right now."

[Mazi] "Oho."

She let out a strange chuckle.

[Mazi] "Do you want to return already?"

[Roserikta] "No, it's not that. I still have so much left to learn. I only just learned how to use magic without your powder."

[Mazi] "That is just the beginning. Now that you know how to use your mana, you just need to get used to it. You said this is focused on the imperial palace? Let's see, then……."

She apparently found the right focus.

[Mazi] "Oh dear."

[Roserikta] "Mmm? What is it?"

[Mazi] "It would be better for you to see for yourself. It feels far too embarrassing to describe."

She handed the telescope back.

The moment Roserikta pressed the telescope to her eye, Kalart appeared in her view. He lay on the bed, his nightshirt loosely draped over his body just like the night she left. Between the open fabric, his bare chest looked far thinner than before.

The sight felt entirely unfamiliar. Through the telescope, daytime clearly flooded the world on the other side.

[Roserikta] "Why……."

A moment later, Eaton arrived and woke him. Kalart rose from the bed slowly. Dark shadows hung beneath his eyes, and his face had turned into a cold marble statue once more.

He ran a hand roughly through his hair, threw back the blanket, and stood up. His slow movements lacked any energy. Even through the lens, Eaton's intense worry was completely obvious.

Once he was dressed in simple clothes, the Head Maid entered the bedroom accompanied by several maids. The maids began tidying the room, attempting to change the tablecloth, the sheets, and the pillowcases.

Then, they all froze instantly.

[Roserikta] "Ah……."

His face distorted completely as his mouth opened wide. He was screaming at them. The maids stopped their work, looking as though they were about to cry. The Head Maid spoke to Kalart, but he simply waved his hand to dismiss them, clearly too exhausted to listen.

Everyone left the bedroom.

Left entirely alone, Kalart grabbed the pillow the maids had tried to replace and buried his face in it. He drew a breath so massive his chest expanded fully. He stayed in that position for a long, long time.

[Roserikta] "I can't watch this anymore."

Roserikta lowered the telescope, covering her face with both hands. When she finally looked up, her expression matched Kalart's cold, broken look.

[Mazi] "Sigh. It's not like you didn't know he would act that way."

[Roserikta] "Yes, I knew. But still……."

[Mazi] "Does seeing it with your own eyes make your heart waver?"

[Roserikta] "……."

Unable to answer, Roserikta simply nodded.

[Mazi] "Sigh. What can you do? You will have to tell him to endure a bit longer. Or, well, you could just give up."

[Roserikta] "Because there is no way he will do that."

Kalart would never choose to forget her, not even for a single second. He would continue to endure, wasting away completely.

[Clobell] "Rosie! Grandmother Mazi! Look at me! I brewed tea!"

Clobellina trotted into the laboratory. The cat had become quite skilled at basic magic, easily moving objects over short distances. A tray holding a teapot and teacups floated in the air, moving alongside Clobellina.

[Mazi] "How wonderful. You have become truly skilled."

At her praise, Clobellina puffed out her chest.

[Clobell] "I always possessed incredible talent. I wonder why I lived without knowing this until now. Brewing tea is as easy as eating cold soup now."

Click.

The tray landed safely on the table. Clobellina leaped onto the cat-sized chair that always sat in front of the table.

[Clobell] "Rosie. Aren't you hungry? I brought the lemon cookies you love."

[Roserikta] "……Thank you, Clobell."

The response barely left her throat. Eating cookies with lemon cream naturally made her think of Kalart. Roserikta fought back her tears, picking up a cookie to take a bite.

Suddenly, a foul, sickening odor hit her nose.

[Roserikta] "……Ugh!"

She spat the cookie out into her palm.

[Clobell] "Oh my. What is wrong with you all of a sudden?"

[Mazi] "Rosie. Are you all right?"

[Roserikta] "Ah, my stomach just suddenly feels…… ugh!"

The scent of lemon cream, once inside her nose, refused to leave. The smell she used to love now caused her stomach to churn violently.

[Roserikta] "Gasp!"

She covered her nose with her sleeve and scrambled out of her seat.

[Roserikta] "I need to go to the washroom…… ugh!"

Covering her mouth completely with her hands, Roserikta sprinted toward the washroom.

[Mazi] "Sigh."

She shook her head.

[Mazi] "Oh dear. It seems her morning sickness has started."

[Clobell] "Oh no……. Then what should we do? Is there any medicine?"

[Mazi] "Unfortunately, there is no real cure for morning sickness. She just has to endure it until the baby arrives."

Crunch!

Grandmother Mazi took a bite of a lemon cookie, voicing her worries.

Crunch, crunch!

Clobellina did the same.