TWFLLYM Ch 44

The Great Adventure of a Bold & Clever Cat (3)

[Clobell] "These are definitely bones."

She wore an expression Roserikta had never seen before—heavy and bitter.

[Clobell] "She was just a kitten. Look how small these bones are."

The shape differed clearly from human remains. Clobellina stared into the box and reached out a dark paw to touch the tiny, rounded skull.

[Roserikta] "Don't, Clobell."

She lunged forward and grabbed the cat.

[Clobell] "Why not?"

[Roserikta] "We don't know what kind of spell she used. Black magic might cling to you. Since we are in the dark, caution is our best friend."

[Clobell] "I suppose so."

She nodded.

[Clobell] "I understand. I just...... I felt bad for being mean to her. I wanted to pet her head one last time."

Roserikta lowered her voice.

[Roserikta] "Are you sure it's the white cat? It could be another creature. That cat was......"

[Clobell] "It's her. I don't even need my nose to know."

Perhaps cats shared a unique way of identifying themselves.

[Clobell] "I told you she was strange. She didn't act like a normal cat. She stayed still even when I stepped on her or hit her. It wasn't because she was slow. She was already dead."

[Roserikta] "......"

Roserikta didn't know if the witch had animated old bones or if the black magic itself had killed the kitten. Regardless, the sight of those small bones ached in her chest.

[Clobell] "Rosie. Black magic is very evil. How old was she? Not even a year. What did she do to deserve death? This is wicked."

[Roserikta] "It is."

A sudden chill gripped her.

Did every wooden box stacked in this room contain the remains of lives sacrificed for black magic?

Roserikta shivered.

The thought of a witch who had practiced such cruelty for so long terrified her.

Such a being would have long ago discarded any shred of kindness or respect for life. Only malice remained—an existence where death was a tool and hatred was a daily habit.

The idea of facing such a monster felt overwhelming. She doubted her own strength.

[Roserikta] "Shall we leave, Clobell?"

There was no longer any need to search for the white cat.

Clobellina lifted her head, looking uncharacteristically somber.

[Clobell] "But shouldn't we find more? Only we know these bones are proof of black magic. Humans won't believe us."

Roserikta forced a joke to cheer up her friend.

[Roserikta] "You're right. Just like you said, we can only trust a cat's eye now. Will you lend me yours?"

[Clobell] "Hey! Just because I joked about it earlier doesn't mean you should. It doesn't suit you at all."

[Roserikta] "But I wish we had a tool to reveal a black witch. Why did the story specify a cat's eye...... Oh?"

Roserikta's mouth fell open.

[Clobell] "What is it?"

[Roserikta] "A cat's eye!"

[Clobell] "What about it?"

She turned sharply to meet Clobellina's gaze. The cat covered her eyes with her paws and backed away slowly.

[Clobell] "You don't actually want my eye......"

[Roserikta] "Cats have two kinds of eyes. I mean, there is something else called a 'cat's eye' besides the real thing."

[Clobell] "Meow?"

Clobellina blinked. A specific gemstone existed in the world that shared that name.

[Roserikta] "Moonstone."

[Clobell] "Ah! You're right!"

Humans often call it the 'Cat's Eye' gem. Just like a feline's pupil narrows in the light, the moonstone featured a thin, bright line across its center.

Legends claimed moonstones were droplets of moonlight that had hardened on Earth. Since the moon abandons black witches, it stood to reason that a witch would lose her disguise when faced with a stone filled with lunar energy.

[Roserikta] "We need to get a moonstone."

[Clobell] "Where? This house certainly won't have one."

[Roserikta] "I'll ask Lady Elona. She mentioned her relative owns a jewelry shop."

Fortunately, moonstones weren't incredibly expensive. She had enough coins to buy a decent one.

[Clobell] "Then we have to go back to the capital first? But the witch lives here. Do you want to go and come back again?"

[Roserikta] "I need to find a way to send a letter."

[Clobell] "Even if you send a letter, it will take forever for her to receive it and send the stone back. The carriage will be fixed by then."

Roserikta bit her lip and shook her head.

[Roserikta] "Clobell. If the Countess really is a black witch, she has no intention of fixing that carriage."

[Clobell] "What? Then we're stuck?"

[Roserikta] "She likely caused the accident on purpose. She used her magic to trap us here."

[Clobell] "Why? To kill us?"

[Roserikta] "No. To a black witch, you and I are nothing. She doesn't care about us."

[Clobell] "Then why do it?"

[Roserikta] "The Crown Prince."

[Clobell] "Huh?"

[Roserikta] "He is the target."

Perhaps he had been the target since the very moment she cursed his eyes.

[Clobell] "What now? Are you writing the letter?"

[Roserikta] "No, that comes later."

A more urgent task occurred to her.

[Roserikta] "I have to make sure he is safe. He is alone with the Countess right now."

[Clobell] "The Prince?"

[Roserikta] "Yes. I can't leave him there."

Roserikta clenched her hands. A tingling sensation spread through her fingertips, like the onset of a nightmare.

She reached into her bag and emptied her remaining supply of Axaca powder.

---

[Kalart] "You......"

The Crown Prince spoke, his lips only a hair's breadth away from the Countess'.

Countess Gibero didn't wait for him to finish. She moved to close the gap.

Human males were all the same. They had little to say beyond repetitive compliments about her beauty.

[Countess] "Shh. No words are necessary, Your Highness."

At least the Prince had a magnificent face. A kiss wouldn't be unpleasant. In fact, she looked forward to much more. Anticipation filled her.

[Countess] "Your Highness?"

The Prince remained still, his eyes wide open as if he had no idea how to kiss. She suppressed a sigh.

Do I really have to teach him how to kiss? He is a grown man, yet I feel like I'm raising a child. I hate it.

[Countess] "Close your eyes."

She reached out with an annoyed gesture to cover his eyes herself. But Kalart reacted unexpectedly. Instead of staying passive, he shifted his head to avoid her hand.

[Countess] "Your Highness?"

Her patience vanished. She frowned and called his name.

[Kalart] "You are beautiful, but you clearly have no shame. Your husband is standing right there."

[Countess] "What?"

She snapped back, her body recoiling from him. She was speechless. A mere human man dared to reject her? It was impossible.

Furthermore, the Prince should be starving for affection. She was the one who had cursed him to never love anyone. Although a love potion had briefly weakened the curse, that useless half-witch had failed him.

The curse remained intact.

To a man starved for love for so long, she should be an irresistible feast. He shouldn't have the power to refuse. Even without the curse, no one rejected the most beautiful woman on the continent.

[Countess] "What...... did you just say?"

[Kalart] "I should ask you the same. Why are you trying to cover me in such dishonor?"

[Countess] "Dishonor......"

Her rose-like lips trembled.

Kalart's dark eyes watched the movement. It was a strange sight. Though he looked at nothing else, his gaze held no desire. He wasn't looking at her as a man looks at a woman; he was examining her like an object, completely devoid of emotion.

[Kalart] "If you didn't know that adultery is a disgrace, learn it now."

He pushed his chair back and stood up.

[Kalart] "We are done here."

He turned his back on her. If she did nothing, he would walk out the door.

A human man was turning his back on her. Her purple eyes flashed with rage. She couldn't allow this.

[Countess] "Your Highness."

Swish!

She traced a gesture through the air.

[Kalart] "......?"

He stopped. He knit his brows. His feet suddenly refused to obey him.

[Countess] "You can't leave just because you want to. And you certainly shouldn't turn your back on me."

Kalart tried to speak. He wanted to tell her that a woman of her rank should never speak to him that way. But his tongue, like his feet, was frozen.

The Countess approached him. Her deep purple eyes were chilling. Even her distorted, angry face remained flawlessly beautiful, which only made the scene more grotesque.

She gripped his chin.

[Countess] "I don't want to put you in a wooden box. So, stay quiet and let your body follow my lead."

She opened her lips. Her mouth, as beautiful and strange as a living rose, moved to swallow his.

Suddenly, a chaotic noise erupted.

Flap, flap, flap!

A violent sound hammered against the window behind the curtains.

[Countess] "What is that?"

She turned her sharp gaze toward the noise.

Count Gibero, who had been standing still like a corpse in the corner, rushed to pull back the curtains.

Flutter! Flap!

Birds of every kind swarmed outside the glass. The noise came from hundreds of wings beating against the window.

She grit her teeth.

[Countess] "That little brat......"

Kalart realized he could move again and quickly stepped away.

[Kalart] "Open the door."

[Guard] "Yes, Your Highness!"

The Royal Guard, waiting outside, threw the doors open at his command.

---

[Roserikta] "Good job. Thank you so much."

She stood in the eastern tower. The single tower window was wide open. A large, black crow perched on the wooden frame, conversing with her.

[Crow] "It was nothing."

The massive crow was quite a gentleman.

[Crow] "I should help when there is work to be done."

The swarm of birds had appeared because she used the Axaca powder to call them.

Specifically, she had summoned this one crow. As the oldest and most respected bird in the area, he had easily led the others to the window.

[Roserikta] "How was it inside? Is everyone okay?"

[Crow] "I didn't see everything, but the human male left the room without harm."

[Roserikta] "Oh...... thank goodness."

She let out a sigh of relief.

Social rank was a burden at times like this. She couldn't visit Kalart unless he summoned her. She could request an audience through the Captain, but Eaton was the very person who had locked her in her room.

Knowing Kalart was safe took a weight off her shoulders. She wouldn't be at peace until they left this place, but she had put out the immediate fire.

[Crow] "So, a black witch. Is that the truth?"

Roserikta and Clobellina exchanged a look before answering. It wasn't a light topic, and they were still gathering proof.

[Roserikta] "It seems so. I plan to get a moonstone soon to confirm it."

[Crow] "Good heavens."

The crow clicked his beak. It looked exactly like a human sighing.

[Crow] "Even for a witch's words, this is hard to believe. A black witch hiding in the human world? Does that mean she has been using black magic all this time?"

[Roserikta] "I believe so."

Clobellina jumped in and described what they found in the secret room behind the fireplace.

[Clobell] "Rosie and I found it! There are boxes full of bones. That is the proof!"

The crow let out a low caw, his expression becoming grave.

[Crow] "Bones...... that is a serious matter. Humans usually bury their dead in the ground."

[Roserikta] "Exactly. No one keeps bones in their house on purpose. Those bones are still being used for her spells."

[Crow] "Then this is no longer just a human problem."

The crow had lived in the nearby forest for a long time and rarely cared for human affairs. He believed that as long as humans didn't harm the forest, there was no reason to interact with it. Most forest creatures felt the same.

But a black witch changed everything. Black magic stole life from any source. Like the white kitten, a black witch would sacrifice humans or animals alike to fuel her power.

She was a disaster for everyone.