TWFLLYM Ch 57

Change of Heart (1)

She shook her head. Her voice, now a raspy scrape, sounded painful even to her own ears.

[Roserikta] "Clobell is...... there."

[Kalart] "I will send someone to bring her back."

His words cut through the air like a blade. His expression held no warmth. Usually, he only wore this cold, indifferent mask when he wasn't with Roserikta or Clobellina.

Having grown accustomed to his rare gentleness, his sudden icy tone felt like a physical blow.

[Roserikta] "Are you going back to the estate, Your Highness?"

She ignored the stinging in her throat and spoke quickly, which triggered a fit of coughing.

He watched her with narrowed eyes, his brow furrowed. He looked genuinely angry.

[Kalart] "Yes. As royalty, I have a duty to a vassal who swore loyalty to the Imperial family. You have no such duty."

[Roserikta] "But it is......!"

It’s dangerous there, Your Highness. A Black Witch is using dark magic to destroy people.

But before she could say that, another thought bit at her.

Why is he suddenly trying to push me away? Is it because he hates my voice now?

That thought made her feel as if she had been dropped into a frozen wasteland.

Does his heart change that easily?

Tears threatened to blur her vision. She stared at him, her eyes wide.

Only moments ago, he had pitied her injuries. He had said he wanted to do anything for her.

Can those feelings vanish so completely?

It appeared they could. Perhaps that affection was only a fleeting exception created by the love potion.

Grandmother. You were right. A human heart is the most terrifying poison of all. I swallowed it without fear, not knowing the danger.

[Roserikta] "I can't do that, Your Highness."

She forced herself to continue despite the agony in her throat. She barely felt the physical pain anymore; her heart ached far worse.

[Roserikta] "A man...... is dead. The knights there are...... acting strange. A mysterious disease...... might be spreading. I must go."

[Kalart] "I don't grant you permission."

[Roserikta] "Your...... Highness."

[Kalart] "There must be a physician at the estate. If a disease is spreading, the Count’s physician will handle it. And I will say this one more time…"

He paused, his face darkening with a scowl.

[Kalart] "Don't speak another word. That is an order."

[Roserikta] "Your—"

[Kalart] "I said it is an order."

[Roserikta] "......"

His tone was terrifyingly firm. If she continued to argue, he might lose his temper. The realization shattered her.

I am nothing to him now. Just as Clobell became a normal cat, I have become a normal person to him. This is the end.

He turned away and signaled to the knight.

[Kalart] "You return with me. Fetch Eaton. If he won't wake up, tie him to his horse. Gren, go to the capital. I sent Arad ahead, so inform him of the Count’s death. Take the necessary steps and then come to the estate. The funeral will end within three days."

Having delivered his commands, Kalart marched out of the kitchen. Before disappearing, he glanced back at Roserikta one last time.

[Kalart] "Stay here. I will give further instructions to the person who brings Clobell back."

[Roserikta] "......"

She remained silent. Kalart left without waiting for a reply.

While the two knights went down to the basement to drag out the sleeping Eaton, she stood frozen in the spot where Kalart had abandoned her.

She felt like someone trying to grasp the reality of a sudden, brutal breakup.

---

Time slipped away as she stood there. In the dim kitchen, Roserikta finally lifted her head.

[Roserikta] "When did it get so dark?"

It felt as though someone had sliced the day short.

[Roserikta] "I wonder when Clobell will return. I hope she behaves herself."

She put her apron back on.

[Roserikta] "She will definitely say she is hungry, so I should prepare something. She lost weight recently, so I will make her favorite food today. Maybe a pot-au-feu. I have plenty of carrots in the storage. Will she refuse to eat it if I add eggplant? No, she will eat it anyway. If she’s picky, I’ll scold her...... cough!"

Talking to herself led to another coughing fit. She clutched her throat and endured the pain, wiping away the tears that gathered in her eyes.

[Roserikta] "Oh, look at me. I need to heal myself first. I can’t keep using this voice."

She descended into the basement. The stairs seemed darker than usual today. Instead of turning back for a lamp, she felt her way down the cool wall.

[Roserikta] "I am glad I am a witch. Magic can heal this instantly. It would be horrible if I had to feel this pain every time I spoke. I really hate being hurt."

Even through the pain, her voice wouldn't stop.

[Roserikta] "Wow, it really is dark down here. Grandmother, really...... she could have hung a magic lamp. She could have found one easily. She was such a miser about strange things."

She grumbled about her grandmother, knowing no one was there to hear.

[Roserikta] "Ah, I’m hungry too. Pot-au-feu takes a long time. Should I eat something else first? Is there a shop selling eggs now? They are probably all closed. The bakery, too. What should I do?"

Her dinner menu became a serious concern.

[Roserikta] "I’m so hungry. This is awful. I could eat anything. I wonder if Clobell always feels like this."

The basement was dark, empty, and she was hungry. A wave of sorrow crashed over her.

[Roserikta] "It’s...... just like that time."

Shortly after her grandmother died. When she sent her grandmother away to the far side of the moon. Sitting in a pitch-black house alone, Roserikta had felt this same sudden, gnawing hunger.

She was hungry, the bakeries were closed, and all she could do was talk to herself. She kept speaking even though no one listened. She felt afraid. She felt that if she didn't say something, anything, she might vanish.

It was loneliness. She had learned that loneliness was a sharp, raw pain.

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

She sank in the middle of the stairs.

[Roserikta] "I hate this so much."

Being left alone.

[Roserikta] "I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I never...... I never wanted to feel this way again."

That was why she had tried not to like him, why she wanted to forget him quickly. She had intended not to believe anything he said or did.

[Roserikta] "But it’s useless."

When love takes hold, resolutions fail. The mind understands, but the heart refuses to follow. No matter how much she prepared herself, the pain remained the same.

She exhaled sharply and stood up, leaning against the wall.

[Roserikta] "I won't cry."

Her heart ached, but she wouldn't cry. She couldn't. She had too much to do. She had to make pot-au-feu, tidy the basement, find a way to deal with the Black Witch, and break the curse on that man.

There was so much to do. She wouldn't cry. She bit her lip so hard it bruised, swallowing her sobs.

Even if his feelings had changed, her task remained.

Cry after you defeat the Black Witch. Not before.

[Roserikta] "I am the witch of Versaryl Pharmacy."

Step, step...... step.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she grabbed the bottle of Axaca powder first. She opened the lid and sprinkled the powder; the dark basement began to sparkle.

[Roserikta] "A, E, Ello, Din, Sa, Lavl. Give the witch her power. Make me a witch again."

The magical dust dancing in the air settled over her. Her body shimmered like the powder itself before returning to normal.

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

Her voice had returned. She smiled faintly, though her expression still held a lingering sadness.

---

The pot-au-feu had to wait. As she cleaned up the broken glass, the spilled medicine, and her grandmother’s ancient books, her hunger faded.

Then, she found something strange. Roserikta bent down and picked up a wiggling object from the floor. It was a clump of Eaton’s hair.

The strands had bunched together into a shape resembling a tiny dust mite. It wiggled and squirmed, tickling her palm. She stared at the bizarre clump with wide eyes.

[Roserikta] "Is this possible? The Water of Life should only last five minutes."

The hairball let out a tiny, high-pitched whimper, as if it were scared. This was even more shocking.

[Roserikta] "Impossible......"

A potion meant to move objects momentarily had created a living creature. She ran to her cabinet, wondering if she had misunderstood the potion's properties.

[Roserikta] "This makes no sense. Did the Water of Life spoil? No, Grandmother’s cabinet has preservation spells on it."

Even if the medicine had changed, this shouldn't have happened. She had never heard of magic that turned a non-living thing into a permanent living being.

Eeeeee. Eek.

The hairball kept whimpering and pressed itself against her hand, acting like a needy pet. This meant the hair possessed a sense of self and was reacting to her.

[Roserikta] "It was around here...... ah, here it is."

She found the page on the Water of Life and read it frantically.

[Roserikta] "Known to affect non-living objects. The effect lasts no longer than ten minutes in human time. This limit accounts for the fragile human mind, which can't readily accept things beyond its understanding. Even if a witch devises a way to extend the effect, she is strongly advised to respect the time limit. Yes. Ten minutes maximum. Grandmother's potion is no different."

She knew this well. She had memorized it dozens of times during her studies.

[Roserikta] "Then what is the problem...... ah!"

An idea struck her. She gathered the shards of the broken Water of Life bottle. A few drops remained inside. She sprinkled them onto the page she had just read.

Fsssssss......

A faint blue mist rose from the paper. The illustration of the Water of Life began to squirm and take shape. In the drawing, it looked like liquid in a bowl, but now it formed into a plump, water-drop fairy.

It was as she suspected. This book hid certain explanations. Only those who mastered the recipe and created the true potion could see the hidden information. The little water sprite began to sing in a tiny voice.

[Sprite] "But but, there are things the laws of the Water of Life can't touch."

[Roserikta] "What things?"

[Sprite] "Things that have life but have no life."

[Roserikta] "What does that mean?"

[Sprite] "Things born as living creatures but had their life stolen. Those, those things."

Her face turned pale. Things with life but no life. Creatures whose life had been stolen.

[Roserikta] "Are you talking about...... people under a black magic curse?"

[Sprite] "Correct, correct! Those, those are the things that defy the rules of magic. They have left the path of the moon. When things mix, everything becomes a mess. Even the Water of Life becomes a mess. A mess."

[Roserikta] "So that is why this strange thing was created?"

She held the hairball out to the sprite. The sprite spun around with its hands over its head, continuing its song.

[Sprite] "A mess, a mess! Everything is a mess! But this is cute, cute! Just like me, like me!"

She pressed her finger against the spinning sprite to stop it.

[Roserikta] "Stop that and tell me more. Is this thing still tied to the Black Witch?"

[Sprite] "No, no! When black magic and magic mix, a void is created. A being born outside of destiny. This is just an accident. An accident, but cute, cute! Just like me, like me!"

[Roserikta] "That’s a relief. Then...... tell me one more thing. The owner of this hair is having his life force drained by black magic. If I give him the Water of Life, will it help him recover?"

[Sprite] "Don't know, don't know! I really don't know! It is outside of destiny. I don't know the result!"

[Roserikta] "So it might work, or it might not?"

[Sprite] "Yes, yes! Yes-yes-yes! Yes-yes-yes-no-no-no! I am cute, cute, cuuuuuuute!"

The potion’s power was fading. The sprite’s song reached a frantic peak. Its transparent blue face turned red as it hit the high notes, and its dancing grew more violent.

She became desperate.

[Roserikta] "Wait, wait! You have to tell me. Which one is it?"

[Sprite] "I don't know the result! But you can find out, find out!"

[Roserikta] "How?"

[Sprite] "I am cute, cute, cuuuuuuuute! And that thing is cute, cute, cuuuuuuuute!"

[Roserikta] "Yes, yes. You are both very cute. So how do I find out......"

Pop!

[Roserikta] "......Ah! No!"

The magic vanished, and the sprite disappeared.