TWFLLYM Ch 80

A Witch’s True Nature

[Arad] "Yes, no, Your Highness, how did this happen……"

Fortunately, Arad had a very quick-witted and intelligent partner.

Elona, with years of experience as a palace maid, understood the depths of human emotion. While her innocent lover remained oblivious to the Prince’s mood, she recognized it immediately.

This was jealousy.

The Prince undoubtedly felt a desperate need to monopolize everything related to Roserikta. Touching that nerve would surely lead to disaster.

[Elona] "Just leave for now. Ask Sir Klein about the rest later."

She whispered into Arad's ear. He swallowed his sense of injustice and left the study.

Once the annoyance vanished, Kalart stared long and hard at Clobellina.

[Kalart] "I will make you like me, no matter what."

[Clobell] "Hmph. Go ahead and try. I am not an easy cat. A few snacks won't win me over."

Roserikta, caught between Kalart and Clobellina, awkwardly pulled at her sleeve. She knew this was not the most pressing issue.

[Roserikta] "Your Highness. If you allow it, I would like to visit the jeweler in the capital……"

[Kalart] "No need. I will summon the jeweler to the palace."

Fortunately, although Kalart was lost in the rush of his first love, he didn't forget his duties.

For twenty-eight years, the Prince had lived apart from the world's passions. Now, he was enduring the symptoms of love like a sudden, intense fever.

Elona found watching these events from such a close distance incredibly entertaining. She worried for her lover’s safety, but she could provide him with the right advice when needed.

---

Time flowed smoothly.

The Royal Guard prepared for the Black Witch with a flawless security system.

Consent forms for the appointment of the Imperial Advisor arrived one after another. Arad had successfully convinced the elderly nobles.

Eaton suspected Arad had begged with tears rather than logic, but the result satisfied everyone.

Klein guaranteed the appointment ceremony would take place within a week. They were only waiting for the official document, crafted from parchment and decorated with pearls and rubies, to be finished.

Meanwhile, Roserikta produced thirty bottles of Life Water.

Through her growing knowledge of dark magic, she concluded that Life Water was the most effective weapon against the Black Witch.

However, a problem remained: her grandmother’s book didn't contain everything. Ancient texts on dark magic were vast, and many were destroyed when the Black Witch was first exiled. Her grandmother’s collection was impressive, but it lacked specific answers.

Specifically, she found no clues on how to lift the curse.

Dark magic differed fundamentally from a witch’s moon-based magic. Her grandmother’s books recorded ways to ease symptoms, but removing the curse itself was another matter entirely.

While those aware of the Black Witch remained busy, those who knew nothing were equally occupied. Among them, the Chamberlain and the Head Maid were the busiest of all.

[Lafitte] "Ahem. Your Highness. May I request a moment of your time?"

The Chamberlain gathered his courage to seek the Crown Prince.

He could no longer delay. The Head Maid pressured him daily, and creating fake evidence of witchcraft was proving impossible. He needed to know what a witch even was before he could frame someone.

After agonizing for days, the Chamberlain changed his strategy. Instead of presenting physical evidence, he would drop subtle hints.

Evidence was difficult, but words were easy to craft. He had served the Prince since childhood; surely, the Prince would value his words.

[Kalart] "I am busy right now. Is this a state secret?"

[Lafitte] "No, it is not exactly a secret, but……"

[Kalart] "Then speak to Eaton. I will hear it from him later."

The Chamberlain knew the Prince, the Royal Guard, and the Secretary were unusually frantic. He guessed something was happening on the southern border based on the letters he saw.

However, he didn't worry about state affairs. He found the young, brilliant Crown Prince far more reliable than the Emperor, who had been living at a hot spring for months.

The Empire remained peaceful because of Kalart. The Chamberlain felt he must contribute to that peace.

[Lafitte] "Your Highness! It will only take a moment."

[Kalart] "You said it wasn't a secret."

The Prince turned away, clearly annoyed, but the Chamberlain persisted. He didn't believe his master would truly cast him aside.

[Kalart] "Can you finish in five minutes?"

[Lafitte] "Oh, five minutes might be too short."

[Kalart] "Then later."

The Prince waved his hand as if to dismiss a nuisance. The Chamberlain refused to accept it.

[Lafitte] "It…… it concerns the cat maid, Your Highness!"

The waving hand stopped.

[Kalart] "Come in."

His faith was rewarded.

The Chamberlain entered the chaotic study, moved by the Prince’s generosity. He had practically raised Kalart; a deep bond existed between them that even the Head Maid couldn't match.

[Kalart] "Did something happen to her?"

The Prince, who was reviewing a letter from the southern border, pressed his forehead as if exhausted. The Chamberlain glanced at Eaton and lowered his voice to sound more secretive.

[Lafitte] "Yes, Your Highness."

The Chamberlain pretended to hesitate, claiming it pained him to speak. Kalart’s gaze sharpened instantly.

[Kalart] "Speak quickly. I have little patience when it comes to her."

The Chamberlain believed the Prince’s patience would vanish entirely once he heard the news.

[Lafitte] "I trust you know that unpleasant rumors have followed the cat maid since she entered the palace."

[Kalart] "And?"

The Chamberlain saw the Prince’s furrowed brow as proof that suspicion was taking root.

[Lafitte] "I have also watched her closely. The rumors seem wild, but if even a fraction is true, it could cause an uncontrollable crisis. I can't ignore even the smallest danger to the Imperial Family."

[Kalart] "So?"

[Lafitte] "While watching her, I saw something very suspicious."

[Kalart] "What?"

[Lafitte] "She brought a broom with her when she entered the palace, Your Highness."

A strange light flashed in the Prince's eyes at the mention of the broom.

Old legends claimed witches rode brooms. It sounded like nonsense, but the broom and the black cat were the twin symbols of a witch. Surely, the brilliant Prince knew this.

[Lafitte] "She told Countess Aldwin that it was a scratcher for her cat, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "And?"

The Chamberlain raised his voice for effect, his heel clicking against the floor.

[Lafitte] "But I swear, I have never once seen that black cat sharpen its claws on that broom!"

[Kalart] "And?"

[Lafitte] "Furthermore, the single broom suddenly became two! Why would she need two brooms she doesn't even use? We can't simply overlook this, Your Highness."

Clack.

Klein, who had moved his desk into the study for some reason, dropped his pen. The Chamberlain glanced at him and noticed a strange expression. Klein looked at him as if he were pathetic.

I must be imagining things, the Chamberlain thought. Even an Imperial Secretary must have heard the palace rumors.

Kalart scowled.

[Kalart] "Are you telling me that there are now two unused brooms in the palace? Is that why you asked for my time while I am busy?"

[Lafitte] "Wait, that's not all! I investigated the pharmacy she runs in the capital. The stories are shocking. More than twelve nobles saw their bodies ruined after taking her medicine. Three went insane, and over seven lost their sense of taste or pain."

The "ruined bodies" were actually people who lost weight. This happened when Roserikta tried to make diet medicine for Clobellina. Unfortunately, the medicine only worked on humans. She stopped selling it because she felt long-term use was unhealthy.

The "insane" people were just cases where reports of the laughter mushroom syrup were exaggerated. Those who "lost their senses" simply experienced very effective painkillers.

[Kalart] "No one died. So what?"

The Prince seemed to miss the gravity of the situation. The Chamberlain shook his head in distress.

[Lafitte] "It is suspicious, Your Highness. Permit me to order those useless brooms destroyed. If the cat maid protests, it will prove the rumors are true."

[Kalart] "Denied."

The answer was so blunt and fast that the Chamberlain felt like crying.

[Lafitte] "May I ask why you refuse, Your Highness?"

[Kalart] "Because it is a waste of time."

The Chamberlain wiped his brow.

[Lafitte] "With all due respect, revealing a witch's identity is never a waste of time."

[Kalart] "It is."

[Lafitte] "You might not understand the horror of a witch, Your Highness. You are young, so perhaps you haven't heard of the wicked things they do……"

[Kalart] "They cast curses. Curses that make it impossible to love any human for an entire lifetime."

The Prince knew. He spoke the words so readily that he must have studied the records. The Chamberlain brightened and continued.

[Lafitte] "Exactly, Your Highness! And not only that……"

[Kalart] "They suck the life out of living humans like parasites to make them their servants. Once that happens, the person becomes as dry as a piece of wood. Their bones become so brittle that they snap at the slightest touch."

[Lafitte] "What……? Do they do such things? I didn't even know that."

[Kalart] "They ensure their victims can't even find peace in death. They keep the bones in boxes instead of burying them in the ground."

[Lafitte] "Goodness! Such a terrible……"

It was more wicked than any nightmare. The Chamberlain trembled.

Wait. How does the Prince know all this?

[Kalart] "That is what a witch does."

[Lafitte] "Ah, yes, you are right. A witch is undeniably that evil……"

[Kalart] "And what did you say she did? She brought an extra broom? What else?"

[Lafitte] "Well…… um, she sold medicine that made people thin……"

[Kalart] "And medicine that made them laugh or feel less pain."

[Lafitte] "Yes, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "Is that evil?"

[Lafitte] "That is……"

Cold sweat began to pour down the Chamberlain's face. Compared to the horror of sucking away life and turning bones into brittle wood, Roserikta’s actions didn't even sound like witchcraft.

He thought the two brooms were a "gotcha" moment, but now he felt foolish.

[Kalart] "Even if the rumors are true, she only sold medicine that had minor side effects for some people. Even the medicines from the Imperial Physician have side effects."

[Lafitte] "I suppose you are right, Your Highness."

[Kalart] "Should I really care about such trivial matters?"

The answer was obviously no. The Chamberlain bowed his head, his face pale as if he had been struck.

[Lafitte] "Forgive me, Your Highness. My desire to protect the Imperial Family clouded my judgment."

[Kalart] "I understand your concern. I will not punish you for bothering me with trifles this time. You may leave."

The Chamberlain clutched his hands together. The Prince had overlooked his hasty mistake. This meant the Prince trusted him deeply. It was the greatest honor of his life.

[Lafitte] "I offer my thanks and respect to your brilliant wisdom. I will take my leave."

[Kalart] "Do not seek me out for this again. This is the last time."

The Chamberlain took it as a warning not to make the same mistake twice. He ignored the fact that the Prince’s voice sounded cold and heartless.

[Lafitte] "I will carve your words into my heart, Your Highness."

The Prince was right. It was a foolish, useless effort. A real witch should at least suck the life out of someone. Roserikta was a commoner, but otherwise, she was a flawless partner for the Prince.

Frame her as a witch? The idea was wrong from the start. It was all because the Head Maid filled his head with nonsense. In the future, he would not even listen to her.

The Chamberlain left the study with a firm vow. Behind him, life in the study returned to its busy, peaceful rhythm.