Ch. 9 The Witch and Her Apprentice (10)
by Afuhfuihgs
Chapter 9 – The Witch and Her Apprentice (10)
Dorothy, the witch who had been leisurely observing life from the western edge of the land, felt a sense of joy when her disciple, Estelle, contacted her for the first time through the Witch’s Mirror.
Memories of the little girl who used to follow her around, calling her “Lady Witch,” flashed through her mind. At times, the image of that brat who would annoy her by calling her “Auntie” also surfaced, but to Dorothy, Estelle was her one and only disciple—almost like a daughter.
Estelle had always been unusually sharp for her age and possessed an unyielding determination.
She never demanded attention, never complained about food, and never crossed the line as a disciple.
To put it positively, she was mature beyond her years. To put it negatively, she lacked the cuteness one would expect from someone her age.
Every morning, breakfast would be waiting on the desk, and the dusty books would be neatly cleaned. Estelle often acted as if she had Dorothy’s personality all figured out.
“I’ll do it!”
“Just teach me once, and I won’t bother you again!”
Even though Dorothy had left the mortal world hundreds of years ago, she wondered if children these days were all so mature.
When she asked the Witch of the South, who was famous for taking in many disciples, the Witch of the South scoffed, saying such a child could only exist in dreams. She even jealously suggested that if such a child existed, Dorothy should hand her over. Dorothy ignored her jealousy.
From Dorothy’s perspective, Estelle was the perfect candidate to take in as a disciple.
Aside from the basics of mana manipulation and understanding, all Dorothy had to do was hand her books, and Estelle would study on her own.
Dorothy thought that even if Estelle had gone to another witch, the outcome wouldn’t have been much different.
Before Estelle left, Dorothy asked why she had chosen her instead of another witch. Estelle’s answer, “Because you were the closest,” made Dorothy furious.
At first, Dorothy was curious, then gradually intrigued.
She wondered how far Estelle would go.
Compared to Dorothy, who was born with the innate talent of a witch, Estelle fell slightly short.
If Dorothy was the type to say, “It just works,” Estelle was the type to say, “It works because I worked hard.”
When Estelle fell asleep among the magic books after studying late into the night, Dorothy would tidy up the books and cover her with a blanket.
When Estelle brought a clumsy bundle of sticks, insisting that witches should fly on brooms, Dorothy worried she might fall.
Dorothy slowly opened her heart to Estelle.
But the sense of unease began when Estelle turned nineteen.
Estelle had never revealed her inner thoughts beyond her initial desire to become a witch.
What kind of life had she led before? Why did she want to become a witch?
What food did she like? What colors did she prefer?
At first, Dorothy thought Estelle might be hiding her preferences out of consideration for her.
Dorothy wanted to know more about Estelle.
“What’s your favorite color? I like black.”
“My favorite color? Hmm… I’ve never thought about it.”
“This stew is delicious. I liked the savory one last time, but this sweet one is nice too.”
“Um… I’m not sure. I’ve never thought about it.”
Never thought about it?
Then what on earth was she thinking about?
Why did she want to become a witch?
In the first place,
“Estelle, who are you?”
“…….”
Was it okay to ask this question so late?
Dorothy didn’t get an answer, but that was fine. She believed it brought her one step closer to Estelle.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.’
After that, Estelle, who had always been precocious, began to act like a rebellious teenager.
She would sneak into the storage room and drink potions without permission, or she would try to modify her broom, leaving a huge hole in the process.
The little girl who used to follow Dorothy around like a chick, calling her “Lady Witch,” now called her “Auntie” with a mischievous grin.
Dorothy couldn’t bring herself to hate Estelle. They had shared too much time together.
Even though she was constantly on edge, wondering what kind of trouble Estelle would cause next, it was far more enjoyable than when Estelle had been acting overly mature for her age.
Unlike Dorothy, who was born with the innate talent of a witch, those who were not born with it would be cursed if they tried to take on the role of a witch.
A witch bound by the curse would become ageless and immortal, living as a slave to the curse.
Immortality.
Some might consider it a blessing, but for a witch, it was a curse to bear.
Dorothy didn’t want Estelle to become a witch.
She wanted her to live an ordinary life, meet someone she loved, and start a family. It wasn’t too late.
Even though Estelle had come to her wanting to become a witch, Dorothy found herself standing in the way.
Unlike Estelle, who had long been prepared for this, Dorothy wasn’t ready.
Dorothy unconsciously tugged at her curly black hair.
It was a habit she had when she was frustrated.
‘Why didn’t I stop her back then?’
‘Becoming a witch wasn’t something one should aspire to.’
‘What if she resents me?’
Dorothy was terrified.
Her vulnerable self was reflected in Estelle’s eyes.
“Becoming a witch… there’s something I really want to do. It’s very important to me.”
Seeing Estelle clinging to her like that, Dorothy couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
She admitted it. No parent can win against their child.
That day, Estelle became a witch and left Dorothy’s side.
Dorothy had always known that Estelle would leave her someday, but that night, the emptiness left by Estelle felt particularly large.
When she woke up in the morning, she expected breakfast to be ready as usual, and she wondered how she would scold Estelle for calling her “Auntie” and irritating her.
I’ll never take in another disciple.
My beloved Estelle. That brat…
That ungrateful child who doesn’t understand a mother’s heart…
Even if Estelle were to return one day and resent her…
Dorothy thought it wouldn’t be so bad to live together, bickering until the end of the world.
With that thought, she felt a little more at ease and fell asleep.
“So, why did you call?”
“It’s… It’s about Josie…”
Dorothy was frustrated as Estelle repeated the same words while crying like a child.
Seeing the endless tears through the Witch’s Mirror made Dorothy want to rush over and give her a good beating, but she held back.
Well, it’s been a long time since her disciple contacted her. This was a time for the patience of an elder.
“Sniff… Josie, Josie…”
“Can you explain a little?”
‘Fine. It’s all good. Crying like this, which she never showed when she left, is fine. Not contacting me for a hundred years is also fine. But at least tell me who Josie is so I can sympathize or give advice or something.’
Just squeezing out tears without any context was testing Dorothy’s patience.
“Josieeeee…!!”
Snap.
Dorothy’s patience snapped.
“Silence, you ungrateful brat!!!!”
“I’m sorry!!!! I’m sorry for being an ungrateful brat!!!!!!”
It took about ten minutes for Estelle’s tears to subside.
Dorothy considered smashing the mirror and going back to sleep so Estelle would never contact her again, but she couldn’t leave her crying like a child.
Huu. Haa.
After taking a deep breath, Estelle slowly explained the situation, sounding like a child confessing her mistakes.
“So… you don’t know why Josie got angry, and you don’t know how to handle her from now on?”
“Yes…”
Dorothy saw a reflection of her past self in Estelle.
There was a time when Dorothy couldn’t understand Estelle either.
Honestly, she still didn’t fully understand.
The current situation felt like a daughter who had just slapped her child in shock and was now seeking her mother’s help. It left a bad taste in Dorothy’s mouth.
‘This makes me feel like a grandmother.’
“Have you talked to the kid?”
“No… She just got over a fever and is sleeping now.”
“Then just ask her directly.”
“That’s… a bit difficult…”
Estelle squirmed and blushed.
“You idiot.”
Dorothy tugged at her hair, and Estelle on the other side of the mirror flinched.
“If you think you know everything about that kid, you’re delusional. You don’t know why she got angry? If you knew, would you have slapped her? Do you talk to her often? What’s her favorite color? Favorite animal? What food makes her happiest? Have you even tried to find out?”
Dorothy vented her frustrations.
She thought something had changed when she saw Estelle crying. It was a huge misconception.
“……”
Estelle could only remain silent.
After all, she had no answers to those questions.
More importantly, those were the same questions Dorothy had asked her in the past.
Estelle shyly avoided her gaze.
How much effort had Dorothy put in? How futile had it all been?
“Apologize or get angry. Do whatever you want.”
“Wait…!”
The communication cut off abruptly, leaving Estelle lost.
Witch, original work, pure love…
What is she even doing? What does she want to do?
“You should have just let me die back then…!”
Every time Josie’s words echoed in her ears, Estelle’s chest ached.
Even when she curled up, the pain remained.
Lucent
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