Chapter 15 – The Witch and The Prince (4)

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“Are you awake?”

When Leo opened his eyes, he was met with the girl’s face.

Was this déjà vu?

He felt like he’d had a similar experience just moments ago.

He had tried to hold her hand and express his gratitude.

As he sat up on the sofa, he recalled the last thing he remembered before fainting.

‘If a boy and girl hold hands, they’ll… get pregnant!!!’

When he thought about how desperately the girl had tried to pull away, her words didn’t seem like a lie. It felt like the common sense he had learned in the royal palace as a child was crumbling.

But… just holding hands could lead to pregnancy?

Was that how witches worked?

When he first saw the girl, he hadn’t felt the same dread as when he faced the witch.

Unconsciously, his gaze shifted to her hands.

Despite the scars marring her otherwise porcelain-like skin, her hands were delicate and beautiful.

A butterfly-like flower resting on the back of her right hand seemed to notice Leo’s gaze and hid itself in her sleeve.

“Um… if you keep staring at my hand like that, it’s kind of…”

“I’m sorry!”

He quickly apologized and bowed his head. He didn’t want to faint again.

While her gesture of hiding her hands in her sleeves seemed cute, the memory of the vines before he fainted made him break out in a cold sweat.

Judging by how the witch treated her, the girl seemed even more dangerous than the witch.

He wanted to live. But how?

Looking around, the witch was nowhere to be seen.

If he wanted to escape, now was the time. He had to wait for the girl to be distracted.

“Since you’re royalty… should I call you Prince? Or… Leo?”

Prince. It had been a while since he’d been called that, but it brought back unpleasant memories.

The title ‘Prince’ was always preceded by words like ‘fool’ or ‘incompetent.’

“Just Leo is fine.”

He decided to play along with the girl. Surely, an opportunity would arise.

“I’m Josie. Earlier, I was so startled that I accidentally…”

“No, no. I should be thanking you for saving me.”

The girl, who introduced herself as Josie, kept bowing her head in apology, so Leo followed suit.

Despite his desire to escape, his gratitude was genuine.

If Josie hadn’t saved him, he didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened to him by now.

“…….”

“…….”

An awkward silence hung between them.

What should he say?

This was a place where common sense didn’t apply.

If he said or did the wrong thing, he might get wrapped in vines again, so he hesitated to speak.

Josie fidgeted with her hands, avoiding his gaze. She seemed to have something to say but couldn’t bring herself to speak, which only made Leo more anxious.

If they wasted time like this, the witch would return.

He wanted to go home.

Even though there was no family or friends to welcome him back.

Even if he hadn’t become a Heresy Inquisitor, he had gained the Holy Eye. Wouldn’t they welcome him for that?

As a prince and a believer, he could finally show proof of his faith.

‘But they’d be welcoming the Holy Eye, not me.’

People like them might pluck out his eyes, just as the witch had almost done.

‘You’re not worthy of the Holy Eye.’

‘We’ll give it to someone more deserving.’

Leo found his situation laughable.

A prince who had never proven himself.

A fool who recklessly sought to join the Heresy Inquisitors but failed.

Captured by orcs and saved by a witch at the brink of death…

Was the existence of Leo Patrick Florence even necessary?

His head felt heavy.

To think he had wanted to become a Heresy Inquisitor, only to be captured by a witch. He couldn’t face Lady Lucia like this.

“This tea will warm your heart.”

While Leo was lost in negative thoughts, Josie handed him a cup of tea.

It had a unique aroma and a bluish-green hue.

Her shy smile and expectant expression made him take a sip.

“How is it?”

“Yes, the aroma and taste are wonderful. It really does warm the heart, just as you said.”

“Right? It’s a secret from Mom. She told me never to serve this to anyone else.”

He wondered if there was some secret to this tea, but fearing he might get hurt if he pried further, he decided to drop it.

“When you say ‘Mom’…”

“The lady who was here earlier. We don’t look alike, do we? She took me in after my parents passed away.”

‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

It was too late for regrets now.

Both the witch and Josie were beautiful, but they didn’t resemble each other much. Their auras, hair colors… and their chests.

“What about you, Leo? You’re a prince, right? What about your family?”

“Haha…”

Family.

He didn’t want to think about it. All it brought was bad memories.

“You don’t have to answer if it’s uncomfortable. My mom, though…”

Josie went on about how her mom was a great cook, took care of her when she was sick, and always hugged her warmly.

Leo couldn’t help but feel envious.

Shouldn’t it be the opposite?

Witches rejected God and cursed people, so Josie, living with a witch, should be miserable.

Meanwhile, as a prince of the Holy Kingdom, Leo should be blessed and happy.

So why did Josie, who lived with a witch, seem happier than him?

“Actually, when I said I wanted to save you, Mom was really against it.”

“Is that so?”

Even Leo would have opposed saving a witch.

Even if he hadn’t known she was a witch, the moment he found out, he would have handed her over to the Heresy Inquisitors.

Thinking from the opposite perspective, the answer was clear. Witches and the Holy Kingdom were natural enemies.

“We even argued because of it… but we made up. I think it’s thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me? It’s all because you two truly love and care for each other.”

Love couldn’t exist one-sidedly.

Only when both sides loved each other could it truly be called love.

He recalled the sermons he had heard as a child about God’s love.

“Leo, you seem like a good person.”

A good person… Even that compliment couldn’t make him happy.

“Do you hate witches too?”

Witches defied the natural order and tempted lost lambs.

The Holy Kingdom protected the natural order and upheld God’s will as law, so the two could never coexist.

Since the founding of the Holy Kingdom, many had been freed from witches’ curses through witch hunts.

Did he hate witches?

No one in the Holy Kingdom liked witches.

Even though Leo was a troublemaker, his perception of witches was no different from the common folks.

“Yes, I hate witches.”

The Heresy Inquisitors, who hunted witches, were Leo’s last bastion of justice.

 

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“Did you have a good talk?”

When Estelle returned home after reinforcing the barriers, she found Josie burying her face in the bed.

Seeing Leo tied up with vines and unconscious, she could guess what had happened.

It seemed things hadn’t gone as Josie had hoped.

“I thought he was a good person…”

“You really thought he was a good person?”

“…I’m not even sure anymore.”

Estelle sat beside Josie, letting her rest her head on her lap as she stroked her hair.

“Why do people hate witches?”

“Hmm… Didn’t you hate them too in the past? Even until recently.”

Estelle couldn’t help but smile, remembering how Josie used to say ‘I hate you!’ every time Estelle showed her affection.

She had even tried to poison Estelle’s tea at one point.

Embarrassed by the memory, Josie tried to lift her head but was stopped by Estelle’s ample chest and quietly settled back down.

“This is a bit different, though…”

“What matters isn’t how he feels about witches. What matters is whether he’s connected to the Heresy Inquisitors.”

So what if he hates witches?

I’m not exactly fond of other witches either.

I can count the number of witches I’m close to on one hand.

“What did you originally want to ask him?”

“I don’t know how to bring it up…”

“Were you nervous because he’s a prince?”

“Ah…! No, I wasn’t!!!!”

Estelle couldn’t help but tease her, remembering how Josie used to love fairy tales where the prince saved the princess.

She had stepped aside to give them space, but Josie hadn’t even asked the important questions.

Had she spoiled her daughter too much? But then again, this was part of what made Josie so endearing.

“So, what do you want to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“My stance hasn’t changed.”

If he harmed Josie in any way, Estelle had no intention of letting him go.

Even if she didn’t act directly, the curses she had planted in his heart and brain would activate.

Whether he was a Heresy Inquisitor, royalty, or whatever.

There were many ways to torment people, even those who had passed away. She wouldn’t let him rest peacefully in God’s embrace.

“Please give me a little more time.”

“Alright then.”

Josie, who had been nervous just from talking to someone else, had fallen asleep. Estelle gently laid her down and covered her with a blanket.

She didn’t know what Josie was hoping for, but it didn’t seem like it would be easy for either of them.