Witch – Chapter 88 – A Hundred Year Reunion with the Witch (7)

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Stella grew at an astonishing rate, just as Estelle had designed.

It took two days of mana feeding before her teeth began to grow.

One moment, she was crawling into corners when no one was looking, and by the fifth day, she was standing on her own, taking clumsy steps… until she finally tumbled into Dorothy’s arms.

Her soft, peach-pink bob fluttered as she moved, and before long, she was even able to speak short words.

“Mama!”

“Did you hear that?! She just said ‘Mama’!”

Dorothy slipped her hands under Stella’s arms, lifting her up proudly to show Estelle.

Over the past five days, what had started as a mere lump of flesh had quickly solidified its place as her second daughter. Stella was dutifully fulfilling her original purpose—easing Dorothy’s loneliness.

Her peach-pink hair and crimson eyes were identical to Estelle’s.

Her plump, rounded cheeks and bright, beaming smile—what was she so happy about?

Seeing her own forgotten childhood reflected before her made Estelle feel an odd discomfort. It wasn’t the unease of meeting a doppelgänger, but rather a purely aesthetic revulsion—Was she really this ugly as a baby?

‘Did I feed her too much mana? Is that why she’s so chubby…?’

As she frowned in contemplation, Stella’s tiny hands pawed at Estelle’s ample chest.

Now that she could express herself beyond crying, this was her signal—she was hungry.

“Mama!”

“I think she’s saying ‘milk’, not ‘Mama’.”

“What do you know?”

‘Then why did you even ask?’

Estelle swallowed the retort on the tip of her tongue and laughed off Dorothy’s prickly response.

Regardless of what Dorothy thought, Stella’s eyes were locked onto Estelle’s chest like a fawn discovering a spring, drool practically dripping from her mouth.

Her fingers drummed impatiently against Estelle’s chest, then began to tug at her clothes… until, finally, she latched on with her sharp little teeth.

“Anyway, I was just about to prepare her solid food, so wait—KYAH…?!”

Even through her tightly fastened clothes, the sensation of those teeth sent a jolt through Estelle. She let out a shrill scream, her face flushing red.

Back on the second day, she hadn’t realized Stella’s teeth had already grown in.

When she tried to nurse her, the sharp pain made her yank Stella away in a panic. The sight of blood welling up from the bite marks on her nipple left her utterly bewildered.

She had hastily used a potion to heal the wound, leaving no scar, but her left breast still throbbed with phantom pain, its presence now impossible to ignore beneath her clothes.

And now, five days later, it remained Stella’s prime target—a perfect 10/10 snack.

Estelle tried to peel Stella off, but the baby’s suction was inhumanly strong—there was no prying her loose.

“Is Mama’s milk really that good?”

“Ugh—! Stop staring and HELP me!”

Her plea fell on deaf ears as Dorothy simply watched with a fond smile. Estelle was about to lose her mind.

Realizing no mana was coming out, Stella finally released her grip, leaving behind a sticky trail of drool connecting her mouth to Estelle’s nipple.

“It got even bigger…”

Just when she thought the worst was over… Estelle’s swollen nipple, responding to Stella’s suction, throbbed painfully. She swallowed back tears.

“Want to let Stella have the other one too? Balance things out?”

“I think I’ll just go home.”

“If you’re leaving, at least make some food first. And prepare clothes in advance—she’s growing fast.”

With that, Dorothy scooped Stella into her arms and coolly walked off to the kitchen, as if her eldest daughter was no longer needed. Estelle sighed as she watched her go.

‘You’re clearly enjoying this, so why scold me?’

She was grateful Dorothy had accepted Stella without hesitation, but now Estelle just felt foolish for crying and begging for forgiveness earlier.

‘…Wait. Did begging for forgiveness lead to this?’

Even as a witch herself, Estelle couldn’t begin to understand a witch’s whims.

‘Well… if this keeps the peace, I guess it’s fine.’

Sacrificing a breast for harmony wasn’t the worst trade.

Once Stella started eating solid food, Dorothy took over all childcare duties.

“Huu… Here, open up~”

She would scoop up the food, blow on it to cool it down, test the temperature with her pinky, and then carefully feed Stella—every motion brimming with affection.

Stella, for her part, clapped her hands in delight, spilling half her meal in the process. Dorothy would then gently scoop up the mess around her mouth and feed it back to her, laughing all the while.

Estelle, resting her chin on her hand as she watched from across the table, was reminded of the days she had cared for Josie.

She used to feed her like this too, spoon by spoon.

I hope she’s eating well… She better not catch a cold.

She looks healthy, but she tires so easily…

And she better not wander into dangerous places just because they look fun…

“Thinking about Josie?”

“Huh? Was it that obvious?”

“Of course. I’ve been there.”

“……”

Estelle didn’t know how to respond, so she stayed silent.

A mother’s heart might be the same in essence, but its depth varied. She didn’t dare assume she truly understood Dorothy’s feelings.

‘Maybe it’s selfish of me, but… I’m grateful.’

Grateful that Dorothy had missed her for over a hundred years.

Just like Estelle had done, Josie would travel the world, seeing, learning, and feeling so much. Their circumstances and motivations might differ, but the journey itself wouldn’t be so different.

She might even make friends like she did Beryl… Friends…?

“Mom, don’t you have any friends?”

“Friends?”

The word triggered a sudden thought, and Estelle turned the question back on Dorothy.

The Witches of the Four Directions.

Just like Dorothy, the Witch of the West, the other primordial witches—of the South, East, and North—were key figures in the Aria Chronicle.

They appeared as series bosses, each with their own terrible gimmicks and dramatic three-phase battles.

“How am I supposed to meet friends when I’m holed up here alone?”

“Come on. A great witch like you must have at least three friends, right? What are they like?”

Dorothy paused mid-scoop at the sudden question, considering the few beings she could even call friends.

‘Friends, huh…’

As Estelle had guessed, Dorothy did have three. Whether they considered her a friend was another matter.

It had been so long since she’d last seen them—the most recent contact being when she’d reached out after taking Estelle as her apprentice.

“Hecate’s busy raising her own disciple. Rapunzel’s holed up in her tower, spouting nonsense about fate… And Alice? That bitch isn’t worth mentioning.”

Hecate, the Witch of the South.

Rapunzel, the Witch of the North.

Alice, the Witch of the East.

Hearing names she’d only known from games sent a thrill through Estelle. Why didn’t she ask about this sooner? Pushing aside her regret, she stopped Dorothy from brushing off the topic.

“Why? Tell me more.”

“Drop it. Even if we’re ‘friends’, we’re not close enough for small talk.”

Estelle clung to her like a child begging for a bedtime story. If she could coax out tales of unrequited love or ancient romances, even better.

Dorothy yanked on her own hair in exasperation, and Estelle reluctantly backed off—but the longing in her eyes was unmistakable. Dorothy sighed.

“You wretched girl. Since when are my friends your business?”

“But… what if Josie or I run into them someday? Wouldn’t it be better to at least greet them properly? ‘Please take care of my mom’, or something?”

‘Oh, for—’

Dorothy was floored by the absurdity.

Encountering a primordial witch was no easy feat, even for another witch.

Each was consumed by their own desires, barring outsiders from their domains. None were hospitable enough to entertain uninvited guests.

Dorothy was no exception.

How Estelle had broken through the trials guarding Paradise’s Gate remained a mystery, but that was the bare minimum required to meet her.

Maybe it’s better if Estelle knows a bit of the world’s truths.

For a witch destined to live forever, knowledge couldn’t hurt. But deciding how much to reveal was tricky.

“Listen carefully, Estelle. There are witches like me in all four directions.”

“Your friends?”

“Yes. My ‘friends’. I’m the West. Hecate’s the South. Alice is the East. Rapunzel’s the North. They’re all… eccentric. Don’t go looking for them.”

Estelle wanted to cover her ears at Dorothy’s nagging—she already knew all this. But as a fellow mother now, she quietly endured it.

“If you do meet them, avoid Alice at all costs. Don’t even go to the East. Hecate will treat you decently if you mention my name. And the Rapunzel? You’ll never meet her unless you seek her out. Actually—just don’t meet any of them. Got it?”

“…I’ll try.”

So this is how Josie felt.

Estelle parroted the same noncommittal answer always used on Josie.

‘It’s not like I have a choice—I’ll meet all of them in 200 years anyway.’

For now, she’d just play along.

In the end, she hadn’t learned anything substantial.

‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

All she’d gotten was an earful of scolding.

“Ugh. Brat.”

Dorothy moved to resume feeding, but Stella had already dozed off in her arms.

“So. You wretched girl?”

If not for Stella, this question should have come on the first day. But the past five days had been consumed by childcare.

Dorothy wanted to hear about the world from Estelle’s perspective—far more than her own old, nagging stories.

Lucent