Chapter 14 – The Witch and The Prince (3)

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[Be not afraid.]

[For I am His servant, the one who watches over you.]

[With your own eyes, see the world.]

[Hasten to Venetia.]

The moment I met those eyes, my body turned to stone.

The sphere covered in countless eyes would have looked like a terrifying monster if not for the angelic wings attached to it.

Instinctively, I knew it was an angel, but shaking off the fear was impossible.

Even as a strong wind blew and stung my eyes, I couldn’t blink.

Why had an angel descended upon me?

What were those eyes?

Where was Venetia?

Everything was a mystery.

I wished it were just a nightmare.

I wasn’t devout enough to meet an angel.

As the third prince of the Holy Kingdom, I had never shown any sign of divine favor. I was but a fool.

“Are you awake?”

A soft, soothing voice, unlike anything I’d ever heard in a choir, brought me back to consciousness.

My body reacted before my mind did, and even as I saw the person in front of me, I couldn’t close my mouth.

“An… angel?”

She looked about my age, eighteen.

Her silver hair framed her glowing blue eyes, and despite the burn scars, her beauty was undeniable. Butterfly-like flowers rested on her here and there, adding to her mystical aura.

Compared to the monster I’d seen earlier, I wanted to believe she was the angel.

“Pfft. Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not an angel. Hold on, I’ll get you something to drink.”

“Wait…”

I tried to stop her, but she was already out the door.

She was beautiful.

Like a butterfly that would fly away if I reached out to catch her.

As I thought about her, I finally regained my senses and looked around.

Where am I? Is this heaven?

“Whoa!”

As I tried to sit up in bed, I almost lost my balance and fell.

Was my perspective always this high?

It felt like I was looking down from a higher place than usual.

Stumbling, I opened the door and was greeted by a pleasant fragrance.

It was calming.

“You’re finally awake, sleepyhead?”

A different voice this time—mature and enchanting.

Her long, rose-pink hair cascaded down her back, and her ruby-like red eyes were captivating. Her elegant movements as she sipped tea, along with her feminine figure, were enough to make any man lose his mind.

But my instincts screamed at me to stay away.

‘A witch.’

I knew instinctively she was a witch.

A being who defied the natural order.

A temptress leading lost lambs astray.

A heretic.

“I don’t mind all the staring, but it is still rude to do that to a lady.”

As she set down her teacup and approached me, I knew I had to run.

For survival, there was no other way.

Whether it was because I stepped back or because of my new height, I tripped over the doorway and fell.

“I went through the trouble of saving you, so don’t go getting yourself hurt now.”

Saving me?

Me, the troublemaker of the Holy Kingdom?

Are they planning to use me as a sacrifice?

I recalled an ancient tome about a demon king.

If they used me, a descendant of a prophet, as a sacrifice… it made sense.

“Those eyes.”

Are they going to pluck out my eyes?

I couldn’t move, my body limp.

Should I recite a prayer?

What was the prayer?

The prayers I’d memorized like breathing escaped me when I needed them most.

The witch crouched in front of me, giggling.

She was beautiful.

But I was going to die.

Even as her hand approached, I thought, ‘I’m such a lousy believer.’

‘Angel, can’t you just step in for me?’

“Those eyes… are they passive?”

She held up a hand mirror, showing me the glowing light in my eyes. The butterfly-like girl in the distance bringing tea…

I fainted before I could see anything else.

“Oops. He fainted.”

“Huh!?!?”

Leo Patrick Florence, the third prince of the Holy Kingdom, was a troublemaker and a fool.

 

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“…….”

“Relax. We’re not enemies.”

Aren’t witches and the Holy Kingdom mortal enemies?

I thought it was a dream.

But even after regaining consciousness, why was the witch still here?

I wanted to be a Heresy Inquisitor, but not like this.

There’s a saying that if you keep your wits about you, you can survive even in an orc den. I told myself the same.

“Relax, okay?”

She bared her teeth, dark magic swirling around them, and I quickly discarded that thought.

“Are you… going to kill me?”

“If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have saved you. Remember being captured by orcs?”

Right. I was captured by orcs.

The day I went to Lady Lucia to express my desire to join the Heresy Inquisitors.

‘A group of orcs has been spotted near the ruins of Gariril Village.’

Lady Lucia promised to let me join if I helped defeat the orcs and rescue the villagers.

I was excited to finally fulfill my calling.

I found the orcs… and then what?

I couldn’t remember what happened next.

“I remember going after the orcs… but not what happened after.”

“Oh, that kind of cliché?”

I didn’t understand her words, but I could tell she was annoyed. It was clear from her tone.

“Mom, you’re being mean…”

“Hmph!”

The witch crossed her arms and turned away, ignoring the butterfly-like girl’s plea to calm down.

I hoped the girl would soothe the witch, but I had no idea what had upset her in the first place.

“Eyes… eyes…”

‘Eyes?’

The girl, hiding her mouth from the witch, pointed to her eyes with one hand, signaling me.

Eyes?

When I first saw the witch, she mentioned something about eyes…

The glowing eyes reflected in the hand mirror.

The full-length mirror across the room showed my eyes glowing just as brightly.

[With your own eyes, see the world.]

The angel’s words from my dream came back to me.

Could it be… real?

The Holy Eye, said to be granted by an angel’s breath, now rested in my eyes.

The more I marveled at the Holy Eye, the more the witch’s expression seemed to darken.

“Should I kill him?”

“No!”

I didn’t want to trouble the girl, but I had no idea how to suppress the Holy Eye either.

“I, I’ll try to figure it out… but I’ve never done this before…”

“Want me to pluck them out?”

“I’ll figure it out!”

Whether it was the angel’s mistake or not, I didn’t want to lose the Holy Eye.

Without it, I’d have nothing left.

Even if the angel came to take it back, I wouldn’t want to give it to anyone.

Just for a little while, please…!

“How… how is it now…?”

I closed my eyes briefly, then cautiously asked the witch.

She gritted her teeth, scattering remnants of dark magic, but after checking my eyes, her anger subsided.

Phew…

It seemed things had settled down, and I relaxed.

“From now on, those eyes are forbidden in front of me. Got it?”

“Yes…”

“Your name?”

“Leo Patrick Fl… ugh!”

In my relaxed state, I answered without thinking.

Witches can curse you if they know your name and face.

I remembered sneaking a peek at the Heresy Inquisitors’ training as a child.

Not saying my full name was a small mercy, but remembering this was a witch’s den, scarier than an orc den…

“Leo Patrick Florence? You’re royalty. More important than I thought.”

The witch casually dropped my full name, and I felt like I was going to lose my mind.

Florence. A name only the royal bloodline of the Holy Kingdom could bear.

The witch seemed knowledgeable about the Holy Kingdom and the Holy Eye.

“You thought I would curse you using your name? Those old-fashioned curses are too much trouble and inefficient. I already told you, if I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t have saved you.”

“I see. Then why did you, Lady Witch…”

“Leo? Patrick? Anyway, it wasn’t me who saved you. It was this kid.”

The mysterious girl with a blue butterfly-like flower resting on her silver hair smiled at me as our eyes met.

A wingless angel.

I was sure she was an angel sent by God to help me escape this witch’s den.

“How can I ever thank you…”

“Eek…!”

I tried to express my gratitude by clasping her hands, but her face turned red.

‘Did I do something wrong again?’

The witch chuckled ominously beside us, and the butterflies resting on the girl’s body began to flutter.

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

What?

I was speechless at her outburst.

I wanted to tell her that wasn’t true, but vines suddenly wrapped around me, leaving me no room to breathe.

“A child is only born when you meet someone you love.”

“Yes, Mom! I shook off his hands after three seconds, just like you said!”

“Good job. But if you don’t let go of your vines soon, he’ll faint again.”

“Huh? Oh!?!?”

As I slowly lost consciousness, I couldn’t hear their conversation.

All I wanted was to escape this place, Holy Eye be damned.