Witch – Chapter 33 – The Two Witches (13)

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“Hoaaah…”

Josie dragged her tired body out of bed.

She hadn’t slept a wink, and her shoulders felt heavy. Her sighs were endless.

The flowers adorning her body seemed to have lost their vitality, wilting lifelessly.

Standing in front of the mirror, she pushed aside her bangs to reveal a haggard face—her eyes swollen from crying all night, dark circles etched deeply beneath them.

Every time she tried to sleep, the image of Leo and Emily holding hands flashed in her mind, making it impossible to rest.

Even when she managed to drift off, her dreams were haunted by the two of them, tormenting her relentlessly.

“Pull yourself together, Josie,” she muttered, slapping her cheeks a couple of times before heading to the bathroom. 

She wanted to wash away the grime from her body, along with the memories of last night. 

But the more she tried to forget, the more the pain pierced her heart.

Why had Emily been in Leo’s room? Why were they holding hands? And why had she run away?

“I don’t know,” Josie whispered to herself. 

She realized that pondering over what had happened in Leo’s room was pointless. 

She straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her mind. 

She decided to ask Leo directly about what had happened. Maybe then, the storm of emotions raging inside her would settle.

With heavy steps, she made her way to Leo’s room. It was early in the morning, but it was around the time Leo usually woke up. 

She figured she could wait by his door and catch him when he came out. 

However, the memory of yesterday’s events made her hesitate to knock, so she opted to wait silently instead.

“Oh, Lady Josie! Good morning. I hope you rested well?”

Josie’s heart sank like a stone when she saw the unwelcome guest standing guard at Leo’s door. 

Emily, with her elegant demeanor, lifted the hem of her skirt slightly as she greeted Josie, her poise radiating grace and nobility.

“Ah, yes… I rested well, thank you,” Josie lied. In truth, she hadn’t slept at all, but she didn’t want to admit it. It felt like admitting defeat. She was grateful that her bangs hid her bloodshot eyes.

“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried you might have been too shocked to sleep last night,” Emily said, her words dripping with subtle provocation.

“……”

Each word from Emily scratched at Josie’s heart. 

Leo was just her younger brother, wasn’t he? 

Why should she care if he held hands with another girl? 

It shouldn’t matter to her. But the voices in her heart told her otherwise, tormenting her relentlessly.

“Leo is still asleep. Waiting by his door won’t do you any good—he’s probably sleeping like a log right now,” Emily added, another lie slipping from her lips.

“Oh, Leo is a heavy sleeper, is he? That’s alright. I’ve only been waiting for about an hour. Waiting is part of a lady’s charm, after all,” Emily replied, her tone sweet but laced with hidden barbs.

An invisible battle of nerves raged between Josie and Emily as their eyes met.

“By the way, I heard that Leo is your escort knight… What do you think of him, Lady Josie?” Emily asked, her voice innocent but her intentions clear.

“What do I think of him?”

“Well, of course, I’m asking if you have feelings for him.”

Feelings for him…!? He’s just her disobedient younger brother!

If Emily was asking if she liked Leo, the answer should be no. But Josie’s mind went blank, as if Emily had struck a nerve.

“He’s like a younger brother…” Josie mumbled, her voice barely audible, as if she were talking to herself.

Emily didn’t miss a beat. “That’s a relief. I was worried I might have overstepped last night. Leo also mentioned that your relationship is strictly that of an escort knight and his employer, so I feel much better now.”

Josie’s heart sank further. Emily had asked Leo about their relationship? And he had said they were nothing more than knight and employer?

“What? What do you mean…?”

“Last night, I took the liberty of asking Leo about it. You two seemed so close during dinner, after all.”

“……”

“I must admit, I fell for Leo at first sight,” Emily said, her cheeks reddening as she covered her face in mock embarrassment. To anyone watching, she looked like a girl deeply in love.

Leo was handsome, like a prince from a fairy tale, with a well-built physique that drew the eye. But Josie couldn’t stand Emily’s superficial admiration. 

Leo wasn’t just his looks—he was a coward at heart, with a gentle soul. He complained about food, lazed around when he was supposed to be learning, and acted like a disobedient younger brother. 

But despite all that, Josie had grown fond of him. She wanted to take care of him, to see him grow into a better person.

“You don’t really know Leo,” Josie said quietly.

“That’s something I can learn over time. If you see him as a younger brother… you wouldn’t interfere in his love life, would you? A man like Leo deserves a refined lady like me, don’t you think?”

Silence fell between them. A few seconds felt like hours.

Then, the sound of a door opening broke the tension. Leo emerged from his room, his hair disheveled and his appearance messy, as if he had just woken up.

“Josie? I’m glad you’re here. About yesterday…”

“Oh, Leo! Good morning! I hope you rested well? I was so disappointed we couldn’t have a proper conversation last night because of that interruption,” Emily said, cutting Leo off and linking her arm with his. 

She clung to him so tightly that her chest pressed against his arm.

“Lady Emily, could you let go for a moment? I need to talk to Josie…”

Despite Leo’s polite request, Emily didn’t release him. Instead, she glanced at Josie and flashed a sly smile.

Josie felt like she had lost.

“Hmph. Lucky you, Leo. Having a beautiful lady like Emily clinging to you. You two have fun,” Josie said, turning away.

“Josie, it’s not what you think!” Leo called after her, but Josie didn’t look back.

Why had she even come here? She couldn’t remember.

Breakfast time arrived. The seating arrangement was the same as yesterday, except Emily had taken the seat next to Leo.

“Heh. You two have gotten close overnight. Youth is truly something,” Derek remarked, looking at Leo and Emily with satisfaction.

“Here, Leo, say ‘ah~’”

“I can feed myself, Lady Emily. Perhaps you should focus on your own meal?”

“Oh, don’t be shy~”

Josie tried not to pay attention to their conversation. Or rather, she tried not to care. Seeing them together felt like she was losing something precious.

She focused on her meal instead. She hadn’t slept, so she needed to eat properly to keep her strength up.

“…….”

How did you use these again?

The array of utensils in front of her made her head spin. Leo had taught her yesterday, but she couldn’t remember. Was it from the outside in? Or the inside out?

She didn’t want to ask Leo for help again. And the thought of asking Estelle brought Emily’s sly smile to mind.

“Josie, should we do ‘ah~’ too?”

“No, thanks.”

Estelle, noticing Josie hadn’t touched her food, offered her a forkful of pasta, but Josie declined.

“When do you plan to start the farmland subjugation? The sooner we harvest, the sooner we can prepare for the festival,” Marquis Eric asked cautiously.

“The festival can wait. We just arrived in Venetia yesterday. Let’s take a few days to rest. How about three days from now?”

Three days.

Estelle didn’t mind waiting, but the real concern was Josie’s condition. 

Subjugating the Death Worms and harvesting the farmland would require a lot of focus and mana. 

Estelle could assist with mana and magical formations, but Venetia’s farmland was much larger than what they were used to. 

Josie’s well-being was the top priority.

“Understood. We’re in no hurry,” Eric said.

“No. Let’s start today,” Josie interjected.

She couldn’t stand hearing Leo and Emily’s voices anymore. 

She couldn’t bear the embarrassment of not knowing how to use the utensils. 

She wanted to channel her emotions into something—anything.

“Josie? You don’t have to push yourself.”

“Lady Josie, I didn’t mean to rush you. It’s better to rest, as Lady Estelle suggested.”

Everyone was concerned about Josie’s condition. 

She hadn’t eaten, and the flowers on her body lacked their usual vitality.

“If the festival gets delayed, it’ll cause problems. I’m fine,” Josie insisted.

Despite everyone’s protests, Josie’s stubbornness didn’t waver.

Lucent