Ch. 73 The Two Witches (53)
by Afuhfuihgs
Witch – Chapter 73 – The Two Witches (53)
“Le-Leo… are you okay? I’m sorry. It’s all because of me…”
“It’s fine. I got beaten to the point of death, but thankfully, I didn’t die…”
Josie fidgeted nervously beside Leo, checking his condition.
He had already healed himself with the Holy Eye, but he was still playing it up.
When I woke up this morning and saw the scene that had unfolded, I was so furious that I started beating Leo to within an inch of his life. Josie, woken by the commotion, hurriedly stopped me and explained the situation… but I just couldn’t calm down.
Even if Josie was the one who initiated it,
did they really sleep in the same bed just because she suggested it…?
It hadn’t even been a day since I told Leo not to even think about laying a finger on Josie, and now this had happened.
No matter what Josie said to tempt him, Leo shouldn’t have gotten swept up in it.
I had thought he had become a decent person after the promise he made to me yesterday, but how long had it been since then? He had already changed my perception of him again.
And Josie, what was she thinking, dragging Leo into her bed?
As a mother, I didn’t even know where to start with her.
Sleeping in the same bed behind my back… it’s unforgivable, but I guess it’s possible.
She’s at the age where she’s curious about the opposite sex, and she must have been emotionally unstable after encountering the Heresy Inquisitor, so I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt a hundred times over.
But letting Leo into the bed where I was sleeping… No matter how much I adore Josie, my daughter, the thought of her sharing a bed with a man in the same room as her mother…!!!
I didn’t raise Josie to be a vixen.
But somehow, Josie had become a vixen, bewitching Leo.
“Mom, I was wrong. Can you stop being mad now?”
“…….”
As I walked briskly and silently toward Beryl’s house, Josie timidly approached me, begging for forgiveness, causing me to pause for a moment.
If Josie had a tail, she would have wagged it to try to appease me.
This… this little fox…!
I missed the days when Josie would blush just from holding hands and using magic.
But what could I do? She’s still my daughter.
I let out a small sigh and grabbed Josie’s shoulders, bringing myself to her eye level.
“Josie.”
“Y-Yes?!”
Just calling her name gently without any anger made Josie so nervous that she even bit her tongue.
“Now, repeat after me. Hugs are allowed at 17.”
“Hugs are allowed at 17…”
“Kisses at 18.”
“Kisses at 18…”
“Making out at 19.”
“Making out at 19…”
“And making babies starts at 20.”
“Making babies starts at 20…”
In the Aria Chronicle world, which is based on pseudo-fantasy, many girls Josie’s age get married and have children, but as her mother, I didn’t want to see Josie become a mother at 15.
“Got it?”
“I’ll try…”
She should’ve just said she understood, even if it was a lie. What’s with this “I’ll try”…!
I held back from saying more, worried that Josie might take it the wrong way.
Well, trying is better than nothing.
As a mother, I need to watch over her from behind to make sure she doesn’t stray too far.
I was about to forgive her, but there was one thing I absolutely had to emphasize.
“You can’t bring a man into your room. Especially not when you’re sleeping with your mom. That was wrong.”
“I’m sorry… I won’t do it again.”
Josie bowed her head, asking for forgiveness once more.
This should be enough.
I hugged Josie tightly to show her that my anger had subsided.
It’s a good thing nothing happened.
If Leo had touched me or Josie while we were sleeping… he would’ve disappeared from this world.
As I hugged Josie, I glared at Leo, who was staring blankly from behind. Realizing his mistake, he bowed his head, and we finally moved on.
As we passed through the bustling market and entered a quieter alley, an awkward silence hung in the air.
I was the only one who could break the tension by bringing up a different topic, but after everything that had happened since yesterday, I couldn’t relax enough to make small talk.
“Lady Estelle, what happened to Lucia?”
Unable to bear the silence, Leo brought up a rather heavy topic. Of all things, he had to bring up something that might be traumatic for Josie.
I shot Leo a look, asking why he had to bring up such a topic, but to my surprise, Josie also seemed curious and stood by Leo’s side, supporting him.
Lucia, the leader of the Heresy Inquisitor.
The titles that followed her name weren’t particularly impressive, and her abilities were just average.
She felt like a mid-level boss, with a power level that was neither too strong nor too weak, but to Josie and Leo, she must have seemed like an insurmountable mountain.
Thinking back to my past life… yeah, she was like a tutorial boss or a noob crusher.
But the answer they were looking for wasn’t about her strength or level.
Josie had lost her village and parents to the Heresy Inquisitor, and Leo had nearly died at their hands…
In a way, Lucia was like a trial in their fates.
“Lucia ran away.”
“I see.”
Leo responded calmly, perhaps because he believed Lucia wouldn’t die so easily, or because he still had the chance to settle things with her himself.
“Why? Did you think I killed her?”
“If it were you, Lady Estelle, I don’t think killing her would’ve been enough. After all… she messed with Josie.”
If you mess with Josie, death isn’t enough.
It was something I often said to Leo.
“I cut off one of her arms, so she won’t be causing trouble for a while.”
I had cut off one of her arms, but I still regretted not cutting off both legs. Lucia, that fanatic, would definitely seek revenge sooner or later.
Maybe I should’ve killed her. The unease lingered.
But with the curse spreading from the severed arm and the knowledge of Embryo, she wouldn’t show her face for a while.
“That Heresy Inquisitor will show up again someday. I might not be able to help you like I did this time. Leo, you can’t let Josie get hurt like this again.”
I can’t always be with Josie. If incidents keep happening like yesterday, there’s no guarantee I’ll be by her side. Lately, Leo has been spending a lot of time with Josie, so…
In the end, the reality is that I have to rely on Leo.
That’s why we’re heading to Beryl’s. I got so caught up with Beryl that I neglected Leo’s Holy Eye, which almost put Josie in danger… Regardless of Leo, it felt like my fault.
“I’ll also get stronger so Leo doesn’t get hurt.”
“Good. When we get home, I’ll teach you all sorts of things so you can protect yourself.”
It’s a relief that this incident fueled Josie’s determination rather than traumatizing her… I wish she could live a normal life, but something tells me Josie’s fate won’t be so smooth.
Just look at Leo, who’s tied to Josie… He’s far from ordinary.
“By the way, Leo, do you know Carté?”
“Carté… you mean?”
Carté was more important than Lucia.
In Aria Chronicle Part 3, set in the Holy Kingdom, he was the Pope, but here, 200 years earlier, he was already active, which didn’t add up.
Is there some setting I don’t know about?
I thought I had a deep understanding of the lore from reading the books and official anthologies, but it seems there are some behind the scenes details only the creators know.
“Carté is the vice-captain of the Heresy Inquisitor. He’s trusted by Pope Arius.”
“Anything else? Anything special about him?”
“Well… I’ve never spoken to him, so I don’t know much except that his divine power is abnormally high.”
I thought Leo might know something.
I guess I’ll have to meet him and talk to him directly.
Though I’m not sure if the situation will allow for a peaceful conversation.
As the conversation wound down, we arrived at Beryl’s unmarked shop.
“Ahem. You’ve been here with Nicks, but this is your first time coming with your mom, right? I’ll formally introduce you to my friend.”
It was a bit embarrassing that I hadn’t introduced Josie to Beryl sooner, even though we’d been in Venetia for a while, but I decided to act shamelessly.
Even though they’re in the throes of passion, it’s past 9 AM, so we shouldn’t walk in on anything awkward, right?
“Beryl, we’re coming in.”
I knocked on the door and carefully opened it, only to be met with…
“Beryl…! I-I can’t hold it in anymore…!”
“Ahhh…! E-Estelle. N-Not now…!”
A sticky, suggestive atmosphere filled the air, accompanied by Beryl’s moans.
Oh no, this is bad.
I quickly closed the door, but not before locking eyes with Beryl, whose expression was a mix of emotions, and seeing Nicks, who had turned into a beast…
They are… doing it, right?
It was my first time seeing something like this, so my face was flushed red.
My friend… the great Beryl… being devoured by a mere human…
The lifeless look in Beryl’s eyes told me they hadn’t stopped all night.
Otherwise, there’s no way to explain how the Beryl I knew had turned into a helpless lamb being devoured by a wolf.
Nicks, you scary kid…
“Lady Estelle, is something wrong?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s just. Uh-huh. They’re still sleeping. Let’s… yeah! Let’s look around the area for a bit?”
Leo, standing at the back, cluelessly asked, causing me to stammer and make an excuse.
“Mom, Nicks is 15, just like me.”
“Uh, I know that!”
“Just saying.”
What are you talking about, Josie?
Did you… see it?
Since Josie was right behind me, she might have caught a glimpse of the scene in that brief moment…
Josie’s face was also red, but she mentioned Nicks’s age as if to rebel against what I had said earlier.
“A-Anyway! Let’s look around for a bit…!”
Grabbing Josie’s hand and Leo’s collar, I left Beryl’s shop. There was nothing else I could do in this situation.
Lucent
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