Witch – Chapter 80 – The Two Witches (60)

R​ead on ​KatRead​ingCafe

10 minutes before the start of the ball.

Leo stood in front of Josie’s door, his hands clasped behind his back, trying to hide his nervousness.

The ball was about to begin, and they needed to hurry, but Josie had locked herself in her room and showed no signs of coming out.

“Josie, the ball is about to start. If we don’t hurry…”

“J-Just a moment…! I’m still preparing myself…!”

Josie stood in front of the mirror, meticulously checking her appearance, making sure not a single strand of hair was out of place. She had been looking forward to this ball for so long, but now that it was right in front of her, she felt an overwhelming sense of nervousness.

The reflection in the mirror showed a Josie who, with her mother’s help, looked incredibly beautiful. Yet, the thought of standing in front of Leo made her want to cry, wishing she could be even more perfect.

But if she wasted any more time in front of the mirror, the ball would start without her. With a flustered expression, she opened the door just a crack.

“Leo… do I look strange…?”

Josie peeked through the crack, tears welling up in her eyes.

Leo was prepared to accept Josie even if she were dressed as a ridiculous clown. So, he gently pushed the slightly opened door wider.

The dress Josie wore seemed to embody her very essence, and the light makeup accentuated her natural beauty. Her teary eyes, filled with emotion, were directed solely at Leo.

Leo couldn’t help but avert his gaze. If he looked any longer, he felt his heart might burst.

“I knew it! I look strange, don’t I?!”

Josie tried to close the door again, but Leo stopped her, gently wiping away her tears with the back of his hand to prevent her makeup from smudging.

“You’re so beautiful that I couldn’t look you in the eye properly. Can you forgive me for being unable to express it any other way?”

“W-What are you saying…? That’s so cheesy. Fine, I’ll forgive you.”

Though she called his words cheesy, Josie’s face turned red, and she slowly stepped out of the room.

Click, click. The sound of her glass heels echoed clearly, yet pleasantly.

Unlike ordinary dresses, hers had a dreamlike, mystical aura. The glass slippers, something out of a fairy tale, made Leo wonder if he was even worthy of dancing with her.

“The dress, the shoes… they all make you stand out even more.”

“Hehe. My mom prepared them for me.”

The frightened Josie from earlier was gone, replaced by her usual self, shyly smiling at Leo’s sweet words.

“You look really handsome too, Leo. Like a prince from a fairy tale. Oh, you were a prince, weren’t you?”

“I’m not a prince anymore, just Leo… but for today, I’ll be your prince.”

Leo’s appearance reminded Josie of the princes she had imagined while reading fairy tales. His white tuxedo and his hair styled up made him look every bit the part.

The cute light blue butterfly ribbon tied around his neck reminded her of herself, making her feel even more endeared.

“Wait a second. Your ribbon is loose.”

Josie reached out to fix Leo’s slightly undone ribbon. As she did, their bodies drew closer, and Leo could feel the curves of her figure. He didn’t know what to do, but Josie was too focused on tying the ribbon to notice.

‘Thank you. Thank you.’

While Leo silently thanked Estelle, Josie finished fixing the ribbon and smiled mischievously.

“There, all done. It seems Leo still can’t do much without me.”

“I… suppose so.”

Josie’s hands lingered on Leo’s chest, as if savoring the moment.

The ball was about to start soon… but for some reason, Leo felt like it wouldn’t matter if they didn’t attend.

If only they could stay like this a little longer… with their bodies close together.

Even if Leo were to grab her hand and lead her back to the room, Josie wouldn’t resist.

She felt a little sorry for her mother, who had gone through the trouble of preparing the dress…

“Ahem. Josie, we’re going to be late. Let’s go.”

“Ah, yes…”

Contrary to Josie’s expectations, Leo gently took her hand, his rationality prevailing, and the moment remained just a fantasy.

 

---

 

The first-floor hall, which served as the ballroom, was bustling with people.

Noble ladies gathered to chat, and nobles who hadn’t seen each other in a while exchanged words over glasses of wine.

Some people, dressed in overly exaggerated outfits that made movement difficult, wandered around, seemingly uninterested in the ball.

The one thing they all had in common was that they looked beautiful.

From the moment Josie entered the ballroom on Leo’s arm, she couldn’t relax.

She now understood why the maids had insisted on such strange outfits.

Everyone else was dressed like that.

And unlike Josie, who felt ridiculous, they all looked stunning.

What if Leo’s eyes wandered to another woman…?

Lost in such thoughts, Josie couldn’t bring herself to look up at Leo.

“…….”

Moreover, every time Josie passed by, people stopped talking and stared at her…

She felt like a crumpled piece of paper, unable to shake off the feeling.

“Josie. It’s okay.”

“Huh…?”

“You’re the most beautiful one here. So, you can be confident.”

Leo met Josie’s gaze and spoke warmly.

Looking into Leo’s eyes, which were filled with nothing but her, Josie felt ashamed of her earlier insecurities.

‘Leo only has eyes for me… What was I even worried about?’

Be confident.

Even if someone else here called her beautiful, it wouldn’t make her happy. This was a place for her to be with Leo.

Who cares about other people’s gazes!

“Thank you. You’re the most handsome one here, Leo.”

Lately, it felt like she had been relying on Leo a lot.

Before coming to Venetia, it felt like she had gained a troublesome younger brother… but now, he was a man she could depend on, standing by her side.

When had it started…?

Was it when Emily tried to lay a hand on Leo? Or was it when they first held hands and ran to the square together?

What was certain… was that it didn’t really matter when it had started.

Josie’s face turned red from the warmth she felt through Leo’s gloved hand.

“A word from Marquis Eric de Laplace!”

A loud voice echoed through the ballroom, instantly silencing the chatter as everyone turned to the source of the voice.

Josie and Leo also turned their gaze toward the source.

There stood Marquis Eric, stroking his mustache.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I sincerely thank you for attending the ball on the final day of Venetia’s Harvest Festival.”

Marquis Eric greeted the audience with utmost courtesy, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear but in a manner that was neither noisy nor impolite.

“Due to some mishaps during the harvest, we almost couldn’t hold the festival… but thanks to the help of certain individuals, we were able to prepare this event.”

The subjugation of the farmland monsters.

The grotesque Death Worms, with their terrifying appearance, cruelty, and sheer numbers.

Remembering that time, Josie and Leo felt a sense of pride, knowing they were the unsung heroes who had made this event possible.

“Therefore, I would like to yield the start of the ball… to those who helped us successfully complete the harvest.”

Though some people jeered, the atmosphere of the ball responded with applause to Marquis Eric’s words.

“Leo, could it be…?”

“It seems he’s talking about us.”

Leo realized what Estelle had meant by her “gift” and was slightly flustered, but he didn’t show it. He thought that maintaining his composure was the only way to calm Josie, who was clearly panicking.

“Let us welcome them to the center of the ballroom.”

Marquis Eric’s eyes quickly found Leo among the crowd, and their gazes met. Leo didn’t avert his eyes and met Marquis Eric’s gaze head-on.

Hadn’t he told Josie to be confident?

Even as the former fool of the Holy Kingdom, Leo had attended countless balls and wasn’t about to shy away now.

The people blocking Josie and Leo’s path quickly made way under Marquis Eric’s gaze. As they walked to the center, all eyes in the ballroom were on them.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes…”

Click, click.

The sound of their shoes echoed in the now silent hall.

As they reached the center, Marquis Eric smiled at them.

“Allow me to introduce Lady Josie and Sir Leo, who helped the Laplace family and made this Harvest Festival possible.”

Amidst another round of applause, Josie and Leo stood facing each other.

Though Josie’s heart was pounding so loudly it drowned out the applause, she didn’t want to make the foolish choice of running away.

As the applause died down, the musicians began to ready their instruments. It was a signal that the dance could begin at any moment.

Leo hadn’t expected to be in the spotlight like this again… but he quickly pushed aside his memories and focused on the woman in front of him, who had eyes only for him.

“May I have the honor of dancing with you, Josie?”

With his left hand behind his back and his right hand extended to Josie, Leo politely requested a dance.

“Of course. I’d dance with you a hundred times.”

Josie’s bright smile and eager acceptance were met with an equally bright smile from Leo.

“But Leo… I forgot to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“Actually… this is my first time dancing…”

Josie had never danced before.

She had thought she could learn from Leo in some corner of the ballroom… but she hadn’t expected to be in the spotlight like this.

She was worried that she might embarrass Leo and make him a laughingstock.

But Leo didn’t lose his composure at Josie’s bombshell. Instead, he was grateful to share her first dance.

“It’s okay. Trust me, and take it slow.”

“Okay, I’ll trust you, Leo.”

Regaining her composure as if she had never been nervous, Josie placed one arm on Leo’s shoulder and took his hand.

With the conductor’s signal, the duet of the violin and harp filled the ballroom.

“We’ll start with your left foot. Then, just follow the flow.”

Leo carefully guided Josie, making sure she didn’t lose her balance. He led her step by step, explaining each movement.

“Ouch…!”

“A-Are you okay?!”

When Josie accidentally stepped on Leo’s foot with her glass slipper, she quickly apologized, but the dance didn’t stop.

Hearing the laughter around her, Josie’s face turned red, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at Leo properly.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about anyone else, just focus on me. You’re doing great, Josie.”

“Okay…!”

As the violin, cello, and double bass joined in, the music became even richer.

Josie, who had just tangled her steps and stepped on Leo’s foot, was now moving in sync with him, sometimes following the flow of the music… clumsily but beautifully.

It was like magic.

This would have been impossible with anyone else.

Josie’s eyes were filled with nothing but Leo.

The countless people filling the ballroom didn’t exist in her world.

Only Leo and the music filled Josie’s world. A world just for the two of them. A scene straight out of a fairy tale she had always dreamed of.

Perhaps it felt even more beautiful because she was dancing with Leo. Everything felt like a dream. She wished time would stop forever… an impossible wish she held in her heart.

‘Does Leo feel the same way?’

“Here’s the turn.”

Josie let Leo’s hand guide her as she spun gracefully.

She was starting to gain confidence.

 

---

 

“Hehe. What a lovely pair.”

From the balcony overlooking the ballroom, Estelle watched Josie and Leo dance, her chin resting on her hand. Derrick approached her.

“Derrick, isn’t it? Thank you for granting my request.”

“Not at all. I’m just glad I could be of help to you, Lady Estelle.”

Derrick spoke with a sly smile, showing his age. Estelle glanced at him briefly before turning her attention back to the dance.

“I received word that inviting the prince… was unfortunately not possible.”

“It’s fine. I don’t need that anymore.”

The image of Leo reflected in Josie’s eyes was more than just a prince.

At first, Josie had stumbled and looked like she might cry at any moment. But now, she was dancing naturally, and Estelle felt proud.

Whether it was magic or dancing… was Josie a genius?

“It reminds me of the first Harvest Festival we held.”

“Ah, that time?”

Estelle was annoyed by Derrick’s incessant chatter but didn’t show it, keeping her gaze fixed as she responded.

Back then, a storm of blood had swept through Venetia, and no one had responded to the invitations. It had been just Derrick and his wife, dancing alone on stage.

With no connections or recognition, Estelle had wondered if Venetia could ever prosper.

At the time, Eric had been just a baby, and his crying had brought the event to an abrupt end.

“How about a dance with me, for old times’ sake?”

“No, thanks.”

“Hehe. I thought so.”

Had this old man gone senile?

Estelle flatly refused Derrick’s absurd suggestion.

Dancing? What dancing?

She had no desire to dance, nor did she have a partner she wanted to dance with.

Right now… she just wanted to watch Josie’s debut from the best seat in the house.

“The music is nice.”

“It’s called ‘The Ballroom of the Night, Bestowed by the Witch’s Mercy’. Do you like it? I specially requested it.”

The Ballroom of the Night, Bestowed by the Witch’s Mercy.

Estelle immediately understood the meaning behind the title.

The service was almost excessive.

As Estelle pondered the title, she watched Josie and Leo’s beautiful dance.

If it weren’t for Estelle, such a dramatic performance would have been nothing short of a miracle for the two of them.

They say no parent can win against their child. This situation was exactly that, and it brought a bittersweet smile to her face.

“Hey, Derrick.”

“Yes?”

“How did you feel when your child got married?”

Derrick couldn’t hold back his laughter and burst out laughing.

Estelle had asked seriously, but his sudden outburst made her glare at him. Finally calming down, Derrick also wore a bittersweet smile.

“Well… it was bittersweet. Despite our objections, he went ahead and proposed to the woman he loved. But… No parent can win against their child, right? Eric’s life is his own.”

“I guess so.”

When she had heard about Eric’s love story, Estelle had thought Derrick was a bad person… but now that the tables were turned, she understood his feelings.

After all, parents are all the same, aren’t they?

They all wish for their children to meet someone better.

“I agree with that. No parent can win against their child.”

So… it’s okay to give Josie at least one unforgettable memory, right?

Estelle flicked her finger.

At the same time, Josie’s glass slippers began to emit a clear, radiant light.

Where Josie danced, translucent butterflies emerged, filling the ballroom.

The people at the ball murmured in surprise, but Estelle paid them no mind.

Dreamlike, mystical, and beautiful.

Until the music ended, and the dance was over…

Let this night, this moment, be forever etched in Josie’s memories.

So that even if she falls into despair, she will have the strength to rise again.

The final night in Venetia was embroidered with splendor.