episode_0061

My mind feels foggy.

Numerous emotions intertwine, causing endless confusion.

“Uh, um, ah…”

Only fragmented words escape.

Like a broken machine, I repeated only that.

Why is this guy here?

I distinctly remember confirming with my own eyes that we were returning to the lodge and starting a conversation, right?

Moreover, there were no signs of him! When did he even get here?

The scorching heat makes my head spin.

Even after wracking my brain for excuses, the clever witch’s brain couldn’t offer any solution to this awkward situation.

What should I do? If I return to the lodge like this, I might end up being devoured.

Swallowing hard, avoiding eye contact, his eyes drew a crescent moon.

Is this awkward situation really so enjoyable? The knife started teasing me with laughter.

“Wow, I never imagined our dear witch, who always speaks harshly, would have such feelings.”

“…Oh, it’s a misunderstanding! I, I misspoke because of the alcohol…”

“Is that so? It must have been a slip of the tongue due to tiredness and alcohol, right?”

“Y-yes! That’s exactly it!”

Although I worried he might use what he overheard to make things more difficult, surprisingly, he extended a helping hand to me.

However, I found his actions somewhat suspicious.

What’s his intention, exactly?

He’s not the type to easily pass up such a great opportunity.

Despite his innocent appearance, now is the time to seize the rotten lifeline.

Nodding vigorously at his words, I opened my mouth.

“…Ah, you seem to have had too much to drink. You look tired, so should I go in now?”

“Yes, you seem quite exhausted. We’ll take care of things here, so you should go in first.”

“Have a good night.”

“You too, have a warm night. Hehe…”

“Oh, you’re not coming in?!”

Bidding farewell to the Grand Duke, who feigned a bitter smile, I walked down the dark road alone with the knife.

The uncomfortable silence between us prompted me to break it and ask him a question.

“…So, why did you come?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why were you around? I told you to go back to the lodge.”

“Oh, that?”

Responding to my question, he replied in a composed voice.

“I was keeping an eye on you in case the Grand Duke tried something.”

“Since when?”

“From the beginning, of course. Sorry about eavesdropping; it was too provocative to ignore.”

“I really dislike it.”

“My apologies.”

Despite seeking forgiveness, he chuckled as if finding something amusing.

This lack of sincerity in his apology annoys me. Damn you.

“Don’t laugh, damn it. Thanks to you, I look like a fool.”

“Sigh…”

As I let out a heavy sigh, his laughter gradually subsided.

However, his mischievous spirit remained unchanged.

“By the way, it’s a waste to give it to someone else…”

“Shut it.”

“No, I’m just curious.”

“…?”

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, he stopped and slowly spoke.

“If, hypothetically, though it’s highly unlikely… if I were to leave you for another woman, what would you do, Witch?”

…”

His serious expression made me unable to respond immediately.

…Honestly, I don’t know.

It would probably feel terrible, like experiencing NTR.

I couldn’t figure out what action to take.

There are too many options.

After pondering for a while without finding an answer, I decided to play along with his prank.

In a slightly peculiar manner.

“Well…”

Casting a languid gaze, as I closed the distance slowly, a sense of bewilderment was etched on the face of the knife-wielding companion.

The person who was on the verge of death suddenly regained their vitality and approached, which was understandable.

I almost burst into laughter but managed to hold it back.

To see a more interesting reaction, I refrained from laughing for now.

When we reached a distance where our breaths could mingle, I gently closed my eyes and cautiously touched his cheek.

“Hmm, was this where I kissed you?”

“…?”

“I’ll give you the answer, Carl.”

Lifting my chin, I began playfully whispering to him as he usually did to me.

“I can’t give you a definite answer… but at least, you’ll have to pay the price for shaking a witch’s body and heart.”

And.

“You will also come to realize how heavy that price is.”

After adding a hint of warning in a whisper, I pulled back, allowing me to see his dumbfounded face.

What an expression. It’s worth capturing in a photo.

I chuckled at his quite amusing reaction, but soon after, his voice made me stiffen my face.

“…So, am I going to be accused of seduction?!”

That’s not it, you crazy bird.

—–

“Tsk.”

Leading the bewildered Beatrice into the room, I stepped out of the inn alone, feeling disappointed.

“…Should have just pushed through as it was.”

It felt like they might have accepted my confession, but alas…

Though a lingering regret remained, I shook my head, resolving to look forward to what comes next.

“In the end, I must have come up with another excuse. Probably blamed it on being tired or not in my right mind because of drinking.”

Of course, it’s a ridiculous excuse.

A witch who can handle potent potions becoming incapacitated due to high-proof alcohol?

“Ridiculous.”

Ask any passerby on the street, and most likely, they’d say it’s a hundred percent nonsense.

But Beatrice would probably insist she’s right until the end.

If she saw through herself and advised herself to face reality, she would probably sulk even more.

“Avoidance leads nowhere.”

As my mother used to say, in a love quarrel, the one who gives in first loses.

So never reveal your feelings first.

However.

“What do you do when you fall in love at first sight, Mother?”

Without holding back, I became a slave to love from the moment I first saw that unexpectedly goofy figure.

All I can do is endure and endure, firmly unlocking the door to that closed heart.

If someone saw me in this state, they’d probably call me a fool, saying I’m being foolish.

“We teach patience first in our household.”

I was more confident in enduring than anyone else.

And the results of that patience are becoming increasingly apparent over time.

“Too precious to give to someone else, so she said she’d take it herself… Hmph…”

Laughter escaped me involuntarily.

Watching that lovely figure denying the emotion called ‘love’ despite everything, I couldn’t help but think how remarkable it was.

How does she come up with such ingenious excuses?

Disguising jealousy as concern and obsession as worry.

“Should I find this cute or pitiful?”

Chuckling to myself, I glanced towards the room where Beatrice was staying.

I wonder how our dear witch is feeling right now?

With her innermost thoughts exposed, she must be incredibly flustered, right?

If she were to acknowledge her love and come to confess, there would be nothing better than that.

“…But if it was going to end so blandly, wouldn’t she have confessed by now?”

Beatrice will never admit to the emotion of love through such trivial mishaps.

There might be some minor confusion, but she will persist in denial until the end.

Hence, a catalyst is needed.

A shocking event that compels her to acknowledge my feelings, something of that nature.

“There must be a good way.”

I stood in front of the inn, pondering, but no particularly “excellent” way came to mind.

Should I once again endure and wait for an opportunity?

Enduring through the eternal time of uncertainty?

“Frustrating.”

I shook my head and quietly returned to the room.

Perhaps it was because I had left the window open for a long time to dispel the scent of night flowers that the chilly room greeted me.

“It feels colder than usual today. Is it because my side is tingling?”

As I closed the window and lay on the cold bed, a sense of regret began to overwhelm me once again.

…If I had persisted until the end, there would have been two people in this bed tonight.

I could have proven my love and made our relationship stronger.

“Sigh…”

Just covering myself with the blanket to sleep, the events of the day kept coming back to disturb my peaceful slumber.

“I can’t… fall asleep…”

Honestly, coming here was even more bizarre.

Being Beatrice, who had revealed all her inner thoughts, how could I not have inappropriate thoughts?

Even though I took a few steps back in the morning, Beatrice continued to threaten that she would confess if I made a mistake, so I had no choice but to put barriers around the room.

“…Just one step back before sleeping.”

After finishing all the preparations, did I intend to spend a happy time using the witch’s seductive body as a side dish?

Knock knock –

Just as I grasped the sword to set the mood, an unidentified intruder backed off.

“Who’s there?”

[It’s me.]

If it was a mistaken guest, I thought they would pay for disrupting the flow.

The late-night visitor to the room was not an unwelcome guest.

“You said you were tired?”

[Well, I am, but now that I’m lying down, I can’t sleep. Am I bothering you? If so, I’ll go back to my room.]

“No, you’re absolutely welcome here. Come in.”

…What business brought them here at this late hour?

After calming my trembling heart, I slowly opened the door to welcome the witch inside.