The Witch of Paitan — Chapter 12

IT'S ME, OPEN THE DOOR.

W-, WAIT JUST A MOMENT, PLEASE!

YOUR HIGHNESS... WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE AT THIS HOUR?

I HAVE BUSINESS WITH YOU.

MAY COME IN FOR A MOMENT?

YOU CANNOT.

...WHY IS THAT?

HER HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS MUST BE WAITING FOR HIS LORDSHIP.

PLEASE...

TELL ME CAME BECAUSE OF ME!

UNLIKELY.

THE GRAND DUCHESS HAS NO PLACE FOR ME IN HER HEART RIGHT NOW.

AT LEAST FOR TONIGHT...

...I'M CURIOUS ABOUT YOU.

DISGUSTING.

I HATE THIS.

I GENUINELY HATE THIS.

THIS IS HOW YOU KISS. WATCH AND LEARN PROPERLY.

OUR MARTHA SAYS SHE DOESN'T WANT TO.

MARTHA, COME HERE.

HURRY.

KISSES BETWEEN WOMEN ARE OUT OF THE QUESTION...

SO...

I'LL TEACH YOU MYSELF... THE PROPER WAY.

I WANT TO KILL HIM...!!

DID YOU HAVE A NIGHTMARE?

OR DID YOU WAKE UP BECAUSE OF ME?

...IT WAS JUST A NIGHTMARE, NOTHING SPECIAL.

I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT, THEN. IT'S TIME FOR YOUR MEDICINE.

WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?

DID YOU PUT POISON IN THE MEDICINE BY ANY CHANCE...?

OF COURSE NOT, I WAS JUST... THINKING THAT YOUR HIGHNESS SEEMS FAR TOO INDIFFERENT TO THE GRAND DUCHY'S AFFAIRS.

THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT BACK TO THE KINGDOM, SO IT'S QUITE EMBARRASSING TO WRITE THESE REPORTS.

JIN, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE CAME HERE?

IT'S BEEN NEARLY A MONTH NOW.

I HAVEN'T EVEN PERFORMED THE MARRIAGE RITES, NOR HAVE I GAINED THE SUPPORT OF THE DUCHY'S PEOPLE.

IT'S BARELY BEEN A WEEK SINCE I STARTED HANDLING STATE AFFAIRS, EITHER.

I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT...

MY POINT IS THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO FOLLOW ITS PROPER ORDER.

IF I GO AROUND ASKING THIS AND THAT TO DIG UP INFORMATION IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION,

HOW DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WILL LOOK AT ME?

AS EXPECTED... YOU'VE CHANGED A LOT SINCE COMING

MY POSITION HAS CHANGED, AFTER ALL.

YOUR HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS, IT'S GILLIAN!

YOU'RE DONE TALKING, RIGHT? CLEAR THE ROOM FOR A MOMENT.

PLEASE WAIT A MOMENT, SIR GILLIAN...

MS. VERGONA ! GOOD MORNING...

WELCOME, SIR GILLIAN.

WHAT IS IT?

NO... WAS SOMETHING THE MATTER WITH MISS VERGONA ?

NOT A THING. WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE SO EARLY IN THE MORNING?

AH, YES... ABOUT THAT ADJUTANT POSITION WE DISCUSSED BEFORE.

THE APPLICANTS ARE WAITING RIGHT NOW.

I WANT TO SERVE YOUR HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS WITH ALL MY LOYALTY.

IT WILL SURELY BE OF HELP TO YOUR HIGHNESS.

I SEE. I'LL THINK IT OVER CAREFULLY, SO DO BE CAREFUL ON YOUR WAY BACK.

THANK YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS.

UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THEM REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE...

THAT WAS THE SEVENTH CANDIDATE, LEAVING JUST ONE LAST PERSON.

SIR GILLIAN, IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? YOUR EXPRESSION LOOKS GLOOMIER THAN USUAL.

AH... NO, IT'S NOTHING AT ALL.

LIAR~ YOU'VE HAD THAT "I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING" LOOK ON YOUR FACE SINCE EARLIER?

SPIT IT OUT, WHAT IS IT??

ACTUALLY, LAST NIGHT, HIS HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE...!

GREETINGS, YOUR HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS.

MY NAME IS 'RAKSHA ELOM'.

RAKSHA...?

I'VE HEARD THAT NAME SOMEWHERE BEFORE...

SHE IS THE WIDOW OF COUNT ELOM, AND A WOMAN ONCE HAILED AS THE FLOWER OF THE GRAND DUCHY'S HIGH SOCIETY.

SHE REMAINED IN THE CASTLE EVEN AFTER THE FORMER GRAND DUKE PASSED AWAY, BUT RETURNED TO EVELYN TWO YEARS AGO.

I REMEMBER... 'THE HAG OF EVELYN'.

PARDON?

'RAKSHA ELOM'

THE FORMER GRAND DUKE'S... MISTRESS...