The Witch of Paitan — Chapter 13

'THE EVIL WITCH OF EVELYN'

'RAKSHA ELOAM'

THE WOMAN WHO WAS... THE FORMER GRAND DUKE'S MISTRESS.

H-HOW DO YOU KNOW SUCH THINGS, YOUR HIGHNESS?

WHAT? YOU TOLD ME TO LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE GRAND DUCHY OFAITAN AS WELL! DON'T YOU REMEMBER?

DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I SUFF- ERED READING ALL THOSE BOOKS!

NO! EVEN SO!!

HOW COULD YOU KNOW ALL THAT EXTENSIVE CONTENT...

IT SEEMS THAT RUMORS ARE STILL GOING AROUND.

PEOPLE LOVE TALKING ABOUT OTHERS.

THEY ESPECIALLY PREFER STORIES WHERE IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT.

YOU MUST KNOW THIS WELL, YOUR HIGHNESS.

THERE IS A RUMOR FLOATING LIKE THE WIND FROM THE SOUTH.

THAT 'THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS IN THE KINGDOM WAS EXCESSIVELY CLOSE WITH HER BROTHER, THE CROWN PRINCE'...

MRS. ELOAM!

KEEP GOING. AND THEN?

I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT RUMOR.

I KNOW VERY WELL HOW RIDICULOUS IT IS TO JUDGE A PERSON BASED SOLELY ON RUMORS WITHOUT EVIDENCE.

IS THAT SO? BUT WHAT IF...

WHAT IF THE RUMOR IS TRUE? WHAT IF I REALLY HAD THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE?

...IS THE RUMOR TRUE?

NO.

THEN THAT IS ENOUGH.

BECAUSE YOU SAID IT ISN'T.

YOUR WORD IS THE EVIDENCE.

SHE IS DEFINITELY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS.

BESIDES, SINCE SHE IS WELL-VERSED IN NOBLE SOCIETY AND THE AFFAIRS OF CORNWALL CASTLE, SHE WILL SURELY BE A GREAT HELP.

VERY WELL, PLEASE BECOME MY AIDE.

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING ME, HER HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS. I WILL SERVE YOU WITH LOYALTY.

PEPE?!

I'M SORRY, LET'S END TODAY'S INTERVIEW HERE!

PARDON? ALL OF A SUDDEN?!

THERE'S NO ONE ELSE TO INTERVIEW ANYWAY! SEE YOU LATER!

YOU KNOW THAT FOLLOWING HER HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS MEANS KEEPING YOUR MOUTH SHUT, RIGHT?

OF COURSE.

EVEN IF HIS HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE ASKS... CAN YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT THEN AS WELL?

FOR THE SAKE OF HER HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUCHESS.

I AM NOT PARTICULARLY CLOSE WITH HIS HIGHNESS THE GRAND DUKE IN THE FIRST PLACE, SO OF COURSE I WILL DO SO...

BUT IF BY ANY CHANCE... IT BECOMES A PROBLEM FOR THE SAFETY OF THE GRAND DUCHY AND HIS HIGHNESS...

EVEN THEN... I CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT I WILL KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT.

PEPE!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME! I WAS WORRIED!

HEY! ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP PRETENDING NOT TO KNOW ME?!

SERIOUSLY, WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT!! THAT'S CARLOS'S ROOM OVER THERE!

COME DOWN QUICKLY!! WHAT IF YOU GET CAUGHT!!

THIS WON'T DO... STAY RIGHT THERE, DON'T MOVE! I'LL-!

IS THIS MY MEDICINE?

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS. HOW IS YOUR HEADACHE?

SAME AS ALWAYS.

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WISH TO KNOW ABOUT ME?

SINCE WHEN DID YOU BECOME ASLA'S DISCIPLE?

I ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING, SO JUST ANSWER.

W-WHEN I WAS TEN YEARS OLD...

MISS ASLA'S ERRAND RUNNER TRAVELED AROUND THE KINGDOM EVERY YEAR TO TAKE CHILDREN WITH MAGIC POWER... I WAS CHOSEN THEN.

WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?

I HAVE NO MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD.

AFTER COMING TO THE KINGDOM, I FREQUENTLY TOOK THE MEDICINE I CONCOCTED TO TEST IT, AND IT TURNED OUT LIKE THIS...

JUST BEING COLD AND HUNGRY... IS ALL I REMEMBER.

YOU LOST YOUR MEMORIES BECAUSE OF DRUGS?

ACTUALLY, THERE IS SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE TO YOU.

TO ME, YOUR HIGHNESS?

HOW ABOUT SPENDING SOME TIME AWAY FROM HER FOR A WHILE? I WILL GIVE YOU A SPACE OF YOUR OWN WHERE YOU CAN CONCOCT MEDICINE.

YOUR HIGHNESS... WHAT IS-

THE DECISION IS UP TO YOU, OF COURSE.

BUT I WANT YOU TO STAY THERE AND EXCLUSIVELY MAKE MY MEDICINE.

WH-WHY....

WHY IS THAT, YOUR HIGHNESS...?

DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG... WHAT IS THE REASON-

HAVING YOU BY HER SIDE MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE.

SEEING YOUR FACE ALL THE TIME GETS ON MY NERVES.

AND THAT, TOO...

HAA... WAS IT REALLY JUST DELUSION AFTER ALL...?

A RED SKY...

THE OMEN THAT APPEARS WHEN THE GRIM REAPER LEADS A HUMAN TO DEATH...

TODAY...

SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE.