The Witch of Paitan — Chapter 14

YOUR HIGHNESS...?

IS HE NOT HERE...?

WHAT IS THIS SMELL?!

MEDICINAL HERBS...?

THIS SCENT, I DEFINITELY REMEMBER SMELLING IT BEFORE...

THIS IS...

SOMETHING JIN BREWED FOR HIM, ISN'T IT?

IT IS A MILD HEADACHE MEDICINE.

YOU SEEM TO PLACE A LOT OF TRUST IN JIN. WHAT IF THERE WAS POISON IN THE MEDICINE...

IF THERE WERE POISON IN THE MEDICINE AND I DIED, WOULDN'T THAT BE A GOOD THING FOR YOU, QUEEN?

HOW COULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING...!

THE MEDICINE JIN MAKES HAS NO EFFECT AT ALL.

ORIGINALLY, THERE IS NO CURE FOR MY HEADACHES.

THEN WHY DID YOU KEEP HAVING HER MAKE MEDICINE?

DID YOU WANT TO FIND AN EXCUSE TO CALL JIN OVER?

ARE YOU JEALOUS RIGHT NOW?

J-JEALOUS?! I'M SIMPLY LETTING YOU KNOW THAT I POSSESS A MINIMUM LEVEL OF HUMAN EMOTION AS WELL!

I SEE, I'LL KEEP THAT IN MIND.

SO... WHAT BRINGS YOU HERE?

WHAT SHOULD I SAY??

I CAN NEVER SAY THAT PEPE URGED ME TO COME CHECK ON HIM!

I JUST... WANTED TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE.

FOR ALLOWING ME TO CHOOSE MY OWN AIDE PERSONALLY...

WEREN’T YOU CLOSE WITH JIN?

PARDON?

A SITUATION WHERE YOU SELECT A SEPARATE AIDE IS A BIT STRANGE, YOU SEE.

YOUR HIGHNESS! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!

WHERE DOES IT HURT??

IT FEELS AS IF... AN AXE IS CHOPPING INSIDE MY HEAD...

HOLD ON A MOMENT.

HE'S BURNING UP-!

TO THE POINT WHERE THE HEAT REACHES THE BACK OF MY HAND.

TODAY IT'S EXCEPTIONALLY SEVERE, USUALLY IT WAS JUST ABOUT THE LEVEL OF BEING STABBED WITH A KNIFE...

IF...

CARLOS'S PAIN IS BECAUSE OF THAT BLOOD-COLORED AURA...

YOU MUST NEVER REVEAL YOUR ABILITY.

THAT POWER MUST...

BE USED FOR GOOD CAUSES.

JUST THIS ONCE...

JUST THIS ONE TIME... I'LL HELP HIM.

...STRANGE.

THE PAIN... SEEMS TO BE FADING AWAY.

WHAT A RELIEF, IT SEEMS YOU’VE GOTTEN BETTER...

AT THE SAME TIME, IN HEINRICH’S OFFICE,

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS THE CROWN PRINCE...

WHAT IS IT?

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE ROYAL GRANDSON IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN HIS HORSEBACK RIDING PRACTICE.

Y-YOUR HIGHNESS... I CAN'T HOLD IT IN... ANY LONGER...

UNDERSTOOD, I'LL BE DOWN SHORTLY.

BRIAN!

Father!

YOU LOOK QUITE CONVINCING TODAY!

Yes! The instructor said I'm fully capable of riding alone now!

STILL, DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN! A HORSE ISN'T A TOY THAT MOVES AS YOU WISH!

Yes!

YOUR HIGHNESS.

I HAVE AN URGENT MATTER TO DISCUSS WITH YOU.

WHAT IS IT?

A MOMENT AGO, I HEARD BAD NEWS. THEY SAY THE SKY OVER THE GRAND DUCHY TURNED RED AS BLOOD.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU MEAN, WHAT ABOUT IT?

I'M TALKING ABOUT THE ATTEMPT TO CAST A SPELL ON THE GRAND DUKE THAT ENDED IN FAILURE!!

A RED SKY IS AN OMEN OF DEATH, PERHAPS... DIVINE PUNISHMENT MIGHT BE HANDED DOWN UPON YOUR HIGHNESS.

YOU KNOW, DON'T YOU... WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST...

THEN STOP IT.

ISN'T THAT YOUR JOB?

YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS THE ROYAL GRANDSON!!

HURRY, CATCH THE HORSE!!

IT'S DIVINE PUNISHMENT...

DIVINE PUNISHMENT HAS COME DOWN...

ONCE AGAIN...