The Witch of Paitan — Chapter 16

AFTER ALL, THAT'S WHY WE GOT MARRIED.

MAY I HAVE THIS DANCE?

...BARON?

OH, NO... I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DANCE...

I WILL LEAD, SO JUST FOLLOW MY STEPS.

YOU KNOW THE BASIC STEPS, DON'T YOU?

GREETINGS TO YOUR GRACE AND HER GRACE THE GRAND DUCHESS.

I AM DAISY GREENER.

AND THIS IS MY HUSBAND, BARON PEDRICK GREENER.

A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, BARONESS GREENER.

seeing you in person, you're as beautiful as the rumors say~

I HOPE WE CAN BECOME GOOD FRIENDS~

YES, LET'S BE FRIENDS.

THERE IS NO NEED FOR THAT, YOUR GRACE.

SHE'S A WOMAN WHO ONCE CAUSED ALL SORTS OF COMMOTION BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO MARRY THE GRAND DUKE.

Lady Riya, that was ages ago...!

SHE ENDED UP MARRYING BARON GREENER, BUT I HEAR THEY HAVEN'T BEEN GETTING ALONG LATELY.

BECAUSE THE BARON IS QU~ITE A RAKE.

i-it was an honor to meet you, your grace! please excuse me...!!

IT WAS A WARNING. SHE MAY LOOK HARMLESS, BUT SHE'S QUITE A DANGEROUS WOMAN.

YOU'VE AGED, BUT YOUR PERSONALITY HASN'T CHANGED. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

COMING FROM THE PERSON WHO BANISHED ME, I HIGHLY DOUBT THAT.

AS SHARP AS EVER.

SO WHY DID YOU SUMMON ME? YOU'VE NEVER LIKED ME.

I MAY NOT LIKE YOU, BUT I TRUST YOU.

WHAT A SURPRISING ANSWER.

W-WAIT... WHAT IS THIS CONVERSATION? DON'T TELL ME YOU SUMMONED RAKSHA-

GREETINGS, GRAND DUKE AND GRAND DUCHESS.

WHO...?

SAY HELLO. THIS IS RETO LYNCH, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE INNER CASTLE GUARDS.

HE IS THE SON OF BREAM LYNCH, MINISTER OF MILITARY AFFAIRS AND ONE OF THE EIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE.

AH... I SEE.

PLEASED TO MEET YOU, LORD LYNCH.

RETO!

Y-YES, SIR!!

IT IS IMPOLITE TO JUST STARE AT SOMEONE WHO GREETS YOU.

M-MY APOLOGIES, YOUR GRACE.

THE GRAND DUCHESS IS SO BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL THAT I LOST MY WORDS FOR A MOMENT...

...WHAT?

OH, NO... YOU FLATTER ME...

IT IS NOT FLATTERY! YOU ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON I HAVE EVER SEEN!

TH-THANK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT, RETO.

MY, THE ATMOSPHERE BETWEEN YOU TWO IS QUITE... CURIOUS.

IF YOU EVER DECIDE TO TAKE A LOVER, DO LET ME KNOW.

W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, RAKSHA?!

HE'S TALL, HANDSOME, AND SEEMS GOOD-NATURED. YOU COULD HARDLY FIND ANYONE BETTER.

RULERS OF THIS DUCHY HAVE NEVER TAKEN PARAMOURS.

WELL, THERE'S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING.

CUT THE USELESS JOKES, AND REPORT ONLY FACTS TO MARGARITA.

MM... VERY WELL, THEN. I SHALL BE CAREFUL.

RIGHT NOW, THE GRAND DUKE IS EXPERIENCING SOMETHING CALLED 'JEALOUSY.'

NO WAY...

What on earth did she say to make Margarita wear an expression like that?

I merely reported the facts.

MY APOLOGIES, BUT EVEN TO YOUR GRACE, I CANNOT DISCLOSE THOSE DETAILS.

YOU HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT, WITCH OF EVELYN.

YOU DANCE QUITE WELL.

HARDLY.

IT'S TRUE. YOU'RE A BIT CLUMSY, BUT YOU HAVE GOOD RHYTHM.

WHY DID YOU ASK ME TO DANCE?

LEAVING A BEAUTIFUL LADY BY HERSELF WOULDN'T BE GENTLEMANLY.

ARE YOU SURE IT WASN'T TO SEPARATE ME FROM HIS GRACE?

NOT AT ALL. I SIMPLY REQUESTED A DANCE.

IF YOU DON'T MIND, MAY I ASK YOU SOMETHING?

GO AHEAD.

ABOUT THE NEW AIDE... WHY WAS THAT DECIDED AT THE ROUNDTABLE?

PERHAPS THEY URGENTLY NEEDED SOMEONE?

AT THE ROUNDTABLE? WAS SELECTING A SINGLE AIDE REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?

WELL, I WOULDN'T KNOW EITHER.

AREN'T YOU SOMEONE HIS GRACE TRUSTS AND KEEPS BY HIS SIDE?

THAT DOESN'T MEAN I KNOW EVERYTHING ON HIS GRACE'S MIND. IF YOU'RE CURIOUS, WHY NOT ASK HIM DIRECTLY?

NO...

THERE'S NO NEED FOR THAT.

'ARON GILLIAN.'

YOU MUST KNOW EVEN THE GRAND DUKE'S INNERMOST SECRETS.

SHOW ME.

THIS MUST BE WHEN HE WAS YOUNG...

YOUNG LORD!

YOUNG LORD! PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES!

HURRY!

IF IT'S THE YOUNG LORD...

YOUNG LORD, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!

IT'S ME! ARON GILLIAN!

I'M... NOT THE YOUNG LORD...

MY NAME IS...

MY NAME IS...

...PEPE...