Chapter 12
I glanced back over my shoulder.
Suspicion was clearly written across the Grand Duke’s handsome face.
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
They’re definitely siblings.
That expression looked exactly like Luna’s.
“The Great Demon desires noble blood.”
I smiled brightly.
The Grand Duke narrowed his eyes even more.
“So you dare lie to the ruler of this land?”
“Do you realize you could be punished for that?”
Despite his intimidating words, his voice remained light.
He wasn’t truly threatening me.
Without answering, I turned away and kept walking.
Soon, his footsteps followed again.
We had come much deeper into the forest than the mushroom patch where I’d brought the children before.
It was already the end of mushroom season, and since so many villagers had been gathering them lately, it was hard to find any unless you came deep into the forest.
Still…
The Grand Duke followed me without hesitation, even into this dark valley where thick trees blocked the sunlight.
He’s really getting on my nerves.
The whole time I picked mushrooms, I could feel his eyes burning into the back of my head.
Just being stared at was annoying enough.
Then he suddenly walked over and rummaged through my basket.
“Why are you picking these?”
He was holding an ordinary porcini mushroom.
The kind everyone around here gathered and ate every autumn.
I tilted my head in confusion.
Oddly enough, the Grand Duke tilted his head the same way while holding the mushroom.
Somehow, this conversation had already gone completely off track.
“To… eat them?”
Why was he asking something so obvious?
Surely he knew what mushrooms were.
He snorted at my answer before placing the mushroom back into the basket.
Then he pointed at the base of a nearby tree with one long finger.
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Things like that aren’t only used for dark magic.”
Growing beneath the tree were several white mushrooms with thin stems and wide caps.
Death Caps.
They looked perfectly ordinary.
But eating even a tiny piece would kill you.
Oh…
He thinks I’m gathering ingredients for potions because I’m a witch.
Apparently, he thought I was pretending to collect edible mushrooms because he was watching me.
“I’m here to gather food.”
“If Your Grace wants those, you’re welcome to eat as many as you like.”
Of course…
He would never actually eat them.
He already knew they were poisonous.
That’s why he’d asked.
I moved farther into the valley to continue searching for mushrooms.
Above the tree where I crouched…
A loud buzzing filled the air.
When I looked up, I saw a huge beehive hanging from a branch.
I’m only here for mushrooms.
As long as nobody disturbs it, it’ll be fine.
“Daisy!”
“Don’t touch the beehive!”
I warned Daisy, who was busy wandering around marking her territory.
She had the soul of a puppy who loved honey…
And the body of a cat that could climb trees.
If she tried stealing honey again, she’d definitely get stung.
Had she really been sneaking toward it?
Only moments after I warned her…
I heard rustling behind the bushes.
“I told you not to—”
Suddenly…
A chill ran down my spine.
Behind me, I heard someone pulling back the string of a bow.
The only person behind me was the Grand Duke.
Don’t tell me…
Is he trying to kill me?
I spun around.
At that exact moment…
The Grand Duke released the bowstring while looking straight at me.
He’s really trying to kill me!
Why?!
What did I do?!
Whoosh!
The arrow flew toward me like lightning.
Startled, I instinctively swapped the mushroom in my hand with the arrow.
Thud.
Instead of being hit by the arrow…
Someone else was hit by the mushroom.
Something hiding inside the bushes.
“Daisy?”
Wait…
Was he trying to kill Daisy?
Why would he attack an innocent cat?
That’s even worse than trying to kill me!
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I stood up, gripping the arrow tightly as if I were about to snap it in half.
At that moment…
Something also stood up inside the bushes.
Huh?
It stood on two legs…?
Since when did Daisy become taller than me…?
Because…
It wasn’t Daisy.
“Ah!”
It was a bear.
One at least twice my size.
Apparently, it didn’t appreciate being hit by a mushroom.
It opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth.
Its furious roar echoed through the valley.
“Oh no…”
It was autumn.
Just before hibernation.
The season when bears desperately searched for food.
I slowly backed away without taking my eyes off it.
Then an equally fierce voice shouted from behind me.
“Witch!”
“What are you doing?”
Shing!
The sound of a sword leaving its scabbard made the bear shift its attention away from me.
It turned toward the Grand Duke.
“Don’t tell me…”
“You’re the one who summoned this bear?”
“I did no such thing!”
“If I’d summoned it, why would I be running away?”
Because I’d accidentally switched his arrow…
He now thought I had saved the bear on purpose.
Seriously.
If he was going to shoot…
He could’ve warned me.
Or at least told me there was a bear nearby.
“Hah…”
“If you’re not going to help, then move.”
I’d love to move.
But bears chased people who ran.
So I kept backing away slowly.
The bear emerged from the bushes and prowled toward the large tree beneath the beehive.
…Wait.
Why had it come to this tree?
I looked above its head.
Dozens of bees buzzed around the giant hive.
Ah.
It came for the honey.
Because I happened to be standing underneath the hive…
The bear thought I was trying to steal its honey.
“What are you doing?”
I stopped.
Only five steps away from the tree.
The bear stopped too.
Then it stood up on its hind legs again.
“One swing is all it’ll take.”
“So get out of the way, Witch.”
Once a bear chose its target…
It rarely gave up.
Whether I moved or not…
It would keep chasing me.
I raised my left hand toward the Grand Duke, signaling him not to come closer.
Then…
I raised my right hand.
Toward the beehive.
The bear let out another deafening roar.
Boom.
It slammed its front paws onto the ground.
Just as it prepared to leap at me…
I flicked my finger.
Crack!
The branch snapped.
The giant beehive dropped straight onto the bear’s head.
Covered by the sticky hive, the bear rolled around desperately, trying to pull it off.
But honey was incredibly sticky.
It wasn’t coming off easily.
The bees immediately surrounded the unexpected intruder that had destroyed their home.
Dozens of angry bees attacked with painful stings.
Unable to endure the swarm any longer…
The bear finally fled deep into the forest for its life.
Watching it disappear…
I smiled with satisfaction.
Problem solved!
…
Or so I thought.
Somehow, Daisy had already returned.
She was meowing furiously as she chased after the fleeing bear.
“Daisy!”
“That’s enough! Come back!”
I was just about to chase after her…
When someone grabbed my shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
The Grand Duke’s large hand rested lightly on my shoulder.
All my attention immediately focused on where he was touching me.
He looked down at me with an unreadable expression.
Isn’t this a little too close?
Just as I thought that…
His tightly closed lips finally parted.
“Wouldn’t it have been better for you…”
“If the bear had killed me?”
“Why?”
“We’ve only met twice.”
“Why would I want you dead?”
Does this man have paranoia or something?
Did he seriously believe everyone in the world wanted to kill him?
Well…
If he really was that paranoid…
It would explain why he kept his younger siblings locked away.
“So…”
“If you didn’t want me dead…”
“No.”
“I didn’t.”
“Then was this your way of earning my trust?”
“With your own hands…”
The Grand Duke turned me around.
Then he gently lifted my right hand.
His movements were as polite as if he were inviting a noble lady to dance at a ball.
But his words were anything but polite.
“With this hand, you summoned the bear.”
“And with this same hand, you sent it away.”
At that moment…
My expression was probably fiercer than the bear’s.
“I don’t want Your Grace’s trust.”
“I just want some time alone.”
“…”
“Please leave.”
I brushed his hand away and turned around.
At that very moment—
Rumble!
Thunder shook the sky.
I looked up.
Dark storm clouds had gathered beyond the gaps between the tree branches.
A moment later…
Heavy rain began pouring down.
But I couldn’t return to the cottage yet.
“Daisy!”
“Next time…”
“Put a bell on her.”
For some reason…
The Grand Duke didn’t leave.
Instead, he stayed in the pouring rain and helped me search for Daisy.
Walking all the way home soaking wet in this downpour wasn’t possible.
Eventually…
We found a nearby cave to shelter from the rain.
The Grand Duke entered as well.
I sat on the cave floor with my knees drawn up.
Looking outside…
I watched the rain pour endlessly from the sky.
I wonder when it’ll stop…
I let out a long sigh.
Leaning against the cave wall…
The Grand Duke wasn’t looking at the rain.
He was looking at me.
“Don’t you know weather magic?”
“Unfortunately…”
“I don’t.”
“Hm…”
His doubtful gaze slowly swept over me.
I looked back at him.
He was completely soaked.
The Grand Duke roughly brushed his wet silver hair back with his long fingers.
Large drops of water fell from his hair.
His marble-like cheeks and neck were covered with rainwater.
A single droplet slid along the prominent tendon in his neck.
Then down across his collarbone…
Before disappearing beneath the collar of his soaked shirt.
I stared absentmindedly at the trail of water.
Then the Grand Duke asked irritably,
“What are you looking at?”
“Huh?”
I was watching the water droplets.
Was that not allowed?
Confused, I looked up.
The moment our eyes met…
He parted his lips as if he wanted to say something.
Then suddenly stopped.
Just as I puckered my lips to ask what was wrong…
The Grand Duke suddenly narrowed his eyes and turned to look outside the cave.
“So… changing your appearance was for this purpose.”
“Huh?”
“What purpose?”
According to Daisy and Lady…
The witch’s appearance had suddenly changed one day.
I’d always assumed it happened because of my illustration.
They said that a few days before I possessed this body…
A strange man had delivered a large treasure chest to the witch.
The moment she opened it…
She laughed greedily while counting the gold coins.
Then she suddenly transformed into the way I looked now.
Exactly like the single illustration I had drawn—
A witch counting gold coins.
But…
There was another reason?
Did the Grand Duke know something I didn’t?
