Chapter 10

That Bastard Came Looking Again (8)

“That mana array is actually quite complicated. Most people prefer a simpler method, even if it’s slightly less efficient.”

Haha. I forgot that my soul is ancient and has no idea what’s fashionable these days.

These arrogant, incompetent youngsters only care about convenience!

The soul of an old witch deeply lamented the state of modern magical society and silently vowed that once she reached the pinnacle of magic again, she would personally reeducate every mage in existence.

“W-Well… I think I saw that method in an old book at the public library…”

Surely a ducal territory had at least one public library like the capital did?

Damn it.

She was beginning to understand exactly why people said one lie always led to another.

“Hmm. I don’t know which book you read, but I doubt it also contained the recipe for making that neutralizer.”

Mariela’s eyes shook violently.

The sample she had submitted to the Magic Tower.

So this bastard has already examined that too!

The Young Marquis of Belmore.

Commander of the Imperial First Mage Corps.

A man whose status and abilities were beyond question.

When someone like that requested the samples, what was a mere 6th Circle mage supposed to do?

He probably handed them over immediately like he’d just been gifted free bread. Damn it. That’s like leaving fish in the care of a cat.

The neutralizer formula had been passed down exclusively among witches.

The excuse about finding it in an old book would never work.

After frantically thinking for a moment, Mariela suddenly raised her voice as though she had caught him red-handed.

“A neutralizer? What are you talking about? Don’t tell me you stole what I submitted to the Magic Tower! How shameless can you be—”

Change the topic.

From the neutralizer—

To his misconduct.

“Ha ha. It’s truly amazing what one lives long enough to hear. To think I’d be called shameless over something this minor.”

Smiling lightly, Hereis continued.

“To deserve a title like that, shouldn’t someone at least throw another person into lava, then push them back in every time they struggle to climb out?”

“S-Seriously? Someone actually did that?”

Damn it.

My own past actions are coming back to haunt me again.

Besides, you’re a dragon! That wouldn’t even kill you!

Because she had far too many guilty memories, her voice trembled noticeably.

“Not a person. A witch. And quite an extraordinary witch at that.”

“I-I see. So there’s a reason witches in novels are always portrayed as villains. Though it’s surprising someone of your status would personally know a dangerous witch.”

Had she ever worked this hard to keep talking in her entire life?

In her previous life, she’d been the infamous Great Witch.

In this life, she’d become the beloved youngest daughter of a fallen ducal family.

Never before had she been cornered this badly.

She felt like she might die from stress.

Hereis stared silently at her face.

Then he spoke in a casual tone.

“It seems you’re determined to keep your mouth shut until the end. Perhaps I should simply destroy the ducal castle.”

…What did you just say?

Instantly, Mariela imagined Hereis’s true form.

He wouldn’t even need complicated magic.

If that insane dragon simply released his polymorph and revealed his real body—

The entire castle would collapse with a deafening roar.

No! Our family’s precious home!

Among the few valuable assets House Esteban still possessed, the ancient castle was by far the most valuable.

Looking as though she’d swallowed poison, Mariela finally exploded.

“You damned lizard! If that evil witch died and set you free, you should spend your days chanting ‘thank you’ a hundred times and quietly living in some remote mountain village!”

Her irritation, anxiety, and despair combined into a flood of insults that sounded remarkably similar to the old Shyloi.

“Ha! Hahaha! There it is! I knew it! There’s no way that wicked witch would suddenly reform and become a better person!”

Now completely enraged, Mariela launched herself forward with a headbutt.

Hereis laughed as though it were adorable nonsense.

He effortlessly dodged and even caught her before she could stumble from the recoil.

“I’m not usually the sympathetic type. Yet watching your ridiculous struggle somehow makes me feel sorry for humanity as a species.”

“What nonsense are you spouting, you damn lizard?! Say whatever you came here to say and get out!”

“The night has only just begun. Since we’ve met again after so long, wouldn’t it be nice to sit down and catch up properly?”

The moment Hereis answered with that shameless grin—

Knock. Knock.

A sudden knock echoed through the room.

Mariela’s heart nearly stopped.

Her eyes widened.

“This insane lizard… don’t tell me you’ve been saying all this without even casting a soundproofing spell?”

“…No? I definitely cast one.”

Then what was that?

Who would be visiting at this hour?

Mariela pressed a finger against her lips, signaling for silence.

Hereis nodded.

Knock. Knock.

After a brief pause, the knocking came again.

Only then did Mariela call out toward the door, pretending she had just woken up.

“…Who is it?”

She deliberately made her voice sound sleepy.

“So you were sleeping. Sorry for waking you.”

A familiar voice answered from outside.

Her second brother, Marey.

“What time do you think it is?!”

Now that her immediate panic had faded, Mariela snapped irritably.

“It’s not even midnight. You’re usually awake at this hour reading those romance novels.”

“Stop bringing up those books!”

“Anyway, I won’t bother you anymore. Go back to sleep.”

“After waking me up, you tell me to sleep?!”

“Should I come inside and sing you a lullaby?”

The moment she heard the amusement in his voice, Mariela frowned deeply.

If she answered yes out of spite, her ridiculous brother would genuinely come inside and sing in a voice like a pig being slaughtered.

“Get lost!”

“My, how terrifying.”

Chuckling to himself, Marey finally walked away.

Only after listening until his footsteps disappeared did Mariela breathe a sigh of relief.

Then she turned beside her.

“You sneaky lizard!”

At some point, Hereis had vanished.

The room was empty.

As though the silver-haired man who had threatened her moments ago had been nothing but a nightmare.

“Ha! No loyalty, no decency, no humanity.”

Still grumbling, Mariela climbed back into bed and pulled the blanket all the way up to her chin.

Starting tomorrow, she would have to wage a terrible psychological war against Hereis.

She needed proper rest just to survive it.

Regardless of whether destruction loomed in the future, the sun rose as usual the next day.

And the day after that.

The events of that night left Mariela too distracted to properly focus on her magical training.

“…How annoying.”

She was sprawled across the floor imagining worst-case scenarios when—

“My lady! The Young Marquis of Belmore has requested tea with you this afternoon!”

At last.

The bastard had sent his first formal challenge.

Oh? So he actually put some thought into it.

He had chosen a time when:

• Marsen would be occupied in meetings.
• Marey would be training with the knights.

“Really? The weather is lovely today. Having tea in the garden sounds pleasant.”

Compared to secretly meeting in her bedroom in the middle of the night, a public and official meeting was far more advantageous for her.

There was no reason to refuse.

Now then… what did he hate again?

“A bright red tea paired with a dark red dessert. What atrocious taste.”

Mariela searched through her memories.

Eventually she instructed the kitchen to prepare strongly scented rose tea along with red bean desserts.

“My lady, the floral aroma of rose tea and the heavy sweetness of red beans might clash somewhat. Perhaps a lighter tea with the red bean dessert—or rose tea with berry tarts or macarons—would be better?”

“I vaguely remember reading in a magazine that the Young Marquis enjoys that combination.”

“Ah, I see. Then we’ll prepare it.”

Convincing innocent Betty and the kitchen staff was easy.

The appointment is at three. I should leave around two-thirty.

Gathering all her mental strength for battle, Mariela gritted her teeth and left her room.

As though even the sun wanted to watch their coming confrontation, the sky was completely cloudless that day.