Chapter 100
Catherine rolled her eyes in thought.
“Why bring up Rilkena flowers and flower tea all of a sudden… Oh! Is it because of the legend that Rilkena flowers can charm witches to death?”
“It’s not a legend. It’s real.”
“What?! Then we must go get some right away!”
While Catherine ran off to pick Rilkena flowers, Gremory, transformed into a cat, slipped into Duke Ortega’s estate.
The atmosphere inside the mansion was eerie due to the witch’s presence. The male servants, completely bewitched by Lace, looked hollow-eyed from standing guard throughout the corridors without rest.
Gremory masked her presence as much as possible and headed to where Lace was. Since Lace couldn’t hide her own energy, her location was easy to pinpoint.
She had taken over the powder room. As she rifled through Catherine’s jewelry box, she was chatting with Duke Ortega. Gremory leapt onto the windowsill and quietly pushed the window open, catching their conversation.
Lace was throwing jewels on the floor and whining to the duke.
“Is this all the jewelry you have? I heard Duke Ortega’s territory has all sorts of rare minerals, but this is so boring.”
“Lady Lace, please wait a little longer. Kenneth has gone to another territory to fetch some jewels just for you. He’ll return soon with something you’ll like.”
“Tell him to hurry up. I’m in a rush. I need to find it quickly and move on.”
“Well, if you could at least tell me what kind of jewel you’re looking for…”
“Even if I told you, a lowly thing like you wouldn’t understand. Stop asking so many questions and bring me warm water to wash my feet.”
Duke Ortega bowed deeply and rushed off to fetch a basin of water, then began washing her feet.
“Do a better job. You’re worse than your son.”
“…Yes, Lady Lace.”
“That didn’t sound very enthusiastic. Are you complaining?”
“N-No, not at all!”
Startled, the duke massaged her feet more earnestly. Lace narrowed her eyes, sensing something odd, and stared at him.
“You.”
“…”
“The curse is gone.”
“!”
With a wicked grin, Lace grabbed the duke by his thinning hair. Held in her grasp, he froze in fear, unable to struggle.
“Lift your head and look into my eyes.”
“No! You wicked witch!”
“You should mind your words around a wicked witch. Who knows what I’ll do to your children?”
“Just kill me already, you wretched creature!”
“I can’t do that yet. I need you to find the jewel I’m looking for.”
“Why are you so obsessed with this jewel?! Argh!”
“If you’re that curious, I’ll tell you. I need it to craft another magical artifact to hide my body again. Only then can I—Ugh!”
Gremory, who had leapt up, smacked Lace on the back of the head with her front paw. Lace released the duke and glared at the black cat.
“What the—Gremory?! How did you—?!”
“You’ve got guts, laying hands on one of the Empire’s Four Great Ducal Houses. Did you really think you wouldn’t get caught?”
Lace’s eyes trembled violently with fear. She had been meticulous in hiding her presence. How had Gremory found out?
“Damn it… Hey, Duke Ortega. Did you spread the word?”
“What if he did?”
Gremory, now in her human form, looked down coldly at Lace. Without her orb, Lace was powerless and sat frozen against her chair.
“Uh, Gremory…”
“Looking for a magic-infused gem to recreate your orb? So you can hide again and come bother me later?”
“That’s not…”
“Catherine, come in and give her the tea.”
Catherine, who had been hesitating outside, quietly stepped in. Lace immediately recognized the yellow-hued tea she carried.
“Wait, Gremory! Please, just hear me out!”
“Did you listen to me when you tried to kill Chesion? Shut up, drink this, and die peacefully.”
Gremory had no intention of sparing her. Leaving Lace alive might lead to more disasters later. Especially with Chesion’s birthday coming up, Gremory was on high alert.
Lace, panicking at the approaching Rilkena tea…
“Sister! Please, have mercy on this poor life of mine!”
Suddenly threw herself flat on the ground.
A moment of silence passed. Gremory stared down at her, baffled. Had word gotten out among witches that acting like this could save them, like Alice?
“What are you doing?”
“If you spare me, I’ll be your servant for life.”
“I already have plenty of servants.”
“Sister, please! I have nowhere else to go! In the demon realm, the demon king devours witches’ souls without mercy, and in the human world, I’m being hunted by you.”
Lace crawled on her knees and clung to Gremory’s ankles, pleading.
“I was almost killed when I was dragged back to the demon realm. I only barely escaped to the human world. I just wanted to stay hidden. I only wanted the orb to avoid being caught by the demon king!”
“Why is the demon king devouring witches’ souls?”
“I don’t know! If he eats all of us, there’ll be no people left. He became king just to destroy everyone—it makes no sense!”
Gremory fell into thought. Serietti had willingly taken the throne to protect her people. Why had she suddenly changed and begun killing them all? Was it because two fragments of her soul had been shattered?
“Did the demon king say anything else?”
“He did. He said no matter how hard you fight, you’ll never kill him. And… he said he misses you.”
“Never die? Sounds like empty bravado.”
“He sounded pretty confident for empty talk.”
“Why is your information so lacking? Useless. Just die.”
“W-Wait! I’m pregnant! I can’t die because of the baby!”
Lace clutched her belly and wailed. Only then did Gremory notice her slightly swollen stomach.
‘What? Witches only conceive with a specific purpose. Their lifespans are so long, there’s no reason to reproduce. …Don’t tell me, like my mother, she got pregnant to offer the child in her place?’
It seemed likely. As a high-level witch, she’d have feared becoming a sacrifice. Using the child to gain sympathy and save herself would fit.
“You.”
“Y-Yes, Sister.”
“Tell me the truth. Why did you have that child?”
“Because I fell in love with a demon…”
“What’s the father’s name?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Drink it.”
Gremory’s eyes glowed red with fury. She didn’t care if Lace was pregnant or not, but she couldn’t help seeing her mother’s shadow in Lace.
“S-Sister…”
“If you don’t want to drink it—raise it.”
“Pardon?”
“Raise the child. Properly. If you do that, I’ll spare you.”
Gremory looked to Catherine.
“Catherine, pick a random girl’s name.”
“Me? Hmm… How about Veronice?”
“Lace, your new name is Veronice. Accept your new human name, abandon your witch powers, and live as a human. That’s the only way to survive here.”
“Huh? But you live here in the human world too… Okay, I’ll do it.”
Lace had been about to object but backed down quickly, sensing the situation.
“If I hear you’ve used magic again, I’ll hunt you down and make you pay. If I hear your child is suffering, same thing. Raise your child as a human, not a demon.”
“…Even if you didn’t warn me, I was already planning to raise my child happily.”
“Why? Didn’t you have the baby just to offer it in your place?”
“At first, yes. But now, the child is all I have. Etna, my only friend, is dead. The demon realm is in ruins…”
Lace knelt properly before Gremory.
“I’m sorry for hurting your lover. I’ll formally apologize—for the sake of my child.”
“Good.”
“From now on, I’ll live as the human Veronice. I won’t bother other humans. I’ll survive by feeding only on naturally occurring darkness.”
“Contract complete.”
Gremory’s eyes flashed red again. A magical restraint formed around Lace’s neck.
“Now undo the mind control on the staff and leave this place.”
“Yes, Sister. Thank you for sparing me.”
Lace bowed deeply and obediently left the mansion. The servants, now free of her mind control, blinked in confusion, trying to grasp what had happened.
Gremory felt a little relief.
Telling her to raise the child well—it was something she wanted to say to her own mother. It was also a form of comfort to the wounded child she once was.
‘May there be no more children bearing wounds like mine.’
