Chapter 8: The Witch Attends a Palace Ball

 

 

 

Chapter 8: The Witch Attends a Palace Ball

 

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

A scream that sounded like rent silk pierced the air, creating a chain reaction of fear that elicited more screams.

The spectacular ball venue suddenly erupted in an uproar—all because a lone witch had entered the palace hall, her heels clicking on the marble floor as she walked.

With each step, the witch’s robe dragged behind her. Every step she took filled the gathered crowd’s faces with dread, and they fled to the edges of the vast hall.

“P-Please stop right there, O Mighty Witch!” One brave palace guard commanded the witch cloaked in a thick robe to halt. The witch’s stunning robe billowed as she turned around. No one could conceal their confusion at this sudden visit.

“Forgive me for not knowing what purpose you are blessing us with your presence for… What business brings you here today…?”

Everyone seemed to believe the shut-in Witch of the Lake had come to douse them in an unwanted curse. The pitifully terrified palace guard charged her with that query, his face hard.

While the modern witches had lost the power to exact wide-scale vengeance, a visit from the witches of yore to a palace ball was usually the precursor to disaster. They loved to reduce the venue to despair by covering the palace in thorns, putting the beautiful princesses into eternal sleep, turning princes into frogs, and all sorts of devilish tricks.

Of course, Rose didn’t have that kind of power.

Rose opened her mouth to respond. Just that slight action on her part caused the guard to reach for his sword as though he were a hero facing a demon lord. Exasperated, Rose gave her answer anyway.

“…Because I was invited—”

“Rose!”

Harij rushed into the hall behind the palace guard. The startled guard saluted Harij, who only gave him a passing glance before heading to Rose.

“I told you to wait for me.”

“I thought you wanted me to wait for you in the hall.”

“…My heart nearly stopped thinking something had happened to you when I heard those screams. Stop making me worry so much,” Harij pleaded, reaching inside Rose’s hood to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

This time the hall was filled with even louder screams of despair from the women.

∴ ∵ ∴

“WAIT. Don’t go over there just yet.”

“But there’s only one left—”

“Just wait. They will bring out more.”

“But that’s the last table with the shiny one...”

Rose wrenched her gaze from the dessert on the table to look up at Harij with the eyes of an abandoned kitten left out in the rain. Her face remained expressionless beneath the hood, but her eager plea seemed to have reached Harij. With his brows knit tightly together, he was obviously stumped for words.

A ball was held within the glittering palace around the time the building was encompassed by the star-encrusted night.

The chandeliers above shone so brightly they seemed to be trying to blanket the fancy ceiling with light. The intricately cut glass crystals swayed, reflecting the gleam of the candlelight. Golden thread embroidered the cloth walls, which had not a single speck of dust.

As if forgetting the previous commotion, the royal palace’s ball, which displayed the entire kingdom’s extravagance, continued without a care.

Men and women danced in pairs to the orchestra’s magical performance. But none of the couples in the hall could concentrate on dancing or the music. Everyone’s attention had tuned in to the most conspicuous couple there.

“Sir Harij…please,” Rose earnestly requested. Her slender arm poked out from under the robe.

Even to a ball, she wore her witch’s robe rather than a dress. She did so because Yašm, the host of the ball, permitted her to attend as a witch.

Nonetheless, Rose had grudgingly dressed up for the occasion because Tala talked her ears off about how “You will be meeting the people His Lordship serves alongside daily, so you mustn’t forget your manners.”

Half of her hair had been pulled back and braided so tight it felt like her scalp was being ripped off. She also powdered her face, brushed on blush, and rouged her lips. She put Mona through a lot of heartache because her first attempt at makeup resulted in looking like one of the frightening witches depicted in fairy tales.

The brand-new robe she wore was one of the dowry items Tien had enthusiastically given her. He likely had it tailored precisely for when Rose needed to attend formal events with Harij.

It was nothing like the plain robes she always wore at the hermitage. Bold embroidered designs bloomed on the thick, velvety fabric. Every time the chandelier lights hit it, the material glittered, making the witch look even more mysterious and magical.

The hood was a crucial component in the design, as it should be for any witch. When she wore it, the crystals sewn along the rim of the hood hid her expression every time they shook and reflected the light.

“Won’t you please grant me this one wish…?”

She begged him with an expression more serious than anything else in the world, but all she really wanted was to just dine upon delicious desserts.

Frowning, Harij glanced around them. He seemed to be confirming that the people he wanted her to meet were currently conversing with others. He took another look at Rose and slowly nodded.

“…Only for a short bit, okay?”

“I’ll do my best to eat as fast as I can.”

“You don’t have to rush that much.”

When everyone saw how lenient Harij was with Rose, commotion spread through the hall like ripples on a lake.

“No way.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“Was Sir Azm always so friendly…?”

The women’s whispers went from one ear to another, even reaching Rose.

Rose quickly moved to the table she had set her sights on and placed the dessert in question on her plate with the speed of a cat pouncing on a mouse. Needless to say, Rose was the only woman at the ball who was so engrossed with food.

She had been wholly captivated by a sweet treat that appeared to be layers of marshmallow topped with a shiny, transparent red jelly. The best part was the mint leaf that made it look like someone had turned a beautiful little apple into a shining jewel.

The marshmallow wobbled just from her moving it onto the plate. She carefully cut it with a fork and carried it to her tongue. Cold jelly made contact with her lips. The supple gel encompassing the pillowy white confection guided Rose’s taste buds to heaven.

While savoring that piece of fluffy joy, Rose turned to Harij. “Sir Harij, do you—”

She felt the silent tension radiating off him as she talked with her mouth full, so after swallowing her food, she finished her question.

“…Do you go often? To these kinds of events.”

“Not often. When I attend, it’s usually as a guard. I think I mentioned this before, but I’ve cut off most of my ties to high society since becoming a knight.”

It was incredibly rare for Harij, who hated attending any noble gatherings, to be invited as a knighted guest rather than for his work as a Royal Knight on guard duty. Furthermore, it was difficult for everyone who knew Harij to believe he was there escorting a witch who totally had him wrapped around her little finger.

“It’s been a while since I last dressed up like this, too.”

Harij puffed out his chest to show off his outfit to her. Rose squinted at him because it was near impossible for her to look directly at his formal attire without risking going blind.

This man has an amazingly handsome face. It’s better looking than anything else in the world. Combine that face with his dressing for the occasion, and he’s irresistible.

Formal wear with simple cuts and lines were popular in Marjan. Men’s attire was no exception with their refined designs. The man’s family crest, what his territory was known for, and his own design preferences were all considered when weaving and embroidering the fabric to be used. Harij’s clothing today had a large riding spur embroidered on the back. He probably had it designed to show off his status as a knight who rode his own path in life. Rose couldn’t imagine a better fit.

Internally, Rose fist-pumped the air with glee at seeing him dressed this way for the first time. She couldn’t help feeling as if he were emitting a brighter light than the sun beside her, so she couldn’t stare at him for more than three seconds at a time, but she could still bathe in the sun god’s glory again and again.

He had cleanly slicked back the hair he usually let fall naturally around his face. Rose was on the brink of drooling.

I can’t get enough of this. Viva la formal wear! Balls aren’t that bad if they mean getting to see him like this.

Rose swallowed her drool with a bite of marshmallow.

It goes without saying that Rose had been invited to the royal ball together with Harij today.

Apparently, this was an apology for all the trouble she was put through during the Witch’s Love Potion Incident. She couldn’t fathom how being invited to an event like this counted as a mea culpa. Still, Harij seemed as if he wanted her to go, and he said there would be lots of delicious food, so Rose reluctantly—really reluctantly—accepted.

Put another way, Rose essentially came to eat at a buffet. She was determined to devour one of every sweet decorating the various tables. After all, it was her first time seeing so many desserts together in one place.

But she hadn’t expected that big of an uproar merely from entering the hall. She learned firsthand just how deep the fear of witches went.

The Witch’s Love Potion had become a hot topic since the tower incident—and not in a good sense. Scandalous rumors had spread, claiming the Witch’s Love Potions were gimmicks.

Although no one was brave enough to come forward and accuse her, Harij had confirmed such rumors were circulating. Rose could overlook the lousy reputation of witches. While it hurt at times, it also served as armor that protected witches from others. But as a witch who possessed absolute confidence and pride in the secret potions she brewed, Rose could hardly overlook the hearsay devaluing her potions.

And yet she decided to tolerate it—because that was the responsibility of a witch who had taken on an apprentice.

The fact that all six victims drank the Witch’s Love Potion wasn’t made public.

As it was, the so-called victims only experienced the negative side effects for less than a few hours. No one other than the people directly affected should have even noticed there was a problem.

Lulu’s name didn’t come up in the gossip at all, either.

She had withdrawn from the public eye under the pretense she was sick so that she could privately reflect on her actions for a short period of time. Rose planned to teach Lulu the ways of a witch once her soul-searching was up. Teaching her how to brew potions was an obvious aspect of the lessons, but first, Rose needed to ground Lulu in the secrets of the witches. Whether Lulu chose to live as a witch or live concealing that part of her didn’t change the fact that she possessed the body of a witch.

She might have been able to live a lie-free life until now because of her young age, but she was likely to be thrust into more situations where the truth didn’t always work as she grew older. As the elder witch and as her teacher, Rose planned to guide Lulu every step of the way.

Rose snapped out of her pensive thinking when she saw a cart weaving through the sea of people. Eyes gleaming, she tugged on Harij’s sleeve.

“Sir Harij.”

“What is it?”

“New desserts have been delivered to that table over there.”

“…Want to go check them out?”

“Yes.”

Rose brushed right past the arm Harij held out to her.

“Rose.”

“Yes?” Called to a halt, she looked back. Harij stuck out his elbow, face set in a dead-serious expression. “What is it?”

“Place your hand here.”

“Do what?”

What is he saying to do with my hand? It can’t be anything decent. Rose inventoried her surroundings and discovered quite a few women had their hand on their man’s elbow as they chatted. She needed a lot of courage to be the one to initiate that kind of intimate touch.

Harij swiped the empty plate and glass from her hands and handed them naturally over to a waiter.

“Your hand.”

“…Yessir.”

Prompted by Harij once again, Rose reluctantly rested her hand on his elbow. She stepped in closer to make it easier to walk—so close she couldn’t bear to look up at him.

Rose grimaced as she walked, trying her best not to notice the red-hot glow emanating from her cheeks. Harij’s stride wasn’t too wide or too short—it perfectly matched hers. He’s probably used to escorting women. Her brain was on the verge of shorting out from a blend of bitterness, embarrassment, and sorrow.

Rose was unaware she was being picked apart by the women’s unfriendly gazes. But she did hear the nasty things they said about her in loud whispers meant for her to hear.

“Lord Harij is letting his arm be sullied by a witch…”

“Oh my heavens, is that thing there really the witch? Isn’t the witch supposed to be over two hundred years old…?”

“Perhaps it’s the work of magic? She can probably do something as petty as reverse her age with magic, no?”

“But I’ve heard rumors that the witches’ secret potions have dropped in quality lately.”

“Who cares about that? The real problem is why is the witch here…being escorted by Lord Harij?”

“Lord Harij already has Prince Yašm.”

“She doesn’t belong here.”

Some of their remarks made no sense, but the women’s gossip ramped up in its viciousness as if they knew no fear. Clearly they had forgotten the very witch they had screamed in terror of was standing in their presence.

A maiden in love could take on even a scary witch. Driven by her one-sided feelings for him, Rose herself had fearlessly ordered Harij to cut out the liver of a fire rat intoxicated from the ultrasonic waves of a muffler bat for her. Love made people do frightening things.

“Then the rumors that Lord Harij is getting married were true…?”

“You don’t think that’s who, right?!”

“No way. Please tell me it’s a lie…”

“She must have caught him with a love potion.”

“Yes, I did,” Rose said, stopping to join in their conversation.

They never expected the witch they were bad-mouthing to actually respond. The women trembled, their eyes wider than those of a deer surrounded by wolves. Rose decided to keep talking anyway since this was the perfect opportunity to straighten things out.

“However, the witches’ secret potions won’t serve their intended purposes if you don’t use the correct dosage or follow the exact directions. Please be sure to inquire with the witch herself over how to use it and what the correct dosage is when you purchase one.”

“Huh?”

The young women made strange faces. Rose drove the point home to make sure the same incident wouldn’t occur again, although she wasn’t sure how effective it would be. At least it was better than saying nothing. Actually, it appeared the Witch’s words had more effect than Rose thought, as some of the women looked away and quickly dispersed.

Those women seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. Perhaps they had a bad past experience purchasing a Witch’s Love Potion for cheap and finding it didn’t work when they used it without following any instructions.

Harij stared down at Rose, who was blandly watching the noblewomen flee, with a wry expression. Sensing his gaze on her, Rose gulped, expecting the worst.

“I-Is something the matter?”

“Didn’t I tell you this before? I fell for you long before I ever took that love potion.”

Their surroundings grew unusually loud. Like the sound of leaves rustling amid a heavy storm, like a dog rushing into a flock of sheep—everyone was making a commotion.

All that was left after the ripple of surprise passed was silence. Everyone widened their eyes in astonishment but then quickly averted them as if they had witnessed something that shouldn’t be seen, and promptly left.

As for Rose, she couldn’t wrap her head around a response after Harij’s unexpected fastball. She opened and closed her mouth rapidly like a fish gasping for air.

“Er…would you mind leaving it at that?”

It was none other than Yašm himself, the host of the ball and the second prince of Marjan, who broke the silence.

Guards in tow, he gallantly walked up to Rose, who had a conspicuous lack of people within a reasonable distance around her. Harij swept into a bow, but Rose held her upright position as she watched Yašm.

“Thank you for coming today, Witch of the Lake—nay, Lady Rose Azm.”

Screams erupted from every direction again. A leery expression crossed Rose’s face.

“I am not in a position to be called that yet.”

“Then Future Lady Rose Azm?”

“…I believe you invited me here today as a witch,” Rose said without hiding her ire.

According to Harij, there was a special meaning behind inviting Rose to a royal palace ball as a witch. Partly this was because it was unprecedented for a witch to be invited, but it was even more unheard of for a witch to marry a Royal Knight.

For Yašm to invite Rose as a witch signified that the royal family approved of witches.

Rose didn’t care about such things, but it seemed to be a very important gesture to Harij. Taking Harij’s feelings into consideration, she had no choice but to come for the buffet.

“Have you gotten used to the world of man?”

“Mankind is having a harder time getting used to a witch.”

“Witches are the same as dragons and phoenixes to us. Everyone hesitates to come in contact with them even though we know they exist. Harij has gotten his hands on a good helpmeet.”

“I’ll be Harij’s partner but that doesn’t automatically put me at your beck and call, Prince,” Rose stated in a loud enough voice for the nearby nobles to hear. “If it is potions you seek, then please use your own two legs to come to my lake and purchase them.”

After hearing this superficially polite but intentionally rude reply, Yašm pointed at Rose. “Your wife doesn’t pull any punches, does she?”

“She’s a strong woman who knows how to handle herself. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”

Harij veiled his barbed remarks because they were in public. They still inflicted their intended harm, as gooseflesh rippled along Yašm’s neck when he saw Harij swelling with pride.

“Why don’t you let him off with that, Sir Harij?” Rose shook her head as she tugged on his sleeve. Harij backed down, though he looked as if he had much more left to say.

Yašm waited to speak to Rose until the gooseflesh that had spread all the way up to his cheeks had settled down. “Then I will have to make my way there soon and try the famous secret potions you make for myself, Lady Witch. You will give me a discount, won’t you? As a friend of your husband.”

“I shall charge you the exact full price, down to the last single digit. Also, you will have to wait your turn like everyone else. A witch shows no favoritism.”

Rose suddenly realized why Yašm had invited her to the royal ball today and why he’d permitted her to attend as a witch. It really was turning out to be an apology for what he did to her the other day. The memory of being imprisoned as a criminal in the tower was still fresh in her mind.

Witches didn’t show favoritism to even the royal family who ruled this kingdom. With that statement and Yašm’s backing, Rose had gained a powerful card to play, should she need it for anything that came up during her time with Harij.

“You drive a hard bargain. I won’t push for a discount if you will dance with me instead. Deal?”

“Come again?”

Rose couldn’t comprehend a word he said—was he speaking a foreign language? Who would be dancing with whom?

Yašm naturally offered her his hand. Rose stared blankly at his palm. Today was the first time she had ever seen someone dancing. She had never even imagined herself doing it with another person.

Everyone watched with bated breath to see what the Witch would do next.

Rose took a step back to flee. Then she put her hands on Harij’s back and pushed him into her spot.

“Then, Sir Harij, if you please.”

“…Rose.”

Rose screamed inwardly as Harij’s icy gaze became subzero. She squirmed under her robe. I love this look on him, too!

“If you will take this bullet for me, then I p-promise to…p-partake in the sp-special vow-making process at the ceremony.”

He immediately realized she was talking about the concessions he’d made when Rose had broken down crying and hugging her knees and had said, “I absolutely can’t kiss during the wedding!” Creases deeper than fault lines formed between his brows.

“You aren’t pulling my chain, are you?”

“A witch never goes back on a promise.”

“Then I will take your word for it.”

I might have just made a deal with the devil. Rose bit her lip. But no matter how miserable this promise might make her later, it was still ten thousand times better than taking the prince’s hand and dancing.

Harij placed his hand on Yašm’s with a demonic look on his face. Yašm’s cheeks twitched as cold sweat dripped down his chin.

“You’re joking, right?”

Rude as it was, Harij didn’t answer him.

Music slowly started to play over the scandalous whispers spreading through the hall. Yašm and Harij both looked heavenward. This music beatified their demise. No doubt neither would ever want to hear this song again.

The subdued whispers changed to cries of glee. In the middle of the hall, Harij danced to the rhythm with Yašm looking sicker than a man who had just been told he only has a few days left to live.

∴ ∵ ∴

“WELL, that’s that, and this is this.”

Rose unglued her icy gaze from the two men enjoying an intimate dance. She picked up one of the glasses left on the table. Who had left that there? Rose held the half-empty glass up to the chandeliers. Tiny air bubbles floated to the top and popped.

After secretly taking a small bottle from her robe, Rose hid and poured the contents into the glass.

Yašm and Harij happened to return as she finished. They seemed to have wrapped up their dance with just one song. No one dared to speak to either of them. Everyone pretended not to have seen, unwilling to poke that hibernating bear.

“Your bride is crazy.” Yašm criticized Harij after fulfilling his end of the deal. This time, Harij didn’t stand up for Rose.

“You worked up a good sweat out there. Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Yašm accepted the glass with an expression that said, “You can say that again!” He downed the liquid with a single swig. “…!”

Did he sense something amiss? He immediately peeled the glass from his lips—but the contents were already gone.

Yašm’s hands shook as he placed the glass on the table.

“Rose, what did you—” Harij shot a look at Rose when he noticed the shift in the prince’s behavior, but Rose was looking straight at Yašm.

Yašm was glaring spitefully at her.

“What have you—”

The corners of Rose’s lips curled up. She rarely smiled in front of others.

She softly brought her lips near Yašm’s ear as he ground his teeth. Then she answered him in a hushed whisper no one else could hear. “…Did you enjoy your taste of the Witch’s Love Potion?”

The anger immediately drained from his face. He held up his hand to stop the royal guards from rushing over. He had turned a pitiful shade of blue.

Rose gently pressed the used bottle into his hand.

“Don’t worry. Rumors say it isn’t very effective.”

Rose had one of the Witch’s Love Potions Lulu had made on hand. She had searched out the one Lulu had dropped in the hunter’s pit and found it buried under a pile of leaves.

Recognizing the bottle in his hand, Yašm glared at Rose, speechless. His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing heavy. His heart must’ve been pounding like crazy. He was surely dying to run around in search of the person whose saliva had been mixed into that champagne.

Rose dropped her voice a whole decibel and whispered, “I haven’t forgotten the punch to the gut you made me take at the lake.”

Rose had been holding it against him ever since that day. Even if he uttered words of apology, tried to reform his view of witches, and invited her to a buffet to pretend to be friends, it didn’t change the fury seething inside her.

Her stomach still ached under the corset. The bruise from Geones’s fist hadn’t healed yet. The knight hadn’t held back his strength even though he’d hit a woman who was all skin and bones.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Even if humans and witches lived in different worlds, this was the law of nature. She didn’t take away his memory or make him fall ill—all she did was make him fall head over heels in love with someone.

The witch sneered as she walked away from the pale-faced prince.

“I can’t wait to see who you fall in love with. You have my sincerest prayers that she turns out to be a cute young lady.”