90. Post-Climax Clarity
90. Post-Climax Clarity
[Chapter 90] - Sage Time
"It would be best to answer truthfully. Unless you want to become an example for the culprit."
Morgan asked, pressing her lips against the back of my hand.
She was asking what was up with the 'magic' of the culprit that was wafting off my body.
Her deep blue eyes flashed, carrying a chilling coldness. The icy gaze sent a chill down my spine, making me shrink my shoulders without realizing it. I was just rolling my eyes and looking up at her, but Morgan's tone made it seem like she was already certain I had made contact with the culprit.
'What should I do...?'
My Adam's apple bobbed as I swallowed hard.
Really, what should I do?
Because Morgan's appearance looked young, and she had a high nose bridge and looked like a cute fool, I must have misjudged her without realizing it. The person in front of me was the witch from the myths, someone who had lived for thousands of years. There was no way she was a pushover who would just beam with a smile at a single compliment.
'...What do I need to do to get through this situation?'
Magic? Would my crappy magic even work on a Great Witch? Should I just tell her Snow White's location? But I hadn't even had a proper conversation with Snow White yet. Wasn't it 'me' who decided to judge things only after talking to that child?
If that's the case, the only means I can take here is—
"...Well? I really don't know what you're talking about."
It was nothing more than a bluff.
I tilted my head as if I truly didn't know, and stared blankly at Morgan with a pure expression. Morgan's gaze looking at me was still full of suspicion, but I couldn't stop now.
"As you know, today is the day the masquerade ball is held. Everyone is wearing masks like me, in costume, hiding their identities to enjoy the ball."
I had to keep acting like I didn't know until the end, and instead, I had to forcefully push Morgan. No matter how much this might look like a playful act in her eyes, once I started this bluff, I absolutely could not stop.
"Since I'm dressed in men's clothing, I danced with quite a few young ladies. Since it's a dance where you change partners often, couldn't I have passed by the culprit then? Or perhaps you..."
I took the hand she was holding and used it to lightly cup Morgan's chin.
She could have slapped my hand away, calling it rude behavior, but Morgan just stared at me quietly. I gently lifted the chin I was holding, making Morgan look up at me.
Then, I put on the smile I had practiced in high society until now. The smile that the usual 'Vivian' often used when threatening other young ladies.
A smile where the corners of the eyes droop as if smiling, but in reality, it's not a smile at all. To give an example, this smile was—
"Don't tell me, are you suspecting me? That I'm the culprit?"
It was a smile like a rose with thorns.
As I put on a smile that only a real 'villainess' would make, the corners of Morgan's eyes, who was looking up at me, narrowed slightly. Honestly, it felt like I had done everything I could. As I was fidgeting inside, wondering what to do if this bluff didn't work—
"Kuhuhu, I'm sorry. It was just a joke I threw out, I didn't think you'd react so excessively."
"...Yes? What? A joke?"
So, the fact that she threatened me like she was going to kill me was just a joke? As I frowned in annoyance, Morgan smiled bashfully while her chin was still held by me. What on earth am I supposed to do with this old lady, seriously?
Because of the anger welling up, I squeezed my hand holding Morgan's chin without realizing it. Then, Morgan's cheek flesh was pushed forward, and her lips were pursed out like a duck's beak. The sight was so ridiculous that I burst into laughter without realizing it.
"Anyway, I don't know anything about that. And, if you stare at me like you're going to kill me, of course I'm going to react excessively! Do you know how surprised I was?!"
"I'm really sorry... So first, please let go of my hand..."
As I let go of her hand, Morgan stroked her cheeks with both hands as if they were tingling. I was so confused—was this airheadedness her true personality, or was that sharp appearance her true personality... I was too confused. Morgan, who was stroking her cheeks, chuckled and glanced up at me.
"Really, even that Vivian never did this to me... You're the first child to ruin the face of a Great Witch."
"...Do you miss the original Vivian?"
At Morgan's expression as she said that with a bitter smile, I felt solemn for some reason.
Could it be that Morgan misses Vivian through me? Even if Vivian was human trash, was it a little different for Morgan? When I asked with a pitiful expression, Morgan opened her eyes wide and answered.
"No? I don't particularly miss her. Because I didn't like Vivian."
"Yes?"
"You know it too, child. Vivian's personality was so shitty that there was no one in the Coven who liked her. She was a child I brought into the Coven, but I even thought that I had really brought the wrong one."
"......."
"She didn't even attend the gatherings, and even if she did attend, she would just grumble~ grumble~, it was to the point of being very troublesome. Besides, think about it. If I had really cherished that child, wouldn't I have done whatever it took to stop her from performing that strange ritual?"
"Th, that's... true, I suppose."
"Do you know why that child couldn't contract with any fairy other than Ainsel? It's because of that personality. From the beginning, the contract with Ainsel was close to a threat. No matter how good the taste of magic power is, that personality is just~"
Morgan must have had a lot built up against Vivian, because once her mouth opened, it didn't close easily. Still, should I be glad that the topic of conversation flowed to Vivian instead of Snow White? I started listening to Morgan's grumbling with a bitter smile.
"Compared to that, you are practically an angel, child. By any chance, do you have any thoughts of learning magic? I will teach you like a real disciple. No, I will make you my disciple. You know that the teachings of a Great Witch are not something you can receive easily, right? Together with your daughter—"
"Haha... I'll just take the thought. Just the thought......"
I waved my hands at Morgan, who was approaching me with sparkling eyes, and refused somehow. It would be a lie to say I wasn't interested in magic, but I hadn't had any inconveniences living without magic until now. Well... actually, I've just adapted to this medieval-like era.
As I listened to Morgan's story blankly, the story of Vivian passed by, and Morgan started talking about the Coven. That all witches are like family to her, or what the Coven has done so far, etc.—she started blabbering on about a story that seemed like it would be quite long.
'This is going to take a while... Will Snow White and Titania be okay? Well... Ainsel is with them, so nothing will happen...?'
I just smiled bitterly and listened to Morgan's story attentively. Just like a subordinate employee who smiles and listens even when their boss talks about things they aren't interested in.
"So, at that time, the Fran I met for the first time was~ Hm? Child, you aren't thinking about other things while I'm talking, are you?"
"Ahaha, I'm listening... I'm just... listening."
*
It had been about 10 minutes since Titania entered the lounge where Snow White was. The atmosphere in the room was so awkward that it was truly hard to bear.
Neither Titania nor Snow White knew what to say, so they just sat on the sofa and stared blankly elsewhere.
How long was this atmosphere going to last? When Titania let out a deep sigh as if the ground would collapse, Snow White, who was watching her, opened her mouth.
"...Did that woman send you here?"
"That woman...?"
"Vivian. Didn't she send you here?"
Twitch.
At Snow White's tone of calling her mother 'that woman,' one of Titania's eyebrows rose slightly.
Thinking about it from the beginning, that woman who looked exactly like her had always been like that. Even when she turned into Princess Fiona, she was a woman who tried to alienate her mother and her relationship.
No matter how much that woman hated her mother, she didn't want to see her mother insulted in front of her.
It felt like she was seeing herself in the mirror hating her mother. Besides, who gave her permission to call her mother by her name?
"...I don't know about that. From now on, don't call that woman, Vivian, call her Her Majesty the Queen. Mother isn't your friend, is she?"
Hearing that, one of Snow White's eyebrows also twitched and rose high into the sky, just like Titania's.
Snow White was the same as Titania. The sight of someone who looked exactly like her liking Vivian was, honestly, torture to watch. But if there was one difference from Titania...
'Phew... Let's endure it, endure it. Unlike that child, I'm an adult. It's strange to get angry over something like this. In the first place, unlike me, Titania grew up receiving love, right? So, unlike me, she might like Vivian. Yes, that's it.'
Snow White composed herself like that, somehow put on a smile, and looked at Titania. When their eyes met, Titania huffed and turned her head away. Really, she was a bold child, unlike herself.
"...Did Her Majesty the Queen send you here?"
"Yes, that's right. Mother told me to wait here. She didn't tell me you were here..."
"She must have kept her words to a minimum because she was trying to hide me from the Great Witch. Don't worry about it too much."
"Hide you? Mother did?"
Titania's brow furrowed slightly as if she were puzzled. For now, Titania could fully understand what kind of situation this was.
The fact that the culprit the Great Witch came looking for was the woman in front of her. She didn't know what kind of incident she had caused, but it was clear she had done something bad.
That was why Titania couldn't help but be puzzled. Why would her mother try to hide this culprit that the Great Witch came looking for?
As Titania was deep in thought, Snow White, who was watching Titania's crumpled expression, opened her eyes wide as if she had realized something.
'Don't tell me, is that child jealous of me right now because that woman hid me?'
Snow White burst into a hollow laugh at the absurdity.
She thought it couldn't be, but the emotion Titania was clearly pouring onto her was jealousy, no matter who looked at it. The way she told her not to call her mother by her name, or the crumpled expression on her face at the sight of her helping someone other than herself.
Convinced that the emotion Titania was pouring onto her was jealousy, Snow White felt annoyance rise to the top of her head in an instant.
She just didn't want to see Titania, who had the same face as her, liking Vivian and not knowing what to do.
'Because it looks like I'm the one who likes Vivian and doesn't know what to do!'
So, Snow White decided to tease Titania for a moment. She couldn't get angry at a thirteen-year-old child, so she decided to be satisfied with teasing her, and Snow White looked at Titania with a sinister expression.
"That's right, Her Majesty the Queen said she wanted to talk to me alone. So I was waiting for Her Majesty the Queen."
"......What did you say?"
"I thought I would have a secret conversation with Her Majesty the Queen alone... Honestly, it's a bit of a shame? I didn't know you would come. Ah~ what a shame~"
Snow White continued to speak as if she were being sarcastic to Titania. When she glanced up and looked at Titania, Titania, whose face had turned bright red with jealousy, glared at her and trembled her shoulders.
At first, she felt good seeing Titania get angry enough to tremble...
But soon, due to the behavior and words she had said as if she liked Vivian, a feeling of despondency and terrible self-loathing washed over her at the same time.
Snow White, who had slumped down, dropped her head and let out a deep sigh.
'What on earth am I doing to a thirteen-year-old...'
