MMFHRK-Chapter 12

Chapter 12: So This Is a Witch’s Authority?

…

For the next several days, everything remained peaceful and uneventful.

Lilinai continued maintaining her disguise.

Besides serving Airiya’s interests in that particular area, she also handled odd tasks for her.

Things like serving tea and pouring water, kneading her shoulders and rubbing her back, and sorting through volumes.

Of course, aside from the first time, Airiya no longer straddled her and tormented her during her later rounds of sorting volumes.

The Witch seemed quite satisfied with her performance, and lately hardly even teased her verbally, and would permit her to do other things as well.

And so Lilinai began taking part in the work of the mansion’s maids.

Such as—managing the purchased supplies.

Lilinai gave the maids some advice on blending fragrances and brewing tea. Since she had studied herbology, all of this advice was adopted; and the raw materials she recommended the maids purchase were duly delivered to the mansion. In the course of this, Lilinai also asked the maids about their procurement channels, and upon learning the direction of the nearest city, Fimu, she silently committed it to memory.

And from each batch of spices and herbs purchased, she would take away a negligible amount.

Not a single maid noticed.

…

Before she knew it, the day of the tea party had arrived.

That morning, Lilinai came to the front of the parlor and waited with bated breath.

Both her and Airiya’s personal rooms were on the sixth floor. Airiya had once said she hoped to enjoy Lilinai’s “good morning kiss” first thing every morning. So every day she would wait outside the door of Airiya’s room—of course, the premise for being able to do this was that Airiya hadn’t spent the previous night in Lilinai’s room.

Today was slightly different. Airiya had the maids attend to her washing and grooming, while Lilinai was left off to the side and sent downstairs to wait instead.

Lilinai sighed.

Ahem—it certainly wasn’t because she was disappointed at not being kissed.

Though she personally had no habit of sleeping in, getting up early solely so the Witch could grope her was more than she could bear.

Endure it… Lilinai.

In any case, as long as she could carry out the plan today…

She looked down.

A coffee-colored spice packet lay in her palm.

If one sniffed it lightly, one could even catch a trace of fresh, faint fragrance.

But it was no simple tea bag—it was poison that Lilinai had prepared.

Lilinai’s plan was very simple.

Since it was a tea party, tea would certainly be drunk, and moreover she had indeed seen Airiya purchase black tea according to the letter’s request. So all she needed to do was quietly swap out the tea bag while serving Airiya, and the Witch would drink down the poison without any god or ghost knowing.

The poison she had prepared came from a formula lovingly crafted by several masters of the assassins’ organization. It had color and flavor, but both were the normal color and flavor of tea, and whether touched or smelled, it would have no effect whatsoever on a person. Yet once swallowed, the toxin would slowly activate and spread within the body, and after roughly a day, it could put a person to death.

Practical experience told Lilinai that the simpler the plan, the harder it was for things to go wrong.

“As long as I put this into the Witch’s teacup, everything will be over.”

Lilinai looked at the murderous tea bag in her palm and murmured to herself.

Once she escaped this place, she would immediately launch her revenge and erase from the list, one by one, those enemies who had once framed her family.

And then, once people discovered the news of the Witch’s death, she would be caught and taken back by the slave trading house. Perhaps she would be executed, perhaps she would be sold again and become a lower-tier slave—but so what? As long as her revenge was complete, this life of hers would count as worthwhile.

But…

Why…

was her hand trembling slightly?

“Well… the one I’m up against is a Witch, so being nervous can’t be helped.”

Lilinai consoled herself.

After all, no one was perfect.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Lilinai~”

Airiya’s voice came from behind.

Lilinai hurriedly hid the poison packet in her skirt pocket and turned toward the staircase.

“Master, good morn—”

She froze slightly.

Ordinarily within the mansion, Airiya wore almost nothing but a nightgown; and when going out, she had one fixed outfit as well.

Today was the first time Lilinai had seen the Witch change into a third set of clothes. She had chosen a gothic-style full-length dress, the patterns decorating the skirt changed to black and white, making it look mysterious and solemn. Her long hair was gathered behind her head with a paper flower, and her fringe had been let down somewhat, covering one corner of those violets, lending the girl a touch of bewitching allure atop her beauty and elegance.

“What’s the matter?”

Looking at the motionless purple-haired girl, the white-haired Witch couldn’t help but laugh.

“Have you become entranced looking at your master, Miss Lilinai?”

“…You look truly beautiful today.”

After hesitating a moment, Lilinai spoke the words in her heart aloud.

However deep the enmity between them, she had to admit that the white-haired girl was indeed a perfect embodiment of what charm meant.

At that moment, she once again felt a prickling, numbing sensation across the surface of her skin—and stronger than ever before.

“…Oh.”

To Lilinai’s surprise.

Airiya didn’t seize on her praise to tease her; instead the Witch’s eyes widened slightly and she gave a simple reply.

Whether or not it was Lilinai’s imagination, she felt the girl looked somewhat startled.

“Miss Lilinai is speaking the truth.”

“…What did you say?”

“It’s nothing.”

Airiya muttered something in a low voice, then shook her head.

When she looked at Lilinai again, she had already recovered her usual expression.

That composed, self-satisfied look, carrying a trace of mockery and amusement.

“Let’s go, Miss Lilinai,” she said. “It’s about time. We should go greet our guest.”

…

The breeze was gentle and the sun was bright. Today was the sort of weather suited to holding a tea party.

Unlike the ways Lilinai had imagined a Witch making her entrance—descending from the sky on a broomstick, or opening a portal in midair—the visitor’s mode of transport was quite traditional.

When they and the maids arrived in the courtyard, the carriage carrying the visitor pulled up at that very moment, not a second off, stopping beside the courtyard fountain.

Upon seeing the coachman’s face, Lilinai couldn’t help being startled.

That coachman didn’t look like a coachman at all. Not only that, but surrounded by a crowd of onlooking women, the coachman was neither awkward nor red-faced nor dumbstruck, because she was a woman as well—tall, slender, wearing a military uniform with shoulder ornaments in alternating black, gold, and red, her black hair kept in a long braid, a sword hanging at her waist.

The woman in military uniform left the driver’s seat, first bowing in acknowledgment toward Airiya before the front gate, then walked to the side of the carriage and said with the utmost respect:

“My lady, we have arrived.”

The carriage door opened, and a lavishly dressed girl stepped down from the coach.

She was petite in build, wearing a Lolita-style white-and-gold floral-patterned long dress, the ends of her pale pink long hair styled into Roman curls, covered by an enormous, luxurious formal hat with a single feather pinned to it. Had she not happened to raise her head, Lilinai wouldn’t even have been able to see that tender, adorable face, nor those exceptionally moving jade-green eyes.

“My lady,” the female officer said, the chainmail on her body clinking, “your instructions have been carried out. Please permit me to return to the garrison forces.”

“Permission granted.”

The pink-haired Witch, holding a magnificent folding fan, planted both hands on her hips, her exquisite little face full of satisfaction.

“Thank you for your escort and assistance. I wish you a safe journey.”

The female officer bowed once more, wiped her sweat-drenched face, and drove the carriage away again.

“Not bad.” Once the female officer had gone far enough, the petite Witch—’Flower Dream’ Luosenni Xier—said with a great laugh, “Fimu City’s forces are finally starting to promote some soldiers with nerve and a grasp of manners. Truly gratifying.”

Listening from the side, Lilinai blinked in disbelief.

This Witch could actually make a city’s garrison officer serve as her coachman?

Although this world differed somewhat from that of her previous life, armies were controlled and commanded by state authority—in that respect there was no difference.

And even the nobles in the city couldn’t order officers about so casually.

So this was… the authority a Witch possessed?