TUHWKM 11

Chapter 11

The midday terrace was peaceful. Kaierus lay on the outdoor sofa bed, lost in thought.

He stretched out his arm and tilted the small glass bottle in his hand this way and that. The glass bottle sparkled as sunlight passed through it.

“So the headache really is gone.”

It had been only a day since he downed the medicine Charlotte had handed him in the pharmacy. The headache that had tormented him endlessly had subsided as if it were a lie. That wasn’t all. He had slept soundly for the first time in years the previous night.

“With this, I have no justification.”

He hadn’t thought she would be bold enough to openly feed him poison, but if the effects had been negligible or there had been side effects, he had prepared to use that as a pretext to pressure Charlotte.

However, because the effects were excessively excellent, he had ended up in a position where he could do nothing but acknowledge Charlotte’s skill.

Kaierus suddenly recalled the confident face he had seen in the pharmacy yesterday.

“If you want revenge, you have to at least stay alive first, don’t you?”

Was she really planning to help him with his revenge?

As he was lost in faint musings, a commotion arose near the terrace. Kaierus looked down over the railing.

“…What is that now.”

It was Charlotte, appearing from the road leading to the east side of the castle. She was walking as if dancing, humming a tune with her arms full of a fruit basket.

Her curly white hair swayed left and right with each step.

Charlotte suddenly stopped dead and looked around. She stealthily set down the basket, picked up an orange, and devoured it in an instant. She threw the peeled husk into the bushes and began walking again, swaying gently.

Kaierus let out an incredulous laugh without realizing it.

…That is the worst witch in the capital?

He had felt it from their first meeting, but Charlotte Schmidt had a clumsy side compared to her terrifying rumors.

Kaierus had met all sorts of nobles since his days as a prince. From cunning folk who hid snake-like slyness inside and smiled with their eyes, to greedy fools who didn’t even try to hide their desires.

So no matter what pretense the other party put on, he could easily see through it. That was easier for Kaierus than breathing.

However, Charlotte Schmidt, whom he had met in person, was…

“She seems to have a screw loose.”

Quite literally, she seemed rather innocent.

Kaierus pondered for a moment even after saying it himself. It was absurd from the start.

A witch seeming innocent.

Could such words even be used for someone who uses black magic?

However, Charlotte—though he didn’t want to admit it—gave off a subtly different atmosphere from the black mages he had encountered so far.

“Your Highness.”

At that moment, Vasel entered through the terrace glass door. Seeing Kaierus with a serious expression, he stopped walking.

“What are you doing?”

“…Contemplating?”

“Pardon?”

“The task I assigned.”

“Yes. The documents you requested.”

Vasel held out the papers.

Kaierus straightened his upper body, which had been leaning toward the terrace railing, and sat leaning against the sofa bed. Paper rustled as it turned in his hands.

“I looked into it, and she was adopted by Count Schmidt around age ten. As there were no particular irregularities, it seems she couldn’t use black magic at that time. I suspect she self-taught black magic after being adopted into the Count’s family.”

“Self-taught, you say…”

“Since black magic is passed down in such a closed manner, I couldn’t find definitive records, but the first suspected instance of black magic by Miss Charlotte Schmidt was around age fifteen.”

Kaierus scanned the documents.

There was a record stating that the eldest grandson of the Eisner Marquess family, who had caused a commotion at Count Schmidt’s birthday banquet, suffered a fall from a horse and was bedridden for about a week.

“Compared to now, that’s cute.”

“She hadn’t even made her debut yet. As written in the records, it’s presumed she used similar-level black magic for about a year afterward.”

It was true. Most of the incidents listed below were ambiguous enough to be classified as crimes. They were closer to childish pranks.

“Overall, it’s difficult to see her as directly involved in ‘that incident,’ as she herself claims.”

Kaierus set the documents down on the table with a thud.

It was, in fact, as expected.

No matter how great Charlotte Schmidt was, it seemed unlikely she committed such a serious crime at only eleven years old.

Especially looking at her current state.

“Count Schmidt and his wife just stood by stupidly while their adopted daughter learned black magic.”

“That’s… I suspect it wasn’t a planned adoption.”

Kaierus, who had worn a bored expression throughout, raised his eyes.

“You mean they adopted a child with high potential to raise as a black mage?”

“It’s not certain that the Count and his wife were aiming for black magic, but…”

“It’s also true they picked up a lone orphan with genius-level magical power.”

Vasel did not answer. It was a silent affirmation.

Kaierus’s gaze lingered on the pile of documents for a moment.

Looking at the atrocities Charlotte committed after age fifteen and the suspected black magic instances, most were related to the Schmidt family. The Count and his wife seemed to have handled all incidents as Charlotte Schmidt’s independent actions and severely punished her each time.

But looking at it organized like this, certain questionable parts stood out.

To the point where it seemed a wonder she hadn’t been caught all this time.

“This is rather interesting.”

Kaierus fell into thought for a moment.

“Vasel.”

“Yes.”

“Do you believe there is such a thing as a black mage who is not evil?”

Vasel could not answer readily.

It was because he knew all too well what Kaierus meant by that question.

Charlotte Schmidt was certainly being called the witch of the capital. Even if she wasn’t a perfect black mage, it was also true that she wielded black magic freely.

However, looking at Charlotte’s actions over the past few days and the documents before him, there were ambiguous aspects to defining her simply as a villain.

“Never mind, leave.”

Kaierus, seeming to have noticed the meaning of the silence, lay down on the sofa bed with an annoyed tone.

But for some reason, Vasel did not immediately leave and hesitated.

“What is it?”

“…Miss Charlotte Schmidt has regenerated a considerable area of the eastern plot.”

Kaierus’s brow furrowed.

“That witch?”

“Yes, I monitored it until today just in case, but it’s definitely regenerated. I confirmed today that the farmers are planting new saplings there.”

Kaierus’s gaze shifted.

Come to think of it, he remembered her saying in the pharmacy yesterday that she would distribute antidotes to the territory residents working in the orchard. It seemed the antidote wasn’t all—she had also regenerated the plot.

“…That’s infuriating.”

Kaierus felt the doubts he had barely suppressed rising again. He was certain that if he looked in a mirror now, he would be making quite a subtle expression.

“I want to live too.”

Why did those words have to come to mind?

“…And yet you said watching her for the time being was unsatisfactory, so what wind blew that made you defend that woman?”

Vasel hesitated.

He parted his lips and answered.

“I merely stated the facts. They may differ from my judgment.”

“……”

“I dare not answer regarding what you asked. However, if you ask whether Miss Charlotte Schmidt is exactly the same as the black mages we have seen so far… I also cannot be certain.”

Kaierus, who had been stroking his chin, waved his hand.

“Fine, I understand, so leave.”

“Yes, my lord.”

As Vasel bowed and turned to leave, Kaierus stopped him again.

“Vasel.”

“Yes.”

“From now on as well, report in detail regarding that woman’s actions.”

—

***

These days, I am extremely happy.

“Um…”

While I was wandering the garden after waking up late, someone called me in a small voice. It was a young maid in uniform.

She glanced around and walked over stealthily, then lowered her voice and whispered.

“The orchard… I heard from Mr. Charles.”

Aha.

I smiled brightly.

“You need some too?”

Nod nod.

“Did you bring payment?”

“Yes!”

The maid answered energetically and pulled a checkered handkerchief from her bosom. When she untied the knot, a delicious-looking slice of strawberry tart was revealed.

Whoa, jackpot.

“Will this… be enough?”

“Plenty.”

My mouth was already watering.

I told her to wait a moment, then took out a small potion bottle from my bosom and handed it to her. It was the very potion I had given to the territory residents at the orchard a few days ago.

The effects must have been greater than expected, because word spread and people began seeking me out. Thanks to that, I was secretly receiving food and making backdoor deals.

“The older sister in my room said her chronic rhinitis completely disappeared after drinking this. Is that true?”

“Well… rhinitis can also be caused by poor condition.”

“Thank you!”

“Alright, see you next time.”

“Yes!”

The maid scurried away. I waved as if telling her to come again and took a bite of the strawberry tart. The pastry crumbled crisply in my mouth—it was superb.

“Hehe, it’s really delicious.”

Sweet things really are the best.

My side business skills aren’t bad, surprisingly. Thanks to that, even if the rations distributed at each meal are small, I don’t go hungry.

It was the moment I entered the hallway humming a tune.

“Um… Mage-nim?”

Oh, another customer.

I brushed the pastry crumbs from the corner of my mouth and turned around with a business smile.

This time it was also a maid in uniform.

“Do you need some too?”

“Pardon?”

“Hm?”

Is the potion not what you’re after?

Then why call me?

As I tilted my head, unable to understand, the maid delivered news like a bolt from the blue.

“His Grace the Grand Duke has summoned you. He said to come to his office right now.”

Thud.

The strawberry tart fell to my feet.