A Witch Lives In The Emperor’s Bedroom

She had to make excuses. But how on earth could she? She jumped around like a maniac in front of a corpse with holes in its face, screaming how much she liked it. How could she possibly make excuses?

“Your Grace, the thing is…” Bella managed to compose herself and spoke hesitantly. “I-I am… I mean, I…”

“A witch,” muttered the duke. Surprisingly, his expression came back in an instant.

The word ‘witch’ froze Bella’s body. She remembered the red light that had emanated from her fingertips. She clamped her mouth shut with both hands. Her hair stood on end. Only witches emit a red light when using their magic. Isabella slowly took a step back. Even if she was a witch, she couldn’t face the grand duke right now. She didn’t even know how the magic that had killed the drunkard burst out. She simply didn’t want to die strangled.

‘Will I be boiled alive? Will they slit my throat? Will I be publicly executed in the square?’ The most horrifying execution methods in the world flashed through Bella’s mind quickly.

“Isabella White.” Jenos slowly approached Bella. He didn’t even seem to care that there was a corpse under his feet.

Bella began to feel a growing sense of threat with every step he took. There was something odd about Jenos’s gaze. Clearly, it was filled with excitement and anticipation.

“I…” Jenos whispered.

Bella was backed up against the wall with nowhere else to retreat. Jenos bent his waist to align his eyes completely with Bella’s. They were so close that their noses almost touched. She swallowed dry, anxiously waiting for his next words.

“It’s exactly the miracle I’ve been wishing for.”

‘What?’ Bella’s face contorted in confusion. She wanted to ask what on earth he was talking about. On top of that, Jenos was smiling so brightly, as if he had never seen such a thing before.

“A witch!” He shouted with joy, as if celebrating. His expression, as he examined Bella’s face with sparkling eyes, seemed surprisingly happy. Puzzled, Bella twisted her body to avoid his intense gaze.

“W-Witch, Your Grace. I don’t understand what you mean at all.”

Jenos shook his head slowly, listening to Bella’s futile excuses.

“No one in this world emits a red light when using magic, except for witches.”

“You-you must have seen it wrong. I just felt threatened, and I don’t know…”

“Only one in two people can use magic. And even among them, about 90% have abilities at the level of illuminating a room or lifting a pencil. Only one in a million of the remaining 10% can wield enough power to kill a person; even if you were born a genius, you would need about 30 years of training to cultivate the same level of power that you used to kill that man.” 

Jenos poured out his words while staring at Bella. She began to feel nauseous, thinking his logic might be true.

“By that logic, only fifty thousand of the imperial citizens have magical abilities capable of killing, although it’s hard to think of some madman dedicating thirty years to reach that level. Therefore, there is currently not a single person in the empire with that level of lethal magical ability.”

“. . .”

“But Isabella, you, who haven’t even received magical education, killed a person using magic because you felt threatened? And with a red light, no less?”

“. . .”

“In the end, only one choice remains,” Jenos whispered with a deep smile. 

“You are a witch.”

Bella trembled with even greater fear than before, her hands shaking. If she was going to be killed, she wanted at least some warning.

“H-How are you going to kill me?”

“What?”

“Are you going to use a sword? Or perhaps the gallows…”

“Why would I kill you?” He smiled charmingly and tilted his head slightly. “From now on, you will be my warhorse.”

“…Pardon?”

Bella’s head was spinning, but Jenos looked completely relaxed, as if he had already sorted out all his thoughts.

“Step back for a moment.” 

Jenos gestured, and Bella immediately stepped back. It was a bad habit she had developed; she was too quick to follow orders.

He turned his back on Bella and emitted a blue light from his fingertips. Instantly, the drunkard’s body burst into flames.

“Ah!” Bella, startled, let out a cry before clamping her mouth shut.

Jenos remained unfazed and simply watched the body burn cleanly. Once the fire had completely consumed the body, the drunkard turned into a handful of ashes. The grand duke crushed the ashes a few times with the back of his shoe, and even those traces disappeared completely from the ground.

“Nothing happened here,” said Jenos, turning to Bella. She nodded dazedly.

He could have hanged her in the square as the infamous witch, so this situation where he burned the body was quite convenient for her. Still, she had no idea what was going on or how things had turned out to be this way.

“Your Grace! It’s Teren, where are you?” At that moment, a deep young man’s voice could be heard not far away. 

Jenos scanned Bella’s appearance. Bella, too, was startled, having forgotten her own state. He approached Bella and grabbed the hem of her dress.

“It will take a minute or less.” Jenos suddenly pulled on the hem of Bella’s dress. As her body swayed, the grand duke skillfully wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her.

“Your frailty is a flaw,” he muttered, releasing his hold on her waist.

Bella was taken aback by the strange sensation that enveloped her body. 

“What is this…?” Without her realizing it, she was now dressed in a harmonious lilac dress adorned with lace and pearls. She even wore a pair of white shoes. Her previously unruly hair was now neatly and beautifully braided. Jenos nodded as if thinking that it was enough and stepped out of the alley, raising his hand. Soon, a young knight approached him and respectfully bowed his head.

“Have there been any news of the witch?”

“Yes, Your Grace. There are twelve new pregnant women, and we couldn’t find any trace of a witch in any of their babies. We should also look into pregnant women who aren’t full-term…” The knight was earnestly briefing the Duke when he suddenly noticed Isabella standing behind him.

“Ah, it seems Lady White lost her way to the manor while out for a night walk,” said Jenos smoothly, and turned his body to partially reveal Bella.

Bella greeted with a short nod, and the knight also offered a curt salute. 

‘A walk at night without any guards? Moreover, she coincidentally bumped into His Grace?’ The knight looked puzzled at first, but quickly grasped the situation and managed his expression accordingly. A young man and woman, in a dark night, in a location that seemed to be fitting to escape people’s eyes.

“Please return to the operation room first. I’ll be back shortly to continue the meeting,” Jenos instructed.

“Yes, Your Grace.” Without further ado, the knight turned and quickly moved away.

“Um… Are you sure this is okay, Your Grace? It’ll create a misunderstanding,” Bella asked.

“It doesn’t matter if there are misunderstandings. It’s better for both of us to be seen together. Besides, the knight could have noticed you at the end of this dark alley.”

“Why doesn’t it matter if there are misunderstandings?”

“Because showing that you and I are together is a good thing.”

“Yes?”

“I’m a bit busy right now, so I don’t have time to answer every question. Let’s go.”

Jenos removed a chestnut deer-leather cloak from his shoulders and draped it over Bella’s head. In an instant, the magic was released, and Bella found herself back in rags. The cape covered her head, and he tied the waistband around her waist. Now all of her frail body was completely conceived. Then he lifted Bella’s body into his arms.

“Eek!” Bella screamed in surprise as her feet suddenly left the ground.

“No need to draw too much attention,” Jenos said with a slight frown. 

“Why-why are you suddenly…”

“Because you’re barefoot. You could hurt your already fragile body if you step on something sharp. And probably my shoes won’t fit either.”

With Bella in his arms, Jenos walked down the alley. She couldn’t believe the reality. Unbelievable things were happening one after another. However, she didn’t struggle or try to escape from Jenos’ arms. She had nowhere else to go.

Soon, the two of them arrived at the place where the grand duke’s carriage was waiting.

Phil and the escort knights, who had set up the carriage and were waiting for their master, concealed their puzzled expressions at the unexpected sight.

“Take Lady Isabella to my mansion. I’ll ride later.”

“To your mansion, Your Grace?” Phil asked, his words escaping unintentionally. He, who never asked back, was so bewildered that the words slipped out on their own.

“Yes, take her there safely.” Jenos placed Bella in the carriage lightly and turned to walk away. Bella stared blankly at his back as the carriage door closed. 

Outside the carriage window, the passing scenery seemed strangely foreign. Bella felt like she had become an entirely different person. The noise of the carriage wheels bouncing on the uneven road was loud. She looked down at her own hands. Isabella hadn’t expected this when she fled from the cell in the basement.

“Red…”

She was sure: the moment she felt threatened, a red light burst from her hands. The exhilarating moment came rushing back, and Bella’s body involuntarily trembled. But at the same time, she was afraid.

‘What will happen from now on? What did Jenos mean when he said I would become his warhorse?’ Bella took a deep breath and placed her hands—which felt like deadly weapons—on her knees.

“Anyway, the grand duke seems friendly. He doesn’t seem to want to kill me, does he? And he even seemed pleased. The situation isn’t that bad.”

Bella reassured herself, biting her lip.

 

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Hello! I’ll be working on this novel from now on. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do

I love Bella so much