Carlos’s attitude towards the witch, introducing himself and treating her with respect, was surprising enough, but what shocked Baron Silas even more was his next declaration.
“I will take her with me.”
Baron Silas frowned.
“I understand your desire to entertain yourself with the witch, but she has already been reported to the temple. If you take her, it puts me in a difficult position…”
Carlos silently extended a cheque. Though the large seal of the Esper Grand Duchy was noticeable, it was the amount that caught the baron’s eye.
Thirty thousand gold.
The temple did offer a bounty for capturing witches, but it was only three hundred gold.
The baron’s eyes widened at the realization that he was being offered a hundred times that amount.
A cold voice fell from above his head as he couldn’t take his eyes off the cheque.
“What will you do?”
It was a laughable question that required no deliberation.
“I’ll prepare immediately.”
He would just tell the temple that the report was a false alarm made by his territory’s residents. The temple might scold him for not checking thoroughly, but it didn’t matter.
Thirty thousand gold was far more precious than the temple’s complaints.
Baron Silas inwardly smirked as he tucked the cheque into his inner pocket.
*
What on earth was going on?
Unable to adapt to the sudden change in her situation, Airene blinked slowly, crouched in the corner of the carriage.
It was her first time in a carriage, and though it was fascinating, there was no time to indulge in wonder. Being put in the carriage meant she was being taken somewhere.
Hadn’t that man said he would take her with him?
She didn’t know where he was taking her, but she was sure it wasn’t a good place.
…Maybe he plans to enjoy himself and then kill me.
Her heart, which had briefly been relieved to be alive, started pounding again.
‘Should I try to escape now?’
Airene’s gaze fell on the door.
Could she open it and run away?
What if she failed? She’d surely be severely beaten… Having experienced it once, she knew well how painful it was.
She was hesitating, unable to easily make up her mind, when the carriage door opened and Carlos got in.
Losing her chance to escape, Airene crumpled her thoughts.
Following him was a man she’d never seen before.
Dressed in dark navy clothes that matched his hair and wearing a monocle with a long silver chain, the man placed a hand on his chest and bowed to Airene.
“Pleased to meet you, miss.”
Airene’s cheeks reddened slightly at the unfamiliar and overly polite greeting she had never heard before.
“I am Dewey Limon, a humble servant of His Excellency. You may call me Dewey.”
“I am Airene.”
Her voice was still small, but it didn’t tremble as much as when she told Carlos her name.
Dewey wasn’t as intimidating as Carlos.
Carlos sat opposite Airene, while Dewey sat next to her.
“Here.”
Well, he was about to sit, but Carlos stopped him.
“Your seat is here.”
Dewey had never sat in the same place as Carlos before.
Being told to sit next to him was surprising, but he smiled understanding the reason.
“Very well.”
Seated, Dewey took out a pen and notebook from his pocket and spoke to Airene.
“I’m going to ask you some questions about yourself. If you find any of them uncomfortable, feel free not to answer.”
Airene nodded in agreement.
“How old are you this year?”
“Twenty.”
“What?”
Dewey, who was about to jot down notes, turned to Airene in surprise.
Carlos, also taken aback, opened his previously closed eyes and looked at her.
“Are you really twenty?”
“Yes.”
“An adult, correct?”
When Airene nodded again, Dewey let out a small laugh.
He had thought she was at most fifteen or sixteen, but she was an adult.
“Human ages are always hard to guess, but this is extreme…”
“Excuse me?”
Airene asked, not understanding his comment, and Dewey continued with his questions after dismissing it.
He inquired about her family, her likes, her hobbies, and more. It was a lengthy interrogation.
Airene found it odd that he asked such things of someone he planned to play with and then kill, but she answered faithfully without asking why.
“Have you ever experienced anything strange?”
But this one she couldn’t answer immediately.
It wasn’t that she found it uncomfortable; the question was too broad.
“What do you mean by strange?”
“Well, let’s see.”
How should he explain it?
Dewey scratched his head in confusion, and Carlos, who had been listening silently, spoke up.
“Have you ever used magic?”
Magic. The word was fantastical, something she had never experienced, so Airene shook her head.
“Have you ever seen a spirit?”
“No.”
“Have you had prophetic dreams? Do you have any unusual markings or tattoos on your body?”
When Airene answered no to all of these, Dewey’s expression turned serious.
“Master, this is…”
“She is the one.”
Carlos answered firmly.
What was certain?
Airene didn’t understand Carlos’s words, but Dewey seemed to, and he smiled with relief.
“Then I’ll finish the preliminary questions here and move to the driver’s seat.”
Dewey moving to the driver’s seat meant it would be just Carlos and her left in the carriage.
‘I don’t like that.’
Airene hoped Dewey wouldn’t leave, but unaware of her feelings, he left without hesitation.
*
Not long after Carlos and Airene departed, a priest sent by the temple arrived at Baron Silas’s estate.
Baron Silas greeted the priest with an awkward smile.
“I apologize for your journey, but the woman was not a witch. The residents of the territory were mistaken.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes. This is really unfortunate. I’m truly sorry for making you come all this way…”
Before he could finish, the priest stabbed him in the chest.
With his heart pierced instantly, the baron couldn’t even scream and fell.
The priest discarded the blood-stained sword and rummaged through the baron’s clothes.
Soon, he found the cheque for thirty thousand gold and squinted his eyes.
“You’ve acted first, it seems.”
Usually slow, but fast in matters like this.
Well, his life was at stake, so it’s no wonder he acted quickly.
The priest chuckled, snapping his fingers as purple flames engulfed the cheque.
“Lying comes with its consequences.”
Placing the burning cheque on the cooling corpse, the priest left the drawing room.
Moments later,
“Fire!”
“The baron’s mansion is on fire!”
A fire far stronger than the one the witch caused quickly consumed Baron Silas’s mansion.
*
The carriage, racing through the lush forest, soon arrived at Montreux.
It was the closest city to Airene’s territory and the gateway to the northern region.
When they arrived at the luxurious inn they had reserved in advance, Dewey got off the driver’s seat and knocked on the carriage door.
“Excuse me, Master.”
When the door opened, Airene was seen uncomfortably leaning against the carriage wall, fast asleep, while Carlos quietly watched her.
His violet eyes, fixed on her, were filled with a mix of longing, urgency, and anxiety.
“Master.”
Dewey called again, and Carlos finally looked at him.
His dry eyes now showed no emotion.
“We’ve arrived at the inn.”
“Right.”
“We should wake the young lady. Should I do it?”
Carlos thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“No, I will.”
Dewey expected Carlos to gently shake her awake, but he was mistaken.
Carlos carefully cradled her shoulder, slipped his arm under her knees, and lifted her.
It was the so-called ‘princess carry.’
Carlos, as if handling fragile glass, cautiously carried Airene out of the carriage.
Dewey was surprised by his master’s unexpected action, then soon understood and smiled wryly.
“Please protect her this time.”
Carlos, entering the inn, stopped at the sincere advice.
His gaze fell on Airene’s sleeping face.
“I will.”
He held her tighter.
“I will protect her no matter what.”
As if he would never let her go.
*
Airene, in such a deep sleep that she didn’t realize Carlos had carried her, woke late in the evening with the moon high in the sky.
Groggily, she opened her eyes and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling.
‘Where am I?’
And why am I here?
As the remnants of sleep faded, she recalled the events she had temporarily forgotten.
Meeting Carlos at Baron Silas’s mansion and leaving the territory with him.
The last memory was Dewey getting off the carriage, and she awkwardly watching Carlos.
She must have fallen asleep after that.
She hadn’t slept properly since being imprisoned as a witch, but still, how could she sleep in front of a dangerous beast?
“Hah.”
Finding it absurd, Airene chuckled softly and got out of bed.
She lit a candle on the nightstand and looked around the now brightened room.
A bed, a plush single sofa and table, a luxurious carpet—all were items too good for a commoner. The room was even larger than Baron Silas’s drawing room.
Airene felt uneasy being left alone in such a nice room.
That man wouldn’t do this without a reason…
She peeked out the door. The darkened hallway was empty. No matter how many times she checked, it was the same.
Realizing she was completely alone, Airene moistened her dry lips.
She could escape unnoticed now.
“But where…should I go?”
Having lost both her family and home,
she had nowhere to go.
Returning to the territory she was born and raised in was impossible.
Not only did she not know how to get back, but even if she did, she’d be accused of being a witch and burned at the stake again.
So where should she go?
After thinking, Airene left the room, deciding that escaping from the man’s grasp was the priority.
Walking on her toes to avoid making noise, she realized leaving the candle was a mistake.
Faced with an endless staircase in the darkness, she despaired and sat down.
“How do I get down?”
If she carelessly descended and fell, it would be disastrous.
Just as she considered going back for the candle,
“Need a light?”
A low, rough voice that suited the darkness spoke, accompanied by a bright light from behind her.
