Reasons to Protect the Witch's Son

It wasn’t the type of bracelet that was flashy or full of jewels. Rather, it was so simple that it could be described as crude.

“Oh, this?”

Thin lines were intertwined like thread, with small charms dangling all around. It was a bracelet commonly sold at market stalls. Lifting her wrist to examine it, Elaine scratched her cheek and smiled.

“It’s a wish bracelet.”

“Wish bracelet?”

“They say that if you wear the bracelet until it breaks off on its own, your wish will come true.”

It couldn’t be broken by intentionally cutting or accidentally ripping it off. The rumor was, your wish will come true only when the string becomes thinner and breaks naturally over time.

The last time she went downtown with Sophia and the others, Sophia had given her the bracelet as a gift. It was originally meant to be a pair for Sophia and her, but Cezanne insisted on joining in, so they ended up with a set of four, including Abel.

A bracelet that grants wishes. Honestly, it was a story that only children would believe. Still, she liked Sofia, and thought she had a surprisingly cute side to her, so she wore it. After that, Elaine forgot about it for a while due to various reasons, but it seems like it somehow stayed intact and didn’t break off.

Ash listened to her story and nodded.

“I thought I recognized it from somewhere, now I remember.”

Cezanne and Abel. He remembered seeing them running around wearing something similar. That meant she had a set with them, too. For some reason, it made him feel uncomfortable. Besides, she said the bracelet was a gift, and she wore it all the time…….

His gaze went from the bracelet to the pale hand beneath it. He stared intently at her hand and muttered softly.

“She must not like the gloves I gave her.”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t like the gloves, you can tell me. I can give you whatever you want-”

“Wait a minute. What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

Elaine froze and looked up at him with a puzzled face. He slightly averted his gaze.

“…It’s just that, I’ve never seen you wear the gloves I gave you back then. Isn’t it because you don’t like them?”

“Oh, well, that’s…”

He was referring to the gloves she’d been gifted after they returned from rescuing Edwin. Elaine trailed off, unable to come up with a quick answer. Of course, it wasn’t because she didn’t like them that she wasn’t wearing them.

She hadn’t done much with the gloves since she’d gotten them; they’d been kept safe in a drawer for fear of getting them dusty. But…….

Ash slowly shook his head, seeing her inability to easily come up with an answer he regretted bringing up the topic.

“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Don’t worry about what I just said.”

Then he turned around with a calm face and started walking away. If she let it go like this, it was clear that he would misunderstand. No, he must have already misunderstood. In the end, Elaine became anxious and hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, muttering so softly that it was barely audible.

“…Because…”

“What?”

“It’s a waste…”

Ash, who was walking away, stopped. His eyes widened in shock.

For some reason, she felt her face getting hot. Even for her, it was embarrassing to say something like this in front of him. That’s why she hesitated to answer, but she didn’t want him to misunderstand.

“Why…”

Ash pursed his lips. The nape of his neck flushed red. His eyes narrowed and he spoke in a slightly cracked voice.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal. Even if you use them and throw them away…”

“But it’s the first gift I’ve ever received from you!”

How could he say such terrible things, such as using them and throwing them away! Elaine raised her head, eyes wide. When her eyes met Ash’s, whose eyes were also widened, her face became even hotter. But now that she had already began, she decided to just be shameless.

“It’s a gift from you, how could I do that? Even if I treat them gently, it would still be a waste.”

She stood up and faced him with pride. The sunset was lighting up his face as he stood facing the sun, his vividly colored black hair parted, his sharp eyes relaxed in relief, and his shapely lips curved slowly as he smiled happily.

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

“Huh?

Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, and she blinked in a daze.

‘Ash…… knows how to smile like that?’

She’d seen him smile a few times before, but they’d been brief and not quite genuine smiles. This one was much softer and brighter. She knew he was handsome, but when he smiled like that, it was like…….

“Duke.”

It was then that he saw a servant walking over from the other side of the room. He stopped in front of them and bowed respectfully.

“I have been ordered by my master to escort you both, if you will come this way, I will show you to your rooms.”

A room? Elaine stopped her train of thought and looked at the servant questioningly. Then Ash spoke instead.

“I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you yet. I decided to stay at the Margrave’s mansion tonight.”

It was a good thing for her. She still needed time to get the list out of the Margrave’s house. She’d bought herself some time.

They followed the servant down the hall. Elaine glanced at Ash’s back as he walked ahead. That smile from earlier still lingered, like a feather tickling her heart.

Honestly, she hadn’t realized he’d been thinking like that, and she wished she’d used the gloves instead of hiding them away.

Then her eyes drifted to the brooch on his cloak, a purple amethyst the color of his eyes. It was the one she’d given him for his birthday at Valendor. The first time she saw him wearing it, she was overjoyed.

At the same time, she wondered why she hadn’t thought of how he would view her not wearing his gift… As she was walking down the hallway she vowed to retrieve the gloves as soon as they returned.

Thud-!

Suddenly, the door in front of them opened with a loud noise. Then, dishes, knives, and other food utensils flew out the door.

“Get out! Get out!”

A woman’s sharp voice shouted loudly along with the sound of dishes breaking.

“I told you there was no need for this!”

Through the open door, they could see the room was in chaos. Objects thrown all over indiscriminately, and maids who were helpless and pale. In the middle of it all, the sharp, pale face of a woman appeared.

“Ah, my lady! Please calm down!”

Hair and eyes of the same color as the Margrave. A woman who looked as thin as a tree branch in winter spoke in a dry voice.

“Don’t stop me.”

Blood dripped from the woman’s hand. She was gripping a piece of broken glass tightly in her hand.

“Aaaah! Miss!”

The next moment, the woman aimed the piece of glass at her throat. While Ash was busy giving orders to the servants, Elaine ran into the room. The bright blue shard was getting closer to piercing her delicate nape. Elaine, moving faster than her, grabbing the slender woman’s wrist.

For a moment, the woman’s pupils dilated, surprised at Elaine’s sudden appearance. But it was only for a brief moment, then the woman began to struggle violently.

“What are you doing!”

But resistance was futile. There was no way she would be able to overpower a hardened knight. Elaine’s grip on the woman’s wrist tightened slightly.

“Let go! Let go! Ugh!”

“Yulina!”

The shard of glass fell from the woman’s hand. At that moment, the Margrave rushed inside, his appearance unusually disheveled from his haste.

Yulina Lakers, who was looking at the fallen glass shard, raised her head. She looked at the Margrave and smiled mockingly.

“Father, why are you here?”

“This… What on earth are you doing?”

“What am I doing? You know that very well. From that day until now, you’re the one who has been hindering me the most.”

“…”

“I told you. I don’t want to live. I can no longer live in a world without him.”

Him? She wants to die… Elaine felt Yulina’s wrist, which she was still holding, tremble slightly.

“That person, that sweet person, died right before my eyes. He bled to death without even being able to close his eyes.”

“Yulina.”

“Still, still, I can see the moment so clearly. Every night I dream of him, coughing up blood, crying out, asking me to come with him.”

“Yulina!”

“This is all because of you, father. That person ended up like that while protecting me, and you killed him!”

Yulina cried out, tears streaming down her face.

“Maybe there was a way to reverse it! Maybe he could have lived!”

“…”

“So just leave me alone. Let me die and be with the man my father killed!”

Yulina’s cheeks were wet with tears, her eyes dark clearly showing her pain and resentment. Elaine stared at her, mouth agape. Ash was also frozen in place.

No one else in the room spoke, not the servants nor the maids. The only one who spoke was the Margrave.

“Yes, I killed him.”

He said with a calm face.

“He became a creature whose name is unknown. There was no cure, and I had to prevent a greater sacrifice.”

“Yes, that’s the kind of man my father is.”

Staring at her father’s expressionless face, Yulina smiled in a way that made her appear broken.

“The cause is more important than one man’s life. You’re a man who doesn’t bat an eye at sacrificing someone for the greater good.”

“…….”

“You were like that even when my mother was dying, but you know what?”

Her face contorted into a sob.

“Father, you’re the biggest coward of them all.”

With those words, Yulina’s body collapsed.