See? I knew it. From my perspective, people from the Republic are nothing but natural enemies. Absolutely.
「You’re teasing a little too much, Marisan-sama.」
「Am I? I am a witch… simply a witch. Do you know the nature of witches?」
「No. Not at all.」
「We act solely to satisfy our own desires.」
The way she laughs, ufufu, sends nothing but bad premonitions through me.
「……And what is your desire?」
「Yes. I have more than my share of greed for material things and carnal pleasures.」
That’s it?!
「But above all else, what I crave most is the thirst for knowledge.」
「Knowledge?」
「Yes. What I want… is powerful magic or spell formations that no one else has ever created.」
「……And that’s why you want Noie?」
「Yes. Very much so.」
So she needs Noie to create them… meaning she wants her as ingredients, or as a test subject.
「If you would hand her over to me, I would defect to this country… and become yours.」
She gazes at me with a bewitching smile, and irritation surges inside.
Don’t screw with me, you old hag. Who the hell would be satisfied with a worn-out woman like, wait? My head is spinning.
The moment I look into her eyes… why am I even hesitating over such a wonderful offer?
It’s definitely a great deal, right? There’s absolutely no reason to refuse.
Then a white hand blocks my view.
Huh? Was I just thinking something strange? There’s no way giving up Noie could possibly be a good idea… huh?
I follow the white arm with my eyes, turn over my shoulder, and see something terrifying for the first time in a while.
「……」
The tiara on her head is being pushed upward by her ahoge and is about to float off.
This is unmistakably the state she enters when she is completely furious.
「If you do anything strange to Arg-sama…」
She clenches her fist tightly and takes half a step forward.
The number of gazes turning toward us because of Noie’s aura is insane.
Everyone? Do you all have some kind of killing-intent sensor installed or something?
Right now, even I feel like I could sense it.
「Ara… excuse me. Perhaps the wine has gone to my head a little.」
Laughing lightly, the witch steps back from us and gives a small bow.
「The fatigue from the journey is quite heavy tonight, so I think I shall focus on light conversation. I look forward to your guidance starting tomorrow.」
「……Yes.」
I let out a deep breath as the witch departs with that seductive smile.
For a moment my mind felt strange. She definitely did something to me.
「Noie.」
「Yes.」
「Thank you.」
「……」
Without a word, she presses close to me and gently brings her face near my ear.
「Don’t look into her eyes.」
「Her eyes?」
「Yes. That person… is a dangerous one.」
Of course she’s dangerous. No explanation needed. As expected of Noie.
After that, we… well, I plastered on a polite smile and moved us to the edge of the venue for a breather.
If word got out that we almost beat the guest of honor, the witch, to death, it would be an absolute disaster.
Right now, it can pass as “she got carried away teasing and I got mad”, so it shouldn’t become a problem.
I’ll make sure it doesn’t.
I accepted a drink from a maid and took a moment to catch my breath.
As expected, Noie was still drawing glances from every direction.
Few people had the nerve to approach us directly for greetings… but Camille and Krea came right up to her, breathing heavily through their noses like wild beasts.
In the next instant, their respective guardians seized them and forcibly dragged them away.
In a way, those two are monsters on a completely different level.
「What are those two even doing?」
「Yes.」
-0-
The polite greeting-and-small-talk phase seemed to be winding down.
People who had no intention of dancing were starting to slip away little by little.
Having escaped dealing with the witch, I honestly wanted to flee the scene right then and there.
But I had a small errand tonight.
I wonder if it’s safe to go now?
I glanced sideways.
Next to me, Noie shone like a white flower, absolutely stunning.
The fact that I had even momentarily considered giving up such a beautiful, young, gentle wife…
I was definitely being manipulated.
Noie warned me not to look into the witch’s eyes, so maybe some kind of magic was projected through her gaze?
「Hmm～. Whatever.」
「Yes?」
「Noie. Come with me for a moment.」
「Yes.」
I took her hand and headed toward one of the doors leading out of the room.
Not the grand main entrance everyone was using, but a smaller one that led deeper into the castle.
「Argusta-sama. That door is not in use tonight, 」
「I know. I just left some documents I’ll need tomorrow in the office. I’m only going to pick them up.」
「My apologies.」
The knight standing guard for security bowed and opened the door for us.
We passed through and left the ballroom behind.
-0-
「Hmm～」
「……」
Having Noie with me means I have nothing to fear…
But please, at least let me cling to her arm like this.
The venue had been lit up like daylight with all those lamps, so I’d foolishly assumed the rest of the castle would be bright too.
We walk down a pitch-black corridor.
Ah～ scary. A pitch-dark castle is seriously the worst.
「Arg-sama.」
「Yes?」
「What are we doing?」
「Yeah. I want to go to the seal warehouse for a bit.」
「Warehouse?」
「We went there before, remember? The place where we brought that jar thing.」
「……」
She tilts her head slightly.
Looks like she doesn’t remember anymore.
Very Noie, anything not related to dragons gets forgotten immediately.
「Let’s hurry up, find what I need, and get back.」
「……Yes.」
While enjoying the soft press of Noie’s chest against my arm…
We got a little lost along the way, but eventually reached our destination.
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