CH 11

The next day.

Forbidden area. The Forest of Shadows.

“The blood of a ten-year-old deer. Ten of them.”

The witch, whose pointed pupils shone, hid her true colors when she saw the sturdy man.

It was the first time in 10 years that a customer had stepped into the forbidden area.

“The blood of a deer is very precious, but you really obtained it.”

“You said you could save her.”

“Of course. I’m the only witch who can save lives.”

‘To think that he’s a pushover customer!’

The witch quickly took in the deer’s blood, calling for joy within her.

Those who came to raise the dead were usually mentally unstable.

So was the man.

Black hair like the night sky.

Purple eyes that looked dangerous.

When she first saw him, he was a man with such a beautiful appearance that exclamation came out, yet when she saw his hard expression or intermittently shaking hands, she got a gut feeling.

That he’s a good person to use.

“That’s good, this amount is enough.”

“Is this what it is?”

“Oh my. Could you bring me some more?”

The witch, who had maintained her youth with black magic, smiled at him, recognizing his appearance.

“You said ten would have been enough, though.”

It was then.

It wasn’t frowning, nor was it outright threatening.

However, the subtly changed low tone was cool enough to make the listener flinch.

“Ohohoho. Yes, yes. Ten is enough.”

‘Damn it, he wasn’t a pushover.’

The witch, who laughed mechanically, spat out a curse inside her.

In any case, ten deers’ blood was a material that was difficult to obtain even after investing 10 years into it.

She thought his face was handsome so she tried to play with him a little bit.

‘Enough, enough.‘

The witch finally put the ingredients of deers that she had in her hands into the jar.

‘I can just say that I failed while drawing a random Magi circle.’

And if that man went back, then the drug would re-dissolve the deer’s blood, and that was it.

“Then I’ll start, Sir.”

The witch hummed and poured whatever potion was around her.

“Are you using poison to revive the dead?”

“Pardon?”

At the warning, the witch turned her head.

The gaze of the man leaning his upper body against the wall was fixed on the potion she was holding.

“You were going to put it in now. The effect is minimal, but I think it’s a drug classified as poison.”

“…Ohoho, that’s right. It’s something that people who don’t know about this field won’t know, but you must have been interested.”

“Rather than interested.”

He stared leisurely at the sweaty witch.

“It’s because I killed a lot.”

“Ohohoho. W-What a joke.”

The air flow has changed.

Realizing that something was wrong, the witch hurriedly put random ingredients into a jar and began to stir with a spatula.

‘What is it? I definitely didn’t feel Magi…’

“…Cough!”

Suddenly, the hand that was holding a spatula twitched.

A groan escaped the witch as the indescribable pressure of gravity began to press down on her back and the back of her neck.

Cassis, who had been staring at her quietly, sighed.

It originated from his boredom.

“You said you could bring the dead back to life.”

“I-I can… save…”

“No.”

Taking care of his crooked posture, he rose from his seat in earnest.

“You can’t save her.”

“Without even trying, how can you…”

“How can you bring the dead back to life when you can’t even detect my Magi?”

Clink.

His purple eyes gleamed terrifyingly as he pulled out the sword that glows with black light.

“…Cough!”

The witch’s teeth trembled as she belatedly realized that the force of gravity piercing her shoulders was Magi.

What was more frightening was the man’s attitude.

It’s because there was no emotion in his eyes, that would soon judge lies.

“I-I apologize. To tell you the truth, I’ve never brought a dead person back to life, but the nobleman’s situation is so pitiful that I want to try…”

The praying witch’s hand crashed in an instant.

After a while.

Cassis fled the Forest of Shadows, leaving the handkerchief he had wiped on his sword around her corpse.

“Next.”

After briefly announcing the results, Cassis got on the carriage.

Recognizing his silence, Agasa started the carriage without a word.

It meant once again, this time was a failure.

“How was the meal with Princess Billishia?”

One hour after riding the carriage.

Agasa broke the heavy silence and asked cautiously.

He thought he had some hope.

With the young princess’ appearance, the Duke of Vallois returned home after 5 years.

Rattleㅡ       

The carriage shook, but Cassis didn’t move.

Ignoring his questions is a common occurrence, so when Agasa’s gaze turns to the wooden floor.

“She’s Vivian’s child.”

Cassis replied.

After a long pause, he answered, but his eyebrows were raised subtly, as if he were questioning himself.

Normally, he would have pretended not to hear.

But.

[I have a gift.]

Vivian’s bright smile was still embedded in his bones.

[…A gift?]

[I’m Billishia.]

[I think we need more explanation in detail. I have no idea.]

At the question the aide asked, memories of the past quickly passed by.

Billishia.

He hated that child.

Black hair and purple eyes that look very much like him.

The reflection of his face in those transparent eyes was so clear that it was creepy.

It was to the point where he even thought that maybe his sin was followed by that child and caused Vivian to die.

That was the reason why I didn’t deliberately go to the Duke’s Castle.

[Mom said that I shouldn’t skip my meals.]

It was a shadow.

[She stretched my cheeks bigger. She told me that every time I leave food behind, I lose precious cheeks here.]

It was surprising even to himself that he stopped walking while trying to escape the castle as if he were running away.

But only the child knew.

‘… Vivian’s habits and way of speaking that no one knows about.’

Cassis clamped his mouth shut as he remembered his daughter’s face like a nightmare.

Even though he doesn’t want to think about it, the child has been following him like a shadow in his head for the past two months.

‘Of all things.’

Cassis, who had closed his eyes tightly, placed his hand on his forehead.

‘It must be because I saw her eating alone.’

In particular, it was the moment at the dining room where he parted with Billishia that chased him relentlessly.

As he unconsciously turned his head before leaving the dining room.

At a huge table that could fit twelve people, the child was eating alone.

Only then did Cassis realize how small a five-year-old was.

Her back moved silently as if she was used to it.

Even the chubby cheeks that wanted to protect Vivian.

“Does she usually eat alone?”

Agasa, whose eyes were wide open at the sudden question, captured his expression.

“If you’re talking about Princess, yes, that’s right.”

“Why?”

“That’s because the immediate family members are busy, so they don’t gather at the dining room often.”

A tired sigh escaped Agasa’s answer.

He relaxed and leaned back loosely on the cushion.

He had to admit it.

That child is terribly like him.

The first day Vivian ran away, he was eating awkwardly without knowing what to do.

It was horrifying.

“…Shall I set up a table for dinner again after this schedule is over?”

Agasa, who took his silence as a positive, asked again.

However, Cassis’ reaction was still grim.

“You wouldn’t be in a position to interfere in my private life to the extent of suggesting a table for dinner.”

“I made a mistake. Your Grace.”

Agasa slightly averted his gaze and sighed inwardly.

He’s still the same.

That habit of shutting down when something pleasant is about to happen.

“Vivian comes first.”

“I understand.”

In the end, even Agasa was about to give up.

A low-pitched voice continued quietly.

“…Then, if we have time left, we will go again.”

“Pardon?”

Is it hallucination, he wonders.

Agasa, who slapped himself on the cheek, realized that it wasn’t a dream and turned into rabbit eyes.

“Yes. I understand.”

Cassis then once again took out the swindler alchemist and redirected the carriage.

It was a week after he dined with his daughter, Billishia.

***

“Miss Billishia, I want to be a squirrel!”

“I’m a rabbit!”

“…Umm, then it’s not a secret animal gathering.”

The second episode of the life of Billishia.

Variables began to appear in my life, in which my goal was to run away.

‘To think that people will like me.’

I looked away from the maids with a serious expression.

The animal gathering, which was forced to start because of Lisa, was gaining more and more followers.

‘This isn’t it. I just needed the servants to help with the escape.’

I shook my head, not wanting any more deep relationships.

The culprit of this division was running from afar.

“Miss Billishiaaaa!”

A sigh escaped my lips when the furry Lisa appeared, wearing a mouse-shaped mask.

‘Where the hell did you get that stuff!’

“What. Did you prepare this alone? Lisa is petty!”

“That’s what life is all about. I have to take care of my share!”

Lisa proudly stroked the fluffy gray fur and let out a hum.

Pushing away the maids around her with her plump hips, Lisa proudly took the seat next to me.

‘…You shouldn’t like me too much.’

Between the maids who kept trying to protect me, I was as hard as a wooden stone.

“From now on, I’m going to have an animal gathering with the Princess, so please get out of the way.”

“Where the hell did you get that from?”

“I made it.”

‘…Ugh, I don’t know. Let’s just have fun. I’ve never been loved like this before.’

Did I seduce them? They say they like it, though.

In the end, I decided to focus on my present life and leaned my back against a tree.

“…Lisa passed the meeting. I’ll invite Lily and Daisy to my secret meeting.”

“R-Really? Then, I’ll prepare tea time as a celebration party! Miss Billishia. Please wait here for a moment!”

Waddle.

As the excited Lisa ran away wearing her doll’s mask, the maids, sensing a sense of crisis, hurriedly followed.

‘I guess I can rest now.’

I was thinking of running away with pocket money.

I was at a loss as to how to deal with these people in the future.

It was when I, who suddenly missed the tea time of my previous life, looked up at the sky with a Tibetian-fox-like tired expression.

“Why are you doing that?”

“…Dad?”

When I turned my head to the unfamiliar yet familiar low tone, Cassis was standing at the entrance of the garden.

Although that quickly changed my Tibetan-fox-like expression.

He seemed to have read my face, which was relaxed, and walked over with a complicated expression.

“You’re usually alone like this…”

“Huh?”

“Enough. Let’s eat.”

In a week? Another dinner?

“But Lisa…”

“I will take care of the maid who left you alone later.”

“Lisa doesn’t leave me alone!”

At my protest, Cassis’ forehead, which had been smooth, wrinkled.

“To think that in the meantime, this kind of thing becomes nice, resembling Vivian.”

“?”

“You only resemble weird parts.”

What nonsense is that.

I don’t understand. I blinked my eyes, yet my body floated in the air.

Cassis stared at me and immediately picked me up and took me to the restaurant.