CH 113

“What? The Archwitch is alive?” Aled puzzled. “I thought she perished. There’s been no news of her in the last few centuries.”

“Well, I wonder about that…”

“You wonder? Didn’t you talk with her?” Aled pressed on with a confused face.

“That… Not so much in person,” Ayura sighed. “You know how witches are. We communicated through water scrying.”

“Still, if you talked to her, how can you be unsure whether she’s alive?”

“Well, I could hardly feel any power from her. You know how powerful the Archwitch was. It wouldn’t be incomprehensible to converse with her lingering soul after death. Perhaps she is no longer in this world, or she was communicating from the far future or the distant past. She is one who is unbound by such restrictions.”

Aled fell silent contemplating what it had learned; in truth Ayura’s explanation had only confused the spirit further, and questions were piling up. Why was the Archwitch interested in this subject? She had asked about how to rid one of Eugendiph’s blood, instead of how to obtain it? Was it merely a coincidence their question was one and the same? After a long pause, Aled asked, “When was it?”

“When was what?”

“When did the Archwitch ask you that question?”

“Let’s see…” Ayura began counting with its fingers, before continuing, “24 years ago.”

* * *

Yuliana was lying listlessly on her bed. Her handmaiden hovered near her with a worried expression. “Princess, you must have your meal,” her handmaiden advised.

“Leave me. I want to be alone, so go on.”

“Princess…” The handmaiden gazed at Yuliana sadly, but she dutily turned to the other maids and instructed them to leave. “The princess wishes to be alone, so let’s all hurry outside.”

All the maids nodded understandingly, and hurried out of the princess’s room. In their hearts, they all lamented for their poor princess. When the disastrous seminar concluded, they thought that was the end of the matter. Who would’ve expected it was just the beginning? When Princess Yuliana attended her next event the day after the seminar, the previously secluded and elusive empress also made an appearance.

“Oh, what a coincidence! Such a pleasure that we meet again, Princess Yuliana!” The empress greeted Yuliana cheerfully, but her eyes were cold as ice. Everyone witnessing the scene immediately realized the empress was keeping Princess Yuliana in check! The facts were undeniable.

After only the second day, Princess Yuliana began looking noticeably haggard. While returning to her room the day before, Yuliana overheard her maids chattering with concern.

“Our poor princess. She’s become a husk of herself in just two days. Where did that beautiful figure of hers disappear to,” one of her maids uttered sadly.

“What are you going on about? Hurry up and prepare to receive Her Highness.”

“No, what are you going on about? Her Highness is right there.”

“Huh? That’s our princess?” The maid rubbed her eyes in disbelief. “You’re… right? Weird. Why does Her Highness suddenly appear so unrecognizably normal?”

It was now the third day, and Yuliana felt increasing anxiety. Nothing was going according to plan. The empress repeatedly appeared and thwarted her every move, and Yuliana felt like she was being driven out of her mind. Now alone in the quiet room, she placed a hand over her chest and a light began to sparkle.

“It weakened. What’s going on?” Yuliana mumbled to herself with a frown. The brightness of the light was proportional to the strength of her power. The princess was baffled by the turn of events. It was understandable if the Archwitch’s power grew in strength, but the opposite situation was inconceivable. Yuliana couldn’t fathom why the power was rapidly weakening, as if it was being drained dry. Her weakening enchantment was not a delusion—the maids’s conversation was proof that the fascination spell was weakening as her power was depleted.

“For this to happen when I need the power most…” Yuliana bit her lip in frustration. She’d caught wind that the emperor had stopped frequenting the empress palace. The palace was in a state of uproar, with rumors spreading that the empress had lost the emperor’s favor. It was the perfect opportunity to strike, but with her powers in a weakened state, Yuliana wasn’t confident she’d succeed in charming the emperor. She wouldn’t be able to obtain Estian at this rate.

“The guardian witches!” Yuliana suddenly cried out, eyes shining with excitement. Racking her brain for who could help, Yuliana wondered how she’d forgotten about the guardian witches of the Archwitch. As a witch heir, Yuliana had only received a fragment of the Archwitch’s power. It was impossible to speak directly with the Archwitch, but there was a good chance the guardian witches would respond.

Quickly moving about the room, the princess searched the room until she came across a wide plate with a colorful painting in a cabinet. Placing the plate on the table, she picked up a nearby flower vase, and after discarding the flowers aside began pouring the water into the plate. The preparations for the water scrying ritual were now complete.

Yuliana peered nervously at the mirrored surface of the water in front of her. She knew this was the method by which witches communicate, but it would be her first time speaking with the guardian witches. Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the piece of paper where she’d jotted down the empress’s information. It contained the important details needed for the favor she was about to ask. Steadying herself, Yuliana began to recite the words on the page.

“Name: Cecile Franvier Navitan…” As Yuliana’s voice rang out, the water in the bowl began to vibrate. “Age: 24.”