"Your majesty please be calm."
It was then the honorable Rayll stood from his seat, looking expressionless. Face devoid of emotions, he cannot comprehend and understand why ladies from his family always cause trouble.
Celestine with her luxury and manipulative tendencies, Knile with her mental illness and love for chaos, his mother with an obsession and neglecting problems, and his grandma; a sarcastic witch who wishes death to someone for her to eat.
He thought there was something wrong with the blood flowing through their veins but it wasn't.
The empress looks dejected as she forcefully looks away. She sat back in her seat while trying to control the anger she was feeling. The witch looks confused as to why she was furious at her. The commoner who turns to an empress overnight stole her rightful position so why is she so malicious? It should be the witch who's angry.
Knile on the other hand, witnessing the drama the older generation created made her think if she is the only villainess in this world.
"The former society knows her as someone noble," Rayll spoke as he offers his hand to the witch which she happily accepted.
'Wait, you're involving the older generations because you couldn't beat me? What's this? Power of Connections?' Knile raised her eyebrows while her jewel eyes glow out of curiosity. The witch look at her and smiled, almost reassuring her everything is gonna be fine.
"The new generation know her as 'The Witch' or 'Old hag', which is quite true."
'Oh come on! Just tell me already who she is!'
"She was the banish aristocrat for using dark magic towards the empress ten years ago. She is Hyphy Hyll, also my grandmother and the older sister of the current head of Hyll Dukedom."
'What'
'You've gotta be kidding me.'
' Why did no one told me were having a family reunion at my witch trial?'
"So she's a witch?" People began whispering.
"Why should we trust a witch?" The ladies unfolded their fans, covering half of their faces. Celestine who started the thread remains stoic.
"That is quite insane!"
"I know right, why trust a witch?"
People who were whispering amongst themselves had completely forgotten about Arundel's demise. What can I say? People are only interested in something entertaining and clearly, death isn't one of them. Celestine accepted this awful fact and felt pity towards the magician whose death was immediately forgotten.
'No one even asked why he died and what was his goal.'
She thought.
She was reminded how she was the same with the gossiping nobles when her mother died. As a child, she never asks why her mother died. She just accepted the fact that it was an accident that benefited Knile. It profited Knile so much her rationality was ruled with jealousy.
"So that does mean House Hyll produce dark mage instead of Ice users?"
A young girl asks while the elders stayed silent.
Celestine felt strange. It was a child asking, someone who hasn't ventured into the world yet. She understands that fact but it still hurts. It hurts how a family inherits such a curse and continues to pass it down. She realized how one day she will completely snap and everything will just vanish. Her grandmother told her.
The heroine looks confuse and scared. Compared to her previous demeanor that was spreading hope, it was spreading more terror than needed. The people who notice it realized that two dark witches can effortlessly destroy everyone. They only have one saintess so they finally recognized that their lives were on the line.
Their job was simple, to judge the convicted.
But it seems like they can't do it anymore. The lower nobility was shaking too much they can't properly hold the quill. They were struck between fleeing and staying.
The villainess stared at the woman who was their grandma.
She never meets her grandma from her previous life so she doesn't know how to confront her.
Nevertheless, she was happy she got to meet one. The anxiety of not knowing her grandmother's motives still haunts her.
'There's someone out there capable of witchcraft and they came from the same family as me. The original manga never mentions something like this.'
The witch manages to chuckle as her eyes wander towards the royal family. Her brother and other family members notice the hidden bloodlust while glancing at the royals.
'I wonder what's her role.'
'She wouldn't have that hidden emotion if she's just a side character.'
'Is she only here to aid them to execute me or does she have hidden motives?'
"That's what people think but unfortunately, there's still a hidden root of evil somewhere."
The tension was getting out of hand in the room.
They never knew they will soon learn history they were never taught.
"What does that even mean?"
The villainess asks.
..............................................................
Her question was ignored when he suddenly shouted.
"Just do your job and go back to the forest!"
Even though he was the prince, he was no match for a witch. The Lower nobles glanced at him with shaking eyes.
'Is he asking for death?'
They all have the same thoughts.
'Is the prince that stupid? Just because he thinks he has the saintess?' The villainess rolls her eyes.
'The magician got killed by her for a reason and you're not gonna respect that?'
"Ah, then should I go back?"
"What?!" Rayll swiftly tilted his head to look at her.
"It seems like our prince doesn't respect and recognized the help he's getting. Should I not do it?"
"Help?" The empress started chuckling while everyone felt uneasy. "Did you not forgot you almost destroyed my empire?"
The confusion started piling up, even the villainess cannot help but wonder.
'Why didn't she do it then?'
"Oh, that was when insanity was getting the best of me."
'Eh?'
"More reasons not to receive your help. You are insane, you should just go back to the forest." The empress exclaimed as she clenches the scepter.
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I'm watching aot and I cannot concentrate.