[V7C26] Until We Meet Again

Although Cecilia’s extended stay in Ridill was officially decided, it was not feasible to detain one of the Seven Sages, the country’s most powerful mages, for an extended period of time.

Monica’s inclusion was primarily intended for diplomatic purposes to begin with, so she was relieved of her guard duties following the original schedule. Henceforth, the Royal Guard and the Magic Corps would take full responsibility for Cecilia’s security.

Ever since the day Cecilia decided to marry Lionel as Saintess, she only grew more and more busy. The extension of her stay combined with the announcement of her engagement to Lionel meant she needed to greet all the related parties, attending countless tea parties and evening banquets.

Monica initially worried about Cecilia overworking herself, but she no longer saw Cecilia holding her stomach after social events. In all likelihood, this was because Lionel stood at her side.

The princess had always displayed proper behavior during parties, but now, Monica sensed a newfound strength holding her up. Cecilia was gentle, graceful, and delicate… but she refused to be swept away. She now possessed the resolve of someone who knew the future she wanted.

(Cecilia-sama must have gotten that strength from Prince Lionel… from the man she loves.)

The realization gave Monica a fuzzy feeling in her chest, because she had been the same.

＊　＊　＊

Monica visited Cecilia to say goodbye on the last day of her mission, but she had to wait outside the room since Cecilia was in the middle of changing.

After waiting for a while, she noticed someone approaching from the opposite side of the corridor. It was the Dream Mage, Casper Hutter.

“Oh, um!”

Hutter had attempted to avert his gaze from Monica and pass by, but Monica called out to stop him.

The man stopped, turning only his head to glance at Monica, before immediately averting his gaze again. For some reason, he always avoided making direct eye contact.

He was probably disgusted to see a young girl like her bearing the title of Sage. Or perhaps, her clumsy excuse for etiquette was too awkward for him to bear.

Monica didn’t particularly want to approach Hutter either, but there was something she absolutely had to tell him before she left.

“Did you need something from me?”

Hutter mumbled out a question without even looking at Monica. His entire being seemed to be rejecting her existence. Nevertheless, Monica quickly confirmed that there was no one nearby and said what she had to say.

“What happened is, um, not Cecilia-sama’s fault.”

Hutter’s shoulders flinched ever so slightly.

On that fateful night, when Cecilia explained her circumstances, she had also made a deal with Hutter. The mage was to take revenge by showing her a terrible nightmare at the moment of her death.

Cecilia had declared this to be Hutter’s just reward, but Monica couldn’t quite accept that.

“Cecilia-sama being rejected by the mirror was not her fault. And, um, she wouldn’t be able to tell anyone about it considering her position… so, erm, it’s only natural she couldn’t decide on anything by herself…”

Cecilia had claimed that Hutter’s anger was justified, and that he had the right to revenge.

However, Hutter’s anger was clearly misplaced. He was directing his resentment at Cecilia simply because she was the only target available. Cecilia understood all of this, which was why she had asked Lionel to leave the room that night.

This made Monica the only witness to the cruel contract between Cecilia and the Dream Mage. Thus, she felt the need to speak up.

“You can’t put all the blame on Cecilia-sama… So, um, about that promise…”

“Do you understand the difference between illusion magic and mental interference magic?”

Interrupting Monica’s words, Hutter voiced a quiet question. Though this left Monica puzzled, she gave a serious answer.

“Illusion magic is for creating intangible illusions that are visible to everyone, while mental interference magic directly affects the minds of its targets.”

“Indeed. The spell I cast on you was a type of mental interference magic. It forcibly puts the target to sleep, showing them dreams that reflect a portion of their inner desires. In our country, this spell is used to provide a peaceful death for severely ill patients with no hope of recovery.”

“…?”

Regulations regarding mental interference magic differed between Ridill and the Empire.

In Ridill, its use was permitted only under specific circumstances, such as interrogating criminals, while the Empire provided more lenient conditions. This leniency was reflected in their use of mental interference magic on the mortally ill.

“And that particular spell is the only mental interference magic I am capable of casting.”

“…Eh?”

Monica’s eyes went wide, and Hutter began walking off. His back radiated an unapproachable aura, as if declaring the conversation was over.

“Wait…! That’s, um…!”

Casper Hutter was an illusionist of the highest order.

He could conjure illusions terrifying enough to make one’s hair stand on end, easily driving a grown man insane. However, illusions had no power over people who were unconscious. The only magic capable of affecting unconscious individuals would be mental interference magic.

What spell will he cast at the end of the Saintess’s life?

No one but Hutter would know the answer to this question. However, Hutter’s departing figure looked as though a weight had been taken off his shoulders, which felt like an answer in itself.

＊　＊　＊

After finishing her goodbyes with Cecilia, Monica strolled through the courtyard of Ausahorn Palace. Somehow, she felt like she could meet a certain person if she came here.

Her intuition immediately proved correct.

In a sunny corner of the flower bed where spring flowers were in full bloom, she found a maid with black hair tied up in a bun——Karina. The maid was sketching something while using a large stone as a makeshift chair.

“Karina.”

Monica called out the girl’s name, but Karina seemed deeply engrossed in her sketch. After about three seconds, she paused her hand and, making the face of a startled cat, raised her head.

“Wah, Monica-chan! Sorry, sorry, I didn’t notice you at all. Did I keep you waiting for a while?”

“No, I just got here.”

“Oh, that’s good. Whenever I get too absorbed in my work, my ears just stop hearing things. It happens a lot; sometimes I won’t even notice someone calling my name dozens of times.”

Monica felt a sense of camaraderie at that feeling. When immersed in the world of numbers or magic, she often found herself in the same situation.

In such instances, Monica would continue her calculations with single-minded devotion until she either ran out of energy, or Nero poked her cheek with his paw.

“Um, Karina, today was my last day of work… so I have to go back to Sazandol. I came to say goodbye…”

Monica lifted her bag, which the wooden cat carved by Karina was attached to.

“Also, thank you for the gift. It made me really, really happy…”

Monica put on a sheepish smile with her expression of gratitude, and Karina’s cheeks loosened up like a cat receiving a meal of fish.

“Getting thanked makes me really happy too. Monica-chan, you’re the first person that I’ve personally gifted something I made, aside from family.”

Karina giggled and put on an innocent, friendly smile.

“I’ve never really cared how my creations were treated, but… yeah, it’s still nice to see them making someone happy.”

“Um, Karina, are you still staying in Ridill for a while?”

Given Princess Cecilia’s extended stay, Monica had heard that some members of the Imperial envoy would be returning to the Empire.

Since Karina commented on how little work she had to do, Monica had assumed that she would be returning as well. But to Monica’s surprise, Karina shook her head.

“Nah, I’m planning to stay a bit longer. My boss said to look around and learn some new things.”

“I-I, erm, sometimes come to the capital for work… so, um…”

Monica contemplated as she began fidgeting with her fingers.

(At occasions like these, is it okay to say, “let’s get together sometime”? But what does “getting together” even entail…? I’m not familiar enough with the capital to guide anyone…)

Once she started worrying, Monica’s thoughts went from wondering if saying such things would be bothersome or offensive. As a result of her anxieties, her posture began to slip.

However, Karina broke through Monica’s dilemma with a cheerful smile.

“Then let’s meet again sometime! I want to explore the capital with you! And of course, we’ll eat something tasty together. Oh, speaking of which, there’s an art museum in the capital, right? I’d love to see it!”

Monica nodded repeatedly at Karina’s offer. There was no need for any complicated expressions. What she wanted to convey was quite simple.

“Yeah! Until next time!”

＊　＊　＊

The Silent Witch, Monica Everett, left the castle with slightly more confident steps than when she arrived. This incident had reminded her of something yet again.

(I need to work even harder.)

She had needed Melissa to save her during the social gathering, and Louis came to her rescue during guard duty. She could not have saved Cecilia without his help.

Also, there was much for Monica to learn from the interactions between Lionel and Cecilia.

Sitting inside the carriage, Monica took out a small memo from her bag. This was the “To-Do List After Returning to Sazandol” that she had earnestly written the night before.

After reading the contents again, Monica let out a small sigh through her nose.

The recent events had made Monica keenly aware of her own immaturity, but she couldn’t afford to stay depressed. There were things she had to do immediately upon her return to Sazandol.

(Because I am Ike’s master… the Silent Witch.)

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