Chapter 12
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The priestess Ali was praying hard again today in the temple she had built herself.
And at the end of every prayer, she wished for the fall of the crude Louis Empire, which had expanded its land through cruel wars and didn’t even have a proper national religion.
As she came out of the temple, surrounded by thick trees, an elderly man appeared in front of her. He looked to weigh at least 100 kilograms and had a large build.
He tugged on his long white beard while looking around the temple.
“This is shabby.”
“What?”
Ali was offended by the old man’s sudden criticism.
“Who are you to say something so rude…?”
“Me?”
The old man twisted his beard and smiled brightly.
“The witch.”
At that moment, Ali’s red eyes trembled wildly.
“Witch? You just look like an old man, no matter how I see you.”
Then the old man let his broad shoulders slump.
“My body was stolen.”
“What?”
Ali’s eyes widened. The old man’s deep gaze turned toward the distant western palace.
“Looks like my body is over at the imperial palace. And the thief who stole it seems to be pretty arrogant.”
With that, he grinned as if amused. The wrinkles around his mouth deepened.
“Anyway, can I get something to eat first?”
The witch, who had taken over the body of an old man, rubbed his protruding belly.
The downside of choosing this rich old man instead of the Empress Dowager was that he got hungry way too easily.
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Louisville had come to the Empress’s Palace at Empress Dowager Sophia’s summons and found a brown leather notebook in the drawing room. He was about to open it.
“Please don’t look!”
But then, Anier came running toward him in a panic, stopping him just in time.
“Why not?”
Louisville looked at her flustered face and raised both hands. Anyone could see Anier was clearly embarrassed.
“C-Can you give it back, please?”
“What is it?”
Louisville lightly shook the leather notebook in his hand.
Anier’s face turned pale.
“It’s my diary. Please, give it back.”
“Your diary?”
Then why did the Empress Dowager throw it?
Louisville tilted his head and turned the diary over, checking front and back.
Just then, a sharp voice came from behind them.
“What are you two doing?”
Louisville and Anier turned their heads at the same time. Empress Dowager Sophia was leaning sideways on the sofa’s armrest, watching them with a displeased expression.
“We’re sorry.”
Both Louisville and Anier bowed their heads deeply, having momentarily forgotten her presence. Then Sophia waved her hand and called them closer.
Louisville walked over to her, hands behind his back and still holding the diary. Anier followed closely, staring at her diary.
“Anyway, I approve.”
“Huh?”
Both Louisville and Anier looked confused at Sophia’s sudden statement. Her emerald eyes were fixed on her son.
“I mean your marriage to the witch.”
A heavy silence fell over them.
Sophia slowly sat upright and spoke again with her red lips.
“If you marry the witch, won’t the curse be lifted naturally?”
Louisville stood straight and looked directly at her with a firm gaze.
“So go ahead and try marrying the witch.”
His face didn’t show much change, but inside, a wave of despair crashed through him.
Even if it was to break a curse, what kind of parent would so easily agree to her son marrying a witch?
It felt like she only said that because she didn’t see him as her son.
He had thought he couldn’t be hurt anymore, but once again, he felt foolish for expecting anything.
Unaware of Louisville’s self-loathing, Sophia elegantly raised one hand in the air.
“That’s all I wanted to say. Now you may leave.”
She stood and walked past Louisville.
He didn’t move from his spot. But then, he felt the diary being pulled from his hand.
Slowly, he turned his shoulder. Anier was tugging at the diary with her small, pale hand.
“Ugh—!”
Her face was already red, and she was trying to snatch the diary back, but due to their clear difference in strength, she only blushed more.
Though he wasn’t in the mood to laugh, Louisville couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Pfft—”
Anier frowned at the sound of his laugh.
“Could you please give it back now?”
But Louisville calmly pulled the diary from her hand, then stretched his arm up high.
“What are you doing?”
At 190 centimeters tall, when Louisville raised his hand, the diary felt like it was stuck to the ceiling.
“Please stop and give it back. Okay?”
Anier jumped and flailed her arms, trying to reach it.
Louisville suddenly had a strong question.
The Empress Dowager can see it, but I can’t? What’s written in it?
“Just one question. Why did you bring your diary to the Empress’s Palace?”
He asked, but Anier didn’t answer. She just reached out again.
“Please give it back…!”
Louisville took a few steps back to avoid her.
Anier rushed after him, tripped, and fell. Louisville tried to catch her, but they both ended up tumbling over.
Crash.
As the two of them collapsed together, the diary flew out of Louisville’s hand.
“Ugh…”
He frowned at the sharp pain in the back of his head. It wasn’t just his head—he could feel a weight pressing down on his whole body.
“You really do like climbing on top of me.”
Louisville sighed, looking at Anier lying on top of him. She touched her forehead, lifted her head, and met his eyes.
“I told you before. You’re heavier than you look.”
Anier’s cheeks turned as red as her forehead. She quickly got up and checked his hands.
“Where’s the diary? Where did it go?”
Louisville’s hands were empty, and the diary was nowhere nearby. He stood up and looked around.
“You made me drop it when you tackled me.”
“Tackled?! But you dropped it?!”
Though flustered, Anier frantically searched the area. But it wasn’t under the tea table or anywhere in sight.
“Where could it have gone…?”
With a worried expression, Anier’s maid Emma approached. After clearing her throat, she pointed toward the window.
“I saw it fly toward the window.”
Immediately, Anier ran to the window. The cool early autumn breeze gently blew in through the wide-open window.
All she could see was a forest full of green trees. Behind the Empress’s Palace was a huge mountain. The diary had fallen into the thick woods.
“I need to find it right away…!”
Just as she turned to rush out, Louisville stepped in front of her.
“Don’t bother. By the time you get there, a wild animal will have eaten it.”
Anier lowered her eyes with a complex expression. Louisville glanced outside, checking the window again.
Of all places, it had to fall into the mountain. He hadn’t meant to, but he felt a little sorry for her.
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Too many things had happened in one day.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t the witch, and because of the emperor, the witch’s diary was lost. Then the Empress Dowager even approved the marriage between the emperor and the witch.
If I were the emperor’s mother, I would have gone on a hunger strike to stop the marriage.
How could I allow my wonderful son to marry a wicked witch? I’d oppose it until the day I died—and even after that.
But the Empress Dowager was a frightening and cold person. In a way, she reminded me of my own mother.
My mom used to mention divorce so easily whenever she and Dad had a fight. Whether he smoked, drank, or lent money to a friend—she always threatened to divorce.
“Haa…”
A thin sigh slipped through my lips.
Thinking about Mom made me depressed, so I tried to think of something else.
“You really do like climbing on top of me.”
But when I tried, what came to mind was the emperor.
More precisely, the moment when we had fallen together, and he said that embarrassing line even though nothing had happened.
I placed my hands on my burning cheeks.
All because I wouldn’t give up the diary…
As I remembered the witch’s diary, my flushed cheeks cooled a little.
It fell into the forest, so I’ll never find it again.
…Maybe that’s actually a good thing?
Because I—no, this body—must not be found out as the witch.
At least not until the real witch is found.
