The Witch and the Doll Swear

"...Did Edwards and the brandy winery jointly open the winery to reduce the Marsoula winery to such a point...?"

"Miss Mary said so."

"...sounds like a business loser smearing a rival with hatred."

"Indeed it is..."

Tina recalled Mary's yelling at the beach that morning.

"Listen, if you don't know, let me tell you now! It is the family who defies tradition that made us build a Surrari where almost no one drinks the wine of the Marsula winery, because their winery's production is so low And the repeated reductions, even the businessmen who have been cooperating with them suddenly turned their faces are definitely their tricks in the dark! They and the brandy wine industry are the enemies of Masura Winery!"

The red-haired girl was gnashing her teeth, as if she wanted to crush the name.

After calming down, the red-haired girl told Tina and Alice that the Edwards family is a noble family with a long history in Olympian, and the Edwards Winery is also a winery with a long history in Holly Valley.

Although it can't compare with the Furst family and Masura winery, there are not many famous families that can compare with this family and winery, even Olympian. When Mary said this, her face With pride written all over it.

The Furst family has been the owner of this place since the founding of Olympian. The Marsoula winery has an unparalleled long history. Nothing can compare with it.

However, two years ago.

When a large number of wineries outside of Olympian settled in, the Edwards family erected distillation tanks that had never been seen in the valley in their own winery, and laid down on the walls of the castle the same as the brandy wine industry. Heraldic flag.

Since then, their winery no longer brews wines with a long history, and the carriages are transported from under their Eswald marble arches, and there is only one kind of wine in wooden boxes filled with cotton.

Brandy.

These three characters are like immortal silver added to iron red in the heat of silver, instantly igniting a flame that can melt even steel.

Mary's calm emotions were re-incited by these three words,

— they not only started to produce distilled spirits that abandoned tradition.

she said with hatred.

——A lot of nobles were recruited, and they promoted brandy at the nobles' banquets as earls. There is no doubt that they have a part in the trend of drinking foreign wines in the kingdom.

—their wine prices are so low that it's an insult to wine, and that's why towns big and small in the Holly Valley, and even us...even our winery's built sours, on the cabinets of liquor stores, bars, and restaurants , also full of brandy!

"...In this way, Miss Mary said so, it seems that Miss Mary has a lot of hostility towards brandy..."

"...maybe it's not just brandy...but whatever it sounds like, it's just the bark of a beaten dog in business competition."

The witch holding the goblet gently shook the dark crystal in the goblet, slightly parted her thin lips, and poured the mellow liquid between her teeth after speaking indifferently.

The time is 2:60 at night, and after another 60 minutes, the moment of light dreams from 2:00 to 3:00 will pass and usher in the moment of change between today and tomorrow.

Even for the nobles' banquet, it's too late at this time.

However, according to Liliana, she was able to get away from the hottest time of the banquet because she was still "young" and unable to party all night. It can last much longer than the nobles in other places.

After returning, the witch, even though her light brown skin had turned a seductive blush under the pouring of alcohol, she was still drinking one bottle after another.

Sitting on the railing of the balcony of the bedroom, she took off the complicated accessories she wore for the banquet.

The snow-white dress almost exposed the entire back and shoulders, which were wetted with sweat and tightly attached to the girl's holy and beautiful body. [1]

Because of the magic of heat preservation, it doesn't matter if you wear it like this on a winter night... But in contrast to the witch, because the suit was sent to be cleaned, Tingna wrapped herself into a bloated ball of cotton and wool for a long time, a pair of sea blue The big eyes seem to be hidden in the scarf.

How should I put it... Although the night is dark because there is no moon and no stars, the night sky of the moonless moon is not bleak.

What's more, Tina, who has been protected by Wright and Knight, can clearly see Miss Witch's skin exposed from the gaps in the scattered dress as long as she concentrates a little.

The part that is usually exposed openly and frankly is covered up like this, but it has a different atmosphere, making the girl's eyes don't know where to put it.

With no other choice, Ting Na could only lower her head and look at the little puppet in her arms that was still emitting the fragrance of shampoo.

"...No matter how long the history is, the transformation of production in cooperation with foreign winery industries is their spontaneous choice. It is a normal business behavior. They will not and should not be accused by outsiders who have nothing to do with them. As for the status of aristocrats Propaganda and price wars to occupy the market are just common activities, and I can’t see anything despicable anywhere.”

Unbelievably, even though the fine wine she got from the hard-charging Earl Edwards was half empty, Liliana still didn't seem to be a little bit drunk, as if the amount of wine she drank would leak out of her body. The fragrance of the wine, the witch's enunciation was very clear, and her thoughts seemed to be completely unaffected. Only a hint of charm in her voice made the heartbeat of the girl sitting in front of her speed up.

It was as if Liliana was not the one drinking, but herself.

"...But thinking about it carefully, businessmen who have cooperated well with the winery in the past suddenly turned against each other at the time when the winery most needed grace. It can be sold for several times the price, and the Edwards family is behind it... Is that what Miss Mary said?"

Under Alice's helpless expression, Liliana didn't care about the embarrassed expression of the girl in front of her. She was talking to herself and asked Tingna again.

"Yes, it is……"

"...But the most important evidence, has Mary found it?"

Turning slightly, the witch who was overlooking the castle turned her face sideways. That glance made the heart of the girl who raised her head inadvertently stop suddenly.

——Is this the drunk...Miss Liliana?

so cute.

——Is this the drunk Liliana that Ai has seen and even had close contact with...

Then, a slight cramping.

"Miss Mary said no, no matter the evidence or signs, she insisted that it was the Edwards family because they had seriously proposed to buy the winery before Lily, Alice, and Miss Tina came here. , take a step back and also hope to purchase the vineyard. In addition, during the harvest season, because the Masula Winery cannot afford the funds to purchase the grapes from the fruit growers, that part seems to be bought by them, but Alice also prefers this because The two wineries are relatively close."

Instead of Tina who was in a daze, Alice floated onto the girl's shoulder, reached out to comfort the girl behind her head, and answered Liliana.

"...brandy is distilled alcohol, and the raw materials required for production are far more than that, but...well, I will find out when I meet with those businessmen, and then...Miss Tina and Alice also said later What?" The woman still had that flat tone of nothing to do with herself.

"Well, well, after that I asked Miss Mary why she was so angry and why she seemed to be prejudiced against brandy..."

The puppet's reassurance brought Tina back to her senses, and she didn't particularly need to answer the question, but Alice didn't speak, but just patted her back lightly to indicate the reason for her answer, and she quickly came to her senses.

The girl quickly talked about what happened after that.

When the furious Mary finally picked up all the flakes she could see from the sand and turned them into a series of splashes on the Holly River, out of curiosity, Tina couldn't help asking such a question.

——Why does Miss Mary seem to hate brandy? Is it because they steal customers?

——It’s not such a vulgar reason.

Before the words fell, the red-haired girl quickly answered.

"It seems that you are different from your lord, you don't know much about bars, Miss Tina."

Then she said:

"Do you know how a good bottle of wine is made?"

"It was the order of the rooms when Miss Mary took us to visit the winery..."

Ting Na blinked her eyes and nodded uncertainly.

"Screening to remove impurities, breaking the skins, pressing if it is white wine, and then fermenting. After the fermentation is suitable, put it in oak or other wooden barrels that can give the wine a unique flavor and store it in the wine cellar, waiting for the winemaker to mature with time. The most beautiful wine."

Mary looked at the river in front of her and let out a long sigh.

It's like squeezing all the air out of your lungs.

"My father has always done this and taught me the same way. In this process, the two most important steps are fermentation and aging. What kind of color, taste and flavor will the wine have in the end? What kind of a barrel of fine wine will become depends on the talent and time of the winemaker. We only maintain the temperature and humidity of the wine cellar to prevent the wine from spoiling during aging. Other than that, we don’t interfere. This is our winemaker’s contribution to the world. awe, but what about the brandy?"

Even Alice shrank her neck a little and put her hands on her chest.

When it comes to these three words, Mary's tone is always like a ghost in a fairy tale.

"They distilled after fermentation, using the difference between the boiling point of alcohol and water to artificially increase the alcohol concentration after fermentation, which should be adjusted naturally by time, and that's fine. The most hateful thing is that they will blend before barreling! There will be a second time before bottling! They add sugar to it, and even blend brandies from different barrels into one flavor to keep the flavor uniform!!”

Holy light and holy fire, that is an unforgivable blasphemy against wine!

Leaning on the soft back of the chair and raising her head, looking at the deep purple night, Tina didn't know how to describe Mary's expression at that time to Miss Witch.

Marie who shouted like that really seemed to be spitting fire from her eyes and mouth.

"...blasphemy, isn't it..."

"Miss Mary seems to think so..."

Tina doesn't know how to make wine, and she doesn't quite understand why the two additional processes make the girl so angry.

"My father told me since I was a child that nobility should be proud of the history of the family, the winery, respect the world and time, and respect the unique flavor of each barrel of wine."

These Edwards family seem to have violated.

Which of these reasons made her the most angry, Tina didn't know, just like she didn't know... No, although she knew, she didn't quite understand Mary's obsession with the brewing process.

So at that time, the girl chose to remain silent.

And Mary, after talking to herself, sat down on the beach and buried her face in her knees.

The flaming anger and sense of dominance disappeared. A moment ago, she was a fierce lioness, but now she looks like a weak red kitten.

As if self-doubt, lost in confusion.

"...But for the sake of the tasting, in order to let people know that even in such a disaster, the winery has not lost its honor, in order to seize this opportunity, I am also brewing instant sake, and it is only available in front of the mouth. Kind of."

Such self-deprecating.

"...Then, what did Miss Tina say?"

"that……"

"Miss Tingna didn't say anything at that time. I felt that no matter what I said, it was not good. After a while, a few teenagers came over. They seemed to be young people from the winery. They saw Miss Tingna and Miss Mary was a little surprised at the river beach together, and after saying hello to Miss Tina and Alice, they asked Miss Mary what they were going to do next. Did they follow Lily's order and study speed brewing with those old men? "

"Then Miss Mary, who hadn't spoken at that time, raised her face, nodded slightly, then shook her head heavily, and patted her cheek."

——In any case, I can't accept the little girl lord's statement. Even fast-brewed wine must have a way to blend a flavor similar to that of aged wine. There must be.

Although Mary looked at the two teenagers when she said this, Tina always felt that she was speaking for herself.

The two also shrugged, and said with a convinced expression, "This is our Mary, let us make a delicious wine that even your father would be convinced of." "It doesn't look like Mary if you keep depressed .” and so on,

Then, she left with the two of them, and Tina and Alice couldn't stop it in time, of course, they couldn't stop it.

Because at that time they did not expect that such a thing would happen...

Even the witch didn't think about it when she went to the banquet and returned after using some means to obtain satisfactory results at the banquet.

"..."

The witch poured the fine wine that had been naturally refrigerated in the winter night into the wine glass again, and after drinking it slowly, she looked down at the scene under the fence again.

Ten minutes ago, when Liliana put on the dress she had taken off to tidy up a bit, when she got off the stopped carriage, the first thing she heard was noise and noise.

Immediately afterwards, the scenery reflected in those black pupils made the witch frowned.

It was very late, but the lower floor of the Marsula Winery was still brightly lit, but the harvested grapes should have been processed through the all-night work last night and the rush work today.

All the equipment in the pressing room has been spared from the busyness. Except for a few wine tanks that are vacant for preparing the wine to be presented at the tasting meeting, every wine tank in the fermentation room has been filled with broken Grapes with good skins slowly ferment rich sugars into just right wines at a magically constant room temperature.

Every workshop in the castle is operating at full capacity, even so, a large amount of grapes are still stored in the cold storage under the castle.

Except for the night watchman and the winemaker on duty at night, who are always watching the fermentation process, the castle should have fallen into silence by now.

But at the moment the winery is brightly lit.

In the hall, with the statue at the end as the boundary, the people in the winery stood on both sides clearly.

On the left are some young people. They are standing or leaning against the wall. The red-haired girl is standing in front of them, her head scarf is off, and her hair is burning dazzlingly.

On the right are middle-aged and old people. Compared with the young people who can come and go freely in the freezing cold night wearing a fur coat, their bodies are not so strong, and they seldom do physical work. Sitting in a chair, wearing well-crafted and warm clothing. Mary's father, Jester, stood at the forefront of them, arguing with his daughter about something.

Between the two, Tinna, who was holding Alice, was at a loss. It seemed that she wanted to quell the dispute, but she was obviously powerless.

At this time, the girl seemed to have seen herself in front of the hall door, and those sea-blue eyes seemed to see the savior.

"……How is this going?"

These were the first words the witch said after returning to the castle.

The voice was not loud, and the witch didn't expect to get an answer, but.

"That's right, my lord, when I came back at noon, Miss Mary announced for some reason, 'We must maintain the long history and honor of the Masura Winery, even if we have to brew fast wine, we must not desecrate the name of the Masura Winery. ', persisting in disobeying the orders of the lord, and wanting to continue brewing wine that imitates the taste of aging, many young people responded to her call and asked Mr. Jeste to give up part of the wine tank for them to use."

A man's voice came from the door.

The witch turned her head slightly, it was Jon.

The man who lost a leg in the calamity of the golden demon tree was waiting on him respectfully.

Liliana remembered that this man seemed to have been guarding near the gate since the end of the banquet to dispel the rumors. When she returned to the castle and went out this morning, he greeted herself.

I just gave him a gold coin reward in front of people, and the one who harvested the most grapes yesterday also got it. The witch didn't understand why this man was so grateful to her, but after a while, she took this The matter was temporarily forgotten.

Maybe it's another victim of [Magic Charm]. Anyway, there is no harm, so there is no need to care about it.

"...the two sides are arguing?"

"Yes, your secretary, Miss Tina is trying to quell their controversy, but you are the lord of First, and Miss Tina doesn't seem to understand your attitude, every time Miss Mary and Jeste The husband looked at her, but she didn't dare to speak indiscriminately, so the confrontation has continued from the afternoon to now."

"..."

The witch was silent for a moment, she nodded, and walked straight towards the end of the hall, the lights dragged her shadow behind her, some people saw her figure and shouted, the father and daughter stopped arguing and turned their heads together The fiery red and gray-brown eyes looked at the lord who had returned from the banquet.

And the first sentence that the witch spoke made the red-haired girl's complexion turn bad.

Very, very bad.

………………………………………………………………………………

tina sighed

"...Is Miss Tingna still bitter about my decision?"

"No, that..."

The girl shook her head, then realized that it was futile to hide her feelings from the witch and the doll. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded lightly.

…do you want to make quick brews with aged flavors?

——That's right, and it is close to the taste of Masura winery. Only in this way can we recover the loss of reputation we have suffered.

……tasty? Can it stand out at the judging session?

——As long as there is a little more time, I believe...

...will that be within 5 days? Once this time is exceeded or the consequences of failure, have you considered it?

——Do not try to see how to guide...

...it couldn't be any worse anyway, right?

As soon as Liliana came back, she spoke lightly, using a series of questions to make Mary speechless.

Then, when she had no way to refute, she announced the next schedule to the winery: in the remaining 5 days, tomorrow will organize the best winemakers of the winery to concentrate on learning the brewing formula and techniques given by her, and taste Excellent quick-brewed wine. In the next two days, I will try to restore several of them to master these techniques. In the last two days, I will complete the wine needed for the tasting.

Of course, it is to brew instant wine without aging flavor. Liliana divided them into groups and appointed several skilled old winemakers as team leaders. Jeste took full control. She said that she believed in the experience of the old people and the tongue that had not yet decayed , and herself, in the next period of time, those businessmen who have cooperated with her will come to the valley one after another for the breach of contract damages, and she will treat them well with gold coins and noble "etiquette".

After speaking, the witch took Tina's hand and went upstairs, leaving the silent hall with lights fluttering in the cold.

until now.

Looking below the castle, Tina opened her mouth.

"It's not that I object to Miss Liliana's actions, but... I think Miss Liliana's actions this time are really not good enough..."

The quarrel was not quelled.

The evidence is that the lights below are still brightly lit, people's shadows are elongated on the ground outside the hall, and the confrontation remains the same. Some old shadows are saying something, but others standing upright are stubbornly refusing to give in.

Regarding this result, Liliana also frowned.

"...I still don't know much about this winery. The faction of the elderly doesn't seem to be as authoritative as I imagined."

She shook the wine glass, narrowed her black eyes, a faint light of doubt flashed in the sea of ​​stars, and then shook her head gently.

"...The faction headed by Mary is too risky and cannot be supported. There is nothing to do. If the young people are unwilling to cooperate, they can only select credible people from the hired workers..."

"Miss Liliana!"

Ting Na couldn't help raising her voice, but it was only for a moment, and immediately she felt a sense of panic - what right did she have to point fingers at the witch in front of her?

She is a wise witch who once ruled a great empire and is now a member of the Supreme Council of the Wizards Association!

"..."

Liliana really frowned this time, she stared at Tingna for a while, as if realizing something, reached out and patted her cheek.

A certain indescribable atmosphere faded, and the panic gradually disappeared. It took a while for Tina to realize that she had fallen into that magical charm again and couldn't extricate herself—well, like a maid who accidentally disrespected the queen like that.

"...It's okay, I also want to hear Miss Tingna's opinion."

"I think, although it's just my feeling, that, that..."

But when Tingna spoke, there was still a sense of sincerity and sincerity, and the girl paused. She suddenly didn't know how to describe Liliana's gaze as she looked down the castle. It was neither haughty nor unapproachable, but just It seems that somewhere there is an insurmountable distance in the eyes, just like...

"The people in this winery are not like the imperial court, where factions fight with each other. The people here are... very ordinary families, very ordinary... family members."

Holding the little puppet tightly, a suitable description came into my mind and was said again.

Ting Na realized that the eyes were those of a queen sitting on the throne, watching the courtiers' confrontation indifferently, mentally calculating which side should be wooed and which side should be suppressed... It belongs to the eyes of a manipulator.

Liliana glanced at Alice, but she didn't say anything, motioning for Tina to continue.

"The First family is not big, at least not big enough to form factions. The young and old in the winery are not opposed to each other. They are family members. They are connected by family and blood. Young people are unwilling to give in. The old people will also worry about this matter... It won't work to win over one party and suppress the other, only if everyone can accept it..."

Tina's voice became smaller and smaller, family, when she said this word, the witch's calm expression cracked a tiny, really tiny crack at that moment.

If it wasn't for Tina spending time with her these days, if it wasn't for Alice poking her stomach quietly, maybe she would have ignored it, but once she found out, from the tiny crack, it seemed that she could see something even stronger than the sea of ​​stars. Vast...sorrow.

"...Family, huh?"

The witch turned her head and looked at the harvested vineyards outside the city wall. It was rare for her to completely remove her face from Tina's eyes.

"...Indeed, I am not very familiar with the management of family business, and the Forrest family is also different from ordinary nobles."

There was still no ripple in the voice, as if the fleeting sadness that was torn and leaked out was just a girl's amorous fantasy. The witch put down the wine glass, and her palm touched her toes along the slightly dark skin. There was no silence for a long time, and he quickly raised his head, and when he looked at Tingna, his face was no different from before.

"...Miss Tina, what do you think is better?"

"Hey, I, if I say it, I will agree to Miss Mary's request and let them make their own, but don't affect Mr. Jeste and the others..."

"...That's right, I'll leave this matter to Miss Tingna."

"Eh?"

"...If they want it, give them two wine troughs and let them toss about it. Miss Tingna should be more popular than me. It doesn't matter. Just let it go. Even if the tasting fails in the end, I can still get it It's just... a little more troublesome to get to that golden cup."

Gently stroking the backs of her feet, the witch gave Ting Na a deep look. After a while, her eyes returned to her toes, and she didn't speak any more.

"Miss Tina, let's go?"

—Leave Lily alone for a while.

"Eh, um, then I'm leaving..."

After being gently poked by Alice with her elbow, Tingna quickly stood up and left the bedroom.

As soon as the old wooden door was closed, Alice's voice sounded softly in Tina's arms.

"Miss Tingna, please don't blame Lily, for many emotional things, such as love, family affection..."

"No, it's me, could I accidentally hurt Miss Liliana..."

"It seems that Lily is very good at using these feelings, but in fact, Lily is a little slow to these feelings."

The expression of the little puppet was a little silent.

She clasped her hands in front of her chest and prayed in a low voice. After praying and playing, she let out a long sigh.

"Let's go, Miss Tina, finish this matter quickly, and let everyone rest quickly."

"But is it really okay to leave this kind of thing to me?"

"It doesn't matter, Lily didn't decide this way just because of Miss Tingna's words. In fact, Miss Tingna did come up with a good plan, because Miss Mary and the others really couldn't agree with Lily's approach. Forcing them to cooperate may not help. , and it will also distract the elders who are elders, worrying about the conflict between them and Lily who is the lord, it is better to let them toss by themselves, of course, don't let them waste too much manpower, so the progress of Mr. Jeste It won't be slowed down much, and the old people will also restrain their dissatisfaction..."

Saying that, Alice patted her head.

"It seems that Alice is also greatly influenced by Lily in this aspect. So, will Miss Tingna feel very uncomfortable?"

"No, I'm just a little curious... why Miss Liliana and Alice are like this..."

After finishing speaking, Tina quickly shook her head.

"Ah, if it's not appropriate to tell me..."

"...No, it's okay."

Alice shook her head. She leaned her head on Tina's stomach and raised her head. Tina lowered her head subconsciously, and saw a glint of vicissitudes in her golden eyes.

"Miss Tina knows that after Lily and Alice escaped from the ruins of the ancient magic empire, within two years, Lily became the queen of the empire through a series of events."

"Um……"

"In detail, it's too long. It's longer than the story of Lily and Alice escaping from the ruins...Miss Tina just needs to know that it's a conspiracy. It's an intention to subvert the ancient empire and bring about the flames of war. Lily was involved in the conspiracy of the disaster, and since she sat on the throne representing the supreme power, Lily has never seen her family again..."

Alice closed her eyes.

The promenade was not lit, and the darkness was only illuminated by light after walking up the stairs to the first floor of the castle.

The candlesticks filled with the fragrance of beeswax on the walls were still burning. In the hall, there were more empty low stools behind Jester. The number of young people did not decrease. Their leader, Mary, did not quarrel with her father again. Each found a place to stay.

It seems that if there is no further reply from the lord, they will wait forever.

Although the problem has not been resolved, the quarrel has at least ceased, probably because the real owner of the castle has returned, and the decision on this matter can only be made by the lord who seems to be coming of age in a few years. .

Looking down the hall from the stairs, Tina thought.

After hesitating for a while, she continued to go down. Although she had the honorable surname of Von Siwa, she still couldn’t put on any aristocratic airs, not to mention the teaching of virtue advocated people’s humility—there was the last section of the stairs, and the girl was in the chest. With the cross of virtue drawn in front of him, he took a deep breath.

The leather shoes that had been polished by several grandmothers in the shower did not match her bloated image, but the sound of knocking on the polished stone floor still attracted everyone's attention.

"Everyone, please listen to me."

Before she walked up to Jester and the other old people and spoke like this, the eyes of Mary and the young people had already focused on her.

"This is Miss Liliana's decision. If Miss Mary insists, you can use the two wine tanks to study the wine that Miss Mary wants, but correspondingly, I hope you can help Mr. Jeste Don't say no."

These sights made Ting Na a little nervous. She organized her words carefully and said Miss Witch's decision.

Although at first she was a little worried that Mary would be dissatisfied with only getting two, after all, Tina also knew that fermentation is the most important step in the winemaking process after getting to know her in the past few days.

"...Isn't this a matter of course? Many things cannot be done by these old hands and old legs."

But that seems like unnecessary worry.

After hearing the decision conveyed by Tingna, the red-haired girl did not show any displeasure. She raised the corners of her mouth triumphantly and waved her hand vigorously. The hair swayed enthusiastically like a torch.

"2 wine tanks, 5 days, let us take this as the first victory we won from that little lord and be proud of it, and then use the brewed wine to completely convince her to surrender!"

After such a declaration, she turned around and shouted at the young man on her side.

"oh!!"

The youths who had been standing by her side also imitated her movements and waved their hands vigorously, all shouting excitedly.

Among them, Tina also saw the boy who came to the river beach this morning to find Mary. He shouted excitedly like everyone else, his face was flushed, as if this was really a victory cheer.

"Very good, now everyone go back to the room and have a good rest, then tomorrow we will start desperately preparing for the judging session!"

"oh!!!"

It was already dark.

Even if the young body can support it, staying up late is not always a pleasant thing. After getting the order to disband from Mary, half of these young people stayed and planned to clean up the chairs and stools that the old people sat on, while the younger teenagers Then leave towards the other building of the castle.

Mary was also in that queue, and without turning her head, her curly red hair disappeared into the night far down the corridor.

Ting Na watched the figure go away, but at this moment, the manager of the winery stopped her.

"Miss Tina."

On the face of this man who looked like an aristocrat, the haze that had been indelible since the afternoon because of Mary's request finally dissipated.

"No, I'm just conveying Miss Liliana's words..."

"Please don't say that. Miss Tingna has been working hard on Mary's affairs since the afternoon. I think it's precisely because Miss Tingna spared no effort to deal with Mary that the child is arguing with us so quietly."

"...Is that a quiet argument?"

Remembering that even now, the young people lift up the chairs that the old people are sitting on and put them back in the conference room on the second floor of the castle—even the loud and persistent voice of Mary, who is not inferior to such a noise, that, can Would you describe it as quiet...

It seemed that such a thought turned into an expression on his face, and Jester was also a little embarrassed.

In all fairness, even by the loosest standards, his daughter is not Miss Quiet.

Although she was allowed to use the name of First and call herself a nobleman in front of people other than her lord, Mary did not look like a lady of a noble family.

She is lively, confident, and full of action. In the wine cellar, she can carry a half-high wine barrel back and forth like a young guy. Her red hair flutters like a burning lion cub.

"Mary is a child who likes hands-on work more than starters, because she grew up among men. If she hadn't been concerned about Miss Tina and the lord, she would not let those young lads stand in front of the statue of Holy Light and Holy Fire. With a lot of momentum behind her, she'll work with them to move the utensils they need to another room."

"...Yes, is that so..."

Tina imagined it, and it seemed that this was what Mary would do.

"Mary has not been disciplined by her mother since she was a child. Because she is very talented in brewing, I have always trained her as the heir of the winery and let her do it. Now the young people in the winery listen to her more. However, at least she still obeys the orders of the lord... Ah, I like to talk to people when I am old, I am impolite, Miss Tingna, please rest early, or is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hey, that..." "Well, Miss Liliana asked Alice to give this to Miss Mary, saying that the flavor of quick brewing depends on the magic plant added in the recipe, and also hand over the purchase from Sura to her, Lilia That's what Miss Na said. However, it probably won't be handed over to Miss Mary until tomorrow..."

Alice suddenly took out a scroll with a wax seal.

Ting Na was taken aback, then blinked, and said nothing, Jester was slightly taken aback, and then shook his head embarrassingly.

But obviously, he was relieved.

"Mary, Mary... this child ran away in a flash."

He called for his daughter, but the girl had long since disappeared.

"Mr. Jester, I'd better give this to Miss Mary tomorrow. It's already late, everyone should go to rest quickly."

Tina took the roll from Alice and waved to Jester.

"Yes, even Mary should have a good rest today, but every day at dawn, Mary will take a bath in the castle's big bath, and Miss Tina can find her there."

"Yes, I see."

"Good night, then, Miss Tina."

After speaking, Jester left.

The hall was soon empty, and everyone was sleepy. Only a young man looked at Tina who was still standing in the hall, and asked her if she wanted to extend the candlelight in the hall.

Tingna shook her head, smiled politely at him, and left the hall. The candles were extinguished one by one, and the warm light in the night gradually disappeared. Finally, under the moonlight, a thin shadow moved towards the hall quietly. elongated.

The girl raised her head. On the balcony above the castle, the witch was still sitting on the railing. Although the darkness and light would not hinder Tina's sight, the girl's eyesight was not good enough for her to see clearly the girl looking at Diana's Moon. expression.

Can't see anything.

"Hey, Miss Alice, Miss Liliana really..."

Not long ago, what the puppet told her resurfaced in her mind.

"Well, it's true. Lily's becoming the queen of the empire is a huge conspiracy. Lily who was involved in this conspiracy..."

The little puppet floated onto her shoulders, looking up silently at the moonlight rising to the highest sky.

Alice let out a long sigh.

"Until Lily's family also died in the aftermath of this conspiracy, Lily couldn't see them...for the last time."

………………………………………………………………………………………

Postscript of a certain day:

"...Speaking of which, Miss Alice, Miss Liliana's complexion has changed back."

"That's right."

"But, didn't Miss Liliana say that the side effects of the black dragon's blood would last for several months? It's not even a month yet..."

"Although Lily's body is still basically a human body, there are subtle abnormalities in many places, such as the characteristics of [Innocence], such as the different degrees of organ development, and the effects of some potions and magics also fluctuate greatly. I don't know the reason and principle, and there is no commonality, so I can't even do research... I can only let it go."

"...It seems to be very scary."

"It's just scary, but Lily won't let people see that she's scared, she just keeps her head down and drinks."

"...Eh? Miss Alice, that's—"

"Alice didn't say anything?"

"……I see."