There was never a time when witches and humans got along, at least not in recorded history.

Witches always exploited humans as prey or servants, and humans used witches as tools to fulfill their desires. While some good outcomes might have derivatively arisen from their interactions, fundamentally, witches were wicked, evil, and terrifying beings to humans.

After long years of humans dying by witches and witches dying by humans, it had been over a hundred years since humans began hunting witches in earnest. Over those hundred years, witches’ blood soaked the mountains and rivers, making them increasingly hard to find, to the point where rumors circulated that witches no longer lived in the human lands.

In the midst of this came a massive witch hunt. It was a large-scale massacre unseen in recent decades.

The fields were dyed red with witches’ blood, and red streams flowed. It wasn’t just a legend from a distant land, but a reality where passersby could clearly see the scene with their own eyes——the red earth, the red river, and the remains of witches scattered across them.

It was impossible for the whole world not to be in an uproar.

Especially in Heilen, the land where it happened, not to mention the very day it occurred. The prince, the party directly involved in the incident, should rightly be so busy that even ten bodies wouldn’t be enough, but……

“……If he’s not in the study or his office, where did he go…….”

Isaac muttered, sitting on the terrace outside the office.

The office – technically a reception room, but used as an office since the prince’s arrival – was completely empty. Remembering the prince’s habit of sitting out on the terrace to take a breather while working, Isaac had gone out there, but no one was there either.

Normally, in this case, he might think the prince was horseback riding, taking a walk, or hunting, but it didn’t seem likely in the midst of all this busyness. So Isaac sat down on the terrace and fell into thought for a moment.

Meanwhile, from the adjacent room with its terrace door open, or from the garden below, the sparse sounds of people coming and going and talking could be heard. It wasn’t clearly audible, but most of the conversations were mixed with words like “Witches……” and “The witches…….” It seemed to be the talk of the whole world today. And rightly so.

‘I should go out and ask anyone I run into where Prince Kyan is,’ Isaac thought, just as he was about to get up from the terrace.

There was a presence of someone opening the office door and entering. For a moment, Isaac thought the prince had returned and was about to peek his head through the terrace door, but upon hearing a woman’s voice sighing heavily, “My goodness, witches,” he pulled his head back.

“I’ve never seen so many dead witches. How horrifying,” a replying voice followed, suggesting that perhaps a few servants had come in to clean the office.

“Witches, my foot, I’ve never even seen a dead human.”

Along with the fearfully whispering voice, there was a sound of decorations being moved on the table.

The prince rarely disturbed the items around him and didn’t tolerate anyone touching the things he was using, so there was probably very little for them to clean up. Just wiping the decorations or furniture so dust wouldn’t settle, or clearing away half-drunk teacups or trash.

“I figured witches must be somewhere, but I never thought there would be so many. They say there are over hundreds of corpses.”

“I heard they lined them up on the field heading towards Kuslo. They’ll burn them all tomorrow as soon as they’re sorted out.”

“But I can really breathe a sigh of relief now. Honestly, I haven’t had a moment’s peace for the past few months. My parents retired and live in a mountain village south of Kuslo to live quietly, and for months there have been rampant rumors about mountain villages where people vanish entirely.”

“That’s right, now that I think of it, Cecilia’s house was in that area. You must have been so worried. They say it wasn’t just a rumor but actually happened. There were already several reports and investigations went out, and it turned out to be the work of witches.”

“Yeah, so Kuslo was the first to organize its own neighborhood watch, and people in Atlan and Heilen were starting to take it seriously too.”

The clattering sound of them tidying up mixed with their voices. Thinking ‘They’d be startled if I suddenly interrupted from here,’ Isaac sat blankly in his spot and waited for them to finish cleaning. Meanwhile, he thought of the mountain villagers who had died.

Countless people who had no reason to die had been killed. It’s a relief that such things won’t happen anymore, but too many had already died.

Isaac quietly looked down at his own body. Because of the witch contained within it.

‘……As expected, I cannot let her find a new body and roam the outside world again. But since he couldn’t keep her trapped in his body forever either, the only option was to kick her out. In a way that she couldn’t do anything about it.’

Isaac sighed quietly and leaned his head against the wall.

“They said it was the day all the witches in the human world gathered? Then are there none left now?”

“I don’t know, they say a few might have slipped away, but they’re still looking into it. But it seems they’ve wiped out almost all of them.”

“They sent a messenger to the capital at the crack of dawn, so the capital must be in a festive mood by now.”

“Prince Kyan, he’s truly incredible. It’s not enough that he returned after defeating those terrifying magical beasts at the border, but this time he completely wiped out the witches. How can such a thing be? He must really not be human.”

“……He did seem a bit non-human, in many ways.”

At the end, a comment mixed in that was ambiguous whether it was praise or gossip, but their conversation soon shifted back to the prince. Praises for the peerless hero who had once again achieved an unbelievable feat continued endlessly.

The awe, which had mostly been akin to terrifying fear, had changed into awe closer to adoration and reverence. It was the gaze towards one who had accomplished a great feat that seemed impossible for a human in such a short time.

“……Still, as my man, he’s a bit……”

To someone’s sudden addition, replies of “Mmm, me too,” “Me too,” followed. ‘The person giving the rice cake isn’t even thinking of it, yet you’re already drinking the kimchi soup*,’ Isaac thought, momentarily shooting a glaring look in their direction, but,

(*떡 줄 사람은 생각도 않는데 김칫국부터 마신다: The person who would give the rice cake isn’t even thinking about giving it, but you’re already drinking the kimchi soup = Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.)

“By the way, that man who is Prince Kyan’s guard…….”

Hearing someone cautiously bring up the topic, Isaac shut his mouth. 

He hadn’t expected his own story to suddenly pop up. He didn’t know why he was being brought up either. He held his breath reflexively, but while awkwardly scratching his neck wondering if it was okay to just sit here and listen,

“They say he’s a witch.”

At the softly continuing words, he completely froze.

Without even breathing or moving an inch, Isaac was frozen.

“Really……? Are you serious……? My goodness, I greeted him and talked to him a few times whenever we crossed paths?”

“No, Sam said it’s true. He has a friend among the people from the border, and that friend supposedly told him. They say that witch played a huge role in accomplishing this feat.”

“My goodness…… he didn’t look like that at all, and he was a witch? Oh my, how creepy.”

“He didn’t steal my vital energy or soul while talking to me, did he? He looked like a decent person so I greeted him warmly…… what is this,” others comforted the woman as she whispered with a tearful face. “It’s okay, nothing happened, I talked to him often too.”

“Then from the witches’ perspective, that man is a traitor.”

“I didn’t peg him as that kind of person, it’s a bit…….”

“So that’s why Prince Kyan always kept him close and watched him like that. In case that witch harmed people. What will he do now?”

“He’s a witch anyway, so wouldn’t he have to be killed? To break the curse.”

“Whew…… let’s stop talking about this. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps.”

A sound of one of them rubbing her arms could be heard. “It’s so horrifying and scary that a witch is right nearby,” their whispering voices followed.

Not long after, there was a sign of them finishing up, and they left the office. On the terrace outside the office that had grown quiet again, Isaac slowly relaxed his stiff body. His body, which had been leaning against the wall, slid down to the floor.

At first, his mind went blank, then he felt bewildered about what to do, and after that, his energy drained and his body went limp.

I see.

It seems word had spread that Isaac was a witch. To be exact, a half-blood, but such a thing wouldn’t matter to them. The only important fact was that the wicked and terrifying being, which they knew existed somewhere but had never actually seen with their own eyes, turned out to be right next to them.

A witch. A fearful and wicked being that might cause them harm without them even realizing it.

“…….”

Isaac rubbed his heavy stomach and watched the setting red sun. If the rumor had already spread, it couldn’t be helped. Since it wasn’t entirely false, he couldn’t even make any excuses. He just had to endure it silently. Besides, he was already planning to become a pure-blood witch and would soon cross over to the Land of the Dark Moon, so he only had to endure people’s thorny gazes for a little while.

“Right, I suppose so.”

Isaac murmured softly, as if to comfort himself, and stood up. No matter how much he repeated it to himself, he couldn’t help feeling down, but he couldn’t just sit here and dwell on his gloomy mood either.

Sighing and scratching his head, Isaac left the office. Regardless, he needed to find the prince. As for the other matters, he had to act as if they were nothing, as if he knew nothing.

Even if, like this, someone he passed in the hallway flinched upon seeing Isaac, averted their gaze with a subtly frowning face, and hurried past him.

“……”

Walking down the hallway after leaving the office, Isaac stopped for a moment watching a servant shrink back and quicken their pace upon seeing him. Until that retreating back disappeared from view, the servant didn’t look back once. Even though, just a little while ago, that person used to greet Isaac casually and chat with him about how the world was turning.

Letting his shoulders slump and resuming his walk, Isaac only clearly realized it after experiencing a similar thing once more.

A palace is a place where words travel extremely fast. Even more so after such a massive event occurred; all sorts of rumors would have circulated through all sorts of people’s mouths. True words, false words, big events, and trivial matters alike.

And among those words, ‘The prince’s guard was a witch’ must have been quite a significant topic of conversation. Enough to travel through everyone’s mouth within half a day.

Here, Isaac was no longer human.

To them, Isaac was a ‘witch’, nothing more, nothing less. A witch under the prince’s surveillance. Someone who hides an evil and wicked nature, a target they must be wary of no matter how warmly he approaches.

“I should have been born as a cat too…….”

Isaac swallowed a low sigh, muttering words that would instantly earn him glared daggers if the three cats heard them.

It’s okay. It can’t be helped. I just need to endure it. No matter how many times he whispered this to himself, he couldn’t help the weight of his heart growing heavy.

Meanwhile, a servant walking from the other side of the hallway saw Isaac, awkwardly stiffened their face, and glanced at him with a mix of wariness and curiosity.

“Have you seen Prince Kyan by any chance?”

When Isaac asked, the servant looked startled, as if they didn’t expect to be spoken to, vaguely pointed outwards with a nod, and hurriedly walked away with quick steps. Watching their retreating back for a moment, Isaac turned his steps bitterly and headed towards the outside of the palace.

Outside the palace, an unusually large number of people were coming and going. A significant portion of them were soldiers wearing light armor. The ones who had come from the border under the prince’s orders, they walked around nonchalantly even with startlingly large wounds on their arms or legs. They were indeed fitting of the title of the roughest and toughest soldiers in the country. On the other hand, it was probably because they were such people that they could ruthlessly slaughter the witches everyone feared.

Even for them, who couldn’t be very bright about the rumors circulating inside the palace, the talk related to this incident seemed to have already made the rounds. Even though there was no way they would know Isaac’s face individually, there were several among those passing by who pointed at Isaac with their chins and whispered something to their comrades.

A person really can’t live after committing a great sin.

If every step feels like walking on a bed of thorns with piercing stares like this, how do people who have to endure the public eye manage to live?

Asking a passing servant once more about the prince’s whereabouts and walking in the direction they pointed, Isaac didn’t meet eyes with anyone among them.

Unlike the palace people who peeked stealthily, the soldiers’ gazes, looking relentlessly and blatantly, fully revealed their hostility, hatred, and contempt. Perhaps if Isaac wasn’t under the prince, he would have already had to face someone’s blade.

“…….”

While traveling with the prince, he had vaguely thought a day like this might come, but reality was harsher than expected.

Turning around the building wall and entering the rear garden, Isaac saw several men sitting there. The first among them to turn his head this way was someone Isaac knew. It was Rihan.

Seeing Isaac, Rihan raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. Isaac bowed his head in greeting and walked over there. Seeing Rihan there, he figured the prince must be somewhere nearby, but the prince was nowhere to be seen amo  ng the four or five men sitting there.

‘Not being able to see him like this, rather than continuing to run into people and being subjected to dark stares, it would be better to just return to the bedroom and sit inside.’ Isaac was thinking that and was about to turn back.

“Your Highness went to the bedroom a little while ago, didn’t you see him?”

Rihan said. Pointing to the empty chair opposite him, it seemed he meant for Isaac to sit. Isaac stood there for a moment and stared blankly at Rihan. Rihan asked, “What?” as if puzzled.

Isaac smiled weakly and shook his head.

“No……, since waking up a little while ago, you’re the first person to speak to me so casually like this.”

He hadn’t known such a trivial and natural thing would touch his heart like this. He was the only one who treated him like a human being. Even though this man had known for a long time that Isaac was a witch.

As Isaac sat in the empty seat Rihan pointed to, the gazes of the others gathered on him. Seeming to all be soldiers from the border, they looked at Isaac with a mix of curiosity, wariness, and hostility. But since Rihan, their leader, stayed still, they didn’t say much either.

“It seems the situation has mostly been sorted out while I was asleep, you must have worked hard.”

When Isaac spoke, Rihan merely shrugged lightly. He didn’t say much, but exhaustion was evident on his face. He must be tired, probably not having rested since sweeping out the witches last night.

“You must have somehow known well where the Grand Banquet was being held and waited nearby.”

Isaac initiated the conversation. It was because he remembered the soldiers pouring into the barrier the moment it broke at dawn. It was surprising enough that such a large scale of soldiers had moved from the distant border to here without showing on the surface and had been waiting in Heilen, but it was also astonishing how they had been waiting right next to it as if they already knew, and swept away the witches mercilessly in an instant. He guessed that wiping out Roberni’s gang in the capital must have been similar to this.

“That’s also a trick of the trade. We had people scattered all over Heilen, so we quickly knew where crows or beasts were moving strangely. We hunt magical beasts every few days at the border. Witches might be more cunning and shrewd, but they have similar behavioral patterns.”

Rihan spoke nonchalantly. “That guy too, when he’s not running errands, he’s always hovering above Prince Kyan’s head,” Rihan raised his head, and at the end of his gaze, a pure white falcon was gliding in the high sky. ‘Ah, indeed,’ Isaac nodded.

“I was surprised when the soldiers pushed in all at once as soon as the barrier broke. Prince Kyan happened to be surrounded by witches and looked in danger, so I was feeling urgent, but I was so relieved.”

The moment Isaac’s words fell, eyes converged on him. Amidst the stares looking at him with expressions like ‘What’s up with this guy now?’, Isaac, momentarily silent, realized why they were looking at him like that.

“No…… rather than looking in danger, I just wished someone was there beside him.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think he would be in danger at all,” adding this softened those bizarre gazes a bit, but the looks as if they were hearing complete nonsense remained unchanged. Among them, only Rihan looked at Isaac with a somewhat suspicious and dubious face before slowly opening his mouth.

“Right……, it was the first time I saw his complexion change.”

Only after hearing those words murmured like a soliloquy did Isaac understand why people had looked at him like that just before. Giving the exact same look they had given him, thinking ‘I’m hearing all sorts of nonsense,’ Isaac looked at Rihan. The other men did the same. However, even amidst those stares, Rihan yielded not and tilted his head.

“As soon as the barrier broke, I ran straight to Prince Kyan, but he didn’t even look my way and just muttered. ‘The barrier is broken, so he must surely be with that witch.’ And then his face hardened and he ran out…….”

Rihan seemed to think for a moment with his arms crossed before glancing at Isaac.

“At first I wondered who ‘he’ was, but thinking about it now, it was probably you.”

“……. Yes, it is true that I was with the witch when the barrier broke……. That is true…”

Isaac scratched the back of his neck and offered an ambiguous reply.

It was said that the barrier would only break if the witch at the center of the Great Banquet received a massive shock. Since Isaac and the Prince had been searching for Alikisa at the time, the breaking of the barrier meant that one of them had delivered that shock to her. It was understandable, then, that the Prince would deduce Isaac had been with Alikisa. However……

“He’s someone who wouldn’t bat an eye even if his own innards were spilling out while fighting monsters……”

“Yes, he’s certainly capable of that.”

It made absolutely no sense that a man so unflappable would change his expression over something so trivial. Just because Isaac was with that witch.

‘…… Was he perhaps a little worried about me? He doesn’t seem the type, and judging by the mood here, no one else thinks so either, but could he have been concerned? It would be nice if he was.’

“Is he a particularly useful and valuable witch?”

One of the men pointed his chin toward Isaac and asked Rihan.

“Unless he’s considerably useful, Prince Kyan wouldn’t keep him in his thoughts like this……” the man muttered, tilting his head in doubt.

“Yes, my thoughts exactly.” Isaac nodded, readily agreeing. Beside him, another man looked Isaac up and down blatantly before speaking in a tone of marvel.

“But really, if you didn’t know he was a witch, you’d be completely fooled. He looks exactly like a human.”

“Yes, well, I have lived as a human my entire life.” Isaac nodded in smooth agreement once again. Catching his look-at-this-guy expression, the man let out a hollow chuckle.

‘So, no matter where I go now, I’m no longer a human, but a ‘witch who looks like a human.’’ As a bitter taste rose in his mouth again, Isaac quietly swallowed a sigh. Still, dealing with strangers was better. It was slightly depressing, but he could appropriately ignore them. But what about the people he had grown accustomed to? What would happen if he returned to the capital?

As Isaac sat lost in thought and let out a soft sigh, one of the men, interpreting that sigh in his own way, clicked his tongue in pity.

“Since things have already come to this, there’s nothing you can do. His Highness is a terrifying man, so don’t try any foolish tricks and just do as you’re told. If you do, he’ll at least do you the mercy of killing you painlessly in a single strike.”

Isaac stared at the man, who was echoing the exact same words Rihan had spoken to him before. The men around them seemed to share the sentiment, nodding lightly in agreement.

“True. But he’s actually quite a good person in his own way……”

Isaac trailed off, abruptly snapping his mouth shut. It was because the men were suddenly showering him with looks that screamed, ‘What kind of nonsense is this?’ And honestly…… hearing himself say it out loud, even he thought it sounded a bit ridiculous. He sincerely hoped they wouldn’t ask him what exactly made the Prince a good person.

Amidst this, the men leaned in and began to whisper among themselves.

“Now that I look at him, did Prince Kyan pick up some half-witted witch…?”

“Well, if a witch is too sly, they’re a headache to manage and hard to use, so a half-wit is probably better.”

“Either way, they said he was a pretty big help. That’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, but how is His Highness a good person? Just because he didn’t kill you the moment he saw you?”

‘I specifically hoped they wouldn’t ask, but of course they had to.’ Isaac looked at the man, who had shoved his face forward, looking genuinely curious, and fell into deep contemplation. If he said it was because the Prince was incredibly beautiful, he really would be treated like a half-wit.…… ‘But other than that, no matter how hard I think, I can’t come up with a single good trait. Our Prince is in big trouble……’

“…… I just like him.”

After a long moment of deliberation, that was all Isaac ended up saying. On one hand, it was his complete, unvarnished truth.

He had thought about it countless times, but in the end, that was all there was to it. There was no specific reason or logical cause for his feelings. Staring intently at Isaac, who spoke with such pure sincerity, the men remarked:

“See, I told you he caught a half-witted, deficient one to use.”

“For a moment I thought he was too human-like, but for a witch, he seems quite clumsy.”

“No, maybe this is just his little scheme.”

“If it is, then he really is a half-wit. Who does he think a trick like that would work on?”

Having branded Isaac a half-wit, they continued to murmur among themselves. Having spent his life being praised for his quick wits, tact, and competence, Isaac couldn’t help but feel a surge of unfairness at their harsh assessment, but he gave up on protesting. It didn’t seem like anything he said would work, and looking back at the conversation they just had, even he had to admit he looked a bit slow. Besides,

“…….”

Right at that moment, he made eye contact with the Prince, who was taking long strides toward them.

Isaac quickly stood up from his seat, and simultaneously, the other men who spotted the Prince also shot up without hesitation.

“I thought you’d be in bed…… you’re awake earlier than expected.”

The Prince stopped in front of Isaac and muttered.

“Yes, I also thought I would sleep for about a month.”

Isaac sat back down following the Prince’s lead, and soon the other men returned to their seats as well.

A stretch of silence followed. The Prince scanned Isaac with an expressionless face, and Isaac met his gaze without a word; none of the other men spoke, either.

It wasn’t simply that the talking had stopped. The men’s faces had frozen stiff in an instant. The very soldiers who had been casually chatting and making jokes just moments ago were now sitting at rigid attention, drowning in tension, as if a single minor mistake would send their heads flying. And Isaac quickly realized that this was their natural demeanor when in the presence of the Prince.

These veteran soldiers, who ruthlessly swept away witches, were holding their breath, frozen in absolute terror. They likely always acted this way during the Prince’s time at the border. As if they were facing a terrifying monster. Only Rihan, who was sitting relatively calmly, managed to conceal his fear.

So this is how things always were at the border.

Isaac smiled bitterly, looking around at them, and scratched his head. Then,

“As soon as things are sorted here, we return to the capital. We will finish the cleanup within a week.”

The Prince spoke. Everyone’s gaze snapped to him, though the words weren’t directed at anyone in particular. They all looked as if they were mentally organizing the tasks they had to complete over the next seven days.

“Have we located the escaped witches?”

“We are pursuing them, but the majority of the escapees are high-ranking, making them difficult to track.”

As Rihan answered with a slight frown, one of the men chimed in.

“We must chase them to the ends of the earth and capture them all. Shouldn’t we take this opportunity to wipe out every last witch?”

However, right after saying it, the man’s face flashed with an ‘Oh, shit……’ expression, and he cast a fleeting glance at Isaac. It was the face of a man who realized he had made a slip of the tongue, even though he hadn’t intentionally targeted Isaac.

‘Now that it’s known I’m at least half-witch, my position becomes awkward at times like this.’ Isaac clicked his tongue inwardly. It would be better if they either didn’t talk about it at all, or if they completely didn’t care about his presence—one or the other.

Trailing his gaze down to his fingertips, Isaac opened his mouth.

“I hear that all the few remaining witches will cross over to the Land of the Dark Moon during the upcoming Great New Moon. There won’t be a single witch left in the human world anymore.”

Everyone’s eyes darted to Isaac in unison. The Prince, too, stared at him wordlessly.

“Is that certain? Where did you hear this?”

“The tigers. Nonsense is their specialty every time they open their mouths, but occasionally, they do say something true.”

And this was likely the truth.

Soon, the Great New Moon would approach, the Crescent Moon-Silver Boat would arrive, and all the witches left in the human world would board that ship and cross over to the Land of the Dark Moon. Then, this place would truly become a world meant only for humans. Exactly as they wished.

The Prince watched Isaac silently before giving a light nod. He, too, found the words credible.

One month from now. In one month, there would be no witches left in this place. None at all.

“Hah, if that’s true, does that mean witches will completely vanish from this world in just a month?”

“Then the curse placed upon the royal family will also be lifted.”

The men confirmed this with Isaac as if pressing him for a guarantee, then spoke while studying the Prince’s face. The Prince nodded calmly.

“I suppose it will.”

“Congratulations, Your Highness. Now you will be able to spend the new moon nights in peace.”

“It has nothing to do with me. An additional curse was layered upon me, so that curse has become unbreakable.” 

As the men bowed their heads deeply in congratulation, the Prince shook his head and replied. For a moment, the men flinched and shut their mouths. Yet, the Prince showed no signs of displeasure or anger. Unbothered by anything, even his own inescapable curse, he sat expressionless while the men simply observed him in silence. Then,

“Ah…… that was lifted.”

Isaac, who had only been listening to their conversation, blurted out thoughtlessly.

As the eyes of the room gathered on him all at once again, Isaac flinched. It was because the Prince had slightly raised an eyebrow and was piercing him with a sharp stare.

“Lifted?”

“Uh…… yes.”

“How?”

“Well…… because that witch broke her pact with the wizard……”

The Prince stared intently at Isaac. Meeting that gaze, a gaze that felt as though it could see straight through to the very thoughts inside his head, Isaac finally realized he might have made a mistake in speaking.

“You must have seen it yourself.…… In other words, around the time the barrier was broken?”

The Prince murmured languidly. His eyes were still fixed on Isaac. Isaac grew increasingly certain he had brought up something he shouldn’t have.

“Breaking a contract must carry substantial repercussions. Why would that witch risk such a thing and go out of her way to break it?”

To the Prince’s quiet question, Isaac couldn’t immediately formulate an answer.

If he were to explain this story in detail, he would ultimately have to confess that Alikisa was currently dormant inside him. And how on earth was he supposed to explain what came next? That he was going to drive her out, and to do that he needed to become a pureblood witch, which meant he had to obtain a tinderbox, and that very tinderbox was an unparalleled treasure? In a situation where he had no idea where or how things might go wrong?

‘……No, I can’t say it.’

“…… I clung to her and begged. I asked her to please break the pact and lift the curse, since she was going to die anyway.”

At Isaac’s answer, the Prince closed his mouth. His eyes, fixed on Isaac, narrowed slightly.

“She must have had a change of heart just before her death……”

Even as he said it, Isaac thought it was an incredibly unbelievable excuse, but nothing else came to mind. Isaac forced himself to maintain eye contact with the Prince.

The Prince stared at Isaac as if he wanted to bore a hole through him. Gazing at him silently, the Prince briefly furrowed his brow, opened his mouth, and said, “You……”

Isaac flinched internally, but deciding he had no choice but to brazen it out now, he stared back even more fiercely.

Quietly watching Isaac, the Prince tilted his head to an angle. Then, keeping his gaze locked, he fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

It feels like sitting on a bed of thorns. Just as Isaac was breaking into a cold sweat inwardly, Rihan, who was sitting beside him, broke the silence.

“Whatever the case, it is a good thing that the layered curse has been lifted. However, regarding that pact…… can one use a third party’s rights as collateral between two parties?”

Rihan’s question was directed at Isaac. Hearing those words, Isaac realized that Rihan was suspecting him: wondering if Isaac, in making some sort of deal with the witch, hadn’t offered up something like the lives of others as the price. He was doubting Isaac, assuming that even facing death, a witch would not willingly perform a good deed.

Perhaps the Prince was thinking the same thing.

Isaac cast a glance at the Prince. He could not read the expressionless face that was watching him. Isaac offered a bitter smile and shook his head.

“No. A pact can only be made using what the involved parties possess as collateral.….. Though I don’t exactly have much worth offering.”

‘I don’t just casually hand over other people’s things as I please.’

Rihan seemed to quickly guess the bitter reason behind Isaac’s answer. Looking somewhat apologetic, he wore a sheepish expression as he smoothly changed the subject.

“By the way, this young man rendered quite a great service in this matter. Even if he is a witch, rewards and punishments must be clear. How do you intend to reward him?”

At those words, the entire gathering fell silent instantly.

Great events are always followed by rewards and punishments. What reward the meritorious would receive, and what punishment the guilty would face—this was a crucial procedure after the conclusion of any major affair. Through these rewards and punishments, the onlookers learned and deduced many things: what actions they should or shouldn’t take, who held greater power, and who would be pushed from their current standing. That is why everyone’s attention was always more intensely focused on what others would receive rather than their own compensation.

Though they assumed this man wouldn’t receive anything too extraordinary since he was a witch, knowing what he was given would allow them to gauge what they themselves might receive.

And Isaac, who had something he explicitly desired, waited for the Prince’s answer, fraught with tension. The reward the Prince would give had already been implicitly decided in a prior conversation. An item from the Royal Treasury.

Though he knew the Prince was not a man to go back on his word, nor was he someone with such a poor memory that he would have forgotten it already, Isaac couldn’t help but be nervous.

With a serious demeanor, the Prince looked down at Isaac, who was staring back at him.

“Indeed. He was quite useful. I suppose I must bestow a fitting reward.”

Then, slowly opening his mouth, the Prince paused for a moment before speaking.

“I shall grant you whatever you desire.”

The moment those words dropped, a deathly silence swept over the space.

Whatever Isaac desires.

There was no one here who didn’t understand just how monumental that brief statement was. 

Amidst the men who were exchanging looks, wondering if they had misheard, Isaac also stared at the Prince in stunned silence, his eyes wide.

It was absurd. It was a statement that could only be explained as a slip of the tongue by the Prince. Yet, this Prince was not a man to make such a mistake. Therefore, this made absolutely no sense.

The word of a nobleman carries the weight of his station. A nobleman had to take responsibility for the words he spoke, and failing to keep a promise remained a lifelong disgrace. Thus, the Prince now had to grant Isaac anything he wanted as a reward.

Rihan shot a subtle glance at Isaac. Rihan, who had secretly pitied Isaac, a witch ultimately fated to die, was silently urging him to use this opportunity to save his own life. The others held their breath, waiting to see what Isaac would ask for.

“……”

Isaac looked at the Prince. The Prince was waiting for Isaac’s answer.

He could have anything. Just one thing. If he wanted it, anything at all.

Isaac could have asked him to spare his life. Or he could have asked for a mountain of gold and silver, or demanded the position of Chancellor. He could have requested a noble title or a fiefdom.

Or.

“…… Will you truly give me anything?”

Isaac asked. Looking at that earnest, tense face, the Prince nodded.

“If it is something I can give.”

…… Or, he could ask for the person he wanted. The person who could never, under any circumstances, be his…… might actually become his.

Isaac’s breath caught in his throat for a second, and he inhaled deeply. It was a terrifying greed, one that even he hadn’t fully realized he harbored.

Isaac stared at the Prince without blinking once, and the Prince met his gaze. He patiently waited for Isaac, who hadn’t spoken for a long time, to answer.

And Isaac knew exactly what he wanted most desperately, and also—what answer he had to give.

“From the Royal Treasury—”

The moment Isaac opened his mouth, everyone strained their ears to listen. The Prince’s eyes seemed to narrow faintly.

“—Please allow me to choose one item from the Royal Treasury.”

Isaac spoke quietly. The moment he finished speaking and closed his mouth, a fierce wave of regret and sorrow washed over him. Because what he truly wanted was something else entirely. Yet despite that, Isaac knew what it was he actually needed to possess.

The Prince gazed steadily at Isaac. Staring at him with a face devoid of emotion, the Prince asked,

“Is that truly what you desire?”

“Yes.”

This time, the answer came immediately. It was because he felt that if he hesitated even for a second, he would end up blurting out ‘No, there is something else I want.’ He didn’t look back at Rihan clicking his tongue, nor did he pay attention to the murmurs of the men whispering, “I kind of wanted to see that happen, too,” and, “Still, if it were me, I would’ve rather……”

‘There. The door to the massive opportunity, the one that might only come once in my lifetime, has closed.’

The Prince stared at Isaac for a long time. Compared to ‘anything’, a single treasure was a remarkably modest request, yet the Prince’s eyes had sunk coldly, as if Isaac had wished for the one thing he absolutely shouldn’t have. His jaw clenched tight, as if something displeased him greatly. As a result, Isaac found himself rather bewildered.

‘It’s not like I made an excessively greedy request……’ he pondered.

The prince, who had been silently staring back at Isaac, eventually gave a slow nod without another word.

“I will give you what you desire.”

“——Thank you.”

Isaac bowed deeply in gratitude.

It’s done. With this, the tinderbox would finally be in his hands, and his long-held wish had been fulfilled. And yet, the lingering ache in the corner of his heart made it impossible for him to feel purely happy, which was a bitter shame.

Once the tinderbox was in his hands……

He would become a complete witch, and he would have to cross over to the Land of the Dark Moon. The prince’s curse would be broken, allowing him to live out the rest of his days in peace…… And Isaac would never be able to see the prince ever again.

To throw away the opportunity of a lifetime, only to get this in return. Overcome with regret and sorrow, Isaac slumped helplessly against his chair.

Beside him, the prince continued to stare at Isaac with a distinctly displeased glare, while Isaac, unable to let go of his missed opportunity, could only direct his resentment at the innocent (or rather, considering everything, not entirely innocent) cats.