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The unpleasant first encounter with the half-hearted Prophet concluded just like that.

Agnes did not hide her discomfort at being entangled with that disgusting bastard, and Ella shared her unease not just over the fact that this fool was involved with her, but also because she worried about what sort of nonsense he might pull with Anastasia.

When Agnes and Ella returned to the mansion, the Great Witch, upon hearing that the fool Prophet had entangled himself with Anastasia through a prophecy, did not hide her displeasure either.

No, rather than concealing it, she expressed it far too openly.

“What? Hah, are you saying that’s a proper statement? If you receive such messages, you need to be careful! You can’t just wander about carelessly and end up getting involved with that Asha!”

She bombarded Ella with a storm of nagging.

“Nez. Did you actually go there knowing what that fool might do? I’m really worried about you. You’ve always had that reckless side since you were young, and it’s not diminished at all as you’ve grown older. Seriously, I hope you won’t surprise me like that again. Do you remember the time? You suddenly said you wanted to travel after watching some strange broadcast, left me a single letter, and actually went to Tanzania. And you even came back carrying some pitiful-looking baby! You have no idea how shocked I was!”

“Master, please stop. My ears are going to bleed.”

“Bled from your ears? I really thought I was going to spit blood! Can you even imagine what I was thinking when you showed up months later holding a baby? What if you brought home some vagabond as a son-in-law? Or, worst case, what if something bad happened and you ended up having a baby? I had all sorts of thoughts back then…!”

“I said I was wrong back then!”

“Hey! Do you think you can interrupt me while I’m speaking? Agnes-! Agnes A. Reich! Come sit in front of me! It’s been a while since we had a good chat!”

Agnes got an earful as well.

Her reckless demeanor was enough to completely terrify her.

And only after the tempest of nagging passed did the conversation regarding the fool reach Anastasia, enriched by Ella and Agnes’s experiences, providing that ‘objective’ perspective.

They conveyed to Anastasia, without embellishment, the ridiculous behavior they’d witnessed from William.

“This William is an absolutely terrible fool. It’s so bad that when his name appears in the English newspapers, people are shocked. They’re not surprised because of the incident, but because a person like him who usually does nonsense doesn’t draw newspaper articles for minor antics. Just think about the magnitude of the mess he must have caused to make it onto the news!”

“Asha. I have many connections, which is why I know much more about what William has done. What Ella knows is just the tip of the iceberg. This fool has tempted newlyweds, lured brides on the verge of marriage, and even pursued married women with children. Naturally, the families he meddled with fell apart, and the Artua Clan poured every effort into damage control. The amount they spent on hush money could easily suffice to run a substantial business.”

Ella and Agnes emphasized William’s horrifying humanity to engrave it in Anastasia’s mind.

Hoping to prevent anything horrifying and utterly undesirable from occurring, like Anastasia showing any interest in William due to her burning curiosity.

The Great Witch also coldly agreed with their perspectives.

“I feel the same way. Just thinking about that guy showing interest in Nez is terrible, but to think he would also be interested in you, Asha… Ugh. Just the thought of it makes me want to vomit.”

Moreover, perhaps due to age, the Great Witch’s perspective was broader than Ella and Anastasia’s, and she even pondered an unpleasant possibility that was hard to entertain.

“Moreover, Asha, growing up on bread made from turnips and sawdust, looking like a small, scrawny girl? That fool might actually think you’re someone he wants as a daughter. If that were the case, ugh, that would be truly terrible. To think he desires the cute Nez as a wife and wants you as a daughter. Oh, my God. I don’t think I could endure his excessive antics at all.”

Odilia grimaced at merely imagining it.

Then, she firmly grabbed Anastasia by both shoulders as she looked up with red eyes, as if pleading earnestly.

“So, listen closely, dear. Mark my words. Never, ever, absolutely NEVER! Don’t help that guy, don’t even talk to him, and don’t meet him. Got it?”

She insisted several times before dragging Agnes out of the room.

“Nez, you must remember too. Even though I’ve been keeping my head down lately, if that guy appears before me, I won’t be able to hold back! That fool called me a hag when we first met! Back then, I turned my handbag into a hammer and gave him a thorough beating, but just thinking about that time still makes my teeth clench!”

“Haah, I think I’ve heard this at least dozens of times already.”

“Hey! Even after saying it so many times, you still went to meet that guy without a care? How can I stop talking about it?”

“I get it, I get it.”

Of course, leaving the room didn’t mean the conversation ended.

Odilia seized the moment and continued to nag her beloved disciple, while Agnes, shivering but knowing that if she didn’t listen now, the nagging would last forever, had no choice but to endure it.

As Agnes and Odilia slowly moved away from the room, peace returned to the room where Ella and Anastasia remained.

A very precarious peace, as Ella could launch into warnings about William at any moment.

Within that peace, Ella and Anastasia exchanged glances, their eyes brimming with tension as if gunslingers in a standoff.

And at the climax of that tension, Ella opened her mouth first.

“Haah. Sister.”

Letting out a small sigh, aiming to imprint the warning about William deep inside her mind.

But Anastasia, as if she had been waiting for her reaction, seized her hand.

Feeling warmth in her hand momentarily halted Ella’s movements, and she nestled into her embrace, rubbing her head against Ella’s belly.

“Kyah!”

In classic Western shootout fashion, the one who draws slow often loses.

Anastasia moved without hesitation, tickling Ella, and when Ella squeaked in a cute shriek, she finally stopped her attack, patting Ella’s head while saying,

“Don’t worry, little sister! No matter what the prophecy says, I will respect your wishes!”

She appeared so much like an older sister that for a brief moment, Ella genuinely perceived Anastasia as older than herself. But soon, recalling her childlike demeanor and usual behaviors, she shook her head dismissively, evading Anastasia’s hand and lying back on the bed.

“Little sister? Are you listening? I said I won’t meet that fool, okay?”

“I’m listening.”

Ella’s heart swayed as she heard Anastasia’s reply.

For some reason, she felt a strange belief in her, yet seeing her usual actions was akin to a child, arousing an odd sense of disbelief.

Like a young child left by the water, it felt like she had to keep a close watch on her every move, yet somehow she felt she could manage almost everything even on her own.

“Haah, this is so complicated…”

Ella shut her eyes, thinking that she had no choice but to trust Anastasia.

Just like that, deciding to trust her, Ella closed her eyes before sleeping.

Yet when the next day arrived, her resolution wavered.

“Well, you know, unlike the winds of Frau Winter, that prophecy is quite likely to come true.”

This was due to Jinseong’s assertive words that the prophecy would indeed be fulfilled.

“A prophecy is an act of observing the future. Of course, the future is mutable, and there’s always a chance it may not come to pass. However, I believe the prophecy seen by this half-hearted Prophet has a high likelihood of realization. Therefore, Frau Winter’s hopes are likely not to be fulfilled.”

There was clear conviction in Jinseong’s strong words.

 

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