The Wandering Witch VOL. 2 - The Witchfolk Genocide Arc

15.3| Royal Hospitality II

When morning arrived, Chell woke up from a dreamless sleep. The same pristine ceiling greeted her overhead, this time bathed in a bright light. Slowly, she blinked and sat up. She could not remember ever crawling back and returning to sleep on the bed again. A suggestive thought passed over her head. Perhaps, Noct carried me here last night.

Speaking of the thief, Noct himself was now standing in front of the paintings strung on the high walls. His back was to her as he studied each one of them in deep and silent interest. Rays of the sun crept in from the windows and the doors of the balcony, basking the entire room in an almost harsh glow. Chell only realized then on how golden the room looked in the presence of day. Each corner was fully illuminated, highlighting the room's shiny grandeur and design, as expected no less from a royal palace.

"Ah, good morning, little miss. Had a nice sleep?" the thief suddenly asked without tearing his gaze away from what he was looking at. He was staring at a portrait of a woman descending from the sky. Chell slowly focused at him. The color of his scarf seemed too red for her weary eyes.

"I...," she mumbled feebly, trying to create a sentence. Her throat felt dry, and her mind was still muddled from recent sleep.

A sudden knock on the door caught their attention. The witch and thief turned their heads simultaneously just as it swung open. A tall maid quietly stepped in, wearing a frilly dress. Her movements were calm and collected as she bowed to each of them respectfully, making sure not to look up at them at eye level.

"Ms. Chell, Mr. Noct, Princess Yoko asks for your health condition," she said. "If you are of sound mind and body, she requests you to join her to breakfast this morning in the royal dining room."

Chell blinked, taken aback by the invitation. She and the thief exchanged a brief glance to each other. Noct titled his head. A quick understanding passed between them. The Snow Witch turned back to the maid and gave a small, firm nod.

"I'm fine... and alright," she said.

The maid straightened up, one arm over her stomach. "I shall convey that to the princess. Another maid will fetch you soon." She bowed again, swiftly reaching for the doorknob. "Please excuse me."

When the door closed with a faint thump, Noct suddenly made a grin. "'Mr. Noct'? My, that sounds oddly satisfying."

Chell made a light shake of her head. She waited for a few more seconds to regain her bearings. Then, quietly, she slipped from underneath the covers, planting her feet on the cold floor. Now that she was able to focus, she realized that she was feeling better compared to the night before. Her head didn't feel as light and she could sense her strength come back to her body, providing enough to support her.

Noct tugged at his scarf. "Feeling any better?" he asked. Reluctantly, Chell nodded again.

In that moment the door opened once more, much earlier than she had expected it to. Unlike the previous, however, the door had been swung more forcefully, as though someone had forced it open from the other side. Chell noticed the thief tense up, facing towards the doorway. Like her, he was no doubt thinking of a sudden danger. However, both their suspicions were easily gone when Jul Orben and Yoko Castagne stepped inside, bickering with each other.

There was a wide grin on the young witch's face. Jul was dressed similarly to before, although she had taken off her tunic and the cloth wrapped around her right arm. Yoko, on the other hand, looked as graceful as Chell last remembered. She was wearing an intricate white dress with a shawl covering her shoulders. Atop her head, her chaplet rested comfortably, carefully displaying her royal descent. Her eyes were as piercingly blue, bearing an aura of superiority. Seeing her suddenly, Chell was struck with the thought of how Yoko indeed looked like a real princess in the midst of her home rather than being just a random girl they had only met a day ago.