The unpleasant first meeting with the half-baked prophet had come to an end.
Agnes made no effort to hide her distaste at having been involved with the repugnant man, and Ella similarly felt discomfort over being dragged into matters with the incorrigible fool. On top of this, she worried that Anastasia might somehow be ensnared in one of his antics.
Upon returning to the mansion, Agnes and Ella informed the Great Witch of their encounter with the unruly prophet and the prediction that linked Anastasia to him. The Great Witch too did not hide her displeasure.
In fact, she made no effort to hide it; rather, she emphasized her aggravation to an extraordinary degree.
“What?! Ha, do you seriously mean to tell me that you wandered about heedlessly after receiving such a message, thus entangling yourself and Asha with such a person?”
She unleashed a storm of scolding upon Ella.
“Nes. Did you even stop to think about what this reckless fool might do before you went to meet him? You truly worry me. Since childhood, you’ve always had an impetuous streak, and even now, with age, it shows no sign of lessening. Please, spare me the shock of your impulsive actions like in the past. Do you remember when you suddenly decided you wanted to go traveling after watching some odd program, leaving behind only a brief note, and ended up in Tanzania? You even came back with a child—an absolute stranger’s baby! I don’t think you realize how startled I was.”
“Master, please stop. My ears will bleed.”
“Bleed?! I thought I was going to spit blood when you came back months later carrying a baby, no less! You can’t imagine what thoughts raced through my mind—I wondered whether you brought back some vagabond claiming to be your husband or if something terrible had happened to you, making you have the child! It was such a mess…!”
“I already admitted it was a mistake back then!”
“Don’t interrupt your master’s lecture! Agnes! Agnes A Reich! Come here and sit down! It’s time for a proper talk.”
Agnes, too, was subjected to a torrent of scolding.
Her impulsive tendencies were so thoroughly criticized that she almost lost her usual audacity.
After the storm of reprimands had passed, word of the reckless prophet finally reached Anastasia. Based on the combined experiences of Ella, Agnes, and the Great Witch—who offered a supposed “objective” perspective—they described William’s reckless antics in vivid and unfiltered detail.
“This man called William is an absolute menace. His antics are so extreme that when people in England see his name in the newspaper, they’re astonished. It’s not because he caused some minor issue—they’d have simply brushed it off as ‘that’s just him’ and moved on without mention in the papers. Instead, it’s a question of how this reckless rascal caused a scandal large enough to make the headlines.”
“Asha, I’ve developed close ties with many people, giving me broader insight into William’s exploits than Ella alone could have known. They’re far more than just rumors. This man has seduced newlyweds, engaged brides-to-be, and even happily married women with children. The homes he meddled with all collapsed. The Artua Clan spent enormous amounts of money trying to silence the scandals. The costs they sunk just to suppress rumors could have easily funded a significant business.”
Ella and Agnes depicted William’s horrifying character in such a way as to deeply imprint it upon Anastasia’s mind. Their main concern was to prevent the curiosity-driven Anastasia from developing any interest in William.
To their relief, the Great Witch briefly and sternly agreed with their views.
“I feel the same way. Just the thought that that man may take an interest in Nes is nauseating. But if he were to take an interest in you, Asha… Ugh. Just the thought makes me sick to my stomach.”
More so, the Great Witch, due to her greater age and broader perspective, entertained thoughts Ella and Anastasia preferred not to dwell on.
“Besides, Asha, aren’t you like someone who only ate bread made from turnips and sawdust, so slim and malnourished? That reckless rascal might look at you and think he wants a daughter. Imagine that—he sees Nes to be a wife and Asha to be his daughter! Oh, gods, I don’t think I could stomach his fanaticism.”
Odilia twisted her face in disgust.
Holding Anastasia’s shoulders while looking down with her intense red eyes, she emphasized sternly.
“So, remember this, child—absolutely, absolutely, absolutely never agree to that man’s requests, do not speak to him, and never meet with him. Understand?”
Having reiterated this several times, she stormed out of the room, dragging Agnes along with her.
“Nes, remember this as well. Although I’ve been behaving, if that man crosses my path, I might not be able to control myself. The first time I met him, he called me a hag! I did beat him with my bag-turned-hammer that day, but the memory still sends chills down my spine!”
“Ha, I’ve probably heard this story dozens of times already.”
“Hey! Despite hearing it so many times, you still went and saw him without hesitation, didn’t you? How can I let this lecture end like this?”
“Alright, alright.”
Of course, leaving the room didn’t cut off the conversation.
Odilia, finding a good opportunity, continued her incessant scolding against her beloved disciple, while Agnes, aware that not enduring this scolding now would mean long-lasting resentment, forced herself to listen.
As Agnes and Odilia gradually disappeared down the hall, a sense of calm returned to the room where Ella and Anastasia waited.
A tenuous calm filled with the uncertainty of when Ella might again warn Anastasia about William.
In the midst of this calm, Ella and Anastasia looked at each other, their eyes filled with the tension of gunfighters preparing for a shootout.
At the end of this tension, Ella spoke first.
“Hmph. Sister.”
She sighed softly, trying to imprint the warning about William.
But Anastasia, as if expecting her response, quickly grabbed her hand.
Then, feeling warmth in her hand, Anastasia moved closer, nestled into Ella’s embrace, and tickled her stomach by rubbing her head against it.
“!”
In Western movies, the one who draws their gun slower often wins.
Anastasia moved freely, applying this principle as if it fit the situation, tickling Ella until she let out adorable screams and flailed about trying to escape. Satisfied that her tactic had worked, Anastasia stopped her assault and gently patted Ella’s head.
“Big Sister! Don’t worry! Regardless of what the prophecy says, I’ll respect your wishes!”
Her behavior was so sisterly that Ella momentarily perceived Anastasia as older than herself. But remembering her usual childish actions, Ella quickly shook her head and retreated from Anastasia’s embrace, lying down on the bed.
“Big sister? Are you listening? I won’t meet with that fellow, I promise.”
“I’m listening.”
Ella’s heart wavered while listening to Anastasia’s response.
Strangely, she felt inclined to trust Anastasia, but considering her usual behavior, she seemed no more trustworthy than a child. She felt that Anastasia needed constant supervision like a kid left at the marketplace, yet there was an unwarranted belief that Anastasia could handle most things well even without her.
“Haa, it’s indeed very complicated…”
Ella closed her eyes, deciding that Anastasia was indeed an unpredictable person.
So, she resigned herself to simply trusting Anastasia.
—
—
The next day, Ella’s trust was shaken.
She had heard Jinseong’s firm assertion that the prophecy was likely to come true.
“A prophecy is an act of observing the future. Of course, the future is variable and there are always chances that it won’t come to pass. However, the prophecy seen by this half-baked prophet seems fairly probable. Hence, it is highly likely that Frau Winter’s hopes will not come to fruition.”
Jinseong’s definitive words were filled with certainty.
