GIGANTIC columns of clouds soared through the azure sky. Summer was at its peak. The forest had become more vibrant—yet, no matter how green the woods turned, the lake maintained an icy bite.
Strands of pale-pink hair drifted atop the rippling water. As Rose floated on the surface, her chemise spread as if blooming on the lake. For someone who hated bathing, she had taken to the lake quite often these days. Surely it was due to the hot weather. She had no other special reason for it.
Since Tien had paid her a visit just the other day, he wasn’t likely to come by any time soon. Besides, even if he or someone else happened to spot her bathing, she wouldn’t even bat an eye or blush. It was the same as being seen by a smug deer.
She had informed Harij that there wasn’t anything for him to do for another month. He wasn’t the type to pay a visit for no reason, and it was noontime anyway. Harij never came to the Witch’s abode while the sun was up.
The month she told him to wait felt both long and short. Loneliness from not seeing him and satisfaction from staying in Harij’s memories just that much longer warred within, exhausting Rose.
She was a pro at controlling her emotions, but she didn’t know how uncontrollable love could be.
Nevertheless, the one-month period was actually necessary for processing the raw materials. The only reason she told Harij the exact amount of time was that witches couldn’t tell a lie. This was why only witches could make potions that were too powerful and potent for human hands to handle.
A witch who used the lie of magic could not use lies other than magic.
Thus, witches isolated themselves from mankind and lived as a different species. Acting unfriendly and being creepy like creatures that go bump in the night were some of the methods they used to prevent others from discovering they couldn’t tell a lie. Rose also imitated the witches of the past and treaded with care in every manner of life so as not to have her one weakness exposed.
She kept contact with people to a minimum and meticulously controlled her words and facial expressions. Her baggy robe was critical in preventing people from seeing through what she failed to conceal.
That being said, all she had to do was just not lie—dodging the truth and changing the topic were great alternatives. As luck would have it, Rose had no qualms about doing just that.
Following that method thus far was what allowed her to survive alone for years.
“Guess I should wash my chemise, too…”
With weather this good, it should dry within a few hours. The robe and dress she had just finished washing hung from a rope she’d tied between two trees. Rose swam to shore to add her chemise to the space between them.
She shook her drenched body like a wet dog, then untied the chemise’s strap at her back, and the fabric fell to her feet. Since the fancy green robe was her only change of clothes, she was stuck waiting for the laundry to dry—naked. After all, she didn’t want to dirty her new robe yet.
The chemise, soaked with water, was quite heavy. She folded it several times and squeezed it tight. While she focused on twisting the fabric, water dripped onto it from her hair, adding moisture right back in.
“Aaah! Darn it…!”
Chest-length pale-pink hair clung to her skin. Everything about this was starting to annoy her, so she unfurled the chemise and shook it out. The water droplets returned to the lake with a lyrical splishedy-splash. Entertained, she became enthralled in repeating the same action.
She became so distracted that she completely let down her guard. When she heard the bell inside ring to announce a visitor, she turned around with the assumption it was the smug deer checking her out again.
She made eye contact with the man standing directly across the shore from her. It was such a shock she couldn’t breathe.
Harij was there.
Rose froze with her unfolded chemise in hand. Harij, standing on the forest-side bank, was also paralyzed as he gaped at her.
For a long moment, they both stared at each other, forgetting to breathe.
Chirp, chirp, chirp…
Small forest songbirds sang with their beautiful voices.
Harij wrenched away his gaze first. “I’m sorry!”
He presented her with his back with great speed. From the sound of his voice, she gathered how shaken the usually composed knight was.
“Hahahaha…” Rose let out a dry laugh.
Her face was surely redder than a tomato. Her heart raced so hard it hurt. She threw her wet chemise on the rope, hid it underneath her robe, and rushed inside the house. Covering her hot face with both hands, she leaned against the front door and slid down to her bottom. The strength left her legs.
Did he see me? He saw me. He totally saw me! Saw this pale skin and my unshapely figure without a corset on!
Rose couldn’t care less if Tien or another client saw her naked, but him? Being seen by him made her feel unbearably ashamed.
I can’t believe it. I was sure he wouldn’t come. I told him it would take a month, and it’s daytime! What in the world brought him out here?
Rose’s brain felt as if it were boiling over, but she remembered that Harij was still outside. She couldn’t keep him waiting forever. She forced herself to her trembling feet and scrambled over to the closet. She had no choice but to wear the robe from Tien against her bare skin. Nothing felt more uncomfortable than not having anything on underneath. Then she checked her appearance in the water jug. Reflected back at her was a normal woman with misty eyes, flushed pink cheeks, and a goofy expression.
Rose gave her cheek a good slap. Then she slapped the other cheek as hard as possible. Both stung like hell, but it helped her regain a modicum of calm.
She opened the front door and called out across the lake. “I apologize for the wait. You may come over now.”
Harij, who had kept his back to her like a gentleman until she gave the okay, turned around with his jaw set in a rigid line. There wasn’t much distance between her island and the opposite shore, allowing Rose to clearly make out his face.
Harij seemed to have calmed down as well—at least, he was calmer on the surface than Rose felt. Even when he tried desperately to hide his noble upbringing by wearing commoner clothes, some of his graceful behavior still seeped through. Under the bright sky, he was even more dazzling than usual.