Nestled deep in the forest was a mansion where tonight, like every night, there was an ever-so-ghastly course of training underway.
“Mwa ha ha... There’s no way out for you, Charlotte.”
The room was dark. Not even a single shaft of moonlight escaped through the drawn curtains. In the middle of the room stood a young man holding a candle. He seemed to be in his early twenties. Though his face, lit by the glow of the candle, had nice, even features, his eyes were strangely sharp. The color of his hair was unusual: half black, half white. And his eyes were as red as blood. Tall and thin, clad in a threadbare robe, he had the look of a typical sorcerer. His mouth was twisted up into a spine-chilling smile, and a timid girl or a child might have screamed in terror to behold him.
“P-Please, no,” a girl whimpered, cowering in her chair. “You can’t do this to me...”
She was beautiful, and a little younger than him, with wavy golden hair that hung down to her waist, and pastel blue eyes as clear as the summer sky. She wore pajamas made of unmistakably high-quality silk. With her delicate, doll-like features and perfectly proportioned figure, she glowed with an air of grace and elegance. She was the very picture of a girl of gentle birth.
But now, her charming features were contorted with fear. In the gloomy room, the single candle light shone on the table in front of her. Staring at the thing placed on it, she cried out again in dismay.
“Think it over, Allen, please! This really is too naughty...”
“Hmph. According to whom?” Allen sneered sarcastically. “I’m the master of this mansion, and you’re under my rule. Whether you like it or not, I will not allow you to disobey your master’s orders, Charlotte.”
“How could you?!”
Allen roared with laughter. “Forget it, there’s nothing you can do!” He felt the thrill of intimidating a defenseless girl as Charlotte sat quivering helplessly. She could only stare at the thing on the table in terror. Taking advantage of her powerless position, he goaded her again. “Now! Go on...gobble up this ramen as your late-night snack!”
What was it he pointed at? A steamy bowl of curly, yellow noodles steeped in a thick, white soup. On the bed of noodles sat juicy slices of pork that had been stewed so long they would melt in your mouth, a marinated egg, and a garnish of fermented bamboo shoots called “menma.” This dish, known as “ramen,” had spread from the East and was becoming something of a craze in this country.
The rich scent of the soup wafted from the bowl, tantalizing Charlotte until her stomach growled softly. But she still resisted, shaking her head weakly, her face terribly pale. “You know it’s already time for me to go to bed! How can I eat something so heavy so late at night? It’s wicked!”
“Hmph. Wait till you see what I have in store for you.” Still smirking, Allen turned and drew up a wheeled cart from behind him to reveal the extent of his diabolical scheme. “Look at this! I bought lots of ice cream! Feast on it as much as you like for dessert!”
She gasped. “And are those...toppings on the side?!”
“As quick as ever, Charlotte,” he chuckled. “You guessed it.”
All kinds of toppings—a colorful collection of fruits in bite-size pieces, chocolate chip cookies, a range of syrups like honey, and so on—lined the cart. And the vital ice cream itself boasted a selection of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors. It was an assortment that would have made any child, or adult for that matter, bubble with excitement.
“You can make your own sundaes to your heart’s content. And once you’ve polished off everything, we’ll play board games together! We’re pulling a full-on all-nighter!”
“B-But if we do that, it’ll be so hard to wake up in the morning!”
“Too bad—there’ll be no such thing as ‘morning’ for you. You know why?” He paused. “Because you’re fated to be with me...sleeping in and lazing about till noon!”
“Oh no!”
“Yes, yes, cry all you want!” he cackled. “That scream is exactly what I desired!” Distant thunder rumbled outside, punctuating his howl of laughter. A flash of lightning made the soup gleam even more in the dark.
At long last, the girl broke down and, murmuring an apology to God, reached for the chopsticks and the porcelain spoon.
This is the tale of an evil sorcerer who led a pitiful girl astray...down the path of pure naughtiness.