Chapter 36
“I did it! It worked!”
Fay called out to Alnazir in joy
“It’s small.”
He sounded disappointed
“It’s the same size as before!”
She had only fixed the leaks; she hadn’t made the tub any smaller. Maybe it just felt smaller after not seeing it for a while? No matter how much she insisted the size was unchanged, Alnazir’s dissatisfied expression didn’t budge.
What should she do now?
Suddenly, an idea popped into Fay’s head.
“I’ll go out and buy a bigger bathtub right now!”
She knew as well as anyone that it was nearly impossible to find a large tub in the castle, but at the moment, escaping this situation took priority over logic.
Her prediction was correct. Alnazir’s mouth curled up into a smile, apparently pleased by her offer. Without another word, Fay quickly washed up in the now-leak-free (but still small) tub and hurried outside.
“A witch who needs her invoked’s permission just to leave the house… How did my life get so weird?”
The relationship had definitely taken a strange turn. Still, she was genuinely happy to be out in the fresh air for the first time in ages. Her body still ached with exhaustion, but she felt her energy returning.
Now, she just had to find a bigger tub, clear up the misunderstanding with Virelda, and explain everything to Zynie as well.
Fay mentally repeated her to-do list, then hopped on her broom and soared into the sky.
* * *
Arriving at the castle, Fay headed straight for Virelda. She had no idea how much anger Virelda had been holding in all this time. Just thinking about it made her nervous.
“Facing someone who’s already mad at me…”
She fidgeted anxiously, then finally spotted the tall, dark-haired witch she recognized. A handful of Merga’s little golems swarmed nearby—Virelda must have been managing them while Merga recovered.
Swallowing hard, Fay slowly approached.
“Virelda.”
Her voice trembled despite her best efforts. Virelda, still commanding golems with her staff, instantly recognized Fay’s voice and snorted.
“So you finally decided to show up.”
“S-sorry, something came up…”
“I don’t have time to listen to excuses. Zynie told you, right?”
Virelda crossed her arms and raised her chin, glaring down at Fay.
“Go on, explain yourself.”
“Um, well—”
“What, you want to betray the witches and run to the Emperor’s side now that Aldehallow is doomed? Were you looking for an excuse to get banished?”
“You told me to explain, so let me talk first!”
Virelda’s words were harsh—even for her usual standards. Fay’s voice, which had shrunk under the weight of guilt, now rose defensively.
“Virelda, I summoned an invoked.”
“I figured as much.”
“Wait—you’re not surprised? I mean, I really summoned one— Wait, you expected it?”
Fay had been sure Virelda would be shocked, maybe even faint from surprise. This was not the reaction she’d expected.
“Then why are you mad? Didn’t we agree? You promised we’d make up if I managed to summon an invoked!”
Virelda glared at her, her eyes blazing.
“And did you forget why we fought in the first place? That damned necklace. You still have it, don’t you?”
“…”
“In your pocket right now, I bet.”
“…”
“Don’t even think about making up with me until you get rid of it.”
Fay couldn’t even argue. Virelda was right—the cursed necklace was still tucked away safely in her pocket.
“So, tell me what really happened that night.”
The question wasn’t out of concern as a friend—it was an interrogation.
“The sentry doll thought we were thieves and dropped us into the basement. Zynie got carried off by Donovan, but I fell straight down. My broom wouldn’t answer when I called…”
“The point.”
“I summoned an invoked to escape from the basement.”
“A flying type, then.”
“Uh, not exactly…”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t really know. I was trying to summon an eagle, but I, um, accidentally brought out something else…”
Virelda could only laugh in disbelief. Somehow, she’d managed to say the name right anyway.
“So, Fay—what did you summon, then?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
“A witch who doesn’t even know what kind of invoked she’s got?”
Virelda immediately scoffed.
“He’s really nice, though!”
Fay desperately tried to think of Alnazir’s good qualities.
“He listens to me—most of the time. He likes me a lot, maybe even too much. He might even decide to stick around as my servant after the contract ends!”
She hadn’t ever really considered that before, but it tumbled out anyway. Maybe it was possible, though. After all, they’d gotten awfully close…
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