A Witch’s Schemes and a Jailer’s Woes

Iordera lingered just outside the kitchen, patiently awaiting the special breakfast the cook was preparing for the prisoner.

A whimsical thought crossed her mind: perhaps she should offer herself as breakfast, just to see if it might appease the prisoner’s temper.

The seemingly delicate girl, confined within that cell by six formidable chains, was, in truth, the continent’s most terrifying and ancient witch.

She was, in essence, an ancient monster cloaked in the guise of a seventeen-year-old.

Merely by sitting there, doing nothing, her minions had managed to plunge the entire city into a maelstrom of chaos and bloodshed.

And what of herself? A mere loli, utterly clueless, who had dared to tell such a monstrous being that she was inadequate, even criticizing her ‘posture level’ (TL Note: A humorous, slightly crude internet slang term referring to one’s skill, technique, or overall performance, often in a playful or mocking context).

“The meal is ready,” the cook announced, presenting the tray. “Off you go.”

Iordera’s hand, clutching the meal tray, trembled ever so slightly.

A profound reluctance settled over her; she truly did not wish to go.

Having just finished her report to Sir Olcott, he had fallen silent for a considerable duration before assuring her that it was perfectly fine.

She was simply to focus on her duties and disregard the witch entirely, as the formidable runic chains ensured Hecate could do absolutely nothing.

Despite his gentle coaxing and reassurance, Iordera still found herself burdened with the role of jailer.

It was, after all, a high-paying position, and she had already affixed her fingerprint to the contract; any thought of backing out now was utterly futile.

Within the confines of the cell, the grey-haired girl—no, Hecate, the Witch—observed Iordera’s approach with the meal, her gaze unnervingly light and ethereal.

“You’ve arrived,” Hecate murmured. “Why do you seem a touch nervous today? Have you perhaps discovered my name?”

Iordera remained utterly silent, simply opening the serving slot, placing the meal inside, and then retreating to fix her gaze upon the floor.

“Why the sudden silence?” Hecate pressed. “Do you have any particular thoughts or impressions you’d care to share with me?”

Hecate, it seemed, was in an unusually buoyant mood.

Iordera wiped her hands, her head still bowed. “My employer, Sir Olcott, instructed me not to speak with you.”

‘Yes, indeed, this refusal to converse is entirely Sir Olcott’s directive,’ she thought, ‘so if you ever, by some stroke of luck, manage to escape, please, for the love of all that is holy, do not come seeking trouble from me.’

“What is your name?” Hecate abruptly inquired.

Iordera instinctively shivered. “Ah, well, I’m merely a temporary individual tasked with delivering your meals.

We are, after all, but fleeting passersby in each other’s lives.

As the old adage goes, ‘Why need acquaintance when paths briefly intertwine?’ There’s truly no need for you to know my name.”

‘Though a refusal, my tone was polite and courteous,’ she mused. ‘Surely, that won’t provoke her anger, will it?’

“It matters not if you choose not to tell me,” Hecate said, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Allow me to venture a guess: Aaliyah, Nicole, Michelle…”

Hecate proceeded to rattle off a rapid succession of various girls’ names, her speech swift yet each word articulated with perfect clarity.

“Julie, Iris, Ivanka, Luna…”

A faint twitch pulled at the corner of Iordera’s lips.

Hecate, missing nothing, seized upon this small tell. “Luna? No, that can’t be right.

It must be someone you know, then? A special friend, perhaps?”

“You… don’t concern yourself with that.”

Luna was, in fact, the name of an online dating partner from her previous life, a revelation made even more startling when she eventually discovered that ‘Luna’ was, unequivocally, a man.

‘Don’t ask,’ she thought. ‘To ask is to invite a feeling of -8000 (TL Note: A humorous internet slang indicating a negative, often embarrassing, experience or a significant loss, derived from the number 8000 which sounds like ‘ba qian’ in Chinese, often used to express a feeling of being ‘screwed over’).’

Once Hecate had finished her breakfast, a rare silence descended upon the cell.

Iordera allowed herself a small sigh of relief, found a chair just outside the bars, and settled down to savor the unaccustomed tranquility.

Her duty was to observe the Witch throughout the entire day, with the sole exception of meal times, when she would deliver and retrieve the trays.

While a short sit was tolerable, prolonged idleness proved to be quite tedious.

“Hey, dear,” Hecate’s voice suddenly broke the silence once more. “Why do you always seem so downcast?”

Iordera pursed her lips, ‘I managed to find a job that put me in charge of a monster like you, and even brought trouble upon myself,’ she thought, ‘of course I’d be unhappy!’

“No, you haven’t been truly happy since yesterday,” Hecate countered, “as if something has been weighing heavily on your mind.”

It seemed Hecate had effortlessly divined her inner thoughts.

“Not at all, cough, cough,” Iordera stammered, clearing her throat. “I shouldn’t say anything more.

Sir Olcott explicitly forbade me from speaking with you.”

Hecate regarded the loli with an amused glint in her eyes. “Tell me then, do you have any grand ambitions or plans for yourself once you’ve collected your wages here?”

‘No particular ambitions,’ she mused. ‘With her current identity, all she truly desired was to escape to a place beyond the reach of any merchant caravan, and simply live a peaceful life with her two maids.

If the opportunity arose, she would even bring Mrs. Sanders over; a complete, happy family would be ideal.’

“Are you, perhaps, envisioning your future life?” Hecate’s voice drifted softly, almost a whisper. “You smiled just now; it was quite charming.”

Iordera instantly hardened her features, forcing her face into a blank mask.

‘No more smiling, no more,’ she firmly told herself. ‘It’s just a deadpan expression, isn’t it?

The very one that terrified the Count’s family at the exhibition.

Now, I shall grace you with a demonstration.’

Hecate chuckled softly. “I haven’t quite finished speaking yet, dear; there’s no need to be so hasty.

While you did smile, your expression remains quite sullen, your eyebrows still tightly furrowed…”

“Is it really that exaggerated?” Iordera found herself unable to resist interjecting.

“It truly doesn’t matter, my dear,” Hecate replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. “Any expression that graces your charming little face is utterly adorable.”

“…”

“You carry something on your mind, something you may not even consciously recognize, yet the feelings deep within your heart cannot be deceived,” Hecate’s voice seemed to soften, becoming almost gentle. “Since you’re so bored, why not confide in me a little about yourself?”

‘My affairs?’

Just as Iordera was about to entertain the thought, a sudden, icy chill snaked down her spine.

‘Wait a minute,’ she realized with a jolt. ‘First, psychologically intimidate a person, then soothe them to gain their trust and acceptance, then sit down and share intimate thoughts, and finally, subtly guide them to indirectly assist in an escape.

This was the very routine I taught her yesterday, a high-level tactic straight from the playbook of Hannibal.’

‘Good heavens, is it truly a case of one daring to teach, and the other daring to learn?’

“Please, don’t harbor any such intentions regarding me,” Iordera pleaded, her small face etched with a bitter expression. “I cannot possibly help you escape, nor do I possess the capability.

I will be gone in seven days; you should try with the next person—they are bound to be far more competent than I.”

Hecate merely smiled, offering no further words.

This time, a genuine tranquility settled in.

Iordera spent the entire day seated there, observing, only venturing out during mealtimes.

She, too, required sustenance, though her stomach housed no ordinary digestive system.

Instead, it was an energy conversion apparatus, much like a factory’s thousand-degree furnace, capable of swiftly breaking down anything she consumed into its most fundamental energy, leaving not a single trace of residue.

Thus, it was confirmed: beautiful girls, indeed, had no need for such mundane activities as using the toilet.

Yet, a new problem presented itself: during her working hours, she lacked even the privilege of sneaking off to the restroom for a quick break (TL Note: ‘Moyu’ or ‘摸鱼’ is a Chinese slang term meaning to shirk work, slack off, or procrastinate, often by engaging in non-work-related activities during work hours), a restriction that proved utterly unbearable.

Occasionally, she would absentmindedly reach into her pocket, only to find it empty, and then Iordera would be abruptly reminded that she was, in fact, in another world, without a phone to distract herself with.

‘Never mind,’ she thought, shrugging mentally. ‘At least I’m getting paid.

How truly comfortable it is to simply zone out.’

As dinner time arrived, Iordera pushed the meal tray through the slot, her mood invariably brightening a little.

“I’m not hungry,” Hecate announced. “Please take tonight’s dinner back; I don’t particularly feel like eating.”

Iordera froze. “If you refuse to eat, then I will indeed take it back.

But be warned, you’ll be hungry for the entire night, you know?”

Hecate chuckled softly. “I’ve simply been contemplating too many things, and have quite lost my appetite.”

‘Is that so?’ Iordera wondered. ‘What could she possibly be contemplating? What matter is so profound that it warrants such prolonged thought from a great witch like her?’

“Your affairs,” Hecate stated, “and camellia oil.”

Once again, she seemed to effortlessly pierce through the loli’s unspoken thoughts.

“I’ve been confined for over half a year, and my status and position are now drastically different.

My former life feels like an entirely separate existence, which is why I’ve been pondering these matters for a considerable time.”

“However, I believe I’ve finally gained some insight… Tomorrow, yes, tomorrow I shall present you with a few surprises.”