Chereads / Witch of the witches / Chapter 34 - End of Beginning

Chapter 34 - End of Beginning

Elise and Winifred were preparing dinner for a celebration in the kitchen. Elise was working on making different dishes, and Winifred was assisting her. It was nighttime, but the hallway in Elise's house was glowing with warm light from the lamps, spreading brightness everywhere.

After preparing the food, Winifred carried dishes filled with food and placed them on the dining table that Elise had already set up. The table had four chairs around it. Looking at the chairs, Winifred understood that one was for her, the second for Elise, the third for Leon, and the fourth for the prince.

Winifred still didn't know who the prince was since Leon hadn't returned yet after Elise asked him to bring the prince. Looking at the chair and wondering who this prince could be and what he looked like, Winifred became lost in thought.

"Winifred, move aside," Elise said, standing behind Winifred while carrying four dishes—two in each hand.

"Ohhh..." Winifred reacted upon seeing Elise and quickly moved aside so Elise could place the dishes on the table.

"Bring the doll here and place him on the table," Elise instructed.

"Oh... okay," Winifred replied hesitantly. She walked to the other corner of the hallway where a doll was sitting on a wooden table near the bonfire.

"Careful, if I fall, I'll die, you know," the doll said as Winifred approached.

"Oh... okay," Winifred responded. She carefully picked up the doll with both hands and started walking toward the dining table.

"Winifred, look! A green giant is behind you," Elise said jokingly with a dramatic expression.

Knowing Elise was kidding, Winifred glanced slightly behind her but saw no one.

"Hahaha..." The doll in Winifred's hands laughed loudly, amused that Winifred didn't fall for Elise's prank.

Winifred smiled slightly, knowing Elise's tricks, and Elise laughed too.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two young men entered the house.

"So, you found him, huh?" Elise said, looking at Leon.

"Yeah," Leon replied, slightly bowing before Elise.

Winifred recognized Leon from his gesture but was still unsure if it was truly him. Seeing Winifred's doubt, Elise explained, "This one is Leon, and the person beside him is the prince."

Winifred was shocked to realize that the black crow she often saw was actually a young man wearing a jacket. The prince stood beside Leon, appearing tall. His clothing was more battle-worn than Leon's. The prince didn't look at Elise or anything else—he simply stared at the ground with a blank expression.

"The prince also lives with us in this house," Elise said, pointing to him.

"What...?" Winifred reacted in surprise.

Elise and the doll burst out laughing, and Leon also chuckled, hiding his smile.

Hearing Winifred's exclamation, the prince lifted his gaze toward her with an emotionless expression.

"That's why we told you to stay in the house too," Elise said to the prince.

The prince shifted his eyes elsewhere, as if uninterested in Elise's words. Winifred realized that she hadn't seen the prince before because he rarely stayed at home.

'Should I ask Elise what her relationship with the prince is?' Winifred wondered.

"Okay then, let's eat, everyone," Elise announced.

"Yeah, the food will get cold—better eat up," the doll added.

The prince suddenly walked to the dining table, sat down, and said, "Let's eat."

Observing the prince's behavior, Winifred sensed something different about him—he seemed angry, reserved, and possibly sad.

"Yes, let's eat, everyone," Elise said with a smile.

Everyone took their seats. Winifred carefully placed the doll on the dining table and sat beside Elise, while Leon sat next to the prince. Elise and Winifred faced Leon and the prince as they settled into their seats.

The dining table was filled with various dishes.

"Let's eat," Elise said warmly, looking at everyone.

They all began eating. The atmosphere filled with warmth and coziness.

"Do you like the food?" Elise asked Winifred.

"Yes, it's good. I've never eaten anything like this before," Winifred replied, savoring the delicious meal.

"Today we're celebrating because Winifred managed to control her mana," Elise announced happily.

Leon and Winifred paused briefly, but the prince continued eating without any reaction. Elise smiled at him.

"Prince must really like my cooking," Elise joked.

The prince gave no response or reaction, continuing to eat in silence.

"From tomorrow, I will teach you real magic," Elise said to Winifred. "We'll start with basic spells like control magic, which allows you to move objects without touching them. Then I'll teach you defense barrier spells for protection, followed by attack spells to use against enemies."

Hearing about magic, Winifred's eyes sparkled with excitement. She couldn't wait to learn all these things.

"You need to learn and master these three spells in one year," Elise explained. "We will also continue your close combat training as a second priority. After a year, you must pass the witches' test to officially become a witch and receive the witches' hat."

"Oh, and once you pass the witches' test, your training will become even harder. The qualifying exam for magic school isn't easy," the doll said. He continued, "Even those who have mastered these spells often fail, or worse—some even die. So, master these skills quickly to move on to advanced stuff."

"Yes, so make sure you master them, and eat your food—don't just listen," Elise said with a smile, looking at Winifred.

"Oh... yeah," Winifred replied, realizing she had stopped eating.

"Your basic close combat training instructor will be Leon," Elise announced. Leon bowed slightly, signaling his readiness.

"After that, if you pass basic training—and I believe you will—I'll be your instructor for mid-level training. If you pass that too, the prince will teach you advanced combat," Elise added.

"I never agreed to that," the prince said angrily.

Winifred stopped eating, but the others continued as if they hadn't heard him.

"Say that again," Elise challenged with a smile.

The prince continued eating silently.

"Don't worry, he'll teach you," Elise assured Winifred.

"Only if she passes your two tests first," the prince retorted. "Which is impossible in just four years. I'll do it if she manages that."

"I will pass the test," Winifred declared confidently.