Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Witch of Fate’s Great Call - Chapter 18
II.
When Kalynia finally managed to open her swollen eyes, Vylon was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a group of women stood a little distance from her bed, seemingly waiting for her to awaken. Among them was a beautiful woman dressed neatly in a gown, accompanied by several ladies-in-waiting in lady-in-waiting uniforms.
“Wh-what? Who are you all?”
Why had they been watching her while she slept?
Noticing traces of the previous night’s events lingering on her body, Kalynia hurriedly pulled the blanket up to cover herself. One of the ladies-in-waiting then stepped forward.
“My name is Harriette Hamilton, Your Majesty.”
She explained that she would be the lady-in-waiting attending the queen from now on.
Harriette. Harriette Hamilton.
For some reason, Kalynia felt as if she’d heard that name before. It was just on the edge of her memory, yet she couldn’t quite place it.
Harriette informed her that a bath had been prepared. Kalynia felt reluctant initially, but hearing that a large tub of warm water awaited her, she found herself tempted. After the previous night, her body was aching everywhere, and soaking in hot water sounded too comforting to resist.
Though cautious, Kalynia allowed herself to be led to the bath.
“Is the water temperature all right for you?”
“Mmm…”
The warm bath water slowly dissolved Kalynia’s guarded demeanor. The scent of roses and herbs in the warm water melted her tension, and she gradually began to relax.
The previous night’s bath, where she’d been scrubbed vigorously to be presentable, felt nothing like this gentle, cautious touch.
Under the soothing, careful hands of the ladies-in-waiting, Kalynia’s eyes began to close.
“Your Majesty.”
Half-asleep, she was gently awakened by Harriette, who informed her that the bath was over. As she stepped out of the tub, a lady-in-waiting wrapped her in a soft, warm robe, its gentle warmth suggesting it had been left to dry in the sun. Even if she tried to be on guard, the comfort made it impossible to stay tense.
Following the attendants’ guidance, she allowed herself to be led wherever they directed, until she found herself seated before a vanity, with her hair being brushed while she wore only the robe.
Is being queen… actually a good thing?
The thought crossed her mind. But the moment it did, a sense of alarm rushed in, jolting her back to awareness.
‘Had you forgotten what you endured the previous night, you foolish witch?’
Right. Now wasn’t the time for pleasant thoughts.
Quickly rebuilding her mental defenses, Kalynia watched Harriette and the ladies-in-waiting more closely. This time, she noticed that while their movements were respectful, they couldn’t entirely conceal an underlying tension.
‘That name… sounds familiar somehow…’
The one who caught her eye most was Harriette. As the only lady-in-waiting, Harriette was the one directly brushing Kalynia’s hair. And she was pretty. Objectively speaking.
When Kalynia made a remark, Harriette met her gaze in the mirror, trying to mask her nervousness with a smile, though her eyes betrayed her fear.
“Oh, Harriette Hamilton! The duke’s daughter.”
The memory from the ball, where she’d overheard the duke speaking with Vylon, surfaced in her mind.
That’s where I heard it. Feeling satisfied with the connection, Kalynia nodded, but Harriette seemed taken aback, unable to hide her discomfort.
“Why did he say that about you? You’re actually quite pretty.”
Harriette didn’t resemble a toad in the least. If anything, she looked more like a delicate doe.
“Pardon?”
“I mean, I think you’re quite lovely.”
There was no need to mention the insults Vylon had thrown her way.
Offering her a smile as she paid the compliment, Kalynia thought Harriette was leagues better than that mad king, who ignored her pleas the previous night, insisting that ‘who decides when it ends is not for you to say.’
But why was Harriette’s face turning even paler? As if being called pretty was frightening.
To the people of the Snow Kingdom, Witches were beings like Grimdelwald, the one who tried to kill a princess simply for being more beautiful.
Kalynia would come to understand this perception of witches much later.
For now, she enjoyed the careful washing and the delicious meal they served her, all with an impressive level of attention to detail. Though she was content, there was one question that had been hovering in her mind.
“Harriette.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“I recall there being a mirror… right there. A large mirror, wasn’t there?”
Grimdelwald’s mirror was no longer in the room. She hadn’t noticed it the previous night since it was too dark, but now that she thought back, it seemed the mirror was missing even then.
But why? Why had the mirror disappeared?
“This makes it impossible to steal the mirror and escape.”
“Pardon, Your Majesty?”
