Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who's the Witch of Fate’s Great Call - Chapter 48
If you want the magic shoes back, all six witches must come and take them.
Vylon’s condition was simple yet troublesome.
In the end, the six witches had to leave behind their children and husbands and travel together to the Snow Kingdom—riding in a carriage Vylon sent for them.
“There’s something I need to ask all of you to agree to,” said Emily, the eldest sister, in a serious tone as they traveled toward the kingdom. Some of the sisters nodded at her words, while others objected.
However, after persistent persuasion from Emily, the six witches reached a consensus before they arrived in the Snow Kingdom.
With faces hardened by a difficult decision, the witches entered the castle, casting a heavy atmosphere around them that kept people from approaching.
“Witch Catherine, uhh…!”
The young maid who had befriended Catherine stopped in her tracks, mid-wave, so overwhelmed was she by their intimidating presence.
“His Majesty the King is expecting you,” a polite attendant said, bowing and leading the witches to the audience chamber.
The soldiers opened the large doors, revealing a long red carpet stretching before them. At the end, there was a staircase leading up to a throne, where the king sat.
With a solemn expression, Vylon looked every bit the “king” the witches had envisioned.
‘He’s a bit of a fool, yet not quite a fool. A strange human,’ Catherine had once remarked.
But his first impression today was anything but ordinary.
“You’ve traveled far, Witches.”
Even his greeting sounded unwelcoming, though he hadn’t said anything overtly rude. In truth, no words would have been well-received. The witches had already decided to consider King Vylon their enemy before they arrived.
“As promised, I’ll return the magic shoes.”
At Vylon’s signal, a maid brought forth the shoes on a soft velvet cushion. It was the young girl who had been attending to Catherine.
“King Vylon, we didn’t come here just to retrieve the shoes.”
Emily’s strong voice echoed off the walls of the chamber. Vylon tapped his fingers on the arm of the throne and asked,
“Then what brings you here?”
“We want Kalynia back instead of the shoes.”
Vylon’s gaze narrowed as he glared at the witches. The maid holding the shoes looked shocked, glancing between the King and the witches.
Emily, along with her sisters, stood firmly against the King.
“The magic shoes are our mother’s keepsake.”
“They’re precious to us, but they’re not more important than Kalynia.”
“King Vylon, we ask you to return Kalynia to us immediately!”
Emily couldn’t believe Catherine’s previous reassurances that Kalynia seemed to be doing well and didn’t need their worry. So, she had decided to test Vylon.
“What will you do, King Vylon? The shoes or Kalynia—which will you choose?”
Vylon took a deep breath, then let out a laugh.
“I’m not fond of this deal.”
“We’re not negotiating. We’re making a demand.”
Emily raised her hand, revealing a hidden staff, and pointed it at him. Her sisters followed suit, each drawing their own staff.
“If you won’t return our sister, we are prepared to go to war with this country.”
Even Catherine, who had been the last to agree to this plan, drew her staff, and the situation grew dangerously tense. The maid holding the shoes began to edge toward the door, trying to slip away unnoticed.
“Gua—!”
“Where do you think you’re going?”
As the maid tried to call for the guards, Catherine cast a spell to silence her. The maid’s lips clamped shut, and she looked at Catherine with terrified eyes, trembling.
Yes. That’s the reaction I expect from a human.
Catherine murmured to herself, though she felt a pang of bitterness. Her sisters were ready to go to war, but the truth was, she didn’t want to fight.
“King Vylon, tell us what you want.”
When Catherine tried to mediate, Vylon chuckled dismissively.
“There’s nothing I want in place of Kalynia. She is irreplaceable.”
“Are you saying you truly love Kalynia as your wife?” Emily demanded in a sharp tone.
“Yes, oh Witch of the Eternal Rest.”
The title “Witch of the Eternal Rest” was Emily’s name among the witches. The fact that Vylon knew it suggested that Kalynia had told him.
Emily considered this and pressed him further.
“Does Kalynia love you as well?”
For the first time, Vylon’s confidence wavered in the face of the six witches’ intimidation.
Emily observed this carefully and realized that, while he was certain of his own feelings, he had no such assurance of Kalynia’s.
“We don’t care about a human’s emotions—we care about Kalynia.”
“Very cold, as one might expect from a witch.”
“If Kalynia truly loves you, and if you can prove it, we will quietly withdraw.”
“…How do you expect me to prove that?”
Vylon let out a sigh, indicating he was at least willing to hear her out.
Emily rolled up her sleeve and raised one hand, revealing a bright red, perfectly ripe apple in her palm.
“We shall test Kalynia’s heart with an item deeply connected to your bloodline.”
