“Origin of the Witch?”
For the first time, confusion appeared in Wendy’s eyes.
Throughout the entire lifespan of the game , the first true Witch was Astreia.
Before that, there had never been any record of a “Witch,” let alone its origin.
Moreover, Allison Visseran had specifically mentioned the Cavalier Kingdom—could it be referring to the Demon King of Lust sealed by the original Hero Party?
Wendy was about to open his mouth to ask further.
“That’s enough.”
A hoarse voice, suppressed with some emotion, abruptly sounded from behind him.
At some point, Astreia had already stood up.
Those bewitching purple eyes locked fiercely onto the Red Cardinal, whose expression was still calm and conversational.
Deep within her gaze, it seemed as if scorching lava was churning.
Crimson magic patterns covered her honey-colored skin, undulating ominously at a pace visible to the naked eye.
She looked as if she was holding something back, every muscle in her body tense.
The smile on the Red Cardinal’s face faltered for a moment.
Behind gold-rimmed glasses, her phoenix eyes sharpened, and her scrutinizing gaze swiftly swept over the Witch Queen.
“Astreia?”
Wendy was interrupted by the sudden turn of events, and turned back in confusion.
But what greeted him was an incredibly hot palm.
Astreia grabbed Wendy’s wrist and, without a word, pulled him into her embrace.
Her breath was as hot as fire, making Wendy’s ears itch.
“Come back to the room with me. Now.”
“I…”
“I’m about to lose control!”
This low whisper carried a mixture of command, desire, and a hint of near-madness.
Before the words even finished, Astreia’s arm tightened, and she actually lifted Wendy up by the waist!
“Eh???”
A wave of dread swept through him, and Wendy instantly felt his waist setting off the highest alert.
Yet even as he struggled, before he could be completely swept away, he quickly leaned toward Queen Yekaterina’s ear and gave a rushed warning in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Keep an eye on that old fox! If she makes any strange moves or tries to leave the Royal Palace, send someone to find me immediately!”
Watching her sister carry Prince Wendy away with a forceful, unstoppable stance, the Little Queen’s face was filled with worry and confusion.
On the other side, Prime Minister Allison Visseran suddenly understood.
She adjusted her gold monocle and looked in the direction the two had vanished, a faint smile rising at the corner of her mouth.
“So that’s how it is…”
“Slaughter corrodes reason and amplifies desire.”
“And then suppresses the instinct to kill by releasing desire… Truly interesting.”
But the next moment, her thoughts were interrupted.
Yekaterina stepped down from the throne and stood before the Red Cardinal.
The Little Queen straightened her slender back. In those emerald eyes, the timidity of a puppet was gone, replaced by a regal dignity.
“Prime Minister.”
“Would you tell me properly about the Witch?”
***
Royal Palace, Fifth Floor.
This was the most private area of the royal sleeping quarters.
“Bang!”
With a loud crash, Astreia slammed open the door that had once been hers with her back.
She was panting, pushing Wendy inside before turning and locking the door tightly behind them.
“Click.”
The clear sound of the lock falling into place felt like the start of a ritual.
Astreia staggered a few steps, steadied herself, and looked around the room.
Everything was exactly as it had been when she left—spotless, clearly cleaned regularly.
A hint of warmth flickered in the princess’s heart; she knew it must have been her sister’s doing.
But right now, she was in no mood to feel touched.
“I say,”
Wendy rubbed his wrist, now red from her grip, and turned, looking at Astreia with exasperation.
“After this witchification, aren’t the side effects a bit too strong? Why are you suddenly in such a hurry to be purified?”
Astreia didn’t answer immediately.
She closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling violently as if struggling against some beast inside her.
After a moment, she slowly opened her purple eyes and walked step by step toward Wendy.
She pulled the prince’s soft body tightly into her arms, buried her face in the hollow of his neck, and took a deep, greedy breath.
The clean scent on Wendy’s body was like the most effective sedative, soothing the violence surging within the Witch, even if just a little.
“Because… slaughter.”
Her voice was hoarse, tinged with lingering fear.
“During witchification training at Sunset Fortress, I used this power too, but I never personally… ended a life.”
“But just now, the flesh and blood of Agnes Veid exploded in the air…”
“That desperate wail, the thrill of destroying life…”
Astreia hugged him even tighter, her body trembling slightly.
It was like a key had opened a cage inside my mind.
The urge to kill, the hunger to devour, all of it swelled until it almost shattered my reason.
“Wendy, you don’t understand…”
“Just now, downstairs, watching those noisy nobles, there was only one thought in my mind.”
“To crush them… all of them.”
At her words, Wendy’s heart plummeted, his expression turning grave.
Without hesitation, he started undoing the buttons at his collar, preparing to enter “combat” mode.
This was no longer a simple matter of desire—the Witch Queen’s mental state was being severely eroded by the power of the Witch!
If “Purification” wasn’t performed soon, the consequences would be unimaginable!
However, the princess pressed down on his hand.
“Don’t be so tense.”
Astreia lifted her head, an unusual flush spreading across her beautiful face.
In her violet eyes, the murderous intent faded, replaced by a burning madness.
“Just being with you, smelling your scent, I already feel much better…”
“Besides,”
Her tone suddenly shifted, a wicked curve forming on her lips.
“I have something I’ve been hiding for a long time that I want you to wear.”
As she spoke, Astreia released Wendy and bent down, crawling under the luxurious bed, rummaging around with a rustling sound.
Wendy watched as her body, wrapped in tight military pants, got stuck at the edge of the bed. The alluring curve made his Adam’s apple bob unconsciously.
A sudden urge to spank her from behind surged through him.
But His Highness the Prince forcibly suppressed the dangerous thought.
Astreia’s state was too unstable right now.
It would be better to wait until she returned to normal—then he could properly “punish” her.
After a moment, Astreia struggled to drag out a dusty wooden box from under the bed.
She carefully wiped the dust off with the drooping bed sheet, opened the lid, and took out a… garment?
It was a “special” outfit woven entirely from pure gold thread.
Rather than clothing, it was more like a hollowed-out work of art; there was barely any fabric, just a few patches of gold gauze as thin as a cicada’s wings covering key areas, and countless delicate gold chains and tiny gems forming the rest.
Luxurious, revealing, and overflowing with decadence and depravity.
Astreia gripped this almost non-existent garment and slowly closed in on the prince.
Her smile grew increasingly dangerous—and bewitching.
“According to merchants, only beautiful young men sacrificed to gods in some distant kingdom were qualified to wear it.”
“From the first moment I saw it, I kept imagining… what kind of boy could possibly put this on.”
“Wendy…”
“Tonight, won’t you satisfy me?”
Wendy stared at the golden, transparent “Shame Robe,” swallowed hard, and instinctively backed away.
“Astreia, y-you need to calm down!”
“This… this outfit is way too shameless! Besides, I haven’t even bathed since last night, I’m still dirty! Let’s… let’s go bathe first, right, let’s bathe first, okay?”
But the Witch Queen gave the prince no chance to escape.
In a flash, she caught the retreating Wendy in her embrace, her burning violet eyes close enough to feel the heat.
“Sure~”
She grinned mischievously, stretching out her tongue to gently lick the prince’s cheek.
“Let me help you put it on.”
“And then… we’ll bathe together.”
The terror and shyness in the prince’s eyes instantly peaked.
“No… No—!!!”