Chapter 27: I have a dream

When the Witch Sophie was escorted into the lord’s manor, she had already prepared herself for the worst.

Whether it was the torturous interrogations in the gloomy dungeon, the filthy and filthy pigsty, or even the lord’s private chambers that looked careless and disorganized, Sophie had steeled her mind for all of it.

After all, this was the fate of heresy witches since ancient times.

Ever since her Bloodline Awakening, Sophie had been prepared.

And for the sake of her research, she was even willing to use the power of her own bloodline, risking her soul at any moment to lose control.

But Sophie was wrong.

That lord, named Green, who from the rumors among the townsfolk sounded unreliable—a typical prodigal son who was proud of his lineage—did not bring her to any of those places.

“This is… a guest room?”

Sophie looked around, her delicate face showing clear confusion for the first time.

The bed was neat and clean—not luxurious, but certainly comfortable.

The warm, soft blanket draped over the wooden planks, and everything in sight told Sophie one obvious fact.

This lord had not lied.

He was truly treating her with the standards reserved for guests.

“What’s the matter, Miss Sophie?” Green, standing beside her, seemed to notice the confusion on her face. He cleared his throat and said, “Is there something unsatisfactory about my hospitality? If there is, please feel free to voice it.”

He casually pulled over a chair and sat down directly across from her.

Sophie glanced at the anti-magic manacles on her wrist, her mind racing.

They were tight, but definitely not impossible to undo.

At least, not for someone like her who was exceptionally proficient in dark magic.

A trap? A test?

She measured the lord before her with bright eyes, from head to toe, hesitant.

“I’m afraid I can’t unlock your manacles.”

As if interpreting Sophie’s scrutiny as a request, Green awkwardly scratched his chin. “After all, Miss Sophie, as you know, witches don’t have a very good reputation in this regard.”

“Not good?”

Sophie sneered inwardly.

For ordinary humans, the reputation of heresy witches was far worse than simply “not good.”

Even being labeled duplicitous would be considered a compliment.

But this was reality.

Humans and witches were destined to be irreconcilable.

Unlike the clerics blessed by the God of Light, or Mages who accumulate magical power through meditation, witches—born with extraordinary spellcasting abilities—have always been targets of human hostility and rejection.

Honestly, Sophie did not blame them.

Most witches could not control the desires buried deep within their hearts. Eventually, they would be devoured by the primal beings of their bloodline—the Abyssal High Demons, Evil Bloodthirsty Dragons, and Filthy Starspawn—becoming puppets and wreaking havoc upon the world.

Correspondingly, Demon Hunters, the Church, and secular lords would spare no effort to hunt down, exterminate, or imprison any heresy witch they found.

The lucky ones died swiftly by sword or trial; the unlucky…

Recalling stories heard from other witches, Sophie shuddered instinctively.

She did not fear death. If necessary, Sophie was ready to face it head-on.

“You still don’t seem to trust me?”

Seeing the heresy witch silent, Green understood that he still had a long way to go before breaking through her barriers.

“How about this, Miss Sophie? Consider this an invitation to rest in my manor for a few days. Of course, within the estate, your movements won’t be restricted.”

With a clatter, Green stood and sincerely extended the invitation.

Sophie remained silent, but the slight flicker in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

This lord was truly strange.

From Sophie’s personal experience, humans generally treated him in one of two ways.

Either they were extremely hostile toward heresy witches, eager to burn them alive to receive divine punishment.

Or they lusted after her beauty, hoping to take advantage of her forbidden status.

But Green—the seemingly typical prodigal lordling—didn’t seem to belong to either group.

“By the way, Miss Sophie, aren’t you interested in the deal I proposed earlier?”

Tilting his head, seeing that she was beginning to change, Green immediately pressed his advantage.

Deal…

Hearing this familiar yet strange word, Sophie fell silent for a long time.

Just when Green thought he would fail again, Sophie finally responded.

“What can I offer you?” Sophie parted her lips slightly. “Lord Green?”

“Your research, Sophie.”

Clap.

Green clapped his hands.

Behind him, the Knight Brown, who had been watching Sophie warily, bowed his head and brought out an entire box of iron cases.

“These are some academic papers seized from your luggage by the Tribunal.”

Green casually spread out a few sheets and carefully read the neat handwriting.

“I have to say, you really are a genius.”

Genius?

Sophie had heard this praise many times from fellow witches, but…

This was the first time a human had called her that.

“You—you understand my research?”

Rarely, Sophie spoke to Green without the usual cold distance.

“No, I don’t.” Green shook his head slightly. “After all, I’m just an unlearned prodigal son. How could I comprehend the profound research of witches?”

Yet despite his denials, Sophie keenly caught the faint admiration in Green’s eyes.

He understood!

A surge of excitement welled up in Sophie’s heart.

Could it be that there really was a human who could understand her research as a witch?

Even among secular lords and so-called Mages, few could grasp the depth of the heresy witches’ pursuit of truth.

Sophie was deeply drawn to this possibility.

At this moment, the man she once saw as no different from those who coveted her beauty took on an entirely different image.

“No, Miss Sophie, I truly don’t understand your research.”

Seeing the flicker of excitement within the witch, Green’s smile deepened.

“Then, Lord Green, why…” Sophie’s face showed confusion again. After a moment of hesitation, she asked uncertainly, “Why did you risk offending the clerics to save me?”

“Because, Miss Sophie, I know you’re a good person.”

Green’s gaze was complicated as he looked at the thick stack of parchment beside him.

“Good person?” Sophie blinked.

She had thought a lot just now, but never did she expect the mortal lord of pure and noble blood before her to give such a strange answer.

“Speaking of which, you must have noticed.”

Green changed the subject and pointed toward the small town outside the window, which looked somewhat desolate and forlorn.

“This place is a poor, backwater village.”

So…?

Sophie looked confusedly at the thatched huts, filthy, stinking alleys, and starving, freezing commoners struggling in the cold wind.

A barren town, common across the wastelands and even the entire continent.

“Miss Sophie, I’ve always had a dream.” Green looked outside, his eyes filled with nostalgia. “A dream that one day, under my rule, every household will at least have a bowl of chicken stew during the winter solstice.”

“Miss Sophie, will you help me?”

After hearing Green’s “dream,” Sophie almost laughed.

What kind of dream was that?

She looked at him as if seeing Green for the first time, eyes wide.

“You trust me?” Sophie smiled slightly. “I just polluted a lot of farmland not long ago.”

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose, Miss Sophie. It was just a failed experiment.”

Green gently reached out his hand.

Click.

He solemnly unlocked the anti-magic manacles on Sophie’s wrist.

Sophie froze.

Trust… trust a witch?

“Besides, if the Tribunal hadn’t destroyed your lab, those failed pollutions wouldn’t have leaked out, right?”

Faced with Green’s sincere question, Sophie fell completely silent.

After a long moment, she slowly spoke.

“Lord Green.” For the first time, Sophie looked him straight in the eyes. “Let’s talk about your deal in detail.”