Chapter 41: Departure

When Mo Zhi awoke from her faint, she had no idea how much time had passed.

The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was Windsor’s gloomy face.

At this moment, Mo Zhi was lying with her head on Windsor’s lap.

The hall around them was silent.

The two of them were still at the center of the temple, but she didn’t know where Lantis had gone.

“You’re awake, Clan Leader.”

Windsor smiled gently, her gaze filled with undisguised tenderness.

“Where… are we…”

With a brief moment of clarity, Mo Zhi immediately remembered what had just happened to her.

Shame surged through her chest, and her cheeks flushed so red it seemed they might drip blood.

Windsor had seen her in such a wretched state, her dignity as the clan leader was now utterly lost…

Windsor kept gently stroking Mo Zhi’s forehead with her right hand, as if savoring this long-lost sensation.

“Did that person heal your right hand?”

“Mm.”

She replied softly and fell silent again, simply gazing quietly at Mo Zhi’s face.

Mo Zhi felt uncomfortable under Windsor’s gaze.

The thought of Windsor having witnessed her like that filled her with embarrassment—she couldn’t imagine what Windsor must think of her now.

“S-Since you’re already healed, let’s hurry back.”

Mo Zhi stood up in a fluster, patting the dust off her clothes with her back turned to Windsor, as if afraid to see her face and deliberately avoiding Windsor’s eyes.

Her ears burned red. Even with Mo Zhi’s back to her, Windsor could see the flush on both cheeks.

“That person… didn’t do anything to you, right?”

Mo Zhi asked, turning slightly.

“No… thanks to the Clan Leader’s protection.”

Mo Zhi didn’t notice that, at this moment, the shadows in Windsor’s eyes had spread deep.

The knuckles of her right hand were white from clenching so hard; she seemed to despise this newly revived right hand.

Helplessness and rage churned in her heart.

Once again she had depended on Mo Zhi, caused her trouble, and allowed her to suffer such humiliation…

All of it was the fault of this right hand.

If only she hadn’t brought it back, or if she had crushed and devoured it, then maybe the Clan Leader wouldn’t have gone through all this.

Or perhaps she never should have arrogantly gone alone to assassinate that noble; maybe if she’d just shamelessly relied on Mo Zhi as she always had, selfishly stayed by her side until the day they inevitably parted, she could have simply ended her own life when that day came.

But in the end… all of this came from jealousy.

Jealousy of the things that could still be close to Mo Zhi after her own death, jealousy of the ones who could still make Mo Zhi care after she was gone.

The fire of this jealousy in her heart seemed so fierce that not even death could extinguish it.

If she died with such jealousy, she’d surely become a spirit of resentment, endlessly yearning to linger by Mo Zhi’s side…

At the very least, before she died completely, she wanted to do something for the Clan Leader.

If she could calm this jealousy even just a little… at least, when she died, she wouldn’t trouble Mo Zhi anymore…

‘I want you to kill the princess’s newly-wed husband.’

Lantis’s words still echoed in Windsor’s ears.

She knew this Mission was practically suicide.

Even if she succeeded, it would mean mutual destruction.

But Lantis had promised her: as long as she tried, whether she succeeded or not, he would keep his word and never again shame the Clan Leader like this.

If so, then her death would have meaning…

***

On the way back, Mo Zhi sensed something strange about Windsor.

Though Windsor was never a cheerful person, and always looked melancholic, after all these years together Mo Zhi could tell that Windsor was even more downcast than usual, her brows drawn lower, lost in her own thoughts.

“Windsor… are you hiding something from me?”

Windsor snapped out of her trance.

She was silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke: “Clan Leader, I want to leave the clan.”

“Leave the clan!?”

Mo Zhi was so shocked she jumped to her feet in the carriage.

She asked anxiously, “Why do you want to leave? Ah, did someone bully you while I was gone?!”

Thinking this, she angrily rolled up her sleeves and barked, “Tell me who it is! I’ll make them pay!”

“No, no one bullied me…”

“Then why?”

Mo Zhi slumped back onto her seat, looking a little dejected.

“Because…”

Because she was about to carry out a Mission that was no different from suicide.

If she said that, the Clan Leader would surely lock her in a room and never let her out.

She took a breath and made up an excuse: “Because I want to see the outside world.”

“Clan Leader, you know I’ve been frail and sickly since I was young, and even as I grew up, I never once left the clan alone. Actually, I’ve always wanted to see the world outside, but just never found a chance to tell you.”

“So, please let me be willful just this once, Clan Leader…”

As she spoke these insincere words, the hand hidden behind Windsor’s back clenched even tighter, turning pale.

Leave the clan?

She had never had such a thought.

She had no interest in the world outside.

She only wanted to stay by Mo Zhi’s side. Mo Zhi was the most beautiful scenery she’d ever known; everything else was as dull as dust.

“Windsor…”

Mo Zhi wanted to make her stay, but Windsor had indeed always been by her side since childhood—she couldn’t just keep relying on Windsor, couldn’t keep her caged by her side forever.

If possible, she would have loved to travel the world with Windsor, like carefree witches wandering the skies, waking each morning only to decide where to play next.

But as clan leader, her people pinned their hopes on her—she could never simply leave.

“If you really insist on going, Windsor… I’ll support you.”

“Mm, thank you, Clan Leader.”

“When are you planning to leave?”

Mo Zhi asked anxiously.

Windsor paused for a moment, then said slowly, “Today…”

“Today?! Why so sudden?”

Mo Zhi leapt to her feet again, flustered.

Her voice lowered, tinged with grievance, “Can’t you… stay with me just a few days longer?”

“I’m sorry, Clan Leader…”

According to the intel Lantis provided, the best time to kill the princess’s new husband would be on the day of the wedding, four days from now.

Even a witch would need two days and nights to reach the Royal Capital from here, and since she could only travel by carriage, it would take even longer.

“Why so sudden…”

All along the way, the two of them felt terribly down, and didn’t say another word.

Once home, Windsor immediately began packing her things.

A few pieces of bread, some clothes, a dagger, and a handful of silver coins that Mo Zhi insisted on stuffing into her bag—these would suffice.

After packing, Mo Zhi stood at the door, tightly holding Windsor’s hand, reluctant to let go.

A few tears even slipped from the corners of her eyes.

“If you meet any bad people, you must run away, okay!”

“Mm…”

“If you can’t find a place to stay, you have to come right back, alright?”

“Mm…”

“And you must write to me every month—did you hear?”

“…Mm.”

Mo Zhi nagged Windsor over and over like a doting mother, until over ten minutes had passed before she finally, reluctantly, let go of Windsor’s hand.

Watching that slowly receding back, Mo Zhi stood at the door for a long, long time.

Only when Windsor’s figure was completely gone did she return to her now-lonely house…