Silent Witch

Book 13: Chapter 1: Terms of Exchange

"Monica Norton, just who are you?"

Bridget's words caused Monica's mind to freeze for a few seconds.

She had been found out. The fact that Monica had injured her left hand. The fact that Monica was the person Felix was searching for!

Trying to calm her rapidly beating heart, Monica thought.

Just how much does Bridget know?

Has she figured out that Monica is the Silent Witch?

In any case, asking the wrong question could give her away. Monica pressed her throbbing left hand with her right hand and said in a trembling voice,

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you recognize this?"

Saying that, Bridget took something small out of her uniform pocket.

Seeing it, Monica couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah!"

Bridget's fingers were pinching an amber brooch the magical tool Monica had improvised to protect Felix before the school festival.

Seeing Monica's reaction, Bridget narrowed her eyes and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Yes, it's the item you dropped before the school festival. It looks like an ordinary brooch, but it's actually a splendid magical tool with a magic formula embedded inside How is it that you, who is treated so poorly by the House of Kerbeck, have such an expensive item?"

"W-Well, that's it's not that big of a deal"

After all, it was just a cheap brooch bought from a street stall, with an auxiliary spell cast on it in about thirty minutes. [TL: Damn girl, you just broke Louis' barrier he created with great effort in roughly 5 minutes, but the brooch you spent six times more time creating is still not a big deal?]

However, Bridget snorted at Monica's words.

"I had my servants analyze it, and it's not something anyone can do, to incorporate such a high-performance defensive enchantment into such a cheap brooch. This is an extremely expensive magical tool"

"Wh-What?"

Monica was unaware that her skills as one of the Seven Sages were far surpassed those of other magicians. What's more, she didn't normally come into contact with magical tools, so she was somewhat ignorant of their value. This had completely backfired on her.

"Why do you, who is treated so poorly by the Kelbeck Counts, possess such an expensive magical tool?"

I'm sorry, that's not true, it only took me thirty minutes to make it!

Unable to answer honestly, Monica's gaze wandered, and Bridget pressed further.

"I've always wondered why a girl like you, who seems so out of place at Serendia Academy, is always around His Highness. So I thought, could it be that you're His Highness's chosen bodyguard? If that were the case, it would explain why a girl like you was suddenly appointed to the student council, and why you have a magical tool with a defensive enchantment."

However, Bridget didn't seem convinced by her own reasoning. Bridget squinted her amber eyes and put a finger to her temple.

"But if you were the bodyguard chosen by His Highness, that would mean that the House of Kerbeck is connected to His Highness that's just too unnatural. The Count of Kerbeck is the most powerful military force in the eastern region Even His Highness Even Duke Crockford wouldn't be able to easily ask for their cooperation."

Bridget's words left Monica inwardly shocked.

N-No way, I have never thought that the House of Kerbeck is that powerful!

"By the way, I heard that you were taken from the monastery by the wife of the former Count Kerbeck Clarissa Norton, is that right?"

What Bridget meant was the "Monica Norton" setting that Louis Miller had come up with. It wasn't something she was hiding, and indeed, if someone asked her, that was how she would answer

But I didn't even know the wife of the former Count's name Why does she know so much?

Sensing Monica's wariness, Bridget smiled.

"What's the name of the monastery you were at?"

"Huh?"

"If you lived there since you were a child, you wouldn't have forgotten, would you?"

It wasn't that she didn't remember, it was more that she hadn't thought of such a detailed setting.

As Monica hesitated, Bridget continued speaking, still smiling.

"I had all the records of the monasteries in the Kerbeck territory investigated during the winter break. However, there was no record of a girl named Monica."

It was at this point that Monica finally realized.

The one who had been sniffing around Kerbeck County during the winter break was Bridget's subordinate.

"And so I have concluded that you must be a spy sent by the House of Kerbeck.' The House of Kerbeck must want to know something about His Highness Felix. That's why you came to Serendia Academy Am I wrong?"

As Bridget pressed her for an answer, Monica struggled to find the right words to respond.

Bridget was almost certain that Monica Norton's existence was fabricated. However, she had not yet realized that Monica was the Silent Witch.'

What would Louis do in a situation like this?

Monica thought of the most cunning and skilled negotiator she knew.

"The basics of negotiation start with understanding the other party's demands. First, you must figure out what they want."

If she continued at this rate, she would be swept away by Bridget's momentum.

Monica swallowed hard and steeled herself before finally speaking.

"Your objective, Miss Bridget, what might it be?"

In truth, Monica had hoped to approach the subject in a more roundabout manner, but this was the best she could manage.

Bridget frowned in displeasure, her gaze fixed on Monica.

"How impertinent of you to return a question with a question."

"You brought me here for a reason didn't you? You must have something you want me to do"

As she spoke, Monica looked straight at Bridget, though inwardly she was thinking, I wish I could look away. She's so scary'

They held each other's gaze for several tens of seconds before Bridget finally looked away.

"To put it bluntly, I couldn't care less about your true identity. I only investigated because it might prove useful as leverage."

"Huh?"

"I have but one goal: to uncover a certain secret' of His Highness. To that end, I require your cooperation, Monica Norton."

Monica was taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.

"The prince's secret? What what do you mean?"

"I'll tell you once you've sworn to assist me."

Monica was confused.

What secret of Felix's could Bridget possibly be after?

To be honest, there were many things about Felix that puzzled Monica, so she couldn't deny her curiosity.

However, she couldn't simply agree without careful consideration. After all, she was tasked with protecting Felix.

"I-If I don't cooperate you'll expose my true identity i-is that it?"

"If I could do that, it would be simple. But to be perfectly honest, I don't have the power to make enemies of the House of Kerbeck. This matter has nothing to do with my House of Sheilbury. It's something I wish to know for purely personal reasons."

It was only now that Monica understood why Louis had sought the cooperation of the House of Kerbeck for this mission.

The Kerbecks were not merely a family of flamboyant actors. They were a formidable noble house that even the likes of Duke Crockford and Marquis Sheilbury hesitated to cross.

Monica was reminded once again that not all counts were necessarily inferior to dukes or marquises.

Lady Bridget is acting solely out of personal interest, so she doesn't want to antagonize the House of Kerbeck If I pretend to be acting on their orders, maybe I can get out of this

Just as Monica began to entertain a glimmer of hope that she might be able to extricate herself from this predicament, Bridget spoke, her eyes on Monica's left hand.

"His Highness is currently searching for a petite young lady with an injured left hand. And you've been hiding that fact, haven't you? Or am I mistaken?"

Caught off guard, Monica's shoulders twitched, and Bridget immediately pressed on.

"I don't know what this young lady with an injured left hand' signifies or why His Highness is looking for her, but you clearly wish to keep it a secret from him, don't you?"

"That's that's"

As Monica stammered, Bridget raised a single finger and pointed it sharply at her.

"One week."

"Huh?"

"I'll give you one week to convince His Highness to abandon his search for this young lady with an injured left hand.' In return, you will cooperate with me."

Faced with this sudden exchange of conditions, Monica could only feel bewildered. But if she refused and Felix learned that Monica Norton' had an injured left hand, it would be the end of her. So, she cautiously asked, "Can you really do that?"

"Who do you take me for? In the realm of social intrigue, few can match my prowess."

With those words, Bridget used the tip of her folded fan to lift Monica's chin and smiled charmingly.