Home/The Reason I Was Reincarnated as a Witch in a Novel/ch 6

Chapter 006

What does he know, and why is he asking?

Countless questions raced through Lindsay's mind as she raised her head to look at Lionel. His clear, innocent face seemed to hold no ulterior motive.

She brushed aside her thoughts. There was no way he could know what these potions were for.

"Because healing potions have the highest demand."

Giving an ordinary answer, Lindsay resumed moving her hands.

Even in this peaceful era after the war, healing potions remained popular. Lionel, who knew this better than anyone, fell into thought as he diligently trimmed the tips of the Recovery Herb leaves. He felt he might come up with a way to earn Lindsay's favor.

"Shall I get you certified by the Magic Tower?"

"You?"

Lindsay caught herself as soon as she spoke. She had forgotten that Lionel was the Tower Master.

"I am the Tower Master. That kind of certification is easy to obtain."

Somehow, Lionel's shoulders seemed to lift slightly.

"Mm... No need for certification. Just keep prepping the ingredients."

She had enough money now. With so much to do immediately, she didn't want customers flooding in. Once everything was over, it wouldn't be a bad idea, but...

At Lindsay's refusal, Lionel gave a disappointed smile.

"I was hoping to earn some favor. What a shame."

"Why do you have so many regrets? Ah!"

A small gasp escaped Lindsay's lips, and Lionel snapped his head up.

"What's wrong?"

Lindsay waved her hand dismissively, saying it was nothing, and continued prepping the ingredients. Lionel watched her hands with a suspicious look. The moment he spotted the small drop of red blood beading on her white fingertip, his delicate brow furrowed.

Raising only his upper body from his seated position, he snatched the bleeding finger and put it in his mouth.

"Why would you put that in your mouth! It's dirty!"

Startled by the soft, fleshy sensation suddenly on her finger, Lindsay recoiled.

She tried to pull her finger from Lionel's mouth, but his firm grip on her wrist made all her efforts futile.

Lionel kept her finger in his mouth, licking it with his tongue as he mumbled.

"I wath curiouth."

"Enough—let go!"

What kind of madman tastes blood out of curiosity!

Embarrassed by the situation, Lindsay's face flushed bright red. At that moment, the sound of a cat's meow startled her, and she summoned a gust of wind. The jade-green gale roughly sent Lionel flying.

Lionel, having been blown against the wall, smiled mischievously and opened his mouth.

"Were you embarrassed?"

[Were you embarrassed, meow?]

At the simultaneous questions, Lindsay's face hardened.

"No! Not at all! I've lived for how many centuries!"

Lionel's lips curled up slyly.

"So you're used to this kind of contact, then?"

"Of course I am!"

At Lindsay's immediate reply, the cat scoffed.

[Lying is bad, meow.]

Fine. Your words don't matter since Lionel can't understand you anyway. No one knows I've been single my whole life.

Lindsay raised her chin proudly and stared at Lionel. Remarkably, even before recalling her past life, Lindsay had never had any romantic involvement with the opposite sex.

Unfortunately for Lindsay, Lionel had already deduced from her reactions that she had little to no experience with the opposite sex. So even her proud witch's demeanor didn't bother him.

"Have you ever done this too?"

I could do even more than this.

"What are you—!"

In an instant, Lionel was seated on Lindsay's lap. He trapped her slender waist between his legs and leaned his upper body forward.

Between his arms, which extended beyond his cloak, her flustered face was visible. Seeing her wide jade-green eyes, he curled the corners of his mouth.

"What do you think I'm about to do?"

At his question, brimming with amusement, Lindsay slowly regained her composure.

She brainwashed herself into believing that what was in front of her was just a pretty statue. Her embarrassment subsided considerably.

"...Before you... hit... I—"

"Mm? I can't hear you very well."

At her fragmented words, Lionel leaned his head closer. Just then, a black shadow darted swiftly toward his left cheek. With a thwack, his head snapped to the side.

"I said get out before you get hit!"

Lindsay shoved Lionel, who was dazed with his hand on his cheek, completely off her lap. Pushed away, Lionel blinked at the unexpected turn of events, then burst out laughing.

He had expected her to hide her blushing face or pull back—not throw a punch. Given that his perpetually active protective magic had triggered, his witch seemed to possess talent not only in magic but also in physical combat.

"What? Are you crazy?"

At Lindsay's sullen question, the cat clicked its tongue.

[If you'd put your full strength into hitting his head, even a decent demon would lose his wits, meow.]

Coming from the cat, who had been irritably swatting the cat tower with his tail before Lionel got hit, it was a surprisingly nonchalant remark.

Lionel, laughing so hard that tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, wiped them away.

"Lindsay. If you were an ordinary person, my cheekbone would have caved in."

"It wasn't that hard."

"It was that hard."

"So what?"

What are you going to do about it? I saw you protect your cheek with magic anyway.

Lionel raised both hands toward Lindsay, who was glaring at him, and made a surrender gesture. Then he obediently returned to his seat.

"Hurry up. You're a slave, remember? If you finish all that by today, I'll let you go home?"

Now thoroughly irritated, Lindsay didn't hesitate to make threats dripping with spite.

"So if I don't finish, you'll keep me here, Lindsay? That's not so bad."

"What are you talking about? While the slave works, the master rests. I'll go up to the second floor and sleep."

Lindsay pointed upward dismissively with her finger. At her firm refusal, Lionel whined in a cajoling voice.

"Take me with you too."

"No. Don't even think about getting into my bed."

"Will you at least feed me? I haven't had breakfast yet."

"What were you doing that you didn't eat breakfast?"

Instead of answering, Lionel just smiled. He couldn't very well tell the person in question that he had spent all his time since returning to the Magic Tower yesterday searching for a way to bind the witch. He hadn't even found a method of forced binding yet—if she disappeared now, what would he do?

"I'll keep prepping the ingredients. So bring me some food."

Hearing that Lionel had skipped a meal, Lindsay left the workshop and went up to the second floor. Lionel's eyes followed the woman's retreating figure through the closing door with obsessive persistence.

As the door shut, the shadows in the workshop swelled. The mana lamps flickered erratically under the stronger force of magic, then went out completely.

The workshop was plunged into total darkness, and the cat that had been curled atop the tower rose to its feet.

"Are you threatening me the moment the Lady Witch is gone?"

Despite the eerie mana encircling him, Lionel watched the cat with a relaxed demeanor.

From the cat's back, enormous wings unfurled, revealing its full form.

Black feathers scattered through the air, and a man with wings on his back raised his head with an expressionless face. With features so striking that anyone—man, woman, young, or old—would be captivated, his jet-black hair cascaded like waves. Were it not for the two horns rising above his ebony locks, all who saw him would have been spellbound.

A low, weighty voice flowed from between his red lips.

"I thought we needed a conversation."

"Is this a conversation? I'd say it's more like a show of force."

Lionel replied breezily, preparing to unleash magic at any moment. He felt a surge of irritation toward the man who had been at Lindsay's side disguised as a cat.

"I figured you weren't an ordinary cat. A witch's familiar... correct?"

"I ask the questions here."

From the shadows that surrounded them on all sides, black hands shot out and lunged at Lionel.

Creating a magical barrier, Lionel calmly looked beyond it. As the black hands gripped the barrier, cracks quickly formed across its surface.

Lionel marveled at the power that could crumple even the most robust defensive magic in a single blow. He layered several more barriers and countered.

"What is it?"

"Brat. How did you know my witch was here and come looking for her?"

The smile that had never left Lionel's face vanished.

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