After easily escaping the prison, Celeste let out a soft hum under the cover of the murky night.
In an instant, she underwent a 360-degree transformation.
Her pitch-black hair and blood-red pupils shifted into a summer lake-blue hue.
Her facial features lost a bit of their sweetness, replaced by a touch of aristocratic elegance and gentleness.
At the same time, she grew significantly taller, her curves became more pronounced, and even her black lace dress transformed into a pure, white maiden’s gown.
Celestia, daughter of Earl Harris — this was the identity she used while living in Hela City.
Hela City was the heart of the Harris Territory and was firmly under the control of Earl Harris.
However, the real daughter of the Earl had actually passed away in an accident one year ago. Celeste was merely an impostor.
But even Earl Harris himself was unaware of this.
To avoid exposure, Celeste had gone to great lengths to play the role of Celestia during the past year.
Fortunately, the presence of Eros Energy had prevented anyone from becoming suspicious.
She made her way to the Earl Harris Manor.
Before she could even enter the door, Celeste — now in the guise of Celestia — saw three women standing at the entrance.
The one leading them wore a monocle and an expression of absolute severity, a heavy ferule gripped in her hand.
She was the aristocratic Etiquette Tutor specially invited by Earl Harris. Her daily task was to teach etiquette to the Earl’s daughter, Celestia, and her requirements were incredibly strict.
As the Earl’s daughter, returning home so late had clearly crossed a line.
The tutor gripped her ferule tightly, her anger so intense that even her pupils were slightly bloodshot.
With a twitch of her eye, Celestia took a deep breath and stepped toward them.
The moment she appeared, the Etiquette Tutor let out a cold snort, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Oh, if it isn’t our young lady. It’s so late; you actually still know how to return? I thought someone had thrown a sack over your head and was preparing to demand a ransom from our Lord Earl.”
“Have you forgotten your status and upbringing as the Earl’s daughter? Since you were staying out so late, couldn’t you have sent us some word? If someone saw you with a stranger in the middle of the night, what would happen if rumors started spreading through the city?”
“Furthermore, you don’t have a guard with you. What if you were targeted by someone with ill intentions? The peace of Hela City is only on the surface. In the shadows, who knows how many criminals…”
If no one stopped her, she could have continued her lecture indefinitely.
At the same time, her anger grew stronger and stronger.
Even the two maids beside her instinctively took two steps back to distance themselves from her.
However, right then, Celestia spoke up.
“I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”
She lowered her head, her right hand brushing a strand of hair behind her ear while her left hand clutched her skirt.
Like a frightened little rabbit, her expression was filled with a pitiable vulnerability.
A pale pink aura lingered around her.
Her current appearance easily stirred the protective instincts of everyone present.
Even the two maids standing behind the tutor couldn’t help but step forward to defend her.
“Madam Tutor, the young lady didn’t do it on purpose. Let her off just this once.”
“That’s right. The lady is usually very obedient. Something must have delayed her this time.”
The tutor froze.
The fire in her heart quietly dissipated, replaced by a wave of deep regret.
Not only that, but the hand gripping the ferule felt increasingly cold.
‘What on earth was I doing just now?’
As an Etiquette Tutor, she had taught many noble children.
Most of them were disobedient because of their prominent family backgrounds, forcing her to use punishment on them.
But Celestia, the daughter of Earl Harris, was completely different.
She had been obedient from the very beginning, never talking back to her.
She could even laugh off any difficulties the tutor threw her way.
This noble lady was arguably the most perfect student she had encountered since starting this profession!
How could it be such a student’s fault for not returning home on time today?
Looking at Celestia’s slightly despondent eyes, the tutor’s heart was suddenly filled with pain for reasons she couldn’t explain.
‘Why didn’t I notice it earlier?’
That dim gaze, the drooping hair… everything indicated that she had encountered something terrible tonight.
‘Perhaps she had to use all her strength just to make it home?’
Biting her lip, the tutor felt even more self-reproach.
As an elder, she actually really wanted to know what the noble lady had experienced tonight.
But at the same time, she knew Celestia’s personality — she was obedient, but not weak.
If she wanted to speak, she would.
If she didn’t, no one could force it out of her.
“Fine. I will let you off this once. As for what you were doing so late, you are the Earl’s daughter, and I have no right to pry. However, if you encounter something you can’t solve on your own, don’t forget to tell the Lord.”
“Thank you, Tutor.”
The intended punishment eventually turned into words of concern.
The tutor dropped the ferule and looked at Celestia with eyes full of guilt, feeling that she had failed in her responsibilities as an elder.
The night wind was quite cold.
Worried that Celestia would catch a chill, the tutor quickly ushered her into the manor and followed her all the way back to her bedroom.
It was only after the bedroom door closed that the tutor left, appearing somewhat dazed.
***
Inside the bedroom, Celestia retracted the pale pink aura surrounding her.
She felt increasingly puzzled.
Judging by its performance, this aura that radiated Eros Energy was clearly very effective and could help her easily gain the favor of others.
So why did it have no effect on that woman?
‘Could it be that there are certain limitations to this aura, and that woman happens to be an exception?’
After thinking it over, Celestia couldn’t come to a conclusion.
She could only temporarily chalk it up as an anomaly.
Following that, she discovered that the Witch’s Tear she always carried had disappeared.
The Witch’s Tear was a tear-shaped magical gemstone that had been in her pocket ever since she reincarnated as a Witch.
She wasn’t entirely sure of its specific effects; she only knew it could help her mask her own Witch Aura.
In this world where Witches were born, Witch Hunters who profited from selling Witches naturally existed as well.
Compared to ordinary people, their methods for targeting Witches were more numerous and more terrifying.
In particular, they could sense the Witch Aura that normal people couldn’t.
Therefore, once targeted by them, an average Witch had no chance of escaping.
And that meant that without the Witch’s Tear, it was only a matter of time before Celestia was caught by a Witch Hunter.
Witch Hunters were a group of true perverts.
They didn’t just sell Witches as slaves. In their eyes, a Witch wasn’t a human, but a specimen…
Wrapping her arms around herself as she trembled slightly, Celestia forced herself to calm down.
Thinking carefully, she realized she still had a few chances.
First, she had only just lost the Witch’s Tear, so it would surely take some time before Witch Hunters came knocking on her door.
Second, as long as she found the Witch’s Tear, all her worries would end.
As for where the Witch’s Tear was…
She had a slight lead.
After all, if it hadn’t fallen in the previous hotel, then it was likely in that stranger woman’s hands.
If it was neither of those, then it must be in the hands of the organization behind that stranger!
At this thought, she let out a small hum and gradually relaxed.
As long as she determined the location of the Witch’s Tear, things would be simple.
‘Up until now, there hasn’t been anything I, Celeste, couldn’t get my hands on.’
***
Early the next morning, just as Celestia was preparing to leave the manor to investigate the hotel for her lost Witch’s Tear, Earl Harris appeared before her and stopped her.
“Celestia, get ready. We have a guest from the Imperial Capital visiting us today. We must entertain her well.”
“…A guest from the Imperial Capital? It’s not another blind date you’ve arranged for me, is it?”
Celestia looked at him suspiciously.
In her memory, this Earl had sought out quite a few marriage prospects for her just so he could hold a granddaughter as soon as possible.
Earl Harris shook his head upon hearing this and walked toward the gate as he explained, “How could it be? She is an Inquisitor from the Imperial Capital. She is visiting us this time only because she will be stationed in Hela City for a while.”
Hearing him say this, Celestia believed him a bit more.
The nobles of this world were different from those of her past life.
Even though Hela City was Earl Harris’s territory, the Empire would not completely relinquish its power.
Therefore, an Inquisition representing the Empire’s authority was established within the territory.
Normally, the Inquisition would occasionally maintain order in Hela City and arrest criminals, but its most important role was actually to monitor the major nobles to prevent any rebellions.
There were many Inquisitors within the Inquisition.
The lord of a territory would be notified of the transfers of many high-ranking Inquisitors, but Celestia had never heard of a lord personally receiving an Inquisitor before.
Therefore, she couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about the arriving Inquisitor.
“They’re here.”
Standing at the manor gate, Earl Harris straightened his cuffs as a luxurious carriage engraved with the Blazing Sun of the Inquisition appeared before them.
The carriage driver stepped down first and opened the door.
Afterward, a woman wearing white high heels stepped out, holding up her white-gold gown that symbolized her status as she descended elegantly.
Upon seeing Earl Harris, she managed a faint, forced smile.
But even so, the aura she exuded still felt like it kept people a thousand miles away.
Earl Harris’s smile was much brighter.
He went straight up to greet the woman, failing to notice that Celestia, who was standing behind him, had her eyes wide open in complete disbelief.
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