Chapter 24: A Morning’s Tangled Hair and Unspoken Words

A quarter of an hour later.

Alice stood before the washbasin, glancing towards the dressing mirror.

Queen Isola was turned away from her, meticulously combing her long, red hair.

The atmosphere was somewhat strained. Though sharing the same room, neither spoke a word.

Of course, this awkwardness paled in comparison to those first few seconds after waking. In that shared gaze, both found themselves speechless. Alice had racked her brain, searching for the most appropriate thing to say, yet came up empty.

Ultimately, it was Queen Isola who broke the silence. “Move over a bit. You’re pressing on my hair.”

“Oh, oh.”

This was the only exchange they had shared since waking.

Alice felt a pang of worry. They had woken up in each other’s arms, and she feared Queen Isola might misunderstand, thinking Alice had taken advantage of the situation.

Though she wanted to explain, she had a nagging feeling it would only make things worse. If someone had a nightmare, wouldn’t it be simpler to just wake them? And even if comforting them with a hug was acceptable, admitting she’d fallen asleep because the embrace was too comfortable sounded like nothing but an excuse.

Queen Isola hadn’t shown any intention of reprimanding her yet, but Alice couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be keeping a mental tally, waiting for a later reckoning.

The thought sent a shiver down Alice’s spine. After a quick wash, she changed her clothes and tiptoed towards the door, intent on making her escape first.

Queen Isola, seeing Alice’s reflection in the mirror, paused her actions and called out, “Wait.”

Alice’s heart seized.

“Are you planning to go out like that?” Queen Isola turned from her stool and asked.

‘It’s over, it’s truly over,’ Alice thought. ‘It seems this reckoning is due now.’

She turned to face Queen Isola, meeting her gaze directly.

Queen Isola stared at her for a moment, then rose from her stool and beckoned Alice over. “Come here.”

Alice’s heart gave a ‘thump,’ and she hesitated, not daring to approach.

“Don’t just stand there. Come quickly,” Queen Isola urged.

Having no choice, Alice gingerly shuffled forward, feeling as if she were walking on thin ice, until she stood before Queen Isola.

“Sit down,” Queen Isola instructed, pointing to the stool she had just vacated.

‘Is this to be a seated execution?’ Alice wondered, her mind filled with apprehension.

“Queen Isola, please let me explain first,” Alice pleaded, her words tumbling out rapidly, driven by a strong will to survive. “You might not believe me, but what happened this morning was because you had a nightmare. You suddenly leaned close, and I saw how distressed you were. I don’t know what I was thinking, I just…”

Queen Isola listened, bewildered, for a moment before finally reacting. Her face flushed, and she averted her gaze. “I already know that. You don’t need to specifically state it!”

“You know?” Alice’s eyes widened.

“Alright, never mind that. Just sit down first!” Queen Isola frowned, reaching out to pull Alice, pressing her onto the stool in front of the dressing table. “Take a good look in the mirror first!”

Alice looked at her reflection in the mirror, surprised.

Perhaps because her witch transformation was a result of Queen Isola creating a familiar, Alice now possessed a beautiful countenance strikingly similar to Queen Isola’s. The alluring charm of a witch also manifested in her, though less pronounced than in Queen Isola. Her features and face shape were impeccable; only one issue was glaringly obvious.

Her hair was a tangled mess, like dry grass ruffled by a foraging hen’s claws.

She hadn’t paid much attention to her hair while washing, simply following her masculine habits of a quick rinse.

The previous day, during her bath, she had also been at a loss with her wet, long hair, struggling for a long time in the bathroom before emerging with it only half-dry.

Queen Isola handed her a comb.

Alice immediately began to comb her hair, thoughtlessly pulling the comb straight down. The result was an immediate, sharp cry of pain as the comb snagged on a knotted section.

Seeing this, Queen Isola sighed. She reached out to free the comb from Alice’s tangled hair, then gently ran her fingers through Alice’s locks, meticulously beginning to comb it for her.

“I can do it myself.” Having her hair combed by another for the first time in her life, Alice felt a blush creep up, and she reached out to take back the comb.

“Don’t move,” Queen Isola gently pressed down on her head.

Alice could only sit still, allowing Queen Isola’s fair fingers to gently caress her long hair. The comb glided through her tresses, no longer getting caught in the chaotic knots as it had moments before.

Alice dared not turn her head, merely staring into the dressing mirror before her. She watched Queen Isola carefully tending to her hair, the two women, so similar in appearance, looking like sisters in the reflection. For some reason, at this moment, she suddenly wished for this time to stretch on, just a little longer.

Unfortunately, this wish was not granted. For in the next instant, she saw the room door being opened without permission, silently.

Behind the door appeared the Duchess, a mischievous smile on her face.

“Queen Isola…” Alice began, intending to warn Queen Isola, who was still focused on combing her hair.

“Almost done,” Queen Isola replied without lifting her head, thinking Alice was urging her to finish.

“Your Majesties’ affections seem to be blossoming quite rapidly,” the Duchess remarked, a smile playing on her lips. “My arrangements were not in vain.”

Queen Isola stopped her movements and sharply turned her head.

“Patra?” Seeing that the Duchess had come without servants, Queen Isola immediately frowned and chided, “How could you enter without even knocking?”

“I did knock. Perhaps you two were simply too engrossed to hear?” The Duchess feigned innocence, tapping her cheek with her finger.

“Don’t talk nonsense; you didn’t knock at all!” Queen Isola glared at her.

The Duchess covered her mouth and chuckled, then spoke. “Breakfast is ready. Eat it while it’s hot. Your Majesty, did you have a prophetic dream yesterday?”

“Dream…” Queen Isola recalled the events of yesterday and immediately replied with an impassive face, “No!”

“As expected, it’s not that easy.” The Duchess’s reaction was calm; she hadn’t held much hope for it anyway.

She then looked at Alice, smiling. “Alice, my dear daughter, lessons begin today. Are you ready?”

“No problem,” Alice replied.

“Then Your Majesty should rest well during this time,” the Duchess said, looking at Queen Isola. “Is there anything you need me to procure?”

Queen Isola thought for a moment before answering, “Do you have a channel to acquire monster materials right now?”

“That’s no problem. Anything available in the local black market, I can get my hands on. If not, placing a bounty with monster hunters isn’t out of the question. Are you planning to brew a magical potion?” the Duchess asked.

“No, I intend to use them to create a ‘Magic Mirror.’ This will take a few days, so it’s best to start as soon as possible,” Queen Isola slowly explained.

“Are you planning to use it for her?” The Duchess glanced at Alice. “Your Majesty, her task hasn’t even begun yet; there’s no need to rush, is there?”

“No, I have other uses for it. I’ll tell you once the Magic Mirror is complete,” Queen Isola replied seriously.