The Villainess was Loved

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Twin Witches of Riven

“Oh…here it is!”

The red-haired and red-eyed witch, Nalia, said as she picked a red and gold book from the dusty shelf.

“You arranged it last. Does it make sense to react that way for a book you were in charge of?”

Nadia, her purple-haired and purple-eyed sister, asked as she settled herself opposite me on a table whose centre held a spherical starry purple crystal.

“Yes, if a century has passed.”

Three years! It took three years to find the criminalized witches who were supposedly banished from most territories in Norvig.

“We have heard a lot about you from the ethers. Your presence breeds a lot of controversies.”

Nadia said as she drew spirals on the table with her fingers.

“If that is the case, why evade me for three years.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Breca scoffed behind me, obviously not buying their act.

Kat was still outside, tasked with catching and cooking dinner for the witches, that being alligator stew.

“If you commune with the ethers, spirits or whatever, you must have known that I was looking for you across the continent; why evade me for that long?”

“It is not that we evaded you; it was the matter of common interest.”

“Explain?”

“In due time, firstly, what is your request?”

“Shouldn’t you know that?”

“We should, however, the granting of desires is often tricky. We’d rather you present the case yourself.”

Both sisters were astronomically beautiful, especially the fact that the only thing they differed in was the colour of their mana.

Nalia’s was red, while Nadia’s was purple, perhaps a testament to their abilities.

As much as I wanted to know more about them, I don’t think we have enough time for a filler conversation.

“I want to die. I am currently unable to kill myself, and I find most around me too irritating to grant them the honour of killing me.”

“So you have never been attacked by one at per with your current level or…requirements?”

“No, I don-…I mean, I have died once.”

“Hm?”

“Yes, I was executed by a noble, but I ended up regressing to my teen years.”

“Fascinating. So you have lived twice?”

“Thrice if you count my existence in another world.”

Breca and Kat already knew everything about me.

After countless quests, we developed a deep sense of friendship. Enough that they agreed to be my vassals after the ceremony.”

“I see. It must have been hard.”

Nalia, who was flipping through the large red book, sympathised.

“Yes, it must have, but why would she throw away the life offered by the goddess?”

Nadia asked, her voice laden with the all too familiar sense of defensive superiority that showed when ones’ beliefs were questioned.

“Here we go again.”

Nalia muttered.

“What? Speak with your chest, Nalia!”

“Because the goddess did not seek my permission beforehand. Is that really a question?”

I answered to diffuse their bickering.

The more time we spent together, the more their differences grew pronounced.

“The goddess needs no-,”

“I am not here to listen to your two-dimensional sense of morality; I am here because I was told that you could help me.” I said briskly, “That both of you were the last remaining bridge to the goddesses aside from the pope in comatose.”

Nadia flinched.

Perhaps my words were too sharp; still, I might have been more accommodating towards their beliefs if they had not evaded me.

“Okay then.”

She said, then placed her finger gently on the crystal.

The glittery purple dispersed into a gentle clearness that made me believe water was trapped in the ball.

“Place your finger on the crystal.”

I did as I was told.

My image appeared on the ball.

I was standing alone, staring into white emptiness.

“Is that normal?”

“Yes. The crystal reads genetic predictions or makes genetic causations based on requests.”

“Genetic causation? Are you saying that my immortality can be chalked to genes?”

“That is not your body, is it? By that, I mean you did not enter that body in its infantile stage but rather its later years, or did you.”

I stilled.

Rather than await my response, she continued.

“The fact that you entered it later than customary means you skipped some early tell-tale signs that are commonly passed on from mothers. Either way, it is your genes or your body that is the problem.”

“I specialize in soul magic,” she flipped her deep purple hair, then gestured to her eyes, “My sister specializes in blood.”

So purple meant soul magic, good to know.

“Wait, soul?” I blurted, “Then…can I go back t-.”

“Arusei!”

Nadia uttered my name too calmly for my liking.

As though she knew more than she let on on the matter.

“Only one request per five years.”

She said, reminding me of our agreement.

“I just want to know its likelihood.”

Whether I can return to…even for just five minutes.

Just enough time to say goodbye to Aran!

“We shall discuss that after five years.”

My stomach sank at her answer.

Was this my punishment for shutting down her ideologies?

“Focus, Arusei.”

I turned my gaze to the crystal.

My avatar's skin darkened to green. Her hair slowly changed to vines with the occasional leaf. She did not age, only grow less human-like.

Her skin’s green darkened until finally, it grew the likeness of bark.

My legs slowly lost their qualities and instead thickened, my toes expanded as vines until finally, it grew clear what I was watching.

“I am turning into a tree…Is…am I cursed?”

“No, not cursed.” Nalia answered, “That is just the species of the body you inherited.”

“Inherited?”

Should she not say possessed? Inherit makes it feel like the real Arusei is…

“Yes, the real bodies owner has long passed.”

Nadia answered this time.

What should I say?

That I am saddened at her passing?

I don’t know.

I don’t. I just don’t know if I have it in my being to care. Not when I still reject this life.

I mean, is rest that bad?

“That is the Yew tree.” Nadia pointed to the crystal, “It is a representation of the Yggdrasil. It should look similar to any birthmark that body has.”

“You have a birthmark on your body, do you not?” she asked, then turned to Nalia, “she should have one by now; she is awakened.”

“Yap, according to this book.”

The book.

Wait, do they mean the Yggdrasil mark on my hand?

“What you are is a woodland nymph.”

“From the top, Nadia.”

“Oh? Would you like to explain it to her yourself?”

“Nymphs are representations of the gods. There is a ‘mother’; this is a type of nymph with all the species' abilities. Currently, this position is occupied by the grand duchess of the north in Cursix Empire.”

“There exists only one representation per species.” Nalia continued, “There exists, water nymphs, they command water, woodland nymphs, you, in this case, are the only representation, and you have a general command and understanding of plant life.”

“Beyond that…I think you may need to visit North Cursix for answ-,”

“Are you kidding me?”

Both sisters stilled.

“I spent three years chasing after you for you to send me off to another goose chase?! Enough with the quests!!”

I slammed my hand hard on the table.

“Go to the blind mistress; she knows about dah dah dah dah! Go to the master of the tower; he knows about dah dah dah dah! Go to old man Kibbles, he may ask you to perform some quests, but he will…enough! Just! Enough!”

The room held some quietness at my outburst, but three years is just…I am tired.

“I- I just want to die.”

Nadia tapped the avatar crystal again, and it regained its purple colour.

“Okay,” Nadia said, then crossed her hands.

“The only way for a nymph of any species to die is to give birth to a girl.”

“What?”

“Get pregnant.”

*

*

*

The carriage rattled bitterly, throwing my ‘hangovered’ body onto its floor.

“f*****g hell!”

I cursed.

That damn dream again.

Ever since the visit to Riven, the drinks I found on the way tasted sweeter, yet even they could not soothe the aching darkness.

A child? Pregnant?

Me?

Me, a mother?

I can hardly recall my own, both in this life or in my other.

How can I give birth to a child just to abandon it?

Could there be another way??

There has to be another way.

The witches said that that has been the only way for three hundred years; hence only beings more powerful than nymphs, like dragons or beings at the same level like elves, or high mana-ed humans could impregnate a nymph.

A nymph…

Gods, I am not even human!

Dragons were apparently preferred because of their mating abilities. When a dragon mates with a nymph or a non-human with a short life span like a fairy or spirit, it shares its lifespan so that in the end, they both die when the dragon’s time is up.

All of this was in the red book the nymph offered.

There was a way to prolong a nymph's life but none to end it.

How ridiculous!

“We are almost there. Are you sure you'll be fine?”

Breca asked.

“Mhh… I guess after a shower, food and-,” I stared at my dusty pants, “right shopping.”

I almost forgot how pretentious Central folk are.

“Ooh, can I join? It's been such a long time since I put on a dress!”

Kat said.

“I bet.”

Breca responded.

I turned my attention to the busy life outside the carriage.

Should I get married?

The vision of Étienne, my only ever lover and husband in this world, filled my mind and sickening nausea claimed me.

I can’t.