Lancel’s first impression of Duchess Prelati was that she was small.

Now he understood where Ishtar had gotten her features from. The two looked almost identical. The only difference was that, for some reason, Duchess Prelati kept her eyes closed.

At that moment, as if answering his unspoken question, Ishtar leaned in and whispered.

"Master keeps her eyes closed so her mana doesn’t spiral out of control."

"Out of control?"

"Yes," Ishtar replied with a nod. "It’s far beyond what any witch can properly contain. Try focusing on her."

Lancel turned his gaze back to Duchess Prelati and concentrated. He poured mana into his eyes, sharpening his perception, trying to see what Ishtar wanted him to notice.

"...She’s leaking mana," he murmured. "And not just a little... that’s a ridiculous amount."

"That’s right," Ishtar said. "What you’re seeing now... that’s her in a suppressed state."

That typically shouldn’t happen.

A witch’s mana was usually contained, only becoming perceptible when they actively cast magic. If it leaked, it was a sign of inexperience. That had been the case for Lancel himself, back when his control was still crude. His mana would spill out the moment he tried to use it.

But this was different.

The sheer volume of mana leaking from her far exceeded Lancel’s own capacity. And more than that, as he focused more closely, he realized something else.

It wasn’t random.

The mana leaking from her was controlled, as if there was an exact amount that needed to be released at all times.

"Come closer."

Duchess Prelati beckoned with her index finger. Her voice was so soft that, under normal circumstances, it should have been difficult to hear from that distance. Yet, for some reason, it still reached Lancel’s ears clearly.

"She can see me?"

"Don’t be rude, Lancel. Master just keeps her eyes closed. She isn’t blind."

"...?"

Lancel and Ishtar crossed the distance.

The garden was beautiful, filled with all sorts of colorful plants and flowers Lancel had never seen before. A stream from a waterfall could be heard somewhere nearby, its gentle sound blending into the atmosphere.

If someone had told him this was merely a room within the Prelati mansion, he wouldn’t have believed it.

"Master."

Ishtar lowered herself onto one knee.

Lancel noticed immediately. The difference between their relationship and that of Fiore and Countess Gretelle was clear. There was a level of reverence here that went beyond formality.

In any case, Lancel followed her lead and knelt as well.

However, the moment he did so, Duchess Prelati let out a soft chuckle. Even that small sound carried an oddly captivating charm.

"Hehe... why are you kneeling?"

"I’m not sure how I should properly address you..."

"You don’t need to kneel," she said gently. "Please, stand. You as well, my dear daughter. Honestly... since when did you start kneeling to me?"

They rose as instructed, and Duchess Prelati continued.

"First, allow me to congratulate you on your recent achievement. Heidi Ermengarde was someone I had been searching for for a very long time. While I do find it a little unfortunate that I wasn’t the one to end her myself... you’ve done well. You deserve the recognition."

"Uhm... I didn’t really—"

Ishtar nudged him in the shoulder.

Lancel stopped mid-sentence. He didn’t quite understand why, but he had a feeling he was about to say something wrong again.

"...Thank you."

"Hehe..." Duchess Prelati let out a soft laugh. "You don’t have to be so tense. And Ishtar, you can stop teasing him now. Since when have you ever respected me anyway, you little brat?"

"...Yes, Master."

"...."

Teasing?

Lancel glanced at Ishtar. All this time, she had been reminding him to be respectful, telling him not to act out of line.

But when their eyes met...

"Ehehe..."

She simply looked away and let out a quiet, amused chuckle.

Duchess Prelati sighed softly, rubbing her temple before lifting her head toward Lancel. It was difficult to tell where exactly her gaze was directed, given that her eyes remained closed.

Now that he looked more closely, she truly lived up to her title.

She was beautiful.

Flowing magenta flowed down like silk, and she wore a black frilled dress that only added to her refined presence.

She was just as small as Ishtar, yet where Ishtar carried a certain liveliness, Duchess Prelati’s beauty leaned toward something far more elegant.

If she simply sat there without saying anything, Lancel might have mistaken her for a doll.

"Anyway... Lancel, was it?" she began. "I have observed, and I have heard. Your power is quite unlike anything I’ve seen. The ability to forcibly suppress mana into submission... that is your true capability, is it not?"

Lancel’s eyes widened.

"That’s—"

"I can already tell you’re about to lie," she said gently. "But there’s no need. It would be pointless."

"...?"

"I observed your battle with Heidi Ermengarde."

"Ah?"

Lancel immediately turned to Ishtar.

"Master was the one who developed the surveillance magic placed around the fixed points in Riviere that the barrier cannot reach," Ishtar explained.

Lancel licked his lips, unable to respond. If that was true, then she had seen everything.

Which meant... his trump card was already exposed.

"How did it look to you, Duchess Prelati?"

That was the important question.

Interpretation.

How exactly had Duchess Prelati perceived what he had done?

Because from Lancel’s perspective, he was certain of one thing. That no one else should have been able to see those chains but him.

"How did it look to me?" Duchess Prelati repeated, considering the question for a moment as she lightly tapped her lips. "It felt like telekinesis—no, not quite. As if some invisible force had pushed Heidi down, but not exactly telekinesis. Something stronger. Something that took hold of her very soul and prevented her from defying you."

"...."

That assessment was unnervingly accurate.

Even if they couldn’t see it, they could still grasp its nature. Witches were terrifying beings, indeed.

"I won’t pry further," Duchess Prelati continued. "Your power is your own. But the reason I brought you here... is to ask you something, Lancel."

———!

At that moment, a crushing weight of mana descended upon him.

Lancel’s knees slammed against the ground, his body forced down as Duchess Prelati slowly rose to her feet. Even Ishtar flinched at the situation.

"M-Master... w-what are you doing?!"

But Duchess Prelati paid her no mind.

She stepped forward, looking down at Lancel.

Pinned to the ground, he could only raise his gaze to meet her. Despite her small frame, she felt like a mountain he could never overcome.

"Are you an enemy of Riviere?"

Lancel swallowed.

For a brief moment, the thought of resisting crossed his mind, but for some reason, his instincts told him not to.

So instead, he lifted his gaze, meeting Duchess Prelati head-on despite the crushing pressure, his teeth clenched.

"I’m not... I wouldn’t dare..."

"You say that. But there’s malice woven into your tone. And unresolved guilt lingering in the back of your throat, as if you’ve already committed a sin against me."

She tilted her head slightly.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"...Who wouldn’t be...?" Lancel forced out. "You’re... a Duchess..."

"That’s not what you’re afraid of," Duchess Prelati said. "If it were, there would be respect in your voice. I don’t hear any."

Her voice remained soft, but her words were anything but.

Duchess Prelati was sensitive to tone.

That was why she could easily discern someone’s internal struggles just from the way they spoke. At this moment, she could tell that Lancel feared her, not out of respect for her title, but as if he had committed a sin against her, or perhaps against Riviere itself.

Though she wasn’t entirely sure, she was certain Lancel carried a lingering guilt deep within him.

"M-Master, stop!" Ishtar pleaded. "Lancel is a good person—"

"Be quiet, Ishtar," Duchess Prelati said. "This concerns the fate of Riviere. If you weren’t aware, Heidi Ermengarde possessed the power to wipe out more than half of the current Erudition Society. For this man to have overwhelmed her so easily... he is far more of a threat to witches than you realize."

"I’m sure you’ve heard... Duchess..." Lancel began through gritted teeth. "What I did back then... was to save two of your kind... If this is how I’m going to be treated... I should have just minded my own business..."

Duchess Prelati looked down at him. It wasn’t a glare. Her expression remained aloof the entire time, her face just as soft as her voice.

"I know," Duchess Prelati said. "But so what? Then tell me, what is it that you want? Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re hiding something from me."

"...There’s no such thing..."

"Master!" Ishtar stepped forward. "If Lancel were truly that much of a threat, he should be more than capable of attacking you right now!"

Duchess Prelati turned to Ishtar. The girl did have a point. Here, in the face of certain death, the man remained steadfast.

Initially, Duchess Prelati had theorized that he might be some secret experiment of a Black Witch, sent to destroy Riviere.

After all, here, in this garden, a zone isolated from the outside world, with only two witches present, this would be his only chance to kill her, Velina Prelati, and her daughter, Ishtar Prelati.

However, he had not done so.

While not fully convinced, due to her daughter’s pleading, it seemed there was more to this man than met the eye. For that reason, Duchess Prelati released her hold on him.

"...Haa... Haa..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Unbeknownst to her, however, the guilt Lancel had that she had noticed wasn’t anything malicious.

It was simply due to the fact that in the back of his mind, seeing Velina Prelati, all he could think of was that he had fucked and creampied her daughter more than five times.

"...."

He’d be crazy to confess that.