*Pan*

A small sound resounded, and Jura's cheek was slapped. The impact causes the silver crown Jura wore to come off and rolled on the floor.

A sound of *Kaching* was heard. The crown hit a limestone wall and stopped.

The current head of the Lakrama.n.u.s Household, Lejay Lakrama.n.u.s, who watched over the outcome of the game, was now in the waiting room. There were only two people in the waiting room, Jura and Lejay.

Jura was still dressed in a brilliant outfit. The dress was taken from the Lakrama.n.u.s Household. No one complained about being dirty or torn.

"You humiliate with your disgraceful behavior." (Lejay)

There was no warmth in her voice that a grandmother should give to her heartbroken grandchild.

"But Obasama… that's what Kasama told me to do." (Jura)

"Silent!!!" (Lejay)

"Kuh…" (Jura)

Lejay, the current head of the Lakrama.n.u.s Household, was a woman who had seen all the filths lying on the back of the royal capital. Her age was about to reach ninety.

"While leading a faction in the Silver Birch dormitory, you don't understand such a simple thing…" (Lejay)

Lejay shouted in anger. The granddaughter, who she thought that there was a bit prospect, had gotten on such a foolish plan.

Lejay wanted to say that Jura could use her head a little. But to begin with, it might be no use expecting the brain of the woman who couldn't graduate from the school of Liberal Arts until this age. However, she couldn't help but to think so.

The [All Togi Compet.i.tion] was an old-established game. Therefore, if someone won, the surrounding eyes would change. The name would be remembered, and it would give advantages in the career. In particular, if the opponent of the finals was an heir of the General household, it would lift the champion to another spot.

For that reason, it was fine to use underhanded schemes. That was what Lejay thought. Lejay had played twice in the tournament before graduating from the school of Liberal Arts at the age of eighteen, and she had won the champions.h.i.+p in the second tournament.

At that time, Lejay also too some measures. In her experience, it wasn't a bad idea to cause psychological confusion from arson.

However, the way of doing it was the worst.

It must be a plan of a low-life that her foolish daughter thought, but the way to convey it in the game, which was done in the public view, was the lowest of all. It was a plan that thugs would do.

What would the audience think if she engaged in war of words with the opponent? They would be offended at that point.

A mastermind shouldn't be bound by good nature, but she shouldn't forget the common sense. If she ignored the public stance, there was no difference from thugs in the city.

It was the public stance that formed the armor of n.o.bility and the household, and that was what brought them prosperity.

That was why Jura was foolish. That foolish daughter, and the foolish grandchild in front of her… she didn't understand. Why they didn't have the sense of a mastermind?

The public stance that should be the most important was thought as something unnecessary which deviated from daily life, and the girl was confused between public stance and action. That was why the thing she did was a thuggish act, and the other side despised it.

In the first place, did she even think about what to do if she couldn't win? Even if underhanded schemes were done and she lost it, it would be many times worse if she lose without it. Just like now.

To begin with, Lejay wanted to say that Jura was good enough to win the tournament. She was greedy in spite of the lack of ability. However, she lost and smeared mud on the household name.

If she still lose even after playing fairly on the appearance, she would shake hands, and that was it. The Queen might even give her words of appreciation.

It was unlikely to affect the household name. In other words, Jura took on unnecessary risk.

Lejay thought what she would have done.

Even if the house was set on fire, the means of communicating it should have been to send an unknown doc.u.ment to the waiting room. There was no need to proudly confess any wrongdoing in the public view where the Queen was watching.

Earlier, at the end of the second game, if the boy was informed and he took off with a horse early, he might have been in time to stop the arson. By telling about it, Yuri would have lost the match.

Even in the tournament Lejay won, she generally had the skill despite deploying some underhanded schemes. Moreover, just by looking at the first and second game of the finals, she knew that the young man was trying to give up the win.

Compared to the first artistic victory in the first game, the second game was obviously unnatural. At first, Lejay thought that he was the type with poor concentration, but since poorly move and good move were done alternately, she realized that it was clearly intentional.

Inwardly, this must be because Jura's scheme, so the young man decided to give up the victory. She wanted to praise her grandchild's talent. He won the first game, and doing so in the second game meant that the young man probably wanted to show his ability even if he lost. And…

However, since the transaction stake there was probably a concession to the business that the young man was doing, she was wondering why she wasn't informed about the content of the concession.

But that wasn't a big problem. It was about if he lose, their side would disobey their promise. It might be because of that.

But the reality was different. Jura wasn't working with Yuri beforehand. Rather, the other side was more careful, and he was trying to let her win. In an attempt to make Jura noticed it, he deliberately won overwhelmingly in the first game and lost poorly in the second game.

It was a political bargain that the Witch households should be good at. In such a bargaining, they didn't have to go out of the way to tell from one to ten.

Of course, they could have as many conversations as they liked. There was no inconvenience to tell from one to ten.

But that wasn't the case between two people who were publicly hostile. If there was a hostile relations.h.i.+p, the visit itself was dangerous. There was a danger of being beaten by the relative just by showing the movement to meet.

But since they were in a hostile relations.h.i.+p, there was a need to have a dialogue between them. In the game that the element of luck was strongly entangled, the need became stronger. In such a case, it was necessary to sense the intention keenly from small unnaturalness.

The Knights did it all the way, but their side wasn't able to read it, and the advantageous deal that could be made was screwed up. Since they were from a Witch household, it wasn't possible to do by having monologue over there. It was natural to notice the bargaining.

It was still good that their side didn't notice it after making a hundred moves. Perhaps, their side was degrading the other side honor, and they lost a game they could win in the worst way.

"What a shame…" (Lejay)

It wasn't enough to curse her many times.

"Please forgive me, Obasama…" (Jura)

The grandchild was desperately bowing her head and whispering on the ground.

The sad part was that this grandchild was the most promising successor. If the girl kept doing something disgraceful, she would be despised by other Witch households when she became the head. If it was about losing, that was fine. However, the disgraceful behaviors couldn't be undone.

Lejay no longer had the option of giving up on Jura and expecting a new child. If a child was born, it took at least ten years before she could judge the child's talent. Unfortunately, she might not be alive at that time.

"Grr…" (Lejay)

Lejay distorted her wrinkled cheeks as she grinded her teeth. It was so frustrating that she could cry.

In anger, she knocked her cane down on Jura's head.

"Ouchh!" (Jura)

Jura, who received the b.u.t.t end of the cane, let out a small scream.

"Haah… haa…" (Lejay)

Lejay was out of breath. She wanted to hit her twice or three times, but the old bones didn't have the energy to do it twice.

'What did you do?'

Lejay thought of the young man who defeated her grandchild.

Rather than having a grudge against Jura's deplorable side, he didn't show the feelings of amazement or hatred. If a Witch household was looked down upon by young Knight from a General household, it was necessary to retaliate.

But that young man was neither. He showed his willingness of giving up the victory.

In the third game, their eyes met for a moment.

The act of bursting in anger that could be seen among young men didn't appear at all. On the other hand, he was looking at Lejay with tired eyes as if blaming her for her lack of supervision as the head of household. His victory was almost confirmed. Even though glory was just around the corner, it didn't seem like he was enjoying it. There was no joy. It seemed the young man was sad because he ended up being hostile to her since he couldn't give up the victory.

He wasn't a fool.

Even if it was a request from the parchment guild, it became a duty that takes the form of arson. However, if the parchment guild continued to lose its profits, rivalry couldn't be avoided in the future.

That could even damage the honor of the Lakrama.n.u.s Household. So, she probably should do something about it. This gave her headache.

—

Lejay looked down on her pitiful grandchild while thinking. It didn't come into the mind that she should do so something for Jura.

Jura should use her own talent to somehow return the stigma. It wasn't something Lejay would lend a hand.

'Even so, this girl is better than Gudanvier… At least she is still a Witch…'

When Lejay thought so, she was comforted a bit. There was still salvation compared to Myaro who was a talented child of the Gudanvier Household.

Gudanvier, like Lakrama.n.u.s, hadn't been blessed with talented children in recent years. No matter how foolish her eldest daughter was, it was still better than them. That was in regards how disgrace they were.

Anyhow, Gudavier's daughter repeatedly had clandestine meetings with a Knight from an unknown household while attending school, and became pregnant. The daughter had a miscarriage, but in the end, she took a year off and ended up marrying the man.

She was such a helpless woman, but it was probably something similar to black hens laid white eggs, the child born was tremendously talented.

The successor of the Seven Great Witches was required to learn the ancient Shan language, and whether it was a lie or truth, it was said that the child could speak it when she was ten years old. Ancient Shan language couldn't be mastered if studied half-heartedly. Even Lejay struggled to learn it. There were no shortcomings as a Witch.

With this, it was impossible not to expect it. When the child reached the age of entering the school of Liberal Arts, she deceived her parents and the head of the household by having all the doc.u.ments completely falsified and slipped into the school of Knights suddenly. Just before the entrance ceremony, the head of the household was contacted by the school headmaster and she finally noticed that it was an irreversible situation.

Lejay, who usually didn't sympathize with others, instinctively felt sorry for Luida Gudanvier's depression.

When she compared it, her situation was still better. At least, her grandchild had the will to live as a Witch.

"How long do you want to lie down? Get ready to go home soon." (Lejay)

Lejay told that to Jura, who was prostrating on the ground, and tried to leave the room. At that time, the door opened.

"O-okasama." (??)

It was her foolish daughter. She was sweating, probably because she was running.

"What is it? You're noisy." (Lejay)

When Lejay saw the face of her foolish daughter, the fatigue seemed double up. The daughter was also a fool.

"That… one person didn't return. I mean… the execution team." (Lejay's Daughter/Jura's Mother)

Lejay wanted to kill this foolish daughter.