City of Witches Chapter 44

The twins' morning begins at 6 AM, in the same bed.

The sound of birds chirping outside the window.

The smell of the cedar logs that had burned all night in the fireplace turning to ash, crackling, rouses them.

"Good morning, Odette."

"Good morning, sister."

Odil and Odette rose from the spacious bed and stretched long and slow.

Showering in the morning sunlight streaming through the skylight, they loosened their bodies for a while, like two flexible cats rolling around on the bed, and the stiffness that had settled in overnight naturally disappeared.

An Apprentice Witch's Spirit Body is incomplete.

Having inherited only the Vessel of the Brand, they age, unlike Witches whose time has completely stopped.

Therefore, they grow, undergo aging, and sleep is also essential.

So, the twins always went to bed at 11 and woke up at 6.

After stretching slowly for a while, Odil shot a look at Odette.

"Did you sleep well?"

"No, not at all. You?"

"Me too, about the same. I think I only fell asleep when the moon passed the second window."

It was a very unusual occurrence for the twins, who normally fell asleep the moment their heads hit the pillow.

But they weren't bold enough to sleep soundly with a major event looming before them.

"You know?"

"About today?"

The twins exchanged glances and slowly nodded.

-Creak!

"Good morning, Lady Odil. I hope you slept well through the night, Lady Odette."

"Good morning, Head Maid Galina."

"Good morning, Head Maid Galina."

The woman who entered as the door opened was an elderly lady wearing thick glasses, Galina.

She was the Head Maid who had served the Zemnarai family since before the twins were born.

Galina, an old servant who had cared for them since Odil and Odette were taking their first steps, had a sharp impression despite her kindly appearance, making her one of the people the twins feared most.

"You seem quite lively this morning."

"I had a good dream yesterday!"

"Me too!"

As they exchanged brief morning greetings, four maids hurried past behind Galina.

One of them opened the curtains on the 18 windows, another collected the sheets from the bed where Odil and Odette had tossed and turned all night.

The remaining two slipped slippers onto the feet of the twins dangling them off the bed and then combed their hair, tangled from the night.

Even though they'd have to comb it again after washing in the bathroom anyway.

It was said that the Witch of the Jemernai Count Family must not lose her dignity even while walking the corridors.

They had heard earfuls about maintaining dignity since childhood, but they found it all rather bothersome.

"Any special matters for today or any discomforts from last night?"

Galina asked, looking curiously at the unusually energetic twins.

Odil, who met Odette's eyes, stepped forward.

In such matters, the leader was Odil, not the timid Odette.

"Head Maid! We have a request."

"What is it? Lady Odil, forgive an old woman's caution, but requests like riding without a saddle in the Mendel Hills, having a picnic in the terrifying Pamelle Swamp, or wanting to go sightseeing in Border Town are not allowed. Today is a day with Academy classes starting at 4 PM. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

"Of course not."

Odil fidgeted with the hem of her clothes unnecessarily and then opened her mouth.

"Actually, we want to serve tea to Associate Professor Amelia today."

"Pardon?"

Galina's wrinkled eyes behind her thick glasses widened sharply.

Odil flinched guiltily and hunched her shoulders.

Here, Odette took over the explanation.

"No, it's just... the Professor works hard teaching us. We thought we'd serve her some tea so her throat doesn't get dry during the lecture."

"Aah....!"

Galina spread her arms towards the sky in an exaggerated gesture like an actor, then rushed over with terrifying momentum and hugged Odil and Odette.

"Lady Odil, Lady Odette. When did you grow into such proper students? This Galina is so overjoyed at the sight of you two grown up, she doesn't know what to do with herself."

"Ha, r-really...?"

"Y-yes, of course. This much is only natural."

Unaware of the twins' ulterior motives, Galina stroked the backs of Odil and Odette's heads for a long time, lost in joy.

Seeing the always mischievous twins seemingly gaining some sense made her as happy as if watching her own children grow.

"Then I shall brew the tea myself. Should I put it in a thermos for you?"

"Yes, please do that."

"Very well. Then you two should go for your bath."

Led by the maids' hands, the twins headed for the bathroom.

In truth, the twins' daily routine held no great changes.

First, after coughing, they are led to the bathroom in the annex.

They receive bathing assistance, each attended by two maids, making a total of four.

In the House of Gemernai, nobles even among Witches, there existed over fifty servants.

Odil and Odette didn't even have to lift a finger when showering or changing clothes.

Because everyone around them did it for them.

As Odil sat on the amethyst bathing chair, warm, heated perfumed oil was poured over her head.

One of Odil's personal maids, Pecha, applied the oil to Odil's hair and body and slowly combed through it with a wide-toothed comb.

At her feet, another personal maid, Lena, sprinkled water on Odil's instep and asked,

"Lady Odil, is the water temperature alright? Please tell us if it's too cold or too hot."

"Yes, it's warm."

Pecha, who had been diligently combing, tousled Odil's hair with her hand.

"My~ How can our adorable Lady Odil have such lovely hair?"

"Pecha, please refrain from calling me adorable now. I must transform into a proper lady."

"But you are so adorable like this! Right, Lena?"

"Yes, it's a terribly impertinent thought, but every time I attend to Lady Odil, I think I want to put her in a bag and take her home. My parents, grandparents, and siblings would all love it."

"They'd all be surprised, saying you brought a huge doll, right?"

"What nonsense! They would all surely tremble before my dignity and charisma, Odil."

Pecha and Lena giggled and indulged in doting on Odil to their hearts' content.

At first, all the maids had been afraid of Odil and Odette.

But as soon as they realized the twins were, despite appearances, demanding but harmless young mistresses, they began showering them with affection, almost like caring for puppies.

Especially in places like the bathroom where no one else was around, Pecha and Lena were busy teasing Odil.

If the strict Head Maid Galina caught them like this, they'd be in for a scolding.

The same went for Odette.If Odil occupied the position of the prickly but adorable younger sister among the maids, Odette was the kind, innocent younger sister whom everyone felt protective of.

"Masha, there's something I want to ask."

"Yes, Lady Odette. Ask me anything."

Masha slipped her hands behind Odette's neck, giving her a massage while grinning slyly.

"Heeeuuung..."

Odette, leaning halfway back, shivered with pleasant coolness.

"You know that book I borrowed before."

"Ah, the first-night guidebook?"

"I was wondering if there's anything... more... more..."

"More, more, more?"

Feeling unnecessarily shy, Odette hunched her shoulders and asked.

"More detailed than that..."

She knew it was a somewhat indecent thing to ask.

Seeing Odette fidgeting and rubbing her knees, Masha twisted her body and called out to her colleague, Vera.

"See? See? Look at Lady Odette talking. She's like a puppy, what should I do!"

"Masha, it's about time Lady Odette started taking an interest in such things too."

"That's not it!"

"Lady Odette, your face is redder than a spring strawberry. I want to bite it."

"Eheu... Please don't pinch my cheeks."

Masha, who had been gently stroking Odette's scalp, whispered into her ear.

"Actually, not long ago, I acquired a certain... sensual book circulating in Taro Town."

"Hey! Masha! You shouldn't tell Lady Odette about that yet!"

"What's the big deal? Vera, we've already passed it around several times. Lady Odette should know about it too. We can't overprotect her forever."

While Odette looked on bewildered, the debate between Masha and Vera continued.

"What's it about?"

"It's about a witch who becomes curious about the emotion called love and has sweet trysts with a handsome milkman. Would you like to read it too, Lady Odette?"

"I can't tell just from that."

Vera, who had been focusing only on her duties while gauging the mood, seemed to want to join this fun conversation and began to whisper.

Gossip of this kind was always more entertaining than backbiting.

In a boring world without as many amusements as the modern era,

sexual conversations were always a topic of interest for fresh young maidens.

"Well, there's this part..."

"With the milkman... hieeek... from behind?"

Whisper whisper.

"Yes, and then with his younger brother too..."

"With the younger brother too...? In the same bed...? So two men and one woman...?"

Whisper whisper.

"Yes, yes! And then the witch becomes the milkman's maid and... smacks his bottom! Slap slap!..."

"How utterly profane!"

As Odette was astonished by the outlandish storyline, the bath ended.

Odil looked curiously at Odette's unusually flushed cheeks.

After the bath, it was time for beautification.

The twins moved to the dressing room and sat before the vanity. The maids carefully combed the twins' hair, which had been dried fluffy soft with magic.

After arranging their hair, they used iron rods heated to a suitable temperature to roll the damp side locks into curls like rollers and added ample volume to the bangs, elegantly finishing their hairstyle.

Now it was time to put on their dresses.

Before that, the head maid entered the twins' dressing room, where they were adorned like dolls.

The maids, who had been giggling over trivial gossip, shut their mouths like clams.

In truth, what was more frightening to them than their assigned apprentice witches was the tiger-like Galina.

"Today, as Lord Gemernai has gone out, the morning greetings will be omitted."

"Where did he go?"

"I haven't heard the details either, but it seems he went personally to investigate because magic power is tangled up in the 'Spirit Mountain.'"

"Spirit Mountain?"

"Yes, anyway...!"

Galina clapped her hands to refocus the surroundings.

She knew that if she followed the twins' conversation topic, which jumped all over the place, time would be wasted.

"As mentioned, today from 8 to 10 is Mr. Kelvin's piano lesson, from 10:30 to 1 is the mysterious potion brewing practice lecture by the witch Orelian, invited from the Emerald Tablet, followed by luncheon.

After luncheon, from 2 to 3, a reading club with Lady Hathaway is scheduled while enjoying teatime.

From 4 to 7, you will attend classes at the Academy as scheduled.

You must have breakfast, so there is no time. Let's hurry."

"Galina, can't we skip the reading club? I haven't read a single book. Miss Hathaway is so stuffy, I tell you."

"Uuung, I hate studying so much...!"

As soon as she heard the grand schedule, Odette tried to lie flat on the floor, but Masha and Vera stopped her and pulled her up.

"That won't do! As those who will carry on the name of the great Jemernai Count Family, you must be more polished than any other apprentice witch."

"But aside from weekends, we have over 8 hours of classes every day? And do you know how much homework Professor Amelia gives?"

"She's right, Galina, this is mental child abuse."

"Sigh!"

As soon as Galina glared, the twins fell silent.

Inviting renowned figures from various fields to the mansion for lectures.

This was the twins' daily life.

When they woke up in the morning, their hearts swelled with the thought of playing a trick on Professor Amelia.

But upon hearing the suffocating schedule, the twins became sullen.

"Since when have Lady Odil and Lady Odette been children? You both are proper noble young ladies. Hurry along to the dining room. And Pecha!"

"Yes!"

"It won't do to keep chatting idly. It's good for Lady Odil to maintain a close relationship with the maids, but please act in a manner befitting your dignity!"

"Yes..."

It seemed like it would be a thoroughly tedious day until they went to the Academy.