章 21: Charlatan

Fast forward the days I completed the potions, and now I found myself in an underground cell of the Hamill Estate. There were no windows, and the only light source was the lampshade and torches at the side of the stone walls.

There was a beautiful lady chained on the bed. Her curls of golden hair were ruffled and in a tangled mess. Her thick lushes encaged blood pair of eyes. Her skin was ethereal, but with the absence of any form of blood, she looked pale and sick.

Lady Catherine was a renowned beauty, possessing a soft and timid character. I didn't understand how she fell in love with an unremarkable man like Marquees Jorge Lays.

But their love story didn't interest me. The scene unfolded before me, however, piqued my interest. In the murky room raked with the smell of blood, two bulky men guarded the cell while Duke Hamill and Marquees Jorge brought a witch.

Or what the charlatan claimed to be.

As I hid behind one of the holes in the stone walls, transformed myself into a spider, I enjoyed the cheese in my fangs as I watched the show.

As I expected, Lady Catherine was indeed transformed into a Vampire, and the good all father was trying to turn her back into a mortal.

"A-are you sure that my daughter will turn back to normal?" The Duke asked. He lost weight, and there were dark circles around his eyes, and I couldn't blame him.

Lady Catherine's appearance might add to her beauty, but her fangs and bloodshot eyes were scary enough that even her husband was backing away when she snarled.

The chains rattled, and Lady Catherine was trashing from her shackles. She might like the smell of blood from that woman who claimed to be a witch.

"Leave everything to me, Duke. I am a famous witch in the witches' circle. I can drive any bad spirits away from her body. But make sure that your offering is equal to the value of Lady Catherine's," the woman said in great enthusiasm.

I didn't know where they found her, but she was too young to be a seasoned witch or even a novice witch. She was probably posing as one to get the money.

It was too obvious, but it seemed like the Duke, and the Marquees were blinded with the promise of any cure.

"As long as you return my daughter back into a human. I don't care if I give you all of my wealth."

"And keep in mind that our transaction is a secret, or my spells wouldn't work against her."

The Duke vigorously nodded his head. "I don't care if you're a witch or a shaman. As long as you cure my daughter, I'll forever be in your debt."

I nodded at the Duke's love for Lady Catherine. He was willing to risk everything for his daughter. I pity him that he got tricked instead. While the Marquees looked like he was giving everything he got to stop his legs from shaking when Lady Catherine let out another snarl.

I really don't know what the beautiful lady saw in him. Marquees Jorge might be handsome, but he lacked the spirit and the imposing aura that true men possessed.

Or maybe he was just too good in bed? I chuckled at the thought.

"Have you prepared my altar?" the so-called witch asked.

"Yes. Yes." Duke Hamill signaled the guards, and the two guards set everything from candles to chalices to draperies, and crystals.

"The altar is a sacred place to us witches. It is where the magic happens," the woman said and began to chant.

Finally, I thought. The Anifornum poultice wears about for five minutes. Good thing that I made plenty. But I could only keep this transformation for an hour, or else it'd be hard to return to my original body.

The so-called witch took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the crystals in her hands. And I wanted to slap her crazy. You couldn't just rub different crystals together. Their energies were different, and they were used differently. No wonder Lady Catherine was trashing more than usual.

"I call upon the Goddess to assist me today."

Wait, what? Is she a witch or a priest?

"I asked you to reinforce my magic and heal Catherine's Hamill of her ailment!"

She was not sick. She's a vampire!

"Banished thee evil that is possessing her body!"

Lady Catherine was not even possessed!

Alright, that was it. I couldn't stomach to hear any more ridiculousness of this charlatan. How could the Duke be an idiot when he ran Hamill Town in such a perfect manner?

His desperation must have really gotten into his brain. I mean a witch calling upon the Goddess's Luminaire? They might as well call her to burn them into the stakes.

No witches never call the name of those who persecuted them.

That was just crazy. I thought to myself and chomped another cheese that contained Anifornum poultice.

Finally, the so-called ritual or whatever the charlatan was doing had reached its end, but Lady Catherine was still trashing violently with the thirst of blood.

"W-why isn't she healed yet?" The Duke asked.

Because you were duped, I answered in my head. Rather the Duke should be grateful that something didn't happen to Lady Catherine from the faked witch's hex.

The so-called witch sighed and shook her head in despair. "It's because I didn't expect that the evil possessing her body is so strong. We might need to continue these rituals until the devil's hold would loosen its grip on her."

The faked witch squeezed Duke Hamill's shoulder and offered a sympathetic smile. "With that being said. I needed crystals and stones in preparation to weaken the devil. We will resume again with the ritual after I 'am done collecting the materials."

"I- I see." Duke Hamill blinked, took one lasting look at his daughter, and heaved a heavy sigh. "Let's go to my office first."

I facepalmed myself. The woman would extort all the Duke's money, and still Lady Catherine would remain a bloodsucking vampire.

I crawled out from my hiding place and took a peek behind bars when they closed the cell. Duke Hamill, Marquees Jorge, and the fake witch were conversing in the archway leading upstairs.

While the Duke seemed to age faster as his steps sometimes faltered, the young man and woman were full of vigor and energy. Marquees Jorge even slipped an envelope into the charlatan's pocket without the Duke knowing.

Oh . . . so that's how they found the witch. I bet they're splitting the money.

Ah . . . poor Duke. I thought and shrugged before I crawled towards the guards to execute my plan.

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A/N

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