……
The snow outside the window grew heavier, with snowflakes the size of fingernails scattering from the sky. Looking out, the town's sky was filled with their figures. Grayish-white sprites danced in the wind, densely falling to the earth, merging with the white rooftops and branches, a scene that made one feel cold.
Yet, the more it snowed, the warmer Tilly felt.
She leaned back in the recliner, half her body covered by a soft blanket, her feet tucked into a fire bucket – this convenient heating device was Roland Wimbledon's invention. The square wooden bucket was level with the chair, with a charcoal brazier inside, separated by a horizontal wooden fence. It wasn't like a roaring bonfire, where getting too close would burn you, and staying too far away wouldn't provide much heat. By placing her feet on the wooden fence, she could enjoy the warmth of the charcoal up close, and with the blanket on, her whole body felt enveloped in warmth.
The swirling snow outside further highlighted the comfort of the room. Perhaps the feeling of happiness derived from contrast was more impressive.
It had to be said that the treatment the witches received here was worlds apart from what it had been a year ago. It was not difficult to understand why they didn't want to leave the town, because even she herself thoroughly enjoyed this moment.
Besides her, there were also Anna and Agatha in the room. This was originally Anna's bedroom, and Tilly would bring her books whenever she had some rare free time, seeking answers to her questions. At first, it was just the two of them, but now there was also an ancient witch who had awakened from the ruins. Anna simply moved the fire bucket from the side of the table to an open area of the room, and had Roland add two recliners. The three of them sat around the fire bucket, their feet touching, studying the new and amazing knowledge together.
Of course, most of the time, they just asked questions, and Anna answered.
"It's hard to believe that such a book is from the hand of a mortal," Agatha closed "The Foundation of Natural Science Theory" and took a deep breath. "The more I read, the more I feel like the world really is like this, with laws hidden in all the chaos, and everything operating according to the same rules. Even if he was born in Taqila, the Union would definitely include him, and he might even have the same status as a High-Ranked Witch."
At first, she had questioned many things in the book, but with Anna's careful answers, Agatha's attitude towards Roland had changed drastically.
However, Tilly believed that this change only applied to Roland, and that other mortals probably still seemed dull and hopeless in their eyes.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but sigh. Only she knew that this knowledge did not belong to Roland Wimbledon, but to another person, a person who suddenly appeared in his mind.
After spending these days together and with Sylvie's corroboration, Tilly basically confirmed this statement. But this made proving that he was still him an impossible task. And the most suspicious thing was, did he really not know where this part of his memory came from, or who it belonged to? It was hard to believe that memories could be completely separated from one's life, at least she couldn't do that. As long as she recalled the knowledge taught by the court tutor, relevant fragments would always flash before her eyes.
"Where exactly did he learn this knowledge?" Agatha exclaimed. "I originally thought that mortal research had reached such a depth, but after observing these past few days, it doesn't seem to be much different from four hundred years ago – or even a little behind."
"I don't know either," Tilly shrugged. "Anyway, it couldn't have been learned from the royal palace."
"What kind of person was he before?"
This question made Anna look up as well.
"Before, huh…" Tilly pondered for a moment. "Conceited and timid, willful, unlearned, with a terrible personality… probably the only good thing was that he didn't use his prince status to do anything outrageous."
"Hmm… the level of a mortal?"
"No, even among mortals, he was a terrible guy," she complained. "Even if he suddenly improved after coming here, he still makes it impossible to figure out what he's thinking… he keeps everything bottled up inside, and still wants others to believe him, how is that possible?"
The room suddenly fell silent.
"What's wrong?" Tilly found the two's gazes a little strange.
"No… nothing," Anna covered her mouth and smiled. "This is the first time I've heard you say these things."
Damn, she realized that she had said too much. Such complaints shouldn't come from an ally's mouth. Maybe she had been too relaxed lately. "What I meant was…"
"It's okay, Your Highness won't mind such things," Anna shook her head and laughed. "Maybe he has his own difficulties."
"Roland…" Tilly hesitated for a moment. "Hasn't he mentioned these things to you?"
"No," Anna said nonchalantly. "I haven't asked either. If he wants to say it, he will eventually."
That's right, she sighed inwardly. For her, from the first time she met the prince, it should have been the changed Roland. Considering such questions was meaningless.
"From what you're saying, he's completely different from who he used to be?" Agatha asked with interest. "There's a saying circulating in the Exploration Society that the more extraordinary someone is, the more likely they are to have quirks that are different from ordinary people. Maybe this change is a normal phenomenon. Did Roland howl at the moon in the palace, or stare at the wall and gesture for a long time?"
"What kind of quirks are those…" Tilly shook her head helplessly. "Before, he was just a little eccentric, and there wasn't much difference between him and ordinary people. But… I also heard people say that he once shouted in public during a palace class that he wanted to marry a witch. Probably because of this, Goron and Timothy always tormented him in the name of purifying the devil's claws, and his father also disliked this behavior. Later, his personality became even more unruly."
"Discriminated against for wanting to marry a witch?" Agatha curled her lips. "That's a great ideal in Taqila. Of course, very few succeed. Most witches are unwilling to spend their entire lives with only one man."
"But we are different from four hundred years ago. If he marries a witch, it means that he will not have children to inherit everything from him. How could his father approve of such an idea?" Tilly sighed. "But it's been more than ten years, he should have forgotten those stupid things he said by now."
"Is that so?" Anna suddenly said. "But he is still willing to marry a witch now."
"Hmm, he still remembers… wait," Tilly couldn't help but widen her eyes. "You mean now?"
"Yes," she smiled softly. "His Highness Roland said it himself."
Tilly was stunned in place.
.(。)