A forest that belonged neither to reality nor to dreams, where a witch guided lost travelers, and that witch happened to be a cooking enthusiast.
Herman felt that something was not quite right.
But it also seemed as though nothing was wrong.
Especially when the slightly curved eye on her hood looked at him with a smile, the torrent of complaints in his chest became impossible to voice.
"It's not exactly surprise, it just feels..." Herman scratched his head, then finally sighed. "All right, I am pretty surprised."
The witch folded her arms, seemingly quite interested in the subject. "Then what do you think I should be like?"
Herman thought seriously for a moment and decided to tell the truth.
"Um... A witch living in seclusion in the forest. When travelers get lost in the mist, she uses illusions to trap them in hallucinations and makes them leave for no apparent reason, never revealing her true appearance from beginning to end."
That was the witch Herman had imagined.
Only mystery and unpredictability truly fit the image of a witch.
Not like this—gentle and elegant in temperament, yet with a lively side, and most importantly, she actually cooked for herself.
That completely did not fit a witch's identity, did it?!
Even if there was cooking to be done, it should have been handled by servants or Magic Puppets. Why was she personally stepping into the kitchen?
That was not magical at all!
The witch smiled again. She seemed to enjoy smiling.
"Indeed, that fits the world's impression of witches quite well—mysterious and elegant, elusive, wandering along the edge of reality. Even when seen, they are like phantoms in a dream."
"But that is merely a stereotypical impression. Everyone has their own hobbies. Living according to that sort of image would be