"Maria knew. It was Beatrice."
"Beatrice?"
"Beatrice is a witch. Haven't you heard them talk about her before?"
"A witch? Wait, the witch of this island?"
Lin Yan's gaze never left the woman in the portrait. Rokkenjima Island was not actually very large. Since most of it had never been developed, it seemed desolate and open.
It was impossible to encounter strangers here. If someone got lost in the forest, there would be no rescue from anyone outside the Ushiromiya Family, and apart from the lights of the houses, every other area was pitch-black.
"I see. But I'd long forgotten that the witch in those legends even had such a fashionable name as Beatrice. Did Grandfather specifically have someone paint this portrait because us grandchildren didn't believe in her?"
"She's a witch Grandfather imagined up himself. By the time this portrait was hung, he could no longer distinguish reality from fantasy. To us, she's just an imaginary witch, but to Grandfather, she really 'stays' on this island. She really 'exists.' I heard he had someone paint her specifically so we'd understand that. Hmph, just thinking about it makes me feel awful."
"Miss Jessica, Master values this portrait greatly. Please do not say such things in front of him."
"I know. Even if you told me to, I wouldn't want to say it."
Jessica spoke carelessly, though with some indignation. She would never bring up anything that displeased her hot-tempered grandfather in front of him. Otherwise, nobody would have a good time.
"Let's go. Everyone is waiting for us in the dining room."
"I'm hungry."
If only part of the island was under the Ushiromiya Family's control, did the other undeveloped, dark areas belong to the dominion of the witch Beatrice? Lin Yan naturally knew that witches truly existed and were