"Bella's teacher died of natural causes."
Galina sighed.
"That lady had originally been the most senior witch in the Council, even older than Grandma Cassandra. I'm not saddened by it; a natural death is the best ending for a mortal. She sensed her time was coming and gathered everyone at the Council in advance, then walked toward the end with us by her side. That lady was Eleventh Rank when she died, and seemed to have been 270 years old."
"Is 270 the normal age at which witches die?"
"It is said that witches of the Fifth Epoch could live at least five hundred years as long as they crossed into the higher ranks, but that lifespan was reduced considerably in the Sixth Epoch. Moreover, there are few witches in this era, and various reasons have led to shortened lifespans and premature deaths, so there is no way to calculate an average under normal circumstances."
She shifted slightly closer to Shade on the sofa, and Shade found the scent of her perfume very pleasant.
"Most of the witches in the current Council are genuine 'young people.' Since the beginning of the Sixth Epoch, this has been the era when the Witch Council has had the greatest average strength and the lowest average age. And you, my dear knight, quietly appeared in such an era, then slipped into our hearts while we weren't paying attention."
Golden Eyes looked at Shade, smiling as she picked up a segment of peeled orange from the tea table and placed it in his mouth. Her right hand had already taken his left.
"I didn't sneak in. I charged in openly."
Shade corrected her while chewing the orange in his mouth. The Duchess considered that, and an even more alluring expression appeared on her face.
"Yes,