Shade immediately recalled Miss Owl's reminder from last night:
"Once the Speaker confirms the time of her visit, you must tell me promptly. I'll try my best to hide on Victoria Avenue and not come out."
The witch, one hand on her hip, smiled happily.
"I thought you were going to say that the Speaker already knew you too."
"How could that be? Do you think I've secretly taken control of your Council already?"
Then Shade saw the witch looking at him with a strange expression. She suddenly said:
"Stella, help me review how many Great Witches this gentleman knows."
The White-haired Girl, who had been peeking through the crack in the door with the other young ladies at Emilia and the Unicorn, was startled because she had not expected to be called on.
"Teacher, you, Miss Benanis, Miss Winslet, and Miss Sylvia."
"That's already close to one-third. And Vanessa is one of the Council's only two Thirteenth Order members. If you truly wanted to do something to more witches, it isn't as though you would have no opportunity."
She said this to Shade, but he still shook his head.
"I always feel that, in your description, I'm some kind of... very bad person."
Wasn't he?
"She" said with a smile, while Claire Reinhart merely stood in the small courtyard beside the castle under the warm winter sun, watching Shade. A trace of melancholy crossed her face, and she asked softly:
"Then would you hurt us?"
The young ladies by the door crack all pricked up their ears to listen. Shade met her gaze, looked at her very seriously, and shook his head.
"I swear by Moon, and I swear by Little Mia, I absolutely would not."
A very gentle expression appeared on the witch's face. Then, to her surprise,