Ian's sudden arrival had clearly interrupted the witch's meal. Not only had the table and all the cutlery in front of her disappeared, but the food on the plates had vanished along with them.
Even the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling had disappeared from the dazzling, palace-like hall. The knife and fork the witch had been holding had even sprouted little wings and flown away.
"I'm... sorry."
Caught off guard, Ian recognized the witch in the distance as the mysterious young woman who had spoken to him in town before. She was still wearing the same incredibly luxurious black gown.
Like a shadow slipping silently into the night, an indescribable air of mystery and depth surrounded her.
"Though your manner of arrival was unexpected, I was the one who invited you in the first place, so you needn't feel that you've been rude."
A napkin appeared in the witch's hand, and she elegantly dabbed at her red lips. Her movements made it sway gently, and the poise and bearing of an ancient aristocrat came naturally to her.
This wasn't an affectation.
It was the sort of refinement that seemed to have become part of her every movement.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your meal."
Ian still hadn't recovered from the shock. What he'd actually wanted to say was that he hadn't considered accepting her earlier invitation, but he knew that would sound incredibly rude.
"The souls in Limbo don't need to eat. I'm simply following a habit I developed in life, and that food couldn't bring me the slightest pleasure anyway."
The mysterious witch gave a soft laugh and studied Ian with interest. Her words made him swallow, and his nervousness and unease grew even more pronounced.
Food couldn't bring her pleasure?
Then what could give this young woman pleasure?
Toying with little boys?
The mysterious witch's gaze wasn't exactly burning, but Ian felt more and more as if ants were crawling all over him. He stood there, dumbfounded, his expression and posture both awkward.
Fortunately, the mysterious witch spoke again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Looks like you've already set out on the path to pursuing magic."
Ian had no idea how the mysterious witch had figured that out. He hadn't brought his wand into this world, yet she spoke with complete certainty.
"Yes, ma'am."
Under the mysterious witch's gaze, which seemed even more profound than Dumbledore's eyes, Ian nodded and answered honestly. There was no need to hide it.
Not in front of an unknown soul like her.
Trying to lie might only cause him unnecessary trouble.
It was an instinct.
An instinct born of Thought Perception. Ian couldn't sense the witch's emotions, just as he couldn't sense Dumbledore's. Yet this supernatural ability seemed to affect his sixth sense as well.
And sure enough.
The mysterious witch looked very pleased when Ian answered truthfully.
"You should call me... teacher."
Whether the mysterious witch had genuinely misunderstood Ian or was doing it on purpose, she corrected the way he addressed her, placing a little emphasis on the word.
"I... I..."
After a brief moment of thought, Ian decided to be honest. "Actually, I don't know why I suddenly came here."
"Every other time, I've appeared in the same place, in that meadow outside the village." The fact that he was alive was just as impossible to hide.
Both Ariana and Pandero had realized at once that Ian wasn't a dead soul. Naturally, the mysterious witch before him could see it too.
"So?"
The witch's deep gaze fixed on Ian.
Ian steadied himself and chose his words carefully.
"I have been considering learning magic from you, but I haven't actually made up my mind yet. This time, I only wanted to see whether my friends had come back."
Ian tried to make his smile look as innocent as possible. He truly didn't think the mysterious witch was a white wizard. Since he only knew a few simple Charms, all he could do was play it safe.
"They haven't come back. Only three days have passed here since you left last time." The mysterious witch rested her right elbow on the arm of her chair and propped her cheek up with her hand.
Her other hand tapped lightly against the opposite armrest as she spoke to Ian in a languid tone. "Limbo is a very peculiar place. It responds to people's truest desires and obsessions. That's why the place where you appear keeps changing."
She was clearly answering Ian's question.
But...
"Uh, sorry, I still don't understand."
Ian furrowed his brow.
"What a slow-witted little pig."
The mysterious witch raised her eyebrows slightly, her beautiful face tinged with helplessness. "I never thought I'd end up with such a sluggish apprentice."
Her mockery was much milder than Snape's, but the mysterious witch was clearly even more arrogant. She had spoken to him from a position of superiority from the very beginning.
She wasn't overbearing.
But she made it obvious that she considered herself better than everyone else. Ian had already gained a little experience dealing with people like that from his encounters with Snape.
"Should I just leave, then?"
Ian said it rather cautiously, but the witch sitting across from him was visibly left speechless. Just like Snape, the corner of her eye began to twitch.
"What a slippery little brat."
The mysterious witch shook her head in exasperation.
"In the past, you longed for friendship. Now, you long for magic."
In the end, she gave him an answer.
Ian pondered this.
Considering his current situation in the real world, it did seem to make some sense. But why had Limbo brought him here just because he wanted to learn magic?
"Because deep down, you know I can teach you powerful magic, along with the knowledge your school refuses to teach you—knowledge that can give you the strength to face danger quickly."
The mysterious witch spoke without warning.
As if in answer.
But...
Ian clearly hadn't voiced his question.
"You can read minds!?"
Ian's eyes narrowed.
He felt as if he could now sympathize with Snape.
Was this the wizarding world's way of getting even?
"That's not a difficult spell to learn. But in Limbo, I no longer possess the powers I gained in life, so naturally I've lost the magic I had when I was alive."
The mysterious witch laughed with evident delight.
"I'm simply observant."