(Alice POV)

Three years had passed since I started training with the witch.

My training started with using all my mana until I fainted; it was hard, but I could endure it. However, the witch increased the difficulty when I went from four stars to five in six months of training.

Thanks to it, I fainted every day for two months until I got used to it. Whenever I fainted, Anil would carry me to my room and assist me with my daily needs. Maybe because of it, her attitude softened significantly, and she became friendlier.

I would like to say I forged a strong friendship with Anil. That is what I want to say, but honestly speaking, it was more like two victims licking each other's wounds. No... I should say three victims because Azazel was also in that infernal training.

He had to use and recover all his energy constantly. This training made him a fourth-rank spirit, and his rank-up coincided when I got a new star.

And when I thought it couldn't be worse, every time I returned to my room, my mom was there on the verge of fainting. This means... I wasn't the only one experiencing hell in life.

Whenever I asked her about her training, she shivered a little before telling me about her day. She had to learn how to cook, clean, read, write, fight, spy, and many other things. In other words, they were training her to be a combat maid.

If you think about it, this is necessary training. After all, Mom would work as the principal's personal maid. But for some reason, there was something odd in her words, like she was keeping a secret from me.

Mom must have her reasons to hide this from me, anyway; at least not everything was pain and suffering. After Azazel got his core, our control over the two elements improved significantly.

Consequently, part of his memories returned, but... for some strange reason, the restored memories were only about some peculiar food. 

We were still oblivious to the witch's whimsical personality at that time, so we told her everything only to learn it was a mistake moments later, as she dragged... or should I say kidnapped... A-Anyway, she dragged Azazel to the kitchen without caring about his opinion.

I could have unsummoned Azazel, but the witch's "caring" punishment wasn't something I wanted to experience again. Thanks to the abuse... I mean, "free" labor from Azazel and the meals in the mansion improved a lot. Azazel's sacrifice gave us a good reputation with the mansion workers. It was good, but... I still feel he ended up with a bit of trauma...

By the way, during these three years, I learned that the principal was what you call a no-good person. Aside from fighting and office work, she was a disaster with a lazy and sadistic personality. All the respect I had for her was gone, and sometimes... most of the time... okay... I always saw her as an evil witch.

And after three years of training, Azazel's rank remained the same, while my stars increased to six, which was our only consolation.

Today should have been a peaceful day, that was until Anil called us.

"Alice, Master ordered me to take you to her office; she wants to have a conversation with you." (Anil)

Hearing the witch's order, I stopped our training and looked at Anil, a little resentful. Her appearance hadn't changed much from three years ago, but her chest showed signs of growing. It wasn't much, but this made me feel anxious and jealous.

When mom caught the wind of my anxiety, she told me that Anil was growing earlier than other girls. I took her words seriously, but for some reason, Anil would subtly boast of her size whenever she had the chance.

"Goddammit... Then Anil, please take me to the wi-- I mean miss Fayna." (Alice)

As usual, Anil didn't react to my words and silently guided me to the witch's office. As usual, the witch was resting in her chair while drinking coffee without any care in the world. Noticing our arrival, she put down her cup and smiled at Anil.

"Anil, leave the office. I need to have a private conversation with Alice." (Fayna)

Hearing the order, Anil bowed her head and left the office. Then the witch looked at me with a "serious" expression.

"Alice, I need you to come with me to a dinner party in the kingdom castle. Of course, you can't refuse" (Fayna)

I subconsciously took a step back without knowing what the witch was planning. The witch looked at my reaction with an exasperated face and explained her reasons.

"I know what you are thinking, but I'm not planning anything this time. The academy's admission test is near, so the higher-ups want to have a dinner party. The purpose of the dinner is to let their kids interact with each other.

I usually go to this kind of party alone, but this time is different. Those nobles somehow heard about the existence of a certain girl I was training. So they asked me if I could bring her to the party.

I intended to refuse, but the old man... I mean, our King heard their conversation and asked me to bring you there. If you want to curse someone, curse those higher-ups and that old man.

You must wear a dress and a mask for the party, no questions asked. Anil will give you the dress later, or should I say, she must be preparing it right now. So please overcome your aversion to them right now." (Fayna)

"But mis- I mean witch. Why do I need to wear a mask?" (Alice)

The witch frowned at my words and pointed her finger at me with a little fireball on the tip. It went without saying I played dumb to save my life.

"You inverted your words and thoughts... again. Somehow, I miss the old Alice who called me Fay with a smile and respect. Anyway, the mask is necessary because, on this occasion, the royal family of the Holy Kingdom is coming.

Honestly, I don't know why they are coming to the party. But I don't want to risk the probability of your identity getting exposed. I can't do anything with your body, as it would be obvious, but concealing your face should be enough.

That's all; you can return to your room." (Fayna)

The principal's words made me fall into silence. Although the fact that my "family" was coming to dinner was strange, I couldn't do anything about it. I left the door and returned to my room feeling conflicted.

When I arrived at my room, Mom and Anil were already there. Strangely, Anil had sparkling eyes on her emotionless face, and Mom had a big smile. Mom approached me, closed the door, and quickly grabbed my hand.

"Why are you so late? We need you to take a bath right now!" (Orie)

My mom's actions and enthusiasm confused and scared me. Her grip was so firm that it seemed she didn't intend to let me go. She ignored my resistance and dragged me into the bathroom to get me clean.

After I left the bathroom, Anil was in front of me with a blue dress in her hand. The dress was a single piece with a long skirt. This should be a beautiful dress for someone else but for me...

I didn't want to look at the dress, so I shifted my vision to the table. On top of it was a blue bracelet and a white ball dance mask. To sink my despair even more, black underwear was on the bed, and a pair of blue heels was on the floor.

I would be an idiot if I didn't understand what was happening and why my mom and Anile were so happy. That witch didn't tell me the party was today, and they couldn't wait to use me as a dressing doll. I'm not good with expensive dresses or luxurious clothes, so I try to avoid them whenever possible. Even though I had an aversion to that kind of clothes, my mom liked to see me wearing them and always wanted to dress me.

I tried to escape the room, feeling a strange kind of danger, not caring if I was only wearing a towel. Sadly, my mom's hand was already on my shoulder, grabbing me with incredible strength.

"You won't escape this time, Alice." (Orie)

I can only say... I'll make the witch pay.

(Alice POV)

We were in the carriage on our way to the castle. The witch was sitting before me wearing a single-piece red dress, emitting a mature and sexy aura. But contrary to her appearance, that mature and sexy woman was laughing so hard that she was holding her stomach and on the verge of tears.

"HAHAHAHAHA! How can you be so against wearing a dress that your mother needed to paralyze you to stop you from fleeing? This is too much!! HAHAHAHA!" (Fayna)

As usual, the witch was laughing at my misfortune. At that moment, when my mom had her hand on my shoulder, she secretly pinched me with a needle covered with paralyzing poison. My only comfort was the pudding Anil gave me after I could move... aside from that, she looked at me with a pitying gaze without interfering while my mom was dressing me.

Lately, I feel like my mother has become more aggressive with me. I blame the witch for taking my innocent and peaceful mother away from me.

"Now, now, don't be so upset. After all, you look so~pretty that the ladies at the party will be jealous of you. Not to mention the boys at the party will be drooling because of your beauty." (Fayna)

I swear to god... Calm down, Alice... I only need to wait until the party is over to take my vengeance...

It was a long journey that felt more like an endurance test, with the witch's constant harassment. I somehow endured the thought of scaping and arrived at the Cross Kingdom castle. Our carriage entered and continued until it stopped in front of the salon. Moments later, a servant opened the carriage's door.

"Madam Arcon, it's a pleasure to meet you, please let me guide you to the salon." (Servant)

The witch only nodded at his words, and we descended from the carriage. The gazes of the nobles were annoying; I followed the witch in silence, not wanting to make a scandal.

When we arrived at the salon, my eyes wandered everywhere. The tables were full of dishes and drinks, and the servants walked with drinks and food from place to place. In the middle of the salon, many people were socializing dressed in luxurious suits.

What caught my attention was a beautiful garden outside of the salon with animal-shaped bushes.

While thinking about how to tell my mom this, multiple nobles took the chance to surround us.

"Madam Fayna, it's a pleasure to meet you. This is my daugh----" (???)

"Madam Fayna, how beautiful you are today. How about we----" (????)

"Madam Fayna, I'm so blessed to talk with you ----" (???)

This round of presentations lasted for approximately ten minutes. They were either trying to talk with the witch, present one of their children, or ask her hand for marriage.

Troubled by the sea of people, I tried to maintain a low profile while looking for a way to escape to the food. Suddenly, the crowd around us dispersed when four people approached us.

The group, or should I say the family, consisted of a man, a woman, and two kids. All had golden hair and wore even more luxurious and beautiful dresses and suits. Thanks to one of their children, I immediately recognized who they were. They were my supposed "family."

I felt uncomfortable staying near them, so I moved behind the witch. The man didn't mind my actions and enthusiastically spoke to the witch.

"It has been a long time since we met, madam Fayna. I hope you have been in good health." (???)

"It has been a long time, Chris, I haven't seen you since the last time you tried to court me." (Fayna)

"Please don't misunderstand what happened that day; I only tried to recruit you as a teacher. Now that we are talking about the school, I need to say I have great hopes for this tournament. After all, my son and daughter will be participating in it." (Chris)

Hearing the King's words, the queen put on a proud expression while the kids approached the witch. Looking at the princess felt a little weird. Her dress made her look like a saint; it was beautiful, but.. it felt like looking in a mirror.

I didn't pay much attention to the little boy, but I had to admit that the suit with medals looked good on him. Unfortunately, they were merely decorative.

"Madam Fayna, let me introduce them to you. She is my daughter Talia, and he is my son Leo. Talia is ten years old and has a talent of ten stars and a contracted seventh-rank spirit. Leo isn't also talented, being nine years old, eight stars, and a sixth-rank spirit." (Chris)

When the King praised them, the prince and princess looked proud and happy, with big smiles on their faces.

The presence of this family made me feel more awkward the more I looked at them. I didn't know how to act in front of them or what to do. The witch noticed my awkwardness and smiled while pushing me forward. This made me scream internally, as this idiot was exposing me in front of them.

"If you are showing your trump card, I will also show mine. This girl's name is Alice, and she is also ten years old. She only has six stars and a fourth-rank spirit. But don't be fooled by her appearance or talent; from personal experience, I know she is very dangerous in a fight." (Fayna)

Hearing the witch boast about my skills made the family look at me curiously. But when their eyes landed on me, this curiosity turned into doubt. The queen's eyes were filled with disgust at the silver color of my hair but, at the same time, looked relieved by the dark purple color on the other half.

However, the King's reaction was the strongest among the royal family. He looked at me in shock and frowned with a severe expression before he looked at the witch.

"I see what you are talking about; she indeed has the talent to fight against my daughter. I cannot wait for the tournament." (Chris)

It felt surprising how easy it was for me to accept his praise. I didn't expect anything from them, but hearing him confirm the witch words made me feel a little happy. I may be weak against praises.

I wasn't the only one who reacted. The queen and their kids looked at the King in shock. Their eyes asked him why he said that, but he ignored their gazes and looked at the witch.

"I have stolen a lot of your precious time; I hope we meet again in the tournament." (Chris)

The King said nothing else and left with his unsatisfied family. The other nobles saw this as an opportunity and pestered us again.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly, and the King of this kingdom approached us while holding a cup of wine. We had a peaceful chat with him and even a funny conversation with the prince.

I felt a little tired after socializing and smiling for a long time, as this wasn't my forte. I took the opportunity to quietly leave the salon and walk to the garden, looking for a convenient spot to sit down. After walking for a while, I spotted a well-hidden fountain behind some bushes.

As I walked to the fountain's edge, a group of voices on the other side of the path caught my attention.

"But dearest father, there is something odd with her; I swear something feels... familiar." (Talia)

"That's right, Dad! That girl Alice looks like big sister! And even mother reacted strangely when she saw her!" (Leo)

It seems the voices were from that family so crouched behind the fountain. By the way, I'm furious with the witch for putting me in the spotlight. I'm still trying to figure out what she was thinking or planning. But it was undeniable that meeting an unknown girl who looked similar to their daughter would arouse many suspicions.

I was still thinking about how to make the witch pay when I noticed the conversation on the other side ended. I could see King Chris looking at his children with a tired expression.

"Both of you only need to know that she is a formidable foe even with your talent, as madam Fayna said... that kid has, in a way, even more talent than you, Talia. This conversation ends here; think about my words and return to your mother. I want to rest alone for a while." (Chris)

The two of them were still unsatisfied with their father's words, but ultimately, they obeyed his plea. I tried to leave with both gone, but King Chris stood still momentarily before looking where I was hiding.

"Isn't it rude to spy on the conversation of another person? Why don't you reveal yourself, little mouse?" (Chris)

Feeling the King's hostility, I abandoned my plans of escaping, left my hiding spot, and revealed myself to the King without any other option.

His hostility was dispelled as if it had never been there when he saw me. With a tired face, he sat on the fountain's edge while cleaning the space at his side.

"Why don't you take a seat? I think it is more comfortable to speak seated." (Chris)

After getting caught, it felt rude to ignore his request, so I sat at his side without saying anything. The silence between us was painful and awkward. It felt like telling a joke and finding it not funny. It wasn't like I could start a conversation either; after all, I had a HUGE unspeakable secret.

"Your name is Alice, right?... Did your mother give you that name?" (Chris)

Maybe, like trying to break the silence, the King asked me a simple question. I frowned a little behind the mask but couldn't ignore a king just because I didn't want to answer. So, I decided to answer his question while feeling a little irritated for no reason.

"Yes, my mom named me Alice because she hoped I would have a beautiful and noble heart. She is the best mom I could ask for; she is why I'm still here with a big smile." (Alice)

Before I knew it, I talked about my life with my mom. I told him about our jokes, hard times, awkward moments, and good times. He listened without interrupting my talk and asked questions when I stopped talking.

When I finished boasting about my mom, the sky was dark, and most guests were leaving. But to my surprise, the King was still listening without any sign of returning to the salon.

Feeling embarrassed by how long I had talked, I scratched my cheek while avoiding his gaze. I didn't know why I spoke so much to this person.

The King noticed my embarrassment, stood up, and patted my head. His patting surprised me, but... I couldn't help but feel a tiny spark of happiness burning in my heart.

"I'm glad you are happy with your life right now; I'm grateful you allowed me to hear about you" (Chris)

At this moment, I realized that this man knew I was his daughter from the beginning. I wondered if I could reveal everything; for once, I had the desire to approach that family. But before I could say anything, I saw Princess Talia walking toward us.

I could see how shocked she was by the scene of his father patting the head of a strange girl. After the initial shock, the princess awkwardly looked at us before speaking to the King.

"Fa-Father? Err... Mo-Mother is calling for you..." (Talia)

I knew this wasn't good; this situation could be misunderstood as a girl having an illegal relationship with the King of another kingdom. But contrary to my anxiousness, the King looked at the princess with a tired expression.

"You go ahead, I need to finish some business with her." (Chris)

This isn't good! This man is worsening the situation! I wanted to explain my case, but the princess looked at me briefly before leaving.

"It's a shame we can't speak more, but I know I'll see you again in the tournament. When that time comes, please have a meal with us." (Chris)

I looked at him, not expecting an invitation. Sensing my gaze, the King smiled before returning to the salon. I stayed in the fountain a little longer and tried to think of what would happen after exposing my identity.

Incidentally, when we returned to the mansion, I made the witch cry by adding a lot of hot sauce to her pudding. By the way, I finally slept peacefully, knowing the queen had a well-endowed body. Did you think I would forget about that? Then you are very wrong!