A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 62. The Witch’s Heart

The sudden master-apprentice duel concluded, and without any noteworthy incidents, the hospitality at the Trakia household continued.

First, they returned to the Trakia home, where Rose and Jurgen had a long-overdue conversation between old friends.

Then, Katia, Jurgen, Hermes, and Rose had dinner together.

As the day came to a close, it was supposed to end with everyone going to bed. However, things didn’t go as planned.

“…Why did this happen?”

Katia muttered in bed.

The reason being—

“Hmm? Did you say something?”

A beautiful voice responded to her muttering.

But from behind her, at a close distance, right next to her ear.

Yes. For some reason, Katia was currently in her bed.

With Rose hugging her from behind, the two were lying down together.

In short, she was being used as a body pillow.

Really, how did it come to this?

◆

“Hey, Herm. Let’s sleep together tonight, okay?”

This bombshell Rose dropped at dinner was the catalyst for everything.

Clank, Katia’s hand slipped, making her dishes clatter loudly.

Hermes froze, and Jurgen rubbed his forehead.

“Uh, Master. I might be stating the obvious, but I’m at an age where…”

“Why not? We’re close, aren’t we? Don’t hold back.”

What kind of relationship do you have? Katia wanted to shout.

“It’s not about holding back…”

“Come on, please. I’ve been lonely without you. At least let me have a cute body pillow while you’re here.”

Having seen them today, she knew he was kind to his master despite everything. His personality made it hard to refuse someone he owed.

The firmness he showed during their duel earlier seemed to melt away as Rose whined, softening his stance. Probably, no, definitely, he would give in at this rate.

Then, they would end up in the same bed—she knew it wasn’t meant in any deep way—but still, spending the night together.

At that moment, she moved on impulse.

“No, you can’t!”

Her voice was surprisingly loud, even to herself.

Rose blinked at her in surprise. Jurgen and Hermes had similar expressions.

Driven by momentum, she continued.

“Even if he is your apprentice, he is now our servant! You can’t just do as you please with him!”

“Eh?”

“It’s not ‘eh!’ Besides, don’t you think you’re too childish at times?”

She spoke her mind, disregarding that Rose was her superior.

But Rose wasn’t one to change her mind easily, as she had learned today.

So, if stopping her wouldn’t work, what should she do? She thought desperately.

“…Wh…”

She must have been flustered and confused because her next words made no sense even to her.

“If you insist, then use me as a substitute!”

And that’s how it led to this.

“Hey, Katia, you’re really comfy. Almost as good as Herm.”

Though her offer was impulsive, Rose surprisingly agreed with, “…That’s not a bad idea.”

Now, Rose was seriously evaluating her as a body pillow from behind.

Did this mean she had used Hermes as a body pillow before? She probably had. Jealous—no, isn’t that improper?

Also, being hugged so closely made her realize how beautiful Rose was. Her red hair was glossy, and a sweet floral scent tickled her nose. And what were these voluptuous maternal symbols pressing against her head? Was this some kind of tease?

…Calm down.

The fact that Rose accepted her nonsensical offer was surprising. Because—

“Um, Roselia-sama.”

“Rose is fine. What?”

“…Do you not dislike me?”

It was clear Rose adored Hermes to an extreme degree.

To her, Katia must have seemed like a nuisance. Using old ties to keep Hermes close. It wouldn’t be strange if Rose felt that way.

Her actions since arriving seemed aimed at separating her from Hermes.

But in response to her worries, Rose was nonchalant.

“Huh? Not at all. I actually like you quite a bit.”

“…Eh?”

She was dumbfounded.

Not disliking her was understandable.

But to say she liked her quite a bit, she had no idea why. As Katia was puzzled, Rose continued.

“Jurgen’s child, Herm hasn’t abandoned you. That alone tells me you’re not a bad person… But more than that, it’s about today’s duel.”

The duel? Katia thought.

“You watched the whole thing, didn’t you? Like Jurgen told you to, without looking away. And you seemed a bit frustrated.”

“Wh-what about it—”

“Most people don’t even feel frustrated. In the capital, ordinary folks give up immediately.”

Katia’s body trembled.

Rose’s voice, usually bright and carefree, now carried a dark undertone.

“When people see my magic, they give up. ‘Oh, she’s different.’ They think. Born different. No use trying. It’s futile. They either worship me unconditionally or band together to eliminate me. Either way, no one stood on equal footing with me. Except for Jurgen and Sita.”

“…Rose-sama.”

“So, I’m happy. Anyone who watches me use magic and still wants to challenge themselves is rare. Herm said he wanted to be a mage like me when we first met. And you want to catch up to Herm and me.”

Rose’s arms tightened around Katia.

“I understand a bit why Herm didn’t give up on the capital. A new generation that sees magic correctly is emerging.”

“…”

I always thought she was amazing.

Strong, bold, and fearless. An incredibly strong person.

But she has a past of sadness like everyone else, overcame it, met wonderful people, and has feelings she wants to pass on.

She’s just like us.

“…Sorry. Maybe I was the one avoiding you.”

Understanding her a bit more, Katia, intending to show her newfound comprehension and willingness to compromise, tried to place her hand over Rose’s—

“—But still.”

Rose’s demeanor shifted back to her usual teasing self.

Katia’s unease returned as Rose tightened her grip and whispered mischievously in her ear.

“Like you said, I can’t ignore a girl who gets close to my top apprentice. So, I won’t let you sleep tonight. I’ll teach you all about our bond of master and apprentice!”

“This was your goal from the start! You just want to talk about yourself!”

“Exactly! You shouldn’t be so obvious about liking him. You fell for a difficult guy. It’ll take ages for him to understand such complex feelings.”

“Ugh.”

“At least I’m straightforward. Herm might not show it, but she loves me.”

“That’s painfully clear…!”

Later on.

Rose continued to gleefully dominate the conversation, while Katia launched a mysterious counterattack, proudly stating, “But Herm talks to me without formalities!”

This seemed to hit Rose harder than expected, and she started talking quickly about memories from her apprenticeship.

Katia, not to be outdone, shared childhood memories, turning the conversation into a meaningful exchange of information.

Eventually, their chat continued until Layla, unable to bear the noise, told them, “Please, get some sleep.”