Caroline's POV:
After this incident, no one had the mood to attend any more parties. The event, which was ant for show, naturally ended hastily.
I had been constantly troubled by Master Mary's words about the 'lady from the past', and that phrase had kept on edge for so reason.
Once the peculiar party ended and all the guests had left, the Queen called my father and into her study. Master Mary was also there, and on the desk was the crystal bottle, adorned not only with the runes drawn by Master Mary but also covered in layers of parchnt filled with magical incantations.
Apart from us, the prince and the forr king and queen were also present. Dorothy was preparing so unfamiliar magical items on the side, seemingly intended for use with the crystal bottle.
"Now that everyone is here, let's get straight to the point. Please, Master Mary, tell us about the unexpected guest in the bottle," said the Queen.
Master Mary took out a sowhat old wooden box from her bag. The box seed well- preserved, with a glossy surface from being coated in wax.
There was a small lock shaped like a seashell on the box, but it seed broken, and Master Mary easily opened it without a key.
She placed the box contents on the table-a bundle of snow-white, silken hair tied into a bow with a red string. Just by looking at it, one could imagine that its forr owner must have been an incomparably beautiful woman.
People looked at Master Mary with confusion, and she, as if lost in reminiscence, said, "This is an heirloom of my teacher. He participated in the Wolf-Witch War, and this is the only thing he brought back from the battlefield.
"He cherished it for the rest of his life, and even though he returned from the battlefield only a few years, he passed away. Before he died, he entrusted this heirloom to , and I finally learned that it was a strand of hair from the woman he had secretly loved."
War always gave rise to regrets and tragedies, I thought.
From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of my father's expression. He stared at the white hair in disbelief as if he had recognized it.
"Father?" I called him softly, but he seed not to hear .
Master Mary paused for a few seconds and continued, "Together with this strand of hair, my teacher also handed the secret about the woman he loved. As it turned out, she was a witch, and he fell in love with his enemy. Initially, this brought him unbearable pain, but when he finally realized his feelings, it was too late, and the witch had already found a lover. He had forever missed his chance with her.
"He secretly cut this strand of hair. At that ti, the witch had been held captive by werewolves for a period, and he happened to be in charge of the dical care for the prisoners of war. He said he was like a man possessed then, and when he ca to his senses, this strand of hair was already in his hands.
"He felt he had defiled his beloved and couldn't bear to see her anymore. Moreover, he never expected that they would never et again. The witch-she died on the battlefield, trying to save her lover."
For so reason, that feeling of unease grew stronger with each word from Master Mary. Again, I caught a glimpse of my father, and he was trembling slightly, clenching his fists, and becoming more and more agitated.
And then, at that mont, Master Mary suddenly looked up at my father and asked, "Regarding the protagonist of this story, I believe you should be more familiar with her than anyone else, right, Sir?"
Her words were like a feather-light grass, falling on this man who seed to carry a mountain on his back and easily knocking him down.
My father approached the table and picked up the strand of white hair. His hand was shaking more intensely than when his old injury flared up.
"Is it her? Is... is it Anna?" he murmured in despair. "Is... is it Anna?"
As if struck by lightning on a clear day, I also stared at the strand of hair in disbelief.
Anna, Anna.
Wasn't that the pure white witch from back then?
I knew it! Every sentence from Master Mary gave a strong sense of déjà vu, and it turned out that the story's protagonist was her!
Imdiately, my gaze shifted from the hair to the crystal bottle, just like my father did.
"And the one inside the bottle, the creature of mories you ntioned, is also... right?" He asked with a trace of hope, but it seed he had already resigned.
Master Mary did not answer, and her regretful gaze said it all.
"No, no..."
My father muttered to himself, tears streaming down his face.
"But back then, she sacrificed her soul to save . Didn't she get what she wished for in the presence of god? For so many years, has she never... never found peace? It's too cruel to her... For many years, did I make her endure the pain after death alone? It's too cruel, it's unfair to her..."
Master Mary's expression was sympathetic and indifferent as she said, "No, Sir, I believe Ms. Anna has found eternal peace by god's side. As for the one inside the bottle, it is rely a mory that shouldn't remain in this world. It should have dissipated long ago. However, it's apparent that soone has tampered with it, so strictly speaking, it has little to do with Ms. Anna."
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