The Witch and the Doll Swear

What a messy day.

At night, at the table in the tower.

Tingna feebly sliced ​​the fat and juicy steak on the plate, feeling extremely tired because of today's events.

The restaurant is being decorated with magic, and I don’t know where these elves learned the strange custom of apprentice banquet. The table tonight is extraordinarily rich. Liliana was talking about something in her formal attire—that is, she was not wearing anything.

Probably something like a future topic, Ting Na didn't listen carefully.

Today she picked a place away from Liliana and Ai, and even considered whether to hide in her own room.

After all, a defeated dog is really incompatible with the atmosphere here, not to mention that the happy smiling girl had an opportunity because of herself...

Tina really wanted to go back to the first day of the moonless moon, and strangle herself to death when she was overflowing with compassion.

...but... well.

Ai is still very cute, although she is quite petite and likes to lose her temper. It seems that Dongguo has a word to describe this kind of thing...what is it called? Translated, it seems to mean arrogant and shy.

Moreover, Miss Liliana was also smiling. Seeing the smiling faces of the Witch and Ai, Tina felt that her depression was somewhat relieved.

"Forget it, this way, isn't it pretty good..."

Muttering, muttering, Tingna cut the steak into small pieces, and ate it ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"So Miss Tina prepared a gift?"

"……Eh?"

The little puppet suddenly mentioned her name, and Tingna raised her head blankly, swallowing the meat in her mouth.

Tina suddenly found that the elves, Ai, Liliana and Alice were all looking at her, what's going on? what happened?

"...Ai's birthday is on the same day as mine. For me, Ai's confession today is also a memorable birthday gift."

This time, it was Liliana who spoke with a light smile.

"...So, did Miss Tina prepare any presents? At Flandia's house, Miss Tina should know that today is my birthday, right?"

"But Mr. Guoyi's gift has already been sent to the Setilin Institute of Ancient Language..."

"...That's Guoyi's gift, not Tingna's, isn't it?"

"..."

So cunning.

Always pick at such a time, and suddenly call your own name directly.

The girl stared blankly at the witch with slightly curved lips.

"If I had known earlier, I would have been able to prepare a better gift..."

Then because of Ai's whispers, he suddenly jumped up from the chair.

"Wait a minute, please wait a moment!"

Immediately afterwards, he rushed out of the restaurant.

Going to buy it now - it must be too late, I can only choose from what I have now, but, but -

In the study, Tingna's own space storage ring is about to cry.

Clothes, reserve food, reserve drinking water, some novels and magazines.

Why are you so frugal that you don't even want to buy souvenirs? Although those black-hearted shopkeepers are a bit ruthless, but at least——

"At least it can be delivered..."

After getting rid of her own clothes, food and water reserves, and a few magazines that can be bought anywhere, in the end, there were only two shiny gold things left in front of Tina.

And one of them, just seeing Tina would think of that curse-like raving.

Although even the girl didn't know why she picked it up by accident and carried it with her all the time, but this must not be given away, so the next thing is...

"..."

Tingna looked at the scroll made of a material with golden scales, and she didn't know what to call it, and couldn't help but began to recall her grades in a certain class.

It's horrible... not at all.

But right now, it seems that there is no other choice...

…………

"Ah, Miss Tina, is the gift ready?"

"Uh-huh."

Back in the restaurant, Tina was a little embarrassed, answering Akuya's question.

The girl sat back on her seat and spread the golden scroll on her lap.

"That, that, Miss Liliana, I'm really sorry, because I have been hesitating all the time, I don't know if Miss Liliana cares about the growth of age, so I haven't been able to prepare a gift..."

Tina heard Alice hum softly.

"So, this time's gift, that... I think, sing a song for Miss Liliana."

"……Um."

The smiling witch nodded slightly.

"That, that, then... I started..."

Tina felt her face heat up.

——What [I started]! So shy, so weird!

In order to hide the shame of wanting to find a crack in the ground, Tingna lowered her eyes and found the lyrics on the scroll.

——Can I take you to the sea of ​​flowers in the sky? ——

- Rose, lavender, parsley and violets. ——

——I will climb the leaning White Tower with you. ——

—then you will be my love. ——

Singing without accompaniment.

Ting Na doesn't know how to play the lute, and to be honest, she can't remember the melody. If she doesn't read the lyrics, she can't sing at all.

Even so, it was off tune.

Since she was a child, Ting Na has been judged as not very good at singing. Although she is not tone-deficient, she is always out of tune due to a dull sense of pitch.

This time too, as expected.

—Do you want to stop?

— But what if it stops? ?

——What can I do if I am here? ? ?

The tip of the nose is sour.

Unspeakable remorse and sadness suddenly surged up, and the trembling voice was even more crying, and the girl's voice became lower and lower.

It was supposed to be an innocent love song, but under her singing, it turned into a mournful lament.

Just then, humming sounded.

A melody that fits the lyrics, although the timbre is completely different, but the melody fits the sound in memory, bringing the tune of the last sentence back on track.

Ting Na suddenly raised her head, her eyes covered with mist, and crashed into a cluster of black fireworks.

It's Ai.

——I was so shocked that even my mental defenses were riddled with holes.

——Why, why, this melody is——

--Um? This is called pure tone singing, using human voice to imitate the timbre of musical instruments. A princess from a small country called Orenfa is very good at this singing method. I know a little bit from her records. As for the melody... Huh, the magician Memory is good.

——Not this question.

Ting Na listened blankly, and Ai's voice sounded in her mind.

——Why, why do you want to help me?

——Yes, why... just treat it as it is, let's pay back today's favor.

The humming girl raised her mouth slightly.

——Although Ms. Tingna started it first, there is no first-come-first-served rule in this kind of thing, and I will not lose.

——? ! I, I am the one who will never lose to a little girl like you!

With a proud nasal tone, he unconsciously ignited the bitter emotions that were churning in his heart into a flame that he didn't know how to describe.

With the accompaniment of Ai Yong's humming, Ting Na looked at the witch who closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

——Please let me put on a snow-white wedding dress for you. ——

- Rose, lavender, parsley and violets. ——

—Embroidered with basil patterns all over it. ——

—Please let me reclaim an acre of wilderness for you. ——

——planted in the blue sky and the boundless sea of ​​clouds. ——

- let you be my love. ——

[So, what should we do? Lily, they probably didn't realize that the mental conversation was not encrypted. 】

【... What does Alice think I should do? 】

【Lily, you know it yourself. 】

[... Noam. 】

【Princess Lily】

【...Bring some wine, honey wine, apple cider, and milk wine that Ai can drink too. Today... It's been a long time, and I want to get drunk. 】

The witch did not open her eyes.

He picked up the wine glass at hand and drank it all. Before the spirit of the water filled the new wine, he lazily leaned on the back of the chair and beat soft beats with his feet. In the world of witches and dolls, , Alice hummed an ancient rhythm.

The duet of two, the beat of three, the melody of four, echoed on the tower.

echoed.

until—