The Witch Didn't Raise the Tyrant That Way - Chapter 1: This is How I Raised Him (3)

Late in the afternoon, Ibi, the nosy neighbor, was pounding on my door like she was about to break it down. This happened while I was drying Kyle’s hair after his bath and putting him down for a nap, then busying myself in the kitchen making a hearty ragù sauce for dinner.

“Auntie Ibi, come on in. What’s the rush?”

“Oh, thank goodness, Lily. You’re home.”

Without hesitation, I opened the door to reveal Ibi, a middle-aged woman who stood just a bit shorter than my sixteen-year-old frame.

Ibi was Lilithea’s mother’s old friend, the one who had brought Lilithea to this forest when she’d lost her will to live after her mother’s death. It was an unspoken rule among witches to live apart from one another, so Ibi hadn’t moved in with Lilithea but had settled nearby, keeping an eye on her ever since.

While the real Lilithea harbored resentment toward Ibi for appearing only after her mother’s death, I felt differently. When I woke up in this body, it was immediately after consuming poison and dying once. Weak to the point of collapse and disoriented in this new world, Ibi had taken care of me. The image of her weeping over me, relieved to see me alive, still stirred my heart.

“Do you think your mother would’ve endured all that humiliation to protect you, just for you to throw your life away like this? Your mother suffered so much to raise you right… You’re alive, so live! Show those outsiders what happens when they mess with witches like us!”

I didn’t fully understand her last sentiment, but it was enough to make me trust her. Even now, as she stood at my doorstep, her face was full of worry for me.

“Are you all right? Nothing happened to you?”

“Me?”

“There was an outsider here, wasn’t there?”

“H-how do you know that?”

“How could I not? That outsider went around bothering every witch in the area, stirring up trouble.”

By “family,” she meant the witches scattered across the forest, and “outsider” was the term witches used to refer dismissively to people from outside the woods.

“Judging by their appearance, they looked like a knight working for some noble. Apparently, they left a boy with one of the houses in the forest and ordered that he be ‘taken care of.’ When I heard they went to a young girl’s house known for handling poisons, I figured it had to be you, so I came to check.”

Ibi craned her neck to peer inside my house as she spoke, grumbling about the gall of the knight for not even showing proper respect to the witches they were relying on.

So, while I was wrestling with Kyle, that knight had been busy visiting every witch nearby.

It seemed they had gone to great lengths to ensure Kyle wouldn’t escape the forest, even accidentally. Leaving him specifically with Lilithea—infamous for her poisonous concoctions and cruel reputation—was no doubt part of the plan. But upon seeing a cheerful, youthful witch instead of a malicious one, they must have decided to tighten their precautions.

As my expression turned serious, Ibi leaned closer, concern evident in her eyes.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t know the details, but from what they said about poison, it sounds like you’ve gotten involved with some twisted noble. They must’ve paid you plenty, considering they handed out several dozen gold coins to the others. Still, you’re just a kid, and they left you with another child to care for. How can I not worry?”

I was reminded of how Ibi had cared for Lilithea when she was wasting away, refusing to eat or live properly after her mother’s death. Even though I hadn’t experienced it myself, Lilithea’s memories lingered in this body.

Now, she’d rushed over because she thought taking care of Kyle might overwhelm me—especially after my (or rather Lilithea’s) recent poisoning incident.

For such a kind-hearted person to be labeled a “witch”… what a cruel world.

I felt an uncharacteristic swell of affection for Ibi, who had never been truly welcomed by Lilithea. The girl had bristled whenever Ibi used affectionate nicknames, insisting only her mother had the right to call her those.

Feeling unexpectedly warm, I found myself saying something I hadn’t planned.

“I was about to make lasagna for dinner. Would you like to join me?”

After inviting her to the table and serving her a drink, I returned to the kitchen to check on the simmering ragù sauce. It needed a little more time, so I stirred it gently to prevent it from sticking.

“Is that him?”

Ibi’s voice, sharp and loud, rang out from the dining area. When I stepped back into the room, Kyle had peeked out of my bedroom, apparently woken by the commotion. He was dressed in an old pair of Lilithea’s bloomers I’d found, their pumpkin-shaped bottom frills partially covering his swollen, reddened feet that had spent days trapped in boots.

“Who…?”

Kyle hovered behind the doorframe, alternating his wary gaze between me and Ibi. Despite the sleepiness evident in his face, his crimson eyes were guarded, their depths dark with suspicion. It was clear he sensed Ibi’s hostility toward him.

“This is Auntie Ibi,” I said, introducing her calmly. “She lives nearby. You’ll see her often while you’re staying here.”

“Humph. He doesn’t look like he’s good for much,” Ibi muttered, clicking her tongue as she scrutinized Kyle.

Her sharp eyes settled on his red irises, and I could tell she immediately realized he was royalty.

“Well, you’ve got yourself quite the headache, Lily.”

“It can’t be helped.”

“If it’s fate, then it’s fate,” I thought.

“Actually, this might be a good thing,” Ibi Auntie remarked, leaning back as if an idea had struck her. “You should use this opportunity to boss the outsiders around for once. We rarely get people wandering into this forest, after all.”

“Pardon?”

“What’s the point of standing in front of the stove all day by yourself? Have the boy do it. It’s not even that hard.”

That boy? The one who’s so much smaller than others his age, with arms like fragile twigs?

What is this… child labor exploitation?

Just then, a vivid memory from Lilithea’s past surfaced in my mind.

“You useless brat! Can’t you do anything right? Lazy, good-for-nothing outsider!”

“Ugh! Infuriating! Can’t you see the dust on the windowsill? Huh? Why’s there dust there? Because you didn’t clean it, obviously!”

Ah… That’s right. Witches could be like that.

While Lilithea’s mother hadn’t followed such practices, many witches were notorious for enslaving “outsiders”—people who owed them debts or had been caught committing crimes. Some of the truly malicious ones were said to imprison lost travelers who stumbled upon their homes and forced them into servitude.

It wasn’t hard to guess why the queen had decided to leave Kyle at my house. With witches harboring such intense hatred for outsiders, it seemed like a fitting revenge for the discrimination and mistreatment witches had endured. But…

“Slavery is slavery, no matter how you justify it.”

Even doing this to adults was unacceptable, let alone subjecting that frail child to it.

Throughout dinner, Ibi Auntie kept scrutinizing Kyle with a sharp gaze. Her eyes followed every movement of his spindly wrists as he used the fork and knife, as if evaluating what sort of labor those thin arms might be capable of.

Despite the discomfort he must have felt under her gaze, Kyle devoured his lasagna with remarkable fervor. Having eaten only a slice of apple pie earlier in the day, followed by a bath and a nap, he was still clearly famished. His hand movements showed remnants of royal etiquette, but his ravenous hunger made him clumsy, with his utensils clinking and scraping against the plate.

After finishing his plate in record time, Kyle turned his fiery gaze toward the lasagna dish, his desire for another serving plain to see. Yet, he hesitated to ask, unsure if it was allowed.

“What? Do you want another piece?”

“…”

“Well, I doubt those twig-like arms of yours could even carry a basket of herbs,” I said, making sure Ibi Auntie heard my feigned scolding. I cut a large piece of lasagna and placed it on Kyle’s plate. Without hesitation, he wolfed it down.

He seems to like it. That’s a relief.

It made sense. Despite being a prince, Kyle had spent his days in the cold palace wing meant for unwanted royalty. He’d probably rarely eaten decent food. On the other hand, the vegetables I’d grown in my garden—ripe tomatoes, glossy eggplants, and tender zucchini—were of exceptional quality. Combined with the rich herbs from my kitchen garden, it would’ve been hard for the lasagna not to taste good.

Maybe if I keep feeding him like this, I’ll inch farther away from the execution stake. Who knows? I might even land a job as the palace chef someday.

I indulged in this silly thought as I watched Kyle polish off his third plate.

“Lily.”

Ibi Auntie’s voice cut through my thoughts. She placed her fork down firmly, her expression resolute.

“If you’re going to dote on that child so much, just send him to me. I’ve been thinking of getting rid of that lazy outsider boy I’ve got lately anyway.”

“What?”

“No, better yet, leave him to me, and I’ll train him properly before sending him back. You know what happens when you go soft on outsiders—they’ll start seeing you as easy prey. Isn’t that why your mother ended up the way she did?”

“…”

I had no words for that. Lilithea’s mother had fled to an isolated cabin while pregnant, only to be falsely accused and stoned to death. Everything that had happened to her—every hardship—was the result of people from outside the forest.

If I were the real Lilithea, it would’ve been strange for me to act any differently from Ibi Auntie.

“Sure, he might be cute now because he’s young, but wait until he’s older. It won’t take long for him to turn on you, hurt you in the blink of an eye. Outsiders aren’t the kind of people you can trust so easily.”

Ibi Auntie’s eyes burned as she glared at Kyle, the intensity of her hostility almost tangible. Given that Kyle was a member of the royal family—the pinnacle of those so despised by witches—it was no surprise her resentment was practically seething.

“Just wait,” she said, her tone sharp and determined. “I’ll take him in, discipline him properly, and teach him some manners before sending him back. Who does he think he is, showing such gluttony in front of witches? Does he think we exist to serve him?”

“N-no, Auntie, please!” I exclaimed, frantically waving my hands to calm her down.

Discipline? Teach him manners? The thought alone sent shivers down my spine.

“It’s just that… since it’s his first time here, I wasn’t sure what tasks to give him. The lab is a mess, so I was debating whether to have him organize it or pull weeds in the herb garden. But, you know, if those tiny hands of his mishandle a potion and set the lab on fire, I’ll be the one in trouble. I figured I’d fatten him up a bit first, so he’ll at least have some strength to work.”

“Why are you even debating? He’s not too weak to work! A little discipline and he’ll learn to do anything.”

Ibi Auntie’s icy glare made me feel a chill as she stared Kyle down, her eyes practically drilling into him.

From Kyle’s perspective, all of this must have seemed unfair. Yet he didn’t protest or even look angry. Instead, his shoulders curled inward, his head drooping low. His crimson eyes, dulled and lifeless, showed nothing but quiet resignation.

“Look at him! Not even flinching under my gaze. He’s mocking us, isn’t he? You might be royalty out there, but here, this is the witches’ domain!”

Oh, gods, stop! Don’t say things like that!

If Ibi Auntie weren’t flailing around so energetically, I’d have clapped my hands over Kyle’s ears to shield him. I did feel sorry for the boy, but more than that…

“Auntie, you’re putting yourself in danger!”

You’re practically setting off flags for execution! You can’t provoke a budding tyrant like this!

For Ibi Auntie’s sake, I decided to intervene.

“There’s no rush to do anything, Auntie! It’s not like I’m happy about suddenly having to take care of someone. Living with an outsider? I wouldn’t do it even if I were paid millions!”

The words tumbled out of my mouth without a plan, leaving a moment of stunned silence in their wake. Ibi Auntie blinked at me in surprise before bursting into a witch-like cackle, evidently pleased by what I’d said.

Meanwhile, Kyle glanced at me briefly, his red eyes flickering with an unreadable emotion before lowering again.

“Exactly,” Ibi Auntie said, patting my shoulder as if I’d made a wise decision. “You’ll have to live on your own in the future, so it’s about time you learned how to manage things yourself. It might be unpleasant, but make use of him. He’s human, after all, so he should understand instructions well enough. And as a boy, he’s bound to be stronger than he looks. If it gets too much for you, just let me know. I’ll turn him into a proper servant for you.”

Ibi Auntie shot Kyle a chilling glare as if daring him to try anything foolish.

“I’ll be stopping by every day for now. If he doesn’t behave, hand him over to me. Got it?”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

Ugh, looks like I’ll have to at least pretend to work him a little, I thought with a sigh. Otherwise, Ibi Auntie might end up setting herself on a path to the execution stake.

Shifting my gaze from the satisfied Ibi Auntie as she polished off the remaining lasagna, I looked toward Kyle. He sat staring at his empty plate, his crimson eyes distant and unfocused, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

*