“Demon lord this, demon lord that,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as I pressed my fingertips together, deep in thought. The game had been building up to this moment. Three moves ago, I had laid the foundation for this trap, and now, with my queen poised to strike, it was time to spring it.

  I focused my mind, willing the enchanted chess piece to move. The life-sized queen, sculpted from shimmering white marble, glided across the board as if responding to an unspoken command. The magical energy hummed faintly in the air, swirling around the piece as it stopped precisely where I needed it.

  With a triumphant smirk, I jabbed a finger toward Viola. “How about you demon lord that lewd dense cabbage inside your mouth!”

  Viola’s eyes widened, her confident demeanor slipping for just a moment as she realized what had happened. Her gaze flickered to the board, scanning for an escape, only to find none. Her king was cornered, surrounded by my pieces with no possible moves left.

  A heavy silence filled the room. Catherine paused mid-bite, the fruit in her hand halfway to her lips, while Yuzu, who had been gleefully munching on a piece of bread, suddenly froze, her ears twitching. Viola blinked, her usual smirk faltering as she stared at the board in disbelief.

  “Checkmate,” I said, letting the word roll off my tongue with a sense of finality.

  For a moment, the only sound was the faint clinking of dishes from the kitchen, where Sol was likely preparing another round of tea. Then, Yuzu let out a muffled giggle, her mouth still full, while Catherine sighed, shaking her head as if she had expected this outcome all along.

  Viola let out a slow breath before striding toward a nearby chair, her boots clicking softly against the polished wooden floor. She sank into the seat with an air of feigned nonchalance, crossing one leg over the other while draping an arm over the backrest. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the chair’s surface, a quiet beat of contemplation, before she tilted her head and shot me an amused glance.

  Viola, merely exhaled, her fingers tapping against the armrest of her chair. Then, ever so slowly, she leaned back and crossed her arms. “Hah,” she huffed, an amused smile returning to her lips. “I suppose I did walk right into that one.”

  I grinned. “You sure did.”

  Sol entered the room, balancing a silver tray in one hand with effortless grace. The aroma of sautéed cabbage mixed with herbs wafted through the air as she approached, her emerald hair catching the soft glow of the lanterns. The dish, neatly arranged with a glistening sheen of butter and seasoning, was placed onto the table with a quiet clink. "Fresh from the kitchen," she said with a small smile, brushing invisible specks of flour off her maid uniform before stepping back.

  Viola studied me for a second, then reached for a fork and speared a piece of the much-debated cabbage from her plate. Without breaking eye contact, she popped it into her mouth, chewing slowly, deliberately.

  “There,” she said after swallowing. “Happy now?”

  Yuzu clapped her hands together, her tail wagging. “Bery bery good match! Mashiro is bery strong!”

  Catherine let out an exasperated sigh. “Honestly, that was more dramatic than necessary.”

  I stretched my arms above my head, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Well, a win is a win.”

  Viola smirked, her fingers tracing the checkered floor, as if already strategizing for the inevitable rematch. The glow of the enchanted chessboard reflected in her sharp eyes, a glimmer of quiet determination beneath her casual demeanor. "Enjoy it while it lasts, Mashiro," she murmured, her voice carrying a playful edge. "Next time, I won’t let you off so easily."

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  "Nyo! Bad witch bery lost, so bery leave Mashiro alone forever and ever!" Yuzu declared, puffing up her cheeks as she crossed her arms, her fluffy tail swishing with determination.

  "Fine, fine." Viola put her hands up, an amused smirk still playing on her lips. "I won't chase after you two again, or any fox-kin for that matter. Consider it a professional courtesy."

  I narrowed my eyes, studying her expression for any trace of deception, but she seemed genuinely unfazed. The usual sharp glint in her eyes was subdued, almost as if she had already moved on to plotting her next scheme, or perhaps simply accepting her loss with grace.

  "I didn't think you would agree so quickly," I said, my voice laced with suspicion as I stepped toward Yuzu, who was still puffing up her cheeks in exaggerated victory.

  Viola leaned back, exhaling through her nose as she traced idle patterns on the armrest of her chair. "Because, Mashiro," she started, her voice carrying an unusual softness, "I got what I wanted. Or rather, I confirmed what I needed to know."

  I frowned. "And what exactly was that?"

  In the blink of an eye, a shimmer of violet light flared beside me, and before I could react, Viola was there, closer than I expected. Her breath was warm against my ear, her voice a hushed whisper laced with intrigue. "I know your soul isn’t from this world," she murmured, her words slow and deliberate, as if savoring the revelation. The scent of old parchment and lavender clung to her, adding an eerie weight to the moment.

  I immediately stumbled backward, my pulse quickening. "Wh-what do you mean?" My voice came out more unsteady than I would have liked.

  Before I could process her words, a sudden shift in the air snapped me back to reality. Yuzu, her black eyes burning with determination, had already unsheathed her katana in a flash of silver, the blade nearly grazing Viola’s back. At the same time, Catherine, her expression sharp with caution, raised her staff, its tip glowing faintly with a defensive spell, aimed precisely where Viola stood.

  Viola vanished in a ripple of violet light, reappearing effortlessly in her chair as if she had never moved at all. She leaned back with an air of satisfaction, her fingers drumming idly against the armrest, eyes gleaming with quiet amusement. "Relax," she said smoothly, as if her sudden intrusion hadn’t just sent the room into high alert. "I meant what I said. I’m done chasing fox-kin. But you?" Her gaze flickered to me, lingering just a second too long. "You’re still interesting."

  "How... did you know that?" I asked, my voice quieter than I intended. A strange, almost painful tug pulled at my chest, as if her words had unraveled something buried deep within me. I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself as I waited for an answer.

  Catherine took a slow step forward, her grip on her staff tightening. "What did she tell you, Mashiro?" Her crimson eyes flickered warily between me and Viola, her stance tense, ready for anything.

  Yuzu let out an exaggerated hiss, her tail bristling as she bared her tiny fangs. She clutched my sleeve, her jet-black eyes fixated on Viola with exaggerated suspicion. "Bery bad witch, notto listen to her! Bery bery trickstery!"

  Viola leaned forward slightly, her expression calm yet unreadable. "These chess pieces," she said, tapping a slender finger against one of the towering pawns, "aren't just enchanted for movement. They’re hexed. Every time you command a piece to move, a fragment of your soul is siphoned into the board. A subtle, almost imperceptible drain."

  The life-sized chess pieces that had been rooted to the floor trembled, cracks spider webbing across their surfaces before they shattered into glimmering shards of light. The remnants of the pieces dissolved into the air like wisps of mist, leaving behind only the checkered floor, now eerily empty.

  "Nnai?! Wat happen?!" Yuzu shrieked, flailing her arms as her tail bristled. She stumbled backward, nearly toppling over, but I caught her just in time.

  Catherine narrowed her eyes, scanning the area warily. "Sis..." she muttered under her breath, her grip on her staff tightening.

  Viola, however, merely dusted off her coat as if the entire scene had been nothing more than a mild inconvenience. With an unreadable smirk, she tilted her head and met my gaze. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," she reassured, her voice smooth yet carrying an unmistakable weight of implication.

  Catherine let out a weary sigh, her crimson eyes lingering on Viola with a mix of understanding and quiet frustration. "I knew it," she murmured, crossing her arms as she studied the witch's expression. "You still can't forget about her, can you?"