Fated to Be Loved by Yandere Witches – Chapter 2

—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
—————————————————————–

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“The witch’s cabin, you say?”

“Yes, the witch’s cabin. It’s nothing dangerous. Just deliver this fruit basket and a letter. A very simple task. You’ll do it for me, won’t you, Johan?”

The thought that witches existed in the 21st century flashed through my mind. But then again, these villagers, living with technology inferior to the medieval ages, were likely to believe in superstitions like witches.

That wasn’t the point. This errand was dangerous. I didn’t even need to think about it. If it were truly so simple, they wouldn’t be treating me like this; they could have gone themselves.

‘And they said there were wild animals in the mountains…’

Unfortunately, I had neither the courage nor the justification to refuse. In this village, the chief was practically a god, and if he became displeased with me?

My already hellish life would only become worse. He might even sell me to some organ harvesters to recoup the cost of the meat and bath oils.

“…I’ll go.”

“Thank you. It’s late, so go to sleep… and wake up early tomorrow morning.”

The chief gave me his usual smile and returned to his room. I cautiously watched him go, then lay down on the bed, a luxury I hadn’t experienced in a long time.

It was hard and felt like it would break my back, but it was better than sleeping on the bare floor with a single blanket.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Morning arrived. A rooster, sensitive to the sunlight, crowed, waking the villagers.

Having grown accustomed to the sound over the past month, I also sat up. After a brief, drowsy face rub, I made my bed and left the room.

“You’re awake?”

“…Yes, I just woke up.”

I thought I had woken up earlier than usual, but the chief was already in the living room, preparing the fruit basket.

Perhaps he thought I would run away during the night. He handed me the basket, his expression slightly grim.

“Please make sure to deliver this to the witch.”

“Just deliver it?”

“Yes. Once you deliver it, she’ll take care of the rest. Just do as she says.”

It sounded suspiciously like a human trafficking operation, but I nodded and accepted the basket overflowing with fruit.

Still seemingly uneasy, the chief followed me out of the village.

“Now, follow this path, and you’ll find the cabin. Please be sure to deliver it.”

“Yes, well… I’ll make sure to deliver it.”

With directions to the witch’s cabin, I started walking. After what felt like ten, maybe twenty minutes, I started to feel thirsty.

I patted my waist and realized I hadn’t brought any water. Damn, I wished I had even the plastic water bottle the villagers had confiscated.

‘They knew it was valuable…’

The villagers had taken everything I had: my clothes, my smartphone, my water bottle – all signs of modern life.

Those ignorant villagers, who didn’t even know what a smartphone was. Feeling resentful, I looked at the basket in my hand. The fresh fruit looked so juicy, as if one bite would fill my mouth with sweetness.

The chief had told me with a chuckle not to eat any of it, but I immediately plucked a piece of fruit from the basket and took a large bite.

‘…Sweet.’

The sweetness, a sensation I hadn’t experienced in a month, exploded in my mouth. Ignoring the juice dripping down my chin, I continued to eat.

I tossed the core into the forest and reached for another piece.

It didn’t take long for the overflowing basket to become empty. I pulled out the letter, tossed the empty basket into the woods, and continued on my way.

Perhaps because my hands were lighter, my steps felt lighter too. Or maybe it was the sugar rush.

As I walked, I heard a growl.

“…Huh?”

I cautiously turned around and saw a wild animal, its head poking out from where I had thrown the basket, baring its teeth at me.

A wild dog? No, in this place, they would eat dogs before letting them roam free. That meant it was a wolf.

The wolf that emerged was huge. I’d never seen one so large, even at the zoo.

‘Calm down.’

I swallowed hard and scanned my surroundings. I couldn’t see any other wolves. That was a relief. I would struggle to escape even one, let alone a pack.

I glanced back, gauging the distance to the cabin. Recalling my descent from the mountain, I estimated the distance from the village to the cabin.

It wasn’t far. I slowly backed away, careful not to agitate the wolf.

‘Slowly, slowly…’

Animals were supposed to attack prey that turned and ran. I didn’t know if that applied to canines like wolves, but I had no other choice.

That piece of trivia I’d picked up somewhere proved useful. As I backed away, the wolf followed, but it didn’t charge.

‘Just a little further…’

Just as I thought I was almost at the cabin, the wolf suddenly barked and fled into the forest.

I didn’t understand why, but relief washed over me. The tension drained from my body, and my legs gave way.

As I stumbled backward, I bumped into something soft.

“Uh…”

A shadow fell over me.

Another wolf the size of a house was standing over me.

I finally understood why the earlier wolf had barked and run.

“Ugh—”

I passed out.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

When I woke up, I felt strangely refreshed.

In most cases, that was a bad sign.

The moment I opened my eyes, I knew I was screwed.

‘Where…’

I awoke in a soft bed, unlike anything I had experienced recently. The sound of something bubbling and a sweet aroma filled the air. I sat up.

The bed and blankets were luxurious, like something you’d find in a hotel. However, I was certain I wasn’t back in the city.

The walls and most of the furniture were made of wood. There was no sign of glass windows or plastic, things commonly found in urban areas.

‘…The cabin?’

As the word “cabin” surfaced in my mind, I miraculously realized where I was.

The witch’s cabin. The destination of the chief’s letter, the place I was supposed to reach.

Considering how much the villagers feared it, the interior was surprisingly pleasant. I cautiously left the room.

“Hmm hmm~♪”

As I stepped out, I saw a woman humming to herself as she cooked in the kitchen just ahead.

Her shimmering silver hair, the glimpse of her profile, was more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen. My heart skipped a beat as I cautiously spoke.

“…Excuse me.”

“Kyaaah!?”

The woman, who had been stirring a pot with a ladle, shrieked and glared at me.

“Wh-What!? How did you get out!?”

“Huh? The door was open…”

“No! From the bed!”

“Uh… I just woke up normally.”

Had she forgotten to tie me to the bed? I cautiously scanned the room, wary of her.

There were no obvious weapons, like knives. But there was a fire in front of her. And a ladle that had likely been heated in the fire for a long time.

Fighting would be disadvantageous. I needed something to throw or use as a weapon…

“Get back in the room! Quickly!”

She yelled, pulling a hood over her head, obscuring her face. I felt a pang of disappointment at the hidden beauty.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have any intention of harming me. I slowly raised my hands and moved towards the front door.

“I… Thank you for saving me. I’ll be going now.”

“What? Wait—!”

While she was distracted, I opened the front door and slipped outside.

And at that moment, a giant paw blocked my path.

[You shouldn’t ignore people.]

“Uh, uh…”

The enormous wolf from earlier stood before me.

My hand trembling, I grabbed the doorknob and slowly closed the door.

The woman, presumably the witch, chuckled as I stumbled back inside.

“Stay in the room. I won’t eat you.”

“…Okay.”

There was no escape. Accepting that fact, I cautiously returned to the room.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The witch, Evangeline, was engrossed in her research, secluded in her room as usual, when Fenrir came and nudged her window.

Immediately pulling her hood up, Evangeline stepped outside and frowned at the sight of a man slumped by the door.

“What’s this?”

[A human who was heading this way. I saved him from being mauled by wolves, and he fainted.]

“Anyone would faint at the sight of you…”

Evangeline said, turning the unconscious man over to check his face. It was the man who had asked for directions a month ago, claiming to be lost. She hadn’t recognized him immediately because he was wearing different, shabbier clothes.

‘Why is he here…?’

Carefully taking the letter from his hand, Evangeline quickly scanned its contents.

The letter stated that a monster had appeared near the village and pleaded for her help, offering the man as a sacrifice.

So, his story about being lost was true. Just from the letter, she could easily guess what had happened to him.

“Useless.”

Other witches might have rejoiced at the prospect of another test subject, but Evangeline wasn’t like that. She had long surpassed the stage where experimenting on humans could improve her skills.

But she couldn’t just ignore the abandoned man, so Evangeline carried him inside.

She laid him down in the guest room and prepared a meal. It was only proper to offer food to a guest.

As she hummed while cooking, a sudden voice startled her.

“…Excuse me.”

“Kyaaah!?”

She turned to see the man she had just put to bed standing there. How? She had locked the door with magic…

Then she realized she wasn’t wearing her hood. She remembered taking it off because it felt stuffy while she was laying him down.

She quickly pulled her hood back on and observed his reaction. He simply stared at her silently for a moment before speaking.

“Thank you for saving me. I’ll be going now.”

His tone was utterly businesslike. But there was no trace of fear or disgust. Sensing something unusual, Evangeline tried to stop him.

“W-Wait—!”

He ignored her and opened the door. Fortunately, she had already sent a mental command to Fenrir to stop him.

Watching the terrified man stumble back inside, Evangeline followed him with her gaze.

‘…Is the curse not working on him?’

The fact that he had opened the door, and that he hadn’t shown any disgust at her appearance—

Evangeline sensed something special about him. She reread the letter.

The letter from the village chief stated that he had appeared one day, seemingly out of nowhere.

That he acted as if he didn’t belong in this world.

‘Then… there might be a possibility.’

The curse that made her hated by all living things. The thought that he might be the only one immune to it wouldn’t leave her mind.

Filled with a strange sense of anticipation, Evangeline knocked on the door.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇