To say he felt no temptation would be a lie.
Echidna's words were extremely alluring. If he obtained her intellect, wisdom, and knowledge, he could accomplish his goals far more easily—whether in this world or any other. And yet, why had he rejected her so decisively?
At that moment, Echidna stood slightly stunned. She had not expected that after speaking so sincerely and emotionally, Lillian would reject her as though he had heard none of it. For a moment, she found it difficult to accept.
The other witches reacted differently. Only the Witches of Wrath, Lust, and Pride showed visible surprise. As for the Witch of Sloth, her gaze wandered aimlessly, as if she were lost in thought. Meanwhile, the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne, kept licking her lips, her small nose twitching constantly, as though she were starving.
"I listened carefully to what you said," Lillian told the stunned Echidna. "And I can give you my reasons for refusing."
"…."
Echidna regained her composure and narrowed her eyes.
"Then let me hear them."
"First, regarding 'independent thought,' I cannot agree with your views. You said everyone has a dark, shameful side they cannot show others—that much I admit. As the saying goes, 'Judge deeds, not thoughts; if thoughts were judged, no one would be a saint.' I certainly have many ugly and disgraceful thoughts I would rather no one know. But that isn't the reason I refuse."
"There must be clear boundaries between people. If we shared consciousness and emotions as you described, I believe I would go insane. I have my own life to live, and I have no desire to fully experience someone else's life—whether that person is a beggar, a failure, or a king and hero. I am not interested in other people's lives. If forced to do so, I believe I would lose myself. That is my first reason."
Lillian took a deep breath and continued.
"Second—you said you revealed all your thoughts to me. I don't know whether that's true, because you are far too skilled at deception. But regardless of whether it's true or not, I dislike what you said. You described yourself as a 'tool.' That is something I cannot accept. If you can say, 'Use me as a tool,' then I can only assume that you also see me as a tool—a tool to fulfill your pursuit of knowledge."
"And if that's the case, it doesn't matter who that tool is. It doesn't have to be Lillian. It could be others—anyone would do, wouldn't they? Is that what you call 'love'? A love that can be replaced so easily?"
Lillian shook his head.
"Sorry. I'm not the 'hero' you've been waiting for. I'm afraid I've disappointed you."
"…."
Echidna fell silent. After a long while, she bit her lip and said calmly,
"I see. It seems my persuasive techniques are still lacking."
The blush and shy expression on her face vanished completely. In an instant, she returned to being the coldly rational Witch of Greed.
She sat back down.
"But it doesn't matter," she said. "The terms of the contract can still be adjusted. We can slowly negotiate the details."
This abrupt shift—from emotion to a cold, businesslike negotiation—was something Lillian could not accept.
"There's nothing left to discuss," he said, glancing at the other witches. "I don't know why you all came here, but if you were watching this as a spectacle, then you can leave. The show is over."
The witches exchanged glances. Aside from Daphne and Sekhmet, the others looked somewhat strange.
"I never expected this!" Minerva, the Witch of Wrath, exclaimed. "You rejected Echidna so decisively!"
"Weren't you the one who didn't want me to make a contract with her?"
"That's true! But I thought you just didn't want to suffer a loss! Now that Echidna is willing to sit down and negotiate the terms slowly, you could actually help each other!"
At these words, Lillian's expression darkened slightly.
"…I don't know how you witches think, or whether you even understand human emotions. But as someone who has just been 'toyed with,' do you really think I should calmly sit down and negotiate? Even if it might benefit me, do you not consider the existence of emotions at all?"
"People who act on impulse always pay the price," Echidna said. "Haven't you ever suffered losses because of this, Lillian? If you have, then the wound simply wasn't deep enough. That's why you're still throwing a childish tantrum."
"…A childish tantrum?"
Lillian laughed softly.
"Yes, that's the kind of person I am. I simply cannot agree with sayings like 'There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests.' You think I'm childish—but I think you live without principles. To me, principles are more important than life itself. Though I doubt you would understand that."
"More important than life?!" Minerva widened her eyes. "What nonsense are you talking about?! Life is the most important thing! That's why I desperately try to save everyone!"
"Heh… believe what you want."
Lillian no longer wished to argue. He finally understood why they were called witches—their values were fundamentally different from those of ordinary people. It wasn't that one set of values was superior to the other; he simply could not accept them as a human being. That was all.
"Let me leave this place, Echidna," he said. "Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to destroy this beautiful dream world of yours."
"…Don't be in such a hurry."
A strange smile appeared on Echidna's face, the corners of her lips curling slightly upward. At once, the Witch of Lust, Carmilla, retreated several steps in fear.
"E-Echidna-chan is smiling like that again… s-she's angry…"
"Don't say such things, Carmilla. I'm very happy right now," Echidna said, clapping her hands lightly before turning toward Lillian. "Don't rush. You said the show is over—but that's not how I see it. From my perspective, the real show is just beginning."
What…?
Lillian sensed a disturbance ripple through the dream world. Soon, a figure appeared beside the tea table, and all the witches turned their gaze toward the newcomer.
"Welcome—to the Witches' Tea Party."
Echidna greeted the arrival with a sweet smile.
"Natsuki Subaru."
"Ah… ah!"
Subaru froze for a moment. Then, seeing the witches surrounding him, his legs gave way and he nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Be careful."
Echidna reached out and supported his arm. Subaru, somewhat flustered, hurriedly said "Thank you." Then he saw, standing directly opposite him a few meters away—Lillian.
"Li—Lillian?!!"
In the dream world, the mask had long been removed. Lillian had been completely unprepared for Subaru's sudden appearance, so there was nothing he could do about being seen. But of all moments… why now?
He glanced toward the girl.
"Do you know the secret to an excellent drama?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Echidna's face.
"It's timing."