Esmer, who saw Laylin looking lifeless yet aggrieved, clicked her tongue. She was helpless when the young Princess went half-crazy and asked to be sacrificed for him without hesitation. The thing was, Esmer felt it was mostly the bond that was making the Princess feel things. Her feelings were overcoming her senses. If only she could kill that demon... The Princess was now sobbing with hiccups. Esmer pulled her down the stairs when the Princess staggered and lurched forward. Esmer watched in horror as she threw up bile and had a faint spell. “Damn that demon.” the witch’s clenched fist shook in rage. Her heart squeezed painfully at the sight. The Princess, now kneeling on the floor, was sobbing and hurling. The Princess in flimsy rags painted a painful scene. Her feet and hands were bruised. She was in such a pitiful situation because of two bastards. That wizard and that demon. However, even if Esmer cursed, waved her fist, or made a fuss, the Princess did not show any reaction
Esmer's face reflected the seriousness of the situation, “Sansy is furious at you. He has sent several search parties to capture you alive. His face is disfigured by your attack while you were on the run… the damage was pretty bad, he was unconscious until now. And… reports of monster sightings had been circulating since the morning.” Laylin felt her breath hitch, now that she was able to think her previous stunts were outrageous. Her heart, though, was empty, like a barren grieving desert. Then a thought struck her, “…What of Princess Scarlet? How does she fare?” Esmer frowned at her strange question. It was strange but till now her thoughts hadn’t drifted even once to the welfare of the Princess who was the catalyst of this whole charade. She could bet it was the same with everyone in the whole nation. Esmer picked the bird in her palm and asked while stroking its back, “Little Birdie, did you perhaps see the Princess of Rakhbar?” ‘CHRIP?’ The titmouse tilted his head like he w
“Please, come.” She whispered, “Please, I’m waiting for you.” She called upon a companion with heart welcoming the new presence. A light, a wisp of faint light flickered in the distance. The humming drew closer. This time she didn’t chase it instead extended her hand and felt weight on it. Her eyes flew open to see a Jay Bird sitting on her open palm. “Ah… Did-Did it work?” As the Princess turned around, she noticed that the witch behind her was in a state of shock. The bird was neither flying away nor shooed away when Laylin’s quivering hand patted the cute creature. “...Incredible.” Esmer, who was by her side, exclaimed in awe. When she had taught the Princess the method she had assumed she would just be able to tap into her consciousness at most. What was incredible was that she did it in an hour. She wasn’t exactly expecting anything to happen but she wanted for her to learn the method for the future. This was her own developed technique so even Sarang Tribe senior witches c
“...Princess, have you considered your feeling for the King may just be the effect of the bond he had imposed on you?” After several minutes of silence, Esmer finally asked the question that had been weighing in her mind. “Perhaps what you call love, might just be your attachment to the first person of the opposite sex you have known this close?” Laylin's eyes widened momentarily as she turned to look at the witch beside her, before quickly returning her gaze forward., “That must depend on what your definition of love is." She smiled, one that didn't reach her eyes. "I certainly don’t hate him and the thought of him leaving me alone punctured my heart with a dagger. Would you call this love?” Esmer's eyes sharpened distastefully, “That must be the bond that clouds your judgment. Why would you even bother with a man who was bringing in a Queen to suppress you?” The witch asked him incredulously. Seriously, she was pissed. The Princess behaved like her very honorable husband was in
They went in to find Rurik lifted off his feet, dangling in the air with a tendril. He struggled to breathe while Ambrose still lay there, unconscious. WIth a closer look, the wounds on his body were gone. There was a chill in the room that ran down their spines. The eerie dark fog was spread on the floor, one couldn’t even see past the terrifying scene. Laylin felt suffocated while Esmer felt her hair stand on ends, the dark energy was evident in the air. “What the hell?” Esmer murmured in disbelief. He was suffocating a man in his barely lucid state, that too with a tentacle. The tentacle looked hazy as if it was smoke but it was still strangling a grown man. Laylin didn’t know what to make of it. Afraid of what she was seeing, she looked around and saw a dirty rag in the corner of the room. Hurriedly grabbing the dusty cloth, She threw that blanket on his tentacle and as expected it went through it. It wasn’t tangible but it was lifting a man off the floor. “What God-forsaken e
Laylin’s own heart was bursting from the horrifying thrill of the stunt she just did and she really didn’t another set of mouth to tell her what she did was moronic. But the fact was that she couldn’t help it at all. The strongest emotion she had ever felt in her life was guilt when her father’s concubines would bribe her tutors to hit her servant whenever she made a mistake. It was a trauma. Fear of guilt. Even at the tender age of six she would tremble and vomit watching their wounds and would study till her hands were bruised or she had dark bags under her eyes just so she could save them from a beating. It was not an unheard practice. Many nobles chose this gruesome method to educate their children and as a result, their children would become insensitive. But Laylin was a very emotional child, more so because her entourage consisted of witches and rejects of society like her. She craned her neck and scoffed at the witch, “I’m surprised by how you try to act casual with me when
She was back at the library and she knew she was in a dream. She looked around to find herself in that cursed aisle but with an endless ailes ahead of her. She walked about trying to find the way out only to end up where she started from. It’s her… She killed a demon… Ah… she’s a monster… It’s her… the one with the flame… Her heart thundered as the eerie silence died down. Whispers and murmurs filled the background. Run away… Run Away... He will kill you… The curse awaits you… You killed the demon… Run away… Every cheat has a price… Pay the Price… ‘Shut up.’ She whispered as fear consumed her at the ridicule and shrewd laughter that followed. They were chuckling with such maliciousness that it chilled her to her bones. Pay the price… The curse awaits you… Run Away… He will kill you… The one with the flame… 'Enough! Shut up! Shut up!’ She crouched down and covered her ears but the voices only grew louder, now chanting in a single breath. End is bleak and the rise close The crim
‘CREAK!’ She thought of going up. She had the sudden urge but then she remembered the words Esmer had emphasized before sleeping. ‘Do not! Do not, in any circumstances, enter his room or wander around his room. No matter what you hear or see. If you do, the consequences stand with you. Only go when I’m there with you.’ She wondered why she specifically asked her not go in his room after her little stunt. The window in the room was shredded. Esmer had poured in her aura and built a vine wall to cover the damaged area of the wall where Rurik was ‘saved’ from. The place where the window used to be was a man-sized door. Then she went into his room alone and returned after two hours but didn’t tell her anything. Laylin asked again but the witch only glared at her before ignoring her. What did she plan on doing with him now that he was like this? And what was that she just saw, was it perhaps a demon… or his demon shadow? Yesterday it wasn't able to come this far. Her heart skipp
“So Crimson Rukh, how do you feel about marrying me?”His question left everyone present speechless. Even bloodied and battered Ambrose scoffed. Laylin clenched her jaw and tried to walk past him but he blocked her path yet again.At the end of her wits, Laylin burst out. “Get out of my way while I’m being nice!” Her voice trembled as she tried to run to her husband.Tilting his head in confusion, the demon sneered with contempt a second later. "Oh… Is that this dog’s filthy mark? Now that complicates things," he jeers. “I will have to kill him.”With his one tendril, he threw Laylin at a broken pillar and held her there while he slowly walked to the Lycan King."Screw you!" Ambrose spluttered, exerting himself to the fullest despite his state.The demon cackled, throwing his head back, “Your worthless mother didn’t teach you manners.” He picked him up in the air and slammed him back down.Laylin screamed and struggled but her aura couldn’t fight against his sheer force. With her, sev
"...I still think you should see her," Laylin mumbled, in his embrace. When he didn't reply, she buried herself deeper in his embrace. "...Sorry. I should not talk about it recklessly." She mumbled saltily. It was a sensitive subject and she didn't have the courage to look him in the eye.He smirked, looking down at her. She was on edge and sensitive to his emotions. He wanted to pinch her puffed-up cheeks with how adorable she was being. His darkened features at that time must have put her on guard. Instead, he settled with running his hand in her hair. He still remembered the spitfire she was, ready to bite him when he first forced her to be his Mistress.He laid back suddenly on the divan, making her fall on him. "Ambrose!""Laylin." He held her by the waist, settling her on him. She instantly struggled to get off him but he held her there."What?! Someone will see!" she was huffing puffing while her face reddening in embarrassment."Laylin." He called her out again in his low se
"I'm sure you know if you try something, she dies." His eyes swept over Valerie and Ivan. "One less pawn won't make a difference.""No. Not her! Don't touch her!" She desperately tried to crawl but only ended up stumbling and falling on the bloody arena ground. "Let her go this instant!" She begged desperately as her heart was bursting out.Her mother shook her head, her eyes telling her to let her go but it only made Laylin more desperate."Oh, so you love the mother who abandoned you?" Sansy seemed amused and he cackled. "What to do though? You didn't want to be part of my 'shitshow'."Laylin shook her tear-soaked face, "Okay! Okay. Tell them to step back. Let her go and I promise, I will!" Sansy scoffed at the naivety of the Princess, "And why should I let her go?"At the end of her wits, Laylin snapped back. "I will help you!"She couldn't use her aura easily in these handcuffs. No matter how fast her aura might be but the moment she unleashes it, every wizard here will feel the
It happened when all soldiers lost hope and thought they were fighting a battle with the fate to be defeated. ‘BOOOM!’ ‘THUD! THWACK! THUD!’ An explosion collapsed the outer wall of the palace and dark wizards and soldiers alike flooded in water crushing through from who-knows-where. But shock registered when they met the eyes of the person standing where the wall once stood. “I see. I almost missed all the fun.” There stood Princess Laylin scowling at her torn dress getting wet and an equally pissed woman behind her. “Did you really have to go this far? How am I going to walk around in this now!” Valerie was about ready to knock this stupid Princess out. Every man on the ground, thanks to the knee-high water flooding the palace, was shocked at the carefree women barging in as if they were taking a stroll in the garden. Ivan’s eyes widened. ‘That foolish Princess was here, in the middle of a battle! The King was right out of the door. If she dropped dead here, they wouldn’t b
She kept her hand on her belly and smiled solemnly. He was a piece of her and her husband. An heir to her lover. “Ahh.. To be young. Though I don’t really like the man, I certainly despise him less than your mother does. I’m not much of a success as a Red Witch so I have no such obsession with bloodlines or species. I just care for my family.” Laylin bit her bottom lip, shrugging. “Mother is... She will come around.” “Hmm, hope so. But I see... you look madly in love.” Berilla teased, looking at her distracted expression. "It must hurt your pride to love him more than he loves you." “What? No!” Laylin rolled her eyes, her smile still playing on her lips. “He’s the one who is chasing me. I just set my grace on my eager lover.“ She was flexing when both of them knew, Laylin was crazy enough in love to dive head-first in a war zone or in front of a raging monster. Laylin looked away. Her smile deepened. She did love him more but it didn't matter as long as he loved her back. A silen
The palace stood tall and imposing, its marble columns reaching the sky. It had been days since the rightful King had set foot in the home he despised and lived for.But now, with a burning sense of urgency in his heart, he returned to reclaim his throne. Laylin was expecting, he could feel his spawn growing stronger by the day. ‘SHIIINGG!’He walked solemnly, his two long swords dragging behind him. Electric zapping brutally filled the silence as his swords screeched.Previously when he had imagined her carrying his heir, he had wanted to keep her on feathery cushions day in and day out, lavish her with jewels but now he wanted to kiss her the path she walked on.He had no patience left for morons. His Queen was carrying the future King and she deserved better than a humid cave.As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the palace walls, Ambrose stood lonely at the grand entrance.The military he had himself cultivated stood before him, pointing trembling spears
"N-No, please!” The startled young witch screamed and poured her aura in with all her strength as her life flashed before her. ‘FWISSSH…’ The witch toppled back on her ass, waiting to die but as the creature collided with the magic circle it emitted a bright, blinding light. The monster's movements slow, and it gradually, in a fraction of a second, evaporated in the air. It became quiet and all the witches huffed in disbelief, as if under a spell. “Good work.” Laylin turned to the witches with a smile. “This is how any witch, weak or strong, can make the teleportation magic circle.” She clapped her hands, “Well, nobody’s dead, so let’s go under the lake.” It may sound twisted but she enjoyed their fear especially Valerie who was pale. She felt gleefully satisfied. Now, sure, no one will question her about the potency of her magic circle. She felt bad for Eloise but it couldn’t be helped, she was the weakest witch and thus the perfect person to show them the spell worked. Seizing
With a deep sigh, she went to the young Princess. “You think you can handle it after all the… commotion?” She was talking about the things she heard them talk about.The Eldest of the Red Witches looked at the Princess with a faint smile. Laylin remained still. Her countenance was quite ample as she looked ahead at the lake in front of her.Ultimately it didn’t matter if Laylin could or couldn’t. She will have to. For the sake of everyone. For the future.Valerie sighed, “We can do it ourselves too.” Laylin knew it too.The witches could very well pull off a teleportation spell but they didn’t trust her or the magic circle she had drawn especially after Aunt Berilla couldn’t perform the designation spell. The battle with demonic monsters will take more than just technique, hesitation could cost these witches their lives.Only Laylin knew Berila couldn't do it because the Great Mistress had made that spell to pull her into the memory abyss.So the witches needed to believe any of them
‘AAACK!' She pointed the dagger at him and flicked it down. His leg bent at an unnatural angle, his bone stuck out bringing him into a half-kneeling position. “Keep it down. I don’t want a commotion.” She was so calm that it was creepy. Her lazy eyes fell on the Dark Wizard and she smirked. The Dark Wizard tried to cast a spell but nothing worked, he couldn’t take anything as the source. The Dark Wizard had little to no aura or couldn’t control their auras like Valerie. There are two sources for using magic. One is auras that are taken from nature and one is life sources. Dark magicians fuel their magic with life forces which means they kill to do magic. But it doesn’t have to be beasts or humans, depending on the magnitude of the spell even insects can be used for simple spells. She had protected every living being with her aura in the perimeter. Her snake rubbed its head against her neck, and she caressed its scales with a smirk. She enjoyed the Dark wizard's desperate attempts