The Devil's Cursed Witch

Yula did something with her fingers, and in response, a small mirror with a wooden handle came flying from one of the drawers of Ember's dresser.

The mirror that was floating in the air stopped in front of Ember. The human girl looked at the item with a puzzled gaze before redirecting her gaze at Yula.

"Miss, I want you to see what I am seeing," she heard Yula say. "Take a good look at yourself in this mirror."

With her hands shivering a little for some unknown reason, Ember held the handle of that mirror floating in front of her and stared at the reflection of her image.

Her face!

There was nothing wrong with it, though she found her expression unfamiliar due to her pink color on her cheeks that seemed to be spreading to the rest of her face. Her gaze followed her neck where she saw that crimson blossom tattoo but...there was more. Her neck had some reddish marks that looked like small fading bruises and those surprised her.

She touched them with cold fingers. "This..."

"I believe Miss knows exactly why those appeared," she heard Yula again.

Ember looked at Yula in a daze for a moment, but then, a sudden thought struck her mind. Before the King bit her...

She remembered back when she was in bed with the red-eyed man. Before she passed out, the feel of his mouth on her skin...

Ember gulped and her face turned redder than ever.

Draven was doing something and she still remembered how much she liked it. Instead of resisting, she clutched on his clothes, her hands pulling and tugging to keep him close. She didn't know what was happening but she wanted him to continue. That strange feeling in her body, she liked it. Every time she was close to the King, she felt an influx of complicated emotions that she liked despite not understanding them.

'Why am I feeling hot...?'

For some odd reason, she felt shy seeing her reflection in the mirror. She put it down but kept a grip on it as she cupped her cheek with her other hand, chanting that she needed to calm down. Instead, she felt her face grow hotter the more she denied her unnamed feelings.

She looked at Yula for help. The entire time, the elf merely watched her while sitting calmly in her chair, her expression still the same polite one she had since she came in.

Ember felt more embarrassed seeing the calm elf. She didn't know why she was even like this. However, she belatedly realized this was why Reya and Clio were smiling earlier while sharing teasing glances among themselves.

"I...know...how... I got it."

In a shy and weak voice, Ember replied to Yula's previous question.

Yula let out a nod like she completely understood what Ember was going through. "Like I mentioned earlier, scents are important for mates in order to complete the consummation. What's happening to you, Miss, what you are experiencing, this is how scent affects the mated pair. Attraction is how the consummation starts. Both mates spend intimate times with each other and then by giving in to your desires, consummate the bond--or you can say, consummate the wedding."

Ember sat speechless as she didn't know what to say.

"Did you not like it when you were intimate with the King?" Yula asked, seeing the quiet human. She knew there was no way anyone would not like intimacy with their mate, but Yula wished to make her talk about her experience. That way, it would be easy to gauge whether they were on the same page.

Ember gripped the handle of the mirror in her hand, feeling embarrassed to respond but chose to answer it in the end. "I...liked it."

"Then there is nothing for you to be worried about. You liked it. You should do what feels good when it comes to your mate. His Majesty felt as good as you did. This is what mates do.

"When you are with His Majesty, remember that as mates, what feels good for you also feels good for him. Both of you can enjoy that intimacy. Trust me, you will like it when you consummate the bond."

Ember looked at the mirror in her hand before returning her gaze at Yula. If being intimate was the consummation of bond, then what they did today--

"We were intimate today in his chamber, so that means we have consummated the bond?"

Yula cleared her throat, as she pretended to cough and cover her mouth. "Ah, apologies, Miss, but no, you haven't yet. You and His Majesty are yet to do what is needed to consummate the bond."

"What more do we have to do?" she asked, feeling a little anxious about it.

Yula's long ears twitched as she hesitantly opened her mouth. A relieved sigh escaped her lips when, just in time, there was a knock on the door. Clio entered the chamber. "Miss Ember, your meal is ready in the dining hall."

Ember nodded while Clio looked at Yula. "Dame Yula, His Majesty has just returned to the palace and he asked for your presence."

"Thanks for letting me know. I will head there in a bit," Yula replied with a light nod and Clio left.

Yula looked back at Ember with a more relaxed expression. "About the consummation, let us have another discussion about this once we both find free time later for it as it is not something I can explain simply. You need to understand it clearly without feeling scared or embarrassed. For now, I wish you to have your meal first, Miss."

Yula didn't know how this naive human girl would react to it and preferred to let her have her meal first. With an empty stomach, the new information might bring panic to her.

'Scared? Embarrassed? Is there something more embarrassing than a k-k-kiss?' Ember nodded as she tried to calm herself but then asked with hesitation, "Is it really important to consummate the bond?"

-------

Bonus chapter dedicated to our lovely moderator DespinaNY. Thank you for being the sweetest Moderator. <3 <3