The Devil's Cursed Witch

Isa's intuition was telling her to shut up, or else…

And her own reaction shocked Isa.

In her more than a hundred years of living, this was the first time Draven had talked to her like this. Before, whatever she said, he would always hear her without giving any response. He would reprimand her like a true guardian, but only after he fully let her vent out. It made her feel that Draven was someone who was always by her side, and since he showed her favour all the time, never refusing her away no matter how busy he was, she thought she was someone really important to him. That maybe, she was special to him.

She never realized that to Draven, she was nothing more than one of his duties. All he had in his mind was the responsibility towards the ones around him and the promises he had made that he needed to fulfil.

Guilt and repentance.

He needed to protect and take care of those who had suffered because of his mistakes in the past.

It was the price he chose to pay.

"Your Majesty, I…"

"Apologize," Draven interrupted her once again as his cold voice almost sent a chill down her spine. "Apologize to her."

Isa, being spoiled not only by Draven but also by the other adults of her clan, still could not believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to take it seriously. She thought she could still do what she wanted.

"Apologize to a human? And  to a lowly one at that?"

"If she was a human princess, would you have?" Draven asked.

Isa was confused why Draven was questioning her again and again when he had never questioned any of her actions before. 'Is that human being so important to him that he forgot the hate he has towards humankind?'

"Even if she's a royal, why would I apologize?" she said stubbornly. "She is the one who wanted to kill me. She should apologize to me instead! I am the victim!"

"You instigated her."

"And her origins must be so lowly and barbaric for her to not even think of resolving things in a civil manner. I know she's of low birth, but she's worse than I thought!"

"What you know doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact you wronged her first."

Draven knew that Ember was a princess but had not told this to anyone. Only Leeora, Erlos and Cornelia were aware of this fact. If his understanding was correct, even Ember herself was unaware of her royal background.

'When the opportunity arises, I will let her know.'

For now, he decided to keep it a secret as Ember was not in a condition to digest other shocking things about her life. He was waiting for the day when she would be able to handle it all.

Isa was clearly upset at this sudden change in events. Her lips were trembling as if she was about to burst into tears any second now. "Y-Your Majesty, how can you say that to me? You have promised my brother that you will always take care of me. Did you forget that promise just because of that human? You are asking me to apologize to her…a human?"

Draven was still calm as he said, "For our kind, the responsibility we have towards our mates is above any promises. Our mates come first, even before our own lives. Do you need me to remind you of these rules?"

It was the truth that there was nothing above the mate bond and the promise made by the two souls. In front of it, any promise could be forgotten.

Isa felt speechless. "B-But still, my brother…"

"Was there ever a time you felt I lacked as your acting guardian?" Before she could say anything, he continued, "Ask yourself if I failed to fulfil my promise."

With her lack of response, Draven knew she herself could not deny how much favour she had received from him in the past.

"You are now a grown fox, a powerful member albeit a rising star of your clan. You don't need to live under my shadows now and be independent."

He didn't feel even a bit of sympathy towards Isa when he said those words.

Draven was always a straightforward person. On most days, he chose to be quiet but once he chose to talk, he never cared about hurting anyone's feelings. All that mattered to him was his own thoughts, and he would not back down even if his words could be merciless to those who received them.

Was he a heartless man?

Maybe, maybe not.

For someone who had lived as long as he did, who had gone through countless pain of loss and betrayal, perhaps being decisive in matters of the heart and affection was his way of protecting his sanity. He kept himself from wavering due to emotions until in the end it turned him into this.

It was easier for him this way.

Finally, a single tear escaped Isa's eyes. "How can you ask me…? To a human? For that lowly human, I never expected you to—"

Draven didn't care about her tears. He spoke as if didn't notice it. "Apologize to my mate, or you can go back to your clan and never step inside this palace ever again."

"You want me to leave the palace? Because of her?" Isa mumbled as more tears rolled down from her eyes. She was the same as Erlos. Both of them practically grew up inside the palace. For Isa, aside from her earliest memories with her brother and parents, her only family had always been Draven.

The palace was her home, and except for the time when she left for training, she always stayed here. Yet the King… he was asking her to leave?

Suddenly, she felt as if she had lost everything.

She lost the man she loved to a human, and now, she was losing her home to that human.

Isa closed her eyes for a moment as she wiped her tears and said, "If that is what you want, I-I… will apologize to her…"

As she said those words, it was like her slender body deflated and she moved like a puppet. She hastily bowed to the king, wanting to escape the study and leave his presence in a hurry, but just as she turned, she heard Draven's voice.

"Do not hurt my mate ever again."

With her back facing at him, Isa clenched her fists and left. Now, she confirmed that she was no longer the one who the King cherished the most.

'That human…That lowly human! How dare she take away everything from me? I swear on my life, I will have that wicked girl pay the price of her sins!'