The Devil's Cursed Witch

That morning, Leeora went to check on Ember as usual. Visiting the human in the morning had become a part of the High Elder's daily routine. A week had passed by since that 'thief' incident, and Ember had recovered enough to even leave her bed.

"Good morning, Ember," Leeora greeted the young lady who was sitting by the window. Her face no longer had the bruises and small injuries she received from that night, but her skin was still suffering slightly red from the burn marks which were almost healed now, though the scars would probably take some time to fade. Though from what Leeora gathered, if she were not given proper potions soon, those ugly burn scars might permanently remain on the poor girl's skin.

Ember's long hair was still messy, almost like a curtain covering her small body, making her look even smaller. She looked like a lost child who had no one to look after her.

"Have you eaten your meal already?" Leeora asked affectionately as she replenished the supply of food, putting some freshly plucked fruits on the table. "I'm sure you are tired of eating porridge and bread so I decided to bring you fruits."

Ember let out a grateful smile towards the kind elf, and as she was about to stand up to approach her, Leeora gestured for her to keep seated.

"Let me check on your wounds first." Leeora kneeled down to match her height and began to check on the wounds on her face and arms. After that, she said, "Your leg?"

Ember quietly extended her right leg. Leeora pulled her dress up and inspected the wound as she gave out a satisfying sigh. "You know this cut is life-threatening. You would have lost your entire leg if immediate attention was not given. Fortunately, it didn't get infected because His Majesty used the cautery technique when stitching it close. It must have hurt when he sewed it, but the pain was worth it. However, remember not to wear anything tight or anything that can make your skin itch until it fully heals—"

Though Leeora was speaking without any motives, Ember could not help but grit her teeth as she remembered that hateful man treating her with cruelty. Not just his actions, but even his words were cruel.

Leeora observed her body and her clothes that were different from the previous day. "You seem to have washed yourself already too. Such a good child!" Leeora then looked at her long mahogany hair and touched its strands. "Hmm, it seems you already brushed your hair but… There are damaged parts, mostly burned at the ends so it will be better if we trim them. What do you think?"

Ember nodded. Leeora returned to her house for a bit and returned with a pair of scissors in hand, smiling as she began her work on Ember's long hair.

Leeora trimmed the burned parts of her long hair. The hair that was grown originally below her waist was now sheared to a length that reached her chest. "Your hair feels like silk on my hands, Ember. I didn't realize you have such beautiful hair.. I am sure it will even be lovelier after we wait for your hair to grow back."

Ember found herself in a daze under Leeora's praise. It reminded her of Gaia who loved to brush her hair every night before going to sleep.

"You look so beautiful, little princess!"

Ember didn't know if she was beautiful or not, but she trusted what Gaia said and saw herself through her eyes. To Gaia, she was her beautiful child.

In the morning, before starting their day, Gaia would also often style Ember's hair, her personal favourite being when her long hair was neatly divided into two braids, each of them falling in front of her shoulders.

"Let me see." Leeora turned her around and observed her, appreciating her work. "Look at yourself in the mirror."

Ember stared at her reflection, and after giving it some thought, her hands moved to style her own hair. Her bandaged fingers moved swiftly as if they were doing something familiar, and it did not take her long to recreate the braid that Gaia used to do to her hair. Leeora thoughtfully gave her ribbons to tie her hair to finish the look.

The elderly elf could not help but gasp upon seeing her new look. "How adorable!"

Though Ember had a scarred face, her cheeks were slightly fuller now since she's no longer starving, the unblemished parts of her skin taking on a healthy pinkish white colour. She looked absolutely adorable in those braids like a little naive girl. The gloomy girl seemed to transform into a brighter version of herself. Leeora could not help but praise her again.

"This hair suits you really well!"

Her beautiful emerald green eyes brightened up upon getting similar praise like Gaia's.

"Yes, this is definitely better. You shouldn't be covering your face with your hair. My, look at that face, and those eyes, they're gorgeous. I can see you are one pretty lady. Once the swelling and scars are gone from your face, we can have all bandages removed. By then, I am sure everyone will see how lovely you are."

For the first time, Leeora saw a genuine smile appearing on Ember's face.

However, this warm scene was disrupted when they heard a loud noise outside.

Hoot!

Thud!

"That sounds like an owl. Is it Midnight?" Leeora mumbled to herself and then said to Ember, "I will be back shortly."

Ember nodded as she caressed her two long braids, her expression softened as she began to reminisce.

Leeora went outside her house and saw a snowy white owl seemingly fighting his way through a number of vines moving like whips. The tree spirit was stopping Midnight from approaching closer.

Leeora sighed, lifting one of her hands to rub her temple before touching one of the moving branches with the other. She spoke out loud, knowing the tree spirit will not understand her. "How long are you going to keep the King's order? Midnight might be a male, but he is just an ordinary bird, not even a shapeshifter. You are taking the King's instructions too rigidly."

However, she understood. Tree spirits might have developed sentience, but they were still simple creatures, even less sensible than wild animals. These spirits could not understand complex instructions. She let another helpless sigh and looked at Midnight who was still trying to fight against those unruly tree branches.