The Devil's Cursed Witch

Instinctively, Ember's hands moved to cover those mounds on her chest. Her face flushed at being seen naked, but it didn't matter to Draven at all.

"You are wasting my time acting embarrassed," he snapped. "To me, your body might as well be a tree. Should I feel anything for a tree?."

His red eyes searched every inch of skin visible to him. Apart from those mounds she was covering, he confirmed there was still no fire mark on her chest.

"Put your hands aside," he instructed.

Since he had that black dragon mark above his heart, there was a huge possibility that this human might have the fire mark above her heart as well.

"Hands!" he said again, his tone demanding absolute submission.

Ember moved her hands away, and this time, she could no longer stop herself from sobbing. Her tears rolled out with more intensity, but Draven didn't care. He saw her entire chest but there was no mark.

'Still nothing!'

He gritted his teeth in deep frustration, and he felt the urge to crush the wooden floor under him.

If this human girl had no fire mark, then why did that woman in his dreams show him the mark on her nape? It shouldn't be a coincidence. It had to mean something, and that something had to do with this human.

Ever since that night he found her, he'd been seeing new dreams. These days, he had a feeling that he was close to getting clues to his past, but it seemed like he was overthinking.

After centuries of waiting, he finally had hope that he could find the reason for his immortal existence and he didn't wish to give up on that hope so easily. How pathetic it felt, not knowing about his own origin and the reason for his existence.

Draven's glare dropped towards her waist that was still covered by her dress, and the next moment, his gloved hands tore the remaining fabric, leaving not even bandages on her naked body.

Once her dress was gone, she let out a panicked scream. All she could do was to clench her legs, folding her knees together to hide herself, and she scrambled backwards towards the corner away from him.

At this moment, she realized how much she hated this man. She hated him more than how much she hated those villagers living down the mountain who made her entire life difficult. She hated him more than anyone else she'd met.

Her sobbing only annoyed Draven. He merely felt anger and disgust, instead of feeling guilt or pity for her.

Her right leg only had that wound which he himself had sewed close. There was nothing on that leg aside from the burn scars. Seeing her sobbing like a wounded animal, he no longer felt a need to check the other leg. He knew there would be no mark too.

Draven stood up, leaving the girl's body curled like a ball while trying to squeeze herself smaller into that corner, covering her chest with one hand and the other trying to hide the place between her clenched legs.

"It's good I checked. Turns out that you are nothing but a useless human."

Draven disappeared from where he was standing.  The moment he disappeared, the closed door of her house partially opened.

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Ever since Draven went inside Ember's home, Leeora could not calm down, aware that the human girl was afraid of the King. As such, she could only imagine the poor terrified girl trembling after being interrogated by Draven, and she continued to pace back and forth near her door, glancing at the tree house on the other side of the hanging bridge every once in a while.

Meanwhile, Cornelia remained seated on the couch, feeling dizzy herself as she watched the anxious elf walking in circles. She found it kind of amusing, how the High Elder of the Wood Elves grew so attached to that human called Ember. As one of the oldest elves, Leeora should have witnessed the worst treatments her kind had ever received from the hands of humans, yet instead of hating them, here she was, worrying over a human girl like she's her own grandchild.

"What are you so worried about, Elder?" Cornelia could not help but ask. "Even if Ember is scared of the King, you can comfort her after he's done asking questions. His Majesty will never hurt a human child."

"I know, Lady Cornelia," Leeora said as she glanced at the closed door of Ember's house. "It's just…It makes me uncomfortable thinking how scared she is right now. That poor child has already suffered so much…"

After some time, Leeora let out a surprised sound. She saw the door of Ember's house open. She understood it meant that Draven had left.

"Seems like His Majesty is gone," Cornelia said. She had left her seat and was already standing next to the elf. "I am sure you are merely being overly anxious. Come, let's meet that child."

Leeora said nothing and simply crossed the hanging bridge towards Ember's home, and the Head of the Witches leisurely followed behind her.

"My goodness, Ember!"

The moment the elf entered the house, her face paled. Looking at the scene before her, panic enveloped her mind and she hurried towards Ember who was curled like a ball, completely naked and sobbing. Her dress was almost ripped to shreds and even her bandages were torn apart, lying next to her.

"Ember? Ember, my dear, can you hear me?" Leeora enveloped the crying girl in a hug while Cornelia let out a gasp of disbelief before quickly closing the door.

Leeora embraced the girl and softly rocked her back and forth to soothe her. "Sssh, everything will be alright. You will be fine. I am here. I will stay here with you…"

Cornelia pulled the bedsheet from the bed and covered Ember's naked body with it, and Leeora continued to hug her, whispering soothing words. The human girl must be feeling embarrassed in such a condition. Not just humans, even females from any of the races would have felt the same.