The Devil's Cursed Witch

This Bonus chapter is dedicated to everyone who is writing sweet comments and making me feel relaxed when I read them. Thank you so much. <3<3

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Draven remained in his study for a while, thinking about the discoveries he had that day. After some time, he felt the need to check on the human who he had marked.

He was about to get up from his armchair but then paused midway.

'No need to check on her. Not like I can help her survive this bond. She agreed to put herself on the brink of life and death so I am not responsible for her.' He tried to resist the urge to go and check on her but the more he tried the more he felt restless. 'It's not me, it's the effect of marking her that is compelling me to check on her. I don't care even if she dies or survives.'

He tried to convince himself again and again but there was no use. In the end, he still stood up. 'It's this damn bond, not me.'

In a blink of an eye, he found himself inside his dark bedchamber.

Although he glanced at the thing in his bed, Draven's focus was on something else as his ears twitched a little.  Using his sharp senses, he captured even the smallest sounds in his surroundings, from the soft footsteps of the palace servants to the rustling of leaves in the garden below his chamber.

The target he's searching for seemed nowhere to be found.

After a few moments, he nodded to himself, satisfied and assured that nothing annoying was within the near vicinity. The next second, all the thick, heavy curtains were pushed aside to brighten up the entire chamber with sunlight and the windows themselves opened, letting the fresh air fill the chamber.

Only then did Draven take a proper look at the frail body lying in his bed, covered in the blanket that he used himself. A sudden warmth covered his heart. He didn't feel anything was wrong with the human girl lying in his bed, as if that was how it should have always been.

It was the exact opposite of how he felt after he brought her back from that human kingdom called Valor.

'It's this damn bond, not me,' he repeated to himself.

He walked towards her but remained by her bedside, simply observing her face. She was in a deep sleep, her scarred skin looking pale while her thin lips were colourless and dry with fine cracks on them. It had only been a few hours since the meeting concluded, yet she looked much weaker than before, as if her vitality was being sucked by something.

His cold red eyes suddenly flickered, showing a subtle change in his emotions,  but it didn't last as the next moment, he felt deep anger brew inside him.

'This scent!'

He smelled something that made his insides flare-up.

Morpheus's scent was still on Ember's body as he was the one to bring her to the palace with him. Smelling his scent on her reminded Draven of how intimate the two looked together. In a normal setting, this tiny detail shouldn't have bothered him this much, but now, it was different.

Draven clenched his fists and his jaw tightened.

"Erlos!"

His angered voice echoed within the King's chamber, and as if on cue, the door opened with a flustered silver-haired elf hurrying to enter.

"Do you need anything, Sire?" he asked politely.

The way Draven called for Erlos, that icy voice that could terrify children to tears, signified more than just a foul mood. Erlos understood something had happened to anger his master. He took a peek at Draven who was glaring at the unconscious human in the middle of his bed.

'Don't tell me he is angry to see her in his bed? Is he having memory problems these days? Did he forget he was the one to bring her here and told me to guard outside? How many years has it been yet I still don't understand my master…"

"Call the female servants and ask them to clean this completely and make her wear new clothes. Replace everything on the bed with new things," Draven ordered coldly.

His furious red eyes didn't leave the sight of that delicate and pitiful-looking face. If not for that small movement of her chest heaving up and down, showing that she's still breathing, anyone would have thought this human was already a corpse.

Though puzzled, Erlos bowed, keeping his questions to himself.

'Seems like he once again changed his mind about keeping her here.' As he straightened himself, he said, "I have received your orders, Sire. I will call for the servants and also move this human back to the guest room she previously used."

Draven moved his icy glare towards his servant. "Did I order you to move her?"

The young elf blinked in confusion. 'Wasn't he disgusted by her presence? I thought he wanted to change everything on his bed to get rid of her smell.' He could only inwardly sigh. 'Sometimes he seems considerate, sometimes he's cruel. Does he hate her presence or not? Sire should make up his mind. It's so difficult to serve him when his personality is this unreasonable.'

"Are your ears not working today?" Draven asked, which pulled the elf out of his muddled thoughts.

"Y-Yes, Sire! I will do it right away!" Erlos bowed once more and hurried out of the chamber as fast as he could to carry out the King's order.

Soon after, a group of female servants arrived in the chamber along with Erlos, carrying the necessary stuff needed to execute the King's order. The female servants entered nervously, some were carrying fresh clothes for a lady, while the rest brought a new set of blanket and bed sheet to change the spread on that large canopy bed.

Draven was still standing by the bed looking at Ember in a daze. It was hard to guess what was going on in his mind.

With the King staying still, no one dared step towards the bed. They stood with their heads lowered in the presence of the King.

Erlos sighed and said, "Sire, the servants are here to do their work."

Draven stepped back to distance himself away from the bed so the servants would be able to start their work.

The female servants still hesitated to work under the King's gaze and looked at Erlos who sighed again. The odd scenario was giving him a headache.

'Is he planning to stay here and monitor how servants work?' He then stared back at the servants. "Start your work."

The servants went towards the bed, despite trembling under the King's presence. They divided tasks among themselves, from who was in charge of the human girl and who would change the sheets of the bed.

The two assigned elves carried Ember to temporarily put her on the long couch, while the rest busied themselves in changing everything on the canopy bed, from the mattress to bedspreads and even the pillows and cushions.

Just as the servants started attending Ember, Erlos let out an uncomfortable cough. "I shall excuse myself, Sire."

Erlos left the chamber as he was a male, and regardless of race, a female's clothes were being changed.

Draven was blankly looking at Ember without blinking an eye. When he saw the servant pulling her dress down her shoulder to remove it so they could wipe her body, he realized something and turned around.

His heart suddenly felt uncomfortable at the mere sight of her thin and bony shoulders.

His heart was not stable as he felt the change in his steady heartbeats. He cursed under his gritted teeth.

"This damn bond....!"