Chapter 26

Charles felt hot for some reason. Thinking it was just because of the torch, he took a step closer to Cersinia and bowed his head.

“Your body may heal by your magic, but not that bitch.”

“What?”

“If you surrender, I’ll let that bitch go.”

Cersinia looked at May, who was being held. She was struggling to get out, but it wasn’t enough to get out of the hands of two men. A faint heat rose from Cersinia’s body. She just wanted to burn all of them right away but didn’t do that since May could get hurt. Cersinia took a small deep breath and controlled her mind.

Charles grinned as he looked at Cersinia, who looked at him like she was about to tear him to death. As he expected, the woman named May was her weakness. Before people noticed, he had to proceed quickly.

“I’m taking this witch away.”

At Charles’s words, the villagers grabbed Cersinia’s arms. She gently gave up her arm.

“Cersinia!”

May cried when she saw Cersinia being captured.

‘Why are they doing this to us? What does the fire in the food warehouse have to do with us?’

May felt the unfairness. She was going crazy while feeling sad and angry. However, her first concern was Cersinia, who was led by people without any resistance.

Charles ordered Cersinia to be taken to the prison and ordered May to be held in a stable. He smiled triumphant with the situation, thinking that he could put her under his feet and grasp.

* * *

Trapped in a barely used prison in the village, Cersinia stared intently at Charles. He was standing in front of her beyond the bars. Charles was smiling as if he just received good news.

“I’ll give you a chance.”

She turned her head without answering. It wouldn’t be worth hearing. Cersinia sat down on the floor, and it was clear that she had to spend the night here anyway.

“If you get down on your knees and beg me to forgive you for what you did wrong, I will tell my father to save you.”

“Where does the dog bark sound coming from?”

Cersinia dug her ears with her little finger. His barking was so loud that her ears were ringing. Charles’s fists trembled. Even after coming all the way here, Cersinia never gave up. But it would be useless courage. Charles thought she was crazy enough to not grasp the situation she was in properly.

‘She has to face reality to understand the situation.’

Charles opened his mouth, enduring his rising anger.

“Otherwise, you will be burned at the stake tomorrow.”

Only then did Cersinia’s gaze shift to Charles. Charles’s neck was red, perhaps he was quite excited thinking that Cersinia had now realized her own position.

“Yes, hurry up, beg me to save you.”

“So pathetic.”

“W-What?”

However, the answer she gave was not what he wanted. Charles’s face hardened sharply.

“You can’t even touch my fingertips.”

*BANG*

Charles couldn’t overcome his anger and kicked the iron bars hard. A strong fricative sound echoed in the basement.

“Bitch, you really want to die!”

Cersinia did not answer.

‘Do I really want to die?’

How long has it been since she started thinking that life was boring?  She seems to be living day by day. She didn’t want to end up like Cersinia did in the novel, so she hid her power, but why did they keep trying her when she was just staying still? She was already exhausted. Perhaps it was since that day three years ago when nothing was left to make her happy, and no one was by her side.

“I’ll wait and see how far your arrogant pride goes. If you keep doing this, I won’t let go of that bitch May.”

Charles snarled and turned away from the prison. Cersinia leaned against the damp prison wall with no moonlight. Everything was meaningless. She just closed her eyes and opened them again when the morning came. Like she always did.

* * *

“Let’s kill that witch!”

“Let’s kill her!”

The shouts of the villagers filled the square. Eventually, Cersinia’s hands and feet were tied tightly with ropes in the middle of the square.

Everyone was furious. The witch who burned their food. A monster that will use magic to put them in danger. At the same time, everyone was angry towards Cersinia as if they needed something to take out their anger on.

In the afternoon, when the sun shines the strongest. A cool breeze blew thanks to the autumn weather. Cersinia’s long, red hair was scattered in the wind. Her soft fluttering hair was beautiful and looked like it would smell like flowers. Many men admired her beautiful appearance and thought it was such a waste for her to die like this.

“You wicked witch!” an angry voice echoed in the square.

One person threw a stone at Cersinia. She stared at the flying stone with a calm gaze. Her hands and feet were tied, so she couldn’t avoid the stone, but she was not afraid.

Thud.

Unfortunately or fortunately, there was quite a distance between her and the man, so the stone fell far away. Cersinia looked at the blunt stone. She had a dull expression with no emotion whatsoever. She had given up on everything.

“Do you think you can dodge everything with your cunning black magic!”

‘What do you mean dark magic?’

She didn’t use her power. It’s just that the distance was so far away that the stone couldn’t reach her. But people were blaming the whole situation on her. It was literally a witch hunt.

‘Everything is annoying.’

Cersinia thought, while facing their extreme hostility. She wanted to live quietly, but people kept interrupting her. It was as if it was already fated to make sure she became a villainess.

“Cersinia!”

May was crying while being held by men. She struggled relentlessly to run away from their grasp.

‘What if May gets hurt from that?’ Cersinia frowned.

They were holding May tightly. The men’s expressions were threatening…murderous even, as if they were ready to hit May at any moment. She watched May anxiously, scared that May got hurt.

“Let go of me! Cersinia!”

May cried a lot and called her name. Her gaze was fixed on Cersinia. Making sure that her captured arms didn’t hurt, Cersinia smirked bitterly at her boldness.

‘Who is worried about who, in this situation?’

She really looked like someone. Naturally, May’s face overlapped with Ben’s, who was worried about her at the dock. She wanted to forget about it but couldn’t help it, when the thought suddenly came to her mind. She couldn’t forget it even if she tried to. His worried face even though he was the one who was badly hurt was stuck in her mind. Cersinia clenched her teeth. Ben wouldn’t have been hurt if she hadn’t sent him that way. How deeply she regretted sending Ben that day.

‘Yes, let’s not do anything that I will regret.’

It’s such a waste for her to die like this. She was also worried that if she died, May would be left alone. How much time had passed for her to get to this point? It doesn’t make sense for her to die before the novel even starts. She clenched her fists as if to harden her heart. In earnest, she pondered how she was going to get out of this annoying hurdle.

‘Should I wipe them all out?’

The simple and ruthless method was the most tempting. The ropes that bound her hands and feet were flammable and could be cut with just a finger flick.

‘Shall I set fire to escape?’

She wondered if she should really use her power. They already called her witch anyway. And they must have already heard about her power. It was clear that even if she got out of this, she wouldn’t be able to live in this village anymore. But Cersinia soon shook her head.

She wanted to escape in a quieter way without showing her power. Even if she used her power to get out of this place, she was sure the words would come out at any time. Just as Charles painted her as a witch after finding out about the cabin incident at Aren. So she had to escape without showing her power openly in order to be free from any problems later. A quiet and definite way.

‘Is that the only way in the end?’

She thought about it a little more, but there seemed to be no other way than this method. If she did it successfully, May and her will get out of this village. Cersinia closed her eyes.  Since they would burn her body soon, she would make a little bigger fire and get out of here. People would think she was burned to death.

“This wicked witch admits her wrongdoing and raises a white flag!”

Charles, who was at the forefront, shouted as if he had been waiting for this day. He leisurely walked toward Cersinia with a torch. Cersinia, who had become a spectacle for everyone, was very worth seeing like an animal in a cage. She always acted arrogantly, but on this day, when her death was cast, Charles was sure she would hold his pants and beg him to save her life. He laughed meanly, very satisfied with the situation he created.