Chapter 98 - Gone to the witch's house - Part 2

Under the orangish glow of the evening sun, the forest stood calm and serene, the snow coating the forest a brilliant white. The winter forest was as beautiful as what was described in the fairytale book, magical and alluring. I watched the falling snow as I walked through the forest, going on a journey to the witch's house. 

Luke told me that Maggie's house was located deep inside the forest behind his manor, and it was a part of the forest where a lot of wildlife resided. His words were deemed correct, as not long after we started our journey, we met a few squirrels and deer running through the trees here—possibly looking for some food to bring home to their families. According to Luke, Wolfie especially liked this part of the forest since he could scare those poor animals while going on his run. 

Walking through this forest reminded me of how my mother, Emily, would often bring me along with her when she went hunting. Though hunting was not really a good choice for a hobby, it was what she enjoyed the most. She'd go to the woods to hunt for deer or rabbits, then bring them back home for dinner. Sometimes, if lucky, she'd even bring home a wild boar. 

As she was the wife of a wealthy businessman, she'd often go to an afternoon tea to socialize with other ladies in the society. When those ladies found out about her hobby, they told her that it was not ladylike to have such a hobby, that she should stop doing it, but she didn't care about what they said. So she stopped socializing with those ladies. 

She told me that I should never allow others to tell me what I can and can't do. 

Despite the fact that I can still remember her words clearly in my head, I failed her. I've always let people tell me what I can and can't do—or, to be exact, I've always allowed my father to tell me what I can and can't do. He always forbade me from doing anything other than staying put in my room, and he didn't want anyone—including the servants—to see me.

Perhaps he was ashamed to have me as his daughter, and that was why he locked me up in the attic. The only time I was allowed to go out of my room was during the night when everyone was asleep, and I would use that time to eat and bathe. Ah, right. The other time I was allowed to leave my room was, of course, when he called me to the underground room. 

No one was allowed to speak to me—not that anyone would want to—but Anna would sneak food into my room from time to time so that I might eat it while it was still warm. Anna always did everything sneakily since she didn't want my father and Fiona to find out, as they would definitely punish her for doing something so insignificant as looking after me. They would tell her that Anna should have used the time to clean the manor more thoroughly. 

But in the end, they eventually caught her when she was helping me for the last time—and her punishment was death. I still resented my father—no, everyone in that place for her death. She didn't deserve to die like this. 

I've given up two precious lives to keep this life. Nothing could ever repay what my mother and Anna did for me, so the least I could do was live my life to the fullest. That's why, even if today I discovered that I was a witch—the wicked creature from the tale—I'd accept that fact. Though it was scary to live as a witch, I knew there was good in it. I would be endowed with a power I'd never imagined I'd possess, and I could use it to help Luke. 

Well, that was what I came up with after learning about my circumstances. I thought it would be better for me to take in the bright side of it rather than being stuck in denial. 

Luke, who walked behind me at my request, had made no sound for quite some time now. Thanks to the time apart, I was able to calm my racing heart and return to normal, so I glanced around to see if he was still behind me, but he wasn't there. All I could see were trees and snow behind me.

"Luke?" I called out, stopping in my tracks. 

"What?" Much to my surprise, he was beside me all along. 

"Ah!" I yelped. "Since when have you been here?" 

"I don't know, ten minutes?" He shrugged his shoulders, smiling so innocently after startling me. "You looked quite busy with your thoughts, so I didn't bother saying anything."

"You should've said something. I thought I lose you," I said, and he only nodded and ruffled my hair. He then took his right hand out of his pocket, lightly tapping on my left hand. 

"Aren't you cold?" he asked, as if hinting for me to hold his hand. He rubbed his hands together, pretending to be cold when he was actually feeling fine. When I saw him, I suppressed a smile, thinking how this man couldn't even stay away from me for a moment.

When I asked him to stay further away from me, he initially protested, insisting that he wanted to walk while holding my hand so that he could catch me if I fell in the snow. But somehow, after a little persuasion, he changed his mind. 

It wasn't that I wanted to push him away, but these days, every time he came close to me, my heart would beat like crazy. I wasn't used to him being so close to me, and... I'm not sure what had changed about him, but he looked even more handsome than he used to be. Perhaps I've gone mad. 

"I'm not cold," I shrugged my shoulders and shook my head, smiling. I raised my hands, showing him my perfectly gloved hands. Though I had refused, he always found another reason to get what he wanted. 

"But I'm cold. I need you to share your warmth," he said, swiftly snatching my hand into his. "It's a lot warmer now," he grinned, raising our entangled fingers. He looked a lot like Wolfie when he acted like this. While Wolfie always asked me to pat his head, this man always asked me to hold his hand. Both seemed to enjoy being pampered.

"But you're a werewolf," I softly smacked his shoulder, chuckling. "You're not supposed to feel the cold."

"We do feel the cold," he stated, and I raised my brow at his remark. Even right now, his hand was warm, and not the slightest cold could be felt. "At certain times when it's needed," he added, laughing.

I let out a sigh, ignoring him but couldn't help but smile. Though he could be a little annoying at times, most of the time, I found him to be quite endearing. He acted tough with others, but with me, he was just like a puppy. An adorable big puppy.

"How much longer until we reach there?"

We had been walking for so long that my feet were beginning to hurt. It was as if we were walking in a never-ending forest, and yet, the witch's house was still nowhere to be seen. I wondered about why one would build a house so deep in the forest, but then I remembered that a witch was meant to live in hiding. I hope I wouldn't need to do that.

"Just a little more," he said, patting my shoulders as if trying to encourage me. I noticed a change in the view not long after he mentioned it, as I saw a hint of a house between the thick trees. "There it is," he pointed at the house. 

As we got closer, the witch's house became more visible, and I felt a sense of relief at the thought of being able to rest my feet for some time. The sense of relief I had just felt was quickly replaced by a sense of doubt when I saw the state of the house. Is this the right place? 

Just by looking at it, I could tell that the house was old and murky, and it was as if it was on the verge of crumbling. I noticed how dried vines grew all over the walls, hiding the faded paint of the house. A few windows were shattered, and what seemed to be the porch was filled with snow. Rather than a witch, this house looked more like a place where ghosts would live. 

Though I didn't expect the house to look good, I also didn't expect it to look this horrible. I couldn't help but wonder if this is not another abandoned building that I had to get into. 

"Are you sure this is the right house?" I asked.