The Devil's Cursed Witch

Meanwhile, Gregor received the news of his wife’s passing and his daughter’s birth still imprisoned in his own chamber. It was such a bittersweet feeling–to realize what should have been a joyous affair had turned into a tragedy. Yet despite his sorrow for Sephina’s death, he could only feel fear for what was to come.

‘I cannot let my father kill my newborn daughter as well.’

Grabbing his sword once more, he stormed out of his chamber where the royal knights stopped him.

“I am going to see my dead wife. Do you dare stop me?” He brandished his sword and aimed at his throat. “If you dare stop me, I will take my own life.”

Seeing the enraged Crown Prince, the knights looked at each other on what to do.

“Let his Highness leave,” the King’s knight said who happened to have arrived at that moment.

Gregor shot him a deadly glare, his reddened eyes seemingly saying he couldn’t wait to kill him the first chance he got, but for now, he schooled his killing intent for the sake of his wife and daughter.

No one stopped Gregor on his way to Sephina’s chamber.

When he reached there, the royal guards standing outside even opened the door for him.

Gregor entered the chamber, resolved to face reality as calmly as he could, yet his strides faltered the moment he saw his wife, more precisely her dead body, lying in the middle of the bed, covered with a white cloth over her head.

“I want to be alone with my wife.”

His voice was incomparably quiet, not a hint of emotion to colour it. Yet it was precisely the uncanny composure he was exuding that caused the servants inside the chamber to start crying once more.

“W-We shall excuse ourselves, Your Highness.”

The servants tidying up the chamber left without another word.

Gregor was finally alone with his dear Sephina. Before he realized it, he was already walking towards her, each step of his as heavy as his heart. He felt like huge rocks were tied to his feet, and it was difficult to walk, yet he did…because he must reach his Sephina.

‘Sephina, my wife, how lonely, how terrified you must have been…’

At this moment, no other thought came to his mind, not even about his newborn child or the danger she would be facing. All he could think about was his dead wife, his poor sweet Sephina who died without any fault of her own.

Wiping the tears streaming down his face, he sat at the edge of the bed and pulled back the white cloth covering her head. He stared at her lifeless face, her eyelashes still moist due to the tears she must have shed before dying. He caressed her cold face and broke into a cry of pure anguish.

‘Sephina, my Sephina, forgive me…I should have…I should have been here. I don’t even deserve your love… I failed to protect you….forgive me, I failed you…’

Though Gregor was royalty, he would never have agreed to take a second wife if he did not have feelings of affection for her. He loved Sephina as much as he loved his first wife, Shanel. He was extremely happy when he learned their love had borne fruit and was looking forward to their first child, but now, everything was ruined.

“Sephina…”

After pouring out his regrets and resentment, Gregor finally stood up after saying farewell to his dead wife. He looked like a changed man, his expression one of cold ruthlessness.

As he left the chamber, his thought was fixated on one thing: to find his daughter and protect her.

‘I told her that I will take care of everything. I need to keep my word.’

He asked the knight guarding outside the door with a frigid tone, “Where is my daughter?”

The knight flinched before responding, “Her Highness the Crown Princess has taken Lady Sephina’s child with her to her bed-chamber.”

Gregor went to his wife’s chamber. But when he reached there, he found the place empty. He felt his heart skip, fearing that his father the King had moved to harm them both. He knew Shanel would not give up the newborn child, and he was worried that her going against the King had landed her in trouble.

Just then his knight Taylor arrived and talked to him in a whisper. ‘Your Highness, as per your order, I have made arrangements for the princess to escape. A trustworthy servant will be bringing her away from the palace secretly.’

Gregor nodded and then saw a familiar face passing by the hallway. It was the royal astrologer. They shared a knowing glance and the astrologer left after bowing to him.

It was the same astrologer he asked to give the wrong birth chart to the King. From the way the astrologer shared a look with him, he understood he had done as he was asked.

‘If only the High Priest did not say those words…’

“Taylor, where is the Crown Princess?”

“Apologies, Your Highness, as all our knights are kept in prison, I alone could not track everything. But please give me a few minutes, I will–“

“Your Highness! I finally found you!” Gregor turned around to see one of Shanel’s lady-in-waiting running towards him. “Your Highness, please save the Crown Princess!”

“W-what happened?” What he was worried about the most had seemingly flashed in front of his eyes. “Where is my wife?!”

“His Majesty the King’s knights have taken her away! She did not want to give up the princess–“

“Where did they take her?”

“I-I think they are bringing Her Highness and the little princess to the throne hall,” the servant answered while shedding tears.

Gregor and Taylor hurried to go to the throne hall where they saw King Tredor sitting on his throne, the High Priest sitting on the seat nearest the throne, while in the centre of the grand throne hall was the frail body of the Crown Princess carrying a newborn baby wrapped in a thick cloth in her arms.

With a heavy heart, Gregor walked forward with stiff strides, stopping to stand beside his kneeling wife.