The Devil’s Cursed Witch

Shanel had no option but to obey the King’s decree. The court lady carried the bowl of medicine to Sephina while Shanel could only shed tears while standing on the side. The court lady passed it to the servant she brought with her, who then fed that medicine to Sephina. The second wife of the Crown Prince drank with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face.

Once she finished, she lay down on bed as heavy drowsiness threatened to pull her under. She knew the moment she slept, she would never wake up again.

“Please sleep well, my lady. His Majesty’s last act of mercy is to make sure you can leave this world as peacefully as possible,” the court lady said as the next moment Sephina gasped heavily. She wanted to at least see her beloved husband one last time, but as her eyes opened, the world had turned pitch black.

The second her eyes fluttered close, there was no life left inside her.

​ Shanel started to sob, her entire body having fallen on the ground, while Sephina’s servants could not hold back their tears. The midwife and everyone else could only lower their heads to offer a silent prayer to the young woman forced to die by her own father-in-law. They all were nothing but helpless ordinary people who had witnessed the tragedy of the royal family.

The court lady also lowered her head in a brief prayer. She had nothing against the wife of the Crown Prince, merely fulfilling her role as the King’s servant.

Only the sound of her clothes rustling could be heard as she checked Sephina’s breathing to make sure she was dead.

Everyone heard the heartless court lady say, “His Majesty was kind enough to choose a painless death for her,” before she turned to leave. Just as she reached the door and was about to step out—

Uwaaaaah! Waaaaaah!

Everyone inside the chamber was stunned.

The midwife paused amidst wiping her tears. Given that the mother was dead, her role should have been done as there wouldn’t be any baby coming out, but just as she was about to put Sephina’s parted legs down, the loud cry of a baby echoed within the chamber.

She saw movement between the corpse’s legs, and she saw the head of the baby squirming out. She could not help but reach out her hands to help the baby though she was shocked to see it coming out of the dead mother.

The baby’s cries only grew louder the moment her entire body was out, causing Shanel to snap out of her shock. Shanel immediately ran towards the midwife who informed her in a trembling voice, “Y-Your Highness, the  little princess has been born…”

The servants of Sephina who were shedding tears could not help but rejoice, but then their hearts were seized with fear once more upon hearing the hostile voice of the King’s favored court lady.

“A child born out of its dead mother?”

“How dare a mere servant address an offspring of the Valor Royal Family with such impudence?” Shanel snapped into action. “You have already executed the King’s order to give medicine to Lady Sephina. You have done what you were told.

“In my name as the Crown Princess of this kingdom, I order you to get out of my sight! Without the King’s order, you have no right to touch this child, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Valor.”

With an expression that could not be defied, Shanel stood between the court lady and the newborn infant still crying in the midwife’s arms.

The court lady frowned, but she did nothing but let out a curtsy before departing along with the King’s servants she brought with her. With the little princess born, she decided to go back and let King Tredor decide what must be done next.

Once the King’s servants left, only then did Shanel allow herself to feel relief, but she knew it was too early to relax. The King would order to kill Sephina’s newborn child. The only way for her to survive was to have her leave the royal palace, but the chamber was probably heavily surrounded by the knights right now. There was no way she could escape with the little princess.

‘I need to reach Gregor. I am sure His Majesty must have pressured him and locked him up somewhere.’

“Your Highness,” the servant’s call pulled her out to her senses.

“Your Highness, we have cleaned her body, but now, the baby needs to be fed. What shall we do?”

“Give her to me,” Shanel instructed. Her youngest son was hardly a year old and he was still feeding on his mother’s milk. Shanel felt glad that she was able to feed her and took the baby from the servant.

The small bundle of warmth felt especially fragile in her arms. ‘Oh my pitiful little princess…’

Shanel looked at the dead Sephina on the bed. The servants had placed a white cloth to cover her head out of respect for the dead, but it was still difficult for Shanel to accept that the woman who she loved like a sister was no longer alive.

Though she felt like crying her heart out, it was not the time to show weakness. She needed to protect the little one that Sephina had left behind. She had to fulfill the words she gave to Sephina.

“Find out where His Highness is and tell make sure the news reaches him.”

The servant nodded and left. Since the circumstance only allowed servants to freely leave and enter the chamber, Shanel could only get help from them.

——

“Imbeciles!”

The news of what happened reached the King who could not help but feel furious at the failure. He turned towards the High Priest with a worried gaze.

“What shall we do, Your Holiness? The cursed child is born…what will happen to Valor?”

The High Priest frowned. “A child born out of a dead mother? She truly is an evil thing from hell.” He shook his head as if something terrible had happened. “We could not stop her from coming into this world but it might still be possible to prevent ruin to our kingdom.”  He then stared at the King. “For the sake of this kingdom and the people, you have to order it, Your Majesty. You cannot let that cursed child live.”

“We have to kill that child,” the King said as he looked at the court lady kneeling on the floor.

“Your orders will be followed, Your Majesty,” the court lady said before she left.