The Monster and the Witch

⚜︎ Ep 1: The Ugly Witch from the South ⚜︎

The window in Carmine's carriage felt utterly cold, though it did not stop her from leaning her head against it. She welcomed the striking coldness. Then shut her eyes when a memory flowed into her mind.

***

"I have no need for you anymore. Now you can live in silence like a dead rat in Malakai."

Carmine looked up to see a pretty girl adorned in glamor. The girl's hair was blonde and her irises were blue. She was Carmine's stepsister and the Future Queen of Samaraya Kingdom.

"I heard life in Malakai is like a cold prison," her stepsister, Anita Gindari, said mockingly. "What a perfect place for someone like you."

Anita grabbed Carmine's chin and pulled it up roughly. "Just stay quiet there, like you always have been."

With her free hand, Anita grabbed a bunch of Carmine's black hair. Hard. But Carmine refused to even give the slightest glimpse of her being in pain to her stepsister. She refused to wince. Her expression stayed neutral, as though she was used to being roughly handled.

"Hmm?"

Anita was waiting for her reply. Her stepsister's blue eyes looked straight into her rouge eyes.

When Carmine did not answer, Anita became frustrated and slapped her. Again, Carmine maintained her neutral expression. Not a single sound of a whimper escape her throat, even when her body was thrown to the floor by force.

"Even if you don't answer me, I could already clearly see how broken you are, Carmine. That man's death must have hit you hard, did it not?"

Anger flickered to life inside of Carmine after hearing those words. Her neutral expression changed instantly into a powerful gaze. With her red-colored eyes, she could obtain a murderous effect with her gaze much easier.

Anita instinctively shivered when she saw Carmine's gaze. But this Future Queen has always been a person with so much pride. She tried to cover the uncomfortable feeling by slandering Carmine yet again.

"Suits you right. That man is dead because of you, my dear little sister." Anita's lips smiled sinisterly, though the hairs on her neck were still standing because of Carmine's intent gaze.

"So, it is best for all of us if you just live your new life like a muted corpse in that cold prison. I am sure it would not take long for you to catch up to that man in the realm of the dead. Especially because the Duke of Malakai is famously known as The Monster From the North. You just need to kindly ask him to kill you! Wouldn't that be the best solution to pay for all of your sins?"

Carmine did not answer... because Anita was right.

That man had died because of Carmine. It was a fact.

Carmine bit her lower lip hard. Unconsciously, she clenched both of her fists to the point her nails dug into her skin, while Anita's forced laughter filled the entire room.

***

Carmine opened her eyes. She let out a long exhale, creating a haze on the carriage's window. The cold temperature that kept on lowering was proof that they were already near Malakai. After five days of travel, finally, they had arrived.

Malakai was the largest territory in Majah Empire. It was also the northernmost region of the empire, which explains the very cold temperature. Malakai was two times colder than any Majah empire territory. But for Carmine, who came from Samaraya  Kingdom in the South, Malakai's temperature was three times colder than the kingdom she was used to.

Carmine was the only daughter of Cantika Gindari. Her grandfather was the late Marquis of Gindari. In order to cover up for a wedlock pregnancy, Carmine's mother married Lord Rendre, the Baron of Remrod. Unexpectedly, on the day of her mother's death, Rendre brought his biological daughter, Anita, to the Gindari Mansion.