Margueritte finally finished reading Mrs. Adler's letter and her face looked happy. When she looked up to see Emmelyn, a beautiful smile curved up on her face. Emmelyn was mesmerized by the witch's beauty.

Margueritte had long black hair, big round blue eyes, and red lips like cherry. Her skin was so pale that if she stood in the snow, wearing white, she could blend in easily. However, instead of scary, she looked frail and gentle.

​​

It's so hard to see her as an evil witch who had cursed the trespassers into ice statues. Emmelyn waited for the woman to speak. She wanted to know what Margueritte thought about her and Mrs. Adler.

"So, is Alexia okay?" Margueritte asked Emmelyn with her melodious voice. She rose from her seat and walked toward Emmelyn. "It's been so long."

"She is now old and frail," Emmelyn explained. Mrs. Adler said Margueritte and Dolores left decades ago. It was indeed such a long time. "She is spending her old age in the Bay of White Whales. She is quite happy there."

"Ah... I'm glad to know she is doing well." Margueritte nodded. She looked at Emmelyn and then reached out her hand to her. "So, your name is Emmelyn?"

"Yes," Emmelyn replied. She was relieved to see Margueritte's sweet attitude. So, that means, the witch was in a good mood and their companions would be safe. Margueritte said earlier that if the letter put her in a bad mood, she would curse everyone into ice.

Even though Renwyck might be powerful enough to challenge Margueritte, Emmelyn would still prefer not to have an altercation with the witch.

"Alexia said you helped her a lot and now she begged me to help you, for her sake. She reminded me of an old promise I made her when we were younger. Sigh." Margueritte spoke again. "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well... there are two things," Emmelyn quickly added, "First, I want you to spare our friend. She might wander around here and unintentionally trespassed. Please forgive her, she has never seen snow and was too excited to come here."

Margueritte chuckled when she heard Emmelyn's first request. The smile didn't leave her face. However, her voice no longer sounded friendly when she spoke again.

"What makes you think you can demand things from me?" she said coldly. "You are lucky I am willing to grant you one wish for Alexia's sake."

"No.. that's not what I meant..." Emmelyn waved her hands quickly. "Please don't be mad. I am sorry for being presumptuous, but we are looking for our friend. A young woman who wore a brand new coat. She is beautiful with brown hair and a brash attitude. We are told she was heading this way. And..."

"Actually... Alexia told me you are accused of murder," Margueritte interrupted Emmelyn's words. "Don't you want to clear your name?"

"Huh?" Emmelyn looked at Margueritte with furrowed brows. What did the witch mean by that?

Did Margueritte have veritaserum that could force people to confess their crimes? Because that was the only way that Emmelyn thought could clear her from the allegations.

Since Roshan the traitor had died and Queen Elara didn't leave behind any evidence that could incriminate Ellena unless Ellena herself confessed to her crime, it would be difficult for Emmelyn to prove her innocence.

"Unless you are not interested in proving your innocence, then I can just give you back your friend," said Margueritte.

"H-how...?" Emmelyn swallowed hard. If she could prove that she didn't kill Queen Elara at the cost of sacrificing Kira... maybe it was worth it.

"I will not tell you how," Margueritte raised an eyebrow. "You have to choose first, which one do you want. Your innocence, or your friend."

Emmelyn held her breath. This was such a difficult situation to be in. Could Margueritte really help her clear her name? If so... she wouldn't need to continue living as a wanted woman.

If Emmelyn could prove her innocence she could easily go back to Draec to get her daughter.

Right now, at her status as the late queen's alleged killer, not only she had to fake her death just to get the bounty hunters off her track, but she also had to think about ways to someday get back to Draec and get Harlow. It would be hella difficult to do.

"I..." Emmelyn was at a loss for words.

She really wanted to choose herself.

However, she remembered Regan and her beloved teacher who was so devastated when he received news of his son's captivity. If Emmelyn left Kira here, she could never free Regan and return him to his father.

Maxim touched Emmelyn's arm and whispered to her, "Don't trust the witch blindly. Kira might not be here anyway. We don't know yet."

"Ah... you are right," said Emmelyn haltingly.

What if Margueritte just bluffed them by saying she had their friend?

"You don't believe me?" Margueritte narrowed her eyes dangerously. She heard Maxim's words and felt displeased by them. The witch waved her right hand leisurely and spoke to no one in particular. "Bring our new statue here."

Emmelyn and Maxim exchanged glances. Suddenly the air around them felt chiller. A cold wind blew from behind them and they saw two men wearing blue uniforms, like royal knights, came through the door.

They were walking while carrying an ice statue that looked a lot like Kira.

The pirate princess was standing frozen with her eyes widened and n expression that looked shocked. Both her hands were used to shield her face from something.

This was so strange!

"Oh my god... So, she is really here!" Emmelyn couldn't help but shriek. She turned to Margueritte and said, "This is our friend. What happened to her?"

"She trespassed," Margueritte replied nonchalantly. "I can free her if that's what you want. But that will be the only wish I will grant for you."

"Uhm... actually, that's not what she came here for," Maxim suddenly spoke. He knew Emmelyn and after seeing Kira being frozen so pitifully like this, he could already guess that Emmelyn would use her request to get Kira freed.

"What is it then?" Margueritte turned to Maxim and crossed her arms on her chest.

"Emmelyn is cursed with bad luck and she needs help to break the curse," Maxim explained. "That's actually the real reason why she came here all the way looking for you. Her friend, Mrs. Adler said you might be able to help."

"Cursed with bad luck?" The witch furrowed her brows. "Interesting. Who cursed you?"

Emmelyn replied haltingly. "People said I was cursed by the Leoraleis of Myreen. Do you know them?"

"The Leoraleis?" Margueritte quickly shook her head. "No. I can't help you with that one."

"You can't..?" Emmelyn asked her back. "Or you won't?"

"Both," Margueritte replied. "If the Leoraleis cursed you, I am sure it must be because you deserve to be cursed."

"..." Emmelyn held her breath in shock and her body was shaking by Margueritte's heartless remark.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Before Emmelyn could refute Margueritte's words, Maxim had unsheathed his sword and moved forward to stand face to face with the witch. He looked menacing and fearless as he threatened the witch with his sword.

Maxim's face was red with fury when he spoke. "Emmelyn is the kindest woman I have ever known!! She doesn't deserve all the sufferings that were thrown at her! Anyone who cursed her to live in so much misery must have made a big mistake! How dare you said she deserved to be cursed!"

Margueritte didn't look offended by Maxim's actions. In fact, she smiled faintly and touched the tip of his sword. Then she moved closer to Maxim and looked him in the eye, with their faces only inches away from each other.

"My, my..." the witch chuckled. "Are you in love with her?"

Maxim snorted. "It's none of your business."

"Ha. Do you think she will accept you if you helped break her curse?" Margueritte asked Maxim seriously. "If I told you that the key to break her curse is for you to sacrifice yourself... will you do it?"

Maxim replied without batting an eye, "Absolutely."

"Very well," Margueritte smiled broadly, and then she started laughing so hard as if she just heard a really funny joke. She covered her lips elegantly with the back of her hand while she was laughing.

There was a playful glint in her eyes when she asked Maxim a question, "In that case... I can break your friend's curse if you are willing to stay here with me. What do you think? Isn't it fair?"

Emmelyn gasped. She quickly moved forward and pulled Maxim's body away from the witch. "What are you doing? Don't be too rash!"

She was really shocked when Maxim stood up for her and threatened Margueritte with his sword when the witch said Emmelyn deserved her curse. His action moved Emmelyn's heart and she immediately felt like crying.

While her own husband thought that she killed his mother, here Maxim didn't even bat an eye and immediately defended her. Emmelyn remembered her father who was cold toward her and how she was not close to her siblings but Killian.

All the men in her life failed her and disappointed her...

But Maxim didn't.

"Please... don't make a commotion," Emmelyn begged the man. Tears were streaming hard from the corners of her eyes. "Let's just get Kira and leave this place."

"But she said she can break the curse that befell you," said Maxim stubbornly.

"I don't want it," said Emmelyn. "not if you have to make the sacrifice for me."