Chapter 4 Cursed Witch

“Lyra, just who were you really…” Luna murmured, her voice barely a whisper in the vast room. A week had passed since she first woke up in this strange, terrifying world, and she was only just beginning to acclimate to her new body. Her battered frame was gradually recovering; though some of the agonizing burns had scabbed over and healed, others still demanded meticulous, daily treatment.

“Madam?” The sudden, soft call of Marie’s voice jolted Luna from her thoughts. The maid stood in the doorway, balancing a silver tray laden with a steaming cup of warm milk and freshly baked whole-wheat bread.

Luna turned to face her. Ever since she had been dragged to this estate, the Duke had strictly forbidden her from stepping foot outside this bedchamber. As a result, her days were reduced to endlessly pacing the opulent floorboards. If she needed anything at all, Marie was there to provide it. She supposed she couldn't complain too much; after all, this single room was vastly more spacious than her cramped, modern apartment back home.

There was just one glaring problem: the severe lack of lighting in this era. Only the upper crust of society—the high nobility—had access to proper illumination in their homes, and even then, it was strictly reserved for the main halls. Whenever night descended, the roaring fireplace served as the chamber's primary beacon against the dark, aided only by a single, flickering oil lamp perched on her nightstand.

“Is the Duke not coming here anymore?” Luna asked, trying to mask her curiosity as she took a slow sip of the warm milk.

“It appears His Grace will be returning late, or perhaps not until tomorrow, Madam,” Marie replied softly.

Luna nodded thoughtfully. “Doesn't he get exhausted, being so endlessly busy every single day?” she muttered, the question tumbling out without any real, underlying meaning.

Marie offered a gentle smile. “You are very different now, Madam…”

Luna furrowed her brow, her guard instantly rising. “Different?”

“Yes. I have simply never seen you this… calm before.”

“Do you mean, opposed to… doing something stupid?” Luna asked cautiously. Her mind instantly flashed back to Rex’s chilling warning the last time she had seen him—his dark threat not to do anything foolish if she wished to remain alive.

Marie stepped closer, setting the heavy tray down on the table in front of Luna. A soft, barely audible chuckle escaped the maid's lips. “Was it the Duke who said that?” she asked, taking a damp cloth to begin carefully wiping Luna’s hand, tending to the healing skin. “His Grace is indeed a very strict man, but he is right. Sometimes you do act a little… out of control.” Marie shook her head with a faint, fond sigh.

Luna tilted her head, eyeing Marie with genuine confusion. “Out of control?”

“To speak completely honestly, Madam… ever since I first began my service here, you have always possessed quite a talent for overwhelming everyone around you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I must admit, I am so very glad that I can finally converse with you calmly like this, without the constant dread that you might attempt something terribly risky.”

Luna let out a dry breath. “I genuinely don’t know if that is good news or bad news.”

Marie gently squeezed Luna’s hand. “Madam, Duke Rex would surely be overjoyed to see you acting like this.”

Luna cleared her throat, a wave of profound hesitation washing over her. “As for that… I am not so sure.”

Marie chuckled softly. “I am just deeply glad His Grace brought you here to safety, Madam.”

Luna’s gaze fell to her own hand, now mercifully free of its thick linen bandages, and a burning question suddenly surfaced in her mind. “What exactly did Lyra do to end up with horrific burns all over her body like this?”

Marie abruptly fell silent. She cast a nervous, darting glance toward the heavy oak door, thoroughly ensuring no one was lingering in the corridor. “Actually, I am strictly forbidden from speaking of it, Madam.”

“I’ve just… forgotten a little. Could you please explain it to me?” Luna asked, desperately trying to coax the truth from the anxious maid. “You know, Marie, perhaps because I was so severely injured and lay unconscious for an entire month, I have lost a bit of my memory. That is a perfectly normal occurrence in the medical world...”

Marie stared intently into Luna’s pleading eyes, her expression torn. “Oh, Madam, I truly do not wish to find myself in trouble with the Duke. My sole duty here is simply to serve you…”

Luna reached out, her fingers gently grasping Marie’s clothed arm. “Please… you are the absolute only person I can trust in this entire world, Marie,” she pleaded, her voice laced with such raw, undeniable vulnerability that it visibly struck a chord of deep pity within the maid's heart.

“All right, Madam,” Marie finally relented, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh.

“His Grace brought you all the way from Lancashire to Ashaven. Lancashire was where you previously resided with the Duke and his mother—Madam Rosaura. The townspeople there were truly outrageous, utterly vile, despite it being the very heart of the city.” A rare flash of profound anger and frustration ignited in Marie’s usually docile eyes.

She drew a deep, steadying breath before pressing on. “Because so many unfortunate things occurred, and perhaps because your behavior, Madam, was deemed unacceptable by society—especially by your formidable mother-in-law. They came to firmly believe you were a cursed witch. That is precisely why the mob decided to burn you alive at the stake, to ensure you would not bring any further misfortune upon the land.”

Luna’s eyes blew wide in sheer, unadulterated horror. Her trembling lips parted, but she could barely form a single coherent syllable in the face of the devastating truth she had just uncovered.

“A witch?!”

Marie gave a solemn nod. “Not only that, Madam, but you were also accused of murder. The people cursed your very name because you were completely unable to bear children.”

Luna nearly choked on her own breath, reeling from the sheer absurdity of it all. “So, basically, they just desperately want an heir from a duke?”

“Of course, Madam! Duke Rex absolutely must secure an heir so that his prestigious title can be properly passed down, and the grand Raimonds family’s reputation preserved.”

"Then, what exactly is the problem? Is it that..." Luna swallowed hard, desperately trying to moisten a throat that had suddenly gone bone-dry. "Did I never actually... sleep with the Duke?"

“Goodness gracious, Madam!” Marie gasped, lightly patting Luna’s arm as a deep flush of profound embarrassment painted her cheeks at the scandalous direction of the conversation. “Why on earth would you ask me such an intimate thing? Of course I do not know the answer to that.”

Luna shook her head rapidly, fiercely trying to clamp down on the dangerous torrent of curiosity and forbidden questions violently swirling through her modern mind.

“So, is this his private residence, then?” Luna asked, her gaze sweeping thoughtfully across the grand walls of the chamber.

“His Grace has brought you to Ashaven. Yes, this is the Duke's private, secluded mansion. Of course, this estate might not be quite as incredibly luxurious as the grand main castle in Lanchasire, but here, Madam, you will be so much safer.” A genuine, warm smile finally broke through Marie's anxiety.

“But why? I mean, why didn’t we simply live here from the very start?”

Marie smiled gently, her tone tinged with a quiet sympathy. “A Duke of royal standing has countless, heavy responsibilities to fulfill across the realm, Madam. And also… remaining in the main castle was a direct, undeniable request from Madam Rosaura.”

Luna narrowed her eyes, her sharp mind frantically trying to make sense of the chaotic web. One by one, the jagged pieces were finally slotting into place, granting her a grim, terrifying understanding of exactly how the brutal hierarchy of this ancient life operated.

“It certainly seems like he rarely brings his wife to this place, doesn’t it?” The blunt question slipped past Luna’s lips before she could even think to stop it.

“You have only visited here a sparse handful of times with His Grace, but I am quite certain you do not wish to relive those deeply unpleasant memories. So, it is for the best if we do not discuss it any further.”

Although her modern curiosity was practically burning a hole through her tongue, Luna wisely chose to bite back her words, keeping the dangerous intrigue tightly locked away within her chest.

“I would be so immensely happy if you could stay here with us longer,” Marie offered with profound sincerity. The maid then stood up, smoothing her apron, and dipped into a polite curtsy to take her leave. “I will be going now, Madam. If you require anything at all, you may simply ring the brass bell as usual...”

Luna offered a grateful nod. “Thank you, Marie.”