The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband-Chapter 431: He is cursed

The sun slowly crossed the horizon, and Abrielle was seated by a small wooden bed. Her hands had grown numb from changing the rag on Cedric’s forehead she didn’t know when she fell asleep by his bed.

Cedric’s fever had subsided a bit, but the pain was still tearing through every fibre of his body. He was wide awake; he could not get a second of sleep due to the pain, the only thing that kept him sane was listening to her periodic, calm breathing.

At another corner of the room, Jubilee had also fallen asleep sitting against the wall. She was assisting Abrielle until she fell asleep. The cottage had one bedroom and another living room that was attached to the kitchen. Cedric and Abrielle were in the bedroom with Jubilee while the other 4 were in the sitting room.

Elias stood watch close to the door letting the other rest for a bit. He was used to going on several nights without sleep. Evelyn insisted on staying up with him but he argued against it. In the end, they agreed to take turns.

There wasn’t much room in the cottage. Giselle and Evelyn had to sleep on the chair while Axel sat on the floor half asleep. They were pretty exhausted from riding for hours nonstop, and so was Elias, but someone had to keep watch.

The smell of spice filled the room coming from the pot Roselia was stirring. She was curious where these people came from, although some had a perfect Litoralian accent she observed the oldest and youngest in the group could not even speak the language and their accent sounded foreign reminding her of the Dacronia merchant she saw in the market the other day

Were they Dacronia? She wondered. Aware that most nobles could speak several languages. Her eyes were back on Elias, who was still very vigilant. "You can take a nap like the rest. No one comes this close to the forest." She mentioned, still stirring her pot.

"The stew is almost done. I wonder when Father will be back." She added, then moved the pot from the fireplace.

"Why don’t they come to the forest?" Elias asked, his eyes falling on Roselia. She was a teenager, and he was curious why she was the only one staying here so far away from the village. She was too quiet and composed for her age.

Roselia picked up a lad to pour herself a bowl. She glanced at Elias, asking if he wanted some stew with a gesture, but he turned her down. She didn’t push further.

She carried a bow to sit not too far from where he was standing, and they started eating. "Some fear the forest, saying it is cursed by the Dacronia Goddess Maledicta, while others fear it will be the first place evaded if Dacronia suddenly picks interest in Litoralia," Roselia explained.

"Maledicta," Elias repeated, he was sure he had heard that name before. Maledicta wasn’t necessarily the Dacronia Goddess, but he was not going to voice that out and get himself unnecessary questions.

"Since it is so dangerous, why are you living here?"

Roselia paused for a moment then placed her bow down.

"My family has lived in the forest for generations worshipping the spirit of the forest. That’s why ghouls don’t appear here; if they did, it would be our duty to get rid of them. Mother died years ago, fighting off a ghoul, then the duty fell on me." Something flickered in her eyes then she drank up the last contents before standing.

"Someone is here," Elias mentioned, hearing distant footsteps. Roselia quickly walked towards the door, with a shawl wrapped around her because of the cold. The forest was pretty damp in the morning.

"It must be father," Roselia said, before she got to the door, which was pushed open, and then a man dressed in dull clothes like Roselia’s stepped in. From his appearance, a lot could be told about their financial status.

"Father, welcome," Roselia said. Her father looked scared and surprised to see their home crowded. His eyes fell on his daughter to confirm she was unharmed. He didn’t see the horses Cedric’s allies had used because it was hidden behind the house, so he had no idea what was going on until he stepped inside.

"What is going on Roselia?" He asked her, and she stepped forward, beckoning her father to relax. "They are stranded and just need a place to rest for a bit." She said then pulled out the gold earrings Evelyn gave her. Her father was stunned at the sight of pure gold, but he still felt uneasy about everything.

He grabbed Roselia’s arm and pulled her from the cottage. The door slammed shut behind them, and the noise successfully woke everyone up. Abrielle’s head rose, her eyes fell on Cedric who was still awake.

A frown etched on her face. "I think the girl’s father is back," Cedric said, struggling to sit up. His face scrunched up trying to endure the pain. Abrielle placed her hand on his chest stopping him. "You should not move too much. I will go have a look myself." She said, then quickly left the room, leaving Cedric and Jubilee, who were awake.

She stepped into the living room to meet everyone awake. "What is going on?" She asked Elias, who was staring at the commotion through the window.

"The girl is in a fight with her father for helping strangers." He explained and Abrielle nodded. She walked straight to the door, then stepped outside. As soon as the father-daughter duo sensed her presence, they stopped talking. Things seemed tense.

The man walked towards Abrielle, his gaze firm, "Please, you will have to leave, we live a silent life here and can’t afford trouble." He said, Roselia’s hands clenched.

Abrielle was still calm, "I didn’t plan on staying here for long. I just want my husband’s condition to improve a bit before we continue our journey." She explained and the man scoffed.

"It will be better if you just leave him somewhere to die. There is a powerful aura of death surrounding here which only appears when someone might soon die. I can guess your husband is gravely injured." The man explained. He was watching Abrielle’s Expression to his shock she was still calm.

"How do you know that?" She asked him, giving Roselia a glance. He didn’t answer but Roselia did.

"Father is a seer but also a healer in the nearby village. I also sensed the same thing when I saw your husband, I fear his injuries are cursed."

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