Chapter 8 The Witch

• Keira's stomach rumbled. Her hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her collarbone, forehead, and cheeks. She realized she had been too reckless. It turned out that the advice from the online video was true. One should not mess with men in the morning.
• "Torry, are you... not going to the... office today?" Keira tightly gripped the bedsheet, feeling like a small boat drifting on the sea, swaying with the waves.
• "No." A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. It felt scalding hot as it landed on her skin.
• "But... I'm hungry..." Keira's voice became hoarse as she spoke with a sob.
• "I'll hurry." Victor kissed away the tear at the corner of her eye before focusing on his task.
• After another half an hour, they finally finished. By then, Keira could not even utter a word. She barely mustered enough strength to eat lunch before falling into a deep sleep again.
• Upon waking again, she felt around and found herself alone. Victor had probably gone to work. She stretched her stiff neck, feeling like her body was in pieces.
• Feeling refreshed and clean after a bath, she casually put on a sleeping gown and rang the bell by the bed to call the servant.
• Outside, the sky gradually cleared, brightening the room. The all-white decorations, however, seemed glaring. It felt as if she had been subjected to some strange punishment. Staying in the room made her lose her sense of color.
• The butler broke out in a cold sweat upon receiving the message that Keira wanted to renovate the bedroom. Oh no! What kind of mischief is she up to now?
• Previously, she chose all-white decorations and furniture, making the main bedroom look like a funeral parlor. If it weren't for something that diverted her attention later, she might have transformed the whole house into that style.
• Not only that, she also ordered the servants to uproot the precious flowers and trees in the garden and replace them with rowan and willow trees. She also made sure that all the flowers were white.
• In spring, the air was filled with flying seeds of various plants, irritating people's noses and throats. It was impossible to clean up the garden properly. It was even worse when the flowers bloomed. The garden became adorned with white lilies and roses, making it even more eerie than a cemetery.
• Despite feeling uneasy, the butler maintained his professional politeness before Keira. He asked patiently, "Miss Keira, how would you like to renovate the room? Do you still wish to choose the furniture yourself, like before?"
• Keira shook her head, "No, I have no talent for design."
• Surveying the all-white room and the horrendous color scheme of the garden, she felt she must have been cursed in her previous life. Even if she wanted to disgust Victor, she should not sicken herself.
• Keira organized her thoughts and instructed, "You should hire a designer. I want a simple and cozy style. Let the designer finish the design and show it to me for approval. After that, we can start the renovation."
• Mr. Cruz was somewhat surprised, but his voice remained steady. "Sure, I'll arrange it right away. Ms. Sunter, do you have any other instructions?"
• "Before the renovation starts, I want to move to another bedroom with Torry. Can you get someone to clean it up and prepare our daily necessities?"
• Keira thought briefly and continued, "Oh, and the garden. I want to remodel it as well. It's hideous. Mr. Cruz, can you find a landscape designer to prepare a plan? Remember to leave a space in the southwest corner for me. I have plans for it."
• Mr. Cruz carefully noted Keira's requirements, concealing his surprise.
• "Sure, Ms. Sunter. If there's nothing else, I'll leave to make the arrangements," he replied and bowed respectfully.
• "Oh, one more thing," Keira announced loudly. "call me Mrs. Byrom from now on."
• Mr. Cruz could not hide his astonishment. He was stunned from shock.
• When Keira first arrived, everyone called her Mrs. Byrom, as Victor instructed. However, Keira had a big fight with Victor over this. In the end, the servants resorted to calling her Ms. Sunter. They would only refer to her as Mrs. Byrom before Victor.
• Now, it seemed Keira had truly changed. Thinking about how Victor had patiently waited for her for many years, Mr. Cruz felt relieved.
• "All right then! I'll instruct the staff!" Mr. Cruz's eyes welled up with emotion, and his steps became noticeably lighter as he left.
• After Mr. Cruz left, Keira cautiously stood up, stepping her bare feet on the soft carpet. She quietly approached the corridor near the door. Then, she spotted a small figure on the floor, leaning against the wall at a blind spot, listening intently.
• "What are you doing?" Keira suddenly approached with a smile, startling Luna, squatting nearby.
• The little girl was dressed in a pink chiffon skirt, and her hair was tied in twin braids. She held a half-eaten cheese stick in her hand, and her chubby face seemed to have turned pale, perhaps from being startled. Her doe-like eyes were filled with fear as she looked at Keira. She immediately turned around and tried to run away on her short legs.
• "Are you Luna?" Keira blinked as her eyes began to well up with tears. She held onto the little girl to stop her from falling before embracing her.
• "Boohoo, let me go, witch! Don't catch me!" Luna burst into tears from fear and began crying profusely. At the same time, she kept struggling. "Lucien, Landon, save me! Daddy! Daddy, save me!"
• "Don't run away. Let's talk, okay?" Keira's anxious voice sounded a bit hoarse as she pulled Luna to sit on her lap while she sat on the ground.
• "Luna, I'm your mother." Keira urgently tried to comfort her. "I won't hurt you!"
• But Luna kept crying. Keira comforted her for a long time, repeatedly assuring her that she had no ill intentions. Only then did Luna stop crying. However, she had cried so hard moments ago that she now hiccuped continuously. Her entire face turned red.
• "Are you really... not going to hit me... or throw me out?" Luna asked as she sniffled.
• "I promise never to bully you again. I'll take good care of and love you from now on." Keira tenderly wiped away Luna's tears. She promptly closed the windows, fearing Luna might catch a cold after crying so much.
• Seeing Keira seemed to have no ill intentions, Luna contemplated before smiling broadly. "Mommy, the witch released you, right?"
• "This is wonderful! Landon always said a witch transformed into you and would eat us, so he never let me see you." Luna's voice gradually softened, carrying a hint of sadness.
• "So, every time I missed you, I would secretly come here to take a peek and then leave." Luna looked down. She looked so pitiful with her teary eyes, breaking Keira's heart.
• "Last time, the witch nearly abandoned me."