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Lia begged and begged for the man's forgiveness. She tried her hardest to explain their misfortune, and that a brother was waiting for her at home.
"Please I beg of you! Forgive me..." She cried, but the man was only staring at her as he sat down on an elegant and cozy chair, while Lia kneeled on the floor, still asking for forgiveness. "I never meant to steal, to ruin your garden, b-but I had no choice." She added.
Beside the man was a desk, where some unknown books are placed on top of one another.
He dragged her inside the cabin after he caught her red handed on his garden.
The cabin was a spacious and cozy home. Smells like burnt coffee and baked goods. She would've appreciate the whole place only if she weren't there for the wrong reason.
She heard a sigh coming from the man, as his slender fingers brush his raven hair. The man touch his forehead, sighing once more, he looks tired or annoyed. Which made Lia fear for her life.
This is a witch. That is no doubt. The whole place told her so that he is not human, from all those ornate and herbs, and perhaps the cauldron she can spot not far from them. Yes, he really is a witch.
And if the tale surrounding him are real, the other tale about the forest might be too. Perhaps the misty voice that tried to keep her out, might have belonged to a Fae.
"You stole from me." Lia froze upon hearing the man's voice again. It was cold and soulless. "Something that you shouldn't have done, ever." He said and turning to her again, examining her. "Now I have no idea if you are just brave or just fool to steal on my garden and had the audacity to do it again, thinking you could easily get away."
She've thought about that. But it's too late now.
"You are brave for risking your life by entering this place, but a fool for being brave!" The man hissed, causing Lia to flinch.
That is the first time the man lose composure. And Lia could swear she saw his eyes turn emerald green, which came back brown as soon as it changed.
"Do you know how long it took me to mend my broken, bleeding plants? Do you know!?" The man gritted, "Do you know how long it took me to replace the soils that you've ruined, to wash the fear in their roots, to care for their pain? Perhaps an offering will help fully cure my garden?"
Lia froze, her eyes widened in fear.
No..
"No..no, no, no." She sobbed, shaking her head and bowing before the man yet again. Her face is almost touching the floor of the house, having a whip of the scent of its woods. "B-Believe me I never intended to steal..but my brother, my brother is sick. Please, please I am begging you, spare me." She cried.
"A brother?" The man whispered to himself. He appeared to be thinking. "Ah," He beamed, a smile forming in his lips. "You must be the older child, an ever so devoted child that will do everything for her brother. The first stolen herbs must've run out and so you need to go back or brother will fall ill again." "Am I right?" Lia couldn't understand the glint on the man's eyes. He looks too calm but at the same time, intimidating.
Who knows what he has in mind, or what he has planned to do to her.
"Y-Yes..my brother..he needs me, he's sick and he's weak, he wont survive alone. We have no money to buy medicine and our parents have not yet coming back from a journey." Lia explained. She look back to the man, still kneeling on the ground.
The man stood up, then kneeled down in front of her. His slender fingers wrapped around Lia's chin, fingernails rest and dig in her face.
Lia trembles as silence took over them. The man was not saying anything, but his smile never falters.
"You have such beautiful necklace," He suddenly blurted, eyes set on the thing wrapped around Lia's neck. It was the necklace given to her by her brother. It was made out of nylon and a ring that was owned by their mother.
Her trembling hand reaches for the necklace, "My brother made it. Jeongguk made it." She says without thinking, then freezes when the witch's smile grew wider.
"Jeongguk..." He said, testing the name in his lips. "Such a lovely name." He said.
Lia couldn't speak. She can only whimper and nod, while the man studies her for a moment before standing up.
How could she forget? How could she be so careless?
The people in her village once told them to never say their name in front of a witch, or..or something bad will happen.
"Leave." He suddenly blurted. His back was turned to her, as the man busied himself with the small cauldron on the wooden table not far from them. There are also herbs around him.
"W-What?" Lia couldn't move.
It's just too hard to believe that the witch was letting her off. He's just going to let her leave after everything she've stolen from his garden? That sound ridiculous.
He's a witch. His kinds are not the type to let things easily. He must be plotting something. Isn't he?
"Please..please dont hurt my brother." Lia begged again, bowing. "Please spare my brother. He dont know anything. Just please, leave him out of this. It's me who'd wronged you, you should punish me instead." She cried. "Please, please, just-just punish me."
Lia couldn't think of anything anymore. For her, if her brother was alive and well, she'll be fine.
The witch turned back to her, eyes were void of any emotion, his face dont even show any slight sympathy.
"I'll do everything..." Lia suddenly blurted, even her was shock hearing those words coming from her lips. But it's either her or her brother! And she prefer it to be her that will shoulder all the trouble she've caused, instead of the young boy.
She's the one that did something horrible, stealing from a witch, and so it is just right for her to face the consequences of her actions.
The witch did not utter any word, his gaze were firm and demanding. Scary. There was the emerald hue again in those irises, and suddenly, Lia felt like the whole atmosphere changed.
She no longer hear the crinkling sound of the fire on the fireplace, the light seemed a bit dimmer than it was, and the sweet smell of baked goods were starting to smell burnt.
"Everything, is a complicated word." Said the witch.
Lia is scared more than ever. She gulped, immediately regretting what she said. But she can't take her words back now, or her brother will be in danger.
"I will do anything you'll ask of me. Just keep my brother out of this." And she's determined to keep the boy safe. Even if that means surrendering herself to darkness.
