The Villainess's Oath: I'll Kill The Protagonists

54. Planting the seed of doubt

Dreva really wanted to leave that hell. It was her final chance. If she were to miss it, it would be biggest regret in her life. Thinking like that, she thought of standing up for herself for the first and last time.

"Madam." She no longer stuttered as she lifted her head and looked directly into Nikeera's eyes. "Sir approved it. He was the one who suggested me to take this exam."

Nikeera was caught off guard with Dreva's sudden change of personality. She was always a weak person. How come she acted bravely all of a sudden?

"Oh, really?" She sneered. She didn't know what to say. If she threatened her, seemed like Dreva would report it to her husband. Although she didn't say such a thing, Nikeera felt a little scared. What if she really did that?

"Then do something for me one last time." Her hoarse voice pushed Dreva to the river called uneasiness. She bit her bottom lip and nodded her head, showing she agreed.

'It's fine. She said this is the last time. I think I can overcome this challenge. I've already eaten many buns she gave me. Eating another one isn't that hard, right?'

"Go to Forest Blackwater and bring me a flower with nine petals in different colours."

Dreva couldn't believe her ears. She widened her eyes and glanced at Nikeera in disbelief. She thought Nikeera was joking. But when she saw her poker face with zero emotions, she knew she wasn't kidding. In fact, Nikeera was never a person who would crack jokes.

"Madam, what did you say?" She carefully asked to clarify although she knew she heard just right.

Blackwater was a forest where bad witches who used black magic lived. Not only witches, monsters too. Those monsters caught people who came to the forest accidentally or intentionally and then ate their meat as a meal.

"You have a hearing problem?" Nikeera barked. "You have two months left before going to the academy. If you wanna go there on time, be quick."

Along the way to the forest, Dreva cried and cried until she ran out of tears. She felt tired and her legs almost gave in. However she kept talking to herself, cheering up her mood. She tried to enjoy the surroundings as she walked.

As the name showed, that forest was black. It was dark, spreading creepiness every direction. There was nothing to be considered as beautiful. Even the trees there appeared like monsters themselves.

"Wow, what a beautiful waterfall." Dreva spotted a tiny waterfall nearby and approached it, thinking of drinking some clean water.

It says waterfalls have cleanest water. But this waterfall was totally opposite from normal ones. The moment Dreva touched it, all the water turned black, a gruesome black with a stinking smell, crashing her hopes completely. It was the time she gave in entirely.

Dropping on her knees, Dreva yelled in agony. She felt her head spinning and her vision turned blurry. She realized that the forest was slowly succeeding in driving her nuts.

Thup, thup...

All of a sudden, she heard someone's footsteps and Dreva squeezed her eyes closed, chanting, "Okay. Take me if you want to. I won't fight anymore." She hugged her knees and hid her head behind them, turning her petite body into a ball.

As a reply to her mumbling, she heard someone's laughter that sounded like of an old witch. Maybe it was really a witch...

When she opened her eyes and looked up, she was stunned and her jaw dropped to the floor.

It was a teenage girl who seemed to be at the same age as her, fifteen.

"I was so cruel," The girl said regrettably, shaking her head slightly. "How could I do this to my own girl? I'm sorry."