Chapter 144

Chapter 144

Nemesis looked at her coldly.

“Maria, it’s been a long time. You’re still as loathsome as ever.”

Maria’s expression shifted slightly, but she maintained her faint smile.

“Did I make you uncomfortable?” She walked over to a nearby chair and sat down. “I’m sorry, but it couldn’t be helped. You’re the one who had me brought here; I didn’t come looking for you of my own accord.”

“Did you not deliberately enter the forest just to get my attention?” Nemesis eyed her with icy disdain. “Are you going to tell me it was just a sudden whim to go for a stroll in the woods?”

“Nemesis, I know you hate me,” Maria said calmly, meeting her gaze. “But many things were not of my own choosing.”

“And yet, they certainly started because of you.” Nemesis’s eyes sharpened. “Even if other things weren’t your intention, did someone hold a knife to your throat and force you to steal the apple?”

Her voice turned frigid as she raised it. “I trusted you. I took you in and gave you shelter. Is this how you repay me?”

“The Soldier found me.” Maria’s voice also rose slightly, her tone sorrowful. “He sent troops to surround this place. The Dwarfs only… they did what they did to protect me. To keep the tragedy from escalating, I had no choice but to leave with them.”

She paused, her voice dropping lower. “As for the apple, I admit I took it without asking, but I had no other way.”

“I had to do it to keep myself from being driven into a corner.”

“So, you feel you’ve done nothing wrong?” Nemesis was not moved in the slightest by her explanation. She stood up, crossed the distance to Maria in two steps, and grabbed her by the throat, hoisting her up. “You dare come back here? Are you truly not afraid I’ll kill you?”

Nemesis’s fingers tightened slightly.

“You won’t… kill me.” Maria’s face turned a deep red, yet even now, she managed to force a smile.

Nemesis frowned slightly.

“Nemesis, if you kill me…” she wheezed out, “where else will you get news of Aphro?”

Nemesis froze, her thoughts momentarily coming to a standstill.

Subconsciously, she loosened her grip. A dark glint flashed in her eyes before she tightened her hand again, snarling through gritted teeth, “If you dare lie to me, I’ll skin you alive and turn you into a decoration for my house.”

Maria clawed at her hand but said nothing.

She looked wretched and disheveled, yet she possessed an unexpected composure.

Nemesis let go.

Maria slumped back into the chair, leaning against the armrest as she began to laugh.

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to bring yourself to kill me,” she said, her voice hoarse. “Because without me, you’ll never hear of her again.”

“Where is that damned woman?” Nemesis demanded angrily.

“I can tell you,” Maria said, smoothing her slightly messy hair as she sat upright in the chair, her voice calm. “But I have one condition.”

“You still dare to bargain with me?” Nemesis’s fury was almost palpable. “Maria, aren’t you being a bit too greedy?”

“Compared to this news, I believe it will be worth it for you.” Maria looked up, meeting her eyes directly.

The Witch’s rage made the atmosphere grow tense.

The wind chimes made of bone inside the house rattled against each other without any wind, producing sharp, clacking sounds.

Maria’s heart hammered against her ribs. She gripped the arms of the chair so tightly her fingertips turned white.

The other woman was a Witch; she could take Maria’s life with ease.

She could only gamble on how much this bargaining chip meant to Nemesis.
The glass vessel containing the specimen shattered, and the murky liquid inside spilled across the floor along with the remains, leaving a complete mess.

“Fine,” Nemesis said with a dark, low chuckle. “Tell me then, what are your conditions?”

Maria’s chest heaved, her blood boiling, her expression nearly impossible to control.

“I want you to help me seize the Throne,” she said, emphasizing every word. “After that, I will tell you where Aphro is.”

“The Throne?” Nemesis repeated with a strange, questioning tone. “You want me to help you take the Throne?”

“Maria, you’re being fanciful. No woman has ever sat upon the Throne!”

“Then it shall start with me!”

Maria’s voice rang out with conviction. She stood up and looked Nemesis straight in the eye, her tone carrying a faint hint of madness.

“To maintain their power, the royal family has painted Witches as terrifying monsters, turning them into targets for everyone’s hatred. The Church even incites the masses to slaughter Witches, all just to preserve their own status.”

“You’ve been forced to hide deep within the forest. Don’t you think that’s unfair?”

“And what does that have to do with you?” Nemesis looked at her coldly.

“If you help me ascend the Throne, I can guarantee that I will eradicate the Church and clear the Witches’ names. I will make it so that you-and all Witches-can walk openly through the Royal Capital.”

Nemesis remained silent.

“I know you don’t trust me, but if you give me time, I believe I can do it.” Maria’s eyes burned with intensity as she spread her arms wide. “I will do better than anyone else. I am still young. Given time, every kingdom will crawl at my feet.”

“Your ambition is certainly not small,” Nemesis mocked.

Maria withdrew her hands and offered a slight smile. “But you’re tempted, aren’t you?”

Nemesis nodded. “I cannot deny that your proposal is indeed tempting. But why should I believe you?”

“I can eat the apple,” Maria said. “That should prove to you that everything I say is sincere.”

“Nemesis, you have been trapped here for too long. Why not try to trust me?”

Nemesis watched her quietly, saying nothing for a long time.

Just as Maria thought she was going to refuse, she finally spoke.

“Both parties who eat the apple must guarantee their loyalty to each other. You know very well that I will not eat it.”

“I have already shown my sincerity,” Maria said, following her lead. “Then what would you have me do?”

Nemesis pondered for a long while before finally asking, “How do you want me to help you? Let’s get one thing straight: I won’t be charging onto the battlefield for you.”

She was indeed tempted by the offer, but she still lacked trust in her and was naturally unwilling to commit her full strength.

“That’s fine,” Maria replied, unbothered. Her eyes darted around as she spoke casually. “I heard you took on an Apprentice? I wonder how capable they are.”

Nemesis understood Maria’s meaning instantly.

She smiled. “Then let her go with you to the Royal Palace.”

The two women locked eyes, reaching a pleasant consensus.

“Then I shall take my leave.” Maria smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes and walked toward the door.

The moment her hand touched the handle, Nemesis called out to her.

Maria turned back, her eyes conveying her silent question.

“You said you know where Aphro is. You aren’t lying to me, are you?”

“Of course not.” Maria gave a confident smile. “If all goes well, I guarantee you will see her again very soon.”