The Frog Prince and the Witch Chapter 14
Translated by MissQ (ko-fi)
Chapter 14: The Call for Help
Ian did not linger long in the confinement of the madwoman.
Before laying eyes upon his beloved Joanna, he felt a wave of gratitude wash over him for having swallowed his distaste for the fare she had prepared, sparing him from the dire fate of starvation. For if he had succumbed to hunger, he would never have the chance to behold his goddess, Joanna, in all her radiant glory.
At that very moment, Vivian held him in a chamber, which she had claimed to be purportedly adorned to reflect his own desires. Her words flowed like a torrent of riddles. Though the individual phrases danced gracefully on their own, when woven together, they became an incomprehensible tapestry of madness, filled with perplexities that escaped the understanding of any who dared to listen.
Then, as if summoned by fate, Joanna appeared—his goddess—descending from the heavens with a flourish. She burst through the balcony’s grand glass doors, a vision of defiance standing proudly amid the sparkling shards, her expression one of regal disdain directed at the bewildered Vivian.
"You bitch!" Vivian spat, her eyes blazing with insanity and fury. Her grip on the cage was so tight that it seemed capable of suffocating a person. If he hadn’t been confined within the cage, Ian believed her grasp would have surely crushed him.
Joanna had donned a new outfit for her journey. A dress would be impractical for such an undertaking, so she opted for sturdy boots and pants, accompanied by a black cloak adorned with intricate blue runes. Her usual small umbrella was exchanged for a robust wooden staff.
Not only that, but she also brought along her three pets: a crow perched atop her staff, a lizard resting on her shoulder, and a turtle nestled in the side pocket of her backpack. They looked so content that Ian couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Regardless of how oddly Joanna was dressed, in Ian’s eyes, she radiated beauty. His goddess had returned to rescue him, even though she could have easily chosen any frog she encountered along the way. And yet, she had come back for him. At that moment, even if he were to die, he would do so feeling utterly content.
"Last time, I was careless," Joanna said, advancing slowly, each step deliberate. "This time, to show you my respect, I’ve brought all of my familiars. Dark sorceress, I trust you’ve treated my little frog well; otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite."
Joanna surveyed the room with a disdainful scoff, unimpressed by Vivian’s taste. With such mediocre choices, how could she possibly claim to be the daughter of a duke?
"Damn it!" Vivian roared, her shadowy companion re-emerging, brandishing menacing fangs as it surged toward Joanna. But this time, Joanna showed no hint of hesitation; she raised her staff with fierce determination, allowing her crow to take flight.
In an instant, azure flames erupted, engulfing the room in a dazzling blaze.
From within his cage, Ian watched as Vivian screamed and thrashed about. In the chaos, his cage was inadvertently tossed into the air and rolled onto the ground, only to be swiftly lifted by the crow’s claws and delivered into Joanna’s waiting arms.
This crow was no longer ordinary; its once-common physique was now engulfed in brilliant blue flames, its feathers shimmering with otherworldly light. The demonic bird’s fiery assault sent Vivian screaming in agony as it scorched her flesh. The two dark shadows appeared again, desperately trying to extinguish the flames consuming her skin. It seemed that apart from those two demons, the madwoman possessed no other form of magic.
Once Ian was free from his cage, Joanna gently stroked the wounds on his back, remnants of the earlier collision. "I’ve come for you," she reassured him softly. "You’re safe now. Once I finish here, I’ll take you home and ensure this never happens again. Does it hurt?"
"Let him go; he’s mine!" Vivian howled, her shadows straining against the blazing circle of fire that encircled Joanna, yet none could breach the barrier.
Joanna regarded the deranged woman with indifference as she raged, completely neglecting her own scorched wounds. It was clear to Joanna that Vivian was utterly insane; if she possessed any semblance of sanity, she would have tended to her injuries before shouting in fury.
Exasperated with the frenzied woman, Joanna’s sensitivity to magic revealed the dark truth: Vivian had sacrificed countless lives to command the loyalty of those two dark shadows.
Black magic was truly abhorrent.
Setting the lizard gently on the ground, Joanna took a step back and leaped from the window, landing gracefully on the lush lawn below. She glanced back at the mansion, now engulfed in an even more ferocious blaze.