Nina

  Dad's cough had gotten better a bit since he knew that Lou was fine. But he was far from healthy. He was pale, thin, and full of wrinkles. He looked much older than he was. Mom too, even so witches remained young forever.

  I didn't have a good feeling about it. What if Dad's cough got worse again? It was a back-and-forth.

  We hadn't heard of Louise yet. In the morning, therefore, I went to the temple to ask for my sister. Of course, the little sister of a cursed man was not wanted there. The servants at the gate wanted to shoo me away immediately. In the end, however, they took pity on me and told me that Louise was under house arrest. I was not allowed to see her.

  So now there was one more worry for my parents. But I had been assured that Louise was fine. I didn't learn any more. Mamma was beside herself when she heard this. And dad? He packed up the test goods and went to the market to sell them. Like every day. Together with me.

  He was silent about Louise, but I could see tears shimmering in his eyes.

  Since the matter of Lou's execution, BAH!, we have had even fewer customers. And we were also chased away from our old location on the market square, a shady corner. Now we were sitting at the edge of the market in the bzing, ungracious sun.

  Dad was unusually quiet. In the past, he had approached people and praised the goods. Now he was silent and avoided the gaze of the people. So I took on this task alone. But people turned away as soon as I spoke to them. All except two young men. One of them was holding a two-year-old girl by the hand. I had seen the two of them with Remy from time to time. They were his cousins. I could also remember their names because Remy had introduced them to me once when he bought some simple dishes from us. Out of pity, I think.

  The wizard could afford better.

  The two men, both mortal, were named Logan and Maddox.

  The two were about to pass us, but I decided to stop them. We hadn't sold anything today, and unlike the others, these two had briefly looked at our goods. The little girl seemed to like one of the cups. She pointed to it again and again. So I reached for it and held it up. "A pretty cup for the little princess? It only costs two coins!" I shouted as euphorically as possible. "Handmade. Every detail has been carved into the cy with love!"

  Fortunately for me, the two stopped. One of them wore a gray mourning tunic, as was customary for the loss of a family member. Maddox. Did he think Remy was dead? No one knew where the wizard had disappeared to.

  The little one also wore gray. Maddox picked her up and smiled. "Only two coins? Surely it is worth more!"

  "You are welcome to give more!", I answered.

  The little one pulled on his clothes. "Dad!"

  "Hm?" He looked at the girl lovingly. The two resemble each other a lot. "Do you want the cup, Mouse?"

  "Yes!"

  "Good!" Maddox nodded and handed me five coins, his daughter ughed as he bent down to me with her in his arms. "Then we'll take the cup!"

  "Maddox! Don't buy from this family!" hissed the other. He had watched our conversation suspiciously the whole time. "Do you want to bring bad luck upon your child?"

  "Why? The cup is pretty. And Mina likes it!"

  I wanted to roll my eyes, but I was silent and let the two argue. The girl smiled happily and wanted to hold the cup. "Yes!" she shouted. Mina. "For Mina! Pletty cup."

  "Exactly! But Dad will take good care of it for now!" Maddox carefully pced the cup in a bag he was carrying. "You can drink from it at home."

  "Yes!", Mina confirmed again.

  Logan, on the other hand, snorted. "This is the Cursed Family! Remy cheated on us all for them! What if we are suspected of having helped them? Are you crazy!" He grabbed Maddox by the arm and tried to pull him away. "Think of your daughter!"

  "I do!" Maddox snorted and shook Logan's hand away in annoyance. "Let me go. This girl didn't do anything. What a disaster a simple girl is supposed to bring upon us!" Then he looked at me. "I’m sorry. Your name is Nina, right? I remember you. I'm sorry about your brother. This must be hard for your family. And I heard that your sister has fallen out of favor with one of the Wise Men? It is said that all the words of the gods are currently being searched in the temple, as there may be false ones among them." What?" Dad looked at Maddox in shock. "That certainly wasn't our Louise!" For the first time in hours, he said something.

  "I don't know much. It's just rumors. Have a nice day!" Maddox nodded goodbye to us, then he walked away with his daughter and Logan.

  Louise

  She stared out of her window, as Lou had done in the past.

  The investigations were still ongoing. She didn't know anything more. Louise sat in uncertainty.

  Would they believe her?

  sasi