Esmeralda would have still died if Aurora had not shown up at the Hamilton's home. Esmeralda was against the things her family did and since they were looking for a witch's heart to use in the sacrifice, Esmeralda's father would have killed her for not being like the rest of their family.
It was Esmeralda's fate to die young. It was something that could not be stopped but something could be done about the countless children Minnie was sacrificing to trap Aurora.
Witches were forbidden from using spells that would need sacrifices. Dark magic was a threat not only to humans but to werewolves and other creatures. Aurora had no idea what Minnie's end goal was. What was the wish Minnie so desperately wanted to pull out of her to keep looking for a witch stronger than the last one?