IDEFYEM - Chapter 10
Black Man, I'll Do Everything For You Except Marriage!
I guess I'm still dreaming. I said, holding on to my composure as I almost collapsed again from shock.
"Hey, Meow is talking."
"What, meow?"
The cat's expression became sullen as if it didn't like it.
"Without the hair. Call me Lord Vermont."
I can't believe this cat was really Vermont. I opened my mouth and asked.
"Has my magical power returned?"
"No, the reason we can talk now is because I absorbed the very small amount of magical power that remained in your body."
That means my magic power, which is already depleted, is getting smaller!
"Well, it's weak, but it's enough to recover my body. In the past, there would have been one or two people like that...."
The cat soon changed the subject, perhaps remembering something more important.
"But this isn't enough. Your magical power is blocked by something."
"What is that something?"
"You have to figure that out yourself."
The cat said in a tone that it was bothersome to explain the obvious.
"Tsk, this is what beginner wizards are for."
For a cat that clicks its tongue, this is refreshing.
"It was in my time, I had to train for at least 50 years to summon this body!"
"Oh, the familiar scent of an old man...."
"I am a devil who has lived for over 400 years."
As I listened to what that cute person said, I felt a great sense of disconnect.
"In the past, wizards bowed and blushed as soon as they saw me."
I frowned and muttered while listening to the sermon that followed.
"Are you really Vermont? It's a cat?"
"Hmph, I just temporarily borrowed the body of an animal to recover my magic power."
He answered irritably.
"Then who are you?"
My face was colored with embarrassment as I faced an unexpected question.
Vermont was Enrica's familiar since she was young. I can't believe he doesn't know Enrica.
"Don't you remember?"
I was so startled that I got up and asked.
"Didn't you get a head injury because of what happened at the Duke's residence earlier?"
I grabbed the cat's elongated body and looked around.
For some reason, not even a small scratch was visible, let alone a deep wound.
"It's okay to make a fuss about a wound that will heal when you wake up overnight."
The cat continued speaking in a calm manner as if it didn't care that its memories had disappeared.
"It's okay. If you live around this point, today seems like 200 years ago, and 200 years ago feels like today. So what's your name?"
Well then, it's nice that I don't have to explain the context of possession.
"Call me Enrica, please take care of me."
I held the cat's paw, shook its hand lightly, and then asked.
"Well, over there. Vermont?"
"Lord Vermont."
The cat harshly and forcefully changed the name and then spoke.
"Where is the thing I asked you to bring?"
"Oh, if it's a diary, it's here."
Is this really that important? My thoughts seemed to be revealed on my face.
"I'm not sure, but the diary smells similar to your magic power."
If a cat that has lived for 400 years says that, there must be a reason.
"Maybe it can help break the bonds. Hurry up and restore your magical power. The contract comes next."
Anyway, I wonder if anything will change just by reading the Duchess' diary.
For some reason, I feel like I'm getting caught up in the cat that seems to be urging me to sign a contract.
I picked up the diary with some excitement and doubt.
[I met the Duke of Wintersoar today.]
That's how the second chapter of the diary began.
[Other men were reluctant when they found out I was a wizard, but the Duke showed interest and responded kindly.]
I heard that until then, the perception of female wizards was not good.
The Duchess must also have had a hard time making friends, I thought, so I turned to the next chapter.
[Am I in love?]
"What?"
What is this sudden development? Duchess, you have a miserable view of men!
I read the remaining chapters with a sense of foreboding. Sure enough, what followed was nothing but tragedy.
If I were to summarize the contents of the diary, it would be this. Vivienne Montemour, daughter of a Marquis, sorceress, and future Duchess.
She married the Duke of Wintersoir because she truly loved him, gave in to anything he asked, and was exploited that way.
Things like using magical powers to find out someone's information or help them with their business.
There were many things that Vivienne, who was kind by nature, was reluctant to do, but she became a fool when it came to love.
If I follow his words, one day he will truly love me.
Vivienne, who thought so, soon became pregnant with her first child, Enrica.
And she thought that little happiness would last forever, but...
One day, everything goes wrong when the Duke secretly brings in his mistress.
'It wasn't a heartless marriage anyway, was it? I want to be free now too.'
The Duke, who clearly knew that Vivienne loved him but continued to talk nonsense, ended up having an illegitimate child.
Surprisingly, the identity of the illegitimate child born from his mistress was Martha.
Yes, my sister Martha.
It's not enough for the Duke to disguise Martha as the Duchess's daughter, he also plans to bring his mistress into the Duke's residence.
One day, Martha's mother dies in a carriage accident.
The Duke, thinking that this accident was Vivienne's ruse, treats her even more harshly than before.
The health of the Duchess, who had been ridiculed her entire life by the person she loved, deteriorated endlessly.
In the end, she passed away soon after, leaving behind young Enrica.
". ..."
The misery and sorrow contained in each word were conveyed here.
'How lonely it must have been.'
"Sigh,"
I thought, rubbing the tip of my nose, which had turned bright red before I knew it.
On the last page of the diary it was written:
[I will allow my daughter to use magic only for the people she loves.]
My eyes widened as I read the next part.
[Rather than using it for her father like that, it is better to get rid of the magical power.]
When I read that sentence, I somehow remembered something I heard in a dream earlier.
"Because your magical power never disappeared from the beginning."
No way.
Enrica repeated her mother's fate and was abused to the point of death.
In that case, the bondage that Lord Vermont spoke of may actually have been left behind by the Duchess.
In fact, my magical power may still have remained somewhere in this body...!
The moment I thought that, I read words written in neat handwriting in my field of vision.
[But if my child, Enrica, realizes the value of magic again in the future.]
I felt my mother's kindness beyond the paper.
[You just have to hope. I hope my daughter makes the right choices and becomes happy with her own abilities.]
The contents of the diary ended there, but I felt like I knew what I had to do now.
The early morning moonlight was illuminating the room.
"If I become a wizard again, I will definitely take the right path this time."
I clenched my fists resolutely and chanted beneath me.
"I will no longer be influenced by others."
I was shaken by the Duke's past, which was more trash than I expected.
"I want to get revenge on the Duke, lift the curse on Kael, and save him."
An unfamiliar sensation stirred within my body.
"Give me my strength back."
As I closed my eyes and finished speaking, I immediately felt like my head was shaking violently. As the light surged, I felt dizzy and lost consciousness.
***
"Wake up."
Mmm, something soft slapped my cheek.
"I told you to wake up. You are the first wizard to fall asleep while waking me up."
When I opened my eyes again on the cold floor, the first thing I saw was a small cat sitting on my chest.
Seeing that sight, I realized what had just happened and shouted proudly.
"Meow!"
"It's Lord Vermont!"
"I think I've got my magic back! Something strange is wriggling in my body!"
"I already know."
The cat, whose attitude had somehow become a little more docile, took a deep breath.
"Powerful and high-purity magic power... He's a bit like my contract or now."
I don't know exactly what it means, but it felt like a compliment so I laughed.
"Now tell me what you want. We will decide on the contract after that."
"I am...."
The gruesome details in the diary I had just read flashed through my mind.
[I will let my daughter use magic only for the people she loves.]
But giving up my life right now for revenge would not be what the Duchess wants.
I made up my mind and pursed my lips.
"I want to break the curse on my fiancé."
"Why are you telling me that?"
"Huh?"
The cat said as if it were absurd.
"My specialty is assassinating Emperor and conquering the world. The curse of the wicked soul, how do I know such a thing?"
As he continued speaking, my face became blue.
If you're a devil, shouldn't you just curse him?
"You say you've lived for 400 years and you can't even lift a curse? Think carefully!"
The cat with a sour expression responded as if he was not interested.
"I was wondering if I would meet an interesting owner after a long time. No matter how good a familiar he is, he cannot take away the curse of a complete stranger."
Then what should I do!
He seemed to be able to read the frustration on my face as he let it out as if he were benevolent.
"The only way is to go to the person who first placed the curse and ask them to lift it."
"You don't know that person? He was cursed from birth!"
As I raised my voice in impatience, the cat sighed and said.
"Now that I think about it, there have been rare cases where a curse was lifted using a magic tool."
Well, finally something useful is coming out.
"About 100 years ago, I saw a man who offended a warlock and was cursed with his entire body rotting away."
I listened with bright eyes.
"He searched around and found a magic tool in the shape of a scale that was passed down as a treasure to a noble family."
Magic tools, are tools said to be imbued with mysterious magic.
It was a word that was not often mentioned among the general public, so much so that its connotation was unfamiliar.
"The magic tool demanded a price of equal value to lift the curse."
The cat told the story in quite detail.
"But the man who handed over all his wealth to a nobleman to use magic tools had nothing to offer."
'If it were Kael's wealth, I think it would be enough to buy magic tools.'
As I remembered his wealth and felt hope, I focused even more.
"In the end, he gave his eyes and cured the curse."
Anyway, it doesn't mean that there is no way!
"But he became pessimistic about his situation as a blind person and committed suicide after a while."
The cat spoke in a gloomy voice as if scaring a child.
"Now, this is an uncomfortable story, isn't it?"
"Well, definitely."
"It would be better for you to break off the engagement quickly instead of just saying that you will cure the curse. I can't use it if I get tangled up in something like that."
When I gave him a stinging look, the cat responded as if he was a little stung.
"Things like curses are scary. Instead of doing that, let's conquer the world. I like your magic power, too."
"Which family does that magic tool belong to?"
"Well, my memory is vague...."
I shouted, already tired of his contradictory attitude.
"Hey, if you're a familiar, act like one!"
The cat that made the groaning sound reluctantly opened its mouth.
"The Duke of Wintersoar. It was probably a family with that name."
The lower lip was slightly opened.
"What's the matter? After all, you don't want to mess with the Duke family, do you? You feel like giving up, right?"
The cat babbled as if it was waiting, but it didn't reach my ears.
I was originally a person who didn't believe in fate. But the fact that Kael and I met was probably our only destiny in this world.
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