I gathered the magic energy of the living room.
Even though I cleaned up and organized, the common room was always full of magi because of the magi that chased Julian.
I made it into a ball and tossed it lightly towards the shadow.
Instead of putting it deep inside, I left it floating in the air close to a shadow.
Then something suddenly rose from the shadow, snatched the magi away, and disappeared.
It was like a fish that had been hiding under the water and then came up close to the surface for a moment.
It was the black knight who was cowering in my shadow.
It stretched the black smoke that made up my body into a net and instantly took away my magi.
I, who had been looking down at it, raised my head brightly.
It was a look full of wonder and curiosity.
"Did you see it this time? A black knight came up from deep in the shadows and snatched away the magi."
Julian saw it clearly too, so he was embarrassed.
'That guy.'
Clearly, it was ordered to hide in Bridget's shadow and come out only in dangerous situations to protect her.
It was in the shape of a net, but it was clearly part of the Black Knight.
Although it was called a 'knight', it was actually formless and could transform its body freely.
So, you could say that it was sticking its body out of the shadows and then going back in.
'It disobeyed orders.'
This was the first time something like this had happened.
The Black Knights were parasites on Julian.
They obey Julian absolutely and take his life force in return.
The only time they move on their own is when their host has reached the end of its life.
Then it moves on to find a new host.
A new host is a descendant connected by blood.
The descendants of the Blake royal family were vessels of the shadow curse.
Then, when the human who was cursed dies, the curse is passed on to one of the royal descendants who was born into the world carrying the seed.
The criteria for which bowl is selected are unknown.
However, It was only known that it was transmitted to those who had not yet become adults.
The eyes of the chosen one turn red and soon the curse that had been shrinking manifests.
Julian is not dead yet.
So the black knights could not move on their own without his orders.
Julian put his hand near his heart.
'Is the end coming?'
So that's why the black knight can move without restrictions.
Bridget, whose eyes were sparkling with wonder, felt Julian's cold atmosphere.
"Did I show you something for nothing?"
"It's surprising. I've never seen anything like this before."
Julian laughed sharply.
"Didn't you know that the Black Knight eats magic?"
"Not at all."
He couldn't know because he couldn't see the magi.
Bridget thought of the magi that was emanating from Julian so terribly.
Even now, magi energy was oozing out of him.
It wasn't magi he had created, but magi that had flown in from somewhere and clung to him, overflowing and appearing as if it was leaking out.
His heart was strangely filled with magi energy like a vessel.
Depending on Julian's emotions, the magi contained in his heart would sometimes pour out frighteningly as if it were going to swallow everything up, or it would sometimes leak out gently like it is now.
Even if you purify it, it only lasts for a moment.
Purifying him was like draining water from a reservoir.
"Do the Black Knights feed on the infinite magic energy coming from you?"
"Infinite?"
Julian had heard that Bridget seemed to have a knack for magi.
So he knew it was like that, but he didn't know It was to the extent of saying infinite.
Bridget didn't speak seriously, not wanting to make Julian anxious.
"You always have a tremendous amount of magle flowing out of you. It must be your constitution. There are people like that sometimes."
There are some people like Millea who are not easily affected by magi and even if they are, they are not affected, while there are also people whose constitution is such that they are attracted to magi.
Julian was so bad. She wondered if there was anyone else who was as bad as him.
It might not be a good constitution.
Because magi makes people unhappy.
Bridget didn't necessarily say that.
"These guys eat magic. Is it good or bad? I'd better look up old records."
Even as he said Julian didn't have many expectations.
Because not much is known about the Shadow Curse.
An unknown ability that has been passed down for hundreds of years.
That is why it had the power to make people even more afraid.
Bridget was curious.
"Would it be bad for you if I fed the Black Knight with magi? It seems like they've already consumed your gathered magi several times."
"Well, aren't they going to take it from me anyway even if I don't give it to them?"
"I guess so."
"Well then, that doesn't matter. Should we try it?"
"What?"
"What happens if someone other than you keeps feeding it?"
Julian also became curious.
The curse has been passed down only to the descendants of the Blake royal family from the beginning, so there is no way that the curse will be passed on to Bridget.
He suggested that they first search the records and, if there was no information to glean, try their own experiments.
***
The next day. Julian had the administrator retrieve all records regarding the Shadow Curse.
As he looked through the records, Julian became confused.
As expected, there were few records of curses to begin with.
Even if there were any, they were of ten records of the lives of royals who inherited the curse rather than the curse itself.
It contained facts that most people already knew.
When the ability is manifested, it becomes somewhat powerful.
Some people use that power for the right things, and some people use it for the wrong things.
Most were the latter.
They oppressed people by force and enjoyed power.
It seemed that humans who had acquired great powers were helpless.
Then, when life was almost exhausted, both the former and the latter experienced similar words without exception.
They all lost their humanity and became mad beasts.
"The records describe it as being 'eaten by a curse.'"
Julian knew that he was in that state when he had a seizure.
And the seizures were becoming more frequent.
He put his hand close to his heart.
It was running well. For now.
But if the Black Knight's slight disobedience to orders is a sign that the end is near...
He started to think a lot...
One day, he will no longer be able to control the Black Knight.
He will run wild like a beast, just like others who have had the Shadow Curse.
Then he will either be killed or he will kill himself.
There is a high chance that he will be killed.
Julian was stronger than anyone else who had been the host of the curse, and his life was being drained faster than anyone else.
Just three years. And one year? Two years? Nothing more.
Julian had long since accepted his fate.
It was a life worth living.
It was painful, it was hard, it was lonely.
Bridget, who suddenly appeared in a life where he could not die, was his only comfort. She was the person who made him think that life was still beautiful.
After being betrayed by her, Julian let go of all emotions except anger.
He was not afraid of death. Rather, he was only looking forward to its rest.
But now, he was feeling a bit of a complicated feeling.
Since Bridget came back.
What is she thinking?
What does he plan to do with her?
It seemed as though they both knew that a terrible future was coming like a tidal wave, yet they were both fiercely turning away from it.
Just indulge yourself in some sweet, childish play for a little while.
Julian leaned back in his chair, feeling dizzy.
'I don't know.'
Time was passing by, tick tock tick tock.
***
At the same time, the Duke of Linchester was having thoughts that were exactly the opposite of Julian's.
Heaven helps the King.
The Duke was angry, saying that it was just the common people's ramblings about interpreting prophecies according to their own preferences.
But he was the one who believed those words the most and was also the most anxious one.
'The circular rainbow symbolizes eternity...'
These were the words of his trusted fortune teller.
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