The stark scene was visible through a crack in the door. Perhaps the person sharing my view was secretly observing this spectacle.
In the room visible through the crack in the door, a large bed was placed, and the naked woman I had first seen was sitting on it, turned around. She looked down and whispered seductively.
'How much do you love me, Isaac?'
Her red hair flowed beautifully down her face. A large hand grasped her hair, then wrapped its arms around her slender waist.
'You always wonder about that.'
"Because I want to hear it. Tell me quickly."
'I don't know. I just want to see you all day, Belina.'
"Really? If you betray me, I'll hate you for the rest of your life. I'll curse you."
'That's really scary.'
At that moment, I gripped the doorknob so tightly that my hand, which had entered my field of vision, turned white.
What on earth was going on? The man and woman whispering sweet nothings to each other in bed were probably Isaac and that woman. The woman Isaac had completely ignored. But looking at the present, Isaac seemed completely enamored with that woman, Belina.
Is this scene even further back in time than anything I've seen before? Why did a couple so in love end up on the brink of divorce, even to the point of discussing it with me?
Why do I see my own memories in the first place?
“Madam! Madam!”
I heard a desperate voice coming from far away. A headache struck me again. I felt dizzy, as if I was being swept away by a violent wave.
The cold silver doorknob and the love on the bed that felt somehow resentful were all pushed away in an instant.
Soon, a black magic circle came into view. It was a sinister black, almost as if the silver metal had been burned. The sight, combined with Tien's dark expression, added to the ominous feeling.
Anna was the first to ask the question.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you? What should I do? Please do something!"
“Calm down. Your Highness must be having another vision.”
Beyond my dizzying vision, I heard the two people's urgent conversation. I slowly raised my head. Anna's face was pale, as if terrified. Tien looked much calmer, but he, too, seemed startled. Tien breathed a sigh of relief, perhaps because I had returned to his gaze.
“Madam, are you alright? Do you know where you are?”
“...You don’t have to ask that. It’s okay.”
"Still, just in case, please answer. I'm afraid your maid will be more suffocated than I am."
I smiled faintly and replied to that ridiculous remark.
"This is the bedroom in the villa. It's where Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess used to stay. I'm really fine."
Only after those words were spoken did Anna finally release her breath and clear her throat. I stared blankly down at the magic tool. The rare magic stone at its center hadn't turned black, but was still glowing blue.
“It’s a rare magic stone.”
“What are you talking about?”
"Now that I think about it, I seem to have hallucinations every time I touch a rare magic stone. Could it have something to do with my illness?"
Tien nodded to my question.
“It’s probably related. Madam’s illness is probably related to a curse.”
Anna took a deep breath at those words. I, too, was startled and unconsciously looked toward the door. I was afraid someone might overhear. Now that the practicality of magic has been discovered, it's become somewhat popular, but that wasn't the case in the past.
In the past, when there were no regulations on magic, it was common to use magic on people.
But regardless of intention, most of them ended badly. It was fortunate to simply die peacefully. If your body were transformed into a monstrous, monster-like form, you were locked in a basement, howling for the rest of your life.
The perception that using magic on people is meant to harm them was not without reason.
As such incidents continued, the entire continent began to regulate magic. However, negative perceptions of magic had already spread widely. At one point, people were even branded as witches and killed simply for practicing magic.
That was just over a hundred years ago. Now, the number of organizations protecting and supporting wizards has increased, but the perception of wizards as sinister still persists.
It was truly paradoxical that they tried to popularize helpful magic.
Anna began to shed tears. Her perception of magic was so negative that it was hard to even consider curses.
“Oh, my lady, what should we do?”
I reached out to Anna. She grabbed my hand and wept uncontrollably. I took a deep breath and looked at Tien.
“Tien, are you sure?”
"Yes. This magical tool was personally crafted by a wizard and has been verified by numerous magic towers. If a cursed person places their hand on it, the magic circle changes color."
I patted the back of Anna's hand. Anna tried to hold back tears, as if trying to keep our conversation going. For some reason, I didn't cry. Ah, so that's why no doctor could diagnose me. That was all I could think of.
And surprisingly, I felt hopeful. In my previous life, no one had noticed my illness, but this time it was different. This time, I knew the cause of my illness. That made my heart beat faster.
“Then can the curse be lifted?”
Tien's expression remained dark. It was obvious that a negative answer was coming.
"The darker the color, the stronger the curse. But as you can see, this magic circle..."
It was very black. It was as black as charcoal that had been heated in a fire for a very long time.
“That’s a very strong curse.”
Tien nodded. He approached me with a very serious demeanor, a departure from his usual easygoing demeanor.
"Such cases are extremely rare. Curses are a form of magic that not only inflicts great harm on the person being cast, but also places a significant burden on the caster."
I bit my lower lip because I couldn't understand.
“Who put this curse on me?”
I haven't done anything to deserve such a deep resentment. At least, no one would harm themselves and curse me. Tien answered my question with a question, seemingly puzzled.
“Doesn’t anyone have any idea?”
"It would be arrogant to say there are no enemies. But I don't think the caster himself has done anything to deserve the curse."
"The woman I met is like that, too. But human relationships aren't that easy."
That was right. Just because I didn't harm anyone didn't mean they wouldn't hate me.
“Are there any people around you who use magic?”
“As far as I know, no. Isn’t it possible that someone orchestrated it?”
“Then things get a little weirder.”
“Why?”
"Whether it's love or hate, a curse is more effective the closer you are to someone emotionally. As you can see, the curse placed on Madam is incredibly powerful. If it's a curse based on fortune telling, the person who placed it is likely..."
He would have died.
Silence fell over the room. I slowly closed my eyes and opened them. Anna's face, shocked, and Tien's, who was trying to grasp the situation, came into view.
I tried to calm my mind. The situation was bleak, to be sure. But it was definitely a step forward from my previous situation, where I had to die in ignorance. I decided to trust in the faint hope that had settled within me.
"Finding the person who placed the curse is certainly important. But more importantly, breaking it is crucial. Is there a way to do so?"
"The easiest way would be to find the caster and have them lift the curse themselves. However, given the current situation, that seems unlikely. In that case, the most likely approach would be to accurately identify the curse and create a magic circle that matches it."
“Really?”
"I said it's most likely, but it'll probably take a long time. And if it's not, you might have to go to the Magic Tower yourself."
“As much as you want.”
I spoke very quickly and added a little late.
“...I would like to ask His Highness’s permission to go to the Magic Tower. Is that alright?”
“Didn’t you want to keep it a secret before?”
“Well, well... things have changed a bit. His Highness doesn’t like me keeping things a secret.”
At those words, Tien looked a little put out. For some reason, rather than being afraid of Julian, Tien seemed a little... uneasy. It was like seeing someone who was just plain crazy.
“Would he allow you to do so?”
“For the sake of my health, he will allow it.”
I smiled bitterly.
"Of course, Tien needs some help along the way. Expert opinions are crucial."
"Oh, there's nothing I can do. I'll help you. But you must protect me, Madam. No! Don't protect me!"
"Yes?"
He told me to protect him, then told me not to, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I blinked as if I couldn't understand, and Tien put his hand on his head.
“I don’t know why. His Highness the Grand Duke is jealous of me... Oh, no! How could that be?”
“Jealousy?”
I was startled, then burst out laughing. Jealousy? That was the first time I'd heard something so inappropriate for Julian.
Sure, he'd said something along the lines of wanting to be my best friend, but Tien and I had only met twice. That couldn't have been the case. I waved my hand and barely managed to stifle a laugh.
“Jealousy? How could that be?”
"Don't ignore a man's intuition so much. Anyway, protect me, but don't be too protective. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes. I will. Don't worry too much. I told you it wouldn't be like that. Even though His Highness may seem a bit blunt, he's actually a very kind person."
At those words, Tien's face turned weary once again. If I said he was cute, I'd be afraid he'd turn into a savage, so I had no choice but to stop here.
In the room visible through the crack in the door, a large bed was placed, and the naked woman I had first seen was sitting on it, turned around. She looked down and whispered seductively.
'How much do you love me, Isaac?'
Her red hair flowed beautifully down her face. A large hand grasped her hair, then wrapped its arms around her slender waist.
'You always wonder about that.'
"Because I want to hear it. Tell me quickly."
'I don't know. I just want to see you all day, Belina.'
"Really? If you betray me, I'll hate you for the rest of your life. I'll curse you."
'That's really scary.'
At that moment, I gripped the doorknob so tightly that my hand, which had entered my field of vision, turned white.
What on earth was going on? The man and woman whispering sweet nothings to each other in bed were probably Isaac and that woman. The woman Isaac had completely ignored. But looking at the present, Isaac seemed completely enamored with that woman, Belina.
Is this scene even further back in time than anything I've seen before? Why did a couple so in love end up on the brink of divorce, even to the point of discussing it with me?
Why do I see my own memories in the first place?
“Madam! Madam!”
I heard a desperate voice coming from far away. A headache struck me again. I felt dizzy, as if I was being swept away by a violent wave.
The cold silver doorknob and the love on the bed that felt somehow resentful were all pushed away in an instant.
Soon, a black magic circle came into view. It was a sinister black, almost as if the silver metal had been burned. The sight, combined with Tien's dark expression, added to the ominous feeling.
Anna was the first to ask the question.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you? What should I do? Please do something!"
“Calm down. Your Highness must be having another vision.”
Beyond my dizzying vision, I heard the two people's urgent conversation. I slowly raised my head. Anna's face was pale, as if terrified. Tien looked much calmer, but he, too, seemed startled. Tien breathed a sigh of relief, perhaps because I had returned to his gaze.
“Madam, are you alright? Do you know where you are?”
“...You don’t have to ask that. It’s okay.”
"Still, just in case, please answer. I'm afraid your maid will be more suffocated than I am."
I smiled faintly and replied to that ridiculous remark.
"This is the bedroom in the villa. It's where Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess used to stay. I'm really fine."
Only after those words were spoken did Anna finally release her breath and clear her throat. I stared blankly down at the magic tool. The rare magic stone at its center hadn't turned black, but was still glowing blue.
“It’s a rare magic stone.”
“What are you talking about?”
"Now that I think about it, I seem to have hallucinations every time I touch a rare magic stone. Could it have something to do with my illness?"
Tien nodded to my question.
“It’s probably related. Madam’s illness is probably related to a curse.”
Anna took a deep breath at those words. I, too, was startled and unconsciously looked toward the door. I was afraid someone might overhear. Now that the practicality of magic has been discovered, it's become somewhat popular, but that wasn't the case in the past.
In the past, when there were no regulations on magic, it was common to use magic on people.
But regardless of intention, most of them ended badly. It was fortunate to simply die peacefully. If your body were transformed into a monstrous, monster-like form, you were locked in a basement, howling for the rest of your life.
The perception that using magic on people is meant to harm them was not without reason.
As such incidents continued, the entire continent began to regulate magic. However, negative perceptions of magic had already spread widely. At one point, people were even branded as witches and killed simply for practicing magic.
That was just over a hundred years ago. Now, the number of organizations protecting and supporting wizards has increased, but the perception of wizards as sinister still persists.
It was truly paradoxical that they tried to popularize helpful magic.
Anna began to shed tears. Her perception of magic was so negative that it was hard to even consider curses.
“Oh, my lady, what should we do?”
I reached out to Anna. She grabbed my hand and wept uncontrollably. I took a deep breath and looked at Tien.
“Tien, are you sure?”
"Yes. This magical tool was personally crafted by a wizard and has been verified by numerous magic towers. If a cursed person places their hand on it, the magic circle changes color."
I patted the back of Anna's hand. Anna tried to hold back tears, as if trying to keep our conversation going. For some reason, I didn't cry. Ah, so that's why no doctor could diagnose me. That was all I could think of.
And surprisingly, I felt hopeful. In my previous life, no one had noticed my illness, but this time it was different. This time, I knew the cause of my illness. That made my heart beat faster.
“Then can the curse be lifted?”
Tien's expression remained dark. It was obvious that a negative answer was coming.
"The darker the color, the stronger the curse. But as you can see, this magic circle..."
It was very black. It was as black as charcoal that had been heated in a fire for a very long time.
“That’s a very strong curse.”
Tien nodded. He approached me with a very serious demeanor, a departure from his usual easygoing demeanor.
"Such cases are extremely rare. Curses are a form of magic that not only inflicts great harm on the person being cast, but also places a significant burden on the caster."
I bit my lower lip because I couldn't understand.
“Who put this curse on me?”
I haven't done anything to deserve such a deep resentment. At least, no one would harm themselves and curse me. Tien answered my question with a question, seemingly puzzled.
“Doesn’t anyone have any idea?”
"It would be arrogant to say there are no enemies. But I don't think the caster himself has done anything to deserve the curse."
"The woman I met is like that, too. But human relationships aren't that easy."
That was right. Just because I didn't harm anyone didn't mean they wouldn't hate me.
“Are there any people around you who use magic?”
“As far as I know, no. Isn’t it possible that someone orchestrated it?”
“Then things get a little weirder.”
“Why?”
"Whether it's love or hate, a curse is more effective the closer you are to someone emotionally. As you can see, the curse placed on Madam is incredibly powerful. If it's a curse based on fortune telling, the person who placed it is likely..."
He would have died.
Silence fell over the room. I slowly closed my eyes and opened them. Anna's face, shocked, and Tien's, who was trying to grasp the situation, came into view.
I tried to calm my mind. The situation was bleak, to be sure. But it was definitely a step forward from my previous situation, where I had to die in ignorance. I decided to trust in the faint hope that had settled within me.
"Finding the person who placed the curse is certainly important. But more importantly, breaking it is crucial. Is there a way to do so?"
"The easiest way would be to find the caster and have them lift the curse themselves. However, given the current situation, that seems unlikely. In that case, the most likely approach would be to accurately identify the curse and create a magic circle that matches it."
“Really?”
"I said it's most likely, but it'll probably take a long time. And if it's not, you might have to go to the Magic Tower yourself."
“As much as you want.”
I spoke very quickly and added a little late.
“...I would like to ask His Highness’s permission to go to the Magic Tower. Is that alright?”
“Didn’t you want to keep it a secret before?”
“Well, well... things have changed a bit. His Highness doesn’t like me keeping things a secret.”
At those words, Tien looked a little put out. For some reason, rather than being afraid of Julian, Tien seemed a little... uneasy. It was like seeing someone who was just plain crazy.
“Would he allow you to do so?”
“For the sake of my health, he will allow it.”
I smiled bitterly.
"Of course, Tien needs some help along the way. Expert opinions are crucial."
"Oh, there's nothing I can do. I'll help you. But you must protect me, Madam. No! Don't protect me!"
"Yes?"
He told me to protect him, then told me not to, and I had no idea what he was talking about. I blinked as if I couldn't understand, and Tien put his hand on his head.
“I don’t know why. His Highness the Grand Duke is jealous of me... Oh, no! How could that be?”
“Jealousy?”
I was startled, then burst out laughing. Jealousy? That was the first time I'd heard something so inappropriate for Julian.
Sure, he'd said something along the lines of wanting to be my best friend, but Tien and I had only met twice. That couldn't have been the case. I waved my hand and barely managed to stifle a laugh.
“Jealousy? How could that be?”
"Don't ignore a man's intuition so much. Anyway, protect me, but don't be too protective. Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes. I will. Don't worry too much. I told you it wouldn't be like that. Even though His Highness may seem a bit blunt, he's actually a very kind person."
At those words, Tien's face turned weary once again. If I said he was cute, I'd be afraid he'd turn into a savage, so I had no choice but to stop here.
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