“It’s good that a young person is helping.”
The caretaker spoke from the bottom of the stairs, his hands on his hips. Tien, sweating profusely, was helping me lower my wheelchair to the first floor.
When the manager and servants helped me, I felt so sorry that I didn't know what to do, but when Tien helped me, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Tien was born a scholar, so he wasn't particularly physically fit. I was even more fearsome when I was carried by him than when he was carried by servants or caretakers. Still, he must have had the stamina to match his height, and he carried me safely.
After coming down the stairs, Tien wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke with a resentful tone.
“Madam, do you find it so enjoyable to see me suffer?”
“Why is this so hard when you get a lot of money from my husband?”
“You sound like a bad boss.”
“I have that kind of temperament.”
While I was exchanging playful words with Tien, the gardener came running into the building.
“Oh my, ma’am! I was going to move it for you!”
When the gardener started to cry, the caretaker spoke to him in a scolding tone.
“This man, who are you going to serve with your dirty hands?”
"My job involves touching the dirt, so there's nothing I can do. You should have told me in advance."
I don't know why they were arguing over who would move me, but Tien was the one in charge of dropping me off today. He didn't seem particularly interested in doing it, though. I picked him up at his doorstep.
“I’m so happy to be welcomed by Madam at the villa. Will you be staying at the villa again?”
“Well, I don’t know yet.”
"I guess I can only return to the Grand Duke's residence once my feelings for Julian have completely subsided." Tien grinned, wondering how he interpreted my feelings.
"Aren't they saying that a fight between a married couple is like throwing water? I'll see you at the Grand Duke's residence next time. Oh, what a shame."
Tien was a witty person, even when saying goodbye. He nodded and turned to leave, but then hurriedly turned back.
“Come to your senses. I almost got in big trouble.”
Tien's sudden action startled me so much that I even backed away from my wheelchair. Tien knelt before me, put down his medical bag, and unfolded it. Inside, there were a lot of items, and among them, he held out a small box.
“Here, take this.”
“Are you proposing to Madam right now?”
Anna said jokingly. It made sense, since the pose Tien was currently in was the most famous for proposals.
I even received the box, opened it slightly, and found a ring inside. I burst out laughing at this absurd situation, and Tien jumped up in surprise.
"A proposal! Don't make a fuss about my fate. If His Highness the Grand Duke hears about it, it'll be a disaster."
That remark was so funny, I still had a smile on my face as I took the ring out of the box. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the ring was densely engraved with magic circles.
“This isn’t an ordinary ring.”
“Yes, as you can see, it’s a magical tool. It’s made of Viscario.”
“But isn’t there a rare magic stone embedded in it?”
The magic tool only became effective when embedded with a rare magic stone. While the mineral called Viscario was mysterious, it didn't seem to possess any magical power of its own.
At my puzzled question, Tien glanced around and gave a nod. Anna, responding to his gesture, pushed my wheelchair a little further out, and the attendants, including the caretaker, went about their respective duties.
Only after the surroundings were empty did Tien whisper in a very small voice.
"This is a magical tool that counteracts curses. The curse within you serves as the power source for this magical tool. Therefore, it doesn't require a rare magic stone."
“Oh, that’s amazing.”
"Thank goodness I brought it just in case. If you wear it until I return, it'll be of some help. And since it's a rare magic stone and doesn't activate, Madam won't suffer from hallucinations."
"Thank you."
I tried the ring on each finger except my ring finger. Fortunately, it fit perfectly on my index finger. It was a bit large and clunky because it had to be engraved with a magic circle, but it wasn't unsightly.
Looking down at the ring on my index finger, I naturally noticed the wedding ring on my ring finger. I stared at it blankly, then cautiously called out to Tien.
“I, Tien.”
“Why are you like that?”
“...If I have a baby, will the curse be passed on to that baby as well?”
The baby I had in my previous life was extremely weak. He passed away before I could even meet him. If that was due to a curse, I couldn't forgive the person who had placed it on me.
Fortunately, Tien shook his head.
"No. There's no case of curses being passed down through generations. But, um, wizards sometimes talk about this: that curses from a past life can sometimes carry over to the present. It's hard for non-magicians to believe. To me, it's more likely that an ancestral curse lingered faintly for generations and then manifested itself in someone's unfortunate life. Either way, it's a highly unlikely and uncertain story."
"Yes."
So, that meant the baby wasn't cursed to death. I felt a little relieved. He probably wouldn't have died as painfully as I did.
As I was hanging my head somewhat listlessly, Tien told me an interesting story.
“Did you know? There’s a case very close by.”
"Yes?"
"His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan's illness. They say it's a curse that originated from his ancestors. There's no scientific proof, though."
A name came to mind at that mention. He was the only ancestor of the Duchzan I knew.
“Isaac Duchzan?”
When I said that name, Tien looked surprised and exclaimed.
“You know that name. Everyone only knows that he’s an ancestor, but no one cares about his name.”
“I overheard it by chance.”
Tien wasn't particularly interested in what I had to say. He just kept chattering away whenever something interesting came up.
"Isaac Duchzan lived about a hundred and fifty years ago. The curse he was subjected to was said to have been famous even in his day. The story even has a touch of romance involved."
“Is it love?”
“Yes. They say the one who put the curse on Isaac Duchzan was none other than his wife, Belina Duchzan.”
Belina Duchzan!
I couldn't help but be surprised by the name. It was the same name I'd heard in the vision I'd had that day. The name of the woman Isaac had whispered love to, and sometimes completely ignored, was Belina.
"You're quite surprised to hear the word 'wife.' His Highness and his wife are very close, but many couples in the world despise each other."
Tien continued his story with excitement.
"It's said that Belina Duchzan was a witch. Countless sorcerers of that era were mistaken for evil witches, but she was probably truly wicked. She cursed countless people before she died. The most notable of these was Isaac Duchzan, who was cursed with a hideous curse that turned half his body into stone."
“It’s a curse like his.”
"Yes, that's right. That's why, when the current Duchzan was born, the wizards were incredibly... I don't know if I should say this, but they were excited. They started claiming that the current Duchzan was the reincarnation of Isaac Duchzan. Of course, I don't think so."
Tien said, raising his index finger like a teacher absorbed in class.
"It's clearly inherited, passed down to descendants a hundred and fifty years later. Reincarnation? Wizards have a lot to learn, but they also often say outrageous things. It's their imagination that drives them forward."
After listening to Tien's story for a while, I smiled bitterly.
“Then I guess it would be better for me not to have a baby.”
If Julian's curse and my curse were combined, who knows how unfortunate the baby would be? I couldn't pass such a curse on to the baby.
Even if Julian's curse was life-threatening, my curse would end in a painful death.
Tien screamed as I whispered helplessly.
“This can’t be happening!”
Tien clutched his head and made a pained expression.
"I started this story to comfort Madam, but I ended up causing you only pain. Anyway, I have a problem with this damn mouth. Mouth! Mouth! Mouth!"
Finally, Tien started hitting himself in the mouth. His self-abuse continued even as I, panicked, reached out to stop him.
Tien, who had been screaming for a long time, spoke to me with a face full of determination more than before.
"Madam, I will definitely lift the curse. I will go to the Magic Tower and keep the wizards from sleeping for a whole month! I am sure you will regain your health and have a beautiful baby. So don't worry. Do you understand?"
After watching the monologue, I felt a little better. I smiled and nodded. Tien deliberately puffed out his chest, then exhaled, making an exaggerated gesture of relief.
“Then, I will really go.”
After Tien left, Anna laughed, saying she'd seen all the truly unstoppable people. I laughed along with her, but a lingering feeling of unease lingered in my heart.
'You didn't love me knowing that I was a witch.'
In the vision I saw, I clearly said those words. It was exactly the same as what Tien had told me.
So what I'm seeing is really someone's memory? Why am I seeing memories from one hundred and fifty years ago?
The caretaker spoke from the bottom of the stairs, his hands on his hips. Tien, sweating profusely, was helping me lower my wheelchair to the first floor.
When the manager and servants helped me, I felt so sorry that I didn't know what to do, but when Tien helped me, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Tien was born a scholar, so he wasn't particularly physically fit. I was even more fearsome when I was carried by him than when he was carried by servants or caretakers. Still, he must have had the stamina to match his height, and he carried me safely.
After coming down the stairs, Tien wiped the sweat from his forehead and spoke with a resentful tone.
“Madam, do you find it so enjoyable to see me suffer?”
“Why is this so hard when you get a lot of money from my husband?”
“You sound like a bad boss.”
“I have that kind of temperament.”
While I was exchanging playful words with Tien, the gardener came running into the building.
“Oh my, ma’am! I was going to move it for you!”
When the gardener started to cry, the caretaker spoke to him in a scolding tone.
“This man, who are you going to serve with your dirty hands?”
"My job involves touching the dirt, so there's nothing I can do. You should have told me in advance."
I don't know why they were arguing over who would move me, but Tien was the one in charge of dropping me off today. He didn't seem particularly interested in doing it, though. I picked him up at his doorstep.
“I’m so happy to be welcomed by Madam at the villa. Will you be staying at the villa again?”
“Well, I don’t know yet.”
"I guess I can only return to the Grand Duke's residence once my feelings for Julian have completely subsided." Tien grinned, wondering how he interpreted my feelings.
"Aren't they saying that a fight between a married couple is like throwing water? I'll see you at the Grand Duke's residence next time. Oh, what a shame."
Tien was a witty person, even when saying goodbye. He nodded and turned to leave, but then hurriedly turned back.
“Come to your senses. I almost got in big trouble.”
Tien's sudden action startled me so much that I even backed away from my wheelchair. Tien knelt before me, put down his medical bag, and unfolded it. Inside, there were a lot of items, and among them, he held out a small box.
“Here, take this.”
“Are you proposing to Madam right now?”
Anna said jokingly. It made sense, since the pose Tien was currently in was the most famous for proposals.
I even received the box, opened it slightly, and found a ring inside. I burst out laughing at this absurd situation, and Tien jumped up in surprise.
"A proposal! Don't make a fuss about my fate. If His Highness the Grand Duke hears about it, it'll be a disaster."
That remark was so funny, I still had a smile on my face as I took the ring out of the box. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the ring was densely engraved with magic circles.
“This isn’t an ordinary ring.”
“Yes, as you can see, it’s a magical tool. It’s made of Viscario.”
“But isn’t there a rare magic stone embedded in it?”
The magic tool only became effective when embedded with a rare magic stone. While the mineral called Viscario was mysterious, it didn't seem to possess any magical power of its own.
At my puzzled question, Tien glanced around and gave a nod. Anna, responding to his gesture, pushed my wheelchair a little further out, and the attendants, including the caretaker, went about their respective duties.
Only after the surroundings were empty did Tien whisper in a very small voice.
"This is a magical tool that counteracts curses. The curse within you serves as the power source for this magical tool. Therefore, it doesn't require a rare magic stone."
“Oh, that’s amazing.”
"Thank goodness I brought it just in case. If you wear it until I return, it'll be of some help. And since it's a rare magic stone and doesn't activate, Madam won't suffer from hallucinations."
"Thank you."
I tried the ring on each finger except my ring finger. Fortunately, it fit perfectly on my index finger. It was a bit large and clunky because it had to be engraved with a magic circle, but it wasn't unsightly.
Looking down at the ring on my index finger, I naturally noticed the wedding ring on my ring finger. I stared at it blankly, then cautiously called out to Tien.
“I, Tien.”
“Why are you like that?”
“...If I have a baby, will the curse be passed on to that baby as well?”
The baby I had in my previous life was extremely weak. He passed away before I could even meet him. If that was due to a curse, I couldn't forgive the person who had placed it on me.
Fortunately, Tien shook his head.
"No. There's no case of curses being passed down through generations. But, um, wizards sometimes talk about this: that curses from a past life can sometimes carry over to the present. It's hard for non-magicians to believe. To me, it's more likely that an ancestral curse lingered faintly for generations and then manifested itself in someone's unfortunate life. Either way, it's a highly unlikely and uncertain story."
"Yes."
So, that meant the baby wasn't cursed to death. I felt a little relieved. He probably wouldn't have died as painfully as I did.
As I was hanging my head somewhat listlessly, Tien told me an interesting story.
“Did you know? There’s a case very close by.”
"Yes?"
"His Highness the Grand Duke of Duchzan's illness. They say it's a curse that originated from his ancestors. There's no scientific proof, though."
A name came to mind at that mention. He was the only ancestor of the Duchzan I knew.
“Isaac Duchzan?”
When I said that name, Tien looked surprised and exclaimed.
“You know that name. Everyone only knows that he’s an ancestor, but no one cares about his name.”
“I overheard it by chance.”
Tien wasn't particularly interested in what I had to say. He just kept chattering away whenever something interesting came up.
"Isaac Duchzan lived about a hundred and fifty years ago. The curse he was subjected to was said to have been famous even in his day. The story even has a touch of romance involved."
“Is it love?”
“Yes. They say the one who put the curse on Isaac Duchzan was none other than his wife, Belina Duchzan.”
Belina Duchzan!
I couldn't help but be surprised by the name. It was the same name I'd heard in the vision I'd had that day. The name of the woman Isaac had whispered love to, and sometimes completely ignored, was Belina.
"You're quite surprised to hear the word 'wife.' His Highness and his wife are very close, but many couples in the world despise each other."
Tien continued his story with excitement.
"It's said that Belina Duchzan was a witch. Countless sorcerers of that era were mistaken for evil witches, but she was probably truly wicked. She cursed countless people before she died. The most notable of these was Isaac Duchzan, who was cursed with a hideous curse that turned half his body into stone."
“It’s a curse like his.”
"Yes, that's right. That's why, when the current Duchzan was born, the wizards were incredibly... I don't know if I should say this, but they were excited. They started claiming that the current Duchzan was the reincarnation of Isaac Duchzan. Of course, I don't think so."
Tien said, raising his index finger like a teacher absorbed in class.
"It's clearly inherited, passed down to descendants a hundred and fifty years later. Reincarnation? Wizards have a lot to learn, but they also often say outrageous things. It's their imagination that drives them forward."
After listening to Tien's story for a while, I smiled bitterly.
“Then I guess it would be better for me not to have a baby.”
If Julian's curse and my curse were combined, who knows how unfortunate the baby would be? I couldn't pass such a curse on to the baby.
Even if Julian's curse was life-threatening, my curse would end in a painful death.
Tien screamed as I whispered helplessly.
“This can’t be happening!”
Tien clutched his head and made a pained expression.
"I started this story to comfort Madam, but I ended up causing you only pain. Anyway, I have a problem with this damn mouth. Mouth! Mouth! Mouth!"
Finally, Tien started hitting himself in the mouth. His self-abuse continued even as I, panicked, reached out to stop him.
Tien, who had been screaming for a long time, spoke to me with a face full of determination more than before.
"Madam, I will definitely lift the curse. I will go to the Magic Tower and keep the wizards from sleeping for a whole month! I am sure you will regain your health and have a beautiful baby. So don't worry. Do you understand?"
After watching the monologue, I felt a little better. I smiled and nodded. Tien deliberately puffed out his chest, then exhaled, making an exaggerated gesture of relief.
“Then, I will really go.”
After Tien left, Anna laughed, saying she'd seen all the truly unstoppable people. I laughed along with her, but a lingering feeling of unease lingered in my heart.
'You didn't love me knowing that I was a witch.'
In the vision I saw, I clearly said those words. It was exactly the same as what Tien had told me.
So what I'm seeing is really someone's memory? Why am I seeing memories from one hundred and fifty years ago?
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