Julian placed his hand on my shoulder and stroked it in a circular motion. I shrugged and snuggled deeper into his embrace.
“Don’t ever do this again.”
“No. So are you saying I should remain celibate until I give birth?”
“...Yeah. I hope so.”
"You might be okay with it, but I don't. Let's see. I'm tempting you, and you'll either fall for it or not."
Julian felt a pang of amusement at my words and rubbed his forehead. I smiled bashfully and became even more brazen.
"I heard somewhere that if a couple gets along well, they won't have to worry about their baby. So it's good for the baby, too."
Julian hugged me tighter, as if defeated. I rested my chin on Julian's shoulder and scanned the dark room.
The fourth-floor hallway and my newly assigned room had changed a lot, but Julian's room had been left unchanged except for a new door.
Oh, by the way, the mask that was always on his nightstand was gone. I rolled my eyes and then asked bluntly.
“Did you throw away all the masks?”
“You told me to throw it away.”
“How can you be so obedient?”
I grabbed Julian's cheeks and gave him a quick, affectionate kiss. Julian wrinkled his nose, but didn't push me away.
Instead, he seemed lost in thought, his gaze deeply submerged. Looking into those hazy eyes, I became concerned and cautiously asked.
“Do you feel bad about throwing it away?”
It was a truly joyful moment for me, but Julian had lived his entire life with a mask. When the mask shattered and Julian's face was revealed to the world, I vividly remember his hands trembling.
As I took Julian's hand, he slowly opened his mouth.
“The mask that broke that day was something my mother gave me.”
I tightened my grip on Julian's hand. I could clearly see how much he cared for his mother.
The mask both bound and protected Julian. With that mask shattered, it was only natural that Julian would be so shaken.
“My mother put a mask on me and told me to love someone truly happy when I take it off.”
“Wouldn’t you be happy if someone you love were to let go of such a huge burden?”
When I asked with a puzzled look, Julian shook his head.
“There are people who aren’t like that.”
“Who is it? Ah...”
The moment I asked the question, I realized something. Julian had once told me that there was someone who had accepted him, even though he was cursed. That person was Princess Abigail.
"The Princess always asked, 'Are you really the only friend I have?' I thought she was just happy to be my only friend. But now that I think about it, that wasn't the reaction a normal friend would exhibit."
I jumped up from my seat.
“Of course not! She's like a crazy woman!”
“The baby will be surprised. Come here.”
Julian reached out his arms toward me. I couldn't help but feel angry as I embraced him.
"Your friend said you were the only one? What would you do if you made another? See? You said you wished I had met you sooner. I would have introduced you to Ruin and Adam right away!"
"Calm down."
Julian told me to calm down, but I felt wronged and angry. It was upsetting that his only friend during his childhood was that wicked Princess.
But right now, listening to Julian was more important than expressing my feelings. I lay down, resting my head on Julian's arm, and pouted.
“Did the Princess bully you a lot when you were young?”
"Well, you could say that. But she kept telling me that this curse was meant to determine who would truly love me, so I couldn't meet anyone. It was essentially saying that no one could easily love me while under the curse."
It was clearly a sad story, but Julian's expression didn't seem to soften in the slightest. Instead, his eyes seemed clear, as if he was about to tell a hopeful story.
“I don’t feel so bad when I think about the fact that I was able to meet you thanks to that.”
It wasn't the slightest hint of falsehood. The speaker didn't seem the least bit sad, but I felt a profound sadness, a pang of sadness that made my heart sink. I hugged Julian tightly.
“I will do my best.”
“You’re doing well.”
“I'll do better. I'll be by your side my whole life, and I'll make you happy forever.”
Julian pulled away from me slightly and examined my face. Then he slowly stroked my cheek with his knuckles.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
I must have been crying as I listened to his story. But when I recalled his lonely childhood, my heart ached. The fact that only a cunning girl, someone he couldn't see often and who wanted to monopolize him, could soothe his loneliness...
“Let’s make lots of friends.”
Julian smiled, the corners of his mouth tugging at the words I was saying while sobbing, as if he found them funny.
“I only need you.”
“What have you got to say?”
“You’re going to be with me for a hundred years, so I’m afraid there won’t be a single moment?”
I spoke with a confident air, sniffling. Julian stroked my forehead absentmindedly before nodding.
“Yes.”
"Make lots of friends, have lots of children, and find lots of loved ones. But above all, let's love each other the most."
“Yes, if you wish.”
That night was long. Unaware of our fatigue, we talked about what we had buried deep within us. We carefully unearthed even the most profound of stories, the darkness, despair, and resignation we each harbored.
It's not that we didn't fear that our relationship would be tainted. But we found courage because we didn't want this love to be perfectly beautiful; we wanted it to be a perfect comfort.
So that night wasn't lonely at all.
I wish the beautiful night could last forever, but we still had so much work ahead of us. The knights assigned by the imperial court to guard the entrance to the Grand Duke's residence were harmless, but their very presence was unpleasant.
There was once a fight between Duchzan's private soldiers and the imperial knights. Even the attendants joined in and gave them critical glances, so the imperial knights reported this to the imperial court, saying they would not tolerate it.
Although nothing special happened, it was uncomfortable that such commotion kept happening.
What bothered me most was when Sylvia visited Duchzan to study my curse. The imperial knights interrogated her one by one, asking why a wizard was here and interfering with her. Fortunately, Sylvia and I had already agreed in writing, so there were no major issues.
“Sylvia, come in.”
Sylvia, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, seemed almost the same as before. She still had her hair cut neatly short, and her clothes were neatly arranged.
"Your Highness, Grand Duchess. Have you suffered from a high fever or any other unusual symptoms due to the curse?"
It was still the same as before, getting straight to the point as soon as we met. I hesitated, feeling a pang of guilt and touching my lips.
“Actually, His Highness the Grand Duke gave me a necklace as a gift...”
I haven't been able to wear that beautiful magic stone necklace since I collapsed. Julian had strongly forbidden it. Sylvia held out her hand with a stern expression.
“Please show me.”
I hesitated like a child who had made a mistake, then finally took the necklace out of the jewelry box and offered it to Sylvia. Sylvia frowned, clutching the magic stone necklace, its magical power blocked.
“Isn’t this a magic stone necklace?”
“I even blocked all the magic. I even had it examined by a wizard.”
“But you’re telling me this because there was a problem, right?”
"... Yes."
I nodded honestly. Then I told her what had happened when I went to Duran Village. I told her that I'd heard someone's voice in the Julia Flower Garden and, as if entranced by that voice, lifted my magical barrier. Sylvia remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought.
"You shouldn't have worn the magic stone necklace in the first place. It could have caused serious harm to the fetus."
Sylvia's words were absolutely right. Julian had given me a magic blocking gift as a gesture of wishing me safety, but my curse wasn't so light.
"Sylvia's right. I won't wear it again until the curse is lifted."
Only after hearing my definitive answer did Sylvia breathe a sigh of relief.
"But even at first glance, this magical barrier seems sturdy. I don't think anyone would have thought it could be easily broken."
It was a gift from someone. It was only natural. I unconsciously put on a smug expression, and Sylvia sighed, seemingly unable to stop me.
“I don’t think you’ll ever throw this necklace away, so let me check one last time to make sure the magic blocking is working properly.”
"Thank you."
Sylvia took a magical tool out of her bag and began examining the magic stone necklace. Her brow furrowed as she gazed silently into the tool. I began to worry that there might be a problem with the magic blocking.
“Sylvia? Are you okay?”
“Something feels strange.”
“Don’t ever do this again.”
“No. So are you saying I should remain celibate until I give birth?”
“...Yeah. I hope so.”
"You might be okay with it, but I don't. Let's see. I'm tempting you, and you'll either fall for it or not."
Julian felt a pang of amusement at my words and rubbed his forehead. I smiled bashfully and became even more brazen.
"I heard somewhere that if a couple gets along well, they won't have to worry about their baby. So it's good for the baby, too."
Julian hugged me tighter, as if defeated. I rested my chin on Julian's shoulder and scanned the dark room.
The fourth-floor hallway and my newly assigned room had changed a lot, but Julian's room had been left unchanged except for a new door.
Oh, by the way, the mask that was always on his nightstand was gone. I rolled my eyes and then asked bluntly.
“Did you throw away all the masks?”
“You told me to throw it away.”
“How can you be so obedient?”
I grabbed Julian's cheeks and gave him a quick, affectionate kiss. Julian wrinkled his nose, but didn't push me away.
Instead, he seemed lost in thought, his gaze deeply submerged. Looking into those hazy eyes, I became concerned and cautiously asked.
“Do you feel bad about throwing it away?”
It was a truly joyful moment for me, but Julian had lived his entire life with a mask. When the mask shattered and Julian's face was revealed to the world, I vividly remember his hands trembling.
As I took Julian's hand, he slowly opened his mouth.
“The mask that broke that day was something my mother gave me.”
I tightened my grip on Julian's hand. I could clearly see how much he cared for his mother.
The mask both bound and protected Julian. With that mask shattered, it was only natural that Julian would be so shaken.
“My mother put a mask on me and told me to love someone truly happy when I take it off.”
“Wouldn’t you be happy if someone you love were to let go of such a huge burden?”
When I asked with a puzzled look, Julian shook his head.
“There are people who aren’t like that.”
“Who is it? Ah...”
The moment I asked the question, I realized something. Julian had once told me that there was someone who had accepted him, even though he was cursed. That person was Princess Abigail.
"The Princess always asked, 'Are you really the only friend I have?' I thought she was just happy to be my only friend. But now that I think about it, that wasn't the reaction a normal friend would exhibit."
I jumped up from my seat.
“Of course not! She's like a crazy woman!”
“The baby will be surprised. Come here.”
Julian reached out his arms toward me. I couldn't help but feel angry as I embraced him.
"Your friend said you were the only one? What would you do if you made another? See? You said you wished I had met you sooner. I would have introduced you to Ruin and Adam right away!"
"Calm down."
Julian told me to calm down, but I felt wronged and angry. It was upsetting that his only friend during his childhood was that wicked Princess.
But right now, listening to Julian was more important than expressing my feelings. I lay down, resting my head on Julian's arm, and pouted.
“Did the Princess bully you a lot when you were young?”
"Well, you could say that. But she kept telling me that this curse was meant to determine who would truly love me, so I couldn't meet anyone. It was essentially saying that no one could easily love me while under the curse."
It was clearly a sad story, but Julian's expression didn't seem to soften in the slightest. Instead, his eyes seemed clear, as if he was about to tell a hopeful story.
“I don’t feel so bad when I think about the fact that I was able to meet you thanks to that.”
It wasn't the slightest hint of falsehood. The speaker didn't seem the least bit sad, but I felt a profound sadness, a pang of sadness that made my heart sink. I hugged Julian tightly.
“I will do my best.”
“You’re doing well.”
“I'll do better. I'll be by your side my whole life, and I'll make you happy forever.”
Julian pulled away from me slightly and examined my face. Then he slowly stroked my cheek with his knuckles.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
I must have been crying as I listened to his story. But when I recalled his lonely childhood, my heart ached. The fact that only a cunning girl, someone he couldn't see often and who wanted to monopolize him, could soothe his loneliness...
“Let’s make lots of friends.”
Julian smiled, the corners of his mouth tugging at the words I was saying while sobbing, as if he found them funny.
“I only need you.”
“Then who will look at my scar?”
“You’re going to be with me for a hundred years, so I’m afraid there won’t be a single moment?”
I spoke with a confident air, sniffling. Julian stroked my forehead absentmindedly before nodding.
“Yes.”
"Make lots of friends, have lots of children, and find lots of loved ones. But above all, let's love each other the most."
“Yes, if you wish.”
That night was long. Unaware of our fatigue, we talked about what we had buried deep within us. We carefully unearthed even the most profound of stories, the darkness, despair, and resignation we each harbored.
It's not that we didn't fear that our relationship would be tainted. But we found courage because we didn't want this love to be perfectly beautiful; we wanted it to be a perfect comfort.
So that night wasn't lonely at all.
***
I wish the beautiful night could last forever, but we still had so much work ahead of us. The knights assigned by the imperial court to guard the entrance to the Grand Duke's residence were harmless, but their very presence was unpleasant.
There was once a fight between Duchzan's private soldiers and the imperial knights. Even the attendants joined in and gave them critical glances, so the imperial knights reported this to the imperial court, saying they would not tolerate it.
Although nothing special happened, it was uncomfortable that such commotion kept happening.
What bothered me most was when Sylvia visited Duchzan to study my curse. The imperial knights interrogated her one by one, asking why a wizard was here and interfering with her. Fortunately, Sylvia and I had already agreed in writing, so there were no major issues.
“Sylvia, come in.”
Sylvia, whom I hadn't seen in a long time, seemed almost the same as before. She still had her hair cut neatly short, and her clothes were neatly arranged.
"Your Highness, Grand Duchess. Have you suffered from a high fever or any other unusual symptoms due to the curse?"
It was still the same as before, getting straight to the point as soon as we met. I hesitated, feeling a pang of guilt and touching my lips.
“Actually, His Highness the Grand Duke gave me a necklace as a gift...”
I haven't been able to wear that beautiful magic stone necklace since I collapsed. Julian had strongly forbidden it. Sylvia held out her hand with a stern expression.
“Please show me.”
I hesitated like a child who had made a mistake, then finally took the necklace out of the jewelry box and offered it to Sylvia. Sylvia frowned, clutching the magic stone necklace, its magical power blocked.
“Isn’t this a magic stone necklace?”
“I even blocked all the magic. I even had it examined by a wizard.”
“But you’re telling me this because there was a problem, right?”
"... Yes."
I nodded honestly. Then I told her what had happened when I went to Duran Village. I told her that I'd heard someone's voice in the Julia Flower Garden and, as if entranced by that voice, lifted my magical barrier. Sylvia remained silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought.
"You shouldn't have worn the magic stone necklace in the first place. It could have caused serious harm to the fetus."
Sylvia's words were absolutely right. Julian had given me a magic blocking gift as a gesture of wishing me safety, but my curse wasn't so light.
"Sylvia's right. I won't wear it again until the curse is lifted."
Only after hearing my definitive answer did Sylvia breathe a sigh of relief.
"But even at first glance, this magical barrier seems sturdy. I don't think anyone would have thought it could be easily broken."
It was a gift from someone. It was only natural. I unconsciously put on a smug expression, and Sylvia sighed, seemingly unable to stop me.
“I don’t think you’ll ever throw this necklace away, so let me check one last time to make sure the magic blocking is working properly.”
"Thank you."
Sylvia took a magical tool out of her bag and began examining the magic stone necklace. Her brow furrowed as she gazed silently into the tool. I began to worry that there might be a problem with the magic blocking.
“Sylvia? Are you okay?”
“Something feels strange.”
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