Chapter 3.1 – The Effects of the Curse’s Side Effects

“Sir Stina, have you gone mad? Charging in so recklessly? Are you desperate to die young?”  

“Sir Jaxen, my head is pounding. Don’t shout at a bedridden patient.”  

Evelyn had been carried in after injuring herself while recklessly performing an intelligence mission despite her unwell condition.  

“I told you to take care of your body! It seems you’ll only come to your senses after being scolded by Young Earl Donovan!”  

“Ouch, it hurts more when you shout.”  

Lying on the bed, Evelyn exaggerated her pain. The arm that had been broken during the mission was now perfectly healed thanks to magical treatment.  

The senior knight who came to visit her in the hospital couldn’t help but let out a laugh of disbelief upon seeing Evelyn’s state.  

“When I saw you at the banquet hall, I thought you had toned it down a bit, but it seems your obsession with promotions is still the same.”  

“When was I ever obsessed with promotions?”  

“Do you think it’s common for a knight to recklessly jump into high-risk operations like you do?”  

Jaxen had worked alongside Evelyn before. He was one of the few who had seen firsthand how she had clawed her way up from the bottom step by step.  

Shaking his head, Jaxen handed over the bouquet he was holding. The gesture seemed to say, “Here, take this and stop complaining.”  

“Why did you even bother bringing a bouquet?”  

“I bought it just to keep up appearances. You seem to be in better shape than I was worried about.”  

“Even though I look fine, it’s only because of the magical treatment. I shouldn’t overdo it. I won’t be able to participate in any missions for a while.”  

The mage who came to treat her was the same one Evelyn had visited previously due to her curse.  

– Sir, do you want to die early? Or perhaps you should submit a leave of absence. Or at least take a sick leave. 

The mage looked at Evelyn with pity and disdain, even clicking his tongue as if to say, ‘You still haven’t found a solution?’  

“I heard you were seriously injured, so I came to check on you. It’s a relief you seem okay. I’ll be going now.”  

“Wait a minute. Why are you leaving so heartlessly after just saying hello?”  

Evelyn grabbed Jaxen’s arm as he was about to leave. By now, all the people who were likely to visit her had already come and gone.  

– What about Sir Jaxen? Hasn’t he come yet?  

– Why? Does he absolutely have to come?  

– No, it’s just that… Never mind.  

Evelyn managed to coax the knight into spilling the story he was trying to avoid. He eventually spoke with a regretful expression, as if wondering why he was even telling this tale.  

– Sir Jaxen used to have a bit of interest in you… but not anymore! That was a long time ago, I think.  

– Is that true?  

– Geez, I don’t know anything about it. Ask Sir Jaxen yourself. Do you seriously think he still likes you after all this time?  

Come to think of it, back when Evelyn was a rookie knight, Jaxen used to take care of her under various pretexts. A faint possibility crossed her mind. She had never thought of him in that way before, but she figured it wouldn’t hurt to cling to even the slimmest chance.  

“Would you like to stay for dinner before you go?”  

“Did you hit your head too?”  

His cold response came back immediately. Of course, it was just as she expected. Evelyn gritted her teeth at the colleague who had spread false rumors.  

Her forehead felt hot, likely due to a fever. Her body started trembling slightly, and heat surged through her.  

As if that weren’t enough, she felt as though her stomach was being twisted into knots, and her head began to grow foggy.  

‘Wait a minute. What’s happening?’  

Damn curse side effects! Of all times!  

She had been hiding the fact that she was cursed from the knight order to protect her career. With senior knights pressing down from above and juniors climbing up from below, she was already struggling enough and couldn’t afford to show any weakness.  

“Sir Stina, your eyes are red. Are you feeling unwell? Shall I call for a doctor?”  

“Go away! No, don’t go… stay…”  

The suppressed curse was raging in the gap left by her weakened state. Her limbs trembled, and a tingling sensation ran down her spine, signaling the onset of paralysis.  

“Who should I call? A mage? A doctor?”  

“No. Just leave me alone, and I’ll get better.”  

“Should I call Young Earl Donovan?”  

As she bit her lip, Donovan’s name rang in her ears. Jaxen grabbed her shoulder as she broke out into a cold sweat.  

“Take a deep breath. Your complexion looks terrible.”  

“Sir Jaxen. This might sound absurd given the situation, but… if you’re not secretly in love with me, please let go and step back.”  

“What nonsense is this all of a sudden?”  

She didn’t even hope for unrequited love. If only the curse could be lifted, she would grab any passing man and hold on to him.  

Come to think of it, it didn’t seem like such a bad idea. All she had to do was sleep with a man and make him fall for her afterward.  

“I just had a great idea!”  

“What are you talking about?”  

“There’s no need to look far! There are plenty of men around! Isn’t it true that physical attraction often leads to emotional attachment?”  

Jaxen was leaning toward Evelyn, keeping a close distance. Just as he opened his mouth to ask something—  

Bang! The door burst open with a loud noise as if it were about to break.  

“Evelyn, so, you were here.”  

Donovan was panting heavily, as though he had sprinted all the way. His eyes scanned the two of them, who were standing quite close together.  

“You seem to be having a cozy moment with Sir Jaxen.”  

“Cozy…?”  

“Am I interrupting something?”

A sharp energy emanated from him. Donovan lowered his head deeply, then ran his hand through his hair as he raised it again.  

“I heard you were injured. Did I hear wrong?”  

The killing intent radiating from Donovan, a mage, was palpable. Sensitive to such hostility, Jaxen hesitated as he began to draw his aura.  

“Young Earl Donovan, I almost mistook it for an attack and nearly drew my aura.”  

Jaxen grumbled. Donovan cast a brief glance in his direction but soon ignored him.  

“How did you know to come here?”  

“Is this somewhere I’m not allowed to come?”  

“No, but… when did you hear I was injured?”  

“Did you really think I wouldn’t find out just because you didn’t tell me? That’s naive, Evelyn.”  

Donovan’s hand twitched as if he couldn’t bear to see the two of them standing so close together. He forcibly suppressed his instincts, holding his breath like a beast.  

At this moment, Evelyn felt a mix of emotions—absurdity, embarrassment, and a desperate urge to escape.  

“Something about the atmosphere between you two seems suspicious. It doesn’t look like there’s room for me here.”  

Jaxen, ever perceptive like the knight he was, seemed to sense the tension and decided to retreat for his own sake.  

“It seems the two of you have something important to discuss, so I’ll take my leave. See you once you’ve fully recovered, Sir Stina!”  

Evelyn’s instincts screamed a warning. She had a hunch that letting Jaxen leave like this would lead to no good.  

“Wait! Sir Jaxen, don’t just leave—finish what you were saying.”  

“What is there to talk about with me?”  

“You said you used to be interested in me!”  

Jaxen flinched as if he had received a death threat, wildly waving his arms. He practically threw Evelyn aside. Was this any way to treat an injured person?  

“Earl, don’t misunderstand. I’ve recently been seriously seeing a young lady. I’m planning to ask her out tonight.”  

Jaxen patted Donovan’s shoulder as if to reassure him not to get the wrong idea. The way he tried to appease Donovan looked oddly familiar.  

“Sir Stina, if you’re looking for a man, why not search close by rather than far away?”  

“What? Pardon? …I didn’t hear that correctly.”  

“Just make sure to exclude me from your list of potential suitors. Well then, goodbye!”  

Jaxen left faster than he had arrived, closing the door behind him like the wind, leaving no chance for anyone to stop him.  

‘This man… did he just abandon me as if he’d faced a wolf?’  

Evelyn stared blankly at the empty space left by her vanished colleague.