Chapter 3.5

“Your curse has weakened, Sir Stina. What on earth happened last weekend? Did you meet a witch or something?”  

At that time, Evelyn was in the mage’s laboratory. She kept her mouth shut, thinking it was impossible to blurt out, ‘I slept with a man.’  

“That curse… Do I really have to sleep only with m*n who are in unrequited love with me? Is that correct?”  

“Are you doubting my skills now?”  

The mage narrowed his eyes sharply. The atmosphere felt like he might throw her out of the lab any moment, so Evelyn quickly denied it.  

“Well, I did manage to use my aura again.”  

“Oh, then you’ve fulfilled the condition. Isn’t that something to celebrate?”  

“So, does that mean that person… was in unrequited love with me or something? That he liked me all along?”  

“Unrequited love… It wasn’t just something like unrequited love, it *was* unrequited love.”  

The mage leaned closer, asking who it was and if she could tell him alone. Evelyn, fighting a storm of emotions in her head, couldn’t respond.  

“W-why are you suddenly drawing your sword?”  

“Look at this. My senses are exactly the same as before. Did you know I can cut feathers with my aura?”  

Evelyn raised the sword she had strapped to her waist. Concentrating her mind and gathering energy, a blue aura enveloped the blade. Evelyn removed a feather stuck on the mage’s shoulder. With a swift swing of her sword, the feather floating in the air was sliced cleanly in half.  

“It’s really… my aura has returned.”  

She could wield it as naturally as moving her limbs. At last, her aura had come back to her.  

“Enough with the monologue. The curse may have weakened for now, but it hasn’t been completely lifted.”  

The mage dampened Evelyn’s joy. She recalled the fiery night of passion.  

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying that even after all that, it’s not completely resolved?”  

“I’m saying it would be good for you to meet often with the person who was in unrequited love with you and have physical conversations.”  

There were all sorts of curses in the world, but Evelyn was left utterly dumbfounded.  

“Do you not want to meet that person again?”  

“No, it’s not that I don’t want to. In fact, I… like it. No, I mean, it’s not that I like it…”  

“You like it. Well, you seem to like it.”  

…Right. I liked it?  

It didn’t seem bad, actually. Yes, I liked it.  

Strength drained from Evelyn’s arms. The tip of her once upright sword drooped downward.  

***

“Evelyn, there’s something else you haven’t told me. Did you have fun while avoiding all my messages?”  

As soon as Evelyn returned to the knight order after her medical leave, she was faced with a terrifying visitor. Donovan, who she hadn’t seen during that time, walked in with a cold expression.  

“I heard you went to the dark mage’s dwelling, touched some suspicious potion, and got cursed. Then you lost your aura. I heard everything from the Earl, so don’t even think about denying it.”  

Evelyn raised her hand to tell him to calm down but froze midway. 

He heard it from none other than the Earl of Yerenst?  

“How does the Earl of Yerenst know about that?”  

“Because he’s the one who orchestrated events to put you in danger. It seems things didn’t go as planned for him.”  

Donovan ground his teeth. Evelyn slowly moved behind the desk in the office to avoid him. Donovan’s gaze persistently followed her.  

“You even went on missions after losing your aura? Are you insane? How much do I have to beg for you to listen?”  

“Can a Royal Knight pick and choose their missions?”  

“All the other Royal Knights do it. They’re all doing fine, too.”  

Evelyn knew that. The other knights managed to advance their careers while working smartly. But Evelyn simply couldn’t do the same.  

“They’re all nobles. I’m not a noble. What am I supposed to do without a powerful backer?”  

Evelyn spoke the harsh truth clearly. A deathly silence hung between them. The room turned icy cold.  

“Can’t I be your backer?”  

“Forget it.”  

“If you want, you can use me. Isn’t that enough? Is it really that hard?”  

Before she knew it, Donovan had approached Evelyn’s side. There had clearly been a desk between them, yet somehow, he was suddenly so close.  

“The Yerenst family will back you. Climb as high as you want. I’m ready to be used by you.”  

His low whisper sounded strangely pained. Donovan grabbed Evelyn’s chin as she tried to avoid his gaze. His green eyes were filled with raw emotion.  

“I’ve dealt with the Earl. I’ve submitted all the evidence of his past misdeeds, and soon His Majesty’s decree will come down. The Earl will be stripped of his title, and that title will come to me.”  

“…You made the Earl face ruin?”  

“My interests aligned with His Majesty’s. I don’t care about the glory of the Earldom.”  

He was the family’s most valuable asset. The Earl of Yerenst had been desperate to sell him off at the highest price.  

“And yet, you ruined your foster father?”  

“I couldn’t wait any longer.”  

“And you won’t marry a mage either?”  

Usually, the bloodline of a mage was passed down through generations. The stronger the mage, the stronger their offspring’s magical abilities.  

To throw all of that away.  

“You’re insane.”  

Hearing her verdict, Donovan Yerenst kissed her. Evelyn was pushed back against the wall. His tongue delved deep, their breaths mingling. Her head was crushed against the hard wall.  

Donovan’s hand cradled the back of Evelyn’s head. He didn’t care about his hand being bruised as he pressed forward.  

After the messy kiss ended, Donovan placed his scraped hand on Evelyn’s uniform.  

“Did you know, Evelyn? They say there’s no curse in the world that’s purely bad.”  

“Is that really a saying?”  

“It’s the first thing I learned when I studied magic.”  

Donovan traced Evelyn’s back, then lifted her by her hips. He effortlessly picked her up and set her down on the desk.  

“They say every curse carries its own blessing.”

“How can a curse that can only be lifted by sleeping with a man who’s in unrequited love with me hold any blessing?”  

Now that her aura had returned, Evelyn could push Donovan away at any time. While Evelyn muttered to herself, Donovan removed her knight’s uniform.  

“If it’s not fortune for you, let’s say it’s fortune for the man who was in unrequited love with you then.”  

“Excuse me, future Earl…? Get a grip. This is the royal office, you know.”  

“I know, Evelyn. I came here to find you.”  

Donovan buried his face in her exposed white chest. Evelyn, sitting on the desk, dangled her legs in the air. She couldn’t believe she was being kissed on her chest in the office.  

“A confession… hmm, ah… shouldn’t it be done more seriously than this?”  

She tried to push Donovan away, but her body went limp. It felt as though she was melting in hot water, and a pleasant moan escaped her lips.  

“The moment you left me, the chance for that was already gone. So just accept it.”  

Her chest was crushed in Donovan’s hands. His knee wedged between her parted thighs.  

“Anyway, there won’t be any other man for you besides me from now on.”  

His knee pressed against her thigh with clear intent. Evelyn felt dizzy, seduced by the breathtakingly handsome man.  

“Don’t worry, I’ll protect your reputation.”  

“…How?”  

As a knight, Evelyn could sense pure magical energy. A tremendous surge of magic rippled through the room.  

“Did you forget I’m a mage? Barrier magic is useful for situations like this.”