“If you want it, feel free to buy it. It’s at the level of children’s toys, but I quite like the functions.”

“This is for self-defense? I’m not sure if this design suits me now, but it might be fun?”

She felt a bit embarrassed about buying something she had only looked at in her childhood. But isn’t becoming an adult about being able to comfortably buy things you couldn’t afford as a child? Thinking she was buying memories, Olivia chose one necklace.

“It’s one-time use, but a protective magic activates when the wearer shows a strong rejection response.”

“Oh, technology really seems to advance as time passes.”

“This exposition is exactly the place to show off and boast about that.”

With an adult’s abundant wealth, Olivia bought the necklace and gathered her hair into one bunch. A mirror was prepared at one side of the stall so customers could comfortably wear their purchases and leave. While Olivia arranged her hair, Alois, who had received the necklace, waited behind her. The design certainly wasn’t something that could be considered elegant or beautiful from any angle, but seeing Olivia happy, he thought it was a different kind of memory and said nothing.

“Come to think of it, this kind of necklace……”

He approached behind her and placed the necklace around her front. As he naturally looked in the mirror and adjusted the necklace’s position, a strange sense of déjà vu began to wrap around Alois’s entire body.

The very day the curse began. From a distance came the sound of people’s expectant laughter, and the empress with her hair elaborately styled up had specially summoned Alois. She wanted to show off a necklace she had received as a gift, and he naturally helped her put it on.

“Alois?”

“……”

The moment he saw the reflection of himself holding the necklace in the mirror, Alois’s vision suddenly went dark. The memory lingering in his body took him back to an unwelcome moment.

It was something the servants could have easily done, but he hadn’t suspected anything. She said she wanted to speak with him alone, and he simply thought it might be related to his upcoming departure from the place.

At that moment, he had no idea how his life would change once he put on the necklace, nor what monstrous appearance would be reflected in the mirror……

“Let me do it.”

Alois’s strange behavior as he froze while trying to put on the necklace concerned her. His eyes became empty for a moment as he stared at the reflection in the mirror, as if seeing something else entirely. Even when Olivia called his name several times, he couldn’t seem to hear her properly.

Olivia noticed that Alois was recalling the day he was cursed due to a similar situation. So she deliberately stood up without making it obvious and first blocked his view of himself in the mirror.

“Does it not suit me as well as you worried?”

Then she quickly put on the necklace herself and deliberately struck various exaggerated poses to redirect his thoughts. Only after color and expression slowly returned to his face, which had frozen from the trauma, could Olivia finally feel relieved.

‘I need to be careful.’

She had thought too lightly of the curse after figuring out how to endure through the heat cycle. Although he could now handle the curse’s pain more calmly than before, the wound of betrayal from the family he trusted hadn’t become any less painful……

Even though he had reconciled with the emperor and forgiven him, the shocking wound etched into Alois’s soul still seemed to remain as a scar. She regretted her actions that had reminded him of it.

‘I knew about the situation, yet I was so foolish.’

Alois couldn’t help but notice Olivia’s dejected mood as she walked along, blaming herself. It was just like her to deliberately avoid mentioning it to him for fear of hurting him, yet unable to hide the upset expression all over her face.

“There’s no need to worry so much. I was just momentarily startled by a scene I hadn’t recalled in a while. The fact that I don’t dwell on it as often as before might actually be a positive sign in some ways.”

When Alois spoke first as if nothing had happened, she no longer hid her concern. Clinging tightly to his arm, she gently stroked the back of his hand as if to convey comfort.

“But why did the person who first cast the curse choose a necklace of all things?”

“Such curses are usually placed on items that would make the target lower their guard, so that’s probably why.”

“I thought it was a bit unusual when I heard the story before. The way the curse affects not the person wearing the necklace, but the person who puts it on. Usually, it’s the opposite, isn’t it?”

“You’re certainly right about that.”

While it would be easy to limit who receives the necklace, anyone from servants to others could put it on someone. So it was a somewhat troublesome method for targeting a specific person.

“If you want to curse someone, you could give them the necklace as a gift, but usually servants help with accessories. To ask someone to put on a necklace for you, you’d typically need to be very close……”

Olivia trailed off and swallowed the rest of her words, worried that Alois might recall the past again.

But once raised, the question wouldn’t easily disappear. Just as Alois had tried to put the necklace on her, isn’t it often lovers who personally put necklaces on each other, rather than servants? Cursing a beloved?

Olivia touched the necklace she was wearing and fell into thought. While it made sense that this necklace had protective magic and could conversely have a curse placed on it, the way the curse activated still seemed somewhat unusual.

“I never thought there’d come a day when I could talk so comfortably about the curse with someone.”

But Olivia’s puzzlement couldn’t continue in the face of the relieved voice coming from beside her. Though the wounds of the past had been briefly touched, they were clearly healing bit by bit, better than when he had hidden and denied them.

“This is thanks to you too.”

“I hope you feel better soon. I hope it heals cleanly without leaving any trace, as if such wounds never existed.”

Olivia placed her palm on Alois’s chest area and rubbed it in circles, as if soothing a sick child. Though it was a playful gesture, he knew her words were sincere, and it truly felt as if warm energy was being transferred from her like magic.

“Indeed. You truly are a skilled healer.”

When he caught her hand and kissed the fingertips, the tips of Olivia’s ears turned bright red. She looked around nervously, checking if anyone was watching, which Alois found adorable, so he deliberately kissed her fingertips several more times for all to see.

* * *

As they explored the exposition, people were crowded everywhere regardless of the exhibition theme, but even considering the event’s scale, the impression of “noisiness” was particularly strong. Olivia frowned slightly, not understanding why it felt so exceptionally loud, until she accidentally discovered the cause of the commotion and was surprised.

“This city has so many animals…?”

So that’s why the city felt even more crowded. Besides the human crowd, many people had brought their animals with them. Being able to understand animal speech, she found the mixture of human voices and animal sounds made everything seem more chaotic.

While keeping pets wasn’t surprising, bringing animals to such a large event attended by people of all social classes was an unusual sight.

“There are also events related to animals.”

“Ah, don’t tell me they’re buying and selling rare animals……”

Olivia’s expression subtly hardened as unpleasant memories surfaced. But the exhibition hall Alois took her to displayed something completely different, making her concerns seem unfounded.

“Are all these for animals?”

Various houses, beds, and furniture for all kinds of animals were lined up. Not only were there many types, but the prices were astonishingly high. A single water bowl studded with jewels far exceeded a common commoner household’s monthly income.

“I’ve heard there’s quite a demand for luxury items for pets. Especially among nobles and wealthy tycoons. They show off their specialness through their pets instead. Wearing jewels themselves might make them look vulgar, so they satisfy that desire through their animals.”

“Oh, I wonder if the animals like that too. Still, spending money means they cherish them that much, right? That’s good then.”

Elliot had once reported on pet-related businesses, suggesting they invest in that area using Olivia’s abilities. Alois, already quite displeased about losing her to the clinic, had flatly rejected the business proposal, not wanting to lose any more time with her.

“But I’ve heard that related crimes have increased accordingly. After all, it’s essentially entrusting expensive items to animals, so there are those who target them……”

“Kyaaaah!”

A woman’s sharp scream momentarily froze the commotion in the exhibition hall.

“That, that person! Catch him! Thief, thief!”

Naturally, the security staff guarding the exhibition hall rushed over, but the crowd made it difficult to immediately locate the fleeing person. In an instant, people began to tangle as some chased and others fled. A massive human wave started from the end, and people surged toward one side.

“Aloi…s, aack, Alois!”

Olivia, who lost Alois in the suddenly swelling flow of people, reached out to him. But going against the collectively moving crowd was no easy task. Fearing she might fall if she wasn’t careful, Olivia eventually surrendered to the flow and moved along with the massive stream of people.