Go ahead.

Cynthia listened to the raging voice like cheerful music and chuckled.

‘Sorry. I need them to discover my escape as late as possible.’

It was clear that Loretta, busy searching for the formula because of her matchmaking, wouldn’t inform the Blewitt couple that Cynthia had escaped.

By now, the train had left the territory and was gradually moving along a different path. The morning sun, accompanied by freedom, was exceptionally radiant and beautiful.

Cynthia leaned deep into the chair’s backrest and looked out through the glass window.

Thanks to Loretta, she had luckily escaped from the mansion, but the real problem started now.

She had no friends or relatives to protect her. Moreover, she couldn’t withdraw her deposits from the Empire’s bank account as her location could be traced.

Hoo.

Cynthia’s eyes shone with determination. There was exactly one person who could help her while having a close relationship with the Viscount Blewitt family.

‘I need to meet Kaisel, the villain of this novel.’

❀❀❀

“Last passenger. Hurry and get on.”

“Thank you.”

Cynthia left the train station and boarded a cargo wagon.

She looked around to find a place to sit. The wagon was so full of people and luggage that only a seat by the entrance, where dust came in, remained.

Cynthia sat in the corner and leaned against the wagon wall. This seat was actually fortunate as she wouldn’t have to remove her hood.

‘Just a few more hours to the capital.’

The cargo wagon was a mode of transportation used by commoners who couldn’t take gates or trains. Since its main purpose was to carry cargo, unlike regular carriages, it had no seats.

The inconvenience of sitting on the floor for long distances meant nobles would never use cargo wagons.

Cynthia had switched to the cargo wagon to confuse her trail in case the Blewitt couple discovered her escape and sent mercenaries.

‘They might have fainted when they realized their precious money source had disappeared.’

Cynthia swallowed a faint laugh and lowered her hood. As everything quieted down, she could calmly recall the original story.

Long ago, a goddess, moved by the love between a king and queen, bestowed divine protection upon them.

However, a black dragon, jealous of this, killed the king and queen along with many people, turning the kingdom into ruins. Enraged, the goddess placed a curse on the dragon.

‘It was a curse to suffer the pain of searching for a companion and to repeat an eternal life of stigma even after death.’

Unable to bear the divine wrath, the dragon used a trick at the moment of death. It transferred its magic power and soul into the body of a young prince.

Thus, the prince grew up to conquer the continent and became the first emperor who established a vast empire.

However, the stigma-like curse engraved on the dragon did not disappear and appeared on the prince’s body as the name of his companion.

The first emperor, with the dragon’s strong soul, ignored his companion’s name and enjoyed a dissolute life with other women until he eventually died.

His son who inherited the curse, and his son’s son as well.

As the centuries passed, the black dragon’s soul gradually faded, but the curse grew stronger, and those of the imperial family chosen by the curse died in terrible agony.

Kaisel Erdian Klanes.

The villain of this novel, and the only antagonist.

24 years old.

A man bearing a terrible curse that would kill him if he did not marry and consummate with the companion whose name was engraved on his body by his birthday.

Fortunately, he was the uncle of the male lead Felix and the beloved brother of the Empire’s emperor.

To save his brother, the emperor searched the entire continent for an artifact that could identify the companion and eventually found the match.

That companion was none other than Iris, Cynthia’s fraternal twin sister.

Emperor Luest joyfully sent a massive groom’s dowry and a marriage proposal to the Blewitt family.

However, Iris, afraid of marrying a cursed Grand Duke she had never seen, fled to the Great Temple, which was the background of the novel.

The monastery of the Great Temple was a sanctuary protected by divine blessing where once entered, one could not leave until they wished to leave themselves.

Fearing severe punishment from the emperor, the Blewitt couple sold Cynthia in a marriage business to at least return the groom’s dowry he had provided.

‘Trash.’

Cynthia’s anger surged. Neither Kaisel nor herself had any other options from the beginning.

‘No. I will definitely survive.’

Besides knowing the future, she had another secret weapon.

In this world, only she knew about the herb that could suppress the villain’s curse.

She had read about it in the world setting collection that the author released like a TMI after the conclusion.

It was an herb called ‘antes.’

‘If such a thing existed, why not tell him earlier? No matter how villainous he is, isn’t it pitiful that he suffered his entire life because of the curse?’

The problem was that antes was an unfamiliar herb. There were no records of it even when she studied herbology.

Not being listed in reference books meant it probably had no efficacy as an herb.

The antes she had seen in a plant dictionary was a native plant that grew only in certain areas of the capital.

‘First, let’s visit both herb shops and flower gardens. I need to find even a small clue.’

It might be reckless, but strangely, she wasn’t afraid.

❀❀❀

Finally arriving at the capital, Cynthia exclaimed in admiration at the bustling crowd.

“Wow! This is really amazing.”

The center of the Empire was packed with diverse people. The magnificent shops were dazzlingly varied.

As expected of the Empire’s most famous downtown, herb shops were lined up everywhere.

Cynthia entered the largest herb store among them. She had a feeling that such a large store would surely have antes that could cure Kaisel.

She sparkled her eyes like a child in a toy store.

“Welcome. What can I get for you?”

“Do you have an herb called antes?”

The middle-aged man tied a bundle of lavender, dusted off his hands, and asked back.

“Antes?”

The forced smile on the man’s face instantly dropped.

“This is the first time I’ve heard someone call antes an herb. We don’t sell such worthless things at our herb store. As you can see, our shop only carries precious and valuable items. For example, this saffron or West Continent lemon verbena has such a good fragrance that many noble ladies buy them.”

While watching the man boast with his chin up, Cynthia showed no particular interest.

She had no curiosity since the Blewitt family also ran an herb merchant guild, though they were unpleasant people.

“I need antes.”

Realizing she had no intention of buying expensive herbs, the man waved his hand dismissively.

“For such things, try the general store across the street.”

“……A general store?”

Cynthia reluctantly left the herb store due to the unfriendly man’s dismissal.

She was puzzled that it was neither an herb store nor a flower garden, but thinking it was better than wandering the unfamiliar capital marketplace, she headed to the general store without hesitation.

Entering through the wide-open door, a young employee greeted her warmly.

“Welcome. This is Millen General Store.”

“Um…… I came because I heard you have antes here.”

“Huh? Antes? Ah. Just a moment.”

The employee nodded and disappeared.

Why would antes, a plant, be in a general store? It felt like being possessed by a ghost.

Shortly after, Cynthia’s eyes widened at what she saw in the returning employee’s hand.

‘A broom?’

She tensed momentarily, wondering if they were going to chase her out with the broom.

The employee placed the broom in Cynthia’s hand. Receiving it reflexively and examining the material, she couldn’t close her gaping mouth.

‘This is bushclover? Why is it here?’

It was beyond absurd. The employee smoothly overlooked the customer’s bewildered expression and smiled a capitalist smile.

“You’re lucky, customer. A few days ago, an imperial order came down to clean up all the weeds in the capital.”

“What?”

Bushclover is a weed?

The employee whispered in Cynthia’s ear as if sharing a top secret.

“Brooms made from antes use cut old stems, which are sturdy and heavy for women to use. I’ve dried only the tender branches so it’ll be light to handle. The price is one copper coin.”

“Ah.”

Calming her surprised heart at the employee’s words, Cynthia took out a copper coin and handed it over. Only then did the satisfied employee scurry away into the store.

Cynthia hugged the bushclover, no, antes to her chest and staggered out of the general store.

‘Ha, d*mn that author. Of all things, to make the cure for the villain’s curse bushclover.’

Of course, bushclover was a good herb.

In her previous life, people claimed bushclover was good for male ailments or enhancing virility, but it had various benefits like boosting immunity or clearing the eyes.

She could understand why the general store sold bushclover as brooms.