Chapter 7 – Trauma (Part 2)

After healing Parin, the blood collected in the vial was all gone.

‘There are still many children left to heal.’

Ellerdin looked at the other races outside the greenhouse. Parin, noticing her thoughts, blocked her view.

“Heal only once a day. With your power, you can heal them all in a week, so don’t rush.”

Ellerdin nodded with a sullen expression. Having drawn blood for the first time, she felt a slight dizziness.

She sat on the bed inside the greenhouse for a moment. Phil and Pearl, delighted with Parin’s complete recovery, circled around Ellerdin.

As she stroked their scales, she looked outside. The other races still wore restraints around their necks.

“Parin, can you break those restraints? They seem to be in pain….”

Knowing well what it felt like to be shackled, Ellerdin looked at the races with somber eyes.

“You healed me, so what can’t I do?”

Parin lightly waved his hand. With a strong wind, the restraints around the other races’ necks shattered instantly.

The children shook their bodies joyfully at the disappearance of the restraints.

The freed children hesitated, glancing around, then quietly approached Ellerdin.

Then they plopped down and sat around Ellerdin.

“Hmm…?”

Ellerdin tilted her head, looking at their sparkling eyes. A child with deer antlers shouted.

“Thank you for saving us!”

Starting with that child, the other children also expressed their gratitude in small voices.

Ellerdin waved her hand shyly. The children giggled and left the greenhouse, frolicking in the garden.

“But who are those children?”

Ellerdin asked curiously. It was her first time seeing hybrids of different races.

“They are spirit children born between spirits and humans. Of course, they don’t have unusual powers like you.”

“Wow….”

Ellerdin exclaimed in amazement. She couldn’t believe there were other races besides her.

‘Especially, I thought spirits were just mythical beings, but they actually exist….’

Suddenly, Ellerdin’s gaze turned to Parin.

‘…If there are dragons, there could be spirits too.’

Ellerdin nodded to herself in understanding. Seeing Ellerdin’s thoughts reflected on her face, Parin chuckled.

“But how did you and those children get captured, Parin?”

“Hmm… those children came to play where I was hibernating. They followed me when I woke up to explore the world.”

“Then their parents must be looking for them!”

Ellerdin exclaimed in surprise, standing up.

“It’s fine. I’ve already informed them that the children are safe.”

Parin reassured Ellerdin to sit back down. Despite his bluntness, his kindness made Ellerdin smile as she lay on the bed.

Strangely, sleepiness washed over her.

“Get some rest.”

Parin spread his wings to block the sunlight entering the greenhouse.

***

After that, Ellerdin’s routine was consistent.

She spent most of her time in the garden and usually slept on the bed inside the greenhouse.

She feared that if she went to the castle, Fernan might see the wounds on her arms.

Of course, she wore long sleeves, but Fernan was sensitive and would notice quickly.

Moreover, Phil and Pearl, along with the other children, disliked Ellerdin leaving, so she dedicated herself to caring for them for a while.

Phil and Pearl, who were once palm-sized, grew rapidly day by day. Ellerdin blinked in surprise at their doubled size after waking up.

“They are greatly influenced by my condition. Their growth stopped because my body wasn’t well, but now they’re growing as much as they were suppressed. It’s all thanks to you.”

Parin expressed gratitude.

“That’s right! It’s thanks to Ellerdin!”

Phil and Pearl, now taller than Ellerdin, rubbed their heads against her on either side. At some point, they began speaking and never stopped chattering beside her.

Ellerdin laughed and stroked their scales.

“So what do you plan to do now?”

“Hmm… now I’m going to try breaking Fernan’s curse.”

Ellerdin showed a book she brought from the library. The book detailed how to break curses.

She couldn’t find anything about demon curses, but she planned to try all the methods from various books.

She considered making him drink blood as she did for the others but dismissed it since it healed wounds, not curses.

Ellerdin began searching for methods while flipping through the book.

The book mentioned making potions or crafting dolls to transfer curses to them, among other intriguing methods.

“How about asking the Saintess to do it?”

Phil asked, resting his head on Ellerdin’s lap.

“Fool! A curse is black magic! You think the Saintess would do it?”

Pearl exclaimed. As Pearl said, curses were a type of black magic, and both the user and the cursed person could be imprisoned by the Imperial Family for such a serious crime.

In this situation, asking to have a curse lifted was akin to suicide.

‘Indeed, the book also mentioned people unfairly arrested for that.’

Even while looking at the book, she doubted it could solve the problem, but she had no other choice.

Ellerdin sighed briefly and turned the page.

By now, books were piled high beside her. The stack of read books had grown past her waist, but she had gained nothing.

Ellerdin felt anxious again as she turned the page.

***

Ellerdin opened her eyes in a dark space. Feeling something strange, she looked around.

Then suddenly, the lights came on, and Fernan was sitting in a chair.

“Fernan?”

As Ellerdin approached him, Fernan looked at her with cold eyes. Her heart sank at that gaze.

She hesitated and stopped in her tracks. Fernan sighed and stood up.

“Ellerdin.”

A cold voice she had never heard before spoke.

So he could speak in such a voice. 

Only foolish thoughts floated around in her head.

“Try breaking my curse with the methods you’ve found so far.”

Ellerdin’s pupils shook violently.

What was the method to break his curse? 

She still didn’t know how.

“J-just a little more time….”

Her voice trembled. At her words, Fernan frowned and sighed deeply.

“I thought I had given you quite a bit of time… yet you’re still asking for more time… I guess you’re not as useful as they say.”

Fernan turned his head and spoke to the air.

“F-father…”

Before she knew it, the Earl and the Baron were standing behind Fernan.

“I’ll give you one more chance, so try it.”

Fernan threw a knife in front of Ellerdin. She hurriedly picked up the knife and cut her hand.

Gathering blood in both hands, she staggered towards him.

“…Please drink.”

Her hand trembled. Fernan licked the blood from her hand and spat it out.

He clicked his tongue.

“Is there no other way?”

At Fernan’s words, Ellerdin opened and closed her lips.

She wanted to say something, but there were no words. What should she do to hold onto him?

Looking up, she saw disappointed eyes directed at her.

Her heart thudded and sank.

“If you’re this useless, there’s no need to keep you.”

Fernan muttered to himself.

At that moment, a method flashed through Ellerdin’s mind.

She remembered a case from a book she read before bed, where someone was submerged in water to break a curse.

“T-there’s one way. Please wait a little.”

Her voice trembled. Turning her head, she saw a bathtub in front of her.

Ellerdin got in and began cutting her arms and hands with the knife.

“Tsk tsk, is that enough?”

The Earl approached her from behind. He took a whip from his waist and lashed her back.

Her clothes and flesh tore as blood seeped out.

***

Ellerdin began gasping and struggling.

Sensing something unusual, Parin opened his eyes wide and checked on Ellerdin. She was twisting her body as if in pain.

“Ellerdin.”

He tried speaking directly into her mind, but she couldn’t wake her.

Without Fernan there to hold her, she was sinking deeper into the darkness of her dream.

After a long struggle, Ellerdin suddenly opened her eyes.

She staggered and got out of bed.

“Ellerdin.”

Parin spoke again, but she didn’t hear.

“Please, give me one more chance.”

Ellerdin muttered as she got off the bed.

“It was because there wasn’t enough blood… I can do it now….”

Ellerdin mumbled as if possessed.

The Earl’s words were right. Nothing could be resolved with such clumsy actions.

Though her mind was foggy, her eyes shone clearly.

If she could produce twice the amount she had so far, she might be able to break Fernan’s curse.

Ellerdin staggered and picked up the knife from the floor.

She placed her hand on the empty tray and began cutting her arm haphazardly.

Flesh tore over scars as clear blood flowed out.