“So, you came to hear the rest of Roa Moom’s story?”

“……How did you know?”

The old woman chuckled while sipping hot steeped green tea.

“My name is Elisa. Elisa Trois. Roa Moom was my maternal grandmother.”

Her grandfather married three times, and Roa Moom was his last wife.

Her grandfather was quite handsome and also kind.

The problem was that his characteristic kindness led to philandering.

But after meeting grandmother Roa, grandfather finally had to settle down at home, because of grandmother Roa’s incredible charisma.

When Elisa first met Roa Moom, she couldn’t understand why she married her grandfather who had failed at marriage three times.

Though she was a bit older, her grandmother remained beautiful and didn’t seem to need anyone’s help.

So one day she asked why she met grandfather.

‘Your grandfather is a man full of love. In his youth, he foolishly spent that love sharing it with this woman and that woman…… Well, that’s past history, I don’t really care. Actually, if you look closely, I had an even greater love than your grandfather.’

‘……Did you have a husband?’

‘Yes indeed. A love so bitter and pitiful my heart broke again and again and again. I’ll never forget him my whole life.’

After saying that, grandmother smiled and unwrapped the scarf covering her neck to show it.

A black line was deeply etched into grandmother’s slender neck.

‘What’s this?’

‘I did something terrible to the man I loved. I put a spell on myself so I wouldn’t forget.’

‘……What kind of spell?’

‘I made it so this black line would strangle my neck if I forgot him even a little. So I wouldn’t forget loving him until I die.’

Saying that, grandmother winked saying it was a secret from grandfather.

That playful expression remained in memory for a very long time.

‘Grandmother, then you don’t love our grandfather?’

When she carefully asked, she smiled with a mysterious expression.

‘I do love him. When one love ended, another love came.’

‘But why do you look like you’re about to cry?’

‘……Because my past love was pitiful. Ending was sad enough, but to be forgotten too… I realized I did something truly terrible.’

After that, Elisa never asked her grandmother about it again.

But Elisa developed a strange habit of checking her grandmother’s nape whenever they met.

Even after hearing the old woman’s story, Karl remained confused.

He could fully understand their love was heartbreaking.

But so what?

Could that prove the truth he wanted to know?

“You still look confused, young man.”

“……No. I just can’t organize my thoughts.”

“Oh dear, that’s all the story I have to tell…… Your face shows it wasn’t much help.”

Elisa clicked her tongue with a kind smile.

Karl kissed the back of her hand and stood up, making sure the old woman wouldn’t feel embarrassed.

His instantly composed expression showed no trace of emotion.

“Thank you for sharing the story, Madame Trois.”

“Oh, that’s the first time I’ve heard such a title. You’re just like our grandfather. Winning people’s favor with your mannered and kind attitude.”

“I’m honored. But I don’t act this way with just anyone.”

“Even that line is quite thrilling.”

Elisa chuckled and slowly walked Karl out.

Walking out of the old woman’s wood-scented reception room, Karl thought deeply.

Nevertheless, there were hints in her story.

Roa Moom.

Someone who shared the same surname with Tamia.

Tamia’s letter mentioned a spell passed down in Roa’s family.

Since they shared the same surname, the spell passed down in Roa’s family meant it likely passed down to Tamia too.

And that spell had a ‘taboo’ attached to it.

‘Tamia and Lumiere made some deal, and they can’t talk about it because of the taboo.’

He could deduce that much.

There were two things he wanted to know from here.

First, could this be real?

Could such things really happen?

Second, what deal did Lumiere and Tamia make?

What taboo did they place, and what sacrifice did they use?

What part of the body did they try to control?

‘They probably tried to control hallucinations or addiction. And the sacrifice was probably……’

The old woman stopped him deep in thought.

“I forgot to mention this.”

“What is it?”

“Around when our grandmother passed away, she suffered from dementia.”

What could this sudden statement mean?

Watching his puzzled face intently, Elisa smiled and said.

“If I tell you her cause of death was respiratory failure…… might you understand?”

Karl opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Now he could finally grasp what she meant to say.

When his grandmother was dying, she forgot him whom she promised never to forget.

Then did the black line really strangle her neck?

“Before burying her, I couldn’t resist checking her nape. Want to know what I saw?”

“……What did you see?”

“Nothing.”

The old woman smiled and said.

“There was nothing. Like there had never been anything there, no trace remained.”

She smiled and pushed Karl’s back.

“Well, by now you might have found the answer you were looking for. It’s been very enjoyable having a guest after so long. Take care on your way back.”

The old wooden door closed with a thud.

Still, Karl stood there staring into space for a while.

His heart beat heavily.

* * *

“……Finally today!”

Before sunrise, Maria snapped her eyes open.

For someone who usually woke up at noon, this was truly a rare occurrence.

With her most refreshed face ever, she jumped out of bed and rang the bell.

Then she threatened the maid who rushed into the room breathlessly to hurry and dress her up.

“Hurry! You need to put in more effort than ever. There’s no time! We only have six hours!”

“Y-yes! Lady Maria! Yes, j-just a moment! Lady Maria, your breakfast……”

“Are you crazy? If I eat now my stomach will stick out. Absolutely not! Cinch my waist tighter than ever, Lindsay!”

Maria urged the maid with an energetic expression.

Every minute, every second was precious.

Today was finally the day Karl Winger would come to meet Maria!

“You’re really fired up today, Lady Maria. Don’t worry, I’ll make you more beautiful than anyone today. Shall we take off your nightgown first?”

“Wait, wait, wait! Lindsay, wait!”

“W-why, what’s wrong, Lady Maria?”

“This first, let’s choose this first.”

Lindsay’s eyes widened seeing what Maria pointed to.

“……Underwear?”

“Yes. Bring the azalda lace lingerie I had made recently. Bring pretty garter belts too.”

When Lindsay just stood there staring with a confused face, Maria shouted in an irritated tone.

“What are you doing? Every minute and second is precious! Hurry up, Lindsay. Hurry! Oh, no, that’s not it! Let’s draw the bath first. I want to bathe first. Put lots of perfume from the Eastern Continent in it. So I’ll smell fragrant with just a brush. Hurry!”

When Maria stamped her feet, urging, Lindsay went out pushed by her momentum.

Maria opened the window wide while pressing down her pounding heart.

‘I can’t miss today. This is my first and last chance.’

Maria steeled her resolve.

With trembling hands, she opened the drawer of the bedside table.

Inside the drawer was a white medicine envelope she had prepared secretly.

It was a strong sleeping medicine she got from the royal physician.

‘That man has a special constitution so powdered flowers won’t work on him. Maybe this won’t work either.’

So just in case, she prepared twice the normal dose.

The doctor said this amount could put even an elephant-sized beast to sleep.

She wasn’t sure if she’d really use it.

She hoped he would take her first willingly.

But if not, she planned to drug him to get things done.

‘If it won’t stand when he’s asleep, I’ll just strip him and lay him next to me. Even Karl Winger can’t pretend nothing happened after taking the future queen.’

Maria bit her lip hard and took a deep breath.

She wanted to become his lover.

If not that, she at least wanted to bear his child.

Having his child would create a connection with him anyway.

“……You can do it, Maria. Definitely!”

Just then, Lindsay came to tell her the bath was ready.

She moved her feet solemnly like a soldier heading to battle, her heart swelling greatly.