Lady Clara of Arcel gripped her teacup with trembling hands. Her distorted reflection wavered in the rippling tea, fuelled by her anger. It was then that Theodoro soothed her with a gentle smile. 

“Lady Clara, I understand your concern, but there’s no need to worry so much.” 

“I’ve heard the curse is weakening and you’re telling me not to worry? The girl must die soon so that Lilia can be at peace!” 

Despite her sharp reaction, Theodoro remained calm and spoke evenly. 

“Whether she really ate the fairy’s apple will only be confirmed when the maid returns. It’s true that the curse has weakened, but do you remember what I said before?” 

“Before?” 

“When Lady Ciela was ten.” 

At his words, Clara remembered the moment, her furrowed brow relaxing slightly. 

“…A peculiar condition…” 

“You seem to remember. I mentioned before that Lady Ciela might have a peculiar condition, either congenital or acquired, that makes her resistant to curses.” 

“Yes, I remember. But since the fairy’s curse is no light affliction, she can only bear it better than most.” 

“Exactly. Just as I said then.” 

Theodoro took a sip of his tea. The small sound echoed loudly in the unusually quiet room. 

“Basically, the curse cannot be undone.” 

“…” 

“In the end, the curse will take her life.” 

Lady Clara knew this better than anyone. As she had searched for a solution to lift the curse for Lilia’s sake, the bitter taste of hopelessness had risen in her throat, sharp and unbearable. 

“Such a powerful curse… Even the Almighty has responded to your concerns, Lady Clara, by providing a means to transfer it.” 

Clara set her teacup down on the table with a heavy clink, the sound reflecting her lingering dissatisfaction. 

“Yes, but when I think of the things that lowly girl of unknown origin has been doing lately, I can’t help but feel the urge to remind her of her place.” 

“For Lilia’s sake, you must endure it.” 

“I know. In order for the fairy not to know that the curse has been passed on, Ciela must live long enough to die from the curse itself – if for no other reason.” 

“You’re doing a wonderful job.”

Theodoro said with a soft smile of praise. 

Clara, clearly unimpressed, picked up her teacup with an annoyed hand when… 

Knock, knock.

“It’s Dana, madam.” 

The maid she had sent for Ciela had returned. Dana entered cautiously and bowed respectfully. Clara, whose patience had reached its limit, gave her a cold look. 

“You’re late.” 

“I’m sorry.”

Dana bowed so deeply that her forehead seemed to touch the ground. Clara clicked her tongue in annoyance. This apologetic behaviour, as if saying “sorry” would solve everything, was annoying. 

“Enough. Lift your head and tell me what you found.” 

Knowing there were more pressing matters to attend to, Clara put down her teacup with feigned magnanimity. 

Now she would find out. Whether the girl knew about the curse, whether she had eaten the fairy’s apple – it would all become clear. 

Straightening her posture, Dana began to speak. 

“I checked the room, but there was nothing under the bed.” 

“And when you looked in other places? Did you find anything resembling a fruit?” 

“No, there was nothing.” 

Following Clara’s instructions, Dana had searched other areas meticulously in case the apple wasn’t under the bed. Of course, she had to do this under Ciela’s watchful eyes, which made the task all the more nerve-wracking. 

“Hmm.” 

‘That’s unlikely.’ 

Theodoro turned his head leisurely to study Dana. Her shoulders were taut with tension and her lips were subtly parted to lick themselves, as if parched. He set his teacup on the table and spoke in a calm, measured tone. 

“Miss Dana, are you absolutely certain that this is the truth, without even a hint of deception?” 

“Yes.”

“I want you to look me in the eye when you answer. There’s no need to be nervous.” 

Dana hesitated, then slowly raised her head. When her gaze met his, as calm and steady as an endless field, the tension seemed to drain from her body. 

“Are you really going to be completely honest with me?” 

“Yes.” 

Her answer came as if hypnotised, unable to look away from him. Theodoro watched her for a moment in silence, his expression unreadable, before nodding slightly, as if deep in thought. 

“Understood. Thank you for your time, Miss Dana. You may leave now.” 

“Yes.” 

Dana replied a beat late, then turned and left the room. As the door closed and the room fell silent again, Lady Arcel’s sharp voice cut through. 

“What’s going on? Are you saying she didn’t know she was cursed and didn’t eat the fairy’s apple?” 

“Who knows?” 

Theodoro picked up his teacup. 

“She may have hidden the fairy apple before I arrived.” 

His pale green eyes, reflected in the tea, seemed to sink into its depths. 

“Or perhaps her peculiar condition caused the elixir to work differently.” 

Theodoro rose, his movements deliberate. 

“It seems I must return and seek advice from him.” 

“As soon as you know, send me a letter.”

“Of course. As for payment for today’s visit, I trust you’ll handle it as usual.” 

“Fine.” 

After a brief exchange of goodbyes, Theodoro packed his things and started to leave. However, he was soon forced to pause. 

The door that had opened without permission. Dishevelled golden hair. Eyes as blue as the sky. 

“It’s been a while, Doctor.” 

The sudden and unannounced appearance of Lilia brought Lady Arcel to her feet. 

“Lilia…” 

“If the Doctor was coming to visit, you should have informed me, Mother.”

“Oh! Now that I think about it, I saw Lady Lilia when I left the madam’s room.” 

Ciela’s hand, which had been caressing Titi, stopped in mid-movement. Lilia, who had been locked in her room, was coming out? 

Ciela turned her eyes to Dana and asked.

“Where did Lilia go?” 

“I saw her go into the madam’s room. Since she’s been in seclusion for a while, I couldn’t help but stare at her.”

She had hurried back to Ciela after leaving the madam’s room when she was startled by Lilia’s appearance. The absence of any shadow or gloom on Lilia’s face had been striking. 

“She seemed excited.” 

“Yes. Of course, I could have been mistaken.”

Regret began to wash over her as she wondered if she had been wrong to mention anything about Lilia. Feeling the rising tide of fear, Dana clenched her jaw. After a moment’s hesitation, she looked at Ciela and, gathering her courage, spoke carefully again.

“Lady… will you forgive me now?” 

Dana’s eyes widened with hope, thinking she had done everything she was told and would finally be forgiven. 

“No.” 

“What?” 

“Not until you hear the words ‘I forgive you’ out of my mouth. I only said I’d give you a chance, didn’t I?” 

“But…!” 

“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to do it. There are many ways to atone for your sins.” 

Ciela took a magic sphere from her pocket. It played Dana’s recorded confession clearly. The maid, who had been about to protest her innocence, fell silent and bowed her head as if her voice had been stolen. 

“I will not make you do anything that will harm you. And when the time comes for me to forgive you, I’ll break this magical sphere in front of you.” 

“Understood.” 

‘Now it’s time to offer the carrot.’ 

Ciela put the orb down and stood up. She took out some jewels whose origin would be difficult to trace and handed them to Dana. 

“Do not sell any of the jewels you received from Lady Arcel. They are your compensation for the trouble.” 

The jewels were less expensive than the luxurious ones Lady Arcel preferred. They had to be untraceable. 

“Lady, are you really… giving these to me?” 

“Take them.” 

Dana’s eyes wavered with unexpected emotion. Shock, disbelief and finally joy flickered across her face. 

“Thank you! Please, call me if there’s anything else you need!” 

As Dana left, Sarah entered the room as if she had been waiting for the maid to leave. 

“Lady Ciela.” 

With a furtive glance, Sarah stepped forward and placed a basket covered with a cloth on the table. 

“You’ve done well.” 

Ciela removed the tightly wrapped cloth from the basket, revealing the fairy apples inside. 

‘When I heard Theodoro was coming, I made Sarah take the fairy apples, just in case.’ 

She thought it was a wise decision. She picked up one of the apples and took a bite, the sweet and strong taste filling her senses. 

—

A few days later, Ciela went to Ken. 

“Here. The information you asked for.” 

“Thank you.” 

“The assets of the late Marquis Arcel will be discreetly liquidated, as you said. And~.” 

As Ken relayed the various updates, there was an unusual enthusiasm about him. His mouth widened into a broad smile, his body unable to stand still. Even his already light, airy voice seemed to bounce like a melody, brimming with excitement. 

Narrowing her eyes, Ciela finally spoke. 

“Is something good happening to you?” 

Or maybe he ate something he shouldn’t have. 

Ken brushed his nose and puffed out his chest dramatically. 

“It’s just that you might find your family, and you’re even planning to look for them yourself. That alone makes me happy.” 

For the first time, Ciela was at a loss for words. 

She knew why he welcomed the situation. She also knew Ken’s past, and understanding his perspective left her speechless for a moment.