Chapter 69

“A young man helping out, that’s nice,” the caretaker commented from the bottom of the stairs, hands clasped behind his back. Thien was sweating profusely as he helped lower my wheelchair to the first floor.

When the caretaker or servants had helped me before, I always felt apologetic. But with Thien helping, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Thien, a scholar by nature, wasn’t firm. It was more frightening with him than when the servants or caretaker moved me, but he managed to get me down safely, thanks to his height.

After we reached the bottom of the stairs, Thien wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at me with a hint of resentment.

“My Lady, do you enjoy seeing me suffer?”

“You’re getting paid handsomely by my husband, so how is this suffering?“

“You’re talking like a ruthless employer.”

“I suppose I have a bit of that in me.”

As Thien and I exchanged playful banter, the gardener entered the building.

“Oh, My Lady! I was going to help you down!”

The gardener looked upset, and the caretaker chided him,

“You can’t handle someone with those dirt-covered hands.“

“My job involves handling dirt; what can I do? You should have told me earlier.”

I had no idea why they were arguing over who got to move me, but today’s helper was Thien, whether he wanted the job or not. I escorted Thien to the front of the house.

“Being hosted at the villa and being escorted out by you, My Lady is quite a treat. Will you be staying here again next time?“

“I’m not sure yet.”

I knew I wouldn’t return to the grand duchy until my feelings for Julian had settled entirely. Thien seemed to understand my hesitation and grinned.

“They say couples’ quarrels are like water off a duck’s back. I’m sure I’ll see you at the Grand Duchy next time. Ah, how disappointing.”

Thien had a knack for making even farewells playful. He bowed politely and turned to leave but suddenly spun around in a panic.

“What was I thinking? I almost forgot something important.“

Thien’s abrupt movement startled me, and I instinctively rolled my wheelchair back a bit. Kneeling before me, he set down his medical bag and opened it. Inside was an assortment of items, and he produced a small box from them.

“Here, take this.“

“Are you proposing to my lady?“ Anna quipped. It did look like a proposal, with Thien kneeling and presenting a small box.

I opened the box slightly, revealing a ring inside. The absurdity made me laugh, causing Thien to jump up in alarm.

“A proposal? Please, don’t say things like that! If His Grace hears, I’ll be in serious trouble.”

His reaction made it funnier, but I composed myself enough to take the ring from the box. On closer inspection, I noticed that the ring was intricately engraved with a magic circle.

“This isn’t an ordinary ring.“

“Indeed, it’s a magical artifact. It’s made of Viscario.“

“But it doesn’t have a rare gemstone embedded in it.”

Magical artifacts typically require rare gemstones to activate their powers. While Viscario was an intriguing mineral, it didn’t seem to contain inherent magical energy.

Thien glanced around cautiously before speaking in a hushed tone. At his cue, Anna pushed my wheelchair further outside, and the caretaker and servants dispersed to attend to their tasks.

Once alone, Thien whispered, “This magical artifact disrupts curses. The curse inside you serves as the power source for this artifact, so it doesn’t need a rare gemstone.“

“How fascinating.“

“I brought it just in case, and I’m glad I did. If you wear this until I return, it should help even a little. Since it doesn’t operate with a rare gemstone, you won’t suffer from any hallucinations.“

“Thank you.”

I tried the ring on each of my fingers except for my ring finger. Fortunately, it fit perfectly on my index finger. Although it was a bit large and bulky due to the engraved magic circle, it wasn’t unattractive.

As I looked down at the ring on my index finger, my eyes naturally drifted to the wedding ring on my ring finger. I gazed at it silently for a moment before carefully calling out to Thien.

“Um, Thien.“

“Yes, what is it?“

“…If I have a child, will the curse also transfer to the baby?“

In my past life, the child I had was very frail and eventually passed away before I even had the chance to meet him or her. If that was due to the curse, I would never forgive the person who cursed me.

Thankfully, Thien shook his head.

“No, curses don’t pass down through inheritance. However, some wizards say that a curse from a past life can carry over to the present. It’s hard to believe for those who don’t trust in magic. Personally, I find it more plausible that an ancestral curse might linger faintly over generations and then, unfortunately, manifest in someone. But either way, the likelihood is low, and it’s an uncertain tale.“

“I see.”

So, my baby didn’t die because of a curse. That brought me some relief—at least the child didn’t suffer like I did.

As I lowered my head, feeling down, Thien spoke to me as if telling a fascinating story.

“Did you know? There’s a close example.”

“An example?“

“The illness of Duke Zan, for instance. It’s said to be a curse that originated with his ancestors. Though nothing has been scientifically proven.”

At his words, a name came to my mind. I knew only one ancestor of Duke Zan.

“Isaac Zan?”

When I uttered the name, Thien looked surprised and impressed.

“You know that name? Most people only know about the curse without caring about his name.“

“I heard it by chance.”

Thien didn’t pay much attention to my response. He was more interested in the intriguing fact he was about to share and started talking animatedly again.

“Isaac Zan lived about 150 years ago. His curse was infamous even in his time. And what makes it even more interesting is that the story involves a love triangle.”

“A love triangle?“

“Yes. The person who cursed Isaac Zan was none other than his wife, Velina Zan.”

Velina Zan!

I was stunned by that name. It was the name I had heard in the vision earlier—the woman Isaac whispered love to, only to coldly ignore her at other times.

“You seem quite surprised that it was his wife. Although His Grace and you get along well, many couples utterly despise each other.”

Thien continued excitedly.

“Velina Zan was said to be a witch. In those days, many wizards were misunderstood as evil witches, but she might have been evil. She cursed countless people before she died. The most famous victim was Isaac Zan, who was afflicted with a horrendous curse that turned half of his body to stone.“

“It’s the same curse as His Grace’s.”

“Exactly. That’s why when the current Duke Zan was born, wizards were… well, I’m not sure how to put it, but they were thrilled. They began claiming that the current Duke Zan was the reincarnation of Isaac Zan. But personally, I don’t believe that.”

Thien raised his finger like a teacher making a point.

“It’s clearly a hereditary curse that reappeared 150 years later in a descendant. Reincarnation? Wizards are full of knowledge, but they do say some outlandish things. Though, I suppose that creativity is what drives their progress.”

As I listened to Thien, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

“Then I suppose it’s better if I don’t have a child.”

If Julian’s curse combined with mine, who knows what kind of unfortunate child might be born? I couldn’t bear to pass such a curse onto a baby.

At least Julian’s curse didn’t involve losing his life, but… mine always led to a painful death.

When I whispered my thoughts, Thien let out a horrified gasp.

“How could I!”

He clutched his head, looking pained.

“I started this story to comfort you but only made you feel worse. My mouth—this cursed mouth of mine!”

Thien began slapping his mouth in self-punishment, and even as I reached out to stop him, his self-inflicted punishment continued.

After a while, Thien, now more determined than before, spoke to me with resolve.

“My Lady, I will break the curse for you. I’ll go to the Magic Tower and not let those wizards rest for a month! You’ll regain your health, and you’ll be able to have a healthy, adorable baby. So, don’t worry, okay?”

Seeing Thien’s dramatic monologue cheered me up a bit. I nodded with a smile, and Thien exaggeratedly puffed out his chest and sighed in relief.

“Well then, I’ll really be off now.”

After Thien left, Anna chuckled, saying it was rare to see such an incorrigible person. I laughed along with her, but a lingering unease remained in my heart.

“You didn’t fall in love with her knowing she was a witch.”

That’s what ‘I‘ said in the vision I had seen earlier. There wasn’t a single detail that differed from the story Thien had just told me.

So, am I really seeing someone else’s memories? Why am I seeing memories from 150 years ago?

TL NOTE: A more advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories.