The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 26
* * *
“Yawn–”
As I sat down on the dining chair, I quickly covered my mouth in response to an unexpected yawn.
“Sorry.”
Yawning in front of someone at the dinner table was not good manners. I apologized and unfolded a napkin, placing it over my lap.
‘I’m so sleepy.’
Despite waking up late in the afternoon, probably after spending time at the ball until late last night, my body still felt tired. It was a struggle to get out of bed with this exhaustion hanging over me.
‘But I did gather some good information yesterday.’
True to his nature as a crown prince who had met many women, he was knowledgeable about places and opportunities where I could meet potential partners. He could be called a master of socializing.
As I looked down at the food slowly being prepared in front of me, I recalled last night.
‘Ouch!’
‘Are you okay?’
‘I’m not okay. Do you know how many times this has happened?’
The crown prince looked at me with a resentful expression on his face. And rightfully so, as his feet had been under constant attack ever since we started dancing.
At first, the crown prince laughed it off, saying, ‘It’s fine. These deer-like legs can’t even leave a scratch on me. You’re too light, I’m worried. Are you eating properly?’ But as the dance continued, his expression became more and more distorted.
‘No, why does your left foot keep doing that.’
‘I don’t know either.’
‘If you don’t know, who will?’
The crown prince had a face that seemed like he was about to explode. But I couldn’t help it either. The waltz and other dances of the nobles were unfamiliar to me. And I wasn’t particularly skilled in dancing to begin with, so the dance I hastily learned after receiving the ball invitation was inevitably clumsy.
‘Argh!’
‘Oops, my mistake. I’m sorry.’
‘No, you don’t have to apologize. That was clearly intentional.’
He catches on quickly. In fact, every time he tried some fancy footwork or tricks, I deliberately stepped on his foot. I turned my head pretending not to notice.
‘Left foot. Left foot. Right foot. Right foot. Turn here and then left… Ugh!’
The crown prince, who was muttering the rhythm with his mouth, once again looked at me resentfully after getting his foot stepped on. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes, making him look genuinely in pain.
‘This time, it was really a mistake.’
‘I don’t believe you.’
It was true. I shrugged my shoulders. The crown prince led me all the way with a determined face, as if he were a monk walking the path of virtue, and even after that, I stepped on his foot multiple times.
“I guess something good happened, huh?”
I looked up in surprise at the sudden voice, recalling the sight of the limping crown prince after the dance.
“Yes?”
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
I thought I misheard, but it seems I heard Diart correctly.
He was always dismissive when I tried to talk to him. What’s going on? I looked at Diart with astonished eyes. His expression was as emotionless as ever, but he stopped eating and stared at me.
“Oh, yes. Something funny happened yesterday.”
“I see.”
Diart’s expression seemed oddly stiff. Was it just my imagination? Anyway, it was rare for him to initiate a conversation with me. It seems my efforts so far are paying off.
With a joyful heart, I continued the conversation and brought up the topic I heard from the crown prince yesterday.
“By the way, I heard that you requested His Majesty the Emperor to hasten the divorce. It’s good to know that wishes are coming true quickly.”
“Who did you hear that from?”
“From His Highness the Crown Prince.”
Without thinking, I answered and cut the steak, putting it in my mouth. Before I could fully appreciate the exquisite flavor of the tender melting lamb, I had to tightly seal my lips to prevent the food from spewing out when I heard Diart speak again.
“Where did you meet him?”
With a pitiful look on my face, as if the food in my mouth was preventing me from speaking, I chewed the lamb as slowly as I could, my head spinning.
I can’t say that I met him at the imperial tea party through Princess Leticia’s invitation last time, before asking for divorce. But can I say that I met the crown prince at the masquerade ball yesterday? How can I tell him that I was cheating on my husband with another man in front of him, even if it was just for the sake of my survival.
I can’t say that I met the crown prince on the street while passing by. After much deliberation, I swallowed the almost melted piece of meat that was about to dissolve, and finally decided to tell the truth.
“I saw him at a social gathering recently.”
“What social gathering are you talking about?”
No, why is he prying so persistently today, of all days?
“Well… there was one. It’s a gathering that the Duke is not familiar with, but it was held with the intention of enjoying a summer night, um…”
I never thought I would be so slow-witted. Struggling like a stiff-headed person, I managed to speak.
Diart, who had been listening quietly, suddenly turned his gaze away as if he lost interest. Sighing, I quickly changed the subject of the conversation.
“By the way, have you found any information about the Sau clan?”
The Sau clan was the information I’d given Diart after gaining two wishes from him. They were a clan that was the first to obtain magic from the gods in ancient times. They were the only ones who knew how to store mana in gerastones due to their accumulated knowledge of magic over the years.
The one who had placed the damned curse, Ursula, also belonged to the Sau clan. The problem is that the clan itself was ostracized as evil for having a temper like hers, and almost exterminated now.
In the book, it was written that Diart, who accidentally discovered the hidden capabilities of the gerastone, had been scouring the empire tirelessly and eventually found them after a long time.
Surely, his influence must have played a role in the Duchy of Midas’ recent decision to export rooftan.
‘No, wait.’
In the book, it was written that after meeting Adelia, Diart, who had been close with the crown prince, easily succeeded in treason using the gerastone containing mana. That means…
‘Did I personally offer you the weapon that will slit my Edgar’s throat?’
Clang. The fork slipped between my fingers and fell onto the plate, but I didn’t realize it.
I couldn’t help but think of Edgar, who was undoubtedly adorable even though I hadn’t seen him in person yet, and Princess Leticia, who shyly smiled while holding my hand tightly.
“I’m looking for it.”
Diart’s short answer didn’t reach my guilt-ridden ears.
* * *
Diart stared at the woman in front of him as he tilted his glass of water. The expression on Roeni’s face, which had been cheerful just a moment ago, stiffened completely.
Roeni took the steak that she speared with her fork and brought it to her cheek instead of her mouth. Even when the servant wiped her cheek with a napkin, she seemed lost in thought and didn’t react.
He faintly heard a murmuring voice saying, ‘I made my favorite, with my hands….’ Diart put down his glass and looked down. I realized that I was asking a lot of questions out of the ordinary.
It’s probably because of what happened yesterday.
“Don’t you think it’s unnecessary for you to come all the way here?”
Lambert, who had been so excited that Diart was inspecting the ballroom himself, pouted his lips.
“I was going to go out with my wife for the first time in a long time, but if this is what it’s going to be like, I should have just come alone.” Diart looked around the hall, ignoring the obstructive gazes that were directed at him, looking for those who showed suspicious movements or behaved inappropriately at the ball.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before, so it’s both different and good.”
Milto, who was constantly looking around as if everything was amazing, smiled happily when he saw a woman.
“Oh? There’s someone with the same hair color as our madam.”
“Usually at these balls, blondes or redheads like nobles are popular. It’s strange.”
Lambert retorted as he looked at the woman pointed by Milto.
“It seems like it’s been too long since I’ve seen our mistress.”
Milto shrugged and said gloomily.
“That’s right. The only comfort during the hellish training was the snacks she brought, but because of someone….”
Lambert openly criticized someone.
“People laugh and laugh at what others say, how angry was she that she decided to stop coming. Even though we’re easygoing, sometimes it feels like a nail is being pounded into our hearts.”
It had already become common knowledge among the knights that Roenie had been hurt by Diart’s heartless demeanor and snide remarks, and that she would not be returning to the training ground.
“I don’t think it’s chivalrous for a knight to break a lady’s heart.”
“A true gentleman should bow first and enter. And as a husband, isn’t it natural to comfort your wife’s hurt feelings? You shouldn’t act like you’re the only one who’s good.”
Buzz buzz. Lambert and Milto were chatting as if they were telling Diart to listen carefully. But they didn’t realize that Diart had stopped first before they could even think of Roeni when he saw the woman with purple hair.