#46

I looked again at the bare hand that Diart held out to me. His fingers were unusually white and straight.

“Are you going to sit there all day?” 

I quickly grabbed his hand, which he had extended to me, but then I was so surprised that I dropped it. 

“What’s wrong?”

Diart asked with a very unhappy face. It was natural for him to feel upset if I rejected the hand he had extended to help me. But I didn’t have time to consider his feelings. I was shocked by the sudden and unexpected situation.

‘What was that just now?’

The energy that flowed from Diart’s hand, which I had just touched for the first time, was a sensation that was not comparable to my contact with Crown Prince Jarvis or the knights so far.

It was similar to when I collapsed on the day the curse was first manifested. When I was writhing in agony as if my throat was burning, I felt a refreshing feeling spread from my fingertips.

The stimulation was less intense than when it felt like raindrops were starting to fall on the dry ground, but the energy that seemed to spread throughout my body through my veins was even stronger. It was a feeling of energy filling me up, even though it was only a brief contact.

“Hey.”

Diart still hadn’t withdrawn his hand and frowned.

“Can’t you get up?”

I quickly got out of my reverie at Diart’s urging and grabbed his hand again. Then he suddenly took off his jacket and covered my chest. Then he put his hand under my knees and lifted me up.

“Ah!”

I screamed briefly as I reflexively hugged his neck. Then he checked my knees while holding me.

At the same time, an indescribable and powerful sensation surged through me like a wave. The rapid beating of my heart made it difficult to breathe, unlike when I was calming down during the first manifestation of the curse.

While I was receiving these sensations without being able to say anything, Diart checked my calves and started massaging them. He seemed to be checking if my ankles or knees were injured.

“Does it hurt?”

“No! I’m okay!”

I pushed Diart’s hand away, feeling overwhelmed by the strange sensations that were touching my peripheral nerves to the point where my spine was tingling.

Diart stepped back obediently from my rejecting touch, but his expression seemed dissatisfied. However, he soon pulled the blanket over me and said, 

“It doesn’t seem like there’s any strain on your bones. Rest.”

“Ah, wait.” 

I grabbed Diart without realizing it.

“Are you going to the guest room? It must be uncomfortable, I can move.”

“It’s okay.” 

Diart replied shortly and pointed to a door.

“There’s another bedroom over there.”

Is that what you meant by sharing a room? Even if I were on death row, I wouldn’t allow sharing the same bed.

I felt a little disappointed along with relief. I was curious about how I would feel waking up with Diart in the morning.

“Good night.”

After saying goodbye, Diart walked away without another word. Watching his back, I hesitated before speaking up.

“Thank you.”

I was grateful that he had taken care of me until the end, not withdrawing his hand even when I pushed him away. Diart, who had paused for a moment at my words, asked without turning around.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“What?”

“You haven’t eaten yet.”

“Ah, hmm. I want to drink sweet milk tea.”

As I casually mentioned the food that came to mind, Diart nodded his head and went straight into another bedroom. Finally, the tension that had been building up in my neck subsided. I sighed and brushed my hair which was still damp. The still-moist hair flowed back and forth along my touch.

I looked down at my still-tingling knees. I could feel the heat on the skin where Diart’s fingers had touched. 

“What the hell was that?”

Contact with other men had always made me uncomfortable because of the lukewarm energy that flowed from them. Even when I danced with Jarvis for a whole song, it felt like something was missing, and I felt empty. So this is why it takes six months to neutralize, I thought.

But the brief contact with Diart was completely different. It felt like something dense was awakening every single one of my cells. Still, it was tantalizing. The desire to touch him more surged within me.

Suddenly, an ominous thought came to mind. In the book, the first Duke of Wheaton had broken the curse with his beloved wife, Ursula. What if the neutralization of this curse only had a unique reaction to the Wheatons?

‘What if that six-month period refers to contact with a Wheaton?’

My throat went cold. It wasn’t a completely nonsensical idea. After all, the curse was originally cast on a Wheaton.

“Surely not.”

The idea that it would take six months to neutralize the curse even with intense contact with Diart made it seem like it was impossible for me to neutralize it with any other man for a lifetime.

“Well, that really sucks.”

Not only was my original plan to escape from the novel ruined, but now I had to cling to Diart.

“Ah, sh*t.”

My blood pressure spiked and every bone in my body tingled. I glared at the door through which Diart had disappeared. Maybe it would be best to tell him everything.

‘They say that even the wishes of the dead are granted, so maybe they’ll grant the last wish of someone who’s about to die.’

If I said I wanted to live as a married couple for just six months, like a dying wish, would Diart’s resolve weaken? Contrary to my expectations, he seems to be quite understanding… 

“Nice.”

It’s the perfect way to die. I’ll take Diart’s sword before I can die of Puythan.

Will I be stuck with this curse for the rest of my life, like an incurable disease? No, if I don’t properly neutralize the curse, I will be consumed by it.

Anxiety washed over me as I clutched the blanket tightly. Then someone knocked on the door.

“Madam, it’s Lily.”

“Come in.”

Lily and another maid came in with a tray. Lily approached me quickly with a worried look on her face. She poured milk into a teacup filled with red tea, added honey, and handed it to me.

“Please have some.”

“Thank you.”

I looked down at the teacup I received from Lily. It was milk tea that exuded a comforting aroma.

“Master asked me to prepare it.”

“He did?”

“He said you hurt your knee.”

With a sad look on her face, Lily received the first aid kit from the maid standing beside her and knelt down.

“It’s okay. I’m not hurt.”

“I heard you couldn’t get up. Oh my, your knee seems to be slightly scraped. Did it hurt a lot? Let me treat it quickly and dry your hair. If you sleep like this, you might catch a cold.”

Lily applied antiseptic to my skin with a more concerned expression. As I listened to her worried words, I took a sip of milk tea. Drinking the sweet milk tea with honey, my previously anxious heart began to calm down.

Suddenly, my gaze fell upon the door that Diart had entered. His unfamiliar kindness was merely a recognition of someone who was about to die. It would be troublesome to have any unnecessary misunderstandings. I consciously nodded and tilted the teacup.

* * *