The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 52
#52
As I watched the dazzling fire show and the performers juggling on stilts, I realized that the moon had tilted high in the sky. The night grew darker, the festival became more lively, and the affectionate gestures of the couples enjoying a light-hearted date became more explicit. The empire embraced a sexually liberated culture, so there was no hesitation in displaying overt displays of affection.
I couldn’t help but feel a bitter pang of envy as I witnessed couples passionately kissing in various corners of the street. If only I didn’t have the man next to me, I could have searched for a decent person.
Many women were looking at me with envious eyes at Diart’s extraordinary appearance, but not everyone knew that this man was a just bright apricot1빛 좋은 개살구 is a metaphor for something that looks good but has no substance..
In an attempt to soothe my bitter feelings, I wandered the streets even more diligently when someone called out to me.
“Excuse me, madam. It seems like you have many concerns.”
Looking around, I saw an old woman who had set up a small fortune-telling stand in a corner of the street, beckoning me. It piqued my interest to see her wearing a black robe covering her head.
‘A fortune teller!’
As someone who finds tarot card reading and palmistry entertaining, I approached her without hesitation. Diart also sat down beside me as we took seats on the stools placed in front of the stand. I didn’t expect him to have any belief in superstitions, but surprisingly, it seemed like he was curious as he looked at her. As expected, her gaze towards the fortune teller was filled with skepticism, eyebrows raised. I wondered why I bothered to sit down if that was the case.
The fortune teller, who had been silently observing me, spoke up.
“You have a unique destiny.”
Having experienced death once and then being reincarnated as a character in a novel, my life was indeed more unique than anyone else’s. Just hearing that one sentence made my trust in fortune tellers soar.
“Death has been following you closely.”
“Get up.”
Diart abruptly interrupted the fortune teller’s words, trying to grab my arm and lift me up. But I didn’t understand her words as something ominous. I refused to get up and stood my ground.
“You shouldn’t believe in the words of a charlatan.”
Diart urged me to get up calmly. From his perspective, he might think that the fortune teller was just causing unnecessary fear, but that wasn’t the case for me. In my past life, I died prematurely, and even after being reincarnated, as someone who faced imminent death due to a damn curse, I couldn’t just let it go.
As I showed no intention of getting up, Diart no longer insisted. Instead, he crossed his arms and stared down at the fortune teller with an incredibly fierce gaze. It was so intense that even I flinched, feeling like a single wrong word could result in having my throat slit.
The fortune teller shrugged her shoulders, slightly shifted her position, and cleared her throat. She wanted something from me. I took out my wallet from my pocket and handed her some money.
After a moment of silence, the fortune teller placed her hand on the beads in front of her and spoke.
“Oh, madam, you should be a bit more cautious. Don’t take lightly what happens to you. It’s stronger than you think.”
“As if I didn’t have enough of a headache……”
I clapped my hands in response to the fortune teller’s words, echoing her words as she precisely pointed out an itchy spot, but then I remembered Diart’s presence beside me and shut up. There’s no way he’s going to understand the vague words of the fortune teller, but I don’t care. This man is probably thinking I’m terminally ill right now.
“Then what should I do?”
“Don’t try to look for the answer too far away. The best answer is usually the closest.”
“If it’s close, where is it?”
Even if I were to consider men who were close to me, there were only the Whaeton servants and knights. Surely she wasn’t referring to Crown Prince Jarvis? When I made a worried expression, the fortune teller stared at me intently.
“You already know, yet you turn away.”
Well, in truth, I had already made contact with Diart, so I couldn’t deny it.
“Your fate has already changed.”
I was surprised by the fortune teller’s meaningful words, which seemed to suggest that she knew I was possessed by Roeni’s body.
“The world as you know it has already begun to change. Don’t be afraid and don’t turn away from what you want. If you let your heart flow freely, you will surely achieve what you desire.”
I couldn’t say anything in the face of her serious gaze that seemed to know everything. At that moment, the fortune teller slipped her hand through the sleeve covering her hand.
“You can ask one more question for an additional 2 gold.”
* * *
“Are you feeling better?”
I glanced up from my hand, which was poking a lantern floating down the river. Diart, who was riding with me on the 2-person boat, was looking at me with concern.
“You’ve been quiet since the fortune-telling.”
“Ah.”
I had been repeating the fortune teller’s piercing words in my head and didn’t feel good.
“Do you happen to know something?”
“Yes? Like what?”
“That you…”
Diart stopped talking and closed his mouth. But I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say. Since he had no idea that I was cursed, he probably felt down because he knew about my illness from the fortune teller’s vague prophecy.
“Didn’t she say that if you don’t fear and let things flow, you will achieve what you want.”
Was Diart impressed by what the fortune teller said to him before he got up from his seat even though he treated her like a fraud at some point?
‘The moment you take your eyes off her, she will run away, so hold on to her.’
When I think of the ambitious Adelia, I don’t think she would run away. Anyway, it was somewhat comforting to see a man who seemed uninterested in others checking on my feelings and offering his own kind of comfort.
“This fireworks spot is really beautiful.”
The calm waves shimmered in the moonlight, and the small lanterns added to the charm. It was a place with not many people despite being a famous spot, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
I saw couples enjoying their date affectionately. Suddenly, I became curious if we appeared that way in their eyes.
“Do you want to have that kind of relationship?”
“What?”
I turned my head at the sudden question, and Diart was staring at me.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to meet a man?”
“I said if there’s a good person, I want to experience a proper relationship.”
“So, is the person you searched for the crown prince?”
Why is the crown prince mentioned here? I could tell from his puzzled expression that Diart was misunderstanding something. Since I had gone out with Jarvis, leaving Leticia behind, it seemed like he thought I lied and went on a date with him.
“Don’t misunderstand. I coincidentally met Jarvis. He came while I was with Leticia.”
“Jarvis?”
“Yeah.”
Because I had been brainwashed to call him by his name earlier, I unintentionally corrected myself.
“His Highness, I mean.”
As I corrected myself, Diart’s expression turned cold.
“To call him by his first name like that. It seems like you’ve gotten quite close.”
“No.”
I answered promptly, but Diart’s expression didn’t soften. His voice also sounded curt, as if he was jealous.
“You called him by name well enough to the point where it stuck in your mouth within half a day, isn’t that right?”
Diart’s voice sank even colder. It seemed like he would misunderstand even more no matter what reason I gave. I wondered why he made such a fuss about me calling him by his first name.
“You call me Duke.”
“…Yes?”
“You used to call me by my name.”
“Did… Did I?”
I had no interest in the story between Roeni and Diart, so I didn’t know. I smiled, hiding my surprise.
“We’re getting a divorce soon, and I thought it might not be a good idea to call you by your first name.”
“That damn divorce, divorce. It’s getting on my nerves.”
Diart frowned, looking extremely displeased. Why is the man, who wanted this divorce the most, acting like this? Since a while ago, I couldn’t figure out at what point he was getting angry.
“Then should I call you by your name now?”
“Do that.”
Diart answered immediately. He wants to be called by his name, so I should call him that. It’s not difficult. As I nodded my head, I suddenly felt a bit unfair.
“But Duke, you don’t really call me by my name either.”
Why are you forcing others when you don’t do it yourself? As I glared at him, Diart narrowed his eyes, perhaps realizing that thought.
“From now on, I’ll call you by your name.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Diart, who had been silently staring at me, slowly opened his mouth.
Translator
- 1빛 좋은 개살구 is a metaphor for something that looks good but has no substance.