The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 71

#71

“Are you saying it’s not Puythan disease?”

Diart glared at the Sau clan member, seeming as though he wouldn’t let him get away with such nonsense. The Sau clan member quickly backed off, avoiding his fierce gaze.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure…”

Are you mocking someone who is lying unconscious in front of you with uncertain words. The air in the room became chillingly cold. The Sau clan member quickly added more words, sensing that it would be difficult to stay alive if they continued like this.

“But, the symptoms of a curse, which is taboo in our clan, appear similar to those of Puythan disease.”

“A curse?”

Isn’t a curse even more dangerous? And it’s taboo as well, Diart’s expression became serious.

“At first glance, the symptoms may appear similar to Puythan disease, so it can be mistaken for it. However, the distinctive feature of this curse is that the hair gives off a floral scent. This curse is mediated by flowers, so the scent of the flower, which becomes the medium, attaches to the hair. It seems that in Madam’s case, it was roses.”

A rose was a commonly used ingredient for perfumes among the nobility. Roeni often exuded the scent of roses. The Sau clan member continued his explanation after observing Diart’s skeptical face.

“The more you comb through her hair, the stronger the scent becomes.”

Diart squeezed a few strands of Roeni’s hair and held them up to his nose. The familiar, faint scent of roses wafted in the air. As he rubbed the hair between his fingers, the fragrance became much stronger. It was as the Sau clan member had said.

“What exactly is this curse?”

“Our clan originally had many politically motivated marriages, which caused frequent conflicts between spouses. As a result, marriages that lasted for over a year were extremely rare. That’s why this curse came into existence.”

Diart crossed his arms as if telling him to continue, and stroked his chin.

“Once the manifestation of the curse begins, there are intermittent occurrences of limb paralysis and loss of consciousness. If neutralization isn’t performed in time, eventually the heart will harden and the person will die.”

Isn’t it terrible for such a curse to be created with good intentions? Lambert, who had been listening beside Diart, furrowed his eyebrows. He had heard that the Sau clan was eccentric, but he didn’t expect it to be to this extent.

“What is the way to break the curse.”

While Lambert wore a puzzled expression, Diart’s face remained unchanged, he asked softly.

“Contact with the opposite sex.”

“Contact?”

“It was originally created to bring together spouses who didn’t get along. I’ve heard that the stronger the level of physical affection, the better the neutralization. Thanks to it, the number of divorcing couples decreased dramatically. But it’s now banned due to ethical reasons, so I haven’t actually seen it myself.”

It was hard to believe that Roeni fell under a forbidden curse not even known to the Sau clan. However, there was a faint corner of doubt. Suddenly, he remembered Roeni, who held his hand without letting go, even in her unconscious state. Her distressed look had instantly changed to a relaxed one.

“Find out more about Puythan disease.”

As the most medically skilled clan in the Empire, there must be books written about it. Diart issued a brief order, adding,

“And also about that curse.”

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar ceiling, and a sense of relief washed over me. Blinking my eyelids, I gradually became aware of reality when a low voice suddenly interjected.

“Are you awake?”

With his hands resting on the bed and his back hunched, Diart stared at me with a gaze full of concern. Seeing his worried eyes, tears threatened to well up again. I had missed those golden eyes so much.

“Are you in pain?”

Diart’s expression stiffened as he looked at me, who was on the verge of tears. Although he reassured me that everything was fine, he immediately called for the court physician. Even during the examination, Diart never took his gaze off me.

After the physician gave his reassuring opinion and left the room, Diart sat on the bed. As I looked down at him with a sense of relief, a tinge of resentment surged within me.

“Why were you so late?”

Until Jarvis informed me that the Imperial Guard had been alerted of the kidnapping, I assumed Diart would find me quickly. I thought they would be able to avoid the checkpoints, but I never expected it would take him so long. In the end, I couldn’t wait any longer and had to escape on my own. Isn’t it the duty of the male lead to find someone within half a day?

If Diart hadn’t shown up then, I would have died. A chill ran down my spine as I remembered the man’s smirking face as he pointed his bow at me.

“She had planted spies everywhere. They wasted our time.”

Diart clenched his teeth, seemingly filled with anger as he thought about that time.

To think that I would cause such confusion for this man. She wondered how wonderful it would have been if Adelia had used that extraordinary mind for something good. Suddenly, she felt a sharp gaze on her. Diart narrowed his eyes with an annoyed expression.

“You went out to meet a bastard without saying a word.”

I discreetly avoided his incredulous gaze. It was indeed my fault for leaving the camp without a word. And not only that, I went to meet Jarvis, which made it even more difficult to explain. Even if I had ten mouths, I couldn’t find words to say.

“What do you two have to meet up about?”

“Just… talked a bit.”

“What kind of talk?”

“Well, you know, just about the happenings in this world and stuff…”

It seems like my quick-wittedness has declined along with my head injury. No matter how I tried, I couldn’t find a suitable answer. Well, any excuse would make it difficult to justify my reason for meeting Jarvis. Naturally, Diart didn’t trust me either. But if I were to talk about that night’s conversation, I would have to reveal the fact that Jarvis proposed to me. It seemed like this man’s face would become even more murderous if I mentioned it.

“Do you have feelings for the crown prince?”

“What? No?”

I immediately denied the question that came out as if it could chew me up, worrying that my jaw might drop. As I did, Diart’s rugged expression softened considerably. Just when I thought his contrasting reactions were kind of cute,

“I suppose I won’t have a chance to slit the crown prince’s throat.”

I quickly changed the subject, it seemed like his joke was very serious.

“What happened to the kidnappers?”

Judging by the lack of response, it seemed that things didn’t end well. It’s relieving to know that someone took revenge on my behalf. I was curious about what happened to Adelia, but I didn’t ask.

“Is Lily okay?”

Diart nodded briefly. Thank God, I was worried. Diart still had a stern expression, but he didn’t inquire further about that night’s events.

‘Jarvis will be okay too, right?’

The last time I saw him, he was in a really bad state. He tried to act like he was okay, but his pale complexion made it clear that he was pushing himself too hard. I thought of Jarvis, who had wrapped his body around me to protect me, and suddenly felt a lump in my throat. Diart noticed and scowled at me.

“What are you thinking about now?”

This beast of a man. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed since I thought of Jarvis, but he was quick to catch on. I pretended not to notice and shook my head, and Diart removed his hand with a suspicious look on his face.

“Don’t you want to know how I was.”

I looked up at him when he said that. Come to think of it, his face was quite pale. His eyes were bloodshot as if he hadn’t slept for days. The image of him searching for me came to mind, and I felt emotional.

“I’m sorry.”

I said in a low voice, and Diart raised an eyebrow. I felt relieved by his familiar expression.

“I really thought I was going to lose you.”

Diart said as he pushed my hair back behind my ear. His thumb brushed my cheek.

“They were terrible days that I never want to go back to.”

As he spoke in a soft whisper, my tension dissipated, and my body felt heavy and lethargic. There were still many things I wanted to ask and say, but I couldn’t keep my eyelids from drooping. Eventually, I closed my eyes again. Before falling into a deep sleep, I felt a gentle touch on my forehead, which was uncharacteristically delicate for him.