The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 72

#72

“Madam!”

The moment I opened the door, Lily, who was already in tears, ran towards me and hugged me tightly.

“Do you know how scared I was, thinking that something had happened to you?!”

Lily cried with her face buried in the bed. I had heard from Diart, but seeing her made me feel guilty. Even if I hadn’t gone out secretly that day, nothing would have happened. As I remembered Lily, who had been holding onto the kidnappers’ feet until the end, my heart ached. I was grateful for her loyalty in trying to protect me, even in such a frightening situation.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“I’m perfectly fine, of course!”

I was worried that she might have broken her arm or something when she fell off the running carriage, but it seemed like she was okay.

“Why did you make me run away alone at that time?”

There was resentment in Lily’s teary eyes as she looked at me. When I saw the carriage door open while we were being kidnapped, I thought we should run away. But I knew we wouldn’t get far with our hands and feet tied up. So, I decided to send Lily away, thinking she could at least inform Diart about the situation.

“You would have told Diart about the situation if you had escaped, wouldn’t you?”

“What would have happened if I couldn’t ask my master for help.”

Then we would have been doomed. At that time, I didn’t have the luxury of thinking that far ahead. As I looked at Lily’s face, which was a mixture of gratitude and apology, I smiled softly.

“In the end, everyone is safe, right?”

We were only able to do so because Crown Prince Jarvis was chasing after us. I heard that he had already gone quite far from the camp, so Lily, who was injured, wouldn’t have been able to return so quickly on her own. Thinking back to that time, I couldn’t help but worry about Jarvis’ safety, I couldn’t properly ask for information because of Diart’s intimidating presence.

‘Come to think of it, there hasn’t been any contact from Leticia?’

Leticia used to send letters every other day. It was strange that she remained silent even after I returned from a dangerous situation.

“Have you received any letters from the Princess?”

“No, I didn’t.”

I looked at Lily with a suspicious gaze, wondering if she was hiding Leticia’s or Jarvis’ letters. She denied it, even raising her hand to swear.

“I’m telling the truth. I told you that something like that would never happen again.”

Seeing her face filled with injustice, it seemed like she was telling the truth. I had a strange feeling that something was not right.

“Lily, could you prepare some stationery?”

I intended to send a letter to Leticia first and inquire about Jarvis’s condition. I quickly wrote down the letter on the paper that Lily had prepared.

* * *

For the past few days, the house has been noisy with constant visitors. But amidst all that, Leticia was nowhere to be seen. She hadn’t replied to the letter I sent her a while ago. She’s not the kind of person to do this, so what’s going on? I was worried that something was wrong with Crown Prince Jarvis’s condition.

“Are you worried about something?”

I turned my head at the voice that broke my reverie and met Duke Feischer’s gaze. His figure sitting across from me at the table in front of the window, with sunlight pouring in, had become a familiar sight. He had been visiting my room every day since I woke up. We didn’t have much conversation, just quietly drinking tea, but that time was not uncomfortable.

On the day we were rescued safely, when I fainted in Diart’s arms, I saw Duke Feischer looking at me from behind him. His expression, which was more crumpled than ever before, was filled with fear.

‘If I were that precious to you, you should have looked after me a long time ago.’

My heart ached for Roeni, who must have been hurt by not knowing how much her father loved her. Looking at Duke Feischer’s face, which still seemed desolate, I guessed the reason why he recklessly rebelled in the original work. He must have been overwhelmed with regret and guilt for turning a blind eye to his daughter’s wounds and her cruel death at the hands of her husband.

‘There won’t be anything like that now.’

Adelia has been sent to trial for attempted kidnapping and murder. It’s safe to assume that Diart’s relationship with Adelia was completely severed. Even without that, I was convinced that he wouldn’t have chosen Adelia.

‘The original work has completely changed.’

I used to have a vague fear of the original work changing, but now I don’t feel that way. Life is about exploring, you know.

“Roeni?”

I snapped out of my thoughts, nodding my head inwardly at Duke Feischer’s call. I had been lost in thought for too long with people in front of me. I coughed for no reason to hide my embarrassment.

“These days, I haven’t been able to contact Princess Leticia. I sent her a letter, but she hasn’t replied… I’m worried if something is wrong.”

The gesture of Duke Feischer putting down his teacup was very elegant, but his subtle expression that flashed for a moment made me feel uneasy. There must be some situation that I didn’t know about.

“Is there a problem in the palace?”

Could Crown Prince Jarvis be in bad condition? I worried as his smiling face came to mind.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

If the next person to the throne was seriously ill, the palace would have been turned upside down. Judging from the fact that it was dismissed as nothing serious, it didn’t seem to be a serious matter. What happened during this time? It had been quite a while since I was reincarnated, so my memories of the original work were hazy.

Duke Feischer, who had been looking at me quietly, opened his mouth.

“That guy seems to care about you a lot.”

He has a composed personality, but there was only one person who could be referred to as ‘that guy’. I had thought it would be awkward for Duke Feischer to acknowledge Diart, who had not hidden his possessiveness towards me in front of him, but it was unexpected. His expression also seemed lost in thought, but unlike before, it was gentle.

“The eastern region is a closed-off area.”

He looked down at the table, clasping his hands.

“I’ve been very out of touch with the capital. I didn’t know how you were doing. No, it’s just an excuse.”

Duke Feischer seemed to want to share the thoughts he had kept inside, but he couldn’t express them as he wished. He spoke slowly, as if carefully choosing each word. Watching his struggling figure, I could tell that he was sincerely apologizing to me.

“I thought you would be happy since you married the person you liked. In hindsight, even that thought was an irresponsible avoidance. I had heard rumors about you while coming to the capital after receiving your letter…….”

Duke Feischer’s face contorted painfully when he recalled those rumors. I could feel his emotions at the time when he heard those rumors. I felt like I understood the reason why he had been hostile towards Diart all this time. Even if Diart showed a favorable attitude toward me, it was natural not to trust him.

“I know it’s all my fault. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I just wanted to apologize to you. When I knew you disappeared, I was truly…”

I could guess what words he couldn’t bring himself to say. Duke Feischer covered his face with his hand. His creased brow could be seen between his fingers.

“I was scared that I would end up losing you without even being able to apologize.”

Although his tone was calm, his voice was trembling ever so slightly. Something surged up from within me for a moment. It felt like the strange sorrow I had always sensed when facing him was melting away. It was strange, considering he wasn’t my real father.

“I wanted to go back to Violet House with you if you divorced. Even now, I want to atone for my shortcomings as a father and be with you, but it seems it’s too late.”

Duke Feischer, who had been covering his face, looked at me. His contorted expression revealed unfamiliar violet irises that seemed moist. Perhaps my own eyes were the same.

“I’ve known how cold and stern that guy is since you were young. But that guy, without resting day or night, said he would find you. I felt it when I saw his desperate face running towards you. And when I saw your relieved expression upon meeting him, I knew.”

Duke Feischer faintly smiled.

“There’s no chance for you to come back with me to Violet House.”

It felt like something was tightly lodged in my throat, preventing me from saying anything. Duke Feischer’s face was a mix of relief, apology, and sadness.

“I’m late once again, but I’m glad you’ve finally found someone you can truly rely on.”

* * *