The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 74

#74

What could have possibly gone wrong between Diart and the imperial court. Nothing should happen during this time.

‘Maybe it’s because of me and Jarvis?’

Judging from the way Diart was gritting his teeth as to why the two of us would ever meet, he probably didn’t stay calm even on the hunting grounds. He couldn’t have stormed into the imperial camp to find me, right?

‘No, impossible. Diart isn’t that crazy.’

Infiltrating the emperor’s camp was akin to rebellion. Even if it was Diart, it was unlikely he would act so recklessly.

The word ‘rebellion’ bothered me, but I tried to ignore it and considered other possibilities. After receiving Jarvis’s letter and disappearing together, maybe they assumed we ran away out of love. It was undoubtedly a scandalous situation, even if it showed tolerance for an affair between a duchess and the crown prince of the empire.

‘While noble ladies might be interested in such gossip, Diart and the imperial family would know it’s not true, right?’

That wasn’t enough of a reason for me not to receive a letter from Leticia. Besides, if this persistence continued, it would only make both of us look guilty.

Observing Lily innocently eating cake, I turned my gaze to Milto. His restless behavior since earlier was undoubtedly related to this.

“Milto.”

“Yes?”

The uneasiness on his face seemed to indicate that he already guessed what I was going to ask. And yet, with the way he clamped his mouth shut before I could ask, I could tell he was determined not to answer. I stared at him quietly, and Milto averted his gaze.

“No, I don’t think you’d answer if I asked.”

My abrupt response left Milto restless. I stood up, pretending not to notice. I wasn’t in a good mood about the situation, where it seemed like I was the only one left in the dark. With my spirits dampened, I decided to head back to the bookstore to buy some new releases. That was until I met an unexpected person inside the store.

“Ah.”

Edgar’s eyes widened as our gazes met. The sight of his flustered state unintentionally made me smile. I find such ordinary encounters with dear Edgar charming.

“May the brilliance of the light shine upon you, Your Highness Edgar.”

“Ah, Duchess Wheaton.”

Edgar’s response to my greeting indicated his desire to escape this situation. From his attitude, I could sense that he, too, knew something that I didn’t.

“May I have a moment of your time?”

Edgar intended to end this coincidental encounter quickly, but I had no intention of letting him off easily. He must have sensed something in my smiling face because his shoulders shook and he took a step back. I took two steps closer.

* * *

When Edgar told me what happened the day I was kidnapped, I was stunned into silence. I didn’t think he was that crazy. I held my forehead with my hand.

“I wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly what happened.”

According to Edgar, the shock of the imperial couple being humiliated by Diart in front of the nobles must have been significant.

It seems that the Duke’s intervention was of no use, as the emperor was enraged by Diart’s audacity, and there is currently a tense atmosphere between the duchy and the imperial family. Judging by the hesitation of the noblewomen earlier, it was clear that they were trying to figure out how to handle the situation.

‘Milto didn’t want me to know about this.’

Milto’s eyes were filled with resentment as he looked at Edgar. Startled by my cough, Milto, like a guilty student, timidly stepped back. It was obvious who had ordered him to keep this information hidden.

“So that’s why I haven’t heard from Leticia.”

“Ah, please don’t misunderstand. Sister has been incredibly busy lately, I presume.”

Edgar quickly defended Leticia as I sulked. Jarvis is still in recovery, so she was handling the work on his behalf, and on top of that, she had to deal with Diart challenging the emperor. It left her with no time to spare.

“How is the Crown Prince doing?”

Edgar smiled as if to assure me not to worry about Jarvis’ condition, which I had been curious about.

“He’s fine, as far as I can tell, with how he’s still playing pranks. Sister said he could talk even if he fell and drowned in the water.”

Thank goodness. I had been very worried since his condition had been really bad when I last saw him. Edgar glanced at me and added in a soft voice.

“Brother is concerned about your well-being, Duchess.”

“Tell him I’m doing well, thanks to him.”

Edgar nodded and spoke.

“Anyway, given the current situation of the two sides, exchanging letters doesn’t seem to be a good idea. And there seems to be nothing my sister can do.”

SI didn’t know the situation, so I sent a letter to the imperial court, but from Leticia’s perspective, it was likely that I was being watched closely in various ways.

Having seen Diart stand up against the emperor, it was natural for his pride as a royal to be hurt and to be angry. But Leticia showed her characteristic composure in managing the situation.

‘She’s different from anyone else.’

I recalled Diart, who was acting as if nothing had happened, and I remembered why he had left for the territory today.

‘Wait. It can’t be because of the Sau clan and the gerastone mine, right?’

From Diart’s perspective, he might have thought I got into trouble because Jarvis summoned me. He had the personality of giving back double what he received, and he didn’t have good feelings towards Jarvis. Moreover, with the delicate balance between the emperor and the risk of conflict, it was highly likely that he was preparing for a confrontation.

He will undoubtedly succeed in the rebellion. He was a man experienced in battle, so much so that he was called the War Demon, and he was prepared to go to war with the principality. Furthermore, now that Duke Wheaton and Duke Feischer were at the townhouse, he had no reason to hesitate.

‘If he also possesses weapons made of gerastone….’

I lowered my head, envisioning the inevitable outcome. Leticia, Jarvis, and the kind-hearted emperor came to mind one after another. No matter what happens, I have to stop the rebellion.

I turned my gaze to Edgar. He flinched at the sight of me, as if he wanted to run away. He was cute, like a squirrel, but now was not the time to admire him.

“I have a favor to ask, Your Highness.”

“A favor…?”

Edgar reflexively stepped back as if being caught by me and reluctantly leaned backward. I felt sad because I felt like I had lost trust in my favorite.

“Could you meet me here from time to time?”

“What?!”

Edgar’s eyes flared up. His face went white as he realized what he’d misunderstood, and he quickly waved his hand away. His panic was evident in his trembling voice.

“Duchess, considering the situation, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to meet separately…”

“I hope you can deliver my letter to Princess Leticia.”

To prevent the rebellion and appease the Emperor’s anger, it would be best to communicate with Leticia and share each other’s situations. Since exchanging letters seemed noticeable, having Edgar as a mediator would solve the issue. Edgar, who understood my intentions, nodded reassuringly with a relieved expression. He seemed to silently let out a sigh of relief.

“Very well. If it’s for that purpose, I should certainly help.”

Perhaps Edgar, and even Leticia, knew that there was little hope for the imperial family in the case of an all-out war. That would make them even more anxious. I smiled as if telling him not to worry. Edgar’s expression became noticeably more relaxed.

* * *

After that day, I had been exchanging letters with Leticia through Edgar. She first expressed her concerns for my well-being, understanding Diart’s situation. The letter continued with a bright tone, showing her intention to lighten my heart. It was full of her tender charms.

Even for Leticia’s sake, I needed to quickly discuss matters with Diart, but he hadn’t returned for four days. The threat I made about changing the escort knight when I mentioned meeting Edgar to Milto seemed meaningless now. Although I received a message saying he was delayed due to handling urgent matters, I felt betrayed.

I habitually clenched my fist. Since Diart left the territory, I occasionally lost sensation in my fingers. It was something I hadn’t felt in a long time, as the curse had been neutralizing smoothly under Diart’s careful touch. I didn’t think the symptoms were severe yet, but it was strange.

‘Surely the curse hasn’t gotten worse?

* * *