The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 77

#77

Without answering the question, Diart grinned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Just now, didn’t you avoid touching my hand?”

“Did I?”

“Yes.”

Yes, you did.

Despite my resentful tone, Diart acted as if he didn’t know at all. But it’s not just once or twice, the same thing has been happening for the past few days. Did he think I’m a fool for not noticing?

“You’ve been avoiding me lately.”

“I haven’t.”

This is absurd? I forgot about worrying that Diart might start hating me just now and got off the bed. Then I approached Diart with long strides. As I took a step, Diart took two steps back. When I tried to grab him, Diart’s back hit the wall, leaving him nowhere to escape. As I reached out to grab his hand, Diart raised his arm.

“Look at that, just look at that!”

“My arm is sore.”

He’s talking nonsense. Irritated, I reached out to grab his hand. But as I did, Diart raised his arm even higher. Considering the considerable height difference between us, I couldn’t reach his arm even if I tried. Nevertheless, I didn’t give up and tried to reach and jump around, but it was no use.

Trembling with anger, I was glaring at Diart’s hands when suddenly, I heard a faint sound in front of me. When I turned my gaze, Diart, who had instantly hidden his expression, raised his eyebrows. His naturally virtuous face sprouted horns, and I stepped back. Dirty and dangerous, don’t touch, don’t touch.

Raising my hands in a gesture of total surrender, I turned and walked away. I felt Diart following behind me. I waited for him to relax, silently timing my move. 1…, 2…, 3. Now! In an instant, I swiftly turned and rushed towards Diart’s hand. Yet this ghostly figure effortlessly evaded even that.

“Ah, I can’t stop being reflexive.”

I glared at Diart, who was shamelessly spouting off awkward excuses like he was reading from a language book. His face was uncharacteristically innocent as he took in my unspoken disapproval. Then I heard a knock on the door.

“It’s Lambert.”

When Diart passed by me towards the door, it seemed as though the corners of his mouth were curling up. Was that my imagination? I frowned.

After having a brief conversation with Lambert with the door open, Diart turned to me.

“I might have to go out for a moment.”

Go or don’t go. Offended by the sarcasm, I didn’t even pretend to care and just stared at the polished floor.

“A guest has arrived.”

I was so frustrated that I crossed my arms and huffed, but I turned my head at the voice coming from nearby. Diart, who had been standing in front of the door, was now next to me. When I looked at him awkwardly, Diart grabbed my waist and kissed my forehead.

“I’ll be back soon.”

After Diart left the room, I lay on the bed. How humiliating. I pursed my lips and felt where he had kissed my forehead.

This time it had ended like this, but it was true that Diart had been avoiding me lately. He had been keeping me from touching him for days on end.

He carries me around every day, so physical intimacy has increased, but he seems to be subtly putting up a wall. Lately, he started wearing gloves that he hadn’t been wearing, and when he hugged me, he tightly wrapped me in his clothes, as if he were avoiding touching our skin.

“He wouldn’t know anything about a curse.”

I just couldn’t understand why he was suddenly acting that way. Even when he lay on the same bed and embraced me, he wouldn’t allow our skins to accidentally touch. It was as if there was no fortress that could compare to this one. Yet, it was clear that he must have been holding my hand while I slept, since there were no signs of the curse manifesting.

No, why are you touching me! Can’t I touch you a little too! Or touch me when I’m awake! Lately, I felt like I was really caught up in sexual frustration. Just looking at Diart’s hands was tantalizing, but he seemed unaffected, and that hurt my pride. Moreover, it seemed like he was particularly using his hands in front of me, or moving his hands more often than necessary. Was it my excessive suspicion?

‘He used to act as if he would devour me if I let my guard down.’

The memory of Diart, who used to openly seduce me, came to mind. Why did the man who used to behave like that suddenly change? His attitude towards me seemed too genuine to think that his feelings towards me had cooled.

Even when I asked if something was wrong, he wouldn’t say a word… Anyway, these days Diart was causing me confusion in many ways.

“But, the more I think about it, the angrier I get?”

Honestly, if I did something like that, shouldn’t he at least hold my hand pretending not to notice? Why is he suddenly putting up such a wall?

Mulling over the matter, I suddenly got up from the bed. I rang for Lily and asked her to prepare my attire.

“What are you doing all dressed up?”

Lily asked while tidying up my disheveled hair when I lay on the bed. She seemed to think I was dressing up for a change of mood or planning to go for a walk in the garden. I faced her innocent, chattering face in the mirror and firmly replied.

“Running away!”

* * *

I won’t be able to go anywhere even if I run away. In fact, while Diart was absent for the first time by my side, Edgar came out to meet me. We had a prior agreement to leave letters in old books at the bookstore if our paths diverged, so even if I don’t meet him, I would be able to get a letter from Leticia.

Diart suddenly changed, and I had been consistently trying to persuade him not to start a rebellion. But every time such words came up, Diart naturally turned the conversation to another topic or simply refused to listen. It seemed like he was firmly intent on starting a rebellion. I was extremely troubled about how to change his mind.

Fortunately, during that time, Jarvis had recovered from his illness and news came that he was living no differently from before. It was mentioned in Leticia’s recent letter that as a result, the emperor’s anger had subsided greatly. Leticia was making efforts on various fronts to solve the problems, and I felt sorry and frustrated about my lack of progress.

Just as I was sighing at the thought of leaving only a letter behind today, contrary to my expectation that we wouldn’t meet as the agreed time had passed, Edgar was just coming out of the bookstore.

We quickly greeted each other, and he revealed it in a refreshing way. His smile was just like Jarvis’s, so I thought they were really brothers.

“Duchess Wheaton. I thought I wouldn’t see you today.”

After hearing Edgar’s crisp voice, it felt as if the tension that had been in my throat just moments ago had melted away. Once again, I realized that when things are tough, I need to heal by seeing my favorite person.

“I was just leaving a letter and almost missed crossing paths.”

The bashfully smiling Edgar, bathed in sunlight, looked as adorable as a fluffy bear. Unconsciously, I found myself smiling along. But this was not the time to joyfully exchange greetings here. By now, Diart would have probably realized that I had disappeared from the mansion, and that ghostly guy would surely find me soon. Before he found out that I was with Edgar, I needed to escape to a secret place…

As I thought this, I saw Edgar’s pale face and felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Just as I was about to turn my head, a soft voice whispered in my ear.

“I see that you decided to meet a man while I was away for a moment.”

His cold voice was like the chill of midwinter. As I stepped back, I turned my head to see Diart tilt his head sharply and raise his eyebrows to meet my eyes.

“H-how did you find me so quickly?”

It hadn’t even been thirty minutes since I left. Even if it’s Diart, finding me this quickly in this vast capital?

“I’ve been behind you from the beginning.”

“What?”

As I turned my head swiftly, Milto subtly avoided my gaze. If Diart was following me, you should at least say something, you brown-haired beast!

“I only looked away for a moment and you already ran away. I really want to punish that fortune teller if I find her.”

I just ran out for a moment, but Diart’s energy was too intimidating to argue back.

“I was curious why you sneaked out, so I followed behind, but I never expected you to meet a man. And a prince, at that.”

Diart, who had been looking down at me, briefly flicked his eyes. The vigor contained in his gaze suddenly made our frail Edgar’s shoulders shrank. Edgar hesitated, stepping back as if he were a rabbit in front of a lion, then hid behind me. But that didn’t seem to be a good choice. Diart’s expression turned even colder.

Diart closed the distance in one step and quickly embraced me. Although it was natural in the mansion, on a busy street in broad daylight, I couldn’t even scream.