The Only Way to Break the Curse is Through Contact with You - Chapter 78

#78

I looked up at Diart in confusion, then snapped out of it and turned my head. Then I sent a desperate look to Edgar, whose round eyes blinked like a surprised squirrel.

‘Run away!’

There was no point in pissing off this jealous man at a time when he was on bad terms with the imperial family. Maybe it was the situation of being at odds, or perhaps it was because of me, but Diart’s expression as he looked down at Edgar was extremely impolite.

Unlike the last time at the bakery, where he still maintained some boundaries, his current attitude suggests that he had nothing to hesitate about. Outwardly, it was hard to tell who was part of the imperial family. I felt so sorry to see Edgar hesitating and looking frightened, as if he were scared.

‘Even just looking at this, it’s obvious what the result of a rebellion will be.’

I nodded once again. I would definitely prevent the rebellion!

Even Edgar’s frightened appearance was extremely charming. I resolved to protect his life first in this situation.

It was obvious how to get Diart to move.

“Reckless behavior unbefitting of nobility…”

“Ah!”

As Diart spat out a cold warning towards Edgar, his gaze suddenly turned towards me. I furrowed my brow, touching my forehead with a weak, limp hand. Anyone could see that I was a pitiable person in pain.

Diart’s brow creased as if he’d been fooled by my flawless performance. Although I felt sorry to see his worried face, first and foremost, I had to ensure the safety of human lives.

“What happened? Is something wrong?”

“I suddenly feel so dizzy. I think I need to lie down….”

As soon as I finished speaking, Diart turned around without hesitation, which scared me. I looked beyond Diart’s shoulder and saw Edgar getting farther and farther away. While I was relieved that he had escaped Diart’s fierce gaze, I was worried about my own condition. When I gestured to him not to worry, Edgar nodded with a much more relaxed expression.

But at that moment, I felt a sudden surge of strength in the hand that was holding me. I flinched and lifted my head, and I saw Diart’s jaw tighten and his wrinkled brow. Diart’s steps quickened; perhaps my trickery had not been caught. It was only then that I realized that I was walking down the street in his embrace.

‘Why does the bookstore have to be on the main street?’

I’m so embarrassed, I can’t raise my head!

A noblewoman openly clinging to her husband in broad daylight must be quite a rare sight. I slipped my hand from my forehead to cover my face as the people looked on in horror. My cheeks burned like fire.

It felt unfair that I was the only one fidgeting while the man who should have been truly embarrassed was casually walking through the crowd with a shameless look on his face.

“I think I’m feeling better now. Please, let me go.”

I demanded in a low voice, unable to hold it in any longer, but his gaze down at me was determined, and his arms around me were stubborn. I almost blurted out how dizzy I felt, but in the end, I resigned myself, burying my face in Diart’s solid chest.

* * *

Even inside the carriage, Diart continued to hold me, carrying me into the mansion. Lately, I couldn’t understand why he was holding onto me so desperately, like a frantic person. Once again, my request to be put down was ignored.

“Madam, are you feeling unwell?”

Lily ran up to me with a surprised look on her face and asked what was going on. Although being held by Diart was nothing unusual these days at the townhouse, she seemed to sense that something was different about his stern expression. I raised my head, but Lily’s expression became even more serious. She seemed to think that I was pretending to be okay.

“I’ll call the doctor.”

Lily said in a tense voice. As Diart nodded his head, the servants quickly moved into action behind her. At that moment, a small man stumbled down the hallway. He had a dark complexion under his eyes and a sharp, tired look as he spoke to Diart.

“I’ve interpreted all the books you ordered, Your Excellency. I checked the part you mentioned, and… “

The man’s mouth, which had been speaking quickly with half-closed eyelids, suddenly shut his mouth tight. The man with sloping shoulders noticed me belatedly and quickly stepped back.

“I’ll report back next time!”

The man retreated quickly and disappeared like an arrow. I looked up at Diart, curious about the unfamiliar face I had just seen in the townhouse, but he seemed to have no intention of answering, so he just walked away with a stern look on his face.

As I climbed the stairs to the second floor, I ran into Duke Feischer and Grand Duke Wheaton, who were coming down together.

‘Why are people who weren’t here at this time suddenly in the mansion today!’

I bit my lip in embarrassment. My attempt to save Edgar seemed to have escalated.

Just like Lily, the two men approached me with serious expressions as they noticed that something was different about Diart’s face.

“What’s going on?”

“I felt dizzy earlier, but now I’m fine!”

Before Diart could answer, I quickly sent him a warning glance. Don’t say unnecessary things!

When Diart told me that I had a terminal illness, I asked him not to tell Duke Feischer and Grand Duke Wheaton. It would be difficult to handle later. Fortunately, Diart, who understood my gaze, nodded silently to the two men.

Nevertheless, the expressions on their faces didn’t relax.

“Is there a health problem?”

“Did you call the doctor?”

“Yes.”

With a brief response, Diart started moving as if he were going upstairs, and Duke Feischer and Grand Duke Wheaton followed suit. I quickly shook my head after seeing them chase after me all the way to my room. I didn’t want them to witness the doctor examining me, and I didn’t want them to get unnecessarily worried after hearing the ‘pu’ from Puythan.

“I’m really fine. Don’t worry.”

I managed to stop Duke Feischer and Grand Duke Wheaton from hearing about my condition from the doctor who had rushed over. As I climbed the stairs, I felt a pang of guilt seeing the two men watching me with worried eyes from behind.

In the end, I hurried back to the room while being held by Diart. I hastily received an examination from the doctor who had rushed over. He couldn’t hide his regretful expression, saying that the progression of Puythan diseases seemed faster than expected. I couldn’t help but wonder how he became Grand Duke Wheaton’s doctor and felt a sense of regret about his qualifications as a physician.

After a while, the doctor left after giving some instructions. As Diart, who had been standing by my side all along, turned his back, his hands trembled so much that I could see it even from a distance when he picked up a glass of water on the table.

“Did I startle you?”

It was just a momentary dizziness, but I was slightly taken aback by his strong reaction. Diart emptied the glass of water and slumped onto the sofa, seemingly exhausted. Then he buried his face in his trembling hands.

As if finding this situation painful, Diart took a deep breath and remained silent for a while. After struggling to calm himself down, he finally spoke.

“I dream of losing you every night. The thought that it might not end as a dream makes me feel like I’d go crazy several times a day.”

“Diart…”

“I feel so helpless, there’s nothing I can do.”

His shoulders began to shake as he spoke in a pained voice.

‘Is he crying?’

Startled, I quickly got off the bed and approached Diart. As I got closer, I could see more clearly how pitifully his shoulders were trembling.

‘W-what should I do about this?’

I hesitated in front of Diart, unable to make a decision. I never expected him to cry. If I had known, I wouldn’t have made light of the situation. No, I should have told the truth from the beginning—that it wasn’t Puythan disease, but a curse.

“I was arrogant to think I could handle this alone. I should have done anything to save you… Even now, it’s best to tell your father and ask for help.”

Diart suddenly rose to his feet and turned around. As if he were about to immediately go and confess everything to Duke Feischer and Grand Duke Wheaton, I quickly grasped his arm.

“W-wait a moment!”

I pursed my lips as I watched Diart’s back, not looking back at me. Of all times, why did I have to reveal the truth at this worst moment? Even if he resented me for it, I had no choice. I couldn’t deceive someone who was suffering because of me any longer.

After hesitating for a moment, I closed my eyes tightly and shouted.

“Actually, I don’t have Puythan disease, it’s a curse!”

At my declaration, Diart remained silent for a long while. When I couldn’t bear the silence and cautiously opened my eyes,

“What are you talking about?”

His voice, which had been filled with moisture just a moment ago, now sounded perfectly clear.