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

#88

“Why are you here?”

“It’s my birthday party, so it’s natural for me to be here. Though I don’t know why you’d ask why I’m here.”

“No, it’s not that… “

I looked at him, asking how he knew I was here in this vast garden. Jarvis sighed and said,

“It seems you’ve gotten quite self-centered in my absence.”

“What?”

“I was also doing the treasure hunt.”

Jarvis looked somewhat disappointed. I pursed my lips, and he smiled coolly, revealing his even teeth. Seeing his familiar face after a long time made me feel relieved. At that moment, I heard sobbing from the front and turned my head to see that the woman who had been pushing a man and pouring out her grievances was now being hugged by him and crying in his arms. The way they hugged each other after they had just had a fierce fight was unsightly.

‘I’m jealous.’

Making up after fighting like that. I want to be hugged like that soon too. As I thought about how strong and warm Diart’s broad chest was, I turned my head toward the gaze that I felt next to me. Crown Prince Jarvis was looking at me with narrowed eyes, as if he were examining me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Did you… have a fight with Duke Wheaton?”

“What?”

“Still, I hope you can reconcile quickly. Otherwise, it would be too much of a waste of my heart that I worked so hard to give up.”

“What?”

Jarvis’s playful expression turned unexpectedly serious.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a woman be so sincere, so I didn’t want to give up… “

A bitter expression briefly crossed Jarvis’s face.

“But I can’t keep hanging on like a loser.”

“What? Hanging on…?”

As I hesitated for a moment at the harsh word that came out of his mouth, Jarvis spoke up.

“Isn’t it embarrassing for a man to be protected by a woman.”

He seemed to be recalling a certain situation. Perhaps he was referring to when we were kidnapped and I stood between him and our captors’ arrow to protect him. But before that, he had protected me from being kicked and punched by others.

“You protected me the whole time I was kidnapped. Thanks to you, I was able to survive, but you were hurt a lot. It’s late, but I really appreciate it.”

I lowered my head and expressed my gratitude to him.

“I also tried to protect you as much as I could. But in the end, I became a burden to you. I knew it. But when I saw the look of relief on your face after seeing Duke Wheaton, I knew that you relied on him more than me.”

“Your Highness.”

Jarvis furrowed his brow as if reminiscing about that time. His expression didn’t suit his usually bright face.

“If only I had a little more strength, I would have rescued you immediately. But I was so powerless. Do you know what I regret the most these days? Neglecting my sword training when I was young. That’s why, even though it’s late, I’ve started wielding the sword again. Look, I have calluses from it.”

As I watched Jarvis blaming himself, feeling sorry for him, and finding the barely visible calluses on his palm, my attention was caught by the intermittent voices of a couple who kept interrupting with their arguments.

Now that I think about it, it’s hard to say it with my own mouth, but it’s still a heartbreaking scene where the sub-male lead of the novel, the crown prince of the empire, gives up his feelings for the woman he likes, but even though the situation was messy, it was still too messy.

Crouched behind the dark and secluded corner of the garden, I observed what seemed to be the first couple’s fight I’d seen, hidden behind the bushes. Amid the fundamental question of whether I should listen to their conversation, Jarvis’s expression was as serious as ever.

“I realized that I am lacking for you. That’s why I’ve decided to let go of this feeling.”

I was worried if there would be any conflict with Diart, just like in the original story, so it was fortunate that he decided to let go. But the surrounding situation made it impossible to fully immerse myself in this tender atmosphere.

In the distance, I could hear shouts of ‘I found you,’ and the voices of couple still enjoying the aftermath of reconciliation, which made my expression involuntarily melancholic.

“I was afraid I wouldn’t have a moment to express my feelings, but fortunately, Duke Wheaton left the room for a moment.”

I nodded my head, thinking that I wouldn’t even have been able to attend this gathering if Diart had been here. Sorting out my relationship with Jarvis was something that needed to be done eventually.

“Even though you are a despicable person who did not accept my heart, I still want to be friends with you.”

“Friends?”

I looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he was serious about calling me a friend just now, in the midst of our argument. But I could understand his words that followed. He was such a unique person.

“Because no one treats me like you do.”

Jarvis reached out his hand to me.

“So, what do you think? Even if not as a man, I’m not a bad person to be friends with, am I?”

Well, sometimes his words made me cringe, but I enjoyed being with Jarvis. Diart would hate it if he found out, but I thought we could become good friends. Besides, he was the imperial prince, so it would be nice to be close to him.

“If you promise not to call me a canary, I’ll think about it.”

“That’s a bit hard.”

“Then it’s not going to work.”

“Oh, come on, think about it again.”

“Your brusque tone is not popular with women, not just me.”

“I see. I’ll try to make an effort.”

Although his expression didn’t seem like he would make any effort at all, Jarvis held my hand as if it couldn’t be helped and shook it with a bright smile.

“Oh, as a celebration of becoming friends, I’ll give you a gift.”

“A gift?”

I waited with expectant eyes for the unexpected gift he mentioned. He took something out of his pocket and handed me a small, folded paper note. It was clearly a prize for a treasure hunt that he had worked hard to find.

“I went through a lot of trouble to find this, but I’ll give it to you.”

I quickly took the note that he handed to me and cautiously unfolded the paper. Leticia had mentioned that there were some nice gifts prepared, so I was really looking forward to it. As I unfolded each piece of paper, I read what was written inside:

[Crown Prince Jarvis 1-Day Pass]

“Ah shit.”

Without realizing it, I slapped the paper with a heart drawn at the end. Disappointment flooded over me as I glanced at Jarvis. It was clear that he deliberately prepared this as a joke, knowing that it wasn’t a treasure hidden inside.

Jarvis, who had been eagerly watching me with an expectant expression, burst into laughter. It seemed like he had been waiting for this reaction.

“You never fail to disappoint me.”

With his characteristic cheerful face, Jarvis returned to his confident self and handed me the note again.

“It’s more precious than any gift hidden in the rear garden, so make sure to keep it.”

I hesitated for a moment, not intending to accept it. But upon further thought, having the ability to use the prince for a day could come in handy. As I smiled and held the note, Jarvis, who had been smirking, flinched.

“I have a bad feeling about this. No, I can’t do it. I’ll take it back.”

“Once you give something, you can’t take it back. That’s not polite.”

The skirmish that unfolded with the note ended in my victory. Jarvis shrugged as if he couldn’t possibly win. Thanks to his behavior, what could have ended as a serious and solemn story concluded happily, so I pretended not to know and exchanged banter with him. Of course, I neatly folded the note and hid it in my sleeve.

Jarvis, who had been scanning beyond the bushes, stood up from his seat and reached out his hand to me.

“Since it seems like even couple taken a break, let’s stop for now.”

Refusing his consideration would be impolite, so I took his hand and stood up. Perhaps because I sat for too long, my calf cramped and I staggered. Jarvis stifled a laugh and supported me. It didn’t look like the scene of someone falling and someone catching them, but it somehow suited my relationship with Jarvis.

Energy flowed through my skin where I touched Jarvis. It was clear that I had developed some resistance or perhaps I had become too accustomed to Diart. However, in the past, I could still feel some energy, but now I hardly felt anything.

‘Damn it. Isn’t this enough to think that I can’t live without him?

I grumbled in frustration and waited for my anger to subside. When I finally managed to regain my footing, I looked away and made eye contact with Diart, who was looking at me from the other side of the room.