Chapter 22

The Duke of Cassil and Richard are quiet now, but they’ll utilize mean stunts like the original when the opportunity arrives.

If so, they should have kept at least one secret weapon. If Richard knew I was a polyglot, he’d change ways.

I hid the fact that I was a polyglot, and at the same time go to the secret room deep in the emperor’s palace to find a way to lift the crown prince’s curse.

There is no place as secure as the Phillion Palace, where the emperor lives.

It was only Blake and Collin, His Majesty’s assistant, who knew that I am a polyglot.

I pressed the device, closed the door, and looked at the innermost stone plate.

This stone was discovered when they filled the lake on the crown prince’s palace and built a greenhouse.

I don’t have the foggiest idea when, however the stone plate, which had been buried in the deep bottom of the lake for quiet a while, was not in an excellent condition.

-hero… ine… 6… there is… sentence.

Most of the letters engraved on the slate. But, this was all I could read because it was worn out.

It must have said something about the goddess of light put a curse for revenge. I thought it was something I already knew.

However, I kept paying attention to the stone plate because it was an item that no one had ever found in the original story. There seemed to be an essential clue in this.

As I looked closely at the stone plate, the door that had been shut abruptly opened.

I was anxious for a second, but I naturally smiled when I saw the handsome man standing at the door.

“Father.”

“Ancia.”

Tenstheon entered with a gentle smile.

While me and Blake continue growing up, Tenstheon did not change a bit.

Even when he slightly lowered his head, I could feel the aura of an untamed beast.

“Father, you look great today too.”

“Nonsense.”

“It’s not nonsense, it’s true. I hear that you are the first love of all the women in the empire.”

“Who told you that crap?”

“Everyone did.”

“Don’t believe it. That’s bullshit.”

Tenstheon scowled. He looked and acted scary like a lion at first, but now I know that he’s just being shy.

He looks a lot like Blake when he hears compliments.

“Have you been looking at the stone plate?”

He changed the subject as if he was embarrassed by the praise.

“Yes. father came to see the stone tablets, too?”

“I came to see your face. You need to tell me if you come next time.”

“I heard you had an important guest.”

“No one is more important than you.”

He said it sincerely. Whenever he did this, he seemed like my real father.

“It’s good to learn about the curse, but take it easy.”

“I’m taking it easy.”

“I know you never rest.”

“I do it because I like it.”

“You should rest once in a while.”

“You’re the one who should rest! You stayed up all night at the office yesterday, didn’t you? You’ll be in big trouble if you work so hard!”

“You’re nagging again.”

He slightly patted my hair.

***

Blake and Diana sparred over a wooden sword. Even after the lesson, they fought to the end, but it was consistently a draw.

The two people eventually lay side by side in the armor, breathing heavily.

“Your Highness, why don’t you stab me in the end? You think I’m weak because I’m a woman?”

Diana said indignantly. She was even more upset because he was going to win the game. She wouldn’t have been so upset if she had lost completely.

“Diana is Ancia’s sister. Why did you stop your sword? You could’ve won too if you swung at that time. Are you afraid because I am the Crown Prince?”

“You’re my sister’s husband. How can I hurt you?”

Diana spoke with a somewhat muted voice.

“…Why do you want to become a knight?”

“To be strong.”

“Why do you want to be strong?”

“I want to protect my sister.”

Diana had no choice but to look at her sister, who was constantly abused by their father. She would always cry again and again in helplessness that she could do nothing for her sister. So, she wanted to be a knight.

She wanted to be a strong person, unlike her father.

“I’m glad my wife has a sister like you.”

“I didn’t do anything for her.”

“Diana, if I die, please take care of Ancia.”

He spoke in a leisurely manner.

He who is cursed will die before he becomes an adult. He knows Ancia is trying hard for him, but she couldn’t lift the terrible curse.

When Blake smiled and asked her a favor, Diana jumped up.

Anger flashed in her eyes, which had been tempered for a while. Diana pointed her sword at him angrily.

“Don’t say ridiculous things! Who’s going to die? You’re not going to make my sister a widow!”

“Diana….”

When she got so angry, Blake was astonished.

“You know how much my sister loves you and you’re telling me you’re going to die! My sister would be so sad if you died!”

“But, the curse…”

“You can break the curse! If you say that again, I wouldn’t forgive you even if you are a prince! We’ll work together to protect her! Okay?”

“Yes.”

Blake nodded at Diana.

“Now! Promise me as a knight!”

Diana raised her sword to the sky. Blake also got up and overlapped his sword on hers.

“I promise.”

Blake snickered. It was not a laugh of resignation, but a face of hope.

***

It is said that the sentences of curses engraved on the body will spread gradually, and eventually, they’ll eat the heirs of the curse.

But Blake’s was the same as he was two years ago. The sentence did not shrink, but it did not spread further either.

I made a lot of effort to lift his curse. I didn’t know if it was because the methods worked, or because he met Diana early or because of a completely different reason, but it was fortunate anyway.

Blake fell asleep, holding my hand tightly again today. I looked at the sentence engraved on his hand.

Why is it a sentence?

I’ve been devouring books on the curse of this world for the last two years.

As it was a country with magic, there were various kinds of curses.

There were countless kinds of curses, such as curses in which parts of the body were appallingly distorted, curses in which the body rotted, curses that bound the body or soul, curses that turned human into something like animals and monsters.

Among them, the curse of engraving sentences was relatively weak.

Of course, if spread throughout the body, they would eventually die, but it was still a mild curse.

Philip, the first emperor betrayed the goddess of light. But why was it this way?

Wouldn’t it be possible to kill Philip or use a more severe method if she had hated him so much? There is no reason for it to be a sentence. The goddess couldn’t have lacked the ability to cast a more severe curse.

And why curse only one and let the curse inherit?

I was so anxious that I kept missing something important.

I thought of the original novel. “The Beast and Lady” is a R-19 romance novel that twisted “Beauty and the Beast.”

It depicts a love triangle between a prince under a curse, a beautiful woman with the power of light, and an attractive man trying to take over her.

Diana releases Blake’s curse by the power of light. Upon hearing the news, Richard is intrigued by Diana and begins to resort to a terrible ruse to control her.

In the end, Diana chooses Richard, who is obsessed and scheming, not Blake, the beast under the curse.

The author twisted it too much to change even the main character. I didn’t like it, but it was a R-19 romance novel.

It ends with a very normal ending, with Diana and Richard getting married and having children. For the novel, which was distorted by its intense tragedy and obsession, the last scene was nothing special.

I looked at the sentence on Blake’s face. The lumps of ink and the spreading afterimage seem to represent rose petals and thorns…

“Hmm.”

Blake tossed and turned. In the midst of all that, he held my hand tightly and didn’t let go. His figure was adorable.

Since it’s a romance novel, so maybe the author just put the curse as a sentence without thinking much…

If the second male lead was really animal-like, half-human monster, his likes and dislikes would be significantly different from humans.

As I swept up Blake’s disheveled hair, he slowly opened his eyes. My face was reflected in his beautiful red eyes.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you up?”

“No. I feel good.”

He smiled while holding my hands.

“Ancia’s hands are warm. I always have a good dream with Ancia.”

“Have you had many bad dreams before?”

“Yes. I have had a terrifying dream.”

“What kind of dream was it?”

“I don’t know. When I wake up, I forget it. But it’s a terrifying and sad dream.”

It was the first time I heard about it. I thought I knew everything about Blake, but there are many things I didn’t know yet. It broke my heart to think that this child had been alone all this time.

“You should have told me if it had happened.”

“It’s all right now that I have Ancia.”

He smiled; there was slight drowsiness in his eyes. They’re going for lessons tomorrow, too, so I’ll have to put him to sleep.

I patted him on the back.

“Good night, little child—“

“I’m not a child!”

Blake sprang to his feet in a fit of rage. I tried to sing him a lullaby, but I think I woke him up instead.

“In my eyes, you’re always a cute child to me.”

“What?”