āThat child is the princess of this countryās foremost ducal houseā
When I asked about her whereabouts, the witch returned such words.
āāā
Despite barely making it out of Sahaja alive, the curse was advancing.
I felt the snakes twine around my body.
At first I only felt them around my waist, but as the days passed, they spread and now covered my whole body.
āāāā Death is drawing near.
I knew that without needing to be told.
The pain increased day by day, and despite being uninjured, from this morning I began smelling blood.
That might already be it for me , there were enough signs for me to think so.
Itās already been a week since I entered the Wilhelm Kingdom.
I donāt know my exact location.
Because I can see the Royal Castle in the distance, I can understand Iām somewhere near the Royal Capital.
Despite limping, I still advanced step by step.
I came so far only thanks to Fatherās last request, but it hurts so much I want everything to end.
And, I bumped into someone.
Disappointingly, my body fell forward.
I already have no energy to get up.
A woman whoās perhaps a noble is saying something.
I couldnāt speak already, but I somehow managed to at least hear her voice.
ā¦ I regretted listening.
She became irritated by me not responding, and eventually she ordered someone.
Probably Iād be forcibly raised or beaten up.
I thought with unclear mind.
ā¦ I donāt really care. Iām dying anyway. It doesnāt matter what happens anymore.
Having given up I closed my eyes, but somebody cut in between them and me.
I confirmed with my blurred vision the figure who protected me.
Sheās also a woman. Although her clothes are plain, sheās probably also a noble.
I wondered why a noble would protect me, but she cornered the woman in the blink of an eye.
Both women looked at me. The hood I was wearing had slid off exposing my eyes.
I thought I was careless to have that hated eye visible when my body couldnāt move.
In fact, the first woman violently rejected me calling me disgusting.
Figures.
Roughly breathing, I cast my eyes thinking so, but I couldnāt believe my ears when I heard the line of the woman who saved me.
āIt is not the reason to abandon a person you know is injuredā
Saying so, she drove off the woman who rejected me and began asking about my state.
Before I knew it, another presence appeared.
Perhaps it was her guard or something. Having received the order, the man began checking my body for abnormalities.
Itās an unescapable curseāāāā.
I slightly opened my eyes at the guardās words.
Thatās right, thereās only death left for me.
In that case.
āāāā Kill me.
I conveyed to her who was looking at me anxiously with movements of my lips.
Despite my state, I became captivated by her beautiful purple eyes.
I wonder how many years itās been since Iāve been looked at with genuine sympathy.
I thought itād be satisfying being nursed by such a person. Butāāāā.
āDo you want to die?ā
When she replied so, my eyes unconsciously widened.
She had a frightfully serious expression as she fixedly stared at me, and as if having made up her mind she spoke.
āI got it. In that case, Iāll do somethingā
I donāt understand why she told me that.
Even so, when she gently stroked my head, my body naturally relaxed and my eyes closed.
Itās just like the feeling of a hand from my childhood.
I felt tears well up at this warm feeling.
I thought like this itās fine if I donāt wake up anymore.
If I wake up only despair awaits, Iād rather pass away in this moment of brief happiness, whatās wrong with these thoughts.
Before losing consciousness in her arms I certainly felt so, then I entrusted everything to her.
āāā
I heard somebody talking.
Having been woken up by those voices, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.
It smelled like medicinal herbs.
With no idea what happened to me, I was perplexed.
It doesnāt seem like I was captured. I was relieved having confirmed my hands, feet, and body were all free.
When I woke up, I came to realize that it was her who had helped me some time ago.
Seeing her sympathetic look I couldnāt believe her when she said the curse was removed, so I checked my whole body in fluster.
āThe hexcraft formation is goneā¦ā
There was no discomfort like snakes tightening around me anywhere.
I became speechless feeling free for the first time in a while.
āThat child helped youā
I was surprised by the voice of the old woman.
She did?
No way, how.
Although I asked, she only evaded and didnāt tell me.
I thought itād be rude to ask my benefactor any more, so I backed down and thanked her once again.
She saved my life that couldnāt be saved no matter the effort.
I asked what demands she had of me.
And yet she only returned that it was a natural thing to do.
In her eyes there were no demands for me, only the relief that I was saved.
I couldnāt believe it.
Is there really such a person.
Even when I looked her in the eyes, her attitude remained unchanged. On the contrary, she praised me with a beautiful smile.
I felt like I was treated as a person for the first time in years.
Afterwards we quarreled, but in the end, she didnāt agree to me returning her a favor, and left saying I should take care.
She said whatever she wanted.
She smiled beautifully as she said saving me was the reward.
I realized I was completely taken away when I was asked by the medicine witch.
To the witch who jokingly asked if I want her as my master, I naturally replied that Iām fine trying it.
I surprised myself with these words.
I havenāt thought of that.
What kind of person would be suitable to be my master, such worries I thought of as necessary were completely blown away, before I noticed I replied positively to the witch.
I see, I want her to be my master.
Even when she knew who I was, she treated me as a normal person.
She never denied me, rather she smiled and accepted me.
How good it would be if I could be at her side and protect her.
I was made to realize that.
But, I must ascertain it with her.
She must also want it.
When my strength returned, I decided to go to her.
Seeing I want to go there, instead the witch gave me honestly surprising information.