âMore importantly, show me your wound! Ah! Youâre bleeding! âŠâŠâŠ.. ăLightă»Healingă!â
âHuh?!â
The way the duke grabbed my hand was gentler than I had expected. His hands were soft and cold because he was covered with the curse but his touch was gentle.
A puff of pale, bluish light illuminated the room, healing my injury in an instant. At the same time, the healing magic also cured the chaps that had been tormenting my fingers by stubbornly reappearing over and over again.
My skin became so smooth, just like a boiled egg. It was as if I was being reborn anew. Suddenly, a thought came to my mind.
When was the last time someone became so worried about me like this?
âŠ. While I was pondering about it, suddenly my vision became blurred.
â?! I-If it⊠If it hurts so much to the point it will make you cry, you shouldâve told me about it sooner!â
The moment my tear gland broke down, it was hard to stop the tears from flowing. Feeling desperate, I tried to smile but my facial muscle was rusty from not being used for so long. My smile didnât come out naturally.
Rather, the duke looked even more in panic than me judging from the way his tentacles kept on shrinking and stretching out frantically. Some creatures that resembled spotted garden eel kept on appearing and disappearing from the dukeâs head. It was as if those creatures were trying desperately to say things likeăauauă or something.
Huh? This is weird? This person⊠Heâs cursed and his appearance does look repulsive but somehow he looks cute?
At the sight of the dukeâs desperation, my stiff facial muscles finally relaxed. I could finally move it into the shape of a smile.
ââŠâŠ..I-Iâm sorry⊠Itâs⊠Itâs been a while since⊠Someone⊠Treated me kindly like this⊠So⊠Iâm very sorry.â
âKind? ăHealing magicăis an elementary level magic that even a commoner who studies magic for a little bit could use it though?â
âErr⊠That.. I⊠Iâm sorryâŠâ
I couldnât say anything bad regarding my family. Chills were running through my spine when I felt the necklace heating up a little.
âUmm⊠Thatâs not⊠Iâm a ăgreen haired demonăso⊠Iâm trying to avoid anything related to magic as much as possibleâŠâ
ââŠ. I see⊠Nevertheless, why are you in my bedroom in the first place?â
It seemed the duke had decided he already knew enough and wouldnât pry any further.
âŠ. Iâm saved.
âY-Yes⊠About that⊠Iâm here to clean the bedroom as per Bhadra-samaâs instructionâŠâ
âEven though I had told Bhadra they donât need to clean my roomâŠ..â
The duke took a glance at his own bedroom. His eyebrows, or the muscle where his eyebrows were supposed to be, were raising slightly.
âThis is all your doing?â
The duke pointed his finger. I had removed all of the secretions coming from the dukeâs body so we could finally see the beautiful wooden floor of this room. It was hard to believe that just a moment ago this floor used to be covered with piles of the curseâs fragments, which were slimy and wet to touch.
Judging from the shining pattern that resembled a magic circle, the floor mustâve been protected with magic to prevent it from getting moldy.
âY-YesâŠâ
âIs that soâŠ. Thank you very much.â
The duke slightly bowed his head to me.
âHuh?! No! I-I-I mean⊠For the duke to be bowing to someone like me isâŠâ
âMaricle.â
âY-yes?â
ââŠ. My name is Maricle LönnrotâŠ.Stop calling me âthe dukeâ.â
âAh-! Y-Yes!!â
The duke⊠No, Maricle-sama looked slightly embarrassed. He averted his gaze from me and mumbled.
âWhy did you call Bhadra by his name and I, the master of this house, by my title?â
He complained in a quiet voice.
It was indeed discourteous for me to do so. Between the noble, it was normal for the head of the family to be referred as ăLord Lönnrotăor ăthe dukeăbut in a private space like their own familyâs house, it was unusual to refer someone with their title.
Certainly, when you were in your own home, it was common not to call your own family member with their public title like ăImperial Guard Division Commanderăor ăXx Section Chiefăand things like that. Even if someone were to have the same status, when they were in the private space like their home, theyâd just refer to each other with things like ămasterăorăsiră.
âPardon my discourtesy!!â
And yet, even though I had made such a careless blunder, he still gently patted my head but then he sadly withdrew his hand, which was wet from the curseâs secretion. And then he turned his head away from me and said.
âFrom now on, I donât mind you cleaning my room if you can be more careful in the future.
âŠâŠ.. Just which part of this man is ăextremely strict and fastidiousă? Even though heâs actually much more delicate and sensitive in realityâŠ.
If I could use magic just like my sister, would I be able to lift his curse?
âŠâŠ. No, thatâs impossible
In the first place, Maricle-sama was known as one of the most talented wizards in this country. There was no way a daughter of a low-rank count could find any solution to the curse that this top class wizard couldnât solve himself.
At most, the things I can do for him are⊠Creating a somewhat comfortable living environment for him to live like thisâŠ
Once I became aware of this fact, I started to put more effort in cleaning, laundry and cooking.