Chapter 45

The words she uttered were not a desperate plea for the inheritance, nor a request to pay off debts, but a 'curse.' For a moment, I couldn't help but shudder.

'What do you know?'

I glanced sideways at Terdeo and Selphius standing beside me. Neither of them showed any change in expression. My stepmother, however, looked at me with a sinister glint in her eyes, as if she were watching something bizarre.

“No, that’s not a curse, but a blessing from the gods. I’m bestowing it as their agent.”

My stepmother's eyes clouded over.

'What is she saying?'

It was all incomprehensible. She scrutinized me with a dark gaze. Then, she walked out of the temple, passing by me.

“Mom, that lady seems strange, doesn’t she?”

Selphius shivered, rubbing his arm. I nodded in agreement, staring at the door my stepmother had just exited through.

'Something’s off.'

Her hostility and anger towards me seemed unchanged, but there was something strangely different.

'Is she pretending to be unstable?'

I turned my head to look at Reina, who was standing behind Dodorea. Reina was looking down at her shoes, her head bowed so deeply that her expression was hidden.

'What is it?'

I felt an odd sense of unease. As I turned my gaze, it met Dodorea’s. She was still smiling, as if watching an entertaining spectacle. At that moment, she mouthed something only I could see.

‘Thread, water, give.’

Did I hear that wrong? A gift? She’s giving me a gift?

'Is she hiding some poison?'

While I was pondering Dodorea’s words, a firm arm wrapped around my waist.

“Fereshati.”

Terdeo pulled me into his embrace.

“Don’t you remember what I said before?”

“What did you say before?”

“Don’t get involved.”

It seemed he had noticed that I was exchanging words with Dodorea. He must have been worried about what the crazy Dodorea might do, as he lifted me up, almost hanging me on his side.

“Huh...!”

He held me lightly with one hand.

“Let’s go.”

Terdeo muttered briefly and walked away naturally.

“Put me down!”

“Just a bit further.”

Selphius, who was following us, smiled contentedly.

‘Oh, how embarrassing!’

I covered my face with my palms, feeling too embarrassed. As I dangled in his arms, I recalled what Dodorea had said earlier.

‘Witch and curse...’

I uncovered my face and looked up at Terdeo.

“When did the curse of the Laphireon family start?”

“...Suddenly?”

“I became curious when I heard about the curse.”

“...It started after the first Duke died and the second generation inherited the title.”

The corridor was filled only with the sound of our quietly walking shoes.

“It was written that there was no reason for the curse, nor any suspicion. The children of the second generation were also under the curse. They tried various methods to break the curse’s inheritance.”

Terdeo let out a self-deprecating laugh.

“Instead of breaking the curse’s inheritance, they only created children who suffered or died because of it.”

Selphius, who had been listening quietly, added a comment.

“If they really wanted to break the curse’s inheritance, the second generation should have died without having children.”

Once we were far enough away, Terdeo gently set me down in the corridor. I smoothed out my crumpled dress and muttered softly.

“If there really was a witch back then, as Princess Dodorea said, she might be the one behind the curse.”

“I’ve already investigated. I looked through the second generation’s diary and reports, but the introverted second generation avoided contact with the outside world, and there was no one who could be called a witch.”

Of course. With a curse that has lasted for centuries, they must have investigated.

As we reached the end of the long corridor, we exited the temple.

“Anyway, we’ve passed one hurdle.”

I turned my head and saw my stepmother and a group of nobles who seemed to be with her.

‘Haven’t they left yet?’

Despite their loss in court, their mood seemed cheerful. My gaze naturally lingered on them.

‘What are they doing gathered there?’

Just as I was looking at them suspiciously, a light voice came from beside me.

“Would you like to hear an interesting story?”

Startled by the sudden voice, I stiffened. Terdeo, who was beside me, instinctively pushed the speaker away.

“Ouch!”

The man stumbled backward, barely maintaining his balance, and pouted.

“To the person who waited here for the trial to end, that’s a bit much.”

“...Adeus?”

Hearing his name, Adeus put away his pout and smiled as he dusted off his crumpled clothes.

“Hearing Adeus from Her Highness the Duchess makes my heart flutter.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Did the charity party end well?”

Charity party? The word brought back the unpleasant feeling from that time, and my face crumpled. Adeus, noticing my expression, asked worriedly.

“Oh, did something bad happen?”

“...No, just. But why the charity party?”

“I went to the charity party to help Her Highness, but it was already over.”

“You went to the charity party?”

Adeus nodded nonchalantly.

“I didn’t attend, but...”

“Ah...”

“Moreover, the dismissed servants from the Zahart mansion were all rehired, and they received all the back pay they were owed.”

“Suddenly?”

“Yes, overnight. Also, the Countess had quite a bit of debt, which was also paid off cleanly.”

“Paid off all at once?”

“Yes.”

So, there was no sign of anxiety? Where did such a large sum of money come from?

“And this is what I heard from a working maid.”

“How do you hear such things?”

Adeus placed his index finger on his lips and smiled slyly.

“It’s a trade secret.”

“...Alright, continue the story.”

“Three months before the Count passed away, he secretly took medicine.”

“Medicine?”

I widened my eyes at Adeus’s words.

“Medicine? Are you sure?”

“Would I dare tell Her Highness an uncertain story?”

Adeus spoke confidently. It didn’t seem like a lie. Three months of medicine? I had never heard about him taking medicine.

“What kind of medicine?”

Seeing my confused expression, Adeus smiled secretly.

“A medicine that prevents having children.”

“...What?”

A medicine that prevents having children? Why would Father take such a medicine? I became even more confused after hearing about the medicine.

“Did you know the Countess wanted a child?”

“My stepmother wanted a child?”

“Her Highness the Duchess, and the current Zahart lady. They were not her children, but only carried her blood.”

Seeing my bewildered face, Adeus laughed heartily.

“It seems Her Highness the Duchess wanted to keep it a secret. She might have considered you a threat.”

My stepmother, indeed...

“She would.”

She’s the type who would do more than that.

“It seems their opinions didn’t align. One wanted a child, while the other took medicine to prevent it.”

“...”

“Eventually, the Countess saw the Count taking the medicine herself. They argued a lot at first, but the Countess eventually gave up.”

Adeus stretched out his index finger with a suspicious smile.

“And on the night the Count passed away. The maid brought him water as usual for his medicine.”

“...Just like that?”

“Yes. As soon as he took the medicine, he complained of pain and soon passed away.”

It was a story about the Zahart family, but everything was new to me. I couldn’t hide my astonishment and let out a bitter laugh.

“Did you tell this to the investigators who came to examine Father’s cause of death?”

“Yes. The maximum duration for the Count to take the medicine was two months, but he had been taking it for over three months.”

“So long?”

“It seems they also considered the possibility of side effects. They told the Countess, but she was too saddened by her daughters’ grief, so she decided to tell you herself.”

That’s why I didn’t hear about Father taking medicine. Adeus’s eyes, which I had seen filled with ambition before, shone brightly.

‘If I give him proper rewards for bringing good information, he will surely bring more useful information.’

I placed my hand on Terdeo’s arm.

‘Could my stepmother have...’

I turned my head unconsciously to look at my stepmother. I thought I caught her gaze for a moment.

‘No way. Even if she killed for the inheritance, she had no reason to kill Father.’

Just as I was about to turn away, I saw my stepmother take something out of her bag.

“Huh?”

A familiar object caught my eye. In an instant, I pushed Terdeo’s hand away and quickly walked towards my stepmother.

“Fereshati?”

“Mom, where are you going?”

“...Her Highness the Duchess?”

I heard the three of them calling out to me, but I didn’t stop. I pushed through the group, who were chatting happily, and grabbed my stepmother’s wrist firmly. The laughter that had been spreading around suddenly stopped.

“What is this?”

But my mind was focused on my stepmother’s hand. She tilted her head slightly.

“Why do you have this?”

Suddenly, Adeus’s words from earlier echoed in my ears.

‘Could it be poison? No poison was detected, and there were no suspicious marks...’

The hand that held my stepmother’s wrist trembled. The medicine in her hand.

“You don’t mean...”

It was the pill containing Aillette’s blood.

“Was this the medicine Father took on the night he passed away?”