ILTDAMH | CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14

”You know who made sure your wedding went smoothly?”

 “A guest? For me?”

Mercian, who had been learning how to make the pumpkin soup she had for breakfast from Chef Jean, frowned as she entered the drawing room at Charles’s words.

“Sister?”

“Oh? My dear little sister Meri. How did you lose so much weight in just one day? Are you being mistreated here because you come from a Viscount’s family?

Luciane approached Mercian with an overly warm greeting, glaring at Charles as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. 

Mercian couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous it was.

Sigh. If anyone is treating me badly, it’s more likely my sister than these people here.

Luciane had left yesterday’s wedding looking as though she hoped Mercian would not be happy. 

What on earth was going on?

“Sister, why would you say that? Everyone’s been so kind to me.”

Kind? 

Well, Mercian thought, you’re the type who thinks just being fed well is kindness. 

Seeing that she had gained weight in one day, it seemed the duke had no interest in Mercian at all.

Well, if that’s the case, maybe it’s easier to get close to that foolish woman?

“First, send away everyone around here.”

“What?”

“This is very important.”

Mercian sighed lightly, knowing from experience that when Luciane acted so dramatically, it usually meant nonsense.

But she also knew Luciane wouldn’t just give up, so she said:

“Charles, please step outside for a moment.”

“But, madam, the housekeeper said to stay close to you.”

“It’s alright. Let me have a private conversation with my sister.

After glancing at Luciane with concern, Charles bowed and walked away.

Sigh. You believe you are the duchess even though you have only been married for a day, don’t you?

Mercian was the reason the wedding yesterday went so well. 

Luciane, unaware of that, sat across from Mercian, anger rising, but she held it in and took a sip of tea.

“What do you want to say?”

“Meri, you should thank me.”

“What?”

“Do you know who helped you safely finish your wedding yesterday?”

“Don’t tell me you want to say it was because of you?”

Was she going to joke that she got married just because she didn’t spill soup on her dress yesterday?

Luciane lowered her voice as she looked at Mercian, who gave her a “what nonsense” look.

“Do you know that the duke is plotting rebellion?”

***

Ruan’s office in the Imperial Palace.

“As you expected, the crown prince has approached the viscount’s daughter.”

“Really? They moved faster than I thought. This gives us enough time to deal with the crown prince.”

Ruan quietly stared at the deepening red line.

Two weeks ago, near the end of the two-year war with the Allomand Kingdom, Ruan was stationed in a village that had already surrendered to wipe out the last resistance group.

“What do you mean? What did Shinkley do?”

Cassel hesitated before answering.

“He tried to assault a woman in the last group of resistance fighters.”

Before Cassel finished, Ruan moved forward.

“Where is that man? And the woman?”

“Shinkley is locked in a temporary prison. The woman isn’t doing well. The doctor said she’s pregnant.”

Sigh…

Ruan rushed to the temporary village hospital and suddenly opened the door to the room.

“Y-Your Grace! Be careful!”

As Ruan opened the door, a white light passed through him.

“Ugh!”

“Duke, are you alright?”

Cassel, who had been following behind, supported Ruan as he stood up and walked toward the bed where the woman lay.

“I’m fine.”

The woman, who had been watching Ruan stumble in, used her last breaths to mumble something as he approached.

“…I curse you… revenge for my husband…”

“M-Ma’am, what are you saying? Ma’am!”

Cassel hurried to shake her, but her hand fell limply outside the bed.

“Duke, she’s dead.”

Cassel at Ruan with a troubled expression.

“Let’s go to Shinkley first.”

Temporary Prison.

“Duke, I’m innocent! That woman seduced me, I swear!”

Ruan quietly watched Shinkley speak with a guilty expression.

Shinkley Arfonbak. 

The youngest son of Emperor Viseluk Arfonbak and Empress Ohara, the third prince who was a constant trouble for the empire.

It was a mistake to bring him along for the war at the emperor’s request. 

Or more precisely, it was the crown prince’s scheme.

To sabotage Ruan, the crown prince insisted that one of the princes must join the war and recommended Shinkley, the most useless and troublesome one. Shinkley had caused countless incidents over the past two years.

Still, he had never crossed the line—until now.

What on earth happened?

Ruan looked at the half-crazed Shinkley and said,
“You broke military law. I told you not to touch women or the elderly during the war.”

“It’s been two years, Duke! Because of that stupid law, I haven’t been with a woman once! But that woman came onto me… aaargh!”

Before Shinkley finished, Ruan kicked him in the chest.

“W-Why are you kicking me? Do you know who I am?”

“You’re just my subordinate who broke the law!”

“Hah! The war is almost over. Once we’re back in the empire, people like you…”

“Duke, please calm down. No matter what, harming a prince is…”

“I was told I could kill him.”

“…What?”

Ruan took a scroll from his robe and threw it in front of Shinkley.

“If you cause trouble, you can be executed under military law. That was the condition. Do you think I would bring a troublemaker like you without a plan?”

“N-No way! His Majesty wouldn’t do this to me! This must be fake!”

Ruan smiled coldly and said,
“Anyone who breaks military law is sentenced to death.”

“What?! You want to execute me over one woman?!”

“She’s dead. Because of you.”

“What? Duke, it was just one woman, and she was the enemy. She wasn’t even one of our people. Why death?”

“Two people. That woman was pregnant. So you killed two people. Your execution will be decided in a military trial as soon as we return to the empire. Don’t let him escape or commit suicide!”

“D-Duke!!”

Ruan left the prison, ignoring Shinkley, who was desperately calling for him.

Ugh!!

Just a few steps outside the prison, Ruan suddenly collapsed, unable to breathe as if his heart had hardened.

***

“So, this is the curse?”

When Ruan opened his eyes, Cassel, the army doctor Fabian, and some people who had surrendered from the Allomand Kingdom to the empire were looking at him with serious expressions.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, it’s like this…”

Cassel hesitated to answer, then an elderly man with a kind face stepped forward and spoke to Ruan.

“Duke, it seems you have been cursed.”

“A curse?”

Cassel nodded and explained,
“After investigation, it appears that the deceased woman deliberately approached the prince.”

“Deliberately?”

“Yes. Knowing her husband died in the war, she purposely got close to the prince.”

“She tricked me into putting a curse on me.”

“Yes. To her, Duke, you are the enemy who killed her husband.”

“So can this curse be lifted?”

“We are still investigating the woman, but people in the kingdom say it seems to be a witch’s curse.”

“A witch’s curse?”

The elder pointed to a thin red vein on Ruan’s wrist and explained,
“Yes, this is called a witch’s curse. This thin vein slowly moves toward the heart. Usually, it takes about six months to reach the heart, and once it does, the heart hardens.”

“Heart hardens?”

“Yes. At first, there are no symptoms, but as the vein moves closer to the heart, pain and dizziness increase, and eventually, you could lose consciousness.”

“Is there a way to break the curse?”

“Well…”

“There isn’t?”

“No one knows how to break a witch’s curse. Sometimes it’s called a love curse, and some say the curse can be lifted if someone truly loves you, but even that isn’t certain.”

“True love? What does that mean exactly?” Ruan muttered, puzzled by the elder’s words.

“They say it means loving someone so much, you’d be willing to give up your own life for them.”

Ruan smiled cynically and remarked, “To be prepared to sacrifice myself for someone? Ridiculous.”

Rumours that you, Duke, are so heartless and cold that your heart freezes may have been the reason for the curse. Cassel continued.

To give your life for love, not honour, Ruan thought, with a bitter laugh. What stupid bullshit.

“Thanks for telling me. Everyone, you may leave now.”

After the people from Allomand left, Ruan spoke to Cassel.

“Cassel, find out exactly what kind of curse I have. And also how to break it.”

“Yes, Duke. Or maybe you should try this thing called love.”

“Love is for fools. That woman cursed me to take revenge for her husband, but she lost her life and her child because of it. Giving up your life for revenge is truly foolish. Even if she didn’t care about herself, what wrong did the unborn child do? It would have been more practical and reasonable to have the child and raise them well as a great knight, then use that child to kill me!”

Practical and reasonable?

How can someone treat feelings like a business deal? 

No wonder people say my heart is as cold as ice.

“Of course, that’s true. But maybe she lost the will to live because her beloved husband died?”

“Cassel, what about the child? Did she ask the child to die with her?”

“Well, it’s still in her womb.”

“The most foolish thing in the world is to risk your life for someone you love. Has she ever thought about what will happen to that person after she dies?”

“Well, Duke, you’re right, but still… Somehow, it doesn’t feel right.”

“Stop the nonsense and go find out more.”

“Yes, Duke. I will keep your curse a secret and investigate quietly.”

“You said six months, right?”

“Yes.”

“No need to say it’s a curse. Spread a rumour that I’m poisoned and will die within six months.”

“What? But—”

“Whether I die from poison or a curse, it’s the same thing.”

“Why?”

“The Crown Prince has been acting suspicious lately. I think he might try to kill Prince Harmon soon.”

“The crown prince?”

“Yes. As you know, the Crown Prince is not fit to be Emperor. His Majesty has secretly been grooming Prince Harmon for that role for a long time.”

“But—”

“Do you know why the Emperor sent Prince Shinkley with me to war? It was either to have me kill the prince during the battle or to make me lose the war because of him.”

“What will you do then?”

“If the rumour spreads that I’m poisoned and dying soon, and my illness becomes obvious, the crown prince will wait for my death and then try to kill Prince Harmon.”

“So—”

“If I can break the curse within six months, great. But if not, at least I have to remove one threat so the empire doesn’t fall.”

“Duke.”

“This stays between you and me. And watch Shinkley closely. It’d be bad if he dies before we returned to the empire.”

“Yes, Duke.”

From that day, Ruan started eating only one meal a day to lose weight faster and make people believe he was poisoned.

After some time, Ruan’s rapid weight loss made it certain that he would die within six months.

He planned to endure for six months, deal with the crown prince’s problem, and then quietly face death.

But marriage was an unexpected twist.