“That child is the princess of this country’s foremost ducal house”
When I asked about her whereabouts, the witch returned such words.
◇◇◇
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.
―――― 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.
It’s already been a week since I entered the Wilhelm Kingdom.
I don’t know my exact location.
Because I can see the Royal Castle in the distance, I can understand I’m somewhere near the Royal Capital.
Despite limping, I still advanced step by step.
I came so far only thanks to Father’s 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 who’s perhaps a noble is saying something.
I couldn’t speak already, but I somehow managed to at least hear her voice.
… I regretted listening.
She became irritated by me not responding, and eventually she ordered someone.
Probably I’d be forcibly raised or beaten up.
I thought with unclear mind.
… I don’t really care. I’m dying anyway. It doesn’t 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.
She’s also a woman. Although her clothes are plain, she’s 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 couldn’t move.
In fact, the first woman violently rejected me calling me disgusting.
Figures.
Roughly breathing, I cast my eyes thinking so, but I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the line of the woman who saved me.
“It is not the reason to abandon a person you know is injured”
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.
It’s an unescapable curse――――.
I slightly opened my eyes at the guard’s words.
That’s right, there’s only death left for me.
In that case.
―――― 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 it’s been since I’ve been looked at with genuine sympathy.
I thought it’d be satisfying being nursed by such a person. But――――.
“Do you want to die?”
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.
“I got it. In that case, I’ll do something”
I don’t understand why she told me that.
Even so, when she gently stroked my head, my body naturally relaxed and my eyes closed.
It’s just like the feeling of a hand from my childhood.
I felt tears well up at this warm feeling.
I thought like this it’s fine if I don’t wake up anymore.
If I wake up only despair awaits, I’d rather pass away in this moment of brief happiness, what’s wrong with these thoughts.
Before losing consciousness in her arms I certainly felt so, then I entrusted everything to her.
◇◇◇
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 doesn’t 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 couldn’t believe her when she said the curse was removed, so I checked my whole body in fluster.
“The hexcraft formation is gone…”
There was no discomfort like snakes tightening around me anywhere.
I became speechless feeling free for the first time in a while.
“That child helped you”
I was surprised by the voice of the old woman.
She did?
No way, how.
Although I asked, she only evaded and didn’t tell me.
I thought it’d be rude to ask my benefactor any more, so I backed down and thanked her once again.
She saved my life that couldn’t 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 couldn’t 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 didn’t 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 I’m fine trying it.
I surprised myself with these words.
I haven’t 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.