Noel looked at the empty chair with a pale face. Little specks of light remained on the dark brown leather chair.
‘She must have returned to the Principality.’
Just moments ago, when Leticia confessed about the curse, light had flowed from the elixir. A high purity of divine power filled the inside of the carriage. Right after that power enveloped Leticia, she disappeared.
‘The goddess must have intervened. Perhaps this place was too dangerous, and she sent Lady Leticia back to the Principality.’
Noel leaned against the chair, covering her forehead with her trembling hand. Although Leticia had suddenly vanished, thinking that the goddess had sent her back to the Principality was somewhat relieving.
‘Let’s sort things out. Lady Leticia vomiting blood was indeed because of the curse cast by Josephina.’
Noel closed her eyes tightly for a moment. Curse. Just thinking of that word felt like the sky was falling. She continued her thoughts, trying to compose herself.
‘The symbol I saw might also be related to the curse on Lady Leticia.’
Calisto had mentioned that the symbol Noel had relayed was related to the curse, as he reported about Leticia’s hemoptysis. Upon hearing this, Ahwin had said with a serious face,
“I’ve seen that symbol too. On the day I first saw the symbol, Josephina was tormented, saying that a dragon was trying to kill her. Traces of her life force being drained remained on her arm, and even pouring divine power into it, the wound remained as is.”
“The day Josephina screamed, I saw a similar scene. The symbol was floating in the air, battling black energy. Josephina said a dragon was trying to interfere with her.”
“The curse has manifested at least twice, and the target is someone important enough that a dragon has to personally protect them.”
“…Lady Leticia mentioned that the dragon Sigmund is helping her.”
As they combined the facts they knew, they reached an unbelievable conclusion. The suspicions had finally become reality.
‘It’s not the time to cry.’
Noel roughly wiped away her tears and stood up. Although it felt like the world was ending when she heard about the curse from Leticia, she couldn’t just sit down and do nothing.
‘We will gradually find out what kind of curse it is, whether I hear it from Lady Leticia or wait for the prince’s interpretation.’
Noel stepped down from the carriage. The princess, anxiously waiting, was shocked at Noel’s expression.
“You cried? Surely, the saint’s condition hasn’t worsened? Oh, please. Give humans a chance before using the power of the wings. I’ll call the palace doctor right away…”
“Wait.”
Noel cut off the princess’s words and looked towards the black fortress. A small sand dune was quickly approaching.
[This messenger speaks on behalf of the master.]
Shortly after, the sand dune slowly rose, forming rugged features. Then, the lips made of sand moved, producing a heavy voice.
[The master is currently confronting Josephina in front of the north gate.]
“They are still in a standoff? That’s dragging it out too long.”
Noel spoke sharply. There had been a brief disagreement between Noel and Calisto when they were planning through the spirit. After hearing about Leticia’s hemoptysis, an enraged Noel had wanted to confront Josephina directly.
“You boasted that you wouldn’t let Josephina escape, so I yielded, and now it’s just a standoff? What about all that powerful magic, and you’re still dragging out the time?”
Normally, Noel wouldn’t have reacted so sharply. But at that moment, Noel was not in her right mind. Although she appeared calm, she felt as if her entire body was boiling like hot water.
[Because of a new fact I’ve learned about the curse on Lady Leticia, so I am told.]
“Curse?”
Struggling to contain her anger, Noel flinched. Simultaneously, the princess, who had been stifled with murderous intent, froze like ice.
“Curse? Did the spirit just mention a curse?”
The princess looked at Noel with more desperation than ever before. She desperately hoped that the earth spirit would bring good news, wishing for this nightmare of a day to end as if the temple had collapsed.
[Josephina has said that Lady Leticia has less than half a year left to live.]
Regrettably, the earth spirit shattered the princess’s humble wish.
“What did you just say? Something about Lady Leticia’s lifespan?”
[Less than half a year is left. Additionally, Josephina has just manifested the curse again. Therefore, the master says we must check on Lady Leticia’s condition immediately. Although the master was able to stop the curse from completing, the evil power is so strong that we must be very careful.]
Noel’s face turned ashen. She was unable to speak until prodded by the spirit, finally opening her mouth.
“Is Lady Leticia alright? Have you learned anything about the curse?”
[The curse is something Lady Leticia is well aware of. As soon as she awakens, we must inquire in detail about the conditions to break the curse.]
“Lady Leticia knows about the curse? She knew she was going to die within half a year?”
[Yes.]
Noel stared blankly at the spirit, then covered her eyes with one hand. After a moment, her shoulders began to tremble.
“So that’s it. That’s why, when I said she must live a long life, she changed the subject.”
A suppressed laugh. Unwittingly, the princess stepped backward and then hurriedly ran towards the carriage.
“I need to wake the Queen Consort right now! Immediately!”
At that moment, only Leticia could stop this madness with the wings. With that thought, she flung open the door.
“…She’s not here?”
Leticia was missing. The princess blinked in astonishment and quickly stepped out of the carriage, looking around. But Leticia was nowhere to be found.
‘A dream?’
‘It’s like a nightmare.’
The princess couldn’t believe it. She quickly dragged a nearby knight towards the carriage, pointing inside.
“You! Come here! What do you see? A woman sleeping, right?”
“…Your Highness? Where is the Queen Consort?”
“She’s lying right there asleep!”
Denial was futile. Internally wailing, the princess desperately racked her brain.
‘Noel Armos might be powerful. The First Wing has historically shown tremendous abilities. But this is a desert, right? There are no rivers or seas nearby, so perhaps my worries are overblown.’
It wasn’t particularly comforting. The imperial capital had many lakes. The Imperial Lake was large enough for her to enjoy boating. In fact, she didn’t need to go to the lake because.
‘Madness…’
The princess clenched her teeth as she watched the sand become wet. Damned be this mad world, it had groundwater. The princess turned away as the wet sand bubbled, approaching Noel. Her legs trembled with fear, but considering her position, she had to endure.
“Archdeacon, as the heir to the empire, I beg you. No massacres. What crime have the poor people committed? The saint wouldn’t want this either. It’s all because of that damned Josephina…”
“…There is something I must ask Your Highness.”
“Yes, yes. Just say it.”
“What does the imperial family think of Lady Leticia?”
What do they think? They think of her as an enemy who left her amidst these mad wings. The princess swallowed her true feelings and replied sweetly.
“The imperial family hasn’t made a decision yet. It’s only been a day since the new saint appeared. There are still many who support Josephina. Ah, but please give us some time, and I will try to persuade them.”
“I see. You need time to convince them.”
Surprisingly, Noel seemed to nod in agreement, but it was the princess’s misunderstanding. Noel was looking directly at her. Her black eyes burned like flames.
“Then it would be good if Your Highness could become a witness to change the minds of Josephina’s supporters.”
“…What?”
“Make sure that no one dares to doubt her, by informing them about our actions going forward. You will help us, won’t you?”
* * *
While the imperial capital was undergoing an unprecedented disaster, with the land upheaving and the waters raging because of the wrath of two wings, Leticia was slowly recovering from the shock of her return to the Principality.
‘Josephina has manifested the curse again.’
She had been shocked at first by her sudden return, but she could calm down once she guessed the reason. Clearly, the goddess had exerted her power to protect her from some sort of danger. The only immediate threat to her was Josephina’s curse.
‘Everyone must be safe. I hope they are alright?’
Despite escaping Josephina’s curse, Leticia was not at ease.
‘Noel must have been quite shocked. What if she gets too agitated? What if Josephina harms her because of that… Is the prince okay? And Ahwin?’
Unaware of the horrific acts her wings were committing, Leticia worried about them. If the princess back in the empire knew, she would clutch her neck and collapse. That was when she heard it.
Click.
Leticia’s eyes widened as she turned towards the sound. The worries about her wings vanished from her mind instantly. She briefly froze before quickly rising from her seat.
“Your Highness.”
Dietrian was staring at her intently, still in the pose of having just opened the door. Leticia approached him with a smile.
“Your Highness, I must have startled you by disappearing suddenly, right? So, what happened was…”
She needed to explain her sudden disappearance, but when the moment came, she was at a loss for words.
‘Should I still keep quiet about Lord Sigmund?’
To talk about his involvement, she would have to mention Gilead’s dream as well. Naturally, she would have to disclose the curse and the regressions. But that was impossible, so she decided to leave out Sigmund and tell the story without him.
“Your Highness, you know I was chosen by the elixir, right? The goddess called for me. So…”
Trying to lighten the mood, Leticia explained with a smile on her lips. However, Dietrian was staring blankly somewhere else, as if he couldn’t hear her words.
“…Your Highness?”
Following his gaze, Leticia flinched. A dark, blood-red stain. It was a trace of hemoptysis.
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