Dietrian smiled gently and whispered. It was just like the tender smile she had loved so much.
Yet, Leticia felt as if all the blood was draining from her body.
“A curse, is it?”
“If you don’t kill me within six months, you will be the one to die. It’s a curse. There’s no need to beat around the bush—I know everything. You even said we should divorce after six months because of the curse.”
He knew everything. Her body reacted before her mind did. Leticia’s complexion turned pale. Dietrian noticed her trembling but did not stop. As if he had been waiting for this moment, he spilled all the truths she had tried to hide.
“Because you love me. You did it to protect me, didn’t you? You were going to bear it all alone and die. Am I wrong?”
To calm her trembling, he embraced her frail body. He briefly pressed his cheek against hers, gasping from shock, and then whispered softly.
“You made the wrong decision. As long as you love me, you can never escape from me. I won’t let you die alone.”
Leticia, understanding his words, clenched her eyes shut.
“If you die, I die too. So, either we both die, or I die and you alone survive. There are only those two paths left.”
* * *
Should she run away? At first, that was all she could think about. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that running away was no solution.
“If it’s a curse that only breaks with one of our deaths, it doesn’t have to be you who dies. I could die to save you.”
He sincerely meant it when he said he would die in her place. The weight of his sincerity was overwhelming. “Aren’t you a king of this country? We are different, think of those who believe in and follow you.” She managed to muster up words to persuade him, but couldn’t utter a single one.
“If I die, you would have to live in a world without me.”
The moment she heard that, she had to swallow all her words. A world without Dietrian, she had already lived it once. She had tried to leave him alone in that world.
“If you truly want to save me, promise me, Leticia. Never again dream the vain dream of sacrificing your life to save me.”
Even though she realized her mistake, she could not give any answer. Even after he left the room, she sat on the bed, motionless, for a long time.
Suddenly, the bright sunlight was shining all over the world. Despite the sunny weather, Leticia’s heart was heavy. She thought and thought, but couldn’t find a way.
No, the answer had been clear from the beginning. She just needed time to accept it.
She loved him. He loved her too. If there was a way to end his affection, maybe, but if not, there were only two paths left. Either die together or live together. No, that wasn’t it.
‘There is only one answer.’
Leticia clenched her eyes shut.
‘I can’t let Dietrian die. He must live. He absolutely must survive.’
Only for his sake, for his happiness, she had lived. If her life was his happiness, then she must absolutely make it happen. She resolved to survive for him. It was a moment of indomitable will to live.
* * *
To live together, there was another important task as vital as her resolve. Josephina’s curse. They needed to break the curse to live together. Until now, she had put off thoughts of the curse, thinking it wasn’t urgent.
‘We can’t wait any longer. We need to solve this as soon as possible.’
Since she had provoked Josephina in the empire, the curse would only torment her more cruelly from now on. Sigmund would help her, but there were limits. The problem was, Dietrian knew about the curse.
‘If I suffer, Dietrian will be in pain.’
Now that he knew she loved him, she didn’t want to show him such a sight.
‘I can’t hide my pain either.’
He had noticed her coughing blood earlier, so it was clear he would keep a closer watch on her every move. Considering Dietrian’s reaction earlier, hiding her pain again could truly lead to disaster.
The problem was that there was too little clue to break the curse. Leticia nervously chewed her lip as she looked down at the elixir. Perhaps the elixir knew how to break the curse.
“Is there, by any chance, a way to break my mother’s curse?”
Regrettably, the bracelet provided no answers. Based on her experiences so far, it seemed there was a limit to the questions the bracelet could answer.
“What about Lord Sigmund? Is there no way to see Lady Dinute again?”
As expected, the bracelet provided no answers. Sigmund and the goddess Dinute had no leisure to appear before her. It was because they had used too much of their power, having taken Leticia’s curse upon themselves and intervened in fate.
“Ah, it’s frustrating.”
Leticia sighed deeply, clutching her hair. The problem she needed to solve was mountainous, yet no solution was in sight. Amidst this, she was also worried about the Wings in the empire.
‘It seems there hasn’t been any trouble so far.’
If there were any issues with the Wings, she would feel it. The energy of the Wings connected to her was getting stronger over time. Amidst the confusion, this fact was somewhat consoling.
Moreover, Noel had said that Prince Calisto was destroying the divine palace. If he had enough power to destroy the divine palace, he could easily block attacks from Josephina…
‘Wait, destroying the divine palace?’
Leticia blinked in dismay as she continued her thoughts.
“…How can he destroy the divine palace?”
At the time, she had been shocked that Noel knew about the curse, so she hadn’t thought deeply about her words. It was the same when she returned to the Principality. But the more she thought about it, the more unusual it seemed.
‘Could it be, did I hear wrong?’
She quickly looked down at the elixir and asked.
“Can you answer this? Did His Highness the prince happen to be destroying the divine palace before I left?”
Twinkle, twinkle!
The elixir broke its silence and responded for the first time. Leticia’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? Is it true? Did His Highness do it with the power of the earth?”
Twinkle, twinkle!
“Are the other Wings okay? Can you tell if they are safe right now?”
Twinkle, twinkle!
“So, they are all safe and sound? I don’t have to worry?”
At the same time, the elixir shone brightly. The tension drained from her shoulders.
“Ah, what a relief.”
Of course. The goddess wouldn’t send her back to the Principality without any arrangement.
‘Then now, there’s only one thing I need to do right away.’
It was the most urgent and important task. She still needed to convey her decision to Dietrian, who was likely still anxious.
To live together with him, to embrace life, to definitely break the curse to protect him.
With tension, Leticia looked at the closed door and stood up.
* * *
“Your Majesty?”
The chancellor looked at Dietrian quizzically. As if he couldn’t hear him, Dietrian was just looking out the window.
“Your Majesty, are you listening?”
“…”
“Your Majesty?”
“Ah.”
Dietrian finally seemed to come to his senses and turned his head. He reflexively smiled and said.
“I’m sorry. It seems I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“Are you alright?”
“There’s no reason it shouldn’t be alright…”
Despite his answer, it felt as though a fiery blaze had consumed him entirely.
[Promise me that you won’t take on everything alone for my sake again. Swear that you won’t bear the curse alone either.]
Despite his fervent plea, Leticia gave no response in the end. She simply looked at him with a pale face. He wanted to press her for the answer he desired until she gave it, but he barely held himself back and stepped outside. She needed time to sort her thoughts alone.
Afterward, he was constantly afraid. Even after laying everything bare, he feared that she might leave his side in the end.
‘Maybe, I should have been gentler.’
Regret kept building on top of his fear. Had he been too harsh? Had he let out too much of the resentment that had accumulated over time, just as raw? While he was battling his fear and regret, it happened.
“Your Highness, the Queen Consort requests an audience.”
Startled by the familiar voice of the head steward, Dietrian stared at the closed door. His black eyes shook uncontrollably. Sensing this, the quick-witted chancellor quickly started packing.
“Your Majesty, I will step back for a moment. It would be best to discuss the wedding again later.”
As the chancellor left, Leticia entered. Dietrian looked at her with a hardened face.
“What is it?”
Even now, he should have treated her tenderly, but he snapped at her unintentionally. Seeing Leticia’s expression as stiff as his, he felt even more so. Leticia said nothing. The thought to stay calm was fleeting, and his mind quickly filled with ominous thoughts.
“Leticia, have you decided to leave me? I must say again that it is not possible. I will never let you die alone.”
Misunderstanding her silence, he spoke firmly.
“If you were to die out of my sight, I too would take my life to follow you. No, I would die before you do.”
“…Then I can never leave you.”
Dietrian was choked up.
“Of course! Even after I’ve said all this, did you still want to run away? It’s too late. It might have been possible before I loved you, but not anymore!”
Seeing Dietrian angry for the first time, Leticia felt pain in her heart. He had always been so kind. It was evident how much he had suffered. She felt sorry, and then sorry again.
Therefore, she had to convey her choice correctly, without leaving a single doubt, so that his mind could be at ease.
“Your Highness, I understand your intentions. Before I give my answer, I have a question. Do you love me?”
“Yes?”
Dietrian asked, taken aback.
“Why do you suddenly ask that? I love you. I adore you! How many times do I need to say it!”
“If you love me, can you grant me what I want?”
“What are you trying to say now? Surely, you don’t mean to argue that if you love someone, you must let them go as they wish? That’s impossible!”
“That’s not it.”
Leticia shook her head. She stepped forward and grabbed his coat.
“My wish, I told you before. Please grant it. That’s my answer.”
“So what exactly is your wish…”
Before he could finish asking, a memory suddenly filled his mind.
Heden, under a big moonlit night, the quiet garden, the conversation they shared sitting side by side on a bench.
[I want to become a mother.]
The words she had said shyly smiling, and the vow he had made kneeling before her.
“The wish to become a mother, you said you would help me fulfill it.”
Even as she spoke, Leticia felt as if she wasn’t in her right mind. But there was no helping it. This was the only way to reassure him, who was still anxious about her choosing to live.
“If I cannot leave you, then we must become a true married couple before it’s too late. So, let’s consummate our marriage properly…”
She couldn’t finish her words. Dietrian had captured her lips.
Leave a Reply