chapter 25

" It's more than a month already but he still in that form. The curse has gotten worsen since young master will be an adult on next year.. "

Claire looks at Lenny, who was currently standing beside her with a worried face.

' A curse.. '

This is simply not just a normal curse, but a sickness that has been going through the Allard for generations. Allard's genetic disease would normally manifest in its victims before they turned 18. That was why one could only be acknowledged as the Allard heir once they'd reached their adult years.

' But, I know the way to cure it. '

From my past, I've one came to the banquet that held for Evans, who successfully took over the grand duke title after he turned 18 and the curse has completely gone from his body like it never existed in him.'

" Princess, it's almost midnight, we must hurry. All the preparation has ready. "

" Yes. Thank you, Lenny. You can wait for me outside. "

" .... "

" ....Um. "

" My lady.. "

Claire turns her head to look at Daisy who just came into her room with a worried face after Lenny has left the room.

" ..? "

" Don't worry, Daisy. I can perfectly handle him you know. "

" But.. even so.. "

" Hey, don't you know me well, Daisy? I always had a plan before I did something, doesn't I? "

" I know... "

" Princess, madam Lenny has called you. But um... Are you sure you want to do this, your highness? you might.. "

" .... " looking at the guilt face of the maid in front of me, I sighed by her hesitated talked.

" You mean I might die, right? " in a smile, I look at the maid in front of me.

" .... "

" Please forgive me.. " The maid quickly bows in fear, knowing her mistake before the princess.

" Well, it's just a small mistake, make sure not to repeat it. "

" ...! "

" Yes, thank you for your generosity, your highness. "

" You may leave now, Rini. "

Claire looks at herself in the mirror when the maid named Rini already leave her sight.

" My lady, here.. your sword.. "

" Oh. Thank you, Daisy. With this, let's head out and meet him, shall we? "

****

" Princess Claire Stella Romanoff, may the bright and generous god Casel protect you all the way in, your highness. The future of Allardis is in your hand now. we will be counting on you. " the high priest bows at her with a desperate face.

Claire, with a big smile, nodded her head and without hesitation, she opens the door in front of her.

Creak...

Gulp.

" Please be safe, my lady. "

" I will. "

" .... " with the princess finally step her feet into the darkroom, everyone keeps gulping in worries and praying for her safety nonstop.

Creak.. bang!

" Are you sure she might be safe in there, high priest? "

" .... "

" What we can do now is just to pray for her sake, madam. We didn't have much time since it midnight already but this is the only time where the curse will get weaken. "

" .... "

" I understand. "

" May the bright and generous god Casel show you the way. "

****

Bang!

" ...! "

When she successfully got into the room, the door shut itself with a loud creak.

" ...Whew. Everything is alright, Claire.."

I continue my walk to get deeper into the dark side of the room even though my leg trembles in fear by the dark. I continue to tighten my grip on the sword as the caution step from an unknown danger.

" ...Grr.. "

With a growl sound came from a corner side of the room, Claire stops to step even more and quickly turns her head to look at the beast in front of her.

The beast has already get tied up by the iron rope more than the last time she saw him when the beast attacked her before, she sends a command to tied him up even more before she could do something about him. As from that day, it takes a month for them to get him ready for this plan of her.

" Evans.. "

" ..Grr! "

The growl becomes more intense whenever Claire started to call out his name.

' I knew it, he always reacts whenever I call his name. '

With a bold step, she steps forward towards Evans with a smile.

" Don't get mad. I know how to change you back, Evans. "

" .....! "

" ....Whine. Whine.. "

The beast suddenly halts his body and slowly he gets into the dark even more when Claire boldly gradually gets near him even more.

" Whine, Whine.. "

" Evans.. do you trust me? "

" Whine, Whine, Whine..! "

" ...Grr.. ! "

As she gets near the beast, the beast keeps growling in anger towards her to show he didn't even believe any human in his life.

" Let's make this quick and I would be gentle with you, Evans. "

" GRR!!! "

" Adam Rochester Evans de Allard! settled down! "

" ...!! "

Shine..!

Suddenly there's a bright light tangled the beast's neck like a leash. With a leash around his neck, the beast's body stiff in front of Claire, and like a possess body, the beast sat before her as a good dog would act towards their master.

' ....! Oh my! '

'It's working! It's really working!! '

Claire with a smirk on her pretty red lips quickly stood firmly before the beast.

" ..Heh. "

Maria. so this is how you make it through the high society, huh? Really... What a simple person you're.

****

Back to the time when I first learned about Maria, countess Barnes told me the whole story about her that made me grow interested in what a mere girl like herself could do to gained a way to society.

" It's alright. So, what's all of this ruckus, countess Barnes? "

" Um. Well, it's about Lady Maria Almera. There a rumor said she has a weak body from she was born to the grand duke but since last month, they started to said she has recovered from her illness and begun to appear at social events too. "

" ..Oh, she sure an interesting lady, countess Barnes. "

" Ah! but there something else too... I heard this from my cousin, a baron. Ermm.. can you get more closer, your highness? "

Without hesitation, Claire slowly leans her ears towards countess Barnes in anxiety to know the truth.

" ..She actually.. used her body to seduce the dark crimson as her influence to climb through the high society, your highness. "

" What? 'Dark crimson'? do you mean the villain of the emperor, countess Barnes? "

" Yes. "

" ..... "

" ....such a thing... "

" Pft! "

" Haha. That's nonsense, countess Barnes! we all know how the villain is! He would cut the neck of a person that dare to come into his sight! why would he let lady Maria get near him? it's ridiculous! "

" .....! "

" Princess! Slow down your voice! if the dark crimson happens to heard our talk... "

" Haha. Let me guess, he would fucking massacres our neck? "

" ...!! my princess! "

" Well, well. Whether it's the truth or not, I don't care. So.. how does she do her trick? it is true because of her body? "

" ...Well... Hmm. Do you happen to know about the curse, lady Claire? "

"? Curse? where the Allard heir would turn into a creature and there's no way to cure it? "

" Ah, yes. that! "

" ..... I don't know if this is true but I heard this from my cousin too that happen to be lady Maria's personal knight.."

" Hm-mm? what is it? "

Gosh. This going to be nonsense too. How could she have so much influence around the grand duke family? This woman... I knew you had this potential as a way to climb society too. Well, you're much more worsen than Maria who used her body than a person who used a filthy mouth like yours to spread the rumors around the society instead.

" That so-called lady Maria, get into the dark crimson room while he was in his creature form and then she began their conversation while calling the villain with his true name! "

" ...? "

" True name? he had a true name? wasn't his name is Evans Allard, countess Barnes? "

" Well, that was just his blessings name, lady Claire. "

" what? But we're not supposed to reveal our blessed name, right? " in doubt by countess Barnes words, I look at her with a big frown.

" Yes. But it was a special case for the grand duke generation only. "

" Hm? why? "

Suddenly, countess Barnes seems to look around her in suspicious and make a signal for Claire to get near her even more.

" Because their true name is the only way to cure the curse. "

****

So eventually, I'm glad that countess Barnes's words that came out from her filthy mouth were really the truth after all.

" Adam. "

Heh. So this is how you get your title as a saint, Maria? no wonder when people cheered for you because you managed to make the villain falls for you make me get annoyed for some reason in the past! but you only used this trick to fool all the people around you and gained the attention in high society while using Evans as your stairs?

" ...Whimper.. whine.. "

" ....? Hm? but.. "

" Why didn't you turn to your original form yet, Adam? I've said your true name... "

" ....Whimper.. "

" ....Wh-y..? " while confused by Adam's stake in front of me at this time, my mind instantly went blank.

" ..... "

" ...? Wha-aa... What is wrong with this curse?! you're supposed to be cured now! " in anger at the sudden situation, I grip my dress with an intense breathe.

" ...Whine... Whine.. "

" ...!! "

" Why?! " annoyed, I quickly touch Adam's golden fur in confusion with his current condition.

" I've tried, but why didn't you change..? "

Adam just can look at me with his crimson eyes and slowly he rubbed his body on me while whimpers.

" .....Whine. Whine.. "

" .....what..? "

" Whimper.. " looking at Adam that slowly whimper with his beasty face, make me speechless for a second by my actions.

" Ha.. "

" I'm sorry... I scared you earlier with my scream, right? I'm sorry.. "

I gently caress Adam's silky fur and slowly I take a seat beside him while he continued to rub his whole body on me as a tamed animal would do.

" I'm sorry, I said I knew how to change you back but I just make you trapped in this form much longer.. "

I didn't understand it at all... How does Maria turn him back to his original body in the past? countess Barnes said his true name can cure the curse but I supposed it's not true then... it only makes him follow the command like a tamed beast but not turn him back...

" ....Sigh... I'm sorry, Adam. I would try to find another way to bring you back. "

While wagging his tail in a good mood, Adam quickly barks in joy at Claire and licks her face.

" Yes, yes. Let have sleep first, then we will figure it out tomorrow, okay? "

Bark!