Curse

"Be good, I still have something to discuss. Go find something to do for now. At lunchtime, I'll have Alice call you," Losiya said while embracing Julian by the shoulder. She looked at the face so close to hers—porcelain white and seemingly fragile—then couldn't help but lower her head and kiss his cheek. Julian squinted his left eye and let out a soft "Mm."

Originally, Losiya had intended to reach out and tease the white flower in Julian's right eye again, but thinking of where they were now, she restrained herself. She'd save that for the evening, when it was just the two of them.

Escaping from Losiya's embrace, Julian finally noticed the guest she had brought into the manor.

Tania and Julian exchanged curious glances, then Tania broke into a suggestive smile and waved at him.

He didn't recognize Tania, only having heard her name before, and had never known what she looked like. So when she greeted him amicably, he simply smiled back, slightly bowed in return.

However, before he could complete the gesture, Losiya pulled him back.

Julian looked up in confusion. Losiya's face clearly showed displeasure—even blocking his line of sight to prevent further eye contact with Tania.

He said nothing. If she didn't want him doing this, he'd respect that. With a final word to Losiya, he turned and left.

Watching Julian's elegant figure retreat into the distance, Tania couldn't help but gently whistle at the sight.

"He's not just adorable—he's quite perceptive, isn't he?" she remarked after Julian was gone, praising him to Losiya.

Losiya, who had been wearing a fond expression, immediately turned cold.

Subjectively, she greatly disliked hearing such words from Tania. But in truth, Losiya herself couldn't deny that sentiment.

"You could say that, but his value goes far beyond just that," Losiya replied, wearing a smile as ambiguous as Tania's.

This time, Tania's expression cracked slightly, momentarily showing signs of discomfort before regaining composure.

"Let's go. Didn't you come here to talk business with me?" Losiya asserted her dominance and spoke again.

Tania gave a soft snort and followed Losiya into the meeting room.

As the two entered, Tania suddenly turned and stopped Alice from following them in.

"The lady of the house and I need to talk. Go tend to something else."

Alice, as usual, showed no emotion. She simply nodded and left.

Turning back, Tania saw Losiya had already taken a seat behind her desk, reclining leisurely while pouring herself a cup of tea.

"If you're thirsty, don't be shy," Losiya said casually, crossing one leg over the other.

At that moment, she looked more like a rogue than Tania did. Tania twitched her lips slightly, pulled out a chair, and sat down in front of her.

"I heard you wanted to talk business with me. Since you're already here, let's have that talk," Losiya began bluntly, curious about what Tania truly wanted.

Tania finally smiled and slowly began, "You must know what our Desmond family rose to power from, right?"

"Weren't your people originally just a bunch of bandits?" Losiya asked with a hint of skepticism.

The comment nearly made Tania spit blood.

But Losiya wasn't lying. Before the Desmonds were granted noble titles, they were indeed mountain bandits—based near the Shadow Mountain Range, surviving between the Roland Empire and the Dark Realm by sheer adaptability and grit.

It was only after being granted noble status by the Sakura Roland emperor that they officially became part of the empire. With their exclusive access to herbs from the mountain range, they quickly grew rich, attracting the envy of many noble houses.

"Of course, that's not all. I came here this time to discuss trade with the Count," Tania practically gritted out every word.

"Trade?" Losiya swirled the spoon in her teacup and looked down into it, asking casually.

"Yes. I hope the Lily Domain can enter into an agreement with the Desmonds concerning mutual exchange and the supply of herbs and fragrances."

Losiya immediately lost interest. Shaking her head and gently sipping her tea, she replied with rejection, "Your family's products only appeal to pleasure-seeking nobles. I have no need for that."

Tania had just earlier dismissed that maidservant. Clearly, Losiya wasn't the type to be driven by profit. Where her wealth even came from was still a mystery.

As Tania kept talking, Losiya continued to stare calmly at the surface of the tea in her cup, indifferent.

Back in the study, Julian had been called back by Catherine.

The two sat side by side in their chairs, Julian settling down.

"Losiya has returned?"

"Mm, along with a guest."

Madame Catherine didn't care much about this "guest." She was more interested in her ongoing research and had been planning to draw Julian into a conversation to share her latest insights—until Julian suddenly interrupted.

"Could you please wait a moment?" he asked.

Her enthusiastic expression froze, and after a few seconds of pause, she replied, "Of course."

Julian placed his hand on her arm. Under her puzzled gaze, he slowly began channeling his magic through her body.

Madame Catherine was always protected by magical wards that shielded every inch of her being. But when she sensed Julian's actions, she removed her defenses without hesitation.

"This is..."

After a few seconds, her expression turned to astonishment.

The terror of a curse lies in the inability to dispel it through conventional means. Most methods of lifting curses involve locating the original caster and uncovering the means of reversal from them.

Higher-level curses—even church archbishops are powerless against them. Catherine was no exception.

When cursed, a person's life enters a countdown. The feeling is terrifying. Many don't die from the curse itself but are driven mad by its psychological toll.

In this world, Catherine had few regrets left. Her journey toward transcendence was nearing its end. The gates to the Holy Realm remained closed. Aside from people like Losiya, there was little tying her to this world.

If she had any regrets, it might be not having had a child.

Perhaps that's why she had recently taken such an intense interest in Julian and his holy mark—knowing her days were numbered, she hoped to leave something meaningful behind. To offer the child who had entered her life so briefly a clear path and future.

While Julian was away, Catherine had penned her final thoughts on reversing fate at the end of a book.

Now, it seemed... had she written them too soon?

A stream of warmth flowed through her body, and Madame Catherine felt that deep within her being, the curse that had long entwined her was beginning to weaken.