T/N: I changed ether to aether. thanks!

Countless bright red lines were torturing the child’s body.

At first, I thought it was all blood.

But it wasn’t.

Something even more terrible than blood.

Something that made me break out in a cold sweat and shiver like I had ice in my stomach.

Ixion and Ares held up my body, which was about to collapse from exhaustion.

“What is this…?”

“It’s a curse.”

“A curse?”

As I raised my head, Dad put his hand on my head.

As his big, warm hand touched my forehead, my trembling body gradually calmed down.

“Yes, it’s a curse-like power that activates when you violate something that is being protected.”

It meant something similar to insect poison¹refers to a form of sorcery or witchcraft that was used in ancient China. This practice involved the use of animals and was passed down among minority ethnic groups in southern China..

Magicians and sorcerers were standing a few steps away from the child, reaching out their hands.

The cluster of light and words flowing from their hands approached the child, only to burst into pieces.

“How is it.”

“I’ve never seen such a strong curse. It doesn’t even allow access.”

“What is being protected?”

At those words, the old magician fell silent for a moment.

He glanced at me and cautiously replied.

“…Health and stability.”

What?

“Are you saying that they receive such pain when they are healthy or stable?”

“The more their vital functions normalize, the more pain they experience. It’s the same for physical and emotional stability.”

“It’s astonishing to think that such a curse was placed on him. He must have been in constant agony all this time.”

“And it finally burst beyond its limits.”

I couldn’t understand it at all.

A curse that causes more pain as he becomes healthier and feels more stable?

Why on earth…?

What sin could such a small child have committed?

Then it happened.

“Cough! Kuk…!”

Dark red blood spurted from the child’s mouth.

There was so much of it that it could have filled a bucket.

Startled, I reached out my hand to approach, but

“Don’t touch!”

The child, who I thought had lost consciousness, fiercely shouted as he opened his eyes.

His eyes were as sharp as ever, despite his face being covered in blood.

It was a clear refusal, not allowing me to approach even an inch closer.

His reaction was much fiercer and sharper than when we first met.

The distance that had narrowed between us now felt further away than ever before.

‘I’ve been watching him as a grandma all this time. That’s why there’s nothing to be upset about.’

Even as I thought that, my heart ached at being rejected.

At that moment, black magic wrapped me up and lifted me up.

Dad frowned as he took me in.

“Don’t get closer.”

“But…”

“Miss, you must not touch the child. The curse can be transferred to you as well.”

“Can it really be transferred that easily?”

“It’s not easy to transfer, but the ominous energy can stick to you.”

That’s why the magicians and sorcerers seemed to be investigating while keeping their distance.

“Is there no way to break the curse?”

There was a moment of silence at my words. It was a silence full of embarrassment.

“…The curse is a taboo that even the person who cast the spell would find it difficult to undo.”

“And this is not a simple curse. It’s a curse engraved on the child’s flesh, bones, and soul.”

“Putting on the curse in the first place was not an easy task. The sorcerers probably used at least ten sacrifices, probably more.”

“I have no idea what method they used. But even if we knew the method, it’s undoubtedly dangerous enough that we wouldn’t want to attempt it.”

“But the content of the curse is health and stability. It would have been better to kill him instead. Even if he were an enemy of the gods, they wouldn’t have gone this far…”

The conversation between the magician and the sorcerer went on for a long time, but none of it made any sense.

So, what?

Does that mean the child will have to live in constant pain without a single moment of relief until he dies?

That is something I absolutely cannot accept.

“So you can’t do anything?”

At my question, the people around me stiffened.

“I apologize, Princess. It seems I have spoken out of turn.”

“As of now, there is no immediate solution. An extensive investigation is required.”

“It’s fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it, but breaking the curse doesn’t result in death. It brings suffering instead.”

“When he recovers and the curse is activated, he will endure intense pain until the torment subsides. So, he won’t die because of the curse.”

Well, that’s…

It’s as if they’re saying it would be better to kill him.

I sensed a nauseating level of malice.

A clear malice that would torment him for eternity with just his life hanging by a thread.

“To be honest, even with a thorough investigation, it’s uncertain whether we can undo such a powerful curse.”

“It could take several decades for the investigation. However, I can’t guarantee that we will succeed.”

The magicians and sorcerers bowed their heads to me.

Suddenly, I realized my mistake.

After all, this child is the perpetrator who dared to attack the ducal residence.

They were planning to execute him immediately, but I spared his life by calling him my slave.

And yet, I couldn’t save someone like him and instead gathered innocent people.

“I’m sorry, everyone. I let my emotions get the best of me and treated you all harshly.”

“We exist to fulfill the desires of our master.”

“Since you, Miss, wish to save this child, it is our duty to find a way.”

“But to apologize like this and care about our feelings… It’s a first for me since my service in the duchy, sigh!”

“Our Miss has definitely clipped her wings!”

“When you asked earlier why we couldn’t do it, I was slightly excited, and now seeing you apologize like this makes me even more excited!”

Okay, I’m done talking

I forgot that everyone in this castle is kind of weird.

“We apologize for our limited abilities, Princess.”

The magicians and sorcerers bowed their heads.

It seems they have accepted that it is not realistic to break the curse.

“Continue the investigation.”

“What? B-But Miss…”

“We will succeed.”

Everyone fell silent at my resolute voice.

“I will break this curse.”

I raised my head and looked at the child who had lost consciousness.

So, wait.

***

“Bring all the information about the curse.”

I immediately ordered Piank, Grynd, and Yeloche.

They followed my orders without question.

Although I didn’t tell them about Black Gold, we had been working together on small tasks, so we had built up a rapport.

All three had adapted to my methods quite well.

Soon, my office was filled with extensive information about the curse.

“We have gathered all the information within the castle. Shall we start organizing?”

“Yes.”

I nodded and opened a book.

‘I can make it possible with my abilities.’

But there was one problem to consider.

‘To choose the ability to summon, I need to know what kind of curse is placed on him.’

Even if I summon the ability of a Saint and try to heal his pain, the curse will not be broken.

The same goes for the Archmage who has mastered all magic.

Unless the curse is a result of magic, it becomes useless.

So, first and foremost, it was necessary to know exactly what the curse was.

“This is the forbidden book. We don’t have access to it, so we couldn’t organize it.”

“Alright, then I’ll start by reading that. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll do my best to assist you.”

And so, I stayed up for several nights.

It was strange.

Even though my young body usually gets sleepy when it’s even slightly late at night.

But I didn’t realize how exhausted I was.

I dozed off and woke up repeatedly, organizing countless words in my mind.

Of course, I didn’t just read books.

I had numerous discussions with the scholars within the castle, the magicians, and the sorcerers.

The facts I discovered were despairing.

The curse placed on him couldn’t be undone by divine power, nor was it a restriction through magic.

It was something that couldn’t be neatly categorized.

It was a combination of magic, curse, and even potions.

Divine power was even involved.

Divine power was used to firmly anchor the soul and body.

Normally, breaking such a curse would require complex sorcery.

But this was completely different.

It couldn’t be defined as the workings of any specific power, so no matter what ability I used, it would be incomplete.

Even if I used the ability of the saint who could regenerate someone’s missing limbs.

Even if I used the ability of a powerful sorcerer capable of bringing about the destruction of the world.

Even if I used the power of dark magic or curses, or even the abilities of a demon.

I can’t undo the curse placed on him.

As the sorcerer said, I could only unravel the tangled threads little by little over the course of several decades.

Even then, the chances of success were slim.

“I’ve seen many curses, but this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this. Miss, you’ve done enough.”

Was it enough?

I couldn’t accept those words.

‘No, there must be a way.’

That’s right.

For an innocent child who doesn’t even know his name, age, or the purpose of his existence, to suffer until his life expires and dies…

Such a tragic event shouldn’t exist in this world.

That’s why I enjoyed reading fantasy novels.

I preferred happy endings, unlike reality.

I liked seeing innocent people not suffering and finding happiness.

So, 

‘I won’t give up.’

“…What about the child?”

“He’s enduring the pain surprisingly well. It’s not just a matter of tolerating the pain; it’s truly remarkable for someone so young.”

He was always like that.

He seemed very accustomed to enduring pain, not even flinching when I applied antiseptic.

But…

“His suffering from the curse goes beyond imagination.”

“That’s correct.”

“Is it enough to simply accept that he can endure the pain well?”

“Absolutely not. If it were anyone else, we would have to administer strong painkillers one after another.”

“Perhaps…”

A new hypothesis and possibility grew within me, merging with my existing knowledge.

“Maybe he has the power to resist the pressure of the curse.”

This is more convincing than just saying he has strong endurance.

And maybe he has a special power.

“Aether.”

At the mention of my words, the eyes of the magicians and sorcerers widened.

“I-I never thought of that! Not at all.”

“Even though he has the ability to use two different powers simultaneously, his aether level is excessively low!”

Aether is the source of life.

The golden restriction that confines the body, bones, and soul, devouring life.

“Could aether neutralize the curse?”

“I’ve never heard of such a theory, but given the current situation, there is a possibility!”

“If that’s true, it can also explain why his aether level is detected so low!”

Everyone exclaimed with excitement.

Relying solely on one’s immune system is foolish.

But no one is unaware of how important the immune system is.

Even with the same disease, if the immune system is active, one may not get infected, and even if infected, the symptoms will be much milder.

“If we can’t do it from the outside…”

“Yes, doing it from the inside is also an option.”

“But Princess.”

A scholar called out to me with a worried expression.

“Aether is life itself from birth. Therefore, the ability users are not transcendents but rather power users.”

“It means that they were born with the power, not that they gained it by transcending humans.”

“In other words, we cannot forcibly increase his aether.”

I nodded my head.

That’s probably true in this world.

But what if there was a being with the ability to generate aether through song, an ability that ordinary humans cannot possess?

I know of such a female lead.

‘It’s worth a try.’

I stood up and hurriedly left the conference room.

As soon as I arrived in my room, I pulled out my Architus without catching my breath.

At that moment.

[Warning!]

[The karma with the dangerous individual (????) is becoming too deep!]

[If it gets any deeper, you will not be able to completely sever ties with that person!]

A dizzying warning window appeared before me.

And soon after, the devil’s message began to appear.

[Reader, you must make a good decision.]

[You are at a new crossroads of fate.]

[It could be a choice that shakes up the path that has been prepared for you!]

“What path has been prepared for me?”

Sometimes he tells me to carve out my own path.

“A future where all my family and the people I care about can die?”

That’s the only future he told me about.

“To prevent that future, you told me to prepare myself, didn’t you?”

The devil had no answer to my question.

“I said I could walk the line of causality set by fate.”

The only one who can reach the limit of the law of causality.

That’s what he called me.

“In other words, does that mean I can defy the fate set by causality and get the life I want?”

There was no message appearing before my eyes.

“You’re always silent at times like this.”

It was the moment I frowned and tried to open Architus.

[Hidden!]

[You have fulfilled the hidden conditions!]

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  refers to a form of sorcery or witchcraft that was used in ancient China. This practice involved the use of animals and was passed down among minority ethnic groups in southern China.