The morning of the hunting tournament began.
Tessa, the librarian who proudly declared in front of everyone that she would never lift anything heavier than a book in her life, was organizing books and singing as usual.
“An injured pine~ has lost its words~♬”
Pahrarak!
“Eeeek!?”
Maybe she used too much strength, or the book was already too worn out. The book she picked up tore at the spine and fell apart into dozens of pieces on the floor.
The book lay sprawled out on the floor, scattering its pages, and a memo that seemed to have been written by someone tumbled out.
It looked like someone had forgotten to take it.
It was unusually thick when she picked it up; perhaps that was the reason.
With a heavy sigh thinking about the cleanup, she resolutely decided to pick up the pieces of the fallen book.
“…Hmm? ‘The Correlation Between Human Mind and Curse’? Who on earth would read such a gloomy book….. Ah!”
Tessa recognized the title upon seeing the cover.
It reminded her of a princess who had visited some time ago, investigating books related to curses.
Aris Akaia, a princess so famous in the kingdom that no one was unaware of her.
Her academic talents were so impressive that even distinguished scholars would gasp, and her swordsmanship skills were recognized by former knights’ orders, making the term ‘genius’ inadequate to describe her. Plus, her fairy-like appearance and bright aura were just the icing on the cake.
It was no wonder there were ridiculous rumors that everything would go well if you saw her.
But why was she reading a book about curses?
Although it seemed rude to ask at the time, she remained curious.
“Memo…. This round, bubbly handwriting must belong to the princess…”
Seeing a big “[Anna Unnie!!]” written on it, she murmured with certainty and began to read the memos in detail.
After all, she was also a scholar; she had a personality that couldn’t help but delve into her curiosity.
Facing answers right in front of her like this was something she couldn’t resist.
While she chuckled upon seeing Princess Aris underscore and star Anna Akaia’s name, the more she read, the more her face twisted grotesquely.
She felt something was off. A face turned as white as a sheet.
Flap!
“…What’s this?”
“[Anna Unnie has been acting very strange lately.]”
“[Last time, she grabbed my head and yanked it hard. That was not how she normally looks at me.]”
“[She bumped into me hard, then left me there without saying a word.]”
Tessa read things she could hardly believe.
The princesses were known for having a great relationship.
She heard recently they had grown cold, but for something like this to happen!?
Her growing anxiety intensified, and her gaze quickened as she read the notes.
“[I wonder what’s causing Anna Unnie to act strange.]”
“[It seems that the black pearl earrings she is wearing are odd.]”
“[When I asked the maid, she said she received them from a duke.]”
“[His name is Duke Aquitaine.]”
Tessa thought while uttering Duke Aquitaine’s name.
He was a well-known man — for all the wrong reasons.
It was said there were mysterious screams from his house every night, and a foul stench could be smelled.
Some said a shabby-dressed dwarf went to and from his home, while others claimed a terrifying monster lived inside it.
Her hands were already trembling.
As the trembling grew stronger, she could hardly read the memo anymore, so she set it down and started reading again.
There was no turning back now.
What was the title of the book that these memos came from?
The princess’s sudden change in personality. The gift from Duke Aquitaine. The mysterious rumors coming from his house.
Several pieces were slowly starting to fit together in her mind.
“[They say the eyes of a person afflicted by a curse that pollutes the mind turn as black as pitch.]”
“[Yesterday, in Anna Unnie’s room I visited. She didn’t come out, but the eyes looking at me through the window slits were just like that.]”
“[Those eyes were so dark that it scared me.]”
“[When I looked back, they were gone.]”
“[Those can’t be my Unnie’s eyes. They shouldn’t be.]”
“[I miss the old Unnie.]”
“…!!!”
She recalled the rumors — no, experiences circulating around the castle lately.
That Anna Akaia seemed possessed by something.
Possessed, enchantment, curse — sorcery.
Tessa muttered those words in her mouth.
Dwarfs, witches, sorcerers.
She was getting closer to the answers.
Tessa felt her breath become ragged.
Her mouth was drying up and began mixing with a sweet scent.
Could she know?
That she had read the notes exactly as Aris calculated?
That the way the book scattered unnaturally and that the memos were left so neatly were all part of it?
“[I overheard my parents talking. They said stress from academics was the cause, and mom said not to worry too much.]”
“[I don’t really understand sorcery, so I must be wrong, right? Dad is probably right?] ”
“[They say there’s going to be a hunting tournament. If that relieves stress, Unnie will come back to normal.]”
“[That… makes sense?]”
“[I hope so…]”
“[I want to play with Unnie again…]”
“[So I decided to stop reading.]”
Shiver, shiver
“No… No!!!”
She trembled her hands, forcing her unwilling legs to move as she ran outside.
The thought of organizing the books had long vanished.
Bang! She kicked the door open, which she would normally open delicately. Even though she was outside, there were hardly any people to be seen.
She shouted.
“Help me!!! Anyone!! Hurry!!”
Today was the day when the princesses were going out in a group for their hunting spree.
Normally, there would be soldiers patrolling the palace or servants bustling about, but today they were all unusually absent in her eyes.
Yet she shouted.
That was the only thing she could do right now.
Maybe her wish was heard—
“What is the matter!!?”
“Ah…!!”
A voice suddenly broke through her desperate calls.
Hearing that voice, Tessa felt a wave of relief wash over her.
A voice more reliable than anything right now — an old knight.
Former captain of the knight’s order.
Also, the swords instructor of Princess Aris.
“I am now retired and am in the position of instructor, it’s Fayne. May I ask what is so urgent—”
“—It’s dangerous!!”
Tessa wanted to speak, but her breath quickened and the spinning in her head sealed her mouth shut.
She had to say anything.
Please, she needed to speak!!
You foolish mouth!! Move already!!
Please!!!!
Bang, bang, Tessa hit her chest with her fist. The air in her lungs rushed out, and gasping for breath, she managed to say a few words.
Disordered, something you would think a lunatic would say.
But it was enough.
“If it goes on like this… Princess Aris will die!!”
“…!!!”
*
It wasn’t even noon yet.
A knight with a woman on horseback exited the royal palace.
*
Deeper in the woods, far away from the royal hunting grounds.
I was there hunting.
Hunting.
Ka-thunk, thunk, I pulled back the bowstring with an arrow.
In front of me, a prey was bleeding from an arrow wound in one leg, desperately trying to escape.
It crawled slowly, dragging its injured leg, trying to escape at a snail’s pace.
It was just too laughable.
Hehehe.
Thwack.
With a cheery sound, the arrow was shot.
In just a few meters’ distance, it precisely hit its mark without deviation.
Whoosh.
“—Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap!!!!!”
Hahahahaha—!!!!
As intended, the arrow pierced through the back of its hand.
Then the prey stopped crawling and writhed in pain.
Clutching the hand that was completely impaled by the arrow, it looked at me, crying.
Why.
You could still run away, couldn’t you?
C’mon, don’t stop.
What a pity, are you—going to die?
Silently, I pulled another arrow from the quiver and strung it. As if it sensed something from my stance, the prey tried to escape with a face stricken with terror.
Dragging itself.
Dragging itself.
It must be smart to have great instincts. It follows orders well.
Ah, don’t go that way.
“Hey, Sis…!!”
“Shut up.”
Thwack.
“Don’t call me Sis.”
I shot an arrow slightly to the right of its head, aiming precisely at its annoying ear.
Maybe because the target was small, or maybe because I just wasn’t shooting well, the arrow missed its ear and hit the ground next to it.
Seeing that, it screamed, as if it had been hit.
Haha, no one is here to hear your screams.
Scream away.
“Eeeek—!!”
“Now, crawl. Scream in pain, lament the world.”
“Ah… Ahhh…!!”
It didn’t hit, but I succeeded in luring the prey towards its destination, so that’s good.
By the way, is it slowly getting used to the pain? Despite being unable to walk properly, it had gotten back up to walk, limping.
If it had continued crawling, it wouldn’t have made it there by the day’s end, which worked for me.
Hahahaha!
Caked in dirt, it limped and waddled pitifully.
Every time I saw that sight, the headache gnawing at my head worsened.
Does it hurt?
Is it hurting?
A flame ignites in my heart. The fire shows no signs of extinguishing and keeps gnawing away at my heart.
Does that hurt?
I entrust myself to that flame.
Thud.
“…Ahhh!!”
“I… was… hurt… too!!”
Now, I charge at that despicable target of my hatred.
I kick it down, and its screams resonate enough to make the forest shake as it collapses helplessly.
Fearful eyes turn towards me.
I won’t forgive you.
I slowly raise my foot and place it on its thigh.
That long red arrow still deeply lodged in that spot.
“…I… don’t… want… it… don’t want it…!!”
“…Ha.”
Did it realize what I was about to do? It shook its head desperately, pleading with me.
You don’t want it?
I don’t want you either.
Gwaaaack!!
I slowly applied weight onto my foot. I could feel its body vibrating like crazy every time I brushed against the arrow.
The writhing body trying to escape from beneath my foot only made me increase my pressure.
“Ah… ahhh—Kyaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
“…Hahaha… Hahahahaha!!”
In the distance, I could see a cliff.
As I tilted the arrow in that direction, its screams flowed out like a song. After several nods in that direction, it began to crawl slowly as if it understood my intention.
The destination was that place.
Once we reach the cliff, what kind of face will it make?
At a place where there is nowhere left to escape to, where no one comes to help.
Will you feel the same despair as I do?
In the fairy tale that Remi loves, the monster falls off a cliff and dies, defeated by the protagonist Alice.
What will happen to you?
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