“Ho… Ho… Are you okay now, Aris? Should I scold Anna Unnie? Huh?”
“U-I’m fine now. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Please don’t fight… I don’t like it…”
Surprisingly, I was shocked.
It was way faster than I expected. Plus, for it to show up in action, that was totally unexpected.
Had it been brewing inside for a long time? Hmm… I remember my plan being safe for a few years ahead. The pace is just too fast.
Looks like there’s some talent in Yu-Yeol… Anna Unnie…!
This little sister is moved!!
At that moment, when my head was almost crushed in a strong grip, I was able to clearly see Anna Unnie’s eyes.
Dark, lifeless eyes.
It’s a stretch, but if what she was holding at the time wasn’t a pen but a knife—
What would have happened?
“I like Remi Unnie~”
“I was really surprised to hear Aris’s crying while walking…”
“Hehe~ Sorry…”
It was just a brief moment of imagination, but my mouth was already stretching into a smile. To not let others see it, I pressed my face against Remi’s embrace.
But not yet.
Not now.
In this vast world, no one mourns the death of an unknown person.
Why? Because they are strangers.
Because they are people I’ve never seen before. They’re not family.
Because they are not precious.
When I become a more precious person within them, when I reach a status that cannot be traded for anything else—
That’s when I want to die.
I am a devotee of tragedy, and I hold a desire in my heart that my life would be written as a tragedy.
I don’t want to be the protagonist of a mundane story that has no fun, emotion, or lesson, like a homeless person freezing to death by the roadside.
Nothing could be more despairing than that.
I’d much rather slowly age and die in this peaceful daily life.
Tug, tug, I pulled on Remi’s sleeve.
She looks at me. Remi is really pretty, as I often think.
She’d probably be even prettier when she cries.
“Let’s go to my room.”
“Eh…?”
“I saved some snacks for us to eat together…”
I mumbled that, as a compensation for the tag game we played earlier.
They’re really top-tier snacks made carefully by a chef, which are universally liked, but I didn’t think much of them.
I… don’t really have a good sense of taste.
To the extent that I didn’t even realize I had lost my senses back then.
At least I could feel some taste when I ate spicy peppers or peppercorns.
If I had to put it, it should be called sensation rather than taste.
Thanks to that, I don’t feel much attachment to the snacks I receive. Honestly, if you blindfolded me and had me taste mud cookies and cookies baked by chefs, I might not notice the difference. They’d be crunchy, and crumbs would fall to the ground.
Yup, they’re similar.
In fact, not only my sense of taste but the whole sensory perception of my body is a bit off. Well, maybe that’s unavoidable.
Due to continuous deaths, my mind might be fried, or maybe it’s like a disconnect between my soul and body? I don’t really know. I don’t want to know, either.
Knowing wouldn’t help me at all.
Right now, what matters most to me is the present.
Anyway, for that reason, I secretly stash away the snacks I receive and present them to snack-loving Remi Unnie.
Yup, Mom says just looking at them is enough to fill her up.
“..Okay! Let’s hurry and eat together!”
“Unnie… you’ll gain weight like that.”
“Ugh! D-Don’t poke me!”
—Squish
Enjoying the feel of Remi’s soft side, I headed toward my room.
Hmm… If I’m not careful, I might gain weight… Unnie…
Should I make her exercise…? Cut back on snacks…?
Oh, by the way, that face of Anna Unnie—
It was really nice.
It felt like someone did something to her, though.
How disrespectful, to my Unnie.
Should I take the time to investigate later?
If I catch her, I should give her some praise.
Just a stamp that says “You did well!” on her face.
I’ve explored countless worlds until now.
There were worlds of true fantasy, where beings of different races like dragons and elves lived and breathed, as well as fun worlds where demons and divine beings openly revealed themselves.
On the other hand, there were also worlds where humans dominated everything and enslaved other races, and conversely, places where humans were nearly exterminated.
In addition to that, there were worlds under absolute monarchy where power was concentrated, places with a strong feudal system where the lords held immense power, and others where the peasant revolts succeeded, establishing a republic.
Even if they share a similar worldview, the intricate details that make up those worlds are all unique.
“A book on… curses?”
“Yes! I’m curious! I want to see!”
“Oh my… Princess, you’re really something else.”
“Hehe~”
I came to the library. The friendly librarian, Tessa, spoke to me.
I loved her blue hair that reminded me of the ocean so much that I often asked if I could touch it.
It even had a bit of a sea scent to it.
At first, she was startled and bowed as soon as she realized I was a princess, but over the years, we became friendly enough that we almost spoke casually.
Well, if I worried about every little thing, I wouldn’t feel good.
The world is meant to be lived gently.
“Curses… well, if it’s Princess, you shouldn’t have any problems. It’s right over there, on the far left~”
“Thank you, Tessa~”
Interestingly, there were no mages in this world who shoot flames and turn the sky upside down.
That’s a bummer; isn’t a mage like the epitome of fantasy?
But in their place, there were sorcerers who made curses their livelihood.
To put it simply, think of them as mages who focus on curses and enhancement magic.
Because of that, while their recognition might be like a sewer, their usefulness means they cannot be overlooked by the country.
Curses.
Anna Unnie’s sudden change.
The gap is too wide to simply conclude that my predictions were wrong.
How many times do you think I’ve died in front of others—?
To write the script of tragedy, understanding the emotions of others is more important than anything else.
Not to brag, but I’m confident in reading other people’s feelings.
Though I’ve made mistakes in relationships sometimes…
Regardless, Anna Unnie’s behavior is related to my weaker areas.
Yandere is a no-go… They are the main culprits of route destruction…
So that means there’s definitely something.
“Curses… Mental Type… it’s the very last one. Chapter 14. Hmm.”
A girl researching mental-type magic in the dark corner of the library… how rare…
Honestly, I don’t think simply reading one or two of these books will allow me to grasp everything about curses.
It’s scary when someone hasn’t read anything at all, but the scariest is someone who has read just one book, right? There’s that saying.
Nevertheless, I should at least be able to find some clues.
What I’m looking for is a spell that causes a sudden change in personality, especially towards the negative.
Well, I’d prefer to be of help, but according to public perception, it’s about changing personality negatively.
Flap, the pages keep turning.
“Manipulation… rather than control, more like guidance, or subconscious. Hypnosis takes too long, so let’s pass.”
Though it’s called a curse, all things unrealistic eventually connect with magic, making it easy to comprehend.
It’s not that Anna Unnie behaved in ways she doesn’t have a personality or actions.
She definitely had inferiority complex towards me—and it just manifested violently through violence.
Then, did the spell prevent normal thoughts by triggering the subconscious or elevating emotional fluctuations?
Normal thinking…
“If this continues, Unnie will become the heir.”
Of course. As the direct descendant, it’s practically a given for the next throne.
The second-born, Remi Unnie, is always idle and has no desire to be a queen in the first place.
And I’m too young.
So there’s plenty of reason to target Anna Unnie.
This incident probably wasn’t aimed specifically at me. There’s no reason, nor would it benefit anyone.
This would just be a side venture, right?
To shake Anna Unnie’s sanity and cook her to their liking, some fool’s scheme.
And I got caught up in it.
“Huh… this is boring…”
“Princess Aris? What? Did you finish reading that already?”
“Yep…..”
Thud, I passed the book to Tessa and exited the library.
Really, no excitement, no fun.
—Dull-witted
Magic that affects the mind is high-level magic in itself, and thus, casting it is very difficult.
Just casting it once doesn’t mean it will stick easily. It has to be continuously infused through some medium.
Things that need to be kept on one’s person.
Underwear, clothes, or accessories.
“Hmm, could it be?”
I heard that a recent duke gifted earrings made from black pearls.
Perhaps she liked it, as Unnie often wore it in her right ear.
Since it went undetected, it likely started as an ordinary earring at first and was secretly swapped for a cursed one at some point.
Aiming to conduct a subtle training during her undeveloped childhood, perhaps.
Oh dear.
The Duke didn’t see that I called dibs first.
If he didn’t anticipate it, what would it mean for Unnie’s state to be far more precarious than he thought?
Since cracks have already started forming like this.
At this rate, it’s just a matter of time before she gets caught. Hmm.
“Ugh…..”
I began recalculating. In addition to gently poking Unnie on the side, I’ll add the effects of the mind-altering curse to her.
In my muddled memories, I’ve faced situations like this before. In fact, quite a few, and I’ve used this approach several times.
Tag, Mind Break. Super fun!
Since the time I initially had lined up was about five years…. um…
Maybe one, two years? Or if it’s short, it might be only a year left.
Until the explosion.
Boom~!
“Hehe!”
Ah, this is going to be really fun.
Turning unexpected situations into a script instead.
That’s the hallmark of a pro director.
So then, how will I cook this up?
