Chapter 19
The Curse of Bianca.
The Doll With Eyes.
The curse that stole Bianca’s emotions was one she had faced since birth.
Kraush needed that curse to defeat the lunacy caused by world erosion.
He had been tirelessly working to unlock her dial until just a few days ago when he finally opened her first dial.
It was an incredible achievement, but the issue lay with the second dial.
“What the heck is this?”
The second dial he confirmed with Bianca left Kraush feeling utterly perplexed.
[Become “the most cherished person” for Bianca.]
The phrase “most cherished person” could mean different things—parents, children, friends, or lovers to different individuals.
It was a definition that was quite tricky.
However, the reason Kraush felt lost upon seeing it was quite different.
While he might qualify as a friend — what about someone who lacked emotions like Bianca? That made the title of “most cherished person” way more complicated than he thought.
“I can’t be her parent or child.”
He knew he couldn’t easily secure those two roles that come with such titles.
That left “lover” as the only somewhat viable option.
Ironically, Kraush had already achieved that to a certain degree.
After all, he and Bianca were officially betrothed as arranged by their families.
But engagement and romance are entirely different things.
Above all, love inherently involves emotions.
And for someone like Bianca, who was devoid of feelings, love was out of the question.
Kraush couldn’t shake off the discomfort.
No matter how he looked at it, having to charm a twelve-year-old kid was quite off-putting.
“What a headache.”
He remembered that back when he had stolen Bianca’s curse, there hadn’t been conditions like this.
But of course, it made sense — the requirements of the dial reflected the life experiences of the individual.
The Bianca of then was different from the Bianca of now.
Right now, her instincts were intact, which was fine, but he would inevitably need her curse someday.
His worries were suffocating.
Flap flap!
At that moment, Kraush heard the sound of flapping wings outside the window.
Opening it casually, a raven flew in.
It was none other than Crimson Garden August.
Her minion.
“Ah, looks like the kid has taken quite a liking to me. Can’t seem to let me go easily.”
She had come over because of Bianca.
As it turned out, Bianca liked animals a lot.
Whenever she saw Kraush’s Crimson Garden, she would cautiously follow her around and once she realized the bird didn’t flee, she adored her immensely.
Thanks to that, Kraush now felt that Bianca followed Crimson Garden more than him.
“Seems it’s easier for you, Crim, than it is for me.”
Becoming “the most cherished person” for Bianca might be more accessible for Crimson Garden.
Should he disguise himself as a raven, perhaps? He mused, but instead, Crimson Garden glared at Kraush with her beady eyes.
“Don’t call me Crim.”
“But Bianca calls you that all the time.”
“That girl doesn’t know anything else.”
Well, that was true.
“By the way, a carriage is coming outside.”
Upon hearing that, Kraush nodded.
It seemed Darling was on her way.
‘Aleriod will be thrilled.’
Despite everything, Kraush felt a sense of pride as Crimson Garden perched itself on his shoulder and he began to leave the room.
At that moment, urgent footsteps echoed from the stairs.
The owner of those footsteps was none other than Aleriod.
Kraush thought to himself that he must have already heard about the remedy.
“Aleriod…”
“K-Kraush Young Master!”
Unlike usual, Aleriod’s voice was frantic and stammering.
Seeing his pale face, Kraush tilted his head.
Something was definitely off.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t Darling here?”
Aleriod shook his head vigorously.
Was there any other reason for someone to come looking for him?
As he noticed the beads of sweat collecting on Aleriod’s forehead, the momentary panic rose.
“It’s… it’s the Master!”
“Huh?”
“The Master has arrived!”
The thunderous news struck Kraush like lightning.
He froze in place.
The Master — who could that possibly be?
There was only one person in the world Aleriod would refer to as Master.
The Heavenly Four Strong
The Martial Emperor
Balrok Balheim
The very embodiment of Balheim had appeared at Green Pine Hall.
As Kraush began to process the reality, he slowly raised his head to see Aleriod’s face, now stark white and filled with dread.
‘Why’s Father here?’
Why had he come to Green Pine Hall?
The answer was simple.
“…Insane.”
He blurted out an expletive he had been trying to curtail lately.
Why?
Because Kraush had directly summoned him.
Could it be that his mother had relayed everything to Father without discretion?
As a mild headache set in, Kraush felt the wings of Crimson Garden, which had been perched on his shoulder, flutter away.
Wobbling off, it looked like it was trying to escape.
Of course, if it was his father, he could probably see through Crimson Garden’s true identity, so it made sense.
“…Where is the Master?”
“For now, he’s in the reception room.”
Kraush straightened his tie.
He made sure to check his attire as well.
Nothing to get caught on.
Confirming that, Kraush looked at Aleriod.
Aleriod nodded in agreement.
“No need for tea and snacks. The Master doesn’t eat. Tell the maid not to bother him in the reception room.”
“Understood.”
Leaving Aleriod to follow orders impeccably, Kraush started walking.
His destination was, naturally, the reception room where Balrok awaited.
Each step brought a new wave of tension.
If it had been in the past, he might have fled by now, but he found himself at the reception room door.
For some reason, the reception room felt colossal today.
KNOCK KNOCK—
“Master, this is Kraush Balheim.”
“Come in.”
As soon as he announced himself, he heard a response from inside.
He must have sensed Kraush’s presence already.
Gingerly taking hold of the doorknob, Kraush pushed it open.
Illuminated inside, he saw a figure with hair identical to his own.
With bangs falling right to his forehead, those eyes sparkled with a hint of blue as they calmly focused on the table.
Simultaneously, those eyes slowly lifted.
At that moment, Kraush felt an electric shock running down his spine.
There was a mountain there.
A distant mountain that felt entirely out of reach no matter how high he looked.
This was the true meaning of overwhelming presence.
A being that transcended the limits of humanity, having reached demigod status.
Balrok Balheim.
In that instant, Kraush realized the gravity of standing before him.
And he understood that the meager strength he possessed was still miles away from what he needed.
‘Still a monster, huh?’
Kraush swallowed hard and composed himself.
“I greet the Master of Balheim.”
Having returned to the past, meeting him again was for the first time.
Thus, feeling dry-mouthed, Balrok opened his mouth.
“Sit.”
Kraush immediately adjusted his posture and settled into the chair across from him.
Having a direct audience with the Master was a privilege reserved for the direct lineage.
But Kraush, who was least able to adapt to this privilege, glanced at Balrok as his mouth began to open slowly.
“I heard you encountered world erosion for the first time.”
How he knew he was dealing with world erosion while in the Golden Realm baffled Kraush.
Whether it was his mother or someone else, he answered promptly.
“Yes, I just returned from there.”
“How was it?”
“What do you mean how was it?”
“What was it like?”
What a ridiculous question.
Kraush had affirmed the ugliness of Velokin, grasped the path of the immortals, and even stole skills for the very first time.
For Kraush, it was a triumphant victory.
But how would Balrok view his actions?
He could reflect on how he had led his brother into a trap, revealing his true nature and then proceeded to kill him, wrapping it up as a noble sacrifice.
On top of that, even after stealing his brother’s skills, he had allied with a world eroder.
Kraush felt the weight of possibilities.
No one knew how far Balrok’s insight reached.
After all, the man had transcended to a half-god, and quite possibly possessed the divine eye.
Therefore, he decided to speak openly about his feelings.
“Honestly, it wasn’t all that terrifying.”
As he faced the impending doom that Velokin represented, Kraush reflected that he was far more unimpressive than he used to believe.
He had once feared that Velokin, the man who had tormented him so mercilessly, was just an unfortunate soul crushed beneath the weight of a star called Charlotte.
Thus, seeing him again, Kraush felt nothing but pity rather than fear.
“I see.”
Balrok replied rather curtly.
They say half-gods are quite distant from the emotions that bind humanity.
And indeed, he bore a hardened expression, despite not being cursed like Bianca.
“That’s good.”
Suddenly, Balrok stood up.
Kraush was startled and swiftly followed suit.
“Did you come here just to say that?”
“Yes, that’s all. I’ve gathered enough information.”
What could he possibly have gleaned from their conversation moments ago, Kraush wondered, feeling utterly perplexed, but Balrok seemed to have come to a conclusion.
“I’m returning to the Golden Realm.”
Balrok said it as casually as one would announce a stroll through the park.
But that didn’t mean he could block the path of the Master.
Kraush could do nothing but bow his head as Balrok prepared to leave.
And indeed, he truly departed without even stepping into the main family estate.
Is this really alright? Kraush thought. There was no one within the Balheim family who dared to oppose the Master’s will.
With the storm of emotion passing, Kraush swept his bangs back.
Man, suddenly feels like my lifespan has just shorted considerably.
As he pondered the meaning behind the encounter, he spotted another carriage outside the window.
Seeing the emblem of Danpellion on the carriage, he couldn’t help but sigh.
“Should’ve come sooner.”
He found himself internalizing his frustration towards Darling, who was about to arrive.
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