Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Repayment
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“Oppa...?”
The man who had saved Lenia from that illusion shone brighter than any other in her hazy memories. He was the precious person who had painted her colorless life, which she thought would end in suffering, with brilliant light.
She knew she had developed feelings for Kyle while living with him. Otherwise, that incident in the garden never would have happened.
But Lenia had to hide those emotions. If she became lovers with Kyle, she felt it would betray the man who had saved her in the past. And yet...
“Yeah. It’s Oppa. The Johnny Oppa you were looking for.”
Right now, she stared up at him in a daze at the words Kyle uttered while holding her. She had never told that name to anyone else, so it should have been a secret known only to her.
“How... how do you know that name... Kyle?”
He hadn’t planned to reveal his identity like this, but things had gone this far, so there was no helping it. Kyle quietly met her gaze.
“The Spencer family. Right?”
As the name of the family she had once served slipped from his lips, blue tears welled up in Lenia’s eyes. The reunion she had waited for so long was happening in a place she never could have imagined.
And the man who had saved her had been by her side all along. He had rescued her from danger time and again.
“Why... why didn’t you tell me...?”
A voice laced with resentment escaped her lips. Thinking back, Kyle had always been a strange man. He acted like he knew everything about her, and he did things that others would have demanded payment for countless times without asking for anything in return.
The twist that the person she thought was a new love was actually her first love completely clouded her judgment. Now, no one could change her feelings, no matter how deeply they ran.
She would believe anything Kyle said—even if he claimed red beans could make soybean paste. Lenia’s love burned fiercely. Tears streaming down her face, she clung to Kyle.
“Oppa... Oppa...”
Crying her heart out like a baby, Lenia latched onto Kyle. Meanwhile, Hilia, who had watched the whole scene from the side, bit her lip hard.
‘Lady Cligrove and Viscount Lucas?’
From her perspective, detached from the context, it was bewildering. She had thought they were just lord and vassal, but they were practically lovers.
But seeing them embrace, she felt a pang in her chest. An intensely unpleasant feeling washed over her too.
‘Making things so confusing...!’
Hilia kicked the ground in frustration, grumbling inwardly. This made her look like she was trying to seduce a taken man, as if she were the woman attempting an affair.
“Viscount, I’ll wait over there.”
Forgetting even to mind her speech, Hilia bit her lip and hurriedly left the spot. Neither Lenia nor Kyle paid her any attention.
“Why didn’t you tell me? If you had said so from the start...”
“I didn’t know at first. And after I found out, I wanted to tell you once I reached a similar position. I couldn’t just become your Oppa and leech off my little sister, could I?”
“You’re alive... you’re alive... that’s all that matters...”
As she said this, tears flowing, Lenia wrapped her arms around Kyle’s neck and pulled him down. Just like that time in the garden.
“Don’t call me Oppa in front of others. Remember, we’re lord and vassal.”
“But...”
“Lenia. Listen to me. If personal feelings ruin our relationship, the territory’s rules will crumble.”
I earnestly warned Lenia that we had to maintain our lord-vassal relationship. Given her actions so far, she’d probably manage, but I said it precisely because I knew her past.
“Let’s keep things casual like this only when we’re alone. Got it?”
No longer a child, she was now a proud noblewoman. She nodded, her expression returning to its usual stoic one.
“Kyle.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Thank you for helping me.”
Those words carried layers of meaning. The past and present. And even further back. Smiling, I took her hand.
“I’ll escort you, my lady. And... you’ve grown splendidly.”
“Ahem... praise... thank you.”
We smiled at each other, then composed our expressions. Looking at Hilia, I said,
“What just happened is a secret. Understood? I trust you won’t blab.”
Our actions must have shocked her so much; her demeanor was utterly deflated. Still, she promised to keep the secret.
With that secret matter settled, we returned to where the others waited.
“My lord! I’ve found something!”
The first to rush to me upon our return was Oliver. He glanced around before whispering cautiously.
“This place is the source of a primal curse.”
“Primal curse?”
“It means a curse made without any proper system. Normal magic or black magic has a structure, but this has none. It was probably made in a very crude way.”
“What exactly does that entail?”
Oliver grimaced briefly at my question.
“For example... offering sacrifices. Virgins, newborns, children. Killing whatever’s considered ‘pure’ here willy-nilly creates a curse even from bare ground.”
Doesn’t that mean anyone could spam curses? If they’re powerful enough. But he shook his head, saying it wasn’t that simple.
A curse without structure was like shooting arrows into the void. No one knew who it would hit. And usually, it bounced back to the closest being—the curser themselves.
“I see. So, what’s the solution?”
Lenia, who had been listening quietly, asked. Oliver flipped through his book, his expression brightening slightly.
“Curse of this type are actually easy to resolve, it says. Since they’re made of grudges, just release the grudges!”
He had identified the curse type and its resolution. No reason to hesitate. I led the mercenaries deeper into the cave.
I worried we might see illusions again, but luckily, those who’d been hit once seemed immune. Chewing the flower Oliver gave us like gum, we quickly reached a new chamber.
And that chamber... was utterly revolting.
“Urk!”
“Bleeech!”
The space reeked of rotting corpses and foul blood, making the weak-stomached vomit. I barely held back the bile rising in my throat.
But aside from the stench, there was only a single black heart inside. Pulsing like a living creature’s. Every beat released waves of nauseating odor, making even standing a chore.
[It hurts...]
[Kill me...]
On top of that, hallucination-like voices echoed throughout the cavern. Likely from those sacrificed to create it. I turned to Oliver.
“How do we release the grudges?”
“Since it was made with virgin sacrifices, we comfort them. This is a flower from the wild cherry tree, symbolizing country maiden. Stick it in that heart.”
He pulled a flower from his pocket and handed it to me.
“Ah! Take this too. A vial with morning dew and earnest prayer. Insert the flower, then sprinkle this on top.”
I took them and approached the heart. The mercenaries raised hands to volunteer, but I shook my head. No need for unnecessary casualties.
I can’t watch a dutiful taxpayer die. Each one is money, after all. Touched, they murmured among themselves regardless of the process.
“As expected of the lord!”
“He even thinks of the likes of us...”
Yeah. Live long and pay lots of taxes.
Thump! Thump!
The heartbeat sounded right in front of me; I was close now. A faint light began emanating from the vial Oliver gave me. And finally.
Squelch!
I stabbed the flower into the heart. It throbbed even faster. Seeing the ominous reaction, I hurriedly uncorked the vial and poured its contents over the flower. The white, fluffy bloom glowed brightly and got sucked into the heart.
The pulsing black heart stopped as if by magic. The cave fell silent.
In the hush, the voices returned—not the hateful, pained tones from before, but calm ones.
“Who killed you?”
The voices answered in unison. The killer was Count Sarisa.
Formed of white light, they extended hands to me.
A small stone was placed in my hand. Nothing special except its pure white color. An ordinary pebble. But with its curse-blocking power, I pocketed it swiftly.
“Ahem! I didn’t save you expecting repayment, but... if you’re giving, I’ll gratefully accept.”
As I took the stone, they smiled faintly and spoke. Their refined tone was hard to believe came from country maidens.
With those words, the souls faded into the air. Simultaneously, the stable cave shook violently.
Crack!
Seeing cracks form in the walls, I yelled urgently.
“The cave’s collapsing! Get out, now!”
“My lord!”
We bolted in panic, but the trembling cave, which seemed ready to crumble any second, held until everyone was out. It stopped shaking only after the last mercenary emerged, as if on purpose.
“Thought we were goners!”
Oliver panted. He offered that with a few soldiers, he’d purify the lingering curse energy completely.
“Purify? Isn’t the curse gone?”
“No! It lingered so long and thick that traces remain in the ground! Leave it, and magic beasts will keep spawning...”
I raised a hand to silence him. What did I just hear? Magic beasts keep spawning?
“Magic beasts keep spawning? Tell me more.”