The Curse Button and the Unforeseen Tears
Idel smiled faintly as she noticed Sigmund's expression twisting.
"This is..."
"Don't touch it carelessly. It could be a trap."
This happened often in the Crow's Nest.
People would leave cursed valuables along the paths people used and sell antidotes to those who touched them.
It was the same for anything that shouldn't fall into another's hands.
And this black mage's case was enough to count as such.
So, at the sight of the cuff button, Sigmund recalled the spells he could use...
Nothing suitable.
He couldn't use the spells he knew because of insufficient mana, and the ones he could use were too hard to control.
The realization that he couldn't do anything made his pride sting, and Sigmund bit his lip tightly.
Idel glanced at Sigmund's face, pretending not to know, and looked down again.
"Well, if that's the case, it would be better not to touch it and just watch. If he leaves a trace, he might come back. Come check."
"...Yeah."
Sigmund, squatting opposite Idel, stared intently at the cuff button.
To observe the small object without touching it, their heads met in the middle.
"A pattern I've never seen. Have you seen it before?"
"Ah, um..."
Idel subtly furrowed her brows at Sigmund's question.
'Strange... Have I seen something like this before?'
The pattern was unfamiliar in memory yet felt familiar. As if she had seen similar things.
'Similar things?'
Idel lowered her upper body further to stare at the cuff button and let out a small exclamation.
It wasn't the exact same cuff button, but she was sure she had seen something like it before.
'Papa, that is, the day of Duke Lopez's funeral.'
Once she grasped the clue, everything became easy. Idel began to revive memories she had forgotten.
When the coffin was being placed, people in black clothes came to pay respects one by one, and Melissa...
'Goodbye, darling. I... will entrust it to you.'
Melissa had placed a necklace with this pattern on the coffin and kissed it last.
Just as Sigmund was about to say something in the lengthening silence, Idel continued with a complicated expression.
"This pattern... seems related to our mom?"
"That's real?"
"Yeah. It looks like the one I saw at Dad's funeral... but..."
Just as she answered without thinking.
Idel suddenly realized that Sigmund wasn't even moving his lips in front of her. His gaze was also turned sideways.
Hearing Sigmund's muffled sound, Idel turned her head and saw the man staring at her. She let out a scream without realizing it.
"Ack...! W-what are you...!"
"You didn't missee or misunderstand. It's true, customer?"
"...Eh? Viled?"
Hearing the word 'customer', Idel's heart settled, and looking again, it was indeed Viled. His appearance without the disguise was different from the restaurant.
"Ah, you startled me... How long have you been here?"
"That's not important. I wish you'd answered quickly."
Unlike usual, his serious expression and tone made Idel's heart, which had been racing, calm down.
She took a deep breath and nodded, looking straight at him.
"If you're asking about the relationship between the pattern and Mom, then yes. That's right."
"...I see. So, have you heard what this pattern is?"
"Ah, no?"
"... "
Complex emotions rose and fell over Viled's green eyes facing each other in the void.
Viled lightly stroked his face with one hand, then sighed.
"I know. Leave that there and let's both go. It's dangerous here."
"What? Wait! It's over with just saying that?"
Sigmund, stopping his master, opened his mouth with a displeased expression.
"From what he's saying, it seems the master knows something. Since this pattern is related to that curse, shouldn't we be told too?"
Hearing Sigmund's point, Viled turned back to him.
Perhaps because his disciple's calm attitude was amusing, Viled let out a small laugh and gestured with his finger to keep quiet.
"Quiet down, you troublemakers. If I said not to come, you should have listened. As soon as I turned my back, you jumped in?"
"Ugh, no, that's..."
"If you know you did wrong, stop for now."
The previous serious atmosphere had vanished, but Viled's tone was firm.
Following his silent order to come quickly, Sigmund and Idel exchanged glances. They had nothing to say even if they had ten mouths.
The two silently followed him, just like the first time they were caught by Viled fighting in the alley.
Of course, only on the surface.
'The problem child... Since we got the clue, it's fine.'
'What... Because I took the risk, I got the reward, right?'
Without realizing they had the same thought, the two returned to the banquet hall and faced a scene as startling as the cuff button that had suddenly fallen.
"Idel, where, snivel! Where did you go!"
Jayanna's beautifully dressed hood was nowhere to be seen, and she stood with a pale, tear-streaked face.
The child clutching his hands tightly while looking at her was sniffling soundlessly.
'W-what...'
She thought she would be surprised because she suddenly disappeared, but she hadn't imagined it would make her cry so much.
Idel, genuinely panicked for the first time in a long time, reflexively looked at Diane, but it was useless.
Diane's state was no different from Jayanna's.
As Idel saw her about to burst into tears, she closed her eyes tightly. Jayanna exhaled heavily and spoke.
"You, snivel, you asked where I went, didn't you. You went to find that bad magician?"
"...Eh? Ah, yes."
"Then, why, why didn't you let me follow?"
"Because Sigmund was there... and you didn't need to go that badly?"
It wasn't a place where danger could be ignored.
Idel reflexively answered without wiping away the tears rolling down her cheeks.
In that moment, she realized what her words would sound like as Jayanna's expression twisted into a frown.
A child's thin, wailing cry came from Jayanna's mouth.
"...Hiiing, snivel! Heeeeeng!"
"No, that's not..."
"I'm, snivel, I'm afraid you'll disappear again, ah! Even though I said this time I'd do it, if it's dangerous... hwaaing!"
'This time I said I'd do it?'
Idel blinked in confusion at the meaning, then let out a small sound.
'Ah, she's talking about when I left the duchy.'
When I told her to come to the hideout while lending her clothes.
'Coincidentally, Jayanna also encouraged me to help Ivan this time.'
Only now did Idel understand why Jayanna was crying until she could hardly breathe.
'I thought it wouldn't be a big deal...'
Her thinking was short.
Because of the fixed image of the original novel's sunshine female lead and her usual bright demeanor, she thought she wouldn't care about such things.
'The kid is just a child.'
Idel bit her lower lip slightly and was about to reach out unconsciously when Jayanna, sobbing bitterly, lifted her head and glared at Idel.
This was the first negative look Jayanna had given Idel.
"And why, why do you treat me and her differently? I'm your 'sister' and she's...! Idel, do you like her more than me? If she has someone, then I, I'll go together, snivel! I won't need to go if I can't keep up?"
"...What are you saying now."
Sigmund, hearing Jayanna's words, got annoyed and curled up with a goosebump expression. Because most of the actions with Idel weren't out of his own will.
'Ah, I should have recognized them at the shop.'
What kind of thing is this between two sniffling kids.
"This time, I won't just give up! Hwiuk! I won't give in either!"
"..."
"Idel is a dumb little dog! Me, me too, I'll disappear! Idel, you stay with her! Don't follow!"
Jayanna turned her body after saying that. But her footsteps seemed hesitant as she turned. Diane gave Idel a strong look and urged her.
'Idel-nim...!'