“The advice came from the White Witch, who possesses the power to counter the Black Witch.”
“Witches see countless paths ahead. Perhaps she knew from the beginning that I would take on the curse.”
But the plans of others didn’t really matter. What mattered was the Duke’s happiness, because his happiness was my happiness.
“Why would you…?”
“Once, long ago, the Duke spoke to me. He listened to my stories with such joy. It’s strange, I remember everything I talked about, but I can’t recall his voice or face at all. All that’s left in my memory is that beautiful mask.”
“All because of that?”
“Yes, that small moment saved me. He showed me that even a child abandoned by their family has a place in this world.”
Despite being hailed as the hero who saved the nation, the Duke never stepped into the public eye. If there was something I could do for such a man, I would even give my life.
“Tell me how to transfer the curse to me. Come on!”
I pushed Larry with such intensity that I had him on the backfoot, but I stopped when we received news of an unexpected visitor.
* * *
The person in the drawing room was none other than my recently married sister. Despite being in the prime of her happiness, her face looked pale. As soon as she saw me, she began saying something unbelievable.
“Sister, please, can you return home and help us with things?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m married into the Duke’s household now. I can’t go back to take care of family errands.”
“But your marriage with the Duke is in name only, right? I heard from one of the maids. You’ve been acting like a servant, trying to catch the Duke’s attention? And since he’s ignoring you, you’ve resorted to talking to yourself every day? How pathetic.”
But I do spend time with Larry. Maybe the servants are so well-trained they don’t even acknowledge him?
“What about the heir training?”
“I can’t do what I’m not capable of. It was supposed to be your responsibility, but you suddenly left.”
“And knowing that, you still went ahead and swapped fiancés?”
“Stop being unreasonable. If you quietly help out, everything will go smoothly like before.”
I held back my desire to point out who was really being unreasonable and let out a small sigh.
“Besides, isn’t this what you want too? You can help out the man you once loved. I mean, he’s my husband now, but I wouldn’t mind lending him to you every now and then.”
Her outrageous suggestion made my blood boil. Even if I was just a figurehead, I was still the Duke’s wife. I didn’t want to endure any misunderstandings or insults.
“Do you not understand why I agreed to your marriage in the first place?”
“Because we stole him from you?”
“No. I sincerely wished for your happiness.”
“You’re lying. You were trembling with such a terrible expression.”
“I was trembling because I was desperately holding back from shouting, ‘Woo-hoo! A broken engagement, just like in all those novels, yay!’ Imagine how crazy that would’ve sounded.”
“…What are you even saying, Sister?”
“You two are a perfect match, that’s what I’m saying.”
I clenched my fists, not to punch anyone, but to keep myself from raising them in triumph. I had been trembling, not from fear, but from suppressing my laughter. I had covered my face, not out of sorrow, but to hide my grin. And the awkward smile I had shown? That was me trying my hardest not to start fangirling.
“Then why did you scream when you heard about your engagement to the cursed Duke?”
“Because I’m going to marry the man I admire! How could I possibly stay calm? I might even die from the joy!”
“Sister?”
“My beloved is under the same roof as me. I can breathe the same air and serve him to my heart’s content. And on top of that, he might even say something swoon-worthy, like ‘I will never love you.’ It’s a complete reward for me—pure happiness!”
The sight of my sister’s jaw dropping was so amusing that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Were you always this much of a fool, Sister?”
“Oh, you didn’t know?”
“I have a question for you as well.”
Larry, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, now stepped in with a serious expression on his face.
“What did you mean by ‘No, no, no, no! That’s impossible! It can’t be true—I might just die!’?”
“What else could it possibly mean besides ‘I love him too much, and I’m going to explode from excitement and emotion’?”
Surprised by Larry’s unusually intense reaction, I replied with what was obvious to me, completely ignoring my sister’s confused expression.
“So that’s what it was about…”
“Why is Larry blushing?”
Perhaps he was at an age where hearing about other people’s infatuations made him embarrassed.
“I plan to live happily as a decorative wife for the rest of my life, so give it up already.”
“Stop joking around! Now you’re even putting on some weird one-person show! If you don’t help us, we’re in serious trouble. Fine—how about financial support? I’ll do anything! I’ll even take on the Duke’s curse if it means you’ll help us!”
—You won’t take those words back, will you?—
“Huh?”
I froze in place. The moment that broken voice interrupted us, my sister vanished from the room without a trace.
* * *
“So, that’s how the witch decided to play it, huh?”
“Wait, Larry—why are you suddenly laughing? It’s kind of scary.”
“I won’t be sending Joan back to her family. After all, how could I possibly let go of someone who recognized me, despite being cursed, and embraced me with so much love?”
“What are you even talking about? The only person I admire is the Duke. And speaking of which, my sister just disappeared—do you know anything about that?”
As I spoke and looked up at the steward, I gasped. How had I not realized it before? His long, glossy hair, those brilliant violet eyes... Even with the striking mask covering his face, the Duke’s appearance wasn’t at all different from Larry’s.
“…Duke?”
“It seems the curse has truly been transferred.”
“What? How come I couldn’t recognize you as the Duke? You haven’t changed at all.”
“Let me explain the curse of the Black Witch.”
According to the Duke, the Black Witch had once been excluded from a princess’s birthday celebration in the kingdom. Bitter from being ignored, she cursed the land, saying that people would no longer be able to recognize each other easily.
“So, she basically forced you into being invisible?”
“Not only invisible—people couldn’t hear my voice, and their memories of me faded over time. That makes it even crueler.”
“Why did you end up with such a curse?”
“She had intended to curse the entire kingdom, actually.”
“!”
I shuddered, imagining what would happen if a country ceased to be recognized. The thought chilled me to the core. How lonely must he have been, bearing such a massive curse alone? The Duke’s achievements, which I had read about, might have been the king’s way of ensuring that some record of him would remain, a small act of kindness.
“Why didn’t the witch transfer the curse to me?”
“It’s the usual trope—the curse can be broken by true love. If the curse were lifted, the witch would lose her fun. She’s likely quite pleased now, having found a new ‘toy.’”
“So, if my sister hadn’t said something so foolish, none of this would have happened.”
“It’s her own doing, but she is still your sister. Let’s ask for the White Witch’s help.”
With that, Larry—or rather, the Duke—produced two masks out of thin air. They had designs I’d never seen before—one mask featured a man with a puckered mouth, and the other a woman with narrow eyes.
“This is my farewell gift to you. Although, it’s really the White Witch who prepared them.”
When my sister put on the strange mask, we could finally see her again. She was stomping her feet and making quite the commotion.
Despite the racket she was making, none of us had been able to hear her before.
“It seems she was even trying to attack me earlier, but once the curse takes hold, it renders any physical interference impossible.”
What a miserable, living nightmare.
“What is this ridiculous mask? You expect me to live wearing this absurd thing?”
“Actually, your husband will be wearing one too. It’s a symbol of household prosperity and marital harmony in an eastern island nation. Both masks bring good luck.”
“Enough with the jokes! I refuse!”
“That’s perfectly fine. However, if you choose not to wear it, you’ll become even harder to recognize, and eventually, you may fade away entirely. But that’s up to you.”
With that, the Duke swiftly threw my sister out of the estate.
* * *
It seems that my sister and her husband have been focusing on heir training at the family estate. Once, when they tried to sneak out, things took a disastrous turn because even their own family could no longer recognize them.
Wearing their masks to tea parties and evening gatherings only made them objects of ridicule. After all, the only memorable thing about them was the foreign, holy masks they wore. Both my sister and my former fiancé, who had been pampered all their lives, found it unbearable to be treated so lightly.
As for the Duke and me…
“You wanted it so badly, didn’t you?”
“I told you, forget about that!”
I was practically yelling, as he handed me his used shirts and nightclothes. The last thing I wanted was to remember the perverted things I’d blurted out in front of him. Just kill me now.
“If you’re going to die, then I suppose I can do whatever I please with that life, right?”
“The Duke is here to kill me.”
“I could give you sheets or even my undergarments, if you’d like.”
“B-but?”
“Why should I offer you substitutes when the real thing is right here?”
The Duke’s lips curled into a smile as he pulled me into a tight embrace.
“I’ve been waiting long enough. Now, let me return the love you’ve shown me.”
“No, I can’t—it’s the middle of the day!”
“Ah, I see. You’re saying ‘No, no,’ but you mean ‘Yes,’ don’t you?”
“Aaaaahhhhh!”
I thought I had a strong love for my idol, but it seems I’m no match for the Duke, whose intense love is far heavier than mine.
[The End]
1 Comments
😂 stupid sister
ReplyDeleteThanks for the translation 😸