MLCDF 66

~Chapter 66~

“P-presents?”

“Yes.”

Damien’s face was unusually full of expectation.
It seemed he was confident I would like whatever he had prepared.

“That thing you’re carrying on your shoulder… is that the present?”

“That’s right.”

In contrast to his bright smile, his entire body was covered in blood. He set down the squirming thing from his shoulder onto the floor.

With a thud, the human-like thing hit the ground and let out a sharp scream from the impact.

A person?

When the figure sluggishly lifted its head, I froze with wide eyes.

“A curse?”

A clear aura of curse energy was flowing from this unfamiliar being.
Its pitch-black hair was so long it reached its feet—no normal human could grow it that long.

[ Creak… creeeak… ]

And that cry!
The exact same sound as the virgin ghost from the horror movie I’d seen in my past life. I covered my mouth.

“Damien, don’t tell me…!”

“That’s right.”

With a grin, Damien pushed the limp curse closer to me.

“It’s the traditional crying virgin ghost curse you said you wanted to see three days ago.”

A few days ago, Damien and I had been talking about our shared love for horror.

We had complained that modern ghost stories focused too much on shock value, losing the charm of classic horror.
We’d imagined a traditional ghost—a long-haired woman whose face, when revealed, contrasted her frightening appearance with delicate beauty.
I’d also said it would be even better if she made the high-pitched creak-creak sound like a real ghost.

The curse before me matched exactly what I’d described.

“You… remembered what I said?”

“Of course. I remember everything Ruby says.”

Damien sat the struggling curse upright.

“Otherwise, you might ask for a divorce again like last time.”

Alarmed, I waved my hands quickly.
“T-that time, I really thought you hated me—”

“I know. I’m joking.”

With a smirk, he added,
“Still, I’ll keep giving you presents. Just in case.”

“There’s no need to go that far…”

Honestly, living in this huge horror mansion without needing to step outside was already the best gift in life.

[ Creak, creeeeak… ]

The curse kept making the desperate sound, exactly as I’d imagined.

“Damien, what’s its rank?”

“Mid-rank. But it’s docile and doesn’t attack first.”

“So… it can attack.”

Was that why he was covered in blood?
“Did you get hurt?”

“Oh, no. It’s not my blood.”

“I see.”

“And it won’t attack anyone anymore.”

Damien’s cold, sharp gaze fell on the curse.
The poor thing froze and began trembling.

“How… did you bring it here?”

“Not by violence—well… I persuaded it.”

It definitely sounded more like persuasion with fists.

“Mid-rank curses can be unpredictable. I couldn’t leave it in the city, and since it matched your request, I tracked it down and collected it myself.”

Collected, he said.

[ Creak, creeeak! ]

Unable to bear Damien’s terrifying aura, the curse crawled toward me.

[ Creak-creak! ]

It clung to my legs, staring at me with pleading eyes as if begging me to save it from Damien.

Though it could only make the sound, I understood its meaning:
[ Please, take me away from this crazy man. He’s insane. ]

Tears welled in its eyes as it seemed to say,
[ I’ll do anything. Just take me with you. ]

Something inside me switched on.

Memories of being ignored and bitten by low-rank curses flashed through my mind.
And now… one was begging me to take it?

Perfect.

I bent down toward the crying curse.
“Alright, I’ll take you. Don’t worry.”

[ Creak…! ]

It cried tears of relief.

Holding it close, I whispered to Damien,

“Damien, I really think marrying you was the best decision I ever made.”

Maybe that’s why Damien blushed and looked away.
“M-marrying… Don’t say things like that… What if I can’t hold back later at night…”

“Huh?”

“Ahem, nothing.”

Clearing his throat, he came closer.
“Anyway, if you need anything—curse, art supplies, whatever—I’ll get it for you.”

“I’m fine. I’m already so happy.”

Damien smiled faintly.
“That’s good to hear.”

Looking at that smile and his gaze, I realized again:

Damien doesn’t hate me.

If he did, he wouldn’t go out of his way to capture a mid-rank curse just for me.

For the first time, I thought,

I can really stay here with everyone.

That there was a place for me, even after my secret was exposed.

“A new resident? Again?” Alice puffed out her cheeks.

“This mansion’s huge, but it still feels cramped because of all these curses!”

Damien calmly replied, “You’re not the one managing them. I am.”

“But the newbies have no sense! It’s frustrating.”

Elliot tried to calm her down.
“They’re all newer than us. Of course they’re clumsy.”

“Ugh, whatever!” Alice bared her teeth at the newcomer.
“Hey, newbie! Step into our territory and I’ll rip all your hair out!”

The poor curse, now my art model, flinched.

“Don’t bully Kkiggi,” I said.
It had no name, so I’d named it after its creak sound.

“Kkiggi, you’re so pretty. Tilt your head a bit to the right?”

[ Creak! ]

Wearing a flower crown, Kkiggi modeled perfectly—calm, still, and with a delicate beauty whenever her face peeked through her hair.

Beautiful… Beauty really is the best.

[ Ru-hi… ]

Ruhi pouted, bumping into Kkiggi and biting at her hair—jealous.

“Ruhi, I’ll play with you in a bit. Be nice.”

[ Ru-hi! ]

Looks like she wouldn’t calm down anytime soon.
“Alright, come here!”

Ruhi hopped into my arms, calming only after I cuddled her.

[ Mmm… ]
[ Us too… ]

The doll curses looked at me enviously.

“I’ll hug you after the painting. You don’t want paint stains, right?”

[ Mmm… ]

Damien approached.
“You’re like a princess of curses.”

“Haha, really?”

“You’re my wife, though.” His tone held a hint of complaint.
The doll curses all booed.
[ Booo! Get out! ]

Ignoring them, Damien took my hand.
“This is a husband’s privilege.”

[ Booo! ]

“Don’t tease them too much, they’re still—”

Bang, bang!

Urgent knocking came from outside.

“Come in!” Damien called.

The butler entered with a telegram.
“Master. From Westside Street…”

The shocking news followed:

A curse had appeared in the city last night… and killed fifteen people.