HWWRC Chapter 32

Chapter 32

The fact that House Valiant had been cursed by Leopold was known only to a select few within the temple. To prevent the matter from leaking outside, Silbert kept it strictly secret. They couldn’t even hold a public funeral. It was an unavoidable decision.

At the time, war had just been declared against Leopold, so they had to avoid agitating their citizens as much as possible. Moreover, since the deaths had occurred while fighting against Leopold, there was concern that the knights’ morale would falter if the truth were known.

What’s more, the Valiant family had been among the most proactive supporters, supplying military funds and resources needed for the war. Leopold was aware of this, which is precisely why he had cursed them… If the truth came out, further support might cease. Others would likely shrink back in fear.

Leopold—he was a demon. Everywhere his feet touched, death lurked and plague spread. When that happened, people abandoned their hometowns and sought refuge in the temple.

Not only that, but the temple had to take in and treat those infected with the plague, and it also had to drive away bandits who preyed on refugees. Among all these duties, fending off the monsters that attacked from time to time was by far the hardest.

Even if the present seemed manageable, considering the war would inevitably be prolonged, the budget was by no means sufficient. The imperial family’s situation was no better, so their help couldn’t be counted on either. Thus, nobles who opened their private coffers to provide aid were invaluable. If that ceased…

In the end, the official announcement was that the Valiant family had fallen honorably in battle against Leopold. The truth was buried beneath the surface.

Ronan kept the promise he had made to his fallen friend. He brought Ash, the sole survivor, into the marquisate and raised him. But Ash, who had witnessed his father kill his mother and the rest of the family, lost his ability to speak.

Ash shut his heart completely and refused to befriend anyone. He tolerated Ronan, who had saved his life and ended his father’s madness, but if anyone else tried to approach, he would hurl nearby objects at them. The maids eventually gave up and clicked their tongues in frustration.

But there was one exception—young Charlotte. No matter how coldly Ash treated her, she continued to smile and speak kindly. Sometimes she knocked all day on his locked door, asking him to come out and play. If he pushed her away, she would leave one of her favorite dolls outside his room.

After enough persistence, Ash, worn down first, eventually opened his door. Led by Charlotte’s hand, he was forced out of his self-imposed confinement. At first, he only intended to humor her quickly and send her away. But the more time he spent with her, the more the scars on his heart began to heal.

One day, Ash confessed his terrible secret to her.

“The truth is, I’m a monster, my lady. Do you still like me?”
“Even if you’re a monster, it doesn’t matter.”
“……”
“I like you, Ash.”
“…Then promise me, my lady… even if I become a monster, you must never be afraid of me.”

He expected her to recoil in fear at the revelation of his curse.

But Charlotte wasn’t afraid. Though she was just a child and perhaps didn’t fully understand what she was saying, her response gave him relief.

Having witnessed the entire tragedy and being the only survivor, Ash never resented his father. Since it was the curse’s doing, he didn’t blame his father for killing his kind mother.

But he couldn’t overcome the fear that he, too, might one day become a monster and kill everyone.

As a descendant of the Valiant bloodline, Leopold’s curse was unavoidable. Each night when he closed his eyes, the nightmare returned—his father weeping, holding a sword.

And then, that fear became reality.

Once Ash no longer confined himself indoors, Ronan purposely made time to take everyone out together. They planned a trip to Malenka, a territory owned by the Blanche Marquisate, and thought no trouble would arise there.

The incident occurred after they arrived at the lodging. While Ronan was briefly away, Charlotte insisted on visiting the nearby forest. Ash hesitated, then left behind a note saying they’d gone to the woods—and there, fatefully, they encountered a monster.

The monster, wild with madness, first caught sight of Ash and Charlotte. Without giving them time to think, it lunged at Charlotte. Ash shielded her, taking the slash of its claws across his back.

In that moment, Leopold’s curse surged through him, leaving no chance to resist. His very being transformed into something terrifyingly beautiful. At the same time, a familiar voice—the same whisper that had drowned his family in despair—echoed in his ears.

“You are not beautiful. Like your father, you will go mad, kill those you love, and become a monster.”
“Ash! Ash! Run! Hurry! Don’t come this way!”

The voice of his mother’s final scream and the whisper that strangled his soul drove young Ash to the brink of death.

But what pulled him back from the abyss was Charlotte’s desperate cry, trembling with tears.

Clutching her warmth in his arms, Ash regained his reason. Determined to protect the frightened Charlotte, he fought.

Though his body was shredded by claws like blades, and the curse crawled along his spine like insects, he bit down on his lip and endured.

Fortunately, Ronan, who had seen the note and followed after, arrived in time to save their lives. But Charlotte, having witnessed Ash being torn apart, collapsed from shock.

“Father… Ash said we should wait until you came… but I wanted to go to the forest… It’s all because of me…”

Charlotte, who was still young and shunned more than loved at the time, struggled greatly after returning home, blaming herself for what had happened.

Ash wanted to comfort her—but he couldn’t.

Day and night, the curse tormented him with voices urging his death. Even the priests, including Ronan, couldn’t suppress it.

Sometimes he thought dying might be better. Then he heard Charlotte’s condition had improved. Yet, unable to face her, he went to her chamber secretly at night, intending only to see her sleeping form.

But Charlotte was still awake. His heart sank. The whispers in his head roared louder.

You’re a monster. That girl will fear you too. Do you know how hideous you look…?

His legs froze. He clamped his hands over his ears.

Then Charlotte staggered from her bed, approached him, and tearfully apologized.

“Ash, are you in pain? If I hadn’t insisted on the forest, you wouldn’t have been hurt…”
“…No, no. I’m fine.”
“I just… I just wanted to do fun things since I finally had a friend…”
“Charlotte.”
“I shouldn’t have. Everyone always said I was an ominous child, that I’d hurt those around me. Maybe they were right…”

Strength drained from Ash’s hands. The cruel whispers fell silent. He embraced the sobbing Charlotte. Her small shoulders trembled in his arms.

Charlotte was warm—just as she had been when she pulled him back from madness.

“No, it’s not your fault. The people who say that are wrong. You’re not ominous. If anything, I’m the ominous one. I’m cursed… and I look hideous…”
“Ash, you’re not hideous.”
“…What?”
“Ash… you’re as white as freshly fallen snow. You always were, but tonight even more so.”

Even when others said he was beautiful, Ash could never believe it because of the curse. That much hadn’t changed.

But hearing Charlotte’s words calmed him. For once, the fear subsided. He wiped her tear-stained cheeks with his sleeve.

“Sometimes, I forget what happened at the ducal estate. The memories come back quickly, but they say unbearable trauma can erase things for a while. I wish you could forget everything, Charlotte, so you wouldn’t suffer anymore.”
“……”
“Forget the monster’s attack, forget my wounds… forget even my hideous—no, my snow-white appearance.”

He held her until she fell asleep. That night, for once, Ash did not dream of nightmares.

And as if his wish had reached the heavens, Charlotte forgot everything—not only the monster attack, but also her days with Ash. When he heard the news, Ash accepted it calmly. He had sincerely wanted her to live without painful memories, even if it meant erasing him too.

Afterward, Ash returned north. Ronan tried to persuade him to stay, but Ash’s resolve was unshakable.

Living alone in the castle where his family had died was far from easy. The curse could awaken at any time, and he lived constantly in fear of it. Still, Ash endured.

He fought to overcome despair, just as he had fought to protect Charlotte instead of succumbing to madness. He struggled not to give in, not to surrender to the curse.

Even now, though the effort left him exhausted and plagued by unease, he endured.

Leaning against a tree trunk as thick as an oak barrel, Ash reflected:

Yes. I hoped you might one day remember, but I never thought you truly would.

Conflicting emotions weighed heavy on him. Sunlight glinted off the scales that had sprouted on his arm.

To others, they might look like jewels. To Ash, they were nothing but loathsome fish scales.

“The lady was right.”
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“It wasn’t something worth speaking aloud. I hoped you wouldn’t remember.”

Truly, it was not a pleasant story by any means. Charlotte furrowed her brow and spoke softly.

“Then… the other time, when you lied through the mountain scouts about still being unwell… was that also…”
“I’m sorry for only now being honest. I couldn’t bring myself to show you this form.”
“This form…?”
“Everyone says it’s beautiful, but to me, it’s hideous.”

When mountain scouts once caught sight of his cursed transformation, they insisted it must be a dream and nearly split his skull with an axe handle. If that was their reaction, perhaps it truly was “beautiful” in their eyes. But in his ears, the whispers of countless curses tore at him.