Chapter 16
Lesia quickly averted her gaze from the mad glint in his eyes, as if he were some deranged researcher observing the reactions of his subject through cruel experiments.
Then he laughed loudly, a “Paha!” that sounded more like he was granting some mock generosity, and said,
“Miss Lesia, are you familiar with the Curse of Belius?”
At the words Curse of Belius, Lesia’s shoulders twitched.
“I see you know of it.”
Even without answering, Ruelly was able to pinpoint her knowledge from that slight movement alone. He stroked his chin and muttered,
“How surprising. A mere common girl knowing about the Curse of Belius. Ah, did Mr. Luseru tell you?”
“…Mr. Luseru?”
“Don’t know him? Ah, pardon me. There, he was called ‘Grandma Lulu.’”
Hearing that unexpectedly familiar name from his mouth made Lesia’s eyes widen in shock.
Seeing her reaction, Ruelly laughed again. …What a lowly man.
“If you know about the Curse of Belius, we can get straight to the point. It’s simple: Lord Cesare fell for you, Miss Lesia, and you became the ‘partner’ who would bear the curse in his stead, sacrificing yourself. As for burning the village and killing its people… hmm…”
He paused, as if pondering for a moment, then snapped his fingers cheerfully and said,
“To prevent the tiresome situation of you whining, ‘I want to go home, I want to see my mother.’”
“…That’s all?”
“Hmm?”
“That’s all it took for you to kill the villagers and my mother…?”
Lesia’s words trailed off, her gaze filled with disgust. Ruelly smiled faintly, then suddenly changed expression and grabbed her by the collar roughly.
“Ugh!”
Struggling for breath, Lesia flailed, and Ruelly coldly warned her,
“It may seem trivial to a lowly commoner like you, but Belius is perfect in every way, and there can be no gaps. No matter how insignificant, even the slightest variable cannot be left unchecked. That is all.”
When Ruelly released her collar, Lesia coughed violently.
Returning to a smiling face, he finished lightly,
“For a mere creature, you play quite an important role. I will ensure you are treated appropriately until you die after the curse is fully transferred. So, there’s no need to worry. From your perspective, Miss Lesia, isn’t this a stroke of luck? When else in your life will you experience such luxury?”
“….”
Lesia turned her head, too drained to respond.
Watching her silently, Ruelly seemed to lose interest and turned on his heel, saying,
“Have some soup. It will benefit you as well.”
Just as Ruelly was about to leave the room, Lesia spoke in a small voice,
“Grandma Lulu… what was her connection to the House of Belius?”
Ruelly froze at the question.
After a brief hesitation, he answered shortly and left the room,
“She was the family of a partner of the previous Duke of Belius.”
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
As if to confirm the truth of Ruelly’s words, everything outside the room was arranged for Lesia’s convenience—but rather than feeling comforted, she felt more like livestock being fattened before slaughter.
About ten days after being taken to the House of Belius, late one night, she was suddenly dragged away, her hands bound.
She was taken to a room at the end of the same floor’s corridor.
As the door opened, a low, groaning sound reached her ears.
Her eyes adjusted to the darkness, revealing the room.
It was spacious, but contained nothing but a bed. No other furniture was in sight, giving it the stark feeling of a prison rather than a room.
The cold, oppressive atmosphere made her hesitate, but the maids who had brought her shoved her inside without a word and slammed the door shut.
“Op—open this door!”
She tried to pull the door, but it would not budge. As the presence outside disappeared completely, the groaning sound grew even clearer, sounding as though someone were being tortured.
Swallowing hard, Lesia turned toward the sound.
It came from the bed in the center of the room.
Fearful but determined, she stepped closer—and when she realized the source, her strength drained, and she sank to the floor.
“…Cesare.”
It was Cesare who groaned.
The owner of this prison-like room was Cesare.
Despite hating him more than anyone, in that moment, Lesia was relieved.
She was certain he would not harm her.
‘Of course… he’s my partner. He loves me…’
Young Lesia did not fully understand the higher emotion of ‘love,’ only the simpler notion of ‘liking,’ but she knew for certain that Cesare cared for her.
She watched him for a while.
On the wide bed, Cesare curled around himself, clutching his chest.
“Ugh…”
The faint moans that leaked through clenched teeth conveyed just how much pain he was in.
This was the second time she had seen him suffer like this.
The night by the lake had been just as painful.
The Curse of Belius…
Even though Cesare had been a source of resentment, seeing him helplessly writhing under the curse stirred a pang of sympathy.
How long had he endured this suffering?
Had anyone stayed by his side during those moments?
Had someone apologized for not being able to ease his pain and kept vigil through the night?
“Cesare, I…”
Hate, resentment.
Because of your selfishness, I lost everything.
So even now, I want to kill you.
Lesia stretched her hands toward Cesare’s writhing form.
“Sniff… I’m sorry…”
At that moment, tears streamed down Cesare’s face as he apologized.
Had he awakened?
“Haa… sorry, sorry…”
No, he had not.
He was only semi-conscious.
Was he dreaming, then?
“…Sia.”
Hearing his final whispered name, Lesia’s hands froze.
Finally, she closed her eyes tightly and withdrew them, sitting back against the bed with her knees drawn up and face buried.
“I really hate this…”
Painful, lonely, and desolate nights passed.
For the next month, Lesia spent one night each month with Cesare.
Each time, Cesare writhed in pain, semi-conscious, while Lesia silently stayed by his side.
Three years passed in this way.
“…Lesia?”
Startled awake by a calling voice, Lesia looked up.
In that moment, her eyes met his red ones.
“…Why are you…”
It was the first time Cesare truly noticed her presence.
And on that same day, an unexpected guest visited the House of Belius.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜
“That cursed Belius! Belius!!”
A retainer flinched as he reported to the emperor.
Even aware that the retainer was nervous, the emperor could not contain his fury.
After all, the House of Belius had intercepted a maritime trade deal he had spent years cultivating.
“Damn it!”
Bang!
Blinded by rage, he had no time to care for decorum.
“Why now, after being quiet for so long…!!”
Three years ago, the House of Belius suddenly ceased activity and disappeared.
The public assumed it was due to cleaning up after a major incident in their duchy.
Taking advantage of this hiatus, he had quickly advanced his business—but…
“When did they start working behind the scenes?”
The emperor’s eyes were bloodshot with anger.
It wasn’t just about losing the business.
The royal family’s maritime trade was public knowledge.
Yet the House of Belius had snatched it—an unmistakable insult, mockery, and provocation toward the throne.
“Cursed family…”
His teeth ground.
Since the empire’s founding, the imperial family and the House of Belius had always stood opposite each other, keeping a balance of power.
Naturally, both could not exist under the same sky unchecked.
Even that balance relied on the Belius family curse.
Without it, the throne would have changed hands long ago.
The emperor had always resented this.
And now, the prize he worked so hard for had been stolen.
This was a declaration of war.
“I cannot let this stand.”
“Your Majesty, do you have a plan?”
“First, we must confirm whether there is a ‘partner.’”
The retainer swallowed nervously, sensing the emperor’s unusual tension.
“One problem, Your Majesty. The House of Belius is so secretive that even sending a spy is impossible. How could we find out?”
“…”
The emperor had already feared that.
At that moment, a voice interjected between the two.
“I will go.”
A dazzling blond-haired boy with emerald eyes—around his mid-teens—entered, radiating charm.
The emperor rose to greet him.
“Oh, Luxes.”
“Your Highness, Crown Prince Luxes,” the boy said respectfully.
The retainer bowed to him, and Luxes nodded in return before passing.
Curious, the emperor asked,
“You say you will go—what do you mean?”
“My apologies, Your Majesty. I inadvertently overheard your conversation outside and committed a breach of etiquette.”
Indeed, eavesdropping on the emperor’s office conversation was a serious offense, even for royalty.
Yet the emperor seemed unbothered.
“That’s fine; speak now. What are your thoughts?”
It might seem strange to seek advice from a young prince on serious state affairs, but when that prince was Luxes Valatium Acher, the situation was different.
