Chapter 2: Curse – 2

I left the square, and upon arriving at the Rondor Castle, the knights handed me over to a man.

“Well then, do your best to hold on, Kailo Alan.”

“Don’t die too quickly; that’d be boring.”

The knights each gave me their own kind of farewell advice and left.

As I watched the departing knights, the man standing before me spoke.

“Please call me Pippin. I am the head butler of the Rondor family.”

The butler, called Pippin, stared at my blood-soaked appearance for quite a while.

The more someone stared, the more my wounds seemed to throb and burn.

The words asking for bandages were on the tip of my tongue, but my petty pride kept me silent.

Pippin, after watching me for a moment, spoke simply.

“…Lady Vivian is waiting for you.”

It seemed he had no desire to treat my injuries either.

Sighing lightly, I followed behind him as he led the way.

As I followed him, one question arose.

The butler had mentioned the name “Vivian.”

As far as I knew, the duchess’s name was not Vivian.

There was only one person who could be called “Vivian” in the Rondor family.

Vivian Rondor.

The eldest daughter of the Rondor family, a year younger than me, and their last remaining child.

…Why was she mentioned before the duchess?

It was puzzling.

From the start, I hadn’t paid much attention to Vivian Rondor.

I was far more wary of the Duchess of Rondor.

Remembering the scream my mother had let out as we parted, I knew the duchess, who had lost both her husband and son, would surely have prepared her own version of hell for me.

Most of all, it was the Duchess of Rondor who had strongly demanded a hostage from our family.

So, I feared the duchess, not her daughter.

But the words from earlier stirred my dark imagination.

What condition could Vivian Rondor be in for the butler to mention her first?

Could she be angrier than the duchess?

Or could her temperament be even worse than the duchess’s?

I’d never heard such rumors before.

“…Ha.”

But there was no need for me to dwell on it.

I’d find out the answer soon enough.

In the meantime, I wiped the blood running down my face clumsily with the sleeve of the clothes my parents had dressed me in, saying they might be the last.

Soon, I would be meeting the members of the Rondor family.

It was deeply embarrassing to show up in such a state for the first meeting.

Perhaps that’s why the butler was leading me without offering any help.

The southern castle was completely different in style from the northern one.

The Allan family’s castle was more sombre, while the Rondor castle was all extravagant and vibrant.

Curtains hung over every window.

Vases filled with colorful flowers.

The red sun of the Rondor family engraved everywhere.

And mounted on the wall, the head of a monster.

As I walked, my steps faltered at the sight of one of the mounted creatures.

Pippin, noticing my pause, turned to follow my gaze to the mounted animal.

What hung on the wall was the head of a white bear.

The white bear was the symbol of the Alan family.

“…”

The butler offered no explanation at the sight of the white bear’s head.

Instead, he stood there silently, as if waiting for me to fully grasp the situation.

There wouldn’t have been any chance to see a white bear in the south, so they must have specially hunted it down.

Even in such a small detail, I could feel their rage toward the Alan family.

“Let’s go.”

As I couldn’t tear my gaze away, the butler spoke quietly.

We arrived in front of a massive door.

The door was covered with intricate carvings.

The Rondor family’s emblem, the red sun.

The faces of a griffin and a dragon.

Gold handles.

Four guards stood at the door, along with over a dozen maids.

Not a single one of them hid their hostility toward me.

Some even seemed to be mocking my appearance.

The butler, having led me to the door, nodded to the guards behind me.

-Swoosh!

At that moment, a sack was thrown over my head.

“What the—”

I shouted in confusion, but a hand rested on my shoulder.

Pippin spoke.

“Please excuse us for a moment.”

Grinding my teeth, I spoke.

“…You’re well aware that I’ve come as a guest, aren’t you?”

“You know very well that’s not the truth, Lord Kailo Alan.”

The heart I had calmed down began to race once again.

Immediately, the soldiers behind me grabbed my arms, treating me like a dangerous criminal.

It was their effort to further humiliate me.

I tried to shake off their hold, but I couldn’t overpower two grown men.

Feeling their animosity, I was brought back to reality once more.

I was reminded of exactly where I stood.

‘Rondors are beasts. Never believe a word they say.’

My uncle’s voice.

‘If you show any weakness…sob…never show any weakness.’

My mother’s voice.

‘As the eldest son of the Alan family, fight to the end. Do not yield to the Rondors.’

Even my father’s voice.

-Knock, knock.

At the same time, a servant announced from beyond the door.

“The eldest son of the Alan family, Kailo Alan, Son of the undefeated knight, Jade Alan, has arrived.”

‘Let him in.’

-Thud.

I heard the door open.

The soldiers holding my arms moved forward.

I steadied my breathing, which had quickened with tension, and stepped forward.

With the hood over my head, my heartbeat sounded louder in my ears.

And just as much, I became more honest with myself.

I was scared.

Honestly, I was terrified.

I missed my mother’s embrace.

This place was filled with hostility, and everything felt overwhelming.

If I had been a little older, would I have been braver?

It was my first time standing alone, and everything was happening so suddenly, making it hard to adjust.

Ahead of me would be the duchess and her daughter.

I felt as though I could sense their gazes, ready to devour me.

‘…Sniff… Sob…’

“…?”

At the same time, I heard a faint sobbing sound.

A young, small, animal-like whispering noise.

It was the opposite of the sound I had expected.

The sound grew louder with every step I took.

I wondered if the desire to cry was making me hear things.

• Thud!

“Ugh!”

The soldiers kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to kneel.

They grabbed my head and shoved me into the ground.

• Boom!

I felt a burning pain from the gash on my forehead.

But even through the pain and humiliation, I put on a brave face to show that my spirit hadn’t broken.

“Is this how Rondor treats guests? Even goblins would treat me better than this.”

But there was no response.

Complete silence.

The kind of silence that made me more anxious for having spoken.

At last, a small voice asked,

“…Is, is this Kailo A-Alan…?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Ugh… Huh…”

It wasn’t an adult’s voice.

It definitely wasn’t the Duchess’ voice.

The owner of the voice continued sobbing for a while before whispering, barely audible.

“…M-Mother, th-the enemy you’ve longed for… Our enemy has arrived.”

She stuttered as she spoke.

“You, you waited, didn’t you? You, you definitely said you did….”

Before I knew it, I had gone silent, focusing on her youthful voice.

“S-So, please… Please get up. P-Please…”

Get up?

Swish!

Just as the question grew in my mind, my upper body was lifted, and the sack was removed from my head.

Bright light struck my eyes.

I blinked, frowning.

A large bed.

A frail woman lay still on it.

And at the foot of the bed, a girl knelt, her back turned to me, crying.

Red hair.

A small frame.

Trembling shoulders.

I realized who they were in an instant.

The Duchess and Vivian Rondor.

The sharp vigilance I had honed collapsed at the sight before me.

Only one thought filled my mind.

…It was too pitiful.

I had prepared so thoroughly, I was even ready to fight.

But the Duchess was asleep, and her daughter looked so fragile.

The gap between expectation and reality left me frozen.

My enemy wasn’t a mother consumed by rage over losing her husband and son.

It was a small girl who had lost her entire family.

I continued to watch Vivian Rondor sob.

She stroked her mother’s cheek, held her hand, and gently shook it.

She gripped her clothes tightly, crying.

Even from behind, I could feel how terrified and lonely she was.

“…Mother, p-please… Please don’t leave me alone… Huh…”

For the first time since entering Loctana, where I had only felt fear, I felt something other than fear.

It wasn’t easy to be afraid of someone who clearly looked weaker than me.

And in the space where fear had been, a new emotion filled the void.

…It was strange pity.

Strange sympathy.

I knew I shouldn’t feel this way, but my resolve was already fading.

‘…If you have any conscience at all, Kailo Alan…’

At the same time, I suddenly remembered the voice of someone who had made a specific request to me years ago.

“Ugh… Ugh…”

When the Duchess didn’t wake, Vivian Rondor slowly turned her head.

…And for a moment, I stopped breathing.

She was more beautiful than I had imagined.

Large eyes, distinct brows.

A sharp nose, small lips.

As I looked at her, I felt my heartbeat grow louder.

Despite her tear-streaked face and disheveled hair, it was hard to take my eyes off her.

Then, her red eyes, like the sun, stared at me.

In the moment our gazes met,

‘You will love someone you shouldn’t love.’

• Thud!

I slammed my head against the ground.

Get a grip!

I told myself.

Why was I thinking such nonsense at a time like this?

I laughed at myself for having strange thoughts just because I was slightly moved by her pitiful appearance.

My father would’ve laughed in disbelief if he saw me like this.

I gathered myself and lifted my head.

Vivian Rondor looked like she had a lot to say about my strange behaviour, but she let it slide.

“…K-Kailo Alan.”

Her voice held no strength or emotion as she spoke.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“I’ve…been waiting for you.”

That was our first meeting.