Chapter 146: I don’t owe you anything – 1

Gisela Lute would have been a good choice.

Before my father lost consciousness, he had been enthusiastic about finding me a match, so we had plenty of information about the Lute family.

It was a respectable family with no particular flaws or concerns.

The head of the family, Rick Lute, was a gentle man with a mild temperament, and his daughter, Gisela Lute, was much the same.

Her courage in speaking up for me at the Rondor family.

Her neat appearance.

Her gentle personality.

There was nothing significantly lacking.

Ever since I visited the Lute household, my younger sisters had already assumed that my match had been decided.

They were already discussing how to suppress Gisela’s spirit, as if it were today’s most popular topic.

“She doesn’t seem like much anyway. If we put her in her place once, it won’t be hard later—”

“She’s going to be the Duchess of Alan someday! Even you can’t just—”

“If she really is, then that’s all the more reason we need to establish control early, sister!”

“Otherwise, she’ll—”

“Come on, we don’t want to give her any leverage. Besides, what’s there to suppress? She already seems completely captivated by our brother.”

They weren’t wrong.

Gisela’s attitude toward me was almost awkward in its intensity.

I had done nothing in particular, so why was she showing such overwhelming favor?

Perhaps it was because I had lived in an environment where nothing came easily to me.

This was another thing I would have to get used to.

After all, I was rising to a position akin to Vivian’s.

It made me realize anew just how powerful our family was.

So I had to accept it.

“…Brother?”

“Hm?”

“Why have you been so quiet?”

Eleanor cautiously asked, studying my expression.

“…Do you not like Gisela Lute?”

I gave Eleanor a small smile.

“…It’s not about liking or disliking. It’s a political marriage.”

“That’s not what I mean, brother…! You should be able to find the match you truly want—”

“It doesn’t matter, Eleanor.”

“What?”

“Regardless of anything else, we need heirs.”

Kayla watched me with skeptical eyes.

It was a duty.

There are things that must be done, even if you don’t want to do them.

It wasn’t that I disliked Gisela…

But I didn’t feel close enough to love her, either.

Even though I smiled in front of her and Rick Lute, I felt no passion inside.

And honestly, it would likely be the same no matter who was in front of me.

No matter what woman stood there, I would feel just as indifferent.

That’s why I didn’t overthink it and simply chose Gisela.

I knew it was cruel.

But this, too, was my way of resisting.

Under the influence of this curse, wouldn’t it be the same with anyone?

Perhaps if this curse were broken someday, I would be able to love the woman beside me.

Maybe by then, Gisela would feel right.

I couldn’t waste time hesitating while waiting for an uncertain end to the curse.

Even now, when I close my eyes, I see her crying face.

No matter how other women approached me, my heart remained unmoved—but whenever I thought of her, my pulse would race.

From when she was 13 to when she became an adult.

From a frightened girl to a noble ruler.

From calling me ‘Kailo Alan’ in a cold, formal tone to whispering ‘Kailo’ with breathless warmth.

All those memories intertwined, tormenting me.

I had been deliberately avoiding these thoughts because they made me feel so pathetic.

…How was she living now?

Was she still crying?

Or had she finally realized the truth and was laughing at my foolishness?

“Ka-Kayla!”

Just then, the head steward rushed in, panting as he searched for us.

Through the open door, his breathless gaze darted between us.

“What is it?”

Kayla asked calmly.

The steward hesitated, glancing at me repeatedly before he spoke.

“That is… Vivian Rondor has—”

My heart sank.

Kayla immediately cut off the steward’s words as soon as she saw the change in my expression.

“Enough. That’s enough. We’ll discuss this somewhere else.”

“No. Say it here.”

I interrupted, standing up abruptly before Kayla could take control of the situation.

I didn’t know why I was acting this way.

But after hearing that name, I couldn’t pretend to be indifferent.

The steward flinched, startled by my firm tone.

Eleanor also looked shocked.

Only Kayla hesitated for a moment before sitting back down.

“…Well, Vivian Rondor… has been arrested under suspicion of being a witch. There’s chaos in the Kingdom of Delrum—”

Ah.

I shut my eyes tightly.

…So, they finally caught her.

I sat alone in a dark room.

The moment I heard the news, I had to calm Kayla and Eleanor, who had immediately erupted.

“Brother! Is this why you were looking for books on witches? And that scholar?”

“Did that woman do something to you?”

“Brother, are you okay?”

I suppressed them and continued listening to the steward’s report.

“Vivian Rondor has been handed over to the Las Order.”

I didn’t understand.

What were Valon, Wallace, and Martin doing?

What was the Fourth Knight Order doing?

“Apparently… Vivian Rondor turned herself in. She said she didn’t want to fight.”

She knew exactly what would happen to a witch in the hands of the Order.

And yet, she walked into their grasp of her own accord…

Did she surrender because she had already been exposed as a witch?

Did she sacrifice herself for the lives of the Fourth Knight Order?

Did she throw herself away to protect others?

“…Ha.”

The fact that such a woman had cast this wretched curse on me and betrayed me…

“They say a massive pyre is being built in Loctana. Everyone is speculating that Vivian Rondor will be burned at the stake…”

—Bang!!

Before I knew it, my fist had slammed down onto the desk.

A burning.

Vivian.

Vivian is going to be burned at the stake.

I left her side with the firm resolve not to care whether she lived or died.

But now that I’ve heard this, my emotions are in turmoil.

A bitter laugh kept escaping me alongside these incomprehensible, clinging feelings.

“…At least live well, you damn woman.”

Clenching my fists tightly, I trembled.

If she was going to use me and my curse for her own benefit… shouldn’t she at least have lived well enough to make it worthwhile?

I hated her to the core, but I had never revealed her true identity to the Order.

Whether it was due to the influence of the curse or the emotions I felt back then, I had hidden the truth about Vivian.

Perhaps I just didn’t want to see all the time I had sacrificed go to waste.

After all, we had both suffered wounds to survive.

If even one of us died, wouldn’t that mean it was all for nothing?

And yet, now Vivian is going to die.

She walked into their hands without resistance.

How is this any different from suicide?

She who had fought so fiercely to survive by using me—why would she so easily throw her life away like this?

The words the butler had spoken next still echoed in my mind.

“A-And… the Las Order has formally requested the surrender of your person, Lord Kailo. They suspect you as well, for protecting the witch…”

Eleanor was enraged at the news.

“What kind of bullshit is that?!”

Kayla was no different

“Tell the Las Order this: Their presence is not welcome in our lands. This is a grave insult to our House and the moment their banners are seen even near our lands, they will all be slaughtered by us on the spot…! How dare these lowly religious zealots… lay their hands on the heir of the Alans?’

The conversation ended there.

After that, I retreated to my room.

…What is Vivian thinking?

Does she intend to die alongside me?

Did she reveal that she was a witch just to drag me down with her?

Does she wish to see me perish at the blade of the Las Order?

Was it her plan all along to torment me to the very end?

Or… has she truly given up on everything and simply wants to die?

Did my departure hurt her so much that she let go of everything?

…Did she really love me that much?

I was reminded of her back when she lost her mother.

How she had wanted to die then.

…For some reason, I found the latter option more plausible.

Perhaps the image of her sobbing wretchedly in every nightmare had been etched into my mind.

***

Kayla had been pacing in front of Kailo’s door since early morning.

The orders had already been given the night before.

Keep an eye on Kailo’s suspicious behavior.

If he tries to leave the estate, stop him.

Kayla had come to understand something.

Her brother, Kailo, had fallen in love with Vivian.

The eldest daughter—no, the head—of the enemy family he should have torn apart.

Perhaps it was inevitable.

They had only ever had each other.

But even so, her dependable older brother needed to wake up from this foolish dream.

There was no future for enemies to be together.

Kailo had been taken as a hostage and had not been there for their mother’s final moments.

Even when their father fell into a coma, he had never been by his side.

His gestures, speech, and demeanor had all been tainted with the roughness of commoners.

His body bore endless scars.

Even here, he did not fit in, plagued by nightmares every night.

Someone like that… could never be allowed to love an enemy.

Kayla had no intention of rebelling against her brother in any way.

But this—this one foolish thought—had to end.

Who didn’t know how much Kailo had suffered because of Vivian?

Everyone knew he could be blind in certain aspects.

But in love… he was even more extreme.

Any woman would fall for that kind of devotion.

Kayla understood that well.

She even knew that it was Kailo’s greatest strength.

But someone had to put a stop to it.

If not, he would march straight into destruction.

…And besides,

Vivian Rondor was a witch.

Kayla had never believed in witches before.

But Kailo said they were real.

And now, she knew.

The witch he had spoken of… was Vivian.

Kayla understood the consequences.

In the South, anyone involved with a witch was executed.

The moment Kailo set foot in the southern lands, his life would be forfeit.

Yet, if he had feared death, he never would have accomplished everything he had so far.

If he wavered now… if he declared he would go to save Vivian…

“…What are you doing out here since dawn?”

At that moment, a voice interrupted Kayla as she lingered in front of Kailo’s door.

Startled, she turned around to see Kailo approaching, wiping away sweat.

“O… Oppa. Weren’t you asleep? When did you go out?”

Just how hard had he been training?

His body was steaming in the cold northern air.

Kailo didn’t answer her question.

Instead, he spoke with finality.

“…You’ve been wasting your time since yesterday, but don’t worry.”

“…Huh?”

Kailo declared,

“I’m not going.”

His words left no room for misunderstanding.

“…If she wants to die, then let her. That was the resolve I had when I left.”

Kayla found herself unable to reply.

Though Kailo spoke with certainty, his expression was filled with pain.

A depth of emotion so profound, she couldn’t even begin to fathom it, lingered in his eyes.

Her previous determination to stop him now felt foolish.

What right did she have to stop him when he was showing such emotions?

Yet, despite those feelings, Kailo was saying he wouldn’t go.

His self-control was immeasurable.

His hardships, indescribable.

“…I’m tired. I’m going to sleep.”

With that, Kailo brushed past her.

It was clear he had spent the entire night training without rest.

“O… Oppa.”

Though she hadn’t intended to say anything more, Kayla found herself speaking without realizing it.

“…Are you okay?”

Kailo paused for a moment as he was about to open the door.

His back seemed to be speaking.

Saying that he was not okay.

Even though Kailo said nothing, even if he had screamed or shed tears, he could not have conveyed deeper emotions than he did at that moment.

It felt as if all the years he had endured were laid bare.

Seeing him struggling, it was Kayla who ended up with tears welling in her eyes.

“…Just find that scholar quickly.”

Kailo pleaded.

“…Let me be free from this curse.”

Only then did Kayla understand what kind of curse had been placed upon Kailo.