“Package?”

“Yes.”

Dolly handed me a box wrapped in luxurious paper, tied with a smooth ribbon. It certainly looked like a gift.

“Oh, I wonder what it could be?”

I exaggeratedly accepted the box, and a gruff voice came from behind.

“Which family sent this?”

“Um…”

Dolly made a vague expression.

“It’s from the Viscount of Granpri family.”

“Granpri? Where’s that?”

“I’m not sure.”

I tilted my head. I had never heard of the name Granpri before. Even digging through Ariadeline’s memories didn’t bring anything to mind. It might be the name of a noble family living outside the capital.

I brought the box to the table and carefully untied the ribbon.

Carlothian frowned as he watched me open the box.

“Wow—.”

Inside the box was a palm-sized porcelain doll. It was delicate and beautiful. I picked it up without thinking.

“Look at this, Carlothian!”

“You don’t have to show me; I can see it.”

“Isn’t it pretty?”

“Granpri, I feel like I’ve heard that name before…”

“Well, as the head of a Duke’s family, you must have memorized the entire noble family tree, so it must be somewhere in your head.”

I started to touch the doll from different angles. Wow, it looks real. I gently moved the doll’s joints, making it pose in different ways.

“Why did the Granpri family suddenly send me a gift?”

I tilted my head. Carlothian seemed to be pondering something. Dolly also tilted her head, as if she didn’t know anything.

“Maybe they’re a noble family that can’t enter the capital and are trying to curry favor with me. But there’s nothing to gain from me.”

Carlothian stood up.

“Let me look into it.”

“Look into what? The Granpri family?”

“Yeah.”

Carlothian’s family received dozens of gifts every day. Of course, none of them are for me. They were all for Carlothian.

I was happy to receive a gift, so I felt a little disappointed that Carlothian was reacting so sensitively.

Still, I couldn’t help but find it odd, so I nodded reluctantly.

“Okay. Let me know if you find anything strange.”

“Will do.”

Carlothian left the room, and I plopped down on the bed, alone with the doll. I poked the doll’s white cheeks and thought to myself.

“I hope it’s not something strange.”

It looked too beautiful. I continued to fidget with the doll for a while.

Tick, tock.

As time passed slowly, I suddenly felt something strange from the doll. It was as if the doll was emitting some kind of energy.

‘What is this?’

What was this feeling? I definitely didn’t feel it when I first received the doll. I examined the doll more closely, and soon I realized what it was.

“Gasp!”

I threw the doll with all my strength across the room. It suddenly contorted and swelled up in a grotesque manner.

What I felt was clear.

It was the energy of black magic.

I immediately backed up against the wall opposite where I had thrown the doll. The doll was turning black and swelling up.

And soon, it began to stand up, dripping black fluid and twisting its grotesque bones. Its once-beautiful and white cheek was now gone.

‘What should I do? If I run outside, the other servants might get hurt.’

The glass-like eyes rolled on the floor, and inside its hollow face, only darkness remained. The sound of its teeth clashing sent chills down my spine.

The doll crouched down and then…

“AAAAH!”

In an instant, it lunged toward me. I screamed and somehow managed to dodge its attack.

Rolling on the floor, I desperately grabbed anything I could. My hand caught a vase from the table. I threw it at the monster’s face.

Crash—!

The small vase shattered uselessly, and I quickly moved to the opposite side of the room to escape the temporarily stunned creature.

“What the hell is that?!”

It flinched at my voice and slowly turned its head. But instead of turning its body, only its neck twisted 180 degrees. Ugh, this is really terrifying!

Black liquid dripped from the monster’s limbs, and the floor it touched burned with a sizzling sound as if it were corroding.

‘If it touches me, I’ll die. If it touches me, I’ll die.’

I let out a low groan as I slowly backed away. The creature lowered itself again, preparing to pounce.

I began to think. That’s black magic. I don’t know exactly what it is, but—

Black magic, if it’s black magic.

‘Maybe the hymn that Dorothea taught me will work?’

And just before it lunged at me.

“AAH—!”

I screamed and started to sing.

[Angels in the sky, hear me. Raise your spears against those that crawl beneath the earth.]

As soon as I started singing, the creature’s movement strangely stopped.

Tremble, tremble, tremble.

As my song continued, the creature’s body began to melt away bit by bit. Ah, I think this is going to work! I sang even louder.

As the pitch rose and the melody lengthened, the creature’s melting accelerated. I sang with all my might, holding my trembling hands together and trying to defeat the creature, even as I struggled to catch my breath.

[It shall become a spear that pierces evil!]

As I recited the middle part of the hymn, suddenly, with a loud crash! The door burst open. It was Carlothian.

His eyes widened as he alternated his gaze between me, singing, and the monster. Then, with a twisted expression, he drew Deathrotea.

“Ariadeline!”

I couldn’t stop singing, so I just turned my head to look at him.

“Keep singing.”

That was my plan!

“Listen while you sing.”

I nodded.

“First, the Granpri family’s heir died two years ago, and the estate was reclaimed by the palace.”

What? So it’s a fallen family. How could a fallen family send a gift? Oh, wait.

‘Someone must have used that name to send me this!’

Breathing was becoming more difficult, and I inhaled sharply. The moment my song faltered, the melting monster began to reattach itself, straightening its body.

Carlothian swung his drawn sword, slicing through the monster’s torso. Crash! In an instant, the monster’s upper and lower halves separated and crawled on the floor.

“And this is a ‘curse.’”

‘A curse?’

I blinked as I continued singing. A curse? So that’s what Yermondi had given to Dorothea? The same one that Dorothea supposedly dealt with recently?

I had thought that a curse was just a bad omen that caused trouble or made you sick, but it was actually a monster like this?

I clutched my head.

No one ever told me about this!

How strong-minded must Dorothea be!

As my song reached a shrill high note, the monster, now split in half, began to dissolve into fine black powder.

With a furrowed brow, Carlothian approached me.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“F-fortunately, I’m fine.”

While he wrapped an arm around my shoulder, I scanned the room. Hmm, sleeping here will be impossible for a while.

“I should have never accepted that gift from the start. I didn’t know that curses could do that.”

As I rubbed my head, Carlothian hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“…It’s also my fault for not realizing it sooner.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

Exhausted from facing the monster—or rather, the curse—I leaned heavily against him. He quietly held me close.

“It’s best to use another room for a while.”

“But this is the best room. Can we really use a different one?”

“Of course.”

Carlothian replied nonchalantly.

“There’s the Duchess’s room.”

Huh? The Duchess’s room?

“The one you used to use.”

The room I, Ariadeline, used to use? Wait, wait, is this okay?

I hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Can I really go in there?”

“What does it matter?”

“No, no, think about it.”

I raised a finger.

To be honest, using Carlothian’s room hasn’t been a big issue so far.

There are rumors going around that I’ve bewitched him or that he’s fallen for me again, but the fact is that he’s the Duke, and he’s allowing me to stay in his room. That’s basically the same as having a mistress.

If suddenly I’m put in the Duchess’s room, the social world will surely go into an uproar again.

“If rumors start spreading that the Duke, blinded by the villainess, is pushing a sinner into the Duchess’s position, I won’t have any excuses!”

Regardless, Carlothian crossed his arms with a nonchalant expression and said, “What does it matter?”

“What do you mean ‘what does it matter’? Do you think that’s all there is to it?”

I poked his chest with my fingertip, emphasizing my point.

“What about the heir? What about your future marriage?”

“Why do you care about that?”

He frowned, clearly annoyed. I tried to smooth out his furrowed brow with my hand, but he didn’t lower his head like he usually does. What, is he being defiant?

“If I’m the reason you can’t get married, then I have to care!”

Then Carlothian said.

“Then why can’t it be done in the first place?”

I placed my hands on my hips in disbelief.

“What are you talking about? The rumors?”

“No.”

He suddenly bent down to meet my gaze, very closely.

“Why is it wrong to put a sinner back in the Duchess’s position?”

“……”

My eyes widened at his words. I didn’t know what to say, and my mouth opened and closed in shock. What is he talking about?

“I—I think you’re not in your right mind right now.”

As I tried to push him away to escape, a sudden strong grip pulled me back by the waist.

I found myself pressed against the wall with a thud.

Oh no.

I was trapped between the wall and Carlothian, unable to move.

He looked down at me with calm eyes.

“Why can’t it be done?”

Translator’s note:
Chapter 79 has two versions: R-15 and R-19. Please check carefully before unlocking them with Moondust, as I cannot offer refunds. Thank you, and enjoy reading!