“……”
Slowly opening her eyes, Lux blinked blankly.
Perhaps due to waking from a deep slumber, her thoughts weren’t functioning smoothly.
“…Where am I?”
The familiar scenery and the faint rose scent tickling her nose made Lux realize she was in her personal quarters—the White Rose Palace.
And right after that…
“Ugh…!”
The slight pain in her chest brought back memories from before she lost consciousness.
“I must’ve passed out after using magic inside the Procyon Treasury…”
Then what happened?
The pain indicated the curse hadn’t been lifted, but compared to how it felt before, this was nothing—like fresh blood on an old wound. It reminded her of the initial pain when the curse first took hold.
Knock knock—
Before she could fully grasp the situation, someone knocked on the door.
“…Come in.”
Lux assumed it would be a healer, but when the person walked in, her eyes widened.
Lion-like golden hair, muscular physique—it was none other than Leo Helios of the Golden Way Zodiacs.
“Leo Palace…?”
“Ahh, you’re awake! How’s your body holding up?”
Relieved for a moment, Lux nodded quietly. Leo was one of the few who knew about her curse; there was no harm in being honest.
“It’s not bad. There’s still some mild pain though.”
“Thank goodness. When I heard the news, I thought something terrible had happened.”
“News?”
Caught off guard by his unexpected words, Lux blinked. She had assumed without doubt that Leo had saved her.
“Did you save me, Leo Palace?”
“Well, if you had collapsed in front of me, then yes, but weren’t you at the Procyon Treasury? There was no way for me to get in. Besides, I was busy handling tasks with Sir Falts at the time.”
“So then… who exactly…?”
“Hmm, looks like your memory is still a bit hazy. Didn’t you go into the treasury with someone?”
At Leo’s words, Lux finally remembered.
“Allen?”
Why did it take so long to recall him? He was the only one in the Procyon Treasury besides herself. For some reason, his name felt unbearably nostalgic as it slipped past her lips. Before losing consciousness, she seemed to have remembered something important, but now it eluded her.
After observing Lux’s expression, Leo grinned mischievously.
“Hooh, so you two are already on a first-name basis, huh? What exactly happened in there…?”
“Where is Allen?”
When Lux casually asked about Allen’s whereabouts, Leo’s smile faltered, replaced by a shadow of concern.
“That guy…”
“Is something wrong with him?”
“He woke you from your coma, but…”
“…”
Leo turned away, unable to continue. His actions spoke volumes—something was definitely wrong with Allen. Swallowing hard, Lux pressed further.
“Please tell me what happened.”
“You need to hear this without panicking.”
“…I’m prepared.”
“Hmph…”
Taking a deep breath, Leo gazed at Lux with a sorrowful look. The longer he hesitated, the more her heart raced.
“As you know, your curse isn’t ordinary, correct?”
“Yes. Infantry Palace has explained this thoroughly.”
“To be honest, even I don’t fully understand the details from Infantry Palace, but apparently Allen tried to lift your curse using the Master’s Divine Power.”
“Allen… did?”
Though aware of his strength, curses were entirely unrelated to mere power. What kind of Divine Power could possibly attempt such a thing?
Curiosity gnawed at her, but now wasn’t the time for questions.
“So… what happened?”
“I heard Infantry Palace warned him that meddling with the curse was dangerous, but Allen insisted he had to save you. He even threatened to destroy the Magic Tower if anyone interfered…”
“…”
His vivid description sent shivers down Lux’s spine. Allen cared enough about her to intimidate the Empire’s greatest mage. Just thinking about it made the lingering pain vanish.
“Eventually, Infantry Palace had no choice but to let him try. Then Allen placed his hand on your chest…”
“My CHEST?!”
“…Is that really important right now?”
“No, it’s not…”
Embarrassed by her own outburst, Lux covered her chest and blushed furiously.
“Ahem, anyway, Allen used his Divine Power to try lifting the curse, but the backlash was too strong, and he failed. However, he DID weaken it enough for you to wake up.”
“What kind of Divine Power could do that…”
“That’s something I’d also love to know. Typically, a Master’s Divine Power specializes in combat scenarios, especially those honed on battlefields. Allen’s abilities remain shrouded in mystery. Truly a remarkable fellow.”
Leo shook his head. As Lux nodded along, realization struck her—what exactly happened to Allen?
“Oh, almost forgot!”
Leo’s expression turned somber once more. Though uneasy, Lux focused intently on his next words.
“They say Allen collapsed immediately after attempting to lift your curse.”
“Surely… not…”
“Yes. Unfortunately, Allen…”
With a face brimming with sorrow, Leo prepared to speak. Lux swallowed hard. If anything happened to Allen because of her…
Just then, another knock interrupted them.
“…Come in.”
Who could it be now? Lux figured she’d brush off any healers with a quick excuse. But when the door opened, an unexpected figure appeared.
“Oh? Leo Palace is here too?”
“…Allen?”
Seeing Allen greet Leo politely, Lux blinked in disbelief. Wasn’t he supposed to have collapsed?
“Hmm, long time no see, Allen… Are you feeling alright?”
The awkward greeting made Lux realize she’d been tricked.
“Leo Palace?”
“Yes, yes…”
“What’s going on here? Can you explain?”
“Tsk, so close… Would’ve fooled you perfectly. Haha…”
“Leo Palace! That’s taking jokes too far!”
“But opportunities to prank royalty don’t come around often. Come now, forgive my mischief. Everything worked out fine, didn’t it? You’re safe, and Allen, whom you cherish so dearly, is perfectly fine.”
“I-I’ll show you…”
Fuming at Leo’s teasing tone, Lux clenched her teeth. Her head throbbed from frustration.
“Oof, better leave before things escalate. Take care of everything, Allen!”
“Wha-?”
“In we go!”
“Hey, wait!”
In the blink of an eye, Leo vanished. Lux’s shouts fell on empty air.
“What… is this…?”
Confused, Allen could only blink dumbly.
***
Emerging swiftly from the White Rose Palace, Leo chuckled mischievously.
“Ah, Allen should’ve arrived just a bit later. I thought I might even make Lux cry.”
“Isn’t that joke a bit excessive, Leo Palace?”
Appearing beside Leo, Erias of the Infantry Palace sighed softly. Unfazed by the sudden appearance, Leo teased back.
“You enjoyed it too, didn’t you? You deliberately delayed Allen’s arrival.”
“Don’t compare me to you. I merely wanted to ensure Allen’s health was perfect.”
“Haha, let’s leave it at that.”
“Tch, you’re just like Balkan, wasting energy on pointless antics…”
Watching Erias tut disapprovingly, Leo asked quietly.
“So, what’s the verdict?”
Leo understood the severity of Lux’s curse all too well. That’s why even the mighty Infantry Palace had no choice but to delay progress cautiously.
Erias sighed deeply before answering.
“As expected… Though I’m unsure of the specifics of Allen’s Divine Power, examining his condition revealed…”
“The result?”
“…The Imperial Princess’s curse has transferred onto him.”
Allen’s attempt to erase the curse failed. Whether he realized this beforehand or adapted mid-attempt remained unclear, but his decision was clear—he chose to transfer Lux’s curse onto himself.
Realizing this, Leo’s playful demeanor faded as he questioned further.
“So, is Her Highness safe now?”
“That… is uncertain. A portion of the curse still lingers within her. Roughly speaking, Allen bears six parts while she retains one.”
“So ultimately, we’ve simply increased the number of cursed individuals?”
“Indeed. However…”
They’ve bought time. Where Erias planned to halt Lux’s life to extend said time, Allen chose to preserve her life instead. Their goals aligned, yet their methods differed vastly. Moreover, Allen managed to weaken the curse, meaning it would take longer to re-establish its full effect.
“Our task remains the same—to produce meaningful results within this timeframe.”
“We can’t lose to such a young upstart.”
“And you call yourself young while saying that?”
Glaring playfully, Erias retorted.
“Anyway, now that you mention it, Allen carries six parts and Lux one… but shouldn’t the numbers add up correctly?”
“That’s beyond me too. Judging from when Lux was in a coma, there’s clearly a missing piece somewhere.”
A fragment of the curse seemed absorbed elsewhere, vanishing completely. Erias couldn’t trace its destination.
