CHAPTER~12
Nothing in This World Is Free (1)
“What was that stone I ate earlier? And the things I was muttering under my breath? Could it be… that you tried to curse me?”
He muttered in a grim tone.
Kallio’s face was smiling, but his hand gripped the sword tightly.
The hand holding my jaw was pressing harder, and a sharp ache spread to my bones.
Surely I must have cast some magic on him.
Could it be… that it has no effect?
I tried to clench my fist forcibly to hide my trembling.
But even the fist I managed to make was trembling violently.
Kallio moved his body closer to me.
“If your lips won’t open easily, shall I help you?”
His touch reached my shoulder. Despite the heat of his body, it felt cold against my skin, making every hair on me stand on end.
As the fabric draped over his shoulder fell limply, the white nape of my neck was fully exposed.
Eventually, Kallio’s cold blade slowly approached my neck.
‘…This is wrong.’
I shut my eyes tightly, thinking I was about to die.
No, I tried to.
Clang—!
At the moment my body tensed up, the sword slipped from Kallio’s hand.
It shouldn’t have happened under normal circumstances. Knights in this world are trained never to drop their swords.
Someone like Kallio, one of the strongest in this world, would never make such a mistake…
Kallio hastily touched his own neck.
By then, a translucent ring had appeared around his neck. Spikes protruded sharply from it.
“What have you done?”
Kallio grinned and asked me.
The magic I cast had activated.
The curse: if Kallio tried to kill someone for pleasure, the arrow of death would return to him!
Fear and relief hit me at the same time.
The ‘spiked ring’ seemed visible only to me. Kallio had no idea what constraint had been placed on him.
After calming my breath, I managed to speak.
“As… you said… it’s a curse. If you act recklessly… you die.”
“Then the stone you ate earlier… is it an awakening stone?”
“……”
“Seems like this curse has conditions. Since you can’t kill me immediately.”
“Step back!”
Kallio, this human, how can he deduce so well even when his life is in danger?
The more he tried to analyze my magic, the more tense I became.
I pushed against Kallio’s chest and stepped back.
“Don’t ask further. Take the stone… back to its original altar if possible.”
Sharp silence lingered between Kallio and me.
After a while, Kallio finally stepped back.
Seems like he doesn’t want to die. I thought he would leave the room quietly, but then—
Slash!
A sharp blade brushed against my hair.
The sudden wind made my sky-blue hair scatter like snow on the floor.
“Ah, sorry.”
Kallio’s large foot had crept forward unexpectedly.
“It was a mistake.”
He smirked and slid the sword back into its sheath.
Finally, he turned his back.
With the emperor’s aura no longer visible, I collapsed in relief.
The quiet space still carried traces of a woman and a stage, with some ash and soot left behind.
My hands and legs were trembling, and I struggled to breathe.
Then, I felt someone nearby.
“You’re… not hurt, I hope. Of course.”
Turning around, I saw Kyrus emerging from a pile of items. He looked unusually somber.
“Do I… owe my life to Her Majesty the Empress?”
I didn’t have time to consider that… I wiped my exhausted face.
Then I muttered, recalling what had to be done.
“Another woman who inherited the woman’s karma had a companion. The companion found a new passage and separated from the woman.”
[Passage cleared.]
[With this sentence, the ‘One Night Woman’s Curse’ is officially concluded.]
The words I had spoken experimentally became a ‘story.’
And that ‘story’ became ‘reality’ through my magic.
As I said, a door appeared in the dead-end wall. It opened by itself, revealing an empty corridor.
“Go, but do not let the Emperor notice…”
“Did the Empress try to obtain the awakening stone to survive Her Majesty? …Not for research?”
“As you can see. Ah, I apologize for lying earlier.”
I had lied to gain Kyrus’ favor, but hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly.
Considering he had just saved my life, I hoped my lie didn’t make him dislike me. I felt a faint worry.
But Kyrus, instead of getting angry at being deceived, lingered nearby.
“I….”
Then he said something I didn’t expect.
“May I dedicate my loyalty to Her Majesty the Empress?”
“If you need my help, I will assist with all my strength. Though I am currently only a secretary…”
For now, yes. One day, he’ll become the prime minister of this country.
Then he’ll be my powerful ally.
I coughed lightly to avoid looking too elated.
“Well, loyalty… just help me a bit if I get into trouble later, and I’ll be grateful.”
“I will absolutely do so.”
Kyrus vowed firmly, regardless.
When our eyes met, he suddenly bowed his head deeply. His face and even his ears turned red. Was he really unwell?
‘Well, he almost got killed by the sword…’
I looked at him sympathetically and waved my hand in the air.
“Let’s go quickly. The Emperor’s patience won’t last long.”
“I hope you remain safe.”
“You too.”
After the formalities, Kyrus’ gentle eyes curved into a small smile.
His gaze, smiling, carried a subtle emotion.
But I was too exhausted to pay attention.
After a brief shy smile, Kyrus entered the newly created passage.
I stretched and stood up.
Having obtained everything I could, it was time to return.
After completing the noisy ancestral rites, we returned to the palace.
On the way back, I had no choice but to be with Kallio.
Although I obtained a hidden item, visiting the late emperor and empress’s tomb was an official imperial duty.
No matter how awkward, Kallio and I had to return to the palace as the current emperor couple.
Although Kallio left the tomb obediently, I expected him to complain about the curse.
Yet, he remained silent the entire way. I also had no time to wonder about his thoughts.
As soon as I reached the palace, I jumped straight into bed.
After dismissing the maid servants.
“Ughhh!”
I let out a strange sound, stretching my arms and legs and rolling around.
Having escaped death, joy finally hit me.
I survived the tomb and even cursed Kallio. I wasn’t sure how effective it would be, but I felt some relief.
Of course, while happy, my mind was still calculating.
‘This is only buying me time.’
I was still the Empress, and this palace was the Emperor’s domain.
Could he do nothing in his own home? Kallio had a history of killing within the palace.
Though I prevented his pleasure-killing, Kallio might find another scheme.
“I need to escape outside the palace…”
But blindly leaving would cause trouble.
To survive while hiding my identity, I needed two things:
Money and a false identity.
Most importantly, money.
A false identity could be bought with money anyway.
Though I could use the funds allocated to the Empress,
‘That’s not my money—it belongs to the state, the Emperor.’
Anything I spend would inevitably reach the Emperor’s ears. I couldn’t be caught using it recklessly.
“So I need to have my own purse.”
Should I start a business?
In most romance fantasy worlds, side businesses were the best way to earn extra cash.
But remembering which items from debut novels made huge profits wasn’t easy.
“Other reincarnated protagonists made new dress designs or penicillin just fine…”
Practical science and studies weren’t my main interest, so I just grumbled.
Then—
“Wha—?”
With a strange cry, a coarse sensation touched my cheek.
“Ah!”
I screamed at the sudden situation.
A cat appeared out of nowhere, from thin air.
