~Chapter 1~
Creak, creeeak.
A woman with long black hair down to her calves laughed with a strange sound.
“Haaah.”
She took a deep breath and covered her mouth. Her joints cracked.
DADADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA—!
The woman, bending backward unnaturally, ran forward on all fours.
Through her messy hair, bloodshot eyes peeked out. Her appearance was terrifying and overwhelming.
Anyone who saw her would probably faint on the spot.
“What do you think, Ruby?”
When I turned my head, a man who hadn’t been there before was now standing beside me.
“Do you like your gift?”
The man smiled warmly, completely ignoring the woman running at him with blood tears in her eyes.
“It’s so, so…”
I clenched my fists and shouted at the man waiting for my response.
“So adorable!!”
My name is Rubiana Aristia.
As you can see, I’m enjoying a 100% satisfying newlywed life with this man.
Rubiana Aristia was a background character.
A typical side character who doesn’t even get to talk to the main male or female lead before being kicked out of the story.
That’s the role I was given after reincarnating into this novel.
“Oh my, why did that gloomy Lady Rubiana come here?”
As soon as I entered the ballroom, I heard people whispering.
“I heard she has no friends and has been dumped three times.”
“And she sees strange things too.”
That last comment made me stop.
Sees strange things, huh?
I looked at the lady decked out in flashy jewels.
“W-what?”
Maybe she felt guilty, because she stammered.
And I saw it—a black blob squirming on her shoulder.
“Mu-muuu…”
The black blob murmured in a child’s voice.
‘Well, it’s not wrong.’
Because I could see things no one else could.
“You should be careful around water.”
I told the lady, who didn’t notice the blob at all.
“What? What nonsense—”
CRASH!
Right as I finished, a servant tripped and spilled wine all over the lady’s dress.
“Do you know how expensive this is?!”
While she was freaking out, I slipped away from the scene.
“Muuu… Red muu, I love it!”
When I glanced back, the black blob was gleefully splashing in the spilled wine.
‘They’re everywhere today too.’
Those strange things—were curses.
Curses caused small misfortunes to people nearby.
Tripping, losing things, and so on.
Watching those curses had become my only hobby since I got reincarnated.
In my past life, I loved scary things. Horror stories were my daily bread.
So curses were fascinating to me.
“See? Something bad always happens near Lady Rubiana.”
“She was born after eating her mother in the womb, what do you expect?”
But unlike people, curses didn’t bother me.
“She’s so different from her angelic sister.”
Mocking words rang in my ears.
I eventually left for the terrace.
And then—
THUD!
“Ru-Rubiana?”
When I pushed aside the curtain, a man and woman, clearly entangled, jumped apart.
“Rubiana, it’s not what it looks like—”
The man, my fiancé from three weeks ago, tried to explain, face red, shirt open.
Red lipstick smeared his lips.
“Rubiana, my dear sister.”
And the one passionately kissing him—was my angelic half-sister, Cecilia.
“What can I say? Malik told me I’m his true love.”
Cecilia smiled sweetly and stroked Malik’s cheek.
“You can’t help how your heart feels. Right, Malik?”
If only people knew.
That kind, pure Cecilia was actually the one who spread rumors to drive me out, and even stole my fiancé.
“Haaah…”
I sighed and brushed back my hair.
[Ah, pain. Pain.]
[I won’t forgive you, I won’t forgive you…]
[It’s all your fault!]
Curses clung to Malik’s shoulders, wailing with hatred.
“You’ve got guts, sis.”
I looked away from the curses and muttered,
“Rolling around on the floor with someone who has Cellian Disease.”
A disease that causes red boils until death.
Cecilia’s face turned pale.
“…What?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear?”
I raised my voice for everyone nearby to hear.
“Making out with someone who has Cellian Disease! Impressive!”
People gathered to see what the noise was.
“I saw a medical bill from Lieman Hospital under Malik Preston’s name!”
I always had a bad feeling about him. The curses on him were crying from day one.
Turns out, I found a medical bill in his coat pocket—only patients with that disease go to that hospital.
“What? The third son of the Prestons has Cellian Disease?”
“But isn’t he engaged to Lady Rubiana? And kissing Lady Cecilia?”
All eyes turned to Cecilia and Malik. They turned ghostly pale.
“T-this isn’t what it looks like! My sister is just saying weird things again—”
Cecilia tried to explain, but no one cared about the truth.
“Come to think of it, every woman Malik dated ended up bedridden…”
“Oh no… then Cecilia too—”
As whispers spread, I slipped back onto the terrace.
‘Tiring.’
I just wanted to observe curses quietly today.
And suddenly, I thought,
‘How long do I have to live like this?’
In my past life, I loved scary things.
Ghosts with long hair, dolls that move, skeletons hidden in walls…
I wanted to live peacefully just watching those things.
But no matter the world, people were all the same—they mocked me as strange.
‘This isn’t much different from my last life.’
Tap.
Someone bumped into my shoulder.
“…Sorry.”
A pale man with silver hair that looked like it held moonlight apologized.
“Oh, no, it’s fine.”
Even though it wasn’t a masquerade ball, he wore a white mask covering half his face.
Still, I could see his sharp nose and jaw—he must be handsome.
And then I noticed something.
‘What the…’
A massive curse sat on his shoulder, mouth wide open.
It was big enough to cover half his upper body.
No wonder he looked exhausted.
“Hey, look—it’s him…”
“Shhh! Quiet!”
People whispered, pointing at him.
“It’s the Cursed Duke, the Mad Killer.”
The Mad Killer Duke? That one?
“Ugh…”
“Are you alright?”
Before I could think more, the man stumbled.
He barely regained balance, but he still looked overwhelmed by the curse.
I couldn’t leave him like that, so I reached toward his shoulder.
As soon as I touched the curse—POP!—it burst.
The massive curse vanished into nothing.
“Lady.”
A deep voice snapped me back to reality.
Freed from the curse, his breathing had calmed.
“What is your name?”
He looked straight at me now.
“I’m Rubiana Aristia.”
He nodded and bowed.
‘Huh?’
He gently took my hand in both of his and said,
“I am Damien Maledictus.”
His deep purple eyes looked at me from behind the mask.
“…Thank you.”
His eyes truly looked at me like I was a savior.
“I will repay you for this.”
Before I could respond, he was gone.
‘Thank me?’
He didn’t even know about the curse, so he didn’t realize I removed it.
He was thanking me just for helping him stand?
‘Well… maybe he’s just a nicer guy than the rumors say.’
And I forgot about it soon after.
