BTMLP 17

Chapter 17

‘…?’

The elegant silver eyebrows furrowed. And the edge of the jacket he had been wearing over them was lifted.

“Here it is.”

The question marks that had filled my mind instantly turned into exclamation points.

The root of Havil. Clements, who had grown up in the royal household and knew all sorts of poisonous and medicinal herbs, had smelled it.

‘Damn it… just how sensitive is his sense of smell?’

“A hallucinogen… hiding something like this behind such an innocent-looking face.”

Soon, the pocket that had been my only refuge was pulled out by the tip of his dagger.

“I already thought it was strange.”

Thump. My heart beat awkwardly.

“Last night, I slept unusually deeply. My chick was gone, yet all the doors and windows were closed. There was no way out.”

Thump. This time, his gaze turned into a fierce violet flame. It was a warning for my life.

It was one thing for a maid from a count’s household to have Havil root—understandable.

It was plausible for such a maid to enter the crown prince’s bedchamber.

But for a maid from a count’s household, possessing Havil root, to enter the crown prince’s bedchamber—and even use it on him the night before?

Execution without trial would have been justified. I could see the tension in his hand holding the dagger. My entire body felt like it was pounding as a single heartbeat. I shouted almost like a scream:

“I’m that chick!”

“What?”

“I’m your chick, Your Highness. Please, lower your blade.”

“What nonsense is this?”

Clang. The dagger fell to the floor. He really seemed angry now.

“Do you think I need a blade to kill you?”

Of course, killing me bare-handed would have been easy for him.

What should I do? How can I prove it?

Before his hand reached me, I whispered through trembling lips.

“What… is this cute thing?”

“…What?”

“Endure it. If you belong to me, you must be strong.”

“….”

“You’re a bad girl, chick. Don’t give your heart to him.”

After that, I replayed like a recorder everything he had said and done to me in my chick state.

His expression gradually softened, then seemed to vanish as if washed away. Finally, he let out a long sigh.

Eventually, he released me. My wrist, marked red, tingled, and I couldn’t move my hand properly for a long time.

Clements… looked utterly exhausted. It made sense—he had been genuinely concerned for the chick.

In this situation, who should apologize? Me to him? Or him to me?

The answer came quickly. This was a society of strict hierarchy, and I was just a lowly maid before the noble crown prince. Shaking, I managed to lift myself and kneel.

“I apologize. I knew you would be disappointed if you learned the truth, but I had no power to act otherwise.”

He barely looked at me but replied. The words, however, carried a deep weight.

“What fault could you have?”

“….”

Ah, why does this happen again?

The tears I had barely held back fell again. Relief at being alive, exhaustion after giving my all, the emptiness of feeling like I had ruined everything despite trying—my entire body shook in response to my still racing heart.

Ruined everything? No. One thing had gone right. Clements no longer cared about me.

“…Your Highness, Miss Bellarusia is not a bad person. Though clumsy with emotions, she has the purest and strongest heart of anyone.”

So please, now love her. If that happens, all the hardships I endured will not have been in vain. I wiped my tears with the sleeve of my dress.

“I truly apologize for my many indiscretions. I have shown you many things I shouldn’t have. I only hope Your Highness can forgive me.”

“Wait. The story isn’t over yet.”

I had been ready to retreat quietly but froze and sat down again.

“Is that… a curse?”

I nodded. I explained truthfully that I had gone on Bellarusia’s errand and had encountered a monster in the forest while gathering herbs.

One thing, however, I kept silent about—the need for Havil root. Revealing that would expose Bellarusia’s secret, and the truth of her transforming into a black panther was the most captivating spoiler for any future interaction he would have with her.

“…That’s how it happened.”

“….”

Honwood was a magical land. In the deep forests near the boundary of the demon realm, monsters and demons really did appear and cast curses. Though rare compared to ancient times, it wasn’t completely absurd.

We sat in silence for a long while. Clements’ stern face remained beautiful, but his thoughts were unreadable. I felt both anxious and restless, wondering how much night remained, whether I could meet Bella and visit the bookstore before dawn.

Finally, Clements stood and picked up the dagger that had fallen beneath the bed. I stood beside him without thinking.

He pressed the tip against his palm, drawing blood.

‘Ouch, that must hurt!’

I wanted to ask what he was doing, but the atmosphere demanded silence.

He drew a horizontal line across his hand, and drops of blood fell. From his lips came a low, strange voice:

“Εγώ, απόγονος του μεγάλου βασιλιά… (I, descendant of the great king….)”

He chanted an incantation in the ancient language, tracing a pentagram with the dagger on his palm. The wound and blood soon glowed a bright violet.

Ah! This was it!

The reason Klathia, a land plagued by monsters, could prosper into an empire—because the legendary first emperor, a great wizard, had subdued all demons and monsters and sealed them with his own blood.

“As long as Dusingen’s name sits on the earthly throne, the demonic races shall not leave the demon realm.”

“The master of Dusingen shall command the dungeon’s inhabitants. Those of the demon realm shall obey him.”

This so-called blood bond was passed down through the royal bloodline by the first emperor’s command.

Because the descendants of the Dusingen royal family ruled Klathia faithfully, the demons never crossed the boundaries set in Honwood’s forests.

The early emperors often summoned demons with their blood to achieve their goals, though it had rarely occurred in recent times. This was due to the 17th emperor, Clements’ grandfather, adopting the Simic Church as the state religion.

The Simic Church suppressed dark magic and naturally rejected demons. They recognized the first emperor as a saint for sealing demons and creating a livable human world, but later emperors didn’t inherit his demon-summoning practices.

For this reason, summoning with the blood bond had fallen out of use. So even though it’s only described in stories, seeing it in reality was incredible.

“σας ζητώ να δείξετε τον εαυτό σας. (I command you to reveal yourselves.)”

Some say the emperor’s blood was too diluted after twenty generations for the spell to work, but Clements proved otherwise.

As the blood’s glow intensified, a whirlwind formed in the closed room.

“νύχτα και μέρα, που είναι όλοι οι δούλοι μου! (Night and day, all my slaves!)”

Immediately, black and white masses fell before us.

My goodness. They were the monsters of day and night!

“Your Highness! Yes, it was these monsters that fought and drew me in!”

Excitedly, I pointed at them.

I could now see clearly what had been hidden in the forest. Skinny limbs protruded from under huge sacks. Hair, clothes, and skin flowed with the air—black as night or white as day.

Bright chains connected them to the pentagram Clements had drawn.

“What? Why are you bound?”

“Why? Were we bound?”

“Dusingen!”

“Ah, Dusingen!”

The monsters, confused, saw Clements and bowed tremblingly.

Clements gestured at me.

“Do you know this person?”

“…I know, but not me. Mera cursed it.”

“I did it. A human daughter became a small bird resembling a human. Mera made a mistake. Nikta wanted to escape.”

“You did it! Your excuses are pathetic.”

“You started it.”

“No, you started first.”

…Ah, so they messed it up, then ran without fixing it. Those monsters!

“What have you done to me? Let me go!”

The two stared at me with round eye-like holes. Chills ran down my spine.

They turned from me to talk among themselves.

“Hmph.”

“Hmph, a human daughter cannot command us.”

“Only the word of Dusingen matters.”

…Ah, so we obey only those stronger than us. Got it. I have no choice.

I looked at Clements with all my hope, even clasping my hands.

“Your Highness—please…”

You know what I want, right? Crown Prince, the lead of this world, our one and only male protagonist.

“Please lift my curse. I beg you.”

Just grant this one request. You’ll see—it’s for your own good. I can’t explain everything now, but I am essentially a bridge of love for you and Bellarusia.

If you realize how much you’ll love Bella in the future and how much she has changed because I was there, you’ll be amazed.