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Chapter : 05
Kalib stared blankly into the darkness before suddenly recalling a conversation he’d had with his brother.
“Getting married? Are you serious, Cedric?”
“Yeah. Since I’m not of direct blood and was adopted, if I want to enter the ‘Sanctuary of Knowledge,’ I have to prove my loyalty to the family.”
And the way to do that… was by marrying and pledging his life to the family.
To be honest, Cedric had wanted to avoid this route to the very end, worried it would seem like he was just trying to secure his position.
But now, he had no other choice.
“Don’t worry, Kalib. I’m only marrying to prove my loyalty. My intentions haven’t changed.”
Kalib spoke in a dazed voice.
“I’m not worried about that. But… why are you suddenly trying to enter the ‘Sanctuary of Knowledge’?”
“You know as well as I do—only chosen families can enter. And inside is all the knowledge in the world.”
“You think there might be a key there… to break your curse?”
“That’s what I’m hoping. They say it holds all the world’s knowledge, after all.”
Kalib’s face lit up with hope at Cedric’s words.
But Cedric’s face remained stoic.
“The problem is, I don’t have anyone to marry.”
“Oh…”
“I’m going to make you the Grand Duke. Even though I’ve been formally adopted and trained in the family’s gravity magic passed down for generations, in the end, I’m just ‘a member of the family.’”
“Cedric…”
“Would any noble lady even want to marry someone like me?”
Noble marriages weren’t personal—they were alliances between families.
Even if he was part of the Indigentia Grand Duchy, Cedric had already officially renounced his right to succession. He was like a chicken rib—useless, but a waste to throw away.
And this marriage? It was solely for the purpose of lifting a curse.
Would any noble willingly accept such a marriage?
“I even considered a contract marriage. But that only works if both sides agree.”
Rumors of Cedric’s curse were already widespread.
Even though it wasn’t the kind of curse that turned one into a monster or ruined their appearance, people still kept their distance.
No one wanted a “cursed husband.”
“And you’re still technically part of the Grand Duke’s house. You can’t just marry anyone because you’re desperate…”
Kalib stared silently at the peacefully sleeping Elia.
“If I say I’m the Grand Duke and I’m sponsoring her, and you push the story that she’s the woman you love… maybe it could work.”
The real question was… could she understand a “marriage just to lift a curse”?
Suddenly, Kalib remembered something Elia had told him a week ago, when she held him close:
“…There has to be a way. Cedric will be fine. You’ll be able to live with him for a long, long time.”
“….”
“I’ll help too.”
He knew she had just been trying to comfort him.
After all, what could a woman living alone in a remote forest do to break a wicked fairy’s curse?
But after a week with her, Kalib had realized one thing—Elia was incredibly capable.
Hunting, gathering, cooking—there was nothing she couldn’t do.
But that was all. She was an ordinary woman. She had no power to break curses.
“And yet… even though I know she was just saying that to be kind… why do I want to believe her?”
She had saved a stranger from wolves, made him warm cocoa—the first he’d ever had—and smiled kindly when no one else did.
Her warmth… made him want to lean into it.
For the first time, he wanted to act spoiled.
“Marriage, huh…”
Honestly, it was absurd to even consider.
He knew it would be repaying kindness with betrayal.
She might even get angry for the first time and kick him out.
“But what if… what if, by some miracle… if it’s Elia… if I just ask her to help Cedric go to the Sanctuary for a little while… maybe she’ll understand?”
Kalib thought, very carefully.
“And then, if she divorces Cedric… she could come live in the Grand Duchy with me…”
Then Cedric could break the curse and still stay close.
He could fall asleep, warm in Elia’s embrace, just like now.
Kalib had lived in an orphanage until the age of four. On the way back to the duchy, his parents had died.
He had never once experienced parental love.
The Grand Duchy, without its master, was cold. The retainers treated him like a thorn in their side.
“But even so, I was okay.”
He didn’t even know what parental love was supposed to be. He hadn’t even had a nanny.
But now… now he thought he understood.
“So this is what it feels like—something warm, something precious.”
All thanks to Elia.
Maybe that was why…
Kalib wanted to feel her warmth in the Grand Duchy too.
“Then the Grand Duchy wouldn’t be lonely anymore.”
As the thought bloomed, he was filled with hope—along with overwhelming self-loathing.
“Ugh, I’m awful. So selfish…”
He knew it was wrong.
And yet, he longed for it. Just a fleeting fantasy—and he wanted it so badly his hands itched.
Kalib bit his lower lip to keep from crying.
“Bad Kalib. No wonder you’re always alone.”
He had to stop. He had to sleep.
“I shouldn’t trouble Elia anymore.”
Kalib closed his eyes again.
“Once my hand is fully healed and I can use magic again, I’ll go back.”
Back to the Grand Duchy—where cold glares followed him.
Where there were no kind voices, no cocoa, no warmth.
Where Elia didn’t exist—the strange, comforting Elia who made him feel safe.
“I wish the wound would reopen. Or better yet, I’d be fine with a new one.”
A single tear rolled silently from the corner of his eye.
“Hmm…”
I stretched out with a yawn.
Ah, another bright, refreshing morning.
Lately, I’d been feeling great.
To be honest, ever since losing Yoon, I’d been haunted by nightmares.
I developed a vague sort of insomnia, and every day had been emotionally draining.
But since I possessed this body—and met Kalib—not once had I had a nightmare.
Actually, I barely even thought of Yoon anymore.
Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
I looked down at Kalib, peacefully asleep, with a puzzled expression.
“…He really is like a little angel.”
After a week of feeding him meat, his cheeks had filled out a little.
His pale complexion and stiff expression had softened a lot, and these days he was quite the chatterbox.
“Elia, what’s this?”
“Elia, what’s for lunch?”
“I want that fish stew from before.”
“Look, Elia! So many raspberries!”
Compared to our first meeting—when he was so mature and reserved—it was an incredible change.
In just a week, the “kid” had become… well, more like a real kid.
How would he be if we spent a month together? Maybe more like a typical child his age?
“Of course, that won’t happen…”
I sighed, muttering under my breath.
Whenever Kalib mentioned the Grand Duchy, I noticed how burdened he felt by the title “Grand Prince.”
Well, it made sense.
His older brother—rumored to be the next heir—was a terrifying genius and deeply beloved.
“Having to surpass a brother like that to become Grand Duke… no wonder it’s tough.”
I nodded to myself and carefully climbed out of bed.
Then I froze—suddenly realizing something I hadn’t thought of before.
“…Wait. Their bond is supposed to be that strong… and Cedric hasn’t looked for Kalib even once in a whole week?”
In the original story, the brothers were inseparable.
Cedric, out of gratitude to the former Duke and Duchess, gave Kalib his all, and came to love him like a real brother.
Kalib, desperate to keep the only person in the family who cared for him, eventually came to genuinely admire and follow Cedric.
“With a bond that deep…”
Why hasn’t he come looking?
Something felt off.
Don’t tell me… something’s happened to Cedric?
Like the curse suddenly worsening, or something horrible…?
I reached up to clutch my head, alarmed—and then froze.
Wait… am I seriously worried about the plot?
Ugh! I was supposed to live a peaceful, carefree life as an extra, completely unrelated to the main story!
Now look at me—fretting over the original characters like any other romance fantasy heroine!
“What the hell is Cedric doing?”
Doesn’t he care about his precious little brother?!
I stormed outside, irrationally blaming a man I’d only seen in illustrations.
Then I realized—if he came here looking for Kalib, I’d get involved with him.
“…Right. Better not to meet him at all.”
Besides, Kalib’s injury was nearly healed.
If no one came from their side, I could just send him back.
“I should probably mention it soon—he needs to go home.”
Maybe I’d bring it up during breakfast.
…That was what I’d planned.
But I didn’t actually bring it up until three days later.
Every time I tried, Kalib’s cheerful face would instantly darken.
How could I say it then?
I kept putting it off—lunch, then dinner, then tomorrow…
And before I knew it, three days had passed.
“…I should go back. My hand’s almost healed anyway…”
Kalib murmured quietly, fork and knife still in hand.
Gah…
I felt like I’d committed a horrible sin.
I couldn’t bring myself to say anything to Kalib, who just stared at his salmon gloomily.
Sure, the retainers glare at you like they want to kill you, but… it’s still your home.
But if I said that, I’d sound like an unfeeling jerk.
And you never know when Cedric might fall into eternal sleep—you should spend time with him.
But then I’d sound like a psychopath.
I opened my mouth, then quickly looked away.
But at that moment—
“Ah!”
Kalib must’ve been really upset.
Not only did he drop the knife, but he grabbed it with his bare hand.
“Ah!”
“Kalib!”
The sharp blade sliced straight into his palm and fingers.
“Kalib! Are you okay?!”
I sprang from my seat and rushed around the table.
“Ah… ah…”
Kalib placed the knife on the table and stared blankly at the blood welling in his palm.
“Oh no! That’s even worse than last time!”
I grabbed a clean cloth and pressed it firmly against the wound to stop the bleeding.
“Looks like you won’t be able to use magic for a while again.”
As I watched the cloth quickly turn red, I muttered softly—
…Wait?
For just a second, I swore Kalib’s lips curved into a smile.
No way. I must’ve imagined it.
When I looked again, his face was contorted in pain, like nothing had happened.
Whew. That’s more like it.
No matter how much he hates going back, he wouldn’t be happy about being hurt.
Even if he’s destined to become a future villain, even if he’s the icon of schemes, for now… he’s still just a pure boy.
“Does it hurt? I’m so sorry. I should’ve sharpened the knife a little less.”
Flustered by my ridiculous misunderstanding, I fussed over him even more as I changed the cloth.
