IBTMH 01

Chapter 1

01. The Danger of a Frying Pan

About 300 years ago, my ancestor, a powerful mage, fought for three months and nights to defeat a dark mage who put the country in danger. In the end, she defeated him. But just before disappearing, the dark mage coughed blood and placed a curse on her bloodline.

“Neither you nor your descendants will ever be able to speak! Only true love will break this curse!”

My ancestor, who lost her voice, thought the curse would be lifted soon and returned to her husband. But the curse was never broken. Our family, once a viscount house, was raised to a marquis house for defeating the dark mage, gaining great wealth and power. But none of it could heal her broken heart.

In the end, my ancestor left for a place no one could find her, and after that, her trace was never found again.

The curse passed down through generations, and because it could not be broken, our family became widely known. My mother left the capital after telling my uncle, who became the head of the family, that she was sick of the capital and would come back sometimes. She took me, still young, and moved to a countryside village.

I often saw sadness and self-hatred on my mother’s face. What did our ancestors think while looking at this long-lasting curse? Did they lose faith in love? Did they become both hopeful and distrustful at the same time?

Will the day ever come when this curse is broken?

The small, quiet village where I live, Flora, is made of a few houses gathered near the edge of the forest. If you go down the forest, you reach a fairly large town, so it is not really isolated. But the people here are calm by nature, and they accept everything with easy smiles, no matter what happens.

Maybe that is why my mother chose this place.

Even the village elder, Ezra, who acts like a chief and is over 80 years old, knows this forest like the back of his hand and moves around easily, delivering wild boars to each house once a month.

Even Jenny, who calls herself the best sculptor and often gives people beautiful wooden carvings, sometimes leaves the village for trade trips but returns empty-handed every few months.

Even Albert, who bakes bread so good it could be sold in a big capital city, sometimes produces small blue flames from his hands while baking.

Even though magic users are respected in this country and encouraged by the state, there are even two doll magicians considered quite rare, moving between the capital and the village. Now only one remains, settled in the village, making dolls and giving them to every house.

No one finds it strange. No one tries to question it.

While carefully cleaning dolls from my cabinet one by one, I heard a knock on the door. I put down the blanket over my legs and went out of the workshop to open the door.

Standing there was Theo, my childhood friend, holding a doll.

“Lunar.”

Theo scratched his light brown hair roughly and slowly held out the doll. It was a thick-tailed squirrel doll I had made for his much younger sister, Linnie, who couldn’t sleep at night. It was made in exchange for two baskets of wild strawberries.

“Can you fix this doll? Linnie broke it while playing.”

I slightly frowned. My dolls almost never break unless they are hit by magic or exposed directly to strong mana.

It was strange, but I had always said I would fix them whenever they were broken, so I accepted it.

The squirrel doll, with stuffing coming out of its torn arm—was it called Kiki?—I placed it under my apron and took out my notebook and pen.

[It will be fixed by tomorrow. Only the thread is damaged.]

“Thanks, Lunar. Oh, this is an apple. My mother told me to give it to you.”

The bright red apple looked very beautiful. It was clearly selected carefully.

[Please thank her for me.]

“Okay. I’m going.”

At the village entrance, Theo’s father, Mr. Carlson, stood holding a fishing rod. He seemed to be going fishing at the lake.

I quietly closed the door and put Kiki in the workshop basket.

It’s done.

Earlier, I checked and saw only the stitching on the arm and side had come undone, so there was nothing else to fix. Kiki quickly regained energy, as if realizing she had been repaired, and happily ran around. Her fluffy tail swept across the floor.

But I noticed faint mana coming from Kiki. It seemed the doll had been damaged by magic.

While I looked serious, Pinocchio, a wooden doll standing next to me, bent down and picked Kiki up.

Pinocchio is a life-sized wooden doll I created, so he is very strong. I quickly took Kiki back from him and placed her safely in the basket. Kiki, scared of Pinocchio staring at her, curled up quietly.

Her clothes look a bit burned. Was it fire?

While I turned Kiki around to check, the front door suddenly burst open.

I wasn’t surprised. The only ones who enter my house without knocking are my dolls.

As expected, it was Lily, my first cloth doll shaped like a cooking rabbit. She was covered in dirt from outside.

I quickly ran and picked her up. As she shook her body, dust fell everywhere.

Without hesitation, I took her to the bathroom and placed her in a basin. She got wet immediately.

Just as I was about to use soap, Lily suddenly stood up, soaked, and pulled my sleeve.

“…?”

I looked into her black button eyes.

A message came through.

〈There’s a man collapsed in the forest!〉

I stared at Lily carefully to judge if she was telling the truth. Lily got annoyed.

〈What, you think I’m lying?!〉

Honestly, what a temper.

I picked her up and went outside. As soon as I put her down, she ran quickly ahead. Even though she was only 30cm, she was fast.

Soon I was running too, pushing through grass and branches, following her pink body.

Then suddenly—

“!”

I saw him before Lily even pointed.

It was because of the air.

His face came into view next. Shining honey-gold hair, long lashes of the same color, a pale face covered in sweat. Even in this condition, he had an unbelievably beautiful face.

But strong mana was swirling around him.

The air felt cold. A white breath escaped my mouth.

This country, the Phylos Empire, is known as a magic empire. Almost all nobles are mages, and the emperor must also be able to use magic. Each noble house has its own attribute, and talent in magic is important for inheritance.

Because of that, mages are highly valued, and the fastest way for commoners to rise is entering the Magic Tower.

The Tower Master is equal in status to a duke. Though not a noble title, his authority is not something anyone can ignore.

In that sense, this was the first time since my mother that I had felt such strong magic.

Ignoring comparisons, I knew this man was extremely powerful.

I slowly reached out and touched his bloodied cheek. It was ice cold. He was still breathing.

I tried to move him, but he was too heavy. If I dragged him, he might die from blood loss.

This won’t work.

“…?”

Suddenly, black smoke flickered around the wound. Mana?

I frowned and looked closer. Only fresh blood was flowing. Did I see wrong?

I immediately told Lily to bring Pinocchio.

Pinocchio arrived with Lily on his head. Following my signal, he carried the man and took him home.

As soon as I entered, I opened my mother’s empty room and placed the man on the bed.

His upper body was covered in blood. I cleaned the wounds first. He groaned softly and moved slightly each time I did. The bed slowly became stained with blood.

After stopping the bleeding and applying medicine and bandages, he looked slightly better.

He should see a doctor tomorrow.

Once I had a moment, I took Lily back to the bathroom and put her in the basin again. She was even dirtier than before.

I had no intention of listening to her complaints.

“Your job is cooking. Cleanliness is life.”

Lily sulked in the basin.

I patted her head gently, washed her properly, squeezed her like a twisted cloth to remove water, and hung her by the window to dry.

I returned to the workshop and checked the dolls again.

My eyes stopped on my mother’s dolls—beautiful ball-jointed dolls.

I absentmindedly ran my hand over them.

My name is Lunar Sheyen. A member of the Sheyen Marquis family, known as the family of doll mages.

And the most famous thing about our family is the curse placed on the first marquis.

“…!”

At that moment, the air changed.

I turned my head.

Through the open workshop door, I saw a man sitting up on the bed.

His chest was exposed for treatment, showing a strong, well-built body. Messy but golden hair like fine thread. Sharp, lifted features. Cold, sharp dark blue eyes filled with hostility and caution.

I immediately ran toward my mother’s room.

“You… who are you?”

I reached for my notebook, but his cold voice stopped me.

“Don’t move.”

Ice crystals formed instantly around me, aiming at my neck.

I swallowed hard.

Ice magic. A water-element mage.

One wrong move and I would die.

“…So you won’t speak?”

I’m not refusing. I can’t speak. I need my notebook to explain—

I moved slightly, and he smirked.

“A dirty trick. Trying to kill me, are you? Should I be honored?”

He held his injured side and bit his lip, scanning the room quickly. Looking for escape. Or a chance to attack me.

Then I saw Pinocchio standing behind him holding a frying pan.

I tried to say stop—

Clang!

Pinocchio struck the man on the head.

I saw his eyes roll back instantly.

He, he didn’t die, did he?

Because the mage lost consciousness, the magic collapsed. The ice disappeared.

I slowly walked closer.

A bump.

A very large bump formed on his head.

I checked his breathing. He was still alive.

Pinocchio looked between the unconscious man and me, scratching his head as if asking, “Did I do well?”

The frying pan looked strangely shiny.

I couldn’t say anything. Not praise, not scolding.

What if he really dies from being hit on the head