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Chapter 62
Tiago sat down beside her without a word. As soon as he did, Charlier subtly leaned toward him until their sides were completely touching.
She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and gazed up at him with moist, expectant eyes.
“Thank you, Tiago.”
He gave a half-hearted reply and let his eyes wander around the room.
That smell…
The entire room reeked of curse orbs. Other people might not notice it, but Tiago could easily tell.
This woman… she has curse orbs here.
He could have instantly used magic to reveal every hidden orb, but first he wanted her confession.
“Lady Charlier.”
“Yes, Tiago.”
She answered with the grace and politeness of a noble lady—completely at odds with the fact that she’d used curse orbs to make countless people suffer.
Tiago looked down at her. She stared back, full of anticipation.
But instead of meeting her eyes, he looked straight ahead.
“I can use magic.”
“I know, Tiago.”
As she said this, she lightly stroked his firm arm. He didn’t react, just continued speaking.
“I know all kinds of magic. Some of it is beautiful and good… but not all.”
“Tiago… what are you trying to say…?”
His demeanor wasn’t normal—his face was cold, and he still didn’t look at her.
Charlier tried to keep smiling, but the corners of her lips trembled.
Then he turned and looked directly at her, reading the tension and fear in her face.
Now.
His face stayed expressionless, which somehow made her shiver even more.
“I also know magic that can torture someone… and magic that can force them to tell the truth.”
“….”
The atmosphere in the room shifted completely. This was not the mood Charlier had been aiming for. The air turned cold, and her heart began to race wildly under the weight of his words—words that felt like a threat.
What’s wrong with him…?
She pressed her index fingernail hard under her thumbnail, a nervous habit—hard enough to draw blood. Tiago noticed and gave a faint smile.
“Don’t do that, Lady Charlier.”
“…What?”
“Are you trying to torture yourself before I do it?”
“Wh-what…!”
Her face stiffened, and she felt like the thin thread of control she’d been holding onto just snapped. Cold fear swept over her, and her body trembled.
Tiago gently took hold of her wrist.
It wasn’t a painful grip, but she still reacted as though he might cut her hand off.
“Tell me the truth, Lady Charlier. That’s all I want—the truth. Nothing else.”
“….”
She was overwhelmed by a familiar fear. The corners of her mouth shook.
“Don’t even think about lying.”
“….”
Tiago sensed her fear and pressed further.
“You have quite a few curse orbs, don’t you?”
“…Ah.”
A short, broken sound escaped her lips.
“Is that true?”
Slowly, she nodded.
“And it seems you’ve used them more than once.”
“….”
She nodded again.
“In that case…”
Tiago’s grip on her wrist tightened slightly—not enough to hurt, but enough to make her feel she couldn’t escape. She didn’t make a sound.
“Charlier. Did you curse Delphine?”
“…!”
Tears rolled from her eyes. She opened her mouth and trembled but said nothing.
His gaze stayed sharp, unshaken.
“I’ll ask again. Did you curse Delphine?”
“….”
She knew there was no point in lying now. One of the lessons she’d learned in the palace was that you never attack an opponent who’s far stronger than you—it would only end badly.
Very slowly, she nodded.
Just as I thought.
Tiago wasn’t surprised at all. He released her wrist.
Even after he let go, she stayed frozen, silent.
He touched his chin, thinking for a moment.
Then, with a tone of curiosity, he said,
“I understand everything… except one thing.”
“…?”
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes.
“What I don’t get is… why you never used a curse orb on Michaela.”
Her eyes widened in shock, like someone whose deepest secret had been exposed.
“Why curse Delphine instead? The reason you’re here now—pathetically blinded by jealousy and hurting her—is all because of Michaela, isn’t it?”
She couldn’t answer.
He knows everything!
He knew that her hatred for Michaela was the reason she’d been forced to leave the palace and return to Shyro.
When she’d first entered the palace, she’d briefly caught Prince Alexander’s attention—until Michaela cursed her, leaving her near death. By the time she recovered, the prince’s attention had shifted to Sophie.
“….”
Irritated, she tore at a scab on her finger until blood dripped down.
“Ah… Lady Charlier.”
Tiago pulled a white, embroidered handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around her finger. The red spread across the fabric.
“The fact that you hurt Delphine… it makes my blood boil. But I have no intention of punishing you.”
“….”
She looked at him in shock, and his gaze told her he understood everything.
She felt like she was sinking into his intense eyes, her mind going light and dizzy.
“All I want… is for you never to make the same mistake again.”
“….”
Her eyes dropped to the floor.
She was too stunned to feel anything at first, but soon a whirlwind of emotions—anger, fear, regret, irritation—swirled inside her.
Most of all, she felt resignation. She knew she could never win against him.
“Promise me, Lady Charlier.”
“….”
She looked at him with a sense of surrender.
“That you’ll never use a curse orb on Delphine again.”
“…Yes.”
Her voice was low and hoarse, but she managed to answer.
“You’re quite obedient, Lady Charlier.”
She nodded, surprised at herself. Tiago was too skilled—he’d handled her perfectly.
She felt something she’d never experienced with any other man before—a strange comfort in obeying him, like everything would be fine as long as she did what he wanted.
The feeling was foreign, yet… oddly reassuring. She wanted to stay close to him and keep things good between them.
Tiago reached out and stroked her hair.
“…!”
The touch sent a shock through her, and she wanted to surrender herself to it.
“If you behave well, you should get a reward.”
He pulled a ring box from his inner pocket.
“I’ll give this to you.”
Without thinking, she held out both hands. He placed the box in them.
“Open it.”
She nodded and lifted the lid.
“…?”
It was a ruby ring—nothing unusual, except for one thing.
It was identical to Michaela’s ring.
“It’s a gift, Lady Charlier. This ring is exactly the same as Michaela’s. When you get the chance, switch hers with this one. Then you’ll be able to curse her.”
“Ah… Wh-why are you giving me this…?”
“She can’t be cursed because of that ring. If you swap it, she’ll be vulnerable.”
Charlier stared at him in shock, but he didn’t explain further. He stood up.
“What you do with it is your choice. But remember—you’ll only have one chance.”
He snapped his fingers, and all the curse orbs hidden in her drawers floated into the air.
—Snap!
With another snap, they dissolved into smoke and vanished.
“Ugh!”
She covered her mouth in shock.
Tiago pulled another orb from his pocket.
“Don’t be too sad. I’ll give you this one. It’s stronger than any other curse orb you’ve seen.”
She took it in both hands and peered inside. The color was more mysterious and intense than any orb she’d ever laid eyes on.
