Chapter 10
The Cursed Room (2)
“Let her in.”
“Yes.”
When Rondo stepped aside, Linda gave him a brief nod of greeting and entered.
Thud.
The heavy sound of the door closing made her instinctively turn back.
Perhaps because she knew this was the room where the previous lord had been assassinated, the air felt heavy and oppressive, pressing down on her.
She turned her head back to the front.
To the left was the familiar lord’s bed, and next to it, the lord sat slouched in a chair, silently watching her.
His body was still that of an undergrown boy, but strangely, he appeared larger, intimidating her for a moment.
“Why are you just standing there?”
Ian’s voice bounced off the high ceiling, reaching Linda where she stood by the door.
Only then did she cross the room, its beautiful red carpet muffling her steps, and bow politely before Ian.
“You summoned me, my lord.”
“You’re late.”
“I apologize, my lord. I was in the village and only just returned to the castle. Please forgive my tardiness.”
At her courteous words, Ian casually waved his hand as if it were no big deal.
“It’s fine, it wasn’t urgent. But still, what a shame. If you had come earlier, you could have joined me for dinner.”
“It’s an honor that you would say such a thing, my lord. And I didn’t get the chance to say this earlier today, but congratulations on your recovery. If you had never awakened, I would have been heartbroken.”
“Thank you.”
Ian couldn’t help but smile at Linda’s warm, caring words.
‘What’s wrong with me? I shouldn’t be smiling like this. She’ll think I’m soft.’
He had intended to greet her with a stern face but found himself unable to keep it up.
“It’s nice.”
“What is?”
“Your smile.”
Linda tilted her head slightly, studying Ian’s face.
“You’ve never seen me smile before?”
Ian frowned at her response, but she simply nodded brightly.
“You probably don’t remember, but you never smiled, my lord. You always wore a gloomy expression, avoided sunlight, hid in the shadows, and only occasionally spoke with me. The rest of the time, you kept to yourself.”
“What a fool.”
“Are you insulting yourself now?”
“I don’t know. But really, who lives so stiflingly?”
Ian abruptly stood, poured himself a glass of wine from the table, and took a sip.
“The reason I called you here is because of the Kavenian language.”
“Kavenian?”
The continent of Kavenia, divided east and west by the sea, used Kavenian as its common tongue. Of course, there were many regional dialects, but that wasn’t relevant now.
Recalling what Rondo had explained earlier, Ian approached her with the glass in hand.
Up close, Linda’s eyes gleamed as though lit by dozens of candles.
If such a person wasn’t intelligent, then the whole world must be filled with fools.
‘Still, I need to confirm it.’
From his left hand, he extended a book.
“Read it.”
“Pardon?”
“Read it aloud.”
Linda accepted the book, its cover bound in thin bronze plates for protection, and checked the title.
The History of House Albern.
It was a chronicle of the Albern family, the lords of this domain.
“Why do you want me to read this?”
“Just read it first. I’ll explain after. Don’t tell me you can’t read.”
“……”
Linda glanced at Ian briefly, then opened the book and began reading the preface.
“My name is Dagien. The year the Eastern Kavenian Empire collapsed, I aided Sir Linam Findelsen, the empire’s southern commander, fighting countless battles that ended in victory. For these achievements, I became a founding vassal of the Kingdom of Velorin. King Linam Findelsen rewarded me with land and bestowed upon me a noble title. I was no longer merely Dagien, but Dagien Albern. This marked the proud beginning of House Albern.”
“So that’s how it began.”
Ian nodded, while Linda looked at him curiously.
“Shall I continue?”
“Please, just a little more.”
Ian strolled to the window with his wine, while behind him Linda’s clear, pleasant voice carried on, recounting centuries of Albern history.
“So there was even a great war.”
Listening to the tale of a war during the reign of the fourth lord, Ian turned to glance at Linda, who sat reading steadily by candlelight.
Time passed, but she didn’t falter.
“Linda, that’s enough. Well done.”
Closing the book, Ian finally got to the point.
“I’ve become illiterate. I can speak, but I can’t read or write Kavenian anymore.”
“Oh! I see… So not all the changes were good, after all.”
Setting the book on the table, Linda stepped closer, offering him comfort.
“It’s alright, my lord. You can learn again quickly. Please don’t lose heart.”
“Thank you. But… were we always this comfortable with each other?”
“I mostly just listened, my lord.”
“For example, when I complained about how hard it was being a lord, right?”
Ian’s words recalled a memory, and Linda looked slightly uneasy.
“I apologize. I spoke to you too familiarly, out of old habit.”
Ian studied her face silently, then chuckled softly.
“I’d like your help. Teach me to read again.”
Linda, who had been staring at the floor, raised her head.
“Why me?”
“Because I don’t want anyone else to know. If you come under the pretense of bringing medicine, it won’t seem suspicious. You can do that, right?”
After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.
A lord’s order was absolute. Though phrased as a request, she had no real choice. Still, if she had truly disliked it, she could have made excuses. But she didn’t.
She wanted to support this changed lord.
“Very well. I’ll do it.”
“Excellent, hahaha!”
Ian laughed loudly.
A good teacher was essential, and with Linda, he felt he wouldn’t grow bored and would study diligently.
“We’ll begin tomorrow. You may go now.”
“Yes, my lord.”
She bowed and began to step backward toward the door, but then she paused, as if remembering something, and turned back.
“What is it? Do you have something else to say?”
“My lord, do you know what this room is?”
“Hmm… yes, I do.”
“You must be careful. I think this room is cursed.”
“I’m not afraid just because someone died here. Even if that someone was my father.”
At his calm reply, Linda blinked her large eyes.
“My lord, I think you’re mistaken. It wasn’t just one person. Three lords have been killed in this room throughout history. All assassinated.”
“What?”
Ian’s eyes widened in shock as he quickly scanned the room.
So it wasn’t just his father—other lords had been murdered here too.
‘What the hell? Is this room a tomb for lords?’
Linda reopened the history book on the table.
“Look. Three hundred twelve years ago, one hundred eighty-three years ago, and most recently, your father. All killed in this castle, in this very room. It’s cursed.”
“It’s just coincidence.”
There had been far more lords who lived than who died here.
“It’s best to avoid unpleasant places. That’s why you closed off this office before, isn’t it?”
“If someone wants me dead, they’ll strike anywhere. This ‘cursed room’ means nothing.”
“If you say so… Alright. Honestly, I feel the same. You’ve already survived so many brushes with death and risen again like a phoenix. I’m sure you’ll be fine. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
Thud.
The door closed, leaving Ian alone in the vast room.
In the suffocating silence, he pursed his lips.
“Tch. A cursed room? What nonsense.”
Yet, even as he scoffed, he didn’t feel entirely at ease. Perhaps it would’ve been better not to know.
“Linda sure knows how to spook people.”
After finishing his wine, he lay on the bed, only to sit up again shortly after.
He was tired, but there was still something he needed to do.
‘I need to test the limits of this warp ability.’
After instructing Rondo not to disturb him, he stood at the window, gazing out toward the distant village.
It was far farther than the castle walls he’d reached yesterday.
‘Can I make it?’
Warp wasn’t an omnipotent ability.
From his brief test earlier, he’d learned he couldn’t warp to places he couldn’t see. His line of sight had to reach the destination. That also suggested there might be a limit to the distance.
‘I’ll only know if I try.’
Taking a deep breath, he focused on the village.
Suddenly, a roaring sound filled his head, and the world before his eyes began to fold like paper.
Boom boom boom boom!
The castle gardens, the trees, the walls, the night sky birds, the patrolling soldiers, the strolling villagers, the statue of the king in the town square, the hundreds of buildings—all the space between him and the village compressed like a tidal wave surging toward him.
‘My heart’s going to burst!’
The overwhelming shock made it feel as though his chest would explode.
Compared to yesterday’s warp over a single wall, this was an entirely different scale.
Instead of awe, fear gripped him.
But he held on.
‘It’ll be over soon.’
Having fought otherworlders with death as his constant companion, he was used to such fear.
‘I’ll swallow it whole!’
Thud!
With a heavy sound, he suddenly stood on the rooftop of a house near the village square.
‘I did it! Success!’
Though the warp felt long, in reality it had taken less than the blink of an eye.
Delighted, Ian steadied himself quickly.
The triangular roof was steep, and one misstep could send him tumbling down.
As he bent slightly to balance himself, he suddenly felt eyes on him and turned his head.
In a narrow alley between houses, a boy was staring up at him.
“Hello.”
Ian waved awkwardly, forcing a smile.
But the boy shouted loudly,
“Thief! There’s a thief on the roof!”
“What? A thief?”
“Where? Where?”
People rushed in from all directions, and the residents of the house beneath Ian, hearing the cry, burst out wielding knives and axes.
“Cut off the thief’s hands!”
The furious crowd searched, but they couldn’t find anyone on the roof. Instead, they scolded the boy harshly.
“You brat, don’t lie!”
“No, really! I saw him! He was right up there!”
“Shut up! You must’ve been seeing things in the dark.”
As the adults dispersed, the boy scratched his head, bewildered.
“Strange. I swear I saw him.”
Looking frustrated, he wandered off, leaving the alley quiet.
Moments later, Ian reappeared like a ghost where the boy had stood.
“That kid sure had a loud voice.”
Still amused by the memory of the boy being scolded, Ian smiled faintly.
He felt a little bad for getting the child in trouble.
“Ouch.”
But his smile faded as he pressed a hand to his chest.
Perhaps the long-distance warp had strained him; his chest throbbed with pain.
Mental strength alone wasn’t enough—his body needed to be trained to endure warping.
‘I’ve confirmed the range. Now I need more practice before heading back.’
If he wanted to warp instantly, he would need more training. Even just now, the delay had nearly exposed him.
