“So, who exactly is she? Your fiancée?”

Maxime subtly pushed Christine away as she persistently questioned him with a gleam in her eyes. The mention of Marion, especially in this situation, made his temples throb, but he tried to ignore the growing headache.

“…No.” “Then, who is she? Did you take a mistress while I was asleep? Should I go tell your fiancée everything?”

“No, of course not. Why do you always twist things like that?”

Christine narrowed her eyes at Maxime in a playful glare as he retorted.

“Well, given the way you’ve been acting, it wouldn’t be too surprising if you had a mistress.”

“Anyone listening to you would think you know all about mistresses.”

“Unlike you, I like reading books. Romance novels, to be specific. So, are you really not going to tell me who she is?”

Christine gave Maxime a cold stare, feeling frustrated as she lay in bed. Maxime sighed quietly, meeting her gaze as she continued to probe him.

“She’s a knight from the Benning family.”

Christine blinked in surprise, tilting her head as if she hadn’t heard him correctly. Her expression was the kind of confusion one wears when they think they’ve misheard something.

“…Why on earth would you be protecting someone from that family?”

“There were… complicated circumstances.”

Maxime sighed as he glanced at Christine. She straightened her posture, wiping the playful expression from her face as she prepared to listen more seriously, though a hint of dissatisfaction lingered in her eyes. Maxime took a moment to collect his thoughts, carefully choosing his words.

“You know that the royal family and Count Benning’s household joined forces to investigate the corruption in the Mage Tower, right?”

“Yes. I know that you spoke with His Majesty and came to rescue me.”

“Well, she was a knight from Benning’s side, involved in that investigation. Somehow, we ended up working together.”

Christine looked like she wanted to interrupt, her lips twitching with the urge to say something sharp, but she restrained herself and simply crossed her arms, nodding for him to continue.

“…She was cursed.”

At the mention of a curse, Christine’s face paled. The mere existence of curses seemed to form another layer of chains that bound those afflicted by them.

“Go on.”

“Due to the curse and the Count’s mind control, the knight became a slave, obeying his every command. Her sense of self and memories faded.”

“Is she still like that now?”

Maxime continued recounting how Adeline suffered under the remnants of the dark magic, struggling between her doubts about the Count’s orders and her compulsion to follow them.

“…So now, she’s under the protection of the Royal Guard.”

When Maxime finished speaking, Christine remained silent for a while, lost in thought as she mulled over his words. Maxime, too, found his mind drifting to the last time he saw Adeline.

“I think… I need to meet her.”

Christine’s voice broke the silence, her eyes now filled with determination. Maxime looked at her with concern.

“Don’t overexert yourself. This has nothing to do with you…”

“Even if it doesn’t, I can’t just turn a blind eye and rationalize it away as someone else’s problem. Besides, if anyone were to ask me for help in this situation, it would be you.”

Christine’s expression hardened as she spoke. Maxime sighed, unsure whether to be relieved or worried by her resolve.

“…Tomorrow. I should be able to go out for a bit by tomorrow. Let’s visit Adeline then.”

“Alright.”

A cool breeze slipped through the slightly open window. Maxime glanced at Christine, who had returned to her contemplative silence. After some time passed, Christine called out to him.

“By the way, senior…”

“Hmm?”

“…Don’t you think you’re a little too familiar with her name?”

Christine asked teasingly, though her tone made it hard to tell if she was serious. Maxime rubbed his head, silently reminding himself to be more careful with his words in the future.

 

Contrary to common belief, curses do not require deep hatred (Han) or similar emotions to take hold. As long as the caster, the target, and the proper curse ritual are aligned, the curse can afflict anyone, regardless of circumstances. Indeed, even without strong hatred, if the conditions are met, a curse can be cast.

That’s why, the moment curses became visible on the surface, they were banned. Not only in this kingdom, but also in other nations, efforts were made to wipe out curse rituals from the world. The curse practitioners and those who commissioned curses were hunted down and made examples of—executed in brutal ways. It was said they were flayed alive, and the skin of these criminals was hung on poles in the royal city until it dried out completely.

Yet, the obsession with curses never entirely vanished. Even after curses were outlawed, there were still many who sought them out—people like Count Leon Benning, who harbored dark shadows within his heart.

“Please be careful and always use your crutches. If you don’t manage your injury properly, your hospital stay could extend by one or even two weeks.”

The doctor finished his instructions while replacing Maxime’s bandages. After the doctor left, Maxime touched the scar on his chest that had now mostly healed, though the sensation still felt strange.

Knock, knock.

Maxime buttoned up his shirt and lifted his head at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Christine’s familiar voice followed the knock.

“Senior? May I come in?”

“Come in.”

Christine entered, wearing her usual uniform with a hood thrown over it. Maxime spotted a wheelchair in the hallway behind her. Surely, she hadn’t brought that here for him. Sensing his gaze, Christine nodded toward the wheelchair, which made Maxime’s expression sour.

“Would you like a ride?”

“Absolutely not.”

Maxime stood up with his crutches, wincing as his injury flared with pain. Christine watched him with concern.

“Senior… I really think you should sit in the chair…”

“No. Let’s just go.”

As Maxime stepped into the corridor, a soldier from the First Guard greeted him. The knight watched Maxime and Christine bicker with a calm expression, then turned to lead the way.

“I’ll escort you, Sir Arsen.”

Outside the hospital, a carriage awaited them. It rattled along as they set off for their destination. Maxime noticed they weren’t heading toward the royal palace.

“She’s not at the palace?”

The knight nodded.

“No. Even though His Majesty agreed to the request, we cannot fully trust her. It would be too risky to keep her in a secure area of the palace. Also, keeping her outside the palace helps avoid Count Benning’s notice.”

That made sense. Maxime nodded, though uneasiness gnawed at him. The carriage was taking them toward the outskirts of the capital. It finally came to a stop in front of a familiar building.

“A guild?”

The adventurer’s guild, an organization that had allied with the king. Maxime narrowed his eyes as he watched adventurers glance curiously at the carriage. Just then, a familiar face ran toward them—the guildmaster. The adventurers whispered among themselves, clearly unused to seeing the guildmaster rushing around like this.

“This way.”

The guildmaster discreetly led Maxime and Christine through the back entrance, avoiding the attention of the guild members. The knight stayed behind, waiting with the carriage. After climbing to the third floor, the guildmaster, panting slightly, pointed to one of the doors.

“By the way… it’s been a while. I heard things in the East were resolved. Please send my regards to His Majesty.”

The guildmaster greeted Maxime with a formal nod, recalling past events. The guild’s alliance with the royal family had solidified over time, and now the guildmaster was privy to much of the palace’s internal affairs. He looked somewhat nervous as he addressed Maxime.

“Yes, it has been a while. Is Pierre doing well?”

“He is. He’s likely busy on a mission even now. He mentioned you from time to time… It’s a shame he’s out on duty when you’ve come.”

Christine, who had been watching the conversation, cautiously asked a question.

“The East? Senior, you’ve been around a lot, haven’t you?”

Maxime shrugged.

“I’ll tell you everything later. It’s a long story.”

The guildmaster grinned and waved a hand.

“More than just traveling. Sir Arsen here played a major role in the East, though it hasn’t spread as a rumor yet. In the Agon County of Myura…”

Maxime gave a strained smile, looking uncomfortable at the praise.

“…Shall we go inside first?”

Now wasn’t the time for this. The guildmaster nodded and returned to the matter at hand.

“The knight is in that room. When I heard she was a knight from Benning, I was quite tense at first.”

“How is she?”

“There hasn’t been any trouble. Surprisingly, she’s been very calm. Even though she’s blind and it must make things difficult, she hasn’t complained.”

The guildmaster stopped in front of the door.

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Let me know when you’re leaving.”

With that, the guildmaster walked down the hall and disappeared down the stairs.

Maxime hesitated in front of the door before reaching for the handle. Christine, watching his hesitation with growing impatience, grabbed his wrist and quickly knocked on the door. Maxime shot her a surprised look, but she only shrugged innocently.

“Yes?”

The door opened to reveal not Adeline, but Charlotte, a senior knight from the Royal Guard. Maxime blinked, startled to see her there.

“Senior? What are you doing here…?”

“I’m on watch. But that’s my question—you’re in terrible shape. You should be resting in the hospital, not dragging yourself all the way here. You’re barely standing.”

Charlotte frowned at Maxime, then raised an eyebrow as she noticed Christine standing behind him.

“Oh, you brought the rookie along. Well, come on in. You’re here to see the knight you captured, right?”

Maxime nodded awkwardly. Charlotte opened the door to let them in. The room was not small—it had once been a storeroom, now repurposed. Though it smelled a little dusty, it was comfortable enough. Near the window was a bed, and sitting on it was the person they had come to see.

Adeline. She was dressed in plain white clothes, unlike the armor she usually wore. Her neatly arranged hair, the color of the pre-dawn sky, and the black cloth covering her eyes were the same as ever. As if sensing Maxime’s presence, Adeline turned her head toward him.

“We’re not supposed to interrogate her, just observe, but it’s awkward as hell. I’m going to take a walk, so talk as much as you need.”

Charlotte quickly left the room as if escaping. The door closed behind Maxime, and Adeline cautiously spoke.

“Arsen?”

Her voice was soft, like that of a lost puppy finding its owner. Christine frowned at the sound.

“Have you been well?”

“…I’m glad to see you safe.”

Adeline quickly corrected her tone, returning to her usual flat, emotionless voice. Then, as if realizing Christine’s presence, she tilted her head.

“And who might this be?”

“I’m Christine Watson. I joined as Arsen’s junior—his successor as a mage.”

Christine introduced herself, emphasizing the name “Arsen” with a touch of irritation. Adeline replied with a slightly subdued voice.

“I’m Adeline. I’ve… forgotten my last name.”

Christine sighed deeply. A person under a curse. She glanced at Maxime, wondering if he had narrowly escaped a similar fate.

“Senior, go ahead and talk to her. I’ll step aside for now.”

Christine moved a chair and sat down, making it clear she wouldn’t listen to their conversation. Maxime gave her an apologetic look, but Christine merely waved him toward Adeline.

“Just go talk. I’ll get everything out of you later.”

Christine turned her back to them. Smiling wryly, Maxime patted her head before approaching Adeline. He could hear Christine sighing behind him. Adeline gestured to the chair beside her bed, and Maxime sat down across from her.

“Have you been uncomfortable in any way?”

Maxime asked, and Adeline quickly shook her head.

“I’m a prisoner. You shouldn’t be asking me that.”

“Are you still planning to be hostile toward me?”

Adeline opened her mouth but said nothing, then shook her head.

“…No, I’ve been treated well. If anything, I’m uncomfortable because they’re being too considerate, especially toward an enemy knight like me.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Adeline sighed, her head turning toward Christine, who was seated behind Maxime.

“Is she the comrade you had to rescue?”

“…Yes.”

Maxime smiled faintly.

“She was a dear comrade I absolutely had to save.”

“…I see.”

At Maxime’s firm words, Adeline smiled wistfully.

“When you first said you’d save her no matter what, I thought you were insane.”

“Saving her proved I wasn’t.”

Maxime replied, and Adeline laughed softly. Her hand rested on top of Maxime’s, causing him to flinch slightly, but he let her hold it, seeing how she seemed to lean on the sensation.

“Though it’s faint now, the Count’s commands, this curse… it could resurface at any time.”

Adeline placed her other hand over her chest, and Maxime gazed at her bittersweet smile, a mixture of sorrow and pain.

“Arsen, what are you going to do with me—a cursed knight who could turn against you at any moment?”

Before Maxime could respond, a long, frustrated sigh echoed behind him. He turned to find Christine, arms crossed, standing closer to them.

“It’s not what he’s going to do—it’s what I’m going to do.”

Christine stared at Adeline, her voice laced with displeasure.

“So, could you kindly let go of that hand?”