Chapter 18

Whether it worked, he froze, puzzled at my face

“…What?”

Pretending to look like an innocent rabbit, it seemed that he didn’t know that I dared to stand up to him.

“Whatever you say, I won’t leave this room forever!”

I could never be pushed back!

It was crucial to find out about this grandfather’s eccentric physical condition.

“From now on… I’m going to start your treatment! If I couldn’t fix it, then kill me!”

“What?”

“If I couldn’t cure grandfather, you could kill me!”

I pretended to grab grandfather’s collar.

What I meant was for him to stay still, because I’m going to start the treatment.

Could it have been that my exasperation worked?

I stared at Ricardo with my eyes wide open.

“Ah, Grandpa, me…?”

It may be my misunderstanding that his shoulders seemed a little drooping after a short argument.

However, his momentum has certainly softened a little.

He grumbled one after another, sweeping his gray hair in several sides.

Before I knew it, all of the spots and claws had disappeared.

“I just don’t trust you yet so stay still.”

The expectation in his eyes fluttered and then went off.

“If you couldn’t cure me, I’ll kill you.”

”I would proceed with my treatment.”

Ignoring his words, I began to carefully check his body lying on the bed.

I checked everything, including his legs, and blood splattering in his eyes.

‘It’s a little weird.’

I muttered with a blank look on my face as I briefly saw the area around the calves.

“You, haven’t you heard? I’m cursed by a magician.”

“Yes, yes, I heard.”

“If you touch my body, you could die right away.”

Yes, it was clearly written like that. There was such a rumor in the original.

However…

I bit my lip instead of answering.

”Well… Do you want something like red meat, eggs, or milk?”

“I don’t eat. You probably didn’t come here to ask such trivial things.”

When I remained silent, he brandished his feet again with an obnoxious look on his face.

Again this time, the jaguar’s blunt feet were revealed then disappeared.

However, for a healer like me, I thought, a patient’s kicking was not a threat.

“I know that trivial humans like you couldn’t fix me.”

“…”

“On a subject, it’s just a bite.”

“Then, what would a human say twice? Oh really!”

I was deeply immersed in my thoughts, that I spoke too confidently to the stream of thoughts I had.

Ricardo, who was looking at me red-faced, smiled in vain.

“You’re pretending to be timid and say everything you need to say, you…!”

He stared at me with a grimly distorted look.

For a moment, I was afraid because the jaguar’s pupils looked overlapping.

I rolled my eyes and tried to avoid his gaze.

Then he sighed and muttered.

“Well, that’s enough. I know what you’re going to prescribe anyway.”

Ricardo’s face was covered with deep remorse.

“You think I’m going to prescribe sleeping candles.”

“Yes, the only way to put the curse to silence was to put me to rest, the host. Do you have anything else to prescribe?“

I tilted my head thinking hard and then he yelled.

“What’s with that look that’s like a stupid rabbit? Listen, I’m resistant to the old sleeping candles. So, give me a prescription for narcotic sleeping candles.”

”A drug-type sleeping candle?’

“Yes, no one gave it to me, but… I’m an old man who’s about to die anyway. So just give it to me.”

Normal healers would of course not prescribe narcotic sleeping pills.

Narcotic sleeping herb was a medicinal herb that was banned from prescribed medicinal herbs, and it’s a medicine that was given as a comforting drug for those who would soon die.

It was a resistant drug, but fundamentally poisonous, so it was quite dangerous.

But I’m different.

I squinted and looked at him.

“Well… open your mouth for a moment. Then I’ll prescribe it for you.”

“…You’re really going to prescribe it for me?”

He stared at me with a suspicious look on his face.

I nodded with a serious expression.

“Yes, if you open your mouth, I would give you the most powerful molten herb among the drug-related sleeping candles as you wish.”

“The other healers said ‘no’.”

I replied with a playful grin to him, who was puzzled.

“Why? We could keep it between us. I mean, the symptoms are exactly…”

He slowly opened his mouth.

“…itchy.”

I checked his throat and nose briefly and whispered carefully in his ear.

“In addition, in the most important battle of the monsters, after cutting the supply of the enemy and seeing the corpse of your close comrade, you have been unable to eat meat. From then on, the curse symptoms appeared.”

He grunted.

“Yes, that’s it. I’ve been running since then. Everyone says it’s the Running Curse. What, you seem to have awakened from the information on the person to be healed?”

I said secretly.

“Good. I’m sure you’ll get a good night’s sleep.”

While whispering, something secretly was given inside the ward.

So the night passed and the day also passed.

Ricardo was really able to sleep comfortably after a long time thanks to the molten herb.

It was a very peaceful and perfect day for Astel and Ricardo.

Of course, there was one person who couldn’t sleep well.

It was Cassian Gray, who was destined to arrive at Duke Castle as soon as the sun rose.

* * *

The next morning, Astel’s brother Cassian Gray climbed into the teleport magic circle heading to Duke Castle.

Since there are only two travelers, there was no difficulty in using the teleportation magic.

He arrived immediately in front of the Duke of Anais with his superior, the leader of the Red Rose Knights.

First, a large and magnificent spire stood out.

Soon, antique and aristocratic stone buildings began to appear in his view beyond the entrance to the main gate, such as a large triumphal arch.

Duke Castle, which was given by the previous emperor, was a beautiful and well-organized space overall.

Overwhelmed by the beauty of the architecture, the two knights faced each other without hiding their amazement.

The first person to speak was Cassian Gray.

“This is the place of Duke of Anais.”

“That’s right. It’s magnificent as it was rumored. It’s said that he doesn’t like humans very much, so let’s get out of here quickly.”

Cassian raised his eyebrows at the sudden words of the knight commander.

“He doesn’t like humans… Yes, I guess so.”

“Yes, so it’s quite an honor to enter this castle. Wasn’t it everyone’s dream to see the Duke?”

The Duke of Anais was at the top of the empire’s hierarchy.

On the other hand, Astel was his younger sister, but she had a little stupid side and she was a small and slender child.

This means that the Duke of Anais was not the axis of favor, even though he hated humans.

Duke Anais.

If he’s a piece of crap, and makes Astel suffer in any way…

‘I should get rid of him.’

I won’t let it go, even if all of the revenge I’ve been preparing would be twisted.

Whether I live in hiding or do something, I could live in silence and seek revenge again…

He washed his face roughly.

Cassian knew it well.

For whatever reason, as long as the beast catches the eye, there was no way for Astel to escape.

‘God damn it, that kid got tangled up with that bastard.’

But I couldn’t just overlook the threats surrounding my dear sister, by no means.

As Cassian was frowning, he got off the horse and walked toward the entrance to the front door, the head of the knight said, pinching his side with his elbow.

“Relax. Come to think of it, your friend was under the Duke’s care right?”

“Ah, yes well… We’re not very close.”

Cassian’s expression of saying so wasn’t very bright.

When I recalled myself describing the most precious child in the world as someone “not very close,” my tongue felt bitter.

However, the knight commander, like a cruel bear, who misunderstood Cassian’s expression or heart, glanced at him and muttered.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say that about a woman. First, let’s go in.”

The gates of Duke Castle, which had been firmly closed, opened as if the beast’s gigantic mouth were wide open.