“Let reintroduce myself. I am currently acting as the head of the Blackdahlia family; my na is Frederica.”
Swoosh─
Frederica, having guided Ian to the reception room, bowed.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ian. I’ve heard about the lady’s mistake. I should have co to apologize to you first, but I was delayed due to circumstances. If you’ve co for compensation for the injuries inflicted by the lady, then later…”
“No, that’s not why I ca.”
“…Then what brings you here today?”
“I’ve co to help Estelle.”
“…Huh.”
At Ian’s words, a scoff suddenly burst from Frederica’s lips.
“My apologies. But let be clear, Mr. Ian. Your help is not needed.”
It was hard to believe those words, considering how many tis she had been let down before.
“…Shouldn’t Estelle be the one to decide that?”
“I didn’t expect you to respect the lady’s wishes so much. Then you may leave right now. The lady has ordered not to receive any guests.”
“…You don’t need to be so wary. If you look at the person next to , you’ll see that we’ve co from the church.”
“Hello, Ms. Frederica.”
“And? Did you think my attitude would change because you’re from the church?”
In fact, Frederica’s hostility towards Ian was significantly influenced by the nun who accompanied him.
“How many frauds, claiming they could help the lady, do you think have co and gone?”
“…I am not a fraud.”
“It’s curious. Every fraud I’ve t said the sa thing.”
The greatest betrayal among all the frauds she had t ca from the church.
Previously, the people of the church who feigned kindness quickly changed their stance upon hearing of Blackdahlia’s downfall.
Money, money, money.
She had asked the church for a healer for the lady multiple tis, but they always demanded more donations before they could send soone, threatening Frederica.
At that ti, Frederica, inexperienced in her role as the acting head, had lost a significant portion of the inheritance left by the previous head, which also belonged to the precious lady.
-I don’t understand.
-This is the first ti I’m seeing this.
-The reason is unknown.
-But if there were more donations, perhaps the ‘Great Church’ could bring soone of high standing.
However, all that ca back from those who had stolen Blackdahlia’s wealth were such words.
“To demand donations first, using treatnt as a hostage… I’m sorry. I didn’t know such things were happening in the church. But can’t you trust us just this once?”
“…Have you been listening to my story? I hate the church. No, I hate Goddess Elise.”
There was a ti when Frederica also believed and prayed for salvation.
“Why must our lady alone suffer so? Until her parents died in a carriage accident, the lady was devoted to the church. Even on the day of her parents’ accident, she was at the church.”
“….”
“And when her uncle ca to take her in after she was left alone? That day too, the lady went to the church. Do you know how it feels to watch a young child praying beside you, begging for her parents to be returned, even though it’s impossible?”
Frederica’s bitten lips split, tasting bitter blood.
“And then, that night, the ‘Disaster of Blackdahlia’ happened! What exactly did the esteed Goddess Elise do for the lady! What did the lady do so wrong to lose her parents and relatives… and her legs! Why did she have to lose everything!”
After that day, Frederica prayed in the church alone nurous tis.
Take her legs if you must, but please return the lady’s legs.
The lady had already lost too much to have her legs taken too.
“….”
But the Goddess did not respond to human prayers.
After realizing this, Frederica also stopped going to the church.
“…And the person from the church who ca offering to heal the lady held a rather high position. He was sowhat renowned for his healing abilities too.”
Frederica’s suspicion wasn’t solely due to her distrust of the church.
The nun before her seed too young to be considered trustworthy.
“But can you do better than that person?”
“…Hmm. Perhaps? I, Yuris, am confident in my healing abilities, despite how I may appear!”
“Yuris…?”
Frederica’s eyes widened.
She had heard the na Yuris before.
One of the candidates for sainthood.
Moreover, she was the closest to becoming the next saint.
“…This is serious.”
Frederica, who introduced herself as the acting head of the Blackdahlia family, had spoken against Goddess Elise in front of not just any nun, but a saint candidate. The family itself could be at risk…
“Ms. Frederica.”
“…Yes, Mr. Ian.”
“I understand what you’re worried about, but that won’t happen.”
“…How can I believe that?”
Frederica’s eyes widened at sothing Ian took out of his pocket.
“Because I am a friend of Estelle.”
“….”
When Estelle opened her eyes, her vision was blurry, and her head was dizzy.
Swoosh─
She tried to lift herself off the floor, which emitted a sowhat tallic sll, by pressing her hand against it.
“…Argh!!”
At that mont, the excruciating pain from her fingers, from which the nails had been pulled out, fully woke Estelle.
“Ah…”
She had fallen asleep.
She had ended up falling asleep.
Shiver-shiver-shiver-
Estelle, with trembling fingers, stroked her legs to check for sensation.
She was the cursed child.
A child cursed with a curse that would avenge any harm done to her. Otherwise, while she slept, the offender would beco unhappy, and with the magnitude of that unhappiness, the sensation in her legs would disappear.
“Ah…!…Ugh…Hic…!…Hrgh!”
The curse that had been limited to her pelvis had moved up to her navel.
Never before had the curse risen so intensely.
The fading sensation was terrifying, yet there was sothing even more frightening.
“De…Delphicia…Hic…”
If the sensation had faded this much, it was certain that a trendous ‘misfortune’ had befallen Delphicia.
Perhaps even to the extent of taking Delphicia’s life.
“I’m sorry…”
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