TWFLLYM Ch 41

The Reason Everything Began

Who is this woman?

Instinct screamed. This beauty didn't belong to a human. It was too absurd, too impossible. Logic failed. Reality crumbled.

Is she a witch?

That was the problem. Roserikta detected no lunar energy from the beautiful Countess. Every witch carried the moon's essence—the source of their power—regardless of whether they were born under its direct light.

A witch without lunar energy? No, that is impossible.

She stared at Countess Gibero as she descended the stairs. Beauty flowed from her like breath. With every glance, every gesture, and every step, she redefined the meaning of the word.

Tap, tap...... tap.

The Countess reached the bottom with elegant strides and offered her hand to Kalart.

[Countess] "Your Highness. Thanks to you, this humble place finally has something worth seeing. My eyes are delighted after so long."

It was a strange greeting for a Crown Prince. Even stranger was Kalart's reaction. He ignored the breach of etiquette and stood motionless, staring at her offered hand. It was a perfect hand, as if a master sculptor had spent a lifetime crafting it alone.

[Kalart] "......"

His gaze crawled up her arm to her face. His eyelids spasmed as he looked at the black-haired beauty.

[Kalart] "You are......"

His voice cracked, his mouth suddenly dry. Roserikta turned to him. His eyes held nothing but chaos. The spasms worsened.

It was a terrifying sight; Roserikta feared that more than just his eyelids were trembling.

Kalart licked his lips and finished his sentence.

[Kalart] "......Beautiful."

Roserikta's breath caught. The other attendants froze.

"Beautiful." Kalart had used that word only once before in his entire life—under the influence of a love potion.

Knowing the weight of his sight, Roserikta felt like she was suffocating.

[Countes] "Of course."

She smiled at the shocked Prince as if his praise were expected.

[Countess] "I am beautiful for you. I have been waiting for you to say those words."

[Kalart] "Ah......"

A small gasp escaped him. It was quiet, yet to Roserikta, it sounded louder than thunder.

---

[Clobell] "Rosie. Who was that woman?"

Repairs would take at least six hours. With the sun setting, they had to stay the night.

The Count provided rooms for the Prince's group, and Roserikta was led to a distant chamber at the very top of the tower on the fourth floor. It had a large terrace but was otherwise barren. Two cold fireplaces sat empty, filled only with old soot.

Roserikta watched the thin sunlight peeking through the heavy curtains. Soon, the light would vanish, leaving only darkness.

[Roserikta] "She is the Countess."

[Clobell] "I know that! Is she human? She was so strange."

[Roserikta] "I don't know."

She thought about the Countess again.

Was she a witch? No, it couldn't be. High-ranking witches were beautiful, but their energy was unmistakable.

[Clobell] "And him! Why did he call her beautiful? He didn't drink a potion this time."

That thought gnawed at Roserikta more than the Countess' identity.

[Clobell] "Is the curse broken?"

[Roserikta] "I'm not sure."

She sat on the bare floor and held Clobellina. The cat purred anxiously against her chest.

[Roserikta] "We assumed it was a curse, but we have no proof."

[Clobell] "It has to be. Is she the one who did it? She looks like a witch."

[Roserikta] "Clobell, you've never seen another witch besides me."

[Clobell] "I know enough. A woman like that has to be one."

[Roserikta] "I felt no energy. None at all."

[Clobell] "Can't they hide it with magic?"

[Roserikta] "Lunar energy is the source. You need it to cast the spell to hide it. It's impossible."

Clobellina grumbled.

[Clobell] "If she's human, then his eyes are just normal now. He's healed."

She tapped Roserikta's hand.

[Clobell] "Are you okay?"

[Roserikta] "What do you mean?"

[Clobell] "The Prince obsesses over what he sees. He was smiling at you until now, but that's over. He met a pretty girl, and he'll forget you instantly."

[Roserikta] "What? No."

[Clobell] "He's an expert at forgetting. I know from experience. It annoyed me, and I don't even like him. You love him, so you must feel much worse."

[Roserikta] "Wait, Clobell."

She shook her head.

[Roserikta] "Don't say that. If his eyes are back to normal, that's a good thing......"

Clobellina sighed.

[Clobell] "Stop it. Does that make sense? He was fine until he saw her. Then he went crazy."

[Roserikta] "I know, but......"

[Clobell] "Will you really be happy for him if he chooses her?"

[Roserikta] "No!"

The answer shot out before she could think. She flushed, realizing how it sounded.

[Roserikta] "I mean... the curse couldn't have broken that easily. Why would he live like that for years if it were so simple?"

Clobellina clicked her tongue.

[Clobell] "That's my point. That woman isn't human."

[Roserikta] "You're right."

Roserikta cleared her head. The Countess was strange. The castle was strange. The accident was too convenient.

[Roserikta] "Clobell. You said you were scared. What exactly scared you?"

[Clobell] "Everything. Especially those statues. Why are they black? Statues are for looking at. Who can see them if they're black?"

[Roserikta] "True. And black marble is rare."

[Clobell] "And it's too dark. Why give us this room? After everything, the Prince just lets them treat us like this?"

[Roserikta] "You're right."

She scanned the barren room.

[Roserikta] "This isn't a guest room. A servant would be angry to sleep here. The outside is grand, so why is the inside like this?"

She stood up and examined the floor.

[Roserikta] "The floor color is different here. This part faded from the light, but that part didn't. There was furniture here once."

The walls told the same story. Marks showed where frames and mirrors used to hang.

[Roserikta] "The fireplace has soot. People used this room. But they cleared it out and stopped using it. Why?"

[Clobell] "Maybe because the house is so big?"

[Roserikta] "No. There's a reason. Maybe the person who lived here is gone...... wait."

A chill hit her.

[Roserikta] "When we arrived, the Count greeted us with many servants, right?"

[Clobell] "Right."

[Roserikta] "Did those people come inside with us?"

[Clobell] "I...... I don't know."

[Roserikta] "No. Only we entered. The Prince, the knights, you, and me."

[Clobell] "Really?"

[Roserikta] "Think, Clobell. A castle this size needs many servants. They should be frantic with preparations for a Crown Prince. Like at the palace."

[Clobell] "You're right. We haven't even had lunch. What noble starves their guests?"

[Roserikta] "Does anyone sound busy now?"

It was silent. As if no one else lived in the castle.

She ran to the terrace and pulled the curtain.

Rippp!

The fabric tore. The curtains were fixed in place. She lifted the edge and looked out. The courtyard was empty. Not a single soul moved.

[Roserikta] "No one is there."

[Clobell] "Where did they go? This is scary."

[Roserikta] "We have to check. Not knowing is the scariest part."

Something was happening. The accident, the eyes, the beauty—it was all connected.

Her instinct was clear: this was linked to Kalart's curse.