Chapter 24.3
So, I’m going to marry Theodore.
As I looked up at Theodore, he smiled back and said he was looking forward to it. I felt a warm feeling in my chest and placed my right hand on top of his. By then, there would probably be a ring on this hand too.
“Probably according to tradition. . .”
. . .and then a year passed.
This is the bride’s dressing room. Today is. . .the day of Theodore and my wedding.
As I answered the knock, my mother entered.
“Well. . .you look very beautiful, Esterize.”
“Thank you. I’m happy.”
My mother, who looked happy to see me in my wedding dress, asked the maids in the room to leave. She had a white veil in her hand.
“What is this?”
“I added lace to the edge to match the wedding veil.”
The black face veil that stood out in the pure white wedding dress was removed by my mother, and a new white face veil, which she had made for me, was placed on me.
“Hehe, there were some ups and downs, but. . .I’m glad you were able to marry Theodore safely.”
“I caused a lot of trouble back then. . .”
“It’s okay. Sending Theodore to Verde with you was the right decision after all.”
My mother can use the magic of choices. It’s a magic that reveals the best choice when there are several options. Unlike my assassin set of magic, it’s a magic that suits a queen perfectly.
When my mother recommended Theodore at that time, I knew that it must be the best choice. But I never expected those few days to be so eventful. In the end, I was able to believe in Theodore’s feelings, and the Crown Prince was removed from the picture. It was an unprecedented achievement.
When I returned from Verde and reported to my mother, I felt that she was more pleased about Theodore and I being properly united than about the Crown Prince’s situation.
“. . .Theodore has always expressed his affection for me. There was no evidence that he hated me except fo hisr kol. And yet, I. . .I relied too much on magic and doubted his heart, hurting him. . .But now, I don’t have any doubts about his feelings.”
I did terrible things. I repeatedly rejected him even though he tried to approach me with a cold attitude. I did things that could have made him lose interest in me. From now on, I want to properly convey my love and cherish him.
My mother, who had been listening to me silently, nodded in satisfaction and patted my head.
“I’m glad you arrived at the right answer. Actually, that curse was placed on Princess Leandra, the fourth queen, when she was a princess, by Princess Isabelle, the second princess.”
“What?”
I couldn’t help but let out a silly voice at the unexpected story. I had been wondering why only Theodore’s kol was strange, but I never thought it was because of a curse.
As I blinked my eyes behind the veil, my mother continued.
“Isabelle liked Leandra’s fiancé… in other words, the future king consort. But she envied Leandra, who became her beloved’s fiancée just because she was the first princess. So she cast a curse…”
“May their hearts never be bound together.” Isabelle unintentionally made that wish… If it were an ordinary person, it would have ended as just a wish. But Isabelle was also a descendant of the saint, so her wishes had power. That wish turned into a curse… and manifested itself by driving leandra’s fiance’s kol mad. Of course, Isabelle didn’t know about the existence of a kol, so she had no awareness that she had cursed him.”
Unable to interject in this unexpected conversation, I listened in silence.
“The curse not only affected Leandra but also her offspring, which was troublesome. Since then, it seems that whenever the next king’s consort is decided, their kol shows behavior that indicates disgust towards the next queen. In my case, since I acquired magic before he did, he was kind-hearted towards me, but as soon as he was chosen as the next king’s consort, he began to dislike me, which surprised and made me suspicious. . .But in your case, since your engagement was decided before you acquired magic, it wouldn’t be strange to think that you were disliked from the beginning.”
I never thought that things would get this complicated just because I wanted to catch the excellent Theodore early. My mother apologized, but I felt like thanking her instead, thinking that if I had been slow, Theodore might have been engaged to someone else.
“But as you said, there is no evidence that anyone other than his kol dislikes you. Of course, his kol is not right to act this way. But we must not judge based solely on kol. We must not be overconfident. . .Although it’s a curse, it can be a good lesson. That’s why I didn’t tell you the answer until you figured it out for yourself.”
“. . .It was a very good lesson.”
I relied too much on kol. If I had been more aware of his eyes, tone, and gestures, I would have realized that something was wrong with his kol. It’s frustrating to think that if I had accurately guessed his true feelings, I wouldn’t have caused Theodore so much suffering.
Then, a question suddenly came to mind.
“Can the curse be lifted?”
“Yes. Once you are united, it will be in our favor. Specifically, if you both wear two rings each in front of the divine statue and make a marriage vow, the gods will lift the curse.”
I see. If we both wear rings that symbolize dedicating our hearts to each other, it is as good as our hearts being bound together.
What is Theodore’s true nature like? I had somehow thought that it would be like this for the rest of my life, so I felt restless hearing this sudden fact.
“. . .But is it okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Theodore’s true nature. . .it might be difficult in its own way.”
“What?”
Just as I was about to inquire about the meaning behind her words, a knock at the door interrupted us, signaling the passage of time. It was a cryptic and intriguing moment, but I couldn’t pursue it any further.
“Be happy.”
“Be happy,” Mother said, her voice filled with utmost kindness, and I couldn’t help but bow my head, feeling on the verge of tears.
