The Abandoned Princess’ Secret Bedroom - Chapter 26

“So you fear you will lose your life?”

After hearing about the king’s illegitimate child, Ernell blinked and asked. Llewelyn nodded, and Ernell grinned.

“Did you know that monasteries are lavish places?”

“Yes, but… Unfortunately, Ernel, many royals are assassinated there. Security will be tight at first, but gradually it will be lifted… I could die without anyone knowing it.”

“Hmm.”

“Even if the Holy Father takes good care of me and protects me, it won’t last forever.”

“Hmm… You’re not going to let me die either, right?”

Ernel laughed, flashing his signature smile. Llewellyn laughed too. She was just grateful for his kindness.

“I am a very secretive person. No matter what you do, if you’re entangled in such a secret, do you think I’ll leave you alone?”

“…”

“Llewellyn, if you have absolutely no interest in the throne, there are other options for you.”

“Like what?”

“For example…”

Ernel seemed to be lost in thought and then smiled coldly.

“Letting someone else stand up for you.”

“Huh? Then that person will be at risk.”

Llewelyn shook her head.

“I know what I said, and I know the risks involved. Don’t look down on me. There are many ways I can save you.”

“Huh…”

“Don’t despair too much. Really. I am going to help you.”

“…”

“So don’t worry. If you do, I will chase you out of the monastery.”

At Ernel’s gentle words, the despair that had stained Llewelyn’s heart began to dissipate. Almondite’s desperate words worried her. But Ernel was right. There must be a way to avoid Pamela’s eyes.

Llewelyn was relieved. Although she could not completely trust Ernel, even empty words like ‘it’s okay’ and ‘I’ll protect you’ were sometimes necessary. It seemed to have some power.

“I know you don’t trust me. But don’t worry, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you.”

Ernel’s expression darkened as he realized Llewelyn still didn’t believe him. But when a smile emerged on Llewelyn’s tear-soaked face, Ernell smiled too.

“Ernel’s smile is the prettiest.”

“Huh?”

Ernel was stunned. The womanizer’s words were stolen right out of his mouth. He was uncomfortably perplexed. She said he was pretty, but it was her whose smile was prettier.

Come to think of it, this was the first time he had consoled someone so genuinely. It was the first time he felt sorry for someone crying. It was the first time someone called him pretty.

Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation on the tip of his tongue. It felt like he had eaten sand. His mouth was becoming dry.

It was a trait that Ernel knew well. In the past, even in Seongguk, Ernell was curious about Llewelyn. What kind of person was she? What was her expression, who had been abandoned by everyone? He was interested in her, who was in a similar situation to him. She used to have a bright appearance. He couldn’t imagine her despair after falling into disfavor.

She was sharp, but she was still ordinary. Unlike himself, whose personality was twisted, she became kind. Even though her eyes were full of despair, they shimmered occasionally.

Were there people like that? Even if she rejected all the help offered to her blindly, how could she be so energetic? Ernell realized that his head was full of Llewelyn.

“Llewellyn, that Asmodeus brand.”

“Yeah?”

“Summoning an evil spirit, borrowing their power, and imprinting it takes considerable power.”

“Oh.”

“This is not something an ordinary warlock can do. Patrons can’t even do it.”

Llewellyn nodded her head.

“What if a warlock without such power summoned an evil spirit and put a brand on your neck?”

“They need a corresponding offering.”

Llewelyn blinked.

“Offering? A sacrifice?”

“Yes. A Holy grail containing the blood of the victim on the altar must be offered to the demon.”

He paused.

“I’ve been thinking about it, Llewellyn.”

“Huh?”

“Who do you think instigated putting a brand on your neck?”

Llewelyn’s eyes widened. She hadn’t thought about it at all. Even after thinking about it, there was no one she could think of.

“And, why on earth did they kidnap you and put you in such a dire state of lust?”

“That’s what warlocks do… They are followers of evil spirits who do things on a whim.”

“No. They’re not like that. They sacrificed people for the purpose of making you that way.”

“I am… So… there is a purpose to getting me to lust wildly?”

Someone intended for her to be like this.

Llewelyn had never thought about the nature of the ritual. She thought she must have attracted the demon’s interest and was cursed.

Come to think of it, why did they take her in the first place? Why was such a mark engraved on her neck? Why did she receive the ‘curse of lust’ rather than the curse of going crazy or dying? Llewelyn’s heart was pounding.

“The way to break a curse is to sacrifice as many people as were sacrificed when the curse was placed, or…”

“That’s never going to happen.”

Llewellyn didn’t think she was righteous, but she didn’t want anyone to die because of her.

“You must kill the one who instigated the curse.”

“…”

She must kill the person who instigated the curse? How?

“Have you guessed who it was already?”

“Not at all. At first I thought it was the queen, but she didn’t know anything about it. Had the queen been like that, I would have paid a maid to spy on her.”

“…”

“No, they must have enjoyed it as entertainment, watching me go crazy and mingling with a man. Because they enjoy me being vulgar.”

Ernell furrowed his eyebrows.

“Vulgar… Huh?”

“Yes. So it can’t be the queen. And after a lot of thought, I have one more reason why not.”

“What is it?”

“My mother was executed for the same reason, and there is no way she would do it again. And if I am able to kidnap and torture the warlocks for information, they would give her up right away.”

“…”

Llewellyn said no more. She was a princess who had lost her power. It was possible for her to be killed without anyone knowing it. But did anyone dare to use the warlocks to cast a curse of lust? There was no way Pamela would do such a troublesome job.

“But I didn’t know there were people who hated me so much that they would do something like this.”

Ernel, who was lost in thought, said.

“… Maybe it’s because they love you.”

“What?”

“The reason may be simpler than you think. For example, trying to mate with you and make you their own.”

Llewelyn got goosebumps because Almondite’s face came to her mind. Alman subjugated warlocks in the past. He likely had some knowledge about black magic. However…

Llewelyn remembered Almondite’s red eyes. She shook her head slightly.

“It’s hard to figure it out.”

Ernel nodded in agreement.

“Anyway, let’s get to the point and investigate the 1,000 deaths from the time you were cursed. We need to look for anything suspicious, or possibly linked to a ritual.”

“Yes? Okay.”

Ernell stood up and placed his hand on Llewelyn’s cheek.

“… Ah.”

The wound on her cheek was healed in an instant, and her stigma flared violently.

“I’m so sorry.”

“…”

“It was hard to see you this way… Just forget it. ”

Llewelyn’s face brightened. Looking at her with passionate eyes, Ernel was smiling. Was it a lie when he said he forgot, or…

“Can I help?”

Llewelyn shook her head. She wasn’t in the mood to be with anyone yet. Besides, there was an escort outside the door.

Ernell accepted her refusal and returned home. She knew he wasn’t in a hurry.

“He’s such a strange person.”

Llewelyn muttered as she glanced at the door through which Ernel had left. Still, she couldn’t deny that she was relieved that Ernel was there for her.

He seemed to be a kind person with a slightly rotten personality, but he also had God’s mercy as a priest.

“He healed my wounds and said he would protect me.”

He came to her, who was too tired to stand on her own and couldn’t rely on anyone. With his support alone, Llewelyn was able to regain some of her strength. Yes, she had despaired too easily and thought of dying. Llewellyn realized that.

She needed to stop being affected by her situation. She needed to be strong. Llewelyn clenched her fists.