The Curse Is Not Over - Chapter 2

Carnephelia remembered a fairy tale that her nanny had told her as a child.

It was nothing out of the ordinary.

A princess without a mother and a wonderful prince. No one loved nor cared for her, and she was always alone. Although people sympathized with her, it was all cheap words. Then one day, a prince brought sunshine into her life. He reached out for her, and the princess couldn’t help but grab onto him. She didn’t want to be trapped anymore.

She fell in love with the prince, his warmth and sweetness, and she was happy for a long time because of his smile.

It was a simple fairy tale.

It was her only hope.

[May a prince come to me someday. May he take me out of this scary imperial palace. May the person who loves me come to meet me. I hope they can make me happy.]

Young Carnephelia prayed and prayed. However, the moment her prince came, her fairy tale became stained with tragedy and cruelty.

*** 

She stared at the sobbing woman, feeling bitterness rise within her as a hand crept over to hold hers.

“It’s a relief that you finally invited me in.”

Looking at her face, Carnephelia slowly rolled her eyes and looked around.

White wallpaper. White furniture. White ceiling. White. White. White.

She shook off her nanny’s hand as hard as she could.

“Princess?”

Carnephelia closed her eyes. “…Hurts.”

At the hoarse sound, the nanny wiped her tears and nodded as if she understood. “You’ll be fine, soon, Princess. As always, you’ll overcome it.”

“…”

“Then, will you be resting? I’ll prepare something to drink.”

“…”

Despite Carnephelia’s silence, she smile kindly and bowed before leaving the room.

As soon as the door shut, the princess grit her teeth hard enough to hurt.

‘Damn it.’

She moved her arms and legs with much difficulty, as if they had forgotten how to function.

Bile rose from her throat. Her efforts to move her body made her hair messy and soaked her clothes in sweat.

“Ugh.”

Carnephelia managed to pile up three pillows to support herself, which made it possible for her to see around her room better.

She blinked a few times, but her childhood room was truly just a sea of white.

“Small.” She opened her hand, its bones visible. “Weak.” Her skin was mottled like she had a serious disease. “If I didn’t hurt all over, I would’ve thought this was a dream.”

If she wasn’t in pain, she would have stabbed herself until she could, or until the dream stopped.

‘So this is the curse.’

“Haa…” Carnephelia tilted her head back and closed her eyes.

Apparently, part of her curse included vivid memories.

“…It’s terrible.”

She touched her mouth with trembling hands, pressing down with increasing force.

“I’m happy.”

Creak~

The nanny came in with a glass of ice water on top of a tray. “Oh my God, Princess! You were able to sit up? You’re recovering faster than last time!”

The grin on her face looked so sweet.

“Nanny.” The corners of Carnephelia’s lips went up, eyes crinkling slightly.

“…!” The older woman’s eyes turned wary at the unfamiliarly cool smile, but she kept her smile as she approached. “My princess smiles so beautifully that all my fatigue is washed away.” She smiled, holding out the glass to Carnephelia.

Ice water and a friendly smile. It was a small kindness to give to a child.

“What’s the date today?”

“Pardon?”

It was hard to talk with a parched throat. It was like being choked.

Figuratively, though, there had always been people strangling her throughout her life. The nanny was one of them.

“I guess the princess is still very sick. After all, you’ve been in bed for over a week.”

“The date.”

The nanny, who seemed embarrassed by Carnephelia’s dull tone, immediately straightened. “Don’t worry, Princess. Your eighth birthday has not yet passed. This year’s birthday will definitely be more enjoyable than the last, so you must become healthy soon.”

“…”

Empty consolations. Every year, ridicule disguised as words of encouragement.

“Come on, drink water first. My princess’ beautiful voice is so rough that it breaks my heart.”

When Carnephelia did not move to accept it, the nanny directly put the glass to her lips.

It was cold.

“…This might hurt a bit if you drink too quickly.”

As soon as the ice was about to touch…

“Nanny, drink it first.”

“Princess?”

It was the first time she had heard such force from the young princess. Still, wasn’t she her most trusted servant in this barren palace?

The nanny pursed her lips. “Why all of a sudden…?”

Only unwavering purple eyes stared back at her. Did the princess suspect that the ice water was poisoned? Her? That naive princess?

“Nanny.”

“…!”

Carnephelia’s voice was rough, and she was undoubtedly thirsty, but those eyes…

“It’s okay, my princess. This is normal water, it won’t hurt. Now, come on.”

Silence greeted her.

The nanny reassured herself, thinking that there was no need to overreact. It was not so unusual that the child was afraid after repeatedly suffering and collapsing.

She drank the water. Swallowed.

“That’s right. It’s plain water.”

For some reason, there seemed to be a strange emphasis on the word ‘plain’. Still, the nanny offered the glass to Carnephelia again, whose calm appearance had returned as she struggled to drink.

She drank a small amount, blinking sluggishly. “Nanny.”

“Yes, Princess?”

“Did someone come to visit me while I was sick?” Her voice was small and sad.

The nanny sat on the bed and affectionately touched her black hair. “Don’t be upset, Princess. Many people sent medicine hoping for a quick recovery.”

Carnephelia nodded, the small gesture making her look more pitiful.

“Then,” the nanny said after a few strokes. “I’ll go prepare your meal. If you need anything, just pull the rope over there, got it?”

“…”

Left alone, Carnephelia looked at the remaining ice water on the bedside table.

“Plain water…”

She foolishly used to believe in all of the nanny’s coaxing words.

“And it’s too far away.”

The rope she was supposed to pull was far from the bed. Additionally, it was at a height that she could only have reached if she climbed on a chair and went on her tiptoes.

“Amazing…”

The things that she had never once noticed in her childhood were now crystal clear in her eyes.

‘A puppet. A princess who couldn’t do anything without her nanny.’

The nanny who pretended to care for a weak, neglected child.

“So it really was like that.”

Young Carnephelia, so undiscerning, so desperate for love that she clung onto the only warmth she had in her life.

“Hahahaha…”

Poison had already started turning her small fingernails a dark blue.

“As for detoxification…”

Her adult body in her first life had already been too far gone. Everything from her tears to her saliva to her blood… Perhaps she still had a chance now.

“Hoo…”

Although thirst made her throat burn, she resisted the urge to reach out for the water.

Carnephelia crept under the blanket, burying her face in a pillow as she closed her eyes.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of her heartbeat reminded her that she was alive, that time was running for her again.

“I wish I could eat or drink something.”

It was hard to feel happy about her second chance at life when the only thing that had ever gone her way the first time was her death.

Her hands clenched.

Nevertheless, Carnephelia had to endure, if only because living through the curse was the only way to atone for her existence. She did not even have the right to hesitate.

‘My eighth birthday.’

The day tragedy began looming over the horizon.