Chapter 1

“Betroth Leticia? Are you serious? That child is…”

Duke Aaron de Tesseia did not let the rest of his thoughts escape his lips. Though he had accepted Leticia as his daughter, he did not consider her his flesh and blood. After all, she had green hair.

“I am aware of her circumstances. I hear she is quite devout.”

‘Devout?’

Aaron had heard that Leticia frequented the temple. As if ashamed of her own hair, she covered it with a black veil, and the temple was the only place she ever visited. She had been traveling there by carriage since she was very young; he had simply assumed her old nanny was using religion to keep her quiet and had left her to it.

“You know my son’s situation as well. Please, grant your permission.”

At Duke Lyon’s words, Aaron’s lips twisted into a smirk.

‘Grant permission?’

Did the man say that knowing full well what a state his son was in?

His son, Terdis de Lyon, was said to be hideously deformed by a dragon’s curse. Rumor had it he had yellow, lizard-like eyes and a body covered in scales so grotesque that the faint-hearted would faint at the mere sight of him.

Despite this, Duke Lyon had been sending out proposals everywhere, desperate to find a fiancée for his son. He hadn’t dared send such a proposal to a Ducal house before, but it seemed he judged it possible here after hearing the rumors that Leticia was illegitimate.

‘Perhaps she is a fitting match for such a monster.’

Even if Leticia had been his biological daughter, Aaron wouldn’t have been able to reject Duke Lyon’s request outright due to the long-standing friendship between their families. However, under any other circumstances, this was a proposal that would warrant grabbing Duke Lyon by the collar and throwing him out of the estate.

“……”

Misinterpreting Aaron’s silence as a refusal, Duke Lyon spoke fervently.

“It won’t be a bad deal for the Young Lady. I promise she will receive the absolute best treatment!”

“…As part of her bridal training, could she stay at the Lyon estate?”

“What? Oh, ah… of course! That is possible!”

Though he worried Leticia might be terrified of his son and come crying back to the Tesseia estate, it wasn’t a bad condition for them.

“Keep her there until she reaches adulthood, then marry them immediately. That is my only condition for this engagement.”

‘Are you serious?’

The words nearly tumbled out of Carlyle de Lyon’s mouth, but he merely nodded without a word. He knew he was being shameless, but this was for his only son. He believed his son stood no chance of finding a bride once he became an adult, so his only option was to marry him off to a fiancée he had grown close to since childhood.

That was why he had been desperately scouring various noble houses to find a match for Terdis.

“I will gladly do so!”

As Carlyle spoke with a bright face, Aaron continued with a stiff expression.

“There will be no overturning this engagement. Therefore… it would be best to draw up a contract.”

That was exactly what Carlyle wanted; he simply hadn’t suggested it for fear of Aaron’s reaction. As Aaron called for his secretary to prepare the documents, Carlyle cheered inwardly.

The Leticia he had glimpsed at the temple was a small, quiet, fragile, and gentle child. Such a child might be scared of Terdis at first, but she would eventually accept him.

‘Even if she doesn’t accept him…’

It was a contract between families. She would not be able to escape.

***

While the engagement was being discussed in the Duke’s office, Leticia was preparing for her noon prayers with an anxious face.

‘I hope this works…’

Feeling that blind prayer would only make her more anxious, she had been keeping track of the dates and her prayer count. Twelve years ago, she had been reincarnated into the world of <The Girl Like Sunshine,> a story that had been both a web novel and a game.

Not as the heroine, Isella, but as the villainess, Leticia.

Leticia was a character who had been cursed just before the Duchess gave birth, causing her hair to turn green. The culprit likely intended to cast suspicion of adultery on the Duchess by giving the newborn green hair. The curse worked in a twisted way: the Duchess died during a difficult labor, and Leticia was born with green hair.

Duke Tesseia had bluish-silver hair, and Duchess Theresa had pale blonde hair. When the Duchess gave birth to a green-haired child, everyone suspected an affair. Although her maternal grandfather, Marquis Larqus, tried to fix the situation by claiming there were green-haired ancestors in his lineage, it was futile.

Leticia became living proof of an affair, hated by her father and three older brothers. Her curse wasn’t broken until she turned sixteen. It didn’t just fade; when she entered the Imperial Palace for her debutante ball, a sacred magic circle in the palace basement restored her hair to its original color.

The debutante ball was a disaster, of course, and only then did the Duke suspect a curse and call a priest to lift it completely. The late Duchess was cleared of the adultery suspicions and Leticia lost the stigma of being a bastard, but by then, her personality had already twisted beyond repair.

‘And that’s when Duke Tesseia adopts the heroine, Isella, which is like pouring water into boiling oil.’

For Duke Aaron, it was an inevitable choice. Isella looked exactly like his late wife, Theresa, when she was young. Consumed by guilt and longing, he adopted the girl who reminded him so much of his lost love.

It was only natural for Leticia, who had expected to finally be loved as a daughter and sister, to feel betrayed. Consequently, Leticia poured all her rage into Isella.

Because of the guilt the Duke and the three brothers felt, they overlooked Leticia’s jealousy for a while. However, they soon succumbed to Isella’s charms and sweetness, eventually coming to hate Leticia. While the Duke couldn’t cut off his support for her, the three brothers, who developed feelings for Isella, became Leticia’s bitter enemies.

Enraged, Leticia attempted to harm Isella through various schemes, only to have her crimes exposed and end up on the gallows. That was the plot of <The Girl Like Sunshine.>

“Hah. This is driving me crazy.”

The original story began when Isella turned seventeen and met Duke Tesseia. At that time, Leticia was twenty. Since she was currently twelve, it would be another eight years before Isella appeared. The curse would be lifted eventually, but…

‘I want to get out of this house before the heroine shows up!’

She was acting differently from the original Leticia because she had not only read the novel but also played the game. In the game, you raised Isella and could romance eight male leads. While the “true” male lead was Terdis, the Young Duke of Lyon, the game allowed routes for all the sub-leads.

That was why she had played it—she had seen every ending, including the side stories.

‘The side story was about Duchess Theresa appearing as an evil spirit.’

The Duchess had sought revenge for her daughter’s execution by trying to harm Isella, only to be exorcised. When she played it in her past life, she hadn’t thought much of it, but remembering it now as Leticia left a bitter taste in her mouth.

The reason Leticia had been visiting the temple and praying constantly since she could talk was simple: when playing as Isella in the game, if your prayer score exceeded a thousand points, you were randomly granted divine power. She had been praying since she was five, but at twelve, she still hadn’t hit the jackpot. Her faith in the game mechanics was starting to waver.

‘I thought about just telling them about the curse… but they hate me too much.’

The Duke glared at her with terrifying eyes if she even got close, and he radiated murderous intent if she spoke. When she once called the eldest, Cesare, “Brother,” he had slapped her so hard her face was cut. The second and third brothers frequently tripped her in the hallways or pushed her down the stairs. Even the servants joined in, dumping scraps on her head or spilling ink on her new dresses. They let bugs and snakes loose in her bedroom, and once, they even set a hunting dog on her, leaving her severely bitten.

Naturally, Leticia avoided them. Reincarnated Leticia had the memories of an adult, but there was a limit to what she could do in the body of a powerless child.

Fortunately, her apparent devotion appealed to the older staff; the nanny, the butler, and the senior servants often stood up for her. The nanny had since retired, but it was her begging the Duke for a priest after the dog attack that had saved Leticia’s life.

Given the circumstances, she could understand why the original Leticia became a villainess. Anyone would have gone mad.

‘To be honest, I sometimes think about just killing those bastards and going to hell.’

Current Leticia had zero interest in gaining the favor of the Duke or her brothers. She just wanted to raise her prayer stats, get divine power, and join the temple as a priestess.

Because…

‘Haruon the Paladin was, and still is, my ultimate bias!’

Not that she planned to do anything with him—he would likely just be another fish in Isella’s aquarium anyway. Her goal was to get out from under the Tesseia influence by joining a more powerful faction. She lacked innate magical talent, and the civil service exams were still within the Duke’s sphere of influence. She had considered starting a business or inventing something like other isekai protagonists, but…

‘It’s not like Aaron raised Leticia in poverty.’

Even while believing she was his wife’s bastard, he provided her with the finest goods and food, even keeping a watch to ensure no one embezzled her budget.

‘Those three demons… no, Cesare doesn’t hurt me as long as I don’t cross him, so two demons. I could live if it weren’t for them.’

Luckily, the harassment from the servants had stopped. The dog incident had caused a stir, and every servant who helped the brothers was fired without a recommendation. The new servants didn’t dare join in.

Financially, she was fine just saving her allowance. Her “quiet, holy child” act had worked well enough that Aaron didn’t interfere with her life. All that was left was to distance herself from those who abused her. She wanted to grow up fast.

Once she was an adult, she could be independent. Using the Tesseia money might seem shameful, but anyone who has worked hard for money knows how difficult it is to save. She’d rather take the “dirty” money and be free.

‘Once Isella enters this house, I’ll just be an uncomfortable presence. They’ll probably be happy if I disappear to some distant city.’

In the original, even after the truth came out and Leticia was cleared, the brothers’ remorse was brief. Even the Duke eventually took Isella’s side. Leticia had no desire to play happy families with these people. She could almost excuse the Duke’s attitude, but the three brothers shared her mother’s blood. They didn’t have to love her, but they didn’t have to torment her either.

‘No one gets to choose how they’re born! I wanted to be born into a loving family too!’

She had been forced into existence. It wasn’t just the unfairness of being called a bastard when she was a legitimate child; she was angry about being blamed for something she had no control over.

Leticia calmed her heart and knelt by her bed. She prayed for those in worse situations than her. At least she had good clothes, money, and food… even if she did sleep in a bed where bugs or snakes occasionally appeared.

‘At least they don’t put venomous snakes in here anymore.’

She had developed the nerve to catch snakes with her bare hands and sweep bugs away with a broom.

‘Goddess, please forgive me for wanting to curse the second and third brothers.’

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the knock, Leticia stood up. She was alone in the room; the maid wouldn’t enter unless called.

“What is it?” she asked, opening the door.

“The Master is looking for you,” the maid replied.

***

This was the first time in her life that Aaron had sought Leticia out first. In the original story, Leticia the villainess was summoned by the Duke for bullying the servants, but because the current Leticia made sure not to cause trouble, there had never been a reason for him to look for her.

‘I’ve never even called him Father.’

Since Leticia was publicly considered the Duchess’s illegitimate child, Leticia simply referred to him as “the Duke” and never forced herself to call him Father. Having witnessed what happened to Cesare, she feared facing a terrible ordeal herself.

“Lady Leticia has arrived.”

“…Send her in.”

As always, his voice was chillingly cold. The attendant opened the door, and Leticia cautiously stepped into the office. It was her first time ever entering this room.

“Lady Leticia! It’s been a long time!”

Leticia flinched momentarily at the sight of Duke Lyon standing up and acting friendly. The only people who ever initiated friendliness with her were those at the temple or close servants. Because the nobility avoided interacting with her due to her reputation as a bastard, they usually did no more than acknowledge her greetings. Duke Carlyle de Lyon, whom she had met at the temple a few weeks ago, was different, though.

‘What’s going on?’

“Hello, Duke Lyon.”

When Leticia bowed her head in greeting, Carlyle beamed and looked at Aaron. Aaron looked down at Leticia with an expressionless face before speaking.

“Duke Lyon has sent a formal proposal for you to become the fiancée of the Young Duke, Terdis. I have accepted it, so you are to go to the Lyon Duchy, receive bridal training, and marry him when the time comes.”

‘……Huh?’

Leticia was dazed by this bolt from the blue. Carlyle assumed that since Leticia had no friends and didn’t interact with other noble families, she would be completely ignorant of his son’s condition. Leticia’s current reaction didn’t stray far from his assumption.

“That is how it is, Leticia. Let’s go to my home.”

Carlyle spoke with a gentle expression. He was ready to be a wonderful father-in-law, provided Leticia didn’t hurt his son. Leticia thought things were taking a strange turn.

‘Terdis is the original male lead…. Why is he proposing to me?’

In the original story, Duke Lyon didn’t push a proposal onto Leticia at this stage. He only sent a proposal on a whim after Leticia’s curse was lifted. Back then, Leticia—who had just shed the stigma of being a bastard—flew into a rage, screaming at the Duke and accusing him of not loving her because he dared to offer her such a proposal. Terdis, who had come to the Tesseia estate at his father’s urging to propose, was deeply hurt after overhearing her voice. That was the end of the engagement talk.

‘I’m only twelve.’

She could only guess that her reputation in this life differed from the original Leticia. Since she had no intention of becoming enemies with the male lead and no way to refuse the engagement in her current position, Leticia quietly bowed her head. Although she felt no great affection for Aaron and never considered him her father—remembering her father from her previous life—this moment felt truly strange.

She felt sorrowful and a bit wretched.

‘I only have one dad, and it’s not this man. So, there’s no need to cry.’

She might have two mothers, but not two fathers. Since Theresa in the novel grieved for her daughter even after death, she held no resentment toward her.

“…Thank you for raising me until now.”

Her voice wasn’t as loud as she intended, perhaps because she was suppressing her tears. But since Duke Tesseia was a Sword Master with highly developed senses, she assumed he heard her. Aaron was already looking away from her. Thinking it was a nuisance to spend any more time on this, he turned his back and began giving orders to his butler and secretary.

“I heard Cesare is out, so… he won’t be coming. Make sure Godfrey and Sebastian do not leave their rooms.”

“No, Aaron, surely you…”

Carlyle glanced at Leticia, his expression clouded. He didn’t know that the Duke’s three sons bullied Leticia. He simply assumed there would be some affection between them since they shared a mother. He thought it was too much to prevent the brothers from seeing their sister off. To this, Aaron spoke up.

“The boys are still full of vigor and quite rough. There’s no need to cause unnecessary trouble.”

“What do you mean by that…? She is their sister, after all, isn’t she?”

Carlyle raised his voice slightly in annoyance. He didn’t even seem to realize his tone had sharpened. Aaron looked at Leticia.

“…Do you wish to say goodbye before you go?”

“…….”

Leticia turned pale involuntarily and shook her head. Seeing her reaction, Carlyle looked back and forth between Leticia and Aaron in confusion.

‘This isn’t just about making a connection with the Tesseia family; it’s better to think of it as gaining a daughter!’

The child’s reaction told him everything. He had felt it was abnormal for the engagement to be approved and for her to be taken away on the same day the matter was discussed. It might be a blessing for Carlyle or Terdis, but he felt a deep sense of guilt in this situation. He, too, was taking advantage of Leticia’s circumstances.

“Leticia.”

He took a couple of steps forward and knelt on one knee at her feet. He looked up into Leticia’s lowered face.

“There is nothing to fear. I am Terdis’ father, but I will be good to you as well.”

Though he could never truly replace a biological father. He glanced at Aaron, sighed, and stood up. He didn’t think she would believe him yet, but he knew there was no benefit in leaving the child in this mansion any longer.

“She doesn’t have clothes to wear right away, so I’d like her belongings to be packed.”

“I’ll have everything sent today.”

Carlyle gave a bitter smile at Aaron’s reply. Then, he reached out to the still-hesitating Leticia.

“Let’s go. …It’s a long walk to the carriage; would it be alright if I carried you?”

Startled by the unexpected offer, Leticia’s eyes widened as she looked at Carlyle. Carlyle wore an apologetic expression.

“Do you dislike it?”

“O-oh, no. It’s okay. Ack?!”

The moment she gave permission, Carlyle swept Leticia up into his arms. Leticia let out a surprised sound and covered her mouth, but he simply smiled.

“Well then, Aaron. I shall take my leave. See you later.”

“I won’t see you out.”

It was expected. Carlyle tried to soften his hardening gaze and strode out of Aaron’s office. Though he had come to take Leticia, he wanted to get her out of this mansion as quickly as possible.

“You’re light. Is it because you’re a girl? Or perhaps because you’re smaller than others your age…. My son Terdis is the same age as you.”

“I see.”

“When you meet my son… you might be very surprised. You might even be disappointed. My son is a good boy, but… well…….”

Carlyle agonized over the fact that no matter how he sugarcoated it, she would eventually be disappointed, and once they met, she would resent him or Aaron for sending her. It was Leticia who saved him from his awkwardness.

“I know that the Young Duke of Lyon is cursed. I’ve heard people talking at the temple.”

“Ah…. You know?”

Carlyle’s eyes darted around as he walked down the stairs. Normally, a girl would cry and throw a tantrum about not wanting to be engaged to someone like that if she’d heard the rumors…. Leticia’s reaction was incredibly calm.

“I… I’m sorry.”

‘You don’t need to be sorry.’

In truth, it was a trashy thing to do. It’s not like Leticia was getting engaged to Terdis of her own free will. However, having read the original story, Leticia knew why he looked the way he did, so she remained composed. His curse—which wasn’t exactly a curse—would vanish once he grew stronger over time, and Terdis would eventually fly off to the heroine, Isella, in his beautiful original form.

So, there was no need to cry or throw a fit. That was what Leticia thought.

***

Terdis was lying in bed. He knew his father had gone out again to find a fiancée for him. This time, it was the Tesseia Duchy.

‘Won’t it go well with this family? There are rumors that Young Lady Tesseia is illegitimate…’

The servant who had spoken up fell silent at the warning look from another servant. In reality, Terdis was of noble blood that couldn’t possibly be matched with an illegitimate child. Terdis didn’t care about such things, but the world saw it differently. The curse had lowered his value and ruined his prestige.

‘What’s the point of bringing her here?’

More than half of the ladies brought to him had fainted at the sight of his face. The other half had screamed or cried as they fled his room.

“M-monster!”

“Save me!!”

Those girls had fits upon seeing Terdis, but Terdis himself was on the verge of a breakdown from seeing them horrified by him. Honestly, he didn’t want to meet any more noble ladies.

‘It’s not like I have to be engaged. Once I become an adult and the curse is lifted….’

He knew his father, the Duke, was searching everywhere for someone to break the curse. Terdis held onto that hope, but he couldn’t help but feel pessimistic. He planned to never get engaged or married if the curse wasn’t lifted. He felt wretched every time he saw his own reflection in the mirror; how could he possibly get married looking like this? Furthermore, the thought of sharing a bed with a wife made his skin crawl. If his children inherited the same curse… he was overwhelmed by the thought of their resentment and how they would survive.

‘If the curse isn’t lifted, I won’t get married.’

He thought that even the vassals of the Lyon family would drag him down from the position of Duke—if not while his father was alive, then eventually—because of his appearance and the fact that he was cursed. So, he planned to find a suitable person to inherit the title before then and go into seclusion deep within the territory.

He hated meeting people, and everything felt miserable. His only comforts were that his father still loved him and that he could still practice his favorite swordsmanship.

‘I would have gone mad if I couldn’t even do that.’

Looking like this, striving to become a Duke felt futile. Only while swinging a sword could he forget his appearance and lose himself in the moment. His achievements were exceptionally high for a twelve-year-old, but the world didn’t know. He never left the mansion because he was ashamed of his looks. Without attendants, he looked like someone who would easily be mistaken for a monster. Even if he tried to hide as much as possible with masks or hooded cloaks, he could still be discovered, so he never went out. The only exception was when it was unavoidable… like when the Emperor summoned him.

“Young Master, the Duke has returned!”

He heard a shout from outside the door, but Terdis protested by simply turning over. No one was allowed in the room, so no one would have noticed, but he wanted to block out the noise.

“He didn’t come alone! He brought the Lady of Tesseia as your fiancée!”

“What?!”

Forgetting his plan to pretend to sleep, Terdis bolted upright. He looked toward the door with a panicked face, then remembered what his father had said. Lady Tesseia was the same age as him.

‘A total child! She’ll scream when she sees me!’

In the worst-case scenario, she might even wet herself out of fear of having to marry him. Terdis grimaced and pulled the covers back over his head.

“I’m not doing any engagement!! It has nothing to do with me, so tell Father to do whatever he wants!”

“But, Young Master….”

“Shut up!!”

Terdis snapped and pulled the blanket over his head. The servant outside the door continued to try and persuade him, but he ignored them.

***

Carlyle could not hide his awkwardness as he stole glances at Leticia. It had already been an hour since they began waiting for Terdis to come downstairs.

‘That boy!’

As he stood up, restlessly glancing toward the door, Leticia swallowed the cookie she was nibbling on and asked, “Where are you going?”

They had become quite close during the carriage ride to the Lyon estate. It was thanks to Carlyle’s kind and sociable personality, which had worked its magic on her.

“Wait just a moment. I will go and bring Terdis myself.”

“If you bring him by force, won’t he dislike me?”

“It’s not that he would dislike you….”

Carlyle recalled Terdis’s desperate plea before he had left for the Tesseia estate.

“Please, stop this! Who would ever want to be engaged to me!”

“Terdis.”

“Forcing an engagement will only make me more miserable. I don’t want to be engaged to anyone while I look like this. So, Father, please….”

Though Carlyle hadn’t given up hope, this engagement was more of a contingency plan. He had to consider the possibility that the curse might never be lifted.

“Since we are staying in the same mansion, we’ll run into each other eventually. You don’t have to force a meeting right now,” Leticia said.

At her words, Carlyle let out a deep sigh and sat back down. He was also secretly afraid of how Terdis might react if dragged out by force. It would be a disaster if he lashed out or spoke harshly to Leticia after he had finally brought her here.

“I am sorry. This is such a shameless engagement, and now Terdis is acting like this….”

“I’m fine. The Young Duke’s heart might be more wounded than mine, so please go up and comfort him instead. I’ll head to my room as well.”

Carlyle was relieved by her maturity—which was far beyond what he had expected—and at the same time, his heart ached for her. His son was pitiable, but Leticia was also only twelve years old.

‘I can understand Aaron’s feelings to an extent… but still, she’s just a child.’

If he hated her that much, he could have sent her to another family as an adopted daughter to live without knowing her true identity. Carlyle suspected that Aaron keeping Leticia close was a form of revenge against his late wife for her alleged infidelity.

“Then… go on up. I’ll go see Terdis.”

Terdis’s room was in the East Wing, while Leticia’s new room was in the South Wing. Since her room at the Tesseia mansion had been in the cold, dark North Wing, it seemed Carlyle’s promise to treat her well wasn’t a lie.

As Carlyle left the drawing room, Leticia headed to the South Wing under a maid’s guidance. Since Carlyle had personally shown her the room earlier, she already knew the way.

‘This might actually be better for me.’

Now, she wouldn’t have to lift the sheets to check for snakes or bugs before getting into bed. She wouldn’t have to check if her brothers were in the hallway or worry about running away. She wouldn’t even have to wear a veil to avoid the Duke’s gaze.

‘It was so suffocating!’

Green hair was certainly eye-catching, but wearing a veil everywhere was even more conspicuous. In this mansion, she wouldn’t need to wear it every time she left her room.

‘I’ll stay in this mansion until I’m an adult….’

The marriage likely wouldn’t happen. The dragon spirit dwelling in Terdis would move to another vessel once he became a Sword Master.

‘Wasn’t that around age twenty-three? About three years after he meets Isella….’

He was known to be a strikingly handsome man; even the original villainess Leticia, forgetting she had once rejected his proposal, had fallen for him at first sight and chased him around. Once he regained his looks, countless women would follow him, so he wouldn’t want to maintain an engagement with someone called a “bastard.” Especially with Isella around.

‘Isella won’t come to the capital for another eight years…. I still have a long way to go.’

At least she was done with the Tesseia mansion. She might have to return if Terdis eventually broke the engagement, but she expected the legal process of a full annulment to take time. By then, Leticia planned to ask Carlyle to become her guardian in exchange for the annulment. She had no desire to return to the Tesseia Duchy.

“My Lady, it is this room.”

Servants were already busy moving her belongings. The Tesseia family had sent all her things via their house carriages. Since she had rarely socialized and only visited the temple, she didn’t have many possessions. This was partly because she had insisted that her budget be saved in her own account for her future independence.

Still, being a lady of a Ducal house, two carriage-loads of luggage arrived. She thought it was plenty, but the Lyon servants seemed surprised by how little there was.

‘Do you like the furniture? If there is anything you want, just say the word!’

Carlyle already seemed determined to do anything for her. As long as she didn’t hurt Terdis, that attitude would likely continue. This made Leticia want to return his kindness.

‘It would be great if I could tell them what I know.’

However, speaking without evidence could be seen as giving false hope and might become a seed of resentment later. So, Leticia decided to find proof first.

‘The only thing I can do is look for cases like Terdis’s in books.’

Carlyle had likely mobilized all the Lyon family’s resources to investigate dragons and their curses. Therefore, she needed to look in areas they might have overlooked. Since she was trusted at the temple and held a high social status, she had access to the temple and imperial libraries.

Leticia decided to visit them starting tomorrow.

***

Terdis found his father’s unusual quietness strange. Normally, he would have stormed into the room and ordered Terdis to get out of bed and meet Leticia.

‘He’s coming!’

He felt his father approaching the door with the servants. Terdis quickly pulled the duvet over his head and went into a defensive posture. He expected Carlyle to enter with the staff, but Carlyle entered alone without even knocking.

“Terdis, you rascal. Do you think hiding under the covers will change anything? Hmm?”

Surprised by his father’s voice, which was gentler than expected, Terdis peeked out with just his eyes. Carlyle chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed.

“…Did you send that girl back?”

“I’m not sending her back. Lady Tesseia will live in this house from today on.”

“What?!”

The words made Terdis’s heart sink. It meant someone who would scream or faint at the sight of him was now living under the same roof.

“I hate it! Send her away right now!”

“I can’t do that, Terdis. It’s what Duke Tesseia wanted. It’s what I want… and Leticia is a good child.”

Terdis pulled the covers back over his head, but Carlyle stayed by his side, talking. He spoke mostly about how devout and kind Leticia was.

‘Kind or not! She’ll scream when she sees me too. She’ll be terrified and call me a monster!’

After his appearance changed, Terdis had tried to meet the friends he used to hang out with. He met them one or two at a time, but they all turned pale or let out a cry of shock. Seeing them recoil in disgust and look at him with terrified eyes had driven Terdis into despair. The final straw was when he caught a look of pure contempt in the eyes of the person he had considered his best friend.

“…Leticia is also a pitiable child. Not a single family member came out to see her off when she left. I was shocked to see the Duke himself actively preventing her from meeting them.”

Carlyle explained this, but Terdis was too lost in his own sorrow to truly listen. And so, the day came to an end.

***

The best thing about moving to the Lyon Duchy was that she didn’t have to walk on eggshells when going out. Carlyle generously provided a private carriage for Leticia’s exclusive use, along with kind servants and a personal knight.

The first place Leticia visited was, once again, the temple. As usual, she offered her prayers and greeted the priestesses she knew before heading to the temple library.

The temple library was primarily a place for literate commoners and members of the clergy. Generally, borrowing books was forbidden; visitors were only allowed to read or transcribe them on-site. Since this library had a long history and an enormous collection, Leticia had high expectations.

‘If I investigate properly, it might take months….’

The clergy generally kept many books about the Goddess they served, but they were often lacking in other areas of knowledge. While there were quite a few books on pharmacy and medicine, information on folklore or legends was scarce.

“My Lady, what are you looking for?” whispered Molly, the maid Carlyle had assigned to her. She seemed curious to see a twelve-year-old wandering around a library searching for books.

“Just this and that….”

“If you tell me, I might be able to help.”

“Well… I’m looking for information on dragons. The Lyon family has likely already searched everything regarding curses, so I’m looking for other information….”

Molly thought Leticia looked adorable as she turned red while speaking.

‘I suppose it makes sense she’d be curious since she’s engaged to Lord Terdis.’

“If it’s about the Young Lord’s curse, many scholars are already investigating it, so you don’t need to worry yourself, My Lady.”

“…….”

“But if you still want to do something, I’ll help.”

The young Lady’s perspective wasn’t bad. Scholars were likely focused strictly on the nature of the “curse.” However, since every conventional method had hit a wall, the official investigation had recently shifted toward general dragon lore anyway. So, this young girl’s “investigation” likely wouldn’t yield much.

‘Still, a heart that wants to be helpful is a beautiful thing.’

Molly thought with a smile.

***

After leaving the temple, Leticia had lunch at the Lyon estate and headed straight for the Imperial Palace. As a Lady of a Ducal house, she was fully entitled to use the Imperial Library—specifically the section reserved for high-ranking nobility. Since there was no age restriction, Leticia made a grand entrance, leading her maids and escort knights.

The Imperial Library was indeed larger and more magnificent than the temple library. When she asked for books on folklore and mythology, the librarian pointed to a section so vast it looked as if the entire temple library had been moved there.

‘This is going to take a long time.’

Leticia’s shoulders slumped at the sheer volume of books, but she soon regained her composure and began her research. Even amidst her searching, she didn’t forget to offer her prayers at regular intervals.

***

“…And that is what happened.”

Carlyle gave a bitter smile at Molly’s report. He found it both admirable and adorable that young Leticia was trying so hard to be helpful.

“And Terdis still hasn’t left his room?”

“He did manage to eat his meal in the afternoon, at least.”

Carlyle had been worried that Terdis might go on a hunger strike after stubbornly refusing breakfast. He let out a sigh of relief and looked at Molly.

“Leave him be. Don’t disturb him. It’s probably good for him to have something to brood over, as we don’t know when he’ll change his mind.”

In a few days, a tutor for Leticia’s education would arrive at the mansion. Carlyle figured the tutor could eventually redirect Leticia’s interests to more appropriate subjects.

‘Her heart is in the right place, but this is a curse that even the greatest scholars couldn’t break.’

He assumed she would grow tired of it after a few weeks and let it go. After that night at the cursed lake, Terdis had been cursed and had lost his mother. For Carlyle, it was the night he lost his wife, Hellemine—a time he never wished to recall.

Three years had passed since then. Carlyle had used the Lyon family’s immense wealth to search far and wide for a way to break the curse, but he had yet to find a single clue. Even after gathering all sorts of amulets, holy relics, and magic tools rumored to be effective against curses, nothing worked. Since he had already hired experts to search for information, he doubted the efforts of a young child would make a difference. Any information a twelve-year-old could find would have already been uncovered by the scholars.

***

Several months passed. Carlyle had hired three tutors for Leticia, which naturally reduced her free time. Terdis seemed to have given up his protest and started leaving his room again, but he refused to meet Leticia. Carlyle didn’t force the meeting, sensing it would be rude to Leticia to do so.

Leticia, for her part, stopped going to the temple as often and began pouring all her remaining time after studies into visiting the Imperial Library. Since her reason for frequenting the library wasn’t exactly a secret, rumors spread quickly among the mansion’s servants. Naturally, they reached the ears of the Young Lord, Terdis.

“It seems she has left for the Imperial Library again today.”

At the servant’s cheerful report of Leticia’s schedule, Terdis pouted.

“There’s no need to report her daily routine to me.”

“But isn’t her heart beautiful? The way the Young Lady worries for you, Young Lord.”

“…She just wants to break my curse because she can’t escape the engagement.”

“Young Lord…”

The servant looked at Terdis with pity, but he ignored it and adjusted his posture. He was in the middle of training, and he didn’t want to think about anything else while swinging his sword.

‘Leticia de Tesseia. She was a pretty child….’

She was far too good for someone like him, who had become a hideous monster due to the curse. Had she not been rumored to be an illegitimate child, such a match would have been unthinkable.

‘Just the thought of her face contorting in disgust or her screaming at the sight of me makes me miserable.’

It had only been three years, but he could barely remember his original face. Thinking of Leticia’s cute face made him want to die. He didn’t even wish for his old face back anymore. If he could just return to a human-like form, he would be eternally grateful to the gods.

‘If I could do that… if I only could… I might have dared to even say hello to her. But as I am now….’

As his sword path began to waver, Terdis forced himself to refocus his mind.

***

Terdis usually ate in his room, fearing Carlyle might invite that girl to the dining hall. Since his training ground was in the East Wing where he resided, he shouldn’t have run into Leticia unless he left that area.

‘I only came out for a walk because I heard she went out…!’

Terdis ran right into Leticia in the garden and immediately glared at the servant who had given him the wrong information. The servant shamelessly looked away, pretending to be distracted. Seeing such audacity, Terdis knew this was definitely the work of Carlyle, who was likely getting impatient with the lack of progress.

“Hello, Young Duke.”

The fact that she didn’t scream or faint like other noble ladies was enough to give her a passing grade. In fact, Leticia didn’t even tremble or show signs of fear. Her eyes simply widened a bit, as if surprised to see him. This unexpected reaction gave Terdis a flicker of hope.

‘Snap out of it. You’ll be treated like a monster soon enough.’

Even the children of the vassals were only polite in front of adults; they would flip their attitudes the moment they were alone. He assumed Leticia would be no different.

‘Oh, that startled me.’

Leticia, who had come out on the maids’ recommendation to see the garden, was also surprised to run into Terdis. Seeing his condition with her own eyes was different from reading about it in a book.

‘He’s not so much a lizard-man as….’

The hand protruding from his sleeve had sharp claws, reminiscent of a Dragon-kin, but his face looked as though it were being cradled by membrane wings.

‘It’s definitely too much for children to handle those snake-like scales.’

The dragon spirit might have made this choice to protect Terdis, but she felt it should have considered protecting his mind as well. If the scales could retract and appear at will, that would have been better. In the middle of the original story, the dragon spirit leaves Terdis’s body and dwells in his necklace or sword, so it didn’t necessarily have to stay in his body all the time.

‘…Or is Terdis still in danger? Is there an assassin nearby, or is he exposed to poison?’

If it were poison, those serving him would also be in danger—including herself, living here as his fiancée.

“Be kind to her. That child has nowhere else to go. When I brought up the engagement, the Duke told me to take her on the condition that she be raised here until adulthood and married off immediately.”

His father visited Terdis every day to talk about Leticia. Carlyle, who was naturally warm-hearted, had visited more frequently after his son was cursed. Lately, he talked of nothing but Leticia, wishing for her and Terdis to get along as soon as possible.

‘But still….’

Just looking at Leticia, who was staring at him as if waiting for a response to her greeting, made Terdis feel suffocated. Her vibrant beauty only made him angrier.

I look like this. …I can’t like her!’

“Why are you still staying in this mansion? Get out right now!”

Leticia seemed to gasp at Terdis’s outburst. Terdis thought he was giving her an opening.

‘Use my words as an excuse to beg Father to let you leave!’

His kind-hearted father would eventually let her go if Leticia begged him in tears. Even if the contract between families couldn’t be broken, he believed his father would at least spare her the ordeal of having to meet Terdis.

“I’m sorry. I have nowhere else to go.”

At Leticia’s dejected face as she bowed her head, Terdis immediately felt uncomfortable. His heart was twisted, but compassion still remained within it.

‘It seems she wasn’t treated well at the Tesseia estate either. I heard those brothers of hers bullied her….’

“…What does that have to do with me! Ask Father and go somewhere else!”

Terdis shouted and turned sharply to leave the garden. As he hurried away, his heart pounded with anxiety. He worried that he had made her cry by shouting at a girl in such a difficult position.

On the other hand, Leticia’s heart was indifferent.

‘…Is it because he’s the male lead? He doesn’t say anything truly cruel.’

To Leticia, who had heard all sorts of verbal abuse from the wicked tongues of her three brothers, this didn’t even tickle. She didn’t feel a single tear.

‘Who would leave just because of that? It wasn’t a lie when I said I have nowhere to go.’

Aaron, who had practically dumped her at the Lyon estate as if he’d been waiting for the chance, would never take her back. Like it or not, Leticia had to stay under the protection of the Lyon Duchy until she reached adulthood.

***

Terdis was severely scolded by Carlyle when he returned that evening. Although Carlyle pitied his cursed son, he wasn’t someone who indulged every whim. Doing so would ruin his only heir. He was firm when he needed to be.

Fortunately, unlike his usual self, Terdis didn’t argue back. According to the reports, Leticia’s reaction had been mild.

‘It was Terdis who lost his temper.’

Leticia had been a bit surprised but had greeted him; it was Terdis who had rejected her.

“…Send that girl away from this mansion. If she’s such a good child, you know better than anyone how despicable this engagement is!”

“Terdis. You shouldn’t just think of yourself; you must think of the family. The Lyon line cannot be allowed to end.”

Terdis shook his head at Carlyle’s words.

“I hate it! If my child is born looking like me, that is something I should never do to myself or the person I marry! Especially not to the child! I cannot marry anyone looking like this! I won’t!”

It was all horrifying. But Carlyle didn’t give up and tried to persuade him.

“I’m not asking you to marry her right now. Just… be friends. No one can live their whole life alone, can they?”

While boys Terdis’ age had grown distant, the adults were different. This mansion was filled only with those who showed no disgust toward Terdis’s appearance. Since Leticia, unusually, didn’t seem shocked by him, Carlyle was convinced his choice was right.

“As I said before…. That child must be under my family’s protection until she reaches adulthood. So, please be kind to her, even if it’s only until then.”

“And when that time comes? Will you let her leave as I asked?”

Carlyle felt the urge to say they should reconsider when the time came, but he knew Terdis would react violently if he said that.

“If you still feel the same way then, I will do so.”

“Understood.”

Terdis slumped his shoulders.

“I’ll try to get along with her.”

***

‘Did he get scolded a lot by Duke Lyon?’

Leticia guessed as much when she heard the Young Duke had requested tea right after his morning lessons. Given that he had told her to get out of the house the moment they met, a man of Carlyle’s temperament wouldn’t have let that slide.

When she entered the drawing room, she saw Terdis standing by the window with a stiff expression. Leticia offered a polite greeting, just as her tutor had taught her lately.

“Hello, Young Duke.”

“Hello… Lady Leticia,” Terdis replied, avoiding her eyes.

As expected, her face showed no sign of disgust or horror. Even adults usually flinched or looked away when they first saw him, so for a girl her age, her reaction was remarkably composed.

‘It’s all thanks to the memories of my past life.’

Having binged all sorts of monster movies and films with high-end special effects, Terdis’s appearance wasn’t exactly terrifying to her. Though, that didn’t mean she was completely comfortable either.

‘His features are actually quite sharp and handsome beneath it all.’

“…What are you staring at?”

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I was just thinking… it looks as if a dragon is cradling your face with its wings.”

As she said, the membranes on Terdis’s face did resemble wings. However, when his face crumpled into a grimace at the mention of his appearance, Leticia realized her slip-up.

“Young Master, she is a Lady, you shouldn’t speak so—”

“She can just speak casually to me too, then,” Terdis countered sharply, cutting off the anxious servant.

Leticia hadn’t been bothered by his casual speech, mostly because she was used to being treated as a bastard in public. However, it seemed this household was determined to treat her strictly as a Young Lady of a Ducal house.

“Then I’m going to speak casually too, okay?”

“What?”

Leticia didn’t flinch even as he glared. Instead, her eyes sparkled with anticipation, making Terdis feel strange.

“I can’t?”

“…Do whatever you want.”

His irritation vanished instantly at the sight of that expression. Terdis looked away, reminding himself not to be fooled.

‘She must think I’m gross deep down anyway.’

“Are we just going to drink tea?” Leticia asked.

Before a bewildered Terdis could respond, she suggested they go outside. Dazed, he followed her into the garden.

***

“The two of them seem to be getting along quickly. Lady Leticia has become much brighter than she was at the Tesseia estate.”

Carlyle had even gone so far as to hire several maids who had previously worked at the Tesseia mansion. Since he had made the request directly to Duke Aaron, the transition had been peaceful. The maids, seemingly harboring many grievances, had vented about how the three young lords of Tesseia had bullied Leticia.

‘It’s only natural for trouble to arise when an illegitimate child is kept in the same house as the others.’

Moreover, Aaron hadn’t lifted a finger to correct the relationship between them. In Carlyle’s eyes, Aaron’s indifference was no different from encouraging the bullying.

“How does Terdis seem?”

“He tries to hide it, but he seems happy, Your Grace. It’s been a long time since he’s interacted with someone his age. He is still a child, after all….”

While a boy would have been an ideal friend, Carlyle hadn’t been able to find any boys who could handle Terdis’s appearance. They all claimed to be fine, but their expressions of disgust were plain to see. Terdis, sensitive to such things, would always chase them away. Carlyle couldn’t keep subjecting his son to that rejection.

“I have Leticia to thank.”

Terdis said he would let her go once he reached adulthood, but Carlyle believed his son’s heart would change by then. Humans are not meant to live alone. He might be pushing her away now, but in time, he would grow to want her by his side.

‘I feel sorry for Leticia, but my son has no other options.’

The ideal scenario was for the curse to be lifted so Terdis could be with her in his true form. Carlyle decided that even if that happened, he wouldn’t push Leticia away for her birth. Someone with the character to accept Terdis as he was now was rare. He couldn’t just toss her out once circumstances improved.

“…What news from the one I sent to Harbumine? Did they secure the holy relic?”

In addition to searching for a cure, Carlyle was buying up every holy relic rumored to exist across the continent. Since the Lyon family possessed the greatest wealth in the empire, his spending didn’t even dent their fortune.

“The bid was successful. They are expected to depart tomorrow,” the secretary reported.

Carlyle nodded. He didn’t have high hopes, but he sent people out regardless.

‘Something is bound to work eventually.’

***

 

Days turned into weeks, and soon ten days had flown by. Terdis was taken aback to find that meeting Leticia after his lessons had become the highlight of his day. He had grown fond of her in just a few days, and it made him want to cry. He was starting to actually want the engagement.

‘But I look like this.’

Leticia wasn’t afraid of him. She didn’t look at him with disgust, nor did she recoil when she touched his hand. Even though he knew he had to let her go eventually, his heart was wavering like a small piece of wood adrift at sea.

‘I like you.’

His father was right; she was a good child. Not only was she kind, but she was beautiful. He thought that even if he hadn’t been cursed, he would have fallen head over heels for her.

‘If only this curse were gone.’

But no matter how much he wished, the curse remained. He wanted to try, but he didn’t even know where to begin. He was happy to be with her, but realized that happiness only brought more pain because of the curse he couldn’t escape.

‘Right. This feeling must be temporary….’

He told himself it was only because she was the only person his age around. A pretty girl was being nice to him, so his weakened heart was simply swayed. He believed his feelings would change as they spent more time together. Human hearts could change a dozen times a day, after all.

***

‘Hmm. Playing with Terdis has actually become fun.’

Before meeting Terdis, Leticia had never neglected her prayers, but hanging out with him made her lose track of time—and her prayer schedule. Even her hours in the Imperial Library had dwindled.

Still, being friends with him wasn’t a bad thing. There was no harm in being on the good side of the original male lead. Her only worry was that she might be cutting into Terdis’s training time, potentially delaying his return to his original form.

‘I could take Terdis to the Imperial Library… no, that’s impossible.’

Just leaving the mansion was a major ordeal for him. He could be mistaken for a monster and hunted—which had actually happened before. There had also been minor assassination attempts.

‘The culprit was Carlyle’s younger brother. The Duchess died because of him too….’

It was because he had released a deadly poison that the Dragon’s Spirit, sleeping in the lake, had entered young Terdis’s body to save him. While it caused Terdis immense suffering now, it had saved his life in that moment. In the story, Carlyle’s brother, the Count, acted devoted to his brother and nephew, even shedding tears at the funeral. They likely still trusted him completely.

‘Dealing with that man is the job of the leads; I don’t need to worry about that. What matters now is whether I can awaken divine power and find a clue to Terdis’s curse!’

“Are you finished?”

Today was the day of a test set by her tutor. Leticia had finished her answers and was lost in thought. The tutor reviewed the paper and smiled with satisfaction.

“A perfect score. That concludes today’s lesson. I will see you tomorrow.”

Leticia left the study and was informed by the waiting maids that Terdis’s lessons weren’t over yet. He usually had swordsmanship in the morning and studies in the afternoon, but to make time for Leticia, he had been waking up at dawn for training and doubling up on subjects.

“Would you like to wait in the game room?”

“Yes.”

The “game room” wasn’t a dark smoking room for men, but a bright, spacious area with chessboards and various games. Leticia taught him a few games she knew, and he had picked them up with surprising interest.

‘I never thought I’d be playing hopscotch and jacks again at my age, even with these memories.’

But she hadn’t known how else to play with a twelve-year-old boy. Despite her status, other noble girls had shunned her because of the “bastard” label. Even if she wore a veil to hide her green hair, people recognized her instantly. Because her brothers hated the family’s business leaking out, she had lived without ever daring to make a friend.

‘They probably wouldn’t like me meeting other friends here, either.’

Even if she used the Lyon family’s influence to make friends, they would likely only want to gossip about Terdis. So, Leticia had no intention of seeking out other noble girls. She had yet to meet one worth befriending anyway.

‘Most of them either badmouthed me behind my back or mocked me to my face.’

As Leticia sat down, the maids brought tea and cake. Since Terdis’s portion would be served when he arrived, she didn’t wait and cut into her cake. A chilly breeze blew in, and the maids moved to close the windows. With winter approaching, the air had turned sharp.

‘I hope I can awaken divine power before the year ends…. Is it because I’m being greedy that the “gacha” fails every time? Or is the setting different from the game?’

“Leticia!”

Terdis burst into the room after his lessons. Seeing her bright smile, he fidgeted, worried his face might turn red. Since the curse, his skin tone didn’t actually change, but around Leticia, he couldn’t help but worry about it anyway.

“Did… did you wait long?”

“No. I just cut the cake.”

Drawn in by her gesture, Terdis sat across from her. As the maids hurried to serve his tea, Leticia began to tell him about everything that had happened in her lessons that day.

***

 

“Your Grace, they are arriving.”

The news that the Lyon family carriage had passed through the capital’s gates reached them. Carlyle, who had been waiting downstairs for the holy relic to arrive, stepped outside with a welcoming look on his face.

The carriage stopped in front of the main building, and Holton, who had been entrusted with the task by Carlyle, stepped out.

“Your Grace, I have returned.”

“Yes, well done. You’ve been through a lot,” Carlyle said, approaching Holton and patting his shoulder. Behind Holton, the family servants were unloading the cargo.

Holton had traveled to the northern regions to purchase various items. Among the many goods, the most important was the holy relic won at the auction. Carlyle praised the Knight Commander and the knights who had overseen the security of the journey and ordered the crates to be brought inside. He specifically directed that the relic in question be moved to his office.

He planned to inspect it and have Terdis touch it immediately.

‘I hope this one actually works….’

He ordered an attendant to bring Terdis to the office. At this hour, Terdis would likely be spending time with Leticia.

“Let’s go inside,” Carlyle said, and Holton bowed before following the Duke into the mansion.

***

“Young Master.”

Terdis looked up at the attendant’s call. He was sitting on the floor with Leticia, in the middle of a board game.

“The Duke is calling for you.”

“For what?” Terdis asked, standing up. The attendant replied with a smile.

“Sir Holton has returned with the items from the auction. I suspect he might have a gift for you.”

‘A gift?’

Terdis immediately turned to Leticia. “Leticia, let’s go.”

Although the Duke had only called for Terdis, the attendant didn’t stop her. He knew the kind-hearted Duke would never embarrass Leticia for coming along.

“Didn’t the Duke only call for you?”

“It’s a good occasion; I’m sure it’s fine for you to come along.”

If they were lucky, she might receive an unexpected gift from the Duke if he was in a good mood. Given Carlyle’s personality, a gift for Leticia had likely arrived as well. He probably intended to give it to her through Terdis to help him earn some points with her.

“Hurry.”

Terdis, his cheeks flushing slightly, carefully took Leticia’s hand. This moment was always special to him because other children would recoil, scream, or run away if even a finger of his touched them. Leticia never did that. She treated him like an ordinary friend her age.

“If the Duke scolds us, I’m blaming you,” Leticia grumbled, following Terdis out of the game room.

The office was quite far from the children’s game room. Since it was a place of business, it was naturally separated from the noisy areas. They walked—and occasionally ran—until they reached the office doors. The attendant guarding the door smiled at the sight of Terdis looking unusually happy.

“Tell my father we’re here.”

The attendant raised his voice toward the inside of the room. “Your Grace, the Young Master and Lady Leticia have arrived!”

“…Oh! Tell them to come in!”

“You may enter,” the attendant said, quickly opening the doors. The room was cluttered with various opened crates and boxes.

“You called, Father?”

“Greetings, Your Grace,” Leticia added beside him.

Carlyle grinned at Terdis and Leticia. Although he had gone to great lengths to secure the relic, he had made dozens of similar attempts before, so his expectations weren’t high.

‘It would be great if it worked, but….’

“These are items bought from the North. There are things for both of you, but look around and if you see anything else you want, you may have it. I’ve already set aside the gifts for others.”

At Carlyle’s words, Leticia looked around the room in wonder. There were crates containing weapons, boxes of ornate handmade jewelry, strangely shaped ornaments, and even uniquely colored furs and gemstones.

“Terdis. This is the gift for you.”

From a box on his desk, Carlyle pulled out a silver necklace with a large pendant. The design seemed unisex, but Terdis’s expression stiffened as he caught the nervous look on his father’s face.

“…Try putting it on.”

“Yes.”

Without complaining that it was unfashionable, Terdis stepped toward Carlyle and put the necklace on. Inside the transparent gemstone of the pendant, the image of a bird made of flames could be seen.

‘Is it a magic tool?’

After wearing it for a while and waiting to see if anything changed, Terdis realized that this item was also useless. To avoid seeing the disappointment in his father’s eyes, he spoke up in a deliberately cheerful voice.

“I think this is a bit too fancy for me. Leticia, you try it on.”

“Huh? It looks heavy….”

“It’ll look good on you.”

Swallowing his disappointment, Terdis took the necklace off and placed it around Leticia’s neck. The chain was long enough that it was easy to slip on.

The moment he placed the pendant on her, the carved red bird inside the gem seemed to lift its tiny, glowing golden eyes and look at Leticia.

‘Hmm?’

“My Lady, your hair…!”

Starting from the pendant, a color seemed to wash upward. The green faded away from the tips of her hair, revealing her original, pale golden locks.

Carlyle, who had met Duchess Tesseia before, was momentarily stunned. Leticia’s current hair color was identical to the hair of the late Duchess Teresa.

“Leticia, your hair color changed!”

At Terdis’s surprised exclamation, Carlyle snapped back to his senses. He immediately realized what had just happened. The maid cried out in an excited voice.

“That necklace! It must have magic that changes hair color. But why didn’t the Young Master’s hair change?”

“Le-Leticia. Give the necklace to me. It seems far too heavy for you. I have a separate gift for you.”

Hiding his trembling voice, Carlyle spoke, and Leticia readily took off the necklace and handed it to him. She had found it burdensome anyway, given how heavy and expensive it looked. As soon as she removed the necklace, her hair returned to its muddy green color.

Terdis looked at Leticia, then back at Carlyle. Carlyle was struggling to maintain his composure.

‘Ah. Ahh….’

Terdis realized what Carlyle had noticed. Leticia also knew exactly what had just happened, but she didn’t let it show. She liked living here at the Lyon estate. She didn’t want to break the “curse” just yet.

‘Because I don’t want to go back to the Tesseia estate.’

She didn’t want to endure the awkwardness or discomfort of the truth being revealed. Even if they treated her well, they were people she didn’t even want to be near. They would apologize forever, and eventually, they would start resenting her for not forgiving them quickly enough or for not being “bright and cheerful” before her wounds had even healed.

In contrast, everyone at the Lyon estate was kind to her. Even if their underlying motive was for her to marry the cursed Terdis, she liked it here. This was a place where no one cursed at her or tried to kick her just because she looked happy or smiled. To Leticia, the Tesseia estate was a horrific place.

***

Carlyle barely knew how he managed to send the children away. After loading both of them with armfuls of gifts, he immediately sought his secretary.

“What happened in this room…”

“I will ensure everyone remains silent,” the secretary replied, understanding instantly. Holton and the butler wore complex expressions. The holy relic sat on Carlyle’s desk.

“…So Lady Leticia’s hair color was the result of a curse.”

“Yes. Everyone was completely fooled. Duchess Tesseia was framed.”

Someone had changed the hair color of the child born as the Duchess died, making it look as though she had been unfaithful. Since it wouldn’t have mattered much once the Duchess was dead, her death must have been an unexpected variable.

“The curse was likely cast while the Duchess was pregnant. …It might even be the reason she gave birth early and died,” the butler said with a face full of concern.

“Master. Do you intend to inform Duke Tesseia? If this is true, he will undoubtedly try to void the engagement.”

Leticia was not a bastard. This was great news for the Lyon family, but also unfortunate. Once the truth came out, Duke Tesseia would surely try to take back the daughter he had abused. Getting the cursed Young Duke engaged to a “bastard” was one thing, but engaging his legitimate daughter—the child of his wrongly accused late wife—was another. Out of guilt, he might fight even harder to bring her back.

“…We must keep it a secret for now.”

Carlyle felt sorry for Leticia, but he had no other choice. Even if he treated her even better, this wrong could not be easily covered. But he couldn’t take away the smile from Terdis’s face, which had brightened since Leticia’s arrival.

“When the time is right… we will reveal the truth. But not now.”

“It seems the Young Master has noticed. As for Lady Leticia… I’m not sure,” Holton said thoughtfully. He didn’t know Leticia well, but he had heard she was remarkably considerate and clever for her age.

“I’ll have to speak with Terdis myself,” Carlyle replied, praying that Leticia hadn’t noticed.

***

“Terdis. What have you been thinking about for so long?”

They had just sent their gifts to their rooms via their servants. Leticia asked with a worried face as she noticed Terdis’s dark expression, which was a sharp contrast to when they had first entered the office. Terdis looked at Leticia and opened his mouth.

“Um… Leticia.”

“Young Master!”

An attendant who seemed to have run in a hurry interrupted him. Terdis frowned at him.

“The Duke is calling for you. He says to come quickly.”

“Leticia, you should—”

“He asked for the Young Master only.”

Since the attendant’s tone was unusually firm, Terdis looked at Leticia with a reluctant face. “I’ll be back. It might take a while, so don’t wait for me.”

“Okay,” Leticia replied, a bit dazed. Terdis gave her one last look before turning away. At the attendant’s urging, he followed with a displeased expression.

Leticia wasn’t disappointed by this. She should have expected Carlyle to make a choice for his son’s sake.

‘I’m not exactly thrilled, but it can’t be helped.’

She simply felt a deep longing for her parents from her previous life—people she could never meet again.

***

“Are you here?”

Inside the office, the butler and Holton were no longer to be seen. The room had been tidied to some extent, and all other attendants had been dismissed.

“Good work. You may leave.”

Terdis turned toward Carlyle as he watched the attendant who had escorted him depart. The servant quietly closed the door.

“…Father, you noticed it too when you saw Leticia’s hair, didn’t you?”

“Terdis.”

“The holy relic had no effect on me, but it worked on Leticia. Even if only for a moment, her hair color returned. That blonde must be Leticia’s true color.”

The relic had briefly lifted the curse from Leticia, but it hadn’t broken it completely. However, considering the Lyon family had spent the last three years attempting every possible method to break curses, Terdis believed they could find someone to save her. Even if the Lyon family couldn’t do it, informing Duke Tesseia would change everything for Leticia.

“We have to tell Duke Tesseia immediately. If he knew the truth…!”

SLAM!!!

The sound of a hand striking the desk hard cut Terdis off. In truth, Terdis already knew. He had seen his father’s reaction the moment Leticia’s hair had changed.

“Terdis, stop. We cannot… tell Duke Tesseia.”

“Because of me?”

Carlyle shut his eyes tight at the sorrowful ringing in his son’s voice. He wanted to deny it, but he knew that would be a lie.

“Forgive me, Terdis. It is because of my greed.”

“You aren’t just wronging me; you’re wronging Leticia. I don’t want to do this to her. She… she’s been so good to me.”

To tell him to endure this because things had been going well so far was despicable. His body might have changed, but Terdis didn’t want to become a monster in spirit as well.

“Can’t we just treat her well here? Leticia is already being treated with the utmost respect.”

“She is a Tesseia. If the truth is revealed, she won’t be treated like a bastard anymore. Duke Tesseia would do as much for her as we do.”

“Terdis, I beg of you. We have an agreement. Please… if your heart remains unchanged even after you become an adult, I will reveal it then. For now, let this be our secret.”

“…….”

Terdis’s resolve didn’t waver, but he couldn’t bring himself to say that he had already fallen for Leticia. If he admitted that, Carlyle would fight even harder to keep her tethered to the Lyon family. He decided to remain silent for the moment. His father took the silence as a sign of consent and didn’t push him for a verbal promise.

‘Once I leave this room….’

He intended to find Leticia and tell her the truth himself. Then, he would find a way to send word to Duke Tesseia.

***

 

“Hey. You sent your family’s bastard to that monster, didn’t you?”

At the mention of Leticia, Godfrey’s face immediately twisted into a scowl. For the past few months, he had felt a sense of relief because she wasn’t in the house. Even if she were far away, he would have been angry if she were living well, so the fact that she was sent to be the fiancée of the “Lyon Monster” brought him a dark satisfaction.

‘She’s probably crying every day, begging to come home.’

But the Tesseia estate was his home, and it was no place for a filthy bastard to set foot. He thought his father had made a brilliant decision.

“Shut your mouth! Who do you think you’re talking to? Do you think being in this club makes you my equal?”

Godfrey stood up, kicking aside a nearby empty chair. Though he was only sixteen, he was already as large as a grown man. When he rose, he looked like a mountain looming over the room. True to his notorious reputation, he looked ready to throw a punch, causing the noble boy who had spoken to flinch and step back.

“Whoa, take it easy. Why so angry so early in the day?”

“Godfrey, calm down.”

His close friends stepped in, massaging his shoulders or lowering his raised fist. They were under strict orders from Cesare to make sure Godfrey didn’t cause any public scandals.

“Dammit! That brat brought up the bastard! I was just enjoying the fact that I haven’t seen her lately….”

“But that ‘bastard’ has been going in and out of the imperial palace lately.”

Refusing to back down, the noble boy spat the words out. Godfrey and his friends all turned to him with shocked faces.

“What?”

“Why would she be there?”

“How should I know? There are only a few families entitled to use the Imperial Library. And among them, the only young girl with green hair is the Tesseia bastard…. Gack!”

Godfrey called Leticia a bastard himself, but hearing it from someone else made his blood boil. He lunged forward, grabbing the boy by the collar and lifting him off the floor. The club manager ran over in a panic, and Godfrey’s friends pounded on his arm, telling him to let go.

“You think that’s news? Is entering the library the same as entering the palace?!”

The Imperial Library and administrative wings were technically part of the palace but were relatively open to high nobility. When people heard someone was “visiting the palace,” they usually assumed an audience with the Emperor or Empress in the inner palace, not a trip to the library.

“I-I didn’t say anything wrong! Agggh!”

Godfrey threw the boy aside without mercy. As he prepared to lunge again to trample him, his friends and escort knights jumped in to restrain him. If he weren’t the second son of the Tesseia family, he would have been thrown out of the high-society club immediately.

“Godfrey!”

“Calm down! You have the knight exams this year! Your conduct is part of the score! Are you trying to ruin your future?”

While they held him back, the club staff hurried the other boy away. Godfrey shook off his friends, shouting, “Where do you think you’re going! Get back here!”

His friends clung to his waist and legs. Seeing the look in Godfrey’s eyes, the boy who had run his mouth scrambled out the front door. It looked like he wouldn’t be showing his face at this club for a long time.

“Let go!”

Godfrey huffed, shaking off his friends’ hands. Since it was clear he wouldn’t chase the boy further, they let him go. He stood there, teeth grinding in fury. Leticia. That damn girl was still getting on his nerves even from a distance.

‘If you’re engaged to a monster like that, you should live in shame, hidden away like you’re dead. How dare you crawl out to the Imperial Palace?’

It seemed she needed to be taught a lesson.

***

Immediately upon leaving Carlyle’s office, Terdis headed to Leticia’s room. Leticia was busy looking at the gifts Carlyle had sent up separately from the ones he had given her in person. There were dresses popular in the North, dolls, and various toys. Having never received such gifts before, Leticia was touching and hugging them with a blissful expression.

“Lady Leticia. The Young Master is here.”

“Tell him to come in.”

The door opened, and a grave-looking Terdis entered. Usually, his personal attendant would be by his side, but because Carlyle had summoned him, a different attendant was accompanying him.

‘He’s probably been told by his father to stick close and make sure Terdis doesn’t spill the secret.’

Terdis knew his father wasn’t blind; he saw how much time they spent together. Carlyle likely expected Terdis to struggle with the secret for a day or two. That was why he couldn’t wait. He had to say it now.

“Terdis, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Leticia’s smiling face as she approached made Terdis want to cry. He lifted his hand, seeing the hideous reptilian scales and the hard claws he usually tried to keep retracted around her.

‘How can I do this to her…?’

“Leticia….”

Terdis collapsed to his knees before her, shocking her. Leticia rushed over and grabbed him. She glanced at her maids, who quickly realized the situation and stepped out, closing the door behind them.

“What is it? Did something happen?”

As she knelt in front of him, Terdis fought back tears. This was good news. It was something to be celebrated. Leticia had been bullied for so long for being an illegitimate child. She should be happy.

“It’s… good news. I’m… I’m sorry for being a fool.”

“You’re not. What happened?”

His golden eyes, covered by reptilian membranes, shimmered dimly. He tried to stay composed, but as a child, he couldn’t hide his emotions entirely.

“The necklace you wore earlier….”

Leticia listened intently as he explained. He told her the necklace was a holy relic with the power to suppress curses, and that because her hair had changed, it meant she was originally blonde, not green-haired.

“Duchess Tesseia wasn’t unfaithful. Your hair color changed because of a curse…. We have to tell Duke Tesseia and fix all the misunderstandings.”

“…….”

“Leticia?”

Instead of the joy he expected, Leticia’s face froze. She looked almost terrified, making Terdis blink in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

“I… I would rather we didn’t.”

Her voice was small, as if she feared her choice was wrong. Terdis looked at her, bewildered.

“Why? It’s a good thing. If this is known, the Duke and your brothers will change their attitude toward you.”

“I don’t want to go back to that house. I want to grow up like this and live as a stranger to them forever.”

Terdis’s heart pounded. He knew it was wrong, but in that moment, he felt a surge of joy.

“Because… they hurt you for so long?”

Leticia nodded slowly. Her face was set.

“If I go back… they might apologize at first. They might even try to be nice. But I don’t have the confidence to get along with them. They’ll expect me to forgive them.”

How could she forgive them? Just because they were “family”? Family members might forget and move on because they apologize for their mistakes, but Leticia’s case was different. She had survived until now by simply enduring, with no apologies ever offered.

‘I finally have room to breathe!’

She had thought she was doing okay, but living at the Lyon estate made her realize she wasn’t. The difference between a place where she had to struggle desperately just to not be hated and a place where people were kind for no reason was night and day. The thought of returning to the Tesseia estate—where she had to hide her true self to avoid being seen as “lowly” or “vulgar” by the servants—was suffocating.

She didn’t even want to try to look good for Aaron or her three brothers. She knew they hated her regardless. Why should she try for people who would push or kick a toddler just for smiling? To try and win the favor of people who looked at her with pure contempt whenever she was near… that was….

‘I am not the female lead. I can’t do that while being hurt.’

“How much would they tolerate my anger? Maybe for a week, or a month. But after a few months, a year… people would start talking. They’d say I’m narrow-minded for not forgiving them for something they did when they ‘didn’t know better’.”

The world turns for the sake of the perpetrators. Under the guise of “laws for the survivors,” punishments are weak and victims are always pressured to forgive.

“I hate those people, and I’m afraid of them. I don’t want to be near them. Living here has made me realize how much fear and anxiety I was living with.”

Terdis felt a confusing mix of heartache for her pain and a dark joy that she wanted to stay.

Leticia looked at him and pleaded: “Don’t send me back to that house. I don’t want to go back, Terdis.”

Terdis stared at her blankly before pulling her into a tight embrace, his face contorted. He felt pity for what she had endured, but he was also terrified of what his own expression looked like in that moment.

‘If I’m smiling… if I’m that kind of monster….’

He couldn’t let her see him like that. Fortunately, Leticia didn’t push him away; she leaned her head against his chest, trying to compose herself. After a moment, Terdis loosened his grip.

“I understand. …But I think it’s still best to tell my father. We don’t know what effect the curse is having on your body, so it might be better to break it.”

Leticia nodded slowly in agreement.

***

 

Carlyle, having dismissed Terdis’ attendant, was in the throes of guilt. He told himself it was a choice made for his son, but it felt no different from exploiting a young girl in a desperate situation.

However, when Terdis returned a short while later with Leticia in tow, he spoke of an unexpected decision. From Carlyle’s perspective, it was a choice to be welcomed with open arms.

“Are you… are you really alright with that?”

At Carlyle’s bewildered question, Leticia nodded firmly. Terdis looked at her with pitying eyes as he spoke.

“She says her brothers bullied her so much… that she doesn’t want to go back. She’s afraid that if she returns, she’ll be forced to forgive them.”

It was a logical conclusion. If the truth were revealed now, it was a given that Leticia would be treated as someone precious, but that would depend entirely on the whims of Duke Tesseia. Aaron might cater to Leticia’s feelings for a while out of guilt, but there was no telling how long that favor would last.

‘He might prioritize his sons, just like any other house.’

The heir to the Tesseia Duchy was already decided. The eldest son, Cesare, was a genius appraised as someone who could break the barrier of a Sword Master before his thirties. Carlyle had once harbored ambitions for the sword himself, but he had never managed to become a Sword Master like Aaron. Families usually revolved around their heirs, and Carlyle assumed the Tesseia household would be no different.

“Of course, that could happen, but…”

Since it was a misunderstanding regarding his late wife, Aaron’s regret might last quite a long time. Carlyle felt he should mention this, but as someone who wanted to keep Leticia here, it was a truth he couldn’t bring himself to utter.

“I understand, Leticia. I will do as you wish.”

He knew this was a choice he shouldn’t make as an adult. A good and righteous adult would have persuaded Leticia and gone to Aaron to tell him the truth.

‘But when Hellemine died, I already gave up on being a good man.’

After his wife died and his only son was cursed by the lake dragon into his current form, Carlyle had sworn to live his life entirely for his son. He was willing to commit any number of evils for Terdis’s sake.

Terdis spoke up following his father’s answer.

“Still, we don’t know what effect the curse is having on Leticia’s body, so I’d like you to find someone who can break it.”

“I shall do so.”

Despite it being a natural request, Carlyle felt a flicker of annoyance toward Terdis. The boy wasn’t dense; he knew exactly with what heart his father had told him to keep the secret, yet he had gone and spilled everything the moment he left the room.

‘Acting all cold and indifferent, yet you’re completely smitten with Leticia!’

It was a relief, but now it was a worry. Once she became an adult, Leticia might decide she hated the idea of marrying Terdis and run away. Carlyle shot a sidelong glance at Terdis while avoiding Leticia’s gaze, deciding to worry about that when the time came.

***

Hearing news about the bastard his father had kicked her out of the house was not a pleasant experience for Cesare. He tried his best not to think of Leticia, behaving as if she didn’t exist even when she was still in the mansion. His deep-rooted resentment toward women stemmed from his mother’s infidelity, so his father, Duke Tesseia, had never corrected Cesare’s behavior.

Because of this, it was only recently that he had become engaged. As the Young Duke of Tesseia, many young ladies desired his hand, but he had rejected them all. He only eventually relented because of his father’s ultimatum: “I cannot give the title to a man who cannot provide an heir.”

Consequently, Cesare became engaged to a quiet woman of the highest nobility. The condition he set before the engagement was that she must never mention his mother or Leticia. Knowing his temper, his attendants, servants, and the noble friends he associated with all avoided the subject. However, there was one person he couldn’t control.

It was the Emperor’s only son and Cesare’s superior, the Crown Prince. He spoke with a playful smirk.

“I saw your younger sister, and she was a bit peculiar.”

“Your Highness.”

Though Cesare served him by rank, they were practically friends in private. Thus, Edward knew very well how much Cesare hated the topic.

“Was she not a half-sister who shared only your mother? But why does she look exactly like Sebastian? If you put them side by side, people would think they were fraternal twins.”

“You must have seen wrongly.”

‘That woman must have had an affair with a man who looked like Father.’

Cesare ground his teeth inwardly, cursing his mother. All three brothers resembled Duke Tesseia in their own way, but Sebastian resembled him the most. Cesare and Godfrey were known to take after the late Teresa.

Cesare was only six when she died. Because the enraged Duke had burned all of the Duchess’s belongings, he didn’t even know his mother’s face. It was an image seen too long ago to remember. The only thing he vaguely recalled was one detail: his mother had a very gentle voice.

‘Cesare.’

Every time the memory of that gentle voice and the hand stroking his hair surfaced, Cesare fought to erase it from his mind.

Edward looked at the scowling Cesare with a pitying expression. To Cesare, who knew that the current Emperor had no concubines and that the Empress had never strayed, that look was offensive. The Emperor was somewhat indecisive, while the Empress was firm. Thus, many policies were changed by her hand. The Empress pushed a hard line, ensuring that bastards or those of poor conduct could not enter the political sphere. It was for this reason that, in the original novel, Leticia—despite being a Tesseia—could only enter the Imperial Palace at the age of sixteen.

The Crown Prince, however, felt it was a waste that many talented individuals were barred from office due to their birth. While he believed those who fell due to private scandals deserved their fate, birth was a matter one could not choose for themselves.

“…Well, even when I disguised myself as an attendant and watched her, she didn’t recognize me at all. Shouldn’t the children of high nobility have seen the Crown Prince’s face at least once?”

“……”

Cesare knew Leticia only frequented the temple and likely had never seen the Prince’s face, but he didn’t bother telling him. He also hated the reason Leticia went to the temple. Her nanny had once gone out of her way to tell him that the Saintess in the temple murals was blonde, which reminded Leticia of her mother.

‘To dare compare that woman to a Saintess. A woman who died like that!’

As Cesare fell into a grim silence, Edward let out a deep sigh. He had spoken to see a reaction, but the cold response was no fun.

“Ha, whatever. I’ve always wanted a younger sister. It would be undignified to mention such a thing to the Empress now… Ah, sorry.”

Edward apologized instinctively upon seeing Cesare’s expression. To a man who felt humiliated by a bastard sister, those words were a bit much.

However, Edward found the whole incident strange. It was true Duchess Tesseia had given birth to a green-haired daughter, but there had been no green-haired men around her. Of course, there were people with green hair in the mansion—a maid or two, perhaps.

‘The Duke, trembling with betrayal, would have searched high and low with a magnifying glass, but found no one… And green hair is rare among noble families.’

It was mostly found among rural nobility or foreign royalty. People whispered that she had consorted with a commoner, but Edward still found it odd. Duchess Tesseia he had seen was far from that kind of woman. She had seemed quiet and pure, a person the Empress had praised without end until that event. She was even the person a six-year-old Edward had fallen in love with at first sight.

‘With her son reacting like that, I can’t dig for anything.’

Edward clicked his tongue inwardly and ordered his aide to begin the briefing.

***

Carlyle promised Leticia that he would summon a high-ranking priest who had previously examined Terdis. Although the priest had failed to break Terdis’ curse, he was the most capable expert in the Empire regarding the management and containment of curses.

‘I wonder if he could also identify the person who cursed me?’

Leticia didn’t ask Carlyle this. She simply felt grateful and resolved to investigate the Imperial Library even more thoroughly. Since the priest was currently outside the Empire—tasked with breaking a curse on a foreign emperor—it would take a few more months for him to return.

Meanwhile, her bond with Terdis seemed deeper than ever. Though they spent the same amount of time together, she could feel him letting her win more often and being more patient with her.

‘He doesn’t have to do that….’

He was likely being kind out of pity or guilt, especially since Carlyle seemed intent on hiding the fact that her own hair color was a curse rather than a birth trait.

Regardless, she knew this bond would eventually fray once the original heroine, Isella, appeared. While they might remain friends, Leticia had no intention of staying in the capital, so they would inevitably drift apart.

‘Until then, I want to be of help to the Lyon family.’

Even if they had brought her here for their own gain, she was satisfied with her current life. The kindness from the servants, Carlyle, and Terdis wasn’t hypocritical. After experiencing stability and happiness for the first time in a long while, Leticia wanted to repay them in some small way.

Thus, every day after her time with Terdis ended, she headed to the Imperial Library. Since it wasn’t open to the public late at night, she sometimes even adjusted her schedule with Terdis to make time.

Terdis, noticing this, eventually spoke up hesitantly. “You don’t have to search so hard. My father already has scholars on stipends investigating my curse.”

Beyond regular funding, Carlyle had promised massive rewards and lifetime research grants to anyone who found a clue. Naturally, those scholars were searching with their eyes wide open.

“I’m doing it because I want to. I want to be of even a little help….”

When Leticia smiled and said this, Terdis couldn’t bring himself to stop her. He only grew more resentful of his own situation—unable to even step outside with her.

‘If I didn’t look like this, I could go anywhere with Leticia.’

If he followed her out, all eyes would be on them. Someone might report a “monster” appearing in the city again. He didn’t want Leticia to suffer that kind of humiliation. If such a thing happened, she might finally lose her affection for him.

***

‘No matter how I think about it, looking for legends specifically about dragons seems useless. The Lyon scholars must have already covered that….’

So, she shifted her focus to spirits. The dragon in the lake was described as a “divine spirit” in the novel, but in this world’s terms, it might be closer to an elemental spirit.

‘Spirits that dwell in weapons… spirits that try to protect humans. Let’s look for those!’

Leticia had discussed this with Molly and the other servants. While things were quiet now, assassination attempts against Terdis had been frequent a few years ago. However, his curse had made his skin so tough that neither weapons nor poisons could penetrate it. Eventually, his enemies must have deemed assassination impossible, or perhaps the Lyon estate’s security had simply become too tight, because the intruders had stopped.

‘I haven’t told Terdis because I think he’d get angry….’

Leticia had shared a theory with Molly: What if the curse dwelling in Terdis is actually trying to protect him? After all, when Carlyle was poisoned, Terdis had received that curse, and subsequently, poison no longer affected him.

Molly and the others were skeptical, but Leticia insisted on finding records of spirits dwelling in lakes or objects that entered a master’s body to protect them.

The section on spirits was right next to the mythology and folklore area. After weeks of scouring that corner, something finally caught her eye.

<On Spirits and Weapons>

She flipped through the book mechanically—a habit from months of repeated research—until she stopped.

[…Though little known to history, the sword Pashanoi, said to house a dragon’s soul, was known to exit its blade and cover its chosen master’s body to protect them if the master lost consciousness. At such times, the master’s body would be covered in scales like a Dragon-kin or a reptilian humanoid. The distinguishing feature was the appearance of membrane-like wings cradling the face or chest.]

[When the hero Gilbert of Arsha passed away from old age, Pashanoi broke itself out of grief. Gilbert’s children buried the remains of the sword in his coffin out of respect, though it is rumored to have been looted later.]

Below that was a description of a fire spirit exhibiting a similar form. Leticia’s eyes sparkled as she scanned the text again.

‘This is it! I finally found it!’

With a flushed face, she shared the content with Molly and her attendants. She immediately asked the librarian to check it out. Fortunately, it wasn’t a restricted reference book, so she was able to take it with her.

Trembling with excitement, Leticia walked out of the Imperial Library with Molly and her escorts, completely failing to notice the figures approaching her. She was too focused on the fact that she could finally give Terdis hope.

When a menacing figure blocked her path, the Lyon family knights were the first to react. Carlyle had assigned three escort knights to protect her, and they immediately stepped forward.

“Is there a problem?” they asked, though they already knew who they were facing. There were only a few Ducal houses in the Empire, and the Tesseia children were famous.

“Hey. Green-hair. Look at you, all moving up in the world. Even a brat like you has escort knights now….”

Leticia looked at the speaker, her body tensing up. While Cesare and Aaron didn’t harm her as long as she stayed away, Sebastian and this one were different. Especially Godfrey—he was always the one to strike first.

‘Of all people.’

She clutched the book tight and squeezed her eyes shut.