5.

I woke up.

My blurred vision slowly adjusted as I tried to grasp the situation. My mind felt hazy, as if I had been asleep for a whole year. But I managed to recognize where I was.

A bed. An inn room. Yuil Village. A large room with two beds, one for Jenin and one for me.

Pushing aside the soft bedding, I sat up. My limbs tingled slightly, but there was no real discomfort. If anything, I just felt a little dazed, but my physical condition was surprisingly good.

“Where is everyone…?”

Jenin’s real sword, the one he used to swing around playfully in the room, was still on the table. That meant they hadn’t left without me.

I got out of bed to head outside, but that was when I finally noticed my bare body. At some point, my skin had become even paler. I needed to get dressed…

Just as I was about to check my inventory, the door suddenly burst open.

I assumed it was Jenin and was about to greet him, albeit a little embarrassed—but standing there wasn’t Jenin. It was Kelian.

“Kelian? Wait a moment, let me put on some—”

I quickly turned my back to him, but then I froze as warmth enveloped me from behind. Kelian had wrapped his arms around me, his voice whispering near my neck.

“I was worried.”

“…Worried?”

“You didn’t wake up for two days.”

Two days?

Only then did I realize something was off.

Thinking back, I had gone hunting alone for level-up purposes, leaving my party behind. Then, out of nowhere, Hans had attacked me—

“…Ah.”

That artifact—the handkerchief. Thanks to it, I survived, and Hans died.

“I was unconscious for two days?”

“Yes.”

“…Then we didn’t go to Rilka. Because of me.”

Our plan to head to Rilka, the imperial capital, had likely been disrupted because I had slept for two days. This wasn’t why I went hunting… A sigh escaped me.

As if trying to distract me, Kelian tightened his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. He was fully dressed, but I wasn’t, and the fabric brushing against my bare skin felt incredibly vivid. Along with the firm body beneath it…

“The plan has changed, so it doesn’t matter.”

Kelian pulled me even closer as I instinctively curled up. His next words were unexpected.

“…The plan changed?”

Instead of answering, he suddenly pressed a light kiss on my neck. At the same time, his body remained completely pressed against mine, leaving no space between us. I couldn’t think straight. My hips were flush against his thighs, and I could feel them pressing into me.

“Ke-Kelian?”

“Say it, Aine.”

“…What exactly changed about the plan? And also… my clothes…”

He kept holding me like this even though I wasn’t wearing anything… The faint breaths against my neck and the strong arms wrapped around me were making me feel oddly flustered. I shifted uncomfortably, but he remained perfectly calm and said something entirely unexpected.

“Alright.”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s go buy clothes.”

That’s not what I meant…

Before I could protest, Kelian took out a black robe from his inventory and wrapped it tightly around me. Now, my body was completely covered from my neck down, not even a toe visible.

Then, before I could even process what was happening, he effortlessly lifted me into his arms. He strode out of the room without the slightest hesitation.

“Kelian—”

“Aine!”

I barely managed to say his name before I was interrupted by a familiar, relieved voice.

As Kelian carried me down the stairs, I saw Jenin springing to his feet from one of the inn’s dining chairs. Sitting with him were Seiris, Dain, and Barkrud.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Jenin looked at me with a worried expression, as if I had just come back from the dead. It felt a bit strange, but I answered that I was fine. Maybe they assumed I had been seriously injured since I had been unconscious for two days?

Even after hearing my response, Jenin still seemed uneasy. She examined my face for a while before letting out a deep sigh.

“You said you were just going hunting, but a few hours later, you came back covered in blood. You have no idea how shocked we were.”

“…Covered in blood?”

Was I really that badly hurt? Thinking back, I did get slashed on my right arm by Hans’s sword, and I had lost a lot of blood. I instinctively raised my right arm to check, but Kelian’s robe covered it. Fortunately, I felt no pain at all.

“Kelian managed to stop the bleeding, but… what if he hadn’t gone after you?”

If it weren’t for the artifact Kelian had given me, I wouldn’t have survived in the first place. I had grown quickly and even gained new skills, but the level gap between Hans and me wasn’t something that could be easily closed.

“I’m sorry. Because of me, we couldn’t go to Rilka.”

“Hm? What are you talking about?”

Jenin, who had been worrying the whole time, suddenly grinned.

“You don’t have to worry about that. Our plans have changed.”

Just like Kelian earlier, Jenin mentioned a “changed plan.” She looked even more excited now than when she had first talked about the SSS-rank rare dungeon. What kind of plan was it? I glanced at Kelian, then back at Jenin, and asked.

“What do you mean by that…?”

Once again, my question was cut off before I could finish.

Without a sound, Seiris approached and suddenly thrust his ornate staff toward me.

A soft light extended from the staff, briefly wrapping around my body before fading. My already healthy body felt even more refreshed.

“You’re completely healed now.”

“Ah… Thanks, Seiris.”

I stared at the staff that still lingered in front of me, trying to come up with something to say.

“Seeing it again after two days, your staff looks especially radiant and beautiful today.”

I did my best to make the compliment sound natural. The silver-haired beauty curled his lips into a smile. His smile was just as dangerous as the others’.

“I already finished healing you two days ago. Why is everyone making such a fuss?”

Maybe it was because I had just woken up, but even Dain’s sharp tone felt oddly familiar and comforting. He sat in his chair, twisting his upper body to look in my direction.

Barkrud, who had been sitting beside him, ignored Dain entirely and strode toward us.

“Are you really okay?”

“Yes, thanks to your healing… I feel completely fine.”

The amount of concern they were showing felt almost excessive, making me feel a bit embarrassed. At the same time, warmth spread through my chest. They had really been worried about me…

“Thank you.”

I meant it sincerely. The smile on my lips softened naturally.

“Where are you going?”

Jenin suddenly asked Kelian, seemingly realizing only now that he had carried me out of the room.

“To buy clothes.”

“For you? …Ah, Aine’s clothes? That sounds fun. I’m coming too.”

“I’m coming as well.”

Jenin and Barkrud immediately joined in. Watching them, Dain narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.

“She’s going to buy clothes. Why are you two following? And Kelian, why are you the one taking her to buy clothes in the first place?”

Everyone ignored his grumbling like it was routine, but I, for one, completely agreed.

“He’s right. I have clothes. I don’t need to buy any.”

“Then let’s just go look around. That’s fine, right?”

Well… that was fine, but—

“You said our plans changed. Do we really have time for this? I’ve already delayed everything by two days…”

“Of course. It’s no problem at all.”

They sounded so sure of themselves that I had nothing left to say. So, I just closed my mouth.

Following Kelian, the entire group spilled out of the inn together. The warm sunlight bathed the sleepy streets, but as we walked, I felt an intense wave of stares prickling my skin. Normally, I would have assumed people were just gawking at the hero’s party, but today, I couldn’t shake the feeling that being wrapped up in a robe and carried in Kelian’s arms played a major role.

“Dain. Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?”

“I never said that.”

Surprisingly, even Dain had joined us on this little shopping trip. Jenin glanced at him curiously before turning forward again. It wasn’t just Dain—Seiris had come along too. Did she need to buy something as well?

“Welcome, heroes.”

The shop owner, recognizing us immediately, greeted us warmly. The store was spacious and had an upscale atmosphere that made me feel slightly out of place. I hardly ever entered shops like this.

Dain, who had seemed uninterested at first, was now fully engrossed in browsing the clothes on display. Jenin wandered around with a suspiciously amused smile, while Seiris stood with an air of disdain, as if these clothes weren’t worth her time. Barkrud, meanwhile, silently held up a garment that was barely a quarter of his size.

“Wait.”

Kelian gently set me down on a plush sofa in the sitting area. He then disappeared for a moment before returning with a pair of shoes. Kneeling before me, he bowed his head slightly as he slipped them onto my feet.

I was so mesmerized by the sight of his face, slightly shadowed as he looked down, that by the time I snapped out of it, he had already finished.

“…Ah.”

Just as I hesitated, flustered, Kelian pressed a brief kiss to my leg before lowering it.

I still looked ridiculous—bare underneath the robe—but at least my feet were now properly covered.

“Aine! What do you think of this?”

Jenin suddenly came over, her arms overflowing with clothes. There were at least five outfits—so many that I couldn’t even tell which one she was referring to.

“Which one?”

“All of them.”

She beamed brightly, making it impossible for me to argue. So, I scanned the clothes in her hands.

All I could think was, ‘They look expensive…’ but I couldn’t say that aloud.

Among them were elegant dresses fit for noble parties, as well as comfortable-looking pants. They were all a stark contrast to what Jenin usually wore.

“They’re beautiful. Especially that one.”

The other dresses were so dazzlingly extravagant that they hurt my eyes, but one stood out—simple and elegant. It was a light blue dress without excessive frills or flashy patterns, making it look especially beautiful.

Jenin glanced at the dress I had been eyeing and grinned.

“Really? Then why don’t you try this one first?”

“Sure.”

Thinking she meant she would try it on herself, I smiled back. But before I knew it, she grabbed my arm and started pulling me somewhere.

Oh.

Afraid that the robe might come loose, I clutched it tightly as I hurried after her. She led me straight to the fitting room.

“…Jenin?”

“Go ahead and change. I’ll be waiting.”

She placed all the clothes she had been holding onto the table and left without a second glance.

Wait. She had been asking about my clothes this whole time?

“…”

If I took off the robe, I would be completely bare underneath.

I retraced the series of events that led to me arriving at this store without even wearing undergarments, but I still felt confused. However, standing here forever wasn’t an option.

I quickly retrieved some underwear from my inventory, put it on, and then slipped into the dress I had found pretty earlier.

My long black hair had fallen over my chest, so I gathered it neatly and pulled it back.

Looking at my reflection in the fitting room mirror, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn’t bad at all. Since it was a summer dress, it didn’t feel stifling, and most importantly, it wasn’t overly flashy.

“I wonder how much this costs…”

It had to be cheaper than the other dresses Jenin had picked out, right?

Just as I mumbled to myself in front of the mirror, the curtain suddenly shifted. The shop owner peeked in, nearly giving me a heart attack.

“That dress is 50 gold.”

Then, just as swiftly as he had appeared, he disappeared again, closing the curtain behind him like a ghost.

As shocking as his sudden entrance was, the real shock was the dress’s price. 50 gold?!

I had expected everything here to be expensive, given the luxurious atmosphere, but 50 gold was far beyond what I had imagined. How much did the other dresses cost, then?

Feeling extremely self-conscious, I stepped out of the fitting room—only to be met with Jenin’s sparkling eyes.

“It looks amazing on you, Aine!”

“Haha, thank you, Jenin.”

I was still shaken by the price, so my laughter came out awkwardly.

“Kelian, don’t you think Aine looks amazing?”

Not satisfied with just her own compliment, Jenin dragged Kelian into the conversation. He had apparently been waiting just like her and now looked at me before responding.

“It suits you well.”

The way he praised me so simply made me feel oddly self-conscious, so my response was a little delayed.

“…Thanks.”

Jenin, who had been smiling the entire time, glanced between Kelian and me with a pleased expression before suddenly shoving me back into the fitting room.

“Alright, now you need to try on the next one!”

“J-Jenin, wait—!”

And so, I ended up trying on a total of eleven outfits—seven chosen by Jenin, one by Seiris, and three from Dain, who grumbled about already knowing everyone’s taste.

They were way too invested in picking out my clothes. With all this fuss, it felt like I had to buy at least one.

“That will be 25 gold.”

Unfortunately, the outfit I ended up buying wasn’t one that my companions had chosen, but it was the most reasonably priced. It was a simple white dress, even more understated than the light blue one from earlier. Though not exactly cheap, it had a casual enough look that I could wear it as everyday clothing, which I liked.

As I stepped out in my new dress, Jenin spoke up.

“You really liked that one?”

“Yes. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to buy at least one.”

In truth, I mostly felt guilty for occupying the fitting room for hours, but since I was making the purchase anyway, I was glad the dress wasn’t bad.

“Oh no. Maybe we should’ve picked more outfits like that one…”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. Anyway, picking out clothes for you was really fun.”

She really did seem to enjoy it. I chuckled as I remembered how excited she looked every time I stepped out in a new outfit. Maybe I should have bought at least one of the outfits she picked out… No matter how expensive they were, she had been so enthusiastic about it.

“Fun? What was fun about that? You all have the weirdest taste. How did you manage to pick such awful outfits?”

“Say that again.”

“…I mean, they weren’t awful, just… a bit questionable.”

Dain’s voice wavered as he shrank under Seiris’s sharp glare.

“Aine would look good in anything anyway. Right, Kelian?”

Jenin grinned as she turned to him.

Kelian, who had been walking beside me as if guarding me, glanced at me before answering with complete seriousness.

“Yeah. Everything suits you well.”

“…”

I felt embarrassed again. Even though I avoided looking up, I could still feel Kelian’s gaze brush against my face before pulling away. Then, from beside me, a hand was extended toward me.

“Will you take it?”

I stared blankly at the outstretched palm before stammering.

“Uh, w-why?”

Why? What a ridiculous thing to ask. I could have just taken his hand, but I was too flustered and blurted out nonsense. Of course, I was also wondering if this was really appropriate in front of the others…

But Kelian’s response was completely unexpected.

“So you don’t get lost.”

“What? Get lost?”

“Yes. I might.”

“…”

Even a fool could tell it was an excuse, yet he said it with such a straight face that I was speechless. But somehow, the absurdity of it made my nervousness melt away, and I let out a light laugh.

Kelian smiled faintly in return.

“So, will you hold my hand?”

Up until now, I had thought Kelian seduced people without even realizing it. But now, I was sure.

Kelian was deliberately trying to charm me.

“Oh, come on. You’re not even trying to hide it anymore…”

Dain, of course, wasn’t about to just stand by and watch. He jabbed a finger in Kelian’s direction, thoroughly unimpressed.

“Since when have you ever worried about getting lost and asked someone to hold your hand? And how the hell would you get lost here?”

That was exactly the point. Kelian was doing this on purpose. And really, who wouldn’t fall for it when he was trying this hard?

Even I wanted to take his hand without thinking twice.

“Ugh! Whatever, I give up.”

Dain, who I had expected to throw an even bigger fit, surprisingly calmed down almost immediately. In fact, he didn’t even seem all that angry to begin with, which made it even more unexpected.

Jenin grinned as she watched him.

I glanced at them, then turned back to stare at Kelian’s still-outstretched hand.

Ah, I’m happy.

The man I liked was reaching out to me. His companions treated me warmly. The afternoon sunlight was golden and beautiful. I was so happy it almost felt overwhelming—like I might choke on it.

And then, without properly thinking, the words slipped out of my mouth.

“I’m cursed.”

Kelian’s hand slowly dropped.

❖ ❖ ❖

For a few seconds, no one spoke. It was understandable—suddenly blurting out that I was cursed in the middle of such an unrelated moment was bound to catch them off guard.

I was just as flustered as they were, but somehow, I knew that even if I could rewind time a few moments, I still would have ended up saying it. Because the only thing ruining this happiness was me.

“A curse… What do you mean…?”

Jenin’s smile froze as she mumbled. The group had stopped walking, causing the people behind us to grumble as they walked around.

“That bastard—did he curse you?”

Kelian asked sharply. For a moment, I hesitated, wondering which bastard he meant, but then I realized—he was talking about Hans.

It was true that Hans had tried to kill me and ended up dying instead because of the artifact Kelian had given me. But he hadn’t cursed me.

I shook my head, my chest heavy.

“No. The curse came from a monster. I was cursed before I ever met you all. And because of that, I… I approached you all on purpose.”

“…You approached us because of the curse?”

“Yes. More specifically, because of Kelian… No, because of the Hero’s divine power.”

The shock in Jenin’s eyes was unmistakable. Her lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and eventually closed them again.

“Look ahead.”

The voice came from Seiris.

At the same time, my body began to glow blue.

“There is no detectable curse.”

“…Ah.”

So, they had tried to confirm the curse with magic.

I quickly explained.

“It’s an S-rank rare curse. You might not be able to detect it with magic.”

“…If it’s S-rank, then yes, I wouldn’t be able to.”

Seiris had once said that her magic could only detect rare curses up to A-rank. Since my curse was S-rank, it made sense that she couldn’t sense it.

For a brief moment, I almost smiled at them—out of habit, as if nothing had changed—but I caught myself and lowered my lips instead.

“I wanted to use the Hero’s divine power… to purify my curse. I couldn’t afford to get it cleansed at a temple.”

Now that I had started talking, everything I had kept from them spilled out one after another.

The atmosphere had turned cold and tense. It wasn’t that I wasn’t afraid of it. But in this moment, the desire to be honest outweighed my fear.

“That’s your answer?”

Kelian, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

My throat tightened with anxiety. I swallowed hard before managing to reply.

“Yes. That’s all.”

His gaze on me felt sharp, as if he was trying to analyze my every word.

“Then… everything was forced because of the curse?”

The disappointment in his voice sent a painful sting through my chest.

It hadn’t been long since we had slept together, and that had nothing to do with the curse. That was just… my own feelings.

I hurriedly denied his assumption.

“It was never forced! Yes, I approached you because of the curse. And yes, I hoped for purification. But… I liked it too much…!”

The kisses, the intimacy—it had felt so good that I never even thought about the curse. That was the real problem.

It was never something I did unwillingly. Never.

Kelian hadn’t even explicitly said what he thought I had been forced into, yet I panicked and nearly blurted out a confession. If it hadn’t been for Dain, I probably would have.

“Hah, I knew it.”

Dain, who had always been the most suspicious of me, was surprisingly the calmest now that the truth was out.

“There’s no reason for you to lie about being cursed now, so fine, I’ll believe that part. But I knew you had an ulterior motive.”

I had expected him to be the most outraged, but instead, he was oddly indifferent. Then again, it made sense. Only people who trust someone feel shocked when that trust is broken. If you never believed in the first place, the truth is just a confirmation of your suspicions.

“Is it really a rare curse?”

Barkrud, who had been shifting his gaze uneasily, finally spoke up. Unlike Dain, who seemed more focused on my intentions, Barkrud doubted the curse itself.

“Yes. It’s true.”

“But… Every person I’ve seen with a rare curse was in constant pain.”

He wasn’t wrong. For someone cursed, I did seem far too normal. But if I was fine now, it was entirely thanks to Kelian.

“I was in pain too… but when I came into contact with the Hero’s divine power… it disappeared. I haven’t been fully purified, but it no longer hurts.”

I couldn’t exactly say it was because I drank his saliva and slept with him.

Barkrud tilted his head, considering my words, then eventually nodded.

“Kelian’s divine power is strong.”

He seemed to accept it, likely because he knew how powerful Kelian’s abilities were.

“…Then…”

“Then…”

Jenin still couldn’t hide her confusion. Seeing her struggle to speak and hesitate, I decided to say what she wanted to say. Jenin had been so kind to me, so this was something I needed to say first.

“I’ll leave the party.”

I declared to myself, but I felt a lingering sense of regret as I executed it immediately. Despite not feeling anything tangible, I felt like my connection with them had been abruptly severed.

“I’m truly sorry for deceiving you all this time. And…if there’s anything more I can do, please let me know. If you wish for me to disappear, I’ll do it right away.”