IARMDH Chapter 26

 

 

“Food?”

 

“Once a year, if the master offers a human sacrifice, they can survive. Otherwise, they must provide prey for the Geumjamgo.”

 

The Geumjamgo begins by hunting down family members one by one—parents, children, siblings, and finally, even the spouse.

 

Once it has devoured everyone and there is no one left, it consumes its master last.

 

“I heard that family members who do not live together are spared.”

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m not sure. This is just what I’ve heard, so I don’t have detailed information. If the village chief were still alive, I would have asked him.”

 

Neither Camilla nor her mother knew much about the Geumjamgo. However, the previous village chief—an elder from the Shaltin tribe—was knowledgeable about it.

 

“The village chief had only heard of it as a legend; he had never actually seen one before. Anyway, the second way to get rid of the Geumjamgo is to transfer it to someone else.”

 

It sounded simple, but it was not an easy task.

 

“The Geumjamgo chooses its master on its own. So, you have to make sure that someone who fits its criteria either steals it or picks it up by chance.”

 

Camilla added, ‘Perhaps greed or desire is what triggers the Geumjamgo’s interest.’

 

“Of course, whoever picks up the insect is most likely doomed to die.”

 

Since very few people knew about the existence of the Geumjamgo, its master was at high risk of death.

 

“In other words, you could make sure someone you want dead picks it up.”

 

Erne, who had been silently listening, narrowed his sharp green eyes.

 

“This insect was found in the Rainland mansion. How do you explain that? Don’t tell me it was a coincidence.”

 

“No, it wasn’t a coincidence.”

 

Camilla, who had remained composed even while looking at the insect pouch, spoke in a slightly trembling voice.

 

This was the real story Erne needed to hear.

 

This was the beginning of the story Camilla wanted to tell him.

 

“Do you know how your mother died?”

 

“You told me she died of an illness back then. Have you forgotten?”

 

“No, the truth is, she was murdered. You were too young at the time, and I hid it to protect you. But now, it’s time for you to know the truth.”

 

Twenty-five years ago, Erne’s mother, Cécile, worked as a maid in the Rainland mansion. She became pregnant with the Count’s child.

 

At the time, the Count was already married and had a son with his wife.

 

Cécile was expelled from the mansion, and when her own mother demanded she abort the child, she severed ties with her as well.

 

Neither Camilla nor Erne knew why Cécile was so determined to give birth to Erne despite everything.

 

Eight years—the time Erne had with his mother—was too short to remember her well.

 

But in those few memories, not once did she seem happy.

 

They constantly struggled with poverty. Going days without food was nothing unusual. At some point, Erne’s mother turned to alcohol. When drunk, she cursed the Count and took out her anger on Erne.

 

She would lose control, strike him, then collapse into tears, consumed by guilt, before disappearing for days. When she returned with some money, there was a brief period of peace—until the money ran out again.

 

But those peaceful moments grew shorter and shorter. Erne still vividly remembered the terrified look on his mother’s face when she suddenly stopped strangling him in his sleep.

 

Why had she stopped?

 

He hadn’t even resisted.

 

Erne never found the answer to that question. If he had known it would haunt him for so long, he would have asked before she was gone.

 

A few days after that incident, the Rainland Count sent people to take Erne away.

 

Cécile didn’t refuse. Neither did Erne.

 

His mother accepted a hefty pouch of money in exchange for his hand. Erne didn’t look back at her.

 

He neither hated nor resented her.

 

He simply thought that was the best farewell they could have had.

 

“Erne, after you left for the Count’s household, my sister returned home. Sometimes, I heard her crying at night, but she seemed okay.”

 

She quit drinking and started working again. For a brief moment, Camilla reminisced about the peaceful days when she, her mother, and her sister laughed together.

 

Then, one day, Cécile suddenly claimed that the Count of Rainland was trying to kill Erne.

 

Camilla thought she had lost her mind.

 

Why would the Count want to kill his own son? If that had been his intention, he wouldn’t have taken him in the first place.

 

“She wouldn’t listen to reason. In the end, she stormed into the Count’s residence, demanding that the Countess return you to her.”

 

The Countess must have found her unbearable.

 

She ordered her servants to beat Cécile. Then they doused her in cold water and abandoned her in an empty alley.

 

“That night was especially cold. With no one to help her, she died right there on the frozen ground.”

 

By the time Camilla found her, she was already a lifeless corpse.

 

“Even now, I sometimes see that image of her.”

 

Her battered body, curled up in agony, dying alone.

 

“I resented the Countess. Killing her was unnecessary.”

 

But then again, the Countess had a reason.

 

When the abandoned bastard son was suddenly brought back into the household, it was surely because he had a purpose.

 

At the time, tensions at the border were escalating. Rumors of war within the empire suggested a conflict would break out within a decade.

 

In such a case, someone from the Count’s family would have to lead the troops.

 

Rather than sending her own son, Cedric, to the battlefield, the Countess chose to raise the illegitimate child.

 

She made sure Erne was well taken care of—dressing him like his half-brothers, feeding him the same food, providing him with tutors.

 

All the while, she instilled a deep sense of debt within him.

 

You owe us. You must repay our kindness. Even though your mother was different, we still accepted you as family. You should do something for us in return.

 

She even fed Erne the lie that his mother had used the money she got for him to start a new life with another man.

 

And then, when Cécile suddenly returned to ruin her plans, the Countess found her intolerable.

 

“After my sister died, my mother never had a peaceful night’s sleep again. And then you appeared—on the verge of death.”

 

Carrying that cursed insect.

 

“The night you arrived, my mother stayed up nursing you. But when I woke up, she was gone. Along with the gold coins and that insect you had brought for my sister.”

 

Camilla searched everywhere for her mother but never found her.

 

Her long-lost nephew had returned, barely clinging to life. Her mother had vanished.

 

And just before she collapsed from exhaustion, someone from a gambling den brought her mother back—battered and barely alive.

 

“When I asked her where she had been, she said she had given that insect to your half-brother.”

 

She had been working as an unpaid cleaner at a gambling den, waiting for Erne’s half-brother, Cedric—the Count’s eldest son—to show up.

 

Once he had lost all his money, she subtly revealed a pouch filled with gold coins.

 

A poor old woman holding a bag of money—Cedric must have thought she would be an easy target.

 

“He stole the money… and took the insect along with it.”

 

He could have just taken the money, but instead, he chased her down on horseback and struck her down.

 

An old woman, trampled under a horse’s hooves, left untreated—her fate was inevitable.

 

“…Did she die then?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Hearing something so unthinkable, Erne let out a bitter laugh.

 

His mother, his grandmother—both had died at the hands of the Rainland family.

 

But because she had passed the insect to them, the entire Rainland household perished as well.

 

So, does that mean the revenge was successful?

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

Camilla got up and rummaged through an old cabinet and drawers.

 

“It was here somewhere… Ah, found it.”

 

She pulled out a sheet of yellowed paper.

 

“The village chief wrote down everything he knew about the insect. I kept it just in case… I never thought it would be useful like this.”

 

She hesitated before speaking again.

 

“About that money I borrowed last time—I’ll definitely repay you someday.”

 

“Consider it payment for the story.”

 

Erne crumpled the paper and shoved it into his pocket before standing up.

 

Like when he first arrived, he left without any words of farewell.

 

Only Judith gave a polite bow before quickly following after him.

 

The cursed mansion’s secret had been unraveled.

 

He had also found a way to get rid of the Geumjamgo.

 

Now, Erne could finally focus on discovering why he had become an unrotting corpse in the first place.

 

Lifting Judith onto the horse, he thought about his next steps.

 

Judith glanced back at Camilla before wrapping her arms around Erne’s waist.

 

***

 

On horseback, heading back to the mansion—

 

“I feel uneasy.”

 

Hearing Judith whisper behind him, Erne frowned.

 

He had expected this moment ever since she heard the whole story, but that didn’t make it any less annoying.

 

“Don’t bother feeling sorry for me.”

 

“I don’t like empty sympathy either… but this is different. If you’re going to pity someone, you should do it with money.”

 

“So, are you saying you want to give me money?”

 

Judith didn’t respond. Erne scoffed.

 

Of course. No one actually wanted to spend money on pity.

 

He despised being pitied—so why did he feel like he was at a loss here?

 

“I could offer you some free comfort, though.”

 

“I don’t need it.”

 

“You’re becoming quite the materialist.”

 

What? She was comparing him to herself now? Erne felt a surge of irritation.

 

“It’s not that I don’t feel anything. I’m just not sad.”