Episode 122

“Lady Jenna’s condition has improved significantly.”

The Selber family’s personal physician said with a puzzled expression.

“Is that… really true? You said she wouldn’t live past ten!”

The Duke of Selber looked as if he had just witnessed a miracle.

“Yes, my diagnosis was certainly accurate. The young lady was born with a frail constitution and had no choice but to depend on medication. Not only I, but all the other physicians came to the same conclusion.”

The physician spoke defensively, worried he might be accused of a misdiagnosis.

Just as he said, the Duke, unable to believe Jenna’s terminal diagnosis, had summoned dozens of renowned doctors to re-examine her.

Even then, the conclusion was always the same.

That she would not survive past ten.

What had that sweet child done to deserve such a cruel fate?

At best, all they could do was provide her with pain relievers to ease her suffering.

And yet…

“How on earth did this happen?”

“There’s no explanation according to conventional medical knowledge.”

The physician said confidently.

“This is a miracle, Your Grace. The good deeds the Selber family has accumulated over the years must have been repaid with this miracle.”

“…Then, she’ll be able to grow up without painkillers from now on?”

“Indeed. She is completely healthy now.”

Finally, at the end of his bewilderment, the Duke burst into laughter.

To think such a joyful day would come in his lifetime.

It truly was a miracle, just as the physician said.

Meanwhile, Jenna was secretly listening to their conversation through a crack in the door.

‘The bird’s words were true…’

She really had been fated not to survive past the age of ten.

The bitter medicine she had swallowed all this time had only been pain relief.

Everyone had lied to her.

They had coddled her, trying to make her feel less pain.

Did they really believe that was enough to atone for bringing a sickly child into the world?

In the end, it wasn’t them who had saved her.

It was that mysterious magician — the one who had saved her as she withered away.

“Wait, then…”

Lost in the joy, Jenna suddenly remembered something — someone she had forgotten.

“What about Sierra?”

Just as the magician had promised, Jenna had escaped her terminal fate.

Then what about Sierra…?

The magician had pushed her, and in her childish impulse, Jenna had offered Sierra the fruit.

And Sierra had eaten it — smiling brightly, without a trace of suspicion.

Jenna flung open the door and ran out.

The Duke, who had been talking with the physician in the hallway, looked startled to see Jenna burst out.

“Weren’t you sleeping, my daughter?”

“Father! I want to visit Drenihan tomorrow. I want to see Sierra.”

At her request, the Duke looked troubled.

“That… might be difficult.”

“Why…? It’s already been over a week since we last went.”

Since Jenna had become close to Sierra, the Duke had taken her to Drenihan two or three times a week.

But now, not only had a week passed — nearly a fortnight had.

“The magic mine development project we were pursuing with the Drenihan family has been suspended.”

“What?”

The negotiations had been nearly complete, and all that was left was to start development — but now it had collapsed?

“Sierra has fallen seriously ill. It seems they no longer have the energy to worry about the mine project, so everything’s been put on hold.”

“……!”

Jenna’s eyes widened and her clenched fists trembled.

“For now, let’s wait until things settle down, and then Father will take you to visit her.”

“…….”

Seeing Jenna fall silent, the Duke gently patted her head, thinking she was simply in shock.

“Sierra will be fine.”

…No. She would not be fine.

Because as Jenna grew stronger, Sierra had grown weaker.

Jenna trudged back to her room, speechless.

Click. She closed the door and leaned weakly against it.

It had been an impulse.

That day, Jenna had hated Sierra more than usual, envied everything about her.

Normally, she would never have given her something as suspicious as that strange fruit — but that day, oddly enough, it felt like she had been possessed by something.

“W-what do I do…?”

As Sierra’s kind face flashed through her mind, Jenna was overwhelmed with guilt.

Of course, now that she had seen the effects, if she were to go back to that moment, she would have made the same choice — but guilt was still a natural emotion.

While she was clutching her head in frustration, a bird’s chirping sound echoed somewhere nearby.

Looking up, she spotted a yellow-feathered bird perched on the window ledge.

“M-magician…!”

If the Duke saw this, he would have fainted, but Jenna recognized the bird immediately and dropped to her knees before it.

The bird looked at the tear stains at the corners of her eyes with disdain and said,

[What pathetic display is this?]

“W-what’s going to happen to Sierra?”

[Humans are so weak. You got what you wanted. That’s it — so what are you worrying about?]

“But… Sierra was always so kind to me. She always shared her sweets. She would hold my hand so I wouldn’t fall. And….”

[Are you saying your heart hurts?]

“Yes….”

[Then should I erase all the good memories of her? Erase the feelings that are making you suffer?]

Erase her memories and feelings?

Once again, the bird said something unbelievable.

But by now, Jenna knew.

He wasn’t speaking nonsense. He really had the power to make it happen.

Rather than living burdened by guilt for the rest of her life, maybe this was better.

“Yes… please erase it. Erase everything that’s hurting me.”

At Jenna’s words, the bird transformed into a human standing before her.

He looked like a youthful boy, with dazzling golden hair and blood-red eyes.

[Alright.]

As those simple words brushed her ears, Jenna felt something hollow inside.

The painful emotions that had been tormenting her were gone.

He could really grant her every wish.

The teddy bears and jewels the Duke and Arzen had given her were all meaningless compared to this.

“Who… who are you?”

[Me? Just call me Herz.]

“Herz… why are you so kind to me?”

[Because you’re pitiful. You were foolishly deceived even by those who are supposed to love you the most.]

Upon hearing those words, distrust toward the Selber family sprouted in Jenna’s heart.

‘I really was just foolishly deceived.’

The love from her family turned into hypocrisy in an instant.

She could no longer trust them.

No matter what happened, they would hide the truth under the guise of affection.

And she would continue to live blindly within their overprotection, like a puppet.

“Take me with you too, Herz.”

Jenna whimpered.

He had always given her what she wanted — she believed he would again.

And sure enough, Herz reached out his hand to her.

[Alright.]

There’s no such thing as kindness without a price — but Jenna didn’t realize it at all.

Soon, the room was left with nothing but an open window and curtains fluttering in the breeze. Jenna had disappeared.

It wasn’t until the next morning that the Selber household realized Jenna was gone.

There was no trace left — as if she had vanished into thin air.

The Selber family officially declared the young lady missing, and despite searching everywhere, Jenna was nowhere to be found.

And so it remained — until thirteen years later, when Jenna returned of her own will.

* * *

Back to the present.

A woman with snowy white silver hair stood at the mouth of an alley, her face twisted in anger.

“I-I’m sorry! Please forgive me!”

Before her, a man was kneeling on the ground.

Jenna looked down at him with a chilling smile.

The man, wrapped in a black cloak, lowered himself even further, desperately begging at her feet.

Jenna pressed the sharp heel of her shoe firmly against the man’s back.

“Ugh, ugh….”

“Just how pathetic must your skills be for Sierra to break the triple-layered curse so easily?”

She pressed down so hard that the sound of breaking bones could be heard, and the man let out a painful scream.

“T-the curse was flawless! Normally, no one should have been able to figure out the solution…!”

Jenna sighed softly and lifted her foot off his back.

Then she crouched down, staring at the man’s face with a look of pure contempt.

And then—

Smack—!

The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the alley.

“What, you’re saying it was flawless? You have a lot of excuses.”

Still not satisfied, Jenna struck the man’s other cheek just as hard.

Smack—!

“The intelligence guild under Karsian found the solution in less than five days, and you call that flawless?”

Just thinking about how Sierra had regained consciousness after barely two weeks — and was now walking around perfectly fine — made Jenna’s insides boil with rage.

“Because of you, I was scolded by him!”

In truth, it had only been a few words — but for Jenna, even that had been a devastating blow.

Not only that, but as if paying for years of twisted fate, her physical condition was now falling apart.

Grinding her teeth, Jenna said,

“There won’t be a second mistake.”