“No matter how much I think about it, there’s nothing about me that he’s really into, is there?”

“My Lady.”

“Except for being a cursed widow and having his brother secretly.”

“…”

Now both she and Selene had become solemn. She stretched her toes under the knees she was hugging for no reason and her chest rang.

“Even if I just had a little bit of money a descendant of a good family, a glamorous dating career, or something like that, I wouldn’t even think about it this far.”

“But———”

“That’s not all.”

“……”

“What about our Haniel?”

There was something else that made her hesitate more than the practical problems she had to deal with. She bit her lip while holding the colorful ribbons in the basket. “I am Haniel’s mother, but His Majesty is Haniel’s older brother. She ran away saying she didn’t like his older brother, but now she would come and talk to me about His Majesty. What a shock!”

“That’s true. It’s like a shitty family show.”

“Hey, you!”

Indeed, she was grateful that Selene was already cursed. Because she didn’t have the ability to curse, there would have been no other way than to kill her.

“Anyway, Haniel is my top priority.”

“Oh, that! His Majesty said before that he would compensate you if things went well! Can’t you do something with that?”

“What?”

“I heard him say he would do anything. If you speak well to him about that, our curses——”

“No. It’s already been decided. It’s not a wish that can be used carelessly.”

Selene cut it off before she had any false hopes. It can’t be that easy to break the curse. It might work out for Haniel, whose curse had been caused by her brother’s hand, so it’s more likely to be some other magic than a curse. Sadly, the same situation wouldn’t apply to her. It was a force that existed that shouldn’t have.

Every family around the lake unanimously said they didn’t even know the black magician existed until they were directly cursed. The same was true for the Duke of Evendell and even the knights traveling on the continent. Nobody knew how Rania gained such power, but unless there was visible evidence, she won’t believe what they were saying.

Even if we announce that we are cursed, it will be over if Rania gets away with it. I don’t know if she’s a black magician or what, just send her far away and it’s over if you insist. She must be feeling so confident now.”

“That’s true. The princess doesn’t have the power herself, so we can investigate. But wouldn’t the Emperor have a man under him who can solve the curse?”

“If there was such a person, why couldn’t Haniel find him yet?”

It was said that all the royal wizards were brought here to find Roam’s traces. Thanks to that, she also felt guilty for saving herself for a while but from what she had seen so far, it didn’t seem to work.

“I think the royal mages might not even know about forbidden things like black magic. Their powers must be completely different.

…….

“At the same time, if I said that Rania cursed us without any proof, who would people believe? She might still have the upper hand unless I turn into a black swan right in front of them.”

It wasn’t that she wanted to be miserable, but that was how the world worked. It wasn’t something she experienced once or twice in her previous life. What people usually believed in was power and money. The obscure truth that only she knew was only visible to her like the clothes of a naked Emperor. Period.

“What year is Lania? You shouldn’t come forward recklessly until you find proper evidence.”

Once was a mistake. The second time would be entirely her fault. At the same time, Selene’s expression became so serious that she burst into laughter at last.

“Well, I’m Haniel’s mother anyway. I don’t want to think of anything else. Any other mothers would have.”

“Any other mother?”

“A real mother.”

Selene had shut up. She felt so awkward that she started touching her nose. Its twitching was something she wasn’t accustomed to.

“Was the princess really that pretty?”

“Yes. Very pretty.” She took a deep breath as she tried to think of an explanation. Curly blonde hair clung to her plump cheeks. Her ruby-red eyes twinkled, and her purring lips and fingers searched for her. She shook her head without thinking over each one of them. “Anyway, she’s so cute… and pretty.”

“Is there something that you’re worried about?”

“I want to be a real mother for the rest of my life.”

“…”

Seeing her change into a human made her feel both happy and scared. How could she leave such a pretty sight? Every time she thought of Haniel, she was disappointed in herself to the extent that she couldn’t be happy even though it was only natural. That’s why she wanted to live for Haniel fully despite the time she had left.

“You don’t have to look at me like that. I know I can’t be someone——”

“That’s not it.”

Selene crawled after her when she got up first. Why? She looked at her with nonchalance but Selene was serious.

“I know how you feel, madam. You’ll have to take revenge on Lady Lania properly. The princess’s mother will have to work hard too.”

“You’ve heard everything. What’s wrong?”

Still, after telling it all, she felt comfortable, so she lowered her guard and shrugged her shoulders. However, Selene’s obsession and bone marrow skills were at a level.

“——But why do you leave your heart out for His Majesty?”