“To die by one’s own hand.
Even the decisions I thought I chose myself are nothing more than child’s play to the gods.
My entire life has been nothing but a pastime for others.
Everything is an enemy, everything is a lie.
Others try to take something from me.
I hate men. They lick their lips when they see me and throw words without even trying to hide their vulgar desires. I’d rather die than let such creatures touch my body.
I hate women. Just by looking at me, they all hate me. They blame me, saying it’s my fault they were dumped by their boyfriends or that their husbands left home. I couldn’t care less. The fact that your men lust after me is your own problem.
The world surely hates me. And I too, the world—
The only kindred spirit I ever found came to the same conclusion.
That we are hated by the world.
—Inside us, there is a demon.
It is a chrysalis.
As we grow, it slowly, slowly grows bigger.
From the moment we were born, we knew that we were nothing more than vessels for it until it emerges.
If we keep living like this, we’ll eventually destroy the world.
And I thought maybe that wouldn’t be so bad.
Because the world hates me.
So if it breaks, I wouldn’t really mind.
But I couldn’t go through with it.
I remember that morning, a frozen moment in time, with its beautiful snowy fields.
A horizon blanketed in powdery snow.
The red sun rising from the sea, casting its light over the white snow.
In the glittering air, my breath rose white into the blue sky.
The world hates me, but I couldn’t bring myself to hate the world.
So, before the chrysalis inside us breaks the world—
Before that happens, why not just—
—Your petty curses are nothing to me.
I have two days of birth in my life.
The first was my physical birth.
Born into that silvery world, on that day I fell into despair.
The second was the birth of my soul.
The soul that had been dead since birth was revived that day.
Cursed one, or perhaps Castanita Ki-hito.
King of curses, the failure of a reincarnated hero—my king.
One day, I want to show you too.
The scenery of the world that I love.
To you, who came from a distant world, my very own ‘hero.’
“…White.”
“Ah, sorry, Cursed One.”
Ah, I’ve done it again.
I spaced out a little in front of him.
After finishing the meeting with the Seven Knights, I visited Cursed One’s dwelling.
He stubbornly continues to live in this shabby place.
There’s probably some deep, intricate reason behind it that I can’t understand.
Though he never shares that reason with us.
“Oh, today must have been tiring. I made you all deal with my trivial matters.”
“N-no, the issue with the church was due to our own lack of skill… we couldn’t handle the concealment of the Grellod incident, nor the retaliation against the church… I’m sorry for causing you trouble.”
“Heh, you’re too serious, White. Don’t worry about it, it was an entertaining distraction. I even got a glimpse of the power of those so-called gods. And thinking back, it’s quite amusing, the look on their faces when you all showed up at the cathedral. Impressive, to have earned such a reputation in such a short time.”
He laughs, his throat rumbling.
My chest tightens.
Scarlet, Black, and the other knighted ones say they feel the same ache when he laughs.
My face contorts, my lips twisting into a smile.
No, I can’t let him see me like this.
I force strength into my expression.
“…Thank you for your generous words.”
“It’s fine. If anything, I’m the one who’s been helped. So, do you have a reason for being here?”
“Y-yes. Sorry, you seemed to be training your curse power. If I’m interrupting, I can come back another day.”
“No, don’t worry. I can train while we talk. Continue.”
He says it so casually.
Amazing—
I’m taken aback by how effortlessly he does what he does.
Curse power is something difficult to handle.
We, the Seven Knights, have been granted curse power by him.
A power far greater than magic, a heat that wells up from deep within.
It’s unstable and dangerous, something that could easily consume us if we handle it wrong.
Just being conscious of it and trying to control it is a monumental task for us.
Yet he—”
“…Hmm, the flow of your curse power is a bit off.”
He effortlessly circulates that power throughout his body.
The curse power swirls around his abdomen in a loop.
If I were to do the same, my body would probably explode from the curse power.
But he is different; rather than exploding, his body becomes even more solid by circulating the curse power…
“White…?”
“Ah!”
He looks at me with a slightly worried expression.
Just that makes me incredibly happy.
He’s looking at me; that alone means so much.
My king.
The one who changed my fate, which should have led to my death, and lifted my curse.
I want to get closer to you, even just a little.
I want to touch you; I want to understand your thoughts.
So, there’s something I need to ask you.
“My king… Today, I wanted to ask you something.”
“You wanted to ask something? What is it?”
He answers while molding his beautiful curse power with his eyes closed.
It’s a bit scary.
This question will surely touch on a past of his that we don’t know about.
But I want to, no, I need to get closer to you.
So, I muster up my courage.
Not the courage to die, but the courage to live.
To live alongside you.
—So that you won’t have to walk the path of curses alone.
“…Why are you getting close to Snow?”
“…”
The curse power that had been circulating without interruption suddenly stopped.
The disturbance in the curse power, which is a manifestation of mental strength, means something shifted in his heart.
Ah, why is that?
You reacted to Snow’s name.
As soon as I recognized that fact, my chest tightened painfully.
What is this—
“Does it have anything to do with you?”
“—!”
It was a cold voice.
His beautiful brown eyes, calm as the depths of water, gaze at me.
I tremble, my throat tightening, and I weave my words.
No, don’t let your voice tremble.
I am White. A knight of the Cursed Brotherhood.
I’m fine. I’ve already become the leader of the highest-ranked party as an adventurer.
I am fine.
So, please—
“Answer me. I’m asking if you have anything to do with me and Snow, the daughter of the Baron of the Border.”
“Well, as your subordinate… I have to consider the movements of our organization moving forward.”
“And?”
“—W-well, it’s… It’s very risky to get close to her… Snow possesses an S-rank Gift, and her abilities are—”
“It’s spirit magic, isn’t it? I know that, so you think I’ll foolishly let her see through my identity?”
“Ah… No, I’m not doubting your abilities! But still, why—”
My words aren’t coming out right.
I came here representing everyone, but this isn’t good.
“Cough.”
He chuckles.
But his face doesn’t show a hint of a smile—
“It’s a pleasant surprise. I never expected you all to go this far—”
Never expected you to go this far?
What?
What are you talking about, Cursed One?
A pleasant surprise? What is that?
What are you thinking?
I don’t understand.
What do you think of me?
Why are you getting close to Snow?
Why are you being friendly with her without telling us?
Why didn’t you tell us about your relationship with Snow?
Why?
My mind goes blank.
I don’t know, I don’t know; it shouldn’t be like this.
I need to be calmer, more—
In contrast to my muddled will, my lips, tongue, throat, and heart now sincerely voiced what I wanted to know most.
“Is Snow someone important to you—?”
“If I said yes, what would you do?”
My chest tightens again.
What is this?
I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know.
What is this—
“White. Even if she is an important existence to me, what does that have to do with you?”
Ah, the cursed king is pressing me for answers.
Only his beautiful curse power shines brilliantly.
He looks at me expressionlessly.
—Yet he smiles so warmly at Snow.
Why?
