Who gets married for that reason? - Chapter 8
Gathering all his patience, Ilian clenched and unclenched his fists several times as he tried to act normal while walking.
“No. That’s not it. I thought you’d be really busy all day because you said you’d left at dawn.”
Lydia then fell silent for a moment, her mind seemingly consumed by her book.
Seeing that she had no interest in him, Ilian glanced at the content of the book she was holding.
He noticed the word curse appearing multiple times.
“You’re researching? Is this for?”
“………..Yes. If I can find out more about curses, maybe I can break it faster.”
“That’s an interesting way of expressing your reluctance to marry me.”
Lydia’s head snapped up at Ilian’s amused tone.
She furrowed her brow.
“I am trying to break the curse myself? Aren’t you taking it too lightly, your grace?”
Ilian crouched in front of them, gently removing the glasses perched on the tip of Lydia’s nose.
His voice was unfailingly calm as he said.
“If the answer were just in one of these books, I’m sure I would’ve found it by now.”
“…It’s not just about books,” Lidia retorted.
“These contain centuries of accumulated knowledge from our family lineage. Some were even collected by me.”
“You’ve probably read these books here over and over, haven’t you?”
“You already know I’m not looking for anything here,” he said.
Lydia sighed and tried to take the glasses from Ilian’s hand.
But he easily sidestepped her with an easy grin.
She glared at him, annoyed by his childish behavior.
“Of course I am, but I need to carefully read everything again. I might have missed something before.”
“Eat something first. The household is worried. They’re afraid I’m bringing home some weird, eccentric future marchioness just to be my wife.”
The appearance of the marquis’s fiancée was like a bolt from the blue. It couldn’t have been what they were expecting.
From the servants’ confusion, it was clear to Ilian that everyone in the mansion wasn’t sure how to treat Lydia properly.
Even he, “Ilian Estoban,” found her perplexing, which must be why others struggled so much.
“I’ll be gone after I finish reading this.”
“I hired you for this job, but it’d be tough if you starved to death before solving the problem.”
“I won’t die from missing just two meals.”
“You skipped breakfast too?”
Lydia looked a bit guilty.
She was being stubborn, clutching her book tightly as if she thought Ilian would try to drag her away by force.
Ilian thought it was quite absurd.
“I swear I’m only reading this one book and then I’ll leave.”
“………I told you to make yourself at home in the mansion. You don’t have to hole up in your room and avoid everyone.”
As Ilian looked down at the small white hands, he realized why Lydia was here.
Yesterday, after barely finishing the tour of the mansion’s layout, he had gone out early this morning.
Despite having ordered the staff to treat her with respect, she must have felt safest hiding among these dusty books when left alone.
‘She’s probably just looking for a place to feel safe when nobody’s around.’
“Miss Lydia, I feel like I’ll die from the awkwardness of calling you that. And what about the maids? They’ll follow me around like bloodhounds if I try to leave the room.”
“The title is going to be a problem until you get used to it. As for the servants, I’ve already told them to leave you alone.”
Lydia could have enjoyed the immense power to command the entire Esteban Marquis residence in the capital, which Ilian had let her have free rein over. But it seemed this woman had no intention of ever doing that.
Lydia took a very deep breath before finally putting down the book and extending her hand.
“If we get the marquis back to normal quickly, we can leave sooner. Give me your hand, please.”
“I don’t want to.”
Lydia’s comment about not wanting to starve to death was only half-joking.
Just as always, with screams and pain ringing in his ears, Ilian had barely slept. But now, despite stirring, it was Lydia who had dark circles under her eyes from exhaustion.
He imagined her lost in thought, researching late into the night by herself, scribbling notes without pause. And that was way too much enthusiasm.
Ilian was practical.
He didn’t bring Lydia here hoping for an instant solution.
“It’s just like i said, I need to inject your strength daily to halt the curse’s progression?”
“We’ll do that during lunch, I told my sponsor to arrange for food.”
Lidia watched, dumbfounded, as the marquis sprang up and hastily left the room.
It was he who needed to hurry, but for some reason, she felt more compelled to solve his curse than he did.
“…And he even took the glasses.”
Alone, Lydia sighed, set down the book beside her, and finally got up from her seat.
***
Lydia mechanically ate her meal, feeling sick.
She was relieved when the Marquis finally dismissed everyone after tea.
Eating with someone watching and hovering over her felt like a chore.
Seeing the opportunity, she quickly reached out to the Marquis.
“Will you give me your hand again?”
The black-gloved hand revealed its bare, pitch-black skin. Without hesitation, they clasped their hands, and a dark, shadowy energy began to converge on them.
A prickling heat sent shivers down Lydia’s spine, but this time, she steeled herself, determined to trust her power.
As soon as she made up her mind, a force responsive to Lydia’s will began to surge like waves, trying to cover up the curse.
‘I’ll wipe it out like a wave, leaving nothing behind.’
That’s how Lydia thought of her power.
Like a wave sweeping clean a sandy beach, she would erase all traces of evil without a mark left behind.
But once again, no matter how hard she focused, the wave-like power she summoned couldn’t hold back the curse. It surged back as quickly as it had been pushed away.
It was as if her opponent was taunting her- ‘Is this all the strength you have? You think you can defeat me with such feeble force?’
“Please, just go away,” she pleaded.
In the end, the stalemate ended with my opponent reluctantly taking a step back, like a tug-of-war where neither side wins.
Lydia sensed that the power she had just exerted wouldn’t last.
She guessed the curse would again try to spread its influence within days.
‘…This might be harder than I thought.’
The idea of using this much energy nearly every day made her feel drained already. Lydia sighed and looked at the marquis.
“Are we done for today?”
“Huh? Yes.”
As soon as Lydia let go of his hand, he stiffly put his glove back on.
Lydia wondered if she had done something wrong.
“Is there a specific part that hurts badly? Does my touch cause unbearable pain?”
“………..No”
And that was the problem.
When he touched her, it felt like everything was cured perfectly.
The moment he let go, my head throbbed as if plunged back into a sewer, her arm felt heavy, and exhaustion washed over her.
“It’s fine. Don’t skip your meals.”
She watched, feeling uncertain, as Marquis Esteban suddenly got up and left.
It felt like she was missing something important.
Something she should’ve considered but had overlooked.
***
The strange question that had been bothering Lydia finally took shape late that night.
‘I think I’ll read up to here for now.’
She stopped reading her book on the bed, stretched, and massaged her tense shoulders.
Caught up in the endless pages, enjoying the freedom to read as much as she wanted, she hadn’t noticed the moon had already descended below the horizon.
‘I shouldn’t get used to this life.’
Lydia picked a biscuit from the tray the maid had quietly left, along with cold tea, and ate it.
Honestly, it was convenient having everything done for her.
‘Still, I feel like my actions are too limited.’
Feeling frustrated, she decided to take a brief walk before going to sleep.
Lydia decided to act on her thoughts right away. She wrapped a blanket around herself and quietly left her room.
That’s how she ended up wandering the hallways and reaching the study, where she heard faint, pained moans coming from inside.
‘This is supposed to be the Marquis’s study……’
Lydia stood outside the door, straining to hear the barely audible voice that wouldn’t have been noticeable in a noisy environment.
“……….Please………help.”
When she pressed her ear against the door, she heard the agonized voice of Marquis Esteban, like he was experiencing a terrible nightmare.
Lydia paused at the door, undecided.
‘Am I invading his private space?’
On the other hand, she figured it might be due to the curse’s effects. Considering why she was here, it seemed almost like her duty to check on him.
After a moment’s hesitation, she gently turned the doorknob and entered.
Inside the study, she found a blond man curled up on a sofa in the middle of the room.
He had his eyes tightly shut, even in sleep.
His forehead was drenched in cold sweat so much that his bangs were soaking wet.
His fists were clenched so tight that his nails were digging into his palms.
He didn’t look well at all.