The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 16

Islay, who had been lazily brushing her lips, raised his eyebrows.

Stella stammered, trying to continue speaking, “What if, by any chance, I find the gem?”

“I told you, I’d give you as much gold and treasure as you want, didn’t I?” he replied in a low, gentle tone, as if he were coaxing a child who couldn’t do simple arithmetic. He implied he was tired of repeating himself.

Stella tried to fix her trembling gaze on him. There was an explosive sense of crisis filling her chest, a feeling of unease that she couldn’t shake off.

Given the situation, it was natural for her not to feel at ease. But there was something more profound at the root of her unease.

Once, a priest who had taught her to read at the monastery had said that to wield power beyond human capabilities, one must pay a corresponding price. The priest who cursed Peruno had offered his life along with the holy power embedded in the artifact, paying a hefty price to exercise such power.

But what about lifting a curse? Wouldn’t it also require a significant cost to undo a thousand-year-old calamity?

Islay had mentioned that the gem he sought was merely a shell of a mineral with its holy power drained. What on earth did he intend to do with it? Stella couldn’t fathom it, and she felt a gnawing discomfort.

Islay, with a somewhat gentle smile, seemed capable of anything. He was a man optimized for tearing and killing, with a body built for destruction.

“It’s painful when you look at me with such obvious suspicion,” he said, reading the doubt and fear in her eyes, and chuckled.

Stella steadied her pounding heart and replied in the firmest voice she could muster, “It’s hard to take everything at face value.”

Instead of responding, Islay met her gaze for a moment before letting go of her chin. However, he remained close enough for her to see the delicate curve of his eyelashes.

“There’s only one thing I want from you right now,” he said.

“Finding the gem, you mean?” she asked.

“Exactly. So just behave like a guest. I only want to focus on treating you like one,” he added, his face showing a hint of playful mischief.

A guest? This barbarian…!

The urge to retort bubbled up inside her, but Stella wasn’t brave enough to voice it. Islay, observing her tightly clenched small fist, stood up with a long stride. His large shadow loomed over her, and any rebellious spirit she had vanished.

“If you need anything, ring the call bell,” he said before leaving the treasure-filled basement leisurely.

Stella remained still, listening to his retreating footsteps. Only when the door closed with a thud did she let out a long sigh.

Surrounded by priceless radiance wherever she looked, she was finally alone. Stella glanced at the golden apple Islay had touched before placing her hand on her forehead.

***

Stella was to spend five hours a day in the basement. Every morning, she would eat the food Dora brought her, then follow Mikel down to the treasure-filled room, where she would sit and gaze at the dazzling array of gems.

At least there was a desk and chair in the room, so she didn’t have to sit on the bare floor. The provision of writing materials only added to her bewilderment.

An attendant, who felt more like a watchful guardian, often came down to help her organize the scattered gems. This woman had a knack for arranging the precious stones meticulously.

Stella would pick up a small box of gems, open her eyes wide, and examine them closely. She even recorded the shape and color of those with particularly strong brilliance.

After a simple meal brought by a subordinate, she would sit for another couple of hours before finally returning to her bedroom in the early afternoon.

Progress was, of course, nonexistent. She didn’t even know what the ancient gem was supposed to look like after losing its holy power.

‘What am I even doing here?’

It felt like a meaningless time, spent gazing at gems all day long. It was like being an incompetent alchemist awaiting his doom.

Despite the lack of progress, Islay hadn’t come down to the basement since the first day. He was reportedly out hunting the black beasts himself.

How many of those monsters were there, and how strong must they be for him to personally go on the hunt? Stella often pondered these questions while handling the colorful gems.

t was on one such uneventful afternoon, a few days later, that something happened.

“Your Highness!” Dora exclaimed as she entered the room, her face lit with excitement.

Stella, sitting idly in her room, turned her head. “What is it, Dora?”

Dora was bustling in, having just opened and closed the door behind her. “The weather is nice today. How about going outside?”

“Going outside…?” Stella repeated, her voice filled with disbelief.

She hadn’t considered that possibility. Despite the relatively decent environment, she hadn’t felt relaxed enough to think about taking a walk.

Dora whispered conspiratorially, covering her mouth with one hand, “Now is our chance to look around the Ice Castle. It’s for the future. I heard the castle is busy preparing for the upcoming festival.”

Stella sighed silently. “You’ve been investigating the castle under the guise of a maid?”

Dora nodded eagerly. “Yes, and now I think it’s the perfect time to go outside. Everyone is so busy, we might not look suspicious wandering around.”

Stella looked doubtful. “Do you think they’ll allow us to go out?”

Dora smiled mischievously. “Don’t ask for permission. Just go out boldly. I’ve been testing the waters, and they don’t seem to restrict my movements much.”

Dora fetched a cloak from the wardrobe and wrapped it around Stella’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s go,” she urged, opening the door boldly.

“Ah!” Dora screamed as she found Mikel standing right outside.

With a pale face, Dora looked back at Stella, as if questioning why these northerners always appeared at the worst possible times.

“Is there a problem?” Stella asked, feeling like she’d been caught doing something wrong.

Mikel looked at them both before answering quietly, “The Captain has instructed me to invite you to a banquet this weekend. I came to inform you in advance. Are you going somewhere?”

“We are just going for a walk. That’s okay, right?” Stella asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

Mikel’s gaze shifted from Stella to the window and back. His expression was displeased. “You want to go outside?”

“Who takes a walk indoors?” Dora interjected boldly. “Her Highness feels cooped up. She hasn’t been herself since arriving in Calis.”

“Perhaps you could open a window for some fresh air,” Mikel suggested.

“That won’t do at all! Our princess used to stroll through rose gardens and bask in the sunlight. She never went a single day without enjoying the fragrant scent of flowers and the gentle breeze.”

A blatant lie. Stella, who had lived mostly confined in the palace, averted her eyes. Fortunately, Dora, much more shameless than Stella, continued speaking without missing a beat. “She’s been cooped up in this castle, especially in that dark basement. How could she not feel suffocated?”

“We did not confine her,” Mikel replied coolly.

“Every time we even approach the door, you glare at us like we’re doing something wrong,” Dora retorted.

“I merely looked. Perhaps you felt guilty for some reason?” Mikel’s face showed clear disdain as he retorted.

Enraged, Dora clenched her fists. “Our princess needs to go outside!”

Watching the argument, Stella cautiously stepped forward. “Lord Peruno said he would treat me as an honored guest, not a hostage.”

“……”

“Please allow me to take a walk. I want to see the outside.”