The Cursed Beast Caught My Leash - Chapter 85

“Yes. It was at the sanctuary in the back garden a few days ago. I didn’t hear the entirety of their conversation, but this much I am sure of.”

Though his senses were still dulled by the lingering effects of the poison, Mikel, being a Northerner, had sharp instincts. When Stella entered the sanctuary of the millennium-old tree, he had been tasked with observing her closely. Feigning interest in Dora’s chatter, he had sharpened his hearing.

It wasn’t long before he detected the hushed voices of two individuals. He quickly deduced that one of them was Padro. That day, the priest had supposedly come to offer prayers for the victims. Coincidentally, Stella, responding to Dora’s impromptu suggestion for a walk in the garden, had crossed paths with him.

Islay, who had received a detailed report of the encounter, tried to piece together what might have been said between them. His guesses matched the actual conversation between Stella and Padro with unsettling accuracy.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. It couldn’t be true. Surely Stella hadn’t secretly resolved to follow such a cruel oracle or decided to leave his side so soon…

But denial only went so far. Indulging in the sweet moments provided by her soft, delicate body had delayed Islay’s acceptance of the truth.

If the memorial ceremony were to proceed, all of his uneasy suspicions would be confirmed.

There was no way Padro would reject a sacrificial offering that willingly came to him. The ceremony was merely a pretense. Using the crowd gathered in the square, they planned to spirit her away.

Islay let out a bitter laugh, running a hand down his face.

Stella intended to sacrifice herself to save him. The Southerners sought to take her from him. And those damned priests planned to tear apart the purest soul under the guise of a noble cause.

Anyone obstructing him could be cut down without hesitation. Anyone trying to leave his grasp could simply be seized again. But there was one exception: Stella.

So what was the wisest decision Islay could make now?

“And, Captain…”

Mikel cautiously spoke up.

“May I ask why you’ve decided to spare that man?”

He was referring to Roderick, the man left in the dungeon. Islay hadn’t killed or tortured him, nor had he even crippled him to prevent escape. Mikel wanted to understand why his lord had shown such unprecedented mercy toward the Southern intruder.

Islay offered no verbal response, letting silence answer instead. Sparing the man hadn’t been an act of mercy.

Perhaps, from the moment he first heard that Stella had met Padro, or perhaps even long before that, he had known what needed to be done. Yet blinded by his desire to claim her, he had ignored the inevitable.

Islay exhaled the last puff of smoke from his cigarette before stepping forward. His fractured reasoning, once weak and wavering, had now solidified into unyielding resolve. Fragmented memories, once dark and indistinct, began to sharpen in clarity.

There was one thing he needed to confirm above all else.

***

At the same time, a commotion was unfolding in the tower’s uppermost bedroom.

“Absolutely not!”

“Dora, please.”

“I said absolutely not! I can’t believe what I just heard!”

Stella, pale-faced, looked at Dora, who was shouting angrily. While Stella had anticipated some resistance, she hadn’t expected this level of outburst, even after deliberately bringing her to the top floor instead of the first.

Dora herself had never imagined she would outright reject the princess’s wishes so vehemently. When Stella had begged her, insisting that no one else could be trusted, Dora had been determined to comply, no matter the request. Or so she thought.

“A sacrifice? You’re telling me the priests plan to take your eyes and your life, and you’re just going to allow it?”

“Keep your voice down. No one must know about this plan.”

“And you’re asking me to help you ensure the sacrifice ritual goes smoothly? How could you… how could you ask such a thing of me?”

Moments earlier, Stella had confided in Dora that a secret ritual for Islay would be conducted during the memorial ceremony for the victims in the outer castle. She had asked for Dora’s help in evading her guards, anticipating various contingencies, and facilitating her safe contact with the priests.

But Dora, now extremely agitated, showed no signs of calming down. She was on the verge of breaking into tears.

“You want me to smuggle you out and assist in placing the person I serve on the altar as a sacrifice? How could you expect me to do that?”

“Shh, please… Calm down and listen to me.”

“Do you really believe in that absurd oracle? Wasn’t it decided that it would be ignored?”

“Ah, no. I… I only pretended to ignore it by myself….”

Dora’s face turned pale as a sheet.

“Pretended? Oh, my God! I need to tell Mikel’s captain immediately!”

“You must not!”

For the first time, a firm light appeared on Stella’s face, which had been at a loss moments earlier. Dora, ready to bolt out of the tower, hesitated, startled.

“Islay must never know. He’s trying to send the priests away to Nortelli. He wants to expel everyone who believes the oracle must be fulfilled. He’s doing it to protect me….”

“And I agree with his decision!”

“Please calm down and listen to me.”

Stella stepped closer to Dora and held the maid’s hands tightly.

“I’ve lived my whole life feeling useless.”

Dora, who had been about to say something, shut her mouth. Stella continued speaking with a composure that seemed uncharacteristic of someone who had mentioned a sacrificial ritual.

“So, just once, even if it’s only once in my life, I want to fulfill my role for the person I love. Not because of someone’s orders or commands, but out of my own will.”

“How can you say such things….”

Tears welled up in Dora’s eyes and began to fall. Clenching her fists, she trembled with emotion.

Dora cursed King Maurice and Queen Aliana, who had spent their lives berating Stella’s worth. If not for them, Stella wouldn’t have developed such an obsessive need to prove her value.

Stella’s calm golden eyes seemed to read Dora’s thoughts precisely.

“Don’t misunderstand. This is a decision I made solely for his sake.”

Blood appeared on Dora’s lip, bitten in frustration. Stella gripped the maid’s shoulders firmly with her cool hands.

“Of course I’m scared. But thinking that I can pull him out of his suffering gives me an inexplicable courage. I just don’t want Islay to suffer anymore. That’s my true heart.”

“Hrk…”

“And it’s not just about helping him. If the curse is broken, all the monsters that have plagued Calis for a thousand years will disappear. Those black beasts scattered across the vast Northern lands…”

“I don’t care. I can’t believe in oracles or such lofty ideals. I can’t stand by and watch you sacrifice yourself.”

“Dora….”

The maid wiped her falling tears with the back of her hand.

“What if you’re not the Mind’s Eye? Shouldn’t we at least look into it? Let’s search through history books or whatever we can find about this profound power—how it came to you, how it manifests in others… let’s take our time and figure it out.”

“…But.”

“It’s not urgent, is it? You said the curse won’t come to pass until the next winter!”

Stella couldn’t bring herself to respond. Contrary to Dora’s words, there were still two seasons left until winter, but the disaster entangled in Islay’s body had already begun to manifest.

While his physical form hadn’t changed drastically, what he had done to her at dawn was undoubtedly a result of his transformation into a monster.

Stella swallowed the truth rising in her throat. To convince Dora, she would have to confess that she had endured Islay’s loss of control. But how could she ever speak of him forcing himself on her?

“I understand your feelings… but I won’t change my decision.”

“…I’m sorry. Then I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of this.”

“Dora.”

The maid turned without hesitation, but she stopped abruptly after a few steps, drawing in a startled breath. Stella instinctively followed her gaze and froze like a statue.

“Oh…”

Standing silently at the staircase leading to the bedroom was Islay, his presence so perfectly muted that neither had noticed him. He stared intently at Stella.