Chapter 172

Chapter 172
## Chapter 172: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“A matter of the past… Yes. I was reminded of it today.”

The Second Prince agreed with Lion’s remark and spoke slowly, his voice carrying a slight pause.

That blade… and the fact that it was given to me alongside guidance from the person who sheltered me in my youth.

And finally. Even my lingering emotions toward my mother.

“This idle conversation has dragged on too long. In any case, it is merely history.”

“Are you suggesting it holds no weight in the present?”

“If you are asking whether I yearn for those days, the answer is no. If you are inquiring whether bitterness remains, then yes. How could I not feel resentment?”

“By unleashing a curse?”

“That…”

The Second Prince’s parched lips parted slightly before pressing shut again.

He meant to answer in the affirmative, yet for some inexplicable reason, his voice caught in his throat.

Naturally, anger existed for a lifetime forced to endure constant agony.

Yet that was not the entirety of it.

“I cannot truly say.”

“I understand.”

“Does it genuinely matter?”

“It does. May I inspect the dagger?”

“It is of little consequence, but…”

Kyle hesitated mid-sentence, his instincts suddenly flaring.

‘Could this hold the key to shattering the curse?’

If so, it also shed light on why the master of the Underworld had instructed him to hold onto the weapon.

‘Yet, no signs have surfaced thus far.’

The Second Prince was far from foolish.

He had investigated the artifact through numerous avenues, suspecting it might conceal a secret.

Even so, as if mocking the underworld leader’s directive, nothing had ever been revealed.

It remained a crude, worthless blade that would fetch next to nothing. That was all.

Yet how had this stranger perceived its true nature?

Though his mind buzzed with uncertainty, Kyle’s voice replied calmly.

“As you wish.”

“My thanks.”

Lion channeled his ‘Expert’s Eye’ skill, focusing intently on the weapon resting in his palm.

Fortunately, the pendant maintained its steady concealment, removing any risk of his mana being detected.

Combined with his disguise, Lion needed only to remain completely composed, avoiding any guilty flinching.

‘Let us see…’

Ignoring the Second Prince’s watchful gaze, Lion concentrated entirely on the blade…

『Updating hidden item information.』

Moments later, the hidden details manifested before him.

『Cradle of Benevolent Curse』

-An artifact forged within the Underworld, an affliction that has never once been triggered.

-Capable of transferring the bearer’s curse onto the blade a single time via a specific ritual, though a vital component remains absent.

-Leave the sorrowful childhood of a grown child behind within this cradle and step forward into a broader horizon.

‘An absent component.’

Reviewing the missing requirement, Lion’s lips curved into a faint smile.

Fortunately, even here, a solution was within reach.

‘First, let us examine the method of activation.’

Lion scanned the instructions inscribed beneath the item details.

The procedure was deceptively simple, manageable even for a child who set their mind to it.

One needed only to pierce oneself using this dull instrument.

Specifically, at the origin point where the curse began its spread.

In the case of the Second Prince…

‘Without a doubt, his heart.’

Curses born into the flesh invariably anchor themselves within the heart.

They gradually infiltrate the body, extending toward the limbs until the corruption finally mars the visage.

‘In truth, death usually claims the victim long before that stage.’

Whether through self-destruction or sheer shock.

Even the spread into the arms brought unimaginable torment.

Regardless, piercing oneself with the blade induced a profound slumber, during which the advancing affliction bled away from the body and into the steel.

The mechanism bore a striking resemblance to a formula Lion had once unlocked upon mastering his alchemy.

Specifically, the concepts behind curse dolls and backlash effigies.

“If one were to be precise…”

“This might be regarded as a ‘one-time affliction absorbing vessel’.”

Perhaps the Second Prince’s mother had possessed formidable abilities.

Perhaps she was a practitioner of forbidden dark arts.

Lion slowly traced the edges of the weapon.

The edge was blunt and unrefined, crafted with an obvious deliberation.

It was dull enough that even a child would instantly recognize it could not draw blood.

Even if driven against someone’s flesh, it would feel like nothing more than a dull tap rather than a piercing wound.

If she possessed the power to redirect curses into external objects, she surely could have fashioned a superior artifact to compensate for any missing elements.

Yet she did not.

“I believe I grasp her underlying intent.”

Why she transformed a curse-cleansing mechanism into a dagger.

And why it was engineered so that the affliction could only be transferred through self-inflicted stabbing.

“She must have foreseen the moment when he would stand upon the brink of survival, unable to endure the curse any longer.”

The Second Prince’s mother must have steeled her resolve immensely.

She had reached a juncture where inflicting a curse upon her own child became her only means of keeping him alive.

Faced with a destiny that forbade her from ever watching her son grow, she laid her plans with meticulous care.

There were countless variables to weigh and immense faith required.

First, an absolute conviction that the boy possessed the fortitude to persevere.

She had to hope he would survive, gritting his teeth, dragging himself up, feeding on bitterness, rolling in the dirt, and wearing his hands and feet raw with calluses and scars.

To endure stubbornly, even if it meant cursing his own mother.

‘This undoubtedly explains why she left no explicit manual.’

She intended for him to find reliable companions, to encounter someone capable of unraveling the mystery of the dagger, and ultimately to bring the curse to an end.

“……And conversely, the alternative as well.”

The Second Prince’s mother had been forced to contemplate the death of her unborn child.

When every ounce of strength was exhausted, when every step led toward a sheer precipice, and when some unseen blade pressed against one’s back.

The realization that dying might offer sweet release.

The temptation that ending it all could be simpler. When contemplating the end of life, even with this tiny blade.

Would she not have wished to whisper a final plea for him to choose life just once more?

He could not know for certain, yet that emotion resonated clearly.

Lion stared down at the rounded edge.

It had not been born blunt.

It had been ground against stone and deliberately worn down until the edge chipped, ensuring it would never appear sharp.

The underlying motivation was transparent…

‘She refused to cause him harm.’

A tangled knot of conflicting emotions lay buried here.

She had been forced to make him suffer to keep him breathing, guiding him to strike himself as a final tether to life.

Yet through it all, she softened the edge because she could not bear the thought of hurting him.

This was… a depth of feeling even Lion, weathered by countless trials, struggled to fully comprehend.

Nevertheless, one truth remained unshakeable.

Kyle’s mother had loved her only child beyond measure.

“Still, a single question lingers in my mind.”

Why had the master of the Underworld taken the Second Prince under his wing?

According to prevailing rumors, the underworld leader held zero regard for the Imperial household or political dominance.

For reasons unknown, that stance had never wavered.

However…

“This instance appears different.”

For reasons yet unrevealed, the underworld forces were beginning to stir.

Perhaps ambition had finally ignited an interest in temporal power.

“Ah, let us put that aside.”

He had no desire to entangle himself further in such matters, nor any plans to do so.

If curiosity truly proved unbearable, he could simply toss the question to Freya at a later date.

“Can that weapon genuinely shatter the affliction?”

“Indeed. It can.”

He omitted any mention of the missing component.

While the Second Prince remained unconscious, Lion could handle the requirement independently.

Instead, Lion received the blade carefully with both hands, treating it almost like a sacred relic before presenting it back to the Second Prince.

“You must now adhere strictly to my directives.”

The Second Prince required a deep, uninterrupted slumber for the process to succeed.

“Understood.”

“First, grasp the hilt with both hands and drive the blade into the epicenter of the affliction.”

Lion concluded his instructions and fixed his gaze upon the Second Prince.

Regardless of how dull the edge was, a weapon remained a weapon.

To be instructed to plunge a blade directly into one’s own heart would cause hesitation even in the most compliant individual.

Naturally, Lion had already formulated a suitable justification…

“What follows after that?”

“…Why do you not question my methods?”

“There is no leisure for pickiness.”

“…”

“Are you perhaps worried for my well-being?”

The Second Prince met his gaze and offered a dry chuckle.

“You surely harbor numerous inquiries.”

“I was advised against indulging curiosity.”

“I trust you will maintain that stance.”

Though obvious schemes swirled beneath the surface, the lack of explanation left no room for intervention, forcing Lion to accept it in silence.

Lion pressed on.

“Following that action, you will slip into a profound sleep. The curse will be entirely drawn out through the blade. I shall maintain watch over you throughout the duration.”

“Watch over me?”

“I am not at liberty to elaborate.”

Faced with that resolute tone, the Second Prince glanced down at the weapon in his grasp.

‘The solution was far closer than I imagined.’

That explained why the underworld leader strictly forbade discarding the item.

He had foolishly assumed it to be mere ornamentation.

Had he known earlier, he might have regretted keeping his true identity hidden when this moment finally arrived.

‘Had he not intervened.’

He likely would have spent his entire existence blind to the answer resting directly beneath his nose.

Furthermore, upon reflection…

‘This artifact alone would have proven insufficient to resolve the crisis.’

Did his promise to “watch over” mean literal observation during sleep?

It implied neutralizing any hazards or fluctuations arising during unconsciousness.

‘It would have been preferable had he shouldered a share of the burden.’

Despite explicitly stating he held a purpose here, he remained passive.

They merely shared meals and exchanged words.

Instead, the Second Prince found himself filling in the missing pieces.

It felt oddly reminiscent of a mentor guiding a pupil.

“Hmm.”

Mentor. Instructor.

‘Should I ascend the throne, appointing him to the office of Imperial Tutor would be entirely fitting.’

Suppressing his outward expression, the Second Prince rapidly mapped out a future strategy.

“…”

“It is nothing of importance. Let us proceed.”

Having finished his meal, a heavy fatigue began pulling at his limbs.

The timing could not have been more ideal to bid a permanent farewell to the affliction that had haunted his physical form since birth.

Without hesitation, the Second Prince raised the dagger and drove it straight toward his heart.

*Thwack.*

The blade refused to yield an easy entry.

Instead, upon contacting his chest, the steel seemed to push back against the resistance of his flesh.

Yet an audible sound of tearing accompanied the impact, accompanied by a strangely soothing sensation rather than agony.

‘A fascinating sensation.’

The Second Prince’s consciousness dissolved into words he could no longer articulate, plunging him instantly into an abyss of deep slumber.

“May your dreams be peaceful.”

Catching the slumping figure, Lion eased him back until he rested comfortably against the sofa.

“Now then, shall I attend to the missing ingredient?”

Lion immediately reached into his pockets to retrieve the necessary items.

Among them lay a precision carving scalpel, its honed edge gleaming sharply under the ambient light.

Indeed.

From this moment onward, Lion was going to draw the Second Prince’s blood!

“Hold still, this will sting momentarily.”

The missing catalyst, born from a mother’s hesitation to inflict genuine harm with a creation of her own making.

That element manifested as a crystal formed from Kyle’s own blood.

At that exact instant.

The Second Prince, Kyle, opened his eyes within the realm of dreams.

Before his vision……….

“……”

Stood a figure wrapped entirely in heavy chains.

It retained a humanoid silhouette, yet warped by a volatile energy so alien he could not even be certain it qualified as human.

Instinct whispered the answer directly into Kyle’s mind.

That entity was his mother.