Chapter 173

Chapter 173
Chapter 173: Never Mind The Heir, I’ll Focus On Healing

“…….”

There was so much I wanted to say.

Since childhood, how many times had I imagined it?

I’ve resolved hundreds, thousands of times, that if I ever saw my mother again, even in a dream, I would say this.

The words I wanted to say always changed.

I won’t deny that most of them were resentment.

When I felt the tearing pain, I wanted to blurt out, “If this is how it was going to be, why did you give birth to me?”

On days I saw happy families, I wanted to get angry and ask, “Why can’t I have that kind of happiness?”

And sometimes.

On very peaceful days, when the pain was less than usual and I couldn’t see anything that grated on my nerves…

“I miss you.”

I wished she would appear in my dreams, even just once.

I also wanted to call out “Mother,” “Mom,” just once.

But as I watched that sight, the words I wanted to say went back down my throat.

Kyle clenched his fist so hard his fingernails dug into his flesh.

The truth is.

“I envied you, that you died.”

I have to suffer like this, rolling in the mud, but you found peace in death.

And, in a way, I was relieved.

Because I felt I wouldn’t be able to bear it if you suffered because of me too.

But.

“……Is this all?”

Kyle forced the words out.

For words spoken with such confidence, they were pathetic and small.

I was afraid you might hear these harsh words.

However, the figure bound by black chains and a wicked curse didn’t move an inch.

I wondered if she wasn’t answering even in my dreams because she didn’t know my voice.

The guilt I felt, though I hadn’t done anything wrong, made Kyle feel even smaller.

I had no intention of ending the dream like this.

“I need an answer.”

Kyle slowly took one step after another towards his mother, who was captured by the cursed chains, and grasped one of the many chains.

“Ugh…….”

Even though it was a dream, as soon as I touched the chain, an unbearable pain crawled up my palm.

It was the pain of the curse I always felt.

So, fortunately, I could endure it.

The pain I had lived with my entire life could slow Kyle’s progress, but it couldn’t stop it.

I grew up stubbornly and strong enough for that.

“Enough to save you who cursed me!”

Kyle finally applied force, crushing and tearing away the thick chain.

*Crackle!*

Something dull like a piece of iron made a sharp sound like a shard of glass and scattered on the floor.

The chain fragments fell pathetically on the floor.

But that wasn’t the end.

The chain that fell to the floor turned into a black liquid, and was rebuilt into a new chain and grew.

“Persistent.”

Kyle sneered.

I didn’t feel despair at the curse regenerating.

Wouldn’t it be enough to simply remove my mother from this curse faster than it regenerates?

Kyle stepped on the regenerating chain again, shattering it, and continued to tear off countless chains.

If only these chains were gone, I could hear your voice, no. I could at least see your face.

—

While Kyle fought his own battle in his dream, Lion began his preparations in earnest outside.

First, he sterilized the carving knife with basic fire magic and let it cool.

He would use a potion in the end, but this was a precaution against infection.

Otherwise, he might be accused of assassinating the Second Prince, rather than being a helpful, unknown figure.

‘Well, I’ll resolve it cleanly before that.’

Lion took Kyle’s limp hand and pricked his fingertip with the carving knife.

Even though it was small, it was a much thicker blade than a needle, so blood dripped from his finger in an instant.

Before the blood hit the floor, Lion quickly collected it in the Abgrund Potion Bottle.

Only a small amount of blood was needed, but because his state was cursed, there could be unforeseen variables if it were stored in a different potion bottle.

The bottle slowly filled with dark red blood.

As expected, the blood felt deeply cursed, but it did not radiate outside the bottle.

‘This should be enough.’

Lion, having collected just the amount he needed, wrapped Kyle’s finger with a bandage and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.

“……Phew!”

Then, he let out a light sigh of relief.

‘I’m doing everything I never thought I’d do in my life.’

I haven’t worked in the medical field, so who else has ever collected someone’s blood like this?

Or rather.

Who else have I ever stabbed?

‘I’m shaking.’

Although I was quite nervous on the inside, my personality meant I didn’t show it on the outside, so I proceeded calmly.

“Good. I’ve gathered all the ingredients.”

Lion carefully placed the Abgrund Potion Bottle filled with blood on the table, then took out another substance from his inventory.

That was…

『An Empty Obsidian』

-It is a transparent crystal from which the witch’s power has completely drained.

-It could be used for decoration, but… if you keep it at home, it might bring misfortune.

-It seems like something could be contained inside.

It was the obsidian that had been put into the dissolving liquid when making the Abgrund Potion Bottle before.

The energy inside had dissolved into black mist in the dissolving liquid, but the crystal remained for some reason, so I kept it with the slag.

Lion examined the empty obsidian from various angles.

As the description said, it was now transparent enough that the name obsidian no longer suited it.

Not a trace of Elvia’s energy could be felt.

Literally, a clean crystal.

‘……It’s not *just* that.’

It seemed that because it was obsidian created by Elvia, it had a strong property of absorbing demonic energy.

That means.

‘It can absorb the Second Prince’s blood too.’

If so, the crystal containing the Second Prince’s blood, the core ‘ingredient’ of this dagger, would be complete.

When Lion checked earlier, this dagger was closer to a disposable curse-absorbing doll.

However, just possessing it didn’t absorb all the curses.

For it to function properly, a large amount of the target’s blood was needed.

Specifically, the target’s blood had to be crystallized through a special process and absorbed into the dagger, and this had to be done simultaneously with the ritual to break the curse, making it somewhat difficult.

No, it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s usually impossible.

‘Otherwise, a truly lethal dose of blood would need to seep into the dagger.’

That’s probably why the Second Prince’s mother made it in the form of a dagger.

But…

‘She probably couldn’t bear to stab him.’

They say children are as precious as their own eyes, don’t they?

Wouldn’t the Second Prince’s mother have wanted to raise him like gold and jade?

She couldn’t leave a knife for such a child.

“Well, everything is fine now.”

Lion muttered to himself, speaking into the air.

With this transparent obsidian, he could create a crystal with even a small amount of blood.

“So please, rest in peace.”

Once this work was done, her spirit would be freed from the curse and depart completely.

But that meant eternal separation.

If the Second Prince’s mother were aware of this entire process…

‘Wouldn’t she find it regrettable?’

I have never been a parent, so I cannot fathom that feeling.

Lion bowed lightly and dropped the transparent obsidian into the Abgrund Potion Bottle containing the Second Prince’s blood, then immediately closed the bottle.

There wasn’t much left to do.

All that remained was to shake the potion bottle intermittently and check if all the liquid inside had been absorbed.

As Lion shook the potion bottle a few times…

“…….”

Cold sweat began to pour from the face of the Second Prince, who had been resting peacefully with his eyes closed.

As I got closer, I could hear him groaning, so I gently touched his forehead…

‘Fever.’

And a severe high fever at that.

It wasn’t bad news.

It meant that the cradle created by the Second Prince’s mother was working well.

The curse that stubbornly clung to him was falling off, and his body was fighting to push it away, causing the fever.

“Not yet.”

Lion shook the potion bottle once more.

Then.

*Clink.*

The only sound was the collision of crystals, with no sensation of liquid sloshing.

“Done.”

Lion smiled and opened the bottle, taking out the crystal inside.

The once transparent, empty crystal had now taken on a dark red, dangerous color.

If others saw it, they would scream that it was wicked and needed immediate purification, but now, this crystal was a precious ingredient that saved lives.

“Please take care of it.”

Lion placed the blood-colored crystal onto the dagger resting on the Second Prince’s chest.

Then, the crystal disappeared as if absorbed into the dagger.

At the same time, the blade began to turn red.

That wasn’t all.

The blunt edge was honed and polished, giving off a peculiar luster.

The short blade vibrated with a faint *zing*.

And…

*Slide.*

The curse marks covering the Second Prince’s forearm began to recede.

The markings around his collarbone, visible through his shirt.

It seemed they were returning to their initial state, before they spread.

And once they returned to their original state, they would transfer to the sword.

Now, all that remained was to watch.

Ah, and…

“Hmm.”

It seemed his body would be harmed by the fever if left like this, so there was no other choice.

Lion stood up, wet a towel, wrung it out, and placed it on the Second Prince’s forehead, then sat in front of him.

He did this because giving him a potion now might interfere with the ritual.

‘So, I hope you wake up after settling everything in your dream.’

—

Kyle finally grasped the last chain.

His hands were splotchy as if burned, his skin was cracked, and they were covered in oozing fluid, so much so that just looking at them was unpleasant, but he didn’t stop.

I thought I was starting to run out of strength, but from a certain point on, the chains stopped regenerating and simply crumbled.

‘His help.’

I instinctively knew, but the encounter with the person before me was more important now.

Kyle applied force and broke the thickest chain.

Then, the figure bound by the chains and curse fell powerlessly.

“……!”

Uncharacteristically, Kyle quickly caught the falling body and slumped to the ground.

‘Light.’

The first thing I felt was how remarkably light the body was.

If an adult woman was this light, she would surely be unable to move.

“Was she… dead?”

After all, her condition was such that she could hardly be considered alive in the first place.

In fact, I could have confirmed by checking her pulse on her neck and her breathing by looking at her face.

But.

I couldn’t check.

Even though I had thought of her as a dead mother and lived my life resenting her, I was suddenly afraid.

If I confirm her face here, I’ll remember it even after waking from this dream.

Then how will I live my life?

Resentment and anger were the driving forces of my life.

‘What should I do now?’

I had finally shed everything that had bound and tormented me, but strangely, I didn’t feel relieved.

At that time.

*Thump…*

A very light, dry hand barely stroked Kyle’s back.

“Ah…”

This was…

My mother’s touch.