Healers from Falkenheimm’s Dawn Tower usually travel around the continent on a ‘pilgrimage’ after reaching a certain level. Then they return to the tower to devote themselves to study.
Unless they were personally employed by a lord who paid a substantial amount, they could not leave Falkenheimm again. So, it wasn’t feasible to stay in one place for too long.
“Then I can’t ask you to stay any longer. You have been a great help.”
“It was a good experience for me.”
Adel hesitated for a moment. She tightly gripped her trembling fingers and spoke up.
“By the way, I was supposed to arrange payment for you, wasn’t I? I forgot… I left it in my room because I’ve been so distracted today.”
“Oh, well. I gained experience because of you, so you don’t need to pay me.”
“But, I can’t do that!”
Adel hastily exclaimed and then, seeing the healer’s surprised look, quickly added,
“You can’t break a promise, right? It’s not far from here. It’s also on the way out of the castle… it will only take a moment.”
“If you insist. Let’s do that, then.”
The healer agreed readily, without suspicion. Valentin looked a bit displeased but did not stop her. It was different from before when he would harm himself if she was not in his sight.
Could his memory be returning slowly? If so, that would be a relief. Despite his overly smooth recovery, Adel occasionally felt an inexplicable anxiety when facing Valentin.
She consciously avoided Valentin’s persistent gaze.
“Then, Your Grace. Please rest. I’ll be right back.”
“This way.”
The Duchess hurried down the dim corridor. Initially maintaining a calm demeanor, she gradually quickened her pace, nearly turning into a run towards the end. The healer, not understanding the reason, hurriedly followed her.
“Your Grace?”
“There’s someone you must see before you leave. It’s urgent.”
The Duchess whispered without turning to look at the healer, her lips pale and drained of color. She nervously scratched the back of her head.
“…I don’t know what the matter is, but if the payment is right, I’ll do anything.”
They made their way through the banquet hall and kitchen, descending to the ground floor where the attendants stayed.
The maids in the corridor bowed their heads as they saw the Duchess, seemingly accustomed to someone of her standing moving around the ground floor.
‘Indeed. The marriage had been the talk of the North.’
Eventually, the Duchess stopped in front of an old door. She looked around before opening it, making sure no one was around, and carefully unlocked it.
The door creaked open.
It was a dark room with no light entering. The healer was startled by strange sounds coming from inside. It seemed like air escaping or the sound of nails scraping on metal.
As he hesitated, daunted by the eeriness, the Duchess looked back from beyond the door.
“Come in, please.”
The healer, gathering his courage, stepped over the threshold. In the room, there was a bed with a figure trembling under the blanket. When the Duchess drew back the curtains covering the window, light flooded in.
As he blinked in the bright light, the Duchess picked up a fallen blanket from the floor and dusted it off. She tenderly wrapped it around the shoulders of the shivering old woman.
“Grita, how do you feel?”
“Hi-ih… hic…”
“What should we do… Your neck is even more swollen than this morning. Please, hurry.”
Prompted by the Duchess’s anxious urging, the healer approached the bed.
“Let’s take a look.”
The maid retreated to the corner of the bed, warily eyeing the healer. Her bloodshot eyes, lips crusted with dried blood, disheveled hair, and groaning with pain. And her neck…
When he saw her neck, he involuntarily gasped.
“My goodness.”
Her entire neck was purplish-blue, as if severely compressed. To the healer, these marks were all too familiar, usually seen on bodies of those who had hanged themselves.
“What on earth happened here?”
“I don’t know. I found her like this when I came this morning. Please examine her thoroughly. I’ll pay whatever it takes…”
The healer took out his medical tools, examined Grita’s tongue and throat. After a while, he straightened up, shaking his head.
“This is beyond my healing capabilities.”
“What do you mean? If even a healer can’t solve this, then what…”
“It’s not a physical injury; she’s been cursed.”
“Cursed?”
“She’s lost her voice.”
Adel blinked in shock, her face turning pale. This meant a powerful creature capable of stealing voices was roaming freely in Ansger Castle.
But it didn’t make sense. Ansger Castle was protected by the powerful barrier of Morrig’s Veil.
And the expensive stained-glass windows in the audience chamber…
“My goodness.”
She suddenly remembered the recent incident of all the windows in the audience chamber being shattered. She had been preoccupied with the Duke’s revival and had completely forgotten. Adel swallowed her shock.
‘So, it really is related to a creature.’
At that moment, Adel recalled Grita’s face from a few days ago, desperate and unusually anxious. That must have been it.
‘The Dragon of Bichelreben.’
A streak of fear passed through Adel’s pale green eyes. Could it really be true?
“This powerful a curse, I have never seen before. But monster attacks in the North are not uncommon. Every season, two or three people fall victim.”
“…”
“Each one cursed in some way, spilling blood at the slightest scratch or suffering seizures. It’s not unusual to see one or two cases a year. Normally… such injuries would be fatal.”
Adel’s head snapped up.
“How do you know so much about the North?”
“Ah. I am originally from Linzingen. My family has farmed there for generations.”
“Linzingen… that’s not far from the Ansger region.”
If he’s from a family that’s lived in Bichelreben for generations, then he might know about ‘it’. At least more than she did… Adel hesitated before speaking.
Mentioning this legend could make her seem insane. Even in the North, where monsters regularly attacked, no one seriously believed in ‘it’. A god worshiped by soulless monsters.
But still.
“Have you ever heard of ‘the Shadow’?”
“…The Shadow?”
“Wondering if this incident could be related to that monster…”
As she spoke, the healer’s expression grew more enigmatic. Adel quickly waved her hand dismissively.
“Forget it, I’m just worried because of all these strange incidents happening one after the other…”
“Are you referring to the Dragon of Bichelreben, Duchess?”
As soon as the healer uttered those words, there was a reaction. Grita, curled up on the bed, trembled violently, covering her ears with her hands. The sound of escaping air grew disturbingly louder.
Shocked, Adel quickly stroked Grita’s back. The healer, watching this, slowly opened his mouth.
“…Actually, I haven’t experienced it directly, but…”
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
