When I opened my eyes in the morning, the sky was overcast.

“It seems like it might rain.”

So, Ibi stared for a long time at the sky piled high with clouds.

In Teyndavis, it rarely rained. Due to the high altitude of the continent, it was difficult for rain clouds to form.

Still, a few times a year, rain clouds would sweep in, bringing relief to the land. In this water-scarce place, rain was always a welcome guest.

Ibi imagined the sound of the upcoming rain and got up from her seat. After grabbing a few pieces of bread and a glass of water from the table, she headed towards the inner room. Then, she hesitated in front of the door.

“Is it strange to knock?”

Inside was a servant she had reluctantly detained yesterday, promising to vent her anger.

Although she had thought of diverting her with the intention of helping, Ibi had no intention of being kind to the servant.

So, hesitating to knock or not, she just opened the door with a cold voice.

“Come in.”

As soon as she opened the door and entered, Ibi locked eyes with the servant who was sitting by the window.

The servant had taken off the mask and apron and was sitting on the stool.

It seemed as if she was either watching the rare rain clouds or contemplating how to escape through the window.

Ibi observed the servant’s expression.

Unlike yesterday when she was sobbing sorrowfully, today she seemed calm. Even upon seeing Ibi suddenly appear, she didn’t seem particularly shaken.

“Eat. Since you haven’t been poisoned, don’t think unnecessary thoughts.”

Ibi put down what she had brought from the table and turned away.

However, the servant hurriedly approached and grabbed a corner of Ibi’s clothes. Startled by the sudden contact, Ibi shook off the hand and turned to look at the servant.

When Ibi sharply confronted her, the servant raised both hands and fidgeted before dipping her hand into the water cup on the table.

Then, using that water, she started writing on the table.

― Thank you.

“What for?”

― For not hitting me.

Ibi glanced briefly between the words on the table and the servant’s face. Then, as if uninterested, she replied curtly and turned away.

“Oh, okay.”

But then the servant grabbed Ibi again.

“What now?”

As Ibi turned irritably, the servant quickly dipped her hand in the water, busily writing.

― Why did you help me?

Ibi tried to snort to dismiss the question. However, her mouth moved first.

“Because you seemed unusual for a servant.”

Ibi was momentarily surprised by the answer that spontaneously came out.

It seemed that the curse even interpreted written questions as questions.

As Ibi tried to take the cup away from the servant to avoid further discussion, the servant lightly moved her fingers.

―?

A question mark.

Surely, the curse wouldn’t respond even to this extent.

Ibi hoped desperately that it wouldn’t, but the curse was thorough. So, Ibi’s mouth moved on its own once again.
“I am me, and you being you seemed strange. It was odd that only you were having a hard time in the same space, and everything about it, that it wasn’t me but you, was so strange that I couldn’t pretend not to see.”

Ibi unintentionally spoke, and she was startled by what she had said.

After being cursed, incidents like this happened occasionally. It felt like the curse was poking at her true feelings, revealed in words, which ironically stung even more.

To be pricked by her own thoughts, it might sound strange at first, but surprisingly, many people in the world didn’t know their true feelings well.

Especially Ibi, who had to make many choices, always ended up sacrificing her own feelings in the end of complex calculations.

So, Ibi sometimes found the raw truth brought out by the curse genuinely awkward. Just like now.

Ibi, who had momentarily stiffened, soon regained her composure and clicked her tongue.

It was somewhat embarrassing to verbalize thoughts that she had kept to herself, but thankfully, she had a mask. Besides, such whimsical words wouldn’t be understood anyway.

Thinking this way, Ibi grabbed the water cup the maid used for ink. Anticipating a puzzled expression, she looked up at the maid’s face.

Unexpectedly, the maid was smiling.

As if she had already understood, looking delighted.

The girl with a gentle face smiled softly, knelt down on one knee, and then kissed the back of Ibi’s hand. It was a cautious gesture of reverence.

“…It’s just a whim. Don’t think about becoming friends with me. Don’t even think that there might be another favor like this.”

Ibi, feeling awkward, deliberately spoke coldly to the maid.

Ibi had no intention of being kind to this maid.

She didn’t want the savior of a lamb to act arrogant. She didn’t want to appear kind and approachable. She didn’t want this girl to trust just anyone because of this incident.

So, even though she tried to keep her distance, it seemed like the maid had already captured her heart.

“You may see it as a whim, but to me, it’s salvation.”

The maid, whose cup had been taken away, replied with difficulty, gathering the moisture from the table.