The Villainous Young Lady Would Even Risk Her Life for Her Beloved ～ Her Fiancé, the Prince? By All Means, Please Be Happy with the Heroine! - Chapter 1.29

“In this case, I believe the term ‘possession’ is more accurate than ‘curse.’”

That made sense. The expression I had seen back then had felt like a completely different person—something overwhelmingly sinister.

“We can assume that wielding the sword acts as the trigger for its manifestation. The stronger and longer the possession lingers, the more it compels the host to crave the sword.”

The Grand Marshal and I nodded in agreement.

“Now, let me briefly explain how we’ll proceed.”

My uncle seemed rather pleased with himself. Perhaps he felt like a teacher with two attentive students today.

“First, we will force the curse to reveal itself. What happens next depends on what emerges—we will either send it back where it belongs, destroy it, or seal it away.”

The best outcome would be resolving it through negotiation, followed by subduing it with force, and as a last resort, complete suppression.

“And… how exactly do we draw it out?”

“I’ll handle that part. I’ve done it before!”

Wait—when, where, and how?! Another one of his strange, specialized spells?

“But sealing something without a physical form should be impossible.”

As expected from the head of a family renowned for defensive magic. He was well-versed in irregular cases.

“I’ve already contacted an old acquaintance. The sealing stone for curses should arrive soon.”

When did he manage that? Had he anticipated this possibility from the start?

“I’m relieved there’s a method. In some countries, entire families specialize in curses. If that were the case here, I might not have been able to counter it.”

“Such families exist…?”

“The world is vast!”

The Grand Marshal looked horrified, but my uncle misinterpreted his reaction as awe and seemed to enjoy himself even more.

“To draw it out, I’ll need the ancestral sword.”

“You may use whatever you need.”

“I’ll also need your son’s assistance.”

“Of course.”

“But isn’t this matter supposed to remain classified?”

“There’s nothing left to hide. Anyone who has seen my sister’s condition must have already suspected the truth.”

The two of them quickly made decisions one after another. When the people involved have authority, things move swiftly.

“…Actually, Your Highness has already found out about this. I sincerely apologize.”

I had been saved thanks to Prince Leonhart and the others, but in doing so, I had broken my promise to the Grand Marshal.

“Oh, no need to lower your head. Trying to protect the family name at this stage was the real mistake. If we had been more open, we might have discovered the truth much sooner.”

“But weren’t you protecting Lady Louise rather than the family name?”

It wasn’t about reputation—it was about safeguarding his daughter. Even I could see that much.

Two weeks later, the plan was set into motion. By that time, Louise seemed to have either accepted or resigned herself to her fate. She was, after all, a knight’s daughter. Her complexion was terrible, but her resolve was clear.

The location was House Olden’s indoor training hall. The participants included the head of House Olden, Louise’s brothers, and even her mother and sister. The entire family was present. From our side, my uncle Luke, myself, my father, Luca, and Professor Alibara were in attendance. And, for some reason, Geoffrey had come as well.

“His Highness was concerned, but the king did not permit him to come, so I am here in his stead.”

That explained why he seemed unsettled yesterday. Indeed, anything could happen today—there was no way the prince could be sent into such an unpredictable and dangerous situation.

My uncle had also faced my mother’s wrath once she learned everything. She had been absolutely livid, but my father had intervened, and somehow, they had come to an agreement. As a condition, Professor Alibara had been sent to oversee things. I hadn’t realized how much my mother had come to trust him.

Our household was, as everyone knew, absurdly lax for a ducal family. But that was only because both my father and mother had been reckless in their youth and couldn’t exactly scold us with any authority. And now, with my uncle added to the mix, all my guardians were like this—frankly, it worked in my favor.

“Lady Louise, you must be very anxious, but we’ll get through this together.”

“Yes… Truly, thank you so much!”

We had only just informed her of today’s events, and even then, only in broad strokes. According to my uncle:

“We can’t let the entity know.”

Apparently, he had been gathering intel from experts in curses.

Louise was trembling violently. It wasn’t from the cold—summer was fast approaching. And yet, it wasn’t quite the trembling of fear either. There was something off about it, as if her emotions were at odds with the involuntary response of her body.

“Father, Mother, my brothers, my sister—I have a request.”

Her voice rang clear.

“Speak.”

Her father, the Grand Marshal, met her gaze firmly.

“If you truly care for me, then do not hold back. I am a member of House Olden. No matter what I must endure, I will withstand it.”

I was already on the verge of tears. This family had steeled themselves for whatever was to come. No matter what happened, they were determined to see this through. Louise included. My family and I had to do our part as well.

“With more participants, we’ll slightly adjust the roles!”

My uncle, as always, was full of energy—even though something utterly terrifying was about to take place.

“The brothers will be in charge of restraining Lady Louise if she loses control.”

That was a certainty—restraints were absolutely necessary.

“The negotiation, once the entity manifests, will be handled by myself and the Grand Marshal.”

The head of House Olden gave a firm nod.

“If negotiations fail, Roy and Alibara will lead the response, with everyone supporting.”

My father was considered part of the combat force… Though he was a former adventurer, his usual easygoing demeanor made me slightly nervous.

“If even that fails, the sealing will be handled by the lady of the house and Miss Dahlia.”

Dahlia was the eldest child of House Olden and part of the knights’ magic division. I had assumed the Grand Marshal would handle the sealing, but apparently not. It seemed both women were highly skilled in defensive magic—a side of House Olden I hadn’t known about in the original story.

“Lydiana, you’re in charge of medical aid. Luca and Geoffrey, you’ll be protecting her. Make sure nothing gets past you!”

My uncle made sure each of us had a role.

“Well then, let’s begin!”

A short distance from Louise, Geoffrey cast a protective barrier around the three of us, forming a dome-shaped shield.

The Grand Marshal opened a heavy wooden box and retrieved the so-called Fairy King’s Sword. As befitting a treasured blade, the weapon’s surface gleamed with an array of gemstones embedded even into the blade itself.

(Wouldn’t that make it harder to cut with?)

I was about to discreetly ask Geoffrey about it when Louise suddenly lunged. She attacked the Grand Marshal, attempting to snatch the sword from his grasp.

(But she hasn’t even touched the sword yet!?)

Before I could shout a warning, Louise’s brother, Wilhelm, swiftly cast a defensive spell, creating a barrier between her and the Grand Marshal. Undeterred, Louise crashed into it, only to find her arms and legs instantly restrained by small, precise defensive spells. It seemed to be the work of Helga, the captain of the Fifth Knight Order.

“I didn’t know you could use magic like that.”

“Neither did I.”

“I had heard that House Olden specializes in defensive magic.”

“Yes, their skill is truly remarkable. I should take notes.”

Luca and Geoffrey were both impressed. However, seeing how violently Louise reacted just from the mere presence of the sword, I couldn’t help but worry whether she could even handle it safely. Her entire demeanor had already changed beyond recognition.

“There’s no need to rush. She will hold it soon enough.”

With those words, the Grand Marshal firmly placed the sword in Louise’s hands.

A malevolent aura surged from her, filling the air with an oppressive presence. A cold sweat broke out across my skin as that same horrible feeling from before clung to me.

“UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE! UNFORGIVABLE!”

Louise’s voice was ragged, screaming so loudly it sounded as if her throat might tear apart.

“YOU DARE FORGET THE DEBT YOU OWE ME? YOU BETRAYED ME! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOUUUU!”

Her fury was so overwhelming that it was difficult to make out her words. The entity had surfaced on its own before we even had a chance to force it out. However, as long as it was still inside Louise’s body, we couldn’t attack.

“That is quite a troublesome accusation. But first, may I ask your name?”

My uncle remained completely unshaken. He spoke as if casually addressing a drunken patron in a tavern, trying to coax details out of them.

“WHO ARE YOUUUU! WHERE IS WOLFF! BRING HIM FORTH! I SAID BRING HIM TO MEEE!”

“I am Luke Flores. I’m afraid Wolff is not here.”

“DO NOT LIE TO ME! THAT FIERY RED HAIR—IT BEARS MY BLESSING!”

She shifted her glare to the Grand Marshal, standing behind my uncle.

Wolff—she must be referring to Wolff Olden, the founder of House Olden.

(Wait… the one who granted their extraordinary talent was also the one who placed the curse!?)

Why?!

“That man is indeed Wolff’s descendant.”

“DO NOT HIDE HIM FROM MEEE! BRING ME WOLFF! BRING HIM HEEEERE!”

She began shrieking with rage once more. This was getting nowhere. Was negotiation impossible after all?

“You are the daughter of the Fairy King—Lady Lufenya, aren’t you?”

At the sound of the sudden voice, I turned.

Prince Leonhart stood there.