Either the child his brother bore would inherit his curse, or he would finally be unable to endure and self-destruct.
Both options had his death as a foregone conclusion, but Rodrick was calm about it.
In a situation where there was no child to inherit it, if he self-destructed, the curse might fly off in an unexpected direction and harm his brother.
So the only option was to endure the pain until his brother inherited the duke title and had a child.
Because it was not something that weak-hearted fellow could handle.
As long as his brother didn't inherit the curse, Rodrick didn't care what happened to himself.
[Papa!]
The child appeared without warning, blocking Rodrick's path.
"What is it."
[What about Mama? Are you moving alone, Papa?]
"I have no intention of indulging in this pointless make-believe."
He passed right through the child's body and continued walking in search of an escape route.
[I'll let you out, you know?]
"I don't believe the words of lesser beings."
[Really? Then I guess I'll only open the exit for Mama?]
"Do as you please."
[Then I'll have to punish Papa! For trying to destroy this castle on your own. You'll stay with us forever until you die.]
As the little one clapped his hands together, the floor turned muddy and Rodrick's feet sank in. The corridor, which had changed into a swamp, slowly began to swallow him.
However, his expression remained calm, without a trace of bewilderment. As if he had always experienced such things.
Rather, it was the child who was taken aback by his reaction.
[Huh? Why aren't you surprised?]
"Where does this connect to?"
[Hmph, as if I'd tell you! Hmm, is this too weak? How about this?]
As the child snapped his fingers, Rodrick's vision flipped and he found himself in a different space.
His lips twisted fiercely at the familiar yet dreadful space.
'Br-Brother.'
In the space splattered with red blood, a woman was wailing, and his brother was dying in her hands.
'Don't come, brother. I'm fine.'
The curse didn't only affect those of the family bloodline. It eventually drove even the duke's longtime companion mad.
A terrible curse that made one unable to recognize their own child as their child.
'Aagh! That! That's not my child! It's a monster!'
Despite being told to stay away, his brother, longing for his mother's embrace, finally approached the woman.
'Brother.'
What did he do right that his brother was smiling as if apologetic?
'Someone. Someone please remove that thing!'
His vision blurred at the chaotically unfolding scene.
'Please, someone kill that monster!'
In front of the shattered glass fragments, light reflected and his vision swam.
Ah. How did he respond at that time?
Even knowing this was an illusion, nausea rose and his throat tightened.
The child smiled broadly at the emotional disturbance of the man who seemed like he wouldn't show any change no matter what was done to him.
Should he trap the man at the bottom of the castle like this?
The smug expression of the child with folded arms changed abruptly at that moment.
Someone was touching his core. Gasp. The child inhaled sharply and disappeared with a face transformed into that of an evil spirit.
[This is the timeline separator]
"I think I've found most of them."
Diana was holding an armful of miscellaneous items, from old dolls to wooden daggers.
They were worn toys, objects imbued with children's thoughts.
She had thought she only needed to find the one child who proposed the game of hide-and-seek, but there were multiple children hiding.
Finding them wasn't difficult. Their thoughts could be read like magic, allowing her to discover the children's souls. When she picked up an object, the child's soul naturally followed her.
Her ability to read magic came in handy at times like this.
After parting with Rodrick, she moved quickly with her recovered body. With her body feeling light for the first time in a long while, she was able to move as if flying.
One of the children following behind her tugged on her sleeve and pointed to a spot. It was time to end this long game of hide-and-seek.
"Is that it?"
The child nodded. It was the object belonging to the child who had proposed the hide-and-seek game to Diana.
As she was about to touch the alter ego containing the child's soul, the child popped out of thin air.
[Don't touch it!]
"I've found them all."
As she reached out her hand, flames erupted throughout the room. The already burned furniture emitted smoke once again, obscuring her vision with acrid fumes.
"So it wasn't fog, but smoke."
It seemed real, but everything was an illusion. Though the searing heat threatened to melt her skin as it flickered menacingly, she paid no mind and continued to reach out.
She picked up a half-melted teaspoon hidden behind a piece of furniture in the corner.
"There you are."
[I said don't touch it!]
The child was terrified. Though they had asked to be found themselves, they never really believed she would find them like this.
They had proposed it wanting to escape, but paradoxically hoped they wouldn't be found. They didn't want others to see their grotesquely distorted forms.
Adults were scary. Scary, but also missed.
Waaah. The child who had been charging at her like an evil spirit was now wailing that it was hot. The other children were no different.
Children hiding in small, cramped spaces. As she touched each object, the soul of the child dwelling within it appeared. Every one of them was burned and hideously transformed. And they were crying, unable to leave the spot where their object was placed.
The wizard's castle. She wasn't sure what purpose this place was built for, but one thing was clear. Children had been sacrificed.
With her arms full of objects, Diana led the children out of the west corridor. Even the acrid smoke blocking their path was ineffective.
Though the illusion seemed real and her eyes watered from the acrid fumes, Diana pressed forward.
Her recovered physical state wasn't bad at all. Despite the scorching heat, her steps were unwavering.
[Wh-Where are you going?]
"To your guardians."
Her expression was as resolute as her firm voice. She seemed somewhat angry.
Search "seduce" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chap 70.