The Isolated Marchioness Just Wants to Make a Living - Chapter 91
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 91
“That’s impossible.”
I muttered carefully.
“A person… transforming… that’s…”
“Terrible, isn’t it?”
Harrison let out a bitter laugh, but he didn’t look amused at all.
“Transforming into something that causes unimaginable harm to humans.”
In the serious atmosphere, he continued with difficulty.
“Becoming such a… strange existence…”
I stared intently at Harrison.
As the youngest child of the Former Marquis Naisar Couple, he had three older sisters.
Harrison called them Big Sister, Little Sister, and Youngest Sister.
He was very close to his three sisters who had already become adults.
Even at the Academy, they constantly exchanged letters.
Most of them were jokes and teasing, but that only highlighted their intimacy even more.
I always thought I was envious watching that.
On Harrison’s graduation day, I saw the Marquis Naisar couple and his three sisters come together to congratulate Harrison right next to me. Because I was his graduation party partner.
After Harrison graduated from the Academy and left like that, one year ago from now, his Big Sister inherited the marquis title and became Marquis Naisar.
This was because the Former Marquis couple had entered the Sleep Cursed Forest to search for their missing Little Sister, and all contact with them was completely lost.
But that Little Sister hadn’t gone missing—she had become a monster?
“You… is it okay for you to tell us such classified information so easily?”
I asked with a trembling voice.
Then Harrison answered nonchalantly.
“Of course it’s not okay, right?”
“Did your sisters agree to you blabbing about family matters like this?”
“No. But I want to talk about it.”
Then Leopold, who had been wearing an incredulous expression, also chimed in taking my side.
“Does it make sense that your desire to blab comes before keeping your family’s secrets?”
“It makes sense to me. My family always told me to study hard. But I didn’t listen to them.”
Despite mine and Leopold’s rational criticism, the Academy’s last-place student remained confident.
“Me living as I please like this isn’t something that started yesterday. I never expected to be understood by model students like you who suppress your desire to play and study hard.”
Then he continued speaking toward Alpheus.
“The ‘Curse of Sleep’ first occurred 10 years ago. Originally it was a curse that started on one small hill, but now the range has spread to quite a dense forest.”
It was true.
Recently, the range had grown even larger, to the point where the Second Prince was deployed. They were afraid that if left alone, the curse wouldn’t be limited to the Southern Region but would spread throughout the entire Empire.
“Little Sister also started changing occasionally from 10 years ago. Actually, it’s a forest that was created because of Little Sister.”
Harrison’s Little Sister was now twenty-four years old.
“So it was from when she was fourteen.”
I remembered seeing her at the graduation ceremony.
The Southern Marquis Naisar House was full of handsome men and beautiful women, but her beauty was truly exceptional.
I had heard that among the three sisters, the second was the prettiest, and it was indeed true. I vividly remembered how her red eyes sparkled like rubies.
“We have been waiting for our beloved Little Sister for ten years…”
He spoke slowly.
“Waiting, enduring, and persevering.”
Leopold was now staring intently at Harrison.
“But it’s getting progressively worse, and now we can no longer bear it. As Little Sister’s Demonic Power grows stronger, that Forest keeps expanding.”
In that moment, I could imagine Harrison’s already broken heart.
As well as the anguish he must have endured to speak of his beloved family in such a way.
“How do you know the Forest’s range is expanding?”
When I asked carefully, Harrison answered.
“Strange Trees grow in the Forest. The Transparent Tough Large Leaves of those trees envelop the Forest. Anyone who enters that range falls asleep.”
It was exactly as described in the original story.
After a moment passed, Leopold spoke with a cracked voice.
“There must be a way…”
His tone was somewhat desperate, unlike his usual self.
“There must be a way, right? That seems like an Ancient Curse, so if we look for a method…”
“Ancient Curse… That’s right. We thought of that too. The curse recorded in the Original Four Families.”
I tilted my head.
“Not the First Five Families?”
“The curse only applies to four families. Big Sister searched through Ancient Books. According to the records, Sears joined last after the manifestation of the four families’ curses. So Sears isn’t subject to the ancient curse.”
After explaining earnestly, Harrison raised one eyebrow.
“Wow, even though you’re my senior, it feels really strange for me, who was last in the Academy, to be showing off knowledge to Brisa.”
“…Ahem, there are hardly any Sears historical records left…”
I blamed my ancestors.
Harrison sighed and continued.
“Anyway, we tried everything and failed at all of it. That’s how even our Parents became sacrifices.”
No one could respond to those words.
“The Southern Region was prosperous, though not as much as the Western Region. But why couldn’t Big Sister even provide me with proper clothes when she sent me away? Haven’t you thought about that?”
I just thought Harrison had run away with nothing because he was immature. He was known for his frivolous words and actions even at the Academy.
Honestly, I thought it was just a privileged Noble House’s youngest son wanting to play at being a wandering Mage.
But to think that really running away with nothing wasn’t just ‘playing around.’
“We tried everything… Leo, we really tried everything. Much more desperately than you can imagine.”
“…”
“Do you know how far things have gone now?”
Harrison shook his head and spoke slowly.
“Even if there might be another way, we don’t want to waste more time looking for it and become unhappy among those who remain.”
“But still…”
“Yes, we held onto hope for about five years too. Maybe there’s a way, ancient curses have been broken before, if we don’t give up we’ll surely find a path…”
He laughed hollowly.
“If I dare to evaluate it now, ten years later, we suffered as much from hope as we did from despair.”
Leopold hesitated uncharacteristically, pursing his lips, then ultimately fell silent.
“I just, I just want to end it all. We’re… exhausted. It’s been too long.”
Harrison looked at me and chuckled bitterly.
“Brisa, do you know what I thought when I looked at you?”
“…I don’t know.”
“I thought it must have been better that your mother passed away. I just, I wished we could all end like that too.”
I bit my lower lip hard.
I couldn’t find any words to respond with.
Actually, when Harrison talked about Little Sister, I thought of Mother too.
The feeling of holding onto hope and being frustrated while watching family who would never get better… I knew that feeling all too well.
Leopold slowly blinked as he watched me give no response.
“Marquis.”
Throughout all this, Harrison didn’t even shed a tear.
“That half-demon turns the Southern Region into the Land of Calamity and makes us all suffer.”
However, I thought that sight was even sadder. I knew how deep Harrison’s bond was with his sisters.
I couldn’t even imagine how difficult it must have been for him to say such things without tears.
“It took ten years to realize that ‘it’ is a being that torments those closest to it first.”
Leopold was quietly watching Harrison with clenched fists.
Indescribable emotions were churning in his eyes.
Harrison continued breathlessly.
“Please, please I beg you, come to the Southern Region just once.”
Then he stood up from his seat and knelt before Alpheus.
“I don’t know the details of the situation, but Big Sister, who is a marquis, might know a way to drag Little Sister out of that forest.”
“W-wait a moment. Harrison? Stand up. You don’t need to do this…”
“And… please kill our Little Sister.”
Both Alpheus and I froze in shock.
Harrison bowed his head and added.
“You, Marquis, as a war hero who isn’t bewitched by Naisar, might be able to do it.”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————