Chapter 3: The Hero’s New Job (2)

　　Not long ago, a war hero died. That was the first piece of tragic news announced by the Kingdom, which had finally achieved a peace treaty after decades of battle with the Empire that sought to rule the continent. The great mage who had always claimed the greatest honors in countless battles, the hero who had always been the first to protect the people of the Kingdom in the face of harsh trials, the great warrior, Reina Khan, was dead… or so everyone believed.

　　In truth, she is alive. But it couldn’t be said that the present Reina Khan was the one everyone knew. Because I had entered her dead body.

　　Why?

　　I, who had lived in Korea, died. I must have died. I was hit by a drunk driver and then dumped on a mountain. As a spirit, I cursed my unfair death, then lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes, I had become her.

　　But how do I know this body is Reina’s? The reason is simple. This world was the world of a novel that had made me clutch my phone even while I crossed the street.

　　Can Love Be Forgotten with Love?—or ‘CLFL’ for short—was a trashy, dramatic romance novel where a cast of pitiful protagonists came together to find love. It was a novel you could read mindlessly, so I read it often and remembering the contents was easy. Among them, the key figure for me right now is the second male lead, Sedian Luciano.

　　He was the eldest son of a ducal family that had achieved great distinction in the war between the Empire and the Kingdom. This background gave him great pride, but it also plunged him into terrible suffering. As his family joined the war and the scales of victory tipped toward the Empire, the anxious Kingdom used its great mage. The mage cast a forbidden curse on the Lucianos, and the successful curse turned Sedian Luciano, the family’s pride and only heir, into a hideous state.

　　Having heard this much, you can probably guess who that mage is. It’s me.

　　Originally, Reina Khan was supposed to die at Sedian’s hands five years from now. But for some reason, she died early, and I ended up in this body. There’s no way to know why it happened this way. In the first place, entering a novel was absurd enough, so whether a character who was supposed to live died or not wasn’t important to me. What mattered to me was keeping this body—this head of mine that was fated to die—firmly attached.

　　I hate torture. The original novel described it in such detail… I’m already trembling. To avoid that future, I had to stick close to Sedian, no matter what, and break his curse.

　　I glanced at the maid who was guiding me. Her expression, bright when I’d said I was here for the butler interview, was now deathly pale as we climbed to the second floor. What was her problem?

　　“Um, you said your name was Rei, right?” the maid finally asked.

　　‘Rei.’ This alias was made by simply dropping the last syllable from the name Reina.

　　“That’s right.”

　　“Okay, Mr. Rei. Then… please be careful. I’m about to open the door.”

　　“Pardon?”

　　While I was hesitating, unsure of what she meant, the maid opened the door. It must have been a well-soundproofed door, because the moment it opened, a tremendous scream poured out.

　　“Did you bring me this dog slop to eat? You dare bring me something a passing beggar wouldn’t touch?!”

　　“M-my lord! Your digestive system is weak, so we made a thin soup. It should taste good. You should eat at least a little.”

　　“I said I’m not eating it!”

　　Crash!

　　Something flew through the air and shattered against the wall. It was a teacup that had narrowly missed my ear. The maid who had guided me straightened up as if she had expected this, having deftly dodged to the side. She began to collect the fragments in her apron.

　　“Do you all think I’m some invalid? I’m not a sick person! I’m sick and tired of being treated like a patient! Get out, all of you! I’ll handle things myself!”

　　Another crash, and the sound of something shattering again. Judging by the thick liquid staining the carpet, it seemed a soup bowl had been broken. But this, too, the maids seemed to be used to. Not a single one looked surprised as they quietly backed away.

　　Come to think of it, the nickname the readers gave Sedian was…

　　‘Prickly Cat.’ He was called that because he acted like a total bastard to everyone except the heroine he would later meet. Since he hasn’t even met her yet, he’s probably even more prickly now.

　　“Didn’t you hear me? Get out! I said get out, all of you! Disappear from my sight!”

　　Sedian’s body trembled as if he were having a seizure as he screamed. If we didn’t get out right now, the next thing flying wouldn’t be a teacup but a fruit knife. The maid tugged firmly on my sleeve—a signal to retreat. The maid who had been serving the meal was also backing away.

　　But I looked at Sedian, who was still heaving and trembling. For a seventeen-year-old boy, he was quite small, likely from not being properly nourished since he was cursed. My brow furrowed.

　　“Mr. Rei, it’s better if we leave for now.”

　　The maid tugged at me again. I shook my head. “The rest of you may leave. I came for an interview, so I must have my interview before I go.”

　　“What?”

　　The maid’s eyes went wide. “But when his lordship is in that state, it’s better not to go near him…”

　　“I’ll handle it.”

　　At my firm reply, the maids looked slightly surprised, then, with expressions that said ‘do as you please,’ they left me and exited the room.

　　The sound of the door closing echoed. Only then, seeming to have calmed down a little, did Sedian let out a ragged breath and clench his fists. He was muttering something, but he was too far away for me to hear what he was saying.

　　Does he not know I’m still here? Come to think of it, they said his eyesight was poor because of the curse and that he couldn’t see anything properly unless it was close. Thanks to that, I was able to observe him at my leisure.

　　In the original story, there was a passage that said anyone who saw Sedian Luciano for the first time would wonder if he was an angel who had briefly borrowed a human body. As much as it was a novel, I’d wondered if it was necessary to be so cringey, but…

　　It’s true. I admit it. He’s incredibly handsome. His slightly curly hair was a brilliant silver that seemed to hold the radiant sunlight, and his skin was so pale it was nearly transparent. His down-turned eyes and the pupils within them were as beautiful as the emerald shores of the Hilton Sea.

　　However, this beauty was only one half of him. His left arm was withered like a dead tree, and with every movement, bits of skin were peeling off. As if a rotten tree had taken root in his body and spread its branches, the curse that started in his left arm had encroached upon his left shoulder and torso.

　　They said the curse was cast by offering a corrupted tree spirit. It must hurt. Living must be agonizing every single day.

　　The information I knew from the novel was, in the end, just text, so it was hard to truly empathize. But now, I was seeing Sedian with my own two eyes. As a result, his pain, suffering, sorrow, and anger felt so complete that even though it wasn’t my doing, I felt terrible. Before I was transmigrated, I was a nurse, and I’d seen a boy about his age pass away. Is that why? Sedian began to look not just like a means to save my own life, but like a pitiful child.

　　Reina. Why did you cast a curse like this? What did this boy ever do wrong?

　　I let out a low sigh as I looked at him. At that, his shoulders tensed and his head whipped around.

　　“Who’s there? Who is it?”

　　Looking closely, his eyes were clouded as if with cataracts. His vision was definitely not clear. I sighed again and approached him.

　　“Hello, my lord. I am Rei, here for the butler interview today.”

　　At that, Sedian’s brow furrowed. “Ah. That crazy bastard.”

　　Calling me a crazy bastard is a bit much. All he’s seen is my application. Besides, I submitted that form with a certain amount of sincerity and desperation. I was about to open my mouth, reining in my desire to grumble, when a sharp remark came from him first.

　　“But didn’t I clearly tell everyone to get out? Why are you still here?”

　　“That’s—”

　　“Just because my eyesight is poor, are you treating me like an idiot, too?”

　　“There’s no way—”

　　“If that’s the case, it’s an act for which you’d have no excuse if you were thrown in jail for insulting a noble!”

　　Let me speak, just let me get a word in. He wouldn’t let me finish a sentence. I walked toward Sedian, who was still shouting at thin air. It seemed like whatever I said would be useless anyway, and right now, there was something I had to do before my interview.

　　“When I’m being nice, get out right now—!”

　　His words stopped abruptly. He looked flustered and yanked his hand away from my grasp. “What are you—what are you doing?”

　　“You’re hurt.” I pulled his hand back toward me and replied. A moment ago, when he broke the soup bowl and braced himself on the side of the tray, I’d seen him wince. I thought he might be hurt, and sure enough, a shard was stuck in his palm. “I’ll just treat this and then I’ll leave.”

　　Holding his hand, which was as thin and withered as a dry branch, I carefully removed the piece of the plate. All the while, Sedian was stiff as a board, not moving. Thanks to that, I was able to treat him quickly.

　　“You… right now… are you… touching me?”

　　I didn’t understand the meaning of his belated question, so I confirmed, confused. “Yes. I have to touch you to treat you.”

　　“Let go of me, now!”

　　Clatter!

　　Sedian shoved me hard and shouted. Then he flailed his arms in the air before finally grabbing the pull-cord and yanking it hard.

　　“My lord? What is it?”

　　“Bring the holy water, quickly!” At the harsh ringing of the bell, maids came running in, and Sedian yelled at them.

　　“Sprinkle holy water on this bastard! Now!” Then he pointed at me. “The curse is contagious!”

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