Chapter 42 (1/2)

Edgar wanted to grab his father's neck and tell him to stop with that nonsense.

Judging from the condition of the room, it wasn't their first meeting. Ann had said he had been staying at the villa for more than a month… a cold smile appeared on the duchess' face.

"You don't love her?"

"Yes, it was just… she said she was suffering so much that she wanted to die if I didn't meet her. So, I met her out of pity. You are the only one I truly love."

The duke got up from the bed and was about to reach his wife.

"Filthy!"

The duchess yelled. That yell became a shriek and shook the building. However, it didn't fade after that, and it pierced everybody's ears. It wasn't just a feeling. Blood truly came out of their ears.

Soon the duchess shed her skin. Then, a brilliantly beautiful creature came out. Her white hair that reached the floor glowed and her white skin was like air itself.

Moreover, her back had two brilliant wings.

'… nymph.'

Edgar had heard about nymphs. Immortal creatures that lived on their own islands on the other side of the ocean. However, they hadn't shown themselves on the continent for more than a century. Edgar couldn't believe what he was seeing. On the other hand, the duke and the nurse were so calm with the unrealistic situation.

"My love, this was only a mistake…"

The duke couldn't say more, and he was not going to say anything again. The second the nymph raised her finger to point at him, his soul left his body. His mistress met the same fate.

There was no mercy in a nymph's rage.

The nymph made the souls of the man she once called husband and the woman who had seduced him leave their bodies and looked at Edgar. Her eyes were cold, there was no emotion in them. Then, her finger was pointed at him.

"You shall never walk again under the sunlight."

As soon as she finished saying that, Edgar felt a severe pain under his ankles and fell. His feet started to feel numb slowly. At the time, his knees were not paralyzed. However, the numbness in his feet was enough. He couldn't walk normally. So, he limped as he tried to reach the nymph.

"… mother."

Edgar didn't know what he wanted to say. Anyway, the nymph didn't get to hear it. She turned into foam and disappeared right on the spot.

"Oh, my princess. I told you not to fall in love with a man many times…"

Then Caren took out a pendulum and put the foam in it. She had come with Edgar's mother from their homeland. So, Edgar desperately grabbed her.

"Caren, where is my mother? Where did she go? She is alive, right?"

Instead of replying to that, Caren lightly pushed him away.

Normally that much of force would have done nothing to him, but now his feet were numb. He immediately fell. Caren was about to leave without regrets with the pendulum, but then she looked back by the door.

"Do you blame her?"

Edgar shook his head.

"If I should blame someone, I will blame father."

He really meant it. Even though his mother had cursed him, he didn't want to blame her. The anger, betrayal, and solitude she had felt. Edgar had felt something like that when he witnessed his father's shame.

How despaired she must have been that she cursed her own son?

He wanted to deny the fact that half of his body had come from that dirty man.

"… Eddie."

Caren went back to Edgar. If he had blamed her princess, she would have left without hesitation. However, he didn't. She pointed at his feet.

"If you don't break the curse, the numbness will grow and go up to your body in time. You will lose your life when it reaches your heart."

"I might lose it before that."

Edgar smiled bitterly. He had been cursed by a nymph, he didn't think the world would let him live.

"Half of your blood is a nymph's blood. If the princess'…"

Caren shut her mouth. Then, she shook her head as if she was regretting saying that.

"You could have gotten eternal life. However, because of your father's sin, your fate is now in grave danger."

Caren took out a jewelry box from her pocket and opened it. Inside was a ring with a blue stone that looked like a piece of blue sky.

"You will not get to live for eternity, but I will give you one chance. When your life is about to come to an end, put this ring on your chest and say the name. Then you will return to this moment."

"Can't you send me back to before father started having an affair?"

"That is beyond my power."

Caren looked bitter while she stroked Edgar's cheek with affection.