Re: Death - Reincarnated Dead Into Another World

Chapter 21 - 17: The Origin of the Curse

[Milady's POV]

I…

I was the daughter of a well-off noble. That noble had the highest position in the Demon Continent – It was then later that I will come to learn the truth.

Maid A: "My~ Milady is such a talent. She can do almost anything."

It is because I was taught how.

Maid B: "Yes. I think so too! Not only that, she is also good with her academics!"

It was because I did not have anything else to place my time onto.

Maid A: "And of course, gracious, on top of that~ She is like a crystal on top of a still water, elegantly floating and drifting along the surface."

I admired my mother. I was simply copying her.

Maid B: "Exaaaaactly! Even though she is still young, she walks with dignity. I cannot help but be captivated by her figure."

I often hear our housekeepers talk about me.

I know they meant no ill. I am happy, if anything.

However… I cannot feel that happy about their praise. I can feel a heavy burden, as if they are greatly expecting a lot from me. And I am constantly worried whether I am meeting those expectations or not.

I want to meet those expectation, however…

I am just an ordinary person…

Maid A: "She truly is the daughter of her mother!"

… removing my mother's connection with me.

Of course, I know that is just the way things are, with me being Mother's daughter.

[I am very sorry…]

Nevertheless, all I know is I had to do my best to be as someone worthy of their admiration.

Female Classmate A: "Uwaaah~ It is the daughter of Lady Fayra~ She really is elegant as the rumors say~"

Female Classmate B: "I certainly agree. I wonder how I can be more like her?"

[I think I am not as you would think I am.]

Male Classmate A: "Ms. Fleur! This may sound sudden. However, this is a feeling I am not able to bear alone! I have loved you for the longest of time!"

[I am very sorry… I cannot accept your feelings.]

Male Classmate B: "I bet this guy just confessed for those huge racks, I'm sure of it."

Male Classmate A: "I-I am not!"

[I am just bothered by these… I think nothing of them as something praise worthy.]

Teacher: "You really are the daughter of your mother! Such an excellent pupil to have!"

That again…

In the end, I am just a daughter of my mother.

I am nothing.

That is why, if I do not give it my best, I will not be recognized. I will be nothing, at all.

I am nothing, compared to how great Mother is.

That is when I started to long for the outside world. Where adventurers go out and explore dungeons. Be someone who is greatly admired by everyone. Not because of prestige… But for truly who they are.

I wonder what the mountains look like up close.

I wonder what forests look like up close.

I wonder if the sea is truly salty to taste.

Is it true that you can catch fish in rivers?

I also heard that mountains walk every night. I wonder if that is true.

I hear that monsters roam around the continent. I worry about the adventurers who venture out.

I wonder what the outside world looks like. I want to explore it.

I want to be free.

Free of these reigns.

I look through the stained glass of our house every now and then. Looking at the place I long for the most.

"Fleur, dear."

My mother would often come and talk to me. These times are my most joyous moments. Just me and my mother. Just mother and daughter. Nothing else.

My mother was the head of the family, she holds the figure in the house. My father, on the other hand, was also considerably loved by the people. The servants loved us, we loved them back. It was a harmonious relationship.

A peace realized.

We were happy.

However, even though peace is prominent inside, the war continued to ravage other towns and villages. Even though the ongoing war is difficult to deal with, Mother did her best to carry on her duty.

"Fleur. Are you not lonely?"

Mother often asked me that. I smiled. With both my hands joined together.

I would be lying if I was not. I would be lying if I told her I am fine. I would be lying if I say that I am fine without her paying more attention to me.

But I just smiled and told her I am happy as long as I can see her face. Her smile. I truly feel so.

She smiled and hugged me. I felt her motherly warmth.

That, then, was the best part of being the daughter…

Fleur: "I love you, Mama."

Fayra: "I love you too, my dearest Fleur."

… of the Demon Lord.

This is a story before I was born, which I heard from Purin. Purin was the great servant of Mother ever since she first took on the role of the Demon Lord.

Mother was the Empress of the Demon Empire, a joint country by different kind of demons all over the world. They are monsters who evolved from a simple organism or monster to intellectual beings, comparable to Humans, Aelves, and Faunalias.

Later then, they became known as Demi.

Mother led the Demis to create an Empire. However, the other races hated that. They did not want a new race to be born.

As soon as they learned of the newly created Empire, the newly created race, they attacked the villages, towns, cities, killed the fathers, thrown the children, and destroyed the houses. They burned everything down to ashes.

But mother was strong.

She defended everyone from them, from the other races. She stood powerful among them and led the Demis to counter the other race's invasion. It was since then, that the war continued until now.

From one of the wars, where Mother happened to participate in, she met Father.

Father was a Human.

He was a general in the Human's army and is considered as the second strongest in the Human Continent.

He fought Mother, together with the strongest soldiers of the Humans and was close to winning. However, Mother had prepared an escape route using a Teleportation Stone in case of an unfortunate event like so.

But Father pushed through and by accident, he was also teleported to Mother's room as well.

Surprisingly enough, Father stopped fighting.

["I do not want to involve the innocent."]

Purin said that Mother was doubtful at first, but Father just sat down – legs crossed – and waited for Mother's judgement.

To begin with, Mother did not wish for any war. She just wanted to make a utopia for the Demis or Demons to peacefully live in. Mother often told me not to hate the other races even though we are at war with them. The smile that I saw on her face was gentle, she saw the other races as a target of reconciliation. Someone also worth protecting.

She wanted peace for all the race.

And when Father learned of that truth, he became attracted to Mother.

["He loved Milady's mother like any woman he could have ever met in his country. He did not see her as a Demi. He saw her as one woman who he fell in love with."]

Whenever I hear Purin's story about Mother and Father, I cannot help but picture a perfect love.

Yes.

I am a Half. A child born from a Demi and a Human.

Father was accepted by our people after long. The people also carried the ideals of Mother as they also did not wish for the war, and believed that Father marrying Mother was the first step for the peace they had always longed for.

Me, being born, was another proof for that.

However…

*inhale* … *exhale*

H-However… The body of my Human half could not withstand the power of a Demi.

Demis have an immense amount Crysaztel engraved in our body due to our specie's evolution, which is initiated by a harsh environment brought upon the Demon Continent. A Human would end up intoxicated just by carrying even a tenth of the Crysaztel in a Demi's body.

Being the daughter of the Demon Lord, I received an even more stronger amount of Crysaztel in my body.

My Human half could not control it.

That day…

Mother just got home from a war.

I…

I went out of control.

I do not remember what exactly happened. The surroundings became dark. It felt like I lost my consciousness but I was awake. I knew what I was doing but I do not have the control over my body.

I heard the cries perfectly. It was strange how their cries were the only vivid memory in my mind.

["What is with Milady's body?! Why are her horns growing longer?! They weren't there before!"]

I do not know.

["Milady, stop!! Please! I don't want to die!"]

I know, but I could not stop it.

["She is the devil… An evil incarnate…!!"]

… Is that how you saw me?

["Mama…!!"]

… I wanted to see Mother, too.

["Heeeelp!!"]

I…

… killed everyone in the Main City. Including…

…Mother and Father.

… I am the worst.

The moment I came to my senses, I already found Mother lying on the ground, drenched in the pool of her own blood. Father was barely moving and is shielding Mother's body.

My dress is torn and I saw a tail growing out of my behind. My nails are dark and my veins ran along my body, almost seeming to burst out from my skin. My skin is as white as snow, but my hair is the opposite of what I had…

It is now deep dark black.

I threw up. From what I saw, about myself.

… I'm a terrible being.

I threw up until blood came out. But it was not enough to cover up the blood on my hands.

… Atrocious.

I cried, and cried, and cried, and cried, and cried. But it was not enough for the cries of the dying people.

… A vile monster.

But there he was, my Father, smiling ever so kindly.

["It was not your fault, my dear Fleur"]

… as he fell down with a thud to the ground.

He died.

I killed him.

… I am the worst.

When I was a child, ever since the innocence and ignorance left me, I was able to see the soul of others. It's not like I can read their minds. It is also not like I know what they feel currently. Just what filled their heart or soul. Just what kind of person they are.

And that time then, what I saw on Father's before he died was…

Love.

Only love for me and Mother. He still saw me as his precious daughter. Something I failed to be so.

… I am disgusting.

However, that was not the case for the people that I killed. They feared, they despaired, they hated, they angered…

They Cursed.

As a result of that, a Curse was placed on me.

It was painful. It was excruciating. I just wanted someone to end my suffering. The Curse was imbedded on my soul. I was destined to die after receiving it. It was the perfect revenge. It was vengeance.

Their hatred, their wrath, every thoughts, they imbedded them into my soul.

["We should not have accepted that human…"]

I'm sorry…

["We should have killed that man…"]

I'm sorry…

["She should not have been born, after all."]

I'm sorry…

["Die."]

I'm sorry…

["What was the Demon Lord thinking??"]

Please…

["Someone, please kill this evil incarnate."]

Forgive me…

["Die, you abomination."]

I did not mean to do it…

["You do not deserve to live."]

I am sorry…

["You killed my mother!!"]

I am…

["You killed my son!!"]

I am very sorry…

I killed everyone. I killed my own mother and father. The love they created, the peace they wished for, everything. I took them with my own hands…

Everything that I received from them… I have thrown away in an instant. With these bloody hands, I crushed them. With my blood tainted eyes, I glared at them.

Just like what they said… I do not deserve to live.

I wandered all throughout the Demon Continent, avoiding villages and towns as I do. Whenever I come to my senses, I will cry and cry until my tears and voice dry up.

After I cried… I would strangle myself… Until my nails dug into my skin… But I cannot die.

I jumped off a cliff… My body hit a hard boulder… But I did not die.

I used my ugly hands to pierce my stomach… But it only healed instantly.

The Curse prevents me from doing so. It is like they are all telling me…

["Don't you dare escape."]

… I am sorry.

I encounter monsters, but my instincts as an Eclea-Realne Halfling overwhelms me and kill everything in sight. Even adventurers that would come to exterminate me.

I would kill them all.

I would always find myself covered in blood…

But after a while, my body weakened. I found myself in front of this labyrinth.

I got weaker and weaker…

And finally…

The time has come for me to reap my sins. I am now dying. The Curse have eaten away my soul. I will die. I will cease to exist. I will no longer hurt anyone. I will become something unable to cause pain to others.

This is for the best…

I deserve this…

But… Even so…

Fleur: "… I do not want to die…"

Purin: "Milady…"

I do not want to die… I want to live…!

Fleur: "I regret everything… Everything that I have done… *sniffle* I am sorry… I do not want to die… *sob* I want to live for Mother… for Father… I have not yet paid for everything they have done for me… *hic*"

I am being selfish. The Goddesses knows how much the people I killed hated me. Even though I know that… I am being selfish and is wanting to live still.

I, myself, curse my own ugly self.

But it is fine.

No matter what I do… I will die. No matter how much I cry… I will die. No matter how much I pray… I will die. No matter how much I wish for it… I will die.

I will die…

Because…

It is my own Curse, after all.

Ahh…

It is so cold… I wanted to feel warmth, at the least. But that is also selfishness… I must die painfully.

So this is dying…? I am now dying…

Death…

Uu…

Please…

Someone…

[… Then, just live again.]

Eh…?