The Villain Changed the Ending

135 Curse of the Gods

***[Head of Investigator]***

The son’s news was cut off.

The daughter-in-law sent a message through her grandson saying that it was past the time to arrive home, but she was not coming back.

‘I can’t believe I’m missing…’

I didn’t think it would happen to anyone else, but it wouldn’t happen to my son.

My son is a bit timid.

Do not take excessive risks or act recklessly.

Always thinking behind and moving.

He posted meticulous reports more often than other investigators, and left traces wherever he went.

It’s so that other investigators can track it when danger suddenly strikes.

Others only pick up the habit over a long period of time as investigators, but my son has been doing it since he first started out as an investigator.

No, maybe even before that.

Come to think of it, that child somehow had that kind of caution from a young age.

It is different from the self who is close to being unmanned.

Their personalities were so opposite that they wanted to be parents and children.

The son is docile and gentle, and living under his wife’s ass makes him happy.

On the one hand, it was true that he was frustrated at seeing his son like that.

However, that personality actually helped him stand out as an investigator.

If you catch one problem, focus on it, and approach everything cautiously and cautiously, like knocking on a stone bridge and crossing it.

Even so, the field of view was wide and the will was very strong, and it was not biased to one side, but balanced and headed toward the center.

That child must have been destined to be an investigator from birth.

“…”

The person in charge took a heavy breath, fell to the floor, and ate his weakened heart.

If it were another investigator, he would have checked first whether it was a real disappearance or a temporary loss of contact, but that is not the case with his son.

If the child does not arrive without being warned in advance of the possibility of being late, then there must be a problem.

A big problem that cannot be solved on its own.

no time to think

We must hurry up and rescue the child.

“…”

He wanted to run on his own, but after suppressing his heart, the person in charge immediately gathered people and formed a rescue team.

A first-class inspector who was about to retire, a few inspectors to help him, a civil servant to solve minor problems with other territories or countries, and a military officer who thought of a case where force was needed were gathered in an instant.

Watching them hurriedly leave the duchy, the person in charge clenched his fists.

Although rare, the end of cases where investigators go missing is often disastrous.

While working as an investigator for a long time, I saw a number of dead bodies after being tortured.

The son’s investigation was related to curses, and there were many behind the scenes.

Perhaps someone involved in the temple’s rituals had a hand in it, or in some way, there might have been a part that touched the god’s anger.

Not good anyway.

The detective’s long-accustomed senses were alerted incessantly.

As the rescue team disappeared from view, the person in charge quietly closed his eyes.

‘Please be safe…’

***[Catherine, Duchess]***

The spring inspection went off without a hitch.

Sometimes he made mistakes and his mask came off, as if his mind had loosened up due to going outside, but the lord’s family was friendly.

I don’t know why, but the reactions of dukes are really different from those of the marquis.

Is it because of family wind or not?

‘Is it because I’m too good at it?’

In the marquis family, who knew everything about her from a young age, it was okay to wear a mask, but in the ducal family, it was made from scratch.

Maybe that’s why the true face that sometimes pops out isn’t revealed much.

Even though the wives of the counselors behaved sternly without saying a single word of praise on the outside, it is true that they sent them alone without a watcher during the spring inspection.

To the people here, Katrin doesn’t look like a nasty, stubborn, weird girl, but rather as a lady by nature, but with occasional outrageous behavior.

“Whoop whoop.”

Catherine laughed softly, and Anne tilted her head.

“Ma’am, why are you laughing so strangely? If you do, I’m afraid for some reason. I think something strange is going on.”

“Excuse me, no.”

Catherine raised her head and opened her mouth.

“That’s what I remembered, but did you say that the priest who made my amulet is staying in this city?”

“Yes, I don’t know why, but they’re not going. The butlers are grumbling. Is it okay to leave their temple empty and stay here for so long?”

Anne giggled and laughed.

“If the priest stays here, I guess he should donate. I heard the ladies-in-waiting say, but sometimes the priest comes and asks on purpose. Are the duke and his wife okay? I heard that each time they donate a little out of etiquette.”

“…”

At other times, I would have just overlooked it, but the priest came to ask if he was okay?

It’s kind of strange.

Anne shook her head.

“Priests really like money.”

“I know.”

Anne suddenly tilted her head.

“By the way, why is the priest suddenly asking?”

“I want to thank you for the talisman.”

“… miss.”

The title changed, and Anne’s face drew closer.

“A lady who had no interest in priests or amulets until now suddenly?”

Anne pressed her face together and looked into Catherine’s eyes.

After a while, her red lips parted a little and an eerie voice leaked out.

“What happened?”

“I’m starting to feel grateful for the talisman.”

“miss!”

Anne’s eyes narrowed.

This milk sister usually follows Katrin without a backbone, but there are times when she is unsteady.

It was mainly when Catherine was trying to hide something.

At such times, it seems that Anne suddenly has a strange intuition.

Since we share everything, we quickly notice even a slight sense of incongruity.

Catherine sighed lightly.

‘I didn’t want to tell Anne about this.’

It was very brief.

After passing by, it’s such a short time that you can’t even be sure that you really felt something strange.

That’s why I didn’t tell Oscar-sama about it either.

If it was a simple misunderstanding, it would only cause me worry.

It was the same with Anne.

Catherine herself thought it was no big deal, but Anne said that it was the Duke’s order and did not allow her to remove the amulet even for a moment.

That’s probably why Anne noticed right away when the amulet fell.

Because I was always paying attention to it.

Unbeknownst to Catherine, something was unsettling Anne and Oscar.

Anne, who was still looking at Catherine, suddenly said,

“That’s when. When I dropped the amulet. Did something strange happen then?”

“ha….”

Catherine sighed and nodded helplessly.

Well, I didn’t mean to hide it.

I just wanted to confirm and let you know if it was normal or if something was different.

“It was for a very short time, but suddenly I couldn’t hear anything. Why, like when my ears were deaf.”

“And what?”

“Well, I think I couldn’t move my body for a second. I’m not sure because it was such a short time.”

“And what?”

“… I tried to call Anne, but my voice didn’t come out.”

“And what?”

“That’s it.”

“All right.”

After saying that, Anne jumped up.

“I’ll inform the Duke.”

“Eh!”

“Do not take the amulet off your body until I return.”

“Wait, Anne. Oscar-sama is very busy right now. So tonight I will.”

“No.”

After saying that, Anne ran outside.

Perhaps because her behavior was strange, the ladies-in-waiting outside rushed inside.

‘ha.’

Anne’s reaction is much bigger than I thought.

‘Did I do something strange when I was asleep before me?’

In the evening, I don’t know if Oscar-sama will ask me something.

It was when I thought so and let out a sigh about ten times.

Oscar, who was working in the middle of the day, came into the room with Anne.

“…”

I think I did something big the other day when I was sick.

Maybe… Um… Huh?

‘I don’t know.’

I did something while I was sleeping, but I needed an amulet, and what on earth is there to the extent that people react to it by turning blue?

Katrin tilted her head.

***[Heroine Oscar]***

When I entered the room, Katrin had a puzzled look on her face.

“Catherine.”

When I called, Katrin came closer and hugged me while tilting her head.

“Where does it hurt?”

When I asked while holding her, Katrin rubbed her face against my chest like a child.

“No. I just thought it was a little strange, and besides, that was during an inspection. It’s been a while.”

Anne, who was behind, rarely intervened.

“Madam, please tell the duke everything you told me in detail, in great detail.

I didn’t tell Catherine about the Curse of Igor.

I didn’t want her to be scared.

Partly because he had known Anne’s constant attention since the day Katrin was ill.

Besides, rumors about the Duchess being cursed are troubling.

Because of that, only a few people knew Igor and the Curse.

I didn’t say anything to Anne, but I think she knew it, seeing as her face turned blue and ran to me.

He might have guessed something from the amulet that Countess Becker had brought.

However, in this world, ‘words become seeds’ is what actually happens.

Maybe that’s why I didn’t bother asking anyone else.

“The priest went to call someone, so he’ll be back in a while.”

Saying so, he took Katrin and headed for the chair.

Sitting side by side, I listened to the story of the day Catherine dropped the amulet.

It is almost identical to what Anne said.

The only other thing was that he seemed to be sleeping with his eyes open.

‘I wonder if it was a curse.’

From what Katrin said now, it seems that the curse continues to hover around her.

‘Igor…’

When the man’s wrinkled face came to mind, his expression naturally hardened.

“Oscar.”

Katrin looks at me as if frightened.

“It’s okay, Catherine. I just had something to think about.”

I said quietly and smiled.

After chatting with Catherine for a while, Benno came in.

It seems that the priest has arrived.

“Catherine, please wait here for a moment. I will come to meet the priest for a while.”

“Me too.”

“I’m sorry, but I’ll ask you first and then I’ll let you know.”

Katrin seemed a bit displeased, but nodded when I said it again.

“Yes. But please inform me properly.”

“is it so.”

“It’s a must.”

“…”

I dropped a kiss on the back of Katrin’s hand and stood up.

*

The priest’s head was a room used for secret conversations.

When I entered, the head of the priest asked me to bow down.

“I heard you called me. Is there anything wrong with you?”

I briefly talked about what Katrin had been through and continued.

“I want to know exactly the effect of the talisman you made.”

The head priest lowered his head slightly.

“Most of the words written there are to protect the duke and his wife from the evil and curses of this world, and to pray for safety. The talisman I am most confident in is like that. To protect someone.”

The priest raised his head and looked at me with a serious face.

“But the effect of the amulet I made for you two has nothing to do with that prayer. The words written there are just lines drawn on paper.”

“…”

“The blessing of the goddess that permeates the letters I wrote is the power of that talisman.”

“… blessing.”

“Yes. The amulet is imbued with a very powerful blessing. Under normal circumstances, dropping the amulet for a short time will not make it ineffective. Even with the power of a millionth of that amulet, most curses will disappear without a trace. God’s blessings are really powerful.”

The high priest thought deeply and then continued.

“I can only speculate, but it seems that the curse has continued since the first day. The goddess’s blessing surrounds the two of them and protects them from the curse. The problem is that the curse, so strong that the goddess’s blessing does not dissipate, There’s no such thing as strength.”

“… then.”

My heart was terrified.

“Are you saying that the curse is also the power of the gods?”

“Yes, I think so. That fortune-teller named Igor may be the medium, but it is by no means a man’s curse. If he hangs me, he can.”

The head priest bent forward and swallowed a gulp.

“Besides, it seems to be getting stronger. The amulet I made later is much stronger than the one the Countess had. It’s incomparably more powerful.”

I quietly closed my eyes.