I Became a Gallery Manager in Another World

“Let me reintroduce myself. I am currently acting as the head of the Blackdahlia family; my name is Frederica.”

Swoosh─

Frederica, having guided Ian to the reception room, bowed.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Ian. I’ve heard about the lady’s mistake. I should have come to apologize to you first, but I was delayed due to circumstances. If you’ve come for compensation for the injuries inflicted by the lady, then later…”

“No, that’s not why I came.”

“…Then what brings you here today?”

“I’ve come to help Estelle.”

“…Huh.”

At Ian’s words, a scoff suddenly burst from Frederica’s lips.

It was hard to believe those words, considering how many times she had been let down before.

“…Shouldn’t Estelle be the one to decide that?”

“I didn’t expect you to respect the lady’s wishes so much. Then you may leave right now. The lady has ordered me not to receive any guests.”

“…You don’t need to be so wary. If you look at the person next to me, you’ll see that we’ve come from the church.”

“Hello, Ms. Frederica.”

“And? Did you think my attitude would change because you’re from the church?”

In fact, Frederica’s hostility towards Ian was significantly influenced by the nun who accompanied him.

“How many frauds, claiming they could help the lady, do you think have come and gone?”

“…I am not a fraud.”

“It’s curious. Every fraud I’ve met said the same thing.”

The greatest betrayal among all the frauds she had met came from the church.

Previously, the people of the church who feigned kindness quickly changed their stance upon hearing of Blackdahlia’s downfall.

Money, money, money.

She had asked the church for a healer for the lady multiple times, but they always demanded more donations before they could send someone, threatening Frederica.

At that time, Frederica, inexperienced in her role as the acting head, had lost a significant portion of the inheritance left by the previous head, which also belonged to the precious lady.

-I don’t understand.

-This is the first time I’m seeing this.

-The reason is unknown.

-But if there were more donations, perhaps the ‘Great Church’ could bring someone of high standing.

However, all that came back from those who had stolen Blackdahlia’s wealth were such words.

“To demand donations first, using treatment as a hostage… I’m sorry. I didn’t know such things were happening in the church. But can’t you trust us just this once?”

“…Have you been listening to my story? I hate the church. No, I hate Goddess Elise.”

There was a time when Frederica also believed and prayed for salvation.

“Why must our lady alone suffer so? Until her parents died in a carriage accident, the lady was devoted to the church. Even on the day of her parents’ accident, she was at the church.”

“….”

“And when her uncle came to take her in after she was left alone? That day too, the lady went to the church. Do you know how it feels to watch a young child praying beside you, begging for her parents to be returned, even though it’s impossible?”

Frederica’s bitten lips split, tasting bitter blood.

“And then, that night, the ‘Disaster of Blackdahlia’ happened! What exactly did the esteemed Goddess Elise do for the lady! What did the lady do so wrong to lose her parents and relatives… and her legs! Why did she have to lose everything!”

After that day, Frederica prayed in the church alone numerous times.

Take her legs if you must, but please return the lady’s legs.

The lady had already lost too much to have her legs taken too.

“….”

But the Goddess did not respond to human prayers.

After realizing this, Frederica also stopped going to the church.

“…And the person from the church who came offering to heal the lady held a rather high position. He was somewhat renowned for his healing abilities too.”

Frederica’s suspicion wasn’t solely due to her distrust of the church.

The nun before her seemed too young to be considered trustworthy.

“But can you do better than that person?”

“…Hmm. Perhaps? I, Yuris, am confident in my healing abilities, despite how I may appear!”

“Yuris…?”

Frederica’s eyes widened.

She had heard the name Yuris before.

One of the candidates for sainthood.

Moreover, she was the closest to becoming the next saint.

“…This is serious.”

Frederica, who introduced herself as the acting head of the Blackdahlia family, had spoken against Goddess Elise in front of not just any nun, but a saint candidate. The family itself could be at risk…

“Ms. Frederica.”

“…Yes, Mr. Ian.”

“I understand what you’re worried about, but that won’t happen.”

“…How can I believe that?”

Frederica’s eyes widened at something Ian took out of his pocket.

“Because I am a friend of Estelle.”

“….”

When Estelle opened her eyes, her vision was blurry, and her head was dizzy.

Swoosh─

She tried to lift herself off the floor, which emitted a somewhat metallic smell, by pressing her hand against it.

“…Argh!!”

At that moment, the excruciating pain from her fingers, from which the nails had been pulled out, fully woke Estelle.

“Ah…”

She had fallen asleep.

She had ended up falling asleep.

Shiver-shiver-shiver-

Estelle, with trembling fingers, stroked her legs to check for sensation.

She was the cursed child.

A child cursed with a curse that would avenge any harm done to her. Otherwise, while she slept, the offender would become unhappy, and with the magnitude of that unhappiness, the sensation in her legs would disappear.

“Ah…!…Ugh…Hic…!…Hrgh!”

The curse that had been limited to her pelvis had moved up to her navel.

Never before had the curse risen so intensely.

The fading sensation was terrifying, yet there was something even more frightening.

“De…Delphicia…Hic…”

If the sensation had faded this much, it was certain that a tremendous ‘misfortune’ had befallen Delphicia.

Perhaps even to the extent of taking Delphicia’s life.

“I’m sorry…”

Estelle’s tears flowed endlessly.

Despite doing as the books advised, cursing and despising Delphicia to dilute the misfortune a little, it proved futile.

“Hic…I should have died!…I…should have…died long ago!”

She knew she shouldn’t be alive.

Despite saying how much she wanted to die multiple times.

…Dying was frightening.

In truth, she was hoping for someone’s help.

But…

“…Now…it’s…no use…Hic…I can’t…bear it anymore.”

She couldn’t do this anymore.

She could no longer bear to live a life that hurt others.

Swoosh- Swoosh- Thud-

Estelle crawled to the desk and from beneath a double-layered drawer, she retrieved a black bottle of pills.

“…Ha..haa…ah.”

It was something she had bought long ago but had been too scared to consume.

But now, she felt she could do it.

“…Mo…mom…dad…”

Just as Estelle, who could hardly recall her parents’ faces now, was about to open the bottle,

“…Miss.”

She heard Frederica’s voice.

“Gasp!”

Why now of all times?

If only she had a little more time…

Estelle covered her mouth with her hands and crouched down.

Otherwise, her sobbing might be heard.

‘No…’

It was for the best.

If she died like this, kind Frederica would surely be saddened.

Instead…

Crack─

“You, you idiot! I, I told you…not to come close!!”

“I’m sorry… But a guest has arrived.”

“Ha! As expected of someone who’s been tumbling through the slums, so utterly stupid! I clearly said not to let anyone in the mansion! No matter how much time passes, such vulgarity..!”

“Ian has come.”

“…What?”

At that moment, Estelle’s mind went blank.

Ian?

Here?

Why?

“Estelle.”

“Gulp!”

Upon hearing Ian’s voice through the door, Estelle suppressed the urge to vomit and apologized.

“Sob…I…Ian…Gulp…I’m…sorry…I…I…Sob…I’m sorry…..I…was wrong.”

“It’s okay. So, can you open the door?”

“Ah…Sob…No…”

The moment she heard Frederica’s voice, her resolve to die wavered.

Seeing Ian’s face now would only make her weak self want to live again.

So, she couldn’t open the door.

Click-!

“…It’s been a while, Estelle.”

But Ian, just like the first time he entered her heart…

Easily jumped over the walls she had built around her and approached her.

“How…Sob…”

“Frederica had the keys. More importantly…”

Ian looked at her hand with a stern face and said.

“Miss Yuris. Let’s start with treating Estelle first.”

“Yes…Ah… How much it must have hurt…”

“Ah…Miss! Sob…Your…beautiful…hand…what’s this…Sob…”

Thud- Rolling-

As Frederica and Yuris took Estelle’s hand, the black bottle rolled towards Ian’s feet.

“…Doesn’t seem like a vitamin. I’ll keep this.”

“Why….why…did you come…Sob…”

“Hmm… Seems like I can’t manage the library by myself without you. And…”

Swoosh─

Ian reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled and damaged gift box.

“I realized I haven’t yet shared my thoughts on the ‘macaron’.”

“Ah…that…that…that…”

Her heart, trampled and shattered, thinking it could never be conveyed again…

“Yes, the macarons were really delicious, Estelle.”

Had already reached Ian.

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