Chapter 54: Support and a Condition (2)

"Those are my conditions, Prince Nolan. If you can meet them, I swear to God—I will stand by Princess Elina and remain loyal, even if it ends in defeat."

Orlan looked at Nolan sincerely, then bowed his head slightly, his hands tightly clasped together.

His posture alone conveyed the weight and urgency behind the conditions he had just presented.

"I see," Nolan said with a slight nod, leaning back into the sofa and crossing his legs.

His mind drifted, absorbed in Orlan’s words.

Save his wife and cure his daughter, huh?

he murmured.

Orlan’s conditions were incredibly difficult—perhaps even impossible.

In his entire life, Orlan had only ever loved and married one woman.

Their bond was deep, built over years of affection and loyalty.

For the first five or six years of their marriage, they had no children.

Then, in their seventh year, his wife finally became pregnant. The news brought Orlan overwhelming joy.

But the happiness didn’t last. The doctor soon revealed that the baby in her womb was afflicted with a terrible curse—if born, the child wouldn’t live long.

Even worse, he warned that giving birth could cost his wife her life.

And even if she survived, she would lose most of her vitality and wouldn’t live long.

Faced with such a choice, Orlan naturally prioritized his wife’s safety over the birth of their child.

But his wife insisted on giving birth to their daughter, and Orlan couldn’t bring himself to oppose her.

When the child was finally born, his worst fears came true.

Although his wife survived, she lost nearly half of her vitality and fell into a coma.

Meanwhile, their daughter was born bearing the curse, leaving her to live under the constant supervision of the doctors Orlan had hired.

Six years had passed since then, and Orlan had endured a life of quiet suffering—one that few could have withstood.

"How sad," Nolan whispered with a soft sigh.

To be honest, he had never known Orlan that well. To him, the man had always seemed dangerous—someone filled with hidden, devious thoughts.

But after hearing his story, Nolan’s perception changed completely. Orlan wasn’t cunning—he was just a man who wanted to live peacefully with his wife and daughter.

Nolan didn’t hesitate to help a man like that. He wasn’t cruel or heartless.

He wouldn’t start a fight unless forced to.

And since Orlan’s terms benefited them both, Nolan had every reason to agree.

"Very well, I accept your conditions," Nolan said calmly, taking a sip of tea and closing his eyes.

Orlan’s eyes widened in disbelief. His body stiffened, trembling slightly.

"Prince Nolan... Is what you just said true? You’re really willing to help me?"

He swallowed nervously, pressing his palms together.

Nolan opened one eye, looked at him, then nodded slowly. "Of course. Do you think I’d lie about something this serious?"

Hearing that, Orlan’s doubts vanished. The anxiety on his face melted away, replaced by radiant happiness.

"Thank you, Prince Nolan! Thank you!"

He stood, bowing repeatedly, tears welling at the corners of his eyes.

How long had it been since he last cried like this? He didn’t know. Life had been too harsh for him to remember.

For six years, he had forced himself to be strong—to not falter, to endure for the sake of his wife and daughter.

And now, the weight of worry and sorrow that had chained him was finally lifting.

With Nolan’s help, connected to the Singularity of Chaos, he could finally breathe—and for the first time in a long while, he felt not alone.

"Don’t bow like that—I’m not used to it," Nolan said with a slight frown as he stood and helped Orlan to his feet.

Orlan was momentarily surprised, then smiled broadly.

Nolan’s straightforward, no-nonsense attitude only deepened his respect for the man.

He sat back down, plucked a grape, popped it into his mouth, and asked, "Marquis Orlan, I’m curious—do you know what kind of curse your daughter carries?"

In this world, curses were real—not mere superstition or myth.

Still, they were rare—especially for Nolan, who had never encountered a cursed person firsthand. His knowledge came solely from ancient books he had found in the library.

Curses were said to originate from two sources: inherited or transmitted.

An inherited curse is one passed down from parents or ancestors who were cursed, affecting their descendants.

A transmitted curse, on the other hand, is deliberately cast by someone for a specific reason—vengeance, anger, or other malicious intent.

Typically, such curses are cast by black mages who master forbidden magic and often target newborns.

Orlan’s expression darkened as he listened. He slowly sat back down and replied, "Prince Nolan, neither my wife nor I have any history of curses. Neither our fathers, grandmothers, nor ancestors did. The curse affected only my daughter, so I believe it was a transmitted curse."

Nolan narrowed his eyes and nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. That means a black mage is targeting you and your daughter. Now, tell me—have you ever offended this mage, intentionally or not?"

Orlan was silent for a moment, his forehead deeply furrowed as if searching through his memories.

Then his eyes widened. He straightened up and looked at Nolan seriously.

"I remember, Prince Nolan. Apparently, I did offend the black mages in the past."

"Oh?" Nolan raised his eyebrows slightly. "Tell me about it."

Orlan nodded and began to explain.

About twelve years ago, a society of dark mages appeared in Marquis Caltheron’s territory.

They spread chaos by slaughtering civilians and using them as sacrifices in forbidden rituals.

As the region’s leader at the time, Orlan immediately ordered an attack to exterminate the heretical group.

Dozens of black mages were slaughtered and beheaded by the mercenary soldiers and mages he hired.

After hearing this, Nolan nodded slowly, certain this was the source of the curse on Orlan’s daughter.

"I understand," he said calmly. "In two days, I will go with you to heal your daughter."

Relief washed over Orlan’s face. He smiled and bowed sincerely once more.

"Thank you, Prince Nolan."