The Mob Noble Who Got Reincarnated in a World Where Men Are Naturally Protected—So I Trained Like Crazy to Protect Girls Instead, But Their Love Got Way Too Heavy - Chapter 39: The Curse-Breaking Ritual

Chapter 39: The Curse-Breaking Ritual

Once we entered the ruined castle, countless chunks of rubble—what used to be golems—were scattered everywhere.

Even though a golem stood nearly three meters tall, it should have been a serious threat if faced with nothing but ordinary weapons like swords or bows. And yet, every single one of them had been completely wiped out.

“I have the phantom knights checking for any survivors. There is no chance of anything being left behind, so please rest assured.”

She said that reassuringly, but her face was tight with nervous tension as she moved forward.

We climbed the stairs and entered a wide open space.

For some reason, I thought this might have been the place from the ghost story—the banquet hall where the knight killed the noble.

Moving to the center of the room, Shia spoke.

“Let us perform the ritual here. It is open, and if anything happens, we can go straight down the stairs and reach the exit.”

“Yeah… okay.”

I nodded along, but a thought crept into my mind.

…If anything happens?

“Hey, Shia. Just asking, but… is the curse-breaking ritual dangerous?”

“I do not know. But you fulfilled your role as my attendant splendidly. In that case, I must fulfill my promise as well. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“O-Oh… yeah…”

Something felt off.

Shia was giving off the kind of presence that said she’d quietly made up her mind about something she absolutely shouldn’t have.

“Um, Shia? About breaking the curse—yeah, it’s annoying and all, but if the only way is dangerous, we could spend more time researching—”

“Tect.”

The words I was about to say—if it’s dangerous, then stop—were cut off when Shia called my name.

Then she gave a slightly sarcastic smile, something rare for her, and began to speak.

“It is fine. This is simply the result of my own actions. I met a boy like you and spent enjoyable days together. However… that was improper.”

“Improper? …What do you mean?”

“If I were to act with true sincerity, I should have refused you back then. Instead, I claimed the curse could be broken easily and demanded a price from you. And you, Tect, paid that price properly.”

And so, Shia continued.

“In that case, no matter how dangerous it may be, I must fulfill my promise. Failing to do so would be disgraceful—something unbefitting of royalty. And that is something I cannot forgive in myself.”

As she said that, her eyes were perfectly straight and unwavering.

It was obvious—Hedda’s teachings were deeply rooted in her core.

Those eyes belonged to someone who would never tolerate dishonesty, betrayal, or discourtesy.

And that’s when I understood.

No matter how dangerous it was.
No matter how much I tried to stop her.

Shia would not abandon the ritual.

She had already made that decision before coming here.

“…”

If that was the case, I couldn’t stop her.
There was no way to stop her.

I let out a sigh and nodded.

“…Alright. Do it.”

“Yes.”

“…It’d be kinda funny if, after all this, it just ended smoothly.”

“Pfft—ufufufufu… Please don’t make me laugh at a moment like this.”

Shia glared at me.

I stuck my tongue out and played dumb with exaggerated innocence.

Then she said,

“Please give me your right hand.”

I did as told and held it out.

My right arm—the one wrapped in the curse.

Shia stared down at it silently.

And then she spoke.

“—I will not say ‘do not betray me.’ But you are an amazing boy. If possible… betray me in a way I never notice.”

“Huh?”

I had no idea what she meant.

Right as confusion hit me, Shia grabbed my right hand.

Pain shot through my arm.

“Gah—”

The curse reacted.

From the point where our skin touched, it surged violently toward Shia’s arm.

The curse—its markings—migrated onto her arm.

Shia clenched her teeth and endured the pain.

At that moment, the handbell slipped from her pocket.

It hit the ground and rolled away.

Then, strangely, it floated up into the air and rang on its own, chiming loudly without an owner.

One after another, phantom knights appeared in the space.

They drew their weapons in quick succession and formed a protective stance in front of Shia.

“—Shia! What is this!? What’s happening!?”

“Ggh…! The curse… is showing its true nature. From the beginning, it was a curse designed to target those of the Phantom Queen bloodline. Its effect is—”

Shia forced the words out through clenched teeth.

“The phantom knights’… rebellion…!”

At that instant, an overwhelming killing intent slammed straight into me.

I turned around.

Standing there was the phantom knight commander, staring at me with razor-sharp eyes.

『You—why do you side with the witches』

“Huh? What are you even—”

“Get back, Tect!”

Shouting that, Shia shoved me away.

The commander’s sword sliced through the space where we had been standing.

That snapped me back to reality—I’d been too confused to move properly.

But because of that shove, Shia and I were separated.

Her figure vanished behind the phantom knights, and from her side, I was probably hidden too.

I checked my surroundings.

Just like she said earlier, there was a clear path behind me leading straight to the exit.

If I ran now, I could escape.

Because the phantom knights’ target wasn’t me.

“…So that’s how it is, Shia!”

All of Shia’s strange behavior up until now finally clicked together in my head.

She’d planned this from the very beginning.

She intended to let the phantom knights rebel all at once and make sure only I escaped.

At the same time, the most fragile part of her heart had spoken—not as a scream, but as words.

Please betray me.
Please abandon me.
Please survive and escape.

But at least… do it in a way I never notice.

And even so—
Even after all that—

I…