Volume 2 Chapter 35: The Unwanted Child【The Aristocratic Council Arc】

A freak show is an exhibition that displays exotic, rarely seen, and bizarre wonders.

There are essentially two kinds of exhibits on display.

First, those whose odd behaviors or feats are put on display.

Examples include the behavior of people afflicted by intense hallucinatory magic and the taming of vicious monsters.

Then, there are those whose appearance is unusual.

They do not perform any special feats or tricks but are exhibited solely because their looks are rare.

Among the many exhibits that one might hesitate to mention, Izun was there.

【Grown Cursed Child】

This is exceptionally rare.

In the midst of a multitude of attractions that would leave onlookers wide-eyed, she instantly garnered attention.

“If it makes Dad and Mom happy, I’ve got to do my best…!”

Even after being sold to the freak show, Izun earnestly held that belief.

If being here—enduring the mocking stares of so many—could be of any benefit to her parents…

However, the unfortunate truth was that the environment in this freak show was extremely abysmal.

It only mattered if money could be made and pockets lined.

Such men were in charge.

Consequently, the fate of the exhibited was nothing short of brutal.

They were given no proper meals, and one by one, they withered away and died.

Their beds, too, were far from clean.

They were dark, cold, and damp.

Even if they fell sick, they wouldn’t receive any medical attention.

It was all about the money.

From the freak show owners’ perspective, spending money on those who generated money was unthinkable.

And the same was true for Izun.

Her once beautiful white hair and skin quickly became soiled, and her red eyes lost their luster.

Had they known the terror of the curse of a cursed child, they would have shunned her like Kelphine.

The owners of the freak show were ignorant, and that ignorance translated into how they treated Izun.

The lack of proper food, clothing, and shelter was gradually eroding her both physically and mentally.

Yet if that were all, Izun might have been able to withstand it.

She endured the torment, thinking of her parents.

The problem was…

“Ugh, a cursed child.”

“Who raised her to this age? What if the curse were to be placed on us too?”

“But I’ve never seen something this rare. As expected, this place is fascinating.”

It was the crude, invasive stares aimed at Izun.

Being in a freak show, it was only natural to be paraded as a spectacle.

However, having been isolated and locked away by herself until now, she was unaccustomed to being looked at by others.

Thus, those mocking eyes were immensely shocking to her.

They laughed, calling her pathetic and pitiful.

She now felt firsthand how excruciating that was.

Her heart was being scraped away, grinding.

When one’s spirit falters, the body weakens in an instant.

In a matter of months, Izun would have been as completely exhausted as the other exhibits.

Even so, a small glimmer remained in her eyes—the thought of her parents.

If her being here could benefit them even a little,

then she could endure this harsh, brutal environment.

At that moment, her emotional pillar was none other than her parents.

Even though she had been separated from and confined away from them since birth, she clung to them as her sole support.

Without that, she was so fragile that she would have completely broken apart.

“Ugh, that’s incredibly creepy.”

“But it’s fascinating—like this pure white one, for example.”

“She’s a cursed child—an existence that has no value.”

The guests looked at her and laughed, saying whatever they liked.

Izun had, at some point, begun hugging her knees and keeping the guests out of her sight as much as possible.

That way, her heart would suffer relatively less damage.
She simply sat there, knees drawn close, and waited for time to pass.

Thinking that another day like this would soon end…

“Father, Mother! There’s an amazing kid!”

A cheerful child’s voice rang out.
It wasn’t unusual for children to come to the freak show.

It was common for parents with poor taste to bring their children along just to laugh.
It was probably the same this time as well.

Izun thought so and kept her head down, but…

“Ah…”
“Gah!”

At the sound of a voice answering the child, Izun abruptly lifted her face.
How could she possibly not react?

Ah, ah!
Tears naturally welled in Izun’s red eyes.

The one responding to the child was unmistakably her father… Kelphine.
Her mother was there too.

Izun’s face lit up with joy as she moved closer to them.
Of course, a glass barrier separated them.

Yet in this harsh environment that gnawed at her body and mind, her parents were nothing short of a lifeline.
A symbol of hope.

Thus, she did not notice that her parents’ expressions were as impassive as Noh masks.

“What’s this?”

A child pointed at Izun.
She didn’t even mind that the child naturally treated her as less than human.

Perhaps he was her brother.
If so, why should she be angry?

She wanted to say with a smile, “I’m your big sister.”
At that moment, Kelphine’s voice reached her ears.

“They call you a cursed child.”
“A cursed child?”
“Yeah.”

Izun looked—she saw the look in Kelphine’s eyes as he regarded her.
Those eyes were terrifyingly cold, emotionless, and merciless.

“――――――A being that should never have been born.”
“Eh…?”

She refused to accept that those were the words spoken by Kelphine.
She just couldn’t comprehend it.
There was no way he would say such things.
It wouldn’t matter if anyone else said it.
But such words should never come from her father’s mouth.
Just who… just who does he think is to blame for you being here?
Who does he think you are enduring this suffering for?

“You are the most worthless being in this world. Your very existence brings misfortune to those around you.”
“From the moment you were born, you should have been killed immediately. If not…!”

It wasn’t just her father.
Her mother too glared at her with eyes full of hatred.

Why… why?
She was obediently being a spectacle just as they wanted,
enduring even this harsh environment,
accepting the mocking stares!
Yet, why would they say such dismissive things?

“That’s why you are a treasure—a precious child who saved me…!”
“Whoa!? That hurts!”

With deep affection, her mother embraced the boy.
If he hadn’t been born, her mother too would have been exiled by Kelphine.
At worst, it’s no wonder he might have been killed.
Indeed, the birth of a child who was not cursed was a salvation for her.

Izun glared at the boy with her red eyes.
The one who should have been embraced by her parents was not that boy… it should have been her…

“Hmm, is that so?”

The boy, as he was held by his mother, looked at Izun with a slightly embarrassed smile.

“This child is an unwanted child.”