Saving My Childhood Friend Through... Questionable Means... - Chapter 4
Lucas, drenched in cold sweat, tilted his head back toward the ceiling and fervently prayed. After a long time, he finished his prayer by making the sign of the cross and let out a deep sigh, as if the weight of the world had fallen on him.
His prayer had gone on for so long that Seria had nodded off and was briefly dozing.
“How… how can I, a man who has sworn himself to God, commit relations with just any woman? The devil must be testing me. If I end up in a relationship blinded by lust and father an illegitimate child, I won’t be able to face God!”
Startled by his sudden outburst, Seria flinched and woke with a jolt. Realizing the voice belonged to Lucas, she clutched her chest in relief.
‘Sometimes, he really knows how to scare the soul out of me.’
Her violet eyes, fixed on Lucas, gradually filled with irritation. Unable to face God? At this rate, he’d be meeting God in person within days.
She bit her tongue to stop herself from responding sarcastically and quickly averted her gaze when Lucas looked at her. She carefully chose her words.
“Still… you need to survive first. That’s better than the alternative, isn’t it?”
“Hah… I suppose surviving is better. But how can I do something like that with a woman I have no feelings for…”
As Lucas sighed and looked disgusted, Seria opened her mouth several times to speak but ultimately closed it without saying a word. She understood his feelings all too well.
‘If I were told I had to have my first experience with a man I had no interest in, it would be horrifying. And if I thought about the possibility of bearing that man’s child… Ugh, absolutely not.’
But even so, he couldn’t just die like this. The problem was that finding a suitable person wouldn’t be easy. Even if she asked someone working in the castle, there was no way to confirm if they were truly a virgin. If someone blinded by greed pretended to be one, it would all be a waste of time. And as Lucas said, if they had ulterior motives and didn’t use protection, it could lead to an illegitimate child.
Still, letting Lucas die wasn’t an option. If the Duke were gone, the ducal family, with no heir, would be targeted by distant relatives vying for the empty position. And Seria herself would lose her place entirely. But more than that, she didn’t want her childhood friend to die.
‘If only the late Duke were still alive, he would’ve found a solution right away. What can we do…’
Just then, as Seria was lost in thought, her eyes widened.
Oh, come to think of it, there was one person. Someone who had known Duke Lucas for over ten years and was undoubtedly a virgin…
But the moment the thought crossed her mind, she felt despair wash over her. She covered her face with her hands and leaned back.
That person was none other than herself.
No matter how desperate the situation was, how could she spend the night with the Duke? They had never once thought of each other romantically. Having grown up together since childhood, Seria only saw Lucas as a friend.
It wasn’t just about her. Lucas, too, would surely hate the idea of sharing a bed with Seria instead of some other woman. Even though time was running out, she didn’t want to create an awkward situation without considering the consequences.
Shaking her head vigorously, Seria looked at Lucas again. His pale, sickly eyes looked pitiful.
“Why don’t we start by looking for someone? We can’t let the curse take its toll like this.”
“I said no. Before I’m a paladin, I’m the head of the Loren family. Imagine if rumors spread—what would happen to my reputation?”
For a moment, frustration welled up, and Seria almost snapped at him like she used to in their childhood. She wanted to say, “Do you think dying is better? Isn’t it better to have your reputation slightly tarnished?” But she barely stopped herself. Now that Lucas had inherited the title of Duke, they were no longer in a position where she could speak freely.
As she stayed silent, an awkward tension filled the room. After a long pause, Seria, her expression calm again, spoke.
“Lucas, for now, don’t worry about anything else. The most important thing is breaking the curse, isn’t it? The doctor said there’s no cure, so we have no choice but to trust the words of the sorcerer. Just stay still and don’t do anything. Since it would be unseemly for you to search for someone yourself, I’ll look for an appropriate person within the castle.”
“Hah, I told you, that’s out of the question.”
Lucas sighed at her words. He frowned and fell deep into thought, leaving Seria to exit the bedroom.
Despite what he said, when the day of death came closer, he might regret it. Once it was too late, no miracle cure would help.
She couldn’t just let him die. As his secretary, she had no choice but to take action herself.
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