Saving My Childhood Friend Through... Questionable Means... - Chapter 5
Seria gathered all the women who had worked for the ducal family for more than ten years. Having frequented the duke’s estate like her own home since childhood, and now serving as the duke’s secretary as an adult, she had taken on countless tasks and responsibilities. Because of this, she knew the people of the estate very well.
She gathered the unmarried maids and servants who had worked in the estate for over ten years and carefully probed them. Of course, she didn’t reveal the true purpose of her inquiries just yet.
However, an unexpected obstacle arose.
To her surprise, they all had lovers. Since they had known Seria since childhood, they didn’t shy away from discussing such intimate topics. Some of them even joked, “Miss Seria, where do you think you’d find a virgin these days?” and burst out laughing.
Their candid comments turned Seria’s face as red as a beet.
‘But there’s one right here…’
What could she say? All she could do was maintain a forced smile. The women continued chatting cheerfully, explaining that nowadays, it was rare for young men and women to remain chaste before marriage. They added that it would be nearly impossible to find a virgin of their age within the entire domain.
After hearing their stories, Seria lamented her own situation. She had spent her youth working tirelessly in the ducal estate, never enjoying the pleasures of her age.
‘Haah, what a pitiful life. I should’ve gone out and had some fun too.’
While Lucas had kept his chastity as part of his paladin’s vows, what excuse did she have? Her lips, which had maintained a smile with difficulty, drooped slightly once everyone had left after their greetings.
‘This was completely unexpected. At this rate, there’s no way to break the curse from the start… except for me.’
Though she knew she was the only one left, she couldn’t bring herself to agree to such a thing so readily. Surely, if she searched harder, another solution could be found.
*
The next morning, Seria went to see Lucas, only to turn pale at the sight before her.
Lucas’s complexion had turned an almost grayish hue. The curse was steadily draining the duke’s strength. He looked as if he could lie in his grave at any moment. It was clear to Seria that it was time to make a decision.
Lucas sat slumped against the headboard of the bed, his lips parched and cracked. His glassy eyes looked like those of someone resigned to their fate. When he sensed her presence and turned his head to see her, he immediately lay back down.
“…You’re here?”
“If this goes on, you’re going to die.”
At her worried words, Lucas gazed at the ceiling with a faint smile.
“Maybe this, too, is the will of God.”
Seria felt a tightness in her chest, frustrated beyond words. What is it with that conviction of his? There was no way she could let her friend and lord die like this.
“Hold still for a moment.”
“Ah, Seria—”
Ignoring his protest, Seria suddenly lunged forward and pulled open his robe. The incubus’s mark on his left forearm had grown darker and more vivid than the day before. Her face darkened at the sight, and Lucas turned his head to avoid her gaze.
“It’s gotten worse since yesterday…”
“This can’t go on.”
Her resolute expression left Lucas silent. When she declared she would find a way, he didn’t protest like he had the day before. Instead, he lowered his head awkwardly. His expression suggested that while he couldn’t outright ask for help due to his pride, he didn’t want to die, either.
After tending to him briefly, Seria left the room. Even though Lucas’s condition had been kept secret, it seemed rumors had already spread, as the atmosphere within the ducal estate was somber.
Still, there was no one within the estate who met the necessary conditions. Among the nobles of a similar age in the surrounding area, all were either married, engaged, or secretly in long-term relationships. There were no noblewomen she could suddenly approach for a one-night arrangement.
‘Haa, it seems I’m the only one who can save Lucas.’
With only one day remaining, Seria made up her mind to offer herself as the sacrificial lamb. Naturally, she felt a wave of resistance at the thought, but she steeled herself, telling herself this wasn’t about pleasure—it was the only way to save the duke’s life.
Having resolved herself, Seria went back to Lucas and spoke to him.
“Lucas, listen to me. I’ve found the right woman.”
“Haah…”
A deep sigh escaped from Lucas’s dry lips. Knowing he would instinctively reject the idea, Seria didn’t tell him the truth. Instead, she lied, saying she had found a suitable partner. Perhaps because his death was only a day away, Lucas didn’t show the fierce resistance he had before.
Seria held his cold, pale hand tightly and reminded him repeatedly: no matter who entered the room, he shouldn’t try to find out who it was.
She assured him this was purely to save his life and that the woman chosen would ensure there were no consequences afterward.
Lucas’s blue eyes wavered with emotion but, ultimately, he nodded weakly.
Though Seria felt a pang of pity for him, she had no other choice. She wasn’t leading him to his death—she was trying to save him.
What else could she do? If anyone should wear a grim expression, it should’ve been her, not Lucas. She felt like dying herself.
Barely holding back the urge to scream, Seria left the room, silently hoping that night would take its time coming.
