The Elven Duke Reluctantly Marries The Cursed Lady - Chapter 53
Violette seems to have redecorated, and replaced the curtain color with a chartreuse green one while the furniture was white, making the room look bright.
But Violette was neither on the couch or the chair by the window.
When he searched for her presence, he found her curled up on the wicker basket underneath the table. Hydrangea picked her up along with the basket and sat on the couch.
Violette was curled up like an ammonite when Hydrangea picked her up from the basket.
She did not put up any resistance and her body was limp and weak.
Thinking her docility strange, Hydrangea lifted her at eye level. When he looked into her eyes, Violette was teary-eyed.
When she blinked, tears welled up from her large eyes.
“Why are you crying?”
[……]
“I won’t know if you don’t tell me, you know.”
[……]
Violette’s mouth opened and closed, but her voice would not come out.
She slowly averted her gaze.
There was a sense of déjà vu as he looked at her and memories from his childhood came back to him.
Was that when I was around six years old? I secretly used magic in the middle of the night and flooded my room.
His late father came running and scolded Hydrangea.
At that time, I was so thirsty and wanted a glass of water. The pitcher was empty and I simply had to ask an attendant to fetch me some, but I couldn’t wait and wanted to drink immediately.
He was unable to explain because his father was looking directly at him.
Maybe Violette feels the same way now.
He put her down on his lap for the time being and patted her head since she seemed downhearted. Violette did not resist and remained still as Hydrangea petted her.
Her tail, which had been strongly thumping, gradually stopped moving as her emotions were filled with frustration.
“Have you calmed down?”
[Yes……]
“What in the world happened to you?”
[B-before that, the wound on your chin…]
“Oh, this?”
He had completely forgotten about the scratch wound Violette had given him since it did not hurt that much. He healed it with Recovery magic.
“It doesn’t hurt, so don’t mind it.”
[I-I’m sorry.]
After that, Violette told him haltingly about what was on her mind.
[I’m just… frustrated.]
“What are you frustrated about?”
[This. This cursed body.]
She was excited to welcome their guest. But because she was touched by Hydrangea, she had turned into a cat.
She was angry because although she had married, she could not properly fulfill her duties as the Lady of the House.
[To think that I had to welcome Prince Magnolia in this form….]
If Violette had not welcomed him in cat form, then none of this would have ever happened. Hydrangea kept his thoughts to himself.
“Didn’t I write in my letter that I would tell His Highness about your curse?”
[You did, but I never imagined that you would explain it to him while I was in cat form.]
Violette had wanted to meet Prince Magnolia, entertain him, and talk to him in human form. But because she had turned into a cat, that would no longer be possible.
[But now that I look at it calmly, I realize that because of my stubbornness, I behaved rudely in front of Prince Magnolia!]
Tears welled up in Violette’s eyes again and her fur bristled in self-loathing.
Hydrangea patted her head to calm her down.
[Wh-why did I behave like a selfish child in front of His Highness? I did not have enough awareness as a member of the Laudense Ducal family. How embarrassing…]
Violette seemed to be flustered about feeling ashamed of herself.
Hydrangea made sure to speak in a gentle tone so he would not appear overbearing.
“It’s certainly not normal to transform into a cat. It’s not unusual to be upset in the presence of a guest.”
[But such a thing…]
“… It happens. What you should do right now is not to be ashamed of yourself and shut yourself in your room. You know what you have to do, right?”
Fretting over the past won’t help. What’s important is what you do after failing.
In a shaky voice, Violette told him what she should do from now on.
[That is— I have to apologize to His Highness and explain my circumstances to him.]
“That’s right.”
At that moment, Violette changed.
Her tiny body was surrounded by a magic circle and turned her back into human form.
And, as one would expect, she appeared as naked as the day she was born.
