Zain began to stand up from the ground.
"What are you talking about?" The king tried to feign ignorance from what Zain said. Zain saw what he was trying to do but didn't care.
"I'm saying the maid you looked up on the basement didn't do whatever you think she did." Zain said.
Zain traced her presence when he used Insight Force to locate the source of that overwhelming sense of death. That's when he discovered a maid chained in the castle's basement. A noise-canceling rune had been placed over the area.
Her face was beaten beyond recognition. Her arms were covered in cuts, as if made by a modified whip. Her hair was filthy and tangled, like she hadn't bathed in months. Both of her legs had been amputated at the thighs. Her back bore the same scars as her arms. There was no will left in her, it looked like she wanted to die.
At the same time, Zain sensed everything within the castle grounds.
Knights sleeping on duty. Maids resting after finishing their work. Low-ranking knights training in secret. A butler obsessively sorting even the smallest details. The head chef endlessly practicing new recipes. And looming over all of it, the sheer, massive scale of the castle itself.
Zain sensed everything and thought, 'This is the frail woman that was sitting besides that bedridden child.'
"Honey, what is he talking about?" The woman said to the king but he looked sideways. The Holy Knight looked sideways too when she said that and the woman saw that.
The woman looked at the Holy Knight like she knew her husband won't answer her and said, "Malrac, what does he mean by that?"
The name of the Holy Knight appears to be Malrac. Malrac didn't answer her but just continue to look away. Zain kept quite as he watched the woman demand answers from her husband and Malrac.
The king looked at Zain is suspicion and anger. He said, "How do you know that?" In anger.
"It's because I don't think she has..."
The king cut Zain mid speech and said, "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about how do you know what's inside the basement when there's a suppression rune in the basement?"
"Oh that, it's because my ability doesn't use mana or aura, that's why the rune didn't work."
The king became confused and angry at the same time. He thought Zain didn't want to answer him and said, "If you didn't want to tell you you should've said so. No need to lie."
Zain became furious when the king said that and his eyes started to change colour a little bit.
"LISTEN WORM! I DON'T LIE! JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE WEAK DOESN'T MEAN I'M WEAK!"
Zain said in anger, everyone in room shivered and felt fear. Malrac shielded the husband and wife infront of them. Everyone felt it, an aura around Zain that was spilling a little bit.
Zain return to normal especially his eyes and realised something, he always gets angry whenever someone called him a liar and his manner of speech change. At first, it felt like it was his normal reaction but looking back and now, that's not normal.
In his part life, everyone called him a liar at least once but he didn't react over the top.
Zain thought to himself, 'It happened before Rhaelis. My manner of speech changed back on the island. I need to be careful.'
Everyone realised that Zain has calmed down. Zain looked at everyone and realise that they were on edge.
"I'm sorry, I lost control there." Zain said casually trying to calm everyone. Everyone's eyes looked like they were saying "Are you sure?"
"Can you explain what you meant when you said you didn't lie about the rune?" The king said trying not think about what just happened.
"What were we talking.... Oh that, I mean that rune only protects aura or mana from sensing that area. Any other energy can sense it?" Zain said to them.
"What other energy?" The king said while knowing but still curious.
"Energy like..."
"WHO IS IN THE BASEMENT?"the woman said in anger cutting in middle of Zain. The king and Malrac looked at each other before they both sighed.
"It's Maribel." The king said looking down. The woman seemed to recall something and said, "You said you fired her."
The king looked embarrassed, unable to even look at her. The woman didn't demand an explanation; she likely believed her husband was punishing her because of their daughter's condition.
"I'm sorry for my late introduction. My name is Oliviane Nerissa of Ravenscar. I'm the Queen of Ravenscar." Olivia said as she bowed towards Zain. Zain looked suprised by her action because in his mind, a Queen isn't supposed to bow to any lower rank.
"I'm Lucian Zain von Dawnbreaker, an S-Rank adventurer as well as a Baronet. You can call me Lucas. Can I call you Olivia?" Zain said as he put his hand in front of Olivia to shake it. Olivia shook his hand gracefully.
"Yes you can call me Olivia." She said sounding casually but impatient and said, "You said Maribel didn't do it? What did you mean?"
"She didn't put a curse on your daughter."
"What do you mean curse? The healer said my daughter is poisoned by a deadly poison." Olivia said in suspicion, fear, sadness and sorrow.
Tears started to stream from her eyes.
"Nope it's a curse that has a certain death to it." Zain said feeling sorry to the king and Olivia. Olivia fell to her knees and her eyes looked hollow.
"But the healer said she has 3 years to live. So we can find someone to remove the curse." The king said to Zain sounding scared and sad.
"The healer didn't lie when she or he said she has 3 years to live. You daughter has 'within' 3 years to live and it looks like it can't be cured." Zain said as he looked at the floor.
"What's the name of the curse?" The king asked Zain
"I don't know."
"WHAT!" everyone became shocked when they heard that.
"But you said my daughter has a curse. How come you don't know?" Olivia said in anger and madness.
"I've never met your daughter, so I don't know what type of curse is it." Zain said as he looked at them.
Everyone realised that it's true that Zain has never met the princess, so how did he know the princess has a curse? No one wanted to question Zain because Aleric and Olivia found out why their daughter can't be cured.
Olivia wiped her tears away and stood up. She looked at Zain and said, "How about you meet my daughter then?" Zain nodded and Olivia led the way.
Everyone was trying to stop Olivia from inviting Zain in the Castle but she didn't care. She felt determined and led Zain to the castle. Zain followed behind her as he we walked with Iso. Iso has been quiet this entire time.
Aleric, Malrac and the 2 knights followed behind too. Aleric ordered the knights to stop following and return to their post.
Olivia entered the castle with a look of determination and passed the maids without care. She headed straight to the princess's room. Everyone followed behind her without saying a word to one another.
They arrived at the room.
Olivia entered first, followed by Zain, Iso, Aleric and Malrac. The healer was already in the room and it was an old man about the age of 50s. He looked surprised by the people entering the room because he's used to see Olivia in the room.
"This is my daughter." She said as gestured at her while looking at Zain. Zain went forward and looked at the princess. The princess looked exactly like the queen but younger.
*APPRAISAL SIGHT*
Zain used appraisal sight at the body of the princess.
[CURSE: BLACKHEART
TYPE: TERMINAL CURSE
DESCRIPTION: Blackheart is a forbidden curse that forces the victim into an unending sleep while preserving full consciousness. The body becomes completely immobile—unable to speak, move, or react—while the mind remains fully aware. The victim can hear everything around them and experiences the passage of time fully.
The curse originates in the heart and spreads gradually through the bloodstream, corrupting organs, nerves, and life force. Physical health deteriorates steadily and irreversibly.]
After appraising it, he looked at Olivia and said, "Its name is Blackheart and it's a terminal curse."
Olivia started to cry without making sounds, a silent cry.
Aleric looked at Zain and said, "What's a Blackheart Curse? Never heard of it."
"It's a forbidden curse that forces the victim to sleep while still awake. It starts from the heart and spreads throughout the body and destroying everything as well as draining life force." Zain said.
Aleric looked at Zain and asked, "Can it be cured?"
"It can't be cured."
Zain said to them.