WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: nemui
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◈ The Forgotten Curse Knight ◈
Chapter 76: Vol. 4 Ch. 15: Wolford Siblings' Tea Party
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The Holy Maidens belong to the Papal Curia, but because they often act alongside the Holy Knight Order, the Order’s headquarters has several rooms prepared for them. In one of the sunlit lounges, Cheryl, the Holy Maiden of 〈Creation〉, sat at a tea table with her younger siblings, Keith and Cecily.
When Cecily cut and served the homemade apricot cake, Cheryl accepted hers with a smile, while Keith politely said, “Thank you, Cecily.”
（When I look at them like this, my siblings really do make a lovely picture...）
Cheryl was a Holy Maiden, and Keith was a Holy Knight bearing two blessings. Not only had God blessed them, but they were both strikingly beautiful.
Cecily used to wonder why she alone was plain-looking and had no blessing. But ever since she began secretly performing as the singer Lily, Cecily felt those envious feelings had lessened.
She had gained confidence that even without a blessing, she could still be loved by others.
（Cheryl and Keith are both a little hopeless, though... I need to keep it together.）
They had the grand titles of Holy Maiden and Holy Knight, but Cheryl was absentminded and Keith was always picking fights with everyone around him. Keith had even earned the nickname “the Holy Knight Order’s runaway locomotive.”
If only he would sit quietly... Cecily thought, just as Cheryl scattered cake crumbs everywhere.
Cecily quickly wiped the table, then checked whether Cheryl’s robe was stained. It would be terribly embarrassing if a Holy Maiden wore clothes covered in crumbs.
“Oh my, I’m sorry, Cecily.”
“Crumbs are fine, but please don’t spill your tea. Stains are hard to remove.”
“Speaking of tea, I wonder whether Lord Theo’s uniform is all right... I hope it isn’t stained...”
At Cheryl’s murmur, Keith’s face twisted grotesquely.
With his brows drawn together as tightly as possible and his gums bared, he looked like a threatening wild animal. It was far from the face of a beautiful boy.
“I ended up landing on top of Lord Theo, didn’t I? He said he wasn’t hurt, but perhaps his body started hurting afterward. I’m worried...”
“You don’t need to worry about that guy. He’s tough as nails. He’s a Gray Knight.”
Keith was in a bad mood because he had lost to Theo, the Gray Knight. Apparently, before fighting Theo, Keith had also challenged Theo’s older brother, Allen Lawrence. It was enough to give anyone a headache.
（Still, if Theo beat Keith, then he must be really strong...）
Keith’s two blessings had enhanced his physical abilities far beyond those of ordinary people.
Cecily herself found it difficult even to follow Keith with her eyes when he ran at full speed.
Even if several adults challenged Keith at once, he could win through sheer physical ability.
And Theo had defeated him.
Trying to remember Theo’s face, Cecily frowned.
（I can barely remember what Theo looks like anymore...）
She could just barely remember his blond hair and small braid, but she might not notice him if they passed each other in the street.
The other day, while performing as the singer Lily, Cecily had been helped by Theo.
But according to Hugo, Theo’s fellow Gray Knight, Theo carried the curse of Oblivion.
“You know, Theo has the curse of Oblivion. Ordinary people like you will eventually forget Theo.”
Cecily had only half believed it then, but now she understood.
She could remember Hugo’s cheeky-looking face, yet only her memories of Theo were vague.
Cheryl and Keith, who had blessings, spoke Theo’s name as though it were nothing. But if Cecily let her guard down, she felt she might even forget his name.
（...What kind of curse is that? Theo helped me.）
Even if Cecily tried to resist the curse of Oblivion, her memories would gradually grow vague until she forgot the very intention to resist. It felt unpleasant, as though someone were controlling her mind.
Cecily wanted to resist that feeling, even if only a little.
“Oh, Keith!”
An idea occurred to Cecily, and she raised her voice. It came out so loudly that even she was surprised. Both Keith and Cheryl looked startled.
Leaning over the table, Cecily made a suggestion.
“Why don’t you become friends with Theo?”
“...Whaaaat!?”
Keith opened his mouth so wide that it looked as though his jaw might fall off. Such a waste of a beautiful face.
Then Cheryl said brightly, “Oh, that’s a wonderful idea. You should get along with Lord Theo and invite him to our home.”
“No way! Why are you suddenly saying that, Cecily?”
For a moment, Cecily’s heart jumped. Performing as the singer Lily was a secret from Cheryl and Keith.
Cecily suppressed her panic and put on a big-sisterly manner.
“You have two blessings, Keith. Even adults can’t serve as training partners for you, can they? I’ve been thinking for some time that it would be nice if you had someone your own age to train with.”
“Hah! As if! A Gray Knight?”
So that was no good. Cecily’s shoulders slumped.
Keith, who had blessings, would not forget Theo. More than that, Cecily had been worried that Keith had no friends his own age.
Then Cheryl made another suggestion with a smile.
“If you dislike Gray Knights, what about Lord Allen Lawrence?”
“I dislike that guy even more! That grinning closet pervert gets under my skin!”
Perhaps that was a little harsh... Still, Allen probably did not think highly of Keith either.
After all, Keith had been declaring with flared nostrils, “I’m going to beat those brothers into the ground!”
Why is this child so bloodthirsty? Cecily sighed.
（If Keith became friends with Theo... I could send Theo cakes through Keith.）
Murmuring inwardly, Cecily took a big bite of the perfectly made apricot cake.
* * *
Two days had passed since the Termea that escaped from the Adcock Research Institute had been defeated, and Theo’s leg had improved considerably.
There were individual differences, but walking curses apparently had great recuperative abilities as part of their physical enhancement. It was almost like someone blessed with 〈Regeneration〉.
（Come to think of it, physical enhancement resembles the blessing of 〈Destruction〉, and Curse Armament Manifestation resembles the blessing of 〈Creation〉... Is it impious to think of blessings and curses side by side?）
Thinking such thoughts, Theo opened the lounge door and widened his eyes.
Karla stood against the wall, making an “Ah...” sound. Hugo sat in a chair watching. Leaning against the backrest with his legs crossed, he looked thoroughly arrogant.
Then Lenny tumbled out of Theo’s pocket and went, “Myaa...”
（Is Lenny trying to compete with Karla...? Should I be doing this too?）
As Theo wondered, Hugo called out, “Stop!”
“That’s no good at all. Your voice isn’t coming from your belly.”
“...? Voices don’t come from the belly. They come from the throat.”
“Mew.”
At Karla’s objection and Lenny’s dissatisfied cry, Hugo stood, placed a hand on his stomach, and replied, “No, no. You use diaphragmatic breathing and bring it out from your belly. Like this! Ah...”
As expected of a former choir member, Hugo’s voice carried far more clearly than Karla’s or Lenny’s.
Karla wore a confused expression. “Diaphragmatic breathing?”
Lenny went “Mmph” and rolled over Hugo’s foot as though trying to step on it.
Theo picked Lenny up and asked Karla and Hugo, “What are you two doing?”
“Karla wants to practice using their voice. Anyway, Karla’s immortal, right? They’ve lived a ridiculously long time, right? Isn’t it a little late to learn how to use a voice?”
“...Until now, there wasn’t much need to speak.”
Karla spoke softly. Their twin tails and lack of a mask had become completely natural by now.
Such changes in appearance, and this sudden vocal practice, might be major changes for Karla.
Hugo crossed his arms and leaned back with a weary air.
“Diaphragmatic breathing means breathing out while drawing your stomach in. This is basic stuff.”
Following Hugo’s instruction, Karla placed both hands flat against their thin stomach.
“Breathe out while crushing the organs in my stomach...”
“Wait, no. When you say it, that’s not funny. Don’t crush your organs, all right? Tighten your abs and draw your stomach in.”
Their exchange was somehow like that of siblings, though Karla was probably older.
（I remember Allen telling me to keep my breathing steady...）
As Theo recalled training with Allen, Karla stared at him and asked, “Theo, is your leg injury all right now?”
“Yeah. Dr. Gertrude examined it and said I can join training again starting tomorrow. So I was going to report that to the Commander...”
“The Commander seems to have visitors. Some bigwig from the military or the Adcock Research Institute, maybe... Oh, there. That’s them.”
Hugo moved close to the window and beckoned. Since the lounge was on the second floor, they could see the area around the entrance.
Theo moved closer and looked down. JJ appeared to be seeing important visitors off. The visitors were three men in suits, all strangers.
JJ, with a paper bag over their head, repeatedly bowed. Eventually, when the visitors passed through the gate and left, JJ’s back, which had been held straight to see them off, slumped. The movement was enough to make Theo imagine a long sigh.
（...Wait?）
A small sense of unease came over Theo. At the same time, a thought crossed his mind.
Theo picked up Lenny and put them back into his pocket.
“I’m going to see the Commander for a moment.”
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