- Frey Starlight's Pov -
"Welco to Lady Semiramis Library."
Silence lingered for a few monts.
I was still taking in my surroundings—the towering bookshelves, the spiral-like structure of the place—and then my gaze returned to the girl seated in the wheelchair.
Semiramis Library… Was this the Institution's library?
After another brief mont of contemplation, my attention shifted back to the girl who had just greeted .
"Ah… Thank you."
"Um… forgive my question, but who are you?"
I hesitated slightly at her question. She didn't seem to recognize .
"Don't misunderstand," she continued. "I identify people by their auras… but I've never sensed yours before."
I could have lied to her. But I chose not to.
"My na is Frey Starlight. I'm here with the temple's delegation."
The mont my na left my lips, her expression shifted slightly.
She turned to the little girl nestled in her lap, a soft smile gracing her face.
Gently stroking the child's head, she asked in a calm voice, "Azura… were you the one who brought him here?"
The little girl—Azura—opened her violet eyes, glancing at before looking back at the girl in the wheelchair.
"Yes."
Reem nodded the mont she heard the response.
"Then everything is fine."
She turned back to , her smile gentle.
"My na is Rem, and I am the librarian here. You are welco to stay as long as you wish."
She was still welcoming .
I had expected sothing different after she heard my na.
"Miss Rem, forgive my question… but do you not know who I am?"
"I know you well, Lord Frey."
"Yet you're still allowing to stay?"
Rem nodded.
"As long as Azura was the one who brought you here, there is no issue."
"I see…"
I moved carefully, my gaze still fixed on her.
I didn't want to make any reckless moves. Even entertaining the thought felt dangerous.
After all… the girl before was far from ordinary.
'Hawk Eyes.'
The mont I activated my enhanced vision, I saw it—an overwhelming aura surging from Reem, so vast that it seed to press against the very ceiling of the library.
This pressure… was stronger than Carn's.
Rem smiled knowingly, fully aware of my reaction.
"Don't worry, Lord Frey. You are my guest now."
"Apologies… this is just a bit much to process."
For a mont, I considered turning around and leaving through the sa door I had entered. But I chose to hold back.
"Perhaps you're looking for sothing?"
Rem's question lingered in the air, and I answered vaguely, "Sothing like that…"
"The books here hold knowledge accumulated over the last 400 years. Perhaps you will find what you seek."
The last 400 years of knowledge…
Was there truly such a library in the first place?
I searched my mory, recalling the world of my novel.
I hadn't delved too deeply into the Moonlight Family in the original setting… but I was sure I had never ntioned a library like this.
There was no way I could have forgotten sothing this significant.
I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling within .
It felt as if I wasn't the writer—just soone who knew fragnts of what was to co.
Everything about this was shrouded in mystery.
Then, suddenly, a thought struck .
The last 400 years of knowledge… in that case…
I turned to Rem at once.
"Are there any books here about curses?"
As if anticipating my question, Rem nodded imdiately.
"There are plenty."
Gently setting Azura aside, she gestured toward the upper floor.
"Azura, would you guide him to the Ancient History section?"
The little girl nodded before running toward .
Upon reaching , she stopped and held out her tiny right hand.
I instinctively took it. Her hand was so small that I loosened my grip as much as possible to avoid hurting her.
Rem may have been blind, but she saw far more than I did. That much was evident from the faint smile on her face as soon as Azura reached for .
"She seems comfortable around you."
"I suppose so…"
I didn't understand why this little girl had been so affectionate toward from the start… but I didn't mind it.
My mind resisted her, yet in the end, I always relented.
Azura led the way to the first upper floor, her small hand holding mine as I followed.
Rem simply watched us from afar.
"Are you sure about this, Iceflower? Allowing a stranger to roam freely here…"
A deep, raspy voice echoed in the air—one only Rem could hear.
That was natural.
After all, I couldn't see the things that stood behind her.
Two eerie phantoms with ethereal forms lood behind the blind girl—each more terrifying than the other.
"It's fine. I've never seen Azura act this way with anyone but . At the very least, he is not a bad person."
How many outsiders had set foot in this place over the past hundred years?
And how many had she cast out?
What happened today was unprecedented… yet Rem accepted it without hesitation.
And at that mont, no one could have foreseen what lay beneath her calm deanor.
…
…
…
Azura led to a secluded section filled with countless books.
Volus detailing the empire's history during warti—particularly the brutal torture thods used on prisoners.
A simple chair stood in the middle of the corridor.
Lifting Azura, I gently placed her on it.
"Sit here quietly while I look around."
Azura nodded without a word.
She was eerily quiet… but I liked that about her.
I began scanning the bookshelves, my fingers trailing along the spines of the volus, until I randomly pulled one out.
The mont I read a few lines, my expression darkened.
The book described, in unnerving detail, how the Moonlight Family had tortured their prisoners during war.
The thods were laid out so explicitly that a wave of disgust rolled over .
The more I read, the more hollow I felt.
Then, my eyes landed on a particular section.
"Torture through Curses."
At tis, executioners and high-ranking individuals resorted to cursing their victims, as physical tornt alone did not always yield the desired results…
A curse imposes powerful restrictions on its recipient, binding them to a strict set of laws and conditions dictated by the caster. Below are examples of how curses can be used…
I had read about many different curses—so could manipulate minds, while others could turn people into slaves. But the explanations were lacking. They didn't give the answers I needed.
Suddenly, I felt a tug on my shirt.
Azura.
I hadn't even noticed when she had jumped down from her chair or how she had appeared beside so quietly. In her hands, she held a book with a black cover.
She pushed it toward , signaling that she wanted to read it.
I wouldn't dare brush off this strange girl's actions, so I quickly accepted the book.
"Thank you."
When I gently patted her head, she looked pleased.
She really was… adorable.
Leaving Azura behind, I opened the book.
"The Four Great Curses."
An interesting title.
Unlike the previous book, this one delved much deeper.
Many people mistakenly associate curses solely with magic.
Magic has many branches, and while curses do intersect with sorcery, they are not the sa. In fact, the strongest curses do not originate from magic at all.
The greatest proof of this lies in the Four Great Curses—each belonging to a prestigious noble family.
The Curse of the Blade and Hourglass – exclusive to the Valerion Imperial Family.
The Curse of the Iliad – wielded by the Starlight Family.
The Curse of the Black Fla – belonging to the Sunlight Family.
The Curse of the Frozen Heart – tied to the Moonlight Family.
That last one…
The mont I saw the title, a strange sensation washed over —like a dagger slowly carving into my heart.
I wasn't entirely sure… but deep down, I knew.
This was it.
This was what had been afflicting .
Without hesitation, I began reading.
---
The Curse of the Frozen Heart
A terrifying curse that turns its recipient into a slave to the caster.
It cannot be removed and remains active at all tis. The curse automatically activates whenever the victim is near the caster.
It binds the victim's heart to the caster's aura, granting the latter the power to end the victim's life at will.
Disobeying the caster's commands results in excruciating pain—agony beyond human endurance.
The curse is unstable. If excessively triggered, the victim will die even without a direct order. The longest recorded survival period for a victim under continuous exposure was 30 days.
If the victim remains within the caster's range, they will die within this ti fra—or sooner, depending on their endurance.
However, if they distance themselves from the caster, the effects will pause—though the issued commands will never be undone.
---
The more I read, the colder my body felt.
These conditions ant…
I was completely powerless against whoever had cursed .
This was a disaster in every sense of the word.
---
Conditions for Casting:
The caster must possess an aura stronger than the victim's.
If the victim has a stronger aura, they must willingly accept the curse.
The caster cannot curse more than one person at a ti.
thods of Breaking the Curse:
The caster willingly lifts it.
The caster dies—though their commands remain in effect even after death.
Note:
The Curse of the Frozen Heart is an advanced curse, passed down only among the highest-ranking individuals, and is extrely difficult to learn.
---
… What now?
I finally understood why the system had given a 30-day deadline.
Even if I did nothing, I would die in 30 days just by staying near the caster.
The curse had been placed on the original Frey long ago, aning the truth behind it lay within his mories.
But I had no way of accessing them.
All I had were scattered, aningless fragnts.
I didn't even know what commands had been imposed on .
So even if I killed the caster, it wouldn't necessarily end the curse.
Still, I had a hunch…
This was sohow tied to the Moonlight Family's secret—the one I knew.
And as the book stated, the caster was soone of high rank.
That ant…
Everyone I had t on the train was irrelevant.
The curse had only activated once we neared Moonlight Manor.
At the very least, the one who cursed was far stronger than I was.
I needed to find them before the deadline ran out… and sohow convince them to lift the curse.
I let out a dry laugh.
"Isn't that impossible?"
Then, a thought struck .
The Moonlight Family wanted dead.
So why hadn't the caster killed yet?
It should have been effortless.
Then why was I still alive?
A dull headache pounded in my skull.
None of this made sense.
I was completely lost.
Then, all of a sudden, I felt Azura tug at again.
Her timing was strange… yet perfect.
"Are you worried about ?"
Her violet eyes lingered on for a mont before she extended both arms, silently asking to be carried.
This tiny creature…
Was the only warmth in this cold, desolate place.
---
I spent the next few hours trying to learn more about curses.
When it got late, I finally left the library, leaving behind both Azura and Reem, who waved at with a gentle smile.
The rest of my day passed in a haze.
My mind was consud—either trying to process what I had read or figure out who had cursed .
I couldn't even focus on training. Everything felt distant.
Every so often, a strange coldness would seep into my chest, as if the curse itself was reminding of my ti limit.
Desperate, I attempted to remove the curse using the system.
The cost was… astronomical.
Given the difficulty of breaking a curse of this level, gathering the required Achievent Points in ti was impossible.
I was on my own.
With no other options, I decided to return to that mysterious library.
Despite the countless questions surrounding it, that place made feel at peace.
I retraced my steps exactly as I had the night before.
I had a sharp mory—I was certain I had found the right path.
Yet when I arrived…
I felt empty.
The library had possessed a massive gate and a smaller entrance beside it—so large and distinct that it was impossible to miss.
But now…
Where the entrance had once stood…
There was nothing but a wall of ice.
The library… had vanished.
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