Curse

Curse

One Witch after another stepped onto the stage and bestowed blessings upon the Little Princess in the cradle.

"I grant you a heart of gold. You will be kind, humble, honest, strong, and just. You will pity the weak and discern right from wrong..."

"I grant you a melodious voice and singing talent. Your voice will captivate both body and soul, and bring even the hardest-hearted to tears..."

"I grant you a healthy body, a perfect physique bestowed by the gods. You will remain healthy all your life, never tire, and never fall ill..."

"...You will possess a photographic memory and easily master all knowledge in the world. Even the most learned scholars will be unable to compare..."

"..."

Each time a Witch offered a blessing, the hall was illuminated by another burst of dazzling radiance.

Like making a list, the Witches stuffed every fine quality in the world into the Little Princess all at once.

To avoid repeating the blessings bestowed by those before them, the Witches who came later had no choice but to rack their brains for new things to bless her with.

Before the blessing ceremony was even halfway over, nearly all the common virtues of the world had been used up.

Another Witch stepped forward, the corners of her mouth twitching as she stood at a loss.

Seriously? Couldn't the colleagues before me have left me some room? How did they give away all of humanity's good qualities?

Seeing the Witch's helpless expression onstage, Rhine deliberately coughed twice and said as though casually chatting with the Queen beside him, "Thank you for the Witches' blessings. Princess Aurora will surely be the most perfect child in the world, blessed with the greatest number of virtues. I think what Princess Aurora needs now is a blessing that will help protect her from external harm and ensure her safety and happiness."

A Witch was indeed a Witch. She immediately understood Rhine's meaning and changed the direction of her blessing.

"Little Princess Aurora, no weapon made by man or born of nature—neither swords nor arrows, neither sharp claws nor fangs—will ever harm you! No blade will leave even a scratch upon your snow-white skin."

The next Witch followed suit, granting her a blessing that she would not be harmed by water or fire, scorching heat or bitter cold.

Rhine looked ahead at the Witches piling every sort of buff onto the Little Princess and could not help finding it rather amusing.

Those who understood the situation knew this was a ceremony to bestow wonderful blessings upon the Little Princess.

Those who did not might have thought they were creating some ultimate biological weapon.

Or rather, this chance to create an ultimate biological weapon was being used merely so Aurora could live out an ordinary, beautiful life like any other royal Little Princess! It was somewhat... wasteful. In the blink of an eye, all 12 Witches had bestowed their blessings.

Among them was the twelfth Witch from the original story, who had not yet had the chance to offer her blessing—Lilac Fairy, Violet Fairy's younger sister.

The gift she gave the Little Princess was "good fortune that turned danger into safety."

At last, only two magicians in the magnificent hall had yet to offer their blessings.

Black Witch Maleficent.

Court Magician Rhine.

Once she had confirmed that all 12 Witches had bestowed their blessings before her, the Black Witch smiled.

The cold Witch dressed entirely in black strode to the Little Princess's cradle and spoke in a sharp voice that was almost grating:

"Wow, the other Witches have all bestowed such wonderful gifts!

"What gift should I give our beautiful, perfect, healthy, lucky Little Princess with a heart of gold?"

The Black Witch made an exaggerated show of gesturing with her hands.

"Oh, Little Princess Aurora.

"You possess every virtue in the world, so you will surely enjoy fifteen wonderful years of youth..."

That sounded fairly normal...

The King, whose nerves had been stretched taut the entire time, finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the Black Witch's blessing.

It's settled.

Thank goodness nothing went wrong.

"But..."

The next second, the Black Witch suddenly raised her voice. "When you turn fifteen, you will be pricked by a Spinning Wheel and die on the spot!"

The Black Witch immediately turned toward the King on the throne, her laughter brimming with undisguised malice. "And dying alongside the Princess will be this kingdom itself! King,

"I curse your daughter and this land! Your adorable daughter will die a miserable death after being pricked by a Spinning Wheel. It is a tool for weaving, not a weapon made by man or born of nature! After the Little Princess dies, the curse hanging over this land will fully descend. Every noble and commoner in the kingdom will meet the same end.

"You will be Plagued by Illness. You will cough, bleed, and tremble upon the floor.

"The next day, when you move again, you will be able to do nothing but watch as your own hands drive blades into your throats.

"Your blood will flow out of your houses and into the rivers, dyeing their waters crimson.

"The streets will no longer hold a trace of human life, the palace lights will no longer shine, and the rising sun will never illuminate this land.

"Upon this kingdom's abandoned soil, Thorns, Tribulus, and weeds will grow in a terrifying profusion.

"Anyone who attempts to enter this Cursed Land will either be tangled by Tribulus or tripped by the thickets, as though countless hands have seized them and refuse to let them escape. In the end, they will all die in agony! The curse will linger forever over this once-prosperous land!"

Having finished, the Black Witch smiled.

Her smile was beautiful.

It held a cold, merciless beauty.

The legendary sorceress whose magic was the most exquisite among the 13 Witches gave the King a deep bow. "That concludes all the 'blessings' I have bestowed upon Little Princess Aurora and Your Majesty!"