That time, she had anxiously urged her father to see a doctor, or he would surely die. It was dismissed as a joke, and then her father, who had succeeded to the ducal title, died the very next day.
If the old duke's death could still be explained as a coincidence, since the old man had already been on the verge of death at the time, then could the duke, in his prime, suddenly falling ill and dying the day after the girl's remark also be explained as a coincidence?
Those who cared for the duke began venting their emotions on the girl, while those who bore him ill will also began attacking the duke's daughter without restraint.
Although her mother did her best to protect her daughter, the woman who had inherited the title from her husband did not hold such secure authority. Moreover, timid by nature, she was unable to take any forceful measures.
From then on, "Cursed Angelina" was born. Through word of mouth among the nobility, she became a monster who brought disaster.
Once targeted malice had begun to take shape, everything that followed became impossible to stop. From then on, whether it was a murder case or a drought, anyone who wished could casually pin it on the girl and spread the tale among the superstitious masses.
As for the truth, no one cared anymore. After all, all they needed was someone to curse. This continued until the girl was eleven, when her mother sent her to the capital of the Baharuth Empire to study magic.
Though it was said that she was going to study magic, her mother's main purpose in sending her away was to protect her. By then, even the girl herself had nearly come to believe that she truly was cursed.