Chapter 35
“There’s no reason I would dislike the curse being lifted sooner rather than later.”
“Still, it’s your birthday. Shouldn’t you rest enough?”
“This is truly more than enough.”
Tristan added a few more words, but Maya’s determination was firm.
Faced with her unyielding stubbornness, Tristan eventually raised his hands in surrender, realizing suddenly that he knew nothing about the Pendragon family’s awakening.
Indeed, how the Pendragon bloodline awakens was shrouded in secrecy.
“May I ask something out of curiosity?”
It was a question born out of academic interest, as he was curious about the Pendragon family.
“Yes, of course.”
“Do you know how the awakening happens?”
“Yes.”
The answer came readily.
‘Has she realized it through solitary training?’
That was surprising in itself.
“How does it happen?”
“It’s nothing special.”
Maya shrugged her shoulders.
“By continuously overcoming crises and breaking through the body’s limits, the bloodline awakens.”
Is that supposed to be nothing special?
Tristan was at a loss for words at Maya’s indifferent tone, managing only to say,
“Crisis?”
“A few broken bones, lapsing into a coma—something like that? Still, it’s well within natural healing.”
…Is that supposed to be nothing special?
Awakening was a must for the Pendragons. To fulfill their contract with him as well.
But Maya Pendragon, laughing off the tasks she needed to do, was hard to understand.
Sometimes she seemed as carefree as a child, and at other times, her eyes bore the depth of suffering deeper than the years she had lived.
‘It seems like I understand, but I don’t.’
He was sure, having never met a lady of his age, that none would be like Maya Pendragon.
“Shall we go eat then?”
“…You go ahead. I’ll sort out my thoughts and follow.”
Robert, who had prepared diligently for today, hurriedly escorted Maya.
Tristan watched Maya’s retreating figure as she, with a smile, headed to the dining room.
There was no fear on her composed face.
He really didn’t understand.
What kind of life had she led to be so indifferent to sacrificing herself and enduring pain?
Tristan couldn’t bring himself to ask.
‘I may not be able to stop you from going.’
But there was a way to help.
‘Because the Bayarden family has ‘that’, which is passed down from generation to generation.’
He never thought he’d use that ability this way, but perhaps it was meant for this moment.
The Bayarden and Pendragon families were connected by history, after all.
‘I need to prepare.’
Although the Bayarden family wasn’t as renowned for swordsmanship as the Pendragon family, they were prepared in their own right.
The Bayarden family possessed a black sword, which could be freely wielded both as a boy and when he regained his true form.
The sword, which could only be wielded by the cursed lord of the Bayarden family, was familiar to Tristan.
‘It’s been a while since I’ve been out.’
He wasn’t foolish enough to let someone who was willing to sacrifice their entire being for him go alone.
…Especially if that person was as concerning as Maya.
Tristan fiddled with the brooch pinned to his chest.
The Pendragon oath to come running whenever it was for her sake.
It was quite a romantic gift.
‘I think this alone would have been a nice present.’
Tristan, lost in thought, suddenly thought of Kendrick.
Wondering if he would go together, Tristan couldn’t help but continue to assume, despite knowing it was selfish.
‘Maya Pendragon is too precious.’
Even if they were to divorce later, he hoped a good person would come for Maya.
Excluding the oddly worrying Kendrick.
‘Food and clothing will be the main concerns.’
Tristan didn’t know how much luggage Maya had packed, but it was clear she would need more.
Objectively, Maya was a very kind and brave person, but not meticulous.
‘I’ll have to take care of it.’
Heading out to call Robert, Tristan felt his body shrinking bit by bit.
However, the brooch engraved on his chest remained the same.
That fact was more comforting than he expected.
Surprisingly so.
***
At the place where Maya went to eat breakfast, Kendrick was sitting with a sullen face.
Kendrick, tapping his bowl with a fork with an uninterested face, caught sight of Maya entering the room.
“My goodness, Maya…”
Kendrick covered his mouth.
Maya, wearing a dress imbued with green foliage and her curly hair flowing down, looked like a goddess in Kendrick’s eyes. (And it was definitely the case in his eyes.)
‘Why didn’t I give her a dress as a gift sooner!’
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