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Chapter 52: The Curse of Loneliness

The white bandage fluttered to the ground, revealing a large, discolored scar that covered the entire right side of her face.

The scar stretched from her forehead all the way down to her chin.

"Uh… uh…"

"..."

Violet quickly raised her hand to cover the scar, as if trying to hide it from the world.

I watched, speechless, as she lowered her head, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

A wave of emotions washed over me - sadness, anger, pity, compassion… It was an overwhelming mix of feelings that defied words.

As I stood there, lost in thought, a familiar mechanical sound rang out in my ears.

-Ding!

[The \'Curse of Loneliness\' engraved on the scar afflicts you.]

[The curse\'s effect will cause you to feel extreme revulsion towards the target.]

[Effect will be applied in 10 seconds...]

"...The Curse of Loneliness."

I frowned, staring at the blue system window that had materialized before me.

So that was it.

The reason for Violet\'s misfortunes, the reason why she was treated with such disdain by everyone around her.

The scar on her face wasn\'t just a physical wound, it was a curse that instilled hatred and revulsion in the hearts of others.

A debuff that forced its target into a life of isolation… How utterly cruel.

It was a curse cast by a high-ranking demon, a being on par with the Four Heavenly Kings. Avoiding or dispelling it was said to be near impossible.

…Of course, I was an exception.

-Ding!

[The \'Iron Will\' skill negates the curse\'s effect.]

Another system message popped up, informing me that my skill had been activated.

I let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ha… As expected, it works."

Iron Will was one of the ten EX-ranked skills in the world.

According to the status window, it was the most powerful mental defense skill in existence.

It might not be able to completely block out the Demon King\'s curse, but it could easily handle something like this, cast by a mere underling.

"..."

"I-it’s ugly, isn’t it…? I-I’ll just bandage it back up…"

While I was busy looking at my status window, Violet had picked up a fresh bandage and was about to cover her face again.

I saw the fear, sadness, and self-loathing swirling in her beautiful violet eyes.

I reached out and gently grabbed her wrist, stopping her from hiding the scar.

-Click!

“Ah…?”

Her hand fell away, revealing the full extent of the disfigurement.

Violet struggled against my grip, her eyes wide with panic.

“No! Don’t… Don’t look…!”

She tried to cover her face with her other hand, but it was no use.

She knew, from experience, that people changed when they saw her scar.

Her voice was a desperate plea.

“P-please… Don’t… Don’t kill me… I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry for being so disgusting… I-I’ll disappear… I’ll never let you see me again…”

Her words, the way she begged for her life, the tears that streamed down her face…

It was heartbreaking.

It was a sharp, piercing pain in my chest, stealing my breath.

Images from the original story, scenes from Violet’s life, flashed through my mind.

-I… I should never have been born.

A young girl, the sole survivor of a burning village.

Scarred, cursed, destined to be alone.

She eventually succumbed to the darkness, unable to bear the weight of her loneliness.

-I… I just wanted to be loved… like you…

Her final words, spoken with a bloodstained smile as Allen’s blade pierced her heart.

The image of her collapsing, her body dissolving into dust, was seared into my memory.

It was a story I could never forget, a story that filled me with unbearable sadness.

-Sniff… Sniff…

I felt tears pricking at my own eyes as I remembered how I had felt reading those words, sitting alone in my room.

Violet noticed my tears and stared at me with wide, surprised eyes.

"Y-young Master…?"

I blinked back the tears, the memories still fresh in my mind.

I slowly reached out, my hand moving towards her scarred cheek.

My fingers gently touched the discolored skin, the rough, uneven texture a stark contrast to the smooth skin of her other cheek.

But it wasn\'t disgusting. It wasn\'t repulsive.

All I felt was a deep, overwhelming surge of empathy.

“Ah…?”

Violet flinched, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing herself for a blow that never came.

She slowly opened her eyes, her gaze meeting mine.

Those beautiful violet eyes, filled with a lifetime of pain and sadness…

“It must have hurt…”

I spoke softly, my voice barely a whisper, as I gently caressed her cheek.

“...And lonely.”

How many people had turned away from her in disgust? How many times had she been told to hide her face, to disappear?

A life lived in the shadows, burdened by a curse she didn’t deserve…

Just like me, in my past life.

Had she cried herself to sleep every night, just like I had?

"Ah… uh…"

Violet let out a small, confused sound, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Young Master…? Y-you’re… You’re not…?"

"It\'s alright… I\'m alright."

"B-but… How…?"

She sounded like she couldn\'t believe her ears.

"Are you… Are you sure…?"

"Should I be feeling something different?"

"Am I… Am I not disgusting to you…?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"N-nothing…"

She mumbled, her voice barely audible.

But beneath the confusion and disbelief, I could see a flicker of hope in her eyes.

I decided to indulge her, however fleeting that hope might be.

I gently stroked her cheek, my thumb brushing against the edge of the scar.

"...Not at all. You\'re not disgusting at all."

"Ah…"

Her face contorted in a series of expressions – confusion, disbelief, hope, fear…

She didn\'t know what to do, what to say, how to react.

Finally, she just broke down, tears streaming down her face once more.

It was a raw, instinctive reaction, like a dam bursting after years of holding back a torrent of emotions.

"You\'re crying."

I said softly, wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheek.

She seemed to realize she was crying, her hand flying up to cover her face.

"Ah… I-I’m sorry…! W-why am I…?”

She apologized, but instead of pulling away from my touch, she leaned into it.

I felt the slightest bit of pressure against my hand, a silent plea for comfort.

She might not have been aware of it, but she was seeking solace in my touch.

Like someone who had been lost in the desert for days, finally finding an oasis.

\'…She must have craved human touch for so long…’

I extended my other arm, gently pulling her closer.

And then, I just sat there, holding her close, letting her cry on my shoulder.

.

.

.

-Whoosh…

The gentle night breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, their branches swaying gracefully in the wind.

The only sounds were the chirping of crickets and the soft rustling of leaves.

Dawn was still a long way off.

Everyone else was sound asleep in their tents, lost in their dreams.

I sat by the campfire, watching the flames dance and flicker.

-Crackle… Crackle…

The fire was still going strong, providing a comforting warmth against the cool night air.

The flames painted the darkness with a warm, orange glow, casting dancing shadows on the surrounding trees.

-Sniffle… Sniffle…

I was lost in thought when I heard a soft sound coming from beside me.

Violet was slumped against me, her head resting on my shoulder, fast asleep.

She must have cried herself to sleep.

\'She\'ll get a stiff neck sleeping like that…’

I carefully reached out and lifted her head, gently placing it on my lap.

That would be more comfortable.

“Mmm… Uh…”

She frowned in her sleep as if she were having a bad dream.

I gently stroked her cheek, just like I had done before.

“Mmm…”

She relaxed under my touch, the frown disappearing from her face, replaced by a small, peaceful smile.

I continued to stroke her cheek, my fingers tracing the outline of her scar.

“You fell asleep without putting your bandage back on…”

What if someone sees her like this…?

I sighed and picked up the discarded bandage from where it lay on the ground beside us.

I carefully held it up to her face and began to wrap it around her head, covering the scar once more.

-Smooth… Smooth…

I tried my best to be gentle, to avoid waking her.

It wasn’t the neatest bandage job in the world, but it would have to do.

I smiled to myself, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment.

I carefully lifted her into my arms and carried her back to her tent.

She would catch a cold if she stayed out here all night.

I gently laid her down on her sleeping bag and stepped back outside.

The cool night air hit me like a wave, ruffling my hair.

My dark bangs fell over my eyes, momentarily obscuring my vision.

I brushed them aside and looked up at the sky.

The stars were out in full force, millions of tiny pinpricks of light scattered across the vast canvas of the night sky.

I sat down again, leaning back against a nearby tree, and gazed up at the breathtaking sight.

“This school trip has been… eventful, to say the least.”

I let out a sigh, but it wasn’t entirely a complaint.

It had been… nice.

Relaxing, at times. Exciting, at others.

It had been a welcome change from my usual routine.

\'I hope… I hope nothing else goes wrong.’

I closed my eyes and made a silent wish on the stars.

Of course, it wouldn’t be long before that wish was shattered into a million pieces.

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