I Became the Only Cure for My Dying Husband - Chapter 5
Chapter 3.1
‘The main characters always heal without a single scar, no matter how badly they’re hurt.’
But Edith carried every scar with her.
‘Maybe it’s because I’m destined to become a witch.’
After her bath, Edith quickly slipped her gloves back on. Once her hands were covered, she felt her spirits lift a little.
“Sleep well tonight, miss.”
A warm bed, soft food, and gentle pajamas.
A sudden wave of drowsiness hit her all at once, and Edith’s exhausted body collapsed into sleep.
It was the first warm, peaceful night she had ever experienced.
✦ ✦ ✦
The morning after Edith’s first night at the Frost residence, she was summoned as soon as she woke up. With her heart pounding, she rushed to Khalid’s office.
She was sure this summons would be a test of her worth.
She had been so certain of it.
“Lucion sleeps in late, so he never eats breakfast with me.”
“Pardon?”
“So, you’ll have to eat with me.”
“I’m sorry…?”
“Let’s eat.”
“T-thank you for the meal.”
What is going on here?
Edith blinked in confusion, her fork halfway to her mouth.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Startled, Edith hastily shoved the food into her mouth.
Well, whatever this is, I should at least savor the meal.
Despite the oddness of the situation, the food was delicious.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“Good. Now you can leave.”
“Wait, just like that?”
“Would you prefer to stay and help out with some paperwork? Not that I really need an extra hand.”[1]
Khalid pulled out some documents, and Edith quickly stepped back.
‘Why did he call me here? Did he really just want to eat together?’
The same thing happened the next day.
Edith left feeling like some guilty thief with how anxious she was growing.
“Why aren’t you asking me anything?”
“Do I need to? I brought you here because I believe you have value.”
“But what if I’m lying?”
“Are you lying?”
“No!”
Edith waved her hands in panic, alarmed by his serious tone.
Seeing her so flustered, Khalid grinned, muttering that he couldn’t even joke around with her.
“I sent you to your room so you could rest after your long journey, but here you are, overthinking things with that little head of yours.”
Khalid ruffled her hair playfully, smiling at her now messy locks, but his expression quickly faded when he heard her soft voice ask:
“Shall I heal you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your hand. The curse, it’s causing you pain, isn’t it?”
When Edith pointed to his left hand, his eyes narrowed.
“How did you know?”
“It’s pretty noticeable.”
That couldn’t be true. No one knew about his condition except the family doctor. Not even Lucion, and he was the one who had passed on the curse.
‘To think she figured it out in just a single day, despite all my efforts to hide it.’
Khalid calmly removed his glove and extended his hand.
“Very well, let’s see what my future daughter-in-law can do.”
His hand was in terrible shape, almost as if it had suffered frostbite.
His fingertips were black, and the curse had spread across the back of his hand, turning it dark as well.
Edith frowned at the severity of his condition, but Khalid waved it off.
“The injury was caused by the curse, so medicine has no effect.”
Edith gently took his hand, cradling it between her palms.
“I’ll do my best.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Edith closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.
Gradually, warmth spread from her hands into his ice-cold one.
As if burning away the curse.
Steadily.
The dark redness that had stained his fingertips began to fade, revealing his ivory skin underneath.
“…Remarkable.”
Khalid stared at his hand with an unreadable expression—whether it was surprise or admiration, Edith couldn’t tell. He pinched her cheek, giving it a playful shake.
“I’d heard that a powerful fire mage could burn away curses, but I didn’t expect it to be this effective. No wonder you were so confident.”
Edith’s shoulders stiffened.
“…You knew?”
“When bringing someone into the family, it’s standard to run a background check.”
So he knew all along. That’s why he took me in.
It would’ve been strange to take her in without some kind of proof.
“Your Grace, then, does this mean I passed?”
“No.”
“Huh?”
Edith blurted out, dumbfounded by his response.
“The way you address me doesn’t pass.”
“Then…?”
“The title ‘Your Grace’ is too formal for a daughter-in-law. Call me Father.”
Edith’s mouth fell open in shock. Khalid burst into a hearty laugh, reaching over to gently close her jaw.
“Welcome to the Frost family, Edith.”
Translator’s Note:
1. The original sentence literally translates to: “I don’t need even a cat’s paw,” which refers to the Korean idiom 고양이 손을 빌리다 (“to borrow a cat’s paw”). It means that someone is so desperate for help that they would even borrow a cat’s paw. But for the sake of localization, I decided to replace it. ↩
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