Volume 1, Chapter 46 – The Solution

“I just find it infuriating. Even if you toss a bone to a stray dog, it’ll remember you for two or three days. But that man—Claire healed him, and he forgot her in less than an hour. Even if it’s not his fault, it still makes me angry, especially since he treated Claire like a monster.”

Precisely because there was no one to blame, the anger burned even hotter.

A bitter smile deepened on Claire’s face as she readjusted her snow-white shawl.

“If it were the me from before, I would’ve been furious. But after ten years, I’ve grown used to it. That man forgot me simply because I didn’t leave a deep enough impression. Otherwise, he would’ve remembered my name clearly, just like the slum leader.”

“It’s not about the impression—it’s the curse.”

Fia lifted her head to correct her.

“I know it’s the curse. But since we can’t remove it, what else can we do but accept reality and try to change things little by little?”

“Sigh, dwelling on this won’t get us anywhere. Speaking of which, is there really no way to break the curse? If it’s because you were born in defiance of divine rules, then shouldn’t the solution lie with the gods?”

Though Fia was a staunch atheist who dismissed gods and spirits as nonsense, this was a different world—one with magic. Unlike the illogical, contradictory myths of the Human Alliance, the legends here were coherent and verifiable. So, Fia wasn’t entirely skeptical about the existence of gods in this world.

However, precisely because the myths documented divine actions so clearly, Fia felt these gods lacked the mystique befitting deities. She often thought the gods worshipped in this world were far removed from her understanding of “God.”

“I did try seeking divine intervention…”

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To Fia’s surprise, Claire wore a thoughtful expression.

“The reason I stayed in the Milcandis Holy Kingdom instead of other countries was that I sought an oracle from the Goddess of Life, who is said to have created all living beings.”

“And?”

Even though she already knew the answer—if there had been one, Claire wouldn’t be like this—Fia couldn’t help but ask for details.

“The oracle that descended was… nothing.” Claire spread her hands helplessly. “It wasn’t that there was no response—just that the response was ‘void.’ In other words, the Goddess of Life heard the Pope of the Yuna Church’s plea and gave a reply, but that reply contained no information.”

“What does that mean?”

“At the time, the Pope’s question to the Goddess was, ‘How can the curse on Claire be lifted?’ Based on that, there are two possibilities: either the Goddess of Life didn’t know how to solve it, or my existence was so bizarre that she didn’t want to acknowledge me. Of course, the Pope insisted it was the latter—after all, the Church can’t allow the existence of a problem even the gods can’t solve.”

“So, in reality, it was the first one? Even the Goddess of Life didn’t know how to break your curse?”

How absurdly dramatic.

Sharing Fia’s sentiment, Claire smiled like an older sister and gently patted her head.

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“That’s what I think. The one who made the rules didn’t know how to handle exceptions. Even gods aren’t omnipotent.”

Or maybe you just asked the wrong god.

Keeping that irreverent thought to herself, Fia matched Claire’s pace.

Though Claire’s affectionate gesture embarrassed her, Fia found it oddly comforting. It wasn’t that she lacked shame—it was just something she’d never experienced before. Claire didn’t feel like a peer, so rather than swatting her hand away out of shyness, Fia preferred to let it continue. After all, no one else was around to see. It felt like they’d grown closer—warm, even.

Did I just gain an older sister?

If it was Claire, that wouldn’t be so bad.

Once that thought took root, what had once been mere novelty now carried a different emotion, one that brought a sense of calm. If Fia had to put it into words, it was the shift from “acquaintance” to “the kind older sister next door.”

What if I could lean on Claire like a little sister and—wait, what am I thinking?!

If Claire hadn’t been right beside her, Fia would’ve smacked her own face.

How could she entertain such shameless thoughts—and as a “little sister,” no less? Though she’d resolved to become the Elf Princess, she was adapting way too quickly.

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Still, despite her self-reproach, she couldn’t help but indulge in a brief fantasy of that imagined scene—how enviable.

“What’s wrong? Your face is red.”

Noticing Fia’s slowed steps, Claire leaned down to look at her.

The sudden proximity made Fia freeze.

Being stared at by the very person she’d been daydreaming about would startle anyone—and leave them deeply flustered.

Fia turned her face away, deliberately avoiding Claire’s hand, leaving only her profile visible.

“N-Nothing. I was just thinking… if there’s anything we can do to lessen the curse’s effects.”

She awkwardly changed the subject.

Claire brushed a strand of silver hair from her forehead and smiled wryly.

“A curse isn’t an injury. You can’t heal it with restoration magic.”

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“No, what I mean is—if we expand Claire’s influence, make more people remember her, like everyone in Aurora City, wouldn’t that counteract the curse within a certain scope?”

“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“But didn’t Claire herself think the same way? By healing patients in the slums, using life-saving favors to offset the curse’s memory loss and fear effects. It doesn’t work on everyone, but the slum leader is proof it can work.”

“He isn’t afraid of you, and he remembers your name. You also said that the beastkin girl you helped was scared of you at first, but over time, she could remember you for long periods and stopped fearing you entirely. So, if we constantly stimulate people’s memories—make them remember what ‘Claire’ has done—wouldn’t the curse be lifted?”

Sure, it would only apply within Aurora City, maybe even just its long-term residents. But even that was better than walking alone.

Yet, Claire’s beautiful face only showed resignation. She understood Fia’s point, but making an entire city remember her was easier said than done.

Not to mention, all that effort might yield no reward. The slum leader did remember her, but only because she frequently treated patients there. And Fia had overlooked a crucial detail—the beastkin girl she’d adopted forgot everything about her after a year apart.

Outsiders’ memories of “Claire” always had an expiration date. There was no way she could ensure over a hundred thousand people saw “Claire” every single day.