The Curse of the Dragon God

Wind poured in through the window.

I roughly pushed back my disheveled bangs and rested my chin on my hand against the window frame.

The small trees rustled loudly, tangled in the wind.

I watched the shadows of the swaying leaves before lifting my gaze.

The indigo sky was packed with blue and white stars.

Above the distant mountain ridge sat a pure white moon, and beside it, a smaller, bluish one.

At one point, this sight was so foreign it felt grotesque, but now I think I would feel empty without a sky featuring two moons.

After all, it has been seven years since I began watching this sky from this window.

Or was it eight?

Well, the duration is not that important, so I will stop counting the years.

I held a deep breath until my chest felt tight, then exhaled with a huff before standing up straight.

“Lord Kaian.”

I heard a voice calling me from behind.

“Yes.”

I answered immediately, rubbing my cheek with one hand.

I had not been there long, but my thin cheek felt chilly.

“The night wind is cold.”

Footsteps followed the calm words, and soon a soft shawl was draped over my shoulders.

I patted the back of the hand that was securing the shawl so it would not slip.

The rough hand, better suited for gripping a sword than providing such service, paused for a moment before moving again.

I laughed silently and turned my head to the side.

A knight with a solemn expression stood there.

“Isaac.”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

After completely fastening the shawl with a delicately crafted black gold stone brooch, Isaac the knight took a step back.

I turned around and leaned my hips against the window frame while looking at Isaac.

Isaac kept his head bowed, looking at my feet.

“It was no different than usual.”

“That means it is still bad.”

“…”

His submissive attitude, which did not match his fierce features and intimidating physique, made him look like a well-trained hound.

I felt like I should pet his head, so I reached out.

Isaac naturally bent his waist and placed his head beneath my hand.

My palm touched his fine black hair.

A cheerful laugh, unsuited for the situation, burst out of me.

“Haha. Good boy, good boy.”

I ruffled his hair thoroughly as if dealing with a mischievous child before pulling my hand away.

Isaac stood back up in a proper posture, unbothered by his messy hair.

I brushed aside the bangs that had fallen over Isaac’s eyes and then let my hand drop.

A sigh filled the space where the laughter had vanished.

“It remains the same.”

“…”

“I expected as much.”

I was talking to myself more than to Isaac.

I am not sure if it has been seven or eight years, but Isaac has been with me since I first arrived here and knew my habits well enough to stay silent.

“I understand.”

It felt awkward to show emotions like depression or irritation in front of Isaac, so I gestured toward the door with my chin.

Isaac bowed and turned away with discipline.

I did not wait to see him leave before turning back toward the open window.

Only after hearing the click of the door closing did I exhale the sigh stuck in my chest.

I possessed a character in the novel Dragon Empire, which I had been reading before I died.

Dragon Empire was a fantasy novel set in the fictional empire of Caprese-na.

The protagonist of this novel, Lamiere Weaver, is a magician from the northern part of the empire.

Despite his humble birth, he possesses talent that rivals the first magician, constantly growing stronger and gathering forces to follow him.

I only read up to chapter 150 before possessing this body, but as someone who has read hundreds of fantasy novels, I am certain of one thing.

The protagonist will eventually destroy Caprese-na and establish a new country.

This is because the main villain opposing the protagonist is the Emperor of Caprese-na.

Currently the Crown Prince, Kallios Capre Arneb-s.

Legally, he is my younger brother.

“This is crazy.”

I muttered while rubbing my face, but in truth, I did not feel that crazy.

I have lived in this book for nearly ten years without much trouble, and I will likely die just as peacefully.

The fact that this lifetime is incredibly short is the problem, but there is nothing I can do about it.

The character I possessed is Kaian Capre Arneb-s, the older brother of the main villain.

He is a minor character who only appears by name, as he is already dead by the time the conflict between the protagonist and the villain begins.

Kaian inherited the blessing of the Dragon God bestowed upon the imperial family so strongly that he could not withstand the power.

He eventually withers away and dies young.

Well, that part is fine.

Actually, it is not fine at all, but it is a set fate and everyone dies eventually—a fact I know well since I have died once before.

Regardless, the real problem is that Kaian, meaning me, inherited the Dragon God’s blessing to an absurd degree.

To the extent that I am compared to the founding emperor, Kaian, whom the Dragon God personally blessed.

Why is this a problem?

It is a problem because there is a victim.

Whether Kallios does well or poorly, he will be constantly compared to me.

I will be compared to him forever, even though I have nothing to achieve except dying from illness.

It would be better if I were a tangible existence.

How must it feel to be compared every day to a hypothetical perfect ruler who starts with the phrase, “If only Lord Kaian were healthy”?

I felt pity for that guy, even though I have only seen him a few times.

It was a form of sympathy similar to watching a video of a pathetic polar bear on a melting Antarctic glacier, but I felt it nonetheless.

The air I breathe in and out feels like CFC gas.

It makes me feel very guilty.

In the story, Kallios is an arrogant, rude, and unlucky main villain with despicable methods, but I feel terrible thinking that I contributed to making him that way.

Furthermore, the scale of his villainy involves harvesting people’s necks like rice during harvest season.

Thinking about the massacre that will one day occur makes me jump up in the middle of the night.

Actually, I wake up startled once or twice a week from a chilling sensation.

Even though it happens after I die, I am worried that if I ignore it, I might become the villain’s doormat in the next life as a result of those evil deeds.

Since I have already died once and possessed this body, and death is right in front of me again, the next life is not a distant story.

It means I am very concerned.

But there was nothing I could do.

Even if I died sooner, the phrase “If only Lord Kaian were healthy” would simply change to “If only Lord Kaian were alive.”

Even if I acted like a brat, the number of officials crying out “Poor Lord Kaian” would only increase.

If I were healthy, I would have gone out to help, but I am stuck in this spire.

This is a holy ground where the oath of the Dragon God and the founding emperor resides.

My body is so broken that I cannot even breathe properly unless I am here.

Still, I could not just sit still, so I used Isaac to monitor the atmosphere of the officials and tried to show that I truly supported my brother.

However, Isaac had said it was no different than usual.

That meant Kallios’s pride was trampled today as he was compared to me yet again.

Sigh.

I exhaled a long sigh and leaned against the window frame.

The face touched by the wind was cold, while the body covered by the shawl was hot.

Based on experience, I was certain that I would develop a fever if I stayed here for ten more minutes, but I did not want to move.

I stared blankly down at the garden.

The light from the magic stone lamps carved from white marble was pale.

This is crazy.

I did not actually feel like I was going crazy, but I was more troubled than before, so I swallowed the groan that was about to escape.

I looked straight down from the spire with my head bowed.

It was about four stories high.

If I fell from here…

I rubbed my arms, which broke out in goosebumps at the sudden thought.

Suddenly, I missed my mother, whose face I could no longer clearly remember.

He was the first person I saw after becoming Kaian.

Dark red eyes like dried roses, blonde hair that looked like it was spun from gold, and a pale, beautiful face with an expressionless look.

He looked like a well-crafted doll rather than a person.

Naturally, I was very shocked.

Anyone would be startled if the first thing they saw upon opening their eyes was a human-sized doll.

Even more so if that doll stood up and started moving.

Thinking back, it was a miracle I did not faint upon seeing that.

I was even sicker back then than I am now.

To the point where I thought I was seeing a hallucination right before dying.

The reason I suddenly remembered the first time I saw him was that his expressionless face entered my blurred vision.

He had grown significantly since then, but he was still as beautiful as a doll.

Kallios Capre Arneb-s.

The Crown Prince of this country and the main villain of this novel.

Legally, my younger brother.

The expression “my brother” felt strangely funny, so I laughed out loud.

Kallios glanced at my face and closed the book he was reading.

“Are you,”

My parched throat cracked, and a cough came out.

I coughed for a bit and then cleared my throat.

“I am… fine. You can keep reading.”

“I will call the doctor.”

Kallios placed the book on the table and stood up.

I considered encouraging him to finish his reading once more, but I gave up.

He is not the type to listen just because I say something, and I was already exhausted from saying just a few words.

I closed my eyes while watching his back as he walked away with long strides.

Perhaps because of the fever, a senseless laugh leaked out.

What a rude b*stard.

I only muttered it internally.

He was like this the first time I saw him too.

Of course, what I said back then was different—I had asked who he was—but he acted as if it wasn’t worth answering and left to call a doctor.

Just like now.

I lifted my heavy arm and pressed it against my forehead.

I felt a cold wet towel.

It seemed it had not been long since it was placed there.

I grabbed it and wiped my face before tossing it aside.

Even this small movement was tiring, and I let out a sigh.

The breath, which held the heat trapped inside me, smelled thick and sweet.

I heard the door open, followed by footsteps so light they would be missed if I did not focus.

Then, the sound of someone sitting in a chair.

I lifted my heavy eyelids to check.

Kallios was sitting in the chair, looking out the window.

Something suddenly occurred to me, and I cleared my throat.

I looked into his dark red eyes, which naturally turned toward me, and spoke.

“How… old are you now?”

Kallios answered in a flat voice.

“I am nineteen.”

“Ah.”

I had been unsure if it was seven or eight years.

It was neither; it had been nine years.

The first time I saw him was when he was ten and Kaian was thirteen.

“No wonder.”

I swallowed the rest of my words because I lacked the strength.

Kallios did not seem curious about the reason for my question and turned his gaze back toward the window.

I did not speak further and covered my eyes with my hand while keeping them closed.

The ill-fated relationship between the protagonist and Kallios begins at the Imperial Academy.

The protagonist enters to revive his failing family, and Kallios enters to prove he is the true future Emperor during the spring when they are twenty.

At that time, Kaian Capre Arneb-s no longer exists in this world.

No wonder.

The fever I thought would pass quickly was lasting a long time.

I panted with my already shallow breath.

Am I really going to just wither away and die like this?

All I have done since entering this body is look out the window, read, have tea time, chat with Isaac, and be sick.

I have been comforting myself that this is a set fate, but after receiving the sentence that I have less than six months to live, I felt a sense of unfairness.

Why did I have to enter a body like this?

Others enter healthy bodies, change their destinies, change the future, and live well.

The sound of splashing water was heard and then stopped.

Next was the sound of trickling water.

Soon, something lifted my wrist which was covering my eyes.

I opened my closed eyes.

Kallios was looking down at me.

“The fever has not fully subsided yet.”

I knew that better than anyone.

I blinked instead of answering.

He placed my hand on my chest and then put a cold wet towel on my forehead.

…What is wrong with this rude b*stard?

My sentimentality vanished instantly.

Kallios used fire magic on his wet hands to dry them and then picked up the book he looked like he would never open again.

I fidgeted with the hand he had held and watched his face as he read.

I do not know what the original Kaian was like, but I was quite dedicated to Kallios.

When I did not know I was in a book, I clung to him because the sudden ten-year-old brother was intriguing.

After I found out, I spoke to him for no reason because I felt bad that his environment forced him to grow up so rude.

Of course, it was not because I needed his favor.

Why would I need the favor of a villain when I am going to die before the original story even starts?

I just hoped my actions would be of some help to him.

It was with the same mindset as someone ordering silicone straws after seeing photos of wild animals suffering from plastic waste discarded by humans.

That was how it was.

But I guess I did not do absolutely nothing here.

The wet towel on my forehead felt cool.