Chapter 288 - The Real Curse

"Mmmmnnn…"

The soft whimpers echoed in the dark, quiet room. The only illumination within came from the small, low lamp which gave the people enough glow to see the silhouettes of the things inside. However, as the woman lying on the bed started to fidget in her sleep, the man next to her reached out and amplified the light with the switch so he could see her better.

Ara was still in slumber, but a deep frown marred her forehead as she turned her head from side to side. She had developed a slight fever sometime after her husband returned, and he had been catering to her since.

The Koutaishidenka reached out a hand and felt her forehead, and found it cool. He relaxed a bit, although he took her hand in his and kissed her wrist as he continued to stare at her.

"Are you having nightmares, my love?" He wondered and feared what she'd been seeing in her dreams. He pondered if like him and Gin, she had also recovered her memories.

"Young Master," Yayoi's voice called out from behind the screen door, and Homura Ryuu stood up from the bedroll where he lay next to Ara.

Soft footfalls sounded as he crossed the tatami floor and opened the door to reveal the Head Housekeeper bearing a tray of what seemed to be dinner. Because of what happened, almost everyone in the Cedar Palace was at a loss on whether to disturb the Young Master in his room and call him for a meal. But Yayoi, knowing that the Koutaishidenka probably wouldn't want to leave the lady alone ordered for the food to be prepared that she now delivered.

"I've come to bring you dinner, Young Master," she said as she placed the tray in the room.

"You shouldn't have bothered I am not –"

"Please eat, Young Master," Yayoi interrupted Ryuu's speech, a feat that only she could do. "I'm sure you don't have an appetite, but you shouldn't neglect yourself. Even deities need food too – what more one that has a mortal body."

Her words rendered him speechless for a while before his solemn expression stretched out into a soft smile. Indeed, the only difference between Returners to Ancestry and humans were their divine powers. Deities who descended as a mortal like him needed to eat, sleep, and exercise just as normal people did. Just what happened to Gin, Ryuu could get sick too if he didn't take care.

"Thank you then," the Koutaishidenka murmured his appreciation.

"I'll come back for the tray in an hour," she informed him with an approving expression. Yayoi was satisfied as she knew that the Young Master would eat, and so she left.

Alone with Ara again, Ryuu moved the small table with the food closer to the bedroll and started eating. As he normally had for a meal, Yayoi had prepared a kaiseki ryori for him. However, as he picked up one lotus root tempura from his plate, his gaze traveled to his sleeping wife's face and sadness filled his heart as he placed the tempura back.

"I will keep the lotus root for you, my love. I know you like them. Aren't you going to wake up?"

He asked questions he knew wouldn't get answered as he leaned over and placed a kiss on top of her head before resuming his dinner.

=====

Kazehaya Gin stepped out of his room and closed the screen door behind him as quietly as he could. A satisfied smile played on his face as he stretched as if he'd just woken up.

"Young Master Gin, you also didn't come to the dining hall," Yayoi's disapproving voice called out, but instead of feeling guilty, he turned to her with a naughty grin.

"Ah, I was busy eating something else," he said meaningfully as he walked towards her.

Yayoi looked confused at first until she realized what he meant and she slapped his shoulder as if he was an errant child. "Young Master Gin," she scolded, but she was really blushing hard even at her age.

"Don't be mad at me anymore. Let Emi rest for now, but I will go with you to the dining hall and you can feed me to your heart's content." Gin laughed as he pulled her arm and ushered her back to the dining hall.   

As they trudged the length of the corridor, Gin noticed Yayoi's hesitance and paused. "What is it?"

"Will it be okay now?" she asked with worry marring her face.

"Are you talking about Ara's condition or the curse?" he asked, and Yayoi looked as if she didn't know that there's a difference.

"Both."

Gin sighed before answering. "If you are talking about Ara, then she will be fine. Kresnik already knew the truth about the spawn, and that it never existed. What came out of Czernobog, even if it's a piece of his soul, it's not really strong enough to have a thought of its own. He just unknowingly gave Alencica a part of his power."

None of them needed to mention that Ara wouldn't be accidentally killed anymore from now on. However, that's still a temporary thing which he hadn't told Ryuu yet.

"And the curse?"

For the first time since returning, Gin looked grim, his golden eyes narrowed and pondered on what to say. This seemed to make Yayoi's anxiety come back, and so he turned to her and apologized.

"Sorry. I was just thinking that it's going to be a little complicated."

"Complicated?" Yayoi looked confused.

Gin let out another sigh as he scratched the side of his head. "Ara or Alencica will be alright since she won't be killed. But it's a different story if she forgives Ryuu or Kresnik and they have a family together."

"But why? Wouldn't that be good? It means the star-crossed lovers are finally together," Yayoi said, but Gin shook his head.

"Ara still has that dark shard of Czernobog's soul."

"But you just said it doesn't have any thoughts on its own," Yayoi reminded him.

"True," Gin agreed, but his expression was severe. "But it can be controlled."

"You mean…" Yayoi's eyes widened as she finally had a clue about what he was trying to tell her. "Oh no…"

Gin nodded again as he confirmed her thoughts. "That's right, the Immortal War. When my brother's seal weakens every fifty years, Czernobog can send and control his minions and spawns from where he stays and cause chaos in the world."

The dark part inside Ara was a part of the Black God, and therefore could be controlled by him as well. He could make the spawn consume the cursed child and become the real harbinger of doom.

"If Ara and Ryuu choose to ascend to heaven, in fifty years, she would really become someone he should kill," Gin said matter-of-factly. "But in the event that Ara and Ryuu have children, the shard would pass on to their child or grandchild."

A sharp sound echoed as Yayoi inhaled; her eyes wide, her mouth hung in horror, and Gin bowed his head. "Oh no…"

"Yes. What Perun had gone through will continue with Ara and Ryuu as they had to snuff the life out of their own child or grandchild. That's what the real curse is all about."