Blink, blink.
The ceiling is familiar. Why am I asleep? Did I lose my memory after drinking?
“Gasp!”
I involuntarily inhaled and sat up abruptly. Memories of the past flooded back.
My legs had suddenly turned to stone, and I guessed it might be a curse. Grandfather asked if it was because of the note from the New Year’s fortune-teller. So, I used TokTok to reply to Duke Daira…
“Miss! You’re awake!”
Grandfather burst into the room, rushing towards me. His face was ashen with worry. I moved my legs, feeling bewildered.
Ah, they move well.
A tremendous relief washed over me. I, who almost died becoming a statue, heaved a sigh of relief and patted my chest.
“Ah, what a relief… It wasn’t a nightmare, right? It was all real?”
“Yes. It’s truly fortunate you’re safe. You’ve been asleep for hours! It’s already midnight!”
No wonder it was dark outside.
The ordeal was so intense that it didn’t feel real. Honestly, even now, it seems like a dream.
But the terror and pressure of my body hardening and my throat closing…
Such a vivid dream couldn’t exist.
“Could it really have been because of that note? I got better right after replying to the duke?”
Grandfather nodded, wiping away tears.
“Yes, your body returned to normal not long after. You were unconscious, but the doctor said you were just asleep.”
“Wow, really…”
I was speechless.
Was I really cursed? All because of that insignificant note? There was no warning that bad luck could turn my body to stone!
Then, a realization struck me.
“That grandmother was a sorceress!”
Traitor, after I even refurbished her shop!
“Now we’re in real trouble. If a magic defense ring is useless, she must be a powerful sorceress!”
Grandfather paced beside the bed, despairing as if the world was ending. Pessimism poured endlessly from his wrinkled lips.
“At this rate, I’ll spend my life replying to others. Responding every time the servants greet me, and if they greet again, you’ll have to greet back! You might just grow old greeting forever!”
They say you become solid and steadfast like a rock with age, but looking at Grandfather, that adage seems wrong.
Grandfather twisted his hands, crying out with a tearful voice, but strangely, my heart calmed. It was as if he took away all my frustration and anxiety. When someone else makes a fuss, the onlooker becomes calm.
Thanks to that calmness, a memory surfaced.
“No, Grandfather. The effect only lasts for one year. So we just need to get through this year.”
“It’s just the start of the new year! Before the year ends, you’ll surely become a dumb rock!”
…A dumb what?
“Calm down.”
It is a serious problem, as Grandfather says.
A curse powerful enough to nullify a magic defense ring. A prominent and influential sorceress. If that grandmother really was a sorceress, then I was truly caught off guard.
But why would she? What grudge does she have against me? That’s something I can’t know right now.
I often meet people for work and have many serious conversations. I can’t struggle to make the ‘last reply’ every time. Even just talking to Duke Daira…
Gasp.
“Grandfather?”
“Yes?”
“Did I… send something to the duke?”
Grandfather’s expression worsened even more.
Oh no. I remember Grandfather’s face looking bad when I typed something. Didn’t he try to stop me, saying that was the one thing I shouldn’t do? What on earth did I write?
But then again, I pressed so hard with my weak fingers, it couldn’t have been anything significant, right?
Grandfather took out TokTok from the bedside drawer. Then he restored the conversation with Duke Daira.
[Restoring conversation history… Result 43]
And the characters appeared one by one.
[ㅋ]
[ㅗ]
* TL note: these 2 are korean characters, but online they are used to indicate “haha” and “fuck you” respectively.
I bet my lips were purple.
My voice trembled as I asked.
“Did I… mock the duke?”
Grandfather nodded with a sorrowful face.
“And then suddenly cursed…?”
Nod, nod.
I gaped at the TokTok screen, unsure whether Duke Daira’s lack of response was fortunate or unfortunate.
Let’s think of a solution.
First. [I’m sorry. It seems there was a machine error in the transmission.]
Second. [Actually, that’s a shortened way of saying welcome! It’s TokTok culture^^]
“Aaaah!”
I can’t tell someone who just bought TokTok that there’s a defect in the machine, and talking about abbreviations is utter nonsense!
“Should I just be honest? Say I was cursed? Duke Daira is a sorcerer, after all. He’ll understand, won’t he?”
It’s not a brilliant solution, but honesty is the best policy, right? I asked, thinking it might be a good idea, but Grandfather shook his head mournfully.
“No, you can’t. You know you can’t talk about your own curse to others. That’s part of the curse’s power.”
Damn curse.
“What about you, Grandfather? You know about my curse.”
“Maybe it’s because I saw the note with you. You can’t tell the duke.”
Ah, what do I do!
I glared at TokTok as if to shatter the screen. Of course, that wouldn’t make the already sent characters disappear.
Next time, I’ll make sure to add a feature to delete sent messages.
As I reaffirmed this untimely resolution, Grandfather consoled me with a sympathetic face.
“Maybe the duke doesn’t know what it means… TokTok became popular a few years ago, and he only bought it this year because he’s been in his territory. He’s not used to this kind of conversation, so he’ll think it was sent by mistake.”
That was a plausible deduction.
Yes, the duke seemed unaware of TokTok culture. He didn’t send messages in parts but sent them all at once, like writing a letter. He did use the [^^] symbol later, but it seemed like he was imitating me.
Suddenly, I felt at ease. Since there was no reply, the duke probably thought it was a mistake.
I relaxed and lay back down on the bed.
“Grandfather, you seem like a genius.”
“Do I?”
Grandfather, now out of his panic state, belatedly nodded with feigned composure. He’s a person of rich emotions and great ups and downs. But that’s why I find Grandfather comfortable and nice.
“Let’s not worry too much. And Duke Daira seemed like a good person.”
He felt different from other nobles.
Some people think TokTok is an inferior means of communication compared to letters. It’s so trivial that you can’t properly gauge someone’s character. But isn’t true character always revealed, whether in letters or TokTok?
In that sense, I felt the duke’s character in the few words we exchanged.
“Really?”
Grandfather looked at me skeptically and then added.
“You’re not just seeing him in a good light because he might become a major client, are you?”
“…”
Well, I can’t deny it. In the world of business, the person who pays the most is the best, right?
So ended a day full of troubles. I was caught in an absurd curse, but at least my fortune for the year was the best. I’ll manage.
I closed my eyes and briefly pictured my parents. If they were alive, what would they have said about my curse?
Since they’re gone, I’ll never know the answer to that question.
I pulled the blanket up to my head and tried to sleep. For now, I’ll start looking for a way to break the curse tomorrow.