Stigma Effect

Proofreader: kuroneko_chan

When he came to his senses, Baraha was still alone. Since Yuriel was not dead, the possibility of the prophecy being fulfilled remains the same.

Everything was the same, but one thing had changed.

The person next to Yuriel wasn't him, but a child named Raphlet Mogris who suddenly appeared. Born as the heir of Grand Duke Mogris, Raphlet was fed well and lived well, he was the one who took away the only person who would be by his side.

Baraha pressed the palm of his hand against his uncomfortably rumbling chest.

It was still snowing at the Mogris Estate. He had to endure a long and harsh winter to watch Yuriel.

Baraha stayed in the estate, working for a low wage in a shop selling firewood. It was fortunate that there were no bad slave traders here.

While living in the castle, Yuriel's face, who occasionally appeared on the street, was getting brighter every time he saw it. The unpleasant feelings subsided a little.

When he looked at Raphlet’s face next to her as if it was natural, his lips were sticking out.

Her skinny body gained weight, and her cheeks became plump. Yuriel, who looked lively even when skinny, looked more youthful.

Baraha thought that was a good thing.

He wondered why he was so concerned about Yuriel, who he only peeped from behind and never spoke to.

“Excuse me, I’m here to buy firewood.”

Baraha stared blankly at Yuriel's face in front of him and pondered. It seemed that she went out alone without Raphlet today. Yuriel, who was always clinging to Raphlet's arm, was fiddling with her gloves.

The gloves Yuriel was wearing were light brown. The gloves he was holding with his bare hands now were black. Instead of his, she had received Raphlet’s gloves.

He held the gloves preciously and did not put them on, so he could see his fingers bent in the cold.

He lowered his gaze and his lips twitched grimly.

Yuriel, who was facing Baraha with his hat pressed down and his hair growing messy, she could not see him well except for his lips who spoke as if it was strange.

Yuriel waved a hand in front of Baraha. She seemed to make sure he was looking at her.

He asked, squinting his eyes.

“… firewood? Did you come alone to buy? How are you going to take it... ?”

“I won’t take it, I’ll order it by the family name! And I'm not alone, the knight is watching over there."

As she said, an armed knight was sharply wary of Baraha. He raised his eyes as if to warn him to refrain from useless conversations.

Baraha replied sarcastically.

"Ah. You’re right.”

“But who are you? It’s my first time seeing you. Since when did you work here? Your face is invisible because of the hair. Isn't it convenient to cut a little bit?"

“No, I… .”

Yuriel's eyes lit up and stuck to Baraha. He shrugged his shoulders as he looked at her friendly eyes and stepped back.

Yuriel didn't seem to know what kind of expression she was making when she looked at Baraha. It was like meeting an old friend. She used to be friendly when she met people, but not to the extent that she was now.

Baraha was bewildered by Yuriel's innocent attitude.

She didn't wish for anything, her gaze was only out of goodwill. Yuriel, who was holding Raphlet's gloves, put the gloves into her pocket and reached out to Baraha's hair.

“If you like to have your hair down, it should be fine if you cut it up to this point. You can’t even see well now.”

Yuriel said in a playful tone.

“You’re uncomfortable too, right?”

A hand touched his wavy hair. Baraha stiffened at the touch of the fingertips near his eyebrows. Since she wasn't wearing her gloves, Yuriel's finger touched his forehead. Heat rose to his cheeks as her fingers combed through his hair that rubbed near his eyebrows. Even the ears that were covered with the hat felt hot.

Perhaps because he was outside all day, Yuriel's fingers gave a particularly refreshing feeling. Surprised by the sudden touch, his chest fluttered and jumped.

“Your name is… .”

As Baraha flapped his lips and quietly received Yuriel's hand, the knight waiting behind her approached and grabbed Yuriel's wrist.

He was quietly watching Yuriel from the side but stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

“Remember that Lord Raphlet told you not to talk to strangers? Did he say that if you don’t come back soon, he won't let you go out on errands alone from now on?"

“Of course I remember. That’s what Lord Raphlet said!”

“Then we should place the order and go back.”

“Yes, I’ll go back soon.”

When the knight spoke of Raphlet, Yuriel immediately withdrew her attention from Baraha. Yuriel took out the glove she had put in her pocket and started looking at the type of firewood with a hum.

The fact that Yuriel lived in the castle as the exclusive maid of the heir to the Grand Duke was now known by all the villagers.

The shop owner came out and recommended a tree that smelled good and was expensive to Yuriel. Yuriel asked about it with a serious face and ordered the firewood he recommended as if satisfied.

“It’s done, Sir knight.”

“Alright, let’s go back.”

“It is a fragrant tree. It would be nice if Lord Raphlet likes it.”

“It was your choice, so he’ll like it.”

Yuriel left the shop without saying goodbye to Baraha. There was a lot of anticipation in the voice talking to the knight.

Seeing Yuriel’s appearance, who didn't care about him, Baraha felt even more desperate about the value of the position he had lost.

If he had saved Yuriel without hesitation. The person to whom that unconditional love would be directed....

Baraha closed his eyes burning with jealousy and stopped thinking.

＊＊＊

As the seasons passed and the relationship between Yuriel and Raphlet deepened, Baraha came to a point where he was disinterested in everything.

He had to stop the prophecy, so he thought about killing Yuriel, but seeing them live happily like that, his hands didn't move.

After repeating this several times, he hoped in his heart that Yuriel stayed safe.

Since the day Yuriel came to buy firewood with the knight, Baraha hadn't talked to her. It was because the knights had strangely checked Baraha.

If there was any child with whom Yuriel continued a conversation, they were all targets of the knights' checks. Baraha guessed that Raphlet Mogris had a tenacious attachment to Yuriel than expected.

“There must be two of us, so even if I die alone, it won’t be as prophesied.”

Baraha decided to end his life wandering the estate like a vagrant.

When he decided to die, everything became insignificant. Baraha looked around the familiar streets of Mogris and turned his back without any regrets.

‘Let’s go back to the Imperial Capital.’

If Yuriel was happy, he wanted to be alive, but there were so many people in the Imperial Capital that he would kill even though he felt happy.

Baraha, who returned to the Imperial Capital, also cut his hair neatly in his own way. He glanced down the street, pulling his short hair back.

As he always walked through the frozen streets of Mogris, he slowly walked along the Imperial Capital with a slow gait. No one recognized the changed physique and gait, and the clean appearance compared to the past.

After passing through the streets around the Alchemy Tower, he came to Temple Street.

“There was a carriage that came from Mogris. I want to see if there are any useful items, but they were all loaded into the Temple.”

“The carriages from there go to the Temple every time.”

"I know. Why do the Temple always pick the good things first? I'm angry…..”

A man who Baraha knew the face of passed by his side, hit his chest and turned his head. He was the man who he had seen his face in the slave trade. He said while pointing a finger at Baraha's back.

“Doesn’t that look like someone?”

"Who?"

“There is a guy who escaped well in the past. He was sold to the Alchemy Tower and died.”

“It looks like him. Just seeing him move gives me goosebumps. Like a mouse, he only walked around in the dark. I don’t know if that stands out more.”

“Well, if you look closely, except for the color of the hair, that is a completely different person.”

Baraha was bothered that they didn't even recognize him.

They continued their conversation as they passed Baraha.

“I still regret that I didn’t go to Albraca when I was young. I should have known that paladins like women, and all good things.”

“It’s scary to see people let it go even if they kill people.”

“There is no identity restriction, but I don’t know why there is an age limit. I am more confident in trying than the younger ones.”

“Are you talking about using your strength? I saw you with a girl yesterday....”

“Why are you talking about yesterday? Yesterday was because I was drunk! If I had been fine, I wouldn't have come out until morning!"

“Hey. Do you know why those girls like you? You’re done so quickly....”

“Noisy, won’t you shut up?”

One of the people lowered their voices and said sarcastically. The gossip went on and on. Baraha, who had been listening to the small voice, touched his ear, which was displeased by hearing the terrible story.

'I've heard something worthwhile though.'

Information about Albraka was what Baraha wanted the most right now. He didn't need them all, but there were a lot of people he wanted to kill.

Baraha, who joined Albraka for a more effective revenge, met a familiar face after some time. It was a man he thought he would never see in the Imperial Capital.

“My name is Raphlet.”

Raphlet Mogris came to the Imperial Capital without Yuriel.

＊＊＊

“I killed them all, but where is the bastard?”

It had been a long time since he had killed the slave traders on the Temple Street, but the fact that their nest were not removed was a disappointment.

Baraha searched for a place where Yuriel would be, following the prophecy he had written a few days ago.

“If I find them this time, I will have to dry out all the seeds.”

The knights of the Princess frowned and followed Baraha, who was constantly spitting out swear words.