Chapter 30.1

Chapter 30.1

“Ugh…”

The moment Baekseol set Ara down on the bathroom floor, she wrapped herself around the toilet. Her stomach churned, and her head spun, though she hadn’t had a drop of alcohol.

Turns out I do get motion sickness. I’m so good at it, and I had no idea.

After retching for a while, Ara wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and flushed the toilet. Her already pale face had turned ghostly white.

“When you’re done, wash up. If anyone saw you now, they’d think you were the ghost.”

Baekseol, who had disappeared briefly, reappeared in the bathroom, urging Ara along. And not just with words—she was getting physical.

“I-I’ll do it!”

Ara tried to push Baekseol away as the massive creature tugged at the hem of her shirt with her teeth. But the sudden movement sent another sharp jolt of pain through her arm.

“Na Ara, why are you being so shy with me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She wasn’t used to stripping naked in front of anyone.

“A princess and her subordinate,” Baekseol said matter-of-factly.

“….”

Speechless, Ara blinked at Baekseol in disbelief.

Not one for dawdling, Baekseol turned on the shower, as if to say there was no time for hesitation.

“I’m showing you mercy here, and all you’re doing is complaining. Hurry up and take off your clothes before I change my mind. We don’t have time.”

The situation was utterly absurd—normally, it’s the human who washes the dog, not the other way around. But the bizarre reality was undeniable: Baekseol was the only one who could help right now.

Fine. It’s not like I’ll lose anything by being seen. I’ll just think of her as a dog. A cute, fluffy dog that happens to eat human food and talk like a person.

A really adorable, big, fluffy dog… Ara hesitated for about ten seconds before finally giving in.

Limping her way into the shower, she let the warm water cascade over her body. The soothing heat washed away the grime and tension clinging to her bare skin. As her muscles relaxed, the weight of exhaustion hit her like a wave, tempting her to just pass out right there. But she resisted, forcing herself to stay conscious with Baekseol’s help until the shower was done.

“Baekseol, I just realized… I left my bag, phone, and even the flowers back there.”

As she hastily slipped into the fresh pajamas Baekseol had brought her, the memory of her abandoned belongings struck her.

“You’re unbelievable. That’s what you’re worried about right now?”

Baekseol sounded exasperated, pointing to Ara’s injuries.

“This is dark energy—a curse. A deadly one.”

Ara looked down at the bruised, discolored patches on her arms and legs. She didn’t fully understand what “dark energy” meant, but it seemed like a fitting name for the ominous wounds.

“Is it like the ‘curse’ people talk about? The kind that clings to you?”

“Similar. If we don’t remove it, it’ll grow. From your wrist to your arm, from your arm to your shoulder. And when it reaches your heart…”

“Will I die?”

“Most people do.”

Ara’s face crumpled with dread. She had been hoping Baekseol was exaggerating.

“Then get rid of it, quickly!”

“I can’t remove it.”

“Why not?!”

“My job is to chase off the source of the curse, not handle what’s already sunk into your body. Once that dark energy’s inside you, there’s nothing my power can do.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? Just die like this?!”

“Who said anything about dying?”

Baekseol scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“We’re in a goblin’s house—the goblin king’s house, no less, and I live here too. Do you really think we don’t have a single goblin who knows how to lift a curse?”

As if on cue, the sound of someone approaching echoed from the front door.

Baekseol hopped onto the couch and gestured toward the entryway with her chin.

“They’re here. Your so-called ‘quack’ savior.”

A quack? To save me?

Ara turned toward the hallway, her expression full of confusion, as if the situation couldn’t get any weirder.

“Ta-da! The dashing Prince Cheong-seon, at your service, summoned by none other than Princess Baekseol herself!”

Cheong-seon strutted confidently into the room, with Hong-seon trailing close behind.

“Who’s desperate? I never desperately called you!” Baekseol snapped.

“Haha! Our Princess Baekseol is so shy! You called me twice, begging me to come purify this mess. I was super busy, but I dropped everything and rushed over at your request. Aren’t I the best? Huh? Don’t you think?”

“I didn’t call you! And stop hugging me! Let go, now!”

Completely ignoring her protests, Cheong-seon threw his arms around Baekseol, hugging her tightly until she retaliated with a flurry of punches. Only then did he release her and turn his attention to Ara, who was watching the whole scene in stunned silence.

“But look at that—Ara, you seem more okay than I expected.”

Cheong-seon strolled closer, flashing a mischievous grin as he quickly assessed Ara’s condition.

“Yikes, you really did take a beating, though. Are you alright? Must’ve been pretty scary, huh?”

His playful eyes twinkled as he took another step closer, narrowing the gap between them.

“Let’s see… does this hurt?”

Without warning, Cheong-seon extended his hand and poked the bruised, discolored skin on Ara’s wrist with his second finger, pressing down gently but deliberately.

“Of course, it hurts! What kind of question is that?” Ara winced, pulling her wrist behind her back protectively.

He’s definitely getting back at me. Just because I gave him a bloody nose once, he’s been holding a grudge all this time. And here I am, teetering on the edge of life and death and he’s playing these childish games!

A sinking feeling gnawed at her. She quickly turned toward Baekseol, her eyes wide with realization.

“Wait. Don’t tell me this guy, Cheong-seon, is the ‘quack’ that’s supposed to save me?”

Baekseol, still busy grooming the fur that Cheong-seon had ruffled, didn’t respond immediately. But before Ara could ask again, a shadow stepped forward from the side, answering for her.

“That’s me. The quack.”

The voice belonged to Hong-seon.