Chapter 166 Meeting Cursemaster
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp voice rang out from the other end of the line, “Hansel, do you no longer care for me? I knew it! That enchantress has beguiled you, turning you against your own sister. Have you no heart, Hansel? Do you not know who your true sister is?”
“Hannah!” Hansel’s voice was firm and unyielding. She is also your sister.”
This declaration was like a spark igniting Hannah’s fury entirely. “No! I have no sister! The Lloyds have only one daughter, Ms. Burnett, and that is me. Where did this illegitimate child come from, to be called my sister? She is unworthy!”
A sudden crash followed, the unmistakable sound of something fragile shattering against the floor. Hansel sighed deeply, a profound sense of helplessness washing over him.
He was eight years Hannah’s senior and had practically raised her. In her younger days, she had been endearing and sensible, her constant smiles a source of joy and ease. However, her temperament had gradually deteriorated. She began to break things, bite, and became increasingly volatile, at times even harming herself. A hospital visit had eventually led to a diagnosis of intermittent explosive disorder.
Fortunately, the disorder was discovered early enough to be managed with medication. Yet, Hannah refused to take her medication, believing it to contain hormones that would affect her figure and skin. She would secretly dispose of it or falsely claim to have taken it, resulting in her emotions becoming almost uncontrollable.
Reflecting on this, Hansel sighed once more. He blamed himself for being too absorbed in his work, neglecting Hannah’s needs and contributing to her current state. The responsibility weighed heavily upon
him.
Adopting a gentler tone, he endeavoured to speak calmly, “Alright, Hannah, please do not harm yourself. Tell me, who has upset you? Or do you wish to investigate someone?”
Hannah’s voice was strained, each word forced through clenched teeth, “It’s Milly Burnett! I want her
dead!”
Milly Burnett?
A Burnett?
Hansel was taken aback. “Is she truly from the Burnetts?” he inquired.
Hannah nodded coldly. “Indeed, she hails from the Burnetts. She dared to encroach upon my territory, so she must face the consequences.
Hansel’s brows, which had briefly relaxed, furrowed once more. He repeated the name silently in his
voice, he sought to soothe her turbulent emotions, “Very well, I understand. I shall look into this matter.”
mind. He wished to say more, to reason with her, but feared provoking another St. With a gentle
Hannah’s expression softened, and her tone became that of her former, more docile self. “Thank you, Hansel. I knew you would understand.”
After ending the call, Hansel’s countenance returned to its usual cold and distant state, though a shadow of weariness crossed his features. The Burnetts… If indeed this involved the Burnetts, he would have to disappoint his sister, for the Lloyds needed their aid with something. Hannah must not discover this, lest
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Chapter 166 Meeting Cursemaster
Hansel sighed deeply, contemplating his sister’s predicament. He could not help but wonder if he bore some responsibility. Had he been more attentive to her in her youth, more attuned to her needs, rather than indulging her whims, would things have unfolded differently?
A sudden chime of a text message disrupted his reverie.
Assuming it to be another message from Hannah, he chose to ignore it. However, a peculiar symbol on the screen caught his eye, causing his pupils to dilate in recognition.
Ignoring the attempts of the other executives to engage him in further conversation, Hansel turned swiftly and made his way outside. The location indicated by the message was secluded, yet his phone’s GPS system guided him efficiently to the specified place.
Under the silver glow of the moon, the figure stood with an air of elegance, akin to a celestial being descended to the earthly realm. Hastening over, Hansel knelt respectfully on one knee, his hands clasped in a particular gesture. “Greetings. Cursemaster.”
Santiago acknowledged him with a slight nod, “Rise.”
“Thank you, Cursemaster.”
The familiar scent in the air seemed to agitate the serpent coiled around Santiago’s wrist. The snake twisted its lithe body unnaturally, hissing and flicking its tongue. Sensing its unease, Santiago murmured soothingly. “Bobby, be still.”
Hansel, though he knew the serpent’s name, felt a shiver run down his spine every time he heard it spoken.
The sight of the Cursemaster’s expressionless face as he cut his own finger, allowing the snake to lap at the blood, was both mesmerizing and terrifying. The creature seemed to calm, as if it had been given a potent elixir.
“How proceed matters on your end?” Santiago inquired, his voice cold and ethereal, adding to his eerie presence beneath the silent moonlit sky.
Hansel nodded. “Cursemaster, rest assured, all remains well and secure at the Lloyds.”
Santiago nodded once more, the gesture almost imperceptible. “Good.”
“Have you uncovered any leads regarding the Saintess?”
A hint of embarrassment coloured Hansel’s otherwise composed visage, and he could only reply with honesty, “Not as yet.”
It was indeed peculiar. Despite the extensive deployment of manpower and resources, no sign of the Saintess had been discovered. The Lloyds, though outwardly resplendent and bearing the illustrious title of the descendants of the ancient Lublurg Kingdom, harboured a dark secret known only to themselves. Since the downfall of the Lublurg Kingdom, they had borne the weight of a dreadful curse.
None, whether male or female, could wed outside the family without facing a tragic fate. Initially, this restriction seemed manageable; if marriage beyond the clan was forbidden, then unions within the family could suffice. Yet, over time, this solution proved calamitous.
The Lloyds, a sprawling clan sharing the same bloodline, soon found that such close kinship in marriage led to grievous afflictions. Illnesses proliferated, resulting in either early demise or the onset of debilitating
Chapter 166 Meeting Cursemaster
conditions. As more kin succumbed to these maladies, the number of healthy individuals dwindled, and the grim reality of the curse became undeniable.
In the early days, a few daring souls attempted to defy the taboo, marrying outsiders in hopes of averting the curse. However, each met a mysterious and untimely end on their wedding night. From that point forward, none dared challenge the curse.
Fortunately, the Lloyds possessed a secret lore: the belief in a Saintess who held the power to break the curse and safeguard the family. Thus, the quest for the Saintess became the clan’s unwavering mission, ant obsession passed down through generations. Yet, the elusive Saintess seemed more myth than reality, her existence as ephemeral as a whisper in the wind.
Halturia was just one nation. Without tire, they searched every inch of the land, including the most remote hamlets, but they yielded no results.
