Richard touched himself. He couldn’t feel a thing. He didn’t even have a sense of hot or cold.
“I’m not going to make you use that drug, though. I have my own plans—making you work as my doll. You won’t have any opportunity to take my creation.”
“So then why give me something like this…?”
“I told you. It’s an issue of principles. When I do something, I want to do it properly, or I don’t feel right.” The foreigner pointed the dagger at the doll in his hands. “I still need a few more days to prepare for the assassination, so I’ll have you go back to being a corpse for the moment.”
The foreigner was ready to stab the doll, but right before he could, Richard cried, “Wait.”
He must have sounded desperate. The foreigner relented.
“I have a request. If you just do that for me, then I’ll do whatever you say.”
The foreigner scoffed at him. “What are you talking about? I don’t care about what you want. With this cursed doll, I can make you follow any order.”
“I know that. But please. It’s a minor request. If you could just find it in yourself to grant it, I will cooperate of my own accord. Think about it: You’ll have a much easier time if you don’t have to use the cursed doll for every little thing…”
“…You have a point. Well then, tell me of this request of yours.”
“Let me see Brunhild. She’s my sister, the dearest person in the world to me.”
The foreigner gave him a questioning look. “I thought Brunhild was Sigurd’s sister…”
“There are reasons I can’t reveal my true identity to her. But I’ve always protected her from the shadows. Just one glance before I go back to being a corpse is enough. I want to burn her memory into my eyes. Please…”
Richard prostrated himself before the foreigner—the greatest form of sincerity he could offer.
The foreigner stared down at him.
Richard knew there was no reason for the man to hear out his request. He would certainly be refused.
But after thinking it over, the foreigner said, “So be it.”
Richard lifted his chin. He was in disbelief, even though he’d been the one to make the request in the first place. “Why would you listen?”
“I have family of my own.” A distant look came to the foreigner’s eyes as he gazed at the sky beyond the trees. “I left behind many brothers and sisters in my home country. They are very dear to me. If I were in your position, I would want to see my family at the end, too. And besides,” he continued, “today is a great opportunity to see Brunhild.”
“What do you mean?”
The foreigner gazed at the distant sun and said, “If you hurry back, then you might make it in time for the ceremony.”
“C-ceremony…?” Richard had a sinking feeling. “I-it can’t be that today…”
“Yes. It’s King Sigurd and Lady Brunhild’s wedding day.”
Richard felt a shock like a blow to the back of the skull. He clutched his head in his hands, staggering backward.
Wedding.
That one word rang in his head.
“Ah, it can’t be…”
All while he had been dead. He wouldn’t make it in time. He hadn’t made it in time… No, he had to stop the ceremony now. There was no way his sister could wish to marry Sigurd.
The foreigner approached Richard with concern. “What’s the matter? You seem pale. Well, you’re a corpse, so of course you’re pale.”
Richard forcefully shoved him away. The foreigner fell and hit his head on a rock and lost consciousness.
Richard ran off.
He headed for the temple—the place where the royal wedding would be held.
He just ran and ran, shoving people aside as he went. No matter how hard he dashed along, he never ran out of breath. That had to be because he was dead. Without the limits of blood circulation, he was able to run at full speed.
When he arrived at the temple, the festivities were at their peak. The people were gathering in order to celebrate the wedding. The many voices congratulating the king and queen were an evil omen to Richard.
He headed to the altar. There stood Sigurd and Brunhild.
Sigurd brought his face close to Brunhild’s. They were just about to make their vows as husband and wife.
Stop! Richard nearly cried out, but any yelling would just be drowned out by the cheering of the crowd and would never reach the couple.
Richard touched the vial in his pocket. The foreigner had said drinking it would allow him to temporarily gain the Power of God. Richard would destroy this wedding and kill Sigurd. Right as he pulled out the vial and was about to uncork it, however…
…his fingers stopped moving. They wouldn’t do as he commanded.
“Good grief. I show you concern for a heartbeat, and this is what I get.”
The foreigner was right next to him. He had caught up to Richard. He was holding the doll with a dagger thrust into it. The curse bound Richard. All he could do was plead.
“W-wait, please. I…I want to save my sister.”
“I’m not listening to what you have to say anymore. Now is not the time to kill Sigurd. Do you think I would carry out an assassination out here, where there are knights everywhere?”
Naturally, many knights were guarding the wedding.
“W-wait…”
“Sleep.”
Suddenly, all strength left Richard, and his consciousness dimmed.
With his vision growing dark, he took one last look at Brunhild.
His sister smiled as she gave Sigurd a kiss. Her happy grin seemed terribly heartbreaking in his eyes.