A little over ten minutes later Anna returned with the entire pot, waddling as she slowly edged her way next to the table.

“I thought I asked you to bring a single bowl.” The child pondered with some amusement.

“I know, but I wasn’t sure what to do with the rest of it.” She placed a bowl down on the table and using a ladle transferred a bit of the mixture into it. “Should I bring this up to the lady’s room?”

“No, no, that’s for me.” He responded, wolfing down the entire portion without hesitation. Licking his lips he placed the bowl back down on the table. “What?”

“I thought that was meant to help break the curse.”

“Of course not, I was hungry. If your daughter could be cured by an assortment of random plants, you wouldn’t need someone like me to…”

“Enough jokes!” Lord Fallbrook lunged across the table and interrupted him by grabbing his neck, effortlessly lifting him off the ground.

“I have not joked a single time our entire conversation.” The child eked out as Lord Fallbrook squeezed.

“You will go upstairs and cure her now, or I will break both your legs.”

“Ms. Fallbrook’s life is on the line and you think threatening me is the best way to get my cooperation?” Lord Fallbrook tightened his grip, “You would be correct, please lead the way.”

Lord Fallbrook let go, letting the child fall roughly to the ground.

“Anna lead the way.” She nodded.

Stolen story; please report.

Quietly the three of them made their way upstairs. Her room was the door closest to the top of the stairs, the only room in the manor without rust on the handle, or scratches on the door.

They stepped inside, in the center of the room was a single spacious double bed. Lord Fallbrook’s daughter laid in it, squirming under the sheets, her face stricken with pain.

The child merely watched for a while, walking around the bed with his hand on his chin in contemplation.

“This looks a little more serious than I thought.”

And with that, he began, closing his eyes and muttering an incantation under his breath. A single-arm outstretched to aim, but otherwise unmoving since he began.

Then, snap. He cast. A spell far more complex than anything Lord Fallbrook had ever seen. The entire room seemed to glow with runic circles as the very air around them filled with mana.

Yet as soon as it appeared it vanished. The spell vanished within a blink of an eye. Beads of sweat trailed down the child’s face as his legs shook out of control.

“That,” He forced out through panting breaths, “was more tiring than I expected.”

And with that, he collapsed onto the ground, seemingly out cold.

Lord Fallbrook sighed, “To have run out of mana this quickly, I guess he was a con-man after all.”

“Anna, take our guest to a bed to rest. Then when he wakes up please escort him o…”

He stopped, his heart dropping. Seeing his daughter’s eyes looking right at him.

“Dad?”

He stumbled forward at a loss for words, carefully holding one of her hands in his own. Never once broke eye contact even as tears slowly blocked out his vision.

“I’m here darling.” Her hands still felt unnaturally cold, but for once her fingers were gripping his hand back, “I’m here.”

She smiled, her eyes closing once more, but for once in peaceful slumber instead of wincing pain.

Anna held her hands over her mouth, feeling almost as overjoyed as Lord Fallbrook was.

And for a while, they remained there, Lord Fallbrook and Anna crying tears of joy. His daughter sleeping peacefully. And the child sprawled awkwardly on the cold floor.