I Became A Thief Who Steals Overpowered Skills

Chapter 5 The Fiancé’s Misunderstanding

The youngest daughter of the ruling Hadenhartz family of the North.

Bianca Hadenhartz.

Known for having the coldest face in the North, she was famous for her lack of expression, enough to earn her the nickname “Snow Woman.”

Yet, her beauty was so remarkable that there were widespread rumors predicting she would become a stunning beauty in time.

Why then, was she someone’s fiancée?

The reason was painfully simple.

‘She’s perfectly suited for a political marriage.’

The Hadenhartz had built strong ties with the Balheim family, and Balheim found some use for the otherwise worthless half-pence.

In any case, both she and her fiancé were mere pawns in a game of political marriage.

‘Well, it’s just a political marriage after all.’

Bianca had always disliked him.

This time was likely to be no different.

Even so, her real issue lay elsewhere.

Because she was one of those who emerged from the world’s erosion.

She was a person who had joined hands with the World Eroders, intent on destroying everything.

White Phantom

That was the nickname she had earned for herself after killing one of the ten strongest in the world’s past.

“Let him in.”

Having traveled from the North to meet his fiancée, she couldn’t just send him away.

Above all, Kraush found her timely presence to be necessary.

“Yes, I understand.”

Upon receiving Kraush’s orders, Aliod left the room promptly.

Kraush looked at his reflection in the mirror of the library.

Quite unsightly.

It seemed he would have to change his clothes at the very least.

With that thought in mind, Kraush set out to receive his guest.

***

Bianca Hadenhartz.

The youngest daughter and the Snow Woman of the ruling Hadenhartz clan from the North, she possessed stark white, short hair.

True to her nickname, her skin was as white as porcelain, and under eyes as blue as the moonlight, she gazed at the tips of her fingers.

Curiously, at the tips of her nails were engraved patterns resembling that of a snow crystal.

It was nothing other than a symbol of a curse.

Before she was born, her mother was caught in the world’s erosion.

She was cursed in the process, and eventually, the curse was transmitted to the unborn Bianca.

It was a curse that would make her an emotionless doll.

Born with a curse that bound her soul, she never smiled nor cried until she turned twelve.

Excluding her blank expression, her face, which was made to appear even colder by her pale skin and hair, would have been full of promise for the future.

However, even that appearance was of no significance.

Because bodies tainted with the curse of world erosion were undesired by the gods for any contracts.

Thus, she always had a neglected life in Hadenhartz.

Her lack of emotion prevented her from socializing with others, and her own siblings did not favor her, the cursed child who was born after the death of their mother.

To add, she was a child unable to contract with the gods.

Within the family, she held no value.

Easy as that, she was sent away for a political marriage.

Today as well, her visit to Balheim’s Green Pine Hall was to meet her betrothed, Kraush Balheim.

From the Balheim family of the Starlon Kingdom, infamous for their power, they produced monsters such that even the empire could not touch Starlon if so much as a single Balheim was present.

The fact that she was engaged to the youngest of this family was a tremendous opportunity for Hadenhartz.

Though they were rulers of the North, they were overshadowed by the central powers in reality.

Today was her second meeting with the fiancé.

Nevertheless, she felt no interest.

Because in her mind, Kraush was simply a loser who had given up on everything.

“Get lost. Hadenhartz or whatever, you’re just a wench interested in Balheim’s power, don’t pretend to be a fiancée.”

If anything, Kraush was part of the group she disliked.

He had a foul mouth and a pessimistic view of everything.

Even without emotions, Bianca had her likes and dislikes.

So, she wasn’t particularly looking forward to this meeting.

It was a certainty that Kraush would criticize her again.

Thud, thud-

Suddenly, there were footsteps from outside.

Realizing it was Kraush, Bianca adjusted her clothes.

Perhaps her lack of emotions made her mature too quickly despite being only twelve, but she was swift to accept reality.

After all, she was in a position where she had to humble herself here.

Creak-

The door opened, turning Bianca’s head to the side, revealing Kraush.

With hair of blue mixed with black, and eyes similar in hue to hers.

At thirteen, he had an innocent visage save for a savage-looking gaze.

“Bianca.”

“You have arrived.”

Bianca responded promptly in a polite manner, which led Kraush, after a brief look, to sit across from her.

Without taking a sip, he looked at the teacup and then said.

“Our maid has no sense. Hot tea for a cat’s tongue.”

Watching Kraush’s sour smile, Bianca flinched for a moment.

Where did he pick up the fact that she couldn’t handle hot things?

But aside from that, Bianca felt that Kraush was different from before.

It felt as if he, as a person, had become more composed.

“I’ll speak to the maid about this.”

Saying this, Kraush opened a jar filled with cookies and, as if it were natural, placed a macadamia nut cookie onto Bianca’s plate.

Macadamia nut cookies were her favorite.

As she looked at Kraush’s actions, which flowed like water, she was a bit dazed for a moment.

Then, Kraush placed before himself a cookie embedded with chocolate and began to speak.

“It must have been a tough journey.”

“I am the fiancée, after all. It’s better to familiarize with one’s face early on.”

“Is that so? Even if that’s the case, doesn’t it sound more like you’re talking to a superior rather than a fiancé?”

A faint smile appeared on Kraush’s face, softening his fierce gaze.

Bianca tilted her head slightly at this sight.

“Kraush sir, may I ask you something?”

Watching Bianca, who used a tone of voice utterly unbefitting of a twelve-year-old, Kraush nodded.

“Have you undergone some event lately?”

Only five months prior.

Kraush had acted as though he couldn’t stand to see his own face.

He was nothing like the kind and considerate person he was now.

Could there have been a change in his feelings during those five months?

It was a question that might even anger Kraush.

Kraush took his teacup into his hands.

“Do I seem much different from before?”

At that moment, Bianca realized her faux pas.

He had offered kindness, and she had questioned it.

“…I’m sorry. That was impolite.”

Correcting herself immediately, Kraush took a sip from his tea cup.

To speak the truth, Kraush couldn’t remember how he used to treat Bianca.

His memories were foggy, even for his later teenage years, let alone his early teens.

Unless it was a special case like with Aliod, there was no way he would remember this time of year.

And that was true for his first meeting with Bianca as well.

He vaguely knew that, during his impetuous youth, he went around speaking recklessly here and there.

It was during the period when his despair at the world and frustration had peaked.

Perhaps it was a time he still hadn’t quite given up.

After all, if you give up, then the sense of despair and frustration also disappears.

“…You really haven’t changed.”

One thing was certain; Bianca was the same as ever, whether it was then or now.

Even on the day when she faced her end in front of the roaring Northern Ice Ocean Palace, the expression she wore was the same as today’s.

And that scene still lingered in Kraush’s memory.

“What?”

Hearing Kraush’s murmur, Bianca asked back, and Kraush waved his hand as if to say it was nothing.

Then, he set down his teacup, interlocked his fingers, and rested his hands on his knee.

“Bianca, I have a proposal for you today.”

“A proposal?”

Bianca’s large, blue eyes blinked.

She was curious about what kind of proposal Kraush, born in the esteemed Balheim family, would have for her.

“Is it about calling off the engagement?”

The first thing that came to Bianca’s mind was the annulment of their engagement.

However, upon that thought, Kraush made a baffled expression.

“Do you think we can call off an engagement that our families have decided?”

That was indeed true.

It wouldn’t be possible for just the two youngest to nullify a matter agreed upon by the families.

“Maybe in the future.”

But judging from what followed, it seemed that Kraush was thinking of the far future.

“Though, you’ll probably prefer to get the annulment sooner than later, being tied to someone like me.”

Kraush uttered the self-deprecating remark.

Bianca silently observed Kraush.

She was well aware of his circumstances.

Not wanting to upset her fiancé, she had studied everything about Kraush.

Thus, she also knew he was termed the disgrace of Balheim.

‘But still, he’s a Balheim.’

Despite being born into a position others might envy for life, his self-esteem was low.

“I am your fiancée, Kraush.”

And he was her fiancé.

Bound to remain unchanged.

“That won’t change in the future.”

Unless the family ceased to exist, that wouldn’t change.

Hearing her say that, Kraush let out a hollow laugh.

Her statement held no personal feelings; it was purely out of consideration for her family.

To her, emotion was something inexistent.

But even so, he preferred it over some smooth-tongued deceit.

“Anyway, it’s not about an annulment. There is something else I want to propose to you.”

With that said, Kraush lightly smiled.

“I’ve recently entered into a contract with a god.”

Bianca was momentarily surprised.

The average age for contracting with a god is fifteen.

But he is a Balheim.

Most direct descendants of Balheim are eyed by gods from birth and complete their contracts before the age of ten.

As such, in truth, Kraush was quite late in doing so.

Nonetheless, such an occasion was cause for congratulations.

“Congratulations.”

When Bianca offered her congratulations, Kraush nodded unenthusiastically.

“And I want to take on your curse with the ability I awakened through the god.”

“What?”

What came out of his mouth was utterly unexpected.

Bianca involuntarily questioned him, her eyes flickering for a moment.

He wanted to take on a curse.

The statement was implausibly out of context.

“I have a use for it.”

“The curse?”

“That’s right, give me that curse, and in return, I’ll grant you something you want. An annulment, if that’s what you wish for.”

Bianca was silent for a moment.

It just didn’t make sense to her.

‘Take my curse?’

Her curse was one that stripped away emotion.

Why would anyone desire such a curse?

“Do you intend to engrave the curse upon yourself?”

While Bianca had grown accustomed to the lack of emotions.

For someone who knew emotions to undertake such an action would surely lead to great turmoil.

Therefore, as Bianca asked the question, Kraush merely nodded.

‘It’s a curse that even the famed exorcists of the world couldn’t break.’

Kraush’s reaction was as if it was a given that he could simply take the curse.

‘Did Kraush contract with such a god?’

Assuming that he could take the curse.

What did Kraush intend to do by erasing his emotions with the stolen curse?

Bianca pondered over everything she knew about Kraush.

He, the petty half-penny of the Balheims, treated as nothing more than a tool for a political marriage, certainly didn’t have a good relationship with other direct descendants and had given up on himself.

Such a person wanting to erase his feelings.

‘He must be exhausted.’

Lining up all the information, Bianca realized.

Kraush had become tired.

So tired that he no longer wanted to pour out emotions, to the point that he would cling to a curse to escape.

And Bianca was aware of the fate that awaited someone driven out by their emotions.

‘It was called depression.’

She remembered what her uncle, a northern psychic magician who studied the mind, had told her.

He often shared various stories about the psyche with Bianca, and Kraush’s present state had the exact sentiment her uncle described.

‘If a person suddenly changes and becomes kind to those around them, it’s the process of bidding farewell to those people.’

Looking up, Bianca stared at Kraush.

Without a close look, she wouldn’t have noticed, but his body bore numerous scars and bruises.

‘Self-harm.’

Seeing that, Bianca realized that Kraush inflicted those wounds on himself.

Even she, devoid of emotion, felt a twinge of pity, considering how driven he must have been.

In truth, those were just scars from diligently practicing his art.

‘I am his fiancée, after all.’josei

Bianca, having completely misunderstood Kraush, placed her hand atop his.

“Kraush, it’s okay. You can overcome this.”

“Uh, what?”

Now it was Kraush’s turn to be puzzled.