The Somerna family was one of the most distinguished noble families in the kingdom.
They owned vast lands and mines, as well as countless farms, and had inherited immense wealth for generations.
But even such a wealthy family had one tradition they could never boast about to anyone.
A family’s children had to marry before reaching a certain age.
Any child who failed to marry by the appointed age was sent to another noble family under an old contract.
And the other side was always the same.
The Miruz family.
The Miruz family was also an old noble house, but its reputation was the complete opposite of Somerna’s.
There were rumors that they mistreated servants, threatened nobles who opposed them, and even silenced those who uncovered the family’s secrets with magic.
In particular, people who married into the Miruz family often lost contact with the outside world.
And almost none ever returned.
One winter day.
The marriage request from the Miruz family arrived for Eunbi, the eldest daughter of the Somerna family.
"Eunbi."
The Somerna count’s office.
The count was staring at the letter on his desk with a heavy expression.
"The Miruz family has requested a marriage."
Eunbi took the letter in her hands.
Her fingertips trembled.
"The partner is... the Miruz family’s eldest son?"
"Yes."
Eunbi could not say anything.
After a moment, she spoke quietly.
"Father... can’t we refuse?"
The count shook his head.
"There is an old contract."
Just then, the office door opened.
"Father, what’s wrong?"
It was Eunho.
The second son of the Somerna family, and Eunbi’s younger brother.
Seeing the grim expressions on their faces, Eunho sensed something was wrong.
"Noona, what is it?"
Eunbi could not answer.
In the end, the count handed him the letter.
Eunho read the contents.
Then he looked at Eunbi.
Eunbi was trying to act fine, but her hands were shaking.
Eunho thought for a moment.
Then he said,
"I’ll go."
Eunbi lifted her head.
"...What?"
"I’ll go to the Miruz family."
"No."
Eunbi said immediately.
"Eunho, do you know what kind of place that is?"
"I know."
"Then why..."
Eunho smiled faintly at Eunbi.
"It’s better for me to go than for noona to go."
"But you’re my little brother."
"Exactly why I’m going."
Eunbi could not say anything.
Eunho looked at his father.
"I’ll go in her place."
After a long silence, the count closed his eyes.
And in the end, he nodded.
A few days later.
A black carriage stopped in front of the Somerna mansion.
The person who stepped out was Berry, the Miruz family’s second daughter.
Berry looked at Eunho with a cold expression.
"Are you Eunho Somerna?"
"Yes."
"Then there’s one thing we have to do before we leave."
Berry raised her hand.
Eunho looked puzzled.
"What..."
In that instant.
Purple mana exploded outward.
"...!"
Eunho’s voice vanished from his throat.
At the same time, he felt something wrap around his neck.
Eunho instinctively touched his neck.
There wasa red cord tied there.
It wrapped around his neck so naturally, as if it had always been there from the beginning.
Eunho, flustered, grabbed at the cord and pulled.
It would not come loose.
When he opened his mouth to speak—
"...!"
His breath caught in his throat.
He could not get enough air.
Eunho widened his eyes and quickly closed his mouth.
His chest tightened uncomfortably.
He tried to breathe in again, but this time too, not enough air came in.
Eunho clutched the red cord around his neck with one hand and pressed the other to his chest.
Berry watched him and said,
"It’s a silence spell."
Eunho looked at Berry.
Berry pointed at the red cord.
"That cord is the mark of the curse."
Eunho glared at her while struggling to steady his breathing.
"If you try to speak, your breathing gets blocked."
Berry said calmly.
"Don’t force your voice out."
Eunho tried to speak again, then stopped.
His chest was still tight.
As he slowly calmed his breathing, only then did his breath begin to return.
Berry added,
"And one more thing."
Eunho looked at her.
"Even if time passes, this magic won’t break."
Eunho’s eyes wavered.
"Not until I personally release it."
Eunho looked at the red cord tied around his neck.
Only then did he realize that he had been completely bound by Berry’s magic.
The Miruz mansion.
Eunho was led to a room.
The door closed.
Click.
It locked.
Eunho stood in front of the mirror.
In the mirror, a vivid red cord was tied around his neck.
He tried pulling at it.
It did not budge.
Eunho let out a sigh.
Then he carefully said,
"...."
No voice came out.
When he tried to force the words out a little harder—
"...!"
His breath was cut off again.
Eunho quickly closed his mouth.
He tried to inhale, but his chest would not move easily.
He placed a hand on the desk and lowered his head for a moment.
Only after a few slow breaths did he feel somewhat better.
Eunho looked at the red cord.
'Don’t speak.'
From that day on, Eunho had to live in silence.
Days passed.
One night.
Eunho heard strange sounds from beyond the wall.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
He knocked on the wall.
Tap.
After a moment, a small voice was heard.
"Are you the new one?"
Eunho could not answer and knocked on the wall.
Tap.
"Can’t talk, huh?"
Tap.
"I was the same."
The voice beyond the wall trembled.
"There are many people here with red cords tied around their necks, just like you."
Eunho clenched his fist tightly.
"The Miruz family casts silence magic on anyone who opposes them."
Just then, footsteps were heard in the hallway.
The voice beyond the wall quickly disappeared.
The door opened.
It was Berry.
"Who were you talking to?"
Eunho shook his head.
Berry looked at the red cord tied around his neck.
Then she said quietly,
"Don’t trust anyone who can see that cord."
The door closed.
A few days later.
While wandering through the mansion, Eunho discovered a secret passage leading underground.
Though eerie, Eunho went down.
There were stacks of documents there.
Eunho examined the papers one by one.
Then he found a familiar name.
Somerna
Eunho read the document.
And discovered a shocking truth.
The marriage contract between the Somerna family and the Miruz family had already expired long ago.
But the Miruz family had been tampering with the contract.
They had been using an old debt as an excuse to keep taking the Somerna children.
Eunho’s hands trembled.
'Noona almost went through this too.'
Then a voice came from behind him.
"Found it."
Eunho turned around.
It was Berry.
Eunho glared at her.
Berry said quietly,
"I want to end this family too."
Eunho asked with a gesture,
'Then why did you cast silence magic on me?'
Berry looked at the red cord.
"I’m sorry."
After a brief silence, she said,
"If I hadn’t cast it myself, the others would have become suspicious."
Eunho looked at her.
"And..."
Berry looked at her own hands.
"I’m the only one who can undo this magic."
Eunho nodded.
The two decided to expose the Miruz family’s lies to the world.
A few days later.
A grand banquet of the Miruz family was held.
Many nobles gathered.
The head of the Miruz family placed Eunho before the crowd.
"The second son of the Somerna family."
The nobles murmured.
"There’s a red cord around his neck."
"Looks like they cast silence magic on him."
Eunho said nothing.
The head of the family smiled with satisfaction.
"See for yourselves."
"Now the Somerna family cannot go against our family’s will."
At that moment.
Berry stepped forward.
"Father."
The head of the family looked at her.
"What is it?"
Berry unfolded some documents.
"This contract is forged."
The banquet hall stirred.
Berry revealed the forged contract and other evidence one after another.
The nobles’ faces hardened.
"This is..."
"The contract was tampered with."
"Our family was a victim too!"
The head of the family shouted.
"Berry! Stop this!"
But Berry did not back down.
"This is where it ends."
Then she looked at Eunho.
Eunho touched the red cord tied around his neck.
Berry nodded.
"Eunho."
Berry stepped closer.
"I’ll release it now."
Berry reached out her hand.
The red cord glowed faintly.
As Berry chanted, the cord slowly loosened.
And then—
Thud.
The red cord came free from Eunho’s neck and fell to the floor.
In an instant, the cord turned into light and vanished.
Eunho’s eyes widened.
He carefully drew in a breath.
There was no blockage at all.
He took another deep breath.
This time, too, nothing was wrong.
Eunho touched his neck.
The red cord was gone.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
"...Berry."
His voice came out.
Berry smiled.
"Yeah."
Eunho stood still for a while, as if checking his own voice.
Then he said,
"Really... thank you."
Berry nodded.
"Your voice is yours now."
Eunho walked forward.
Then he looked at the nobles.
"I am Eunho Somerna."
The banquet hall fell silent.
"The reason I came here was to take my sister’s place."
Eunho held up the forged contract.
"But while I was here, I learned something."
"That the Miruz family’s marriage contract was a lie."
His voice rang through the banquet hall.
"Now I’ll end this lie."
Before long, the Miruz family’s evil deeds were known to the royal family.
The forged contract and all evidence of their illegal silence magic were revealed.
The Miruz family began to fall.
And the Somerna family’s old forced-marriage tradition was also abolished.
At last, Eunho returned to the Somerna mansion.
Eunbi was waiting at the front entrance.
"Eunho!"
Eunho smiled and walked up to Eunbi.
"Noona!"
Eunbi looked at her brother’s neck.
There was no red cord.
"It’s really... gone."
"Yeah."
Eunho smiled.
"Berry released it herself."
Eunbi let out a sigh of relief.
"I’m glad."
Eunho looked at Eunbi.
"I’m really glad noona didn’t have to go there."
Eunbi could not say anything for a moment.
Then she said quietly,
"...Thank you, Eunho."
Eunho smiled.
"It was nothing."
That night.
Eunho stood by the window in his room.
When he opened it, a cool breeze came in.
He slowly breathed in.
There was no blockage at all.
He touched his neck.
There was nothing there.
No red cord.
No silence curse.
He looked up at the sky and said,
"I’m really free now."
It was his own voice.
No one had taken it from him,
and he did not need anyone’s permission to use it.
Eunho smiled.
The red cord that had once bound his neck was gone.
But he would not forget it.
Because it was the mark of the sacrifice he had borne to protect Eunbi.
And in time, people would come to call Eunho this.
The count who broke the silence.
Every time Eunho heard that name, he smiled.
The day he got his voice back.
At the same time, he broke the silence of an old lie as well.
