Blue Beard
Once, there lived a man of immense wealth.
His house was grand like a castle, filled with gold and treasures, yet no one wished to be near him.
It was because of his beard.
It was unnaturally blue, and anyone who saw him felt a strange unease.
But worse than his appearance were the rumors.
All the women who had married him had disappeared.
One day, he proposed to two sisters.
The elder refused at once, but the younger was drawn in by his wealth and estate.
She spent several days in his house, enjoying feasts and luxury, and her fear slowly faded.
In the end, she agreed to marry him.
Before leaving on a journey, he gave her a ring of keys.
“You may open every room in this house.
But this small key must never be used.”
After he left, she tried to resist her curiosity.
But the forbidden door lingered in her thoughts.
At last, she took the key and opened it.
Cold air flowed out.
Inside—
there were stains of blood,
and the remains of his former wives.
She shut the door in terror and tried to clean the key.
But the red stain would not disappear.
That evening, he returned.
“Give me the keys.”
He saw the stain.
“You have disobeyed.”
She begged for time.
He agreed.
Footsteps climbed the stairs.
Closer.
Then—
her brothers