Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

“This dress is too tight.”

“It seems the young miss has grown again. This dress fit well not long ago.”

Garnett happily remarked that she would have to take my measurements again and order new clothes from the tailor. I turned to look at myself in the mirror.

Time had passed in the blink of an eye.

Two months had already gone by since the Grand Nobles’ Council was held.

The end of the long summer was approaching.

‘Being tall is part of it, but doing morning training every day without fail has made my body healthier too.’

The frail, skinny country girl was nowhere to be found now.

My hair had grown even longer.

It seemed that anyone who saw this luscious silver hair would know I was Laveria of the Rayes Duchy.

Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, I thought I may have grown a bit taller.

‘Of course…’

“Ria, I’m here to pick you up.”

When I finished getting ready and opened the door to go out, Luka, who had grown a full head taller than me now, was waiting.

“You… are you growing 0.5 centimeters every day or something?”

Luka’s growth plates were working hard, so even though I had gotten taller, it still wasn’t noticeable next to him.

Ben and Terry, playing with Tharo in the hallway, now carried themselves with the dignity befitting children under the patronage of a proper Ducal family.

Terry, who had been a baby maid, was now showing interest in herbs and studying hard lately from what I heard.

Seeing how quickly she finished the book I bought her last time, our child must be a genius.

And Ben, the top disciple of Chef Shrimp, was unsurprisingly showing talent in cooking, as expected of the hero who kept the orphanage children fed on potatoes.

The other children from Troy Orphanage occasionally sent me letters saying they were freely pursuing the things they wanted to do, which sometimes made me emotional.

And I was forever grateful to Dad for taking in my orphanage siblings like this.

Terry, spotting me and Luka, ran over calling my name in one breath.

“Sister Ria!”

Tharo and Ben followed, collapsing into my arms.

“Sis, the corn soup we had this morning – I made that!”

“Really? That was my favorite part of breakfast!”

He might become a master chef to succeed Chef Shrimp someday.

“If that’s the case, you’ll need to change your name first. As far as I know, genius chefs can’t have ordinary names.”

Ben tilted his head at my words, puzzled.

Cutlassfish…? No, too common.

Chameleon, this one seemed pretty good.

“How about changing your name to Chameleon?”

As Ben asked what I meant, Tharo suddenly popped out from behind him.

[Master! Are you going on another date while leaving the kids with me?!]

‘What date? We’re going to the Imperial Palace.’

[That’s the same thing! To think that I, Tharogrikken Drezula III, have been reduced to a mere babysitter for these little ones!]

‘For someone saying that, you were having fun playing with them just now.’

[T-That’s…!]

“Wow, Tharo. Are you having a staring contest with big sister? Do it with Terry too!”

Terry grabbed Tharo’s cheeks and turned his head towards her, saying it was starting now as she widened her eyes.

“Terry, I’m on your side. Make sure you win, okay? I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay! I’ll definitely win!”

[Argh! Master-! Hey, I saw this little one blink just now!]

“Let’s go, Luka.”

I took Luka’s arm.

“Have a good trip too, brother.”

Ben greeted Luka, whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

Luka nodded to him and patted his head before descending the stairs with me.

“The hunting festival is already next week.”

And I knew that was the beginning of the original.

“I’ll gift Ria the biggest game of prey.”

Coming from Luka’s mouth, it didn’t sound like empty words.

In fact, he had hunted the largest white lion to become that year’s champion in the original story.

The reason for going to the Imperial Palace today was because it was time for my regular magic power checkup.

Having become a subject of management by both the Imperial Palace and Magic Tower, sometimes Jen would visit to kill time in secret from the Tower Master, and other times I’d receive desperate invitation letters from the old Imperial mage.

Though I kept visiting, there was no way to let them know I could never truly become the saint from history they seemed to expect.

‘Shouldn’t they be prioritizing Senia over me anyway?’

The frequency of my summons to the Imperial Magic Department was increasing by the day.

All they did each time was measure my mana and test my affinity, but they seemed quite satisfied and expectant of the numbers they were recording.

‘Even so, I’m still terminally ill.’

Indeed. The overflowing mana in this body would one day sever my lifeline.

Drehan seemed to be looking into various ways to cure my illness lately, but it was futile.

As far as I knew, there was only one method, which required a treasure from another country.

The frequent fevers I had after awakening as a healing mage had disappeared.

Yet somehow being so perfectly fine was even more terrifying.

Whether aware of my inner thoughts or not, Luka carefully took my hand to escort me as if I might break at a touch or blow away in the wind. I swallowed a deep sigh as I looked at him.

I listlessly boarded the Imperial carriage.

There was a time I had told Luka I wanted to use the warp magic circle to travel like he had when he came to the Duchy through it.

But apparently those Magic Tower folks had inscribed a quite clever formula on the magic circle they installed in the Imperial Palace so that only those of royal blood could use it.

‘As always, they’ll do anything to get in the good graces of their patrons.’

Most of the mages I met when I visited the Magic Tower were eccentrics obsessed with money.

In any case, not being royalty myself, I had to enjoy the scenery from this stable, comfortable carriage.

“After the checkup is done today, let’s stroll through the garden in front of the palace. I heard it’s quite beautiful after the recent maintenance.”

“Sure, the weather is perfect for a walk today too.”

True to his words, fluffy white clouds drifted across the brilliantly blue sky.

Unlike yesterday when it had rained continuously, it was such a fine day that it seemed a rainbow might appear at any moment.

* * *

Unidentified magical devices floating in the air, the tickling scent of herbs, familiars scampering about.

These were now familiar sights in the Imperial Magic Department.

If transforming into small animals was the trend among Magic Tower familiars, it seemed transforming into magnificent beasts was the fashion for Imperial Magic Department familiars.

After frequenting the Imperial Magic Department, I realized that Tharo staying in his wolf pup form was his way of being considerate to the people of the Duchy.

Amidst the eerie howls of fierce beasts, the old mage in front of me quickly jotted down my new measurements with his pen, repeatedly adjusting his glasses in disbelief.

“Such numbers cannot be found in the records of any healing mage in history.”

The astonishment was evident even in his trembling voice.

I could understand his reaction.

The number that appeared on the mana measuring crystal I placed my hand on was exactly 15,000.

And peeking at the historical records of healing mages the old mage was looking at now, most didn’t exceed 10,000.

The highest recent record was Senia’s.

But even that had peaked at 11,000.

“It’s difficult to surpass 10,000. Both physically and mentally.”

He was unaware that this number was only half of my vast mana reserves.

Before I first came to the Imperial Palace to have my mana measured, Jen had taught me a trick to hide my true mana levels.

It involved not fully pressing my palm against the crystal. Since everyone had only tried to make their mana appear higher, not lower, the old mage didn’t suspect anything.

Especially since the lowered measurement was still 15,000.

If a number like 30,000 had appeared here, it would have plastered the front pages of tomorrow’s newspapers.

The headline would be something like ‘Was the Rayes Princess really a sealed witch?! Unbelievable mana levels!’ and the content would be half fabricated with expert opinions suggesting I really was a witch from the Dark Forest.

“Yet your mana affinity remains low.”

He uttered the next words almost like a lament.

How unfortunate that the vessel of potentially the most powerful healing mage in history, who might safeguard the national power of the Greffin Empire, was hindered by low affinity and unable to use magic beyond a certain level.

He continued graphing my persistently low affinity scores.

In reality, I was using magic by regulating my affinity, but he was unaware.

What truly hindered me was not affinity, but the incurable illness caused by my mana growing stronger with each use of magic.

I shrugged and said:

“I’ve heard that Lady Senia Kablos has excellent affinity as well. If you wish to obtain an Imperial healing mage, perhaps you should keep an eye on her?”

The position of Imperial healing mage was an honorable one that only a single person could hold.

The position that had been vacant since the passing of the previous Imperial healing mage years ago now seemed to be seeking a new owner.

And as far as I knew, in the novel, Senia would claim that position.

It was the natural progression as she was the Empire’s sole healing mage.

On the other hand, now it seemed ‘I’ had become an alternative option, but I rather wished they would realize sooner that I was all flash and no substance, and stop summoning me.

“Hmm… Lady Senia certainly has excellent affinity. However, there is one concerning point.”

The gloomy-faced old mage said as he flipped through what appeared to be her records.

“The highest measurement recorded when the lady was young remains her peak, and since then her mana has been gradually decreasing. Though the decline is slight, even I have never seen such a case before…”

Senia’s mana levels were lowering day by day?

That didn’t conform to common sense.

Magic was supposed to grow stronger with use.

Senia had been using her healing magic to care for patients at charity facilities and cure nobles’ illnesses from before.

Yet it was as if her mana was leaking out like water from a broken vessel.

When I asked him the reason, the old mage could only say he didn’t know, looking perplexed.

“We are looking into it, but Duke Kablos has been reluctant to allow examinations of Lady Senia.”

I nodded. Certainly, a duke would not easily hand over his precious daughter.

I should ask Jen about this later.

He knows everything when it comes to magic.

* * *

Coming out of the Magic Department located in the central tower of the Imperial Palace, I marveled at the view from up high.

Is it a characteristic of mages to position themselves in high places?

Perhaps they build towers as tall as their proud egos.

Though not as high as the Magic Tower, the Imperial Magic Department was also situated in a very tall tower.

Boarding the magically moving carpet, it lowered me from the top of the tower to the ground like an elevator.

Luka was waiting for me below.

And if what I saw from above was correct, someone seemed to be walking towards us from afar.

The distinct black hair, different from Luka’s, was clearly visible – it must be one of Lady Jeria’s two sons.

‘The fool or the schemer?’

The former was the First Prince, the latter the Second Prince.

Either way, it wasn’t a particularly welcome encounter.