Please Leave The Sickly Villainess Alone

“A fatal illness…? What do you mean?”

“W-well, it’s just a figure of speech. Not actually true.”

For a moment, I almost hit myself hard on the mouth.

What kind of joke is that… As if the Empress wasn’t causing enough heartache, now I’m telling him I don’t have much time left?

Feeling guilty inside, I couldn’t meet his eyes. But Luka brought his crimson eyes, like the setting sun, close to mine and said:

“Even if it were true, I would do anything to save you. There’s no such thing as a terminal illness. You must stay by my side.”

The intensity in his eyes as he added ‘That’s what Ria taught me’ was enough to drain all my energy.

I couldn’t even voice the reluctant question in my head: ‘Me, with you?’

“Please don’t make such jokes, even in jest.”

He said, caressing my cheeks. Just as I always did to Luka, he only stroked them gently, unable to bring himself to pinch them.

“Your joke went too far this time, Sister.”

Watching him mutter almost inaudibly with slightly reddened eyes, I felt like I had done something terribly wrong. I stood up abruptly and said:

“Of course it’s a joke! Why would I die, leaving you behind?”

Seeing Luka finally smile at my last added words, my heart ached.

At that moment, I felt something salty churning deep inside me.

This was undoubtedly…

‘Not now, of all times!’

Feeling like I was about to cough up blood, I quickly pulled out a handkerchief.

‘You just had to say that, didn’t you, body!’

I was at the point of resenting this shell that only looked impressive on the outside.

As Luka approached, asking what was wrong after seeing my state, I was about to have a fit when we heard the carriage come to a stop.

“We have arrived, Your Highness.”

As the door opened and we heard the voice, I wanted to shout ‘Nice timing!’, but Luka was completely focused on my strange behavior, not even acknowledging the coachman’s polite announcement of our arrival.

Just when I felt I couldn’t hold it in any longer, a familiar voice called out from afar.

“Ria! Laveria-!”

It was Rachel’s booming voice, as if she had been boiled in a cauldron!

She grabbed Luka by the scruff of his neck, asking why he wasn’t getting out of the carriage.

“Ria!”

As Luka was dragged out of the carriage by that overwhelming strength, I quickly coughed into my handkerchief.

“Cough, cough!”

Checking it, I saw blood had indeed come out. Though not as much as yesterday, it was enough to cause a commotion between those siblings.

“Ria! What’s wrong, are you alright? You there, quickly go fetch a potion good for colds!”

“Ria, a cold? What are you talking about?!”

“Huff-“

Feeling the salty taste of blood that made my stomach churn, I finished wiping my mouth and threw the handkerchief out the window.

As there was a large lake right next to where the carriage had stopped, the handkerchief created a red haze as it sank beneath the surface.

“It’s nothing, getting so surprised over two coughs.”

Though I said that, I knew why those children were so sensitive about someone being ill.

It was because their mother was bedridden.

I got out of the carriage, holding Luka’s hand.

A servant who had rushed to the imperial palace and back so quickly he was out of breath, respectfully handed a potion to Luka.

“Ria, if you drink this, you’ll feel better right away.”

“A potion used for colds…?”

I wonder what chemical reaction would occur if I drank this potion when I didn’t have a cold.

As I looked at the green, sloshing liquid with a doubtful expression, Rachel said:

“It’s not just for colds. It’s used for various things like energy recovery, hydration, iron supplementation, and so on.”

At the mention of iron supplementation, I opened the cap without hesitation and drank the potion.

The liquid going down my throat was disgustingly bitter, but it instantly cleared the dizziness I had been feeling since last night’s repeated blood-coughing.

“I’ll make sure to pack plenty for you before we leave later.”

To think they’d give away potions that money can’t buy… As expected, materialism at its finest.

* * *

“Guys, my feet aren’t touching the ground right now.”

I was being supported by Luka and Rachel as we headed towards the Empress’s palace.

While I had been walking just fine, I almost tripped over a stone. I don’t know what misunderstanding this caused, but from some point, the two of them started supporting me from both sides, each holding one of my arms.

Can this even be called support?

Since both of them had grown much taller than me at some point, I was literally dangling between them.

“Ria, we should really see a physician first. With your cough earlier, and nearly collapsing just now…”

No, I just tripped over a stone earlier, I tell you.

“That’s right, maybe if you drink about ten potions, your cold might get better.”

These children clearly have never had a cold before.

Well, it’s said that the blood of the imperial family has always been blessed with extraordinary physiques beyond that of ordinary humans.

They probably haven’t experienced any minor illnesses until now.

If such children were to find out that I’ve started coughing up blood… The mere thought made me dizzy.

For those born into royalty, the obstacle of an incurable disease would be quite difficult to accept.

Even now, with the Empress’s illness, they’ve been trying various treatments and failing repeatedly. Just when frustration was about to set in, I brought a glimmer of hope.

‘Rachel probably doesn’t know yet. What kind of gift I’ve prepared.’

The thought brought a smile to my face.

“How many times do I have to say it? Ordinary people can catch colds even in summer. The Empress is waiting, let’s hurry.”

I pulled my arms free from their grasp and walked quickly towards the Empress’s palace.

‘Even so…’

Perhaps due to the effects of the potion I had just drunk, my throat no longer felt itchy as if I was about to cough up blood.

Thus, I was finally able to reach the entrance of the Empress’s palace.

Thanks to Luka and Rachel’s frequent visits, the Empress’s palace was better maintained than last time. The number of servants had increased, and statues of the Goddess of Healing were placed throughout the palace.

We waited in front of the Empress’s bedroom, located in the innermost part of the palace, until a servant sought her permission.

I felt my heart beating faster.

I was excited at the thought of being able to cure the Empress, but also worried about the possibility of failure.

As soon as permission was granted from inside, the door opened silently, and at last, we could see the Empress lying in bed like a painting.

Even though we had made a promise… why did she look even more emaciated and pale than last time?

She looked as if her breath might stop at any moment.

I wondered how these siblings must have felt, seeing their mother in this state nearly every day.

I sat in the chair next to the Empress’s bed and held her bony hand.

“Laveria, I’ve been waiting… I was so happy when I heard you were coming today…”

Seeing the Empress speak while gasping for breath, Rachel said with a bitter smile:

“Mother, I’ll go get the gift you wanted to give Ria last time.”

“A gift…?”

In response to my puzzled words, the Empress, who was facing me, smiled faintly and said:

“I owe Ria too much. I want to repay you properly… but it’s not enough.”

“That’s not true. Your Majesty treated me like a mother and cherished me. That’s more than enough for me.”

At my words, she smiled painfully and caressed my cheek.

Layola had prided herself on being no different from my mother. Saying that feeding me, clothing me, and giving me a place to sleep made her no different from a mother.

But that wasn’t all a mother did.

“Your Majesty… I’ve failed. Such a pretty shape just won’t come out.”

“Haha, if you hold it here and squeeze the dough, it will come out in a nice round shape.”

The gentle touch of the beautiful hand holding mine was warm.

“You said today was the day for a mother and daughter to go on a picnic with cookies they baked together, right?”

“That’s right. When I think back to my happiest childhood memories, I think it was at times like this. That’s why I wanted to create good memories for Ria too, so I called you to the imperial palace.”

“Thank you for your consideration. I think today will be an unforgettable memory for me too.”

“It’s nothing. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to fill in for the Duchess.”

She had said that, making my tense entrance to the palace seem unnecessary.

“Haha, there’s flour on your cheek.”

As she wiped my cheek and smiled brightly, I suddenly saw an overlap with my mother from my previous life, now faded in my memory.

The more I dwelled on those memories, the stranger emotions they stirred up.

It felt like I had rediscovered something I had completely forgotten under Layola’s tyranny.

At that moment, Rachel approached with a box. At a glance, it looked so luxurious it could be mistaken for a jewelry box.

The box itself looked valuable enough that it seemed out of place coming from the Empress’s simple and modest room.

Click-

Inside the opened box lay a beautiful jeweled brooch.

Among the colorfully sparkling jewels, there seemed to be some kind of power embedded.

“This is a pendant that Gasent, the previous imperial healing mage and Ria’s great-grandfather, gave me when I became Empress. I really wanted to give it to Ria, who has now awakened as a healing mage.”

Despite her difficulty moving, the Empress picked up the brooch and pinned it on me herself.

As I looked down at it, displaying its brilliant appearance on my chest, the Empress said:

“When I look at Ria, I’m sometimes reminded of Gasent. He was called the greatest playboy of his time, but he was just as charming.”

Seeing her faintly smile with a playful expression, I grasped both her hands.

“Since you’ve given me such a grand gift, I should repay you too.”

Meeting her warm golden eyes that had grown larger, I smiled gently.

“I’ll make sure you don’t suffer from ‘Bruelle’ anymore, Your Majesty.”